As is the case almost every Oscar ceremony that I can remember, the previous year’s Oscar winners in the four acting categories will return to present at the Academy Awards. This means Meryl Streep, Jean Dujardin, Octavia Spencer and Christopher Plummer will all be in attendance at the presentation. The four previous winners join Mark Wahlberg and his stuffed teddy bear, Ted, as the only presenters announced thus far. Have a look at the official statement after the jump.
Read more on Last Year’s Winners Streep, Dujardin, Spencer and Plummer Return to Present at Oscars…
George Clooney’s fourth directorial effort, The Monuments Men,  has added Daniel Craig to its all-star cast that already includes Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Hugh Bonneville, Bob Balaban, and Clooney himself. Clooney and long-time partner Grant Heslov are adapting Robert M. Edsel’s book “The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History.” The story takes place towards the end of Nazi Germany, as Hitler and company try to destroy all the stolen artwork they acquired during their rise, while historians attempt to recover the work before it is too late. Sony and 20th Century Fox hope to release The Monuments Men in late 2013, just in time for Oscar.
Read more on Daniel Craig Joins Clooney’s ‘The Monuments Men’ All-Star Cast…
 Introspective, authentic and marginally innovative, Guillaume Canet’s Little White Lies is one of the longest-running dramedy films in recent memory (154 minutes), and we thank Canet for his refusal to edit his film down to fit the impatient demands of mainstream viewership. What we get instead is a film where characters aren’t just explored; they are plundered. By the time Little White Lies comes to a close, you pretty much know each member of this group of friends to a tee, and are able to overlook the slightly overwrought and emotionally cantankerous conclusion. Dealing with a variety of themes that include relationships, death and human sexuality, Little White Lies may be one of the best kept secrets of 2012 despite being a box office hit in its home country of France two years ago. Read more on Little White Lies (***½)…
 After playing a tap dancing and smiling his way into Oscars heart in The Artist, Jean Dujardin’s next role will be of a slightly darker hue. The Hollywood Reporter has learned that the Frenchman will be joining Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, and Emmy winner Kyle Chandler in The Wolf of Wall Street. Dujardin will play Jean-Jacques Handali, a money-laundering Swiss banker. The Scorsese directed project, is about a stock broker who served 20 months in prison for participating in a massive 1990s securities fraud that involved widespread corruption on Wall Street and in the corporate banking world, including mob infiltration.
Read more on Academy Award winner Jean Dujardin to join Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’…
 They came, they saw, they conquered. The Academy Awards delivered their awards last night and it was, surprising to say the least. ”The Artist” walked away with five Oscars including Best Picture, Director, and Actor for Jean Dujardin. ”Hugo” made a very strong showing as well, winning five technical awards.
Read more on Some Oscar Grumblings…
 It’s Friday. Oscars are on Sunday. I’ve rattled my brain for hours, days, weeks. It hurts. I can’t. I am fully ready to be wrong in many categories. I also chickened out in several categories.
I wanted to put Max Von Sydow instead of Christopher Plummer. Not happening. Can I get some type of credit if it happens? No? I thought so. I wanted to place “The Artist” winning Original Screenplay over Woody Allen and “Midnight in Paris.” Terrible. I’m usually good at taking the big stabs. I chose Amy Adams when everyone said it was Rachel Weisz. I acknowledged I was wrong but I still went for it. It happens. But I have called great things like “The Hurt Locker” in May or Alan Arkin over Eddie Murphy and when I was in high school and had no idea what I was talking about I said Marcia Gay Harden for “Pollock.” Maybe it’ll be a safe year, maybe it’ll be a complete mind-trip, but at least it’ll be over. And then we can start this painful process again on Monday morning with the Year-In-Advance predictions.
You can check out each category through the Oscar Prediction pages with commentary for each category and my Who Will Win/Should Win. If you read the Davis Awards 2011, then you know my dream nominations and winners. Collectively, they are after the jump.
Read more on Editor’s Final Oscar Predictions…
Categories: Article, Editor, Oscar Circuit Tags: Alexander Payne, AMPAS, Beginners, best picture, Christopher Plummer, Editor, Emmanuel Lubezski, Hugo, jean dujardin, Jim Rash, Michel Hazanavicius, Midnight in Paris, Nat Faxon, Octavia Spencer, oscar predictions, Oscars, Rango, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the artist, The Descendants, The Help, The Muppets, The Tree of Life, Viola Davis, Woody Allen
 And the Nominees Are:
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?
Read more on Oscar Circuit: Best Actor…
Categories: Oscar Circuit Tags: Best Actor, Brad Pitt, demian bichir, Gary Oldman, George Clooney, jean dujardin, Moneyball, Oscar hopefuls, the artist, The Descendants, tinker tailor soldier spy
In case you missed it!
If that Oscar didn’t already look like it’s his.
Read more on Check out Jean Dujardin on Saturday Night LIVE!…
Bérénice Bejo and Malcolm McDowell in THE ARTIST (The Weinstein Company)
“The Artist” lead the way with three golden statues including Best Picture (Musical or Comedy) and Best Actor for Jean Dujardin. Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants” followed with two wins including Best Picture (Drama) and another award for lead George Clooney. Probably the biggest surprise of the night was Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” winning Best Screenplay and Madonna’s not-well received “W.E.” taking home Original Song, which is ineligible for Oscar consideration. Check out all the winners for film and television after the jump.
Read more on ‘The Artist’ triumphs at the Golden Globes with 3 Wins…
Categories: Golden GLobes Tags: Berenice Bejo, George Clooney, Golden GLobe Awards, golden globes, HFPA, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Hugo, jean dujardin, Martin Scorsese, the artist, The Descendants
The Year-In-Review continues with some non-traditional citations on certain films and performances that did or did not make head way in 2011. What are your choices for “Limited Performance” of the year? or Most Underrated Film? or share what you thought about the Year-in-TV as I dish out my favorites in Television Drama and Comedies. Read more after jump. Read more on Year-In-Review: Editor’s Specialty Awards…
Categories: Article, Community, Editor Tags: Alexander Payne, American Horror Story, american idol, Andy Serkis, arthur christmas, Bennett Miller, Berenice Bejo, Best Animated Feature, Best of the year, bill hader, Boardwalk Empire, Brad Pitt, Bridesmaids, Bryce Dallas Howard, Carey Mulligan, Christina Hendricks, Christine Baranski, dancing with the stars, Dexter, Drive, Eric Stonestreet, George Clooney, glee, Harry Escott, Hugo, it;s always sunny in philadelphia, jane lynch, Jason Segel, jean dujardin, Jessica Chastain, Jessica Lange, John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Julie Bowen, Kelly MacDonald, Kristen Wiig, mad men, Martin Scorsese, Max Greenfield, Maya Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy, Michael Fassbender, Michel Hazanavicius, modern family, Moneyball, New Girl, Nicolas Winding Refn, pariah, Paul Feig, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Ryan Gosling, saturday night live, Score, Sean Penn, Shame, sofia vergara, Steve McQueen, Super 8, Survivor, Terrence Malick, the artist, The Descendants, The Help, The Muppets, the office, The Tree of Life, The Walking Dead, the x factor, Tilda Swinton, True Blood, tv, Ty Burrell, Up All Night, We Need To Talk About Kevin
 TOP TEN FILMS OF 2011 (in alphabetical order)
“The Artist”
“The Descendants”
“Drive”
“The Help”
“Hugo”
“Midnight in Paris”
“Moneyball”
“My Week With Marilyn”
“Super 8″
“The Tree of Life”
BEST PICTURE
“The Artist”
BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Read more on Phoenix Film Critics Love ‘The Artist’…
Categories: Precursors Tags: Berenice Bejo, Drive, Elizabeth Olsen, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Hanna, Hugo, jean dujardin, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Michel Hazanavicius, Phoenix Film Critics, Precursors, Saoirse Ronan, Super 8, the artist, The Help, The Muppets, The Skin I Live In, The Tree of Life, thomas horn
 You never know when the next great movie is going to arrive. We all see a number of movies a year that we all like and love to a certain degree, but the films which leave a lasting impression on you, stimulate the senses and make you fall in love with the art form of the motion picture all over again are exceedingly rare.
Sometimes, a simple story told exceedingly well can do it. Other times, a gripping and deeply profound documentary or insightful dramatic film can get you buzzing. But as I learned when seeing Michel Hazanavicius’ incredible The Artist, even with an absence of words, the motion picture can again be glorious, affirming, and affecting.
Read more on The Artist (****)…
Oscar Predictions Updated! Who is the frontrunner now?
Oscar Predictions have been updated!
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.
Read more on Oscar Circuit: “Nice Guys (or Gals) Finish Last”…
Categories: Editor, Oscar Circuit, Oscar Predictions Tags: Beginners, Berenice Bejo, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, best picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer, Drive, George Clooney, Glenn Close, Hugo, jean dujardin, Jessica Chastain, Martin Scorsese, Michel Hazanavicius, Moneyball, Oscar Circuit, oscar predictions, Oscars, the artist, The Descendants, The Help, Viola Davis
 Below are the reactions for this year’s Screen Actors Guild Award Nominations. It was quite interesting with surprises coming from Janet McTeer nominated for Best Supporting Actress and the great Demian Bichir receiving a Best Actor nomination for his work in “A Better Life.” This will be interesting to see how it all plays out.
Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Demian Bichir – A Better Life
George Clooney – The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio – J. Edgar
Jean Dujardin – The Artist
Brad Pitt – Moneyball Read more on Screen Actors Guild Nominations Reactions…
Categories: Editor, Screen Actors Guild Tags: Berenice Bejo, Brad Pitt, Bridesmaids, demian bichir, Editor, Glenn Close, janet mcteer, jean dujardin, Jessica Chastain, Kenneth Branagh, Leonardo DiCaprio, Melissa McCarthy, Michelle Williams, Midnight in Paris, My Week With Marilyn, Octavia Spencer, SAG, Screen Actors Guild, Screen Actors Guild Awards, the artist, The Descendants, The Help, Tilda Swinton, Viola Davis
 Right off the bat I must say this…I do find ‘The Artist’ to be overrated. What I mean by that is this isn’t the best film of the year or the obvious Best Picture frontrunner. This doesn’t preclude it from being a great film (which it is), but I do think it makes sense to tone things down a bit and temper expectations. If ‘The Artist’ is to be an Oscar winner, it’s going to be on the backs of the masses embracing it, and some of the heady praise its getting may make them expect more than they’re going to receive. Understand this, it’s an almost flawless film, but it’s predicated on a gimmick, and that gimmick is its main issue. The rest of this review will be deeply positive in its assment of the flick, but the elephant in the room needed to be addressed before I can delve into why I like and respect what writer/director Michel Hazanavicius chose to do here. It’s a daring choice by a filmmaker to make a nearly silent black and white film, and that he’s able to pretty much pull it off is quite amazing. Factor in the special performances by Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, and a game supporting cast (including a dog worthy of a Supporting nod), and the end result is a special little film. It’s just not the second coming of cinema…
Read more on The Artist (***½)…
"Hello Oscar, I've finally arrived."
When witnessing the evolution of film, it’s hard to grasp how it went from a seemingly simple concept of silent imagery into a loud, uproarious third dimension experience. Michel Hazanavicius’ silent film The Artist plays homage to the origins of our cinema in a general manner while attaining a massive respect that can’t be denied. The film tells the story of George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), a silent film actor megastar who withers away into obscurity when the introduction of “talkies” meets monumental popularity. Movie extra Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) is a star on the rise who’s admiration for George’s work runs much deeper than the film’s they share.
Writer/Director Michel Hazanavicius explores the deepest parts of his soul which he calls “a love letter.” What a beautiful letter it was. He makes conscious choices to illustrate the medium in the most toxic and potent fashion. A Q & A with Hazanavicius’ at the end of the picture placed much into perspective. His funny, mild-tempered personality will carry him extremely far in this year’s Oscar race. He could easily be the new director that everyone roots for. His stamp on the film is evident and his adoration and tribute to the genre is clear and ostentatious. Read more on The Artist (****)…
Seldom have Kris Tapley (www.incontention.com) and I agreed so completely on a film`s merit and its chances for Oscars as we have on The Artist, the French film that has been taking the industry by storm since Cannes. I cannot remember a foreign language so captivating audiences since Life is Beautiful (1998) somehow convinced audiences, critics and Academy members that is was a film worthy of attention and Academy Awards. Never forget that Roberto Benigni’s Holocaust fairy tale, which alone should spell caution, for many, trivialized the Holocaust the besmirched the memories of the millions who died in the death camps that the Nazis operated with such brutal precision. Watching him win Best Actor, not only the Academy Award but the Screen Actors Guild left me numb and very, very angry. Among the nominees in 1998 along with the hyper active Italian actor-director were Edward Norton in American History X (1998), Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan (1998) and Ian McKellan in Gods and Monsters (1998). Though Norton was the rightful winner in my mind for his searing performance as a racist skinhead who learns the error of his ways, any one of the three would have been a more worthy winner than Benigni. His film, Life is Beautiful (1998) would win three Academy Awards which led him to use the Oscars as his crowning achievements!! Standing on chairs, acting the fool, I wonder if he ever watches the replay of his reactions and recognizes what an absolute buffoon he was being. Apparently he was the most sought after dinner guest during the Oscar campaign, feted and toasted by the biggest stars in the business, though some saw through the film, Steven Spielberg and Warren Beatty among them.
Read more on The Artist and Oscar – Really?…
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)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: arthur christmas, Berenice Bejo, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, best picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, biopics, David Cronenberg Week, Hugo, jean dujardin, Keira Knightley, Kenneth Branagh, Michael Fassbender, Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn, Oscar hopefuls, Rampart, the artist, The Muppets, viggo mortensen, Weekend Openings, Woody Harrelson
 My esteemed staff of writers have updated their Oscar predictions. The rest of my predictions will be updated periodically throughout the weekend but the staff have made some bold picks in their choices. Many of them are very high in hopes for Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn while others are thinking outside the box with choices like Moneyball for Best Picture, Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part II as a Best Picture nominee, Michael Shannon beating out DiCaprio, Dujardin, and Clooney in the Best Actor race for Take Shelter or Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris taking it all the way. Discuss their picks in this thread or discuss it on the FORUM along with your own predictions.
Go HERE and click on their respective names or movie photo or just go to the Staff menu tab up top. Read more on Staff Update Oscar Predictions…
Categories: Staff Tags: armie hammer, J. Edgar, jean dujardin, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Shannon, Michelle Williams, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, My Week With Marilyn, oscar predictions, Oscars, staff predictions, Take Shelter, the artist, Woody Allen
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.
Read more on Oscar Circuit – Newbies & Oldies: Male Edition…
Categories: Article, Editor, Oscar Circuit Tags: Antonio Banderas, Beginners, benedict cumberbatch, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, david cronenberg, demian bichir, Drive, extremely loud and incredibly close, Gary Oldman, jean dujardin, Jonah Hill, max von sydow, Michael Fassbender, michel hazanvicius, Moneyball, Nicolas Winding Refn, Oscar Circuit, Shame, stephen daldry, the artist, The Skin I Live In, thomas horn, tinker tailor soldier spy, Tom Hardy, tomas alfredson, viggo mortensen, Warrior
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