In Contention

Category: Daily

  • James Horner’s “epic” and “hugely cinematic” score for ‘Avatar’

    James HornerOne of the contenders we’ve certainly had an eye on in this year’s Oscar race is James Horner, composer of the score for James Cameron’s “Avatar.” The last time the duo worked together was the last time Cameron made a movie, and 1997’s “Titanic” brought in a massive Oscar haul that included a statue for Horner’s contribution.

    Over at MovieScore Magazine, Mikael Carlsson is calling the score, which is unheard as of this point, “the film music event of the year,” and he gets a quote from Fox music executive VP Mike Knobloch:

    It’s a brilliantly unique blend of traditional and contemporary, electronic elements and spans the entire spectrum of attitude and energy – from bombastic action to the delicate, romantic discovery of a new world.

    That’s fine and good and generally empty as a quote of substance.  You could say that about the score to “The Rock.”

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  • In a nutshell

    Onward…

    (Ill Doctrine via Women & Hollywood)

  • ‘Up in the Air’: round two

    George Clooney in Up in the AirI have to confess that I’ve been a bit hesitant to watch Jason Reitman’s “Up in the Air” a second time.  When a movie hits me as perfectly as this one did, gets so much right, seems like such a gift of the season, my reaction is to let it lie for a long time.

    What if I see it again and it lands flat?  What if the emotion of the first viewing has somehow been compromised by my life in between viewings?  I don’t want to lose the high a film puts me on and reconciling that with a need to further investigate can be really tough.

    I’m glad I went back to the well on “Up in the Air,” though, because it illuminated so many textures I didn’t pick up on initially.  Dana Glauberman’s sharp editing, for instance, which, scene for scene, adds so much to Reitman’s script.  The way real life interview footage with laid-off employees is seamlessly integrated into the narrative.  The timing in comedic moments.  It’s very precise.  She’s more than deserving of the Hollywood Film Fest award she’ll receive on October 26.

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  • 10/7 Oscarweb Round-up

    Tyler Perry• As “Up” gears up for release in the UK, it is revealed the film was inspired by British photographer Adrian Warren. [Daily Telegraph]

    • Tyler Perry gets personal regarding “Precious.” [TylerPerry.com]

    • Enter for a chance to win Max’s wolf costume from “Where the Wild Things Are.” [Warner Bros.]

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  • London Film Festival shortlists nine titles for top prize

    Fantastic Mr. Fox I mentioned recently that the London Film Festival is upping its profile by adding a couple of new awards to its roster, including a crowning Best Film prize. This, I felt, was a positive development for a festival that becomes a richer, more rewarding cinematic showcase by the year. However, I must admit to being disappointed by the conservative approach they’ve taken to their new premier prize.

    Festival director Sandra Hebron yesterday unveiled a shortlist of nine contenders for the inaugural Best Film award, and a mostly familiar bunch of titles it is:

    “Balibo” (Robert Connolly)
    “Bright Star”     (Jane Campion)
    “Fantastic Mr. Fox”     (Wes Anderson)
    “Micmacs”     (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)
    “Nowhere Boy”     (Sam Taylor-Wood)
    “A Prophet”     (Jacques Audiard)
    “The Road”     (John Hillcoat)
    “A Serious Man”     (Joel and Ethan Coen)
    “The White Ribbon”     (Michael Haneke)

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  • Foreign watch: UK enters ‘Afghan Star,’ ‘Reykjavik’ remake

    Afghan StarTwo interesting news tidbits relating to the Best Foreign Language Film race surfaced yesterday, the first of which is the United Kingdom’s bold, wholly unexpected decision to submit Havana Marking’s acclaimed documentary “Afghan Star” as their entry.

    The news is surprising for a number of reasons. It’s the first time the UK has submitted a documentary in the race — perhaps the selectors were inspired by the groundbreaking nomination of “Waltz With Bashir” in the category earlier this year.

    Moreover, the Afghanistan-centered film — which contains dialogue in English, Dari and Pashtun — marks a dramatic change from the Welsh-language features that BAFTA almost always puts forward for Oscar consideration. (Few people give the Brits much thought in this category, but they’ve actually been nominated twice before: for “Hedd Wyn” in 1993 and “Solomon and Gaenor” in 1999.)

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  • Pretty neat

    Around the 17-second mark.  Thanks to reader John Young for drawing my attention to this:

  • Brody-V-P

    Yeah, not Oscar related at all (well, kinda), but you tell me.  Can you see Adrien Brody as a badass dude fighting some predators?  Really?

  • Animated feature forecast: could be ‘Cloudy’

    Cloudy with a Chance of MeatballsOver at The Odds (The Wrap’s new Oscar blog, in case you haven’t been reading), Steve Pond brings up the fierce competition of this year’s animated feature category and brings up an intriguing tidbit worth considering.

    In looking through Time Out London’s list of the 50 greatest animated films of all time, collected by the magazine’s editors and filmmaker Terry Gilliam, Pond takes note of the complete absence of both “Up” and “Ponyo.” These are two films considered very much in the thick of this year’s toon Oscar race, of course.

    However, after that aside, he comes to the two animated films from 2009 that did make the list.  The first is Henry Selick’s “Coraline,” but, well, hopefully the other note will provide some insight to those puzzled over my animated feature film predictions.

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  • Favre for Oscarcast host

    Brett FavreOkay, here’s my idea.

    He seems to be some sort of immortal modern deity, albeit a tractor-steering, dip-chewing sports monolith, but what else to people really worship?  Anyway, he commands a pretty big audience at this time in his career.  He can single-handedly turn something into the most watched cable program in history, apparently.  And maybe the Farrelly brothers can have fun with the opening short film.

    What, no good?  Not “movie-star” enough?  How about a well-publicized presentation gig?  Of Best Picture, no less.  Since seeing Brett Favre hand an Oscar to Oprah Winfrey or Tyler Perry would — oh my, can you just hear the cash register of ratings “cha-chings” now?  And hey, Favre/Eastwood wouldn’t be too shabby either.  Whichever way the needle goes, you’re covered.

    Still no good?  Alright, let’s stick with the 10.  Of course.  What was I thinking?

  • Briefly, on ‘Pirate Radio’

    I don’t know why, but this “Pirate Radio” trailer (which has been around a while) is really doing it for me.  I saw it yesterday before a screening of “Zombieland.” And how long before Philip Seymour Hoffman completes his trilogy of rock types?  He knocked Lester Bangs out of the park in “Almost Famous” and his character The Count here is inspired by Radio One’s Emperor Rosko.  Come on.  Just one more.

  • ‘Education’ on the march

    (from left) Peter Sarsgaard and Carey Mulligan in An EducationI didn’t really talk too much about Lone Sherfig’s “An Education” when I saw it a few months ago beyond starting the drum circle on Alfred Molina’s wonderfully warm, authentic performance.  But I find the film on my mind more and more with an October 9 limited release right around the corner.

    The film is sublime and in perhaps (for me) the best movie year of the decade, it continues to stand out as one of the 2009’s most refined films on nearly every level.  The acting, of course, is impeccable.  I couldn’t possibly write anything new about Carey Mulligan’s work, and Peter Sarsgaard, who will hopefully be in the awards conversation but could be unfortunately forgotten in the clutter, delivers his finest work since “Shattered Glass” (and probably ever).  The entire cast, in fact (and as noted in this space) is likely to get a well-deserved SAG ensemble nod.

    Back in June I wrote that “An Education” was an example of “that rare occasion when a filmmaker taps into profound truths with the help of a cast that gets it, the themes surging through every vein, a driven vehicle of purpose.”  I don’t feel any different today.

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  • Rodrigo Garcia talks ‘Mother and Child’

    The Annette Bening starrer “Mother and Child” stirred the awards conversation in Toronto, mostly for Bening but with plenty offering wonderful notices for the performances of Samuel L. Jackson and Naomi Watts.  Guy even made a pretty good case for the film cornering the female vote (in the year of the woman, no less).  But, no distributors have come calling yet, so it’s looking more and more like it could be a 2010 (or later) holdover.  In the meantime, here’s director Rodrigo Garcia talking about his work on the film:

    (Courtesy: MakingOf)

  • De Niro to be honored by Hollywood fest

    Robert De Niro in Everybody's FineWe’ve brought you up to speed on the list of Hollywood Film Festival award honorees the last few weeks (full list after the jump).  But today we get the news that Robert De Niro has been tapped to receive the Hollywood Actor Award, adding some steam to his bid for a lead actor Oscar nomination for “Everybody’s Fine.”

    Of course, who knows what the virtual dismantling of Miramax will do to planned Oscar campaigns, but this is a nice added boost as the actor heads into the season looking for his first Oscar nomination in 17 years.  Fest director Carlos de Abreu is quoted in the press release:

    Robert De Niro is an American icon. Not only is he highly regarded for his body of work as an actor, producer and director, but also for the passion, integrity and dedication he brings to his performances on camera, as well as his intense off-camera preparation and study of the characters he brings to life. His performance in the upcoming film “Everybody”s Fine” is outstanding and flawless.

    The ceremony will take place October 26.  We’re still waiting to hear about the Hollywood Actress Award winner, which will likely be Meryl Streep.

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  • 10/6 Oscarweb Round-up

    Tom Hardy in Bronson• Steve Pond asks five important questions about the expanded Best Picture category.  #1, #3 and #5 have been covered at length in this space.  #2 is philosophical and worth considering.  #4 is a practical issue at hand, I imagine. [The Odds]

    • On set with the Coens directing “A Serious Man.” [MakingOf]

    • Nicolas Winding Refn talks “Bronson”‘s Pet Shop Boys alterna-score, among other things. [The Playlist]

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  • Who the hell was that?

    Meryl Streep in Julie & JuliaCoincidentally enough, the same day that Kris spotlighted the Best Actress race, the category has been on my mind too — as a thought hit me that could factor in what is potentially one of the tightest duels of the season.

    Almost every Oscar prognosticator on record has already boiled the Best Actress contest down to Carey Mulligan versus Meryl Streep, and until the precursors arrive to shed some light on the matter, there’s almost nothing in it on paper.

    Advantage Mulligan for being in a probable Best Picture nominee. Advantage Streep for playing a prominent real-life figure. Advantage Mulligan for being this year’s hottest ingenue. Advantage Streep for being, well, Meryl Streep. And on it goes, back and forth.

    But if there’s one area where Mulligan holds a clear advantage over Streep, it’s with the so-called “BAFTA block” … the British contingent of voters who seemingly make their presence felt more in the Academy voting by the year. (Recent BAFTA-led surges for “The Reader,” Marion Cotillard and Tilda Swinton are a case in point.)

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  • Darren Aronofsky on directing

    Obviously this would have been more pertinent a year ago, but, alas:

    (Courtesy: MakingOf)

  • Mann and ‘Falling Soldier’

    Falling Soldier

    If Mann’s picture is a straight biographical drama it’ll be difficult to tackle this subject without taking a definitive stand on whether or not the photo was staged. I hope, then, that the film is less than standard from a biopic perspective, and tackles questions about the rigorous depiction of events versus creating propaganda for one group over another. Capa’s story is interesting, but seeing Mann get into deeper issues could make the movie really fascinating.

    A good point from Russ Fischer’s re-reporting of the news that Michael Mann will be tackling a biopic of war photographer Robert Capa.  Mann (and friend Eric Roth, actually) tends to go out of his way to make things a little more complex, so hopefully he doesn’t have a “standard” biopic in him.