Alan Arkin – Argo Oscar Scene: “Argo fuck yourself”
Robert De Niro – Silver Linings Playbook Oscar Scene: “When life reaches out with a woman like this it’s a sin if you don’t reach back, I’m telling you its a sin if you don’t reach back!”
Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Master Oscar Scene: Lancaster Dodd processing Freddie Quell
Tommy Lee Jones – Lincoln Oscar Scene: Thaddeus Stevens facing off with Mary Todd Lincoln
Christoph Waltz – Django Unchained Oscar Scene: Dr. King Shultz introducing himself to Django
There may be no category as up in the air this time around as Best Supporting Actor. Very few people are confident about their picks, and this is certainly as wide open as any the category has seen in years. It’s also noteworthy for featuring five nominees who are each prior winners, including one actor seeking his third Oscar. At least a three horse race, Best Supporting Actor may very well come down to who actually gave the best performance of the group. There are 100% other factors to consider, but with this tight a contest, it’s conceivable that voters actually took quality into account. The gentlemen nominated all are favorite sons to one degree or another, so lets dive in and take a look at them, shall we?
We’re into the Supporting categories now, and this one is a decently large scale grouping of the hopefuls for Best Supporting Actor, excluding of course some no shot contenders and certain members of bigger ensembles, or else this could have had 40 or 50 people in the article. I’m categorizing them by their assumed likelihood of a nomination come nomination day, but that shouldn’t surprise you by now. A couple of things to keep an eye for this category specifically is that it has a decent amount to do with which films get nominated for Best Picture ultimately, and this is also the place where comedy can actually make a dent in the race, not to mention overlooked/veteran actors, though neither could be a factor this year, oddly. Quite often, more than a few of the Best Picture nominees wind up with some form of representation here. For 2012, I think absolutely anything is possible.
Though he will not appear – or even be mentioned, for that matter – in The Dark Knight Rises, no discussion of the film or its eponymous character can be reasonably made without his arch nemesis, The Joker. He is arguably the most famous comic book villain in history and has been featured in just about every media translation of Batman’s stories. As has been brought up often in their conflicts together, it could very well be argued that the two are inseparable forces that have come to define one another in their long history together.
For a character that has become a staple of the franchise, The Joker was not originally conceived as such a longstanding addition to Batman’s rogue’s gallery. Introduced in Batman #1 in 1940, the initial plan was to kill him off after his second appearance until a last-minute plea from Editor Whitney Ellsworth caused a hastily-drawn panel showing the villain surviving his stab wound, tormenting the Caped Crusader ever since, and the story of who actually created an initially brief antagonist became a lot more disputed. Prolific comic book artist Jerry Robinson went to his grave insisting that he was the man who created The Joker, but Bob Kane tells a different story: Read more on Understanding the Character: The Joker…
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”…
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?)
Kenneth Branagh – My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill – Moneyball
Nick Nolte – Warrior
Christopher Plummer – Beginners
Max von Sydow – Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
This category has often been dismissed as a way to award “distinguished” (read: old) actors with Oscars to honor their career as opposed to the individual performance in question. While I do have some major gripes with this category, this particular accusation always struck me not only as ageist (what, senior actors can’t legitimately give award-worthy performances?!) but not as backed up by recent history as the reputation would suggest. Christian Bale, Christoph Waltz, Heath Ledger, Javier Bardem, George Clooney and Benicio Del Toro were hardly old vet actors looking for a swan song trophy. In fact, the last elderly “career-honor” winner we had was arguably Alan Arkin is 2006, and even then it was a close call between him and Eddie Murphy. That’s why this year presents an interesting complication to the debate. With the average age clocking in at 62, this year’s Best Supporting Actor slate is the oldest ever, and three of them could legitimately claim this award as a career capper. Read more on Oscar Circuit: Best Supporting Actor…
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 Supporting Actor – Corey Stoll Film: Midnight in Paris Director: Woody Allen Screenplay: Woody Allen Realistic Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay Oscar Scene: His answer to why he won’t read Gil’s manuscript
Of the many pleasures to be found in Woody Allen’s latest flick ‘Midnight in Paris’, the supporting turn by Corey Stoll as author Ernest Hemingway is chief among them. No one expected this performance to be nearly as effective and memorable as it turned out to be. Stoll is phenomenal playing the iconic literary figure, and absolutely steals the show. Coming out of my initial viewing of the film, I left enthralled by the work and wowed by Stoll. Subsequent viewings have only strengthened my convictions about him. If any supporting actor currently out of the Best Supporting Actor conversation for the most part deserves to be thrown back in, it’s Stoll. I’m somewhat convinced that the Academy won’t be doing so (the same goes for ACCA, but we’ll see), but there’s no reason not to try. So, here goes nothing. Let me put forward my Circuit Consideration for Corey Stoll in ‘Midnight in Paris’!
For Your Consideration – Best Supporting Actor – Michael Parks Film: Red State Director: Kevin Smith Screenplay: Kevin Smith Realistic Nominations: None Oscar Scene: The sermon
I know that opinions are split on ‘Red State’. On the staff, I’m obviously a huge fan (my review is here) and Anna enjoyed it as well, while Clayton and Robert didn’t at all. In terms of you the reader, reactions have been about 60/40 in favor of it, and critics have been about the same, with it being just shy of the 60% needed on Rotten Tomatoes to be declared “fresh” (it’s currently at 57%). The one thing that most seem not to be split on though is Michael Parks and his hauntingly effective performance as the horrific pastor Abin Cooper. More than one critic mentioned that if his performance had been in a different movie or by a different filmmaker, he’d be in the Best Actor conversation. I mentioned how worthy he was initially, and now I’d like to submit him as a super long shot for a surprise Best Supporting Actor nomination both for the Oscars and The Awards Circuit Community Awards. There’s lots that I like in the flick, but Parks is the absolute highlight. He’s a treat to watch.
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)…
We come now to part 5 of my series of articles that deal with how to rank the chances of the various categories of Oscar contenders. This one is as large a scale grouping of the hopefuls for Best Supporting Actor as possible (excluding some no shot contenders and members of bigger ensembles…or else this could have 40 or 50 people in the article), categorizing them by their assumed likelihood of a nomination come nomination day. A few things to keep an eye for this category specifically is that it has a decent amount to do with which films get nominated for Best Picture, and this is the place where comedy can actually make a dent in the race, not to mention overlooked/veteran actors. Quite often, more than a few of the Best Picture nominees wind up with representation here. This year, I think there will be plenty of correlation, but of course absolutely anything is possible. My couple of preview notes are mostly something to keep an eye on as the season progresses for the Supporting gentleman looking to score a nod. We shall see what happens, but enough talk for the moment. Let’s take a look at the contenders for Best Supporting Actor and size up the field! Read more on Sizing Up the Best Supporting Actor Race…
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.
Oscar nominated filmmaker Jason Reitman directs Oscar winner Charlize Theron in “Young Adult”, written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody. Reitman and Cody collaborated on the memorable comedy “Juno” and are generating Oscar buzz with this project. Check it out after the jump!
Yet another potential Oscar contender is hitting theaters this weekend, along with something for kids, dudes, and well, girls who are on Team Jacob at least:
The Oscar contender, of course, is the sports drama Moneyball, telling the true story of how a manager for the Oakland A’s reinvented professional baseball. Based on the reviews, we could be seeing nominations for Best Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor and Adapted Screenplay on the way for Bennett Miller’s follow-up to Capote. Critics (including our own John H. Foote) have been hailing this film as a smart, crackling behind-the-scenes drama that turns the sports genre on its head. Online buzz for this is surprisingly strong and Pitt is still a reliable draw for mainstream audiences, so I’ll predict a strong $17-22 million opening. Read more on Weekend Openings (September 23-25)…
Speaking of which, I speculated on its Oscar possibilities in last week’s Weekend Openings, while predicting that The Lion King 3D would win the box office.
There is cancer in my house, the bad kind: brain cancer. It is incurable. This cancer just sits, ever growing, hiding in the recesses of the brain too far down for the surgeons to cut out, waiting for the chance to erupt once again. This one is one of the least-understood forms of cancer, so the doctors know little about it. My wife has struggled through radiation and is now struggling through aggressive chemotherapy to treat what we have been told is a very malignant form of cancer in her brain. We figure we could sit around and cry about our plight, but instead we choose to laugh, or, as Renton suggests in Trainspotting (1996), choose life. What alternative is there, really?
50/50 (***) hit home with me in a very powerful way. Admittedly, I was concerned about seeing the film. When you are living the experience portrayed in the film, one tends to judge it in comparison to their lives. That might be an unfair standard to place on the film, but that’s the way it is with such subject matter. Thankfully, director Jonathan Levine and screenwriter Will Reiser have made an excellent, powerful and deeply moving film that permeates with the one thing we feel each and every day when all seems lost…hope. Read more on John’s TIFF Diary: Day Six…
And so what began ten years ago comes to an end, after seven outstanding books and eight very good, bordering sometimes on brilliant films. J. K. Rowling changed the world with her Harry Potter books, getting little boys and girls reading again, getting them away from the dreaded television and internet and allowing them to delve into a book as generations before them had done, addicting them to all things Potter. Trust me, I have an eleven year old in the house who insists, INSISTS on giving movie critic dad Harry Potter pop quizzes and exams. I wish I was joking.
There were two movie franchises born in 2001, the first being Peter Jackson’s superb trilogy of Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings, which he spread over three years, spanning 2001-2003, the final film winning a record tying eleven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. The second franchise was of course Warner Brothers Harry Potter, which even the great Steven Spielberg turned down an offer to direct. Chris Columbus stepped in to direct the first two films and did a splendid job of bringing the magic and darkness of the tales to the screen. A few other directors have taken turns directing the films since, but David Yates, a little known television director has done a brilliant job with the last three films, in particular, the final one, which is an action packed knockout in every way. Read more on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (Multiple Reviews)…
Beginners is an absolutely lovely little film. Though ultimately not as delightful as something like Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, this is still one of the better movies of the year. Writer/director Mike Mills is telling an incredibly personal story here, but he’s still managed to make it accessible and enjoyable. It’s a romantic dramedy filled with strong performances and a good sense of purpose, despite a plot that deals heavily with the idea of the crisis of identity. All three main performances are worthy of recognition, as Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, and Melanie Laurent charm you to no end. McGregor is the lead and does some of his best work in years, while I’d argue Plummer has rarely been better in this supporting turn (far better than the work he did in The Last Station that got him nominated, more as a lifetime achievement award than for the movie), and Laurent proves her outstanding performance in Inglourious Basterds was no fluke. Throw in a dog whose thoughts we can periodically see in subtitles (it’s a quirk that works for the film) and a vibe that reminds me of a less ambitious Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and you have a very winning cinematic experience. Read more on Beginners (***½)…
And the Nominees are…
