Let Me In: Oscar Contender?

So while everyone is gushing over the reviews for The Social Network (rightfully so!), there is another big release coming out this week who reviews, while not as spectacular, are none the less pretty damn good. The remake of Let the Right One In, aka Let Me In currently sits at an 83 on Metacritic, 82 on BFCA, and 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. So it begs the question, if Let Me In gets critical support and does well at the box office (maybe even beats SN?), will it become an Oscar contender?

The answer is most likely...no. It is technically a horror film, it is coming out on the same weekend as the best review movie of the year, and it is a remake of a very recent film, all of which are factors that will most likely doom it. But you never know what is going to happen, so here is a FYC plug for what apparently seems to be an excellent movie.

RIP Gloria Stuart

Just saw on IMDB, that the wonderful, and elegant Gloria Stuart died at the age of 100 on Sunday. After having a career that expanded over seven decades, and finally earning an Oscar nod in 1997 for Titanic, Gloria Stuart was a class act, and an incredible talent. Rest In Peace dear friend.

Is The Social Network The One to Beat?

Raving reviews have been piling up for over a week now (as have Citizen Kane comparisons), and it begs the question, is The Social Network the one to beat? The Oscar race is long, and Up in the Air's stunning 0 for 7 last year (as it got similar accolades and reviews), proves that nothing is set in stone, although a nomination is pretty much locked up. I hope to see it this Friday and provide my own take but for now here are some of the incredible reviews:

Lou Lumenick from the New York Post:

 

"Quite possibly the first truly great fact-based movie of the 21st century."

 

Peter Travers from Rolling Stone

 

"This is the first film I've seen so far in 2010 that deserves my highest rating, 4 stars. It's better than the movie of the year. The Social Network also defines the decade...[A] fierce and funny powerhouse, a modern "Rashomon" that will pin you to your seat."

 

Pete Hammond from Box-Office Magazine

 

"With a thieves den of borderline-Shakespearian characters, a wickedly literate screenplay, potent direction by David Fincher, an exceptional ensemble cast and subject matter that speaks to a generation and well beyond, The Social Network is mesmerizing."

 

Kirk Honeycutt from The Hollywood Reporter

 

"The film comes down to a mesmerizing portrait of a man who in any other age would perhaps be deemed nuts or useless, but in the Internet age has this mental agility to transform an idea into an empire."

Oscar Predictions: September Edition

Best Picture

127 Hours

Another Year
The Fighter

Inception

The Kids Are All Right

The King’s Speech

The Social Network (Predicted Winner) 

Toy Story 3

The Way Back

True Grit

Other Contenders: Black Swan, Love and Other Drugs, Shutter Island, Rabbit Hole, Hereafter, Blue Valentine, Winter’s Bone, Made in Dagenham, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf, Somewhere, How to Train Your Dragon.

Commentary: This race is starting to really heat up, and until some precursors start coming out, there are going to be a lot of backs and forths of which fims get in and which don't. For me there are a few films which are coming in really strong, and are the most solid. From the summer, Toy Story 3 and The Kids Are All Right seem to be holding their buzz (and most likely will maintain it). I also included Inception from the summer, but as the onslaught of the festivals brings out some solid contenders, I am getting more and more hesitant about that pic. Speaking of festivals, a few movies have come out of the festivals really ruling the coverage. The King's Speech, 127 Hours, and Another Year are all making big gains, and have solidified their presence in the top ten. I still put two big question marks simply because of their buzz, True Grit, The Fighter, because of their cast and crew. The last two spots were the trickiest. I put The Way Back over Black Swan because I feel that only one "non-Oscar, but could be Oscar" film gets in, and Peter Weir is an Academy favorite, although I think that by the end of the year Black Swan will be up there. The final spot goes the movie that is getting the best buzz and best early reviews, The Social Network, and could be the one to beat this year.

Best Director
Danny Boyle “127 Hours”
David Fincher “The Social Network” (Predicted Winner)
Tom Hooper “The King’s Speech”

Christopher Nolan “Inception”

David O. Russell “The Fighter”

Other Contenders: Lisa Cholodenko “The Kids Are All Right”, Peter Weir “The Way Back”, Joel and Ethan Coen “True Grit”, Sofia Coppola “Somewhere”, Tyler Perry “For Colored Girls…”, Darren Aronofsky “Black Swan”, Edward Zwick “Love and Other Drugs”, Clint Eastwood “Hereafter”, Debra Granik “Winter’s Bone”, Martin Scorsese “Shutter Island”

Commentary: If you think the Best Picture category is stacked, then you can't imagine the Directing category. I stuck with more conventional choices, although some are probably going to be nominees, such as David Fincher and Danny Boyle. If The King's Speech holds on, then it's director should get some credit. The last two spots are a little shakier. Christopher Nolan should be nominated, but we all know how that usually turns out, so I honestly don't know his chances at this point. Finally, I went with the pundit consensus David O. Russell, but this is only if The Fighter is good.

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges “True Grit”

Colin Farrell “The Way Back”

Colin Firth “The King’s Speech” (Predicted Winner)

James Franco “127 Hours”

Mark Wahlberg “The Fighter”

Other Contenders: Jesse Eisenberg “The Social Network, Leonardo Dicaprio “Inception” and “Shutter Island”, Ryan Gosling “Blue Valentine”, Robert Duvall “Get Low”, Sean Penn “Fair Game”, Michael Douglas “Solitary Man”, Javier Bardem “Biutiful”, Matt Damon “Hereafter”

Commentary: This one is also giving me some trouble, although not nearly as much as the next one. If True Grit is any good, you can bet that last year's winner Jeff Bridges will be back in the mix. I also think that is Mark Whalberg is as good as I think he will be, then he is in as well. For me though it comes down to Firth vs. Franco for the win, and I don't know at this point who will come out on top. The final spot goes to Colin Farrell, who has made a career turnaround lately and has a couple of great performances out this year, so maybe he'll finally get some Oscar love.

Best Actress
Annette Bening “The Kids are All Right” (Predicted Winner)
Sally Hawkins “Made in Dagenham”
Nicole Kidman “Rabbit Hole”
Leslie Manville “Another Year”

Natalie Portman “Black Swan”

Other Contenders: Anne Hathaway “Love and Other Drugs”, Julianne Moore “The Kids Are All Right”, Jennifer Lawrence “Winter’s Bone”, Naomi Watts “Fair Game”, Michelle Williams “Blue Valentine”, Emma Stone “Easy A”, Gwyneth Paltrow "Country Strong"

Commentary: Proving to be the hardest to predict, by the time I post this the buzz may have shifted. Right now though I'm going with what I think are the best five. Annette Benning is probably a lock, despite the competition from her co-star, because this seems to be her year. It is also Natalie Portman's year, who will probably be Bening's biggest competition. The other three spots are kind of tricky. I kept Leslie Manville up, but my guess is that they may push her Supporting where there is less competition. I also went with Mike Leigh's last muse Sally Hawkins because the buzz is great for Made in Dagenham, particularly for the performances. Finally, the newest contender Nicole Kidman, has gotten rave reviews, and her former winner status means she is popular in the Academy.

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale “The Fighter"

Andrew Garfield “The Social Network”
Sam Rockwell “Conviction” (Predicted Winner)
Mark Ruffalo “The Kids Are All Right”
Geoffrey Rush “The King’s Speech”

Other Contenders: Justin Timberlake “The Social Network”, Jeremy Renner “The Town”, Chris Cooper “The Town”, Jim Broadbent “Another Year”, Aaron Eckhart “Rabbit Hole”, Bill Murray “Get Low”, Bob Hoskins “Made in Dagenham”

Commentary: Another tough category has seen some contenders emerge. Geoffrey Rush is back in the game with the very popular King's Speech. Other than that, I could see a bunch of first time nominees. Sam Rockwell is apparently spectacular in Conviction, and I think he is way overdue. So is the great Christian Bale, whose role appears to be very baity in The Fighter. Finally, I am trying to decide which Social Network guy gets in, and I could easily see both of them, although for now I am going with the less popular, but more Academy-esque choice of Andrew Garfield, although don't discount JT.

Best Supporting Actress

Helen Bonham Carter “The King’s Speech” (Predicted Winner)

Rebecca Hall "The Town"

Melissa Leo “The Fighter”

Miranda Richardson “Made in Dagenham”

Dianne Wiest “Rabbit Hole”

Other Contenders: Hailee Steinfeld “True Grit”, Mila Kunis “Black Swan”, Barbara Hershey “Black Swan”, Marion Cotillard “Inception”, Andrea Riseborough “Brighton Rock”, Elle Fanning “Somewhere”, Amy Adams “The Fighter”, Kiera Knightly “Never Let Me Go”, For Colored Girls (entire cast)

Commentary: Probably the weakest category this year, nonetheless there are lots of contenders. Two older favorites Miranda Richardson and Dianne Wiest are back in the game this year, and both are said to be brilliant. HBC is an overdue actor, and right now seems to be the frontrunner for her King's Speech role. The last two slots are not as confident. I went with an Amy Ryan-type nomination in Rebecca Hall, and may be The Town's consilation prize. Finally, the great Melissa Leo finally got an Oscar nod two years ago, and her (as well as her co-star Amy Adams) roles look great in The Fighter, hopefully leading to yet another nod.

September Predictions: Coming Soon

I've been waiting for TIFF to wind down some to make some predictions, and I'm sure that as soon as I post them, some news will come in that blows them to hell, but oh well. Sometime in the next couple of days, I will post my September Oscar Predictions, which are very tenative I might add. Anyway, stay tuned!

- Andrew

Review: Easy A

When Olive Pendergrast makes up losing her virginity, she goes from relative unknown to talk of the school. In order to help out a gay friend from torment, Olive uses her new found slutiness to sell her "sex" for various gift cards and payment options. What ensues is a scandolous free for all, especially when the Christian group at her school begins to protest after a particularly STD sexcapade. Despite all of that, Olive begins to realize the consequences of a lie, and maybe along the way finds out that if she really wants love, all she needs to be is herself.

While Easy A was not exactly targeted for a straight 20 year old male, it suceeded, with flying colors I might add, at being one of the most entertaining and pleasing movies I have seen in a long time. Will Gluck does a decent job at directing simply by letting the actors ramble in some scenes that is most likely ad-lib, and by moving the story along at a zippy pace that never has a dull moment.

The script deftly scorns many of the awful romantic comedy pitfalls, and even openly makes fun of them (even mentioning John Hughes by name), and yet still manages to be zippy, have plenty of useful pop culture references, without being cheesy or trying to hard to be funny. Furthermore, there is some real tension here, making it rise above the normal chatter. There is real drama, real tears, and real conflict that makes this more than just your normal horny comedy, and also makes you feel for these characters. Basically, it gives you a reason to care about the outcome of Olive's love life.

But the real part that makes this movie work is the incredible cast. The teenagers fit stereotypes, yet still manage to be original (Amanda Bynes as a Jesus freak is particularly funny). More importantly, the adult actors add so much depth and chemistry, combining their incredible talents and great comedic timing to create a perfect world of warmth that seems simply flawless.

Finally, and most importantly, Emma Stone, Easy A's effervescent star is what really makes this movie work. Her bright red hair and husky voice make her the perfect anti-hero romantic star, and her wit and timing, and incredible chemistry with her co-stars, means that Ms. Stone has a long, incredible career ahead of her.

Overall, Easy A is one of the best romantic comedies to come out in the last year, and may go down as one of the great teen comedies, becoming this generation's Clueless. If not, at least all that venture to the theatre can enjoy lots of laughs, and witness the birth of the next great comedic actress, Emma Stone.

Grade: A-

Trailer: For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf

Soon I will put up some post-TIFF reactions, although there are some screenings left, especially Another Year, because although we know that it is good, American and Canadian audiences might feel different.

But on to the real reason for this post. The new powerful trailer for Tyler Perry's latest, proves that maybe he has finally made a movie that could get some serious Oscar contention. I've always been a fan of his, but critics have shyed away. Maybe this can be this year's Precious, and if not, at least we get to see some of the finest actresses working today all share the screen in one movie. My hope is that the acting abilities rasies the material to heights that the Academy simply cannot ignore.

Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5PzrrVNiBc&feature=player_embedded

TIFF: Hereafter and Rabbit Hole

At TIFF, Hereafter is dividing critics, which I predicted would happen. So here are some the good and the bad.

Good:

1. Todd McCarthy from Indiewire:

"That said, the film has distinctive ambitions, visits unusual places and creates a special mood that are somewhere in the neighborhood of haunting, an achievement enhanced by the director’s own musical score and Tom Stern’s atmospheric cinematography, which also features a moving camera more than is the norm in Eastwood’s films. It’s an offbeat, unexpected work with a thoughtful, rational approach to material usually dealt with in hyperbolic, sensationalistic terms."

2. Roger Ebert

"Eastwood and his actors achieve a tone that never forces the material but embraces it. It is never dreamlike, but it could be described as evoking a reverie state. These people are not hurtling toward the resolution of a plot. There is no “solution” to their stories. There are various degrees of solace, or not. They don’t punch the dialogue. They don’t “act.” They lack the certainty to impose themselves. Damon in particular is reserved and sad, because of a power that has become a burden to him. “Hereafter” is unlike any film Clint Eastwood has ever made, but you’d think he’d been preparing it for years."

The Bad:

1. Jeffrey Wells from Hollywood Elsewhere

"Banal. Okay, so-so, mild, auto-pilot, meh. Matt Damon is good — I believed his readings and conveyances. But some of the dialogue (including some of Damon’s) is too flat, too on-the-nose. And those teardrops falling down those cheeks…twice! I will however give points — everyone will — to the Southeast Asian tsunami sequence that opens the film. It’s quite thrilling, scary…although it does, truth be told, ‘look’ like CG."

Oscar Hopes: Not sure, needs more reviews. The older critics tend to like it better than younger critics, which could play well seeing as the Academy tends to be older. I think it's still in the derby.

John Cameron Mitchell's Rabbit Hole is getting pretty good word coming out especially for its stars.

Pete Hammond from Deadline:

"I think there is none better than Nicole Kidman making a major artistic comeback after a string of disappointments that include Australia, Nine, Margot At The Wedding, The Invasion, Fur, and Human Stain. She turns in a brilliant performance in Rabbit Hole, which had its gala world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival Monday night"

Peter Knegt

"He also brings out strong, naturalistic work from Nicole Kidman (I have not enjoyed her this much in some time), Aaron Eckhart and Dianne Wiest that have enough awards potential for buyers to take what I can only assume will be quick notice."

Oscar Potential: Two former winners, and a popular actor all combine forces and are said to be great. If there is a good campaign, their star power alone puts them into the big time.

VMA Winners

Lady Gaga won big tonight, and Chelsea Handler was hilarious as the host. Here are the winners:

Best Dance Video - Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
Best Collaboration - Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce, “Telephone”
Best Female Video - Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
Best Rock Video - 30 Seconds to Mars, “Kings and Queens”
Best Male Video - Eminem, “Not Afraid”
Best Pop Video - Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
Best Hip Hop Video - Eminem, “Not Afraid”
Best New Artist - Justin Bieber
Video of the Year - Lady Gaga

Toronto: The Conspirator, Conviction, and Hereafter

Well, some new films finally have some reviews, so here is a look:

The Conspirator - Robert Redford's latest still doesn't have a distributer, but is getting solid reviews. An historical drama with some big names, and solid/good reviews could be enough to push it into Oscar territory, especially if this turns out to be a weak year. Although we already have a lot of contenders.

Kirk Honeycutt at The Hollywood Reporter:

"Redford does a good job in developing the drama and making one of the least sympathetic women in American history into something of a heroine. But the film largely rests on a character played with considerable emotional energy by James McAvoy, Union veteran and war hero Frederick Aiken, who as a new lawyer defended Mary Surratt, one of four individuals charged in the conspiracy after John Wilkes Booth was shot trying to escape arrest"

Here are two quick notes about two other movies that we still don't know much about:

Conviction - Not sure about the rest of the movie, but Sam Rockwell could get really get some attention for Best Supporting Actor according to early reports.

Hereafter - The embargo on reviews is still up, but some audience reactions have leaked, and its a mixed bag, meaning it could divide audiences, but maybe not critics?

Venice Winners: Somewhere takes the Top Prize

Lukewarm reviews of Sofia Coppola's latest Somewhere had some pundits automatically writing it off. Well at least in Europe, they are apparently loving it. I'm not sure what Oscar chances it has but there are a lot of Europeans in the Academy, and it could still snag a BP nod. Here are the festival winners:

Venice Palmares


Golden Lion: Somewhere, Sofia Coppola

Silver Lion: Balada triste de trompeta, Álex de la Iglesia,

Special Prize: Essential Killing, Jerzy Skolimowsi.

Coppa Volpi (Best Actor): Vincent Gallo, Essential Killing

Coppa Volpi (Best Actress): Ariane Labed, Attenberg

Marcello Mastroianni Award (Best Young Actor & Actress): Mila Kunis, Black Swan

Osella (Best Screenplay): A Sad Trumpet Ballad, Álex de la Iglesia

Osella (Best Cinematography): Mikhail Krichman, Silent Souls

Special Lion for Overall Work: Monte Hellman

European Cinema Award: The Clink of Ice

Leoncino d’Oro (Golden Lion Cub): Barney’s Vision

Queer Lion (best gay film): In the Future

Best of the Decade Television Awards: Winners

Best Drama Series

1. The West Wing (Winner)

2. The Sopranos

3. The Wire

4. Mad Men

5. Six Feet Under

6. Lost

7. Grey's Anatomy
8. The Shield
9. Battlestar Gallactica
10. Breaking Bad
Commentary: While The Sopranos is the more conventional choice, for me, nothing has, nor ever will compare to the greatness that was The West Wing, simply put, the greatest television drama of all time.

Best Comedy Series

1. Friends (Winner)

2. Arrested Development

3. Frasier

4. Will & Grace

5. Gilmore Girls

6. Everbody Loves Raymond
7. Sex and the City
8. 30 Rock
9. Desperate Housewives

10. The Office

Commentary: I'm sure I'm going to get scoffed at for choosing such a populist choice over the more catchy or cool choices, but no one can deny the pop culture impact that a decade of Friends had on American society. They weren't just our Friends, they were our family.

Best Actor in a Drama Series
1. (Tie) Martin Sheen "The West Wing" & James Gandolfini "The Sopranos"  (Winners)
2. Dennis Franz "NYPD Blue"
3. Michael Chiklis "The Shield"
4. Bryan Cranston "Breaking Bad"
5. Hugh Laurie "House"
6. Michael C. Hall "Dexter"
7. Kyle Chandler "Friday Night Lights"

Commentary: Ok, so I could'nt make a decision between the two most powerful male performances of the last decade, and since these are my awards, I made an executive decision to include both Jed Bartlett and Mr. Soprano.

Best Actress in a Drama Series

1. Allison Janey "The West Wing" (Winner)

2. Edie Falco "The Sopranos"

3. Glenn Close "Damages"

4. Frances Conroy "Six Feet Under"

5. Krya Sedgwick "The Closer"

6. January Jones "Mad Men"

7. Connie Britton "Friday Night Lights"

Commentary: Once again, I'm sure some will be disgusted that Edie Falco didn't win, but Allison Janey's portrayal was strong and flawless.

Best Actor in a Comedy Series
1. Jason Bateman "Arrested Development" (Winner)
2. Kelsey Grammar "Frasier"
3. Ray Romano "Everybody Loves Raymond"
4. Eric McCormack "Will & Grace"
5. Steve Carrell "The Office"
6. Alec Baldwin "30 Rock"
7. Jim Parsons "The Big Bang Theory"
Commentary: The talents and subtlety of Jason Bateman are too often underappreciated, so I figured that it was time he deserved some recognition, especially for his hilarious role in this short-lived TV classic.

Best Actress in a Comedy Series

1. Jennifer Aniston "Friends" (Winner)

2. Lauren Graham "Gilmore Girls"

3. Debra Messing "Will & Grace"

4. Jane Kaczmarek "Malcolm in the Middle"

5. Patricia Heaton "Everybody Loves Raymond"
6. Sarah Jessica Parker "Sex and the City"
7. Tina Fey "30 Rock"
Commentary: EW named Rachel Green as one of the top ten great characters of all time, and that is thanks to the emotional and comedic talents of the always fantastic Jennifer Aniston. I just wish her movie career could capture the magic that last for ten years.

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
1. John Spencer "The West Wing" (Winner)
2. Bradley Whitford "The West Wing"
3. Michael Imperioli "The Sopranos"
4. Aaron Paul "Breaking Bad"
5. Richard Schiff "The West Wing"
6. Walter Goggins "The Shield"
7. Michael Emerson "Lost"

Commentary: Unfortunately, John Spencer died before they were able to complete the series, but his Leo McGarry was one of the greatest sidekicks in modern pop culture, and Spencer's abilities and compassion will never be forgotten.

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

1. Chandra Wilson "Grey's Anatomy" (Winner)

2. Stockard Channing "The West Wing"

3. Lorraine Bracco "The Sopranos"
4. Janel Moloney "The West Wing"
5. CCH Pounder "The Shield"
6. Sandra Oh "Grey's Anatomy"
7. Christina Hendricks "Mad Men"
Commentary: Even when Grey's has dipped in quality, Chandra Wilson's Bailey remains one of the strongest, and funniest characters on television.

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
1. David Hyde Pierce "Frasier" (Winner)
2. Peter Boyle "Everybody Loves Raymond"
3. Sean Hayes "Will & Grace"
4. Brad Garrett "Everybody Loves Raymond"
5. John Mahoney "Frasier"
6. Jeffrey Tambor "Arrested Development"
7. Neil Patrick Harris "How I Met Your Mother"
Commentary: Cheer was great, but adding an even fussier brother as a sidekick to Fraiser Crane was a brilliant move, and David Hyde Pierce was pitch perfect.

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
1. Megan Mullaly "Will & Grace" (Winner)
2. Doris Roberts "Everbody Loves Raymond"
3. Kellp Bishop "Gilmore Girls"
4. Vanessa Williams "Ugly Betty"
5. Cynthia Nixon "Sex and the City"
6. Kim Cattrall "Sex and the City
7. Kristin Chenoweth "Pushing Daisies"
Commentary: Every scene that she was in Megan Mulally's Karen Walker stole the scene without a doubt with her crazy/drunk antics that always kept us laughing.

Best Made For Television Movie

1. The Gathering Storm (Winner)

2. Warm Springs

3. The Girl in the Cafe

4. Grey Gardens

5. A Raisin in the Sun

6. Path to War

7. Something the Lord Made

Commentary: It's a shame this couldn't be a real movie, because The Gathering Storm was powerful, extremely well acted by the incredible talents of Vanessa Redgrave and Albert Finney, and could have been an Oscar contender had it hit theaters.

Best Miniseries
1. Angels in America (Winner)
2. Band of Brothers
3. John Adams
4. Into the West
5. Empire Falls
Commentary: Simply put, Angels in America was stunning.

Best Actor in a Mini/Movie
1. Albert Finney "The Gathering Storm" (Winner)
2. Al Pacino "Angels in America"
3. Paul Giamatii "John Adams"
4. Michael Gambon "Path to War"
5. Kenneth Branaugh "Warm Springs"
6. Geoffrey Rush "The Life and Death of Peter Sellars"
Commentary: A brilliant performance that today remains the best of Winston Churchill seen in any medium.
7. Alan Rickman "Something the Lord Made"

Best Actress in a Mini/Movie
1. Vanessa Redgrave "The Gathering Storm" (Winner)
2. Meryl Streep "Angels in America"
3. Phylicia Rashad "Raisin in the Sun"
4. S. Epatha Merkerson "Lackawanna Blues"
5. Laura Linney "John Adams"
6. Cynthia Nixon "Warm Springs"
7. Sigourney Weaver "Prayers for Bobby"
Commentary: The dynamic duo of Finney and Redgrave was so believable, and a lot of credit goes to the stunning abilities of Vanessa Redgrave.
Best Supporting Actor in a Mini/Movie
1. Jeffrey Wright "Angels in America" (Winner)
2. Tom Wilkinson "John Adams"
3. Jim Broadbent "The Gathering Storm"
4. Alec Baldwin "Path to War"

5. Justin Kirk "Angels in America"

6. Donald Sutherland "Path to War"

7. Jeremy Irons "Elizabeth I"

Commentary: Still remains one of the most haunting and surprising performances in television history.

Best Supporting Actress in a Mini/Movie

1. Mary-Louise Parker "Angels in America" (Winner)

2. Juliette Lewis "Hysterical Blindness"

3. Jane Alexander "Warm Springs"

4. Kelly MacDonald "The Girl in the Cafe"

5. Gena Rowlands "Hysterical Blindness"
6. Janet McTeer "Into the Storm"
7. Laura Dern "Recount"
Commentary: Not only was she stunning in Angels in America, but include Weeds and The West Wing, and Parker is one of the best television actors of the last decade, and maybe of all time.

Best of the Decade Television Awards: Nominations

Winners will be announced soon. Also, keep looking for updates on the many film festivals, as well as check out the update Oscar Tracker on the sidebar. Enjoy!

Best Drama Series

Battlestar Gallactica
Breaking Bad
Grey’s Anatomy
Lost
Mad Men
The Shield
Six Feet Under
The Sopranos
The West Wing
The Wire

Best Comedy Series
Arrested Development
Desperate Housewives
Everybody Loves Raymond
Frasier
Friends
Gilmore Girls
The Office
Sex and the City
30 Rock
Will & Grace

Best Actor in a Drama Series
Kyle Chandler “Friday Night Lights”
Michael Chiklis “The Shield”
Bryan Cranston “Breaking Bad”
Dennis Franz “NYPD Blue”
James Gandolfini “The Sopranos”
Michael C. Hall “Dexter”
Hugh Laurie “House”
Martin Sheen “The West Wing”

Best Actress in a Drama Series
Connie Britton “Friday Night Lights”
Glenn Close “Damages”
Frances Conroy “Six Feet Under”
Edie Falco “The Sopranos”
Allison Janey “The West Wing”
January Jones “Mad Men”
Kyra Sedgwick “The Closer”

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Michael Emerson “Lost”
Walter Goggins “The Shield”
Michael Imperioli “The Sopranos”
Aaron Paul “Breaking Bad”
Richard Schiff “The West Wing”
John Spencer “The West Wing”
Bradley Whitford “The West Wing”

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Lorraine Bracco “The Sopranos”
Stockard Channing “The West Wing”
Janel Moloney “The West Wing”
Christina Hendricks “Mad Men”
Sandra Oh “Grey’s Anatomy”
CCH Pounder “The Shield”
Chandra Wilson “Grey’s Anatomy”

Best Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin “30 Rock”
Jason Bateman “Arrested Development”
Steve Carell “The Office”
Kelsey Grammar “Frasier”
Eric McCormack “Will & Grace”
Jim Parsons “The Big Bang Theory”
Ray Romano “Everybody Loves Raymond”

Best Actress in a Comedy Series
Jennifer Aniston “Friends”
Tina Fey “30 Rock”
Lauren Graham “Gilmore Girls”
Patricia Heaton “Everybody Loves Raymond”
Jane Kaczmarek “Malcolm in the Middle”
Debra Messing “Will & Grace”
Sarah Jessica Parker “Sex and the City”

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Peter Boyle “Everybody Loves Raymond”
Brad Garrett “Everybody Loves Raymond”
Neil Patrick Harris “How I Met Your Mother”
Sean Hayes “Will & Grace”
John Mahoney “Frasier”
David Hyde Pierce “Fraiser”
Jeffrey Tambor “Arrested Development”

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Kelly Bishop “Gilmore Girls”
Kim Cattrall “Sex and the City”
Kristin Chenoweth “Pushing Daisies”
Megan Mulally “Will & Grace”
Cynthia Nixon “Sex and the City”
Doris Roberts “Everybody Loves Raymond”
Vanessa Williams “Ugly Betty”

Best Made For Television Movie
The Gathering Storm
The Girl in the Café
Grey Gardens
Path to War
A Raisin in the Sun
Something the Lord Made
Warm Springs

Best Miniseries
Angels in America
Band of Brothers
Empire Falls
Into the West
John Adams

Best Actor in a Mini/Movie
Kenneth Branaugh “Warm Springs”
Albert Finney “The Gathering Storm”
Michael Gambon “Path to War”
Paul Giamatti “John Adams”
Al Pacino “Angels in America”
Alan Rickman “Something the Lord Made”
Geoffrey Rush “The Life and Death of Peter Sellars”

Best Actress in a Mini/Movie
Laura Linney “John Adams”
S. Epatha Merkerson “Lackawanna Blues”
Cynthia Nixon “Warm Springs”
Phylicia Rashad “A Raisin in the Sun”
Vanessa Redgrave “The Gathering Storm”
Meryl Streep “Angels In America”
Sigourney Weaver “Prayers for Bobby”

Best Supporting Actor in a Mini/Movie
Alec Baldwin “Path to War”
Jim Broadbent “The Gathering Storm”
Jeremy Irons “Elizabeth I”
Justin Kirk “Angels in America”
Donald Sutherland “Path to War”
Tom Wilkinson “John Adams”
Jeffrey Wright “Angels in America”

Best Supporting Actress in a Mini/Movie
Jane Alexander “Warm Springs”
Laura Dern “Recount”
Juliette Lewis “Hysterical Blindness”
Kelly MacDonald “The Girl in the Café”
Janet McTeer “Into the Storm”
Mary-Louise Parker “Angels in America”
Gena Rowlands “Hysterical Blindness”

Venice and Telluride: Oscar Contenders Get a Big Boost

Here are some reactions to some of this year's biggest contenders:

Somewhere got some pretty decent reviews including these two. It looks as if Soffia Coppola might be back int the Oscar Derby:

The Evening Standard:

"Dorff and Fanning play naturally and well — Coppola gives them every chance. It’s an unexpected change of gear for Francis’s daughter, who says her childhood is mined in the film. It may last in the memory a little more than Marie Antoinette, if not quite as long as Lost In Translation."

Guy Lodge from In Contention:

"The answer to both questions, happily, is no. With the wry, shimmery and thoroughly beguiling “Somewhere,” Coppola has perhaps made exactly the film she needed to at this point in her career: one that calmly takes stock of her abilities and interests rather than pushing them too severely."

The King's Speech is getting some excellent reviews, pushing it into the Oscar race, especially Colin Firth and Helen Bonham Carter:

Peter DeBruge from Variety:

"Americans love kings, so long as they needn’t answer to them, and no king of England had a more American success story than that admirable underdog George VI, Duke of York, who overcame a dreadful stammer to rally his people against Hitler. A stirring, handsomely mounted tale of unlikely friendship starring Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush, “The King’s Speech” explores the bond between the painfully shy thirtysomething prince and the just-this-side-of-common, yet anything-but-ordinary speech therapist who gave the man back his confidence. Weinstein-backed November release should tap into the same audience that made “The Queen” a prestige hit."

Kirk Honeycutt from The Hollywood Reporter:

"Firth doesn’t just make a British king vulnerable and insecure, he shows the fierce courage and stamina beneath the insecurities that will see him through his kingship. It’s not just marvelous acting, it’s an actor who understands the flesh-and-blood reality of the moment and not its history. It’s an actor who admires his character not in spite of his flaws but because of them. Rush is absolutely wonderful, and Hooper shoots him with all sorts of angles, lighting and strange positions that makes him look like an alien landed in 1930s London. Nothing much impresses him, and he is supremely confident in his own expertise, even when challenged by a star pupil and his coterie of advisers. He won’t yield an inch.Carter is a revelation here despite a long career as a leading lady. She makes Bertie’s wife into not just a warm and caring soul but a witty and attractive woman who understands her husband much better than he does himself."

At Telluride Never Let Me Go got some positive reviews, with a few mixed reactions, but overall it seems as if this one is also going to be in play come Oscar time, especially for its young stars, although its road could be a bit rockier. Posted below are two of the better reviews:
 
David Poland from MCN:
 
"For me, Never Let Me Go is why I love cinema. It is smart and demanding and emotional and rigorous and profoundly artful. It is more than “a good story well told.” It is humanity on a screen. And it trusts us, as thinking, feeling adults, to do the work."
 
Peter DeBruge from Variety:
 
"Despite perpetrating a number of significant changes from the novel, Garland really gets to the marrow of it, raising philosophical questions about science and the soul that trace all the way back to Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” With its ties to contemporary medical ethics as well, “Never Let Me Go” is the type of film that invites discussion after the fact, proving Romanek has more on his mind than simply making people cry."
 
Tommorrow, I will hopefully post some reactions to Peter Weir's latest The Way Back and Danny Boyles Slumdog Millionaire follow-up 127 Hours, but the first initial reviews are very good for both.

Venice Film Festival: Miral Gets Mixed Reviews

Unlike the Black Swan debut, Julian Schnabel's latest Miral. Here is a look at some of the mixed reactions:

Guy Lodge of In Contention:

"For Schnabel’s part, his stated passion for the material is scarcely evident in his screen treatment thereof, which rather awkwardly welds his pet visual and sonic tics onto a narrative that struggles to support them. (By the time he chooses to soundtrack a traditional Palestinian funeral with a phlegmy Tom Waits dirge, you wonder whether the director is treating the Jebreal’s work as an elaborate exercise to prove that, look, any story can become A Julian Schnabel Film.) Whereas Schnabel’s florid artistic sensibility previously successfully established a kind of empathy with fellow creative subjects like Reynaldo Arenas or Jean-Dominique Bauby, his approach feels both shoe-horned and faintly disingenuous in this context."

Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood:

"Clearly, Schnabel was stirred by this book to bring it to the screen, but Slumdog Millionaire star Pinto, while gorgeous, is not an expressive actress. (She likely helped to raise funding for the film produced by Jon Kilik with financing from Israel, Italy, India and France, which The Weinstein Co. will release stateside.) Her story remains expositional and flat, filled with long debates with her boyfriend Hani (Omar Metwally) about alternative routes to a Middle East solution. “What they really want is all of Palestine without Palestinians,” says Hani. “With them here there is no future for us.”

Derek Malcolm of The Evening Star is a little more kind:

"The film moves backwards and forwards in time, sometimes confusingly. But its point is well made. Apart from Willem Dafoe and Vanessa Redgrave, who take only minor parts, the cast are virtually unknown in the west. But they play with an emotional skill that points up the story convincingly."

In terms of Oscar, I think were going to have to wait and see. These are only a few reviews, and maybe as it is seen by more people, it will get more praise.

Best of the Decade Television Awards: Nominees - Long List

So here are the long lists for the Best of the Decade Television Awards. I will narrow the categories probably to ten for the series, seven for the actors, and maybe a variation on that for the TV Movie/Miniseries Categories. Once I narrow it down to the official nominees, then I will present the winners!
Enjoy!

Best Drama Series

Battlestar Gallactica
Breaking Bad
Damages
ER
Friday Night Lights
Grey’s Anatomy
House, M.D.
Law & Order
Lost
Mad Men
NYPD Blue
The Practice
The Shield
Six Feet Under
The Sopranos
24
True Blood
Veronica Mars
The West Wing
The Wire

Best Comedy Series

Ally McBeal
Arrested Development
The Bernie Mac Show
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Desperate Housewives
Entourage
Everybody Loves Raymond
Frasier
Friends
Gilmore Girls
The King of Queens
The Office
Pushing Daisies
Scrubs
Sex and the City
30 Rock
Two and A Half Men
Ugly Betty
Weeds
Will & Grace

Best Actor in a Drama Series

Kyle Chandler “Friday Night Lights”
Michael Chiklis “The Shield”
Bryan Cranston “Breaking Bad
Matthew Fox “Lost”
Dennis Franz “NYPD Blue”
James Gandolfini “The Sopranos”
Michael C. Hall “Dexter”
Anthony LaPaglia “Without A Trace”
Denis Leary “Rescue Me”
Hugh Laurie “House”
Ian McShane “Deadwood”
Jerry Orbach “Law & Order”
Martin Sheen “The West Wing”
James Spader “The Practice” and “Boston Legal”
Kiefer Sutherland “24”

Best Actress in a Drama Series

Kristen Bell “Veronica Mars”
Connie Britton “Friday Night Lights”
Glenn Close “Damages”
Frances Conroy “Six Feet Under”
Edie Falco “The Sopranos”
Sarah Michelle Gellar “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”
Jennifer Garner “Alias”
Mariska Hargitay “Law & Order: SVU”
Allison Janey “The West Wing”
January Jones “Mad Men”
Evangeline Lily “Lost”
Julianna Margulies “ER”
Mary McDonnell “Battlestar Gallactica”
Ellen Pompeo “Grey’s Anatomy”
Kyra Sedgwick “The Closer”

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Naveen Andrews “Lost”
Steve Buscemi “The Sopranos”
Michael Emerson “Lost”
Walter Goggins “The Shield”
Dule Hill “The West Wing”
Michael Imperioli “The Sopranos”
Zeljko Ivanek “Damages”
Rob Lowe “The West Wing”
Terry O’Quinn “Lost”
Aaron Paul “Breaking Bad”
Oliver Platt “Huff”
Richard Schiff “The West Wing”
Jimmy Smits “The West Wing”
John Spencer “The West Wing”
Bradley Whitford “The West Wing”

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Candice Bergen “Boston Legal”
Lorraine Bracco “The Sopranos”
Rose Byrne “Damages”
Stockard Channing “The West Wing”
Drea De Mateo “The Sopranos”
Janel Moloney “The West Wing”
Katherine Heigl “Grey’s Anatomy”
Christina Hendricks “Mad Men”
Elisabeth Moss “Mad Men”
Sandra Oh “Grey’s Anatomy”
Mary-Louise Parker “The West Wing”
CCH Pounder “The Shield”
Jean Smart “24”
Dianne Wiest “In Treatment”
Chandra Wilson “Grey’s Anatomy”

Best Actor in a Comedy Series

Alec Baldwin “30 Rock”
Jason Bateman “Arrested Development”
Steve Carell “The Office”
Ted Danson “Becker”
Larry David “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Michael J. Fox “Spin City”
Kelsey Grammar “Frasier”
Kevin James “The King of Queens”
Matt LeBlanc “Friends”
Jason Lee “My Name is Earl”
Bernie Mac “The Bernie Mac Show”
Eric McCormack “Will & Grace”
Jim Parsons “The Big Bang Theory”
Ray Romano “Everybody Loves Raymond”
Tony Shaloub “Monk”

Best Actress in a Comedy Series

Jennifer Aniston “Friends”
Toni Collette “The United States of Tara”
Marcia Cross “Desperate Housewives”
America Ferrera “Ugly Betty”
Tina Fey “30 Rock”
Calista Flockhart “Ally McBeal”
Lauren Graham “Gilmore Girls”
Teri Hatcher “Desperate Housewives”
Patricia Heaton “Everybody Loves Raymond”
Felicity Huffman “Desperate Housewives”
Jane Kaczmarek “Malcolm in the Middle”
Debra Messing “Will & Grace”
Eva Longoria Parker “Desperate Housewives”
Mary-Louise Parker “Weeds”
Sarah Jessica Parker “Sex and the City”

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Will Arnett “Arrested Development”
Peter Boyle “Everybody Loves Raymond”
Bryan Cranston “Malcolm in the Middle”
David Cross “Arrested Development”
Kevin Dillon “Entourage”
Brad Garrett “Everybody Loves Raymond”
Neil Patrick Harris “How I Met Your Mother”
Sean Hayes “Will & Grace”
John Krasinski “The Office”
John Mahoney “Frasier”
Tracy Morgan “30 Rock”
David Hyde Pierce “Fraiser”
Jeremy Piven “Entourage”
Jeffrey Tambor “Arrested Development”
Rainn Wilson “The Office”

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Courtney Cox-Arquette “Friends”
Kelly Bishop “Gilmore Girls”
Kim Cattrall “Sex and the City”
Kristin Chenoweth “Pushing Daisies”
Kristen Davis “Sex and the City”
Jenna Fischer “The Office”
Cheryl Hines “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Jane Krakowski “30 Rock”
Lisa Kudrow “Friends”
Megan Mulally “Will & Grace”
Cynthia Nixon “Sex and the City”
Elizabeth Perkins “Weeds”
Doris Roberts “Everybody Loves Raymond”
Vanessa Williams “Ugly Betty”
Jessica Walter “Arrested Development”

Best Made For Television Movie
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee
The Gathering Storm
The Girl in the Café
Grey Gardens
Into the Storm
Lackawanna Blues
Life and Death of Peter Sellars
Live From Baghdad
The Lion in Winter
My House in Umbria
Path to War
Prayers for Bobby
A Raisin in the Sun
Something the Lord Made
Warm Springs

Best Miniseries

The Andromeda Stain
Angels in America
Band of Brothers
Broken Trail
Empire Falls
Generation Kill
Into the West
John Adams
Little Dorrit

Best Actor in a Mini/Movie

Kevin Bacon “Taking Chance”
Kenneth Branaugh “Warm Springs”
Sean Combs “A Raisin in the Sun”
Mos Def “Something the Lord Made”
Robert Duvall “Broken Trail”
Albert Finney “The Gathering Storm”
Michael Gambon “Path to War”
Paul Giamatti “John Adams”
Michael Keaton “Live From Baghdad”
William H. Macy “Door to Door”
Bill Nighy “The Girl in the Café”
Al Pacino “Angels in America”
Alan Rickman “Something the Lord Made”
Geoffrey Rush “The Life and Death of Peter Sellars”
Kevin Spacey “Recount”

Best Actress in a Mini/Movie

Drew Barrymore “Grey Gardens”
Annette Benning “Mrs. Harris”
Halle Berry “There Eyes Were Watching God”
Helen Bonham Carter “Live From Baghdad”
Glenn Close “The Lion in Winter”
Judy Davis “The Reagans”
Jessica Lange “Grey Gardens”
Queen Latifah “Life Support”
Laura Linney “John Adams”
S. Epatha Merkerson “Lackawanna Blues”
Cynthia Nixon “Warm Springs”
Phylicia Rashad “A Raisin in the Sun”
Vanessa Redgrave “The Gathering Storm”
Meryl Streep “Angels In America”
Sigourney Weaver “Prayers for Bobby”

Best Supporting Actor in a Mini/Movie

Alec Baldwin “Path to War”
Jim Broadbent “The Gathering Storm”
Thomas Haden Church “Broken Trail”
Chris Cooper “My House in Umbria”
Philip Seymour Hoffman “Empire Falls”
Jeremy Irons “Elizabeth I”
Justin Kirk “Angels in America”
Tim Blake Nelson “Warm Springs”
Paul Newman “Empire Falls”
Peter O’Toole “The Rise of Hitler”
Andy Serkis “Little Dorrit”
Donald Sutherland “Path to War”
Tom Wilkinson “John Adams”
Patrick Wilson “Angels in America”
Jeffrey Wright “Angels in America”

Best Supporting Actress in a Mini/Movie

Jane Alexander “Warm Springs”
Eileen Atkins “Cranford”
Emily Blunt “Gideon’s Daughter”
Stockard Channing “The Matthew Shepard Story”
Laura Dern “Recount”
Helen Hunt “Empire Falls”
Angelica Huston “Iron Jaw Angels”
Juliette Lewis “Hysterical Blindness”
Kelly MacDonald “The Girl in the Café”
Audra McDonald “A Raisin in the Sun”
Janet McTeer “Into the Storm”
Anna Paquin “Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee”
Mary-Louise Parker “Angels in America”
Gena Rowlands “Hysterical Blindness”
Joanne Woodward “Empire Falls”

Venice Film Festival: Black Swan Gets Rave Reviews

While there aren't that many reviews out, and an American audience might feel differently than a European one, the early word on Darren Aronofsky's highly anticipated Black Swan are not only good, they are incredible.

Here are a few blips:

Todd McCarthy at IndieWire:

"As a sensory experience for the eyes and ears, “Black Swan” provides bountiful stimulation. Aronofsky and cinematographer Matthew Libatique choreograph the camera in beautiful counterpoint to Portman’s dance moves, especially in rehearsals, and the muted color scheme on rather grainy stock look like a more refined version of what the director did on “The Wrestler.” Tchaikovsky’s ever-present music supplies plenty of its own drama and the dance world details seem plausible enough."

Peter DeBruge at Variety:

"A wicked, sexy and ultimately devastating study of a young dancer’s all-consuming ambition, “Black Swan” serves as a fascinating complement to Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler,” trading the grungy world of a broken-down fighter for the more upscale but no less brutal sphere of professional ballet. Centerstage stands Natalie Portman, whose courageous turn lays bare the myriad insecurities genuinely dedicated performers face when testing their limits, revealing shades of the actress never before seen on film…"

Kirk Honeycutt at The Hollywood Reporter

“Swan” is an instant guilty pleasure, a gorgeously shot, visually complex film whose badness is what’s so good about it. You might howl at the sheer audacity of mixing mental illness with the body-fatiguing, mind-numbing rigors of ballet, but its lurid imagery and a hellcat competition between two rival dancers is pretty irresistible. Certain to divide audiences, “Swan” won’t lack for controversy, but will any of this build an audience? Don’t bet against it."

In terms of Oscar, I now think that all major categories are in play, especially Actress (Natalie Portman), Barbara Hershey and Mila Kunis (Supporting Actress), Screenplay, Picture, Director (Aronofsky), and the beautiful cinematography, makeup, and costume design.