I know they're on right now, but I just got back from dinner with my cousins. So now, what I would have predicted.
BEST DRAMA: Slumdog Millionaire
BEST COMEDY/MUSICAL: Happy-Go-Lucky
BEST ACTOR (DRAMA): Sean Penn, Milk
BEST ACTRESS (DRAMA): Meryl Streep, Doubt
BEST ACTOR (COMEDY/MUSICAL): Colin Farrell, In Bruges
BEST ACTRESS (COMEDY/MUSICAL): Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
BEST DIRECTOR: David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
BEST SONG: The Wrestler
BEST SCORE: Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
BEST SCREENPLAY: Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
I can already see how wrong I am. How very, very wrong.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Them What's at the Helm
And so, the DGA announced their nominations today, finishing off the Big Guild Nominations. We've heard from SAG, PGA, WGA, and now DGA.
For those who just want to hear the damn names,
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant, Milk
All these films are nominated at the WGA. This matches up 5/5 with the PGA noms, and 4/5 with the SAG Ensemble noms. I say Fincher wins this one, and I'll only be surprised if Van Sant gets it. Well, I'll raise my eyebrows for Nolan, but then I'll nod knowingly to myself.
I have no big problem with these, either. I've yet to see Slumdog, but the other four made it to my Top Ten of 2008. That's cool.
I mean, Howard's no Demme or Kaufman, but it is the best he's done. Eh, good job.
For those who just want to hear the damn names,
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant, Milk
All these films are nominated at the WGA. This matches up 5/5 with the PGA noms, and 4/5 with the SAG Ensemble noms. I say Fincher wins this one, and I'll only be surprised if Van Sant gets it. Well, I'll raise my eyebrows for Nolan, but then I'll nod knowingly to myself.
I have no big problem with these, either. I've yet to see Slumdog, but the other four made it to my Top Ten of 2008. That's cool.
I mean, Howard's no Demme or Kaufman, but it is the best he's done. Eh, good job.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
My Favorite Guild Announced
Original
Woody Allen, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Dustin Lance Black, Milk
Ethan Coen/Joel Coen, Burn After Reading
Thomas McCarthy, The Visitor
Robert Siegel, The Wrestler
REACTION: A rant, if I may.
Fair enough, I have yet to read the screenplays to Milk (though I did see the movie), The Visitor, and The Wrestler. I confess, this is true, so perhaps this opinion just isn't right. And, you know, I love Woody Allen. If the Cinema is a church, than he and Altman are the saints I pray to. A WGA nomination after thirteen years without is INCREDIBLE.
But that does not excuse the lack of a nomination for Rachel Getting Married or Synecdoche, NY.
I mean, am I crazy? Do I just like some really sub-par movies? Because last I checked, Rachel and Synecdoche were two of the best films I'd seen all year. Maybe I should read the screenplay to the former, maybe it was not as beautifully done as the film was. But i read Vicky Cristina, and I have a copy of one of the earlier drafts of Annie Hall, so a comparison of the two shows me that (a) Woody's writing has gotten a little sparse, and (b) the acting is what makes VCB, fan though I be of the Woodster.
Synecdoche, meanwhile, is just beautifully written, not to mention completely original in style, concept, execution, etc. And that's no disrespect to VCB, Milk, etc. Two of these films made it to my Top Ten, so I obviously love them. It's just...I don't know. Even when I win, I lose.
That said, I do congratulate all on their noms, and I hope to read/see their films soon.
Adapted
Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan/Jonathan Nolan (Story by Christopher Nolan/David S. Goyer), The Dark Knight
Eric Roth (Story by Roth/FSU Alum Robin Swicord), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley, Doubt
REACTION: No surprises here. In fact, when Ben read the noms , I was able to tell him the adapted nominees without looking. Well, except The Dark Knight, which we are very excited about. Tres excited, even.
Woody Allen, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Dustin Lance Black, Milk
Ethan Coen/Joel Coen, Burn After Reading
Thomas McCarthy, The Visitor
Robert Siegel, The Wrestler
REACTION: A rant, if I may.
Fair enough, I have yet to read the screenplays to Milk (though I did see the movie), The Visitor, and The Wrestler. I confess, this is true, so perhaps this opinion just isn't right. And, you know, I love Woody Allen. If the Cinema is a church, than he and Altman are the saints I pray to. A WGA nomination after thirteen years without is INCREDIBLE.
But that does not excuse the lack of a nomination for Rachel Getting Married or Synecdoche, NY.
I mean, am I crazy? Do I just like some really sub-par movies? Because last I checked, Rachel and Synecdoche were two of the best films I'd seen all year. Maybe I should read the screenplay to the former, maybe it was not as beautifully done as the film was. But i read Vicky Cristina, and I have a copy of one of the earlier drafts of Annie Hall, so a comparison of the two shows me that (a) Woody's writing has gotten a little sparse, and (b) the acting is what makes VCB, fan though I be of the Woodster.
Synecdoche, meanwhile, is just beautifully written, not to mention completely original in style, concept, execution, etc. And that's no disrespect to VCB, Milk, etc. Two of these films made it to my Top Ten, so I obviously love them. It's just...I don't know. Even when I win, I lose.
That said, I do congratulate all on their noms, and I hope to read/see their films soon.
Adapted
Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan/Jonathan Nolan (Story by Christopher Nolan/David S. Goyer), The Dark Knight
Eric Roth (Story by Roth/FSU Alum Robin Swicord), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley, Doubt
REACTION: No surprises here. In fact, when Ben read the noms , I was able to tell him the adapted nominees without looking. Well, except The Dark Knight, which we are very excited about. Tres excited, even.
Monday, January 5, 2009
OMG PGA!
And I don't mean Golf, either. This special 100th post is dedicated to the recently-announced Producer's Guild Association Nominations!
Traditionally, the PGA and DGA nominations are good ways to determine the Best Picture nominees at the Oscars. But, as always, there's one or two that don't match up.
You know, I'm not quite sure what it's honoring. The producers, I know, but is it the amazing feat of getting everything together, or selling their product, or what? I wish I knew more.
Last year, the nominees included The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Juno, Michael Clayton, and There Will Be Blood. The winner was also the Oscar winner, No Country for Old Men. Only Diving Bell did not match up to Best Picture at the Oscars, with Atonement in its place.
A look at years past, all the way to 2000, shows that the Oscar's Best Picture nominees and the PGA nominees never match up. Nothing ever does. Indeed, only four times this decade have the winners matched up. Still, it's usually 4/5. So....
THE 2008 PGA AWARDS NOMINEES
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Ooh, fun! The Dark Knight made it in. Rightfully so. Oh, so very just and god! And goddammit, I still need to see Slumdog! Dammit!
Traditionally, the PGA and DGA nominations are good ways to determine the Best Picture nominees at the Oscars. But, as always, there's one or two that don't match up.
You know, I'm not quite sure what it's honoring. The producers, I know, but is it the amazing feat of getting everything together, or selling their product, or what? I wish I knew more.
Last year, the nominees included The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Juno, Michael Clayton, and There Will Be Blood. The winner was also the Oscar winner, No Country for Old Men. Only Diving Bell did not match up to Best Picture at the Oscars, with Atonement in its place.
A look at years past, all the way to 2000, shows that the Oscar's Best Picture nominees and the PGA nominees never match up. Nothing ever does. Indeed, only four times this decade have the winners matched up. Still, it's usually 4/5. So....
THE 2008 PGA AWARDS NOMINEES
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Ooh, fun! The Dark Knight made it in. Rightfully so. Oh, so very just and god! And goddammit, I still need to see Slumdog! Dammit!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Supporting Actress Blog-a-thon
Wow, is this late. But it took me a while who to do and what to say, all while getting ready for classes this week.
It's no secret that I freeking love Speed Racer. It made it to my Top Ten of 2008, I gave it four stars, I love it. I could reiterate all that I've already said about it, but in the end, it all comes down to how the movie just nailed the sentimental cheesiness of it all, without cynicism, without compromising the tone, without sacrificing the realism of the characters. And nobody does it better (makes me feel sad for the rest) than Susan Sarandon as Speed's mom.
Not Susan Sarandon
She certainly does not have an easy task. Mom doesn't even have a name. We know little about her except that she makes the best pancakes ever. Yet Sarandon -- and certainly, the Wachowskis -- work to make Mom a believable enough human being. That's saying a lot for a film that delights in its own cartoonishness. Certainly Sarandon herself said her part is just a series of scenes involving her making breakfast. But she really does invest quite a bit more in this character.Mom really is the Perfect Mother, first of all. She's a housewife, and revels in it. No complaints, not even an underlying hint of resentment or desire for something more. This is her dream, and while it may not seem like much to you or I, she's genuinely happy. She takes pride in her pancakes, her children, her husband's work. She's supportive and loving, but she's also Mom. Like when she admonishes Spritle for his couch antics with Chim-Chim: it's a fine scene establishing both the playfulness of the children and her role as Mom. Sure, it's in her name, but if she doesn't do any mothering, how can we know for sure?
Sarandon's greatest triumph is in making Mom sentimental without being too grating. Her bedside talk with Speed is beautiful. Any actress could go for cheese here. Any actress could just say the words without a care, because it's a cartoon movie. But Sarandon means every word of it. She believes it, and so we believe it. When she compares his racing to an artist painting, it's a truly touching moment. Forget Racer X's odd but awesome "Racing changes us" speech; <i>this</i> is when we realize the impact this sport has on the family.
I'd have an Oedipus complex for sure
In fact, Mom is the character who best expresses the family's workings. In her first scene, called into a conference with Speed's teacher, she gives us all the elements we'll see in the rest of the family. First is that pride in racing as a family sport. The teacher is not amused, but Sarandon's Mom, while waxing apologetic, also has a gleam in her eye, a mischievous smile threatening at the corners. She can see that it's a flimsy excuse, but to her it makes sense: Pops builds cars, Rex races them, Speed adores it all. And while she may be a little concerned, a little embarrassed, she sees no problem in her son pursuing his passion.Second is that somewhat frightening loyalty. Pops can't make it to the conference, and Speed's teacher disapproves. What's more, she voices that disapproval. And man, the look Sarandon has. This movie taught me what it meant to stare daggers at someone. Sarandon just absolutely nails it. It's a little scary because it really looks like she could kill, a lioness protecting her cubs. And husband. But it's also what we all hoped our moms looked like when teacher called them in. We all want our mothers to love us that much, and to be willing to strike. Sarandon's Mom doesn't strike, but there is an edge to her voice that makes things very clear.
And later, she will club that teacher to death with the trophy
(While we're on the subject, I also love that the teacher (Melissa Holroyd) doesn't care. She's seen it all, she knows the score. Fuck you, parents, you don't scare me. Nice.)I guess I love the performance because it reminds me of my mother. We've had that bedside talk, where she encouraged me to get into theatre and film, because when she sees the things I do on stage, it just takes her breath away. She's said this, she really has. And I've seen her at a few parent-teacher conferences, and both her and my dad told off my vice principal in fourth grade. Never mind the situation, that's for a later date. But ol' Mom Racer is Mom Hollmann, so I know how true it rings. As Mae West said in <i>Sextette</i>, "It's real, baby, it's all real."
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Looking Ahead
In the great tradition of making as many lists as possible, I want to take a look at the 25 Most Anticipated Films of the Year. But, you know, not the world's. Just mine.
I did this in April of 2008, too, but what's the point of doing a most-anticipated of the year when three months' worth of films has already come and gone? I did pretty well, though. My Top 25 last year looked like this:
25. Burn After Reading
24. Pineapple Express
23. Leatherheads
22. Speed Racer
21. Prom Night
20. Synecdoche, NY
19. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
18. The Argentine AND Guerrilla
17. Young @ Heart
16. Get Smart
15. The Women
14. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
13. Frost/Nixon
12. WALL-E
11. Revolutionary Road
10. Snow Angels
9. Doubt
8. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
7. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
6. Quantum of Solace
5. The Dark Knight
4. Iron Man
3. Milk
2. Savage Grace
1. Mamma Mia!
Not a bad list, certainly. I actually saw 21 of these bad boys in 2008, too. I've still yet to see Prom Night, Che (The Argentine/Guerilla), The Women, or Revolutionary Road. Seven of these films made it to my Top Ten of 2008. The other three: Valkyrie kept changing its release date, Married Life I had already seen, and Rachel Getting Married just surprised me.
And now, before we're fully into the new year, it's time to make a new list. It's getting close, too, to Hollmann Awards Time. Nominations will be announced January 21st, the day before the Academy announces its nominees. Anyway....
25. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
DIRECTOR: Gavin Hood (Tsotsi, Rendition)
WRITER: David Benioff (Troy, The Kite Runner)
CAST: Oscar host Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Liev Schreiber, Dominic Monaghan, Danny Huston
PLOT: Wolverine (Jackman) lives a mutant life, seeks revenge against Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber)--who will later become Sabertooth--for the death of his girlfriend, and ultimately ends up going through the mutant Weapon X program.
WHAT I THINK: A chance to pretend The Last Stand didn't happen. Also, Jackman's the fucking man. And Gambit finally shows up!
24. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
DIRECTOR: David Yates (the last one)
WRITER: Steve Kloves (all but the last one), from the novel by J.K. Rowling
CAST: Daniel Radcliffe, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman
PLOT: As Harry Potter (Radcliffe) begins his 6th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he discovers an old book marked mysteriously "This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince" and begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort's (Ralph Fiennes) dark past.
WHAT I THINK: It's about damn time. Although I am upset that they took away Broadbent's moustache.
23. Monsters vs. Aliens
DIRECTOR: Rob Letterman (Shark Tale) & Conrad Verdon (Shrek 2)
CAST: Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Stephen Colbert
PLOT: When a meteorite from outer space hits a young girl (Witherspoon) and turns her into a giant monster, she is taken to a secret government compound where she meets a ragtag group of monsters also rounded up over the years.
WHAT I THINK: HOLY SHIT STEPHEN COLBERT IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE USA! Also, how cute does this look? Oh so very cute.
22. The Box
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko, Southland Tales), from the short story "Button, Button" by Richard Matheson
CAST: James Marsden, Cameron Diaz, Frank Langella, James Rebhorn, Lisa K. Wyatt
PLOT: A small wooden box arrives on the doorstep of a married couple (Marsden & Diaz), who open it and become instantly wealthy. Little do they realize that opening the box also kills someone they do not know.
WHAT I THINK: I think Marsden -- and let me a little gay here -- looks adorable with that 70s hair. But I also think I love everything Kelly does, and Frank Langella is the fucking man.
21. New York, I Love You
DIRECTORS: Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, Red Dragon), Mira Nair (Vanity Fair, The Keepsake), Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth, Elizabeth: The Golden Age), etc.
WRITERS: Emmanuel Benbihy, Anthony Minghella, Natalie Portman, Faith Akin, Stephen Winter, etc.
CAST: Kevin Bacon, James Caan, Shia LaBeouf, Natalie Portman, Hollmann Award Nominee Eli Wallach
PLOT: An anthology film joining several love stories set in one of the most loved cities of the world, New York.
WHAT I THINK: I love Paris, je t'aime, so I'm really looking forward to this one. Kevin Bacon's the effing man. If only Woody Allen could have done one....
20. Shutter Island (aka Ashcliffe)
DIRECTOR: Hollmann Award Nominee Martin Scorsese (The Departed, The Aviator)
WRITER: Laeta Kalgridis, from the novel by Dennis Lehane
CAST: Hollmann Award Nominee Leonardo DiCaprio, Hollmann Awards Host Patricia Clarkson, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Mark Ruffalo
PLOT: In 1954, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) is investigating the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding on the remote Shutter Island.
WHAT I THINK: I need to read this book. I love the Scorsese-DiCaprio team, always. I love Patty Clarkson, always. And I'm always ready for some island murdering. Sign me up!
19. Coraline
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Henry Selick (The Nightmare before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach), from the book by Neil Gaiman
CAST: Dakota Fanning, Keith David, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Teri Hatcher
PLOT: A young girl (Fanning) walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life.
WHAT I THINK: It looks beautiful and haunting. Selick is great, and it reteams French and Saunders. Excitement city!
18. Duplicity
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton)
CAST: Julia Roberts, Hollmann Award Nominee Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti, Thomas McCarthy
PLOT: A pair of corporate spies (Roberts, Owen) who share a steamy past hook up to pull off the ultimate con job on their respective bosses (Wilkinson, Giamatti).
WHAT I THINK: The trailer is the right amount of BAM WOW COOL! Julia's growing on me. There's nothing quite like a good ol' Wilkinson flick.
17. The Informant
DIRECTOR: Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's 11, The Good German)
WRITER: Scott Z. Burns (The Bourne Ultimatum), from the book by Kurt Eichenwald
CAST: Matt Damon, Melanie Lynskey, Frank Welker, Candy Clark, Patton Oswalt
PLOT: The U.S. government decides to go after an agri-business giant with a price-fixing accusation, based on the evidence submitted by their star witness, vice president turned informant Mark Whitacre (Damon).
WHAT I THINK: Look at that! That's Matt Damon! How? God, I love all things Soderbergh touches that I've seen that I've liked.
16. Funny People
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Judd Apatow
CAST: Seth Rogen, Adam Sandler, Hollmann Award Nominee Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jason Schwartzman
PLOT: When seasoned comedian George Simmons (Sandler) learns of his terminal, inoperable health condition, his desire to form a genuine friendship cause him to take a relatively green performer (Rogen) under his wing as his opening act.
WHAT I THINK: Apatow has the chops to do a drama. Sandler has always impressed me, and he's done this kind of balance in Punch-Drunk Love. Oscar, maybe? Finally?
15. My Bloody Valentine 3D
DIRECTOR: Patrick Lussier
WRITERS: Todd Farmer & Zane Smith
CAST: Jensen Ackles, Jaime King
PLOT: Tom (Ackles) returns to his hometown on the tenth anniversary of the Valentine's night massacre that claimed the lives of 22 people.
WHAT I THINK: I think nothing says date movie like a 3D ride to hell. Muthafucka.
14. Inglourious Basterds
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Quentin Tarantino
CAST: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, B.J. Novak, Eli Roth, Mike Myers
PLOT: In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis.
WHAT I THINK: Finally, the movie Tarantino fans have been waiting for! I love Jews, and I also love bloody vengeance! Yay!
13. The Tempest
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Julie Taymor (Across the Universe, Titus), from the play by William Shakespeare
CAST: Hollmann Award Winner Helen Mirren, David Strathairn, Djimon Hounsou, Alfred Molina, Chris Cooper
PLOT: In Taymor's re-imagining, Mirren is Prospera, who rules an island with ehr magic after being banished by her brother (Molina?).
WHAT I THINK: Ooh interesting, turning Shakespeare (he can be a little misogynistic) into an examination of the sacred feminine. You've piqued my interest, Mrs. Goldenthal.
12. A Christmas Carol
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Beowulf), from the book by Charles Dickens
CAST: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Cary Elwes
PLOT: Yeah, because no one knows the plot to this. Give me a break.
WHAT I THINK: I love Christmas!!!
11. Up
DIRECTOR: Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc.) & Bob Petersen
WRITER: Bob Petersen (Finding Nemo)
CAST: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger, Delroy Lindo
PLOT: By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America.
WHAT I THINK: Yay, a Pixar fantasy about old people! Dream come true!
10. 500 Days of Summer
DIRECTOR: Marc Webb
WRITERS: Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
CAST: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel
PLOT: An offbeat romantic comedy about a woman (Deschanel) who doesn't believe true love exists, and the young man (Gordon-Levitt) who falls for her.
WHAT I THINK: What that synopsis doesn't mention is that JGL loves music, and breaks out into song periodically. So....they made my life story? Awesome.
9. Julie & Julia
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Nora Ephron (Bewitched, Michael), from the books Julie & Julia by Julie Powell and My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'homme
CAST: Hollmann Award Winner Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Jane Lynch, Stanley Tucci
PLOT: As Julie Powell cooks her way through Julia Child's cookbook, Julia Child experiences France!
WHAT I THINK: Oh, I fondly remember watching Julia Child on TV when I was a boy. And oh, I fondly love watching Meryl Streep and Amy Adams now that I'm a man. think the only thing that could make this better is if they include Julia Child's CIA missions.
8. Where the Wild Things Are
DIRECTOR: Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation.)
WRITERS: Spike Jonze & Dave Eggers, from the book by Maurice Sendak
CAST: Catherine O'Hara, Catherine Keener, Forest Whitaker, Paul Dano, James Gandolfini
PLOT: An adaptation of the children's classic about Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world--a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler.
WHAT I THINK: It's about the damn gosh darn time! Jonze is a genius (there, I said it!), and I canna wait for this!
7. State of Play
DIRECTOR: Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland)
WRITERS: Matthew Michael Carnahan (Lions for Lambs), Tony Gilroy (The Bourne Supremacy) & Billy Ray (Breach), from the BBC miniseries by Paul Abbott
CAST: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Jason Bateman, Hollmann Award Winner Helen Mirren
PLOT: A team of investigative reporters work alongside a police detective to try to solve the murder of a congressman's mistress.
WHAT I THINK: Mm, the sweet, sweet smell of a political thriller involving investigative journalism. And Helen Mirren. It smells like victory.
6. Notorious
DIRECTOR: George Tillman, Jr.
WRITERS: Reggie Rock Bythewood & Cheo Hodari Coker
CAST: Jamal Woolard, Derek Luke, Angela Basset
PLOT: Biopic depicting the life of Notorious B.I.G. (Jamal Woolard)
WHAT I THINK: I like that a biopic is being made from someone I was alive to appreciate. The trailer is fantastic, I like Derek Luke, and it's a great way to bond with my sister.
5. Public Enemies
DIRECTOR: Michael Mann (Miami Vice)
WRITERS: Ronan Bennett, Ann Biderman (Primal Fear) & Michael Mann (Heat), from the book by Bryan Burrough
CAST: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Channing Tatum, Billy Crudup, Hollmann Award Winner Marion Cotillard
PLOT: The Feds try to take down notorious American gangsters John Dillinger (Depp), Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) and Pretty Boy Floyd (Tatum) during a booming crime wave in the 1930s.
WHAT I THINK: I think that if Bale and Depp starred in a series of monologues consisting of phone book entries, I would see it twice in theatres.
4. Watchmen
DIRECTOR: Zack Snyder (300, Dawn of the Dead)
WRITERS: David Hayter (X-Men, X2) & Alex Tse, from the graphic novel by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore
CAST: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup, Jackie Earle Haley, Carla Gugino
PLOT: When an ex-superhero (Morgan) is murdered, a vigilante named Rorshach (Haley) begins an investigation into the murder, which begins to lead to a much more terrifying conclusion.
WHAT I THINK: The graphic novel was EPIC. The trailer was EPIC. Everything about this just screams, "WALTER! LOVE ME!" And I will.
3. Sherlock Holmes
DIRECTOR: Guy Ritchie (RockNRolla, Snatch)
WRITERS: Mike Johnson, Simon Kinberg, Anthony Peckham & Guy Ritchie, from the comic by Lionel Wigram and characters by Arthur Conan Doyle
CAST: Robert Downey, Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Eddie Marsan, Mark Strong
PLOT: Detective Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr.) and his stalwart partner Watson (Law) engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.
WHAT I THINK: At last, the return of a popular detective, with a number of great actors thrown into the mix! What's next--Agatha Christie? (Please?)
2. Nine
DIRECTOR: Rob Marshall (Memoirs of a Geisha, Chicago)
WRITERS: Anthony Minghella (The English Patient) & Michael Tolkin (The Player), from the musical by Arthur L. Kopit and Maury Yeston
CAST: Hollmann Award Winner Daniel Day-Lewis, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Hollmann Award Winner Marion Cotillard, Hollmann Award Nominee Judi Dench
PLOT: Famous film director Guido Contini (Day-Lewis) struggles to find harmony in his professional and personal lives, as he engages in dramatic relationships with his wife (Cotillard), his mistress (Cruz), his muse (Kidman), his agent (Dench), and his mother (Loren).
WHAT I THINK: I love musicals. I love this cast. It's like who I would cast in every musical ever made. Sexy, sexy Penelope is there. Incandescently beautiful Marion is there. Ultimate bad-ass Judi is there. Heaven! I'm in Heaven!
1. The Wolf Man
DIRECTOR: Joe Johnston (Jumanji, October Sky)
WRITERS: Andrew Kevin Walker (Se7en, Sleepy Hollow) & David Self (Road to Perdition, Thirteen Days)
CAST: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, Geraldine Chaplin
PLOT: Upon his return to his ancestral homeland, an American man (Del Toro) is bitten, and subsequently cursed, by a werewolf.
WHAT I THINK: The original was one of my favorite movies growing up. I must have watched it three times a week for a year. Walker and Self both have a number of films to their credit that I adore, and Johnston clearly knows both the spectacular and the subtle. What a cast! It's a remake that appears to build on the themes of the original, giving it an epic scope that speaks to more than just the horror fan. Epic.
I did this in April of 2008, too, but what's the point of doing a most-anticipated of the year when three months' worth of films has already come and gone? I did pretty well, though. My Top 25 last year looked like this:
25. Burn After Reading
24. Pineapple Express
23. Leatherheads
22. Speed Racer
21. Prom Night
20. Synecdoche, NY
19. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
18. The Argentine AND Guerrilla
17. Young @ Heart
16. Get Smart
15. The Women
14. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
13. Frost/Nixon
12. WALL-E
11. Revolutionary Road
10. Snow Angels
9. Doubt
8. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
7. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
6. Quantum of Solace
5. The Dark Knight
4. Iron Man
3. Milk
2. Savage Grace
1. Mamma Mia!
Not a bad list, certainly. I actually saw 21 of these bad boys in 2008, too. I've still yet to see Prom Night, Che (The Argentine/Guerilla), The Women, or Revolutionary Road. Seven of these films made it to my Top Ten of 2008. The other three: Valkyrie kept changing its release date, Married Life I had already seen, and Rachel Getting Married just surprised me.
And now, before we're fully into the new year, it's time to make a new list. It's getting close, too, to Hollmann Awards Time. Nominations will be announced January 21st, the day before the Academy announces its nominees. Anyway....
25. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
DIRECTOR: Gavin Hood (Tsotsi, Rendition)
WRITER: David Benioff (Troy, The Kite Runner)
CAST: Oscar host Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Liev Schreiber, Dominic Monaghan, Danny Huston
PLOT: Wolverine (Jackman) lives a mutant life, seeks revenge against Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber)--who will later become Sabertooth--for the death of his girlfriend, and ultimately ends up going through the mutant Weapon X program.
WHAT I THINK: A chance to pretend The Last Stand didn't happen. Also, Jackman's the fucking man. And Gambit finally shows up!
24. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
DIRECTOR: David Yates (the last one)
WRITER: Steve Kloves (all but the last one), from the novel by J.K. Rowling
CAST: Daniel Radcliffe, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman
PLOT: As Harry Potter (Radcliffe) begins his 6th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he discovers an old book marked mysteriously "This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince" and begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort's (Ralph Fiennes) dark past.
WHAT I THINK: It's about damn time. Although I am upset that they took away Broadbent's moustache.
23. Monsters vs. Aliens
DIRECTOR: Rob Letterman (Shark Tale) & Conrad Verdon (Shrek 2)
CAST: Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Stephen Colbert
PLOT: When a meteorite from outer space hits a young girl (Witherspoon) and turns her into a giant monster, she is taken to a secret government compound where she meets a ragtag group of monsters also rounded up over the years.
WHAT I THINK: HOLY SHIT STEPHEN COLBERT IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE USA! Also, how cute does this look? Oh so very cute.
22. The Box
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko, Southland Tales), from the short story "Button, Button" by Richard Matheson
CAST: James Marsden, Cameron Diaz, Frank Langella, James Rebhorn, Lisa K. Wyatt
PLOT: A small wooden box arrives on the doorstep of a married couple (Marsden & Diaz), who open it and become instantly wealthy. Little do they realize that opening the box also kills someone they do not know.
WHAT I THINK: I think Marsden -- and let me a little gay here -- looks adorable with that 70s hair. But I also think I love everything Kelly does, and Frank Langella is the fucking man.
21. New York, I Love You
DIRECTORS: Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, Red Dragon), Mira Nair (Vanity Fair, The Keepsake), Shekhar Kapur (Elizabeth, Elizabeth: The Golden Age), etc.
WRITERS: Emmanuel Benbihy, Anthony Minghella, Natalie Portman, Faith Akin, Stephen Winter, etc.
CAST: Kevin Bacon, James Caan, Shia LaBeouf, Natalie Portman, Hollmann Award Nominee Eli Wallach
PLOT: An anthology film joining several love stories set in one of the most loved cities of the world, New York.
WHAT I THINK: I love Paris, je t'aime, so I'm really looking forward to this one. Kevin Bacon's the effing man. If only Woody Allen could have done one....
20. Shutter Island (aka Ashcliffe)
DIRECTOR: Hollmann Award Nominee Martin Scorsese (The Departed, The Aviator)
WRITER: Laeta Kalgridis, from the novel by Dennis Lehane
CAST: Hollmann Award Nominee Leonardo DiCaprio, Hollmann Awards Host Patricia Clarkson, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Mark Ruffalo
PLOT: In 1954, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) is investigating the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding on the remote Shutter Island.
WHAT I THINK: I need to read this book. I love the Scorsese-DiCaprio team, always. I love Patty Clarkson, always. And I'm always ready for some island murdering. Sign me up!
19. Coraline
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Henry Selick (The Nightmare before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach), from the book by Neil Gaiman
CAST: Dakota Fanning, Keith David, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Teri Hatcher
PLOT: A young girl (Fanning) walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life.
WHAT I THINK: It looks beautiful and haunting. Selick is great, and it reteams French and Saunders. Excitement city!
18. Duplicity
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton)
CAST: Julia Roberts, Hollmann Award Nominee Clive Owen, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti, Thomas McCarthy
PLOT: A pair of corporate spies (Roberts, Owen) who share a steamy past hook up to pull off the ultimate con job on their respective bosses (Wilkinson, Giamatti).
WHAT I THINK: The trailer is the right amount of BAM WOW COOL! Julia's growing on me. There's nothing quite like a good ol' Wilkinson flick.
17. The Informant
DIRECTOR: Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's 11, The Good German)
WRITER: Scott Z. Burns (The Bourne Ultimatum), from the book by Kurt Eichenwald
CAST: Matt Damon, Melanie Lynskey, Frank Welker, Candy Clark, Patton Oswalt
PLOT: The U.S. government decides to go after an agri-business giant with a price-fixing accusation, based on the evidence submitted by their star witness, vice president turned informant Mark Whitacre (Damon).
WHAT I THINK: Look at that! That's Matt Damon! How? God, I love all things Soderbergh touches that I've seen that I've liked.
16. Funny People
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Judd Apatow
CAST: Seth Rogen, Adam Sandler, Hollmann Award Nominee Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jason Schwartzman
PLOT: When seasoned comedian George Simmons (Sandler) learns of his terminal, inoperable health condition, his desire to form a genuine friendship cause him to take a relatively green performer (Rogen) under his wing as his opening act.
WHAT I THINK: Apatow has the chops to do a drama. Sandler has always impressed me, and he's done this kind of balance in Punch-Drunk Love. Oscar, maybe? Finally?
15. My Bloody Valentine 3D
DIRECTOR: Patrick Lussier
WRITERS: Todd Farmer & Zane Smith
CAST: Jensen Ackles, Jaime King
PLOT: Tom (Ackles) returns to his hometown on the tenth anniversary of the Valentine's night massacre that claimed the lives of 22 people.
WHAT I THINK: I think nothing says date movie like a 3D ride to hell. Muthafucka.
14. Inglourious Basterds
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Quentin Tarantino
CAST: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, B.J. Novak, Eli Roth, Mike Myers
PLOT: In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis.
WHAT I THINK: Finally, the movie Tarantino fans have been waiting for! I love Jews, and I also love bloody vengeance! Yay!
13. The Tempest
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Julie Taymor (Across the Universe, Titus), from the play by William Shakespeare
CAST: Hollmann Award Winner Helen Mirren, David Strathairn, Djimon Hounsou, Alfred Molina, Chris Cooper
PLOT: In Taymor's re-imagining, Mirren is Prospera, who rules an island with ehr magic after being banished by her brother (Molina?).
WHAT I THINK: Ooh interesting, turning Shakespeare (he can be a little misogynistic) into an examination of the sacred feminine. You've piqued my interest, Mrs. Goldenthal.
12. A Christmas Carol
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Beowulf), from the book by Charles Dickens
CAST: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Cary Elwes
PLOT: Yeah, because no one knows the plot to this. Give me a break.
WHAT I THINK: I love Christmas!!!
11. Up
DIRECTOR: Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc.) & Bob Petersen
WRITER: Bob Petersen (Finding Nemo)
CAST: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger, Delroy Lindo
PLOT: By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America.
WHAT I THINK: Yay, a Pixar fantasy about old people! Dream come true!
10. 500 Days of Summer
DIRECTOR: Marc Webb
WRITERS: Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
CAST: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel
PLOT: An offbeat romantic comedy about a woman (Deschanel) who doesn't believe true love exists, and the young man (Gordon-Levitt) who falls for her.
WHAT I THINK: What that synopsis doesn't mention is that JGL loves music, and breaks out into song periodically. So....they made my life story? Awesome.
9. Julie & Julia
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Nora Ephron (Bewitched, Michael), from the books Julie & Julia by Julie Powell and My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'homme
CAST: Hollmann Award Winner Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Jane Lynch, Stanley Tucci
PLOT: As Julie Powell cooks her way through Julia Child's cookbook, Julia Child experiences France!
WHAT I THINK: Oh, I fondly remember watching Julia Child on TV when I was a boy. And oh, I fondly love watching Meryl Streep and Amy Adams now that I'm a man. think the only thing that could make this better is if they include Julia Child's CIA missions.
8. Where the Wild Things Are
DIRECTOR: Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation.)
WRITERS: Spike Jonze & Dave Eggers, from the book by Maurice Sendak
CAST: Catherine O'Hara, Catherine Keener, Forest Whitaker, Paul Dano, James Gandolfini
PLOT: An adaptation of the children's classic about Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world--a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler.
WHAT I THINK: It's about the damn gosh darn time! Jonze is a genius (there, I said it!), and I canna wait for this!
7. State of Play
DIRECTOR: Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland)
WRITERS: Matthew Michael Carnahan (Lions for Lambs), Tony Gilroy (The Bourne Supremacy) & Billy Ray (Breach), from the BBC miniseries by Paul Abbott
CAST: Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Jason Bateman, Hollmann Award Winner Helen Mirren
PLOT: A team of investigative reporters work alongside a police detective to try to solve the murder of a congressman's mistress.
WHAT I THINK: Mm, the sweet, sweet smell of a political thriller involving investigative journalism. And Helen Mirren. It smells like victory.
6. Notorious
DIRECTOR: George Tillman, Jr.
WRITERS: Reggie Rock Bythewood & Cheo Hodari Coker
CAST: Jamal Woolard, Derek Luke, Angela Basset
PLOT: Biopic depicting the life of Notorious B.I.G. (Jamal Woolard)
WHAT I THINK: I like that a biopic is being made from someone I was alive to appreciate. The trailer is fantastic, I like Derek Luke, and it's a great way to bond with my sister.
5. Public Enemies
DIRECTOR: Michael Mann (Miami Vice)
WRITERS: Ronan Bennett, Ann Biderman (Primal Fear) & Michael Mann (Heat), from the book by Bryan Burrough
CAST: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Channing Tatum, Billy Crudup, Hollmann Award Winner Marion Cotillard
PLOT: The Feds try to take down notorious American gangsters John Dillinger (Depp), Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) and Pretty Boy Floyd (Tatum) during a booming crime wave in the 1930s.
WHAT I THINK: I think that if Bale and Depp starred in a series of monologues consisting of phone book entries, I would see it twice in theatres.
4. Watchmen
DIRECTOR: Zack Snyder (300, Dawn of the Dead)
WRITERS: David Hayter (X-Men, X2) & Alex Tse, from the graphic novel by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore
CAST: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup, Jackie Earle Haley, Carla Gugino
PLOT: When an ex-superhero (Morgan) is murdered, a vigilante named Rorshach (Haley) begins an investigation into the murder, which begins to lead to a much more terrifying conclusion.
WHAT I THINK: The graphic novel was EPIC. The trailer was EPIC. Everything about this just screams, "WALTER! LOVE ME!" And I will.
3. Sherlock Holmes
DIRECTOR: Guy Ritchie (RockNRolla, Snatch)
WRITERS: Mike Johnson, Simon Kinberg, Anthony Peckham & Guy Ritchie, from the comic by Lionel Wigram and characters by Arthur Conan Doyle
CAST: Robert Downey, Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Eddie Marsan, Mark Strong
PLOT: Detective Sherlock Holmes (Downey Jr.) and his stalwart partner Watson (Law) engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.
WHAT I THINK: At last, the return of a popular detective, with a number of great actors thrown into the mix! What's next--Agatha Christie? (Please?)
2. Nine
DIRECTOR: Rob Marshall (Memoirs of a Geisha, Chicago)
WRITERS: Anthony Minghella (The English Patient) & Michael Tolkin (The Player), from the musical by Arthur L. Kopit and Maury Yeston
CAST: Hollmann Award Winner Daniel Day-Lewis, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Hollmann Award Winner Marion Cotillard, Hollmann Award Nominee Judi Dench
PLOT: Famous film director Guido Contini (Day-Lewis) struggles to find harmony in his professional and personal lives, as he engages in dramatic relationships with his wife (Cotillard), his mistress (Cruz), his muse (Kidman), his agent (Dench), and his mother (Loren).
WHAT I THINK: I love musicals. I love this cast. It's like who I would cast in every musical ever made. Sexy, sexy Penelope is there. Incandescently beautiful Marion is there. Ultimate bad-ass Judi is there. Heaven! I'm in Heaven!
1. The Wolf Man
DIRECTOR: Joe Johnston (Jumanji, October Sky)
WRITERS: Andrew Kevin Walker (Se7en, Sleepy Hollow) & David Self (Road to Perdition, Thirteen Days)
CAST: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, Geraldine Chaplin
PLOT: Upon his return to his ancestral homeland, an American man (Del Toro) is bitten, and subsequently cursed, by a werewolf.
WHAT I THINK: The original was one of my favorite movies growing up. I must have watched it three times a week for a year. Walker and Self both have a number of films to their credit that I adore, and Johnston clearly knows both the spectacular and the subtle. What a cast! It's a remake that appears to build on the themes of the original, giving it an epic scope that speaks to more than just the horror fan. Epic.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Top Ten of 2008
Yes, another year has come and gone. It's been one of "those" years for movies, a year where it seemed like everything was destined to make me sob. And the release dates were so wonky. What in the fuck was with the December glut? I spit at thee, studios. Well, no, I guess I don't, since I love your films. But I do shake my head.
This is my Top Ten of 2008, but again, it was one of "those" years. I will post them alphabetically, not in order of preference, for there is a HUGE chance that this year's Top Ten will actually wind up as the leading nominees for the Hollmann Awards.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
For making a ridiculous premise unbelievably real. For astounding me (AGAIN!) with the abilities of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. For making FX necessary. For referencing a recent disaster with taste. For reassuring me that David Fincher is one of the greatest directors working today.
The Dark Knight
For taking a comic book movie as seriously as I do. For making a superhero movie into the biggest hit of the decade. For providing material for one of the best supporting performances of the year (No, not Heath Ledger). For giving a great actor a phenomenal swan song. For feeling fresh and new after six viewings.
Frost/Nixon
For making Nixon a man, not a monster. For making me believe in the Ron Howard myth. For building off of a somewhat shallow script. For making the 1970s feel as pressing as tomorrow. For Michael Sheen's amazing TV Voice.
Married Life
For balancing comedy and drama effortlessly. For making the Other Woman more than a slut. For providing the most memorable score of the first half of the year. For realizing people can fall back in love. For Patricia Clarkson's sexy, sexy self.
Milk
For making the biopic formula feel new. For Sean Penn's smile. For reestablishing Gus Van Sant's greatness. For invoking the look and feel of a 1970s flick. For being unashamedly GAY.
Rachel Getting Married
For reflecting life so realistically. For making Rachel just as irritating as Kym. For making the music part of the action. For making me sob. For making Roger Corman an extra with a video camera.
Speed Racer
For willing to be cheesy. For being sincere despite it all. For giving me my childhood back. For capturing the spirit of the TV series. For making me sob for two hours.
Synecdoche, NY
For making me feel every emotion simultaneously. For that final monologue. For that magnificent ensemble of women. For putting all my hopes and fears up on the screen. For Dianne Wiest.
Valkyrie
For creating suspense when I knew the ending. For not caring about accents, just acting ability. For John Ottman's absolutely brilliant score. For a superb supporting cast. For making my heart beat dangerously fast throughout.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
For reminding me why I love Woody Allen. For making me actually love the Spanish language. For giving its actresses great material. For the beautiful cinematography. For making Woody Allen seem young and hip and sexy.
This is my Top Ten of 2008, but again, it was one of "those" years. I will post them alphabetically, not in order of preference, for there is a HUGE chance that this year's Top Ten will actually wind up as the leading nominees for the Hollmann Awards.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
For making a ridiculous premise unbelievably real. For astounding me (AGAIN!) with the abilities of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. For making FX necessary. For referencing a recent disaster with taste. For reassuring me that David Fincher is one of the greatest directors working today.
The Dark Knight
For taking a comic book movie as seriously as I do. For making a superhero movie into the biggest hit of the decade. For providing material for one of the best supporting performances of the year (No, not Heath Ledger). For giving a great actor a phenomenal swan song. For feeling fresh and new after six viewings.
Frost/Nixon
For making Nixon a man, not a monster. For making me believe in the Ron Howard myth. For building off of a somewhat shallow script. For making the 1970s feel as pressing as tomorrow. For Michael Sheen's amazing TV Voice.
Married Life
For balancing comedy and drama effortlessly. For making the Other Woman more than a slut. For providing the most memorable score of the first half of the year. For realizing people can fall back in love. For Patricia Clarkson's sexy, sexy self.
Milk
For making the biopic formula feel new. For Sean Penn's smile. For reestablishing Gus Van Sant's greatness. For invoking the look and feel of a 1970s flick. For being unashamedly GAY.
Rachel Getting Married
For reflecting life so realistically. For making Rachel just as irritating as Kym. For making the music part of the action. For making me sob. For making Roger Corman an extra with a video camera.
Speed Racer
For willing to be cheesy. For being sincere despite it all. For giving me my childhood back. For capturing the spirit of the TV series. For making me sob for two hours.
Synecdoche, NY
For making me feel every emotion simultaneously. For that final monologue. For that magnificent ensemble of women. For putting all my hopes and fears up on the screen. For Dianne Wiest.
Valkyrie
For creating suspense when I knew the ending. For not caring about accents, just acting ability. For John Ottman's absolutely brilliant score. For a superb supporting cast. For making my heart beat dangerously fast throughout.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
For reminding me why I love Woody Allen. For making me actually love the Spanish language. For giving its actresses great material. For the beautiful cinematography. For making Woody Allen seem young and hip and sexy.
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