In Contention

Blog

  • ‘Say Anything?’

  • 2/10 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: ‘Gasland’ director fires back, Wahlberg/Russell on Aronofsky, hoping Banksy stays away

    • Mark Wahlberg and David O. Russell on Darren Aronofsky’s departure from “The Fighter.” [Inside Movies]

    • Eric Kohn writes up the Oscar shorts. [indieWIRE]

    • Josh Fox fires back at gas industry accusations about the accuracy of his documentary, “Gasland.” [Facebook]

    (more…)

  • Hope for Meryl

    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.

    (more…)

  • ‘Inception’ extended look

    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:

  • In case you missed them

  • OSCAR GUIDE: Best Art Direction

    The art directors settled on a wonderful quintet to represent their form in 2010. Each of these films (okay, I haven’t seen one of them) manages to showcase art direction in organic ways, even when it comes to the contender with the most robust and vibrant design to offer.

    When it comes to the design categories, though, abundance can be an asset. There’s no question about it. The old joke is “Most Art Direction” or “Most Costume Design,” rather than “Best.” And unfortunately, that extends sometimes into the nominations process as nuanced, subtle work is disregarded each and every year. But even with that caveat, this is a handsome slate.

    The nominees are:

    “Alice in Wonderland” (Robert Stromberg; Karen O’Hara)
    “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” (Stuart Craig; Stephanie McMillan)
    “Inception” (Guy Hendrix Dyas; Larry Dias, Doug Mowat)
    “The King’s Speech” (Eve Stewart; Judy Farr)
    “True Grit” (Jess Gonchor; Nancy Haigh)

    (more…)

  • “The Winklevoss twins and I are childhood friends. They say they’re the real founders of Facebook.”

    Well, if you say so.

  • 2/9 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Stewart talks ‘Speech’ sets, McMurtry and Ossana on ‘True Grit,’ Nolan/Del Toro Q&A

    • 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]

    (more…)

  • Time Out names the 100 best British films

    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.

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  • Reel Wisdom

    This morning’s harmless diversion brought to you by /Film:

  • OSCAR GUIDE: Best Supporting Actor

    Very few of the 20 actors nominated for Oscars this year (if any) feel like egregious calls. As usual, the lead actor race is the most impressive, but the Best Supporting Actor slate isn’t too shabby, either. Each performance is masterful in its own way, and each serves its respective narrative to the fullest.

    Two of the nominees this year are depictions of real life individuals and three are complete manifestations. But all five of the below actors owned their roles and then some, finding the right flow of eye-catching showmanship without dominating the narrative arc. And though some might argue, I’d say each is perfectly representative of “supporting” in the truest sense of the word.

    The nominees are:

    Christian Bale, “The Fighter”
    John Hawkes, “Winter’s Bone”
    Jeremy Renner, “The Town”
    Mark Ruffalo, “The Kids Are All Right”
    Geoffrey Rush, “The King’s Speech”

    (more…)

  • Oscar’s class of 2010

    (Click for larger version)

  • Evening Standard Awards go their own way

    “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.

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  • 2/8 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: HFPA counter-sues, Moore wants more ‘9/11’ money, how Harvey got his groove back

    • 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]

    (more…)

  • Nominees luncheon LIVE Q&A

    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.

  • At gunpoint

    Stolen outright from John Lopez’s recent, level-headed write-up of the campaign circus as it stands now.

  • No column today…

    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.

  • ACE announces career achievement award recipients

    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]