In Contention

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  • ‘Lovely Bones’ next year’s Oscar victor?

    Cover of The Lonely BonesKris recently took his initial stab at predicting next year’s Oscar nominees, so I thought I would join the madness by planting a flag for “The Lovely Bones.”  I read the book in three days at the suggestion of my daughter, who knows that I admire Peter Jackson and that this is his next film. On the way to my office, the train offered a quiet solitude.  I’ll never forget this book.

    The greatest tragedy a parent can suffer is losing a child.  I simply cannot imagine the pain this must cause. As the father of two beautiful girls, 17 and 9, they are the lights of my life and reason for smiling everyday. Should anything ever happen to them, they might as well throw me in the ground with them, because I would be dead.

    “The Lovely Bones” deals with the rape and murder of a young girl, who then watches her family, and her killer, from heaven for years after the event. The father suspects the next door neighbor (great instinct) while the mother cannot deal with the agony and leaves the family to forge a new life. The sister experiences something rather extraordinary that I will not give away, while the heroine grieves for her loss of family as much as they grieve for her.

    Jackson is, in my opinion, an enormously gifted filmmaker. I stand among those who believe “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy was the greatest risk in movie history, which paid off tremendously. The final film, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” is a masterpiece that deserved every single Oscar it won, the NYFCC Best Picture it won, and actually should have been nominated for a couple more. I remember the emptiness I felt after seeing the film, armed with the knowledge that the trilogy was over and there was no film to look forward to seeing next year from the director.

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  • Keep it about the movies

    I don’t think there are many film journalists — much less any Oscar pundits — who wouldn’t admit to feeling some relief when Sunday’s ceremony put a close-fitting lid on months of awards-related speculation, gossip and occasional complaining. (Who, me?) Especially in a season as airlessly uncompetitive as this one, it can be a strain to find new perspectives on old news, and as Kris has already discussed, we’re all longing to leap into the unknown that is 2009.

    Kenneth Turan certainly agrees. While he finds no fault with the awards themselves, praising the new-look Oscarcast to the skies, he is fed up with wall-to-wall Oscar coverage that he deems frequently less than generous in spirit:

    I found myself troubled with the way the protracted Oscar predicting season has become an endless game of gotcha, obscuring the movies themselves and the love of film that should be at the event’s core. 

    While journalists who cared about the Oscars could at one time all fit into a small booth at Nicodell’s on Melrose, the advent of the Web and its ugly, insatiable appetite for anything smacking of celebrity has meant that hordes of folks are now thick on the ground, scorching the earth in search of tidbits and chitchat.

    The problem with this obsessive quest, with constantly taking the temperature of contenders as if they were billionaires in an intensive-care ward, is that it becomes an end unto itself.

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  • ‘Slumdog’: what just happened?

    Danny Boyle at the 81st annual Academy AwardsTwo days after the fact, in the comedown after six months of relentless Oscar hype, and the beautiful, surreal nature of what happened on Sunday is starting to sink in. Sure, “Slumdog Millionaire” was the red-hot favorite. Sure, it had won everything else going and had been ingeniously campaigned by one of the savviest studios in the business.

    But viewed out of context, is it not kind of incredible that an independent foreign production, from an iconoclastic director with no Oscar history, with not a single Western star (or a single white actor, for that matter) and a significant portion of Hindi dialogue, just scooped 8 awards from Hollywood’s most venerable institution?

    The further back I step from the events, the more I wonder whether I dreamed it all up. What does it mean? Is this a significant bellwether of the growing globalization of the industry, or is it a freak anomaly that happened because a lot of people simply connected with one movie this year, and not much else? David Carr, who is left similarly dazzled and dazed by the film’s astonishing coup, seems to think it’s a bit of both:

    American film is one of the last remaining exports, a kind of bejeweled software that the rest of the world clearly loves … But global imperatives go both ways. When a film with a British director, Indian actors and French co-financing goes home with eight Oscars, it’s hard not to see a message.

    “I think it demonstrates that a good story well told, whether it is about someone in Mumbai, China or around the corner, will find an audience,” said Nancy Utley, chief operating officer at Fox Searchlight, the division of 20th Century Fox that found Oscar (and box office) gold after picking up “Slumdog Millionaire.” She added that the studio specialty division knew it had a winner on its hands when it screen-tested the film in Orange County, Calif. — sort of a ground zero of a conventional American audience — without any marketing or explanation, and the room loved it.

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  • Brilliant Cruise/Kimmel spot from last night

  • Three more highlights

    Philippe Petit at the 81st annual Academy AwardsCollecting all my thoughts last night was bound to leave a few gaps and so while flipping through the DVR recording of this year’s Oscar ceremony, I stumbled across a couple of moments that I had to tip my hat to.

    I already updated the recap post with a few notes about the Judd Apatow short, which was fantastic (especially the stoned giggling at “The Reader.”)  But having Janusz Kaminski in the mix was a stroke of genius.  We crossed paths last year and he cracked me up every time.  Nice to see him take the stage to present, the first time ever for a D.P.

    But also, I have to mention the class that was Danny Boyle thanking the producers of the telecast for putting on such a great show.  It really seemed like the obvious thing to do, yet it took until his Best Director presentation for someone to go there.  I can’t think of the last time the telecast was praised on the air like that, but then again, I can’t think of the last time the telecast deserved to be praised on the air, so there we are.

    And finally, I have to say that Philippe Petit’s appearance on the stage was a moment of levity that brought a huge smile to my face.  I preferred other docs in the category, but it’s difficult to argue with the feat.  And seeing him swiftly run up to the stage and steal the spotlight like he was meant to do so…it was just a great moment.

  • OFF THE CARPET: Handicapping 2009 a year in advance!?

    Ewan McGregor and Hilary Swank in AmeliaAhh.  The dust is settling.  And on the horizon, just visible through the mist and waiting to drive us all up the wall once again: the 2009 Oscar season.

    I’ve been writing this year-in-advance column for probably six years now, and I always look forward to gazing ahead.  No one dives in so pathetically deep this far out as yours truly, but in exchange for not having a life for the past few months, I get to unload this burden the day after our annual season’s peak and forget about little gold men entirely for a few months.

    It’s quite liberating.

    The most interesting thing about the season to come, from my vantage point, is the lack of a dreaded “frontrunner status” for any of the contenders.  Some might say Clint Eastwood’s Nelson Mandela project (which is not called “The Human Factor,” mind you — the director says the film is currently untitled and is based on John Carlin’s book “Playing the Enemy”).

    Others might say Rob Marshall’s “Nine” (coming from a money-tight company hoping to avoid echoes of “Memoirs of a Geisha”).  But I don’t see a “Geisha” from here, or a “Charlie Wilson’s War,” expected heavies waiting to miss the mark.  The field is curiously flat, and as a result, excitingly broad.

    Let’s get to it, shall we?

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  • Congrats to our pool winners!

    First, thanks to all involved for participating in our Oscar pool.  The big winners were Mikey Filmmaker and Justin Wolfhope who nailed 22 of 24 categories for a score of 88 points (out of 100).  I weighted the scoring system based on the predictability of the categories.  Mikey and Justin both missed the same two categories: Best Sound Mixing and Best Documentary Short.  They went for “The Dark Knight” on the former and “The Conscience of Nhem En” on the latter.

    Yours truly came in second with 21 of 24 categories for a score of 83.  I went with my heart on Mickey Rourke and my heart failed me.  Let that be a lesson to us all.

    Mikey and Justin, if you’re reading, send me an email when you can.  I think I’ll offer up a prize for such fantastic Oscar prognosticating prowess.

  • This is the best we can do?

    I’d love to see some great, hi-res photography from backstage at last night’s Oscar ceremony.  But somehow, this terrible quality AP photo is the best we can do:

    Hugh Jackman at the 81st annual Academy Awards

  • Ratings were up!

    From Nikki Finke at Deadline Hollywood Daily:

    News reports this morning say the 81st Academy Awards broadcast delivered increased ratings in the 50 or so biggest U.S. markets, up about 6% over 2008 which registered the lowest ratings in the history of the telecast. New York delivered the largest rating Sunday (34.1/49 share), followed by Chicago (31.2/46) and Los Angeles (28.1/44). For the night, ABC beat the combined household delivery of CBS, NBC and Fox by roughly 30%. If this holds (and a more complete Nielsen report will come out later today), then Oscars producers Larry Mark and Bill Condon, as well as host Hugh Jackman, and director Roger Goodman, and designer David Rockwell, did AMPAS proud by at least reversing the recent downward spiral.

    Here is the AP story she’s sourcing but not linking, mind you.  And lest she stop being herself, let it be known that Nikki hated the show.  I always get an icky feeling when I link to her…

  • 2/23 Oscarweb Round-up

    Kate Winslet at the 81st annual Academy AwardsThe day after. This will be the final installment of the Oscarweb Round-up this year.  I always enjoy scouring the net to find these little gems here and there and I hope you have enjoyed the daily cheat sheet.  Special thanks to all the hard-working journalists and pundits who keep cranking out copy to fill this space…even if I get testy with your words from time to time.

    • Jeff Wells salutes that hilarious James Franco/Seth Rogen/Janusz Kaminski sketch. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • David Carr’s on-the-spot Oscar coverage from last night, well worth a scroll. [The Carpetbagger]

    • The “Slumdog” kids’ neighbors watch the show from India. [The Huffington Post]

    • Anne Thompson wraps up the night and the season with coverage from the red carpet (including the Anne Cam!). [Thompson on Hollywood]

    • Mourning the acceptance speech Mickey Rourke would have given. [Vulture]

    • On the hateful protesters that lined the streets outside the Kodak: Sean Penn says ignore the ignorant. [Daily Telegraph]

    • Roger Ebert reports on teh festivities with all of his usual insights. [Chicago Sun-Times]

    • Patrick Goldstein was underwhelmed by the show (I don’t get it). [The Big Picture]

    • Karina Longworth reports that Bennett Miller’s opening short film was cut because it basically sucked. [Spout Blog]

    • Britain’s Press Association already digs into Kate Winslet’s speech. (I literally had a Brit at my Oscar party scream “Fuck off” when she won.) [The Independent]

  • A private function

    When all is said and done, it wasn’t an awards season that deserved a fireworks finish, so perhaps last night’s muted, largely tasteful, faintly insular ceremony was an appropriate summation. It ran smoothly enough, with a handful of novel distractions and a uniformly generous, empathetic spirit running through the night’s speeches –- but I’d be hard pressed to remember many notable ‘moments’ from last night’s proceedings a week from now, let alone years hence.

    Part of that stems from the fact that, as has been discussed ad nauseum on these and other pages, we had a less-than-stellar field of contenders to work with. But I’m afraid I must slide into the apparently tiny glass-half-empty minority on the show itself –- as efficiently and enthusiastically as the show unfolded, I simply didn’t find all that much to love about it. As Danny Boyle suggested in the midst of yet another boundless, winning acceptance speech (can we find something for him to win every year, please?), it looked like a blast for those present, but I’m not sure the clubby, “we’re all in this together” vibe really translated to the distance of a TV screen.

    After the cloak-and-dagger secrecy shrouding Bill Condon and Laurence Mark’s revised take on the Oscars, I must say I was expecting a slicker, more dramatic reworking of the format –- and on that front, I must say I was a little disappointed. Hugh Jackman was certainly a game, likeable emcee, but I wasn’t certain who the target audience for his big set pieces was. Equal parts Crystal-esque shtick and endearingly naff “let’s put on a show” razzle-dazzle, both elements seemed to me too dated to court the broader, younger, hipper viewership the Academy wanted. The Baz Luhrmann-staged musical number at the centre was fun in itself, but existed in a similar cultural vacuum, despite the presence of current pop phenomena like Beyonce or Zac Efron. For all the hype, this was familiar content.

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  • POLL: What did you think of the Oscarcast?

    Very easy thumbs up, thumbs down poll this week.  But please, keep your opinions of the winners out of it.  We’re interested in what you thought of the actual show.  Let Bill Condon and Larry Mark know what you thought in the sidebar poll.

  • He’s with them in spirit

    (from left) Kate Winslet, Sean Penn and Penelope Cruz at the 81st annual Academy Awards

  • ‘Slumdog’ takes 8 trophies as Oscar keeps it under 190 minutes

    Danny Boyle at the 81st annual Academy AwardsIn the final analysis, there isn’t much to say other than: What a captivating way to put a bow on the worst and, ultimately, most boring Oscar season of all time.  The 81st annual Academy Awards swiftly went down earlier this evening with few surprise winners and a classy new sheen.  It was captivating and, at times, inspiring.  Here are my thoughts on Hollywood’s biggest night:

    The winners
    I did extremely well with my predictions this year, nailing 21 of the 24 categories and making good with gambles in the foreign language film and short film categories.  I stuck with my heart on Mickey Rourke despite the smart money being on Sean Penn, but regardless of the strong desire to see the former holding an Oscar in his hands and delivering one more barn-burning speech, it is, of course, impossible to argue with Sean Penn’s expert work in “Milk.”  His heartfelt acceptance was a highlight and it all felt somehow more complete than it did five years ago.

    That “Departures” win took the wind out of the sails of one of the year’s most ingenious productions and yes, this is a committee that still needs a major overhaul.  I don’t think I could possibly say it enough.  That should take nothing away from Japan’s victory, mind you, because their submission is a delightful film that won’t deserve most of the ill will coming its way from those who haven’t even seen it.  But “Bashir” seems to have wrongfully faced an uphill battle from the start.

    The sound categories (hotly debated all week) proved once again that the Academy doesn’t understand the impact of mixers and editors on animated films.  “Slumdog Millionaire” took the mixing award (I’m kicking myself for changing that), while “The Dark Knight” took the sound editing trophy.

    Regarding those shorts, by the way, Pixar remains winless in the animated field since 2001’s “For the Birds” (the gorgeous “La Maison en Petits Cubes” rightly won tonight), while “Toyland,” with its ambitious structure (for a short) and obviously baity subject matter reigned supreme in live action.

    The only award I missed kind of irritated me, I have to admit: Best Documentary Short.  “Smile Pinki” took down what I thought to be the best of the field (and being the most cinematic, the most likely winner), Steve Okazaki’s “The Conscience of Nhem En.”  But there was a concerted publicity effort behind the former that maybe I should have paid more attention to.

    (More, plus a full list of tonight’s Oscar winners, after the jump.)

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  • Oscar night open thread

    Oscars

    Alright, the time has come.  I’m signing off here to make some preparations and, eventually, enjoy the show.  I should hope you’ll all do the same, but in case you want some space to chat about the evening’s festivities, from the red carpet to telecast specifics to, of course, the night’s big winners, have at in here in the comments section.  But bear with us if the server starts to buckle under the pressure.  We’re looking into fixing that for next season, but if things start to slow down tonight, give it a minute and come on back to chat.

    In the meantime, be sure to post your predictions in our official thread, and keep your eyes on The Movie Blog, where I’ll soon be participating in a quick pre-show podcast with John Campea and IESB.net webmaster Robert Sanchez.  We’ll also hit it one more time after the show for a postmortem.

    And here…we…go!

  • Bill Maher: “For the love of God can we please give Kate Winslet her Oscar?”

    Around the :30 mark of Friday’s “New Rules” segment:

  • Refreshing

    “My natural reaction was, ‘Aw, s***!’  There’s that one little second when they call your name and you think, ‘Maybe the law of averages is gonna catch this motherf***er now. I’m gonna win this one!’ And I didn’t.  I didn’t forget the camera was there, I just didn’t give a f***. So I went with my natural reaction: ‘Aw, s***!’”

    Samuel L. Jackson spoke those words in this brief interview from six years ago regarding his infamous reaction to losing the 1994 supporting actor trophy to Martin Landau.  I don’t know about you, but there’s something strangely refreshing about that honesty.

    In case you’re wondering why this is coming from out of the blue, well I was checking out this Salon mashup of Oscar-losing reactions (via Awards Daily) and suddenly remembered Jackson’s moment of candidness.

    And yeah, still bored.  I can’t watch red carpet coverage this far in advance.  I just…can’t do it.

  • Print out your ballots

    For the those rocking out an Oscar party this evening, be sure to print out your official ballot for a high stakes pool. (Thanks to Awards Daily for the tip.)

    Oscar ballot