In Contention

Tag: Up in the Air

  • Listen to Sad Brad Smith’s ‘Help Yourself’ from ‘Up in the Air’

    Sad Brad SmithIt looks like others are finally coming around to what we reported here over a month ago: Sad Brad Smith’s “Help Yourself” from the film “Up in the Air” is a formidable contender in this year’s Best Original Song race.  EW’s Adam Markovitz does note something we haven’t conveyed yet, however — that director Jason Reitman caught Smith’s act at a Chicago coffee shop on a recommendation and asked him to write something up for the film.  “Help Yourself” is the result, and it’s a fantastic track.

    No, really, I don’t usually dig on this sort of melody.  It seems so dangerously close to being too precious for it’s own good, but pulls back just enough to be a pretty profound piece unto itself.  The tune plays in a marriage sequence that is, really, the emotional heart of the film.  I would love to see Smith nominated and performing on that stage, but you just never can tell with the music branch.

    Anyway, we provided Mary J. Blige’s “I Can See in Color” from “Precious” earlier in the week, so it seemed only right to pass Sad Brad Smith’s track along also.  As always, we’ll continue to keep an eye on this race as it unfolds.

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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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  • 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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  • Smooth ride for ‘Up in the Air’ continues in UK

    Vera Farmiga and George Clooney in Up in the AirI’m always interested to see how the more hyped Hollywood contenders for Oscar glory play in Britain, largely because there are few hard-and-fast rules for determining what will take UK critics’ (and audiences’) fancy.

    Last year was a case in point: audiences here shrugged off “Milk,” while “The Wrestler” became a mini-phenomenon — though neither film offers an obvious inroad for a foreign audience. And who could have predicted that “Changeling” would find safe critical haven (not to mention a slew of BAFTA nods) with the Brits, despite receiving a kicking at home?

    So I was curious to see how “Up in the Air” fared with the British press following its London premiere on Sunday, given that it’s a film with quite an American outlook. However, the universality of its recession-minded story has evidently carried through, as early reviews are uniformly warm.

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  • OFF THE CARPET FAIL

    Katie Jarvis in Fish TankThis is weak sauce, and I know that going in, but it looks like back-to-back weeks without an Off the Carpet column.  Two screenings today, suddenly being pulled out of town tomorrow, computer issues, etc. — it tends to get in the way.

    In the meantime, some sporadic thoughts:

    • “An Education,” “Fish Tank” (which I finally saw this morning as we gear up for AFI Fest) and “Up in the Air” would make for a bizarrely appropriate triple feature.

    • With that in mind, I’ve found myself, for better or worse, turning over what the year in film might actually mean this year.  It’s folly, of course, and overly reductive, but I always enjoy turning over the year’s themes.  Maturity seems to be a big constant.  What say you?

    • I think what has shaped up to be a handsome year in indie film was let down today by a dubious slate of Gotham nominees.

    • Ennio Morricone at the Hollywood Bowl is SO going to rock this weekend.  But probably not quite as much as U2 tomorrow night (my first time).

    That’s all I’ve got.  Predictions have been tweaked.  The contenders are here.  The floor is yours.

  • LONDON: ‘In the Air’ tonight

    George Clooney in Up in the AirTo use the umpteenth bad aviation metaphor in connection with the film, “Up in the Air” landed in London this evening with a gala festival screening — though this time it came unaccompanied by George Clooney, who had skipped off to the Rome fest after doing double-duty at the LFF earlier this week with “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “The Men Who Stare at Goats.”

    (Given that “Up in the Air” is plainly his prime 2009 work, I’d have shuffled things around to ensure he could make it, but never mind.)

    Given the raft of glowing notices from Telluride and Toronto — not least Kris’s own elated take — my expectations for Jason Reitman’s third film couldn’t have been any higher as I settled into the press screening this morning. And as the lights came up 100 minutes later, they’d been satisfyingly met in one sense — and left frustratingly dangling in another.

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  • Counting down to the London fest

    Fantastic Mr. Fox(Apologies for the “Fantastic Mr. Fox” review that appeared prematurely here as a result of embargo confusion. It will be reposted later today.)

    There may have been silence on my end these past few days, but I assure you it hasn’t been for lack of activity. The days leading up to the London Film Festival — which officially kicks off tonight with the world premiere of Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox” — have been crammed with press screenings and assorted admin duties.

    Yesterday, meanwhile, was given over to the film’s extraordinarily elaborate, and most enjoyable, press junket, staged across a range of picturesque locations in Roald Dahl’s home village of Great Missenden, an hour’s train ride from London. (More on that later.) Fox has spared no effort or expense in the launch for this unusual film, which culminates tonight with the LFF Opening Gala party at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea.

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  • Category shuffling gets complicated

    Meryl Streep in It's ComplicatedIt’s been interesting to note that many of the conversations concerning the Oscar race that I’ve had with people lately revolves around category placement for a number of the year’s contenders.  It was a topic Anne and I addressed directly in Friday’s Oscar Talk, in fact.

    There tends to be dueling ideologies on this, as well as what makes a performance a lead and what makes it supporting.  But purely from a marketing standpoint, it’s understandable that sometimes studios might play the landscape of the picture for an array of acting shots on goal rather than perhaps be true to the realities (that are, again, subjective) of the role within the narrative.

    We mentioned the anticipated classification of Marion Cotillard and Vera Farmiga in the lead actress category for “Nine” and “Up in the Air” respectively in the podcast, but as Pete Hammond points out in a recent Notes on a Season item, the category musical chairs are taking place elsewhere, too.

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  • 10/9 Oscarweb Round-up

    Marlon Brando in The Godfather• 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]

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  • 10/8 Oscarweb Round-up

    Michael Stuhlbarg in A Serious Man• Jamie Foxx wants “Ray” director Taylor Hackford to tackle the actor’s planned Mike Tyson biopic. [MTV Movies Blog]

    • Jeffrey M. Anderson talks to “A Serious Man” star Michael Stuhlbarg. [Green Cine Daily]

    • Patrick Goldstein wants to know why Michael Moore got dolled up for Sean Hannity. [The Big Picture]

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  • ‘Up in the Air’: round two

    George Clooney in Up in the AirI have to confess that I’ve been a bit hesitant to watch Jason Reitman’s “Up in the Air” a second time.  When a movie hits me as perfectly as this one did, gets so much right, seems like such a gift of the season, my reaction is to let it lie for a long time.

    What if I see it again and it lands flat?  What if the emotion of the first viewing has somehow been compromised by my life in between viewings?  I don’t want to lose the high a film puts me on and reconciling that with a need to further investigate can be really tough.

    I’m glad I went back to the well on “Up in the Air,” though, because it illuminated so many textures I didn’t pick up on initially.  Dana Glauberman’s sharp editing, for instance, which, scene for scene, adds so much to Reitman’s script.  The way real life interview footage with laid-off employees is seamlessly integrated into the narrative.  The timing in comedic moments.  It’s very precise.  She’s more than deserving of the Hollywood Film Fest award she’ll receive on October 26.

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  • New ‘Up in the Air’ trailer features original song contender ‘Help Yourself’

    A new trailer has dropped for Jason Reitman’s “Up in the Air,” considerably more broad than the one the director conceived as an internet exclusive teaser, but still very much on the nose for the film’s tone and rhythms.  Furthermore, the final moments feature the Sad Brad Smith song “Help Yourself,” which will more than likely be in the hunt for an original song nomination as it plays over a portion of the film, as opposed to the closing credits title track.

    Here’s the new trailer (see it in HD here):

  • TECH SUPPORT: Best Cinematography — Volume II

    Melanie Laurent in Inglourious BasterdsAlmost three months ago, I described how our cinematographers bring movies to life, by lensing the director’s vision, the actors’ performances, the production designer’s and the writer’s mood, just to begin. In the absence of these talented individuals, there would truly be no cinema.

    Like most people, this is my favorite of the Oscar crafts categories. I was very happy when Anthony Dod Mantle triumphed last year, even though he was barely on my radar post-TIFF, where “Slumdog Millionaire” premiered.  So what has emerged since our last assessment?

    From the Toronto and Venice Film Festivals, not a whole lot seems to have changed in the category. While “Precious” and “Up in the Air” seem to have been the biggest gainers, they still don’t seem to be obvious candidates here.  Then again, you have to keep an eye on Best Picture contenders, so I’d still consider DPs Andrew Dunn and Eric Steelberg for their work.

    Tom Ford’s “A Single Man” also performed quite well at Venice. Many have praised the look of the film, so it would be foolish to rule out Eduard Rau. On the other hand, Javier Aguiressarobe’s lensing of “The Road” did not receive the praise I suspected it might, with most acclaim going to Viggo Mortensen’s performance. Even so, I’ll keep my eye on this title until it is released in theaters.

    A contender whose vehicle has shifted since I last covered this category in July is Robert Richardson. While Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island” has been delayed until next year, Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds,” on the other hand, has made a considerable splash. Richardson had many chances to show the scope of his talent on this project. I wouldn’t rule him out.

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  • 10/1 Oscarweb Round-up

    Karen O• “Up in the Air” gets a December release date to avoid Clooney vs. Clooney at the November box office. [Variety]

    • Karen O channels Daniel Johnston for “Wild Things” soundtrack. [The Playlist]

    • Steve Pond on the forthcoming Oscar short deadline. [The Wrap]

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  • TECH SUPPORT: Calm before the storm

    Richard Gere in AmeliaWith Venice and Toronto behind us, the time has come to re-evaluate where the race stands in the crafts categories.

    Over the past two months at In Contention, we have tried to take a glance at where the potential nominees stood from a distance. Best Original Song was delayed, though Kris has, might I add, been doing a very good job at accumulating a list of potential candidates.

    Now, while many titles still need to be unveiled, the big festivals have had their say. Alas, the two films which probably emerged from Toronto in the best position – “Up in the Air” and “Precious” – hardly seem to be the sort of films which will be racking up tech nominations (though the latter is a sure-fire film editing contender).

    More interestingly, a question arises: Will Tom Ford’s “A Single Man” will be able to bring its Venice success to the USA in the crafts categories? It not only sports Ford’s artistic vision but also the “Mad Men” team behind its production design.

    “Bright Star” has landed, likely to still make a splash in the crafts categories, but I’m still not sure if it will be the overall player many were hoping for. This could reduce the scope of its potential here.

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  • OFF THE CARPET: Suiting up

    George Clooney in Up in the AirYou might have noticed this morning’s round-up reverted back to “Oscarweb.”  The big late-summer festival trilogy wrapped up with Toronto’s kudo-dishing over the weekend and on the other side, we face the long haul.  The season is officially here.  You ready?

    As punishing as it feels, I’m still excited for our weekly coverage.  Punishing because monthly diagnosis is so liberating, but we’re at that stage where the nuances of the season are worth tracking closely, the layers of the race peeled back slowly but surely.  Today’s Off the Carpet column kicks all of that off for us at In Contention.

    Tomorrow we’ll have a list dedicated to the best of the Academy’s chosen.  Wednesday, Guy will launch “The Long Shot,” a new weekly awards column that will consider things from afar without the dizzying insider silliness you find in this space every Monday, and I’m really excited for that.  Gerard comes back Thursday for another series of Tech Support columns, and, of course, Anne and I will continue the conversation Friday in our weekly Oscar Talk podcast.  I think we’re covering all bases.

    So, as we go into the season, what do we know?  And do we think we know more than we actually do?  Probably.

    “Up in the Air,” for instance, was the story of September if only because any goodwill toward “Precious” was already a known commodity.  Jason Reitman’s “Juno” follow-up comes along at just the right time for the country, taps into actor George Clooney’s movie star quality to find other insights and pretty much nails a tone, a vibe, an overall sense of things.

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  • Guess again

    Meryl Streep in It's ComplicatedI realized yesterday I hadn’t updated my own Oscar predictions since July, so a spring-clean was in order. I should really wait for the end of Toronto, but I’m off on vacation on Saturday, so there’s no time like the present.

    Needless to say, a lot can change in two months — particularly when those two months include the start of the festival season. Back in July, “Shutter Island” was still a fall release, Colin Firth wasn’t even on my radar and I still expected “Up in the Air” to be a minor-key adaptation of a minor-key novel. It was a more innocent time.

    As always, if you want sensible, well-reasoned, informed predictions, you’re better off looking to your right.

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  • 9/16 Web Round-up

    (from left) Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze in Point Break• Keanu Reeves on Patrick Swayze: “He was a beautiful person, an artist.” [People]

    • Peter Bart salutes John Calley for landing an honorary Oscar but highlights the producer’s roller coaster career. [BF Deal Memo]

    • Peter Knegt talks to the beautiful Anna Kendrick about butterflies going into the “Up in the Air” shoot. [indieWIRE]

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