In Contention

Tag: WALL-E

  • Ways the Academy blew it, episode #4,623

    Bruce SpringsteenI haven’t really dug into the stinging Bruce Springsteen snub from eight days ago properly yet, but really, how off-the-mark could the Academy possibly be?  Not that the membership considers itself in the business of appearing relevant, but The Boss just played in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.  He’s got a new album out as of Tuesday (though admittedly one of his weakest to date).  He’ll be performing in front of one of the largest audiences in the country tomorrow.

    Oh yeah, and his song was clearly the best “original song” from a movie this year.  One that combines the ethos of the central character and the performer in such a way that its existence over a credit roll simply shouldn’t have been a factor.

    Way to miss the boat.

    Of course, I thought this was going to be his second Oscar.  And maybe I’m biased, since I worship at Springsteen’s altar.  I’ve seen him play four times, once in London, and the guy simply puts on the best show in rock and roll.

    This would have been a fine way to prove yourself in the groove of what’s now, fresh, tangible.  I love the nomination of “O…Saya,” mind you.  I think it’s a much, MUCH better choice than “Jai Ho” (which never spoke to me), and of the nominees, the M.I.A./A.R. Rahman track is, I feel, the best of the lot.  And it’s hard to argue with “Down to Earth,” the likely winner (I’d imagine), but good lord.

    Am I alone here?

  • Is ‘Slumdog’ score too pop?

    Thanks to Nat Rogers at The Film Experience for pointing out a really worthwhile article in the Wall Street Journal, in which music critic Jim Fusilli takes a close look at this year’s nominees for Best Original Score. It’s not a category which tends to inspire much intelligent coverage in mainstream outlets, so it’s great to see someone giving the race the attention it deserves.

    Fusilli starts by commending the Academy for dodging the iffy qualification issues that have plagued previous races — principally the weirdly flexible criteria that allowed “Babel” in, but not “There Will Be Blood” — though I would still venture that “The Dark Knight”‘s initial disqualification scuppered its chances in the category. In any case, this year’s five nominated scores are all clearly original works, and Fusilli is generally impressed by the calibre of the competition. He is, however, not entirely convinced by frontrunner A.R. Rahman’s work on “Slumdog Millionaire”:

    This year, voters will have to decide whether to recognize music that’s most memorable as catchy pop or symphonic music that illuminates story and character. Mr. Rahman’s ebullient work for “Slumdog Millionaire,” a film about a poor boy who may win a fortune on a game show, is likely the early favorite — last week, I stopped in a theater in Boston to see it again and members of the audience cheered when his name appeared in the end credits. That may not be what a film-score composer is looking for. As Mr. Elfman told me last week, “If I’m going for any reaction, the best I could possibly hope for is that they see my name and go, ‘Oh really?’ Writing a score that gets people to jump out of the chairs is a whole other ballgame.”

    (more…)

  • OFF THE CARPET: Welcome to phase two

    Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonThe nominations and all their ghastly reality are behind us.  The first two major guilds have spoken.  “Slumdog Millionaire” continues a long, slow (too slow for Searchlight) march toward Oscar, and ironically enough, the only film to win two awards at last night’s SAG ceremony was the one a lot of people were pissed got the shaft on Thursday.

    Such is the season.

    Phase two is a different game altogether.  Everyone has renewed life.  “Frost/Nixon” and “The Reader” are going to be happy to be there, while Focus and Paramount really think “Slumdog”‘s perch isn’t as water-tight as it could be.  Then again, that SAG ensemble victory had to burst one or two of thsoe balloons keeping their spirits afloat.

    The races of interest to me are lead actor, where a truly deserving Mickey Rourke goes toe-to-toe with an inarguable Sean Penn (maybe a fight to both their deaths as Frank Langella tip-toes past them and nabs the big prize?) and Best Supporting Actress, suddenly there for the taking as Kate Winslet has vacated the field in favor of dashing the hopes of the leading ladies who were all set to duke it out.

    Could Penelope Cruz (so dashing and sweet here in Santa Barbara last night) suddenly be the favorite once more?  Or is this just the moment Viola Davis has been waiting for?  Better yet, could Taraji P. Henson, probably the biggest charmer of the bunch, switch ont he after-burners and leave everyone in the dust?

    (more…)

  • SANTA BARBARA: Writers talk writing, Cruz walks the red carpet

    Penelope Cruz talks to festival director Roger Durling at the Santa Barbara International Film FestivalYesterday was another busy event day for the Santa Barbara fest.  It was a shame the Director’s Panel was canceled, but participant Andrew Stanton switched gears to join Robert Knott (“Appaloosa”), Tom McCarthy (“The Visitor”) and Dustin Lance Black (“Milk”) for an Anne Thompson-moderated discussion on their work at the keyboard this year.

    It was a good discussion, though I couldn’t help a double take at Black’s prepubescent appearance as he waltzed casually on stage.  I mean it as a compliment.  I was also intrigued by his noting one of the things that really interested him when working on the spec “Milk” script was the famed politician’s not-so-heroic side.  “Sometimes he’d be in the bath house when he should have been home with his boyfriend,” Black said.  I say intrigued because one of the key criticisms of the film has been its overly haloed depiction of the man, a criticism that, frankly, hasn’t been properly defended by even the film’s legion of supporters (and I count myself in their ranks).

    Stanton, meanwhile, was perhaps the most thought-provoking member of the panel, finding a nice place amid Black’s low-key veneer, McCarthy’s wit and Knoll’s hilarious interjections.  And thankfully, Jeffrey Wells martyred himself by asking why Stanton continued to be “oblique” when addressing the overweight “teletubbies” of “WALL-E.”  This has been a bone of contention for me on the film for some time, not so much because I feel it undermines the film, but because I believed it to be an easy opportunity for mean-spirited “fat” jokes, so to speak.

    (more…)

  • ‘Slumdog,’ ‘WALL-E,’ ‘Wire’ win PGA

    And so the long, slow march continues…

  • WEEKLY WRAP: Oscar nomination week

    • In case you’ve just emerged from a coma or something, the nominations for the 81st annual Academy Awards were unveiled.

    • And it’s fair to say we weren’t impressed. At all.

    • OK, maybe a little impressed.

    • Amid the chaos, Kris took a stab at what/who we should expect to emerge victorious on Oscar night.

    • With the rise of “The Reader” the week’s big story, Tech Support presciently chatted with the film’s craftsmen.

    • Meanwhile, scripter Sir David Hare told the film’s critics where to get off.

    • This week’s Off the Carpet column laid out our final (and, as it turned out, slightly off-target) predictions.

    • You probably didn’t notice, but the Razzie Awards did their thing as usual.

    • “WALL-E” picked up what was to be its last Best Picture gong of the season.

    • Ahead of the nominations, yours truly filled out his own imaginary ballot. Suffice to say, there was little overlap.

    • The Visual Effects Society announced their nominees, showing “The Dark Knight” surprisingly little love.

    • Reflections on how the Academy’s top award has fared this decade.

    • Finally, amid this week’s Oscar hysteria, Sundance buzz suggests Carey Mulligan could be one to watch for next year’s derby.

  • It’s not just the fanboys

    I had planned to write a full-blown rant about the numerous blind spots and errors of judgment in this morning’s Academy Award nominations, but at this point I’m too tired and resigned to summon up the necessary fire.

    It also occurred to me that I should take some inspiration from the character at the heart of the snub that personally pained me the most: Poppy, the eternal optimist embodied by the luminescent Sally Hawkins in arguably the year’s finest performance. When she loses her bicycle at the start of “Happy-Go-Lucky,” she laughs it off and moves onward. I suspect her reaction to this morning’s disappointing news would be much the same — as ours should be as well. It’s not life or death. It’s the Oscars.

    Nonetheless, given that I’m nowhere near as well-adjusted as Poppy is, I can’t quite let this morning’s proceedings go by without commenting on the major opportunity that the Academy sadly and short-sightedly let slip through its fingers. And yes, I am talking about “The Dark Knight.”

    As I have stated before on these pages, I’m not one of the “Dark Knight” die-hards. While a stunning feat in many areas, I thought it had some critical flaws in its narrative construction and (occasionally) its technical execution that kept it at a comfortable distance from my own list of the year’s ten best. In short, I’m not a fanboy.

    And yet, I’m dismayed that “The Dark Knight” has been denied a berth in the races for Best Picture and, even more surprisingly, Best Director.

    Why? Because I recognise that Christopher Nolan’s film represents a rare confluence — alchemy, even — of achievements that only comes along once in the bluest of moons. Here we had a populist-leaning entertainment that was formally and thematically ambitious, grandly entertaining and strikingly beautiful, a showcase for both inspired performing and the finest craftsmanship the industry had to offer.

    (more…)

  • January winner predictions

    WALL-EOnward. I bet Fox Searchlight wants this phase two to go by as fast as possible.

    Best Picture: “Slumdog Millionaire”
    Best Director: Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”
    Best Actor: Sean Penn, “Milk”
    Best Actress: Kate Winslet, “The Reader”
    Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”
    Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
    Best Adapted Screenplay: “Slumdog Millionaire”
    Best Original Screenplay: “WALL-E”
    Best Art Direction: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
    Best Cinematography: “The Dark Knight”
    Best Costume Design: “The Duchess”
    Best Film Editing: “Slumdog Millionaire”
    Best Makeup: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
    Best Music (Original Score): “Slumdog Millionaire”
    Best Music (Original Song): “WALL-E”
    Best Sound Editing: “WALL-E”
    Best Sound Mixing: “WALL-E”
    Best Visual Effects: “The Cuious Case of Benjamin Button”
    Best Animated Feature Film: “WALL-E”
    Best Foreign Language Film: “Waltz with Bashir”
    Best Documentary (Feature): “Man on Wire”
    Best Documentary (Short Subject): “The Witness — From the Balcony of Room 306”
    Best Short FIlm (Animated): “Presto”
    Best Short Film (Live Action): “New Boy”

    Tally:
    “Slumdog Millionaire” — 5
    “WALL-E” — 5
    “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” — 3
    “The Dark Knight” — 2
    “Defiance” — 1
    “The Duchess” — 1
    “The Reader” — 1
    “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” — 1

    (Those are all probably dead wrong, but eh, we’ll see how the season develops from here.)

  • TECH SUPPORT: Final preview special, part two

    Tech Support at In ContentionThis is part two of my last glance at the year’s tech category contenders.  For part one, click here.

    Best Music (Original Score)
    Now here is a category where there are no locks. Nonetheless, considering the success of their films and scores in awards season to date, A.R. Rahmen (for “Slumdog Millionaire”) and Alexandre Desplat (for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) seem solid bets.

    Thomas Newman, despite only having a BAFTA nomination to his credit so far in the awards season, often scores when the precursors don’t coming calling so I think he’s in for “WALL-E.” Alternatively, he could get in for “Revolutionary Road.”

    The rest of the Golden Globe nominees strike me as facing challenges. Clint Eastwood has performed well this season with “Changeling” but I am doubtful he will ever be embraced by the music branch. James Newton Howard’s compositions for “Defiance” may be lost with his film while Hans Zimmer’s Globe citation for “Frost/Nixon” seems more like a tribute to the composer, a Globe favorite.

    I would actually wager that Zimmer and Howard have a better opportunity with their fantastic “The Dark Knight” collaboration. Zimmer has been campaigning hard. Even so, I’m skeptical the duo will score. Co-composers receiving Oscar nominations is extremely rare. (Though, in all fairness, so is co-composing.)

    (more…)

  • 1/21 Oscarweb Round-up

    • Sasha Stone chimes in with her final predictions. [Awards Daily]

    • As do the guys at Vulture, who are remaining loyal to “WALL-E” to the end. [Vulture]

    • Meanwhile, T.L. Stanley finally gives up on “Doubt.” [Gold Rush]

    • The venerable David Thomson plays the “will be/should be” game, with some curiously disconnected predictions. (Lena Olin? Really?) [The Guardian]

    • Moving away from punditry, James Hansen just doesn’t think much of Canada’s foreign-language entry. [The Film Experience]

    • Still at Sundance, Jeff Wells kinda likes the new film from the insanely prolific Steven Soderbergh. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • Tarantino is apparently rushing to finish “Inglourious Basterds” (sic). Take your time, QT. [Thompson on Hollywood]

    • David Carr wonders whether Mickey Rourke’s imminent Oscar nomination will be enough to rescue the long-delayed “Killshot.” [The Carpetbagger]

    • Finally, EW continues their “Worst Snubs” countdown, and their picks are uniformly great. (Hell yes to Spacek, Murray and Leaud.) [Entertainment Weekly]

  • My dream ballot: part one

    Back in December, Kris offered his take on how he would fill out his nominee ballot if he were an Academy member (affording himself the luxury, obviously, of voting in all categories). Of course, playing voter is a popular sport in the blog world, with Nathaniel Rogers’ annual Film Bitch Awards as thorough and intelligent a rundown as you could ask for. Would that the Academy displayed such passion and imagination in their choices.

    For my part, finalising my predictions was a dispiriting procedure, as I realized the range and depth of work that will inevitably go unrecognized as the AMPAS gravitates towards the favoured and the familiar. And so it is that, as the nominations loom over us, I decided to chalk up my own ballot, acknowledging those who I feel most deserve to hear names called on Thursday morning, whether or they’re deemed possible — or even eligible.

    Today’s post focuses on the technical categories; tomorrow’s will run through the main ones. (Before I begin, let me add the caveat that, much to my chagrin, I haven’t yet seen “Let the Right One In.”)

    Best Cinematography
    Wally Pfister, “The Dark Knight”
    Sean Bobbitt, “Hunger”
    Luca Bigazzi, “Il Divo”
    Darius Khondji, “My Blueberry Nights”
    Maryse Alberti, “The Wrestler”

    After last year’s banner year for the art of cinematography, this was a year of subtler accomplishments in the field. I must admit that much of the year’s most celebrated work in the field didn’t particularly dazzle me, with several revered names only working at (or below) par. Pfister’s muscular, burnished lensing of “The Dark Knight,” however, did not disappoint, while Bigazzi’s hyper-stylised work on “Il Divo” was no less kinetic.

    In something of a breakthrough year for female DPs, Alberti effortlessly captured the rhythms of human movement, while Khondji conjured up the year’s dreamiest palette for Wong Kar-Wai’s otherwise muddled “My Blueberry Nights.” The year’s crowning achievement, however, came from Sean Bobbitt, whose breathtaking compositions for “Hunger” took equal inspiration from the art gallery and the newsroom. Just missing the cut were “The Fall,” “Gomorrah” and “The Good, The Bad, The Weird.”

    (more…)

  • Another gong for ‘WALL-E’

    I must admit, I’m not really clear on what, or who, the Online Film Critics Society are — there are just so many critics’ awards these days, I can’t really keep up. I can say, however, that they have pretty commendable taste, as they became the latest group to give “WALL-E” their top honour, and handed four awards apiece to “The Dark Knight” and “Let the Right One In.”

    Their acting awards strike me as particularly on the money, with Mickey Rourke, Heath Ledger and Marisa Tomei all adding to their well-deserved hauls. Meanwhile, I’m pleased to see they looked beyond the usual Best Actress favourites and recognised the wonderful work of Michelle Williams in “Wendy and Lucy” — surely one of the most under-rewarded performances of the season.

    What do these mean? Nothing, of course, but it’s a fun list of winners nonetheless. (Full list below the cut.) I keep wanting to crawl back onto that “WALL-E” limb for the Oscars, but can’t quite go there.

    (more…)

  • POLL: Can a Best Picture nomination for ‘The Dark Knight’ help the Oscar telecast ratings?

    After a healthy one-week run, the majority of the readership seems to think “WALL-E” has the best show at upsetting the agreed-upon five for a Best Picture bid. “The Wrestler” and “Doubt” filled out the top three. But this week, running on the assumption that the caped Crusader will slide in after all, I thought I’d ask whether it will matter for the show’s ratings.

    Of course, a number of things could make a perfect storm in this sceneario, a “Dark Knight” nod being just one of them.  We have two exciting new producing talents at bat and a new host that could bring out the voyeurs.  But specifically as it regards a Best Picture nod for the Bat, can that spike the ratings for a show that has continued to dwindle?  Tell us in the sidebar poll!

  • OFF THE CARPET: Enough foreplay

    WALL-EWhat else is there to say?  Tomorrow we’ll have a new president and the last eight years will, hopefully, start to fade away.  In four days we’ll have a fresh slate of Oscar nominees and the last four months of awards speculation will suddenly be a distant memory.  The big wheel keeps on turning.

    I don’t know what else can be added to the conversation at this point that hasn’t been mulled over a million times already.  I do know, as my final set of Oscar predictions will reflect, that this years seems to be given to the safe bet more than any other in recent memory.  But I also know the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a difficult group of people to corner.  There are always surprises.

    As I look over the landscape of the 2008-2009 season, I find myself seeking out those blind-side possibilities.  No one saw “City of God” coming four times over in 2003.  Hardly anyone expected Tommy Lee Jones to snatch a nomination last year after failing to pop up throughout the precursor season.  And certainly, no one banked on a “Dreamgirls” snub in 2006.

    But these things happen.  I’ll lay out a set of my own left-field possibilities on Wednesday, since this year’s inauguration proceedings have kept the weekly Oscar column somewhat removed from the actual announcement (generally I write this the day before), but today I thought I’d end phase one with a few question marks I feel it necessary to punctuate.

    (more…)

  • ACE nominees

    They sure cranked these out early this morning.  Thanks to N8 for posting in the comments section.  This year’s American Cinema Editors (ACE) nominees are:

    Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic)
    “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Angus Wall & Kirk Baxter)
    “The Dark Knight” (Lee Smith, A.C.E.)
    “Frost/Nixon” (Mike Hill, A.C.E. & Dan Hanley, A.C.E.)
    “Milk” (Elliot Graham)
    “Slumdog Millionaire” (Chris Dickens)

    Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy or Musical)
    “In Bruges” (Jon Gregory, A.C.E.)
    “Mamma Mia!” (Leslie Walker)
    “Tropic Thunder” (Greg Hayden)
    “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (Alisa Lepselter)
    “WALL-E” (Stephen Schaffer)

    Best Edited Documentary
    “Bush’s War” (Steve Audette)
    “Chicago 10” (Stuart Levy, A.C.E.)
    “Man on Wire” (Jinx Godfrey)

    No surprises whatsoever, really.  Except maybe some love for “In Bruges” and “Tropic Thunder” in the comedy category.  After a discussion earlier this morning about “the five” dominating the guild circuit so far, the dramatic nominees prove to solidify the mixture even more.  I don’t think we’ve ever seen a consensus like this develop, with five clear-cut industry favorites popping up everywhere like clockwork.

  • OFF THE CARPET: From the horse’s mouth

    Kate Winslet at the 66th Annual Golden Globe AwardsThe last two weeks have been a leaf blower to the debris an awards season can accumulate.  Individuals with some real say in the ultimate Oscar picture have finally gone on the record, painting a rather clear picture of the industry’s favorite films of 2008.

    But before diving into the realities of the various guild announcements, it is probably worth touching upon the gleeful diversions of the Critics’ Choice Awards and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Golden Globe Awards.

    These are the two culminating critics soirees, capping off the annual critical kudos sprint through December and early January.  Both proudly declare themselves Oscar harbingers but only one seems to find itself decided from a critical mindset (even if that mindset is still warped by pegging a zeitgeist).  The other is, as always, a drunken time amongst industry friends that goes its own way.

    But dare I say it, this year the HFPA may have actually raised the bar for the Academy.  After years of embarrassing nominations announcements and sometimes bewildering winner choices, the group awarded a slate of contenders last night that stuck out as noble and, shockingly, novel.

    Can the Academy’s membership reach out to Mickey Rourke and meet him half way like he has clearly done this season to an industry that has shunned him for so many years?  Can they find a way to spread the kudos love while an inevitable “Slumdog” sweep pushes through the evening of February 22?

    Moreover, can AMPAS have the balls to follow in the HFPA’s footsteps with a double win for Kate Winslet, arguably deserving this year and a move that would be inarguable as a hell of an apology for years of Oscar losses?  The actress joined Sigourney Weaver last night as one of only two actresses to win a pair of Golden Globe awards for film performances in one evening.  Your move, Oscar.

    (more…)

  • Contest winners!

    Congratulations to Eunice, Rob, Justin Gonzalez and Jordan Raup for winning this week’s trio of contests!

    The haiku competition brought in the most entries.  It was the easiest to enter but it showed a love for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” amongst our readership to say the least.  Before mentioning the two winners, I have to give shout outs to Andrew L., for telling the whole story of the film with a series of haikus, and EVE, for writing all of her haikus backwards as well as forward.  Very creative.  But ultimately I settled on entries from Eunice and Rob:

    What if winter comes,
    In the spring of discontent?
    What then, happens next?

    How sad life would be
    To die without the chance to
    Reminisce of Youth

    The “Dark Knight” contest, meanwhile, brought in a slew of contestants.  I was impressed by a number of Batman memorabilia collections (props to Diego ortiz for organizing his collection in the shape of a Bat) and wardrobe ensembles.  But the winner became clear early on.  It takes some dedication to commit the Bat to your skin for life, and Justin has the ink to prove it:

    Dark Knight tattoo

    And finally, Jordan was quickest to the punch, correctly answering our “WALL-E” triva question on the origins of the film way back in the summer of 1994.

    Congratulations once again to the winners!  Emails will be sent shortly requesting mailing addresses.

  • CONTEST: Win a batch of ‘WALL-E’ goodies!

    For those participating in the “Dark Knight” contest, keep those entries coming.  Lots of dedicated souls have already chimed in.  I’ll close up shop on that one at midnight tonight, but for now, here’s your chance to win some “WALL-E” swag.

    Three items in the batch: a lovely paperback FYC picture book featuring images from the film and press quotes throughout (more of a media exclusive than a retail item), a nice compact copy of the film’s screenplay by Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon, and a copy of the 3-disc collector’s edition DVD.  That’s got to have more than a few “WALL-E” fans out there chomping at the bit, so here’s the contest:

    Tell me in at least 1,000 words why “Bolt” is infinitely better than “WALL-E.”

    Kidding!  Okay, here’s the real contest: a trivia question!

    In what year were the initial seeds for “WALL-E” planted (no pun intended), who were the filmmakers in on the discussion and what other films were conceptualized during the same conversation?

    First to answer correctly wins the lot.  Ready…GO!

    WALL-E contest