Features







2007-08 Oscar Calendar



[Monday, December 3, 2007]

Official Screen Credits
Forms Due.


[Wednesday, December 26, 2007]

Nominations ballots mailed.


[Saturday, January 12, 2008]

Nominations polls close
5 p.m. PST.


[Tuesday, January 22, 2008]

Nominations announced
5:30 a.m. PST
Samuel Goldwyn Theater


[Wednesday, January 30, 2008]

Final ballots mailed.


[Monday, February 4, 2008]

Nominees Luncheon


[Saturday, February 9, 2008]

Scientific and Technical
Awards Dinner


[Tuesday, February 19, 2008]

Final polls close 5 p.m. PST.


[Sunday, February 24, 2008]

79th Annual
Academy Awards Presentation
Kodak Theatre

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One Shots

atone.jpg


I realize that the nature of my blogging -- lifestyle, shall we say -- this year has made it difficult to offer the same amount of full length reviews I have in years past. As a result, a few titles have slipped through the cracks and I haven't allowed some sort of space to give my thoughts on a number of the year's offerings. So I thought I'd offer up a few brief opinions to those films before plowing ahead into December.


"Atonement" (***1/2)
Strange that I've gone the whole season and not mentioned an opinion on the perceived Oscar frontrunner, despite having screened it twice and liking it very much. "Atonement" is a much smaller film than it's being depicted as, but it is very tight and a huge step up for Joe Wright, who already had fans in the wake of 2005's "Pride & Prejudice." His work here deserves every awards mention it receives, but high marks have to go to performers James McAvoy and Romola Garai, not to mention textured, beautiful cinematography from Seamus Mcgarvey and a Dario Marianelli score that raises the bar for the trade.

"Enchanted" (***)
I was with "Enchanted" until a rather creatively vacant third act took the film down the tubes. Everything leading up to that moment, however, was sheer delight as Bill Kelly's fresh screenplay was a cheeky and at times outright hilarious take on Disney's run-of-the-mill princess tales. And, of course, Amy Adams' star-making turn deserves all the praise it has received.


"Lars and the Real Girl (**)
I didn't go for this flick the way a lot of the movie-going community did. There was something incomplete about the tale and the tone, something unassured in the filmmaking, I couldn't put my finger on it. Ryan Gosling's performance is a diamond in the rough here, but I feel as though the rather intriguing Nancy Oliver story would have been better served by another, more creatively interesting director.


"Margot at the Wedding" (1/2*)
One of the worst films of the year. And beware of anyone who tells you "I know people like that." No one knows people like that.


"Persepolis" (***1/2)
Easily one of the year's best, I thank the movie gods year in and year out for films like "Persepolis." Kudos to France for entering this animated gem as their foreign film contender. Marjane Satrapi's poignant adaptation of her own graphic novel should be required viewing for anyone ignorant enough to paint an entire culture with the broad brush of prejudice.

Comments

Seriously? I thought everyone knew people like that.

Was it just the writing or did you dislike the performances as well?

waiting for your take on I;m Not There ( now won't I be embarased if you already commented and I am missing it !)

I'm right there with you on Atonement and Persepolis! (haven't seen the others)

Persepolis is one of my favourites of the year. Was amazed by how I could get so caught up in an animated film and how it could feel so REAL, so alive!

And although Atonement was a bit of a disappointment (lacking some of the intensity of the novel), I still enjoyed it very much. Thought it a beautifully crafted film, and well acted (although not impressed with Knightley)

Bingo on Enchanted -- the last third really brought the fun of the movie to a screeching halt. The film's own internal logic seemed to go right out the window, and I thought Sarandon (can't believe I'm saying this) was wrong in her role.

Newly in love with Amy Adams, though. Damn!

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2008 Year in Advance Predictions


UPDATED: 2/25/2008





Main Charts | Tech Charts



[Motion Picture]

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“Doubt”

“Frost/Nixon”

“Revolutionary Road”

“The Soloist”



[Directing]

David Fincher
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Ron Howard
“Frost/Nixon”

Gus Van Sant
“Milk”

Sam Mendes
“Revolutionary Road”

Joe Wright
“The Soloist”



[Actor in a Leading Role]

Benicio Del Toro
“The Argentine”

Jamie Foxx
“The Soloist”

Frank Langella
“Frost/Nixon”

Sean Penn
“Milk”

Brad Pitt
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”



[Actress in a Leading Role]

Vera Farmiga
“Nothing But the Truth”

Angelina Jolie
“Changeling”

Julianne Moore
“Blindness”

Meryl Streep
“Doubt”

Kate Winslet
“Revolutionary Road”



[Actor in a Supporting Role]

Josh Brolin
“Milk”

Russell Crowe
“Body of Lies”

Robert Downey, Jr.
“The Soloist”

Heath Ledger
“The Dark Knight”

Michael Sheen
“Frost/Nixon”



[Actress in a Supporting Role]

Amy Adams
“Doubt”

Kathy Bates
“Revolutionary Road”

Cate Blanchett
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Catherine Keener
“The Soloist”

Carice van Houten
“Body of Lies”



[Writing, Adapted Screenplay]

“Body of Lies”

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“Doubt”

“Frost/Nixon”

“Revolutionary Road”



[Writing, Original Screenplay]

“Changeling”

“Hamlet 2”

“Milk”

“The Soloist”

“WALL·E”



[Art Direction]

“Australia”

“Defiance”

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom
of the Crystal Skull”

“Red Cliff”

“Revolutionary Road”



[Cinematography]

“Australia”

“The Dark Knight”

“Defiance”

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom
of the Crystal Skull”

“Revolutionary Road”



[Costume Design]

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“Doubt”

“The Other Boleyn Girl”

“Red Cliff”

“Revolutionary Road”



[Film Editing]

“Body of Lies”

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“Defiance”

“Frost/Nixon”

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom
of the Crystal Skull”



[Makeup]

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“The Dark Knight”

“Red Cliff”



[Music, Original Score]

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom
of the Crystal Skull”

“The Soloist”

“Revolutionary Road”

“WALL·E”



[Music, Original Song]

coming soon



[Sound Editing]

“Defiance”

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom
of the Crystal Skull”

“Iron Man”

“Speed Racer”

“WALL·E”



[Sound Mixing]

“Defiance”

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom
of the Crystal Skull”

“Cloverfield”

“The Chronicles of Narnia:
Prince Caspian”

“WALL·E”



[Visual Effects]

“The Chronicles of Narnia:
Prince Caspian”

“The Incredible Hulk”

“Iron Man”



[Animated Feature Film]

“9”

“Kung Fu Panda”

“WALL·E”



[Foreign Language Film]

coming soon



[Documentary, Features]

coming soon



[Documentary, Short Subjects]

coming soon



[Short Film, Animated]

coming soon



[Short Film, Live Action]

coming soon