Top Ten: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

This year for the Hollmann Awards, we're counting down my Top Ten of the Year -- one entry per day, coupled with two categories -- leading up the naming of Best Picture of the Year.

#6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

dir: Stephen Chbosky

wr: Stephen Chbosky, from his novel

cin: Andrew Dunn  

The surprise of the year for me was The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I didn't think much of the trailer, which had some good music looked like it was selling every high school movie I could think of ("we accept the love we think we deserve"? who says that?!). But I went to see it because my best friend recommended it and because I see everything. And I swear to you those tears started coming when titular wallflower Charlie got off that wall and joined in a dance to "Come On, Eileen". This movie got me, and we were only fifteen minutes in. Maybe less, I don't know.

Top Ten: Skyfall

This year for the Hollmann Awards, we're counting down my Top Ten of the Year -- one entry per day, coupled with two categories -- leading up the naming of Best Picture of the Year.

#9. Skyfall

dir: Sam Mendes

wr: John Logan/Neal Purvis/Robert Wade, from characters created by Ian Fleming

cin: Roger Deakins

I love James Bond. It's a love affair that's entering its 10th Anniversary, and for their part, EON gave me one of the best films of the year, 007-based or otherwise.  

Shock and Awe: Oscar Nomination Morn

Here is the beginning of my post.

Yes, of course I was up at 5:20 PST to watch the Oscr nominations live. I am obsessed.

Between bouts of uncomfortable schtick with Oscar host Seth MacFarlane and dream girl Emma Stone, the Academy pulled a fast one. No one got 100% on their predictions, I guarantee that right now.

The biggest surprise, I think, was the Best Director category: I knew Hooper was out, but the final list also excludes Kathryn Bigelow and former frontrunner Ben Affleck! They were considered the big locks, with many predicting their respective films to take home Best Picture. Gonna be hard to do that without a Director nom, although their films were Best Pic nominated.

Next surprise: Love for The Master, Beasts of the Southern Wild and Silver Linings Playbook. All three were more popular than I'd imagined, with Silver Linings netting four acting nominations in addition to its nods in Adapted Screenplay, Director and Picture. Beasts star Quvenzhane Wallis made history as the youngest Best Actress nominee of all time (she's nine!), while all three of The Master's stars were nominated.

Could this be due to the new voting process? Word spread that the new online balloting system was troubling older Academy members, leading many to fear that their votes would be miscounted or not processed at all. Looking at these nominees, they may not have been wrong -- although thank God, if so. This could not be a more fresh and exciting group of nominees.

Eschewing alphabetical order to make the suspense all the more agonizing, here, in order of their announcement, are the eleven categories featured on the live broadcast:

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master

Robert De Niro. Silver Linings Playbook

Alan Arkin, Argo

Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln

 

SONG

Before My Time - Chasing Ice

Suddenly - Les Miserables

Pi's Lullaby - Life of Pi

Everybody Needs a Best Friend - Ted

Skyfall - Skyfall

SUPPORTING ACTRESS 

"The Academy said YES!"

Sally Field, Lincoln

Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables

Helen Hunt, The Sessions

Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook

Amy Adams, The Master

ANIMATED FEATURE

Frankenweenie

The Pirates! Band of Misfits

Wreck-It Ralph

ParaNorman

Brave

FOREIGN FILM

Amour

No

War Witch

A Royal Affair

Kon-Tiki

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Beasts of the Southern Wild - Lucy Alibar/Benh Zeitlin

Argo - Chris Terrio

Lincoln - Tony Kushner

Silver Linings Playbook - David O. Russell

Life of Pi - David Magee

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Flight - John Gatins

Zero Dark Thirty - Mark Boal

Django Unchained - Quentin Tarantino

Amour - Michael Haneke

Moonrise Kingdom - Wes Anderson/Roman Coppola

DIRECTOR

"Where are youuuuu? Why do you hiiiiiide?"

David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook

Ang Lee, Life of Pi

Steven Spielberg, Lincoln

Michael Haneke, Amour

Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild

ACTOR

Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

Denzel Washington, Flight

Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables

Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook

Joaquin Phoenix, The Master

ACTRESS

Nothing, Emmanuelle. For you, anyway.

Naomi Watts, The Impossible

Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty

Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook

Emmanuelle Riva, Amour

Quvenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild

PICTURE

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Silver Linings Playbook

Zero Dark Thirty

Lincoln

Les Miserables

Life of Pi

Amour

Django Unchained

Argo

I love that Zeitlin got in, but I think my favorite nomination is The Pirates! Band of Misfits for Best Animated Feature. 

You sly little devil, you.

Meanwhile, Anna Karenina gets the love it deserves, Life of Pi gets more mentions than I thought possible, my beloved Cloud Atlas is left in the dust despite it boasting INCREDIBLE production design and visual effects, and Skyfall corrects 35 years of Bond snubs by getting into four more categories.

The rest of the field:

Crystal Ball, Golden Trophy

With Oscar nominations happening in just 4 and a half hours, it's time to join the chorus of bloggers and predict! The nominees!
I know 1:00AM PST may seem a little late to jump on this bandwagon, but it's fine. You'll be up early to watch the nominations live anyway, so I just became the most relevant Oscarologist.

Without any further ado....

BEST PICTURE

I've never seen a season like this before. Were there only five slots open, I know exactly who I'd pick, but there aren't. Anywhere from five to ten films could be nominated, based on voters' passion -- and if Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close could get in last year, what could stop The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel?

So, let me think of the films that I absolutely could not imagine being left off the role call:

ARGO

LIFE OF PI

LINCOLN

LES MISERABLES

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

ZERO DARK THIRTY

As well as anything I imagine will get in based on passion, visibility, etc.:

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

DJANGO UNCHAINED

MOONRISE KINGDOM

Making nine nominees for Best Picture, at most. By the way, if there were only five nominees, I would expect Life of Pi to miss from those first six.

BEST DIRECTOR 

Now what? The DGA nominations have only repeated six times in Oscar History - 1977, 1981, 1998, 2002, 2005 and 2009. You'll notice that half of those instances is within the last ten years. I hope -- I need -- a Tarantino or an Anderson (either, really) to make it in, but I have this awful fear that yesterday's dull line-up is destined to repeat tomorrow morning.

These predictions, and more, after the jump:

DGA Nomineezzzzzzz

I didn't realize that the DGA nominees were announced today. Even when people starting Tweeting the names of those honored, I thought to myself, "What dull, middle-of-the-road predix. You know the DGA will shake it up, Fincher-style." But alas!

Another Guilds Group, Another Show...

Yet another guild has announced, and it's a favorite of mine: THE WRITERS GUILD! The Writers Guild is fun because every year they have a list of potential Oscar frontrunners that are deemed ineligible for their own prize, mostly something to do with registration or lack of guild membership or yada-yada-yada. For instance, Quentin Tarantino, one of the most distinct voices in screenwriting ever, has never been up for a WGA award because he refuses to join the guilds. That's a heads up, by the way: you won't find Django Unchained here, but don't expect that to impact its Oscar chances.
Because of this rule, though, we get to see work that otherwise wouldn't be so honored up for a nomination! And while no one wants to get in due to a technicality (ex.: no one wants to be crowned Mt. Rose American Teen Princess because of an exploding swan), they get to put "award-nominated screenwriter" on their resume. You know that's gotta feel good.

Producers to the Left, Art Directors to the Right

The Producers' Guild surprised everyone by announcing their nominees a day (or two?) early. Here are their nominees:

Globes Giveth (Kidman), Globes Taketh (Knightley)

SONG

For You - Act of Valor

Safe and Sound - The Hunger Games

Suddenly - Les Miserables

Skyfall - Skyfall

Not Running Anymore - Stand Up Guys

Stand Up Guys? The Taylor Swift song from Hunger Games? Act of Valor? Guys, the only proper response to the HFPA is limitless adoration.

SCORE

Anna Karenina - Dario Marianelli

Argo - Alexandre Desplat

Cloud Atlas - Johnny Klimek/Reinhold Heil/Tom Tykwer

Life of Pi - Mychael Danna

Lincoln - John Williams

Finally, some love for Cloud Atlas! All very strong contenders; expect win for Karenina, Atlas or Pi. 

SCREENPLAY

Mark Boal, Zero Dark Thirty

Tony Kushner, Lincoln

David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook

Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

Chris Terrio, Argo

Your usual suspects, with two counting as original (Zero, Django), and three as adapted. Still think Silver Linings Playbook is weak in the script department, but I better get used to this.

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL/COMEDY

Jack Black, Bernie

Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook

Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables

Ewan McGregor, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Bill Murray, Hyde Park on Hudson

Surprised that Hyde Park on Hudson can be considered a movie; especially depressing considering that Tommy Lee Jones' performance in Hope Springs goes unrecognized. Abandoned by SAG, the BFCA, and now the HFPA. Woe to the man who does not campaign for the pre-September release.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Alan Arkin, Argo

Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained

Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master

Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln

Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

Arkin, Hoffman and Jones are definite locks at this point, but Globes switch it up a bit by nominating both DiCaprio and Waltz for Django. I'm surprised they didn't go for De Niro in Silver Linings, but they do love their Tarantino actors.

BEST ACTRESS - DRAMA

Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty

Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone

Helen Mirren, Hitchcock

Naomi Watts, The Impossible

Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea

Emmanuelle Riva looking more and more like the outsider looking in...unless she winds up as the surprise nominee come January 10. Keira Knightley's incredible performance in Anna Karenina is officially KIA. If she can't get support from the Globes, there's no hope left. Glad for Cotillard, though. And how about that Rachel Weisz!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amy Adams, The Master

Sally Field, Lincoln

Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables

Helen Hunt, The Sessions

Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy

NICOLE KIDMAN. Oh my God, this is actually happening!

BEST ACTRESS - MUSICAL/COMEDY

Emily Blunt, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Judi Dench, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook

Maggie Smith, Quartet

Meryl Streep, Hope Springs

Yeah, I had a feeling Salmon Fishing would be their cup of tea, showing up both here and in Actor. Dench, Lawrence and Streep were givens, but I see they made up to Smith for not nominating her in Supporting Actress. She actually is delightful in Quartet, but Hoffman (or his editor or someone) chose to cut away from a lot of her beats, undercutting some of her performance. 

BEST PICTURE - MUSICAL/COMEDY

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Les Miserables

Moonrise Kingdom

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Silver Linings Playbook

BEST ACTOR - DRAMA

Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

Richard Gere, Arbitrage

John Hawkes, The Sessions

Joaquin Phoenix, The Master

Denzel Washington, Flight

It's official -- the HFPA likes The Master more than SAG.

BEST DIRECTOR

Ben Affleck, Argo

Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty

Ang Lee, Life of Pi

Steven Spielberg, Lincoln

Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

BEST PICTURE - DRAMA

Argo

Django Unchained

Life of Pi

Lincoln

Zero Dark Thirty

Well, of course the best-directed films must be the dramas! Held out hope for a nod for Wes Anderson, but screenplay was already crowded and he was a longshot for director. No nod for Tom Hooper, either, which is a surprise considering Les Miserables was the supposed front-runner a week ago.

I'm grateful for Dench, Cotillard, Team Lincoln, Moonrise Kingdom and Nicole Kidman. I'm burning a candle for Anna Karenina and Cloud Atlas, two masterpieces that are more than their scores (not to look that gift horse in the mouth, though: deserved noms, both).

Actors Nomming Actors: SAG

The Screen Actors Guild nominees arrived this morning at (roughly) 5:55AM, PST. I had an alarm set and everything, almost falling back asleep with the thought, "Eh, it's just the Globes, I'll read everyone's take later." Which is wrong in many ways. What kind of monster would choose to sleep during the Globe nominees? Had I already forgotten last year, when announcer Woody Harrelson objected to Rampart's complete absence, and when Sofia Vergara Charo'd out with her pronunciation of Scorsese's name (Ma-reen Scor-sez)?

Not that that matters, because that's tomorrow. What matters is this: SCREEN ACTORS GUILD nominees!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Alan Arkin, Argo

Javier Bardem, Skyfall

Robert DeNiro, Silver Linings Playbook

Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master

Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln

SURPRISE!: Bardem gets in for his Bond villain, the first time the franchise has been honored by any of the major guilds (WGA, DGA, PGA, SAG).

HOORAY: Bardem obviously, but even though they're pretty much locks, I'm always rooting for Hoffman and Jones in their respective films. I didn't care much for The Master, but I think Hoffman does a magnificent job of presenting the subtle manipulations and irrepressible charm of Lancaster Dodd, as well as the little weaknesses that weaken his own fortitude.

As for Jones in Lincoln: bad-ass. (You saw the Cinemaniacs review of Lincoln, right?)

MIA: Leonardo DiCaprio (Django Unchained); I blame the late arrival of the film, since Tarantino's flicks usually pick up some steam at these things

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Sally Field, Lincoln

Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables

Helen Hunt, The Sessions

Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy

Maggie Smith, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

SURPRISE!: Kidman gets in for her white trash sexed-up Barbie doll in Lee Daniels' dark, camp thriller The Paperboy.

HOORAY: SAG gave out pleasant surprises higgledy-piggledy this year: Kidman gave one of the strongest performances of the year (even if it isn't, in my mind, a supporting one). Also appreciate the continued love for Hunt's work in The Sessions, though hers is not a supporting performance either.

MIA: Ann Dowd (Compliance), Amy Adams (The Master), Samantha Barks (Les Miserables), Judi Dench (Skyfall)

BEST ACTOR

Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook

Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

John Hawkes, The Sessions

Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables

Denzel Washington, Flight

SURPRISE!: None. For me, anyway. I know others were expecting Joaquin Phoenix in The Master, but I sure as hell wasn't.

HOORAY: No Phoenix!

MIA: Joaquin Phoenix (The Master), Anthony Hopkins (Hitchcock), Jean-Louis Trintignant (Amour)

BEST ACTRESS

Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty

Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone

Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook

Helen Mirren, Hitchcock

Naomi Watts, The Impossible

SURPRISE!: This goes into MIA as well, but the absence of both Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant for Amour surprised many today. I'm assuming that they weren't eligible, or at least unseen by the members of the nominating committee. Mirren and Watts making it in raised my eyebrows.

HOORAY: Cotillard, whose film I just saw last night, is superb.

MIA: Emmanuelle Riva (Amour), Judi Dench (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel)

BEST ENSEMBLE

Argo

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Lincoln

Les Miserables

Silver Linings Playbook

SURPRISE!: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel!

HOORAY: Argo, Best Exotic, Lincoln and Silver Linings all boasted superlative casts with great chemistry; in some cases, they saved the movie (but you've seen the Cinemaniacs reviews of Silver Linings Playbook, right?). I haven't seen Les Mis, so only time will tell.

MIA: Strong ensemble work this year - Moonrise Kingdom, Magic Mike, Damsels in Distress, The Sessions, The Paperboy, and Cloud Atlas all deserved nods here, but I wouldn't know which of them to choose and which of these solid nominees to replace.

I'm Back; So Is Oscar

Is it time for that alfready? Of course it is. Nathaniel Rogers was the first to establish April Fool's Day as the start of Oscar predictions for the coming year, for what could be more follish than to try to guess the finalists eight months in advance? Well, he waved the green flag, so it's a go for all of us.

Last year, I did "eh" on my predictions, as per usual. It's difficult, sometimes, to see things like Midnight in Paris or The Artist coming -- especially since no one knew about the Hazanavicius until Cannes. But these were never about my predicting prowess. This is mainly about looking forward to the year ahead, much like my Top 25 Anticipated. There are films as yet unknown that will fill some of these spots; there are films seen here that will crash and burn. It happens. Until then, a guy can dream, can't he?

BEST PICTURE

The Gangster Squad

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Lincoln

The Master

Les Miserables

Anna Karenina

Django Unchained

The Silver Linings Playbook

The Great Gatsby

Gravity

Because of that rule change, I've had to clarify my predictions here. Remember, it's five at the least, ten at the most, and everything in between, depending on how voting goes. Still, those first five are safe either way. The next five are ranked in order of likelihood, not to be taken seriously since it's only April. We are fools, aren't we?

Last year: 2/10 - The Tree of Life, War Horse

BEST DIRECTOR

Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master

Tom Hooper, Les Miserables

Baz Luhrmann, The Great Gatsby

Ruben Fleischer, The Gangster Squad

Steven Spielberg, Lincoln

God, 2012 is looking to be such a strong year for my favorite filmmakers. I'm taking a chance and saying Luhrmann becomes the first director ever to be honored for Gatsby. Fleischer's probably the wildest card here, since his previous films are action-comedies: Zombieland, 30 Minutes or Less. Will Hooper score again? Will Anderson finally get his?

Last year: 1/5 - Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

BEST ACTRESS

Elizabeth Banks, People Like Us

Sandra Bullock, Gravity

Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy

Keira Knightley, Anna Karenina

Meryl Streep, Great Hope Springs

Despite that clunky-looking trailer, People Like Us boasts a central female role that attracted such Academy darlings as Amy Adams and Hilary Swank -- expect eventual star Banks to reap the rewards. Knightley and director Joe Wright are a superb combo, and I can only imagine the camp wonder that Kidman's femme fatale could bring to a Lee Daniels film. I'm less confident in my predictions for Bullock and Streep, and am half-tempted to throw in Seyfried for Lovelace...but I can't quite decide who to kick out for her. We'll see...

Last year: 3/5 - Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs; Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady; Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn

BEST ACTOR

Bradley Cooper, The Silver Linings Playbook

Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

John Hawkes, The Surrogate

Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master

Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables

Early buzz says John Hawkes is a shoo-in, and as Demian Bechir can attest, sometimes it's good to come out early. Day-Lewis as Lincoln seems as obvious a get as Morgan Freeman as Mandela. If ever this was going to happen for Jackman, it would have to be for a lead role in a musical -- if not now, when? Cooper's more or less my shot in the dark, yet I have a good feeling about it. And Hoffman as a charismatic religious leader for PTA....the only threat to his win (calm down, Walter, it's only April) is Hugh Jackman!

Last year: 2/5 - George Clooney, The Descendants; Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amy Adams, The Master

Samantha Barks, Les Miserables

Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables

Helen Hunt, The Surrogate

Emma Stone, The Gangster Squad

Isn't Stone at the right age for an Oscar nom? You know they love 'em young... Speaking of, newcomer Barks will probably fill that STAR IS BORN slot, with a role as ripe for rewards as, say, Effie White? I'm following Surrogate buzz to include Hunt, and logic to include Adams -- she's their favorite supporting actress, it seems. Hathaway will probably win an Oscar someday, though I'm not going to declare it for Fantine just yet. Still, a nomination for Les Mis is a step in the right direction.

Last year: 0/5 - predicted Chastain for Tree of Life instead of The Help

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Russell Crowe, Les Miserables

Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained

James Gandolfini, Not Fade Away

John Goodman, Argo

Sean Penn, The Gangster Squad

Penn as Jewish mobster Mickey Cohen? Crowe as Inspector Javert? DiCaprio in a Tarantino flick? You'd be mad not to assume these three, at the very least, are getting in. Ben Affleck has gotten nominations for Amy Ryan and Jeremy Renner, so you know someone's getting in from Argo -- perhaps the never-nominated, always-beloved John Goodman? If the movie's any good, Gandolfini could get in for his New Jersey father whose son starts a rock band in the 60s. I admit, though, he's probably my least certain choice.

Last year: 1/5 - Christopher Plummer, Beginners

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Brave - Brenda Chapman, Irene Mecchi

Django Unchained - Quentin Tarantino

The Master - Paul Thomas Anderson

Not Fade Away - David Chase

The Surrogate - Ben Lewin

Pixar returns triumphant after Cars 2, Tarantino's words work their magic, Lewin for the indie slot, David Chase is welcomed (partly for The Sopranos, let's be real), and director Anderson takes it.

Last year: 0/5 - this bodes well

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Anna Karenina - Tom Stoppard

The Gangster Squad - Will Beall

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro

Les Miserables - William Nicholson

The Silver Linings Playbook - David O. Russell

Best Picture nominees, plus Anna Karenina!

Last year: 1/5 - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

If there's one question mark, it's Inside Llewyn Davis, scheduled for a tentative 2013 release which could turn into a late 2012. We'll see.

It's Coming, It's Coming, It's Coming...

Yes, it's another Top 25 List, but one that looks forward instead of back. It's always a ball to see what we're looking forward to at a given time; apparently, Butter and Water for Elephants had me positively salivating with anticipation, more so than War Horse or Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, respectively. Of course, Butter never got released, but I had such high hopes for Elephants. Of the 21 films actually released last year, I saw 17 of my listed desires. Hopefully, I shall do better this year. I made it a New Year's Resolution to see over 100 2012 films this year. Let's see if I can do it!

Certainly, if all pans out with the release dates, these will get top priority. Compiled from an initial list of 64, these are the 25 Films I Most Anticipate for the coming year:

25. Leatherface 3D

October 5, 2012

I actually liked the Texas Chain Saw remake and its prequel, though I hear this one is more of a sequel to the '74 original. Even better, says I, since I believe the original is one of the greatest films of its year (certainly better than The Godfather: Part II). I'm also more on board with 3D than most everyone else, although that's strictly for films actually shot in 3D. Unless James Cameron is involved, keep your post-conversion away.

24. The Paperboy

Lee Daniels is awesome. Precious improves exponentially on each viewing -- a film that was only in my Top 25 of 2009, but should've been a Hollmann Award Nominee for Best Picture. Shadowboxer is terrible, but a very get-drunk-with-friends-and-rewatch-countlessly terrible. And you can't say he's a safe filmmaker in regards to editing, cinematography, and casting. SO -- now we have this film, with a poster that promises a pulpy good time with the underrated Zac Efron and the great Nicole Kidman. Coming from Daniels, I am assured of one thing: it won't be boring.

23. Gravity

November 21, 2012
It's Cuaron's first narrative feature since Children of Men...in 2006. If you've looked back, you'll see that Cuaron was nominated for Director and Writer at the first Hollmann Awards, so naturally the follow-up is of interest to us. I've always liked Sandra Bullock, even if I don't agree with her Oscar win, and I love George Clooney, so I'll be fine with them tethered together. Oh, and that plot: two astronauts hurtling through space, tied to each other. What is that about??

22. Frankenweenie

October 5, 2012
Tim Burton turns his live action short into a stop-motion feature. This could be his most personal film in years, and Lord knows I've been waiting for that. True, at first I was skeptical, but then it was announced that the cast would include Ed Wood's Martin Landau, Beetle Juice's Catherine O'Hara, Edward Scissorhands' Winona Ryder (yes, she was also in Beetle Juice, but to me she'll always be Kim Boggs) and Mars Attacks' Martin Short. Gah!

21. Lovelace

I rarely miss a Seyfried film, but it's safe to say that if this film wasn't happening, Inferno with Malik Akerman would be here. The heyday of the porn industry is fascinating, a time already beautifully covered in Boogie Nights and defined by such notable films as Alice in Wonderland, Deep Throat and Behind the Green Door.  Now we've got an all-star cast in a drama about one of the industry's most famous and infamous figures. Yeah, I'm there.

20. Wettest County

August 31, 2012
Jessica Chastain now has to fulfill the promise she made to us in 2011. A bootlegging crime flick is probably the way to do it (and sail right into my heart while you're at it!). From a screenplay by Nick Cave (!), who co-composed the lovely, elegiac score for The Assassination of Jesse James.

19. The Amazing Spider-Man

July 3, 2012
Deep inside, I know this cynical cash-grab is not a great idea. The first trilogy is still so fresh in my mind, and it'll be made all the weirder when Peter Parker shows up in Gatsby the same year. Nevertheless, Andrew Garfield is always great, Emma Stone is always lovely, and holy fucking shit MARTIN SHEEN. MAAAAAAARTIN SHEEEEEEEEEEN!!!!!

18. ParaNorman

August 17, 2012
Stop-motion kids adventure film with zombies and monsters and stuff? Is Christmas in August now? This trailer:

17. The Dark Knight Rises

July 20, 2012
Well, OF COURSE. I'm one of those people who thinks both Batman movies should have been major contenders! And the trailer was all ALFRED BANE FOOTBALL COLLAPSE WHAAAAAA??? Goosebumps, I tells ya!

16. Magic Mike

 
June 29, 2012
Getting your script directed by Hollmann Award Nominee Steven Soderbergh? A step in the right direction, Channing Tatum. Set to show off the full range of his talents, Magic Mike has Tatum playing a mentor to novice male stripper Alex Pettyfer. It could be gold, it could be camp, but it can't be boring. God help me it if it is. I also can't say the title without singing it to the tune of Village People's "Magic Night".

15. Prometheus

June 8, 2012

14. Moonrise Kingdom

May 25, 2012
From the trailer, it looks like Wes Anderson's delivering a retro romance between runaway adolescents. That's a tune I can groove to, as my love for Super 8 should surely display. I also just kind of love Wes Anderson, who's made one dud (Darjeeling), three masterworks (Tenenbaums, Zissou, Fox) and the delightful Rushmore. Plus a movie I haven't seen! And that cast! Could I love this ensemble more?

13. Cloud Atlas

I don't know what to expect. That thrills me.

12. Hyde Park on Hudson

Because I'm secretly an old man, easily entertained and satisfied by the unchallenging direction of Roger Michell. But I'm also a supporter of Bill Murray and Laura Linney, so to have them together...in period garb...as FDR and his mistress...sounds right up my alley. I do enjoy a bit of juicy gossip, too, which is probably why I like tell-all memoirs more than those perfectly respectable and perfectly dull autobiographies. Finally, Eleanor Roosevelt is groovy.

11. Anna Karenina

This movie would have already made it in based on my appreciation for the films of Joe Wright and the literary origins alone. It's like Merchant-Ivory up in here! Now, there's word that the film is going to be more experimental, taking place on a soundstage that reflects the false surfaces of its characters. Double intrigue!

10. Darling Companion

April 20, 2012
It's a film about a married couple wherein the wife loves the dog more than the husband and the husband "loses" the dog. What's the fuss? I'll tell you the fuss. It's the return of Lawrence Kasdan (The Big Chill, The Accidental Tourist), the pairing of Diane Keaton and Kevin Kline, and the presence of Dianne Wiest. I am powerless against a Wiest Infection.

9. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

May 4, 2012
Man, I love it when I can have the same movie on two anticipated lists in a row. But it's finally, actually coming out in May, and comes equipped with a trailer that promises a warm, enjoyable romp about spiritual awakenings for senior citizens. Judi Dench and Maggie Smith both appear, which means it's going to be a four-star spectacular featuring superlative costumes.

8. Lincoln

December 2012
Long-awaited biopic finally hits theaters! And while for years all I could imagine was how perfect Liam Neeson was for the part, the swap for Daniel Day-Lewis is undeniably a step up. I love Neeson, don't get me wrong, but DANIEL DAY-LEWIS. Rare is the time when he is miscast (Nine), and even then, he makes the most of it.

7. Nero Fiddled

After Midnight in Paris made good on my expectations, you better believe I'm ready for another Woody Allen. The man's back in front of the camera, alongside Allen vets Judy Davis, Penelope Cruz and Alec Baldwin and newbies Ellen Page, Greta Gerwig, Jesse Eisenberg and Roberto Benigni. To see Rome from Allen's eyes is to invite magic, surely, and as Everything You've Always Wanted to Know About Sex showed, the man's expert with an anthology.

6. Gangster Squad

October 19, 2012
I'm getting the same rush of anticipation I got from Public Enemies, a film that almost won the Hollmann Award for Best Picture. This one's got some of my favorite working actors involved - Emma Stone, Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin - as well as Ruben Fleischer, whose Zombieland was great and whose 30 Minutes or Less was pretty fun. Tone shifts always get my interest.

5. Rock of Ages

June 15, 2012
After Hairspray, I will follow Adam Shankman into the fires of Mordor itself.

4. Skyfall

November 9, 2012
JAMES. BOND.

3. Django Unchained

December 25, 2012
With one film, Tarantino will answer a number of questions that have lingered with me. When is Jamie Foxx going to be good again? When will people take Sam Jackson seriously again? Wouldn't it be awesome if Tarantino tackled the Civil War era?

2. Les Miserables

December 7, 2012
Long have I awaited an adaptation of this musical. I've even got a Casting Coup for it! The King's Speech made it to my Top Ten of 2010, so I naturally want to see what Tom Hooper does next. I'm curious to see what will be cut, how much dialogue, if any, will be added. And the cast: Hugh Jackman finally singing on screen, Russell Crowe playing Javert (I cast him as Valjean), Amanda Seyfried...

1. The Great Gatsby

December 25, 2012
On April 4, 2009, I posted this Casting Coup featuring Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby. It was actually a reworking of a cast list I made for English class back in April of...2006. I argued with the teacher that the ONLY person capable of playing Gatsby would be Leonardo DiCaprio...if he can keep his brow from furrowing. Now DiCaprio is Gatsby, what else could I ask for? Well, I have always said that since the strength of Gatsby lies in its words, then a film version should emphasize the visual aspect. The '74 version doesn't completely work because it tries to keep much of the text. All it would need is a visual director. Someone like, oh I don't know, BAZ LUHRMANN? God, I am so excited for this film.

It was tough whittling it down to 25, but I decided to cut out the films that may be delayed until 2013: Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master, Charlie Kaufman's Frank or Francis?, the Coen Brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis, and Neil Labute's Crooked House. I also cut out Titanic 3D, since it's just a remastered, 3D'd re-release of a 1997 flick, but holy shit, I will finally get to see that movie on the big screen!