Salon on the "Magical Negro," the offensive movie cliche that just won't die. pullquote the Cinetrix appreciates the mise-en-scene of a unique triple feature: Pee Wee's Big Adventure, In the Mood for Love and Metropolis. Three great disparate movies. If I lived in Boston I would surely love the Brattle. IMDB Penélope Cruz' rep makes it official: She's pregnant. The world will get the genetically blessed spawn of Cruz-Bardem in January or Februaryish. Sina Tony Leung Chiu-Wai snapped leaving a noodleshop. Wait, isn't Maggie Cheung supposed to be the one fetching those? I can't believe he's nearing 50.
Critical Condition "the mysterious case of the disappearing 80s movies". This is a good read but I disagree with the resolution. I don't actually think modern technology will prevent films from becoming lost. I think the constant succession of new technologies will only acerbate the problem. Notice how many thousands and thousands of films that were available on VHS are not on DVD and now Blu-Ray is taking over. Nicks Flick Picks has a thoughtful reaction to the Venice "scandal" and its weird jury presumptions. Kenneth in the (212) Madonna: "Most Likely To Direct". Hee. Vanity Fair Natalie Portman on her role in Black Swan ticklepickleme has 10 thoughts on those Rabbit Hole clips we were just watching. Empire James Cameron's True Lies may become a tv series. Can Eliza Dushku reprise her role please? Hollywood Reporter Toronto's "It Girl" is Brit actress Andrea Riseborough who stars in three films.
Finally, here's Julianne Moore politicking. Good on her.
I'm so behind on movie news and readings. It will take me a week to catch up. I'm also aware that I need to revamp the Oscar predix this week. Where to even begin? Links.
IndieWire TIFF completes their lineup. I haven't been posting about TIFF much because I'm so depressed I'm not going. Maybe I'll find someone to cover it for me... [hint. hint] NY Post will The Walking Dead be a hit for AMC? I do wonder how anyone can make the zombie story fresh these days. This looks exactly like all the rest of them, barring the horseback travel. When will entertainment's zombie addiction end? Coming Soon a big screen adaptation of the app/game Angry Birds? I have now heard everything. This would only work as claymation. Oh god please not glossy CGI for this property.
Nick's Flick Picks His 2009 Honorees continue with Screenplays. Better late than never, especially with the intriguing but concise writeups. Cinema Blend video of Viggo and Fassbender in costume and makeup for the new David Cronenberg picture. Oooh, can't wait to see them in action together. Marc Malkin Meet Kurt's Glee boyfriend PopMatters "like touching the dead" another rave for Ken Russell's The Devils (1971). I really wish they'd put this on DVD. It really is amazing in scope and the world so needs it right now given that the global addiction to religion is more dangerous than ever these days. The Ausselio Files creative tension on the set of Diane Keaton's HBO project Tilda Freckle Face The Musical Yes, Julianne Moore's children's book is now a stage musical. They start singing and dancing in early September We Are Movie Geeks Readers near St. Louis, MO? You might want to check out the Black Expo later this very week. Movie legends Pam Grier (!), Louis Gossett Jr and Mario Van Peebles are all appearing.
<--- Yay. It's P&A. The filmmaker and his only real male muse have reunited. They've started shooting The Skin I'm In (2011). Here they are on a break.
Cinematical offers strange speculation about why Penélope Cruz is not in Pedro Almodóvar's The Skin I'm In which just started shooting. Um... how about, Pedro's just using a different girl this time? He does that sometimes. Nothing in P's filmography suggests she'd be uncomfortable with nudity, sex scenes or anything Pedro would ask of her really. Moviehole Apparently Joss Whedon is aware that people are worried that there are no women in The Avengers. He assures there will be. Um, extras don't count. If you don't have The Wasp or Scarlet Witch, you have a sausage fest, plain and simple. The Playlist First look at Uma Thurman in Ceremony. I hope this is a hit for her. Joblo DeNiro, Norton and Jovovich get their Stone poster. I'm falling asleep. Dial P for Popcorn more Black Narcissus images.
Please someone tell me they watched Narcissus specifically due to all this cheerleading we're doing. Blogging must not be in vain!Speaking of... Tomorrow's "Best Shot" episode is Bring It On.Are you joining us?
Finally, I saw this short at this tumblr where the author said "oh my little heart!! cute/sad shakes" and there's no saying it better. Unfortunately I can't tell you who said so. If I don't save things immediately on tumblr I never see them again. (I don't understand tumblr at all. So disposable it is!)
My favorite part is the 'lint puppy'. I would've teared up if my ducts worked properly. One of the undeniable truths of our modern online world is that it has blown out whole new walls as window. There's just so much creativity from so many folks to discover. *
At the beginning of Broken Embraces, Harry Caine (Lluís Homar) the protagonist, who is blind, asks a woman he met on the street to describe herself. After a lush description that highlights her beauty without exaggerating, they proceed to have sex. The woman fascinated by the way he listened, the man yearning what he has lost.
Then, straight out of a pulpy noir he narrates his lifestory, I always wanted to be another person, to be someone beside myself. To dispose of a single identity didn’t seem enough. Living a single life wasn’t enough for me. And half-joking, I came up with a pseudonym for myself, Harry Caine, an adventurer who, as fate would have it, became a writer. At that time, I had him author all the scripts and stories that I wrote. For many years, Mateo Blanco and Harry Caine shared the same person, me, but a time came when, all of a sudden, I couldn’t be anyone other than Harry Caine. I became my pseudonym. Just as I had planned, a heterodox writer and, never better stated, a self-made man, one might even say, “self-written man”. There was only one detail I had not foreseen, Harry would be a blind writer.
That last bit, confused the hell out of me when I first saw the film. Was he implying that Harry's blindness was fake? After the film ends it's obvious that it wasn't, but it took me a few more screenings to see this as some sort of conscious Freudian slip from Pedro Almodóvar.
Anyone else see this-no pun intended-or am I reading too much into a simple grammatical confusion? For that matter are there such things as simple grammatical mistakes?
Readers were invited to submit their favorite thing about either Pedro Almodóvar or Penélope Cruz for a chance to win a copy of the new Broken Embraces DVD. This contest got a great response. I guess the film experience's well known love for P&P has attracted other like-minded movie freaks. THE WINNER, drawn randomly, is... Adelutzain Indiana who writes
I don't think I can express how much I love Pedro and his films. I love him so much that, when I have a bad day, all I have to do is bring up the memory of Tacones Lejanos (High Heels) , the scene where Letal sings "Piensa en mi" - and the voice of Luz Casal combined with the face of Miguel Bose are enough to bring me back to the real world where movies rule. Wouldn't that be nice? :-)
Adelutza... are you implying that movies don't rule the world? What a cruel cruel world we live in. Your DVD ships this week. (Anybody waiting on recent past contests... I have confirmation that your wait is also over this week. I did hear from a few people who just received theirs.)
This shot above, is from my favorite scene in Broken Embraces... the amount of emotions that cross Cruz's post-coital face here, are just wondrous to behold. But this post isn't about my Almodóvar/Cruz fixation, but yours. Thank you to everyone who entered the contest. Here are some excerpts from the many contest entries that I wanted to share.
On Pedro...
Fabrice in Montreal: One of the many reasons i love Almodovar, is that he certainly has a special talent to film the hottest sex scenes ever. Or, As we say in french: Almodovar tourne les scènes de baise les plus torrides!
Candice in New York: the man knows how to write complicated sass queens who unabashedly admit faults without making them look wishy-washy and one-dimensional.
Janice in Connecticut: What I loved after seeing All About My Mother, Women on the Verge...., Volver, and even Pepi, Luci, Bon is the depth of his love and compassion for all of his characters, which few other filmmakers match; there are no "bad guys", no monsters in his films (not even the tranny ex-husband of whom the protagonist screams "You are an epidemic!"), only foolish and fucked-up human beings reaching for love in their own unique, foolish and fucked-up ways.
Eric in Pennsylvania: As a Douglas Sirk-a-holic, it is a joy knowing that there are filmmakers like Almodovar still carrying his style and spirit.
Brad in Toronto: I am a man on the verge of a nervous breakdown but Pedro's films always manage to keep me sane.
Bernardo in Mexico: I am the grandson of Spanish refugees and whenever I watch an Almodovar film, I can't help but feel the sense of passion that I feel every time I taste my great aunt's paella: Spicy and colourful, just like the enthralling images of Almodovar's films.
On Penélope...
Derek in New York: I, along with everyone else in the world, am absolutely amazed at Penélope's complete transformation into a great actress, having not given a single performance I would consider less than remarkable since Volver.
On the Almodóvar/Cruz Combo...
Bryan in Washington:The two together work with such passion and beauty, yet seem to be doing so effortlessly, with grace and without a trace of falseness. I know there is a great deal of effort involved in their collaborations, but whenever I see a film they've done together, hell an interview with them, it reminds me of old friends from my life who I love dearly. Their connection is so vital and wonderful that it just makes me smile.
Serghio in Guatemala: One thing I love about Pé and Pe: The diva-legend vibe surrounding them, equally!
Hayden in Boston: Cinematography that lusts after a lead actress is a beautiful thing, whether it's classy like Nicole Kidman in Birth or trashy like Megan Fox in Transformers. Pedro knows exactly how to straddle that line with Pene, daring to push the limits of taste (that ceiling-boob shot in Volver!) while clearly adoring her as the Sophia Loren of our generation. From Pedro, you get the idea that filming Penélope is a true privilege.
Andrew in Ontario: My favourite thing about Pedro and Penélope is that they found each other, and continue to work together.
Amen, Andrew... amen.
I wish I had 10 copies to give away but if you didn't win, you can still rent the movie or buy it. I'd love to hear what you think of it. One day I'll have to rank all of the Pedro oeuvre. One day...
I could have kept sharing contest entries. Y'all have such good taste but I must be getting on. Are these things you also love about Pedro or Pe? *
/Film Chris Evans offered Captain America? I like Evans but I hope his management doesn't take this as some sort of sign that they were right to ween him off of the beefcake. He did it so well. That'd be like asking Hollywood's young actresses not to maximize the power of their cleavage. That'd be wrong. It'd be positively un-American! Dear Jesus offers alternative Alice in Wonderlands she'd prefer to Tim Burton's. Just Jared Penélope Cruz's role in 4th Pirates of the Caribbean revealed i09 Enver Gjokaj (Dollhouse's MVP) is headlining a new web series he describes as "Twin Peaks Meets Clue" Two great tastes... but will they taste great together? Film Essent Uppity liberal Kym Voynar lets Mississipi have it for cancelling their prom. GO KYM! (Now, I realize she spells her name "Kim" but after Rachel Getting Married I'm just changing the spelling for everyone else now. You're welcome, Kym Basinger!). Guardian pokes fun at the Best Actress Oscar Curse. How should today's A-Listers avoid it? IFC Some people don't want to let Precious-bashing go. It's a handy way for them to feel superior to those who love it. But the blatant willingness to disregard any element of a movie that doesn't fit your critical thesis (in write-ups like this and those before it) only reminds me of the sick state of US politics. It's all spin.
bummer news (for me at least)...
Keith, Sunday and Nicole at some airport or another last week
I was all ready to roar back to the Nashville Film Festival next month (I'm on the New Directors jury) when I got the bad news. Nicole Kidman, who was a likely attendee, will not *sniffle* be there after all. I don't know which upcoming movie is likely to blame for stealing her away (the travel-heavy lives of the rich, famous and well employed you know) but it better be a Moulin Rouge! and not a Stepford Wives if I have to go without her. It's hard to tell with Kidman because she always has so many projects lined up and the line-up is never very stable (not that anybody's is in Hollywood with start dates always shifting and people always bolting for new offers). After the grief drama Rabbit Hole (which she's already wrapped) there's the romantic comedy Just Go With It but that one is already filming and I'm assuming her role is small or even a cameo. Based on plot descriptions, Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler appear to be the leads. They're pretending to be a couple -- Sandler enlists Aniston to help win him some other girl -- which means that they arethe real couple of the movie. You know how predictable rom-coms are. Somewhen during their charade, they'll realize that their pretend feelings are real!!! I'm sorry. I forgot to shout SPOILER. But you know as well as I do how these plots go.
Sony Pictures Classics has been so kind as to offer one lucky Film Experience reader the latest beauty from my favorite living filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar. Los Abrazos Rotos (Broken Embraces) is the labyrinthine memoir of a blind screenwriter (Lluís Homar) who was once a film director who fell madly in love with a kept woman turned actress (Penélope Cruz) on the set of their movie... (which happens to look and sound exactly like Almodóvar's international breakthrough Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown).
This contest is open to all readers -- just bear in mind that the DVD will be in the American format so you'll need an all region player if you're watching it elsewhere -- so if you want it, send an email by Friday March 19th with "PEDRO" in the subject line. Include:
your name
your shipping address
a sentence describing one thing you love about either Cruz or Almodóvar
The winner will be drawn randomly but I'll share selected reader love sentences right here this weekend.
I've been anxiously awaiting the DVD release of Broken Embraces (tuesday) myself just so I could give the movie another go. Fact: Almodóvar movies are better the second time around. He always overstuffs them you see and the second viewing becomes a confirmation of what you thought was great the first time through along with the discovery of hidden treasure: sneaky touches, graceful plot curves and deeper characterizations.
It's no secret that this particular one is not (yet) among my favorites. [Editor's note: For what it's worth I consider his masterpieces to be (in chronological order) Law of Desire, Women on the Verge..., All About My Mother, Talk to Her and Volver] Yet, though I found it slightly impenetrable in its self-reflexivity and chatterbox qualities, it was breathtaking to look at. Impossibly, Pe is even more voluptuous than she was in Volver, Nine or Elegy. If she gets any more beautiful someone is going to launch a thousand ships Pedro's way, to steal her. The movie war would rage for years.
I've been cleaning the apartment, making party favors, half watching Oscar specials on TV and shopping to prep for the party. No time for writing (sorry!) and anyway I'm running on fumes for this year's big night. Herewith a few random thoughts...
Watching Quentin Tarantino spazz out over love of cinema this and that on Charlie Rose's Oscar special. The Boyfriend says "If Tarantino didn't exist Joss Whedon would have invented him." Ha ha. So random. And, yet, so true. He is like an evil genius pop culture geek.
Oprah special. Penélope Cruz's favorite movie is 8½. Who knew? I don't think Halle Berry has seen it. She made one of those non-committal mmmm noises when Pe mentioned it. And then they talked about how amazing Glenn Close was in Fatal Attraction, Halle's favorite movie. Which... yes. Glenn Close is on this same special talking about just that. This is the second time I've had the special on in the background and I just hate watching Glenn's face while Michael Douglas is talking about his two Oscar wins. (sigh) The world is stone.
Was burning a mix CD of this year's movie tunes. Turns out Precious and Fantastic Mr. Fox make for awesome interstitials and The Best Original Song category is slightly more hideous than I had allowed myself to see... hear. My ears!
I believe this is the first time I haven't completed my own awardage before Oscar night which is terribly frustrating but sigh the scrapbooking of each cinematic year is a circuitous journey. It gets there when it gets there.
Legally Blonde is playing in the background and it's still such an adorable cartoon. I want to love Reese Witherspoon in something again real soon.
Maybe Michelle Pfeiffer is going to be presenting at the Oscars after all? This interview with one of the show writers implies as much.
Sexy, like funny, is highly personal. So take these annual awards -- honoring characters that turned us on -- with that knowing grain of salt. Maybe they won't do anything for you. But for this movie buff...
The photo above is from model Jon Kartajegna's single scene in A Single Man. He plays the john "Carlos" and his lips alone are so intoxicating that Tom Ford has to reveal them through a slow burn cloud of smoke rather than just hit them with you all at once. And the prudish American trailer had to cut him out altogether for fear that audiences would get the wrong idea and think this was a [gasp. clutch pearls]... gay movie. Say it isn't so!
One only wishes that Colin Firth's George had gone home with him to bone up on his shaky Spanish. Then the movie could have burst free from its repetitive blueball drama in which George begins to feels something and then runs away from it. Repeatedly. I realize that's the point of George's return to living but didn't you want more Kartajegna, too?
The latest update to the FiLM BiTCH Awards also throws longing glances at Clive, Vera, Michelle, Gwyneth, Neytiri and two double-your-pleasure 2009 hotties, Penélope Cruz and Rupert Friend. Which star turns raised your temperature?
I haven't participated in a "Smackdown" over at me pal StinkyLulu's place for ages. What better time to correct that than during Oscar season? It won't surprise you that Mo'Nique has my vote for Precious but see how many hearts (on a scale of five) each nominated performance gets from myself, StinkyLulu, and the rest of the panel and what we had to say about Maggie Gyllenhaal, Penélope Cruz and the Up in the Air girls, too.
Related... Supporting Actress Reader's Choice Have you voted? Time is running out. I've also spruced up this page to include more details like "how'd they get nominated" and such. Enjoy FiLM BiTCH Awards It's time for the Medals Ceremony for our nominated supporting stars (male and female). Cue the national themes of Austria and the United States.
What must it be like to continually be on the promo circuit for a movie so brutally greeted as Nine? Sure Marion Cotillard and Penélope Cruz won raves that the film, so they can hold their heads up. But it's probably tough going anyway, right? Like writing thank you cards for wedding gifts after an anullment. The movie just opened in Paris and only Marion, Pe and DDL were on hand. They used to get the entire cast for these premieres. They're dropping off.
If you think Oscar announcers make too many unnecessary remarks and mention damn useless trivia -the winner loved yellow minivans growing up- but still couldn't live without them, you would have fallen in love with the announcer for the Goya Awards.
The Spanish Academy presented its awards for the best of 2009 in a lavish, commercial free, ceremony last night where prison drama Celda 211 swept with eight Goyas including Best Picture, Director, Actor and Supporting Actress followed closely by Alejandro Amenábar's Agora which won most of the techs.
But if you were judging from what the announcer had to say you wouldn't have had an inkling of what was going on as the winners took the stage. Like a gossipy insider he told us everything that would've otherwise been delivered only through whispers.
When Raúl Arévalo won Best Supporting Actor for Gordos the shocked announcer made us aware of the fact that nobody thought he would win after which he proceeded to describe him as the Spanish Sean Penn for his looks and versatility.
Then when Pedro Almodóvar took the stage to present Best Picture (in one of the night's most surprising moments) the announcer didn't hesitate to point out how Pedro had been snubbing the Academy for years and this could mean he was trying to make peace with them. Pedro did him justice and after receiving a standing ovation showed off his diva side by stating that Academy president Alex de la Iglesia had practically begged him to make an appearance by stating how he would attend the Oscars and neglected his own country. He then stated how he would've liked to win Best Original screenplay (one of the awards Broken Embraces was up for) but had been told in advance he'd lose. Gotta love his honesty...
But of course both the announcer and the camera crew had a ball with Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem. The secretive couple made their first public appearance together after almost three years of beginning their relationship. They walked the red carpet separately but sat next to each other in the front row (both of them were presenters and Javier got such loud applauding you would've thought he'd won something). They conspicuously disappeared for long parts of the show, leaving empty seats between Jordi Mollá and Lola Dueñas (who won best actress for Yo También) and I'm sure if the announcer had known what they were doing he wouldn't have hesitated to let us know.
Anyone else spent their Valentine's Day with Spanish cinema? If so, what did you think of the winners and the ceremony? Happy to see Pedro in good favor with his national academy? Are you expecting Pe to bring Javier to the Oscars?
There's a rumor circling the web and European media stating that Penélope Cruz has been cast in Lars von Trier's new film Melancholia.
If this is true then the Oscar winning actress will be battling some heavy personal issues while Lars destroys our planet. The film will center on the impending collision of Earth with planet Melancholia (the man doesn't even try to conceal how much he loves Tarkovsky does he?).
When the movie was announced last October, the only thing Lars told people to expect were "no more happy endings". Lars isn't really a filmmaker who cares what others think of him but I wonder how will Cruz fare out in all of this.
I love the road she's taking recently: Woody Allen, an Oscar, an Almodóvar film, a musical and now von Trier-her choices are very Nicole Kidman if you ask me-and might just continue to establish her presence as one of our greatest actresses.
Until the news are confirmed, or denied, we can drool (in my case), complain or speculate about how Pe and Lars will do together. Do you think she'll be as good as Emily, Bjork, Bryce, Charlotte and Nicole?
The nominees for the 24th annual Goya Awards were announced this past Saturday with Daniel Monzón's Celda 211, a prison drama,leading the field with 16 nominations including Best Picure and Best director. Alejandro Amenábar's Ágora followed with 13 nominations including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress (Rachel Weisz).
The big news was the snub of Pedro Almodóvar's Broken Embraces in the top categories. This makes it the first Almodóvar movie of the past decade not to be nominated for Spain's Best Picture (Volver won in the top categories three years ago and Bad Education and Talk to Her were nominated but lost in their respective years).
Broken Embraces however received five nominations including Best Original Screenplay, Original Score, Costume Design, Hair & Makeup and Best Actress for Penélope Cruz.
Joining Cruz and Weisz in the Best Actress category were Maribel Verdú for Francis Ford Coppola's Tetro and Lola Dueñas (Cruz's Volver co-star) for Yo, También.
The top two categories stand as follows:
Best Picture and Best Director Ágora, Alejandro Amenábar Celda 211, Daniel Monzón El Baile de la Victoria, Fernando Trueba El Secreto de Sus Ojos, Juan José Campanella
It's interesting to note that both El Baile de la Victoria from Spain and El Secreto de Sus Ojos from Argentinawere submitted by their respective countries to be considered for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award for 2009. Trueba won that prize for Belle Époque in 1992 and Campanella was also a nominee for Son of the Bride in the 2001 film year.
Argentinean actor Ricardo Darín (9 Queens) was a double nominee for his lead performance in El Secreto de Sus Ojos and his supporting work in El Baile de la Victoria.
Other important categories include...
Best Latin American Film: Dawson Isla 10 from Chile, Gigante from Uruguay, El secreto de sus ojos from Argentina, La teta asustada from Perú (all of the entries, except for Uruguay, are also submitted for the 82nd Oscars)
Best European Film:Welcome to the North from France, Let the Right One In from Sweden, The Class from France and Slumdog Millionaire from the UK.
The 24th Annual Goya Awards will be held February 14th in Madrid.
This list has more repeat offenders than the male list yesterday. Please give these 45 talented women one last round of applause before we take a break from the decade stuff to embark on the 2009 awards. As with the male list, I didn't include any 2009 performances (let the year settle first) though there is at least one that would obviously (x 50) be here if I did...
"And it's time my luck changed. And it's time something went right for me!"
-"Julia" makes a plea for a surprise Tilda Swinton nomination this year.
PLEASE NOTE: This list should not be mistaken for an updated 'Actresses of the Aughts' chart. [editors note: I may attempt to return to that massive project in a definitive way after this year's Oscar race is complete]. How you feel about someone's entire career can be markedly different than how you feel about individual turns and an actress whose skill you may admire might not hit you as hard emotionally as she hits others. Then there are actresses I prefer to some of the ones who show up here who don't appear at all! Etcetera. These lists were made quickly and are obviously personal. Try to make one yourself and you'll be surprised who you have to leave out. That's the subjective nature of listmaking. Here's the top 50 alphabetically (the dozen best/favorite hastily marked in red and are highly subject to change).
Amy Adams, Junebug (2005)
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Annette Bening, Being Julia (2004)
Björk, Dancer in the Dark (2000) *
Cate Blanchett, The Aviator (2004)
Catherine Deneuve, Dancer in the Dark (2000) *
Catherine O'Hara, A Mighty Wind (2003) *
"♫ ...more precious than a pot of gold"
Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chicago (2002)
Charlotte Rampling, Under the Sand (2001) *
Daryl Hannah, Kill Bill (2003/2004) *
Diane Lane, Unfaithful (2002)
Ellen Burstyn, Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada (2006) *
Emmanuelle Devos, Kings & Queen (2005) *
Holly Hunter, thirteen (2003)
Imelda Staunton, Vera Drake (2004)
Isabelle Huppert, The Piano Teacher (2002) *
Jeon do-Yeon, Secret Sunshine (2007) *
Joan Allen, The Upside of Anger (2005) *
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal (2006)
Julia Roberts, Erin Brockovich (2000)
Julianne Moore, Far From Heaven (2002)
Julie Christie, Away From Her (2007)
Julie Delpy, Before Sunset (2004) *
"what does that mean: the 'right' man, the 'love of your life'? The concept is absurd!"
Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Laura Dern, INLAND EMPIRE (2006) *
Laura Linney, The Savages (2007)
Laura Linney, You Can Count On Me (2000)
Maggie Cheung, In the Mood For Love (2001) *
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Happy Endings (2005) *
Maria Bello, A History of Violence (2005) *
Michelle Pfeiffer, White Oleander (2002) *
Miranda Richardson, Spider (2002/2003) *
Meryl Streep, Adaptation (2002)
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Naomi Watts, Mulholland Dr (2001) *
Nicole Kidman, Birth (2004) *
"Don't bother me again."
Nicole Kidman, Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Nicole Kidman, The Others (2001) *
Patricia Clarkson, Far From Heaven (2002) *
Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Penélope Cruz, Volver (2006)
Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener (2005)
Rosemary DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married (2008) *
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) *
Samantha Morton, Morvern Callar (2002) *
Tang Wei, Lust Caution (2007) *
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton (2007)
Uma Thurman, Kill Bill (2003/2004) *
Virginia Madsen, Sideways (2004)
Which performances do you hold most dear from the past 10 years? And which are you "off consensus" on? In regards to the latter, do you often feel beat up by friends & strangers for not genuflecting as expected? I know I do! Finally -- and I think this question is most interesting -- which performances have continued to surprise, grow on you, or play games with your memory over the years?
Update Summer 2010: These 2009 performances, now that they've settled in as "cinema of the past," would have to be included in this top 50. Who to drop to make room for them?
an * indicates a performance that was snubbed by Oscar. I consulted only my own "best" lists and not Oscar charts while composing the list. A surprisingly robust 52% of these performances were not Oscar nominated. *
Shhhhhhhhhh. Penélope requires beauty sleep. Her beauty has escalated to such extremes that she now requires 22.3 hours of sleep a day. We're joining her. See you in the bloggin' morning. *
Although we don't have anything resembling Thanksgiving in my culture (Penélope Cruz was talking about that on Letterman the other day) I have a special place in my heart (and stomach) for turkey, gravy and pumpkin pie.
I also feel very grateful for the following: Technicolor, Woody Allen banter, Judy Garland's smile, the millisecond of suspense between normal talking and spontaneous singing in the musicals, post-Volver Penélope, the Truffaut/Hitchcock book, still being thrilled by the sepia-to-color switch in The Wizard of Oz, Nino Rota and La Strada, Julia Roberts' laugh, Scarlett and Rhett, Bette Davis' eyes, Ingrid Bergman's Italian phase, Jett Rink, Jacques Tourneur horror flicks, The Blob, pre-supermom Gwyneth, WALL-E, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Anne Hathaway at award shows, Brando as Kowalski, Meryl!, Gene Kelly's butt, subtitles...
Audrey Hepburn's weird morning eating habits circa '61, Nathaniel letting me write all of this, West Side Story, Madge dancing as Susan, the Green Fairy and knowing that as I write this there's still thousands of movies I haven't seen, ready for me to feel grateful about them later on. *
Mmmm, Penelope. If people had any sense it would be Almodovar movies that broke attendance records. Not the movies that, in fact, do. But enough handwringing about box offizzze.
Given Towleroad’s generous coverage of all things Twilight (all things equalling shirtless wolf boys and wild haired Pattisons) I had hoped to share a few thoughts on NEW MOON for today’s movie column. No can do. I wasn’t invited. Curiously I had been invited to the press screenings of Twilight. Perhaps I’ve been too openly disdainful of sparkle-in-the-sunshine vampires or creator Stephenie Meyers’ retrograde sexual politics (I had quite enough of that in my own Mormon years, thank you).
I'm not allowed to talk about it yet. Sorry! Give it a week. I will say I enjoyed (whew) and that I thought Marion Cotillard was best-in-show fantastic ...and with that -- the only note I will share on account of embargo -- I imagine thousands of Cotillard Groupies just went a little slack-jawed given the heated exchanges during Oscar Race '07.
Update: I have also been asked to wait to write about the Q&A as well which featured the entire cast (sans Sophia Loren) -- so that's next week, too. Gazing upon Judi Dench and Daniel Day-Lewis in the same space but especially seeing Nicole Kidman and Penélope Cruz simultaneously (you know how I do) made my head explode.
I am actually typing this with no head. I am headless. The adrenaline in my muscle tissues is moving my fingers and at any moment Icou *
That's not just a famous line from "A Call From the Vatican" to be sung by Penélope Cruz in Nine (see snippet below*) but a question we all must ask ourselves as we enter the holiday movie season. As in which film is the emperor without them?
Is it Avatar, Invictus or The Lovely Bones? Those are the three largely unseen giants looming, casting significant shadows on box office and/or Oscar hopes. Even if Avatar is great (which many have doubted ever since the bright blue Na'vi were revealed), it'll be a tough sell for sci-fi averse Oscar voters. Invictus could be a sure Oscar thing even if it's not great (given the pedigree) but The Lovely Bones ... The Lovely Bones. I don't know what to do with it. This one feels like it could go any which way.
Saoirse, Susan and Neyteri nervously glance towards Oscar season. This is the calm before the storm
Oscar Predictions -- now with revised commentary and Golden Globe predictions -- are up in the Picture, Actor, Actress and Supporting Actress categories. Your hunches and comments are appreciated.
*eek. Penélope sounds a little flat here to me. But I've been listening to the Krakowski version for so many years, I may just need to adjust my expectations. I would've preferred to embed the new Nine commercial, which is beautifully confident with no dialogue... just dance rehearsals and footage and the glorious cast. *
One of the great frustrations of living in NYC whilst loving theater and cabaret is that these artforms are really only meant for the rich. They're not populist like the movies. But the heart wants what it wants and we love what we love and some of us love things that are shamefully disproportionate to our socioeconomic status.
One of my favorite performers and yours* Jane Krakowski (3o Rock) is doing a show at Feinsteins at the Regency and OF COURSE I want to go. But despite my Krak addiction, I am hesitant. There's this...
So it's $71.86to hear Jane sing PLUS a $40 food & drink (minimum) PLUS tax and tip on that food and drink minimum -- and if you have an entree and two drinks that's well over $40 -- which means by the end of the night you're out $129.99 and upeasy.
I'm tempted to go anyway because this is Jane Krakowski we're talking about. But for that price the TONY winning, Evan Rachel Wood licking, Jude Law servicing, 30 Rock gutbuster better reprise her Nine role (before Penélope Cruz steals it away in the movie).
I'd stay on hold for days for these 'Call(s) from the Vatican'
What I'm saying is that if I'm expected to fork over $129.99, Jane Krakowski better end her set hanging upside down naked over my table performing "Call From the Vatican". That way we can duet on the orgasmic squeal that caps that delicious award-winning number and I'll feel like it's $129.99 well spent.
