In Contention

Tag: Precious

  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 8 — ‘This Is It,’ music branch, ‘Invictus’ and ‘Avatar’ trailers, the Best Actor race and more

    Oscar TalkWe have a belated edition of Oscar Talk for you today.  We apologize for the lateness, but what better way to kick back on a Sunday afternoon than with yours truly and Anne Thompson of indieWIRE’s Thompson on Hollywood?

    In this eighth installment, we actually covered a lot of ground. This week’s topics:

    • With “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” hitting theaters this weekend, we lead off talking brief about the film (which Anne hasn’t seen).

    • With music on the mind, this leads to another quick discussion about the Academy’s music branch, which caused poor Sad brad Smith to preemptively refrain from submitting his moving track “Help Yourself” from “Up in the Air” for consideration this year.

    • Rumors of Neil Patrick Harris hosting the Oscarcast after doing bang-up jobs at the Tonys and Emmys are circulating, and in the wake of Ricky Gervais being tapped to emcee the Golden Globes this year, we spin our wheels on that topic one more time.

    • “Precious” is opening next week, so with that (and Anne’s recent piece concerning Mo’Nique’s behind-the-scenes drama issues) in mind, we talk about whether the film, or the actress herself, has to win a popularity contest this season to gain the Academy’s attention and respect.

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  • TECH SUPPORT: Best Film Editing — Volume II

    (from left) Daniel Day-Lewis and Marion Cotillard in NineAs I wrote in August, “Best Achievement in Film Editing” can be a difficult thing to define. Traditionally, we most notice film editing that is showy, usually in action films, musicals or movies that are not told chronologically. But does that make the editing better? If done well, it undoubtedly can add to the quality and innovation in a film.

    At the same time, however, a well-paced and effective film is often one where the transitions are seamless and I maintain that the best editing is often that which you don’t notice.  We will never know what “could have made it into the film,” which makes judging editing difficult at times. What is certain, however, is that in the absence of editors, our films would all be significantly too long, likely incoherent and/or tremendously boring.

    Personally speaking, I’m intrigued by this category this year. he editing field has historically displayed a strong correlation to the Best Picture line-up. Last year marked a return to a typical situation which we had seen from the mid-90s until early this decade: four of the five films nominated for Best Film Editing were also nominated for Best Picture, with the fifth being an action film. However, from 2005 through 2007, only two of the five nominees crossed over to the Best Picture category. This raises the question…what to expect this year?

    Some of the films I thought were contenders back in the summer have clearly fallen out of the running. Oscar winners Stephen Mirrione and Thelma Schoonmaker are now out the race as “Biutiful” and “Shutter Island” have been delayed until 2010. Allyson C. Johnson, on the other hand, is certainly not going to find herself nominated for “Amelia,” which is not getting near awards are far as anyone is concerned.

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  • 10/28 Oscarweb Round-up

    Ricky Gervais• Rodrigo Perez has details on the “Precious” soundtrack. [The Playlist]

    • Ricky Gervais to be drunk, unrehearsed at Golden Globes. [Reuters]

    • Scott Feinberg ponders the Carey Mulligan vs. Meryl Streep debate. [And the Winner Is…]

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  • 10/27 Oscarweb Round-up

    Mel Gibson in Braveheart• Patrick Goldstein thinks tapping Ricky Gervais as emcee suddenly classes up the Golden Globes. [The Big Picture]

    • In case you’ve missed it, a thorough and, I’d say, fair profile of James Cameron in 11,000 words. [New Yorker]

    • Mel Gibson admits the subject of his Oscar-winning biopic “Braveheart” was a “monster.” [The Times]

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  • LONDON: Not so ‘Precious’

    PreciousAt this early stage in the awards race, I’ve been getting along unusually well with every major contender I’ve encountered: “The Hurt Locker,” “An Education,” “Up in the Air,” along with darker horses like “Bright Star” and “A Single Man,” have all been pleasing, giving me hope that this would be one of those rare Oscar years when I could contentedly roll with any outcome.

    Something had to break, I suppose. And it’s with not a little regret that I write this, but it broke this afternoon as I finally encountered Lee Daniels’s much-vaunted “Precious” for the first time.

    I understand and respect what has moved the critical majority so profoundly about this abrasive, eccentric film. It visits such extremities of physical and psychic pain that it does invite a kind of emotional responsibility towards its protagonist; if Daniels did have as heavy a creative hand in “Monster’s Ball” as he claims, one could draw an interesting comparison between the two films’ almost mythic excesses of female suffering.

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  • Listen to Mary J. Blige’s ‘I Can See in Color’ from ‘Precious’

    Mary J. BligeLast month we broke the news that Mary J. Blige would be in the thick of this year’s Best Original Song mix with the track “I See in Color” from “Precious.” Mariah Carey’s “100%” was originally going to be featured in the film (and was, in early festival screenings), but when Blige saw the film, it hit her on such a personal level that she wanted to contribute in some way.

    You can imagine the diva dispute that erupted, but things have been settled on that front and Blige’s track, which is featured int he context of the film during a key scene, will be the film’s representation in the category (which could be eliminated entirely, given new voting rules).

    Today I’m happy to offer the song up for your listening pleasure.  It’s raw, certainly emotional and reflects just the kind of honesty contenders in this category tend to lack.  Hear for yourself:

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  • OFF THE CARPET: Looking at the supporting ladies

    Vera Farmiga in Up in the AirA few weeks ago in this space I took a dedicated look at the lead actress category.  With little in the way of actual development (this season is curiously divided on the timeline as we’ve got maybe another month before more major titles begin screening), I figured it would be a good idea to keep things going on that front and take a look at the supporting actress race.

    It’s a little difficult to ignore the fact that Mo’Nique stands way out ahead of the pack in this race for her work in “Precious.” Unless her reported behind-the-scenes drama-queen tactics somehow poison the cause, she should be holding a statue in four months’ time.  She is fierce and focused in a monstrous role and when viewers get over the initial “she had this in her?” shock, they’ll also see it for the expert piece of acting that it is.

    Mo’Nique is joined in her film, however, by what I’d call an awards-worthy turn from Mariah Carey.  The singer-turned-actress has been lurking in Mo’Nique’s shadow throughout the film’s publicity and festival tour this year, and she also lost something of a diva battle with Mary J. Blige to have a featured track in the film.  The poor girl can’t catch a break here, but I think she deserves a look from voters and, perhaps, even prognosticators.

    A few weeks ago I mentioned in an episode of Oscar Talk that “Up in the Air” star Vera Farmiga would be pushed as a lead actress.  Some things have changed.

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  • On the season’s emotional split

    PreciousEver since (and before) I mentioned in print that, for my money, “Precious” is the frotrunner of this year’s Oscar race, I’ve been trying to understand why.  After all, it’s hardly your typical ahead-of-the-pack favorite.

    Over at The Hollywood Reporter, Steven Zeitchik takes note of the emotional split that is slowly characterizing this year’s slate of Oscar contenders and, in the process, begins to offer some insight, I think, into this conundrum:

    With the widened field, there’s a wider split between the feel-good contenders and the downbeat ones, between movies that depict the world as it is and those that show the world as we wish it to be.

    Voters, for instance, will have to choose between the story of an inner-city girl whose stepfather has repeatedly raped her and an old man who takes a magical, life-affirming balloon ride. They’ll have to decide between a group of male bomb-defusers drawn to the nightmare of the battlefield and a group of male friends drawn hilariously to the escapism of Vegas.

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  • ‘Precious,’ ‘Fish Tank,’ ‘Vincere’ win big in Chicago

    Michael Fassbender in Fish TankOn the same day that it played to a reportedly warm reception in London, “Precious” continued its impressive streak with the festival-going public by picking up the Audience Award at the Chicago International Film Festival. In case you hadn’t got the idea by now, people really, really like this movie.

    It was another grim study of African-American youth, however, that took the festival’s top juried prize, as Tina Mabry’s autobiographical debut “Mississippi Damned” won Best Film, in addition to Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress honors for Jossie Thacker.

    The film, about three children seeking an exit from a familial cycle of poverty and abuse, has received glowing notices across the board, inviting critical comparisons to both “Eve’s Bayou” and “Ballast.”

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  • WEEKLY WRAP: Oscar prods, Gotham nods, ‘Amelia’ clods

    Richard Gere• The Academy finally named the producers for next year’s Oscar telecast, first-timers Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic.

    • All of which added weight to the speculation that Hugh Jackman might return as host.

    • The Gotham Awards provided the season with its first set of nominees, though it inspired more talk for its omissions.

    • Chief among those omissions: “Precious,” prompting talk of a backlash, despite generous media exposure positioning it as the one to beat.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 7 — ‘Amelia,’ Hollywood film fest, Gothams, supposed ‘Precious’ backlash and more

    Oscar TalkWelcome to the seventh installment of Oscar Talk, a weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of indieWIRE’s Thompson on Hollywood.  Anne is calling from London today, where she’s gearing up for a weekend of London film fest screenings and events.

    Topics on today’s agenda:

    • Today’s big release, “Amelia,” finally crossed the bow of most critics this week and, with it quickly becoming obvious WHY it only crossed their bows this week, Anne and I discuss what went wrong with the movie.

    • In the wake of Anne’s recent hit piece on the Hollywood Film Festival and its leadership, we talk about the fluff of this event amid the award season chatter.

    • Speaking of awards, we get into the Gotham Award nominations, which caused a stir in some quarters due to the absence of “Precious.” Neither Anne nor I think there’s a backlash afoot.

    • Last week we talked about screeners that quickly end up at the bottom of voters’ piles this time of year.  We discuss a few titles that could unfortunately hit that low rung of priority, “That Evening Sun,” “The Messenger,” “Trucker,” etc.  Sony Pictures Classics seems to have a number of these titles.

    • Anne briefly previews some titles she hopes to catch at the London fest.

    We went a little long today, roughly 30 minutes.  Have a listen below, subscribe to Oscar Talk at iTunes here, and we’ll see you next week.

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  • Should Lee Daniels tread more carefully?

    Lee DanielsBased on an unexpected blanking in the Gotham Award nominations, plus the lingering resentment in some quarters over Mo’Nique’s reluctance to play the publicity game, talk has surfaced this week of a “Precious” backlash. I’m not buying it until there’s a larger press reaction to the film upon its release — if it receives further anti-consensus pans along the lines of Ed Gonzalez’s, perhaps.

    Either way, according to Patrick Goldstein, director Lee Daniels isn’t helping matters with some cocky statements that could rub some Academy voters the wrong way. His assertion that “‘Precious’ is so not Obama … so not P.C.,” in the film’s recent NYT spread, strikes me as a harmless bit of bluster, while I’m not sure why anyone but the most conservative bluehairs would be concerned by him describing himself as “a little homo … a little Euro … a little ghetto.”

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  • 10/23 Oscarweb Round-up

    Unforgiven• Pete Hammond follows up on the Academy’s foreign screenings, plus more. [Notes on a Season]

    • Like me, Steven Zeitchik senses a little “Slumdog” in “Precious.” [Risky Business]

    • David Poland catches some intriguing similarities between the recently released “Invictus” and a number of other posters from Eastwood flicks. [The Hot Blog]

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  • 10/22 Oscarweb Round-up

    Adam Shankman• Steve Pond takes note of an Oscar milestone regarding Adam Shankman: the first tweeting Oscarcast producer! [The Odds]

    • Tom O’Neil stirs the pot, says there might be a “Precious” backlash in the works. [Gold Derby]

    • He does so in response to Lou Lumenick, who wonders whether Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey are hurting the film. [Lumenick on Film]

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  • Lee Daniels and ‘Precious’ get a healthy NYT Mag word count

    Lee DanielsAs Guy points to the changing face of the typical “Oscar movie,” I’m reminded of a number of Oscar-related conversations as of late.  One question keeps popping through the “What can crack the 10” debate, and that is, “What can actually win?”  Of course, going into the season, the films to beat seem to be “Precious” and “Up in the Air,” based on impressive festival cred.  But other titles have been popping up as possibilities, too.

    “The Lovely Bones” certainly seems like an across-the-board player.  And if it lands a slightly unexpected PG-13 rating (it’s looking like it might), then it could prove even more accessible (i.e., commercially successful) than one might have anticipated.  The emotion of the narrative may just be gravy after that.

    I get the feeling that, of the other two unseen giants, “Nine” could prove a little too “been there, done that.”  But I think “Invictus,” if it delivers, could land a zeitgeisty message of healing a nation after years of political unrest that might prove irresistible to the Academy (from a McCain supporter, no less).

    In truth, however, I keep coming back to “Precious,” with just the right level of art house appeal, social consideration and dramatic flare to make good on its current frontrunner status and survive the season.  And this recent Lynn Hirschberg profile on director Lee Daniels in The New York Times Magazine is stuffed with insights and asides that make the bet feel safer and safer.

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  • THE LONG SHOT: What is an “Oscar movie” these days?

    George Clooney in Up in the Air“God, that thing’s just going to shit Academy Awards out of its ass next year, isn’t it?,” I overheard a journo behind me remark to his companion, as I made my way out of the “Up in the Air” press screening on Sunday. “It’s such an Oscar movie.”

    Two things struck me as interesting about this throwaway remark, both relating to the lack of care with which both Oscar pundits and “serious” film lovers tend to regard the Academy Awards.

    The first was that, isolated and in print, the guy’s words appear dismissive of “Up in the Air,” yet they actually capped a mostly enthusiastic response to the film. His tone dipped almost apologetically as he applied the “Oscar movie” label, as if it somehow sullied an otherwise fine effort.

    More to the point, however, the remark seemed indicative of the transitive stage the Academy Awards seem to be in at the moment, as simultaneously resistant and vulnerable to industry change as the protagonist of Jason Reitman’s film – and facing a similar crisis of purpose. For 15 years ago – if not necessarily 15 years before that – “Up in the Air” wouldn’t have been decreed an “Oscar movie” at all.

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  • 10/21 Oscarweb Round-up

    Tilda Swinton• Pete Hammond joins the speculation that yesterday’s Oscarcast producer announcement bodes well for a Jackman repeat. [Notes on a Season]

    • Nathaniel Rogers is awed in the presence of Tilda Swinton at the New Yorker Festival. (Where, apparently, “Michael Clayton” was never mentioned. Huh.) [Tribeca Film]

    • David Poland brands the Gotham Awards “meaningless” for not trying to predict the Oscars. I despair. [The Hot Blog]

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  • THE LONG SHOT: Minority report

    PreciousWhen the Academy Awards roll around in March, it will have been precisely two decades since the unlikely figure of Kim Basinger blasted Academy voters’ conservatism on air at the 1989 ceremony, with specific regard to their sidelining of “Do the Right Thing,” Spike Lee’s groundbreaking study of urban interracial tension.

    “We’ve got five great films here, and they’re great for one reason – they tell the truth,” the star opined before presenting a clip from one of that year’s Best Picture nominees. “But there is one film missing from this list that deserves to be on it because, ironically, it might tell the biggest truth of all.”

    As if in response, later that evening, the Academy handed their top prize to “Driving Miss Daisy,” as quiet and uncontroversial a portrait of the American racial divide as you could ask for. Let it never be said that the Oscars have no sense of irony.

    20 years on, much has changed. (Basinger has become an Oscar-winning actress, for starters. No one saw that coming.) More to the point, the amount of black Oscar winners in acting categories has trebled. And just two years after Basinger’s outburst, the Academy named 23 year-old John Singleton their first black Best Director nominee.

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