The Artist and Take Shelter face off at the Independent Spirit Awards

The award races are coming fast and furious today as the Independent Spirit Award nominations were announced this morning (after last night’s Gotham Awards and this afternoon’s NYC Critic’s Choice winners announcement). Leading the way are the big Oscar contender The Artist and the little dramatic film Take Shelter with 5 nominations apiece. Just behind with 4 bids are Drive, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Beginners and The Descendants. Interestingly, the star of The Descendants and supposed Oscar front-runner George Clooney was snubbed as were other likely contenders Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs) and Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris). Take a look at all the nominees below and head to the Indie Spirit website here for more info on the show which honors the best in independent cinema (and films made in America for less than $20 million~ hence The Tree of Life was not eligible). Watch for the trophies to be handed out in early February the day before the Oscars.

2012 Independent Spirit Award Nominees:

Best Feature
The Artist
Beginners
The Descendants
Drive
50/50
Take Shelter

Best Female Lead
Lauren Ambrose, Think of Me
Rachael Harris, Natural Selection
Adepero Oduye, Pariah
Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Best Male Lead
Demián Bichir, A Better Life
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Ryan Gosling, Drive
Woody Harrelson, Rampart
Michael Shannon, Take Shelter

Best Supporting Female
Jessica Chastain, Take Shelter
Anjelica Huston, 50/50
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Harmony Santana, Gun Hill Road
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Best Supporting Male
Albert Brooks, Drive
John Hawkes, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
John C. Reilly, Cedar Rapids
Corey Stoll, Midnight in Paris

Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist 
Mike Mills, Beginners
Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive

Best Screenplay
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Mike Mills, Beginners
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, The Descendants
Joseph Cedar, Footnote
Tom McCarthy, Win Win

Best First Screenplay
Mike Cahill & Brit Marling, Another Earth
Phil Johnston, Cedar Rapids
Will Reiser, 50/50
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Patrick deWitt, Terri

Best First Feature
Another Earth
In the Family
Margin Call
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Natural Selection

John Cassavetes Award (for features under $500,000)
Bellflower
Circumstance
The Dynamiter
Hello Lonesome
Pariah

Best Documentary
An African Election
Bill Cunningham New York
The Interrupters
The Redemption of General Butt Naked
We Were Here

Best Cinematography
The Artist
Bellflower
The Dynamiter
Midnight in Paris
The Off Hours

Best International Film
The Kid With A Bike
Melancholia
A Separation
Shame
Tyrannosaur

Robert Altman Award (for ensemble cast): Margin Call

Piaget Producers Award
Chad Burris, Mosquita y Mari
Sophia Lin, Take Shelter
Josh Mond, Martha Marcy May Marlene

~And now a list of the big names that were snubbed by today’s nominees….

Indie Spirit Snubs~
Best Actor race: George Clooney (The Descendants), Joseph Gordon Levitt (50/50)
Best Actress: Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs), Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin), Felicity Jones (Like Crazy)… the last two films may have been inelligible~ I’ll have to check
Supporting Actor: Kenneth Branaugh (My Week with Marilyn)
Supporting Actress: Bernice Bejo (The Artist), Kim Wayans (Pariah), Robin Wright (Rampart)
Screenplay: Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris)
Director: Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris)
Picture: Midnight in Paris

Elizabeth Olsen is an immediate Oscar contender in the Stunning “Martha Marcy May Marlene”

In what may be the breakout performance of 2011 (no disrespect to the wonderful Jessica Chastain in pretty much every movie this year), newcomer Elizabeth Olsen is just incredible in the shattering and haunting Martha Marcy May Marlene. Playing a young woman who escapes an abusive cult and drifts between reality, memory and fantasy, Olsen never strikes a false note. She’s tortured, emotional, fragile, furious and fantastic. It’s a performance and a film that haunts you and will keep you ruminating on it days afterwards. Whether she’s interacting with her long estranged sister (Sarah Paulson) and her new husband (Hugh Dancy) or adjusting to life in her adopted community led by the equally charming and creepy Patrick (Oscar nominee last year for  Winter’s Bone John Hawkes), Olsen’s Martha is such an intriguing mystery of motivations and damaged pain that you cant’ take your eyes off her. Olsen (who, yes, is the younger sister of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen and a student at NYU’s Tisch drama school) immediately jumps to the front of the Oscar race to face off such luminaries ans Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs), Viola Davis (The Help), Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn) and Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) and will assuredly give them a strong fight for the title. And she may be joined by her contemporaries from the film including the brooding and intense Hawkes (Supporting Actor), cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes, and writer/director Sean Durkin who has made a stunning film that leaves you wanting more. In fact I want to tell you more, but I don’t want to ruin the film for you. Just see it. It hits theatres later this fall. For more on this provacative picture, head to the film’s website here and check out the trailer below.
Martha Marcy May Marlene~ Grade: A

Martha Marcy May Marlene trailer

Look out Meryl, Michelle Williams is comin’ for your Oscar!

The most talented actress of our time, Meryl Streep hasn’t won an Oscar since Sophie’s Choice in 1982. Sure she’s got two of them and a record-breaking 16 nominations. However, it’s been almost thirty years since she grabbed a Golden boy, and for my money, she should’ve won a few other times~ most recently for Julie & Julia. But I digress… Meryl looks to be the front-runner this year for her upcoming performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. That said, she has some strong competition from Glenn Close as a woman masquerading as a man in Albert Knobbs, Elizabeth Olsen as a cult survivor in Martha Marcy May Marlene, Rooney Mara in the American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Tilda Swinton as the mother of a mass murderer in We Need to Talk about Kevin and the other front-runner Viola Davis in The Help. And now, we can add one more big obstacle to Meryl’s victory: Michelle Williams.

The former Dawson’s Creek star turned two-time Oscar nominee (Brokeback Mountain, Blue Valentine) enters the race in a big way with her new film My Week with Marilyn where she plays the iconic legend, Marilyn Monroe. Looking at the first trailer which just hit the web, it seems like Williams knocks it out of the park and should grab that third nom and a possible first win. The movie takes place during one week of filming The Prince and the Showgirl in England and her fractious relationship with Sir Laurence Olivier (Oscar nominee Kenneth Branagh) and her flirtation with his employee Chris Clark (Tony nominee Eddie Redmayne). Also starring in Marilyn are Oscar winner Judi Dench, Emmy winner Julia Ormond, Dominic Cooper, and Harry Potter’s Emma Watson. For more on the film, head here and check out the new trailer below…. Do you think Williams has what it takes to snatch Meryl’s Oscar away this year?

My Week with Marilyn (opening in select theatres 11/4/11)

First Look~ The Iron Lady trailer… Just give Meryl her 3rd Oscar already!

Can you believe Meryl Streep hasn’t won an Oscar since 1982 for Sophie’s Choice? It’s crazy especially since she has been nominated 16 times (the most of any actor) in her storied career and only won twice. The first time it was for Kramer vs. Kramer in 1980. I, personally think she should’ve won for The Devil Wears Prada and Julie & Julia as well… heck even for Doubt. Alas, she didn’t. However, she just might finally take home her third trophy for her new film, The Iron Lady, where she plays controversial former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The first trailer for the biopic, directed by Phylida Lloyd (Mamma Mia) and co-starring Oscar winner Jim Broadbent (Iris), just hit the web, and despite just a quick glimpse of Streep as Thatcher, it’s clear she will be a force to be reckoned with. I have no doubt she’ll live up to the hype and grab a nomination. I just hope she wins. Granted she’ll have tough competition in an already crowded field that could include Rooney Mara (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), Glenn Close (Albert Knobbs), and Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn) to name a few. So, will The Iron Lady finally send Streep back into the winner’s circle when it opens on December 16th? Check out the trailer below and let me know what you think.

The Iron Lady

My Big Bold EMMY AWARD Winner Predictions

Will it be Modern Family or Glee…  Lost or Mad Men? The show that revitalized the family comedy vs. the pop culture phenomena and the former winner looking for renewed glory vs. the incumbent on a role. Those are the two big battles raging as we get ready for Sunday’s big Emmy Awards ceremony. This year we could see a number of first time winners like Jane Lynch (Glee), Michael C. Hall (Dexter) and Ty Burrell (Modern Family) or possibly the old standbys like Tony Shaloub (Monk), Glenn Close (Damages) and Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) will be victorious. Either scenario could happen on the show hosted by Jimmy Fallon. What is certain is that the miniseries The Pacific will continue its Emmy winning ways from the Creative Arts Emmy Awards last weekend where it took home the most crafts awards and we also saw Betty White (SNL), John Lithgow (Dexter), and Ann-Margaret (Law & Order: SVU) grab Guest Acting Honors. Neil Patrick Harris even won two awards (Guest Actor for Glee & Special Class Program for Hosting The Tonys) and is a strong bet to add a third this weekend. So, just who will win and who should win? Check out my predictions below and watch the Emmy Awards Sunday on NBC.

Drama Series:
Breaking Bad, Dexter, The Good Wife, Lost, Mad Men, True Blood
Will win: Mad Men
Should win: Lost
~spoiler: Dexter (if the top two split the vote)

Drama Lead Actor:
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights), Matthew Fox (Lost), Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Hugh Laurie (House)
Will & Should win: Michael C. Hall (finally on his 5th try, including one nom for Six Feet Under)
~spoilers: Bryan Cranston (had an amazing tape), Hugh Laurie (he’s 0 for 6 here and overdue)
-This is the most difficult race to predict. Matthew Fox is also deserving for his fantastic work in the amazing series finale of Lost. Only Hamm and Chandler are out of the running.

Drama Lead Actress:
Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights), Glenn Close (Damages), Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU), January Jones (Mad Men), Julianna Marguiles (The Good Wife), Kyra Sedgewick (The Closer)
Will & Should win: Julianna Marguiles
~spoiler: Kyra Sedgewick (she chose a great episode submission and is overdue. So far she’s 0 for 5 at the Emmys)

Drama Supporting Actor:
Andre Braugher (Men of a Certain Age), Michael Emerson (Lost), Terry O’Quinn (Lost), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), Martin Short (Damages), John Slattery (Mad Men)
Will & Should win: Terry O’Quinn
~spoiler: Michael Emerson

Drama Supporting Actress:
Christine Baranski (The Good Wife), Rose Byrne (Damages), Sharon Gless (Burn Notice), Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men), Archie Penjabi (The Good Wife)
Will win: Sharon Gless (she has a great tape and industry respect)
Should win: Archie Penjabi (the most interesting new character and fascinating performance on a tv drama last year)
~spoiler: Christina Hendricks (somebody from Mad Men has to win an acting award sometime)

Drama Writing:
Friday Night Lights (“The Son”), The Good Wife (“Pilot”), Lost (“The End”), Mad Men (“Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency”), Mad Men (“Shut the Door, Have a Seat”)
Will & Should win: Lost
~spoiler: Friday Night Lights (or possibly Mad Men if it’s episodes don’t cancel each other out)

Drama Directing:
Breaking Bad (“One Minute”), Dexter (“The Getaway”), Lost (“The End pt. 1 & 2″), Mad Men (“Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency)”, Treme (“Do You Know What it Means?”)
Will & Should win: Lost (hello, it’s the brilliant finale)
~spoiler: Dexter (um, hello, that final episode was killer!)

Comedy Series:
30 Rock, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Glee, Modern Family, Nurse Jackie, The Office
Will win: Modern Family
Should win: Glee (ok, yes, I’m a gleek… but I’ll be totally happy with an equally deserving Modern Family win here)

Comedy Lead Actor:
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Steve Carrell (The Office), Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Matthew Morrison (Glee), Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory), Tony Shaloub (Monk)
Will & Should win: Jim Parsons (He is hilarious and I’m not even a fan of the show)
~spoiler: Tony Shaloub (he had a great and long tape and it’s the final year of his show)
* I’d love to see Steve Carrell win though (he’s 0 for 5 at the Emmys in this category)

Comedy Lead Actress:
Toni Collette (United States of Tara), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Lea Michelle (Glee), Julia Louis Dreyfuss (New Adventures of Old Christine), Amy Poehler (Parks & Recreation)
Will & Should win: Edie Falco
~spoiler: Lea Michelle (she submitted the “Don’t Rain on my Parade” episode)
* this category could go many ways with Poehler and Collette submitting great episodes too

Comedy Supporting Actor:
Ty Burrell (Modern Family), Chris Colfer (Glee), Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
Will win: Neil Patrick Harris (he lost the last 3 years in a row when he deserved to win and he just won 2 at the Shmemmys. He’s on a role!)
Should win: Ty Burrell or Eric Stonestreet or Harris or Colfer or Ferguson (oh heck anyone but Cryer)
~spoiler: Chris Colfer

Comedy Supporting Actress:
Julie Bowen (Modern Family), Jane Krakowski (30 Rock), Jane Lynch (Glee), Sofia Vergara (Modern Family), Holland Taylor (Two and a Half Men), Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live)
Will & Should win: Jane Lynch
~this is the ONLY slam dunk of the night.

Comedy Writing:
Glee (“Pilot”), Modern Family (“Pilot”), The Office (“Niagra Pt. 1 &2), 30 Rock (“Anna Howard Shaw Day”), 30 Rock (“Lee Marvin v. Derek Jeter”)
Will win: Modern Family
Should win: Glee
~spoiler: Glee

Comedy Directing:
Glee (“Wheels”), Glee (“Pilot”), Modern Family (“Pilot”), Nurse Jackie (“Pilot”), 30 Rock (“I Do Do”)
Will & Should win: Glee (“Pilot”)~ the one that started it all
~spoiler: Glee (“Wheels”)~ it’s arguably better than the pilot directed by Emmy winner Paris Barclay

Outstanding Reality Competition Show:
The Amazing Race, American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Project Runway Top Chef
Will win: The Amazing Race (um, that’d be 8 in a row. It’s a great show, but enough!)
Should win: Top Chef
~spoiler: Top Chef

TV Movie
Endgame, Georgia O’Keefe, Moonshot, Temple Grandin, The Special Relationship, You Don’t Know Jack
Will & Should win: Temple Grandin
~spoiler: You Don’t Know Jack

Miniseries:
The Pacific, Return to Cranford
Will & Should win: The Pacific

Lead Actress TV Movie/Miniseries
Joan Allen (Georgia O’Keefe), Clare Danes (Temple Grandin), Hope Davis (That Special Relationship), Judi Dench (Return to Cranford), Maggie Smith (Capturing Mary)
Will & Should win: Clare Danes (simply astonishingly good)
~spoiler: Joan Allen

Lead Actor TV Movie/Miniseries:
Jeff Bridges (A Dog Year), Ian McKellan (The Prisoner), Dennis Quaid (That Special Relationship), Michael Sheen (That Special Relationship), Al Pacino (You Don’t Know Jack)
Will win: Al Pacino
Should win: Ian McKellan
~spoiler: Jeff Bridges (he just won that Oscar you know…)

Supporting Actress TV Movie/Miniseries:
Kathy Bates (Alice), Catherine O’Hara (Temple Grandin), Julia Ormond (Temple Grandin), Brenda Vacarro (You Don’t Know Jack), Susan Sarandon (You Don’t Know Jack)
Will win: Julia Ormond
Should win: Brenda Vacarro (or the wonderful and subtle work from Catherine O’Hara)
~spoiler: Susan Sarandon (hello, she’s the big movie star here)

Supporting Actor TV Movie/Miniseries:
Michael Gambon (Emma), John Goodman (You Don’t Know Jack), Johnathan Pryce (Return to Cranford), Patrick Steward (Hamlet), David Strathairn (Temple Grandin)
Will & Should win: Patrick Stewart
~spoiler: David Strathairn (if there’s a “Temple” sweep)

Tony’s Top TV Stars

The annual Tony Awards honoring the best on Broadway air this Sunday on CBS. The show has been a tradition for the network for years and it not only will be celebrating the best of theatre, but also showcasing a number of TV stars who are stretching their legs on the boards. The show is hosted by Emmy winning Will & Grace star and Tony nominee Sean Hayes and features several TV faces as nominees this year including Laura Linney (Showtime’s upcoming The Big C), Kelsey Grammer (Frasier), Valerie Harper (Rhoda, etc), Linda Lavin (Alice), David Alan Grier (In Living Color), and 5 time winner Angela Landsbury (Murder She Wrote). All of these honorees had me wondering just what current TV stars have won Tony Awards. So, I did some digging. Take a look at the list of Tony Winning and Tony Nominated stars from some your favorite TV programs below. Now, I’m sure I’m missing some, so head over to the Tony’s website if you want to check and call me out.

Current TV Stars who’ve won Tony Awards:

Glenn Close (Damages)~ she has 3 Tonys including Best Actress in a Musical for Sunset Boulevard
Sara Ramirez (Greys Anatomy)~ won Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Spamalot
Alan Cumming (The Good Wife)~ won Best Actor in a Musical for Cabaret
Audra McDonald (Private Practice)~ she has 4 Tony Awards!
Jane Krakowski (30 Rock)~ she won Featured Actress in a Musical for Grand Hotel
Kristen Chenowith (Glee)~ She won Featured Actress in a Musical for You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown
Idina Menzel (Glee)~ the original Elphaba in Wicked, she landed the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the role (beating costar Kristen Chenowith)

Other TV Actors who’ve won in Plays include: Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Eve Best (Nurse Jackie), B.D. Wong (Law & Order: SVU) and Mary Louise Parker (Weeds)

And here are a bunch of your fave TV Actors who’ve landed Tony nominations…
Laura Linney (The Big C) has 3 Tony noms to her credit, Oliver Platt (Th Big C), Matthew Morrison (Glee) nomm’d for A Light in the Piazza, Jonathan Groff (Glee) nomm’d for Spring Awakening, and Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty) nomm’d for Into the Woods.

That’s just a sampling of your TV talent Tony nominated stars. I’m not even gonna start with Tony-nominated movie stars. This year alone we have a ton (Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Liev Shcriber, Christopher Walken, Jude Law, Scarlett Johannson). In the meantime, watch the Tonys this Sunday on CBS at 8pm and enjoy the brilliant Sara Ramirez in her big Tony winning performance from Spamalot below.

Sara Ramirez in Spamalot