Independent Spirit Awards

Some random nods (Greenburg?) and some major snubs such as Barbara Hershey or Mila Kunis for Black Swan, Ryan Gosling for Blue Valentine, Julianne Moore for The Kids are All Right, Robert Duvall and Sissy Spacek for Get Low, Diane Wiest for Rabbit Hole, and others. Overall, though there were some truly underdog performances and movies, which is good for those unknown entertainers. I am slightly dissappointed, but I also think it is important to note that this award will have little to no effect on the Oscar race, except that it gives these various movies/performances some press time. Here are the nominees. Also, so glad that Please Give got the Robert Altman Award, but furious that it was left out of Picture, and all acting categories.

BEST FEATURE

127 HOURS
BLACK SWAN
GREENBERG
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
WINTER’S BONE

BEST DIRECTOR

DARREN ARONOFSKY – Black Swan
DANNY BOYLE – 127 Hours
LISA CHOLODENKO – The Kids Are All Right
DEBRA GRANIK – Winter’s Bone
JOHN CAMERON MITCHELL – Rabbit Hole

BEST SCREENPLAY

STUART BLUMBERG & LISA CHOLODENKO – The Kids Are All Right
DEBRA GRANIK & ANNE ROSELLINI – Winter’s Bone
NICOLE HOLOFCENER – Please Give
DAVID LINDSAY-ABAIRE – Rabbit Hole
TODD SOLONDZ – Life During Wartime

BEST FIRST FEATURE
(Award given to the director and producer)

EVERYTHING STRANGE AND NEW
GET LOW
NIGHT CATCHES US
THE LAST EXORCISM
TINY FURNITURE
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

DIANE BELL – Obselidia
LENA DUNHAM – Tiny Furniture
NIK FACKLER – Lovely, Still
BOB GLAUDINI – Jack Goes Boating
DANA ADAM SHAPIRO & EVAN M. WIENER – Monogamy

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
(Given to the best feature made for under $500,000;
award given to the writer, director, and producer)

DADDY LONGLEGS
LOVERS OF HATE
OBSELIDIA
THE EXPLODING GIRL

BEST FEMALE LEAD

ANNETTE BENING – The Kids Are All Right
GRETA GERWIG – Greenberg
NICOLE KIDMAN – Rabbit Hole
JENNIFER LAWRENCE – Winter’s Bone
NATALIE PORTMAN – Black Swan
MICHELLE WILLIAMS – Blue Valentine

BEST MALE LEAD

RONALD BRONSTEIN – Daddy Longlegs
AARON ECKHART – Rabbit Hole
JAMES FRANCO – 127 Hours
JOHN C. REILLY – Cyrus
BEN STILLER – Greenberg

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
ASHLEY BELL – The Last Exorcism
DALE DICKEY – Winter’s Bone
ALLISON JANNEY – Life During Wartime
DAPHNE RUBIN-VEGA – Jack Goes Boating
NAOMI WATTS – Mother and Child

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

JOHN HAWKES – Winter’s Bone
SAMUEL L. JACKSON – Mother and Child
BILL MURRAY – Get Low
JOHN ORTIZ – Jack Goes Boating
MARK RUFFALO – The Kids Are All Right

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

ADAM KIMMEL – Never Let Me Go
MATTHEW LIBATIQUE – Black Swan
JODY LEE LIPES – Tiny Furniture
MICHAEL McDONOUGH – Winter’s Bone
HARRIS SAVIDES – Greenberg

BEST DOCUMENTARY
(Award given to the director)

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP
MARWENCOL
SWEETGRASS
RESTREPO
THUNDER SOUL

BEST FOREIGN FILM
(Award given to the director)

KISSES (Ireland)
MADEMOISELLE CHAMBON (France)
OF GODS AND MEN (Morocco)
THE KING’S SPEECH (United Kingdom)
UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES (Thailand)

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD

(Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its

ensemble cast)

PLEASE GIVE (DIRECTOR: Nicole Holofcener)

Gotham Independent Award Winners

Note that The Hurt Locker started its road to the Oscars here at Gotham, so Winter's Bone could be a major player. Shocked that Jennifer Lawrence didn't win Breathrough award however. Anyway, our first major precursor of the Oscar season goes to Winter's Bone.

Best Feature: Winter’s Bone


Breakthrough Director: Kevin Asch for Holy Rollers

Breakthrough Actor: Ronald Bronstein in Daddy Longlegs

Best Ensemble Performance: Winter’s Bone

Best Documentary: The Oath

Best Film Not Showing at a Theater Near You: Littlerock

Festival Genius Audience Award: Waiting for Superman

Anne Hathaway and James Franco to Host Oscars

In an interesting move, the Academy has named Anne Hathaway and James Franco as the co-hosts of this years Oscars. In some ways I am excited about this because both are funny and multi-talented, they could have great chemistry, and it might attract a young crowd to watch the Oscars, which could boost ratings. However, both (particularly Franco) are Oscar contenders this year, and it might be wierd, particularly if he wins, which is very possible. Furthermore, I feel that this could be a huge publicity stunt that just doesn't quite work, or more importantly, could be a huge train wreck. either way, we now have our Oscar hosts.

State of the Race: Thanksgiving Edition

As the first of December approaches, the Oscar season kicks into high gear. Here is a look at how the race is shaking up before the critics awards change the name of the game.

Best Picture

Black Swan

The Fighter

Inception

The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
The Way Back

Other Potentials: The Town, How Do You Know, Winter's Bone, Another Year, Fair Game, Rabbit Hole, Made in Dagenham, Blue Valentine, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Commentary: The race, in my opinion has remained relatively stable. The summer's three biggest hits, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, and Toy Story 3 seem to remain stable in terms of buzz, as other contenders have fallen off. The Social Network and The King's Speech remain the top two contenders, although The King's Speech reviews seem to not match that of Fincher's modern masterpiece. We have finally seen The Fighter, and it looks like it is going to be a major player in this category and the acting ones as well. Black Swan and 127 Hours are still the "hard to watch" contenders, but both got stunning reviews, and are major contenders. While True Grit has yet to be seen, I think it deserves a spot, until proven otherwise. Finally, I am sticking with Peter Weir's epic over The Town (which seems to be gaining a lot of traction), because the Academy loves Weir, and they ignored Affleck's first time out.

Best Director
Tom Hooper "The King's Speech"
Danny Boyle "127 Hours"
David Fincher "The Social Network"
Ethan and Joel Coen "True Grit"
Peter Weir "The Way Back"
Other Contenders: Mike Leigh "Another Year", Christopher Nolan "Inception", Darren Aronofsky "Black Swan", Debra Granik "Winter's Bone", Lisa Cholodenko "The Kids Are All Right", David O. Russell "The Fighter", Ben Affleck "The Town"
Commentary: David Fincher and Tom Hooper directed the two top Picture contenders, so it makes plenty of sense that they are the top contenders in this prize as well. Boyle and the Coen Bros. are previous winners, making them popular choices. Finally I went with Weir. This is a shaky choice at best, as I think that Nolan, Aronofsky, and Leigh are popular and great choices as well, but I'm still banking on the widely underestimated The Way Back. I think that a well-done historical epic by Peter Weir is right up the Academy's alley.

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges "True Grit"
Robert Duvall "Get Low"
Jesse Eisenberg "The Social Network"
Colin Firth "The King's Speech"
James Franco "127 Hours"
Other Contenders: Javier Bardem "Biutiful", Ryan Gosling "Blue Valentine", Leonardo DiCaprio "Inception", Leonardo DiCaprio "Shutter Island", Mark Wahlberg "The Fighter", Paul Giamatti "Barney's Version", Aaron Eckhart "Rabbit Hole"
Commentary: It seems that Frano and Firth still retain their status as frontrunners, as both films got raving reviews from the general critical mass. I also feel that Bridges and Duvall are previous winners and Academy faves, although we have yet to see True Grit. Finally, I'm sticking with Eisenberg over other contenders simply because I think The Social Network will pick up surprise support come nomination time.

Best Actress
Annette Bening "The Kids Are All Right"
Nicole Kidman "Rabbit Hole"

Leslie Manville "Another Year"

Julianne Moore "The Kids Are All Right"

Natalie Portman "Black Swan"

Other Contenders: Jennifer Lawrence "Winter's Bone", Naomi Watts "Fair Game", Sally Hawkins "Made in Dagenham", Halle Berry "Frankie & Alice", Michelle Williams "Blue Valentine", Anne Hathaway "Love and Other Drugs"

Commentary: This is still a stacked race, and my top five is shaky at best. Bening and Portman seem like the only safe bets, and are currently the frontrunners. Manville is still there despite shrinking buzz for Another Year, because her performance was so widely talked about. As is Kidman's who is a previous winner back in form. Finally I went with Moore over Lawrence, although I feel that this could switch at any moment. If Manville goes supporting (which she should), then there is room for both.

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale "The Fighter"
Ed Harris "The Way Back"
Andrew Garfield "The Social Network"
Mark Ruffalo "The Kids Are All Right"
Geoffrey Rush "The King's Speech"
Other Contenders: Matt Damon "True Grit", Sam Rockwell "Conviction", Colin Farrell "The Way Back", Jeremy Renner "The Town", Jack Nicholson "How Do You Know", Justin Timberlake "The Social Network".
Commentary: Geoffrey Rush still remains the frontrunner, although most of the talk has been about Firth. I think Ed Harris gets in, but so many people still discount the film, which I don't understand. Andrew Garfield was brilliant and will most likely be swept in with the film's popularity. Mark Ruffalo is still holding on to his buzz in a category with a lot of question marks, and is overdue for a nod. Finally, word out of AFI Fest is that The Fighter is a sure-fired contender, and apparently Bale is its shining star.

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams "The Fighter"
Helena Bonham Carter "The King's Speech"
Melissa Leo "The Fighter"
Hailee Steinfield "True Grit"
Dianne Wiest "Rabbit Hole"
Other Contenders: Miranda Richardson "Made in Dagenham", Jackie Weaver "Animal Kingdom", Saoirse Ronan "The Way Back", Barbara Hershey "Black Swan", Mila Kunis "Black Swan", Kimberly Elise "For Colored Girls"
Commentary: Helena Bonham Carter is currently the frontrunner, since the rest of the competition isn't really up to par. The two Fighter girls are getting lots of buzz, and in a weak year, I think both will get in. Rabbit Hole's buzz has flatlined, but I'm keeping former winner Wiest for now. Finally I went with Steinfield over Richardson because True Grit looks good, and Made in Dagenham got decent reviews, but not stellar, and the film seems like it will be completely forgotten.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday with your families!

Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

When I heard that they were going to split the final Harry Potter into two parts, I was kind of weary. Not that two parts would'nt be a great way to do the final book justice, and include all the important parts, but that they first half of the saga would drag, as the first half of the book is a lot of set up, and hodge podge movement that serves its purpose, but might not translate well onto the screen.

While it may not be the most action packed, fast-paced movie of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is far from a drag.

(Sorry, spoliers might be ahead, but my guess is that you all have already seen it)

The story picks right where it left off in the Half-Blood Prince, as our heroes depart on their long and strenuous journey to find the Horcruxes that make up Voldemort's existence. While its not the most exciting of the series, it is filled with plenty of fun, action-packed moments, from the first battle with the Death Eaters, to the crazy (yet hilarious) infiltration of the Ministry of Magic, to the epic (and sexy?) destruction of one of the Horcruxes. However, the biggest moments in this epic, and the most important, tend to be the quiet ones, where we see our beloved heroes deal with the pains of growing up and facing a cruel and unpredictable world, with little help with the exception of each other, and learning to deal with death and loss of people they really care about. Plus there is a heart-warming dance scene, that wasn't in the book, but shows us the true friendship of two characters (won't give it away just in case), and added some much needed warmth to an otherwise dark story.

When I read reviews about this film, I heard many reviewers complain that this was the part that made it drag, the quiet moments. But in my mind, I know that the second half will make up for the loss of a lot of action, and that this slowing down of things, the quiet before the storm, is exactly what Rowling had in mind. It finally provides the emotional depth that matches its magical surroundings.

The actors, particularly our three young heroes, have improved so much, that I now no longer cringe (I have always love the movies, but some of those seens when they were younger weren't exactly fantastic), and now embrace the maturity that these three young thespians have mastered. Emma Watson, particularly, has really blossomed into a fine young actress, and is stunning in this film. The other bright spot for me was the fantastically crazy/evil Helena Bonham Carter, who steals the two short scenes she is in, and is destined to do even more so in the next film.

I was also extremely impressed by the improvement in the technical aspects particularly the cinematography, and the wonderful special effects, both of which deserve Oscar recognition. I even enjoyed the score, even though I missed John Williams, I thought that Alexandre Desplat's moody score captured the darkness of the story, and wasn't overwhelming.

In the end, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 isn't a perfect film, but then again, neither was the first half of Rowling's novel. It does drag in a few parts, and the back and forth nature of the story, which was hard to follow in the novel, is sometimes even more difficult on screen. However, despite that, it deftly combines the things that we have grown to love about Harry Potter, the magic and the characters, and adds the emotional depth that has provided a great set-up for what is sure to be a stunning finale.

Oscar Potential: I think that Emma Watson should be considered in the Supporting Actress race (although she is more of a lead), but that is wishful thinking. However, the Cinematography, Original Score, Art Direction, Costume Design, and Special Effects are definitely in consideration. I think that Part II will have a better shot at making the top ten than this one, if it is as good as I predict it will be.

Grade: B+

2010 AMA Winners

The AMA's are simply a popularity contest, and while not all the winners were bad, in almost every case, there was better person nominated, or more importantly, not nominated. Plus the Justin Bieber love should make anyway who acutally likes decent music cringe until their head explodes. Luckily, most people don't take the AMA's seriously anymore, and hopefully the Grammys will choose more worthy candidates, although I fear a Jonas-esque nod for Bieber.

Favorite Soul/R&B Album: Usher, Raymond v. Raymond


Favorite Pop Rock Band/Duo/Group: The Black Eyed Peas

Favorite Country Female Artist: Taylor Swift

Favorite Latin Music Artist: Shakira

Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist: Rihanna

Favorite Country Male Artist: Brad Paisley

Favorite Breakthrough Artist: Justin Bieber
Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist: Justin Bieber

Favorite Country Band/Duo/Group: Lady Antebellum

Favorite Alternative Rock Music Artist: Muse

Favorite Adult Contemporary Music Artist: Michael Bublé

Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist: Usher

Favorite Artist of the Year: Justin Bieber

Favorite Country Album: Carrie Underwood, Play On

Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Male Artist: Eminem

Favorite Pop/Rock Album: Justin Bieber, My World 2.0

Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist: Lady Gaga

Favorite Contemporary Inspirational Artist: MercyMe

Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album: Eminem, Recovery

Favorite Soundtrack Album: Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers

Is My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Kanye's Best?

I think the President said it best when he called Kanye West an "asshole". West truly is an asshole, but he embraces his cockiness with stride, and more importantly, continually makes incredible music. While 808's and Heartbreak was continually snubbed (it was brilliant btw), his original trilogy created three individual albums that are some of the best of the last decade. Now reviews are starting to trickle in for his first album since VMA-gate, and it looks like West has hit another one out of the park. With seven reviews in, the Metacritic score for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is 100, that's right folks, a perfect score. Here are some of the blurbs worth mentioning:

From Entertainment Weekly:

"Songs that might have felt self-indulgent or tossed-off in other contexts are now essential components of a soundly built structure--easily his most consistently compelling full-length since 2005's Late Registration."

Rolling Stone:

"My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is his most maniacally inspired music yet, coasting on heroic levels of dementia, pimping on top of Mount Olympus."

and The Phoenix:

"Fantasy is the sound of an artist who is so far from shunning the spotlight that the firepower of the wattage pointed at him is a full-on supernova."

Kanye may be an asshole, but it looks like you may have to forget your personal feelings and go purchase the best reviewed album of the year.

On a blog-related note, this upcoming week is Thanksgiving, and I hope to start a preview of the Grammy Nominations which come out December 1st, and do an in-depth State of the Race for the Oscar Season, so stay tuned!!

Best Documentary Feature: Finalists

The Academy has listed its 15 finalists for the Best Documentary Feature. I feel that Client 9, Inside Job, The Tillman Story, and Waiting for Superman are the top choices. This race could actually be interesting to watch, as there are a lot of high-profile contenders. I will update these predictions sometime this weekend. Also, kinda sad that the Joan Rivers doc didn't make the final cut, as it I thought it was pretty damn good. Oh well.

• “Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer,” Alex Gibney, director (ES Productions LLC)
• “Enemies of the People,” Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, directors (Old Street Films)
• “Exit through the Gift Shop,” Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)
• “Gasland,” Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)
• “Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould,” Michele Hozer and Peter Raymont, directors (White Pine Pictures)
• “Inside Job,” Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures)
• “The Lottery,” Madeleine Sackler, director (Great Curve Films)
• “Precious Life,” Shlomi Eldar, director (Origami Productions)
• “Quest for Honor,” Mary Ann Smothers Bruni, director (Smothers Bruni Productions)
• “Restrepo,” Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, directors (Outpost Films)
• “This Way of Life,” Thomas Burstyn, director (Cloud South Films)
• “The Tillman Story,” Amir Bar-Lev, director (Passion Pictures/Axis Films)
• “Waiting for ‘Superman’”, Davis Guggenheim, director (Electric Kinney Films)
• “Waste Land,” Lucy Walker, director (Almega Projects)
• “William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe,” Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler, directors (Disturbing the Universe LLC)

Animated Feature: 3 Nominees

Because there are not enough contenders for five nominees, there are apparently going to be three. Here is the list of eligible films:

“Alpha and Omega”

“Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore”

“Despicable Me”

“The Dreams of Jinsha”

“How to Train Your Dragon”

“Idiots and Angels”

“The Illusionist”

“Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole”

“Megamind”

“My Dog Tulip”

“Shrek Forever After”

“Summer Wars”

“Tangled”

“Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue”

“Toy Story 3”

So Toy Story 3 and How To Train Your Dragon are in, who gets the final spot? Tangled is getting good reviews, and probably has the best shot for number three, although The Illusionist may be a contender as well.

Sidebar Updates

Quickly, there are few minor sidebar updates:

• I have switched Julianne Moore and Jennifer Lawrence. This is Bening's year, and quickly Moore is being forgotten about, and Lawrence was my number six.
• I have added Black Swan to the Best Picture list, over Mike Leigh's Another Year.  I am not confident in this pick, but people really love Black Swan, whereas Another Year's BFCA Rating tempered some of the post-festival hype.

Other than that it has been a boring week in terms of Oscar, but as we all know, the race will heat up soon.

2010 CMA Winners

I know I am a little behind in terms of posting these, but for those who didn't catch it, there were the winners for the CMA Awards:

Entertainer of the Year: Brad Paisley


Female Vocalist of the Year: Miranda Lambert

Male Vocalist of the Year: Blake Shelton

New Artist of the Year: Zac Brown Band

Vocal Group of the Year: Lady Antebellum

Vocal Duo of the Year: Sugarland

Single of the Year: “Need You Now,” Lady Antebellum

Album of the Year: Revolution, Miranda Lambert

Song of the Year: “The House That Built Me,” Miranda Lambert

Musical Event of the Year: “Hillbilly Bone,” Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins

Music Video of the Year: “The House that Built Me,” Miranda Lambert

Musician of the Year: Mac McAnally, guitar

2010 Cecil B. DeMille Winner: Robert DeNiro

In terms of a excellent career, and some incredible performances, the HFPA has chosen an incredible actor, whose long list of movies includes:

• Taxi Driver
• The Godfather Part II
• Raging Bull
• Heat
• Casino
• Meet the Parents
• Analyze This
• The Deer Hunter
• Cape Fear

And others. I am very happy for DeNiro, as he truly does deserve it. However, I must play the Devil's advocate and say that it is a shame that no woman has won it since Barbra Streisand (which I believe was a decade ago), and this would have been the perfect year for Meryl Streep, as she will probably be nominated next year for her new role as Margaret Thatcher. Oh well, Bob is a deservant recepient. I hope Marty Scorsese is the one that presents it to him, cause that would be awesome.

For Colored Girls: SAG Ensemble Nod?

When I saw the reviews for For Colored Girls (which is on my list, but I have yet to see), I started to have odd flashbacks to another movie that had a large, magnificent cast, but was a bomb with critics. Last year, Rob Marshall's Nine was one of the biggest contenders, but was trashed by critics and failed to make any box office mark. However, the sheer magnitude of its acting presence, and a crafty campaign from the infamous Harvey Weinstein, landed its cast in the Best Ensemble Category at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. After reading the less-than-stellar reviews of For Colored Girls, I wonder if there is still enough momentum to honor the cast, which appears to be the only good thing about the movie. There are some distinct parallels between the two movies, such as well-known director, large, well-liked cast, and incredible source material. Furthermore, its reviews read the same in most instances. The cast was great, but was inhibited by lousy writing and directing.

However there are also distinct differences that confuse the intial question, will the cast of For Colored Girls overcome bad reviews and get a SAG ensemble nod? For one thing, Perry's movie is already done better at the box office, and judging by audience reactions, it will have some staying power. Nine, on the other hand, was rarely seen, and was inhibited by its bad reviews, whereas For Colored Girls has flourished.

The issue of race is one thing that I would like to leave out, but unfortunately should probably mention. If SAG ignores these women, then some will say it is because their black. If SAG rewards these women, some will say its because liberal Hollywood needs to always be politically correct. If this cast gets a nomination, it is because the members of the Screen Actors Guild felt that they deserved it, period. These are some of the finest actresses working today, of any color, and any recognition of their usually underrated work is well-deserved.

Also, while Perry is a nice guy, and well-liked, he doesn't have the experience or reputation that Weinstein does in terms of awards. Perry is a guy that makes movies for the general population to enjoy. Weinstein makes movies to win Oscars, and has gotten pretty good at ramming his movies down the voter's throats, enough that even his bad movies get serious attention, and even worse...Oscar nominations (aka The Reader).  

So in the end, the review for For Colored Girls have put it out of Oscar contention almost completely (Nine got some nods, but mostly tech nods(. But Nine's precedent at the SAG Awards means that the star power of Perry's film will keep it in consideration for that ensemble prize. In the end,  I think it will miss out. Let's face it, the Screen Actors Guild got a lot of flack for the Nine nomination (particularly over Up in the Air), and probably doesn't want any more public ridicule. But until the nominees are annouced, it will be on my list as a possibility, just in case.

Forgotten Contenders: Part 2

This weekend, in terms of Oscar, is going to end up being pretty slow. 127 Hours is coming out in limited release, but we know that it is good, and is already on most people's top ten list. The wide releases had some potential: Megamind (Animated Feature), For Colored Girls (Acting), and Due Date (Golden Globes), but so far, their critics ratings are pretty measly, meaning that most likely none of them will have any impact on the Oscar race. So I decided to do a little look back at the first half of the year, and some of the great performances that have been forgotten, but were really great.

1. Leonardo Dicaprio "Shutter Island" and "Inception" - After starring in two of the biggest movies of the year, and being a previous three-time nominee, and one of the best actors in Hollywood, you would think that Leonardo Dicaprio would be a top contender for the Best Actor prize. Unfortunately, while he is still somewhat in the conversation, many pundits (including myself) think that he has a very small chance of actually grabbing a nod, which is a shame, because he was simply brilliant in both.

2. Marion Cotillard "Inception" - With the Supporting Actress race as weak as it is, and Incpetion, being a top contender for Best Picture, you would think that the widely praised performance of a previous Academy Award winner would make huge waves in the Oscar race. Once agian, she remains as a top ten contender on most people's lists, but for some reason is continually left out of the top five. Hopefully precursor awards will give her the recognition she deserves.

3. Annette Benning, Kerry Washington, and Naomi Watts "Mother and Child" - I know that Garcia's Mother and Child wasn't exactly a blockbuster (or even a decent hit for that matter), but the women in that movie gave some of the most stunning performances of the year, and despite early talk, have faded from most people's memories. Washington, particularly, was fantastic (as she always is), and is destined to win an Oscar someday.

4. Casey Affleck "The Killer Inside Me" - I was actually a big fan of this movie, although I can completely understand how people would despise it. It was incredibly sexist, although it was intended to be to showcase just how awful Affleck's character was. But whether you liked it or not, it is hard to deny that Casey Affleck was fantastic in the lead, and completely scared the shit out of most people who actually saw the film.

5. Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, and Rebecca Hall "Please Give" - I personally thought this movie was hilarious, and its three leading ladies did a fantastic job. I wish it had been released closer to Oscar time, cause it could have been the perfect quirky comedy during the Oscar season. But alas, its release date and nonexistant box office had doomed its entire wonderful cast.

6. The cast of "The Town" - It got raving reviews, it still is in the top ten at the box office, and was proved that Affleck wasn't a one-trick pony. However, outside of Jeremy Renner (whose buzz is there, but minimal), none of the other cast members are even being talked about, and the film, which should be in Best Picture consideration, is being left out cold. I still have faith though that maybe, just maybe, somebody will remember this film when their Oscar ballots come out.

British Independent Film Awards Nominees

Well it's not really a huge precursor, but it is a look at how the British are feeling about some of this year's movies. The King's Speech and Never Let Me Go get some big boosts, but Monsters and Kick-Ass got in over Mike Leigh's Another Year, and Made in Dagenham, both believed to be top contenders for Best Picture. I don't think it will derail a possible Oscar run, but it is interesting none the least. Also Leslie Manville went supporting (where I think she should go), and they chose Rosamund Pike over the more buzzed Miranda Richardson for Supporting Actress, maybe adding another contender to a weak category. Here are the nominees:

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM


Four Lions
Kick-Ass
The King’s Speech
Monsters
Never Let Me Go

BEST DIRECTOR

Mike Leigh – Another Year
Matthew Vaughn – Kick-Ass
Tom Hooper – The King’s Speech
Gareth Edwards – Monsters
Mark Romanek – Never Let Me Go

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR]

Debs Gardner Paterson – Africa United
Clio Barnard – The Arbor
Rowan Joffe – Brighton Rock
Chris Morris – Four Lions
Gareth Edwards – Monsters

BEST SCREENPLAY

Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain, Simon Blackwell, Christopher Morris – Four Lions
Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn – Kick-Ass
David Seidler – The King’s Speech
William Ivory – Made In Dagenham
Alex Garland – Never Let Me Go

BEST ACTRESS

Manjinder Virk – The Arbor
Ruth Sheen – Another Year
Andrea Riseborough – Brighton Rock
Sally Hawkins – Made In Dagenham
Carey Mulligan – Never Let Me Go

BEST ACTOR

Jim Broadbent – Another Year
Riz Ahmed – Four Lions
Colin Firth – The King’s Speech
Scoot McNairy – Monsters
Aidan Gillen – Treacle Junior

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Lesley Manville – Another Year
Helena Bonham Carter – The King’s Speech
Rosamund Pike – Made In Dagenham
Keira Knightley – Never Let Me Go
Tamsin Greig – Tamara Drewe

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Kayvan Novak – Four Lions
Guy Pearce – The King’s Speech
Geoffrey Rush – The King’s Speech
Bob Hoskins – Made In Dagenham
Andrew Garfield – Never Let Me Go

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER

Manjinder Virk – The Arbor
Andrea Riseborough – Brighton Rock
Tom Hughes – Cemetery Junction
Joanne Froggatt – In Our Name
Conor McCarron – Neds

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION

The Arbor
In Our Name
Monsters
Skeletons
Streetdance 3D

RAINDANCE AWARD

Brilliant Love
Jackboots On Whitehall
Legacy
Son Of Babylon
Treacle Junior

BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

The Arbor – Sound – Tim Barker
Brighton Rock – Cinematography – John Mathieson
The Illusionist – Animation – Sylvain Chomet
The King’s Speech – Production Design – Eve Stewart
Monsters – Visual Effects – Gareth Edwards

BEST DOCUMENTARY

The Arbor
Enemies of the People
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Fire In Babylon
Waste Land

BEST BRITISH SHORT

Baby
Photograph Of Jesus
Sign Language
Sis
The Road Home

BEST FOREIGN FILM

Dogtooth
I Am Love
A Prophet
The Secret In Their Eyes
Winter’s Bone