I wouldn’t normally make much mention of the Tony Awards, which took place in New York last night — this being a film site, after all, and me being an entire ocean away from the U.S. theater scene. (That said, I saw yesterday’s big winner “Red” on its initial run in London, and was suitably […]
Hollywood colonizes Broadway
Posted by Guy Lodge · 4:01 am · June 14th, 2010
Filed in: Daily
SHORT TAKE: “Iron Man 2” (**1/2)
Posted by Guy Lodge · 6:34 am · May 3rd, 2010
“Good is the enemy of Great,” wrote Jim Collins, in one of the more high-maintenance self-help plans you’re likely to encounter. As nice a thought as it is, this law appears to have no place in the world of the Hollywood franchise blockbuster, where Crap is the enemy of pretty much everything, and Good is […]
Filed in: Reviews
The Great Performances: 2005
Posted by John Foote · 5:07 pm · December 18th, 2009
2005 was the year of Heath Ledger’s beautiful, moving performance in “Brokeback Mountain,” which I saw for the first time in Toronto. It instantly became the talk of the festival, and the film became the one to beat for the Academy Award. Ledger was astonishing as the taciturn cowboy who is more surprised than anybody […]
Filed in: Daily
The Great Performances: 2001
Posted by John Foote · 6:23 pm · November 20th, 2009
In one of the weakest years in memory, not just for performances but for great films, 2001 saw Denzel Washington and Halle Berry knock “two birds out with one stone,” as the former declared on Oscar night, as two African Americans won the top acting prizes for the first time ever. And it was difficult […]
Filed in: Daily
THE LISTS: Top 10 actors under 30
Posted by Guy Lodge · 10:39 am · October 6th, 2009
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 […]
Filed in: The Lists
One more parting shot…
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:09 am · July 26th, 2009
Snapped by Jon Favreau on the Hall H stage during the “Iron Man 2” panel discussion: And a taste of Kevin Smith at the Con, where he talks about the fact that the title “A Couple of Dicks” may not hold (My camera lost battery power half-way through. Apologies):
Filed in: Daily
6/11 Web Round-up
Posted by Guy Lodge · 11:39 am · June 11th, 2009
• Nathaniel Rogers and Katey Rich offer an early rundown of the best of 2009 thus far. [The Film Experience] • Breaking down the world premieres at the Edinburgh Film Festival, which yours truly will be covering. [Screen International] • Shia LaBeouf calls the “Transformers” sequel “literally the biggest movie ever made.” What a shame […]
Filed in: Daily
An unkind cut
Posted by Guy Lodge · 10:00 am · May 6th, 2009
Poor Scarlett Johansson can’t seem to catch a break these days. With her acting talents currently experiencing a bit of a fallow period (I’m being gentle, I’m a fan), the snark patrol have now seized on her burgeoning directorial ambitions too. The source of their glee is the news (a few days old, but I […]
Filed in: Daily
Bennett Miller’s opening montage sees the light of day
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 12:27 pm · February 24th, 2009
Apparently the following montage, which played for the audience at the Kodak Theatre Sunday night but was ultimately pulled from the televised rundown, has popped up as a Vanity Fair exclusive. It’s directed by Bennet Miller and I have to say, it’s nice, has a good flow, but is a little film festival-esque. Not “big […]
Filed in: Daily
12/29 Oscarweb Round-up
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 5:43 am · December 29th, 2008
• Anita Singh looks at the upcoming year of the dog for British movie-goers, including “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” “Bolt,” “Marley and Me” and “Wendy and Lucy.” [Daily Telegraph] • “A Christmas Tale” tops Andrew O’Hehir’s list of the 10 best indie films of 2008. [Beyond the Multiplex] • Jonathan Miles talks to newly minted Oscar […]
Filed in: Daily
Golden Globes: ‘Slumdog,’ ‘Button’ steady…whither ‘Milk?’
Posted by Guy Lodge · 6:20 am · December 11th, 2008
Well, I said yesterday one should always expect oddities with the Golden Globes … but even with that in mind, they never fail to pull out some genuine “WTF” moments. Tom Cruise’s goofy Best Supporting Actor nod for “Tropic Thunder” may have been the most eccentric revelation of the morning, but surely the most significant […]
Filed in: Daily
With love from me to you
Posted by Guy Lodge · 9:53 am · December 2nd, 2008
I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed Variety’s recent series of articles in which prominent actors champion some of their personal favourite performances of 2008, including many of the most discussed contenders of the season. It’s a simple idea, but executed with real thought and sincerity. The pieces are interesting not just because of the more […]
Filed in: Daily
THE LISTS: Top 10 actors who need a nomination, stat!
Posted by Guy Lodge · 7:16 am · October 21st, 2008
A couple of weeks ago, we invited you to submit ideas for our ‘The Lists’ feature, and, true to form, the suggestions came thick, fast and occasionally puzzling. (The Ten Best Bond Actors, for example, would require a couple of rather inventive entries. But hey, we like challenges.) As I was sifting through the suggestions […]
Filed in: Featured · The Lists
REVIEW: “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (***1/2)
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 2:27 pm · August 5th, 2008
It is difficult to argue against the notion that filmmaker Woody Allen has been showing signs of tiresome decline. Successes have been few and far between for a number of years, while his recent failures pale next to the interesting missteps of his early career. His work has become, more often than not, a paint-by-numbers […]
Filed in: Reviews
REVIEW: “Match Point” (**1/2)
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:19 pm · November 29th, 2005
The problem with Woody Allen’s most recent effort, the multi-lauded Cannes favorite “Match Point” is that we’ve seen it all before. The writer/director has approached the exact same territory before albeit on this side of the pond. But deeper than that, it seems the extremely positive critical reception has more to do with a longing […]
Filed in: Reviews