Austin Critics Ask Ellen Page To Have Their Babies

Few more critics awards for you...

Austin I wasn't going to do the smaller cities this year (I don't understand why there is more than one critics association in Texas?) but Austin deserves notice because they were the only group that dared to think outside of the box last year, denying Helen Mirren (The Queen) a clean sweep of all 2,171 Best Actress prizes on the planet. Instead they gave their award to Ellen Page in Hard Candy. Guess what? They'll have seconds. Page it is... again. Are they wooing the starlet to relocate to sunny Texas?

Picture There Will Be Blood
Director P.T. Anderson There Will Be Blood
Actress Ellen Page Juno her second consecutive win with Austin. What's she making next year?
Actor Daniel Day-Lewis There Will Be Blood
Supporting Actress Allison Janney, Juno
Joe and I were discussing her last night. Joe described her as "suspended in a vat of awesome" heh. I didn't quite catch Juno fever myself but I loved Janney in it. I've started using her hilarious phrases at home -- "East Jesus Nowhere" being my current favorite.
Supporting Actor Javier Bardem No Country For Old Men
Foreign Language Film Black Book
Animated Feature Ratatouille
Canadian Film Away From Her
Documentary No End in Sight What no Sicko which gave Canada props for its humane health care program?
Best First Feature Ben Affleck for Gone Baby Gone
"Fact" that most of us did not know until the critics organizations taught us: Ben Affleck and Sarah Polley were the only first time filmmakers allowed behind cameras this year. That they both just happen to be famous actors is entirely coincidental!!!
Breakthrough Michael Cera Superbad and Juno
Screenplay, Adapted The Coen Bros No Country For Old Men
Screenplay, Original Diablo Cody Juno
The only two screenplays written this year. All other films were improvised. Hadn't you heard?
Cinematography and Score There Will Be Blood
Austin Film Award Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez Grindhouse

Toronto. I've only been there twice but I love the city and the people were so friendly and the film festival is so good. Oh, Toronto... I've missed you these past few years. Their "best" this year?

Picture No Country For Old Men
Director The Coen Bros No Country For Old Men
Actress (tie) Julie Christie Away From Her and Ellen Page Juno
Toronto's film critics, torn between hometown pride for Away From Her and love for Canadian sprite Ellen Page, threw up their hands and went with both. Oh Canada, you sentimental thing!
Actor Viggo Mortensen Eastern Promises
Another Canadian advantage... he stars in a David Cronenberg film. Not that he isn't deserving. If Austin gets Ellen Page can I have Viggo Mortensen?
Supporting Actress Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
Supporting Actor Javier Bardem No Country For Old Men
Foreign Language Film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
Animated Feature Ratatouille
Screenplay The Coen Bros No Country For Old Men
Documentary No End in Sight
What no Sicko which gave Canada props?

Best First Feature Sarah Polley for Away From Her
Canadian Film Away From Her
I'm so proud of her. It's like I'm Canada

I basically don't have to even type these posts up anymore. Copy and paste. "Groupthink does have its advantages," he says with a sigh. The gross thing that I didn't mention? Somehow Phillip Seymour Hoffman was in the running for supporting (a runner up) for Charlie Wilson's War. While it's true that I am not a fan I'm not blind when he does deserve accolades. He was great in Magnolia and Capote both. I can see why people like the work in Before the Devil... and The Savages but Charlie Wilson's War? Beyond the look-at-me screaming and cracking of jokes, what is going on in that performance? I wouldn't care, supporting actor being traditionally the least interesting Oscar acting race, but for the great people who'll be snubbed to give him a spot this year for totally serviceable but unremarkable work.

There's also the London Film Critics Association Nominations to peruse if you're so inclined --they're the first to give Zodiac or Laura Linney in the The Savages any love. Good on them. The Phoenix Film Critics also spoke but it's a virtual repeat of almost every other group so only click over if you're absolutely desperate to see what's hot in the (602).

Ask Marisa

I will be speaking with the ever delicious Marisa Tomei (of Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, In the Bedroom and My Cousin Vinny fame) soon. Your questions came in handy with Jennifer Jason Leigh. Leave your dream inquiry for Tomei in the comments. Update: comments closed, but I did ask a few of things. She is lovely. Very generous interview subject.

20:07 ("An Irritating Truth")

Screenshots from the 20th minute and 7th second of a movie
I can't guarantee the same results at home. I use a VLC

We are at the tipping point, people. If we don't do something now--uh, I'm sorry. I lost my train of thought...
.....................Isn't he dreamy?"

Lisa Simpson ~one of the fullest cartoon characterizations of all time. Can I get an "agreed" ?

"Jennifer! Jason! Leigh!"

I require your patience and forgiveness. I really do. When one speaks to an actor of the caliber of Jennifer Jason Leigh, a woman long respected for rather shocking actorly dives into grueling often tortured women (think Tralala in Last Exit to Brooklyn or the disintegrating Sadie in Georgia), one should probably begin with solemn acknowledgement of their skill with the craft. But when I spoke with the one and only Jennifer Jason Leigh I actually kicked things off with a sitcom aside. "So, um Jennifer. How did you feel about Jack McFarland taking your name in vain on Will & Grace all those years. (He had such a thing for the three name actresses)?"

I don't know what possessed me. I'm really not this geeky and socially awkward in real life. Thankfully, Jennifer chuckled -- presumably for my embarrassed benefit --providing the laugh track that I needed and went with the question. She informed me that she heard about it second hand, later saw a couple of episodes and assumed it was meant with love. "A good thing, right?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

Trying to save face, I quickly moved into professional interviewer mode and we took a trip back to the 80s and her rise to fame. I asked her about those heady days, particularly in the late 80s and early 90s when critics were regularly found cracking open thesauri to find new ways to top each other in their genuflection to the girl with three first names. A critical darling she most decidedly was... and is, I should add, now that she's back to work in Margot at the Wedding.

When confronted with my curiosity about her breakthrough years, she didn't elaborate much beyond "It was a good time for me. I got to do really exciting stuff" but there was gratitude in her voice and no pretense whatsoever that she doesn't read reviews, god bless. Don't you hate when actors pretend that? I found her down to earth throughout the interview and altogether lacking in pretense. She acknowledged that it's great to read kind words about your work.

Jennifer Jason Leigh inspired heated critical devotion and public lust in equal measure as far back as Fast Time at Ridgemont High (1982) but she has never been the sort of star actress about whom the public knew too much. She was never a tabloid fixture, always an actor first, star second. I was curious to know, then, if she had experienced in this time of junkies and whores any confusion from others about where her characters ended and where she began? She admitted that it had come up romantically at the time ... "sometimes you would go on a date and you could tell that someone was expecting you to be very dramatic or very high strong or wild... all these things that I'm not at all." So she is not her characters at all? "I'd much rather play those things than be those things" she added. Terrific answer... especially when you stop to consider the things she'd be if she were the things she played.

When asked how she had chosen her roles, Jennifer rattled through her answer to a question she'd obviously been asked a million times. She humored me anyway. For her it's not an intellectual approach so much as a "do I connect to the character?" decision. She hastened to add that "the director will come into play too. I might not see it in the page but if I like the person..." When it comes to roles she's turned down she added with honest amusement "I've made mistakes... [long pause in which I swear I did not ask but in which time Jennifer Jason Leigh read my nosey mind] I won't tell you what they are." Defeated before I'd begun I tried anyway, asking for one tiny morsel, one secret could-have-been because I have no shame. She said "I just can't do it. I would really come off like a..." her voice trailing off more in thought than annoyance I think, for she then gave a measured response about loving certain movies that she didn't think would be right for her and wishing she had made them -- at the same time fully aware that they would have been different if she had and she often respected what the other actress had done.

We talked about the directors she had worked with in the past. For those unfamiliar with her filmography, a JJL viewing frenzy is rewarding in the auteur arena...

READ THE REST for more on her enduring career, the long line of Oscar snubs, working with David Cronenberg and Robert Altman. Plus: Nicole Kidman's generosity and "willingness to believe"
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Tuesday Top Ten: An Oscar Show Unlike Any Other

For the list maker in me and the list lover in you

THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED
I’ve been a little out of the WGA strike loop unless you count playing Laura Linney’s Speechless short film on loop (Hilarious even the 80th time!) I don’t know what’s going on anymore… just that all the news seems to be bad news. But ModFab pointed me to a Hollywood Insider article about the latest setback: WGA not granting waivers to the awards shows. Quite possibly that could mean no film clips.

ModFab wisely suggests more Debbie Allen interpretative dance numbers to fill up the 3 hour broadcast. That’s a great suggestion. Imagine what she could do to… excuse me... for No Country For Old Men. Imagine the tap break possibilities for Into the Wild

5 Ways to Make the Oscars Insanely Entertaining Without The Use of Film Clips

1. Cate Blanchett (I’m Not There) forced on stage to impersonate all of her fellow supporting actress nominees. Can she “do” Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone) and Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton) as well as she apes Dylan & Hepburn? Would capturing the precocious bad seed Saorsie Ronan (Atonement) finally prove too much for her estimable technique? If she pulls it off can they hand her 6 Oscars on the spot. One for each mimicry job + Bob Dylan.

2. All best actor candidates thrown naked into a Russian bathhouse set to fend off real life assassins with their bare hands. Only Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises) is exempt from this challenge, already having demonstrated his bad assery…and his ass.

3. They could nominate five truly great songs instead of schmaltzy power ballads and then give the actual performers ample time to si-- I'm sorry. That's too radical. What was I thinking? sheer anarchy.

4. A walk off for costume design. Keira Knightley (Atonement) in the green dress, Helena Bonham-Carter (Sweeney Todd) in decaying gothic fineries, Someone else in something else… yes, that!

5. Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd) shaves Phillip Seymour Hoffman live! I’m sorry but someone needs to. He doesn’t even try to clean up for these things.

5 More Ways To Enliven a Writer-less, Clip-less Oscar Ceremony as Suggested By Readers

6. The Opinionated Australian says... "Perhaps, they can take advantage of the extra time they'll have, and stage both Oscars and Razzies on the same night? I can hardly ever tell them apart anyway." snarky... I love it.

7. Daily Tanenbaum says... "Have all the nominees in each category live in a house together and see what happens when actors stop being polite and start acting real." Funny. Do they get to vote each other off... ? cuz that's all the rage.

8. Katey says... "Coin toss with Anton Chigurh-- if you lose, Javier Bardem gets your Oscar."


9. Middento says ... "instead of the honoring the dearly departed over the past year, the Oscars hold a seance instead? The most corporeally rendered gets the loudest applause, naturally." I'm guessing that that goes to Joan Crawford who comes into nearly perfect focus (soft focus!), just itching to get back on that stage.

10. N8 says... "Hold the Oscar ceremony in an outdoor venue and invite the public. It'd be wild" Um, yes. It sure would. Why do I imagine that Sally Kirkland ends up entertaining the masses when the A-list are too afraid to show?
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You may now return to your regularly scheduled blog programming. Nathaniel is unfortunately not a member of the WGA and is therefore still type-type-typing away...

20:07 (Hot For Teacher?)

Screenshots from the 20th minute and 7th second of a movie
can't guarantee the same results at home. I use a VLC

I hope you like it. Your notes were awesome.

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Tilda Swinton and Texas ???

...strange bedfellows but god bless. Someone finally gave the alien acting goddess a prize for her inspired work in Michael Clayton and that someone was the Dallas/Ft Worth Film Critics. Never have I been so proud of Texas.

The Southeastern Film Critics Association also spoke up today, slathering themselves with the sweet lotion of conformity: Bardem, Ryan, No Country... all zee usual suspects.

In other awardage news those HFPA apostates over at the Golden Satellites gave prizes to a whole slew of people who were willing to show up. Nah, I shan't be mean. Some good choices there: Viggo, Tom Wilkinson, etcetera... But here's what I don't get. If you're going to separate drama from comedy as the Globes also do, why would you name the supporting category "Best Supporting in a Drama"? if you aren't going to have a comedy counterpart just call it "Supporting" like the Globes do... otherwise it looks like you're saying "you comic supporting players suck! No category for you" Either that or you're just saying "our website sucks. we forget to include all the categories" I also think its lame that all these groups let themselves have six nominees in every category when they already have more categories. What is this, the Saturn Awards? The BFCAs? The Tonys? The Academy is like a model of restraint and sober tough love in comparison.

she certainly has redefined our standards!

There Will Be Links

Jim Hill an exhaustive look at Pixar's self referencing
Reports from the Edge wasn't Enchanted but offers up great suggestions for future roles for one James Marsden
Wow Report says that Keira's Atonement dress will be cloned very soon and sell like crazy
Jurgen Fauth attends the There Will Be Blood premiere
Bright Lights finds meaningless Christmas film coincidences
Hollywood Snark apparently QT likes Lindsay Lohan. I'm sure he could pull a terrific performance out of her. He can pull that from anybody.
Secret Fun A graphic designer celebrates his obscure contribution to popular movie culture in the Hairspray DVD release. This is both secret and fun just as the blog title promises. Well done.

List Time
Slant "the year in film" How awesome is their graphic? --->
MSN Movies "Moments Out of Time" I used to love this feature in Film Comment. Love it still...
In Contention Tapley puts his hands in the air for the western genre in his 'best of the year' column
The Projectionist has a truckload of year end rankings

Oscar Charts Updated

The long awaited Oscar updates are up at the main site with new commentary in many of the top categories. Too tired for a standard Oscar column tonight and everything gets shaken up again this week with the SAG nominations anyway. But peruse and enjoy. I'd especially like to hear your thoughts on two things: The top eight in Best Picture -how would you order them? And that 5th spot in Best Actress? That's a nail biter, isn't it?

AFI & Chicago Film Critics Association

Oops. I'm a couple of days late with the Chicago Film Critics Association. I thought they were doing their traditional bunch of nominees followed by long wait. Better late than never... And if you think we're done now, you're an awards virgin. This goes on forever until Oscar pipes in. Don't worry. I won't cover every tiny city. But the windy one? You bet'cha! (sorry, but there's no Minnesota Film Critics Awards... so close enough)

Picture No Country For Old Men
Director The Coen Bros No Country For Old Men
and the kudos keep on comin'
Actress Ellen Page Juno
Her first win, cooling down the Julie Christie vs. Marion Cotillard war that's been a-simmering. Nothing will boil until we're closer to Oscar. All campaign hell will break loose, then. Could be a three way brawl.
Actor Daniel Day-Lewis There Will Be Blood
Supporting Actress Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
I never thought I'd say this but "yay!" FWIW I'm a lot warmer to this performance months after the fact. I still giggle thinking about parts of it. She definitely put on a worthwhile show. But anyway, it wasn't right for Amy Ryan to be sweeping. So good on Cate. Now can we get some Tilda Swinton up in here. Dallas Ft. Worth? OFCS? SEFCA? Anyone?
Supporting Actor Javier Bardem No Country For Old Men
Foreign Language Film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
I can't wait for you all to see this. It's so forcefully fine.
Animated Feature Ratatouille
Cinematography The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford from the Lens of Roger Deakins Every year I expect it's going to be his at the Oscars... and every year the Academy proves me wrong
Documentary Sicko
Most Promising Performer Michael Cera Juno and Superbad Good choice
Most Promising Filmmaker Ben Affleck Gone Baby Gone He has more prizes now than Sarah Polley for Away From Her. And that ain't right. I know he's a bigger star but this is supposed to be about direction. Polley's like a TA already and Affleck is more like a promising student. My take. Mileage may vary.
Screenplay, Original Diably Cody Juno
Screenplay, Adapted The Coen Bros No Country For Old Men

and then we've got the

American Film Institute (AFI) Top Ten of the Year

(in alpha order)
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, The Diving Bell and Butterfly (what happened to their rule against including foreign language films? I know that's why Crouching Tiger wasn't on their 2000 list. And if you're going to break the rules where the hell is the Romanian Cannes winner?) Into the Wild, Juno, Knocked Up, Michael Clayton, No Country For Old Men, Ratatouille, The Savages and There Will Be Blood

I used to have this affectionate thang for the AFI since they would include an oddball choice here or there and they nominated Buffy for best television series (something the Emmys were never remotely hip or wise enough to do) and then they let Michelle Pfeiffer present their best picture award at their very first (and only --shut up) broadcast. I like the idea of jurored paneled awards (results get more idiosyncratic) but like every other awards organization, they're mostly just looking at the Oscar race now. I mean, no offense but The Savages? Can't anybody look at the films before October? It's like if you're not a smash hit like Ratatouille or Knocked Up you don't exist. Nobody can be bothered even looking at a calendar anymore. It's not that hard to do. Away From Her, Zodiac, Once, Bug, A Mighty Heart etcetera... all better films than The Savages I think. Not that The Savages is a bad film, mind you. It's not. It's just messy and doesn't know when to stop but is fortunately redeemed by interesting subject matter, really great lines, and fine performances. But putting it on the top ten list is so overkill. It's so... "we screened this last night and it was so fun/sad and Laura Linney is so adorable... And then we voted!!!"