 Film: Mirror Mirror
For Your Consideration: Best Achievement in Costume Design
Director: Tarsem Singh
Screenplay: Marc Klein, Jason Keller and Melisa Wallack
Realistic Nominations: None
The bittersweet sentiment attached to posthumous Oscar nominations is an unavoidable and even reasonable reaction when they occur. Our more cynical age has also sadly brought immediate suspicion to those times when one passes away before seeing the Academy embrace their work. Did they really think so-and-so was Oscar worthy, or was this just a sentimental nod? In January of this year we received the terrible news that Eiko Ishioka – one of the most idiosyncratic and striking costume designers of her time – died from pancreatic cancer and three months later we were reminded of what cinema lost when Mirror Mirror debuted in theaters. Sentiment be damned, she deserves an Academy Award nomination one last time. Read more on Circuit Consideration – Eiko Ishioka…
 Film: Red Hook Summer
For Your Consideration: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Director: Spike Lee
Screenplay: Spike Lee and James McBride
Realistic Nominations: None
Oscar Scene: “We live in a world of SHOULD! NOT! BE!”
Even for a Spike Lee joint, the reactions to Red Hook Summer were extremely polarizing, which probably explains its half-hearted distribution by Variance. Though I lean toward the “pro” side of that debate, it’s hard to argue the criticisms of Lee’s shaky setups, utterly dreadful performances from Jules Brown and Toni Lysaith, and a third-act twist that almost (more on that in a minute) derails the whole picture. Even with those flaws, conviction goes a long way in my book, and Red Hook Summer is enriched with rare levels of hope and passion. Giving that emotional conviction its lasting power, however, is Clarke Peters’ astounding performance as Da Good Bishop Enoch Rouse.
Read more on Circuit Consideration – Clarke Peters…
 Film: “West of Memphis”
For Your Consideration: Best Motion Picture – Amy Berg; Lorri Davis; Damien Wayne Echols; Peter Jackson; Fran Walsh
Director: Amy Berg
Screenplay: Amy Berg, Billy McMillin
Realistic Nominations: Best Documentary Feature
Oscar Scene: Recorded deposition of Terry Hobbs
Circuit Considerations are starting nice and early this awards season. I’ll be bringing you (and hopefully AMPAS and other guild members) profiles on films and performances that are worthy of consideration and may otherwise lack “buzz” to be taken seriously as true award contenders. Read more on Circuit Consideration – ‘West of Memphis’…
 For Your Consideration – Best Actor in a Leading Role
Film: 50/50
Director: Jonathan Levine
Screenplay: Will Reiser
Realistic Nominations: Best Original Screenplay
Oscar Scene: Adam’s breakdown in the car before surgery
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is always someone you can count on for solid work (just look at my Under the Circuit piece on him), but he blew me away this year in ’50/50′. His portrayal of a young man dealing with a cancer diagnosis mixes humor with heartbreak. Gordon-Levitt was able to show you how someone in this situation would try and keep it all inside and put up a veil of confidence until it all comes crashing down. The breakdown that his character has in a car the night before surgery is one of the most powerful scenes of 2011. I was initially pretty sure that JGL would make his presence felt on the precursor circuit, but aside from scoring a Golden Globe nod, it’s been mostly all quiet on the Oscar front. It’s looking like he’ll be snubbed, but I’d like to put forward this incredibly performance for Best Actor consideration, with ACCA if not for the Academy at this point.
Read more on Circuit Consideration: Joseph Gordon-Levitt for “50/50″…
 For Your Consideration – Best Sound Mixing – Gabriel J. Serrano and Leslie Shatz
Film: Rampart
Director: Oren Moverman
Screenplay: James Ellroy and Oren Moverman
Realistic Nominations: Best Actor
Joey was absolutely right when he described Oren Moverman’s Rampart as somewhat disjointed back in October, but the film nevertheless maintains an impressive forward momentum by infusing each scene with rough, jarring energy. There’s a sense that Moverman – being far more a virtuoso than his modest but better-written The Messenger – is doing everything to throw us off balance and put us in “Date Rape” Dave Brown’s crumbling psyche. His best asset evoking such an atmosphere is his use of sound. Read more on Circuit Consideration: Gabriel J. Serrano and Leslie Shatz for Rampart…
 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.
Read more on Circuit Consideration: Hunter McCracken for “The Tree of Life”…
Categories: Circuit Considerations, Editor Tags: Best Actor, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Brad Pitt, Circuit Considerations, Editor, Hunter McCracken, Jessica Chastain, Sean Penn, Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
 For Your Consideration – Achievement in Directing – Terrence Malick
Film: The Tree of Life
Director: Terrence Malick
Screenplay: Terrence Malick
Realistic Nominations: Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing/Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Picture
To the surprise of some, Terrence Malick’s challenging, divisive and indispensable spiritual odyssey has stayed alive in the awards conversation, racking up a number of nominations and wins from critics organizations, most recently the Online Film Critics Society. Such success has no guarantee of Oscar recognition, however, and a film as heady as The Tree of Life still faces an uphill climb to the Kodak Theater. Craft nods and even Best Picture are certainly in the cards, but none of those would make a whole lot of sense without recognizing the singular vision behind this film. While not necessarily his best work (but, let’s be honest, how many filmmakers have ever topped The Thin Red Line?), it is not unreasonable to suggest that this is perhaps the defining film of his career, taking all of his artistic risks and thematic ambitions and combining them into a single motion picture. Read more on Circuit Consideration: Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life…
 For Your Consideration: Best Original Screenplay
Film: “Crazy, Stupid, Love”
Director: Glenn Ficarra & John Requa
Screenplay: Dan Fogelman
Realistic Nominations: None
Oscar Scene:
Cal: How about we say what we want on three? One, two, three.
Emily: I want a divorce.
Cal: [at the same time] Creme brulee.
The summer film season comes and goes with most critics and pundits writing them off as blockbuster’s with huge special effects and vapid dialogue interchanged between characters. “Crazy, Stupid, Love” opened up July 31st to mostly positive reviews and making over $84 million dollars year-to-date. With an outstanding cast that includes Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei, and Kevin Bacon, the film was written off as another summer “Rom-Com.” A film experience that proved to be so much more. ”Crazy, Stupid, Love” is an enlightened comedy that brings a breathe of fresh air to love and laughs, while highlighting the performances of its wonderful ensemble.
Read more on Circuit Consideration: Dan Fogelman…
Categories: Circuit Considerations, Editor Tags: Best Original Screenplay, Circuit Considerations, Crazy Stupid Love, Dan Fogelman, emma stone, Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, Julianne Moore, kevin bacon, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell
 With all the major precursors like the Golden Globes, SAG, and Critics Choice announcing their nominees, we at the Awards Circuit are gearing up for our year end award’s coverage naming our very best films and performances of 2011. The week of January 1st, the staff writers and I will be announcing our Top 10 Best Films of the Year. That same week, we will be unveiling the shortlist for the Awards Circuit Community Awards or better known as ACCA for Year 2011. I cannot wait. The readers of this website are very profound in their choices and passionate on what should and will be considered the best film or performance of the year. I’m also revamping and fixing the old ACCA pages to the new layout and format. It’s the reader’s section and should be treated with respect. Hopefully the overhaul will be completed by the end of the week. Call it a Christmas gift if you’d like.
Read more on “Circuit Considerations” Begin Tomorrow!…
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