Charlize Theron was recently invited by BAFTA to reflect on her career in their ‘A Life in Pictures’ series; Kenneth Branagh is next up for the honor.
BAFTA pays tribute to Kenneth Branagh and Charlize Theron
Posted by Guy Lodge · 6:40 pm · November 17th, 2011
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John Myhre tapped as production designer for Oscar show
Posted by Guy Lodge · 4:28 pm · November 17th, 2011
Considering what a pickle they were in only a week ago, I admire the efficiency with which the Academy is moving forward with their Oscarcast plans — with new producer Brian Grazer and host Billy Crystal in place, Oscar-winning production designer John Myhre is now on board to literally set the stage for the event.
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Meryl Streep is good-to-great in meh-to-good 'Iron Lady'
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 2:18 pm · November 17th, 2011
Phyllida Lloyd’s “The Iron Lady” shares a lot in common with Clint Eastwood’s “J. Edgar.” They portray conservative figures in political history with broad strokes despite attempting to flesh them out as nuanced characters. But mostly, they serve as hindrances to performances that could have won Oscars in a cake-walk.
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Taking questions for 11/18 Oscar Talk
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 1:26 pm · November 17th, 2011
Offer up your burning queries.
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Tech Support: 'Hugo' and 'Harry Potter' set the scene for Best Art Direction
Posted by gerardkennedy · 1:24 pm · November 17th, 2011
In this week’s installment of Tech Support, we transition over to Best Art Direction. Films in the thick of it include the period design of “Hugo,” “War Horse,” “J. Edgar” and “The Artist,” as well as the fantasy elements of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” “Thor” and “Captain America: The First Avenger.”
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Oscarweb Round-up: 'The Help' is no laughing matter, says HFPA
Posted by Guy Lodge · 5:31 am · November 17th, 2011
Hey, has there been a more hilarious performance all year than Viola Davis’s wackily oppressed, zanily bereaved maid in “The Help?” There has, you say? Whatever. Anyway, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association is with you, as they’ve barred DreamWorks’s planned strategy to campaign the film in the Musical/Comedy races at the Golden Globes. The Globes […]
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45 animated shorts longlisted for Oscar
Posted by Guy Lodge · 12:33 pm · November 16th, 2011
Pixar’s “La Luna” and the Quay Brothers’ “Maska” are two of the 45 films vying for that most unpredictable of Oscar categories, Best Animated Short.
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The Muppets face the indignity of product placement
Posted by Guy Lodge · 10:44 am · November 16th, 2011
The Muppets are the latest in a long line of Hollywood stars to feature in a satirical series of Hollywood-baiting ads for a UK cellphone network.
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UK poster for 'Shame' puts its two stars on an equal footing
Posted by Guy Lodge · 9:13 am · November 16th, 2011
Previous posters for Steve McQueen’s “Shame” have avoided showing the actors’ faces — but the new UK quad design does, and puts the focus as much on Carey Mulligan as the film’s more heavily-hyped star Michael Fassbender.
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Aiming for head of the cinematic class
Posted by Roth Cornet · 8:39 am · November 16th, 2011
The past two decades have offered up such top-tier works as “Breaking the Waves,” “The City of Lost Children,” “The Thin Red Line” and “City of God.” How is this decade shaping up?
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Oscarweb Round-up: Clooney cheers on the competition
Posted by Guy Lodge · 8:20 am · November 16th, 2011
Ask most awards analysts who the current frontrunners for the Best Actor Oscar are, and you’ll probably get some combination of the names George Clooney, Jean Dujardin and Brad Pitt. Clooney probably knows that, which is why it’s both magnanimous and, who knows, perhaps slyly strategic for him to name Dujardin and Pitt’s performances, in […]
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Potato, potahto, craft, tech, let's call the whole thing off
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 8:49 pm · November 15th, 2011
In which we make it very clear, if it wasn’t already, that the craft categories recognize artful contributions and should in no way be diminished as anything less.
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The Lists: Top 10 George Clooney performances
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 6:36 pm · November 15th, 2011
With “The Ides of March” in theaters and “The Descendants” on the way, we take a look at George Clooney’s best work to date. Performances that made the cut include roles in “From Dusk Till Dawn,” “Three Kings” and “Michael Clayton.”
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Is NC-17 an antiquated rating?
Posted by Roth Cornet · 5:12 pm · November 15th, 2011
The talk swirling around Steve McQueen’s “Shame” is whether its NC-17 rating will hinder its Oscar chances. But isn’t there a deeper concern about third-party parenting worth exploring?
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Exclusive: Charlize Theron has an attitude in the poster for 'Young Adult'
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:00 am · November 15th, 2011
Jason Retiman’s “Young Adult” has been an interesting film to market for Paramount Pictures. A delicate balance between the dark humor and the need to showcase some broader elements to a general audience has been struck. And now, the final one-sheet for the film is somewhere in the middle.
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'Rampart' campaign ramps up with qualifying release next week
Posted by Guy Lodge · 8:21 am · November 15th, 2011
Woody Harrelson’s performance in “Rampart” is one of several indie contenders trying to muscle in on the star-heavy Best Actor category — with a one-week qualifying release scheduled for next week, could he sneak in under the radar?
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Early reviews for 'The Iron Lady' cool on film, hot on Streep
Posted by Guy Lodge · 6:41 am · November 15th, 2011
Two UK print critics have weighed in on the long-awaited Margaret Thatcher biopic “The Iron Lady,” agreeing that Meryl Streep’s performance is more spectacular than the film itself.
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Oscarweb Round-up: Too much anal rape for Oscar?
Posted by Guy Lodge · 5:10 am · November 15th, 2011
After avoiding it scrupulously for months, as is my custom, I was finally faced with the trailer for David Fincher’s “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” when I paid good money to see “Immortals” last night. (More on that later.) Though the film looks as dourly impressive as I’d expect, any number of reasons why […]
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