In Contention

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  • 1/13 Oscarweb Round-up

    Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight• Tom O’Neil chats with Pete Hammond and Anthony Breznican about possible repeat victors from Sunday night’s Globe ceremony. [Gold Derby]

    • Sasha Stone reminds that Kate Winslet is much more due in 2009 than Sigourney Weaver was in 1988. [Awards Daily]

    • David Carr catches up with Danny Boyle at the Fox Searchlight Golden Globes afterparty. [The Carpetbagger]

    • John Wayne and Heath Ledger make Steve Mason’s list of the best final performances ever. [/Film]

    • Anita Singh reports the Oscar odds in Kate Winslet’s favor. [Daily Telegraph]

    • Danny Boyle says he’ll never be a “proper director.” [The Guardian]

    • Rebecca Ascher-Walsh gives a quick preview of the 2009 film year. [Los Angeles Times]

    • Christopher Campbell goes with Sam Mendes for the lone director spot.  Hmm… [Spout Blog]

  • In the cards?

    Clint Eastwood in Gran TorinoDave Karger, from in a blog post today at Entertainment Weekly’s Oscar Watch:

    And now, his fascinating drama Gran Torino is indisputably the hot movie of the moment: It just raked in nearly $30 million in its first weekend of wide release, and it’s the film that most Oscar voters discovered last, screening it just before ballots were due…But with many voters said to be loving the film, could it eke out a Best Picture nod as well?

    From my Off the Carpet column yesterday:

    But the strangest whispers I’ve heard concern Clint Eastwood’s “Gran Torino,” opening wide over the weekend to exceptional box office and, some say, the real threat to “The Dark Knight”’s shifty #5 spot at the moment.  The guilds haven’t necessarily reflected that, but then again, they didn’t reflect much on “Letters from Iwo Jima” either.

    Just sayin’…

  • Foreign film shortlist to drop soon

    Waltz with BashirI believe the 9-title shortlist for Best Foreign Language Film is due today, but details on the announcement are oddly hard to come by, so I could be wrong.

    In any case, it’s one I’m having a tough time calling. The new voting system should ensure that some of the year’s most acclaimed contenders are spared the indignity of being left off the shortlist (as happened, notoriously, to “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days” and “Persepolis” last year), so it’s difficult to see favorites “Waltz With Bashir” (fresh from its Globe win) and “Gomorrah” missing the cut. 

    I’d like to say that the best film of 2008, “The Class,” is similarly assured a spot, but it’s a risky, tough-minded docudrama, and I’m not sure how the committee (even the executive panel created to keep things in check) will respond to it — especially with “Gomorrah” and “Bashir” also occupying contemporary, genre-spanning territory. Fingers crossed. 

    Beyond that, my predictions get shaky. I think my projected list is a little heavy on European entries, but it’s hard to predict which one/s will miss. The Academy invariably throws a few less-heralded curveballs into the mix, but with 67 entries to choose from (and many of them fairly unknown quantities), it’s anyone’s guess which obscurities have caught the committee’s eye.

    (More thoughts, and my predicted shortlist, below the cut.)

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  • Gimme five

    I was contemplating writing a post bemoaning the stultifying consensus that has been reached in the assorted guild nomination lists this past week. But now Nathaniel Rogers, tack-sharp as ever in his assessment of yesterday’s ACE nods, has spared me the trouble by saying everything I needed to say:

    I’m so confused right now. I swear that I saw 113 movies in 2008 and I’m beginning to think that I imagined 108 of them. Did I? Are these the only 5 movies that came out in 2008? It sure seems like it. Who knew that movie theaters were so empty all year? I specifically remember being in movie theaters and in all kinds of places and weather, too. Am I losing my mind?

    Nah, Nat. They’re just losing their memories. Or their imaginations. Or both. Do something about it, Academy.

  • Golden Globes: Feeling the love

    Sally Hawkins at the 66th Annual Golden Globe AwardsAs I curled on the couch in the wee small hours of the morning, watching last night’s Golden Globes telecast with only a hot toddy and a handful of chatty IC commenters for company, it occurred to me that I was hearing an awful lot of one word as the evening unfolded. And that word was ‘love.’

    Of course, it’s a ubiquitous word in any awards show, weepily applied as it is to innumerable family members, lovers and colleagues as winners rattle names off thank-you lists longer than most films’ scripts. But this struck me as slightly different: the love here was being directed towards film and art itself.

    Sally Hawkins, the night’s most endearing (and overwhelmed) winner, set the tone, describing her film, “Happy-Go-Lucky,” as being about love both on and off the screen. Surprise (to some) winner Colin Farrell followed her lead, celebrating cinematic adventurousness with the elegant soundbite: “Curiosity is love.”

    Meanwhile, Danny Boyle picked up above all on the affection his awards-sweeping film has garnered within the industry, while Kate Winslet paid tribute to a long-standing love cultivated with her co-star, refracted very differently in two films, eleven years apart.

    It struck me as an appropriate motif for an awards ceremony that seemed less calculated and more sincere than usual. Perhaps a year away the Globes has made me –- or them –- soft, but for an institution that takes sustained criticism for being overly susceptible to campaigning muscle and star power, it seemed to me that, in almost every category, the HFPA members had voted with their collective hearts, singling out the performers and films that they themselves loved.

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  • Coming this week…

    …the top 10 shots of 2008.  I know this piece has a lot of folks chomping at the bit, but all the interviews are just about complete.  I’m aiming for Wednesday, so be on the lookout.  And if you missed it, check out last year’s list here for an idea of what to expect.

  • POLL: Which of these films has the best shot at upsetting the apparently “locked” five?

    Alright, I let that “Revolutionary Road” poll run its course through the New Year, as promised, and it seems most readers feel the film has, for the most part, received the undeserved shaft this awards season.  Now we can finally get a fresh query out to the readership.

    Assuming, what with PGA, WGA, DGA and ACE nailing things shut, that the Oscar frontrunners for Best Picture are “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Milk” and “Slumdog Millionaire,” which film has the best shot of upsetting the group?  Personally, I think only five films are in that mix, but I left an “other” option in this week’s sidebar poll, just in case.

    Let us know what you think — vote now!

  • ‘Watchmen’ talks show silver lining at the Globes

    Patrick Wilson in WatchmenMichael Cieply, one of the best entertainment reporters in the business for my money, filed this one-off from last night’s Golden Globe festivities at The Carpetbagger:

    From where this reporter sat at the Golden Globes last night, that sure looked like Tom Rothman of Fox and Alan Horn of Warner Brothers down among the superstar seats, smiling and back-patting — each other, not the superstars — just before the show began. A public display of affection between studio chiefs, along with those pricey “Watchmen” ads on the National Football League playoff games this weekend, would add up to a message as big as the Hollywood sign: The talks between hitherto warring Fox and Warner over a settlement of Fox’s lawsuit over rights to “Watchmen” must be on track.

    Fox, remember, had claimed rights to the film and was trying to block Warner’s release of it on March 6 — a breach of the usual etiquette in Hollywood, especially with a movie that costs $130 million. A hearing scheduled for 3:30 this afternoon with Judge Gary A. Feess of the federal court here should tell more.

    Boy I hope this thing settles itself.

  • ACE nominees

    They sure cranked these out early this morning.  Thanks to N8 for posting in the comments section.  This year’s American Cinema Editors (ACE) nominees are:

    Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic)
    “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Angus Wall & Kirk Baxter)
    “The Dark Knight” (Lee Smith, A.C.E.)
    “Frost/Nixon” (Mike Hill, A.C.E. & Dan Hanley, A.C.E.)
    “Milk” (Elliot Graham)
    “Slumdog Millionaire” (Chris Dickens)

    Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy or Musical)
    “In Bruges” (Jon Gregory, A.C.E.)
    “Mamma Mia!” (Leslie Walker)
    “Tropic Thunder” (Greg Hayden)
    “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (Alisa Lepselter)
    “WALL-E” (Stephen Schaffer)

    Best Edited Documentary
    “Bush’s War” (Steve Audette)
    “Chicago 10” (Stuart Levy, A.C.E.)
    “Man on Wire” (Jinx Godfrey)

    No surprises whatsoever, really.  Except maybe some love for “In Bruges” and “Tropic Thunder” in the comedy category.  After a discussion earlier this morning about “the five” dominating the guild circuit so far, the dramatic nominees prove to solidify the mixture even more.  I don’t think we’ve ever seen a consensus like this develop, with five clear-cut industry favorites popping up everywhere like clockwork.

  • Disney sneak peek at ‘Up’

  • OFF THE CARPET: From the horse’s mouth

    Kate Winslet at the 66th Annual Golden Globe AwardsThe last two weeks have been a leaf blower to the debris an awards season can accumulate.  Individuals with some real say in the ultimate Oscar picture have finally gone on the record, painting a rather clear picture of the industry’s favorite films of 2008.

    But before diving into the realities of the various guild announcements, it is probably worth touching upon the gleeful diversions of the Critics’ Choice Awards and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Golden Globe Awards.

    These are the two culminating critics soirees, capping off the annual critical kudos sprint through December and early January.  Both proudly declare themselves Oscar harbingers but only one seems to find itself decided from a critical mindset (even if that mindset is still warped by pegging a zeitgeist).  The other is, as always, a drunken time amongst industry friends that goes its own way.

    But dare I say it, this year the HFPA may have actually raised the bar for the Academy.  After years of embarrassing nominations announcements and sometimes bewildering winner choices, the group awarded a slate of contenders last night that stuck out as noble and, shockingly, novel.

    Can the Academy’s membership reach out to Mickey Rourke and meet him half way like he has clearly done this season to an industry that has shunned him for so many years?  Can they find a way to spread the kudos love while an inevitable “Slumdog” sweep pushes through the evening of February 22?

    Moreover, can AMPAS have the balls to follow in the HFPA’s footsteps with a double win for Kate Winslet, arguably deserving this year and a move that would be inarguable as a hell of an apology for years of Oscar losses?  The actress joined Sigourney Weaver last night as one of only two actresses to win a pair of Golden Globe awards for film performances in one evening.  Your move, Oscar.

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  • Tina Fey gets cornered by Tom O’Neil after bashing Envelope readers on stage

  • 1/12 Oscarweb Round-up

    Kate Winslet at the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards• Jeffrey Wells responds to last night’s Golden Globe Awards. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • David Carr gets some choice quotes from twofer victor Kate Winslet in the press room. [The Carpetbagger]

    • Guy Adams, meanwhile, comments on the actress’s “downbeat” role choices. [The Independent]

    • Karina Longworth’s eight Globe moments that transcended cynicism. [Spout Blog]

    • Tom O’Neil and Pete Hammond yak about the evening’s surprises. [Gold Derby]

    • Moving away from the circular Globes talk, Gene Seymour takes stock of today’s African-American filmmaking talent. [New York Times]

    • Philip Seymour Hoffman calls his trade “tortuous.” [The Guardian]

    • Welcome to the new indieWIRE. [indieWIRE]

    • Speculation on the fate of Two-Face in “The Dark Knight,” reported plenty in this space, turns up elsewhere. [/Film]

    • Continuing on the geek beat, Geoff Boucher talks “Watchmen”‘s Rorschach with actor Jackie Earle Haley and director Zack Snyder. [Los Angeles Times]

  • “Tell me can you ask for anything more?”

    (from left) Mickey Rourke and Bruce Springsteen at the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards

  • Attention Rob and Eunice

    I need your mailing addresses, chaps.  We’ve got contest goodies to send to you.

    I hope everyone enjoyed the Globes telecast.  Guy’s live-blogging was a great read but I decided to lay low tonight (though in hindsight, I clearly should have hoofed it over to that Fox Searchlight after party — they cleaned up).

    My extended thoughts on the show and the race as it stands now in tomorrow’s Off the Carpet column.

  • Golden Globe winners, as they are announced

    If you feel like hanging out here and pondering, kvetching, bitching or (here’s a novel idea) enthusing over the results, we’d love your company.  For those wanting to watch the show live, catch the stream here.

    OK, that’s a wrap, guys. Sorry for the delay in posting those last results, but your generous and frenzied readership meant the server was a little tricky to handle this past half-hour. I’ll offer more ordered thought and commentary tomorrow, but for now, let me say I’m pretty thrilled with how the evening panned out overall. Right now, however, it’s 4:30am where I am, and my bed looks like a pretty inviting place to be. See you in the morning.

    Best Picture – Drama: “Slumdog Millionaire”

    It is written.

    Best Actor in a Drama: Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”

    Yes, yes, yes and yes again. I knew if Rourke could score anywhere it would be here, but still, I didn’t trust the Foreign Press to be that cool. Congratulations, HFPA members, for getting it right where most of the major critics’ groups got it wrong. Are you paying attention, SAG?

    Best Drama Series: “Mad Men”

    Well, duh. Nice to see Matt Weiner get his Globe moment after last year’s win went unseen, though.

    Best Actress in a Drama: Kate Winslet, “Revolutionary Road”

    Wow. I mean, just… wow. Who saw that coming? Unprecedented, I should think. (EDIT: Not quite. Sigourney Weaver accomplished the same feat in 1988. My bad.) In any case, a fair reward for a fine performance — so was that undeserved supporting award really necessary, HFPA?

    (More winners after the jump.)

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  • Guessing the Globes

    UPDATE: That pesky Best Actor (Comedy/Musical) category has been running through my head all day, and I’m still not happy with my conclusion. So I’m making a last minute switch to Colin Farrell. I’ll probably be proved wrong in a few hours, but hey — there’s gotta be a surprise somewhere. Right?

    EARLIER: Well, hello there. After laptop theft has left me in the offline wilderness this past week, I’m back, albeit on borrowed facilities. (Thanks Alec, if you’re reading!) And not a moment too soon – any longer, and you’d have been deprived of my uninformed, inconsequential and in some cases wildly guessed Golden Globe predictions. Whew.

    The Globes come at a delicate point in awards season, just as consensus, or even a sense of inevitability, is building around certain prospective Oscar victors – but their timing, especially in the condensed awards season of recent years, means they don’t always catch the wave. So, while they frequently hop on an Oscar-bound bandwagon, as bellwethers, they can also be left behind – as in 2005, when they missed the momentum shift from “The Aviator” to “Million Dollar Baby.”

    Of course, their distinctive taste can also be a complicating factor, as we saw last year, when they bypassed long-established favourite “No Country for Old Men” for the rapidly cooling “Atonement.” And who can account for what happened in 1993, when they bizarrely crowned “Scent of a Woman” ahead of “Unforgiven,” “Howards End” and “The Crying Game?”

    What I’m saying, in a long-winded fashion, is that I’m finding this year’s Globes harder to call than they may appear. “Slumdog Millionaire” may be the obvious frontrunner, but I can’t shake a nagging suspicion that it’s not really an HFPA sort of film, that as with “Atonement” last year, the more stately, romantic “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” may be more to their taste. It’s a toss-up to me, but I’m ultimately playing it safe, and guessing that Danny Boyle’s Mumbai fable has too much momentum to overcome.

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  • Schedule of tonight’s award presentations

    Golden Globe awardNabbed from Gold Derby:

    OPENING MONTAGE
    Set to the song “When I Grow Up”

    FILM SUPPORTING ACTRESS
    Presented by (unknown).

    FILM ORIGINAL SONG
    Presented by Sting

    MISS GOLDEN GLOBE (Rumer Willis)
    Introduced by Demi Moore

    TV SUPPORTING ACTOR
    Presented by Simon Baker and Eva Longoria

    TV SUPPORTING ACTRESS
    Presented by Simon Baker and Eva Longoria

    FILM CLIP FOR “BURN AFTER READING”
    Introduced by Don Cheadle

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