Best Achievement in Directing:
Michael Haneke for Amour
Ang Lee for Life of Pi
David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook
Steven Spielberg for Lincoln
Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild
Showing posts with label David O. Russell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David O. Russell. Show all posts
Saturday, January 12, 2013
2013 Oscar Nominations: "Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published"
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published:
Argo: Chris Terrio
Beasts of the Southern Wild: Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin
Life of Pi: David Magee
Lincoln: Tony Kushner
Silver Linings Playbook: David O. Russell
Argo: Chris Terrio
Beasts of the Southern Wild: Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin
Life of Pi: David Magee
Lincoln: Tony Kushner
Silver Linings Playbook: David O. Russell
Monday, January 7, 2013
2013 WGA Screenplay Nominations Announced
by Leroy Douresseaux
The Writers Guild of America is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media writers. The Writers Guild of America Award acknowledges outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio and has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949.
There are several categories, but I only focus on the film categories. I sometimes list the winners from other categories when they are announced.
The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) recently announced nominations for outstanding achievement in writing for the screen during the year 2012. The winners in the following categories will be honored at the 2013 Writers Guild Awards on Sunday, February 17, 2013, during simultaneous ceremonies held in both Los Angeles and New York.
2013 Writers Guild Awards Screen Nominations:
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Flight, Written by John Gatins; Paramount Pictures
Looper, Written by Rian Johnson; TriStar Pictures
The Master, Written by Paul Thomas Anderson; The Weinstein Company
Moonrise Kingdom, Written by Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola; Focus Features
Zero Dark Thirty, Written by Mark Boal; Columbia Pictures
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
Argo, Screenplay by Chris Terrio; Based on a selection from The Master of Disguise by Antonio J. Mendez and the Wired Magazine article “The Great Escape” by Joshuah Bearman; Warner Bros. Pictures
Life of Pi, Screenplay by David Magee; Based on the novel by Yann Martel; 20th Century Fox
Lincoln, Screenplay by Tony Kushner; Based in part on the book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin; DreamWorks Pictures
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Screenplay by Stephen Chbosky; Based on his book; Summit Entertainment
Silver Linings Playbook, Screenplay by David O. Russell; Based on the novel by Matthew Quick; The Weinstein Company
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY:
The Central Park Five, Written by Sarah Burns and David McMahon and Ken Burns; Sundance Selects
The Invisible War, Written by Kirby Dick; Cinedigm Entertainment Group
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, Written by Alex Gibney; HBO Documentary Films
Searching for Sugar Man, Written by Malik Bendjelloul; Sony Pictures Classics
We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists, Written by Brian Knappenberger; Cinetic Media
West of Memphis, Written by Amy Berg & Billy McMillin; Sony Pictures Classics
The Writers Guild of America is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media writers. The Writers Guild of America Award acknowledges outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio and has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949.
There are several categories, but I only focus on the film categories. I sometimes list the winners from other categories when they are announced.
The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) recently announced nominations for outstanding achievement in writing for the screen during the year 2012. The winners in the following categories will be honored at the 2013 Writers Guild Awards on Sunday, February 17, 2013, during simultaneous ceremonies held in both Los Angeles and New York.
2013 Writers Guild Awards Screen Nominations:
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Flight, Written by John Gatins; Paramount Pictures
Looper, Written by Rian Johnson; TriStar Pictures
The Master, Written by Paul Thomas Anderson; The Weinstein Company
Moonrise Kingdom, Written by Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola; Focus Features
Zero Dark Thirty, Written by Mark Boal; Columbia Pictures
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
Argo, Screenplay by Chris Terrio; Based on a selection from The Master of Disguise by Antonio J. Mendez and the Wired Magazine article “The Great Escape” by Joshuah Bearman; Warner Bros. Pictures
Life of Pi, Screenplay by David Magee; Based on the novel by Yann Martel; 20th Century Fox
Lincoln, Screenplay by Tony Kushner; Based in part on the book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin; DreamWorks Pictures
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Screenplay by Stephen Chbosky; Based on his book; Summit Entertainment
Silver Linings Playbook, Screenplay by David O. Russell; Based on the novel by Matthew Quick; The Weinstein Company
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY:
The Central Park Five, Written by Sarah Burns and David McMahon and Ken Burns; Sundance Selects
The Invisible War, Written by Kirby Dick; Cinedigm Entertainment Group
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, Written by Alex Gibney; HBO Documentary Films
Searching for Sugar Man, Written by Malik Bendjelloul; Sony Pictures Classics
We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists, Written by Brian Knappenberger; Cinetic Media
West of Memphis, Written by Amy Berg & Billy McMillin; Sony Pictures Classics
Saturday, January 5, 2013
2012 Satellite Awards Honor "Silver Linings Playbook"
The International Press Academy (IPA) chose Silver Linings Playbook as the "Best Film of 2012." The IPA is an entertainment media association with voting members worldwide who represent domestic and foreign markets via print, television, radio, blogs, and other content platforms for virtually every notable outlet.
Each year the IPA honors artistic excellence in the areas of Motion Pictures, Television, Radio, and New Media via the Satellite® Awards.
Complete List of 2012 Satellite Award Winners and Nominees (Announced December 16, 2012):
MOTION PICTURES CATEGORIES
Motion Picture
Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co. WINNER
Argo, Warner Bros.
Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Les Miserables, Universal
Skyfall, Columbia Pictures
Moonrise Kingdom, Focus Features
The Sessions, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone
Life of Pi, Twentieth Century Fox
Zero Dark Thirty, Columbia Pictures
Director
David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co. WINNER
Ben Affleck for Argo, Warner Bros.
Kim Ki-Duk for Pieta, Drafthouse Films
Ben Lewin for The Sessions, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Steven Spielberg for Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone
Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty, Columbia Pictures
Actress in a Motion Picture
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co. WINNER
Emilie Dequenne, Our Children, Versus Production
Keira Knightley, Anna Karenina, Focus Features
Emmanuelle, Riva Amour, Sony Pictures Classics
Laura Birn, Purge, Solar Films
Laura Linney, Hyde Park on Hudson, Focus Features
Jessica Chastain Zero Dark Thirty, Columbia Pictures
Actor in a Motion Picture
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co. WINNER
John Hawkes, The Sessions, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Omar Sy, The Intouchables, The Weinstein Co.
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables, Universal
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master, The Weinstein Co.
Denzel Washington, Flight, Paramount Pictures
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone
Actress in a Supporting Role
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables, Universal WINNER
Amy Adams, The Master, The Weinstein Co.
Helene Florent, Cafe De Flore, Adopt Films
Helen Hunt, The Sessions, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Judi Dench, Skyfall, Columbia Pictures
Samantha Barks, Les Miserables, Universal
Actor in a Supporting Role
Javier Bardem, Skyfall, Columbia Pictures WINNER
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master, The Weinstein Co.
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co.
John Goodman, Flight, Paramount Pictures
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone
Eddie Redmayne, Les Miserables, Universal
Motion Picture, International Film
The Intouchables, The Weinstein Co. (France) WINNER
Amour, Sony Pictures Classics (Austria)
A Royal Affair, Magnolia Pictures (Denmark)
Our Children, Le Films Du Losange (Belgium)
Kon-Tiki, The Weinstein Co. (Norway)
Pieta, Drafthouse Films (South Korea)
Beyond the Hills, Sundance Selects (Romania)
War Witch, Tribeca Film (Canada)
Caesar Must Die, Adopt Film (Italy)
Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media
Rise of the Guardians, DreamWorks Animation WINNER
ParaNorman, Focus Features
Wreck-It Ralph, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Brave, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Ice Age 4: Continental Drift, Twentieth Century Fox Animation
Frankenweenie, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, DreamWorks Animation
Motion Picture, Documentary
Chasing Ice, National Geographic WINNER
The Central Park Five, Sundance Selects
The Pruitt-Igoe, Myth First Run Features
The Gatekeepers, Sony Pictures Classics
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, Sundance Selects
West of Memphis, Sony Pictures Classics
Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present, Music Box Films
Searching for Sugar Man, Sony Pictures Classics
Original Screenplay
Mark Boal - Zero Dark Thirty, Columbia Pictures WINNER
Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache - The Intouchables, The Weinstein Co.
John Gatins - Flight, Paramount Pictures
Kim Ki-Duk - Pieta, Drafthouse Films
Roman Coppola, Wes Anderson - Moonrise Kingdom, Focus Features
Paul Thomas Anderson - The Master, The Weinstein Co.
Adapted Screenplay
David Magee - Life of Pi; Twentieth Century Fox (Based on the Novel by Yann Martel) WINNER
• Ben Lewin - The Sessions; Fox Searchlight Pictures (Based on documentary Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O’Brien, Directed by Jessica Yu)
• Tony Kushner, John Logan, Paul Webb – Lincoln; DreamWorks/Touchstone (Based on Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin)
• Chris Terrio – Argo; Warner Bros. (Based on magazine article “Escape From Tehran” by Joshuah Berman)
• Tom Stoppard - Anna Karenina; Focus Features (Based on the novel by Leo Tolstoy)
• David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co. (Based on the novel by Matthew Quick)
Original Score (Composer, Film)
Alexandre Desplat for Argo, Warner Bros. WINNER
Dario Marianelli for Anna Karenina, Focus Features
Thomas Newman for Skyfall, Columbia Pictures
Jonny Greenwood for The Master, The Weinstein Co.
John Williams for Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone
Dan Romer, Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Original Song (Title, Performer, Writer(s), Film)
"Suddenly, " Hugh Jackman, Alain Boubil, Herbert Kretzmer, from Les Miserables WINNER
• "Learn Me Right, " Birdy Birdy & Mumford and Sons, Mumford and Sons, from Brave
• "Still Alive, " Paul Williams, Paul Williams, Paul Williams: from Still Alive
• "Skyfall, " Adele, Adele Adkins, Paul Epworth, from Skyfall
• "Fire in the Blood/Snake Song, " Emmylou Harris, Emmylou Harris, Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, from Lawless
• "Love Always Comes as a Surprise." Peter Asher, Peter Asher & Dave Stewart, from Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
Cinematography
Claudio Miranda, for Life of Pi, Twentieth Century Fox WINNER
Ben Richardson, for Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Mihai Malaimare Jr., for The Master, The Weinstein Co.
Janusz Kaminski, for Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone
Roger Deakins, for Skyfall, Columbia Pictures
Seamus McGarvey, for Anna Karenina, Focus Features
Visual Effects
Michael Lantieri, Kevin Baillie, Ryan Tudhope, Jim Gibbs, for Flight, Paramount Pictures WINNER
• Steve Begg, Arundi Asregadoo, Andrew Whitehurst, for Skyfall, Columbia Pictures
• Richard Stammers, Charley Henley, Martin Hill, for Prometheus, Twentieth Century Fox
• Bill Westenhofer, for Life of Pi, Twentieth Century Fox
• Dan Glass, Geoffrey Hancock, Stephane Ceretti, for Cloud Atlas, Warner Bros.
• Chris Corbould, Paul Franklin, for The Dark Knight Rises, Warner Bros.
Film Editing
Jay Cassidy, for Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co. WINNER
Lisa Bromwell, for The Sessions, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Jeremiah O’Driscoll, for Flight, Paramount Pictures
Dylan Tichenor, for Zero Dark Thirty, Columbia Pictures
Alexander Berner, for Cloud Atlas, Warner Bros
Chris Dickens, for Les Miserables, Universal
Sound (Editing and Mixing)
John Warhurst, Lee Walpole, Simon Hayes, for Les Miserables, Universal WINNER
• Dennis Leonard, Randy Thom, for Flight, Paramount Pictures
• Craig Henighan, Chris Munro, for Snow White & The Huntsman, Universal
• Baard H. Ingebretsen, Tormod Ringes, for Kon-Tiki, The Weinstein Co.
• Drew Kunin, Eugene Gearty, Philip Stockton, for Life of Pi, Twentieth Century Fox
• Victor Ray Ennis, Ann Scibelli, John Cucci, Mark P. Stoeckinger for Prometheus Twentieth Century Fox
Art Direction & Production Design
Rick Carter, Curt Beech, David Crank, Leslie McDonald, for Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone WINNER
• Nathan Crowley, Kevin Kavanaugh, James Hambidge, Naaman Marshall, for The Dark Knight Rises, Warner Bros.
• Niels Sejer, for A Royal Affair, Magnolia Pictures
• David Crank, Jack Fisk, for The Master, The Weinstein Co.
• Sarah Greenwood, Niall Moroney, Thomas Brown, Nick Gottschalk, Tom Still, for Anna Karenina, Focus Features
• Eve Stewart, Anna Lynch-Robinson, for Les Miserables, Universal
Costume Design
Manon Rasmussen for A Royal Affair, Magnolia Pictures WINNER
Colleen Atwood for Snow White & The Huntsman, Universal
Christian Gasc, Valerie Ranchoux, for Farewell, My Queen, Cohen Media Group
Jacqueline Durran, for Anna Karenina, Focus Features
Kym Barrett, Pierre-Yves Gayraud, for Cloud Atlas, Warner Bros
Paco Delgado, for Les Miserables, Universal
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Mary Pickford Award for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to the Entertainment Industry: Terence Stamp
Nikola Tesla Award In Recognition of Visionary Achievement in Filmmaking Technology: Walter Murch
Auteur Award: Paul Williams
Honorary Satellite Award: Bruce Davison
Newcomer Award: Quvenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Best Ensemble, Motion Picture: Les Miserables
Each year the IPA honors artistic excellence in the areas of Motion Pictures, Television, Radio, and New Media via the Satellite® Awards.
Complete List of 2012 Satellite Award Winners and Nominees (Announced December 16, 2012):
MOTION PICTURES CATEGORIES
Motion Picture
Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co. WINNER
Argo, Warner Bros.
Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Les Miserables, Universal
Skyfall, Columbia Pictures
Moonrise Kingdom, Focus Features
The Sessions, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone
Life of Pi, Twentieth Century Fox
Zero Dark Thirty, Columbia Pictures
Director
David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co. WINNER
Ben Affleck for Argo, Warner Bros.
Kim Ki-Duk for Pieta, Drafthouse Films
Ben Lewin for The Sessions, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Steven Spielberg for Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone
Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty, Columbia Pictures
Actress in a Motion Picture
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co. WINNER
Emilie Dequenne, Our Children, Versus Production
Keira Knightley, Anna Karenina, Focus Features
Emmanuelle, Riva Amour, Sony Pictures Classics
Laura Birn, Purge, Solar Films
Laura Linney, Hyde Park on Hudson, Focus Features
Jessica Chastain Zero Dark Thirty, Columbia Pictures
Actor in a Motion Picture
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co. WINNER
John Hawkes, The Sessions, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Omar Sy, The Intouchables, The Weinstein Co.
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables, Universal
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master, The Weinstein Co.
Denzel Washington, Flight, Paramount Pictures
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone
Actress in a Supporting Role
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables, Universal WINNER
Amy Adams, The Master, The Weinstein Co.
Helene Florent, Cafe De Flore, Adopt Films
Helen Hunt, The Sessions, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Judi Dench, Skyfall, Columbia Pictures
Samantha Barks, Les Miserables, Universal
Actor in a Supporting Role
Javier Bardem, Skyfall, Columbia Pictures WINNER
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master, The Weinstein Co.
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co.
John Goodman, Flight, Paramount Pictures
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone
Eddie Redmayne, Les Miserables, Universal
Motion Picture, International Film
The Intouchables, The Weinstein Co. (France) WINNER
Amour, Sony Pictures Classics (Austria)
A Royal Affair, Magnolia Pictures (Denmark)
Our Children, Le Films Du Losange (Belgium)
Kon-Tiki, The Weinstein Co. (Norway)
Pieta, Drafthouse Films (South Korea)
Beyond the Hills, Sundance Selects (Romania)
War Witch, Tribeca Film (Canada)
Caesar Must Die, Adopt Film (Italy)
Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media
Rise of the Guardians, DreamWorks Animation WINNER
ParaNorman, Focus Features
Wreck-It Ralph, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Brave, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Ice Age 4: Continental Drift, Twentieth Century Fox Animation
Frankenweenie, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, DreamWorks Animation
Motion Picture, Documentary
Chasing Ice, National Geographic WINNER
The Central Park Five, Sundance Selects
The Pruitt-Igoe, Myth First Run Features
The Gatekeepers, Sony Pictures Classics
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, Sundance Selects
West of Memphis, Sony Pictures Classics
Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present, Music Box Films
Searching for Sugar Man, Sony Pictures Classics
Original Screenplay
Mark Boal - Zero Dark Thirty, Columbia Pictures WINNER
Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache - The Intouchables, The Weinstein Co.
John Gatins - Flight, Paramount Pictures
Kim Ki-Duk - Pieta, Drafthouse Films
Roman Coppola, Wes Anderson - Moonrise Kingdom, Focus Features
Paul Thomas Anderson - The Master, The Weinstein Co.
Adapted Screenplay
David Magee - Life of Pi; Twentieth Century Fox (Based on the Novel by Yann Martel) WINNER
• Ben Lewin - The Sessions; Fox Searchlight Pictures (Based on documentary Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O’Brien, Directed by Jessica Yu)
• Tony Kushner, John Logan, Paul Webb – Lincoln; DreamWorks/Touchstone (Based on Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin)
• Chris Terrio – Argo; Warner Bros. (Based on magazine article “Escape From Tehran” by Joshuah Berman)
• Tom Stoppard - Anna Karenina; Focus Features (Based on the novel by Leo Tolstoy)
• David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co. (Based on the novel by Matthew Quick)
Original Score (Composer, Film)
Alexandre Desplat for Argo, Warner Bros. WINNER
Dario Marianelli for Anna Karenina, Focus Features
Thomas Newman for Skyfall, Columbia Pictures
Jonny Greenwood for The Master, The Weinstein Co.
John Williams for Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone
Dan Romer, Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Original Song (Title, Performer, Writer(s), Film)
"Suddenly, " Hugh Jackman, Alain Boubil, Herbert Kretzmer, from Les Miserables WINNER
• "Learn Me Right, " Birdy Birdy & Mumford and Sons, Mumford and Sons, from Brave
• "Still Alive, " Paul Williams, Paul Williams, Paul Williams: from Still Alive
• "Skyfall, " Adele, Adele Adkins, Paul Epworth, from Skyfall
• "Fire in the Blood/Snake Song, " Emmylou Harris, Emmylou Harris, Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, from Lawless
• "Love Always Comes as a Surprise." Peter Asher, Peter Asher & Dave Stewart, from Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
Cinematography
Claudio Miranda, for Life of Pi, Twentieth Century Fox WINNER
Ben Richardson, for Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Mihai Malaimare Jr., for The Master, The Weinstein Co.
Janusz Kaminski, for Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone
Roger Deakins, for Skyfall, Columbia Pictures
Seamus McGarvey, for Anna Karenina, Focus Features
Visual Effects
Michael Lantieri, Kevin Baillie, Ryan Tudhope, Jim Gibbs, for Flight, Paramount Pictures WINNER
• Steve Begg, Arundi Asregadoo, Andrew Whitehurst, for Skyfall, Columbia Pictures
• Richard Stammers, Charley Henley, Martin Hill, for Prometheus, Twentieth Century Fox
• Bill Westenhofer, for Life of Pi, Twentieth Century Fox
• Dan Glass, Geoffrey Hancock, Stephane Ceretti, for Cloud Atlas, Warner Bros.
• Chris Corbould, Paul Franklin, for The Dark Knight Rises, Warner Bros.
Film Editing
Jay Cassidy, for Silver Linings Playbook, The Weinstein Co. WINNER
Lisa Bromwell, for The Sessions, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Jeremiah O’Driscoll, for Flight, Paramount Pictures
Dylan Tichenor, for Zero Dark Thirty, Columbia Pictures
Alexander Berner, for Cloud Atlas, Warner Bros
Chris Dickens, for Les Miserables, Universal
Sound (Editing and Mixing)
John Warhurst, Lee Walpole, Simon Hayes, for Les Miserables, Universal WINNER
• Dennis Leonard, Randy Thom, for Flight, Paramount Pictures
• Craig Henighan, Chris Munro, for Snow White & The Huntsman, Universal
• Baard H. Ingebretsen, Tormod Ringes, for Kon-Tiki, The Weinstein Co.
• Drew Kunin, Eugene Gearty, Philip Stockton, for Life of Pi, Twentieth Century Fox
• Victor Ray Ennis, Ann Scibelli, John Cucci, Mark P. Stoeckinger for Prometheus Twentieth Century Fox
Art Direction & Production Design
Rick Carter, Curt Beech, David Crank, Leslie McDonald, for Lincoln, DreamWorks/Touchstone WINNER
• Nathan Crowley, Kevin Kavanaugh, James Hambidge, Naaman Marshall, for The Dark Knight Rises, Warner Bros.
• Niels Sejer, for A Royal Affair, Magnolia Pictures
• David Crank, Jack Fisk, for The Master, The Weinstein Co.
• Sarah Greenwood, Niall Moroney, Thomas Brown, Nick Gottschalk, Tom Still, for Anna Karenina, Focus Features
• Eve Stewart, Anna Lynch-Robinson, for Les Miserables, Universal
Costume Design
Manon Rasmussen for A Royal Affair, Magnolia Pictures WINNER
Colleen Atwood for Snow White & The Huntsman, Universal
Christian Gasc, Valerie Ranchoux, for Farewell, My Queen, Cohen Media Group
Jacqueline Durran, for Anna Karenina, Focus Features
Kym Barrett, Pierre-Yves Gayraud, for Cloud Atlas, Warner Bros
Paco Delgado, for Les Miserables, Universal
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Mary Pickford Award for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to the Entertainment Industry: Terence Stamp
Nikola Tesla Award In Recognition of Visionary Achievement in Filmmaking Technology: Walter Murch
Auteur Award: Paul Williams
Honorary Satellite Award: Bruce Davison
Newcomer Award: Quvenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Best Ensemble, Motion Picture: Les Miserables
Monday, December 24, 2012
"Argo" Best Pic of 2012 Says St. Louis Film Critics
2012 St. Louis Film Critics’ Awards:
Best Film: “Argo “
(runners-up: “Life of Pi” and "Lincoln")
Best Director: Ben Affleck ("Argo")
(runner-up): Quentin Tarantino ("Django Unchained") and Benh Zeitlin ("Beasts of the Southern Wild")
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis ("Lincoln")
(runner-up): John Hawkes ("The Sessions")
Best Actress: Jessica Chastain ("Zero Dark Thirty")
(runner-up): Jennifer Lawrence ("Silver Linings Playbook")
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz ("Django Unchained")
(runner-up): Tommy Lee Jones ("Lincoln")
Best Supporting Actress: (Tie): Ann Dowd ("Compliance") and Helen Hunt ("The Sessions")
Best Original Screenplay: "Zero Dark Thirty" (Mark Boal)
(runner-up): "Django Unchained" (Quentin Tarantino)
Best Adapted Screenplay: (Tie): "Lincoln" (Tony Kushner) and "Silver Linings Playbook" (David O. Russell)
Best Cinematography: "Skyfall" (Roger Deakins)
(runner-up): "Life of Pi" (Claudio Miranda)
Best Visual Effects: "Life of Pi"
(runner-up): “The Avengers”
Best Music: (Tie): "Django Unchained" and "Moonrise Kingdom
Best Foreign-Language Film: “The Intouchables” (France)
(runners-up): “The Fairy" and "Headhunters”
Best Documentary: “Searching for Sugar Man”
(runner-up): “Ai Wei Wei: Never Sorry," "Bully" and "How To Survive A Plague"
Best Comedy: (Tie): “Moonrise Kingdom" and "Ted"
Best Animated Film: “Wreck-It Ralph”
(runner-up): “ParaNorman”
Best Art-House or Festival Film: (Tie): “Compliance" and "Safety Not Guaranteed"
Special Merit (for best scene, cinematic technique or other memorable aspect or moment) (Four-way Tie):
1. "Django Unchained" – The "bag head" bag/mask problems scene
2. "Hitchcock" – Anthony Hopkins in lobby conducting to music/audience’s reaction during "Psycho" screening
3. "The Impossible" - Opening tsunami scene
4. "The Master" – The first "processing" questioning scene between Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix
Friday, December 21, 2012
Washington DC Critics Go "Zero Dark Thirty"
Founded in 2002, The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) is comprised of professional DC-based film critics with affiliations in television, radio, print and the internet.
THE 2012 WAFCA AWARD WINNERS (and nominees): Voting was conducted from December 7-9, 2012:
Best Film:
Zero Dark Thirty WINNER
Argo
Les Misérables
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Best Director:
Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty) WINNER
Ben Affleck (Argo)
Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master)
Tom Hooper (Les Misérables)
Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)
Best Actor:
Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln) WINNER
John Hawkes (The Sessions)
Hugh Jackman (Les Misérables)
Joaquin Phoenix (The Master)
Denzel Washington (Flight)
Best Actress:
Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) WINNER
Marion Cotillard (Rust and Bone)
Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)
Helen Mirren (Hitchcock)
Emmanuelle Riva (Amour)
Best Supporting Actor:
Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master) WINNER
Alan Arkin (Argo)
Javier Bardem (Skyfall)
Leonardo DiCaprio (Django Unchained)
Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)
Best Supporting Actress:
Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables) WINNER
Amy Adams (The Master)
Samantha Barks (Les Misérables)
Sally Field (Lincoln)
Helen Hunt (The Sessions)
Best Acting Ensemble:
Les Misérables WINNER
Argo
Lincoln
Moonrise Kingdom
Zero Dark Thirty
Best Adapted Screenplay:
David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook) WINNER
Chris Terrio (Argo)
David Magee (Life of Pi)
Tony Kushner (Lincoln)
Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)
Best Original Screenplay:
Rian Johnson (Looper) WINNER
Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained)
Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master)
Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola (Moonrise Kingdom)
Mark Boal (Zero Dark Thirty)
Best Animated Feature:
ParaNorman WINNER
Brave
Frankenweenie
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-It Ralph
Best Documentary:
Bully WINNER
The Imposter
The Invisible War
The Queen of Versailles
Searching for Sugar Man
Best Foreign Language Film:
Amour (from Austria) WINNER
The Intouchables (from France)
I Wish (from Japan)
A Royal Affair (from Denmark)
Rust and Bone (from France/Belgium)
Best Art Direction:
Uli Hanisch, Hugh Bateup - Production Designers; Peter Walpole, Rebecca Alleway - Set Decorators (Cloud Atlas) WINNER
Sarah Greenwood - Production Designer; Katie Spencer - Set Decorator (Anna Karenina)
Eve Stewart - Production Designer; Anna Lynch-Robinson - Set Decorator (Les Misérables)
Rick Carter - Production Designer; Jim Erickson - Set Decorator (Lincoln)
Adam Stockhausen - Production Designer; Kris Moran - Set Decorator (Moonrise Kingdom)
Best Cinematography:
Claudio Miranda (Life of Pi) WINNER
Danny Cohen (Les Misérables)
Mihai Malaimare Jr. (The Master)
Roger Deakins (Skyfall)
Greig Fraser (Zero Dark Thirty)
Best Score:
Jonny Greenwood (The Master) WINNER
Dan Romer & Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild)
Howard Shore (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)
John Williams (Lincoln)
Alexandre Desplat (Moonrise Kingdom)
Best Youth Performance:
Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) WINNER
Jared Gilman (Moonrise Kingdom)
Kara Hayward (Moonrise Kingdom)
Tom Holland (The Impossible)
Logan Lerman (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)
THE 2012 WAFCA AWARD WINNERS (and nominees): Voting was conducted from December 7-9, 2012:
Best Film:
Zero Dark Thirty WINNER
Argo
Les Misérables
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Best Director:
Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty) WINNER
Ben Affleck (Argo)
Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master)
Tom Hooper (Les Misérables)
Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)
Best Actor:
Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln) WINNER
John Hawkes (The Sessions)
Hugh Jackman (Les Misérables)
Joaquin Phoenix (The Master)
Denzel Washington (Flight)
Best Actress:
Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) WINNER
Marion Cotillard (Rust and Bone)
Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)
Helen Mirren (Hitchcock)
Emmanuelle Riva (Amour)
Best Supporting Actor:
Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master) WINNER
Alan Arkin (Argo)
Javier Bardem (Skyfall)
Leonardo DiCaprio (Django Unchained)
Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)
Best Supporting Actress:
Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables) WINNER
Amy Adams (The Master)
Samantha Barks (Les Misérables)
Sally Field (Lincoln)
Helen Hunt (The Sessions)
Best Acting Ensemble:
Les Misérables WINNER
Argo
Lincoln
Moonrise Kingdom
Zero Dark Thirty
Best Adapted Screenplay:
David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook) WINNER
Chris Terrio (Argo)
David Magee (Life of Pi)
Tony Kushner (Lincoln)
Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)
Best Original Screenplay:
Rian Johnson (Looper) WINNER
Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained)
Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master)
Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola (Moonrise Kingdom)
Mark Boal (Zero Dark Thirty)
Best Animated Feature:
ParaNorman WINNER
Brave
Frankenweenie
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-It Ralph
Best Documentary:
Bully WINNER
The Imposter
The Invisible War
The Queen of Versailles
Searching for Sugar Man
Best Foreign Language Film:
Amour (from Austria) WINNER
The Intouchables (from France)
I Wish (from Japan)
A Royal Affair (from Denmark)
Rust and Bone (from France/Belgium)
Best Art Direction:
Uli Hanisch, Hugh Bateup - Production Designers; Peter Walpole, Rebecca Alleway - Set Decorators (Cloud Atlas) WINNER
Sarah Greenwood - Production Designer; Katie Spencer - Set Decorator (Anna Karenina)
Eve Stewart - Production Designer; Anna Lynch-Robinson - Set Decorator (Les Misérables)
Rick Carter - Production Designer; Jim Erickson - Set Decorator (Lincoln)
Adam Stockhausen - Production Designer; Kris Moran - Set Decorator (Moonrise Kingdom)
Best Cinematography:
Claudio Miranda (Life of Pi) WINNER
Danny Cohen (Les Misérables)
Mihai Malaimare Jr. (The Master)
Roger Deakins (Skyfall)
Greig Fraser (Zero Dark Thirty)
Best Score:
Jonny Greenwood (The Master) WINNER
Dan Romer & Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild)
Howard Shore (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)
John Williams (Lincoln)
Alexandre Desplat (Moonrise Kingdom)
Best Youth Performance:
Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) WINNER
Jared Gilman (Moonrise Kingdom)
Kara Hayward (Moonrise Kingdom)
Tom Holland (The Impossible)
Logan Lerman (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Detroit Film Critics Name "Silver Linings Playbook" Best Film of 2012
The Detroit Film Critics Society, a group of Michigan film critics, announced their "best of 2012" awards yesterday, Friday, December 14, 2012. I had a feeling that they were jonesing for Silver Linings Playbook after I first saw their nominations list. I was right; they named the David O. Russell film as the best in five categories, including best film, best director, and in two acting categories.
Detroit Film Critics Society’s Best of 2012:
BEST FILM
Winner: Silver Linings Playbook
BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
BEST ACTOR
Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
BEST ENSEMBLE
Winner: Lincoln
BREAKTHROUGH
Winner: Zoe Kazan, Ruby Sparks
BEST SCREENPLAY
Winner: David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Winner: Jiro Dreams of Sushi
http://detroitfilmcritics.com/
Detroit Film Critics Society’s Best of 2012:
BEST FILM
Winner: Silver Linings Playbook
BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
BEST ACTOR
Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
BEST ENSEMBLE
Winner: Lincoln
BREAKTHROUGH
Winner: Zoe Kazan, Ruby Sparks
BEST SCREENPLAY
Winner: David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Winner: Jiro Dreams of Sushi
http://detroitfilmcritics.com/
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
American Film Institute Announces 2012 Awards
The American Film Institute (AFI) describes itself as “America’s promise to preserve the history of the motion picture, to honor the artists and their work and to educate the next generation of storytellers.” Their awards focus on American feature films and television programs.
Some of the "best film" selections are expected, such as Zero Dark Thirty, Lincoln, and Beasts of the Southern Wild (which seems to be gaining not just momentum, but also a big head of steam). The Dark Knight Rises, which I found to be loud and self-important (acceptable traits if you're a film critic), would make my bottom ten. I have not watched any of the honored television series, and I've grown tired of "Modern Family."
AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR – 2012:
ARGO
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
DJANGO UNCHAINED
LES MISÉRABLES
LIFE OF PI
LINCOLN
MOONRISE KINGDOM
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
ZERO DARK THIRTY
AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR:
AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ASYLUM
BREAKING BAD
GAME OF THRONES
GIRLS
HOMELAND
LOUIE
MAD MEN
MODERN FAMILY
THE WALKING DEAD
AFI has stated that it will honor the creative ensembles for each of the selections at an invitation-only luncheon on Friday, January 11, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.
Some of the "best film" selections are expected, such as Zero Dark Thirty, Lincoln, and Beasts of the Southern Wild (which seems to be gaining not just momentum, but also a big head of steam). The Dark Knight Rises, which I found to be loud and self-important (acceptable traits if you're a film critic), would make my bottom ten. I have not watched any of the honored television series, and I've grown tired of "Modern Family."
AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR – 2012:
ARGO
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
DJANGO UNCHAINED
LES MISÉRABLES
LIFE OF PI
LINCOLN
MOONRISE KINGDOM
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
ZERO DARK THIRTY
AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR:
AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ASYLUM
BREAKING BAD
GAME OF THRONES
GIRLS
HOMELAND
LOUIE
MAD MEN
MODERN FAMILY
THE WALKING DEAD
AFI has stated that it will honor the creative ensembles for each of the selections at an invitation-only luncheon on Friday, January 11, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
2012 Gotham Awards Nominations Announced
The Gotham Awards is an annual film awards ceremony that honors independent films. The Gotham Awards are part of The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), the nation’s oldest and largest organization of independent filmmakers. The Gotham Awards also signal the kick-off to the film awards season.
Nominees are selected by groups of distinguished film critics, journalists, festival programmers, and film curators. Separate juries of writers, directors, actors, producers, editors and others directly involved in making films determine the final Gotham Award recipients.
Today, (Thursday, October 18, 2012), the IFP announced the nominees for the 22nd Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards. The Gotham Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, November 26, 2012 at Cipriani Wall Street. Actors Marion Cotillard and Matt Damon, director David O. Russell, and Participant Media founder Jeff Skoll will each be presented with a career tribute. Twenty-one writers and programmers participated in the 2012 nomination process, considering 211 eligible submissions for six competitive categories.
22nd Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards:
Best Feature
Bernie
Richard Linklater, director; Richard Linklater, Ginger Sledge, Celine Rattray, Martin Shafer, Liz Glotzer, Matt Williams, David McFadzean, Judd Payne, Dete Meserve, producers (Millennium Entertainment)
The Loneliest Planet
Julia Loktev, director; Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Helge Albers, Marie Therese Guirgis, producers (Sundance Selects)
The Master
Paul Thomas Anderson, director; Joanne Sellar, Daniel Lupi, Paul Thomas Anderson, Megan Ellison, producers (The Weinstein Company)
Middle of Nowhere
Ava DuVernay, director; Howard Barish, Ava DuVernay, Paul Garnes, producers (AFFRM and Participant Media)
Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson, director; Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson, producers (Focus Features)
Best Documentary
Detropia
Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, directors; Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady, Craig Atkinson, producers (Loki Films)
How to Survive a Plague
David France, director; Howard Gertler, David France, producers (Sundance Selects)
Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present
Matthew Akers, director; Jeff Dupre, Maro Chermayeff, producers (HBO Documentary Films and Music Box Films)
Room 237
Rodney Ascher, director; Tim Kirk, producer (IFC Midnight)
The Waiting Room
Peter Nicks, director; Peter Nicks, Linda Davis, William B. Hirsch, producers (International Film Circuit)
Best Ensemble Performance
Bernie
Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey (Millennium Entertainment)
Moonrise Kingdom
Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Jason Schwartzman, Bob Balaban (Focus Features)
Safety Not Guaranteed
Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni, Jenica Bergere, Kristen Bell, Jeff Garlin, Mary Lynn Rajskub (Film District)
Silver Linings Playbook
Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, Anupam Kher (The Weinstein Company)
Your Sister’s Sister
Emily Blunt, Rosemarie Dewitt, Mark Duplass (IFC Films)
Breakthrough DirectorZal Batmanglij for Sound of My Voice (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky for Francine (Factory 25 and The Film Sales Company)
Jason Cortlund and Julia Halperin for Now, Forager (Argot Pictures)
Antonio Méndez Esparza for Aquà y Allá (Here and There) (Torch Films)
Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Breakthrough Actor
Mike Birbiglia in Sleepwalk with Me (IFC Films)
Emayatzy Corinealdi in Middle of Nowhere (AFFRM and Participant Media)
Thure Lindhardt in Keep the Lights On (Music Box Films)
Melanie Lynskey in Hello, I Must Be Going (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Quvenzhané Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You
Kid-Thing
David Zellner, director; Nathan Zellner, Producer
An Oversimplification of Her Beauty
Terence Nance, director; Terence Nance, Andrew Corkin, James Bartlett, producers
Red Flag
Alex Karpovsky, director; Alex Karpovsky, Michael Bowes, producers
Sun Don’t Shine
Amy Seimetz, director; Kim Sherman, Amy Seimetz, producers
Tiger Tail in Blue
Frank V. Ross, director; Adam Donaghey, Drew Durepos, producers
The Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers "Live the Dream" grant is a $25,000 cash award for an alumna of IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs. This grant aims to further the careers of emerging women directors by supporting the completion, distribution and audience engagement strategies of their first feature film.
The nominees are:
Leah Meyerhoff, director, I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS
Stacie Passon, director, CONCUSSION
Visra Vichit Vadakan, KARAOKE GIRL
The 3rd Annual Gotham Independent Film Audience Award will be voted on by an independent film community of 230,000 film fans worldwide. To be eligible, a U.S. film must have won an audience award at one of the top 50 U.S. or Canadian film festivals from November 2011 through October 2012. Voting begins today at http://gotham.ifp.org/audience_award for the 31 films on the eligibility list. The nominees will be announced November 5th, and the winner will be revealed at the Gotham Awards ceremony.
The recipient of the “Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You” award is determined by the editorial staff of Filmmaker Magazine, a publication of IFP, and a curator from The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). All of these nominees will also be screened for the public at MoMA from November 16-19, 2012.
For more information: www.ifp.org
Nominees are selected by groups of distinguished film critics, journalists, festival programmers, and film curators. Separate juries of writers, directors, actors, producers, editors and others directly involved in making films determine the final Gotham Award recipients.
Today, (Thursday, October 18, 2012), the IFP announced the nominees for the 22nd Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards. The Gotham Awards ceremony will be held on Monday, November 26, 2012 at Cipriani Wall Street. Actors Marion Cotillard and Matt Damon, director David O. Russell, and Participant Media founder Jeff Skoll will each be presented with a career tribute. Twenty-one writers and programmers participated in the 2012 nomination process, considering 211 eligible submissions for six competitive categories.
22nd Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards:
Best Feature
Bernie
Richard Linklater, director; Richard Linklater, Ginger Sledge, Celine Rattray, Martin Shafer, Liz Glotzer, Matt Williams, David McFadzean, Judd Payne, Dete Meserve, producers (Millennium Entertainment)
The Loneliest Planet
Julia Loktev, director; Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Helge Albers, Marie Therese Guirgis, producers (Sundance Selects)
The Master
Paul Thomas Anderson, director; Joanne Sellar, Daniel Lupi, Paul Thomas Anderson, Megan Ellison, producers (The Weinstein Company)
Middle of Nowhere
Ava DuVernay, director; Howard Barish, Ava DuVernay, Paul Garnes, producers (AFFRM and Participant Media)
Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson, director; Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson, producers (Focus Features)
Best Documentary
Detropia
Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, directors; Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady, Craig Atkinson, producers (Loki Films)
How to Survive a Plague
David France, director; Howard Gertler, David France, producers (Sundance Selects)
Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present
Matthew Akers, director; Jeff Dupre, Maro Chermayeff, producers (HBO Documentary Films and Music Box Films)
Room 237
Rodney Ascher, director; Tim Kirk, producer (IFC Midnight)
The Waiting Room
Peter Nicks, director; Peter Nicks, Linda Davis, William B. Hirsch, producers (International Film Circuit)
Best Ensemble Performance
Bernie
Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey (Millennium Entertainment)
Moonrise Kingdom
Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Jason Schwartzman, Bob Balaban (Focus Features)
Safety Not Guaranteed
Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni, Jenica Bergere, Kristen Bell, Jeff Garlin, Mary Lynn Rajskub (Film District)
Silver Linings Playbook
Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, Anupam Kher (The Weinstein Company)
Your Sister’s Sister
Emily Blunt, Rosemarie Dewitt, Mark Duplass (IFC Films)
Breakthrough DirectorZal Batmanglij for Sound of My Voice (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky for Francine (Factory 25 and The Film Sales Company)
Jason Cortlund and Julia Halperin for Now, Forager (Argot Pictures)
Antonio Méndez Esparza for Aquà y Allá (Here and There) (Torch Films)
Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Breakthrough Actor
Mike Birbiglia in Sleepwalk with Me (IFC Films)
Emayatzy Corinealdi in Middle of Nowhere (AFFRM and Participant Media)
Thure Lindhardt in Keep the Lights On (Music Box Films)
Melanie Lynskey in Hello, I Must Be Going (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Quvenzhané Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You
Kid-Thing
David Zellner, director; Nathan Zellner, Producer
An Oversimplification of Her Beauty
Terence Nance, director; Terence Nance, Andrew Corkin, James Bartlett, producers
Red Flag
Alex Karpovsky, director; Alex Karpovsky, Michael Bowes, producers
Sun Don’t Shine
Amy Seimetz, director; Kim Sherman, Amy Seimetz, producers
Tiger Tail in Blue
Frank V. Ross, director; Adam Donaghey, Drew Durepos, producers
The Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers "Live the Dream" grant is a $25,000 cash award for an alumna of IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs. This grant aims to further the careers of emerging women directors by supporting the completion, distribution and audience engagement strategies of their first feature film.
The nominees are:
Leah Meyerhoff, director, I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS
Stacie Passon, director, CONCUSSION
Visra Vichit Vadakan, KARAOKE GIRL
The 3rd Annual Gotham Independent Film Audience Award will be voted on by an independent film community of 230,000 film fans worldwide. To be eligible, a U.S. film must have won an audience award at one of the top 50 U.S. or Canadian film festivals from November 2011 through October 2012. Voting begins today at http://gotham.ifp.org/audience_award for the 31 films on the eligibility list. The nominees will be announced November 5th, and the winner will be revealed at the Gotham Awards ceremony.
The recipient of the “Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You” award is determined by the editorial staff of Filmmaker Magazine, a publication of IFP, and a curator from The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). All of these nominees will also be screened for the public at MoMA from November 16-19, 2012.
For more information: www.ifp.org
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Tom Hooper Wins Best Director Oscar for "The King's Speech"
Directing
“The King's Speech” Tom Hooper WINNER
“Black Swan” Darren Aronofsky
“The Fighter” David O. Russell
“The King's Speech” Tom Hooper
“True Grit” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
“The King's Speech” Tom Hooper WINNER
“Black Swan” Darren Aronofsky
“The Fighter” David O. Russell
“The King's Speech” Tom Hooper
“True Grit” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Paramount Pictures Celebrates 2011 Academy Award Nominations
PARAMOUNT EARNS A RECORD 20 ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS, INCLUDING TWO BEST PICTURE NOMINATIONS FOR “TRUE GRIT” AND “THE FIGHTER”
“True Grit” received a total 10 nominations, while “The Fighter” received 7
HOLLYWOOD, CA (January 25, 2011) - Paramount Pictures received a total of 20 Academy Award nominations this morning, following the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announcement of the best films of 2010.
“On behalf of everyone at Paramount, we are incredibly proud of the recognition our films received today from the Academy. The tremendous and continued success that each film has achieved is deeply gratifying and is a testament to the extraordinary work of all of the artists involved,” said Brad Grey, Paramount Pictures Chairman and CEO.
TRUE GRIT received a total of 10 Academy Award nominations, including for Picture, Directing for Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Adapted Screenplay, Actor for Jeff Bridges, Best Supporting Actress for Hailee Steinfeld, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Costume Design, Cinematography and Art Direction.
The Fighter received a total of 7 Academy Award nominations, including for Picture, Directing for David O. Russell, Original Screenplay, Supporting Actress for Amy Adams and Melissa Leo, Supporting Actor for Christian Bale and Editing.
The hit movie from DreamWorks Animation HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON received 2 nominations, including for Best Animated Film of the Year and Original Score for composer John Powell.
About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group, and Worldwide Television Distribution.
“True Grit” received a total 10 nominations, while “The Fighter” received 7
HOLLYWOOD, CA (January 25, 2011) - Paramount Pictures received a total of 20 Academy Award nominations this morning, following the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announcement of the best films of 2010.
“On behalf of everyone at Paramount, we are incredibly proud of the recognition our films received today from the Academy. The tremendous and continued success that each film has achieved is deeply gratifying and is a testament to the extraordinary work of all of the artists involved,” said Brad Grey, Paramount Pictures Chairman and CEO.
TRUE GRIT received a total of 10 Academy Award nominations, including for Picture, Directing for Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Adapted Screenplay, Actor for Jeff Bridges, Best Supporting Actress for Hailee Steinfeld, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Costume Design, Cinematography and Art Direction.
The Fighter received a total of 7 Academy Award nominations, including for Picture, Directing for David O. Russell, Original Screenplay, Supporting Actress for Amy Adams and Melissa Leo, Supporting Actor for Christian Bale and Editing.
The hit movie from DreamWorks Animation HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON received 2 nominations, including for Best Animated Film of the Year and Original Score for composer John Powell.
About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group, and Worldwide Television Distribution.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
2011 Oscar Nominations: Best Director
Directing
“Black Swan” Darren Aronofsky
“The Fighter” David O. Russell
“The King's Speech” Tom Hooper
“The Social Network” David Fincher
“True Grit” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
“Black Swan” Darren Aronofsky
“The Fighter” David O. Russell
“The King's Speech” Tom Hooper
“The Social Network” David Fincher
“True Grit” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Sunday, January 16, 2011
David Fincher Wins Best Director Golden Globe for "The Social Network"
Best Director - Motion Picture:
David Fincher for The Social Network WINNER
Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan
Tom Hooper for The King's Speech
Christopher Nolan for Inception
David O. Russell for The Fighter
David Fincher for The Social Network WINNER
Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan
Tom Hooper for The King's Speech
Christopher Nolan for Inception
David O. Russell for The Fighter
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Museum of The Moving Image Honors David O. Russell
Press release:
FILM DIRECTOR DAVID O. RUSSELL TO RECEIVE RETROSPECTIVE AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
FILMMAKER TO BE JOINED BY SPIKE JONZE FOR SPECIAL SCREENING OF THE FIGHTER
ASTORIA, NY, January 11, 2011 – David O. Russell will be the subject of the first director retrospective at the newly expanded Museum of the Moving Image. From January 19 through February 6, 2011, Moving Image will screen all five of Russell’s feature films, from his audacious 1994 comedy Spanking the Monkey to his new film, The Fighter, which is a critical and popular success. The retrospective opens on Wednesday, January 19, with a special screening of The Fighter in the Museum’s magnificent new 267-seat Moving Image Theater. Russell will discuss the film in a post-screening conversation moderated by his friend, director Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Where the Wild Things Are).
Teeming with life, Russell’s acclaimed film The Fighter is at once assured and powerful, a cinematic experience that doesn’t fit neatly into any one genre. His debut, Spanking the Monkey, is a coming-of-age story that ventures into mother-son incest without sacrificing emotional honesty or comedy. Flirting with Disaster is a screwball family comedy that cheerfully explores adoption, adultery, and many other loaded subjects. Three Kings uses wild humor to attack the absurdity of modern warfare. And I Heart Huckabees is a playful, irreverent comedy that is completely serious in its exploration of profound existential questions. “In short, Russell has firmly established himself as one of the most consistently original and inventive contemporary filmmakers. With all the attention surrounding his latest film, this is a good time to take a look at his remarkable and unconventional career,” said David Schwartz, the Museum’s chief curator, who organized the retrospective.
The Films of David O. Russell
January 15–February 20, 2011
Special screening: The Fighter
Wednesday, January 19, 7:00 p.m.
A CONVERSATION WITH DAVID O. RUSSELL AND SPIKE JONZE
2010, 115 mins. Paramount Pictures. With Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo, Amy Adams. Russell’s vibrant new film is a true-life boxing drama and a family drama about the rivalry between two brothers and between a controlling mother-manager and her son’s girlfriend. Gaining atmosphere from its Lowell, Massachusetts setting, this film features four of the year’s most indelible performances. A labor of love for producer/star Wahlberg, the film is also a dazzling comeback of sorts for Russell, making his first feature film in six years.
TICKETS: $15 public / $10 Museum members / Free for Silver Screen members and above. Order online at movingimage.us or call 718 777 6800.
Spanking the Monkey
Friday, January 21, 7:30 p.m.
1994, 100 mins. With Jeremy Davies. In his impressive debut, which won the Audience Award at Sundance, Russell brings deadpan humor and emotional complexity to what could have been very lurid subject matter: the improper relationship that develops over a summer between a housebound mother and her college-age son.
Flirting with Disaster
Saturday, January 29, 6:00 p.m.
1996, 92 mins. With Ben Stiller, Tea Leoni. Madcap road movie meets screwball romance meets dysfunctional family comedy in Russell’s wild and assured film about an adopted man who decides to track down his biological father. Russell’s sophomore film is filled with surprises and great acting from an ensemble that includes George Segal, Lily Tomlin, Patricia Arquette, Richard Jenkins, and Josh Brolin.
Three Kings
Saturday , February 5, 6:00 p.m.
1999, 114 mins. With George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube. An audacious, satirical movie and one of the few Hollywood films set during the first Gulf War, Three
Kings, about a group of cynical American soldiers tracking down a pile of gold stolen by Saddam Hussein, was described by Roger Ebert as “some kind of weird masterpiece, a screw-loose war picture that sends action and humor crashing head-on into each other and spinning off into political anger.”
I Heart Huckabees
Sunday , February 6, 5:30 p.m.
2004, 107 mins. With Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin, Jason Schwartzman. A down-on-his-luck poet/activist enlists the help of an existential detective agency to help solve some cosmic questions in Russell’s brilliant one-of-a-kind philosophical comedy about nothing less than the meaning of life and the nature of reality. Russell’s most provocative and unpredictable movie is also his most personal.
MUSEUM INFORMATION
Hours (beginning January 15, 2011): Tuesday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday, 10:30 to 8:00 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Holiday Openings: Monday, January 17 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and Monday, February 21 (Washington’s Birthday), 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Closed on Monday except for holiday openings).
Film Screenings: See schedule above for schedule.
Museum Admission: $10.00 for adults; $7.50 for persons over 65 and for students with ID; $5.00 for children ages 5-18. Children under 5 and Museum members are admitted free. Admission to the galleries is free on Fridays, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Paid admission includes film screenings (except for special ticketed events and Friday evenings) Tickets for special screenings and events may be purchased in advance online at movingimage.us or by phone at 718.777.6800.
Location: 35 Avenue at 37 Street in Astoria.
Subway: R or M trains (R on weekends) to Steinway Street. N or Q trains to 36 Avenue.
Program Information: Telephone: 718.777.6888; Website: http://movingimage.us
The Museum is housed in a building owned by the City of New York and its operations are made possible in part by public funds provided through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the New York State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Natural Heritage Trust (administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation). The Museum also receives generous support from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals. For more information, please visit http://movingimage.us/.
FILM DIRECTOR DAVID O. RUSSELL TO RECEIVE RETROSPECTIVE AT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE
FILMMAKER TO BE JOINED BY SPIKE JONZE FOR SPECIAL SCREENING OF THE FIGHTER
ASTORIA, NY, January 11, 2011 – David O. Russell will be the subject of the first director retrospective at the newly expanded Museum of the Moving Image. From January 19 through February 6, 2011, Moving Image will screen all five of Russell’s feature films, from his audacious 1994 comedy Spanking the Monkey to his new film, The Fighter, which is a critical and popular success. The retrospective opens on Wednesday, January 19, with a special screening of The Fighter in the Museum’s magnificent new 267-seat Moving Image Theater. Russell will discuss the film in a post-screening conversation moderated by his friend, director Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Where the Wild Things Are).
Teeming with life, Russell’s acclaimed film The Fighter is at once assured and powerful, a cinematic experience that doesn’t fit neatly into any one genre. His debut, Spanking the Monkey, is a coming-of-age story that ventures into mother-son incest without sacrificing emotional honesty or comedy. Flirting with Disaster is a screwball family comedy that cheerfully explores adoption, adultery, and many other loaded subjects. Three Kings uses wild humor to attack the absurdity of modern warfare. And I Heart Huckabees is a playful, irreverent comedy that is completely serious in its exploration of profound existential questions. “In short, Russell has firmly established himself as one of the most consistently original and inventive contemporary filmmakers. With all the attention surrounding his latest film, this is a good time to take a look at his remarkable and unconventional career,” said David Schwartz, the Museum’s chief curator, who organized the retrospective.
The Films of David O. Russell
January 15–February 20, 2011
Special screening: The Fighter
Wednesday, January 19, 7:00 p.m.
A CONVERSATION WITH DAVID O. RUSSELL AND SPIKE JONZE
2010, 115 mins. Paramount Pictures. With Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo, Amy Adams. Russell’s vibrant new film is a true-life boxing drama and a family drama about the rivalry between two brothers and between a controlling mother-manager and her son’s girlfriend. Gaining atmosphere from its Lowell, Massachusetts setting, this film features four of the year’s most indelible performances. A labor of love for producer/star Wahlberg, the film is also a dazzling comeback of sorts for Russell, making his first feature film in six years.
TICKETS: $15 public / $10 Museum members / Free for Silver Screen members and above. Order online at movingimage.us or call 718 777 6800.
Spanking the Monkey
Friday, January 21, 7:30 p.m.
1994, 100 mins. With Jeremy Davies. In his impressive debut, which won the Audience Award at Sundance, Russell brings deadpan humor and emotional complexity to what could have been very lurid subject matter: the improper relationship that develops over a summer between a housebound mother and her college-age son.
Flirting with Disaster
Saturday, January 29, 6:00 p.m.
1996, 92 mins. With Ben Stiller, Tea Leoni. Madcap road movie meets screwball romance meets dysfunctional family comedy in Russell’s wild and assured film about an adopted man who decides to track down his biological father. Russell’s sophomore film is filled with surprises and great acting from an ensemble that includes George Segal, Lily Tomlin, Patricia Arquette, Richard Jenkins, and Josh Brolin.
Three Kings
Saturday , February 5, 6:00 p.m.
1999, 114 mins. With George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube. An audacious, satirical movie and one of the few Hollywood films set during the first Gulf War, Three
Kings, about a group of cynical American soldiers tracking down a pile of gold stolen by Saddam Hussein, was described by Roger Ebert as “some kind of weird masterpiece, a screw-loose war picture that sends action and humor crashing head-on into each other and spinning off into political anger.”
I Heart Huckabees
Sunday , February 6, 5:30 p.m.
2004, 107 mins. With Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin, Jason Schwartzman. A down-on-his-luck poet/activist enlists the help of an existential detective agency to help solve some cosmic questions in Russell’s brilliant one-of-a-kind philosophical comedy about nothing less than the meaning of life and the nature of reality. Russell’s most provocative and unpredictable movie is also his most personal.
MUSEUM INFORMATION
Hours (beginning January 15, 2011): Tuesday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday, 10:30 to 8:00 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Holiday Openings: Monday, January 17 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and Monday, February 21 (Washington’s Birthday), 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Closed on Monday except for holiday openings).
Film Screenings: See schedule above for schedule.
Museum Admission: $10.00 for adults; $7.50 for persons over 65 and for students with ID; $5.00 for children ages 5-18. Children under 5 and Museum members are admitted free. Admission to the galleries is free on Fridays, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Paid admission includes film screenings (except for special ticketed events and Friday evenings) Tickets for special screenings and events may be purchased in advance online at movingimage.us or by phone at 718.777.6800.
Location: 35 Avenue at 37 Street in Astoria.
Subway: R or M trains (R on weekends) to Steinway Street. N or Q trains to 36 Avenue.
Program Information: Telephone: 718.777.6888; Website: http://movingimage.us
The Museum is housed in a building owned by the City of New York and its operations are made possible in part by public funds provided through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the New York State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Natural Heritage Trust (administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation). The Museum also receives generous support from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals. For more information, please visit http://movingimage.us/.
I Heart "I Heart Huckabees"
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 41 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux
I Heart Huckabees (2004)
Also known as I ♥ Huckabees
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – R for language and a sex scene
DIRECTOR: David O. Russell
WRITERS: Jeff Baena and David O. Russell
PRODUCERS: Gregory Goodman, Scott Rudin, and David O. Russell
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Deming
EDITOR: Robert K. Lambert
COMEDY/MYSTERY
Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin, Jude Law, Mark Wahlberg, Naomi Watts, Isabelle Huppert, Angela Grillo, Ger Duany, Jean Smart, Talia Shire, Bob Gunton, and Shania Twain
A “mid-life crisis” is an example of an “existential crisis.” Other examples can be summed up by such laments as “What am I doing with my life?” “my life has been a mistake?” or “my life is a joke.” These are the kind of issues David O. Russell (Flirting with Disaster and Three Kings) tackles in his inventive and daring film, I Heart Huckabees (or I ♥ Huckabees).
Husband and wife existential detectives, Vivian (Lily Tomlin) and Bernard Jaffe (Dustin Hoffman), solve the mysteries that are made of a maze of emotions. Their first client, Albert Markovski (Jason Schwartzman), comes to them to learn why he keeps running into a tall African named Steve Nimieri (Ger Duany). However, the Jaffes discover that Albert’s problems are rooted in his work for the Open Spaces Coalition. It is an environmental organization that is fighting a giant retail chain, Huckabees, over the corporation’s plans to build a new mall in a marshland and wooded area.
The Jaffes’ work with Albert brings them other clients: Brad Stand (Jude Law), a PR guy for Huckabees who is feigning interest in Albert’s organization as a ploy to remove the troublesome do-gooder Albert as an obstacle to Huckabees building plans and Dawn Campbell (Naomi Watts), the beautiful face and spokesmodel of Huckabees, who is also Brad’s girlfriend and to whom Brad won’t commit. Meanwhile, Albert encounters a soul mate, Tommy Corn (Mark Wahlberg), an existential fireman who introduces Albert to Caterine Vauban (Isabelle Huppert), a French radical philosopher and former student of the Jaffes, who he claims will help Albert more than the Jaffes. It all adds to one big existential meltdown.
Admittedly, I Heart Huckabees is hard to follow. There is way more existential discussion in this film than practically any other film financed by a mainstream American studio. While I found Russell’s Three Kings to be off-putting at times, I Heart Huckabees totally engaged me. Not only is the script the most ingenious screenplay written outside of anything by written by Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich), it is also witty and captivating. And the next best thing Russell does is allow his cast to have fun with their parts.
There are no great characters in this film. What is there is greatly played characters. Schwartzman, Hoffman, Ms. Tomlin, Law, and Wahlberg really dig into these roles and give them life, and they had to or the movie would collapse into utter nonsense. The characters aren’t deep or special, for that matter. They’re dealing with deep and weighty matters, and the actors seem to understand that. So their performances are not about chewing scenery or showing off their chops, but rather about playing ordinary people trying to deal with extraordinary and plaguing questions. The only really wacky characters are the Jaffes, and Hoffman and Lily Tomlin make them appealing to ordinary people, in spite of their sometimes creepy intrusiveness.
This film isn’t for everyone, but viewers who’ve tackled the work of David Lynch and Spike Jonze should be able to handle I Heart Huckabees. Liking it, however, is a whole ‘nother thing. Except for a few rough patches, I think this is brilliant and hilarious.
10 of 10
I Heart Huckabees (2004)
Also known as I ♥ Huckabees
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – R for language and a sex scene
DIRECTOR: David O. Russell
WRITERS: Jeff Baena and David O. Russell
PRODUCERS: Gregory Goodman, Scott Rudin, and David O. Russell
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Deming
EDITOR: Robert K. Lambert
COMEDY/MYSTERY
Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin, Jude Law, Mark Wahlberg, Naomi Watts, Isabelle Huppert, Angela Grillo, Ger Duany, Jean Smart, Talia Shire, Bob Gunton, and Shania Twain
A “mid-life crisis” is an example of an “existential crisis.” Other examples can be summed up by such laments as “What am I doing with my life?” “my life has been a mistake?” or “my life is a joke.” These are the kind of issues David O. Russell (Flirting with Disaster and Three Kings) tackles in his inventive and daring film, I Heart Huckabees (or I ♥ Huckabees).
Husband and wife existential detectives, Vivian (Lily Tomlin) and Bernard Jaffe (Dustin Hoffman), solve the mysteries that are made of a maze of emotions. Their first client, Albert Markovski (Jason Schwartzman), comes to them to learn why he keeps running into a tall African named Steve Nimieri (Ger Duany). However, the Jaffes discover that Albert’s problems are rooted in his work for the Open Spaces Coalition. It is an environmental organization that is fighting a giant retail chain, Huckabees, over the corporation’s plans to build a new mall in a marshland and wooded area.
The Jaffes’ work with Albert brings them other clients: Brad Stand (Jude Law), a PR guy for Huckabees who is feigning interest in Albert’s organization as a ploy to remove the troublesome do-gooder Albert as an obstacle to Huckabees building plans and Dawn Campbell (Naomi Watts), the beautiful face and spokesmodel of Huckabees, who is also Brad’s girlfriend and to whom Brad won’t commit. Meanwhile, Albert encounters a soul mate, Tommy Corn (Mark Wahlberg), an existential fireman who introduces Albert to Caterine Vauban (Isabelle Huppert), a French radical philosopher and former student of the Jaffes, who he claims will help Albert more than the Jaffes. It all adds to one big existential meltdown.
Admittedly, I Heart Huckabees is hard to follow. There is way more existential discussion in this film than practically any other film financed by a mainstream American studio. While I found Russell’s Three Kings to be off-putting at times, I Heart Huckabees totally engaged me. Not only is the script the most ingenious screenplay written outside of anything by written by Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich), it is also witty and captivating. And the next best thing Russell does is allow his cast to have fun with their parts.
There are no great characters in this film. What is there is greatly played characters. Schwartzman, Hoffman, Ms. Tomlin, Law, and Wahlberg really dig into these roles and give them life, and they had to or the movie would collapse into utter nonsense. The characters aren’t deep or special, for that matter. They’re dealing with deep and weighty matters, and the actors seem to understand that. So their performances are not about chewing scenery or showing off their chops, but rather about playing ordinary people trying to deal with extraordinary and plaguing questions. The only really wacky characters are the Jaffes, and Hoffman and Lily Tomlin make them appealing to ordinary people, in spite of their sometimes creepy intrusiveness.
This film isn’t for everyone, but viewers who’ve tackled the work of David Lynch and Spike Jonze should be able to handle I Heart Huckabees. Liking it, however, is a whole ‘nother thing. Except for a few rough patches, I think this is brilliant and hilarious.
10 of 10
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Review: "Three Kings" Prophetic, Timeless, and Timely
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 102 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux
Three Kings (1999)
Running time: 114 minutes (1 hour, 54 minutes)
MPAA – R for graphic war violence, language and some sexuality
DIRECTOR: David O. Russell
WRITERS: David O. Russell, story by John Ridley
PRODUCERS: Paul Junger Witt, Edward L. McDonnell, and Charles Roven
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Newton Thomas Sigel
EDITOR: Robert K. Lambert
COMPOSER: Carter Burwell
ACTION/COMEDY/DRAMA/WAR
Starring: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, Spike Jonze, Cliff Curtis, Nora Dunn, Jamie Kennedy, Mykelti Washington, Judy Greer, and Liz Stauber
David O. Russell’s (Flirting with Disaster) film Three Kings is set in the aftermath of the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm). Four soldiers set out to recover Iraqi gold that Saddam Hussein stole from Kuwait. Somewhere along the way, they discover that the people, the ordinary citizens caught between the United Nations (i.e. American) juggernaut and Saddam’s brutality, need the soldiers more than the soldiers need the gold.
This is obviously an anti-war picture, but that term is rather broad, as it is for many films that are war movies or take a hard look at war and strife. Shot in a palette of shifting and unusual colors, the film is as surrealistic as the experience of sudden and massive violence can be. In the end, it’s “anti-war” in the sense that it shows how the individual must confront his part in large scale violence, in which he exists as a servant and when the warlords are faceless bureaucrats and manic officers far away from the ground level violence. It’s also about how the little people, the one’s who have no say in how things are run, take the sucker punches. If this movie does one thing well, it is how it portrays the plight of the powerless.
The elements of the film: setting, story, and characters have a hard, visceral feel. The brutal edge bites deep into the soul and makes the viewer feel for the players. On the other hand, the film feels out of control and overly earnest, as if it’s screaming its message at you. That’s not off-putting, but the film often feels hollow because the chain of events are so predictable. From the first time the soldiers (ably played by George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and Spike Jonze) encounter some Iraqi civilians getting beat up and shot, you know what’s coming. Clooney’s Maj. Archie Gates can’t leave them behind, and while Wahlberg’s Sfc. Troy Barlow first resists getting involved, he predictably relents. From that point, the Three Kings (Ice Cube’s SSgt. Chief Elgin is the third) are on an earnest holy mission; even Cube’s Elgin is made to play a pious man calling on a high authority to guide them.
Though it is well meaning and flashy, I do give Russell and story writer John Ridley credit for bluntly confronting the hypocrisy of the U.N.’s (once again, U.S.’s) public stance on why they were in Iraq the first time. Three Kings says a lot of things that needed to be said back then and are as relevant today as they were then. It’s a gut check to for a lethargic audience fat on the film treats that will inevitably lead them to tire of SFX tricks. To hear not one, but several characters, both military and civilian, in a film, confront war with such sarcasm, disdain, and sorrow is refreshing.
7 of 10
B+
NOTES:
2000 Black Reel Awards: 1 nomination: “Theatrical - Best Supporting Actor” (Ice Cube)
Three Kings (1999)
Running time: 114 minutes (1 hour, 54 minutes)
MPAA – R for graphic war violence, language and some sexuality
DIRECTOR: David O. Russell
WRITERS: David O. Russell, story by John Ridley
PRODUCERS: Paul Junger Witt, Edward L. McDonnell, and Charles Roven
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Newton Thomas Sigel
EDITOR: Robert K. Lambert
COMPOSER: Carter Burwell
ACTION/COMEDY/DRAMA/WAR
Starring: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, Spike Jonze, Cliff Curtis, Nora Dunn, Jamie Kennedy, Mykelti Washington, Judy Greer, and Liz Stauber
David O. Russell’s (Flirting with Disaster) film Three Kings is set in the aftermath of the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm). Four soldiers set out to recover Iraqi gold that Saddam Hussein stole from Kuwait. Somewhere along the way, they discover that the people, the ordinary citizens caught between the United Nations (i.e. American) juggernaut and Saddam’s brutality, need the soldiers more than the soldiers need the gold.
This is obviously an anti-war picture, but that term is rather broad, as it is for many films that are war movies or take a hard look at war and strife. Shot in a palette of shifting and unusual colors, the film is as surrealistic as the experience of sudden and massive violence can be. In the end, it’s “anti-war” in the sense that it shows how the individual must confront his part in large scale violence, in which he exists as a servant and when the warlords are faceless bureaucrats and manic officers far away from the ground level violence. It’s also about how the little people, the one’s who have no say in how things are run, take the sucker punches. If this movie does one thing well, it is how it portrays the plight of the powerless.
The elements of the film: setting, story, and characters have a hard, visceral feel. The brutal edge bites deep into the soul and makes the viewer feel for the players. On the other hand, the film feels out of control and overly earnest, as if it’s screaming its message at you. That’s not off-putting, but the film often feels hollow because the chain of events are so predictable. From the first time the soldiers (ably played by George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and Spike Jonze) encounter some Iraqi civilians getting beat up and shot, you know what’s coming. Clooney’s Maj. Archie Gates can’t leave them behind, and while Wahlberg’s Sfc. Troy Barlow first resists getting involved, he predictably relents. From that point, the Three Kings (Ice Cube’s SSgt. Chief Elgin is the third) are on an earnest holy mission; even Cube’s Elgin is made to play a pious man calling on a high authority to guide them.
Though it is well meaning and flashy, I do give Russell and story writer John Ridley credit for bluntly confronting the hypocrisy of the U.N.’s (once again, U.S.’s) public stance on why they were in Iraq the first time. Three Kings says a lot of things that needed to be said back then and are as relevant today as they were then. It’s a gut check to for a lethargic audience fat on the film treats that will inevitably lead them to tire of SFX tricks. To hear not one, but several characters, both military and civilian, in a film, confront war with such sarcasm, disdain, and sorrow is refreshing.
7 of 10
B+
NOTES:
2000 Black Reel Awards: 1 nomination: “Theatrical - Best Supporting Actor” (Ice Cube)
---------------------
Chris Nolan, David Fincher Among DGA Nominees
A few days ago, the Directors Guild of America announced the five nominees for the organization's best director award: Darren Aronofsky, David Fincher, Christopher Nolan, Tom Hooper, and and David O. Russell. The nominee list for the best director Oscar usually sticks pretty close to the DGA selections. The most obvious names missing from this list are the brothers Joel and Ethan Coen (for True Grit).
I think many movie award watchers believe David O. Russell (The Fighter) may be the odd man out in favor of the Coens when the Oscar nominations are announced later this month. However, I wouldn't be surprised if Chris Nolan (for Inception) didn't get a best director Oscar nomination, as happened when he got a DGA nomination but not an Oscar nod for The Dark Knight in 2008, and also for Memento in 2001. Lord knows that Nolan fans want Oscar validation for him, and the Lord also knows that he should have received that validation already (although he did receive a screenplay Oscar nomination for Memento). Here, is the press release from the DGA:
LOS ANGELES, CA: Directors Guild of America President Taylor Hackford today announced the five nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2010.
"2011 marks the 75th anniversary of the DGA, making the celebration of this year's five nominees especially meaningful," said Hackford. "Their inspired films radiate the passion and unique vision of each of these filmmakers, who are about to become part of our Guild's rich history. My sincerest congratulations to all five nominees."
The winner will be named at the 63rd Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 29, 2011, at the Grand Ballroom of Hollywood and Highland.
DARREN ARONOFSKY
Black Swan
(Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Mr. Aronofsky’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Jennifer Roth
First Assistant Director: Joseph Reidy
Second Assistant Director: Amy Lauritsen
Second Second Assistant Director: Travis Rehwaldt
Location Manager: Ronnie Kupferwasser
This is Mr. Aronofsky’s first DGA Feature Film Award Nomination.
DAVID FINCHER
The Social Network
(Columbia Pictures)
Mr. Fincher’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: JoAnn Perritano
First Assistant Director: Bob Wagner
Second Assistant Director: Allen Kupetsky
Second Second Assistant Director: Maileen Williams
This is Mr. Fincher’s second DGA Feature Film Award nomination. He was previously nominated for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in 2008. He previously won the DGA Commercial Award for Speed Chain (Nike), Gamebreakers (Nikegridiron.com), and Beauty for Sale (Xelibri Phones) in 2003 and was nominated in that category again in 2008.
TOM HOOPER
The King’s Speech
(The Weinstein Co.)
Mr. Hooper’s Directorial Team:
Production Manager: Erica Bensly
First Assistant Director: Martin Harrison
Second Assistant Director: Chris Stoaling
This is Mr. Hooper’s first DGA Feature Film Award Nomination. He was previously nominated for the DGA Award for Movies for Television/Miniseries for John Adams in 2008.
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN
Inception
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
Mr. Nolan’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Jan Foster
First Assistant Director: Nilo Otero
Second Assistant Director: Brandon Lambdin
Second Second Assistant Director: Greg Pawlik
Additional Second Assistant Director: Lauren Pasternack
This is Mr. Nolan’s third DGA Feature Film Award nomination. He was previously nominated for The Dark Knight in 2008 and for Memento in 2001.
DAVID O. RUSSELL
The Fighter
(Paramount Pictures and The Weinstein Co.)
Mr. Russell’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Mark Kamine
First Assistant Director: Michele Ziegler
Second Assistant Director: Xanthus Valan
Second Second Assistant Director: Timothy Blockburger
This is Mr. Russell’s first DGA Feature Film Award nomination.
www.dga.org/
I think many movie award watchers believe David O. Russell (The Fighter) may be the odd man out in favor of the Coens when the Oscar nominations are announced later this month. However, I wouldn't be surprised if Chris Nolan (for Inception) didn't get a best director Oscar nomination, as happened when he got a DGA nomination but not an Oscar nod for The Dark Knight in 2008, and also for Memento in 2001. Lord knows that Nolan fans want Oscar validation for him, and the Lord also knows that he should have received that validation already (although he did receive a screenplay Oscar nomination for Memento). Here, is the press release from the DGA:
LOS ANGELES, CA: Directors Guild of America President Taylor Hackford today announced the five nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2010.
"2011 marks the 75th anniversary of the DGA, making the celebration of this year's five nominees especially meaningful," said Hackford. "Their inspired films radiate the passion and unique vision of each of these filmmakers, who are about to become part of our Guild's rich history. My sincerest congratulations to all five nominees."
The winner will be named at the 63rd Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 29, 2011, at the Grand Ballroom of Hollywood and Highland.
DARREN ARONOFSKY
Black Swan
(Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Mr. Aronofsky’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Jennifer Roth
First Assistant Director: Joseph Reidy
Second Assistant Director: Amy Lauritsen
Second Second Assistant Director: Travis Rehwaldt
Location Manager: Ronnie Kupferwasser
This is Mr. Aronofsky’s first DGA Feature Film Award Nomination.
DAVID FINCHER
The Social Network
(Columbia Pictures)
Mr. Fincher’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: JoAnn Perritano
First Assistant Director: Bob Wagner
Second Assistant Director: Allen Kupetsky
Second Second Assistant Director: Maileen Williams
This is Mr. Fincher’s second DGA Feature Film Award nomination. He was previously nominated for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in 2008. He previously won the DGA Commercial Award for Speed Chain (Nike), Gamebreakers (Nikegridiron.com), and Beauty for Sale (Xelibri Phones) in 2003 and was nominated in that category again in 2008.
TOM HOOPER
The King’s Speech
(The Weinstein Co.)
Mr. Hooper’s Directorial Team:
Production Manager: Erica Bensly
First Assistant Director: Martin Harrison
Second Assistant Director: Chris Stoaling
This is Mr. Hooper’s first DGA Feature Film Award Nomination. He was previously nominated for the DGA Award for Movies for Television/Miniseries for John Adams in 2008.
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN
Inception
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
Mr. Nolan’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Jan Foster
First Assistant Director: Nilo Otero
Second Assistant Director: Brandon Lambdin
Second Second Assistant Director: Greg Pawlik
Additional Second Assistant Director: Lauren Pasternack
This is Mr. Nolan’s third DGA Feature Film Award nomination. He was previously nominated for The Dark Knight in 2008 and for Memento in 2001.
DAVID O. RUSSELL
The Fighter
(Paramount Pictures and The Weinstein Co.)
Mr. Russell’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Mark Kamine
First Assistant Director: Michele Ziegler
Second Assistant Director: Xanthus Valan
Second Second Assistant Director: Timothy Blockburger
This is Mr. Russell’s first DGA Feature Film Award nomination.
www.dga.org/
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