A Few Thoughts on today’s Oscar Nominations…

This morning Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) announced this year’s contenders and as always we saw the front runners like The Artist and Hugo grab headlines. However, we also saw some shocking snubs and some interesting inclusions. I already posted the full nominee list, so let’s take a look at a few thoughts I have on those who will be contending for this year’s Oscar.

Favorite Nomination: Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids)… I was so happy to see her included in this hilarious film. She gave a wonderfully hysterical performance that had way more layers than you might expect. Comedy needs more representation at the Oscars, so this is a nice start. (Also kudos to Kristin Wiig and her Oscar nominated script for the film).

Best Surprise: Rooney Mara and all the love for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. This fantastic film nabbed 5 nods in total. I just wish it was up for Best Pic and Director (David Fincher).
Biggest Snub: Michael Fassbender (Shame)… apparently his great performance may have been overlooked by his hot nekkid body? Or he cancelled himself out with other great turns in A Dangerous Method and Jane Eyre.

Other Big Snubs:
Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar)… looks like academy members really didn’t like this film, which is a shame because Leo was great
Armie Hammer (J. Edgar)
Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin)… another film that may have been too dark and unlikable to get it’s great star a nod.
Albert Brooks (Drive)
Drive in all other categories (except sound)
Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt and Young Adult… apparently this acerbic dark comedy just didn’t resonate with Oscar voters. I’m sad, cuz it was a good flick.
Steven Spielberg (War Horse) for Director
Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) and Alan Rickman (Harry Potter) both proved its hard to get nominated for big popcorn action films… oh and motion capture performances may never get nominated.
Elizabeth Olsen and Martha Marcy May Marlene… this great indie introduced us to a major acting star in Olsen and still got bupkiss
50/50 and Joseph Gordon Levitt… another great indie that should’ve gotten some love
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 in all big categories…. why oh why couldn’t this amazing franchise ever pull out a Best Pic nom? Especially when the final installment was clearly one of the best films of the year.

More Snubs: Shailene Woodley (The Descendants), Vanessa Redgrave (Coriolanus), Ryan Gosling (Drive, The Ides of March), The Adventures of Tin Tin (in Animated film), Carey Mulligan (Shame), the casts of The Ides of March and Midnight in Paris, Beginners for Screenplay and Director (Mike Mills)

~ And a Big Boo to the voters for dissing The Help for Screenplay, Score, Song, Costume Design and Director… That wonderful film should’ve had 9 noms, not just 4.

~While I’m complaining, I just have to say yuck to all the nods for The Tree of Life. Oy vey!

Other nice inclusions:
~Demian Bichir (A Better Life)… this wonderful performance in this small indie broke through with a SAG nod and he made the list today. I’m thrilled.
~Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)… can you believe this is his first nomination? I just wish it was for a better film.
~Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and Max Von Sydow... I’m so happy one of my fave films of the year finally got some love. And I was kinda shocked to see it among the 9 nominees for Best Picture.
~Moneyball grabbed more noms that The Descendants, hehe….
~W.E. got into costume design. Yes, a film by Madonna got an Oscar nod. (I just wish her Golden Globe winning song “Masterpiece” had been eligible)

Speaking of Best Song….
What the heck is wrong with that category? By having a ridiculously difficult rule of the songs needing to rate 8.5 or higher by the music branch (out of 10), only 2 songs made the cut… And the one from The Muppets wasn’t even the best song from that film…
Look at all the snubbed songs that should’ve gotten mentioned:
“Life’s a Happy Song” (The Muppets)
“Pictures in My Head” (The Muppets)
“Bridge of Light” (Happy Feet 2) by P!nk
“Hello Hello” (Gnomeo & Juliet) by Elton John
“The Living Proof” (The Help) by Mary J. Blige
“Lay Down Your Head” (Albert Nobbs) by Glenn Close, etc

So, there are just a few thoughts for you… Now, let’s see who is gonna win… I’d say The Artist is still out in front despite Hugo landing the most noms…. I still have hope for The Help too.. and Meryl better win… With that said, what are your favorite noms? And who is the worst snub? Sound off below and watch for more on the Oscars in the weeks ahead.

Underworld Awakening Wakes up the Box Office

For a fourth installment in an action franchise, Underworld Awakening, reversed a downward trend and opened up bigger than the last film with $ 25.4 million. That was enough to hold off a surprisingly strong Red Tails which opened way above expectations at $ 19 million. Both pictures did well despite bad weather in many parts of the country and football competition. I’m sure it helped Underworld to have the original star, Kate Beckinsale, back in the series and the African-American fan base gave a great boost to the fighter pilot pic Tails…. Not faring well in fifth place was the Steven Sodebergh action pic Haywire which only opened to $9 million and was bested by the expansion of the post 9-11 picture Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close which nabbed $10.5 million. That was a pretty good number for a film with difficult subject matter. However, the movie starring Critic’s Choice winner Thomas Horn, Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks is benefitting from strong word of mouth (I gave the film an “A” grade mind you) and may have decent legs in the weeks ahead… For more on all the numbers, head to Box Office Mojo here and check out the new top ten below.

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week #
1 N Underworld Awakening SGem $25,400,000 – 3,078 – $8,252 $25,400,000 – 1
2 N Red Tails Fox $19,100,000 – 2,512 – $7,604 $19,100,000 $58 1
3 1 Contraband Uni. $12,200,000 -49.9% 2,870 +7 $4,251 $46,100,000 $25 2
4 36 Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close WB $10,545,000 +11,484.2% 2,630 +2,624 $4,010 $11,237,000 – 5
5 N Haywire Rela. $9,000,000 – 2,439 – $3,690 $9,000,000 $23 1
6 2 Beauty and the Beast (3D) BV $8,556,000 -51.8% 2,625 – $3,259 $33,364,000 – 2
7 4 Joyful Noise WB $6,075,000 -45.9% 2,735 – $2,221 $21,903,000 – 2
8 3 Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol Par. $5,540,000 -52.6% 2,519 -827 $2,199 $197,349,000 $145 6
9 5 Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows WB $4,805,000 -44.1% 2,485 -670 $1,934 $178,611,000 – 6
10 7 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) Sony $3,750,000 -43.7% 1,907 -767 $1,966 $94,775,000 $90 5

The Artist and The Help win big at the Critics Choice Awards

The Artist and The Help just picked up some serious ammunition as they continue their Oscar march with both films winning big at tonight’s Critics Choice Awards. The Artist won four awards including Best Picture and Director (Michael Hazanavicus) while The Help took home three: Best Acting Ensemble, Best Actress (Viola Davis) and Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer). I have to say Davis easily had the best speech of the night and now has to be seen as the biggest threat to take the Academy Award from Meryl Streep. Both ladies will be competing at Sunday’s Golden Globes too where I think Streep may prevail. (And to make things interesting Michelle Williams who lost here tonight should win at the Globes since she’s in the Musical/Comedy category not Drama like her peers. This is a serious race!)… The other big honors went to George Clooney for Best Actor and Christopher Plummer for Best Supporting Actor. Take a look at all the winners including Bridesmaids for Best Comedy and Thomas Horn (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close) for best Younger Actor/Actress below and head to the BFCA website for more info here.

2012 Critics Choice Award Winners:

Best Picture The Artist
Best Director Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Best Actor George Clooney, The Descendants
Best Actress Viola Davis, The Help
Best Supporting Actor Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Best Supporting Actress Octavia Spencer, The Help
Best Original Screenplay Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Best Adapted Screenplay Aaron Sorkin & Steven Zaillain, Moneyball
Best Acting Ensemble The Help
Best Animated Film Rango
Best Foreign Language Film A Separation
Best Documentary George Harrison: Living in the Material World
Best Comedy Bridesmaids
Best Action Movie Drive
Best Young Actor/Actress Thomas Horn, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Best Makeup Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows Part 2
Best Song “Life’s A Happy Song,” The Muppets
Best Costume Design The Artist
Best Score The Artist
Best Editing The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Best Sound Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Best Visual Effects Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Best Art Direction Hugo
Best Cinematography (tie) War Horse and The Tree of Life

The Top Ten Film Ensemble Casts of 2012

We all know that it takes a village to make a great movie and luckily, 2012 had its share of wonderfully talented ensembles that made for some fantastic films. So, I decided to compile my own list of what I consider the best ensembles, top to bottom, of films over the last year. As a SAG voter, I will get to choose between the casts of The Artist, Bridesmaids, The Help, Midnight in Paris and The Descendants for Best Ensemble. Interestingly, only 2 of those films make my list… and I wonder if you can guess which ones… With that said, take a look at my choices for the Best Casts of 2012.

First Honorable Mentions…

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: a fierce and ferocious Rooney Mara, a sexy and introspective Daniel Craig, a creepy fantastic Stellan Skarsgaard plus solid support from Robin Wright, Joely Richardson, Christopher Plummer and more

Midnight in Paris: Woody Allen’s best film in years gave us Owen Wilson‘s best performance everywhere plus a luminous Marion Cottilard and a strong group of vets like Kathy Bates, Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, Adrien Brody, Kurt Fuller, Allison Pill and Corey Stoll

My Week with Marilyn: while Michelle Williams is deservedly gaining the most applause for her brilliant turn as Marilyn Monroe, the rest of the cast was tremendous starting with likely Oscar nominee Kenneth Branaugh and then Eddie Redmayne, Julia Ormond, Emma Watson, Toby Jones, Dominic Purcell and Oscar winner Dame Judi Dench

Now onto the top tier…

Top Ten Film Ensembles of 2012:

10: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: while I didn’t love the film, the cast was pretty flawless. Gary Oldman’s stoic and simmering lead agent anchored a cast of great Brits including Benedict Cumberpatch (my have in the film), Toby Jones (again), Christian McKay, Tom hardy, Cirian Hinds and Oscar winner Colin Firth.

http://www.youtube.com/user/tinkertailormovie?v=VW-F1H-Nonk&feature=pyv&ad=15309858702&kw=tinker%20tailor%20soldier%20spy%20trailer

9. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: with a wonderful central performance from newcomer Thomas Horn and some beautiful work from Oscar winner Sandra Bullock and Oscar nominee Viola Davis, this 9/11 tribute film really socked me in the gut. Plus Max Von Sydow, Jeffrey Wright, John Goodman, Zoe Caldwell and Tom Hanks were great, not to mention a ton of small character actors that gave weight and authenticity to New York City. (This is something the film did great unlike The Descendants which cast non-actors for authenticity reasons in Hawaii and it backfired by taking you out of the scene with their poor performances).

8. 50/50: I sure hope this hilarious and heartbreaking film gets some Oscar traction next month because it deserves it. Joseph Gordon Levitt (a Golden Globe nominee) would make my final five Best Actor contenders for his triumphant performance as a young man fighting cancer. Plus the film gave us Seth Rogan’s best performance ever and great turns by Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, Phillip Baker Hall, Matt Frewer and Independent Spirit nominee Anjelica Huston.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ90H5HCgCw

7. The Ides of March: this political thriller had so many great elements~ a great script, strong direction and a pitch perfect cast led by Golden Globe nominee Ryan Gosling. Standouts in the supporting cast for me were Phillip Seymour Hoffman and a surprisingly great Evan Rachel Wood. Also delivering nice turns were the always reliable Marisa Tomei, Paul Giamatti, Jeffrey Wright and director/star George Clooney.

6. Rampart: this dark and edgy thriller gave us a no holds barred brilliant turn by Woody Harrelson as a mess of a corrupt cop. But it also gave us a magnificent supporting cast with Brie Larson, Anne Heche, Cynthia Nixon and an especially dynamic Robin Wright as the women mixed up in his life. Plus there was Ben Foster, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Buscemi, Audra MacDonald, Ned Beatty, and Ice Cube.

5. Crazy Stupid Love: the best romantic comedy of the year was hilarious, original and refreshing and boasted a flawless ensemble of cinema pros like Steve Carrell, Marisa Tomei (again), Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon, Emma Stone and the sexiest man on film in all of 2012, Ryan Gosling.

4. Margin Call: in this fast paced and fascinating thriller about the financial crisis of the past few years, it was hard to pick just who stood out the most. I’d give Oscar winner Kevin Spacey the slight edge, but hey it also featured Demi Moore’s best work in ages and a wily and wonderfully corrupt Jeremy Irons… not to mention Zachary Quinto showed strong leading man potential, Penn Badgely in his best role to date, and great work from Paul Bettany, Mary McDonnell, Simon Baker and Stanley Tucci.

3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 2: the final chapter in the Harry Potter franchise was by far the best. The film was magnificent on every level and the cast was just perfect. They all rose to the occasion and we will miss them tremendously. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Gint all grew into wonderful actors over the year and I’m sure the great supporting cast of talents like Maggie Smith, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon, Jason Isaacs, Julie Walters and every British luminary around helped inform their performances. But I have to single out Alan Rickman’s Oscar worthy turn as Snape as the film’s highlight. Seriously, nominate him now Academy voters!

2. Bridesmaids: the funniest movie of the year also gave us one of the best female ensembles in ages. Golden Globe nominee Kristin Wiig was a terrific ring leader for this riotous crew including Emmy nominee Rose Byrne, Wendi McLoven-Covey, Maya Rudolph, Ellie Kemper and the standout~ SAG nominee, and soon to be Oscar nominee if you ask me, Melissa McCarthy. There were a few other funny guys in it too I have to recognize~ Jon Hamm, Chris O’Dowd, and Ben Falcone. Cant wait for a sequel!

1. The Help: I don’t think it’s a surprise that this incredibly talented and transcendent group of women are at the top of the list. (Hey, when was the last time two primarily female ensembles anchored two of the best movies of the year? Fantastic!… and it’s about time…) Led by surefire Oscar nominees Viola Davis (heartbreaking and resplendent), Octavia Spencer (fiery, hilarious and explosive) and Jessica Chastain (who gave a million amazing performances this year), the women in this film left an indelible mark. I mean you could also make a case for nominating Emma Stone (again), Cicely Tyson, Allison Janney, Sissy Spacek and wondrously evil Bryce Dallas Howard. You know which film is getting my vote for the SAG Best Ensemble!

My Still Very Early November Oscar Predictions…

It’s almost Thanksgiving and the Oscar race is in full swing. Several big contenders are currently in theatres (Moneyball, The Descendants, The Help) and a couple open this week (The Artist, My Week with Marilyn). In fact all but three of the biggies (War Horse, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) have screened at festivals or for critics and media and those final ponies have such strong pedigrees that have to be considered front-runners nonetheless. With that said, check out my new predictions, my Oct predix and let me know what you think will grab the gold early next year. Also note, I have ranked them in order of likelihood of getting a nomination and watch for big changes as the critics awards and SAG and Golden Globe nominations start to come in. (Heck, J. Edgar is pretty much out of all the races now after a poor opening and rough critical reception. At least Leo still stands a chance)…

Best Picture:
1. The Artist
2. The Descendants
3. War Horse
4. The Help
5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
6. Moneyball
7. Midnight in Paris
8. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
~spoilers: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, My Week with Marilyn, The Adventures of Tin Tin, The Ides of March
*Note : this year the rules have changed again and the Best Picture nominees will vary from 5-10 films depending on the amount of support they get. (There’s a whole lot of weird math mumbojumbo involved). I feel like it will end up with 7 or 8.

Best Actor:
1. George Clooney (The Descendants)
2. Jean Dujardin (The Artist)~ new to the list
3. Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
4. Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar)
5. Woody Harrelson (Rampart)
~spoilers: Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Michael Fassbender (Shame), Ryan Gosling (Drive)

Best Actress:
1. Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
2. Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)
3. Viola Davis (The Help)
4. Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs)
5. Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene)
~spoilers: Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Charlize Theron (Young Adult), Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin), Keira Knightley (A Dangerous Method)

Best Supporting Actor:
1. Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
2. Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn)
3. Max VonSydow (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)
4. John Hawkes (Martha Marcy May Marlene)
5. Albert Brooks (Drive) ~ new
~spoilers: Jim Broadbent (The Iron Lady), George Clooney (The Ides of March), Alan Rickman (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2), Patton Oswalt (Young Adult), Armie Hammer (J. Edgar), Nick Nolte (Warrior), Jonah Hill (Moneyball)
* this category remains very crowded and unclear with only Plummer a serious lock right now

Best Supporting Actress:
1. Octavia Spencer (The Help)
2. Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs) ~ new
3. Vanessa Redgrave (Corolianus)~ new
4. Jessica Chastain (The Help)
5. Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) ~new
~spoilers:  Berncie Bejo (The Artist), Shailene Woodley (The Descendants), Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life), Robin Wright (Rampart), Sandra Bullock (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close), Angelica Huston (50/50), Judy Greer (The Descendants)

* This is the next category that is most up in the air with so many worthy contenders

Best Director:
1. Steven Speilberg (War Horse)
2. Michael Havinicius (The Artist) ~ new
3. Alexander Payne (The Descendants)
4. David Fincher (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
5. Tate Taylor (The Help)~ new
~spoilers: Stephen Daldry (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close), Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris), Bennett Miller (Moneyball)

Best Original Screenplay:
1. The Artist
2. Midnight in Paris
3. Beginners
4. Young Adult ~ new
5. Bridesmaids (oh yes I said it!) ~ new
~spoilers: J. Edgar, Rampart, Rango, Martha Marcy May Marlene

Best Adapted Screenplay:
1. The Descendants
2. The Help
3. War Horse
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
5. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
~spoilers: My Week with Marilyn, Albert Nobbs, The Ides of March, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

My Ridiculously Early October Oscar Predictions

Every year the Oscar race really revs up with the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals in late August/early September and then the forecasting begins in earnest. So, as we’re already into the middle of October, I feel like it’s time to weigh in. Sure, it seems ridiculously early to predict who’s gonna get nominated, but there are a few obvious front-runners for nods from films that have already hit theatres including The Help, Brad Pitt and Moneyball and Christopher Plummer in Beginners. So who else might be joining them? Take a look below and give me your thoughts. Then watch for my updated predictions in the weeks ahead.

My Ridiculously Early October Oscar Predictions~

Best Picture:
The Artist
The Descendents
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Help
J. Edgar
Moneyball
War Horse
~spoilers: The Adventures of Tin Tin, The Ides of March, Midnight in Paris, The Iron Lady, My Week with Marilyn

*Note : this year the rules have changed again and the Best Picture nominees will vary from 5-10 films depending on the amount of support they get. (There’s a whole lot of weird math mumbojumbo involved). I feel like it will end up with 7 or 8.

Best Actor:
George Clooney (The Descendants)
Leonardo DiCaprio ( J. Edgar)
Woody Harrelson (Rampart)
Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
~spoilers: Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Ryan Gosling (The Ides of March), Michael Shannon (Take Shelter), Michael Fassbender (Shame), Joseph Gordon Levitt (50/50), Matt Damon (We Bought A Zoo)

Best Actress:
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs)
Viola Davis (The Help)
Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene)
Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)
~spoilers: Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Charlize Theron (Young Adult), Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin), Felicity Jones (Like Crazy)

Best Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn)
Jim Broadbent (The Iron Lady)
Phillip Seymour Hoffman (The Ides of March)
Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Max Von Sydow (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)
~spoilers: Christoph Waltz (Carnage), Nick Nolte (Warrior), Jonah Hill (Moneyball), David Thewliss (War Horse), Albert Brooks (Drive), Armie Hammer (J. Edgar)

Best Supporting Actress:
Sandra Bullock (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)
Jessica Chastain (The Help)
Judi Dench (J. Edgar)
Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Robin Wright (Rampart)
~spoilers: Evan Rachel Wood (The Ides of March), Kate Winslet (Carnage), Vanessa Redgrave (Coriolanus), Emily Watson (War Horse), Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs), Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life), Sissy Spacek (The Help), Robin Wright (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)

Best Director:
Stephen Daldry (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)
Clint Eastwood (J. Edgar)
David Fincher (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Alexander Payne (The Descendants)
Steven Speilberg (War Horse)
~spoilers: Bennett Miller (Moneyball), George Clooney (The Ides of March), Michel Hazanvicius (The Artist), Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris)

Adapted Screenplay:
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Help
Moneyball
War Horse
~spoilers: The Ides of March, Coriolanus, My Week with Marilyn, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Original Screenplay:
The Artist
Beginners
The Descendants
J. Edgar
Midnight in Paris
~spoilers: Young Adult, The Iron Lady, Rampart, Martha Marcy May Marlene, We Bought a Zoo

Could getting “Extremely Loud” get Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock back in the Oscar race?

Two time Oscar winner Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, Philadelphia) and recent Oscar winner Sandra Bullock (The Blindside) are teaming up for the first time this winter in the new drama, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, and it could put them both back in the Oscar race. The film is a drama about a young boy (played by newcomer Thomas Horn) who searches New York for the lock to fit a mysterious key his father left him after perishing in the 9-11 attacks. It’s based on the beloved book and is directed by Oscar nominee Stephen Daldry (The Hours, Billy Elliott, The Reader) and looks like a real tear-jerker. Watch for Hanks and Bullock to contend in the supporting categories alongside Max Von Sydow who could have a standout role and usurp both stars. Watch for the movie to hit theatres in late December and check out the first trailer below.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close