Years from now when I think back on 2012 and what it had to offer, I’m sure the cinematic landscape that was presented will surely stick out as many directors and filmmakers pushed the thematic narrative with breathtaking visuals, stupendous performances, and uniquely driven story structures. One thing that will be near the top was the daunting task the Academy, pundits, and even myself, had in narrowing down the Lead Actor race to five simple slots.
There were debates going back and forth about who deserved a spot, who was miscategorized, and who was given the light of a day for consideration. The Academy did an admirable job and when push comes to shove, these five performances that are nominated are all worthy of citation and acceptable as a Best Actor winner.
When the nominees for the Academy Award for Best Actor are announced next month, it will mark the end to a hard fought battle, and this is a fact, one of the boldest and most creative performances of the last twenty years could very well be on the outside looking in. The snub of Joaquin Phoenix by the Screen Actors Guild for his galvanizing performance in The Master was truly startling because one would hope actors would recognize the risk he took in that piece of acting, the boldness of the execution of what he attempted, and the genius in making it work. Phoenix walked a fine line between great acting and great overacting, never stepping into the latter, always managing to remain solid. Read more on On the Possible Snub of Joaquin Phoenix…
We all know they happen, those performances that are somehow ignored by the Academy voters, often in favor of lesser work. In fact it has been happening since almost the very beginning, but in these days if intense campaigning, we are much more aware of who gets snubbed and who gets the nod. What shocks me about the acting branch is that actors do the nominating and one would assume that actors would appreciate a great performance, right? Well, maybe. For whatever reason some of the finest performances of the last twelve years have been ignored by the Academy, left out to be appreciated and celebrated in articles such as this. History will bear out the fact their work was outstanding, but they will not carry the tag Academy Award nominee. I think the snubs that shock me most are those that have taken home critics awards because one would believe they are at least on the radar of the Academy, but no, they obviously are not.
So here we go, the snubs in the categories of Best Actor and Best Actress, year by year. Watch for a follow up on the supporting categories within the week. Read more on Acting Snubs in the Leading Categories (2000-2012)…
Anyone who’s seen Joaquin Phoenix in ‘I’m Still Here’ should know that this is a man who’s not afraid to be different or unpopular. While his incredible work in ‘The Master’ has him at the top of most people’s Oscar predictions (including mine), it’s worth remembering that he’s not exactly tailor-made for the campaign circuit. Well, whether we were trying to forget about that or pretend that Phoenix is now a completely different sort of person, we got a strong reminder of that recently with his sure to be controversial comments while doing an interview with Elvis Mitchell. You can see interview here at Interview Magazine. I still think he’s going to get nominated, but there’s a chance that he just kissed the win goodbye, depending on what Harvey Weinstein has to say about things.
With this week’s release of new features, it’s unlikely Taken 2 or Argo will be topped at the box office, unless there’s a hidden gem imposter among them. Whether it’s thrills, chills, or laughs you’re looking for, here’s what’s on the menu:
Ladies and gentlemen, we come now to part 3 of the Sizing up series. This one is as close to an all-encompassing grouping of the hopefuls for Best Actor as possible (excluding some no shot contenders). I’m looking to categorize them by their assumed likelihood of a nomination come the big morning, but clearly there’s plenty of guesswork at play here as well. For my money, this is the most competitive category outside of Best Picture and possibly Best Director. There’s a bunch of top-tier contenders that all could win, let alone get nominated, so this is a bit of a top-heavy category.
We’re back with the Awards Circuit Power Hour, our weekly podcast show where we bring you the best in Film, TV, and pure entertainment. The Staff has a great show lined up for you this week. The agenda is listed below:
Trailer Talk (Killing Me Softly, The Paperboy, Skyfall)
Venice Film Festival – We discuss the lineup
Reader Question #1
Did You Know? w/ Mark Johnson
Sight and Sound Polls
Reader Question #2
Box Office from the Weekend w/ Mike Ward
State of the Race: Lead Actor and Supporting Actor
We play, “Give Them an Oscar!”
Reader Question #3
The week ahead! (ACCA: Best of Decades coming Monday)
Joaquin Phoenix in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master”
Oscar Predictions, how I love thee yet how I hate thee. As I revealed the newest set of predictions this time around and took a look at the next five months, I haven’t dived into serious awards analysis in a while. A lot of the reason was I felt it was too early and we didn’t know enough. I had an epiphany recently however; we never know what the Oscars are thinking. Even after critics’ awards drop, Golden Globes, SAG, Critics Choice Awards are televised; all mean nothing at the end of the day. Oscar will always do what she wants to do, even when everyone is telling her the obvious choices.
Granted, I am one of the few that thinks they can actually pick some great choices among their winners. I was and still am in the camp that Michel Hazanavicius’ The Artist was the best film of last year. I couldn’t have chosen a better film. Does that mean everything that accompanied The Artist was the best? Absolutely not. What Oscar often lacks are edgy, loud, or mainstream choices. Could they have found room for Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive or for its leading man Ryan Gosling? How about Steve McQueen’s Shame with the best leading male performance of the year, Michael Fassbender? Like I said, they’re not perfect. And here’s a look into the future…they never will be.
It’s May! Contenders are still far on the horizon, the summer blockbuster season is quietly underway after the impressive showing of “The Avengers.” $200 million dollars? I still can and cannot believe it. With our revamp being brought to a close, official and frequent Oscar predictions have started and will continue to be updated. As you will see from the menu and the actual pages, there are some changes, most for the better. I’ve kept the basic “For It/Against It” as you click through the contenders. Anything outside of the predicted five or ten nominees are ranked accordingly. I’m still trying to figure out how I’m going to keep the ranking in perspective of the actual predicted nominees and I’m open to any suggestions. Otherwise, what you see is what you get. Now, on to actual Oscar talk which is pretty much the reason you all come here in the first place.
Predictions have begun with the NEW and IMPROVED official Oscar Predictions! I’ve begun in Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress. The rest will come periodically throughout the weekend. (MAKE SURE YOU CLICK ON THE PICTURES!)
These Oscar Circuit’s will be incredibly in-depth since there won’t be any place for me to include commentary on the actual pages. You can look on the sidebar for the updated Oscar Circuit’s as they become more and more frequent throughout the year. Read more on Editor Oscar Circuit – “It’s time for a face lift”…
Demian Bichir for “A Better Life” Oscar scene: Telling his son that he does everything for him
George Clooney for “The Descendants” Oscar scene: Saying goodbye to his wife
Jean Dujardin for “The Artist” Oscar scene: Our introduction to George Valentin
Gary Oldman for “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” Oscar scene: Smiley describing the time he met Karla
Brad Pitt for “Moneyball” Oscar scene: Telling Jonah Hill that if they win, they’ll have changed the game forever
The strongest of the acting categories this year, Best Actor is one of the few that has multiple possibilities of an outcome, and that’s a tremendous thing to have this late in the game. This year’s slate is made up of one prior Oscar winner, one prior nominee, and 3 newcomers, including one long overdue gentleman. Even though there were lots of snubbed performances in this category in 2011, that speaks more to the quality of the lead acting performances during the season than the actual work of the nominees. These are 5 of the top 20 acting jobs of 2011, and that’s a solid grouping by any regard. To learn about how this race might go down, let’s start by looking at some history for Best Actor, shall we?
The Awards Circuit Podcasts are back! (well, almost back)
We’re still working out some kinks but it looks as though every Sunday with Your Editor-in-Chief and random members of our staff we will be bringing you “The Awards Circuit Power Hour.” We will be bringing some in-depth conversations regarding the Oscars, film, television, and much more. We’ll also be taking questions from all of you regarding anything from the state of the race to just simple chit-chat. Can’t wait to hear them.
Today’s (impromptu) episode focuses on the Acting categories with Staff Writers Joey Magidson and Joseph Braverman joining myself as we dish on this wide open race. Here’s today’s agenda.
State of the Race
Lead Actor (Clooney vs. Dujardin vs. Pitt vs. Oldman)
Lead Actress (Is Viola writing her speech already?)
Supporting Actor (Is Von Sydow giving Plummer a run for his money?)
Supporting Actress (Who deserves it vs. Who will get it?)
It’s done. With the Giants game in the background (GO GIANTS!!), I’ve completed my Final Oscar Predictions. Some notable things before I’m crucified.
I’ve stuck with seven Best Picture nominees. A big part of me wanted to exclude David Fincher’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” from the shortlist but if the film would miss a Best Picture nomination, it would be unprecedented. No film has been cited by nearly all the guilds and miss out in the end. It did miss the Golden Globe and SAG nod so it’s very possible to miss. I still believe “War Horse” will make it. Can you imagine an older member of the Academy not checking off his name? I can’t. I’m foreseeing a very low show for Bennett Miller’s “Moneyball,” although I did stick with Jonah Hill but I’m crossing my fingers for him. Even though I respect Scott Feinberg, I still don’t see the “Drive” love coming through to get it nominated. It currently sits at #9 on the predictions but I couldn’t choose the film to be nominated with only one other nomination for Albert Brooks. I think it would need Editing and Cinematography and I don’t see either happening.
For Your Consideration: Best Actor in a Leading Role Film: “The Tree of Life” Director: Terrence Malick Writer: Terrence Malick Realistic Nominations: Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects
Oscar Scene: “Father, mother, always you wrestle inside me.”
Say what you will about Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” but many of its players gave some of the best works of the year including the young Hunter McCracken in his screen debut as “Jack.” Much of the film’s praise has gone to its direction by Terrence Malick or Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain as Jack’s parents. What McCracken achieves in the film is nothing short of astounding.
For Your Consideration – Best Lead Actor – Joel Edgerton Film:Warrior Director: Gavin O’Connor Screenplay: Gavin O’Connor, Cliff Dorfman and Anthony Tambakis RealisticNominations: Best Supporting Actor – Nick Nolte
Oscar Scene: “I’m sorry, Tommy…I’m sorry…tap, Tommy…it’s okay…it’s okay…I love you, I love you, Tommy!”
Warrior is an endearingly predictable and sentimental sports drama with big lunges of emotion that end up being more powerful than they have any “right” to be. This success can be primarily attributed to the film’s two stars Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton, who articulate the Bitter Introvert With A Dark Past and the Everyman Thrust Back Into One Last Fight, respectively, much better than its screenplay ever does. Many critics have (not unjustifiably) heaped praise on Hardy, but sadly, Edgerton’s work has been relatively ignored. That’s unfortunate; for my money he was actually the film’s MVP. Read more on Circuit Consideration: Joel Edgerton in Warrior…
I’ve come, I saw, well, I didn’t conquer but I feel comfortable with the picks thus far. I’ve spent hours analyzing and looking at categories while trying to think like an AMPAS voter. The past eight days or so have presented many answers to questions we thought we knew the answer to. When looking at the Critics Choice, Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, and the two dozen critics’ awards that have announced their favorites for Year 2011, one thing remains clear. This is one of the most open races we’ve seen in years.
I hate using the word “lock” because as history has told us, AMPAS can “unlock” someone just as fast as we put them in. Think Paul Giamatti in “Sideways.” However, I feel comfortable using the word for a few films thus far. Michel Hazanavicius’ “The Artist” is the clear favorite and the one to beat. It has the Oscar flair that they love and the critics have taken to it in a big way as well. I still feel the same way about it that I did when I first saw it and that means something. “Slumdog Millionaire” which had the same effect on many critics, including myself, aged very poorly and looking back, not necessarily the best film of the year. Not by a long shot. Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants” has made a strong showing. George Clooney is working his magic and has encountered many awards along the way. It doesn’t hurt that he also directed and starred in “The Ides of March,” a film not locked by any means despite the Golden Globe nomination. Steven Spielberg’s great epic “War Horse” has everything that Oscar loves. While it doesn’t carry a strong showing on the performance front, the story alone will get voters checking the film off.
For the first time ever, I’ll be starting off my preview of the week’s new films with the limited releases. Not because there’s anything lacking about the wide releases. Far from it, this Thanksgiving weekend is yielding several amazing-looking films both mainstream and indie. No, I’m only switching things around to keep up the theme of David Cronenberg Week. So y’all can guess by now that I’ll first be analyzing…
A Dangerous Method, based on Christopher Hampton’s play The Talking Cure, centers on the professional relationship between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud as well as the complicating presence of the beautiful, intelligent but deeply troubled Sabina Spielrein. The film has been enjoying mostly positive reviews, with its performances, dialogue and production values being singled out for particular praise. Nevertheless, it’s clear that there is a hint of disappointment in its critical evaluations, as many (including yours truly) had initially pegged it as “the” film; the one that would finally catapult the legendary David Cronenberg to an Academy Award nomination for Best Director after a long, distinguished career ignored by the staid organization. While it’s still possible, competition from the likes of The Descendants, The Artist and War Horse required A Dangerous Method to garner more effusive “best of the year!” acclaim to stand a fighting chance considering its subject matter. Even if he personally doesn’t make it, one should still look for it in other categories. Keira Knightley, despite giving a divisive performance with a questionable accent, is showy enough and has been gushed over by quite a few critics, so she is at least on the radar. Viggo Mortensen has been cited as one of the most purely entertaining parts of the film, and Michael Fassbender could get a consolation nomination if his more acclaimed work in Shame proves too transgressive for the Academy to embrace (think Dennis Hopper). It could also get possible nods for its screenplay, art direction and costumes. Read more on Holiday Openings (November 23-27)…
Okay, so in perhaps my worst Weekend Openings yet, I predicted that Brett “rehearsing is for fags” Ratner’s Tower Heist would be “the guaranteed hit of the weekend.” Looks like my crystal ball was broken last week, or more likely I just foolishly underestimated the power of an animated cat with a Spanish accent. Not this time. Puss in Boots will probably hold on to the top spot a third time this Veteran’s Day weekend (though with my luck it’ll tumble now).
The most successful new release will most likely be Immortals. Or, at least it had better be, because dear god America will be lost forever if the other one grosses more. Declaring war on humanity, King Hyperion searches for a weapon that would free the Titans and take revenge on the Gods who imprisoned them. The Gods select as humanity’s champion Theseus to stop the king of Crete. The only interesting thing about this sword-and-sandals epic to me is that it’s from the visually creative Tarsem Singh, who at least will guarantee some great eye candy. Critics are once again dazzled by his impressionistic aesthetic but are less enthused about the film’s shameless style-over-substance. I’m going to predict an $18-23 million opening, and if Immortals ends up on the high side of that, it could be looking at Oscar nominations for Art Direction, Sound, Costume Design and/or Visual Effects. Read more on Weekend Openings (November 11-13)…
Oscar season is nearly in full swing. The screeners and invitations have already started. PR companies, studios, and other industry analysts are fighting hard for films and performances that they hope will resonate with critics’ awards and the Academy Awards. When assessing the race in all categories there seems to be an equal amount of newcomers and veterans in various categories, all fighting for a spot in their respective lineups.
In the Directing category we have the usual suspects of respected veteran directors; Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, and David Cronenberg. Most of these men have won Oscars before and looking for reaffirmation that they’ve still got it. You could easily place Terrence Malick in the same lineup for The Tree of Life, however, Malick seems to be on an island all alone at the moment. His film seems to be so uniquely split between people who love it or hate it, it’s going to be interesting if he makes the cut and wins the Oscar.
In this nearly terrifying age where our children are growing significantly faster than we want them to, fear, anxiety, and near paranoia starts to overtake the best of parents. In America, we have witnessed, in this generation alone, some of the most evil ever conducted by mankind in all of history; the fall of the twin towers, the war in Iraq, the shooting massacre in Virginia Tech, all terrible staples in my memory and I’m not even thirty yet. What other horrors will this lifetime bring? As a new father, I want to wrap my daughter Sophia in a bubble and never let her see the light of day for fear of what she may either endure or be influenced by. Shawn Ku’s Beautiful Boy examines the aftermath of a young man, Sammy, that commits a mass shooting at his school and ultimately takes his own life. Bill (Michael Sheen) and Kate (Maria Bello) are your average married couple. Held back by grief, guilt, and rage, Bill and Kate undertake the scrutiny from the presses and the families as the sole reasons for young Sammy’s demise. How could you move on from a nightmare you couldn’t wake up from?
The Way screened last year at TIFF and I had the chance then to see the film and interview Martin Sheen and his son, actor-director Emilio Estevez. My admiration for the film was solid, particularly for Sheen’s performance, having always admired his work as an actor, so I was pleased when the film finally is getting a release. This film could see Sheen get a decent push for an Oscar nomination as Best Actor. The film is certainly stronger than Estevez’ previous work Bobby (2006) which was a sentimental study of how the assassination of Robert Kennedy impacted a group of people in the hotel that very night. Bobby (2006) turned into a pale imitation of an Altman film with characters in and out of one another’s life, all connected by the single event of the killing of Kennedy, which seemed to steal a nation’s sense of hope. More than anything else, Estevez achieved much in capturing the great sense of hope Kennedy brought for the future, and how it was snuffed out by a bullet on a night in 1968. True, far too many characters overwhelmed the film and perhaps the director, but he cannot be denied as a talent behind the camera. With just a single character to focus on this time in The Way, the weight of the film firmly on Sheen’s shoulders, Estevez seems liberated as a director, displaying much more confidence than ever before behind the camera. Read more on The Way (Multiple Reviews)…
Years from now when I think back on 2012 and what it had to offer, I’m sure the cinematic landscape that was presented will surely stick out as many directors and filmmakers pushed the thematic narrative with breathtaking visuals, stupendous performances, and uniquely driven story structures. One thing that will be near the top was the daunting task the Academy, pundits, and even myself, had in narrowing down the Lead Actor race to five simple slots.
