Nitflicky

Credits: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

2009-11-16T05:23:00.000-08:00

Credits: Charade

2009-11-09T05:18:00.000-08:00

Precious Day

2009-11-06T04:15:00.000-08:00

Precious hits theaters today, and we'll no doubt be seeing more of this man, Lee Daniels, from here on out. My boyfriend and I are going away for the weekend, so I have no idea if I'll catch it or not. If you get a chance to see the film this weekend, come back here and tell me what you thought!

Poll: What are Gabby Sidibe's chances of having a long film career?

2009-11-04T16:52:00.000-08:00

A lot of talk has been going on this week about Gabourey Sidibe, the charming new actress starring in Precious. Lots of debate has gone on about whether or not her talent will outshine her obviously atypical looks (in cinema, anyway) and ensure a successful acting career in coming years. Let me know what you think in the sidebar poll.

(POLL RESULTS: In the wake of the trailer premiere for Clint Eastwood's Invictus, we talked about his best films so far this decade. Mystic River was the winner, with 55% of the vote, while Million Dollar Baby took second with 33%. 11% professed admiration for his latest, Gran Torino. Thanks for voting!)

Oscar Has Its Hosts

2009-11-03T17:27:00.000-08:00

Woot! Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin have been announced as this year's Oscar hosts, and I think it's great news. I guess it makes sense to have more than one host, since AMPAS is trying to take the show back to its roots with 10 Best Picture nominees. It wasn't uncommon in past years to have a few people in charge.
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The two comedic actors also costar in this December's It's Complicated, a comedy from Nancy Meyers and another vehicle for one Ms. Meryl Streep. I like this idea a lot better than Hugh Jackman, to be honest, so my hopes are high. Now all they need to do is get the nominees right...
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The full press release:

Beverly Hills, CA (November 3, 2009) — Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will serve as co-hosts of the 82nd Academy Awards®, Oscar telecast producers Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman announced today.

“We think the team of Steve and Alec are the perfect pair of hosts for the Oscars,” said Shankman and Mechanic. “Steve will bring the experience of having hosted the show in the past and Alec will be a completely fresh personality for this event.”

“I am happy to co-host the Oscars with my enemy Alec Baldwin,” said Martin.

“I don’t play the banjo but I’m thrilled to be hosting the Oscars – it’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Baldwin.

Martin hosted the 73rd and 75th Academy Awards shows, earning an Emmy nomination for the first stint. He has also served as a presenter on the show several times, most recently at the ceremony in February when he appeared with Tina Fey. He is currently touring with the bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers in support of his latest album “The Crow: New Songs for the Five String Banjo.” In 1977 and 1978 Martin won Grammys for Best Comedy Recording. He earned a third Grammy in 2001 in the Best Country Instrumental Performance category. In 2007 Martin earned a Kennedy Center Honor.

Baldwin was nominated for an Academy Award in 2003 for his supporting role in “The Cooler.” That year also marked his most recent appearance as a presenter on the show. Baldwin currently stars as Jack Donaghy on the comedy “30 Rock,” a role for which he has won two Emmys (in 2008 and 2009). Baldwin earned a Tony nomination in 1992 for his performance in “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

Top 10: Actresses That Need Better Parts

2009-11-03T07:56:00.000-08:00

Don't you hate it when an actor or actress that you truly admire starts throwing their career away? There always seems to be a plethora of talented entertainers who pick project after project that does them no favors and has no artistic merit whatsoever. Here are a few actresses I happen to love and see enormous potential in, that rarely seem to land in the roles as great as their talents.

10. Mena Suvari
Most promising film: American Beauty

Remember this? Stellar lead performances from Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening hogged all of the attention back in 1999, but there was some phenomenal supporting work in the film. One that still stands out to me is Mena Suvari as Angela, Janie Burnham's friend who uses ambition and sex appeal to mask a seething center of insecurity. Her delivery is perfect throughout the entire film, and she manages to turn a bitchy character with a serious attitude problem into someone sympathetic and likable in the film's final act. Her performance is funny, infuriating and ultimately sad.

9. Rachel McAdams
Most promising film: Mean Girls

In one of the best high school movies ever, Rachel McAdams played the now legendary Regina George, the queen bee and most popular girl in school desperately trying to hang on to her social status. The voice of writer Tina Fey made this movie an instant comedy classic, and its strongest player was undoubtedly McAdams. Her timing and delivery were genius, and made her character a quotable and memorable screen villain for the ages. If she could shy away from romantic leads for a while, and maybe take on a gritty role where she's not required to look drop dead gorgeous, she has a shot.

8. Emmy Rossum
Most promising films: Mystic River, The Phantom of the Opera

The National Board of Review named Emmy Rossum their breakthrough actress of the year back in 2004, and I think they were on to something. She has some quality that makes her instantly likable. In Clint Eastwood's Mystic River she played Katie Markum, the ill-fated daughter of Sean Penn's Jimmy, and didn't need a lot of screen time to show us that Jimmy's loss was profound and unfair. In the coveted role of Christine Daae in The Phantom of the Opera, she was wonderful, even if you couldn't say the same for the film itself.

7. Keri Russell
Most promising film: Waitress

Keri Russell first started stealing hearts and impressing critics as the iconic title character in the WB's college drama, Felicity. But it was her role as an unhappily pregnant waitress with a talent for making pies and eyes for a new doctor in town that really made the world take notice. She gives a witty and endearing performance, and carries the quirky little indie with charm and grace. It's a tragedy that this film marks the end of writer-director Adrienne Shelley's career, but at least there is the joy in what will hopefully be a long and colorful filmography for Russell.

6. Kristen Stewart
Most promising films: Into the Wild, Adventureland

I know that Stewart has made loads of money and picked up quite a fan base with her involvement in the Twilight franchise, but I have to say it may be one of the worst decisions she could have possibly made if she wants to be taken seriously as an actress. She was one of the strongest supporting elements in Sean Penn's beautiful Into the Wild, and gave a perfect performance in this year's college comedy Adventureland. She was smart, funny, and desperately lonely and lost. Here's hoping she lands more important roles in the future.

5. Scarlett Johansson
Most promising films: Lost in Translation, Girl With a Pearl Earring

I can't quite figure out why things aren't going right for ScarJo. She obviously has talent (3 Golden Globe nominations) and good taste (frequent collaborations with Woody Allen), but yet her name just doesn't excite the kind of praise that one would expect by now. Personally I think Woody puts too much emphasis on her sexuality, because I know she has more to offer than a pretty face and killer curves. Her lonely, neglected new wife in Lost in Translation was a captivating character and I'm sure she has a few more in her.

4. Sarah Michelle Gellar
Most promising film: Okay, her strongest role was Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and that success so far hasn't translated to films, but it could!

Call me crazy, but I think Sarah Michelle Gellar could be great. No, she hasn't made good choices where her film career is concerned, but she killed - no pun intended - on Buffy and has all the talent and beauty needed to be a major star. I'll probably take crap for this, but I actually thought she did an awesome job in the teen slasher movie I Know What You Did Last Summer (a guilty pleasure for me). She was the only convincing member of the cast and in the right part she could carry a film.

3. Katherine Heigl
Most promising film: Knocked Up

Katherine Heigl brought the funny in Judd Apatow's Knocked Up, in which she plays a career-minded woman who has to put her plans on hold after a drunken one-night stand leads to an unwanted pregnancy. Heigl is hilarious and holds her own among Apatow's close-knit comedy troupe. She's also a slam-dunk dramatic actress, and she has the Emmy to prove it. She's already landing lead roles left and right (27 Dresses, The Ugly Truth) but a part in a film from a director like Kimberly Peirce or Jane Campion would be a better fit for her range.

2. Kerry Washington
Most promising films: Save the Last Dance, Ray, The Last King of Scotland

Kerry Washington is one of those actresses who commands your attention and demands that you remember her. I saw Save the Last Dance as a teenager (in one of my less discerning moments) and quickly forgot about it, but I thought about Washington for a long time, and kept reminding myself to keep an eye out for her. She gets small roles in a number of great films (she's supported two of her leading men to Best Actor wins), but for some reason no one trusts her to headline a movie. It's a shame, because I'm positive she'll knock a lead performance out of the park as soon as she gets the chance.

1. Kate Hudson
Most promising film: Almost Famous

Kate Hudson is the most tragic example of a talented actress squandering her gifts in films that don't deserve her. Her breakthrough performance in Almost Famous as Penny Lane, the Stillwater groupie in love with the one man who doesn't want her, was phenomenal, and should have ensured a long career in respectable films. As Penny, she has wonderful moments that take the audience from laughter to tears and back again. A part in Rob Marshall's upcoming musical Nine seems like a step in the right direction.

These women all have something great to offer. If their agents would get to work and find them roles in important films, they could be incredible. Who would you like to see challenge themselves a bit more often?

No. No. No.

2009-11-02T17:26:00.000-08:00

There's a sequel a-brewin' for the 1988 classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Not.
Good.
News.

Not at all. I hate unnecessary sequels, especially to movies that are decades old. Just leave well enough alone, y'all.

THIS IS IT

2009-11-02T15:42:00.000-08:00

Directed by Kenny Ortega

Premiere date: October 28, 2009
PG for some suggestive choreography and scary images.

Michael Jackson's This Is It offers Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London's O2 Arena. Chronicling the months from April through June, 2009, the film is produced with the full support of the Estate of Michael Jackson and drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at Jackson as he has never been seen before. In raw and candid detail, Michael Jackson's This Is It captures the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, creative genius and great artist at work as he creates and perfects his final show.

FOOD, INC.

2009-11-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

Directed by Robert Kenner

Premiere date: June 12, 2009
PG for some thematic material and disturbing images.

Filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli - the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults. Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield's Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms' Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising and often upsetting truths about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

Credits: Vertigo

2009-11-02T07:21:00.000-08:00

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

2009-11-02T07:06:00.000-08:00

Based on the novel by Gaston Leroux
Stage musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Screenplay by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Joel Schumacher
Directed by Joel Schumacher

Gerard Butler
Emmy Rossum
Patrick Wilson
Miranda Richardson
Minnie Driver

Premiere date: December 22, 2004
PG-13 for brief violent images.

Christine Daee is a tortured young star who is haunted by the voice of the phantom, a musician who hides in the shadows to hide a facial disfigurement, yet sings to her obsessively. Dwelling in the dark, damp chambers beneath the Paris opera house, the phantom lords over the cast and management with artistic autocracy - he writes the shows, casts them, and threatens all who disobey his plans with dramatically violent outbursts. But when his young student Christine falls for the rich and dapper Raoul, the phantom descends into madness.

National Board of Review
Best Breakthrough Performance - Emmy Rossum

3 Academy Award Nominations
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Original Song - "Learn to Be Lonely"

Numbers: November 1, 2009

2009-11-01T18:22:00.000-08:00

1. (new) This Is It - Gross: $21,300,000 / Gross to date: $32,509,000
2. (1) Paranormal Activity - Gross: $16,540,000 / Gross to date: $84,780,000
3. (4) Law Abiding Citizen - Gross: $7,303,000 / Gross to date: $51,384,650
4. (5) Couples Retreat - Gross: $6,097,390 / Gross to date: $86,663,145
5. (2) Saw VI - Gross: $5,560,000 / Gross to date: $22,820,000
6. (3) Where the Wild Things Are - Gross: $5,081,000 / Gross to date: $61,800,000
7. (8) The Stepfather - Gross: $3,400,000 / Gross to date: $24,748,000
8. (6) Astro Boy - Gross: $3,035,000 / Gross to date: $10,891,000
9. (11) Amelia - Gross: $3,000,000 / Gross to date: $8,305,832
10. (7) Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant - Gross: $2,809,080 / Gross to date: $10,520,870

Worth mentioning: The Michael Jackson concert documentary This Is It took the box office this weekend, though it didn't make as much as Sony projected. It's the second highest opening weekend for a concert gilm, only behind the tween phenomenon that was Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds.

I Heart Gabby

2009-11-01T13:56:00.000-08:00

THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR

2009-11-01T13:46:00.000-08:00

Based on the novel by John Irving
Written and directed by Tod Williams

Jeff Bridges
Kim Basinger
Jon Foster
Elle Fanning

Premiere date: July 14, 2004
R for strong sexuality and graphic images, and language.

Famous children's books author Ted Cole and his beautiful wife Marion's once-great marriage has been strained by tragedy. The Coles lovingly parent their surviving child, bright 4-year-old Ruth, who takes everything in stride as perhaps only a child can. But Marion's equation of love with loss, coupled with Ted's infidelities, points towards a much-needed change in the relationship. That may come in the form of Eddie O'Hare, the young man Ted hires to work as his summer assistant. Eddie idolizes Ted, but Ted's erratic work habits soon leave Eddie to his own devices. Marion becomes an object of desire for Eddie, rekindling in her some surprising emotions as a mother and as a woman. To Eddie's surprise and delight, his yearning is potently reciprocated. As he becomes passionately entwined with the seemingly fragile yet increasingly bold Marion, Eddie comes to realize that, similarly, Ted's surface fecklessness hides something deeper within. As the summer draws to a close, Marion and Ted must make difficult decisions about the future of their family.

National Board of Review
Special Recognition for Excellence in Filmmaking

We love you, Ms. Hannigan!

2009-11-01T12:50:00.000-08:00

November 2009

2009-11-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

I can't believe we're almost through with 2009. Only a little more than four months until the Oscars, so now we're getting into the heavy-hitter months of November and December. Lots of awards hopefuls are up to bat. Some will thrill us and some will disappoint.
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This coming weekend we'll see A Christmas Carol, an animated update on the classic tale from Robert Zemeckis and Jim Carrey. Precious, one of the most decorated films of the year so far, will finally be released after months on the festival circuit. Oprah and Tyler Perry should do wonders for this little movie, and my guess is it will be enormously successful once it goes wide.
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This weekend also brings the ensemble comedy The Men Who Stare at Goats.
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The 13th will see a few indie contenders in theaters: The Messenger, That Evening Sun and The Young Victoria. I've seen The Young Victoria, and personally I thought it was a little slow and I don't see much hope for it with AMPAS.
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On the 20th, the big November money-maker and guaranteed suck fest (pun entirely intentional) New Moon comes out. I cannot beg enough for everyone to just stay away from this nightmare. See Broken Embraces instead. It might not be the deepest of Almodovar's works, but I caught it earlier this month and fell in love.
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Then the next week we have two of my most anticipated films of the year, The Road and The Princess and the Frog. The Road isn't looking like the strongest of bets as far as awards are concerned, but I loved the novel and love Viggo Mortensen, so I'll be catching it anyway. The Princess and the Frog is Disney's return to 2D, and if successful could result in a resuscitation of the dying art that is hand-drawn animation. I'm praying that it's a critical and commercial success.
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Finally, on the 27th, there's a limited release of The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, another mostly disappointing film I saw this month. Performances in that one range from fine to dreadful, so if I were you I'd wait for the DVD.
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What are you planning to see this month?

THE INCREDIBLES

2009-10-31T21:34:00.000-07:00

Written and directed by Brad Bird

Craig T. Nelson
Holly Hunter
Sarah Vowell
Samuel L. Jackson
Jason Lee

Premiere date: November 5, 2004
PG for action violence.

It takes a will of steel to hide your superhero talents from a world that still needs you, yet no longer appreciates what you can do. Battling a bulging belly and boring job, Mr. Incredible longs for the glory days of upholding law and order while his superhuman family tries to fit in and find their place in "normal" life. Relief from quiet suburbia finally comes years later, when the family uncovers a diabolical plan and must bring together their respective strengths to save the day.

National Board of Review
Best Animated Feature

4 Academy Award Nominations, 2 Wins
Best Animated Feature
Best Original Screenplay
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing

TOP 10: Foreign Horror

2009-10-31T05:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! I knew with the dark holiday coming up that I wanted to do a top 10 of horror movies, but it seems like every film site everywhere does the same thing around this time of year. A person only cares to debate whether The Exorcist or Psycho is creepier so many times, so I decided to tweak the criteria a bit.

These are my 10 favorite foreign horror films. No matter what language you speak or what country you call home, these movies are guaranteed to inspire a few nightmares.

10. A Tale of Two Sisters

If you're planning on watching this one, be sure to make time to see it twice. This intriguing Korean ghost story has a shocker ending that'll have you rethinking everything you've just seen. When two sisters come home from the hospital after the death of their mother, they contend with two evils in their home - their bitter new stepmother and a vengeful spirit. It's a wonderful, somber movie about adolescence and mourning.

9. Nosferatu

This German silent film from F.W. Murnau is the original Dracula adaptation. The 1922 classic concerns a man named Thomas Hutter, who travels to Count Orlok's castle to sell him a house. But the monstrous man soon sets his sights (and his fangs) on Hutter and his loving wife. It may be mild by today's shocking standards, but an eerie, evil performance from Max Schrek as Orlok is still an unsettling and lasting image. It's a menacing tale that's still the definitive film version of Bram Stoker's classic story of death and decay.

8. Suspiria

Italian director Dario Argento was the undisputed master of horror when he made this classic in 1977. Suspiria tells the story of Susan, an American girl attending a famous school of dance in Europe. She's not there long before strange and unnatural occurances have her frightened and ill, and soon she discovers the school has long been a gathering place for a witches coven. Argento creates a surreal and chilling atmosphere and makes stomach-turning material more interesting than it has any right to be. And special kudos to Goblin's spine-tingling and relentless musical score.

7. Ringu

By now I'm sure you all know the story of Ringu. A cursed videotape seems to kill everyone who watches it after seven days. Reiko, a journalist, hears the urban myth of the tape and is drawn into the mystery of an otherworldly girl's death. Once she views the tape, she has one week to uncover the secrets surroundinng it in order to save her own life. One of the creepiest moments ever conceived and put on film is a girl's crawl from a well in the video and out of the television toward one of her victims. Thank goodness videotapes are pretty obsolete in this digital age, or I'd still be terrified every time I touched a VHS.

6. [REC]

Far and away one of the best zombie movies I've ever seen, [REC] takes the hand-held scare tactic - a tired device in horror films, if you ask me - and makes it into something new and thrilling. A Barcelona news reporter and her cameraman are on assignment filming a group of firemen, but suddenly find themselves quarantined in an apartment building where an unknown virus has turned residents into violent killers. Exceptional performances and an astonishing and unnerving ending turn this zombie flick into a must-watch horror gem.

5. The Devil's Backbone

There are some glaring similarities between Guillermo del Toro's 2001 gothic horror film and his sensational hit Pan's Labyrinth. His lead characters in both are children coping during the Spanish Civil War, with adversaries both real and supernatural. In The Devil's Backbone, Carlos is a young boy whose father has recently died in the war. He's taken in at the Santa Lucia School and soon meets the restless ghost of a murdered student. It's a compelling and convincing tale made with intelligence and ambition. A visually arresting and emotionally poignant ghost story that fits right in with del Toro's most beautiful and effective works.

4. Let the Right One In

Tomas Alfredson's brilliant vampire movie is more than a genre flick. It's a beautiful study of young friendship and the horrors of adolescence. A 12-year-old boy named Oskar is regularly bullied and friendless until Eli, also 12 and alone, moves is nextdoor. Her arrival coincides with a series of gruesome attacks, and though Oskar realizes there is something different about her, he befriends her. The loneliness they both feel is the only thing strong enough to unite them despite the vastly different worlds they inhabit. The film is a wonder to make a vampire movie and a tale of innocent childhood friendship fit together so beautifully.

3. Diabolique

As far as scares are concerned, Diabolique is relatively tame. But it's inarguable that French director Henri-Georges Clouzot was masterful with suspenseful thrillers. The film tells the story of two women - one the wife of a boarding school's brutish headmaster, the other his mistress - who bond over their apparent mutual hatred of the man and decide to do him in. The film is a masterpiece of deceit and double-crossings with a Hitchcockian flair that convinces you that you know where it's headed, only to yank the rug from under you time and time again.

2. Eyes Without a Face

Eyes Without a Face is a 1959 French film directed by Georges Franju. Its an elegant and subdued film with stunning and creepy visuals. A plastic surgeon becomes obsessed with fixing his daughter Christiane's horribly disfigured face. He and his nurse conspire to fix her by kidnapping other young women and removing their faces. It's wonderfully controlled filmmaking that places mood over scares, and the lead performance from Edith Scob - wearing a bizarrely blank mask - is jarringly serene. Plus, there's a killer bit with a dog (I'm a sucker for any scene with a German Shepherd).

1. The Orphanage

The best ghost story I've ever seen is J.A. Bayona's The Orphanage. Laura and her husband move in to the seaside orphanage in which she grew up and turn it into a facility for disabled children. But when their son goes missing, Laura discovers terrifying secrets about the house and the children who lived there. A modern horror film that understands and smartly uses suspense is rare, but this is one of those films. The Orphanage doesn't rely on cheap and frequent scares, it instead chills you from moment one with dread and anticipation of what might happen. Belen Rueda gives a knockout performance and the final act's startling revelation is more horrifying than any ending you've ever seen before.

There you have it, the best of foreign horror. Three of these titles have spawned inferior U.S. remakes, with two more on the way, but do yourself a favor and catch the originals next time you're in the mood for a good scare.

What are your favorite horror films? Do any of these foreign gems make your list?

PAPER CLIPS

2009-10-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

Directed by Elliot Berlin and Joe Fab

Premiere date: September 8, 2004
G

The town of Whitwell is a tiny community of about two thousand people nestled in the mountains of Tennessee. Its citizens are almost exclusively white and Christian. In 1998, the children of Whitwell Middle School took on an inspiring project, launched out of their principal's desire to help her students open their eyes to the diversity of the world beyond their insulated valley. What happened would change the students, their teachers, their families and the entire town forever, and eventually open hearts and minds around the world. Paper Clips tells the moving story of how these students responded to what had been to them a completely unfamiliar chapter in human history - the Holocaust - with a promise to honor every single soul lost in that horrible event by collecting paper clips to represent each individual exterminated by the nazis. Their dedication was absolute. Their plan was simple but profound. The amazing result, which stands permanently in their schoolyard, is an unforgettable lesson of how a committed group of children can change the world, one classroom at a time.

DOWN TO THE BONE

2009-10-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

Screenplay by Debra Granik and Richard Lieske
Directed by Debra Granik

Vera Farmiga
Hugh Dillon
Clint Jordan
Caridad De La Luz

Premiere date: January 15, 2004 (Sundance Film Festival)
R for pervasive drug content, language and some sexuality.

Irene is a working-class mother living in upstate New York. She struggles to keep her marriage together and raise two sons while keeping her cocaine addiction a secret. After a series of nearly fatal mishaps, and finally hoping to make a change in her life, she decides to check herself into a rehab center. She knew kicking the habit would be tough, but the experience proves even more difficult than she could have anticipated. There, she meets and falls in love with a fellow reformed addict. When one of them falls into a relapse with the addiction, their commitment to staying clean - and to each other - shatters.

Sundance Film Festival
Dramatic Directing Awards - Debra Granik
Special Jury Prize - Vera Farmiga

A Little Help From My Friends

2009-10-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

This week I decided that I was going to be reviewing the 2004 acting nominees as part of my feature The Races. I like to look at the competition as though I have a say in Oscar history. It's a fun little game of make-believe.

While working on the Best Actor race, however, a number of glaring snubs (Giamatti, Neeson, Bardem) convinced me to broaden my horizons a bit and look beyond Oscar. In addition to the acting races I'd like to look at 2004 (and other years, later) as a whole and talk about its strong points and influential pieces of cinema.

So if you could all do me a favor and recommend some films from 2004 you think I should see, that would be great. Titles I've already profiled from the year can be found here. Thanks in advance for your help!

Oscar Trivia #11

2009-10-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

It's good to be bad. One of the best ways to snare an Oscar is to play a working girl. So far eleven women have won in their roles as prostitutes.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

2009-10-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

Written and directed by Oren Peli

Katie Featherston
Micah Sloat

Premiere date: September 25, 2009
R for language.

A haunted house makes no secret of the fact it is not pleased with its new tenants. Katie and Micah are a twentysomething couple who've just moved into a new home in San Diego, California. Katie has an interest in the paranormal and believes that malevolent spirits have been following her since childhood, though Micah is not so easily convinced. However, after several nights of loud noises and strange happenings, Micah starts to agree with Katie that some sort of ghost may have followed them to the new home. After a paranormal researcher tells the couple he can't help them, Micah decides to take control of the situation and sets up a battery of video cameras so that if a spirit manifests itself, he can capture its behavior on tape. Once the surveillance cameras are in place, Katie and Micah bring in a Ouija board in an effort to talk to the spirits, a move that deeply offends the ghosts.

Sing Sweet Nightingale

2009-10-30T09:04:00.000-07:00

Jackman Turns Down Oscar's Offer

2009-10-30T08:12:00.000-07:00

Since the producers of next year's Oscarcast have been selected and announced, it was widely thought that Hugh Jackman would get another offer to host, in keeping with last year's more musical theme.

Now we've learned from Variety that Jackman was indeed asked to repeat, but he's turned down the request, not wanting to host in consecutive years.

Of course, Jackman is a busy stage and film actor, and I think it's a good idea to change it up every once in a while. The show is bound to feel a bit rusty if they use the same person every year. And I personally wouldn't want to be in charge with ten Best Picture nominees around to slow down the Oscars even more than is typical.

Someone who is up to the task will be announced in the coming weeks. Anyone care to make a guess?

FUNNY PEOPLE

2009-10-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

Written and directed by Judd Apatow

Adam Sandler
Seth Rogen
Leslie Mann

Premiere date: July 20, 2009
R for language and crude sexual humor throughout, and some sexuality.

George Simmons is a very successful yet self-involved stand-up comedian who learns that he has an incurable blood disorder and is given less than a year to live. Ira Wright is a struggling up-and-coming stand-up comedian who works at a deli and has yet to figure out his onstage persona. One thing these different men have in common is that neither of them have any close friends. One night, George takes notice of Ira when they perform at the same club and he hires him to be his semi-personal assistant and opening act at his performances. George and Ira form a close bond as George teaches Ira how to win the crowd and Ira helps the dying George find closure in his legacy. However, when George learns that his disease has gone into remission and an old flame reenters his life, his recent near death experience inspires him to reevaluate what is important to him and what truly gives meaning to his life.

THE BURNING PLAIN

2009-10-29T07:19:00.001-07:00

Written and directed by Guillermo Arriaga

Charlize Theron
Kim Basinger
Jennifer Lawrence

Premiere date: August 29, 2008 (Venice Film Festival)
R for sexuality, nudity and language.

Sylvia is a beautiful restaurant manager whose cool, professional demeanor masks the sexually charged storm within. When a stranger from Mexico confronts her with her mysterious past, Sylvia is launched into a journey through space and time that inextricably connects her to these disparate characters, all of whom are grappling with their own romantic destinies. In Mexico, a young motherless girl, Maria, lives happily with her father and his best friend until a tragic accident changes it all. In the New Mexico bordertown of Las Cruces, two teenagers, Mariana and Santiago, find love in the aftermath of their parents’ sudden deaths. In an abandoned trailer, a housewife, Gina, embarks on a passionate affair that will put Sylvia and the others on a collision course with the explosive power of forbidden love.

Venice Film Festival
Marcello Mastroianni Award - Jennifer Lawrence

Filmography: Julianne Moore

2009-10-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

Julianne Moore is one of her generation's greatest actresses. Time and again she blasts onscreen and shocks the world with her talent and presence.

Moore got her start in small film roles and on daytime television, but soon was taking cinema by storm in a number of critically-acclaimed films that have so far earned her four Academy Award nominations.

She's starred in comedies, dramas, period romances, cult favorites, and thrillers. This season she'll likely find herself in the thick of awards season once more for her supporting turn in Tom Ford's A Single Man, which debuted in Venice and is already drawing raves.

1988 sLaughtrhouse II (Julie)
1990 Tales from the Dark Side: The Movie (Susan)
1991 Cast a Deadly Spell (Connie Stone)
1992 The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (Marlene Craven), The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag (Elinor)
1993 Body of Evidence (Sharon Dulaney), Benny & Joon (Ruthie), The Fugitive (Dr. Anne Eastman), Short Cuts (Marian Wyman)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Moore got her first role in a prestigious ensemble movie in Robert Altman's The Player. The film took home the Golden Lion and the Volpi Cup for Best Ensemble Cast at the Venice Film Festival, and was a great primer for her subsequent work with Paul Thomas Anderson, a brilliant ensemble director who takes more than a few cues from Altman.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1994 Vanya on 42nd Street (Yelena)
1995 Roommates (Beth Holzcek), Safe (Carol White), Nine Months (Rebecca Taylor), Assassins (Electra)
1996 Surviving Picasso (Dora Maar)
1997 The Lost World: Jurassic Park (Dr. Sarah Harding), The Myth of Fingerprints (Mia), Boogie Nights (Amber Waves)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In her best role yet, Moore was Amber Waves, the matriarch in a close circle of porn stars that have formed a sort of family in Paul Thomas Anderson's exuberant Hollywood epic. It's a sad and tender performance that easily places as the one of the greatest of the 90s. Plus there's the automatic comedy gold that is a great actress acting like a bad actress. Julianne nails every moment on screen and landed her first Oscar nomination for a beautiful yet alarming performance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1998 The Big Lebowski (Maude Lebowski), Psycho (Lila Crane)
1999 Cookie's Fortune (Cora Duvall), An Ideal Husband (Mrs. Laura Cheveley), A Map of the World (Theresa Collins), The End of the Affair (Sarah Miles), Magnolia (Linda Partridge)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Julianne landed her second Oscar nomination for The End of the Affair, a romantic drama set in war-torn England. It's a mediocre and rather dull movie but it's elevated by solid lead performances from Ralph Fiennes and Moore, who speaks in an impressive and convincing British accent and fits right in with the top-notch English cast.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2000 The Ladies Man (Audrey)
2001 Hannibal (Agent Clarice Starling), Evolution (Dr. Allison Reed), The Shipping News (Wavey Prowse)
2002 Far from Heaven (Cathy Whitaker), The Hours (Laura Brown)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Julianne Moore had a great year in 2002, becoming the ninth person to be nominated for two Academy Awards in one year. First in Far from Heaven, as a 50s Connecticut housewife who discovers her husband is gay and falls in love with her black gardener. It's designed, filmed, and acted like a 50s movie, but is more brazen in its themes and attitude. Moore's performance is pure poetry, conveying feelings too forbidden to be expressed and bringing the soul of old Hollywood back to life. In The Hours, she again played a dissatisfied housewife, this time reading and relating to Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2004 Marie and Bruce (Marie), Laws of Attraction (Audrey Woods), The Forgotten (Telly Paretta)
2005 The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (Evelyn Ryan)
2006 Freedomland (Brenda Martin), Trust the Man (Rebecca), Children of Men (Julian)
2007 Next (Callie Ferris), I'm Not There (Alice)
2008 Savage Grace (Barbara Daly Baekeland), Blindness (Doctor's Wife)
2009 Shelter (Cara), The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (Kat), A Single Man (Charlotte)

Poll: What's the best Clint Eastwood film of the decade?

2009-10-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

With the Invictus trailer finally hitting the web yesterday, a lot of discussion has been going on about Eastwood and his latest film. Since we've got over a month until we'll have a chance to catch Invictus in theaters, let's talk about the Eastwood efforts we have seen this decade. Which is his best? Tell me why in the comments section.

(POLL RESULTS: Last week we talked about the films that would have been in the Best Picture race had there been 10 spots last year. Voters picked 5 out of 16 films listed. The Dark Knight, Doubt, The Wrestler, WALL-E and Revolutionary Road were the top titles, so I guess those are the movies most think would fill out the race. Thanks again for voting!)

TYSON

2009-10-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

Directed by James Toback

Premiere date: April 24, 2009

R for language including sexual references.

An intimate and moving no-holds-barred portrait of a humbled Mike Tyson told in the words of the former heavyweight champion. Mike Tyson examines his own life in and out of the ring with a candor, eloquence and vulnerability that is by turns poignant, funny and never less than brutally honest. Through a deft mixture of original interviews and archival footage and photographs, a surprisingly complex, fully-rounded human being emerges. The film ranges from Mike's earliest memories of growing up on the mean streets of Brooklyn through his entry into the world of boxing, including his rollercoaster ride through the funhouse of worldwide fame and his fortunes won and lost. Tyson offers much more than a documentary about a former heavyweight champ - it is the story of a legendary and uniquely controversial international athletic icon, a figure conjuring radical questions of race and class, and a man who arose from the most debased circumstances and soared to seemingly unlimited heights, followed by destruction generated by hubris, like a character out of a classical tragedy.

Cannes Film Festival

Regard Knockout Award

Fantaisie in Bubblewrap

2009-10-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

Michael Fassbender

2009-10-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

As you might have noticed, I've been talking about Michael Fassbender quite a bit lately. Since August I've seen him give incredible performances in Inglourious Basterds, Fish Tank, and Hunger. I'm beginning to think he might be a genius.

Anyway, check out the New York Times screen test interview above. It's interesting and hilarious.

One of Those Days

2009-10-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

Yup. Barely past noon and I've started on a Malbec. Ugh.

MOON

2009-10-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

Story by Duncan Jones
Screenplay by Nathan Parker
Directed by Duncan Jones

Sam Rockwell

Premiere date: January 23, 2009 (Sundance Film Festival)
R for language.

It is the near future. Astronaut Sam Bell is living on the far side of the moon, completing a three-year contract with Lunar Industries to mine Earth’s primary source of energy, Helium-3. It is a lonely job, made harder by a broken satellite that allows no live communications home. Taped messages are all Sam can send and receive.

Thankfully, his time on the moon is nearly over, and Sam will be reunited with his wife, Tess, and their three-year-old daughter, Eve, in only a few short weeks. Finally, he will leave the isolation of Sarang, the moon base that has been his home for so long, and he will finally have someone to talk to beyond Gerty, the base’s well-intentioned, but rather uncomplicated computer.

Suddenly, Sam’s health starts to deteriorate. Painful headaches, hallucinations and a lack of focus lead to an almost fatal accident on a routine drive on the moon in a lunar rover. While recuperating back at the base (with no memory of how he got there), Sam meets a younger, angrier version of himself, who claims to be there to fulfill the same three year contract Sam started all those years ago.

Confined with what appears to be a clone of his earlier self, and with a “support crew” on its way to help put the base back into productive order, Sam is fighting the clock to discover what’s going on and where he fits into company plans.

STATE OF PLAY

2009-10-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

Screenplay by Matthew Michael Carnahan, Tony Gilroy, and Billy Ray
Directed by Kevin Macdonald

Russell Crowe
Ben Affleck
Rachel McAdams
Helen Mirren

Premiere date: April 17, 2009
PG-13 for some violence, language including sexual references, and brief drug content.

Cal McCaffrey is an old-school-style journalist working for the Washington Globe. He begins to investigate the death of a young woman who was the research assistant and mistress of his friend Stephen Collins, an ambitious congressman whose career is likely ruined when his affair is revealed. Joined by young political blogger Della Frye, Cal races against time and deadlines to solve the murder, which may be only a small part of a much larger crime.

Happy Birthday Julia!

2009-10-28T06:49:00.000-07:00

Recasting Classics: Rosemary's Baby

2009-10-28T05:49:00.001-07:00

I know, I know. You can't imagine anyone but Mia Farrow playing Rosemary Woodhouse. I can't either. But since they're working on it whether we like it or not, let's talk about who we'd cast.

A PROPHET

2009-10-27T13:26:00.000-07:00

Screenplay by Thomas Bidegain and Jacques Audiard
Directed by Jacques Audiard

Tahar Rahim
Niels Arestrup
Adel Bencherif

Premiere date: May 16, 2009 (Cannes Film Festival)
R for strong violence, sexual content, nudity, language and drug content.

Malik El Djebena is a petty criminal incarcerated for six years. Once inside and subjected to all of the standard brutalities that most prisoners endure, he is quickly educated in the ways of the prison, an institution torn violently between gangs of Corsicans and Arabs. The head Corsican thug, César Luciani, offers Malik an ultimatum: either he rubs out an Arab inmate named Reyeb, or he himself dies. Not only does Malik succeed with the hit, he earns the begrudging respect of the other prisoners, and - after securing several days' release for good behavior - uses off-time to forge a deeper and more multi-layered network of criminal ties than he ever dreamed possible. But as his own power and confidence grow, they threaten to outstrip César's own insistence on submission and obedience at all costs.

Cannes Film Festival
Grand Jury Prize

HUNGER

2009-10-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

Screenplay by Steve McQueen and Enda Walsh
Directed by Steve McQueen

Michael Fassbender
Liam Cunningham
Stuart Graham
Liam McMahon

Premiere date: May 15, 2008 (Cannes Film Festival)

Davey Gillen is an IRA volunteer who is sentenced to Belfast's infamous Maze prison, where he shares a cell with fellow IRA member Gerry Campbell. Like most of the IRA volunteers behind bars, Gillen and Campbell are subjected to frequent violence by the guards, who in turn live with the constant threat of assassination at the hands of Republicans during their off-hours. Campbell and Gillen are taking part in a protest in which they and their fellow IRA inmates are refusing to wear standard prison-issue uniforms as a protest against Britain's refusal to recognize them as political prisoners, a move that is complicating their efforts to pass information among the other prisoners. As the protest fails to get results, one IRA member behind bars, Bobby Sands, decides to take a different tack and begins a hunger strike, refusing to eat until Irish officials are willing to acknowledge the IRA as a legitimate political organization. However, while Sands' protest gains the attention both inside prison walls and in the international news, not everyone believes what he's doing is right, and Sands finds himself verbally sparring with a priest who questions the ethics and effectiveness of the strike.

Cannes Film Festival
Camera d'or

Best British Films: 16. Hunger

2009-10-27T10:14:00.000-07:00

Hunger features the third incredible performance from Michael Fassbender I've seen in a matter of months. This actor is destined for big things. Here he plays Bobby Sands, a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) volunteer leading the 1981 Irish hunger strike in an effort to win political status for Republican prisoners. The British state - represented by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher - refused to budge until the death toll from the hunger strike climbed to 10. The film takes place in the six weeks leading up to the first death.

First-time director Steve McQueen is unrelenting in his vivid and brutal portrayal of prison conditions for these men. The men are cruelly beaten, shaved, and washed. They eat nothing and live in their own waste. Contact with their familes is brief and heavily supervised. McQueen honestly depicts this, and the resolve of these men to remain on strike despite all of these elements is overwhelming. Hunger wouldn't work without it's powerhouse cast. These men live in desperation, but not once do we sense a wavering in their dedication to fight for their rights.

Fassbender in particular shows an unbelievable commitment to the film. In his final scenes he is so excrutiatingly thin that it's hard to look at him. Bobby Sands lacked the strength to stand, to walk, and finally to breathe.

Hunger is a beautiful but merciless film about grim determination in troubled times. There's a scene in which Sands discusses the morality and potential outcomes of his hunger strike with a priest. There is a seventeen-minute single shot on the two of these men as they talk at a table. It's incredibly long, but the scene is rivetting, thanks to dialogue that's perfectly-written and revealing.

A stunning debut from director McQueen that guarantees more great things on his horizon. ****/4

THE YOUNG VICTORIA

2009-10-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

Screenplay by Julian Fellowes
Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee

Emily Blunt
Rupert Friend
Paul Bettany
Miranda Richardson
Jim Broadbent

Premiere date: March 6, 2009
PG for some mild sensuality, a scene of violence, and brief incidental language and smoking.

"I will be good," Princess Victoria said on discovering she would be Queen. But, as things turned out, it was a touch more complicated. After a stifling childhood, Victoria must find maturity and independence in her early years as a ruler and in her romance with Prince Albert.

Ricky Gervais Will Host the Golden Globes. Discuss.

2009-10-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA–(Marketwire – October 26, 2009) – Multi-talented Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Ricky Gervais (”The Invention of Lying,” “The Office”) will host “The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards” on Sunday, January 17, 2010 on NBC. This year’s show will be broadcast live coast-to-coast from 5-8 p.m. (PT) and 8-11 p.m. (ET) from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. This marks the first time the telecast has had a host since 1995.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, dick clark productions and NBC made the announcement today.

“Not only is this the biggest Hollywood celebration of the industry which includes both film and TV, but also an environment where I feel I can get free reign as a host. I have resisted many other offers like this, but there are just some things you don’t turn down,” said Gervais.

“Ricky is certainly one of the funniest people on the planet and has provided some of the most hilarious and memorable awards show moments in recent memory,” said Paul Telegdy, Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming, NBC and Universal Media Studios. “His unique comedic style will enhance the only awards show that brings together television and film stars to celebrate entertainment’s biggest night of the year.”

“We are delighted to have Ricky Gervais as the host on our show,” said Philip Berk, President of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. “He’ll bring his unique brand of humor and charm to what will continue to be a fast paced award show.”

Gervais is probably best known for his role as David Brent on the BBC version of “The Office.” Gervais produced, wrote (with Stephen Merchant), directed and acted on the mock documentary series from 2001-2003. Twelve episodes and a two-part Christmas special later, “The Office” is consigned to broadcasting history as one of the most perfectly crafted comedy series in British TV history. The show was showered with awards and critical acclaim and Gervais became a household name. Gervais and Merchant teamed up again in 2005 to create the award-winning series “Extras” in which he played an aspiring actor.

Following his success from “The Office,” Gervais embarked on his first live standup show “Animals,” based on his fascination with the animal kingdom. He spent much of 2004 on tour around the U.K. with his follow-up standup act the, highly acclaimed “Politics.” Both shows became best selling DVDs. In 2007, Gervais’ stand-up show “Fame” became the fastest-selling British comedy tour of all time. In 2008, Gervais took to the stage again and received an Emmy nomination for his special “Ricky Gervais: Out of England – The Stand-Up.”

This year Gervais wrote, directed and starred in the feature film “The Invention of Lying” alongside Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., Rob Lowe and Tina Fey (NBC’s “30 Rock”).

“Cemetery Junction” — Gervais’ second film as writer and director and his first film co-written and directed with Stephen Merchant, is slated to be released in April 2010. He is currently in development with HBO for “The Ricky Gervais Show” — an animation of his record-breaking audio books, scheduled to air on the network early 2010. Gervais is also in development with Illumination (”The Simpsons Movie”) for “Flanimals,” a movie based on his award-winning children’s book.

Gervais also executive-produces the American version of “The Office” with Greg Daniels, Ben Silverman, Stephen Merchant, Howard Klein and Paul Lieberstein.

Nominations for “The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards” will be announced at 8 a.m. (ET) on Tuesday, December 15.

“The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards” will be seen in more than 160 countries worldwide and is one of the few awards ceremonies that span both television and motion picture achievements. The special will be produced by dick clark productions in association with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Philip Berk is President of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Orly Adelson, president of dick clark productions and Barry Adelman will executive-produce the special. Chris Donovan is the director and dick clark productions Bob Bardo is the executive in charge of production.

Tom Hardy in Bronson

2009-10-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

In the past few days I've been hearing quite a bit about a grassroots campaign for Sam Rockwell that Moon director Duncan Jones is trying to get started.

I haven't seen Moon yet (I'm planning to get to it sometime this week), but who I'd really love to see get some Best Actor action is Tom Hardy, whom I've just watched in Bronson. This is far and away the best performance I've seen so far this year.

I'm guessing not enough people have seen the film for Hardy to have an actual shot, but he has my vote. It's an electrifying turn on the level of DDL's best work. Yes, he is that good. See it for yourself as soon as possible.

BRONSON

2009-10-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

Screenplay by Brock Norman Brock and Nicolas Winding Refn
Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

Tom Hardy
Matt King

Premiere date: January 19, 2009 (Sundance Film Festival)
R for violent and disturbing content, graphic nudity, sexuality and language.

In 1974, a hot-headed 19-year-old named Michael Peterson decided he wanted to make a name for himself. And so, with a homemade sawn-off shotgun and a head full of dreams he attempted to rob a post office. Swiftly apprehended and originally sentenced to 7 years in jail, Peterson has subsequently been behind bars for 34 years, 30 of which have been spent in solitary confinement. During that time, Michael Petersen, the boy, faded away and 'Charles Bronson,' his superstar alter ego, took center stage.

KINSEY

2009-10-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

Written and directed by Bill Condon

Liam Neeson
Laura Linney
Peter Sarsgaard
Chris O'Donnell

Premiere date: November 12, 2004
R for pervasive sexual content, including some graphic images and descriptions.

Alfred Kinsey was an entomologist who taught at Indiana University and had a keen interest in an area of human behavior that had seen little scholarly research: human sexuality. Kinsey began an exhaustive series of interviews with a wide variety of people from all walks of life in order to find out the truth about sex practices in America. When he published Sexual Behavior and the Human Male in 1948, his findings were wildly controversial, indicating that most men had a wider variety of sexual experiences than most people imagined, including a number of practices commonly thought to be dangerous or perverted (including pre-marital sex, same-sex contacts, and masturbation). An even greater outcry greeted Kinsey's next volume, Sexual Behavior and the Human Female, which contradicted common notions than most women went into marriage sexually inexperienced.

National Board of Review
Best Supporting Actress - Laura Linney
xx
1 Academy Award Nomination
Best Supporting Actress - Laura Linney

Credits: Se7en

2009-10-26T07:32:00.000-07:00

"Sometimes I guess there just aren't enough rocks."

2009-10-25T23:49:00.000-07:00

Numbers: October 25, 2009

2009-10-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

1. (3) Paranormal Activity - Gross: $22,000,000 / Gross to date: $62,477,000
2. (new) Saw VI - Gross: $14,800,000
3. (1) Where the Wild Things Are - Gross: $14,420,000 / Gross to date: $53,960,000
4. (2) Law Abiding Citizen - Gross: $12,713,000 / Gross to date: $40,317,815
5. (4) Couples Retreat - Gross: $11,097,140 / Gross to date: $78,213,340
6. (new) Astro Boy - Gross: $7,017,000
7. (5) The Stepfather - Gross: $6,500,000 / Gross to date: $20,352,000
8. (new) Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant - Gross: $6,347,970
9. (6) Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - Gross: $5,600,000 / Gross to date: $115,204,000
10. (7) Zombieland - Gross: $4,300,000 / Gross to date: $67,300,000

Worth mentioning: Four weeks ago, Paranormal Activity opened on 12 screens with only midnights screenings. Now it's at the top of the box office, beating the sixth installment of the Saw franchise on its opening weekend. The first ever "You Demand It" marketing campaign has proven successful.

FINDING NEVERLAND

2009-10-25T15:58:00.001-07:00

Based on the play "The Man Who Was Peter Pan" by Allan Knee
Screenplay by David Magee
Directed by Marc Forster

Johnny Depp
Kate Winslet
Julie Christie
Dustin Hoffman

Premiere date: November 12, 2004
PG for mild thematic elements and brief language.

Successful playwright J.M. Barrie watches his latest play open to a ho-hum reaction among the polite society of England. A literary genius of his times but bored by the same old themes, Barrie is clearly in need of some serious inspiration. Unexpectedly, he finds it one day when he encounters the Llewelyn Davies family: four fatherless boys and their beautiful, recently widowed mother. Despite the disapproval of the boys' steely grandmother and the resentment of his own wife, Barrie befriends the family, engaging the boys in tricks, disguises, games and sheer mischief, creating play-worlds of castles and kings, cowboys and Indians, pirates and castaways. He transforms hillsides into galleon ships, sticks into mighty swords, kites into enchanted fairies and the Llewelyn Davies boys into "The Lost Boys of Neverland." From the sheer thrills and adventures of childhood will come Barrie's most daring and renowned masterwork, "Peter Pan." At first, his theatrical company is skeptical. While his loyal producer worries he'll lose his shirt on this children's fantasy, Barrie begins rehearsals only to shock his actors with such unprecedented requests as asking them to fly across the stage, talk to fairies made out of light and don dog and crocodile costumes. Then, just as Barrie is ready to introduce the world to "Peter Pan," a tragic twist of fate will make the writer and those he loves most understand just what it means to really believe.

National Board of Review
Best Film
Outstanding Film Music Composition
xx
7 Academy Award Nominations, 1 Win
Best Picture
Best Actor - Johnny Depp
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Film Editing
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design
Best Original Score

RAY

2009-10-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

Screenplay by James L. White
Directed by Taylor Hackford

Jamie Foxx
Kerry Washington
Regina King
Clifton Powell

Premiere date: October 19, 2004
PG-13 for depiction of drug addiction, sexuality and some thematic elements.

Born in a poor town in Georgia, Ray Charles went blind at the age of seven shortly after witnessing his younger brother's accidental death. Inspired by a fiercely independent mother who insisted he make his own way in the world, Charles found his calling and his gift behind a piano. Touring across the Southern musical circuit, the soulful singer gained a reputation and then exploded with worldwide fame when he pioneered incorporating gospel, country, jazz and orchestral influences into his inimitable style. As he revolutionized the way people appreciated music, he simultaneously fought segregation in the very clubs that launched him and championed artists' rights within the corporate music business.

National Board of Review
Best Actor - Jamie Foxx
xx
6 Academy Award Nominations, 2 Wins
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor - Jamie Foxx
Best Film Editing
Best Costume Design
Best Sound Mixing

An Update

2009-10-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

The Races - a feature I've been doing in which I talk about all the Oscar-nominated performances in a specific acting category in a certain year and determine who should have won - is getting a bit of a makeover.

So far I've just been picking a category and year at random, but the completist in me has been driven a little nuts by that method. So starting now I'll be doing a whole year at once. All the acting categories in 2004 are up first. Best Actress has already been done, so you can check that out and keep an eye out for the others coming soon.

THE PRIVATE LIVES OF PIPPA LEE

2009-10-25T10:03:00.000-07:00

Based on the novel of the same name by Rebecca Miller
Written and directed by Rebecca Miller

Robin Wright Penn
Alan Arkin
Blake Lively
Keanu Reeves
Winona Ryder

Premiere date: February 9, 2009
R for sexual content, brief nudity, some drug material and language.

From all outward appearances, Pippa Lee leads a charmed existence. She is the devoted wife of an accomplished publisher thirty years her senior, the proud mother of two grown children, and a trusted friend and confidant to all who cross her path. But as Pippa dutifully follows her husband to a new life in a staid Connecticut retirement community, her idyllic world and the persona she has built over the course of her marriage will be put to the ultimate test.

In truth, looks are deceiving, and this picture-perfect woman has seen more than her fair share of turmoil in her youth. Embarking on a bittersweet journey of self-discovery, accompanied by a new, strange and soulful acquaintance, Pippa must now confront both her volatile past and the hidden resentment of her seemingly perfect life in order to find her true sense of self.

Good News and Bad News

2009-10-25T09:50:00.000-07:00

Let's start with the bad news. /Film is reporting that they're still going ahead with that My Fair Lady remake we talked about a few weeks ago. Keira Knightley, who auditioned for the part last year, has been taking singing lessons and is still apparently set to star. No word on the other cast members yet.xx

The good news: Joe Wright has been named as director. You may remember that Keira has done her best work with Wright, who first directed her to an Oscar nomination in 2005's Pride & Prejudice, and again worked with her on Atonement, for which she also garnered praise. Emma Thompson has written the script, which sounds promising.xx

I wish they'd leave well-enough alone, personally. I love the 1964 original and really don't think it needs an update. But if they're going to do it, at least they're getting some major talent involved.

The Strange and Wonderful Career of Hilary Swank

2009-10-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

The newest issue of Entertainment Weekly hit my mailbox today, and in it was an interesting blurb by Sean Smith that I thought was relevant, as Amelia hits theaters today.
xx
"By many measures, Hilary Swank should not have a career. Despite two Oscars, she's almost impossible to cast in mainstream films. She doesn't play "the girl" opposite Will Smith or hop a pirate ship with Johnny Depp. She is not Megan Fox. "Her look and her demeanor are not soft," says one industry exec, "so it's hard to see her as vulnerable or as a love object." (Remember, P.S. I Love You didn't exactly rock the world.) And yet, Swank, 35, has scored some of the finest roles for women her age - a transgender murder victim in Boys Don't Cry, a boxer in Million Dollar Baby, and now aviation legend Amelia Earhart in Amelia. While other actresses are relegated to decorative roles opposite male A-listers, Swank - like Jodie Foster before her - is always at the center of her films. (And in the right project, she's capable of filling theaters: Baby brought in $217 million worldwide.) She's the hero, not the heroine. And that could keep her flying high in Hollywood."

I don't think Swank gets enough credit. Sure, Amelia is by most accounts a stinker, and Swank is probably part of the problem. She needs just the right kind of role to shine, and it's a lot easier to love an actress who's great in everything. But I have to give her a pat on the back for being courageous. She doesn't always have to look pretty onscreen, she doesn't need a conventional love story, and she's never relied on big, dramatic "Oscar scenes" to showcase her talent. Her best work is in quiet, subtle moments - something Amelia probably doesn't have a lot of. I have faith though. I think we'll see greatness from her again. Eventually.

For Your Listening Pleasure

2009-10-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

I had this stuck in my head all day yesterday and it took me until now to remember what it was from. Kinda liked Cold Mountain, kinda loved its music.

THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE

2009-10-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

Screenplay by David Levien and Brian Koppelman
Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Sasha Grey

Premiere date: January 20, 2009 (Sundance Film Festival)
R for sexual content, nudity and language.

Chelsea is a high-priced escort who offers her wealthy clientele the eponymous service. In other words, on their long, often overnight dates, she assumes the role of a temporary romantic partner, attending highbrow cultural events, engaging in intellectual discourse, and eating at hip and expensive restaurants, all while expressing an interest in the client's life and work. She keeps a detailed journal about her clients. Chelsea's live-in boyfriend, a personal trainer, struggles with trying to earn a fair share of the upscale business he brings into his gym. Chris is conflicted when a wealthy client invites him on a weekend trip to Vegas. The couple faces further problems when Chelsea finds herself sincerely attracted to one of her clients, a married screenwriter. Over the course of the film, Chelsea is interviewed by a journalist, and visits "The Erotic Connoisseur," a sleazy blogger who reviews escort services.

THE WHITE RIBBON

2009-10-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

Written and directed by Michael Haneke

Christian Friedel
Ernst Jacobi
Leonie Benesch
Ulrich Tukur
Maria-Victoria Dragus
Leonard Proxauf

Premiere date: May 21, 2009 (Cannes Film Festival)
R for some disturbing content involving violence and sexuality.

In a village in Protestant northern Germany, on the eve of World War I, the children of a church and school run by the village schoolteacher and their families experience a series of bizarre incidents that inexplicably assume the characteristics of a punishment ritual. Who could be responsible for such bizarre transgressions?

Cannes Film Festival

Palme d'Or

FIPRESCI Prize

Cinema Prize of the French National Education System

Oscar Trivia #10

2009-10-23T06:54:00.000-07:00

Liza Minnelli is the only Academy Award winner with two Oscar-winning parents. Her mother, Judy Garland, received an honorary Oscar as Outstanding Juvenile Performer for The Wizard of Oz, and her father Vincente Minnelli, won Best Director for the 1958 Best Picture, Gigi. Liza won in 1972 for her role as Sally Bowles in Cabaret.

SECRETS & LIES

2009-10-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

Written and directed by Mike Leigh

Brenda Blethyn
Maurice Jean-Baptiste
Timothy Spall
Claire Rushbrook

Premiere date: September 27, 1996
R for language.

Hortense, a young black optometrist, has just buried her beloved adoptive mother. In her sorrow, she embarks on a search for her birth mother, who turns out to be Cynthia, a white factory worker living a lonely life with her surly daughter Roxanne. No one in the family, except Cynthia's brother Maurice and his wife Monica, knows that the teenage Cynthia gave up a child for adoption without ever seeing the baby. Hortense contacts Cynthia, and after a heart-wrenching reconciliation, they become best friends. Cynthia convinces Hortense to attend a birthday party and meet the family - as a mate from the factory - but during the cake and champagne celebration, the family's secrets and lies emerge in a cathartic, emotional sweep.

Cannes Film Festival
Palme d'Or
Best Actress - Brenda Blethyn
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
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5 Academy Award Nominations
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actress - Brenda Blethyn
Best Supporting Actress - Marianne Jean-Baptiste
Best Original Screenplay

Best British Films: 3. Secrets & Lies

2009-10-22T10:57:00.001-07:00

Mike Leigh's second film on The Observer's List of the 25 Best British Films of the Past 25 Years (see sidebar) is another insightful ensemble drama, Secrets & Lies.
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The films stars two actresses I adore, Brenda Blethyn and Marianne Jean-Baptiste, among a host of other fantastic British character actors (as is typical in a Leigh film). Cynthia (Blethyn) is a middle-aged, nervous woman who has raised her daughter alone, and who years ago gave another baby up for adoption. Her daughter has been unhappy lately, and seems to be growing more and more distant from Cynthia with each passing week. Cynthia's brother Maurice is a photographer who's doing well. He has a wife but no children. They're a family, but they're not close, even though we sense that they want to be.
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Hortense (Jean-Baptiste) is an adopted black woman whose mother has recently died, and she makes the decision to seek out her birth mother. She discovers that the woman who gave birth to her is a white woman named Cynthia Purley and arranges a meeting with her.
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Despite its heavy subject matter, the movie is entertaining and funny. Mike Leigh's filmmaking method again proves successful. He and his cast have created arresting characters with wonderfully natural actions and dialogue. Cynthia and Hortense seem like real women with real struggles and love.
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Each member of Cynthia's family has a painful secret, and Cynthia's new relationship with her daughter is the catalyst for change between them. The movie isn't about race, teenage pregnancy, or adoption. It's about the secrets and lies that can tear people apart, and how honesty and acceptance are the only ways for a family to stay together. ****/4

Invictus Poster

2009-10-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

Yahoo! just debuted the Invictus poster, and I kind of love it. Much better than last year's atrocious Changeling one sheet, anyway.

Amelia Vanishes from Awards Radar

2009-10-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

Yeeeeeaaaaahh. Well, Amelia isn't looking like a winner. It's sitting at a 20% over at RT, so I think it's safe to say we won't be seeing much of it come awards season. Ah well, there are always disappointments, and Fox Searchlight's been hiding it away like some sort of shameful secret, so it's not too big a loss. Hilary Swank's Best Actress hopes are shot, so there's still a bit of a race for the two slots that aren't filled by sure-things Mulligan, Streep and Sidibe.

Since you'll have some free time this weekend when you're not watching Amelia, check out this week's rental suggestion, Monsoon Wedding, a Mira Nair film that is all kinds of fantastic.

THE HANGOVER

2009-10-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

Screenplay by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore
Directed by Todd Phillips

Bradley Cooper
Ed Helms
Zach Galifianakis

Premiere date: June 2, 2009
R for pervasive language, sexual content including nudity, and soem drug material.

Two days before his wedding, Doug and his three buddies drive to Vegas for a blow-out night they'll never forget. But when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning with pounding headaches , they can't remember a thing. Their posh hotel suite is beyond trashed and the groom is nowhere to be found. With no clue what happened and very little time to spare, the trio must attempt to retrace their bad decisions from the night before in order to figure out where things went wrong and hopefully get Doug back to L.A. in time for his wedding. However, the more they uncover, the more they realize just how much trouble they're really in.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

2009-10-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Based on the novel Q&A by Vikus Swarup
Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy
Directed by Danny Boyle

Dev Patel
Freida Pinto
Anil Kapoor

Premiere date: September 7, 2008 (Toronto International Film Festival)
R for some violence, disturbing images and language.

Jamal Malik may not have a penny to his name, but that could all change in a matter of hours. He's one question away from taking the top prize on India's most popular television game show, but as with everything else in Jamal's life, it isn't going to be easy. Arrested by police under suspicion of cheating, Jamal is interrogated by the authorities. The police simply can't believe that a common "slumdog" could possibly possess the knowledge to get this far in the game, and in order to convince them of how he gained such knowledge, Jamal reflects back on his childhood. As young boys, Jamal and his older brother, Salim, lived in squalor and lost their mother. Subsequently forced to rely on their own wits to survive, the desperate siblings eventually befriend adorable young Latika as they try to survive on the unforgiving streets of Mumbai. Though life on the streets was never easy, Jamal's experiences ultimately instilled in him the knowledge he needed to answer the tough questions on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. And though Jamal makes a convincing case for himself, one question still remains: why would a young man with no apparent desire for wealth or fame be so determined to win big on a national game show?

Toronto International Film Festival
Audience Award
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National Board of Review
Best Film
Best Breakthrough Performance (Male) - Dev Patel
Best Adapted Screenplay
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10 Academy Award Nominations, 8 Wins
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Film Editing
Best Cinematography
Best Sound
Best Sound Editing
Best Original Score
Best Original Song - "Jai Ho"
Best Original Song - "O Saya"

Best British Films: 9. Slumdog Millionaire

2009-10-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

NOTE: This post contains spoilers. If for some odd reason you've yet to see 2008's award-winning phenomenon, Slumdog Millionaire, get off the computer and watch it Right. Now.
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Last year's awards juggernaut, Slumdog Millionaire, is the newest film on The Observer's list. It's hard to put my love for this movie into words, honestly. It was one of my favorite movies last year (I saw it in theaters four times) and I was overjoyed when it took the Oscars by storm.
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Jamal is an orphan from the slums of Mumbai and a contestant on the popular Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? The nation is shocked that a poor boy from the gutter does so well, and so is the show's producer and host, who has him arrested on suspicion of cheating. As he explains himself to the police, he recounts his troubled past, which shows how he knows the answers and reveals a life-long love that might be lost forever.
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Danny Boyle's rags-to-riches love story sounds like treaded ground, but with the colorful backdrop of Mumbai and great performances from an entirely unknown cast, it's a fresh and invigorating experience. You have to give credit to Boyle and company for making a film that spoke to audiences all over the world despite such a specific and foreign locale. It's an exhilarating ride from start to finish.
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The flashbacks are seamlessly intercut with Jamal's appearance on the game show and his interrogation at the police station. What we have is several short stories woven together and beautifully told. The three main characters are played by three terrific sets of actors, and Anil Kapoor is wonderful as the slithery game show host. The dazzling cinematography and thumpin' soundtrack add to the energetic, dynamic, and vigorous pace that Boyle sets and maintains.
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The movie is an entertaining and powerful story of beating the odds and pursuing true love no matter what the cost. But what really makes the movie great is not what it is, but what it makes you feel. There's a moment at the end when Jamal and Latika find each other, and he kisses the scar on her cheek. The scene in which she gets it plays backwards to Jamal and Latika exchanging smiles at the train station. As if he can undo all the pain she's experienced in life just by loving her. It's a beautifully poignant celebration of life and love that moves you from moment one. ****/4

MARY AND MAX

2009-10-22T00:34:00.000-07:00

Written and directed by Adam Elliot
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Toni Collette
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Barry Humphries
Eric Bana
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Premiere date: January 15, 2009 (Sundance Film Festival)
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Mary and Max is a simple tale of pen-friendship between two very different people: Mary Dinkle, a chubby, lonely eight-year-old girl living in the suburbs of Melbourne, and Max Horovitz, a 44-year-old, severely obese, Jewish man with Asperger's Syndrome living in the chaos of New York. Spanning twenty years and two continents, Mary and Max's friendship survives much more than the average diet of life's ups and downs.

Filmography: Sigourney Weaver

2009-10-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

Sigourney Weaver is kind of a big deal. Besides being an celebrated dramatic and comedic actress, she's also an iconic presence in the science fiction community and an important part of cinema history.
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Weaver attended the Yale School of Drama and in the past 30 years has built one of the most diverse and successful resumes in the business. She shines in every genre - drama, comedy, sci-fi, family films, voice roles - and has also found success in stage and televison parts.
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Though her career has slowed considerably in the past five years or so - mostly cameos and voice work lately - Sigourney is still an exciting part of any cast and continues to prove there's a place for women in sci-fi.
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1979 Alien (Ellen Ripley)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Weaver's first film role was Ellen Ripley, a crew member aboard the Nostromo, in Ridley Scott's science fiction classic, Alien. Her role is considered a milestone in challenging gender stereotypes in cinema. Ripley is a woman in control and a force against the corrupt Company and the otherworldly menace after her crew. She is not defined by the men around her or her relationships to them. Weaver's fearless stoicism as Ripley made her as impressive and imposing as any man.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1981 Eyewitness (Tony Sokolow)
1982 The Year of Living Dangerously (Jilly Bryant)
1983 Deal of the Century (Catherine DeVoto)
1984 Ghostbusters (Dana Barrett)
1985 Une Femme ou Deux (Jessica Fitzgerald)
1986 Half Moon Street (Dr. Lauren Slaughter), Aliens (Ellen Ripley)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In her second outing as intergalactic badass Ellen Ripley, Sigourney Weaver accomplished what had long been seen as impossible: a Best Actress nomination for a performance in a science fiction film. James Cameron's spectacular follow-up to Alien is one of the greatest sequels ever made, and it owes much to Weaver's solid and sympathetic turn as the intelligently intense Ripley, fighting the mother of all aliens while discovering the mother inside herself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1988 Gorillas in the Mist (Dian Fossey), Working Girl (Katharine Parker)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Weaver scored double in 1988, with two Oscar nominations for her work in Gorillas in the Mist and Working Girl. The former is a biographical film about zoologist Dian Fossey, who studied primates in the mountain forests for eighteen years. She gives a strong yet tender performance and has beautiful moments with the animals in the film. In Working Girl, she tackles a completely different character, Melanie Griffith's bitch of a boss. She plays it perfect and subtle, and becomes the kind of villainous wretch we love to hate. We couldn't root for the main character without positively despising her antagonist, and Weaver lets us do that, but also gives us plenty of laughs along the way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1989 Ghostbusters II (Dana Barrett)
1992 Alien 3 (Ellen Ripley), 1492: Conquest of Paradise (Queen Isabella)
1993 Dave (Ellen Mitchell)
1994 Death and the Maiden (Pauline Escobar)
1995 Copycat (Helen Hudson), Jeffrey (Debra Moorhouse)
1997 The Ice Storm (Janey Carver), Alien Resurrection (Ellen Ripley Clone)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In Ang Lee's underrated ensemble film The Ice Storm, Weaver gives one of several brilliant performances as Janey Carver, an adulterous housewife in 1970s Connecticut. A smartly satirical look at sexual experimentation and suburban secrets in upper-middle class America, The Ice Storm is a must-see and one of Weaver's most memorable films.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1999 A Map of the World (Alice Goodwin), Galaxy Quest (Gwen DeMarco/Lieutenant Tawny Madison)
2000 Company Man (Daisy Quimp)
2001 Heartbreakers (Max Conners/Angela)
2002 Tadpole (Eve Grubman), The Guys (Joan)
2003 Holes (Warden Walker)
2004 Imaginary Heroes (Sandy Travis), The Village (Alice Hunt)
2006 Snow Cake (Linda Freeman), The TV Set (Lenny), Infamous (Babe Paley)
2007 The Girl in the Park (Julia Sandburg)
2008 Vantage Point (Rex Brooks), Be Kind Rewind (Ms. Lawson), Baby Mama (Chaffee Bicknell), WALL-E (Computer, voice)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In one of the coolest cameos ever, Weaver voiced the Axiom's computer in Andrew Stanton's animated masterpiece WALL-E. An obvious reference to her legendary sci-fi queen status, and "Mother", the computer aboard the Nostromo in Alien.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2009 Avatar (Dr. Grace Augustine)

Poll: Had there been 10 Best Picture nominees in 2008, which films (besides those nominated) would have made the list?

2009-10-21T16:40:00.000-07:00

It's well known that the Academy's decision to expand the Best Picture category to 10 nominees was largely based on the fury surrounding the omission of two of the best reviewed films of last year, The Dark Knight and WALL-E. Apparently the thought is that with 5 more spots, more mainstream successes will make the cut, and in turn ratings for the telecast will go up.
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This is either bang on the money or wishful thinking. The Dark Knight was an exceptional superhero film that managed to rise above genre stereotypes, and definitely deserved a nomination. But that doesn't mean there'll be a commercial success each year that makes it onto a host of critics' top ten lists. We'll find out February 2 if the expansion will make for drastic change or just more of the same.
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In the meantime, let's pretend for a moment there had been 10 spots last year. Besides the 5 that did make it, which films would have landed a Best Picture nod? Pick the five you think would have been most likely in the sidebar poll!
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(POLL RESULTS: Last week we talked about Sam Raimi's filmography, and which of his films we loved the most. Results were pretty well spread out. The winner was Spider-Man 2, with 40% of the vote, while The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, and Drag Me to Hell tied with 20%.)
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Thanks for voting again everyone! Let's hear your thoughts on last year's legendary Best Picture race in the new poll and in the comments section!

Who ya gonna call?

2009-10-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

"I tried to think of the most harmless thing. Something I loved from my childhood. Something that could never ever possibly destroy us. Mr. Stay Puft!"

Cutest Dolls Ever

2009-10-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

CHERI

2009-10-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

Based on the novels by Colette
Screenplay by Christopher Hampton
Directed by Stephen Frears

Michelle Pfeiffer
Rupert Friend
Kathy Bates

Premiere date: February 10, 2009 (Berlin International Film Festival)
R for some sexual content and brief drug use.

A ravishing Parisian courtesan takes a naive young man half her age into her boudoir to teach him a thing or two about women. But of course, he learns all too well and turns out to be her perfect match. He doeesn't want to grow up and she doesn't want to grow old and together they defy all of society's rules. Their affair is pure pleasure - as they trade light-hearted romantic barbs and indulge in their delicious, upside-down chemistry - until the do the one thing that will make an outrage of it all, most significantly to themselves: fall in love. And gradually they come to see there will be weighty consequences of this unusual affair.

BROKEN EMBRACES

2009-10-20T23:18:00.000-07:00

Written and directed by Pedro Almodovar

Penelope Cruz
Lluis Homar
Blanca Portillo
Jose Luis Gomez
Tamar Novas

Premiere date: March 17, 2009 (Spain)
R for sexual content, language and some drug material.

The former Mateo Blanco is a screenwriter and ex-director who changed his name to Harry Caine after losing his sight in an automobile accident. A past scandal suddenly resurfaces when the news arrives that the producer of one of Harry's old movies, a corrupt stockbroker named Ernesto Martel, has died. For mysterious reasons, this makes Harry's ex-production manager Judit nervous. Soon Ernesto's son, Ray X, turns up and asks Harry to help him write a vindictive script to get back at his vile father. The film subsequently flashes back to the early 90s, when Martel became involved with his secretary, Lena, but Mateo also began to develop feelings for her, and auditioned her for his film, Girls and Suitcases. In response to Mateo's interest in Lena - and her burgeoning interest in him - the jealous Martel commissioned Ray to make a documentary about the making of Girls and Suitcases as an excuse to spy on the director and star. This enabled him to watch Mateo spiriting off with Lena right under his nose, and set the stage for the wily producer's elaborate revenge against Mateo.

Un Amistad Hermoso

2009-10-20T23:06:00.000-07:00

Not everyone has praised Pedro Almodovar's latest effort, Broken Embraces, but I am happy to say that I, for one, loved it. The film is a little slow getting going, maybe, since Penelope Cruz isn't around much in the first half hour or so, but once she hits the screen, the story comes alive, and we have our fourth beautiful collaboration of the Spanish visionary and his muse.

The film of course has some awe-inspiring images to feast your eyes upon. A radiant Cruz sports a hundred and a half different hairstyles and flashy costumes, and the color palette is signature Almodovar: vibrant, florid, and stunning.

The story itself is somewhat labyrinthian, but Cruz - and a host of other actors in first-rate performances - successfully ground the picture in a noirish celebration of Almodovar's cinematic inspirations. One point I've seen criticized is that the film is over-indulgent, citing perhaps a few too many references to influential cinema (*cough*Tarantino*cough*). I'd disagree. It's a stunning tribute from Almodovar to the filmmakers who have molded his style and his vision. And hey, I think they deserve the recognition.

The most impressive part of Broken Embraces is Penelope Cruz's turn as aspiring actress Lena. Cruz has very quickly become one of our greatest actresses, and this film proves yet again that she possesses that magical quality which forbids you from looking away while she's onscreen. She's got two much talked about films out this year (she plays a film director's mistress in both, oddly enough), and while her supporting role in the musical Nine is perhaps the one most awards pundits are watching, her work with Almodovar is what I look forward to more than anything else. These are two artists clearly most at home in each other's company, and the result is a breathtaking banquet of aesthetic thrills.

AWAY WE GO

2009-10-20T16:54:00.000-07:00

Screenplay by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida
Directed by Sam Mendes

John Krasinski
Maya Rudolph
Jeff Daniels
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Allison Janney

Premiere date: June 5, 2009
R for language and some sexual content.

Verona De Tessant is six months pregnant, but she and her boyfriend, Burt Farlander, aren’t tied down to their current house in Colorado. A sense of adventure and the desire to find a place to call home propels the couple across North America, stopping in Arizona, Wisconsin, Montreal, and Miami, where they learn the how-to's (and how-not-to's) of parenting from friends and family.

Producers Named For The 82nd Oscars

2009-10-20T16:31:00.000-07:00

I'm always more interested to hear who's hosting, and that news should drop pretty soon. It looks like they're possibly sticking to the showbiz flair established last year. But anyway, the full press release:

"Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman will produce the 82nd Academy Awards® telecast, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak announced today. This will be the first major Oscar show involvement for both men.

“I couldn’t be happier to have this talented team on board,” said Sherak. “I’ve known Bill for many years so it’s like putting Oscar in the care of a dear friend. Bill has a tremendous love and respect of film and will draw from his vast experience as a producer, a studio executive and a film historian to help make this year’s Oscar telecast a memorable one. And Adam’s experience in producing, directing and especially choreography will be a huge asset to the production.”

“I’m thrilled to be producing the Oscars with Adam,” said Mechanic. “I think Adam has the perfect background and spirit to make the show both unique and fun to watch. Together we will build upon the best traditions from the great shows of the past while helping pave the way to the future.”

“The last time I was on the show was as a dancer, and to come back as a producer is such an unbelievable honor,” said Shankman. “I look forward to collaborating with Bill to celebrate the world’s collective love of movies and provide a fun escape from the difficult times we’re living in. Simply put, there is no show like the Oscars and I am thrilled to be a part of our industry’s most treasured tradition.”

Mechanic is the chairman and CEO of Pandemonium Films and the former chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment. While at Fox, the studio released titles including “True Lies” (1994), “Braveheart” (1995), “Titanic” (1997), “The Full Monty” (1997), “There’s Something About Mary” (1998), “Boys Don’t Cry” (1999) and “Cast Away” (2000) among many others. Prior to Fox, he served in executive positions at the Walt Disney Company and Paramount. Mechanic’s producer credits include this year’s animated feature “Coraline” and the thriller “Dark Water” (2005).

Shankman’s directorial credits include “Bedtime Stories” (2008), “Hairspray” (2007), “A Walk To Remember” (2002) and “The Wedding Planner” (2001). His upcoming projects include “Rock of Ages,” “Sinbad,” “Bob: The Musical” and “Bye Bye Birdie.” In addition to directing, Shankman, along with his sister, Jennifer Gibgot, produce films through their shingle, Offspring Entertainment. Together they are currently producing “The Last Song,” “Going The Distance” and “Step Up 3D,” all set for 2010 release.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide."

JENNIFER'S BODY

2009-10-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

Screenplay by Diablo Cody
Directed by Karyn Kusama

Megan Fox
Amanda Seyfried
Johnny Simmons
Adam Brody

Premiere date: September 18, 2009
R for sexuality, bloody violence, language and brief drug use.

Small town high school student Jennifer is possessed by a hungry demon. She transitions from being high school evil - gorgeous, stuck up and ultra-attitudinal - to the real deal: evil-evil. The glittering beauty becomes a pale and sickly creature jonesing for a meaty snack, and guys who never stood a chance with the heartless babe take on new luster in the light of Jennifer's insatiable appetite. Meanwhile, Jennifer's lifelong best friend Needy, long relegated to living in Jennifer's shadow, must step up to protect the town's young men, including her nerdy boyfriend Chip.

Katie Jarvis

2009-10-20T12:21:00.000-07:00

By now, you've probably heard a lot about Katie Jarvis, the young star of Andrea Arnold's festival hit Fish Tank.
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She was discovered at a train station by the film's casting director, who spotted her having a heated argument with her boyfriend and asked her to audition. That is quite a story, and a lucky break for Arnold, who found in Jarvis the perfect actress to portray Mia. In her film debut, Jarvis has been wowing critics and audiences across the board, and once you see the film, it's easy to understand why.
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It was recently announced that the film's U.S. release is scheduled for sometime in 2010. I hope it catches on. Jarvis is a natural, and it would be a great injustice if she wasn't recognized for her stunning first performance.

FISH TANK

2009-10-20T11:48:00.000-07:00

Written and directed by Andrea Arnold

Katie Jarvis
Michael Fassbender

Premiere date: May 14, 2009 (Cannes Film Festival)

Mia is a volatile and rebellious 15-year-old, who is always in trouble and who has become excluded from school and ostracized by her friends. With plenty of time on her hands, Mia spends her days drinking when she can find alcohol and dancing in an empty flat near her apartment. One hot summer’s day her mother brings home a mysterious stranger named Connor who promises to change everything and bring love into all their lives.

Cannes Film Festival
Jury Prize

Crazy/Brilliant

2009-10-19T23:43:00.000-07:00

Or maybe just crazy. Let me quickly throw my two cents in on Joaquin Phoenix's pending career as a rap artist, which may or may not be a huge, intricately-planned publicity stunt.
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If Phoenix indeed has musical aspiritions, great! Whatever works for him. But I really hope he's not finished with film quite yet. I thought he was great in his two Oscar-nominated roles - jealous, murderous Commodus in Gladiator and country music legend Johnny Cash in Walk the Line - but I've just finished watching Two Lovers, and I think it's his best work yet. Phoenix drives the movie with a remarkable performance as a simple man who's as torn apart by his passions as he is driven by them. If for no other reason, give Two Lovers a watch to see Phoenix lay his soul bare.
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If Joaquin really is calling it quits with his acting career, I'll be disappointed. He's a screen presence that could give us wondrous performances to talk about for years to come.

TWO LOVERS

2009-10-19T23:30:00.000-07:00

Screenplay by James Gray and Ric Menello
Directed by James Gray

Joaquin Phoenix
Gwyneth Paltrow
Vinessa Shaw

Premiere date: May 19, 2008 (Cannes Film Festival)
R for language, some sexuality and brief drug use.

Leonard Kraditor is a depressed and sometimes suicidal bachelor trying to pick up the pieces of his life after a bad breakup. Living with his parents and helping out at the family dry-cleaning business, Leonard finds himself in an existence that, save for his dabbling in black-and-white photography, is ordinary and stifling. His parents, mother Ruth and father Reuben, hope that a merger with a lucrative business - run by a friend of Reuben’s with a pretty daughter, Sandra - will spark a budding romance for Leonard. But their plan hits a snag when Leonard befriends Michelle, an alluring but emotionally needy blonde who struggles with her own desire for validation from a married man with whom she is having an affair. Leonard gets caught between filial obligation and a longing for escape, and sees in Michelle a partner for his troubled soul.

THE TIMES OF HARVEY MILK

2009-10-19T16:42:00.000-07:00

Directed by Rob Epstein
Narrated by Harvey Fierstein
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Premiere date: October 26, 1984
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A devastatingly skillful and emotionally compelling documentary, The Times of Harvey Milk charts the political rise and brutal slaying of the first openly gay city official in the United States, Harvey Milk. Ironically, the same election that brought Milk to the board of city supervisors of San Francisco also elected the man who killed him, a former police officer and fireman named Dan White. After White shot both Mayor George Moscone and Milk, his defense lawyers convinced the jury that White's judgment was impaired by depression and junk food, resulting in a conviction for manslaughter instead of murder - a verdict that prompted riots. With care and conviction, The Times of Harvey Milk captures not only Milk himself, but also the political and social landscape in which these events took place. The interviews - with friends, politicians, and journalists - are articulate and heartfelt, expressing the impact that Milk had upon this historical movement.

Sundance Film Festival
Special Jury Prize - Documentary
Grand Jury Prize - Documentary
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1 Academy Award Nomination, 1 Win
Best Documentary Feature

Credits: North by Northwest

2009-10-19T05:17:00.000-07:00

My Favorite Scene From My Favorite Movie

2009-10-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

News Of Amelia

2009-10-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

As you might know, I'm a believer in Hilary Swank. I think she's a very talented actress who happens to make some really crappy decisions every once in a while. Okay, often. But when she's on, she is on.
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So I've had pretty high hopes for Mira Nair's upcoming Amelia Earhart biopic, which is out this Friday. It's been kept tightly under wraps by Fox Searchlight so far, but it seems like they're finally letting a few people get a look at the film, and word is mixed.
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The Hollywood Reporter had the following to say about Swank's performance:
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"Freckle-faced, prairie-voiced and fiercely independent, Hilary Swank's depiction of aviator Amelia Earhart in Mira Nair's biographical film "Amelia" is of a high order. It ranks with recent real-life portrayals of Ray Charles by Jamie Foxx and Truman Capote by Philip Seymour Hoffman and could be similarly awards-bound."
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But then there's this from Variety:

"But it's Swank who must shoulder the heaviest thesping burden, and her Amelia remains earthbound. An actress who does her best work in plain-spoken, contempo working-class roles, Swank is a decent physical match for her subject, and her slightly androgynous appearance here underscores Earhart's standing as a woman among men. But the character's passion hasn't been sufficiently dramatized (this Amelia likes to fly planes because the script says so), and every effort to transform Swank -- the close-cropped blonde hair, the '30s costumes designed by Kasia Walicka Maimone, the actress' wobbly Kansas accent -- ends up feeling like one fussy affectation on top of another."

So I'm not really sure what to think. I guess I'm still planning to catch it this weekend, but I hope to hear more good things than bad in the next few days.

In space no one can hear you scream.

2009-10-18T15:47:00.000-07:00

Numbers: October 18, 2009

2009-10-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

1. (new) Where the Wild Things Are - Gross: $32,470,000
2. (new) Law Abiding Citizen - Gross: $21,250,000
3. (4) Paranormal Activity - Gross: $20,163,000 / Gross to date: $33,717,000
4. (1) Couples Retreat - Gross: $17,948,685 / Gross to date: $63,399,030
5. (new) The Stepfather - Gross: $12,300,000
6. (3) Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - Gross: $8,100,000 / Gross to date: $108,284,000
7. (2) Zombieland - Gross: $7,800,000 / Gross to date: $60,823,000
8. (5) Toy Story/Toy Story 2 3D - Gross: $3,011,000 / Gross to date: $28,594,000
9. (6) Surrogates - Gross: $1,922,000 / Gross to date: $36,332,000
10. (7) The Invention of Lying - Gross: $1,905,000 / Gross to date: $15,495,000

ZOMBIELAND

2009-10-18T14:44:00.000-07:00

Screenplay by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick
Directed by Ruben Fleischer

Woody Harrelson
Jesse Eisenberg
Emma Stone
Abigail Breslin

Premiere date: October 2, 2009
R for horror violence/gore and language.

A cowardly shut-in named Columbus is forced to join up with a seasoned zombie slayer named Tallahassee in order to survive the zombie apocalypse. As Tallahassee sets out on a mission to find the last Twinkie on Earth, the duo meets up with Wichita and Little Rock, two young girls who have resorted to some rather unorthodox methods to survive amidst the chaos. Reluctant partners in the battle against the undead, all four soon begin to wonder if it might be better to simply take their chances alone.

Sunday Prayer

2009-10-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Jesus,

Please let another amazing role land in Diane Lane's lap. When you get a moment. Her hubby is great and all - keep up the good work with his career, by the way - but I think we could do with another knockout performance from Diane, just so we know her unnerving turn in Unfaithful really was a display of raw, natural talent, and not just some freak occurance that we'll never get to witness from her again.

Thanks,
Rae

Recasting Classics: Dr. Strangelove

2009-10-17T22:04:00.000-07:00

Nobody panic! As far as I know, there is no plan to remake Dr. Strangelove. Seriously, you'd be idiotic even to attempt it. Besides the fact that Peter Sellers was one of the best comedic actors of all time, the Cold War paranoia just isn't relevant today. But as I told you last time, these are just for fun! Most of us film lovers are wholly against remakes, but if we had to cast a classic film with today's stars, who would we pick?
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That's the question with Dr. Strangelove. Any ideas? Is there a comedic actor working today good enough to play all three of Peter Sellers' roles? Who would you pick to bring the funny if they ever updated the film?

DRAG ME TO HELL

2009-10-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

Screenplay by Sam Raimi & Ivan Raimi
Directed by Sam Raimi

Alison Lohman
Justin Long
Lorna Raver
Dileep Rao

Premiere date: May 29, 2009
PG-13 for sequences of horror violence, terror, disturbing images and language.

Christine Brown is on her way to having it all: a devoted boyfriend, a hard-earned job promotion, and a bright future. But when she's forced to make a tough decision that evicts an elderly woman from her house, Christine becomes the victim of an evil curse. Now she has only three days to dissuade a dark spirit from stealing her soul before she is dragged to hell for an eternity of unthinkable torment.

A TALE OF TWO SISTERS

2009-10-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

Written and directed by Ji-woon Kim

Su-jeong Lim
Geun-yeong Mun
Jung-ah Yum
Kap-su Kim

Premiere date: June 13, 2003 (South Korea)
R for some violence and disturbing images.

In an isolated lakeside house, two young girls, Su-mi and Su-yeon, return home after a period of hospitalization following the death of their mother. In the meantime, their father Mu-Hyun has married Eun-joo, whom the girls obviously despise. Strange, violent visions begin to disturb Su-mi and she becomes convinced that Eun-joo is keeping a dark secret from the family.

SUSPIRIA

2009-10-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

Screenplay by Dario Argento and Daria Nicolodi
Directed by Dario Argento

Jessica Harper
Udo Kier
Joan Bennett
Alida Valli

Premiere date: February 1, 1977 (Italy)
R

Susan is a young, impressionable American who travels abroad in order to study at a prestigious European ballet academy. From the first day, however, she begins to realize that frightening things are afoot at the hallowed institution. Enduring a rain of maggots, poisoned food and other unpleasant occurrences, she discovers that the school is a secret convening place for an ages-old witches' coven.

Today's Agenda

2009-10-17T09:23:00.000-07:00

I'm planning to spend today on a little bit of a horror movie marathon. If horror's not your genre, it might be best to steer clear for today.

But if it is, tell me about your favorite horror movies in the comments section of this post!

Personal favorites are The Orphanage, The Shining, Psycho, The Descent, and Rosemary's Baby.

What do you watch when you're in the mood for a good scare?

DISTANT VOICES, STILL LIVES

2009-10-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

Written and directed by Terence Davies

Angela Walsh
Lorraine Ashbourne
Dean Williams
Freda Dowie
Pete Postlethwaite

Premiere date: September 11, 1988 (Toronto Film Festival)
PG-13

In 1940s England, a radically dysfunctional family must endure the casual and overt cruelties of the bull-necked father. The ongoing abuse takes its toll in the form of failed marriages and misguided attempts at seeking security outside the family unit. As was the case with his earlier short subject trilogy (The Children, Madonna and Child, Death and Transfiguration), director Terence Davies based much of the material on his own life, combining rheumy-eyed cynicism with soft-edged nostalgia.

Toronto International Film Festival

International Critics' Prize

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Cannes Film Festival

FIPRESCI Prize

Best British Films: 4. Distant Voices, Still Lives

2009-10-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

Distant Voices, Still Lives is one film in two parts from Terence Davies. The first part is Distant Voices, in which three grown siblings and their mother mourn the loss of their father and husband, and remember him in varying lights in 1940s Liverpool. The second part is Still Lives, which takes place (and was filmed) two years later. The siblings are all settled, but not all of them are happy.

The film opens with "I Get the Blues When It Rains", the first of many songs used as insight into the characters' feelings. It's a rainy day and Eileen, Maisie, and Tony are attending their father's funeral with their mother. His picture hangs on the wall, smiling over them. But their memories of him are anything but pleasant. Most of their recollections show him to be a cruel and violent man.

Nevertheless, his death causes all of them pain, and recovering from his sudden absence proves just as difficult as recovering from his vicious presence.

Terence Davies subtly suggests the ways that family members prop each other up, cut each other down, and weather the storm of their upbringing, and in doing so, his film acquires a cumulative sense of hope and understanding. ***1/2/4

Oscar Trivia #9

2009-10-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

Director Oliver Stone based his Best Picture winner Platoon on his experiences in the Vietnam War, which he might not have had without another Oscar-nominated film, Sands of Iwo Jima.
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Stone still held a grudge against the star of the 1949 war epic: "I love John Wayne, but Sands of Iwo Jima sent me to Vietnam believing that it was exciting and I could make a man out of myself. I don't believe John Wayne ever went to war."

Best Supporting Actress Contenders

2009-10-16T07:42:00.000-07:00

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

2009-10-15T21:23:00.001-07:00

Based on the stage play by Joseph Stein
Screenplay by Joseph Stein
Directed by Norman Jewison

Topol
Norma Crane
Leonard Frey
Molly Picon
Paul Mann

Premiere date: November 3, 1971
G

Poor milkman Tevye clings desperately to the old Jewish traditions of his family while all around him the world changes, day by day. His three daughters marry men he considers more and more unacceptable, and anti-Semitism threatens to drive him from his home. His love, pride and faith help him face the oppression of turn-of-the-century czarist Russia.

8 Academy Award Nominations, 3 Wins
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor - Topol
Best Supporting Actor - Leonard Frey
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Sound
Best Original Score

Feet, Feet, and More Feet

2009-10-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

You can't tell me that A Tale of Two Sisters director Ji-woon Kim doesn't have maybe the tiniest foot fetish. I felt like I knew the sisters' feet better than I knew their faces by the time this movie was over.

Filmography: Greg Kinnear

2009-10-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

Greg Kinnear got his degree from the University of Arizona, where he majored in broadcast journalism. He started his career as a television reporter and talk show host, but soon he was landing televison and film roles.

Kinnear is another actor best known for his supporting work. He's comfortable in both dramas and comedies, and is almost always the standout performer in any cast. In his fifteen-year career in cinema, he's proved again and again that he is a screen presence to be reckoned with.

1994 Blankman (Talk Show Host)
1995 Sabrina (David Larrabee)
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In the remake of Billy Wilder's 1954 romantic comedy, Kinnear took the role originated by William Holden. The movie may have been less than stellar, but the Chicago Film Critics Association named him the Most Promising Actor of 1995, and his film career was off to a great start.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1996 Dear God (Tom Turner)
1997 A Smile Like Yours (Danny Robertson), As Good As It Gets (Simon Bishop)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kinnear scored a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role as Jack Nicholson's neighbor in the critically-acclaimed success As Good As It Gets. The performances are the great triumph of the film, and Kinnear's turn as gay artist Simon Bishop is a major catalyst for the change in the obsessive-compulsive SOB Melvin Udall. His is the most emotionally effective work on display.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1998 You've Got Mail (Frank Navasky)
1999 Mystery Men (Captain Amazing/Lance Hunt)
2000 What Planet Are You From? (Perry Gordon), Nurse Betty (Dr. David Ravell/George McCord), Loser (Professor Edward Alcott), The Gift (Wayne Collins)
2001 Someone Like You (Ray Brown)
2002 We Were Soldiers (Major Bruce "Snake" Crandall), Auto Focus (Bob Crane)
2003 Stuck on You (Walt Tenor)
2004 Godsend (Paul Duncan)
2005 The Matador (Danny Wright), Bad News Bears (Roy Bullock)
2006 Fast Food Nation (Don Anderson), Little Miss Sunshine (Richard Hoover), Invincible (Dick Vermeil), Unknown (Broken Nose)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The cast of the indie comedy Little Miss Sunshine took home the SAG Award for oustanding cast in a motion picture, and it was well-deserved. Abigail Breslin and Alan Arkin both scored Oscar nods for their work, but it was Greg Kinnear's turn as the husband and father obsessed with winning that made the dysfunctional Hoover family so believable. He's a riot as a pathetic control-freak and failed motivational speaker trying to hold his family together on the way to his daughter's beauty pageant. "Sarcasm is the refuge of losers."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2007 Feast of Love (Bradley Smith)
2008 Baby Mama (Rob Ackerman), Ghost Town (Frank Herlihy), Flash of Genius (Bob Kearns)