Venice Winners Announced

The Venice Film Festival wrapped up today, and winners were announced this afternoon. Here they are:

International Competition Jury
Golden Lion: Lebanon, Samuel Maoz
Silver Lion: Women Without Men, Shirin Neshat
Grand Jury Prize: Soul Kitchen, Faith Akin
Best Actor: Colin Firth, A Single Man
Best Actress: Ksenia Rappoport, The Double Hour
Marcello Mastroianni Prize for Young Performer: Jasmine Trinca, The Big Dream
Best Screenplay: Todd Solondz, Life During Wartime
Technical Contribution for Set Design: Sylvie Olive, Mr. Nobody

Not one multiple winner. I haven't heard much about any of the winning films, which doesn't necessarily mean we won't be hearing from them during the awards hunt, but the studios behind them had better get a move on if they want to pick up any buzz.

New Kids On the Block

This year is looking to be full of breakthrough performances from young actresses, with at least four potential star-making turns coming up in the next few months. Every year it seems like there are a few actors who break onto the awards scene and become the talk of the town. These four young women are all in line for a lot of attention for much talked about work in four very different festival hits.

xxx

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First is Abbie Cornish in Bright Star, the Jane Campion film about the poet John Keats and his romance with Fanny Brawne. Cornish has starred in a few other films - Candy with Heath Ledger and last year's Stop-Loss - but EW's Dave Karger says that this is her star-making role. The film's debut at Cannes garnered quite a bit of attention, with Variety stating Cornish delivered "an outstanding performance." The Hollywood Reporter sang her praises too:

"Cornish has the acting skill to match her striking beauty and she makes the small loving gestures that the British might call soppy both real and touching."

Campion directed both Holly Hunter and Anna Paquin to Oscar wins in 1993's incredible The Piano, and Barbara Hershey to a nomination in Portrait of a Lady. Cornish could be the fourth woman to make a trip to the Academy Awards with Campion, but she'll have some stiff competition. Bright Star's limited release is scheduled for September 18th.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Katie Jarvis landed her role in Andrea Arnold's Fish Tank after a casting agent saw her having a heated argument with her boyfriend at a train station and asked her to audition. She plays Mia, a troubled and aggressive working-class teen with a passion for dance and her mother's new boyfriend.

Those who have seen the film have been wowed, especially by Jarvis' performance. Guy Lodge's review for In Contention said Jarvis brought "vivid physical charge to the character" and called her "an astute and fully-formed actress (not to mention a great dancer) in her own right".

Fish Tank tied for the Jury Prize at Cannes, and has US distribution with IFC Films, though no official US release date has been named. UK theaters will begin playing the film this Friday.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carey Mulligan in An Education has been the one to keep an eye on since Sundance. She plays Jenny, a young girl torn between a college education and a romance with a much older man who shows her the ways of the world. Jeffrey Wells over at Hollywood Elsewhere has been ecstatically shouting her name from rooftops since he attended a screening if the film in January:

"I know that special old-soul-mixed-with-youthful-effervescence quality that you see in very few actors and actresses over the years, and trust me, Mulligan has it. A wondrously true and satisfying film has broken out of the Sundance '09 pack, and a brand-new actress with just the right face and just the right approach and precisely the right touch of sadness in the corners of her mouth has hit one out of the park."

Mulligan's performance and the film have been capturing the hearts of almost everyone who sees them all year, with Mulligan widely thought to be the one to beat in this year's Best Actress race. Something about her is charming and winning, and I have to admit this is the performance I'm most anxious to see this year. Look for it in theaters October 9th.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another Sundance hit, Precious, stars Gabourey Sidibe in the title role. Precious is an illiterate Harlem teen pregnant with her second child by her father. She endures physical and emotional abuse from her mother and endless, cruel bullying from her peers over her obesity.

Most of the talk has been of Mo'Nique and her brutal performance as a montrous mother and Mariah Carey's non-glamorous role as a social worker, but Sidibe has earned raves as well. From the Hollywood Reporter:

"As Precious, Sidibe is superb, allowing us to see the inner warmth and beauty of a young woman who, to her world's cruel eyes, might seem monstrous."

It's a brave first performance to be sure. Precious hits theaters November 6th.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All four names are sure to be floating around quite a bit as we come into the awards season. As far as Oscars go, Jarvis is a long shot due to her film's obscurity, and Sidibe will have a rough time keeping up with Mo'Nique's powerhouse performance. Mulligan is supposedly good enough to be a lock, and Cornish's chances are bolstered by the genre strength of the doomed period romance.

Sight unseen, my money is on Mulligan and Cornish, who will be battling it out in the coming months for the impressive newcomer vote.

As I've said, I'm most interested in Carey Mulligan, who's been drawing comparisons to Audrey Hepburn (who had her own breakthrough with Roman Holiday) for months. Who are you most excited about? Are there any other newcomers on your radar?

THE ENGLISH PATIENT

Based on the novel by Michael Ondaatje
Written and directed by Anthony Minghella

Ralph Fiennes
Juliette Binoche
Willem Dafoe
Kristin Scott Thomas

Premiere date: November 6, 1996
R for sexuality, some violence and language.

In a field hospital in Italy during World War II, Hana, a nurse from Canada, is caring for a pilot who was horribly burned in a plane wreck. He has no identification and cannot remember his name, so he's known simply as "the English patient," because of his accent. When the hospital is forced to evacuate, Hana determines en route that the patient shouldn't be moved far due to his fragile condition, so the two are left in a monastery to be picked up later. In time, Hana begins to piece together the patient's story from the shards of his memories; he's actually Count Laszlo Almasy, an explorer working with a group mapping uncharted territory in North Africa. An Englishman soon joins Almasy's team, and travelling with him is his lovely and spirited wife, Katherine. Katherine and Laszlo soon fall in love, which leads Laszlo to betray his friend, his country and all that is dear to him.

National Board of Review
Best Supporting Actress - Juliette Binoche (TIE)
Best Supporting Actress - Kristin Scott Thomas (TIE)

12 Academy Award Nominations, 9 Wins
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor - Ralph Fiennes
Best Actress - Kristin Scott Thomas
Best Supporting Actress - Juliette Binoche
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Film Editing
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design
Best Original Score
Best Sound

Reitman Wows the Crowds at Telluride

Jason Reitman's Up in the Air was specially screened this morning at the Telluride Film Festival, and those in attendance were over the moon about it. Reitman told the crowd that it's the most personal film he's ever made, and all reports say it's a smart, funny and perceptive comedy bound for Oscar glory.

Pete Hammond over at his L.A. Times blog Notes On a Season had high praise and big predictions for the film.

"Let's make it clear right now: Oscar nominations are likely assured for best picture, director, screenplay, actor for Clooney and supporting actress for either Anna Kendrick as the young know-it-all who threatens Clooney's job security or Vera Farmiga as a one-night stand who keeps on giving. Perhaps both will get nods. This is one of the smartest adult comedies in some time."

In Contention's Kris Tapley has similar raves, giving it a four-star rating and stating:

"The film is a triumph. It drips with Reitman’s passion, his love for his wife and child, his assessment of his own journey into adulthood. He just finished telling the audience at the Chuck Jones Theater that it’s probably the most personal film he’ll ever make. One can certainly understand the sentiment."

Great news. As a big fan of Thank You For Smoking and Juno, I've been looking forward to this one ever since it was announced. Add a killer cast and an uncannily perfect social climate, and this film looks to be an all-around winner. I'm looking forward to the December 4th release.

CHINATOWN

Screenplay by Robert Towne
Directed by Roman Polanski

Jack Nicholson
Faye Dunaway
John Huston

Premiere date: June 20, 1974
R

Private eye Jake Gittes is living off the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-war Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite to investigate her husband's extra-marital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together for one, unforgettable night in...Chinatown.

11 Academy Award Nominations, 1 Win
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor - Jack Nicholson
Best Actress - Faye Dunaway
Best Original Screenplay
Best Film Editing
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design
Best Sound
Best Original Score

VERA DRAKE

Written and directed by Mike Leigh

Imelda Staunton

Premiere date: September 6, 2004 (Venice Film Festival)
R for depiction of strong thematic material.

Vera Drake is the beloved wife of Stan and the mother of Sid and Ethel. Vera spends her days cleaning houses for money and looking in on elderly and sick neighbors out of the kindness of her heart. She even attempts to be a matchmaker for her daughter, inviting a lonely neighbor, Reg, to see if he might be a perfect match for the introverted Ethel. But Vera performs another duty that her family doesn't know about, one that is deeply frowned upon by society. When tragedy befalls a young client of Vera's, the truth comes out, forcing her family to see their mother in an entirely different light.

Venice Film Festival
Golden Lion
Best Actress - Imelda Staunton

3 Academy Award Nominations
Best Director
Best Actress - Imelda Staunton
Best Original Screenplay

BEING JULIA

Based on the novel Theatre by W. Somerset Maugham
Screenplay by Ronald Harwood
Directed by Istvan Szabo

Annette Bening
Jeremy Irons
Shaun Evans

Premiere date: October 15, 2004
R for some sexuality.

Julia Lambert is a true diva: beautiful, talented, wealthy and famous. She has it all - including a devoted husband who has masterminded her brilliant career - but after years of shining in the spotlight she begins to suffer from a severe case of boredom and longs for something new and exciting to put the twinkle back in her eye. Julia finds exactly what she's looking for in a handsome young American fan, but it isn't long before the novelty fling adds more sparks than she was hoping for. Fortunately for her, this surprise twist in the plot will thrust her back into the greatest role of her life - being Julia.

National Board of Review
Best Actress - Annette Bening

1 Academy Award Nomination
Best Actress - Annette Bening

MILLION DOLLAR BABY

Based on short stories by F.X. Toole
Screenplay by Paul Haggis
Directed by Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood
Hilary Swank
Morgan Freeman

Premiere date: December 15, 2004
PG-13 for violence, some disturbing images, thematic material and language.

Frankie Dunn has trained and managed some incredible fighters during a lifetime spent in the ring. The most important lesson he teaches his boxers is the one that rules his life: above all, always protect yourself. In the wake of a painful estrangement from his daughter, Frankie has been unwilling to let himself get close to anyone for a very long time. His only friend is Scrap, an ex-boxer who looks after Frankie's gym and knows that beneath his gruff exterior is a man who has attended Mass almost every day for the past 23 years, seeking the forgiveness that somehow continues to elude him.

Then Maggie Fitzgerald walks into his gym.

In turns exasperating and inspiring each other, Frankie and Maggie come to discover that they share a common spirit that transcends the pain and loss of their pasts, and find in each other a sense of family they lost long ago. What they don't know is that soon they will both face a battle that's going to demand more heart and courage than any they've ever known.

National Board of Review
Special Achievement Award - Clint Eastwood
xxx
7 Academy Award Nominations, 4 Wins
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor - Clint Eastwood
Best Actress - Hilary Swank
Best Supporting Actor - Morgan Freeman
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Film Editing

Michael Moore's Latest

It's been a busy day for trailers. Now we have the full-lenth trailer for Michael Moore's new documentary Capitalism: A Love Story. Whatever your personal opinion of Moore, you can't deny the man knows how to make a stir and draw attention to his causes.

With ten Best Picture slots this year, will he finally slide one of his films into the top race? Maybe not, but I think it's safe to say Capitalism: A Love Story is a contender for Best Documentary Feature.

Quentin Quentin Quentin

Lots of schtuff floating around today concerning Inglourious Basterds. Catch the film in theaters tomorrow (or tonight at midnight, depending on just how excited you are). To tide you over, here's some chatter about the film, its director and its stars.

Roger Ebert's jubilant review for the Chicago Sun-Times.

An interview with actor Christoph Waltz, who is almost guaranteed an Oscar nomination next January, over at FirstShowing.net.

Always worth a look, the official site.

The New York Times reports on the reaction of German critics.

Another interview, this time with the film's femme fatale, Diane Kruger.

Chicago blogger Ben Kenigsberg wonders if Inglourious Basterds is the most controversial film of the year. Someone should tell him about Antichrist.

Entertainment Weekly ponders the movie's box office clout and its potential positive effect on The Weinstein Company.

MARIA FULL OF GRACE

Written and directed by Joshua Marston

Catalina Sandino Moreno
Yenny Paola Vega
Guilied Lopez
Johanna Andrea Mora

Premiere date: January 18, 2004 (Sundance Film Festival)
R for drug content and language.

Maria Full of Grace tells the story of one young woman’s journey from a small Colombian town to the streets of New York. A bright, spirited 17-year old, Maria Alvarez lives with three generations of her family in a cramped house in rural Colombia and works stripping thorns from flowers in a rose plantation. The offer of a lucrative job involving travel – in fact, becoming a drug “mule” – changes the course of her life. Far from the uneventful trip she is promised, Maria is transported into the risky and ruthless world of international drug trafficking. Her mission becomes one of determination and survival and she finally emerges with the grace that will carry her forward into a new life.

Sundance Film Festival
Audience Award
Grand Jury Prize Nominee
xxx
1 Academy Award Nomination
Best Actress - Catalina Sandino Moreno

Not My Cup Of Tea

In case you can't read that rating strip underneath the title, Lars von Trier's Antichrist contains real sex, bloody violence and self-mutilation.

Clearly the makers of this sad excuse for a poster are aiming to sell the film on its shock value, a tactic that seems to be working, as bloggers and critics everywhere write about their anticipation for its release.

This all in spite of the fact that it caused complete outrage at the Cannes film festival back in May, where its female lead, Charlotte Gainsbourg, took home the Best Actress prize.

Since Oscar tries to make itself as much a stranger to controversy as is possible, I doubt it will receive the same attention from AMPAS next year, and so I plan to skip it. I have to draw the line somewhere.

ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry, and Pierre Bismuth
Directed by Michel Gondry

Jim Carrey
Kate Winslet
Kirsten Dunst
Mark Ruffalo
Elijah Wood
Tom Wilkinson

Premiere date: March 19, 2004
R for language, some drug and sexual content.

Joel is stunned to discover that his girlfriend Clementine has had her memories of their tumultuous relationship erased from her mind. Out of desperation, he contacts the inventor of the process, Dr. Howard Mierzwiak, to have Clementine removed from his own memory. But as Joel's memories progressively disappear, he begins to rediscover his love for Clementine. From deep within the recesses of his brain, Joel attempts to escape the procedure. As Dr. Mierzwiak and his crew chase him through the maze of his memories, it's clear that Joel just can't get Clementine out of his head.

National Board of Review
Best Original Screenplay
Special Recognition for Excellence in Filmmaking
xxx
2 Academy Award Nominations, 1 Win
Best Actress - Kate Winslet
Best Original Screenplay

THE FUGITIVE

Screenplay by David Twohy and Jeb Stuart
Directed by Andrew Davis

Harrison Ford
Tommy Lee Jones
Sela Ward

Premiere date: August 6, 1993
PG-13 for a murder and other action sequences in an adventure setting.

Prison escapee Dr. Richard Kimble is a Chicago surgeon falsely convicted of killing his wife and determined to prove his innocence by leading his pursuers to the one-armed man who committed the crime. Sam Gerard is an unrelenting bloodhound of a U.S. marshal. They are hunted and hunter, and their nonstop chase has one exhilarating speed: all-out.

7 Academy Award Nominations, 1 Win
Best Picture
Best Supporting Actor - Tommy Lee Jones
Best Film Editing
Best Cinematography
Best Sound
Best Sound Effects Editing
Best Original Score

VOLVER

Written and directed by Pedro Almodovar

Penelope Cruz
Carmen Maura
Lola Duenas
Blanca Portillo
Yohana Cobo
Chus Lampreave

Premiere date: March 17, 2006 (Spain)
R for some sexual content and language.

From two-time Academy Award-winner Pedro Almodovar comes Volver, a comedic and compassionate tribute to women and their resilience in the face of life's most outrageous tribulations.

Raimunda and her sister Sole lost their parents in a tragic fire years ago...or did they? Superstitious villagers claim that the girls' departed mother, Irene, has been seen wandering around their Aunt Paula's home. When Irene appears to Sole, she explains that she has returned to set right her daughters' troubled lives and reveal shocking secrets that will impact everyone! Raimunda has "women's troubles" of her own, least of which is a corpse in the freezer!

Winner of numerous film festival and critics' awards, Volver is a hilarious tale of love, loss, and forgiveness.

Cannes Film Festival
Best Actress - Penelope Cruz
Best Screenplay
xxx
National Board of Review
Best Foreign Language Film
xxx
1 Academy Award Nomination
Best Actress - Penelope Cruz

Meryl As Julia

I saw Julie & Julia about a week ago and have to say I didn't enjoy it much, but Meryl Streep's performance is definitely going to be a major contender this year. Surprise, surprise, right?

xxx

Streep plays Julia Child with an immense, irrepressible joy. The film follows Julia in 1950s France, enrolling in culinary school, mastering the art of French cooking, and striving to publish the first French cookbook written for Americans. Then there are these irritating interruptions in which some self-obsessed, whiny cubicle worker in New York, played by Amy Adams, tries to cook her way through Child's revolutionary cookbook in one year. This part of the movie doesn't work. At all. Thank goodness for Streep's lovable Julia Child. Every time she graced the screen the audience I watched it with was overcome with the giggles.

xxx

This is without a doubt a wonderful performance from Meryl. She and Stanley Tucci, as Julia's husband Paul, are the reasons to see this film. Their chemistry as the married couple they portray and as actors is perfect. Ms. Streep has another comedy Globe coming her way this year, and probably a 16th Oscar nomination as well.

xxx

I know plenty of people are aching to see her with a third statue to add to her mantle. She hasn't won since 1982, after all, and you can't deny that she's one of the most brilliant actresses film has ever seen. But I can't help but hope she doesn't win this one. She's phenomenal here, to be sure, but I want her to win her third for a powerhouse dramatic role instead. Here's hoping she signs up for one soon.

xxx

Also keep an eye (and ear) out for Meryl in It's Complicated, a Nancy Meyers comedy due in December, and the Wes Anderson stop motion animation feature The Fantastic Mr. Fox, to which Streep lends some voice talent.

Cannes Winners

Last time I was here, the Cannes Film Festival was just starting up overseas. Well, obviously, we have a winner. Here's the full list of honored films from the festival.

Palme d'Or: The White Ribbon by Michael Haneke

Grand Prix: A Prophet by Jacques Audiard

Best Director: Brillante Mendoza for Kinatay

Jury Prize: Fish Tank by Andrea Arnold, Bakjwi by Park Chan-wook

Best Screenplay: Spring Fever by Lou Ye

Best Actress: Charlotte Gainsburg in Antichrist

Best Actor: Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds

Lifetime Achievement Award: Alain Resnais

Short Film Palme d'Or: Arena by Joao Salivixa

Short Film - Special Distinction: The Six Dollar Fifty Man by Louis Sutherland

Prix Un Certain Regard: Dogtooth by Yorgos Lanthimos

Un Certain Regard - Jury Prize: Police, Adjective

Un Certain Regard - Special Jury Prize: No One Knows About Persian Cats by Bahman Ghobadi, The Father of My Children by Mia Hansen-Love

Cinefondation: 1st prize - Baba by Zuzana Kirchnerova, 2nd prize - Goodbye by Fang, 3rd prize - Diploma by Yaelle Kayam, Don't Step Out of the House by Jo Sung-hee

Camera d'Or: Samson and Delilah by Warwick Thornton

Camera d'Or - Special Distinction: Ajami by Scandar Copti

The one that shocked me was Best Director going to Brillane Mendoza for Kinatay. Not to say I know anything about Mendoza's directorial skills. I definitely don't. But Kinatay was so severely panned by the press during Cannes that I really didn't think it stood a chance at winning anything. The acclaim may prove to add ammunition to some AMPAS campaigns next year. Specifically for The White Ribbon, A Prophet, and Christoph Waltz's much talked about performance in Tarantino's latest.

Precious Trailer

This trailer for Precious, about a sixteen-year-old living a life in Harlem that no one would want, made its way online a couple of days ago and has me totally amped for the November 6th release date. The movie made waves and collected honors at Sundance in January, and looks like it might be strong enough to do the same at Cannes next weekend. Again, Mo'Nique is one to keep your eye on this year.

PERSEPOLIS

Based on the comic book by Marjane Satrapi
Written and directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud

Chiara Mastroianni
Catherine Deneuve
Danielle Darrieux
Simon Abkarian

Premiere date: May 23, 2007 (Cannes Film Festival)
PG-13 for mature thematic material including violent images, sexual references, language and brief drug content.

Marjane is an innocent nine-year-old living in Iran, surrounded by a loving but incredibly protective mother and father. She finds comfort in the carefree spirit of her grandmother, as well as music by artists as diverse as ABBA and Iron Maiden. When Marjane's uncle is killed in the Iran/Iraq war, her parents send her to school in Austria, where she can study in safety. But her Middle Eastern appearance frightens people, giving her a harsh lesson in racial prejudice. Somehow, Marjane's fiery spirit doesn't succumb to any of the negativity. Eventually, she returns home to Iranvto be closer to her family. But even though she settles into married life, the tyrannical pressures of Iranian society force her to abandon her country once again, sending her to France for the start of another journey.

Cannes Film Festival
Jury Prize
xxx
National Board of Review
The Bvlgari Award for Freedom of Expression
xxx
1 Academy Award Nomination
Best Animated Feature

MAN ON WIRE

Based on the book To Reach the Clouds by Philippe Petit

Directed by James Marsh

Premiere date: January 22, 2008 (Sundance Film Festival)

PG-13 for some sexuality and nudity, and drug references.

On August 7, 1974, a young Frenchman named Philippe Petit stepped out on a wire illegally rigged between New York's twin towers, then the world's tallest buildings. After nearly an hour dancing on the wire, he was arrested, taken for psychological evaluation, and brought to jail before he was finally released.

Following six and a half years of dreaming of the towers, Philippe spent eight months in New York City planning the execution of the coup. Aided by a team of friends and accomplices, Petit was faced with numerous extraordinary challenges: he had to find a way to bypass the WTC's security; smuggle the heavy steel cable and rigging equipment into the towers; pass the wire between the two rooftops; anchor the wire and tension it to withstand the winds and the swaying of the buildings. The rigging was done by night in complete secrecy. At 7:15 AM, Philippe took his first step on the high wire 1,350 feet above the sidewalks of Manhattan...

James Marsh's documentary brings Petit's extraordinary adventure to life through the testimony of Philippe himself, and some of the co-conspirators who helped him create the unique and magnificent spectacle that became known as "the artistic crime of the century."

Sundance Film Festival

Audience Award

Grand Jury Award for Best World Cinema Documentary
XXX

National Board of Review

Best Documentary

XXX

1 Academy Award Nomination, 1 Win

Best Documentary Feature