I didn’t post this still of Meryl Streep in “The Iron Lady” that did the web rounds two days ago, largely because I didn’t have much to say about it — for all the “uncanny resemblance” claims being made by some excitable bloggers, she looks rather a lot like Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher. (Which is fine, by the way.) But this amended still from reader/blogger Bradley Porter gave me a chuckle, so here they both are.
Warner Bros. has passed this along this afternoon. Interviews with Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Caine, etc. Way too heavy on the “it’s the bomb!” quotes, though, More content would have been better, but anyway:
• Steve Pond goes blue in the face trying to explain, again, the preferential ballot to people who just don’t get it. [The Odds]
• Nathaniel Rogers chats with “The King’s Speech” production designer Eve Stewart. [The Film Experience]
• Jamie Bell: Oscar prognosticator. [Movieline]
Earlier today, I praised the Evening Standard Awards for drawing people’s attention to forms and flavors of contemporary British film beyond the dressy heritage cinema that so many associate with the country.
This morning, London’s Time Out magazine posted a fascinating feature that does much the same for the past: a wide-ranging list of the 100 Best British Films of all time, compiled from the individual Top Tens of 150 industry figures, including directors, actors and critics.
When I was invited to participate in the poll — check out my list here — I anticipated a familiar list of chestnuts to emerge from the project. But while the final Top 100 leans heavily (and necessarily) on the canon, there are some surprises in the mix, including such recent titles as “Fish Tank” and “Hunger.” That Powell and Pressburger have two titles in the top 10 won’t raise any eyebrows, but that Nicolas Roeg managed the same feat is rather less predictable.
“What is it about the British?” a reader asked in one of last week’s comment threads. “They can’t quite make a film of current topical interest or [sic] lacks some historical or classical literary backdrop to give it a sense of importance.”
The comment is one of many “typical British film” jabs I’ve read since “The King’s Speech” asserted itself as the Oscar frontrunner, and it would have annoyed me no end even if I wasn’t part-British myself: to boil down an entire national cinema to awards-baiting prestige period fare is as unfair and ill-informed as suggesting that Hollywood only makes Michael Bay movies.
In the last 24 hours, however, two sets of honors have acted as handy rebuttals to this narrow perception of UK cinema. I’ll devote an individual post to Time Out’s tremendous 100 Best British Films list later today, but last night’s London Evening Standard Film Awards, to which I was lucky enough to be invited, were a welcome celebration of the kind of diverse, adventurous British artistry — ranging from sci-fi to comedy to experimental indies — that idle BAFTA voters can’t be bothered to nominate.
• David Poland talks “In a Better World” with the film’s director, Susanne Bier. [The Hot Blog]
• The HFPA counter-sues it’s former publicist. [The Wrap]
• Michael Moore is suing Harvey Weinstein for “Fahrenheit 9/11” profits. [TMZ]
Wrapped now. Repeat in the embed below. Best quote, from James Franco:
It was funny to me when the Academy made the announcement, because there was a lot of, ‘Oh, an obvious ploy by the Academy to bring in younger viewers.’ Yeah, duh. Is that a bad thing?
Jesse Eisenberg had some zingers, too.
Stolen outright from John Lopez’s recent, level-headed write-up of the campaign circus as it stands now.
I just don’t feel there’s anything to add, any nuance to illuminate, any real twist in the road to be analyzed. Not at the moment, anyway. Ballots are in hand and most will be returned this week, so I’ll just sit back and observe. Enjoy the Oscar Guides and the usual usual. Off the Carpet will be back in a week’s time, hopefully with something to discuss.
The press release:
American Cinema Editors (ACE) will honor veteran editors Michael Brown, A.C.E. and Michael Kahn, A.C.E. with the organization’s prestigious Lifetime Career Achievement Award at the 61st Annual ACE Eddie Awards on February 19, 2011 in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
The Lifetime Career Achievement Award honors veteran editors whose body of work and reputation within the industry is outstanding.
As previously announced, the ACE Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award, recognizing a filmmaker of extraordinary vision, will go to Christopher Nolan.
[Photo: Editors Guild Magazine]
The penultimate film in the series may only be up for two BAFTAs on Sunday night — ones it probably won’t win — but devoted “Harry Potter” fans have been given an extra reason to tune in, as the entire series is being honored by the British Academy with their Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award.
This annual honorary award has previously been presented to individuals like Mike Leigh, Derek Jarman and Kenneth Branagh, as well as studios like Pinewood and Working Title, but this is, to my knowledge, the first time it’s been given to an actual film franchise. Author J.K. Rowling and producer David Heyman will accept.
It’s an appropriate acknowledgement for a cultural phenomenon that has delighted millions for an entire decade, generated a fortune for the UK film industry and kept at least half of Britain’s acting stock in steady employment, but the timing of the award strikes me as odd — why not wait until next year, when the series is complete and running its final victory lap?
• “Why, in troubled times, does America turn to a hard-drinking, half-blind US marshal?” [The Guardian]
• Bob Verini takes the pro/con route on each Best Picture hopeful. [Variety]
• Larry Rohter chats with “Dogtooth” director (and unlikely Oscar nominee) Yorgos Lanthimos. [The Carpetbagger]
7. “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”
Outrageous. Make it stop.
6. “Cowboys & Aliens”
Though cluttered, expands on what we’ve seen.
5. “Captain America: The First Avenger”
Not a bad trailer but something lingering still has me on guard.
4. “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
A true teaser, promising escalation but more contained.
