In Contention

Blog

  • Cut straight to the predix

    I spent some time this morning weeding and updating my current nomination predictions, and had planned to introduce them with today’s Long Shot column. As it turns out, LFF wrap-up business, a pair of catch-up screenings (one of them with a Supporting Actress contender who you may have heard sets the screen ablaze) and a backlog of interview transcription meant the column simply didn’t get written. Tomorrow, with apologies.

    In lieu of a column, however, I can at least serve up the predictions — I know how much you folks like to pick at them. Although, by this post-festival stage in the season, certain contenders are beginning to turn concrete, there’s still plenty of room to play with question marks. So once again, don’t take this omission or that against-the-grain inclusion too seriously: when it comes down to it, we’re all just trying things on until the precursors kick in.

    Among the notions I’m flirting with in this update is that “Winter’s Bone” could be this year’s critical indie cause in the race, that the Bening-Moore question may be a moot one to voters watching their screeners for the first time and that they may just take a shine to “The Way Back.” Check out my updated predictions here. (Remember they can always be accessed at the bottom of the right-hand sidebar.)

    [Photo: Sony Pictures Classics]

  • ‘How I Ended This Summer’ takes top prize at London fest

    “We chose our winner last night,” London Film Festival jury president Patricia Clarkson told me yesterday, an evasive  smile on our face, as we eased into our lunchtime interview. (More on that in a few days.) “I’m very pleased with it — it’s a wonderful film.”

    Naturally, my fellow lunch guest, Daily Telegraph critic Tim Robey, and I tried to tease some clues out of the estimable character actress, but she wasn’t budging. She was, however, keen to know which of the shortlisted films we had seen. When Tim declared Alexei Popogrebsky’s two-hander character drama “How I Ended This Summer” his favourite film of the festival,  Clarkson’s eyes glazed over ever so slightly. “Oh, the Russian film?” she said unenthusiastically.

    Well, Clarkson really is quite the actress. For as it turns out, “the Russian film” she so slyly shrugged off at lunch is the very one that she — together with jurors Sandy Powell, John Hillcoat, Shekhar Kapur and Gabriel Byrne — had already voted the winner of the fest’s Best Film trophy, following in the footsteps of last year’s champ “A Prophet,” and beating such heavyweight competition as “Black Swan,” “Another Year,” “The King’s Speech” and “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.” The choice was unveiled at tonight’s festival closing ceremony.

    (more…)

  • ‘Rabbit Hole’ poster

    Friday we got a look at the trailer for John Cameron Mitchell’s “Rabbit Hole.” Today, courtesy of Awards Campaign, we get the first poster, which I’d say clashes with the tone of the film somewhat.  Have a look at the full image after the jump.

    (more…)

  • ‘The King’s Speech’ heading to the stage?

    At Telluride in September, Geoffrey Rush revealed to me that the script for “The King’s Speech” originally came to him in play format.  Writer David Seidler had penned the story of King George VI overcoming a speech impediment in broad theatrical strokes.  But it was too vast and, the actor thought, the central idea would be better suited to film.  Soon enough a film was underway and Rush was called upon to take a role.

    It still has that contained vibe.  Guy noted in his London Film Festival take on the film that “if I came to the film cold, I would immediately, but incorrectly, peg it as an adaptation of a stage work.”  So it’s interesting to note that the story may come back full circle.

    Arts Beat’s Patrick Healy reports today that Broadway producer Michael Alden has acquired the stage rights to the film.  The piece also notes that Seidler wrote it originally as a screenplay and later as a stage work in order to work out various relationships but the news is you might see the film transition to Broadway or London’s West End very soon (depending on how it does on screens, of course).

    (more…)

  • Penn going supporting for ‘Fair Game?’

    Scott Feinberg is reporting that Sean Penn, who gives a rather wonderful performance in Doug Liman’s “Fair Game” with much more meat on its bones than Naomi Watts’s somewhat internalized work, will be pushed in the supporting category rather than lead.

    Uh…why?  First and foremost, I’d consider this a lead performance, but whatever, category fraud happens all the time and there are probably multiple perspectives to be had on this particular role.  But I just wrote about the lead actor category Monday and noted that there is some softness outside of the generally agreed upon three (Colin Firth, James Franco and Jeff Bridges).  The opportunity is ripe.

    Meanwhile, the supporting actor category seems to be settling in.  I feel like I’ve had the same five checked off for a month or two now.  Where are the cracks in that armor?  How does one look at that category and think it’s an easier climb?

    (more…)

  • 2010 IDA nominations announced

    The International Documentary Association has revealed it’s list of nominees for documentary filmmaking in four categories.  From the press release:

    Winners will be feted on December 3rd at the Directors Guild Theater in Los Angeles in a ceremony hosted by award-winning documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock.

    “This has been another banner year for documentary films,” said IDA Executive Director Michael Lumpkin, “and that is reflected in our list of nominees. Entries to the Awards increased by nearly 20% this year, and the quality of the films vying for recognition is unprecedented.”

    Lumpkin also announced that for the first time two of the awards – for Distinguished Feature and Short Documentary – will be selected by IDA’s members through an innovative process in which members who wish to participate will view all of the nominated films in these categories through a secure, password-protected online system. After viewing all of the films in their entirety, these IDA member judges will cast their votes to determine the winners.

    Nominees after the jump.

    (more…)

  • ‘The Way Back’ again

    I took in a second screening of Peter Weir’s “The Way Back” last night after seeing and loving it at the Telluride Film Festival last month (enough to write about it a second time while I was there, in fact).  What was confirmed for me was that the majesty of the film and the overall sense of atmosphere Weir establishes and maintains makes it one of the very best films of the year.

    A few other things stuck out, too.  I was always taken by Ed Harris’s “Mr. Smith” character and his fatherly relationship with Saoirse Ronan, but it’s a defining arc within the piece that is transcendent and could help make a solid case for Harris in the supporting actor race.

    I was also struck by the makeup, which feels authentic and adds a notch of intrigue when this wound or that is revealed.  You’ll recall “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” was nominated in the field seven years ago for similar work.  Both of these aspects were touched on in the post-screening Q&A with Harris, producer/co-writer Keith Clarke, producer Joni Levin and executive producer (and longtime agent for Weir), John Ptak.

    (more…)

  • Nolan’s new Batman film gets a title and eliminates a villain possibility

    Christopher Nolan is hard at work on his third foray into the world of the Caped Crusader.  Recently Tom Hardy was cast in an unspecified role.  The latest word is that he’s busy trying to nail down the female lead in the film (we don’t know who the character is yet).  And today, two more nuggets.

    First, the film has a title, as reported by Geoff Boucher at the LA Times’ Hero Complex blog: “The Dark Knight Rises.” I am…not digging it.  At all.  It’s so dry.  It feels pedestrian, incidental, something.  But what’s in a title, right?  “Batman Begins” was kinda lame for a title, I thought.  But then “The Dark Knight” worked off of the potent thematic mojo going on in the script.  This is just the usual “He’s baaaaack” kind of thing.  Meh.

    Next up, Nolan revealed to Boucher that the villain in the film is NOT the Riddler.  Most have just assumed Hardy was cast in that role, but now it looks like the character isn’t even in the film.  And part of me is really happy about that.  I’d have loved to see Nolan’s take on the Riddler, don’t get me wrong.  But I think the series desperately needs to go its own way character-wise in this third installment, so I’ll be very excited to see who’s who.

    (more…)

  • 10/27 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Sticking up for Swinton, AMPAS joins Twitter, 15 years of Fox Searchlight

    • Jeffrey Wells does his part to re-inject Tilda Swinton’s performance in “I Am Love” back into the Oscar conversation. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • The Academy is ready for its close-up — on Twitter! [Twitter]

    • Celebrating 15 years of Fox Searchlight Pictures. [/Film]

    (more…)

  • ‘Harry Potter’ designer accused of fashion plagiarism

    Way back in the mists of 2001, the very first “Harry Potter” screen outing (don’t ask me to distinguish the titles) received an Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design. It even managed to win the Costume Designers’ Guild award — and that was before they created a separate category for fantasy film.

    No subsequent entry in the series has managed to repeat either feat, and if the current accusations of sartorial stealing being levelled at Jany Temime, costume designer for “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1,” are anything to go by, we shouldn’t hold our breath for a change in that pattern. It seems Temime has aggravated many in the fashion industry by claiming as her own concept a wedding dress, crucial to a climactic scene in the film, that looks irrefutably similar to a revered 2008 design by the late Alexander McQueen:

    (more…)

  • LONDON: French femmes on form

    “I think the French have always enjoyed older women, and they’re right to do so,” Kristin Scott Thomas told me in an interview nearly two years ago, when asked about the range of opportunities for actresses over 40 in the French film industry. “A life has been lived. There’s so much more at stake. The French get that, and as an actor, I’m glad for it.”

    She’s right, of course. Whereas every Hollywood victory for a middle-aged actress — be it Sandra Bullock’s Oscar win, Meryl Streep’s box-office clout or the year-long buzz for the two-pronged attack of “The Kids Are All Right” — is accompanied by assorted talking heads and op-eds proclaiming the significance of the achievement, the French see nothing especially remarkable about a fiftysomething woman headlining a major production.

    Leading ladies in that country tend to remain so for their whole careers — and remain busy at that, dipping into character and ensemble roles while being regularly rewarded with generous individual showcases. This year alone, we’ve seen Juliette Binoche take Best Actress at Cannes for the elaborate thespian gymnastics of “Certified Copy,” while Catherine Deneuve earned plaudits at Venice for “Potiche,” a frothy crowdpleaser that is essentially one huge valentine to the actress.

    (more…)

  • Jeff Bridges to host SNL in December?

    So Tom O’Neil is reporting at Gold Derby that Jeff Bridges will be hosting Saturday Night Live on December 18.  I did some poking around and it looks like he was supposed to host some time next month, but I guess that’s been pushed closer to the Christmas release date of “True Grit” and, more fittingly, the day after the release of “TRON Legacy.” (Good on this guy for calling it.)

    Whatever the case, if true — AWESOME.  Obviously a hosting gig on SNL does plenty to boost the awareness of a big holiday or awards season film, but to the best of my knowledge, this would be the actor’s first time hosting solo.  He apparently co-hosted with brother Beau back in 1983.

    And really, who doesn’t want to see this?  Alright, let’s take bets.  There’s sure to be a silly “TRON” send-up.  Probably some Dude material (cast members dressed as The Dude in the stands during the monologue, perhaps).  Etc.  Anyway, can’t wait.

  • THE LISTS: Top 10 horror films of all time

    It’s Halloween week and since we are a movie site, we are under some kind of unspoken obligation to provide our dear readers with a list to fit the festivities. You may remember a similar list popping up two years ago, in which all current contributors voiced an opinion and the final results represented a collective agreement. Since I was not a contributor at that time, Tapley asked me to offer up a new take this year.

    A little backstory on my relationship with scary movies seems appropriate. I was raised by two Christian parents who were very protective of the images that I put into my head. When I was six years old, I was playing at a friend’s house when he suggested we watch “Beetle Juice.” Knowing that it was a potentially objectionable title, I called my mom and asked if it was okay and she said it was not. Kids being kids, we watched it anyway.

    What did I think of it? It scared the crap out of me. So much so, that I understood why my mom didn’t want me to watch it and actively avoided scary images on my own free will from then on. When one or two infiltrated me, such as “Ghostbusters,” I was always a little rattled. As I’ve grown, I’ve only become slightly less sensitive to these types of images and only actively seek out scary films if I hear there is a lot more going on to make it worthwhile.

    (more…)

  • ‘Love & Other Drugs’ overdoses on rom-com tropes

    I went into last night’s screening of Edward Zwick’s “Love & Other Drugs” wanting to love it.  I really did.  There was an opportunity here to delicately balance comedy and drama, tell the story of a man’s journey to maturity against the backdrop of a very serious socio-political issue — the pharmaceutical industry — and tie together themes of responsibility and compassion.  At the risk of being reductive, it could have been this  year’s “Up in the Air.”

    Unfortunately, the film just never finds that balance.  There are too many ingredients in the soup, many of them tasty.  But they clash in the mixture.  Take Josh Gad’s portly, foul-mouthed brother to Jake Gyllenhaal’s suave corporate pill pusher.  I laughed at this guy a lot, but it never felt organic to the film.  It was arbitrary comic relief lacking any real commentary on the narrative.

    Meanwhile, Anne Hathaway — a talented actress who will no doubt win an Oscar one day — does well by the material but she’s asked to play a one-trick, woe is me character who never finds a genuine end to her arc.  And that could have been intriguingly the point, but it feels more like a concept stretched thin rather than one filled in with nuance.

    (more…)

  • INTERVIEW: ‘127 Hours’ star James Franco

    James Franco sits in one of the countless, nondescript rooms on the sixth floor of the Four Seasons hotel in Los Angeles remembering the time he first met mountain climber Aron Ralston in the same building, perhaps in a room not unlike this one.

    It wasn’t even a year ago — January, to be exact, right around the time of the Golden Globes. Director Danny Boyle had recently offered the actor the role of Ralston in “127 Hours,” a film that would depict the harrowing six days the outdoorsman spent with his hand wedged between a boulder and a canyon wall. It was an ordeal that ended with Ralston cutting off his own arm, just below the elbow, in order to survive. And the film would — naturally, given the material and the filmmaker involved — be anything but conventional.

    But Boyle was adamant that the performance not be an “outside-in approach,” as Franco puts it. It couldn’t be slavish mimicry of personality or behavior. But there was this abstract idea of confronting one’s potential demise that remained somewhat elusive for Franco, yet something he nevertheless wanted to reflect in authentic terms. Little did he know he’d find the answer during that first meeting with Ralston, Boyle, writer Simon Beaufoy, producer Christian Colson and production designer Suttirat Larlarb.

    (more…)

  • 10/26 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Ferrell talks ‘Megamind,’ SAG to simulcast kudocast, Coppola shoots with Kilmer

    • Drew McWeeney talks to “Megamind” star Will Ferrell. [Motion/Captured]

    • This year’s SAG Awards will be simulcast to all time zones at 5pm PST. [Variety]

    • Francis Ford Coppola has “quietly” begun shooting his next film, a thriller with Val Kilmer. [Deadline]

    (more…)

  • “Miniature golf with Terrence Malick”

    If you read around sites like The Hot Blog or Hollywood Elsewhere, you’re sure to have read some colorful commentary from “LexG.”  And if you follow him on Twitter or catch his YouTube videos, you likely know it spills over.  Some hate him.  I love the guy.

    So naturally, “Oscar Chat” caught my eye.  I trust even the offended will at least get a chuckle or two.  I laughed my ass off:

  • UPDATED: Did Halle Berry just exit the Best Actress race?

    UPDATE (10/26): Kris here, following up on Guy’s report yesterday.  I’m told there is correspondence between reps from the film and AMPAS acknowledging that the film would not open in 2009 and that AMPAS has acknowledged the film will be eligible for 2010 consideration.  I’m also told this sort of hiccup is not uncommon.  Steve Pond has a report up quoting AMPAS publicity on the matter.  So Berry is very much in the race this year.

    EARLIER: A few hours ago, Kris mentioned the moves being made by Freestyle Releasing to launch an awards campaign for the long-delayed Halle Berry starrer “Frankie & Alice.” The distributor plans to give the film an Oscar-qualifying release on December 17, explicitly stating its award-oriented motives in the press release.

    So far, so good. But it seems to me there’s a slight snag: “Frankie & Alice,” although never formally released, actually qualified for the 2009 Oscars. As proved here, the film was on the Academy’s official list of 274 films eligible for last year’s awards:

    (more…)