It’s Katniss vs. Kristin as The Hunger Games and Bridesmaids lead the MTV Movie Award Nominations

There was some serious girl power on display with yesterday’s announcement of this year’s contenders for the MTV Movie Awards. While the usual competitor Twilight entry is in the race again as Breaking Dawn got a nod for Best Movie, the shocker was that it only got 2 nods. Instead, the female centric movies The Hunger Games and Bridesmaids each towered over the competition with 8 nods while The Help grabbed 4 and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo grabbed 3. The other big nominee was the final Harry Potter film which landed in 6 races. Take a look at all the nominees below and I have to say MTV has picked a much better crop with these contenders than in most of the past decade. For more on the show which takes place on June 3 and to vote, head to MTV.com here.

2012 MTV Movie Award Nominees

Movie of the Year
“Bridesmaids”
“The Hunger Games”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″
“The Help”
“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1″

Best Male Performance
Daniel Radcliffe, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″
Ryan Gosling, “Drive”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “50/50″
Josh Hutcherson, “The Hunger Games”
Channing Tatum, “The Vow”

Best Female Performance
Jennifer Lawrence, “The Hunger Games”
Kristin Wiig, “Bridesmaids”
Emma Stone, “Crazy, Stupid, Love”
Emma Watson, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″
Rooney Mara, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”

Best Comedic Performance
Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”
Kristen Wiig, “Bridesmaids”
Zach Galifianakis, “The Hangover Part II”
Jonah Hill, “21 Jump Street”
Oliver Cooper, “Project X”

Breakthrough Performance
Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”
Rooney Mara, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Liam Hemsworth, “The Hunger Games”
Elle Fanning, “Super 8″
Shailene Woodley, “The Descendants”

Best Cast
“Bridesmaids”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″
“The Hunger Games”
“21 Jump Street”
“The Help”

Best On-Screen Transformation
Elizabeth Banks, “The Hunger Games”
Rooney Mara, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Johnny Depp, “21 Jump Street”
Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”
Colin Farrell, “Horrible Bosses”

Best Fight
Daniel Radcliffe vs. Ralph Fiennes, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″
Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson vs. Alexander Ludwig, “The Hunger Games”
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill vs. Kid Gang, “21 Jump Street”
Tom Hardy vs. Joel Edgerton, “Warrior”
Tom Cruise vs. Michelle Nyqvist, “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”

Best Kiss
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, “Crazy, Stupid, Love”
Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2″
Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, “The Hunger Games”
Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum, “The Vow”
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1″

Best Gut-Wrenching Performance
“Bridesmaids” (Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McClendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper)
“The Help” (Bryce Dallas Howard)
“21 Jump Street” (Jonah Hill and Rob Riggle)
“Drive” (Ryan Gosling)
“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” (Tom Cruise)

Best On-Screen Dirt Bag
Bryce Dallas Howard, “The Help”
Jon Hamm, “Bridesmaids”
Jennifer Aniston, “Horrible Bosses”
Colin Farrell, “Horrible Bosses”
Oliver Cooper, “Project X”

Best Music
“Party Rock Anthem,” LMFAO (“21 Jump Street”)
“A Real Hero,” College with Electric Youth (“Drive”)
“The Devil Is in the Details,” Chemical Brothers (“Hanna”)
“Impossible,” Figurine (“Like Crazy”)
“Pursuit of Happiness,” Kid Cudi (Steve Aoki remix) (“Project X”)

It’s all about Hollywood as The Artist, Hugo and Meryl dominate the Oscars

It was a clear message heard round the Kodak (what will they change the name to?) theatre in Hollywood tonight as Hollywood honored the movies at the Oscars:  if it was about movie-making or starred our very own movie queen, it won. The Artist and Hugo, both films that are essentially love letters to movie-making, each won 5 awards while Meryl Streep, the most lauded and iconic actress of our time finally won her 3rd Oscar for her amazing work in The Iron Lady. Yes, she only has three! Despite 17 nominations, she hadn’t won since Sophie’s Choice 29 years ago, and she was arguably the most deserving winner of the night. (No disrespect to the tremendously lovely Viola Davis by the way. I swear you will get your Oscar one day!)… Speaking of deserving winners, Christopher Plummer and Ocatvia Spencer finished their dominated awards season runs picking up the Supporting Actor honors for Beginners and The Help. WIth his win, Plummer became the oldest acting winner in history at the tender age of 82!… Best Actor went to Jean Dujardin (over heavily favored George Clooney) whose film The Artist also picked up Best Picture, Director, Costume Design and Score. Hugo’s 5 wins were in the technical categories while one big surprise was the Best Editing win for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. For more on all the winners and the delightful if a bit subdued broadcast hosted by Billy Crystal, head here. (Big props to the ladies of Bridesmaids and Tina Fey for bringing us the funniest moments by the way). And check out all the winners below… And let me just say I am so incredibly happy for Streep! She gave the best, classiest speech of the night and I’m just thrilled she finally won. Congrats Meryl!!!!

2012 Academy Award Winners:

Best Picture: The Artist
Best Director: Michael Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Best Actress: Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Descendants
Best Original Screenplay: Midnight in Paris
Best Cinematography: Hugo
Best Editing: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Best Art Direction: Hugo
Best Costume Design: The Artist
Best Makeup: The Iron Lady
Best Original Score: The Artist     
Best Original Song: “Man or a Muppet” (The Muppets)
Best Sound Editing: Hugo
Best Sound Mixing: Hugo
Best Visual Effects: Hugo

Best Documentary: Undefeated
Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation
Best Animated Film: Rango
Best Animated Short Film: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Best Live Action Short Film: The Shore
Best Documentary Short Subject: Saving Face

Most Wins~
The Artist: 5
Hugo: 5
The Iron Lady: 2

My Big Bold 2012 Oscar Winner Predictions

Ok, enough with the Grammys, Globes and SAG Awards, the grand daddy of them all is here: the Academy Awards. This Sunday is the big day with the supreme Oscar host Billy Crystal returning to preside over the big day. With Crystal in command, we know the show will be hilarious, but will there be any surprises? Well, the top two acting races are just that, races between two deserving candidates. So, we could have upsets and some serious excitement. With that said, can anyone stop The Artist from sweeping? Well, take a look at my big bold Oscar winner predictions below and see.

My Big Bold 2012 Oscar Winner Predictions:

Best Picture:
The Artist, The Descendants, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life, War Horse
Will & Should win: The Artist
spoiler: Hugo
~ my sentimental fave: The Help

Best Director:
Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris), Michael Hazanvicius (The Artist), Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life), Alexander Payne (The Descendants), Martin Scorsese (Hugo)
Will & Should win: Michael Hazanavicius
~spoiler: Martin Scorsese

Best Actor:
Demian Bichir (A Better Life), George Clooney (The Descendants), Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
Will & Should win: Jean Dujardin
~spoiler: George Clooney
* This is a super tight race and it will be close between Clooney and Dujardin. How neat would it be if the wonderful and truly deserving Bichir pulled a surprise upset here? It’s not gonna happen, but it would be lovely to see.

Best Actress:
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs), Viola Davis (The Help), Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady), Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)
Will & Should win: Meryl Streep
~spoiler: Viola Davis
* ok, I’m going out on a big limb here. Conventional wisdom and smart money is on Davis (who was wonderful and would be a deserving winner). However, if you’ve seen The Iron Lady, you can’t deny Streep should win. She also hasn’t won in 30 years. Hello people!

Best Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn), Jonah Hill (Moneyball), Nick Nolte (Warrior), Christopher Plummer (Beginners), Max Von Sydow (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)
Will & Should win: Christopher Plummer
~spoiler: Max Von Sydow

Best Supporting Actress:
Berenice Bejo (The Artist), Jessica Chastain (The Help), Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids), Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs), Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Will & Should win: Octavia Spencer
~spoiler: Melissa McCarthy

Best Original Screenplay:
The Artist, Bridesmaids, Margin Call, Midnight in Paris, A Separation
Will win: Midnight in Paris
Should win: Bridesmaids
~spoiler: The Artist

Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Descendants, Hugo, The Ides of March, Moneyball, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Will Win: Moneyball
~spoiler: The Descendants
* This one will be close. I feel like they may throw a bone to The Descendants here, but I’m keeping my money on the better screenplay for Moneyball. Plus it has more overall nominations indicating wider support within the academy.

Best Cinematography:
The Artist, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, The Tree of Life, War Horse
Will win: The Tree of Life
Should win: War Horse (yes, I loved the movie, what of it?)
~spoiler: The Artist (they love some black and white)

Best Editing:
The Artist, The Descendants, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, Moneyball
Will win: The Artist
Should win: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
~Spoiler: Hugo

Best Animated Film:
A Cat in Paris, Chico and Rita, Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss in Boots, Rango
Will & Should win: Rango

Best Foreign Film:
Bullhead, Footnote, In Darkness, Monsieur Lahzar, A Separation
Will & Should win: A Separation
~spoiler: In Darkness

Best Original Score:
The Adventures of Tin Tin, The Artist, Hugo, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, War Horse
Will & Should win: The Artist

Best Original Song:
“Man or a Muppet” (The Muppets), “Real in Rio” (Rio)
Will & Should win: “Man or a Muppet” (this would be the first ever win for a Muppet movie!)
* PS- this category is a disaster. Due to their strict rules, a ton of great and deserving songs by Mary J. Blige (The Help), Elton John (Gnomeo & Juliet), Madonna (W.E.), Pink (Happy Feet 2) and more didn’t make the cut. Blargh!

Best Art Direction:
The Artist, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, War Horse
Will win: Hugo
Should win: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2
~spoiler: The Artist

Best Costume Design:
Anonymous, The Artist, Hugo, Jane Eyre, W.E.
Will win: The Artist
Should win: W.E.
~spoiler: W.E.

Best Makeup:
Albert Nobbs, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, The Iron Lady
Will & Should win: The Iron Lady
~spoiler: Harry Potter

Best Sound Editing:
Drive, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, War Horse
Will win: Hugo
Should win: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Best Sound Mixing:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, Moneyball, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, War Horse
Will win: Hugo
Should win: War Horse
~spoiler: Transformers

Visual Effects:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Real Steel, Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Will win: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Should win: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 (hello the Harry Potter franchise has never won an Oscar!)
~spoiler: Harry Potter

Best Documentary:
Hell and Back Again, If a Tree Falls, Paradise Lost 3, Pina, Undefeated
Will win: Undefeated
Should win: Pina
~spoiler: Paradise Lost 3
* this one is a super tight race… My first instinct is for Pina to win (and it’s the most interesting, but also the most experimental). Then, I was thinking Undefeated plays into the emotions of the academy and has a bigger profile, so it may win. It’s a real tossup with the well-known Paradise Lost series in the mix as well.

* for the shorts, shoot me an email.

They’re Here~ My Big Bold Oscar Nomination Predictions

They’re finally here~ the predictions you really care about, my big bold Academy Award nomination predictions. On Tuesday morning Jan. 24th, Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) will help announce this year’s contenders and as you all might guess, we should be hearing a lot from The Artist. We will also hear Hugo, The Descendants and The Help landing multiple nods, plus watch for Meryl Streep to grab that record-breaking (of her own record mind you) 17th nomination for The Iron Lady. However, there could be some surprises… I’m expecting The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to show some big muscle (much like last year’s last-minute contender True Grit) and grab notice in the big categories like Picture, Director (David Fincher) and Actress (Rooney Mara)… So, just who and what will be in the race? Take a look at my predictions below and head back here on Tuesday for the official nominees.

My Big Bold 2012 Oscar Nomination Predictions~

Picture:
The Artist
The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
War Horse
~spoilers: Drive, The Tree of Life, Moneyball, Bridesmaids
* Due to new balloting rules where any picture to land a Best Picture nod, they must get at least 250 first place votes and some crazy math, we don’t actually know how many films will land in the big race. It’s anywhere from a minimum of 5 to a max of 10.

Director:
David Fincher (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Michael Hazanvicius (The Artist)
Alexander Payne (The Descendants)
Martin Scorcesse (Hugo)
Steven Spielberg (War Horse)
~spoilers: Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris), Tate Taylor (The Help), Nicholas Winding-Refn (Drive)

Actor:
George Clooney (The Descendants)
Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar)
Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Michael Fassbender (Shame)
Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
~spoilers: Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Damian Bichir (A Better Life), Woody Harrelson (Rampart), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (50/50) …. I feel like Ryan Gosling is totally gonna cancel himself out with Drive and The Ides of March unfortunately.

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

Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn)
Albert Brooks (Drive)
Jonah Hill (Moneyball)
Nick Nolte (Warrior)
Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
~spoilers: Patton Oswalt (Young Adult), Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Alan Rickman (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2), Max Von Sydow (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)

Supporting Actress:

Berenice Bejo (The Artist)

Jessica Chastain (The Help)

Mellissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids)
Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs)
Octavia Spencer (The Help)
~spoilers: Shailene Woodley (The Descendants), Judi Dench (My Week with Marilyn), Carey Mulligan (Shame)

Adapted Screenplay
The Descendants, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Help, The Ides of March, Moneyball
~spoilers: Hugo, My Week with Marilyn, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, War Horse

Original Screenplay:
50/50, The Artist, Bridesmaids, Midnight in Paris, Young Adult
~spoilers: Beginners, A Separation, Win Win

Cinematography:
The Artist, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, The Tree of Life, War Horse
~spoilers: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Drive

Editing::
The Artist, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, War Horse
~spoilers: Drive, The Help, The Tree of Life, Super 8

Score:
The Artist, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Help, Hugo, War Horse
~spoilers: Hanna, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, My Week with Marilyn, W.E.
*Drive was declared ineligible (because of previously used music unfortunately)

Song:
“Bridge of Light” (Happy Feet 2)
“Hello Hello” (Gnomeo & Juliet)
“Life’s a Happy Song” (The Muppets)
“The Living Proof” (The Help)
“Man or a Muppet” (The Muppets)
~spoilers: “Pictures in My Head” (The Muppets), “Lay Your Head Down” (Albert Nobbs), “Star Spangled Man” (Captain America~ The First Avenger)
*Madonna’s Golden Globe winning song “Masterpiece” from W.E. was declared ineligible because it airs too late in the closing credits of the film which falls outside the rules of the category

Costume Design:
The Artist, The Help, Hugo, Jane Eyre, W.E.
~spoilers: War Horse, Albert Nobbs, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Anonymous

Art Direction:
The Artist, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, War Horse
~spoilers: The Help, W.E., Jane Eyre

Animated Film:
The Adventures of Tin Tin, Cars 2, Happy Feet 2, Kung Fu Panda 2, Rango
~spoiler: Rio

Makeup:
Albert Nobbs, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, The Iron Lady
~spoilers: Hugo, The Artist

Sound:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, Super 8, War Horse
~spoilers: Drive, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Visual Effects:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Hugo, Rise of the Planet of the Apes
~spoilers: Super 8, Thor

David Fincher and his “Dragon Tattoo” Break into the DGA Nominations

This awards season has seen a few films emerge as Oscar front-runners. Among them are The Artist, Midnight in Paris, Hugo and The Descendants. And the directors of all four of those films were nominated for the DGA Award this morning. However, the fifth nominee was a little bit of a surprise: David Fincher for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I have to say, while pundits are surprised, I am not. His film was my second fave of the year and I think it’s going to be a big Oscar player. I’m going out on a limb and saying the film and Fincher will both be in the Oscar race when nominations are announced in a few weeks. (I wouldn’t count out the film’s star, Rooney Mara, either. As audiences continue to find this film, they all love it)…. But the question is can Fincher win? I don’t know about that. I’d say it’s Scorcesse vs. Hazanavicius. Anywho, take a look at the nominees below and watch for the winner to be announced on January 28th in a ceremony hosted by Kelsey Grammar.

2012 Directors Guild Award Feature Film Nominees:

Woody Allen: Midnight in Paris (his 5th nomination)
David Fincher: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (3rd nom, 1 previous win for a commercial)
Michael Hazanavicius: The Artist (1st nom)
Alexander Payne: The Descendants (2nd nom)
Martin Scorcesse: Hugo (9th nom, 2 wins)

The Devil Destroys the Box Office while Tinker Tailor tackles the Top Ten

We have the first big breakout movie of 2012 as the atrocious “found footage” horror movie, The Devil Inside, opened to a big $34.5 million. It’s all the more stunning because the film only cost $1 million to make and the reviews and audience polling are terrible. Watch for a quick fade for the picture, but regardless, Paramount will have a giant profit. They’ll also be profiting from Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol which is chugging along quite nicely taking in another $20 million for second. Holding up best of the repeating films in the top ten was the brilliant The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo which only fell 24% for another $11.3 million and now seems a shoo-in to cross the $100 million mark. If it can nab some Oscar nominations, which I’m betting it will, it could go even farther…. The other big news in the top ten was the British indie Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy barging into the top ten at # 9. For more on all the numbers, head to Box Office Mojo here, and check out the new top ten below.

Top Ten Movies (Jan 6-8, 2012)
1. The Devil Inside, $ 34.5 million (debut)
2. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocal, $ 20.5 million ($ 170.2 miillion total)
3. Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows, $ 14.1 million ($ 157.4 million)
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, $ 11.3 million ($ 76.8 million)
5. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, $ 9.5 million ($ 111. 6 million)
6. War Horse, $ 8.6 million ($ 56.8 million)
7. We Bought a Zoo, $ 8.5 million ($ 56.6 million)
8. The Adventures of Tin Tin, $ 6.6 million ($ 61.9 million)
9. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, $ 5.8 million ($ 10. 4 million)
10. New Year’s Day, 3.3 million ($ 52 million)

Woody Allen marks his 20th Bid with the Writers Guild Nominations

Woody Allen is a writing machine. The iconic filmmaker grabbed his 20th nomination this morning for this year’s Writers Guild Awards. His nod for Midnight in Paris could be his 5th win. However, he’ll have to fight off those plucky Bridesmaids, a man fighting cancer (50/50), down on his luck coach (Win Win), and an alcoholic mean girl (Young Adult). Missing from the list are presumed Oscar front runners The Artist and Beginners who were inelligible to compete due to strict WGA rules about scripts being written under Guild guidelines…. In the Adapted Screenplay race, front runners Moneyball, The Help and The Descendants will face off against Hugo and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo… Among the big films that were snubbed despite being eligible were J. Edgar, War Horse, The Tree of Life and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Take a look at all the nominees below.

2012 Writers Guild Film Award Nominees:

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“50/50,” Written by Will Reiser; Summit Entertainment
“Bridesmaids,” Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig; Universal Studios
“Midnight in Paris,” Written by Woody Allen; Sony Pictures Classics
“Win Win,” Screenplay by Tom McCarthy; Story by Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni; Fox Searchlight
“Young Adult,” Written by Diablo Cody; Paramount Pictures

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“The Descendants,” Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash; Based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemming; Fox Searchlight
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” Screenplay by Steven Zaillian; Based on the novel by Stieg Larsson, originally published by Norstedts; Columbia Pictures
“The Help,” Screenplay by Tate Taylor; Based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett; DreamWorks Pictures
“Hugo,” Screenplay by John Logan; Based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick; Paramount Pictures
“Moneyball,” Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin; Based on the book by Michael Lewis; Columbia Pictures

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
“Better This World,” Written by Katie Galloway & Kelly Duane de la Vega; Loteria Films
“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front,” Written by Marshall Curry and Matthew Hamachek; Oscilloscope Pictures
“Nostalgia for the Light,” Written by Patricio Guzmán; Icarus Films
“Pina,” Screenplay by Wim Wenders; Sundance Selects
“Position Among the Stars,” Script by Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich, Leonard Retel Helmrich; HBO Films
“Senna,” Written by Manish Pandey; Producers Distribution Agency

My Top 20 Movies of 2011

With box office grosses down and a ton of lackluster films in the marketplace, you’d think it might be hard to find 20 good movies from the past year. But I did. In fact, there were a lot of good movies released in 2011. They just tended to be smaller indie films like Martha Marcy May Marlene or Beginners. However, there were some big studio films that were hits with critics, audiences and me like The Help and the final Harry Potter. So, just what made my end of the year list? … Take a look below.

* First, I have to say there are a few that I haven’t seen yet. I know, bad me… Those films are:  Shame, Rango and We need to Talk About Kevin…
now, the list…

My Top 20 Movies of 2011:
1. The Help
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
3. War Horse
4. 50/50
5. The Artist

6. Drive
7. Beginners
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2
9. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
10. Bridesmaids
11. Crazy Stupid Love
12. Martha Marcy May Marlene
13. Albert Nobbs
14. The Iron Lady
15. The Muppets
16. My Week with Marilyn
17. We Were Here
18. Super 8
19. The Ides of March
20 TIE:  Margin Call  & Midnight in Paris

Honorable Mention: The Whistleblower, Jane Eyre, Gun Hill Road, Warrior, Moneyball

Best Acting Performance of 2011: Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady
Best Movie that I saw at Festival: The Green
Best Comedy: Bridesmaids
Best Family Film: The Muppets
Best Super Hero Movie: Thor

Worst 5 Movies I saw:
1. Paul
2. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
3. Cowboys & Aliens
4. Limitless
5. Larry Crowne

There is my list. I may be changing it as I catch up with a few more Oscar contenders, but heck it’s January 3rd. I had to post it already. What are your thoughts? What are your faves? Sound off below.

2011′s Acting Overachievers

It seemed everywhere you turned in 2011, there was a gorgeous new actress tearing up the screen. Whether playing a dim bulb Southern belle, a long-suffering wife, a young Mossad agent or a Shakespearean muse, Jessica Chastain was pretty much flawless. And it’s likely she’ll grab an Oscar nomination for her role in The Help (though some have championed her work in The Tree of Life). Regardless, Chastain is 2011′s biggest overachiever with roles in 7 films…. However, she’s not alone. Take a look at this list of the year’s biggest stars and their multiple film roles.

2011′s Big Screen Overachievers:

1. Jessica Chastain: She’s the undisputed breakthrough star of the year and is being hailed as the heir to the Meryl Streep/Cate Blanchett throne.
Her output this year~ The Help, Take Shelter, The Tree of Life, The Debt, Corolianus, Texas Killing Fields, Wild Salome

2. Michael Fassbender: this sexy star first turned our heads in Inglorious Basterds. Now, he has three potential Oscar contenders and should grab his first nomination for his soul and body baring role in Shame.
His films: Shame, A Dangerous Method, X Men: First Class, Jane Eyre

3. Robin Wright: the critically respected actress finally parted ways with Sean Penn a while back and has been working nonstop in critically respected films big and small turning out amazing work this year, especially in Rampart as a conflicted boozy litigator and as the stoic woman being held responsible in the assassination of Lincoln in The Conspirator.
Wrights films: The Conspirator, Rampart, Moneyball, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

4. Daniel Craig: Mr. James Bond had a rather roller coaster year with a big summer bomb (Cowboys & Aliens) and a smash end of the year hit (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Craig’s films: Cowboys & Aliens, Dream House, The Adventures of Tin Tin, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

5. Matt Damon: the guy just never stops working and he’s always good even when the movies are bad…
Damon’s films: The Adjustment Bureau, Contagion, Margaret, Happy Feet 2, We Bought a Zoo

And some honorable mentions go to these busy actors over the past year…

Kate Winslet: Carnage, Contagion and the epic miniseries Mildred Pierce
Ryan Reynolds: poor guy was bomb central with The Green Lantern, Fireflies in the Garden (what?) and The Change Up
Emma Stone: The Help, Friends with Benefits, Crazy Stupid Love
Chris Evans: Puncture, What’s Your Number, Captain America: The First Avenger
Dame Judi Dench: Jane Eyre, My Week with Marilyn, J. Edgar

And I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few, so if you want to add to the list, hit me up in the comments. And who do you think will be 2012′s overachiever?

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!