What happened to 'The Descendants?'
They bitched, they moaned, and after all this about David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo not being screened in time, the New York Film Critics ignore the film completely. The big win of the day was Michel Hazanavicius’ The Artist which landed a Picture and Director win respectively. I felt when I first saw the film that it would be a Sideways-type of affection among critics throughout the season but then Alexander Payne’s The Descendants swooped in and started gaining a lot of momentum. The film, which garnered three four-star reviews from our own writers here at the site, was looking signed, sealed, and delivered for some true awards attention. Clooney even failed to get a mention today and he’s one of the best things to come out of an actor’s performance this year.
Brad Pitt might have catapulted himself to forefront of the Best Actor race for a combined win for Moneyball and The Tree of Life. Though the latter is being campaigned Supporting, he may have the effect of “let’s reward him already” working in his favor. The big surprise was Meryl Streep winning her record 5th NYFCC award for Best Actress for Phyllida Lloyd’s The Iron Lady. Is Meryl a real threat or is it going to be déjà vu when she wins a butt load of awards and ultimately loses to someone else. My heart fills with joy at the sight of Jessica Chastain being named Best Supporting Actress for her works in The Tree of Life, Take Shelter, and The Help. While this could be a sign of bad things to come because of the combined notices, rather than a commitment to one film, I think eventually we’ll see some commitment on other’s critics and guilds.
Is Albert Brooks really a threat for Christopher Plummer? While the film itself remains on critical life support in my opinion, Brooks still remains in talks and could very well land himself his overdue Oscar. I don’t think Drive is a bad film by any means, and is completely worthy of awards consideration, I just don’t see AMPAS going for it. There simply not THAT cool…yet. He’ll have to carry the torch.
Moneyball did surprisingly well garnering a Screenplay win for Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian but I have to point out something. Stan Chervin, who brought the story to the studio and wrote the first draft that Brad Pitt read that got him on board, is not listed. It’s sad to see someone being given the shaft behind two big names. He deserves his notices. I’ll give it to him here. Great job Mr. Chervin
The Independent Spirit Awards named their nominees today for their award show and Clooney missed a Best Actor citation.
Things I Love:
- Demian Bichir for Best Actor for A Better Life
- Ryan Gosling for Best Actor for Drive.
- Corey Stoll for Best Supporting Actor for Midnight in Paris
- Shailene Woodley for Supporting Actress for The Descendants
- Martha Marcy May Marlene for Best First Feature
Big Boosts: The Tree of Life and Moneyball
Big Hurts: The Descendants and Midnight in Paris
Next up…The National Board of Review on Thursday
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Tags: Brad Pitt, Drive, Jessica Chastain, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Meryl Streep, Moneyball, Oscar Circuit, Take Shelter, the artist, The Help, The Iron Lady, The Tree of Life
15 Comments
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You know what… Meryl will win this year.
Mikael(Quote) (Reply)
That’s a bold statement my friend. I’ve heard many readers of this site say it before. I would say, say it, if you REALLY mean it. lol.
Clayton Davis(Quote) (Reply)
Oh, God, let’s hope not. Please don’t get me wrong- she’s great, she’s better than great. But let someone else get their moment as Best Actress in 2012. Perhaps her ‘Doubt’ co-star Viola Davis or a fresh young face like Elizabeth Olsen, for starters.
phi_sco(Quote) (Reply)
hope she does aswell
Massimo C. Fabio(Quote) (Reply)
Though I wasn’t keen on the idea – after all isn’t a record 17 nominations and 2 wins enough validation for anyone? – I’ve come round to Mikael’s way of thinking since the trailer and it actually makes sense.
Though the film still looks horrible, she is uncanny in it. And that’s with the trailer omitting the dementia scenes. This is the role she’s been waiting for years to get her the next Oscar – it ticks all the boxes and isn’t the fluff of Julie and Julia and has gravitas, despite the picture.
Streep is now a living legend and known as THE Queen of acting by the general public as well as cinefans and is a box office titan in her 60s, so she also has the Sandy Bullock factor that has gotten much reviled Oscars before – only of course you can’t argue with Meryl performance wise.
Add the fact that she already looks like she’s going to win as she has rapturous reviews from even the Brits, which says it all. And although NYFCC are Streep loons, the fact she won straight away almost unchallenged in the first round with only Michelle Williams a distant second must mean something. Even though it’s the earliest days, all this says to me it’s in the bag and signed, sealed, delivered. But in 2 weeks we’ll know more with the SAGs and GGs.
If only Davis had went supporting then everyone would be happy. You could say this is a category fraud, but it’s hardly like Steinfeld and is at least a borderline case. I imagine Davis knew she wouldn’t win in lead, but a lead nomination would mean more to her at the end of the day than a supporting win.
thereisaray(Quote) (Reply)
Ok this is definitely fun the first day of awards, but isn’t it overreacting a bit to claim The Descendants is close to being down and out? There have been Maybe three groups who have given their awards out and Descendants hasn’t exactly been snubbed when it comes to nominations. It’s a really great movie, and I don’t see it’s BP chances, let alone Clooney’s going away anytime soon.
On a better note, it’s SO great to see Tree of Life getting some great buzz (even if it is super early). I wish everyone would jump on the Chastain bandwagon for this film already, she’s amazing in it. Tree of Life BP 2011, let’s make it happen.
WillQ(Quote) (Reply)
I would kill to see The Descendants, The Tree of Life, and Drive all be nominated for Best Picture. I would literally kill.
koook160(Quote) (Reply)
I believe that Meryl is a real THREAT for a few reasons:
1. She won on the first ballot – the only major winner to win on a first ballot (Pitt and Brooks won on the second; Chastain on the third!). Streep won on the first with a big lead – she had 38 points!! This shows some support.
2. She won two years ago and this didn’t stop them from voting for her.
3. The raves start coming. The performance is simply THAT GOOD. She’s really fantastic in the film and no matter what you think of the film, she’s brilliant. And sometimes that’s all it takes to win – Charlize Theron for example.
4. Meryl is ridiculously overdue for that third Oscar. And you all know it. Of course, this year you all say ‘Next year!’, but it’s her 17th nomination and she has the buzz and the momentum.
5. HARVEY WEINSTEIN! He’ll play the sentiment card, he’ll play the big performance card. HE has the critics.
6. The competition: Viola Davis is a wonderful actress, but in the end I doubt Hollywood will go for her in a big way. And her major problem: a quiet performance and a performance that is in between lead and supporting. Meryl dominates her film and it’s hard not to notice the performance.
7. Meryl’s performance is actually quite emotional and shows the human side. I believe that we could have a sweep for Meryl this year. And I believe she is a real threat. And deserves to be one.
Zooey Bloom(Quote) (Reply)
Haha, you beat me to it. I just wrote the same post.
thereisaray(Quote) (Reply)
Thereisaray – Welcome to the club!!! Lol. I´m a meryl-maniac – as I believe everyone in this site already knows – and I truly believe she will win this time. Your comment was perfect; This is a “serious” role – different than 3/4 or her last nominated turns (Adaptation, The Devil Wears Prada, Julie & Julia) – all of which I believe she ended coming in 2nd place in those respective years… And there´s still the drama “Doubt” – for which she won the SAG and could´ve come 2nd very easily too (a film that despite being a genius play just didn´t translate all that well to the screen – imo because of John Patrick Shanley´s direction).
Zooey Bloom, I agree with you 100%!!! It´s Meryl´s turn now. I don´t care if Glenn Close is nominated, or even if Annette Bening showed up out of nowhere with a 5th nomination for a long overdue Oscar, or if Julianne Moore appeared with the performance of a lifetime, or if Sigourney Weaver or Michelle Pfeiffer had a miraculous comeback hoping for recognition. Meryl is the most overdue actress in the business (to win ANOTHER Oscar) and everyone knows it. I also think that everyone´s kind of tired of seeing her lose on Oscar night… I mean, doesn´t it look like just about every actor would be ready to vote for Meryl in their Oscar ballots this time? From Sandra Bullock to Kate Winslet, from Jack Nicholson to Helen Mirren, from Uma Thurman to Vanessa Redgrave…
Bottom line: Michelle Williams COULD have been a real threat – that is – if her film was also brilliant. With the film itself receiving mixed reviews, she should be happy to receive a third nomination at age 30 and win some critics awards along the way. As for Viola Davis, she would have NEVER settled for a supporting nomination… In her Broadway presentation of “Fences”, opposite Denzel Washington, she was supposed to be campaigned Supporting for the Tonys but insisted in being nominated for Lead Actress… Result: She ended up winning the Tony for Best Actress in a Play. Viola Davis WANTS to be a lead actress. The only reason she didn´t campaign for that in “Doubt” was because she was supporting even for a supporting actress in it. Lol. Anyway, Viola Davis does threaten Meryl – at least she´s her biggest competition – but if Octavia Spencer is recognized for Best Supporting Actress, I don´t think they´d feel the need to give “The Help” two acting awards… They have other representatives in the film (even Jessica Chastain) – while Meryl IS the film in “The Iron Lady”. As Zooey Bloom mentioned, Viola Davis is a wonderful actress, but she could wait for another 3 or 4 years… Meryl has waited for 30… Right? Plus, as someone mentioned in a previous post – “The Help” will hardly be nominated for Best Director, Best Film Editing or Best Screenplay… Which will hurt it´s chances (and Viola´s) in the long run.
I´d love to see a Meryl sweep. I find it difficult, though, since she´s been already winning awards everywhere for the past years… In 9 years she´s won 4 Golden Globes, 2 SAG´s, 2 NYFCC´s, 2 Critics Choice Awards, 1 Emmy + much more. But who knows. I believe it´s her time. And I´m rooting for it.
Mikael(Quote) (Reply)
Yes, but she won the NYFCC two years ago. And she won again. This time the performance is simply too big to ignore. And since she hasn’t won the LAFCA since 1985 (and this makes 26 years!), I believe that she could very well win the LAFCA and a few minor critics’ group will follow and that’s what she needs. And after all Meryl is overdue. Voters know that. HFPA voters know that. They want another Meryl speech. And once again – that’s what Meryl needs. To be everywhere.
Zooey Bloom(Quote) (Reply)
Well, I´d bet on her to win a BAFTA… That would be important for her, I think. And if you think of the last time she won one, that would be in 1982 for “The French Lieutenant´s Woman”!!!
Mikael(Quote) (Reply)
Do not underestimate the Academy’s love of the “important” movie and Streep’s own demand that someone give Viola Davis a movie. She got her movie and may get her Oscar, with Streep none the more proud in the front row standing and applauding. Food for thought…Academy members LOVE The Help. Widely reported…
Michael Ward(Quote) (Reply)
And I´m sure Meryl would be genuinely happy – as she´s displayed many times before – if her “protégée” Viola Davis won. Only hope the protégée feels this way too… I´d just love to see her with a wide smile being part of a 15-minute-standing-ovation for the “Queen”.
Mikael(Quote) (Reply)