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!
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.
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?
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.
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
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.
1988sLaughtrhouse II (Julie) 1990Tales from the Dark Side: The Movie (Susan) 1991Cast a Deadly Spell (Connie Stone) 1992The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (Marlene Craven), The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag (Elinor) 1993Body 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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1994Vanya on 42nd Street (Yelena) 1995Roommates (Beth Holzcek), Safe (Carol White), Nine Months (Rebecca Taylor), Assassins (Electra) 1996Surviving Picasso (Dora Maar) 1997The 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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1998The Big Lebowski (Maude Lebowski), Psycho (Lila Crane) 1999Cookie'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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2000The Ladies Man (Audrey) 2001Hannibal (Agent Clarice Starling), Evolution (Dr. Allison Reed), The Shipping News (Wavey Prowse) 2002Far 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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2004Marie and Bruce (Marie), Laws of Attraction (Audrey Woods), The Forgotten (Telly Paretta) 2005The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (Evelyn Ryan) 2006Freedomland (Brenda Martin), Trust the Man (Rebecca), Children of Men (Julian) 2007Next (Callie Ferris), I'm Not There (Alice) 2008Savage Grace (Barbara Daly Baekeland), Blindness (Doctor's Wife) 2009Shelter (Cara), The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (Kat), A Single Man (Charlotte)
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!)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
What are Gabby Sidibe's chances of having a long film career?
RENT THIS
Lars and the Real Girl - A strange but likeable young man named Lars looks to end his isolation by getting a girlfriend. But his family is disturbed to learn that the girl is an anatomically correct doll he purchased on the internet. Lars and the Real Girl is a sincere, hopeful film with a knockout lead performance from Ryan Gosling.
TOP 10 OF 2009 (SO FAR)
10.Coraline 9.Mary and Max 8.Inglourious Basterds 7.Broken Embraces 6.(500) Days of Summer 5.District 9 4.The Hurt Locker 3.Up 2.A Prophet 1.The White Ribbon
Blog Archive
The Observer's 25 Best British Films
Trainspotting
Withnail and I
Secrets and Lies
Distant Voices, Still Lives
My Beautiful Laundrette
Nil By Mouth
Sexy Beast
Ratcatcher
Slumdog Millionaire
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Touching the Void
Hope and Glory
Control
Naked
Under the Skin
Hunger
This Is England
Shaun of the Dead
Dead Man's Shoes
Red Road
Riff-Raff
Man On Wire
My Summer of Love
24 Hour Party People
The English Patient
NEXT RACE - BEST ACTOR, 2004
Don Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda Johnny Depp - Finding Neverland Leonardo DiCaprio - The Aviator Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby Jamie Foxx - Ray
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.
