• Gregory Ellwood mulls over the pros and cons of this year’s Best Actor hopefuls. [Awards Campaign]
• Andrew O’Hehir on the British indie film explosion. [Beyond the Multiplex]
• A.J. Schnack does a nice job of wrangling up info on the shortlisted short docs. [All These Wonderful Things]
• After a quiet week for awards news, this week’s Off the Carpet column contemplated the depth of the Best Actress race.
• A topic that Kris and Anne also debated in this week’s episode of Oscar Talk.
• Speaking of Best Actress, “An Education,” with its nomination-bound performance by Carey Mulligan, finally hit theaters this week.
• And speaking of Mulligan, she placed highly in our list of the Top 10 actors under 30.
• Digital marketing consultant Chris Dorr points out missed online opportunities with “Bright Star.” [Thompson on Hollywood]
• Steve Pond jumps on the “Up in the Air” train, says it renders the expectations irrelevant. [The Odds]
• Lying about seeing “The Godfather.” [The Guardian]
In Carey Mulligan’s entry on Tuesday’s “best actors under 30” list, I mentioned her stunning turn on stage in the recent revival of Chekhov’s “The Seagull,” writing that “if/when anyone commits that to film, Mulligan will be unbeatable for Best Supporting Actress.”
What I didn’t know is that “if” has definitely become a “when” in this case. I wrote when rumors of a “Seagull” movie surfaced in January, but the project was actually confirmed a month ago. (I was in Venice and missed the news; thanks to a helpful but nameless reader for pointing me to the news.)
Anyway, with news as good as this, better late than never. The production is being brought to the screen with the cast and creative team largely unchanged.
I love that Paul and the band played “Hot For Teacher” as she walked out. She handled herself well, I thought. But, let’s face it — it’s difficult not to think of Letterman’s scandal given the plot of the film. Speaking of which, I think Letterman totally spoils the film toward the end (and a little in the beginning). Tom O’Neil has just posted an assessment of the appearance and Mulligan’s place in the race.
Anyway, here it is — Carey Mulligan’s first talk show appearance ever:
I wrote recently about how this year’s Best Actress race seems to ushering in a striking new wave of young talent, from the elfin throwback charm of Carey Mulligan to the rawer screen presence of Gabourey Sidibe, while a range of youthful names, from the long-hyped Abbie Cornish to the out-of-nowhere Katie Jarvis, have been racking up critical plaudits all year.
Whether Academy voters comply or not, it’s hard to disagree that it’s a good year to be a fresh face.
Meanwhile, the industry’s male twentysomethings may have enjoyed less frenzied acclaim than their fairer counterparts, but the likes of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ben Whishaw and – yes – Shia LaBeouf have kept things ticking over for the generation quite respectably.
So, with the teen-driven narratives of “An Education” and “Precious” heading for theaters soon, and with the youth romance of “Bright Star” currently pleasing older arthouse audiences, it seemed an apt moment to celebrate the new guard by ranking the finest talent that the born-after-1980 generation has to offer.
And believe me when I tell you it was one of the trickiest lists I’ve ever compiled on this site. The more I contemplated recent successes and breakthroughs, the longer the shortlist of candidates grew, spanning Academy-endorsed names already on the A-list (Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal) to quirkier talents from the indie and foreign sectors (Sam Riley, Emilie Dequenne). I like to think that the fact that I struggled as much as I did to narrow the list down to 10 names bodes very well for the future.
I didn’t really talk too much about Lone Sherfig’s “An Education” when I saw it a few months ago beyond starting the drum circle on Alfred Molina’s wonderfully warm, authentic performance. But I find the film on my mind more and more with an October 9 limited release right around the corner.
The film is sublime and in perhaps (for me) the best movie year of the decade, it continues to stand out as one of the 2009’s most refined films on nearly every level. The acting, of course, is impeccable. I couldn’t possibly write anything new about Carey Mulligan’s work, and Peter Sarsgaard, who will hopefully be in the awards conversation but could be unfortunately forgotten in the clutter, delivers his finest work since “Shattered Glass” (and probably ever). The entire cast, in fact (and as noted in this space) is likely to get a well-deserved SAG ensemble nod.
Back in June I wrote that “An Education” was an example of “that rare occasion when a filmmaker taps into profound truths with the help of a cast that gets it, the themes surging through every vein, a driven vehicle of purpose.” I don’t feel any different today.
Coincidentally enough, the same day that Kris spotlighted the Best Actress race, the category has been on my mind too — as a thought hit me that could factor in what is potentially one of the tightest duels of the season.
Almost every Oscar prognosticator on record has already boiled the Best Actress contest down to Carey Mulligan versus Meryl Streep, and until the precursors arrive to shed some light on the matter, there’s almost nothing in it on paper.
Advantage Mulligan for being in a probable Best Picture nominee. Advantage Streep for playing a prominent real-life figure. Advantage Mulligan for being this year’s hottest ingenue. Advantage Streep for being, well, Meryl Streep. And on it goes, back and forth.
But if there’s one area where Mulligan holds a clear advantage over Streep, it’s with the so-called “BAFTA block” … the British contingent of voters who seemingly make their presence felt more in the Academy voting by the year. (Recent BAFTA-led surges for “The Reader,” Marion Cotillard and Tilda Swinton are a case in point.)
Now is the time when everyone begins assessing the race at its beginnings, and the gist I’m getting is that no one really knows what to write about. Stabs at analysis end up being responses to other takes or rehashed arguments, and nothing really insightful is being brought to the table.
And let’s face it. As we dip into what looks to be the longest early-season lull in some time, there really is nothing insightful to offer. So let’s just spit-ball…
I think the Sony Classics acquisition of “The Last Station” is more significant than most seem to be aware right now. There are only a handful who have seen it (Telluride being the film’s only festival stop so far), so that’s understandable. And the film isn’t a knock-out, one that will be damned as merely efficient in some circles. But with Helen Mirren in the lead actress race, it’s worth noting that suddenly that category is further framed as the old guard versus the new.
And I may be wrong in my conviction, but I have to say it again: Mirren is VERY much in this race. As the fiery Countess wife of a literary titan, she brings equal parts passion and delicacy to a complicated, certainly flawed character. She’s afforded a number of moments that give her room to chew the scenery, and if Christopher Plummer happens to ride a wave of sentiment to a nomination as well, part of me feels that he will owe something to Mirren’s coattails.
My predictions for the leading ladies this week are Mirren, Meryl Streep, Carey Mulligan, Gabourey Sidibe and, my weak link, Marion Cotillard (who is expected to be a lead actress push for “Nine,” but things could change). In that collective we have three former winners, two legends of the form, two newbies and one performer shifting into the second gear of her career. I think that’s a pretty good balance.
This NYT chat with “An Education” star Carey Mulligan is weeks old, but for some reason I hadn’t seen it before. I love the conversational looseness of these Screen Test videos: topics on the menu include the demise of the one-liner, dressing as a hooker for “Public Enemies,” and her earliest movie memory of “The Land Before Time.” (Jeez, I’m old.)
All the while, her quest to be the most adorable person on the planet is chugging along nicely. As for that voice … well, I’m not going to get tired of hearing her speak this awards season. (Just as well, really, since we’ll be hearing her a lot.)
Amid the swirl of hype for “An Education” that’s been building for eight months now, there’s been surprisingly little mention of the man who is easily the biggest name involved with the film: superstar novelist Nick Hornby, whose free adaptation of Lynn Barber’s memoir looks certain to land him in the Best Adapted Screenplay pack.
The film is only Hornby’s second successful stab at writing for film, 12 years after he adapted his own novel “Fever Pitch” for the screen. However, as he states in this Wall Street Journal interview, the gap between screen credits wasn’t for lack of trying:
While several of his novels have been successfully adapted into movies, including “High Fidelity” and “About a Boy,” the 52-year-old Mr. Hornby has seen most of his screenplays fizzle in development, including a collaboration with actress Emma Thompson that “we just couldn’t get right.”
I know I’m hardly the first person to mention it, but as I was fiddling around with my predictions recently, I was struck once more by just how young the Best Actress category is skewing.
At present, 15 year-old Saoirse Ronan is the only teenager being talked up for a nomination, but with three other solid contenders — Carey Mulligan, Gabourey Sidibe and Abbie Cornish — all playing teens in their respective vehicles, you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise. (As if that weren’t enough, in a perfect world, 18 year-old Katie Jarvis would be leading the field for “Fish Tank.” We can but dream.)
Meanwhile, you can bet that a sizable number of Academy members are under the impression that waif-like 24 year-old it-girl Mulligan (the current frontrunner for “An Education,” in case you need reminding), and especially 26 year-old non-pro Sidibe (whose buzz for “Precious” has rocketed since Toronto), are even younger than they are.
• Roger Ebert talks “Capitalism: A Love Story” with Michael Moore. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Noah Forrest stands up for Megan Fox against a weird culture of hatred toward the actress. [Movie City News]
• George Clooney vs. George Clooney at the November box office. [Vulture]
The Hollywood Film Festival has become just another stop on the awards campaign trail these days, various publicists getting in the ears of festival directors to make sure their clients get their (in most cases deserved) props as the season takes hold, amping up the exposure, etc. So with that in mind, the list of award recipients for this year’s Hollywood Film Festival have been announced.
Carey Mulligan and Jeremy Renner will receive the Breakthrough Actress and Breakthrough Actor awards, having made an impact in “An Education” and “The Hurt Locker” respectively. Mulligan seems a cinch for a lead actress Oscar nomination, while Renner, in the typically more competitive lead actor category, may be somewhat on the bubble.
Lee Daniels will receive the Breakthrough Director Award for “Precious,” while the film’s star, Gabourey Sidibe, will received the New Hollywood Award. Both deserve any and every awards notice they will get this season.
This year’s Telluride fest is slowly gearing up. There are a handful of press screenings this afternoon and the opener, Marco Bellochio’s “Vincere,” is set to play at 5:00pm. I’ll probably miss that in order to take in “The Last Station,” which if it picks up a buyer, could make good on awards potential for Christopher Plummer and James McAvoy.
Before things get going, though, I though it best to clear the slate with a few reactions to films playing here which I’ve already seen. More to come later this evening, I’m sure.
“An Education” (****)
Few films are likely to have the refined air of artistry that Lone Scherfig’s “An Education” offers. Based on a memoir by Lynn Barber, the story is, in a nutshell, that of a young girl eager to grow up but unprepared for the disappointments of adulthood. But the film is, of course, so much more than that.
There are so many things wrong with this Digital Spy piece about the Best Actress race, it’s difficult to know where to begin. Article writer Marcell Minaya seems to have filched gossip columnist Roger Friedman’s recent (largely baseless) statement that the category is bereft of contenders, and disguised it as Academy insider talk:
The Oscars executives have allegedly been struggling to form a list of best actress nominees.
An Oscar insider said: “It’s only just dawning that there’s a distinct lack of potentials in the best actress category. It’s been a pretty lacklustre year for movies in general but it seems that no one wrote any decent lead roles for women … There are many to choose from when it comes to supporting actresses but very few in the lead.”
I haven’t seen James Mottern’s “Trucker,” which had a world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and was praised in many quarters, most agreeing that Michelle Monaghan’s lead performance was awards caliber.
Ironically, the press release (published in part after the jump) quotes The Hollywood Reporter’s Roger Friedman front and center just a few days after he bemoaned what he perceived as a weak year for Best Actress contenders.
The strongest contenders right now look to be Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia,” Carey Mulligan in “An Education” and, sight unseen, Hilary Swank in “Amelia.” If enough voters see “The Burning Plain,” Charlize Theron certainly has a shot. But the bubble is big on this race, I’ll give Friedman that.
Monterey Media has decided to release the film up for an October 9 release, right in the middle of the awards season. We all know surprise contenders show up sooner or later. Maybe we’re looking at our first one right here.
A snippet of the press release after the jump.
• Carey Mulligan praises “An Education” writer Nick Hornby for being objective with her character. [New York Magazine]
• Gene Simmons tapped to vocalize Del Toro’s “Wolf Man.” [Contact Music]
• Fear not, there’s hope for more “Beavis and Butt-Head” on the horizon. [Collider]