Archive | December, 2008

FLASH: NEW PROJECTIONS POST-CHRISTMAS

28 Dec

<center><b>FLASH: NEW PROJECTIONS POST-CHRISTMAS</b></center>

Penelope Cruz is among the stars of Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona

BEST PICTURE
Projected Nominees
(1) Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight, 11/12, trailer)
(2) Milk (Focus Features, 12/5, trailer)
(3) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount, 12/19, trailer)
(4) Frost/Nixon (Universal, 12/5, trailer)
(5) Doubt (Miramax, 12/12, trailer)
Major Threats
(6) The Dark Knight, 7/18, trailer)
(7) WALL-E (Disney, 6/27, trailer)
 (8) The Wrestler (Fox Searchlight, 12/31, trailer)
 On the Outside
(9) Vicky Cristina Barcelona (The Weinstein Company, 8/15, trailer)
(10) Gran Torino (Warner Brothers, 12/12, trailer)
(11) Defiance (Paramount Vantage, 12/31, trailer)
(12) Rachel Getting Married (Sony Pictures Classics, 10/3, trailer)
(13) Revolutionary Road (Paramount Vantage, 12/26, trailer)
(14) The Reader (The Weinstein Company, 12/12, trailer)
(15) The Visitor (Overture, 4/18, trailer)
(16) Happy-Go-Lucky (Miramax, 10/10, trailer)

Mike Leigh (left) directed Sally Hawkins (right) in Happy-Go-Lucky

BEST DIRECTOR
Projected Nominees
(1) Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
(2) Gus Van Sant (Milk)
(3) David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(4) Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon)
(5) Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight)
Major Threats
(6) John Patrick Shanley (Doubt)
(7) Andrew Stanton (WALL-E)
 (8) Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler)
 On the Outside
(9) Woody Allen (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
(10) Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino)
(11) Edward Zwick (Defiance)
(12) Jonathan Demme (Rachel Getting Married)
(13) Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road)
(14) Stephen Daldry (The Reader)
(15) Tom McCarthy (The Visitor)
(16) Mike Leigh (Happy-Go-Lucky)

Mickey Rourke stars as a past-his-prime wrestler forced to face the future in The Wrestler

BEST ACTOR
Projected Nominees
(1) Sean Penn (Milk)
(2) Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
(3) Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon)
(4) Richard Jenkins (The Visitor)
(5) Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino)
Major Threats
(6) Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
 (7) Leonardo DiCaprio (Revolutionary Road)
 (8) Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey)
 (9) Josh Brolin (W.)
On the Outside
(10) Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon)
(11) Will Smith (Seven Pounds)
(12) Benicio Del Toro (Che)

Angelina Jolie stars as a mother whose child has gone missing in Clint Eastwood’s Changeling

BEST ACTRESS
Projected Nominees
(1) Meryl Streep (Doubt)
(2) Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)
(3) Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road)
(4) Angelina Jolie (Changeling)
(5) Melissa Leo (Frozen River)
Major Threats
(6) Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky)
(7) Cate Blanchett (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
 (8) Kristin Scott Thomas (I’ve Loved You So Long)
 On the Outside
(9) Kate Beckinsale (Nothing But the Truth)
(10) Michelle Williams (Wendy and Lucy)

Robert Downey, Jr. plays a pigment-altered actor in Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Projected Nominees
(1) Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
(2) Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt)
(3) Robert Downey, Jr. (Tropic Thunder)
(4) Josh Brolin (Milk)
(5) Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)
Major Threats
(6) Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road)
 (7) James Franco (Milk)
 On the Outside
(8) Alan Alda (Nothing But the Truth)
(9) Ralph Fiennes (The Reader)
(10) Emile Hirsch (Milk)
(11) Eddie Marsan (Happy-Go-Lucky)

Taraji P. Henson has already earned a SAG nod for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Projected Nominees
 (1) Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
(2) Viola Davis (Doubt)
(3) Kate Winslet (The Reader)
(4) Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(5) Amy Adams (Doubt)
Major Threats
(6) Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler)
(7) Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married)
On the Outside
(8) Debra Winger (Rachel Getting Married)
(9) Kathy Bates (Revolutionary Road)

Clayton Frohman and Edward Zwick co-adapted Nechama Tec’s Defiance

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Projected Nominees
(1) Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)
(2) Eric Roth (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(3) Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon)
(4) John Patrick Shanley (Doubt)
(5) Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight)
Major Threats
(6) Clayton Frohman, Edward Zwick (Defiance)
(7) Justin Haythe (Revolutionary Road)
(8) David Hare (The Reader)

Jenny Lumet wrote the family drama Rachel Getting Married

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Projected Nominees
(1) Dustin Lance Black (Milk)
(2) Andrew Stanton (WALL-E)
(3) Woody Allen (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
(4) Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married)
(5) Mike Leigh (Happy-Go-Lucky)
Major Threats
(6) Tom McCarthy (The Visitor)
(7) Robert D. Siegel (The Wrestler)
 (8) Nick Schenck (Gran Torino)
 On the Outside
(9) Charlie Kaufman (Synechdoche, New York)

Pixar’s WALL-E is one of the year’s most commercially successful films

BEST ANIMATED FILM (FEATURE)
Projected Nominees
(1) WALL-E
(2) Kung Fu Panda
(3) Waltz with Bashir
Major Threats
(4) Bolt
 (5) $9.99
 (6) Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who
 On the Outside
(7) The Tale of Despereaux
(8) Igor
(9) Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

The documentary Trouble the Water tells the story of a family that survived Hurricane Katrina

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM (FEATURE)
Projected Nominees
(1) Man on Wire
(2) Trouble the Water
(3) Standard Operating Procedure
(4) I.O.U.S.A.
(5) Pray the Devil Back to Hell
Major Threats
(6) At the Death House Door
 (7) Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh
(8) The Betrayal
 (9) Encounters at the End of the World
 (10) Made in America
On the Outside
(11) Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts
(12) In a Dream
(13) They Killed Sister Dorothy
(14) The Garden
(15) Fuel

The Israeli film Waltz with Bashir is a rare type of documentary: one that is animated

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Projected Nominees
(1) Waltz with Bashir (Israel)
(2) The Baader-Meinhof Complex (Germany)
(3) Gomorra (Italy)
(4) Captain Abu Raed (Jordan)
(5) Everlasting Moments (Sweden)
Major Threats
(6) The Class (France)
 (7) Revanche (Austria)
(8) Tear This Heart Out (Mexico)
 (9) Tulpan (Kazakhstan)
 (10) Departures (Japan)
 On the Outside
(11) Lion’s Den (Argentina)
(12) Last Stop 174 (Brazil)
(13) Three Monkeys (Turkey)
(14) The Rest Is Silence (Romania)
(15) Mermaid (Russia)
(16) The Blind Sunflowers (Spain)
(17) Jerusalema (South Africa)
(18) O’Horten (Norway)
(19) Tony Manero (Chile)

MERRY CHRISTMAS

24 Dec

This video, borrowed from AwardsDaily, features Judy Garland singing the definitive version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” to my friend Margaret O’Brien in the classic Meet Me in St. Louis (1944).

FLASH: NEW PROJECTIONS POST SAG AWARD NOMS

18 Dec

BEST PICTURE
Projected Nominees
(1) Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight, 11/12, trailer)
(2) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount, 12/19, trailer)
(3) Milk (Focus Features, 12/5, trailer)
(4) Frost/Nixon (Universal, 12/5, trailer)
(5) Doubt (Miramax, 12/12, trailer)
Major Threats
(6) The Dark Knight, 7/18, trailer)
(7) WALL-E (Disney, 6/27, trailer)
 (8) The Wrestler (Fox Searchlight, 12/31, trailer)
 (9) Vicky Cristina Barcelona (The Weinstein Company, 8/15, trailer)
 On the Outside
(10) Gran Torino (Warner Brothers, 12/12, trailer)
(11) Revolutionary Road (Paramount Vantage, 12/26, trailer)
(12) Rachel Getting Married (Sony Pictures Classics, 10/3, trailer)
(13) Defiance (Paramount Vantage, 12/31, trailer)
(14) The Reader (The Weinstein Company, 12/12, trailer)
(15) The Visitor (Overture, 4/18, trailer)

BEST DIRECTOR
Projected Nominees
(1) Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
(2) David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(3) Gus Van Sant (Milk)
(4) Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon)
(5) Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight)
Major Threats
(6) John Patrick Shanley (Doubt)
(7) Andrew Stanton (WALL-E)
 (8) Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler)
 (9) Woody Allen (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
 On the Outside
(10) Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino)
(11) Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road)
(12) Jonathan Demme (Rachel Getting Married)
(13) Edward Zwick (Defiance)
(14) Stephen Daldry (The Reader)
(15) Tom McCarthy (The Visitor)

BEST ACTOR
Projected Nominees
(1) Sean Penn (Milk)
(2) Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
(3) Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon)
(4) Richard Jenkins (The Visitor)
(5) Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino)
Major Threats
(6) Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
 (7) Leonardo DiCaprio (Revolutionary Road)
 (8) Josh Brolin (W.)
On the Outside
(9) Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon)
(10) Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey)
(11) Will Smith (Seven Pounds)
(12) Benicio Del Toro (Che)

BEST ACTRESS
Projected Nominees
(1) Meryl Streep (Doubt)
(2) Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road)
(3) Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)
(4) Melissa Leo (Frozen River)
(5) Angelina Jolie (Changeling)
Major Threats
(6) Kristin Scott Thomas (I’ve Loved You So Long)
 (7) Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky)
(8) Cate Blanchett (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
 On the Outside
(9) Kate Beckinsale (Nothing But the Truth)
(10) Michelle Williams (Wendy and Lucy)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Projected Nominees
(1) Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
(2) Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt)
(3) Robert Downey, Jr. (Tropic Thunder)
(4) Josh Brolin (Milk)
(5) Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)
Major Threats
(6) Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road)
 (7) James Franco (Milk)
 On the Outside
(8) Alan Alda (Nothing But the Truth)
(9) Ralph Fiennes (The Reader)
(10) Emile Hirsch (Milk)
(11) Eddie Marsan (Happy-Go-Lucky)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Projected Nominees
 (1) Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
(2) Viola Davis (Doubt)
(3) Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(4) Kate Winslet (The Reader)
(5) Amy Adams (Doubt)
Major Threats
(6) Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler)
(7) Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married)
On the Outside
(8) Debra Winger (Rachel Getting Married)
(9) Kathy Bates (Revolutionary Road)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Projected Nominees
(1) Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)
(2) Eric Roth (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(3) Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon)
(4) John Patrick Shanley (Doubt)
(5) Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight)
Major Threats
(6) Justin Haythe (Revolutionary Road)
(7) Clayton Frohman, Edward Zwick (Defiance)
(8) David Hare (The Reader)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Projected Nominees
(1) Dustin Lance Black (Milk)
(2) Andrew Stanton (WALL-E)
(3) Woody Allen (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
(4) Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married)
(5) Mike Leigh (Happy-Go-Lucky)
Major Threats
(6) Tom McCarthy (The Visitor)
(7) Robert D. Siegel (The Wrestler)
 (8) Nick Schenck (Gran Torino)
 On the Outside
(9) Charlie Kaufman (Synechdoche, New York)

BEST DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
Projected Nominees
(1) Man on Wire
(2) Standard Operating Procedure
(3) Trouble the Water
(4) Pray the Devil Back to Hell
(5) I.O.U.S.A.
Major Threats
(6) The Betrayal
 (7) Encounters at the End of the World
 (8) Made in America
(9) At the Death House Door
 (10) Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh
On the Outside
(11) Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts
(12) In a Dream
(13) They Killed Sister Dorothy
(14) The Garden
(15) Fuel

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Projected Nominees
 (1) Gomorra (Italy)
(2) Waltz with Bashir (Israel)
(3) Everlasting Moments (Sweden)
(4) The Baader Meinhof Complex)
(5) Captain Abu Raed (Jordan)
Major Threats
(6) The Class (France)
 (7) Mermaid (Russia)
 (8) Tony Manero (Chile)
(9) Last Stop 174 (Brazil)
 (10) Three Monkeys (Turkey)
On the Outside
(11) O’Horten (Norway)
(12) The Blind Sunflowers (Spain)
(13) Jerusalema (South Africa)
(14) Revanche (Austria)
(15) Lion’s Den (Argentina)

COT-, ER, CATWOMAN?

14 Dec

<center><b>COT-, ER, <i>CAT</i>WOMAN?</b></center>

I’m not one of the many rabidly enthusiastic supporters of the Batman franchise (all due respect to them), but I must admit that I still found this fan-made poster, which promotes the idea of Oscar winning actress Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose) playing Catwoman, to be very intriguing.

After all, as you may remember, I’m a huge fan of the Frenchwoman. I think she would elevate any film she joins (she will next appear in the all-star adaptation of the Broadway musical Nine), and I believe casting someone of her caliber in the next Batman film would be just about the only way that the filmmakers could even come close to matching the excitement generated by the casting of Heath Ledger as the Joker in the last installment, The Dark Knight.

Alas, a source close to Cotillard tells me that the poster is merely the product of one creative person’s wishful thinking, as she has never even been contacted about the part — which is not to say that she wouldn’t consider it if she were to be.

Instead, the rumor that I’ve heard — and the fanboys should feel free to correct me if I’m wrong — is that Catwoman will actually be portrayed by… wait for it… Maggie Gyllenhaal! What’s that, you say? She was killed off in the big explosion in The Dark Knight, leaving Aaron Eckhart‘s Harvey Dent (aka Two-Face) devastated and out for revenge? Well, maybe so, but Gyllenhaal’s contract was allegedly seen by someone who wasn’t supposed to see it, and that person reports — and I don’t know whether or not there’s any truth to this, but it sounds plausible to me — that the very feline-looking actress had actually signed a two picture deal, which might explain why her character’s body was never found after the explosion in the film.

What are you hearing/thinking?

IMAGE OF THE DAY

14 Dec

<center><b>IMAGE OF THE DAY</b></center>

I’ll leave it to you to come up with a funny caption for this photo of Dustin Hoffman and Angelina Jolie at the Kung Fu Panda premiere in Cannes last May.

Perhaps Dustin will get another look next month at the 66th Golden Globe Awards — he’s nominated for Best Actor (Musical or Comedy) for Last Chance Harvey and Angie’s nominated for Best Actress (Drama) for Changeling.

MERYL SNEEZE, ER, STREEP

13 Dec

NEW PROJECTIONS POST BFCA/NYFCC/LAFCA/HFPA

12 Dec

<center><b>NEW PROJECTIONS POST BFCA/NYFCC/LAFCA/HFPA</b></center>

Milk

BEST PICTURE
Projected Nominees
(1) Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight, 11/12, trailer)
(2) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount, 12/19, trailer)
(3) Frost/Nixon (Universal, 12/5, trailer)
(4) Milk (Focus Features, 12/5, trailer)
(5) Doubt (Miramax, 12/12, trailer)
Major Threats
(6) The Dark Knight, 7/18, trailer)
(7) Revolutionary Road (Paramount Vantage, 12/26, trailer)
(8) Gran Torino (Warner Brothers, 12/12, trailer)
(9) The Reader (The Weinstein Company, 12/12, trailer)
In the Mix
(10) Vicky Cristina Barcelona (The Weinstein Company, 8/15, trailer)
(11) WALL-E (Disney, 6/27, trailer)
(12) The Wrestler (Fox Searchlight, 12/31, trailer)
(13) Defiance (Paramount Vantage, 12/31, trailer)
(14) Rachel Getting Married (Sony Pictures Classics, 10/3, trailer)
(15) Happy-Go-Lucky, 10/10, trailer)
(16) The Visitor (Overture, 4/18, trailer)
(17) Australia (Fox, 11/26, trailer)

BEST DIRECTOR
Projected Nominees
(1) Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
(2) David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(3) Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon)
(4) Gus Van Sant (Milk)
(5) Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight)
Major Threats
(6) Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino)
(7) John Patrick Shanley (Doubt)
(8) Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road)
(9) Stephen Daldry (The Reader)
In the Mix
(10) Woody Allen (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
(11) Andrew Stanton (WALL-E)
(12) Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler)
(13) Edward Zwick (Defiance)
(14) Jonathan Demme (Rachel Getting Married)
(15) Mike Leigh (Happy-Go-Lucky)
(16) Tom McCarthy (The Visitor)
(17) Baz Luhrmann (Australia)

BEST ACTOR
Projected Nominees
(1) Sean Penn (Milk)
(2) Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
(3) Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon)
(4) Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(5) Richard Jenkins (The Visitor)
Major Threats
(6) Leonardo DiCaprio (Revolutionary Road)
 (7) Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino)
 (8) Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey)
(9) Josh Brolin (W.)
(10) Will Smith (Seven Pounds)
 In the Mix
(11) Mark Ruffalo (What Doesn’t Kill You)
(12) Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon)
(13) Hugh Jackman (Australia)
(14) Benicio Del Toro (Che)

BEST ACTRESS
Projected Nominees
(1) Meryl Streep (Doubt)
(2) Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road)
(3) Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)
(4) Kristin Scott Thomas (I’ve Loved You So Long)
(5) Melissa Leo (Frozen River)
Major Threats
(6) Angelina Jolie (Changeling)
 (7) Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky)
(8) Cate Blanchett (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
 (9) Kate Beckinsale (Nothing But the Truth)
In the Mix
(10) Emma Thompson (Last Chance Harvey)
(11) Michelle Williams (Wendy and Lucy)
(12) Penelope Cruz (Elegy)
(13) Keira Knightley (The Duchess)
(14) Nicole Kidman (Australia)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Projected Nominees
(1) Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
(2) Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt)
(3) Robert Downey, Jr. (Tropic Thunder)
(4) Josh Brolin (Milk)
(5) Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road)
Major Threats
(6) James Franco (Milk)
 (7) Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)
 (8) Alan Alda (Nothing But the Truth)
 In the Mix
 (9) Ralph Fiennes (The Reader)
(10) David Kross (The Reader)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Projected Nominees
 (1) Kate Winslet (The Reader)
(2) Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
(3) Viola Davis (Doubt)
(4) Amy Adams (Doubt)
(5) Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
Major Threats
(6) Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler)
(7) Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married)
(8) Debra Winger (Rachel Getting Married)
 (9) Kathy Bates (Revolutionary Road)
In the Mix
(10) Rosario Dawson (Seven Pounds)
(11) Beyonce Knowles (Cadillac Records)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Projected Nominees
(1) Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)
(2) Eric Roth (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(3) Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon)
(4) John Patrick Shanley (Doubt)
(5) Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight)
Major Threats
(6) Justin Haythe (Revolutionary Road)
(7) David Hare (The Reader)
In the Mix
(8) Clayton Frohman, Edward Zwick (Defiance)
(9) Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Secret Life of Bees)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Projected Nominees
(1) Dustin Lance Black (Milk)
(2) Andrew Stanton (WALL-E)
(3) Woody Allen (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
(4) Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married)
(5) Mike Leigh (Happy-Go-Lucky)
Major Threats
(6) Tom McCarthy (The Visitor)
(7) Robert D. Siegel (The Wrestler)
 (8) Nick Schenck (Gran Torino)
 In the Mix
(9) Charlie Kaufman (Synechdoche, New York)
(10) Baz Luhrmann, Stuart Beattie (Australia)
(11) Rod Lurie (Nothing But the Truth)

BEST DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
Projected Nominees
(1) Man on Wire
(2) Standard Operating Procedure
(3) Trouble the Water
(4) Pray the Devil Back to Hell
(5) I.O.U.S.A.
Major Threats
(6) The Betrayal
 (7) Encounters at the End of the World
 (8) Made in America
(9) At the Death House Door
 (10) Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh
In the Mix
(11) Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts
(12) In a Dream
(13) They Killed Sister Dorothy
(14) The Garden
(15) Fuel

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Projected Nominees
 (1) Gomorra (Italy)
(2) Waltz with Bashir (Israel)
(3) Everlasting Moments (Sweden)
(4) The Baader Meinhof Complex)
(5) Captain Abu Raed (Jordan)
Major Threats
(6) The Class (France)
 (7) Mermaid (Russia)
 (8) Tony Manero (Chile)
(9) Last Stop 174 (Brazil)
 (10) Three Monkeys (Turkey)
In the Mix
(11) O’Horten (Norway)
(12) The Blind Sunflowers (Spain)
(13) Jerusalema (South Africa)
(14) Revanche (Austria)
(15) Lion’s Den (Argentina)

THE SCORE OF THE READER

12 Dec

On Tuesday, I attended a lovely Peggy Siegal-hosted luncheon at New York’s Caryle Hotel that was held to celebrate the new Stephen Daldry film The Reader (12/10, The Weinstein Company, trailer), generally, and its remarkable 27-year-old composer Nico Muhly, specifically.

At the luncheon, I was seated at the same table as Philip Glass, the revered veteran composer who has accrued three Oscar nominations for best original score over the years, including one for Daldry’s last film The Hours (2002). Glass, I learned, was among Muhly’s mentors, and he sat enraptured and clearly impressed as  his young protegee wowed the invited guests, who also included Alan Alda, Mira Nair, James Toback, and Harvey Weinstein.

This morning, The Reader received four Golden Globe nominations — including one for best picture (drama) — but was passed over in the original score category. Among those who were nominated: Clint Eastwood for the original score of Changeling. Something’s not right about this. I understand that Eastwood’s a big name and the Hollywood Foreign Press wants him to show up at their party, but the line has to be drawn somewhere, and today would have been as appropriate a time as any to give an impressive young talent the recognition he has earned.

FLASH: ‘TIS THE SEASON FOR NEW PROJECTIONS!

6 Dec

<center><b>FLASH: ‘TIS THE SEASON FOR NEW PROJECTIONS!</b></center>


Mark my words: the Holocaust-drama Defiance could surprise us all on nominations morning

BEST PICTURE
Projected Nominees
(1) Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight, 11/12, trailer)
(2) Milk (Focus Features, 12/5, trailer)
(3) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount, 12/19, trailer)
(4) Frost/Nixon (Universal, 12/5, trailer)
(5) The Dark Knight (Warner Brothers, 7/18, trailer)
Major Threats
(6) Gran Torino (Warner Brothers, 12/12, trailer)
(7) Defiance (Paramount Vantage, 12/31, trailer)
 (8) The Wrestler (Fox Searchlight, 12/31, trailer)
(9) The Reader (The Weinstein Company, 12/12, trailer)
(10) Doubt (Miramax, 12/12, trailer)
(11) Revolutionary Road (Paramount Vantage, 12/26, trailer)
(12) Australia (Fox, 11/26, trailer)
(13) WALL-E (Disney, 6/27, trailer)
In the Mix
(14) Rachel Getting Married (Sony Pictures Classics, 10/3, trailer)
(15) The Visitor (Overture, 4/18, trailer)
(16) Vicky Cristina Barcelona (The Weinstein Company, 8/15, trailer)
(17) Seven Pounds (Sony, 12/19)


Ron Howard, right, directed Frost/Nixon

BEST DIRECTOR
Projected Nominees
(1) Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
(2) Gus Van Sant (Milk)
(3) David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(4) Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon)
(5) Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight)
Major Threats
(6) Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino)
(7) Edward Zwick (Defiance)
(8) Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler)
(9) Stephen Daldry (The Reader)
(10) John Patrick Shanley (Doubt)
(11) Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road)
(12) Baz Luhrmann (Australia)
(13) Andrew Stanton (WALL-E)
In the Mix
(14) Jonathan Demme (Rachel Getting Married)
(15) Tom McCarthy (The Visitor)
(16) Woody Allen (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
(17) Gabriele Muccino (Seven Pounds)


Could Will Smith ride his popularity into the Best Actor race for Seven Pounds?

BEST ACTOR
Projected Nominees
(1) Sean Penn (Milk)
(2) Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino)
(3) Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon)
(4) Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
(5) Richard Jenkins (The Visitor)
Major Threats
(6) Leonardo DiCaprio (Revolutionary Road)
 (7) Josh Brolin (W.)
(8) Will Smith (Seven Pounds)
 (9) Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
 (10) Hugh Jackman (Australia)
 (11) Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey)
In the Mix
(12) Mark Ruffalo (What Doesn’t Kill You)
(13) Daniel Craig (Defiance)
(14) Benicio Del Toro (Che)
(15) Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon)


Most assume Keira Knightley is out of the race for The Duchess… but could she surprise us?

BEST ACTRESS
Projected Nominees
(1) Meryl Streep (Doubt)
(2) Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road)
(3) Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)
(4) Cate Blanchett (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(5) Melissa Leo (Frozen River)
Major Threats
(6) Angelina Jolie (Changeling)
 (7) Kate Beckinsale (Nothing But the Truth)
 (8) Kristin Scott Thomas (I’ve Loved You So Long)
In the Mix
(9) Nicole Kidman (Australia)
(10) Michelle Williams (Wendy and Lucy)
(11) Keira Knightley (The Duchess)
(12) Penelope Cruz (Elegy)
(13) Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky)
(14) Emma Thompson (Last Chance Harvey)


For many, Michael Shannon‘s scene-stealing perf is the best part of Revolutionary Road

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Projected Nominees
(1) Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
(2) Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt)
(3) Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road)
(4) Josh Brolin (Milk)
(5) Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)
Major Threats
(6) Alan Alda (Nothing But the Truth)
 (7) Ralph Fiennes (The Reader)
(8) Robert Downey, Jr. (Tropic Thunder)
 In the Mix
 (9) James Franco (Milk)
(10) Liev Schreiber (Defiance)
(11) David Kross (The Reader)
(12) Brandon Walters (Australia)


Lovely Amy Adams must compete with Doubt co-star Viola Davis for a Supporting Actress nod

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Projected Nominees
 (1) Kate Winslet (The Reader)
(2) Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
(3) Viola Davis (Doubt)
(4) Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(5) Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married)
Major Threats
(6) Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler)
(7) Kathy Bates (Revolutionary Road)
(8) Amy Adams (Doubt)
(9) Debra Winger (Rachel Getting Married)
 In the Mix
(10) Elsa Zylberstein (I’ve Loved You So Long)
(11) Rosario Dawson (Seven Pounds)
(12) Queen Latifah (The Secret Life of Bees)
(13) Beyonce Knowles (Cadillac Records)


  It’s hard to argue with the people’s choice, the Simon Beaufoy-penned Slumdog Millionaire

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Projected Nominees
(1) Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)
(2) Eric Roth (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
(3) Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon)
(4) Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight)
(5) Clayton Frohman, Edward Zwick (Defiance)
Major Threats
(6) David Hare (The Reader)
(7) John Patrick Shanley (Doubt)
(8) Justin Haythe (Revolutionary Road)
In the Mix
(9) Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Secret Life of Bees)


Gran Torino scribe Nick Schenk was honored by the National Board of Review last week

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Projected Nominees
(1) Dustin Lance Black (Milk)
(2) Nick Schenk (Gran Torino)
(3) Robert D. Siegel (The Wrestler)
(4) Andrew Stanton (WALL-E)
(5) Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married)
Major Threats
(6) Tom McCarthy (The Visitor)
(7) Woody Allen (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
(8) Baz Luhrmann, Stuart Beattie (Australia)
 In the Mix
(9) Charlie Kaufman (Synechdoche, New York)
(10) Mike Leigh (Happy-Go-Lucky)
(11) Grant Nieporte (Seven Pounds)
(12) Philippe Claudel (I’ve Loved You So Long)
(13) Rod Lurie (Nothing But the Truth)


A scene from the powerful documentary I.O.U.S.A.

BEST DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
Projected Nominees
(1) Man on Wire
(2) Standard Operating Procedure
(3) Trouble the Water
(4) Pray the Devil Back to Hell
(5) I.O.U.S.A.
Major Threats
(6) The Betrayal
 (7) Encounters at the End of the World
 (8) Made in America
(9) At the Death House Door
 (10) Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh
In the Mix
(11) Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts
(12) In a Dream
(13) They Killed Sister Dorothy
(14) The Garden
(15) Fuel


Just a few of the many miserable kids in the French film The Class

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Projected Nominees
(1) Captain Abu Raed (Jordan)
(2) Gomorra (Italy)
(3) The Class (France)
(4) Waltz with Bashir (Israel)
(5) Everlasting Moments (Sweden)
Major Threats
(6) Mermaid (Russia)
 (7) The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
 (8) Tony Manero (Chile)
(9) Last Stop 174 (Brazil)
 (10) Three Monkeys (Turkey)
In the Mix
(11) O’Horten (Norway)
(12) The Blind Sunflowers (Spain)
(13) Jerusalema (South Africa)
(14) Revanche (Austria)
(15) Lion’s Den (Argentina)