In Contention

Tag: Up in the Air

  • Only connect

    Jason ReitmanThe team behind “Up in the Air” have done a very sly job of making the film alternately ubiquitous and invisible this season, as paradoxical as that sounds.

    For us bloggers, the film seems to have been around for ages — indeed, it’s nearly three months since its Telluride premiere, an eternity in awards-campaign terms. Yet, conscious of the dangers of overhype, the film has been held back after that initial buzz-burst, garnering goodwill at select subsequent screenings, but largely ceding the publicity spotlight to the likes of “Precious.”

    Now, with the film finally opening to the public this Friday, the media assault begins afresh, with two extensive profiles of writer-director Jason Reitman appearing yesterday in the flagship papers of both coasts. David Carr’s NYT interview and Rachel Abramowitz’s LA Times piece overlap a fair amount, though Carr’s takes the cute route of meeting Reitman in an airport, allowing for a more pointed reflection on the film’s themes of physical and personal statelessness.

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  • Vera Farmiga on ‘Up in the Air’

    (Courtesy: MakingOf)

  • 11/27 Osarweb Round-up

    (from left) Penelope Cruz, Daniel Day-Lewis and Marion Cotillard in Nine• The significance of “Nine” for Anthony Minghella’s legacy. [The Guardian]

    • Steven Zeitchik catches on to the year’s thin original screenplay race and bangs the drum for “Sugar.” [Risky Business]

    • Lauren Shucker talks “Up in the Air” with director Jason Reitman. [Wall Street Journal]

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  • OFF THE CARPET: Field of adaptations

    Amy Adams in Julie & JuliaAs always, the year’s adapted screenplay race is much more competitive than the original screenplay race. But what’s intriguing to note is that of the anticipated “big four” still to be widely screened, three of them are right in the thick of this discussion.

    In the case of “Nine,” there is a chance for Anthony Minghella to receive his second posthumous Oscar nomination in as many years, something I don’t think we’ve seen since James Dean. But sometimes the razzle-dazzle of a movie musical can overshadow what craft there might be on the page, so it’s no slam dunk. Michael Tolkin is co-writer on the script, and even though I’ve seen the film, I’m prohibited from offering my thoughts on the work.

    “The Lovely Bones,” meanwhile, is adapted from a beloved novel, looks to feature a more reserved and refined Peter Jackson than we’ve seen in recent years and could see the lovable trio (Jackson, Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh) back in Oscar’s good graces. We’ll know when we see it.

    The Royals and invited British press get their look on the 24th. Harry Knowles has received his typical peek (as Paramount continues to nurture the relationship as if it’s 2002 and AICN still moves the needle). The rest of the US press corps has to wait until the other side of the holiday on the 27th to judge. Hopefully we’ll still care by then. I heard some scathing criticisms out of an exhibitor screening last week.

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  • 11/20 Oscarweb Round-up

    Michael Keaton• With his directorial debut “The Merry Gentleman” on the way, Michael Keaton gets a profile across the pond. [The Guardian]

    • Laura Almo sits down with “Up in the Air” editor Dana Glauberman. [Editors Guild Magazine]

    • “Avatar”‘s Sigourney Weaver remembers the days when James Cameron’s crews didn’t live in fear. [Vulture]

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  • Just to be clear

    Michael Stuhlbarg in A Serious ManThere seems to be a bit of uncertainty among several bloggers and commenters about the Golden Globe category placement of a number of titles. What it highlights, rather interestingly, is just how many heavyweight contenders straddle the line between comedy and drama this year.

    For the record, then, the following films are all aiming to compete in the Drama races at the Globes: “Up in the Air,” “An Education,” “Inglourious Basterds” and “Crazy Heart.”

    “A Serious Man,” however, is on the Comedy/Musical side of things. (Thanks to Tom O’Neil for confirming this.)

    I’d say I agree with all these classifications except for that of “Basterds.” Anyway. As you were.

  • ‘Star Trek’ under the stars

    Griffith ObservatoryThe swank, spare-no-expense shin-dig last night at the historic Griffith Observatory was officially a DVD release party for one of the summer’s biggest critical and fiscal hits.  But with nearly the entire Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s membership on hand, the general vibe of awards season in the air and the obvious implications of a fall DVD release for an early-year hopeful, it’s fair to say it was ostensibly a call to Oscar arms for a film that has a pretty good shot at one of this year’s 10 Best Picture slots.

    Most of the “Star Trek” cast was on hand — Zachary Quinto, Bruce Greenwood, Karl Urban, John Cho, Clifton Collins Jr. — but Leonard Nimoy and Walter Koenig were the ones causing the biggest stir, as of course they would.  A specialty drink menu (Spock’s Mind Meld Mojito, Red Matter, Romulan Ale), little red matter balls in giant flower vases, telescopes trained on Jupiter, bright in the Southwest sky (including one of the big ones in the Observatory), the Observatory itself lit up by projected galactic imagery, the whole thing had a nifty, novel, interstellar vibe.

    And it might pay off.  After all, it only takes a little wining and dining to get the HFPA on your side, right?  But seriously speaking, there are a couple of Best Picture slots that, to my mind, are up for grabs.  Should the big anticipated films miss with the awards constituencies, then it’s just as well for a film like “Star Trek,” still one of the year’s best films.

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  • 11/17 Oscarweb Round-up

    Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean• “Avatar” to hold its world premiere in Leicester Square, London, December 10. [Deadline Hollywood Daily]

    • Nathaniel Rogers isn’t phased by his signed non-disclosure agreement, breathlessly (but briefly) enthuses about “Nine.” [The Film Experience]

    • Johnny Depp becomes Hollywood’s highest paid actor with a £21 million ($42 million) salary for “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.” [Daily Telegraph]

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  • ‘Up in the Air’ up in the air

    Sad Brad Smith

    Sad Brad Smith performing “Help Yourself,” taken by First Showing‘s Alex Billington mid-flight during a Paramount/American Airlines stunt from New York to Los Angeles this afternoon.  Us Weekly, In Touch, Perez Hilton types aboard.

  • First stab at winner predictions, part 2: Yours and mine

    Christoph Waltz in Inglourious BasterdsSeeing as Kris was (delete as appropriate) brave/stupid/psychic/smart enough to predict who will win the Oscars four months ahead of the ceremony (and three weeks earlier than he did last year), I figured I’d follow up, as I did last year, with my own foolhardy guesses too.

    Last year, Kris kicked my ass at this particular game, correctly guessing 13 out 21 categories, and forecasting “Slumdog” fever while I was still on the “Milk” train. (Ironically, the lone “Slumdog Millionaire” win I predicted — Best Song — was one Kris missed.) For my part, I called wins for Sean Penn and Kate Winslet (for the wrong film, of course) … though that hardly qualifies as visionary, does it?

    This year, however, we are of a like mind in most of the top categories, though we part ways considerably further down the list. If you’re looking to take any of our predictions to the bank, stick with Kris. But, you know, a different perspective never hurt anyone.

    My best (or worst) guesses after the cut, followed by your collective prediction culled from yesterday’s comment thread.

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  • Gurus on the march

    Gurus o' GoldIt’s been so long since I actually ranked the Best Picture contenders (given that we did away with the charts some weeks back), that when I sat down to do so for this week’s Gurus o’ Gold update at Movie City News, I really didn’t know which way was up.  It’s liberating to stop thinking about things in reductive terms, but I gave it a go, as did 14 other pundits, and this is what we came up with.  Sasha Stone also has charts from past years up for comparison.

    It seems like USA Today’s Anthony Brenican is the only guy who got his votes in after the big “Crazy Heart”/Jeff Bridges news, but suffice it to say the film would likely be a bit higher on the Best Picture chart and certainly Bridges and Gyllenhaal would be formidable in the lead actor and supporting actress fields.

    “Up in the Air” is leading the pack, though “Precious” isn’t that far behind.  My top 10 matches the Gurus’ exactly, except rather than Quentin Tarrantino’s “Inglourious Basterds,” I’ve placed a bet on James Cameron’s “Avatar” (which sits at #11 on the chart).  Intriguingly, Spike Jonze’s “Where the Wild Things Are” is close to the bubble, at #12.  I’d say that’s too high, frankly, but critics adore the movie.

    Head on over to Movie City News for the full spread.

  • Anna Kendrick: the year’s up-start

    Anna KendrickLast week’s Off the Carpet column charting this year’s Best Supporting Actress contenders would have been remiss to ignore Anna Kendrick, whose spark-plug turn in Jason Reitman’s “Up in the Air” is likely on its way to an Oscar nomination, perhaps even opposite co-star Vera Farmiga in the same category.

    Gregory Ellwood over at HitFix says it “wouldn’t be a careless exaggeration to say that if [Kendrick] weren’t nominated it will be one of the biggest upsets in Oscar history,” and while I’d say that is indeed a CONSIDERABLY careless exaggeration (this isn’t “the performance of the year” or anything), I do think that Kendrick is a player you should be taking seriously if you’ve been dragging your feet on her up until now.

    And the media is beginning to shine a light her way.  She didn’t pop up on Variety’s list of 10 actors to watch (she could have filled the shoes of, say, Jeremy Renner, who has been around longer than a list like that should allow).  But as Guy pointed out this morning, she was singled out in The New York Times as one of the year’s breakthrough performers, and I’d say she fits in nicely with the surrounding company.

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  • NYT spotlights Jarvis, Hoult, Kendrick, Smit-McPhee

    Nicholas HoultThe New York Times makes an annual tradition of rounding up the season’s most notable breakthrough turns in upcoming films, and it’s typically an intelligent, even prescient, selection of faces. Last year’s crop ran the gamut from François Bégaudeau (“The Class”) to the ultimately Oscar-nominated Michael Shannon (“Revolutionary Road”).

    In keeping with the youthful slant of many of this year’s awards hopefuls, this year’s group of Gray Lady picks skews rather younger, ranging from 13 year-old Kodi Smit-Phee to 24 year-old Anna Kendrick. (Three of the four are teenagers.)

    Presumably, writer Karen Durbin feels enough attention has already been lavished (not least in her own paper) on Gabourey Sidibe (who I’m increasingly convinced will win the Oscar anyway), as the “Precious” star doesn’t rate a mention. Fair enough.

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  • OFF THE CARPET: Looking at the leading gentlemen

    Colin Firth in A Single ManWe’ve taken concentrated looks at the lead actress and supporting actress categories in recent weeks.  Now let’s turn our attention over to the fellas.

    Behind the Best Picture race, of course, the lead actor competition is perhaps the most hotly anticipated award of a given Oscar telecast.  Movie stars are born, Hollywood staples are rewarded and careers leap to the next level.  It makes for an intriguing annual state of the union as it pertains the the film industry’s talent roster.

    This year, one of Hollywood’s brightest stars finds himself right at the front of the conversation.  George Clooney is likely to end up with his third acting Oscar nomination, for Jason Reitman’s “Up in the Air,” and he’ll owe much of that to Reitman’s powerful work on the page.

    Clooney doesn’t give his best performance to date in the film.  But the material is so cleverly built around his persona that one can’t blame the actor for saddling up to a role that fits like a glove.  And there is something to be said for the bravery of taking one’s image on like that.

    Colin Firth, meanwhile, has caused a critical stir with his leading performance in Tom Ford’s “A Single Man.” He has already won the Venice Film Festival’s acting honor and has been tapped for another at February’s Santa Barbara Film Festival.  He is pitch-perfect in the film, giving a refined performance of nuance and gesture.

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  • 11/2 Oscarweb Round-up

    Gabourey Sidibe• Brian Brooks sits down with “Precious” star Gabourey Sidibe. [indieWIRE]

    • Mark Harris on Penelope Cruz and Pedro Almodovar: cinematic soul mates. [New York Times]

    • Mark Salisbury writes up “The Young Victoria” from across the pond with quotes from actress Emily Blunt and screenwriter Julian Fellowes. [Los Angeles Times]

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  • 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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  • ‘Help Yourself’ from ‘Up in the Air’ becomes the latest music branch rule book casualty

    Sad Brad SmithThe music branch of the Academy sure hasn’t done the hard-working awards team at Paramount any favors lately. You might recall the 2007 fiasco surrounding Johnny Greenwood’s score for “There Will Be Blood,” which left his immaculate (some would say year’s-best) work ineligible due to arbitrary, overly subjective fine print concerning the dilution of the original music by pre-existing material.

    Well, lightning strikes twice, as musician Sad Brad Smith has opted out of submitting his soulful, thematically potent track “Help Yourself” from Jason Reitman’s “Up in the Air.” We featured the song here earlier in the week.

    The reason, I’m told, is that, though unpublished, a portion of the song existed previously in Smith’s repertoire. As such, the track would not qualify due to the fact that it wasn’t rendered, in full, specifically and originally for the film, as the music branch’s rules stipulate.

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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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