http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8359404.stm
Monday, 30 November 2009
Oscars 2010: expect an open field
By Neil Smith
Entertainment reporter, BBC News
With three months to go before the Academy Awards are held in Los Angeles, early indications suggest it will be one of the most open races in years.
Actor Alec Baldwin will co-host next year's Oscar ceremony
Indeed, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences seems to have anticipated this by opening the best picture category up to 10 movies, as opposed to the usual five.
That is not the only change either. In order not to coincide with the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, the 2010 Oscars will take place a fortnight later than this year's were.
It will also boast not one but two hosts, the comedian Steve Martin sharing the presenting duties with actor Alec Baldwin.
The 2010 Oscar nominations will not be announced until 2 February. Already, though, industry pundits are identifying potential runners, riders and also-rans.
Here, then, is a rundown of some of the stars, films and film-makers we may be hearing more of in the weeks and months ahead.
BEST PICTURE
You have to go all the way back to 1944 for the last time 10 movies were shortlisted for the best picture Oscar.
On that occasion Casablanca won the prize, picking up additional awards for its director and three screenwriters.
However, the decision to expand the field again is less to do with recognising more movies than with appealing to a wider audience.
The general perception is the Academy celebrates niche pictures aimed at an art-house crowd - a notion it hopes to challenge by adding more populist nominees to next year's line-up.
It is expected, for instance, that JJ Abrams's well-regarded Star Trek film will find a berth among this year's hopefuls.
James Cameron's ambitious 3D blockbuster Avatar may also feature, with some tipping District 9 - a science-fiction adventure about bug-like aliens who become refugees on Earth - as an outside bet.
Take away the District and you have another potential contender - Nine, the big-screen version of the Broadway musical inspired by Federico Fellini's 1963 Oscar-winner 8 1/2.
Director Rob Marshall has some previous in this department, having steered Chicago - another stage to screen transfer - to its best picture Oscar in 2003.
Clint Eastwood has become a regular fixture on Oscar night and is sure to be in contention again with the sport-based Invictus.
The drama - like District 9 - is set in South Africa and tells of how president Nelson Mandela united the country behind its World Cup-winning rugby team in 1995.
The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow's drama about three bomb disposal experts stationed in Iraq, is generating a lot of positive buzz.
Some optimistic pundits are also tipping another, rather different war movie as a best picture contender - Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino's flamboyant epic about commandos in Nazi-occupied France.
A safer bet might be Precious, the hard-hitting tale of a high school student coping with obesity, illiteracy, illegitimate pregnancy and sexual abuse.
No less gruelling is The Road, an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic novel that could muscle into the final 10.
McCarthy, you may recall, also penned No Country for Old Men, the book Joel and Ethan Coen adapted into an Oscar-winning hit.
The Coens are back this year with A Serious Man, a comedy drama based on their childhoods in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The Lovely Bones, Peter Jackson's adaptation of Alice Sebold's novel about a murdered child, is another book-inspired work that may make the shortlist.
And with Pixar's Up heavily tipped to win the best animated feature Oscar, some are expecting it to be in with a shout in the best picture category as well.
BEST ACTOR
For many years, Morgan Freeman battled to turn Nelson Mandela's autobiography, Long Walk To Freedom, into a film.
The fact he finally gets to play the South African icon in Invictus might therefore win him some consideration from the Academy's famously sentimental members.
Morgan Freeman is reunited with director Clint Eastwood in Invictus
George Clooney missed out on a best actor Oscar last year when Daniel Day-Lewis beat him to the coveted prize.
Their respective performances in romantic comedy Up in the Air and the aforementioned Nine opens up the possibility of a rematch.
Strangely enough, Viggo Mortensen was also nominated that year and may be so again for The Road.
Homegrown interest, meanwhile, is sure to focus on Colin Firth, considered a strong contender for his role as a grief-stricken gay academic in A Single Man.
Other possible nominees include Matt Damon, whose performances as an FBI whistle-blower in The Informant! and as South African rugby captain Francois Pienaar could conceivably see him cited in both the best actor and best supporting actor categories.
There is a chance Jeff Bridges might also make the cut for his role as a hard-drinking country music singer in Crazy Heart.
BEST ACTRESS
Last February Kate Winslet received this award for her portrayal as a former concentration camp guard in The Reader.
And early indications suggest Britain's best chances of Oscar success in 2010 will also be found in this hotly contested category.
Dame Helen Mirren, who received this award in 2007 for The Queen, is tipped to feature again for her role as Tolstoy's mercurial wife in The Last Station.
The smart money, though, is on newcomer Carey Mulligan, whose performance as a precocious 1960s schoolgirl in An Education has been tipped for glory on both sides of the Atlantic.
Australia's Abbie Cornish may also land a nomination for her role as John Keats's neighbour in the period drama Bright Star.
The endearingly full-figured Gabourey Sidibe, star of Precious, is another fresh talent who could be recognised.
Serial Oscar nominee Meryl Streep, meanwhile, will surely be up for an award for which she has been nominated a remarkable 12 times.
Will her next nod be for her portrayal of eccentric cookery guru Julia Child in Julie and Julia, however, or for her upcoming turn opposite Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin - yes, them again - in romantic comedy It's Complicated?
Showing posts with label Daniel Day-Lewis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daniel Day-Lewis. Show all posts
Friday, December 11, 2009
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Complete list of winners at the Academy Awards
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/OSCARS/996396657
Complete list of winners at the 80th annual Academy Awards, presented Sunday night at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles:
Best Motion Picture: "No Country for Old Men."
Lead Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood."
Lead Actress: Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose."
Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men."
Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton."
Director: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men."
Foreign Language Film: "The Counterfeiters," Austria.
Adapted Screenplay: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men."
Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody, "Juno."
Animated Feature Film: "Ratatouille."
Art Direction: "Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street."
Cinematography: "There Will Be Blood."
Sound Mixing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."
Sound Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."
Original Score: "Atonement," Dario Marianelli.
Original Song: "Falling Slowly" from "Once," Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.
Costume: "Elizabeth: The Golden Age."
Documentary Feature: "Taxi to the Dark Side."
Documentary Short Subject: "Freeheld."
Film Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."
Makeup: "La Vie en Rose."
Animated Short Film: "Peter & the Wolf."
Live Action Short Film: "Le Mozart des Pickpockets (‘The Mozart of Pickpockets’)."
Visual Effects: "The Golden Compass."
Complete list of winners at the 80th annual Academy Awards, presented Sunday night at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles:
Best Motion Picture: "No Country for Old Men."
Lead Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood."
Lead Actress: Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose."
Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men."
Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton."
Director: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men."
Foreign Language Film: "The Counterfeiters," Austria.
Adapted Screenplay: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men."
Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody, "Juno."
Animated Feature Film: "Ratatouille."
Art Direction: "Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street."
Cinematography: "There Will Be Blood."
Sound Mixing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."
Sound Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."
Original Score: "Atonement," Dario Marianelli.
Original Song: "Falling Slowly" from "Once," Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.
Costume: "Elizabeth: The Golden Age."
Documentary Feature: "Taxi to the Dark Side."
Documentary Short Subject: "Freeheld."
Film Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."
Makeup: "La Vie en Rose."
Animated Short Film: "Peter & the Wolf."
Live Action Short Film: "Le Mozart des Pickpockets (‘The Mozart of Pickpockets’)."
Visual Effects: "The Golden Compass."
Coens take the Oscar prize for words and picture
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/OSCARS/508085101
Coens take the Oscar prize for words and picture
February 24, 2008
by Jim Emerson, Editor
Everybody pretty much called it in advance, nothing was certain until the very end. Joel and Ethan Coen's crowning achievement, "No Country For Old Men," toted some heavy Oscars Sunday night (for Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay and Supporting Actor), but the Academy spread the wealth.
"We, uh... thank you very much," said Ethan, accepting the Best Screenplay Adaptation Oscar, and it was a terrific speech. Six words. Maybe five-and-a-half. Funny. Pithy. Whether it was intentional or the shorter Coen brother just went up on his lines, he demonstrated that screenwriting is not just about crafting dialog. If you set the scene properly, the words themselves don't have to be memorable, just the moment.
It was. And, because of the sense of drama created by the structure of the show, that scene felt like the tipping point for "No Country for Old Men." You didn't know where the evening's storyline was headed, but once it got there, as always, it felt as if it had been inevitable. Kind of like the ending of "No Country" itself.
Later, of course, the Coens would collect Oscars for direction and picture -- and when they came back, Ethan said he didn't really have much to add to what he'd said before. It wasn't necessary.
The Coens clearly came out on top, but it didn't feel quite like a sweep without the editing, cinematography and sound awards, which went to other (also deserving) pictures -- "The Bourne Ultimatum" and "There Will Be Blood."
Most of the big Oscar nominees this year were uniquely American -- "No Country for Old Men," "There Will Be Blood," "Michael Clayton," even "Juno." But it was the Europeans who conquered most of the evening: British actor Daniel Day-Lewis ("There Will Be Blood"), French actress Marion Couttiard ("La Vie en Rose"), Spanish supporting actor Javier Bardem ("No Country for Old Men" -- first win ever for a Spanish actor), and British supporting actress Tilda Swinton ("Michael Clayton"). Day-Lewis's Great American Performance was obviously a descendant of Hollywood legends Walter and John Huston, but the ancestry went unacknowledged.
The supporting actors stole the show's first act. The last part of Bardem's speech, addressed to his mother in the audience and spoken in Spanish, was one of those eye-moistening highlights that we watch the Oscars for. Even if you didn't know what he was saying, it was moving -- and, even if Bardem knew what he was going to say in advance, it didn't feel like acting. He's that good. Swinton's effortlessly convincing joke about George Clooney wearing rubber Batman nipples under his suit in "Michael Clayton" was further evidence of just how good she is, too. One stumble, one premature nudge, and it would have fallen flat. This, ladies and gentlemen, is more than just acting -- it's grace under the pressure on live TV.
On the Regis Philbin pre-show, a TV interviewer told the eventual Best Actress winner Couttiard: "Edith Piaf... died." After a long pause, she added "... before you were born!" Um, yes. Couttiard had all but inhabited the skin of Piaf in a universally acclaimed performance. She probably knew both those things.
Hollywood "It Girl" Diablo Cody nabbed Best Original Screenplay, as expected. But that was the only win for box-office favorite "Juno."
The crowd's most enthusiastic response was probably for Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová for the song "Falling Slowly" from the Irish film "Once." Bravo to emcee Jon Stewart for bringing Irglová back on stage to give her speech, which was cut off before she could even begin.
Early in the evening (well, in the first half-hour or so), the year's big Oscar winners were "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," "La Vie en Rose," and "The Golden Compass." Not until "Ratatouille" won for Best Animated Feature was there a title with which more than 27 people were familiar.
Two hours in, the leading Oscar winner was "The Bourne Ultimatum" with three (editing, sound mixing, and sound editing). As emcee Stewart accurately noted, somebody somewhere had just taken the lead in their Oscar pool based on a guess.
Sometimes the biggest surprise of the Oscars is who won last year. Like when Jennifer Hudson came out to announce Best Supporting Actor and you went... who's that again? Alan Arkin won last year? But the biggest question was: How did they leave out Roy Scheider from the In Memoriam montage? (Turns out, the segment's drop-dead date for dying is January 31, except for Heath Ledger. Brad Renfro died January 15, but wasn't included, either.)
A favorite moment: Veteran production designer and honorary Oscar recipient Robert Boyle ("North By Northwest," "The Birds") explaining in his filmed intro: "A production designer is responsible for that space within which the action and the meaning of the film is arrived at.... The basis of design is an architectural truth which becomes an emotional truth." In the clips we caught a glimpse of the dead-end street street where the title character of Alfred Hitchock's "Marnie" experienced an early trauma -- with a huge, patently artificial painted backdrop of a docked ship smack in the center of the image. And you know what? It absolutely works. Emotional truth. Movies at their best.
Coens take the Oscar prize for words and picture
February 24, 2008
by Jim Emerson, Editor
Everybody pretty much called it in advance, nothing was certain until the very end. Joel and Ethan Coen's crowning achievement, "No Country For Old Men," toted some heavy Oscars Sunday night (for Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay and Supporting Actor), but the Academy spread the wealth.
"We, uh... thank you very much," said Ethan, accepting the Best Screenplay Adaptation Oscar, and it was a terrific speech. Six words. Maybe five-and-a-half. Funny. Pithy. Whether it was intentional or the shorter Coen brother just went up on his lines, he demonstrated that screenwriting is not just about crafting dialog. If you set the scene properly, the words themselves don't have to be memorable, just the moment.
It was. And, because of the sense of drama created by the structure of the show, that scene felt like the tipping point for "No Country for Old Men." You didn't know where the evening's storyline was headed, but once it got there, as always, it felt as if it had been inevitable. Kind of like the ending of "No Country" itself.
Later, of course, the Coens would collect Oscars for direction and picture -- and when they came back, Ethan said he didn't really have much to add to what he'd said before. It wasn't necessary.
The Coens clearly came out on top, but it didn't feel quite like a sweep without the editing, cinematography and sound awards, which went to other (also deserving) pictures -- "The Bourne Ultimatum" and "There Will Be Blood."
Most of the big Oscar nominees this year were uniquely American -- "No Country for Old Men," "There Will Be Blood," "Michael Clayton," even "Juno." But it was the Europeans who conquered most of the evening: British actor Daniel Day-Lewis ("There Will Be Blood"), French actress Marion Couttiard ("La Vie en Rose"), Spanish supporting actor Javier Bardem ("No Country for Old Men" -- first win ever for a Spanish actor), and British supporting actress Tilda Swinton ("Michael Clayton"). Day-Lewis's Great American Performance was obviously a descendant of Hollywood legends Walter and John Huston, but the ancestry went unacknowledged.
The supporting actors stole the show's first act. The last part of Bardem's speech, addressed to his mother in the audience and spoken in Spanish, was one of those eye-moistening highlights that we watch the Oscars for. Even if you didn't know what he was saying, it was moving -- and, even if Bardem knew what he was going to say in advance, it didn't feel like acting. He's that good. Swinton's effortlessly convincing joke about George Clooney wearing rubber Batman nipples under his suit in "Michael Clayton" was further evidence of just how good she is, too. One stumble, one premature nudge, and it would have fallen flat. This, ladies and gentlemen, is more than just acting -- it's grace under the pressure on live TV.
On the Regis Philbin pre-show, a TV interviewer told the eventual Best Actress winner Couttiard: "Edith Piaf... died." After a long pause, she added "... before you were born!" Um, yes. Couttiard had all but inhabited the skin of Piaf in a universally acclaimed performance. She probably knew both those things.
Hollywood "It Girl" Diablo Cody nabbed Best Original Screenplay, as expected. But that was the only win for box-office favorite "Juno."
The crowd's most enthusiastic response was probably for Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová for the song "Falling Slowly" from the Irish film "Once." Bravo to emcee Jon Stewart for bringing Irglová back on stage to give her speech, which was cut off before she could even begin.
Early in the evening (well, in the first half-hour or so), the year's big Oscar winners were "Elizabeth: The Golden Age," "La Vie en Rose," and "The Golden Compass." Not until "Ratatouille" won for Best Animated Feature was there a title with which more than 27 people were familiar.
Two hours in, the leading Oscar winner was "The Bourne Ultimatum" with three (editing, sound mixing, and sound editing). As emcee Stewart accurately noted, somebody somewhere had just taken the lead in their Oscar pool based on a guess.
Sometimes the biggest surprise of the Oscars is who won last year. Like when Jennifer Hudson came out to announce Best Supporting Actor and you went... who's that again? Alan Arkin won last year? But the biggest question was: How did they leave out Roy Scheider from the In Memoriam montage? (Turns out, the segment's drop-dead date for dying is January 31, except for Heath Ledger. Brad Renfro died January 15, but wasn't included, either.)
A favorite moment: Veteran production designer and honorary Oscar recipient Robert Boyle ("North By Northwest," "The Birds") explaining in his filmed intro: "A production designer is responsible for that space within which the action and the meaning of the film is arrived at.... The basis of design is an architectural truth which becomes an emotional truth." In the clips we caught a glimpse of the dead-end street street where the title character of Alfred Hitchock's "Marnie" experienced an early trauma -- with a huge, patently artificial painted backdrop of a docked ship smack in the center of the image. And you know what? It absolutely works. Emotional truth. Movies at their best.
Grand Oscar night for 'No Country'
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/env-oscarpbp,1,4585549.story
Grand Oscar night for 'No Country'
The iconoclastic filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen won three Academy Awards, including best picture.
By Susan King, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
It was a golden night for the Coen brothers.
The iconoclastic filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen won three Academy Awards -- and made history Sunday evening -- with their wins for best picture, director and adapted screenplay for their gritty contemporary Western, "No Country for Old Men."
It also won an Oscar for supporting actor for Javier Bardem, who plays the merciless paid assassin at the center of the film.
Though "No Country for Old Men" is a quintessentially American movie -- and based upon the novel by Cormac McCarthy -- the 80th annual Academy Awards had a distinctly international flavor: All four acting winners were from Europe.
As predicted, Brit Daniel Day-Lewis won an Oscar for his gripping performance as a greedy oilman in "There Will Be Blood." The actor had won practically every major accolade this awards season for his audacious turn.
Frenchwoman Marion Cotillard was something of an upset, winning lead actress for her transcendent performance as France's tragic Little Sparrow -- chanteuse Edith Piaf -- in "La Vie En Rose." Going into the evening, the betting money was on veteran British actress Julie Christie for "Away From Her." Cotillard -- who transforms throughout the film from a gorgeous young girl to a frail, ailing woman -- also made history of sorts. She's the first actress to win this award for a performance in a foreign-language film since Sophia Loren did it for 1961's "Two Women."
Cotillard was clearly overwhelmed as she held the statuette aloft: "You rocked my life, you truly rocked my life," she said as she thanked the film's director. "Well, I'm speechless now. Thank you, life; thank you, love. It is true there are some angels in this city. Thank you so much."
Until Cotillard, the show's biggest surprise was Tilda Swinton upsetting favorites Amy Ryan and Ruby Dee for supporting actress for "Michael Clayton."
The shock was clear on Swinton's face: "Oh, no," she said. Looking down at the Oscar, celebrating its 80th anniversary, she added, "Happy birthday, man."
The British actress said she would be giving her Academy Award to her American agent, who is the "spitting image" of the Oscar.
Bardem's was one of the evening's first major awards. "This is pretty amazing," the Spaniard exclaimed, adding that he wouldn't hold it against the Coens for putting "one of the most horrible haircuts in history on my head."
He then broke into rapid-fire Spanish to thank, among others, his mother, who was also his date.
Diablo Cody could do no wrong this awards season.
The 29-year-old former-stripper-turned-screenwriter capped off her fairy-tale awards season by winning the Oscar for original screenplay for her bittersweet coming-of-age comedy, "Juno."
It was almost a fait accompli after she won a slew of other awards this season, including the Writers Guild of America and the Film Independent Spirit Award.
"What is happening?" asked Cody, who strode onstage in a billowy animal print dress with a thigh-high slit that she had to hold closed as she walked up to the stage. (But to be fair, it did showcase nicely that tattoo of a girl in a bikini on her right shoulder.) "This is for the writers," she said.
It was also an enchanted evening for the little Irish drama-with-music "Once," which took home the Oscar for original song for "Falling Slowly."
The song was written and performed by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, who star in the film about two lonely souls who meet by chance on the streets of Dublin and quite literally make beautiful music together.
It was the evening's little tune that could: It was pitted in this category against three songs from the Disney hit film "Enchanted" as well as a song from "August Rush."
"What are we doing here?" Hansard asked as he and Irglova accepted the award, noting that the film cost about $100,000 to make and was shot in three weeks. "It's been an amazing thing; thank you for taking this film seriously."
"Atonement," the sweeping romantic drama, had seven nominations, but it has received one Oscar: original score for Dario Marianelli.
"There Will Be Blood," an epic about greed, ambition and oil, went into the evening with eight nominations. It was passed over except for Robert Elswit, who won for cinematography, and Day-Lewis.
"The Bourne Ultimatum" also had a big night: The spy thriller won three Oscars. Granted, they came in technical categories of editing, sound mixing and sound editing. But still. Three Oscars.
Presenter Tom Hanks had help introducing the nominees in the documentary short category from members of the nation's armed forces in Iraq. Soldiers read out the names of the nominees and the winner, "Freeheld," about a dying police detective who is trying to get her benefits for her life partner. The statuette for feature documentary went to "Taxi to the Dark Side," about torture practices of the U.S. overseas.
Past Oscar winner Nicole Kidman presented veteran production designer Robert Boyle, 98, an honorary Academy Award for contributions to cinema, which include "North By Northwest," "Marnie" and "Mame."
Austria's Holocaust drama "The Counterfeiters" won in the foreign-language film category. It was that country's first film to win such an honor.
Earlier in the evening, the bloody musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" was honored with an Oscar for art direction. Italian production designer Dante Ferretti and his wife, set designer Francesca Lo Schiavo, shared the honor.
"The Golden Compass" also led to an Oscar for visual effects.
"Thank you!" whooped the winners, including Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood.
Moments earlier, a rat named Remy scurried off with the Oscar for animated feature.
Writer-director Brad Bird won his second Oscar in this category for the Disney-Pixar blockbuster "Ratatouille," about a French rodent who dreamed of becoming a Parisian chef.
The French theme continued into the evening as "Le Mozart des Pickpockets" won for live action short film, and the makeup award went to Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald won for "La Vie En Rose."
The Oscar for animated short film went to "Peter & the Wolf."
That gave way to Amy Adams, who starred in the Disney hit "Enchanted," performing one of the film's three Oscar-nominated tunes, "Happy Working Song." Without the birds, rats and other critters whirling around her as they were in the movie, her performance seemed rather flat.
The 80th Annual Academy Awards got underway beneath gray skies and drizzles at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood with a montage homage to Hollywood. There were scenes from such films as "North by Northwest," "Aliens," "Lawrence of Arabia" and "The Terminator."
The first Oscar of the evening went to Alexandra Byrne for costume design for the historical epic "Elizabeth: The Golden Age."
"These past 3 1/2 months were very rough," host Jon Stewart began, referring to the bitter work stoppage caused by the Writers Guild strike. "The fight is over. So tonight, welcome to the makeup sex."
He then took aim at the slate of "psychopathic killer movies" nominated for Oscars, among them "No Country for Old Men," "Sweeney Todd" and "There Will Be Blood," and asked: "Does this town need a hug?"
"Thank God for teen pregnancy," he quipped, referring to "Juno."
Academy Awards ceremonies may have been postponed, but the show has gone on despite wars, assassinations and the fickleness of Mother Nature. This year, the writers strike threatened to cancel the show, but a settlement was reached and the show went on as scheduled.
susan.king@latimes.com
Grand Oscar night for 'No Country'
The iconoclastic filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen won three Academy Awards, including best picture.
By Susan King, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
It was a golden night for the Coen brothers.
The iconoclastic filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen won three Academy Awards -- and made history Sunday evening -- with their wins for best picture, director and adapted screenplay for their gritty contemporary Western, "No Country for Old Men."
It also won an Oscar for supporting actor for Javier Bardem, who plays the merciless paid assassin at the center of the film.
Though "No Country for Old Men" is a quintessentially American movie -- and based upon the novel by Cormac McCarthy -- the 80th annual Academy Awards had a distinctly international flavor: All four acting winners were from Europe.
As predicted, Brit Daniel Day-Lewis won an Oscar for his gripping performance as a greedy oilman in "There Will Be Blood." The actor had won practically every major accolade this awards season for his audacious turn.
Frenchwoman Marion Cotillard was something of an upset, winning lead actress for her transcendent performance as France's tragic Little Sparrow -- chanteuse Edith Piaf -- in "La Vie En Rose." Going into the evening, the betting money was on veteran British actress Julie Christie for "Away From Her." Cotillard -- who transforms throughout the film from a gorgeous young girl to a frail, ailing woman -- also made history of sorts. She's the first actress to win this award for a performance in a foreign-language film since Sophia Loren did it for 1961's "Two Women."
Cotillard was clearly overwhelmed as she held the statuette aloft: "You rocked my life, you truly rocked my life," she said as she thanked the film's director. "Well, I'm speechless now. Thank you, life; thank you, love. It is true there are some angels in this city. Thank you so much."
Until Cotillard, the show's biggest surprise was Tilda Swinton upsetting favorites Amy Ryan and Ruby Dee for supporting actress for "Michael Clayton."
The shock was clear on Swinton's face: "Oh, no," she said. Looking down at the Oscar, celebrating its 80th anniversary, she added, "Happy birthday, man."
The British actress said she would be giving her Academy Award to her American agent, who is the "spitting image" of the Oscar.
Bardem's was one of the evening's first major awards. "This is pretty amazing," the Spaniard exclaimed, adding that he wouldn't hold it against the Coens for putting "one of the most horrible haircuts in history on my head."
He then broke into rapid-fire Spanish to thank, among others, his mother, who was also his date.
Diablo Cody could do no wrong this awards season.
The 29-year-old former-stripper-turned-screenwriter capped off her fairy-tale awards season by winning the Oscar for original screenplay for her bittersweet coming-of-age comedy, "Juno."
It was almost a fait accompli after she won a slew of other awards this season, including the Writers Guild of America and the Film Independent Spirit Award.
"What is happening?" asked Cody, who strode onstage in a billowy animal print dress with a thigh-high slit that she had to hold closed as she walked up to the stage. (But to be fair, it did showcase nicely that tattoo of a girl in a bikini on her right shoulder.) "This is for the writers," she said.
It was also an enchanted evening for the little Irish drama-with-music "Once," which took home the Oscar for original song for "Falling Slowly."
The song was written and performed by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, who star in the film about two lonely souls who meet by chance on the streets of Dublin and quite literally make beautiful music together.
It was the evening's little tune that could: It was pitted in this category against three songs from the Disney hit film "Enchanted" as well as a song from "August Rush."
"What are we doing here?" Hansard asked as he and Irglova accepted the award, noting that the film cost about $100,000 to make and was shot in three weeks. "It's been an amazing thing; thank you for taking this film seriously."
"Atonement," the sweeping romantic drama, had seven nominations, but it has received one Oscar: original score for Dario Marianelli.
"There Will Be Blood," an epic about greed, ambition and oil, went into the evening with eight nominations. It was passed over except for Robert Elswit, who won for cinematography, and Day-Lewis.
"The Bourne Ultimatum" also had a big night: The spy thriller won three Oscars. Granted, they came in technical categories of editing, sound mixing and sound editing. But still. Three Oscars.
Presenter Tom Hanks had help introducing the nominees in the documentary short category from members of the nation's armed forces in Iraq. Soldiers read out the names of the nominees and the winner, "Freeheld," about a dying police detective who is trying to get her benefits for her life partner. The statuette for feature documentary went to "Taxi to the Dark Side," about torture practices of the U.S. overseas.
Past Oscar winner Nicole Kidman presented veteran production designer Robert Boyle, 98, an honorary Academy Award for contributions to cinema, which include "North By Northwest," "Marnie" and "Mame."
Austria's Holocaust drama "The Counterfeiters" won in the foreign-language film category. It was that country's first film to win such an honor.
Earlier in the evening, the bloody musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" was honored with an Oscar for art direction. Italian production designer Dante Ferretti and his wife, set designer Francesca Lo Schiavo, shared the honor.
"The Golden Compass" also led to an Oscar for visual effects.
"Thank you!" whooped the winners, including Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood.
Moments earlier, a rat named Remy scurried off with the Oscar for animated feature.
Writer-director Brad Bird won his second Oscar in this category for the Disney-Pixar blockbuster "Ratatouille," about a French rodent who dreamed of becoming a Parisian chef.
The French theme continued into the evening as "Le Mozart des Pickpockets" won for live action short film, and the makeup award went to Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald won for "La Vie En Rose."
The Oscar for animated short film went to "Peter & the Wolf."
That gave way to Amy Adams, who starred in the Disney hit "Enchanted," performing one of the film's three Oscar-nominated tunes, "Happy Working Song." Without the birds, rats and other critters whirling around her as they were in the movie, her performance seemed rather flat.
The 80th Annual Academy Awards got underway beneath gray skies and drizzles at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood with a montage homage to Hollywood. There were scenes from such films as "North by Northwest," "Aliens," "Lawrence of Arabia" and "The Terminator."
The first Oscar of the evening went to Alexandra Byrne for costume design for the historical epic "Elizabeth: The Golden Age."
"These past 3 1/2 months were very rough," host Jon Stewart began, referring to the bitter work stoppage caused by the Writers Guild strike. "The fight is over. So tonight, welcome to the makeup sex."
He then took aim at the slate of "psychopathic killer movies" nominated for Oscars, among them "No Country for Old Men," "Sweeney Todd" and "There Will Be Blood," and asked: "Does this town need a hug?"
"Thank God for teen pregnancy," he quipped, referring to "Juno."
Academy Awards ceremonies may have been postponed, but the show has gone on despite wars, assassinations and the fickleness of Mother Nature. This year, the writers strike threatened to cancel the show, but a settlement was reached and the show went on as scheduled.
susan.king@latimes.com
Monday, December 31, 2007
Review: 'Blood' is a masterpiece
http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/26/review.blood.ap/
Review: 'Blood' is a masterpiece
Story Highlights
AP's Christy Lemire: "There Will Be Blood" is brilliant
Paul Thomas Anderson's movie is about misanthropic tycoon
Daniel Day-Lewis gives incredible performance in muscular film
By Christy Lemire
Associated Press
(AP) -- Someday, we're probably going to look back at "There Will Be Blood," Paul Thomas Anderson's epic about greed, lies, manipulation and insanity, and call it his masterpiece.
Which is incredible because, except for the inescapable intensity, it's nothing like his previous films; if Anderson's name weren't on it, you'd never know it was his. It's thrilling to see him reinvent himself this way, applying his formidable directing talents in a totally different fashion.
Gone are the film-school tricks he made his name with in "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia" (and this critic loved those movies). Anderson has moved out of contemporary L.A. and away from the histrionics of the carefully orchestrated ensembles he set there. He now seems more interested in storytelling and character development.
What a character he's created in Daniel Plainview -- and what a performance he's gotten out of Daniel Day-Lewis.
As a turn-of-the-century oil man, Day-Lewis gives one of the more terrifying turns of his long and eclectic career. He just completely dominates. He can be charming and cruel in the same breath, and with an accent reminiscent of John Huston, he says and does whatever he must to get his way.
That includes taking over a chunk of the central California coast and building a town there so that he can drill. (Anderson based his script very loosely on Upton Sinclair's 1920s muckraking novel "Oil!") A one-time silver miner, Plainview accidentally finds gold one day and sets his sights higher; this all takes place at the film's start, which stunningly lasts 15 wordless minutes.
"I hate most people," Plainview eventually confesses in a rare moment of introspection. The only one he connects with is his young son, H.W. (confident newcomer Dillon Freasier), who travels with him from town to town and tries to soften up the locals to get them to sell their land.
One person in Plainview's latest target of Little Boston who sees right through his tactics is the fresh-faced, seemingly innocent preacher, Eli Sunday, played with unexpected volatility by Paul Dano ("Little Miss Sunshine"). Eli comes off as soft-voiced, pious and ingratiating. He offers to give a blessing when Plainview opens his first derrick, for example, and won't take no for an answer. ("It's a simple blessing, Daniel, but an important one," he insists.)
But once Eli is on a roll, preaching in the town's crowded, makeshift church, he turns into a wildly charismatic evangelist -- and right then and there, Plainview knows he's met his match. They hate each other instantly; both recognize they're two sides of the same coin. And the ensuing, humiliating game of one-upmanship in which they engage is raw and riveting.
Just as Plainview enjoys his greatest success, though, he also suffers his greatest heartbreak. He gets his gusher but the spectacular derrick explosion leaves H.W. without hearing. This also marks the beginning of the end of Plainview's sanity, which at best was tenuous. The more money he makes, the more his mind and morals deteriorate.
Could this be Anderson's cautionary tale about the evils of greed and wealth? Hardly. He's never judged his characters before (porn stars, junkies) and he's not about to start now. It's more like a character study of a fascinating and deeply flawed man during a time of great change in our country. Reading much more into his intentions would be foolish.
One quibble: "There Will Be Blood" feels a bit too long, though it is shorter than Anderson's magnum opus "Magnolia," which ran just over three hours. Nevertheless, at the end -- and the climax is a jaw-dropper, one that hopefully hasn't already been ruined for you through news reports -- you may have a hard time getting out of your seat. It'll knock you out.
But please do take the time to see it on the big screen, for Robert Elswit's sprawling, dreamlike cinematography; for Jack Fisk's elaborate production design; and for the modern, dissonant score from Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood that will grab you and set you on edge from the first frames.
It's worth the emotional investment. "There Will Be Blood," which is both a threat and a promise, is one of those movies that will stick with you and change your mood for days.
"There Will Be Blood" is rated R and runs 158 minutes.
Review: 'Blood' is a masterpiece
Story Highlights
AP's Christy Lemire: "There Will Be Blood" is brilliant
Paul Thomas Anderson's movie is about misanthropic tycoon
Daniel Day-Lewis gives incredible performance in muscular film
By Christy Lemire
Associated Press
(AP) -- Someday, we're probably going to look back at "There Will Be Blood," Paul Thomas Anderson's epic about greed, lies, manipulation and insanity, and call it his masterpiece.
Which is incredible because, except for the inescapable intensity, it's nothing like his previous films; if Anderson's name weren't on it, you'd never know it was his. It's thrilling to see him reinvent himself this way, applying his formidable directing talents in a totally different fashion.
Gone are the film-school tricks he made his name with in "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia" (and this critic loved those movies). Anderson has moved out of contemporary L.A. and away from the histrionics of the carefully orchestrated ensembles he set there. He now seems more interested in storytelling and character development.
What a character he's created in Daniel Plainview -- and what a performance he's gotten out of Daniel Day-Lewis.
As a turn-of-the-century oil man, Day-Lewis gives one of the more terrifying turns of his long and eclectic career. He just completely dominates. He can be charming and cruel in the same breath, and with an accent reminiscent of John Huston, he says and does whatever he must to get his way.
That includes taking over a chunk of the central California coast and building a town there so that he can drill. (Anderson based his script very loosely on Upton Sinclair's 1920s muckraking novel "Oil!") A one-time silver miner, Plainview accidentally finds gold one day and sets his sights higher; this all takes place at the film's start, which stunningly lasts 15 wordless minutes.
"I hate most people," Plainview eventually confesses in a rare moment of introspection. The only one he connects with is his young son, H.W. (confident newcomer Dillon Freasier), who travels with him from town to town and tries to soften up the locals to get them to sell their land.
One person in Plainview's latest target of Little Boston who sees right through his tactics is the fresh-faced, seemingly innocent preacher, Eli Sunday, played with unexpected volatility by Paul Dano ("Little Miss Sunshine"). Eli comes off as soft-voiced, pious and ingratiating. He offers to give a blessing when Plainview opens his first derrick, for example, and won't take no for an answer. ("It's a simple blessing, Daniel, but an important one," he insists.)
But once Eli is on a roll, preaching in the town's crowded, makeshift church, he turns into a wildly charismatic evangelist -- and right then and there, Plainview knows he's met his match. They hate each other instantly; both recognize they're two sides of the same coin. And the ensuing, humiliating game of one-upmanship in which they engage is raw and riveting.
Just as Plainview enjoys his greatest success, though, he also suffers his greatest heartbreak. He gets his gusher but the spectacular derrick explosion leaves H.W. without hearing. This also marks the beginning of the end of Plainview's sanity, which at best was tenuous. The more money he makes, the more his mind and morals deteriorate.
Could this be Anderson's cautionary tale about the evils of greed and wealth? Hardly. He's never judged his characters before (porn stars, junkies) and he's not about to start now. It's more like a character study of a fascinating and deeply flawed man during a time of great change in our country. Reading much more into his intentions would be foolish.
One quibble: "There Will Be Blood" feels a bit too long, though it is shorter than Anderson's magnum opus "Magnolia," which ran just over three hours. Nevertheless, at the end -- and the climax is a jaw-dropper, one that hopefully hasn't already been ruined for you through news reports -- you may have a hard time getting out of your seat. It'll knock you out.
But please do take the time to see it on the big screen, for Robert Elswit's sprawling, dreamlike cinematography; for Jack Fisk's elaborate production design; and for the modern, dissonant score from Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood that will grab you and set you on edge from the first frames.
It's worth the emotional investment. "There Will Be Blood," which is both a threat and a promise, is one of those movies that will stick with you and change your mood for days.
"There Will Be Blood" is rated R and runs 158 minutes.
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