Review: 2022 Version of "DEATH ON THE NILE" Is Dark and Edgy on the Nile

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 31 of 2022 (No. 1843) by Leroy Douresseaux

Death on the Nile (2022)
Running time:  127 minutes (2 hours, 7 minutes)
MPA – PG-13 for violence, some bloody images, and sexual material
DIRECTOR: Kenneth Branagh
WRITER: Michael Green (based on the novel by Agathie Christie)
PRODUCERS:  Kenneth Branagh, Mark Gordon, Judy Hofflund, Simon Kinberg, Kevin J. Walsh, and Ridley Scott
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Haris Zambarloukos (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Una Ni Dhonghaile
COMPOSER:  Patrick Doyle

MYSTERY

Starring:  Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Tom Bateman, Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Letitia Wright, Sophie Okonedo, Emma Mackey, Rose Leslie, Ali Fazal, Rose Leslie, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, and Naveed Kahn

Death on the Nile is a 2022 mystery film directed by Kenneth Branagh.  It is based on the 1937 novel, Death on the Nile, written by Agatha Christie (1890-1976).  In Death on the Nile the movie, Hercule Poirot investigates the murder of a young heiress that occurs on a ship sailing the Nile

Death on the Nile finds famous detective, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh), embarking on a luxurious cruise on the Nile River in Egypt.  Poirot is delighted to discover that his friend, Bouc (Tom Bateman), will also be aboard the ship named the “Karnak.”

Also aboard are the newlyweds:  wealthy heiress, Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot), and her husband, Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer).  While in Egypt on their honeymoon, they are being stalked and hounded by Simon's former fiancé, Jacqueline “Jackie” de Bellefort (Emma Mackey), who was also Linnet's close friend.

When Linnet is found shot to death aboard the Karnak, Jackie is the most obvious culprit, but there are others on board who have reason to want Linnet dead.  There is Linnet's maid, Louise Bourget (Rose Leslie), who was bitter because her mistress sabotaged her engagement.  Linnet's attorney and estate trustee, Andrew Katchadourian (Ali Fazal), was stealing from her, although they were cousins.  Linnet's godmother, Maria van Schuyler (Jennifer Saunders), is a socialist who gave away her wealth, but stands to inherit some of Linnet's estate.  Bowers (Dawn French), van Schuyler's nurse, blamed Linnet's father for financially ruining her family.

Salome Otterbourne (Sophie Okonedo), a brassy blues and jazz singer and guitarist, and Rosalie (Letitia Wright), her niece and manager, were once the target of a racist complaint by Linnet.  However, Rosalie became Linnet's friend in boarding school and admits that there are reasons to both hate and love Linnet.  Dr. Windlesham (Russell Brand) was once engaged to Linnet, but she left him for Simon.  Bouc's mother, Euphemia (Annette Bening), resented Linnet for introducing Bouc to Rosalie.

Poirot must uncover the identity of the killer.  He better hurry because the bodies are starting to pile up.

In this new version of Death on the Nile, there is an attention to detail.  The audience can see it in the lighting, the hair and make-up, the costumes, the art direction, the editing, and the score.  This is also to create Hercule Poirot's world of light and much darkness and shadows.  Early in the film, writer Michael Green and director Kenneth Branagh take us to the World War I life of Poirot, tragedy on the battlefield and off sets the stage for what would become the future great detective's world.  Shadowy nightclubs filled with earthy blues and showy jazz music; sumptuous desserts; lavishly appointed night people; sunny paradises; and exotic locales – everything has a dark side.  It does not matter how golden hued anything is; there is darkness.  Even the dark side has a darker side.

All the performances are topnotch; Branagh even gets a showy transformation from comedian Russell Brand, here, being his best PBS Masterpiece self.  Good acting sells Death on the Nile's central theme that envy, greed, lust, and pride will destroy friends and lovers.  They will even lead to murder most foul, of course.

Branagh takes the cynicism of post-war American Film-Noir and pours it all over Dame Agatha Christie's storytelling.  Rarely has such cinematic beauty dressed so much evil and darkness.  The lovely meets the lethal.

Death on the Nile 2022 starts slow and drags for some time.  For a time, it takes Sophie Okonedo lip-syncing Sister Rosetta Tharpe to give the film early heat.  Linnet Ridgeway's murder, however, lights a fire under Death on the Nile as it moves to its ending of triumphant tragedy.  There is no victory in the resolution of this case – only hurt and grief.  Maybe, hurt and grief are the victors.  The viewers are also victors, as Branagh orchestrates another unique and winning take on the cozy, old mysteries of Agatha Christie.

8 out of 10
A
★★★★ out of 4 stars

Saturday, May 14, 2022


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site or blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "CAPTAIN MARVEL" Earns Her Name and Her Own Movie

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 4 (of 2019) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Captain Marvel (2019)
Running time:  124 minutes (2 hours, 4 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and brief suggestive language
DIRECTORS:  Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
WRITERS:  Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck, and Geneva Robertson-Dworet; from a story by Nicole Perlman, Meg LeFauve, Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck, and Geneva Robertson-Dworet
PRODUCER:  Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Ben Davis
EDITORS:  Debbie Berman and Elliot Graham
COMPOSER:  Pinar Toprak

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION/THRILLER

Starring:  Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, Annette Bening, Lashana Lynch, Clark Gregg, Rune Temte, Gemma Chan, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Akira Akbar, Algenis Perez Soto, and Stan Lee

Captain Marvel is a 2019 superhero film directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck and produced by Marvel Studios.  The film is based on Marvel Comics characters that first appeared in the comic books Marvel Super-Heroes issues #12 and #13 (Marvel Comics).  Captain Marvel the movie focuses on a young woman with extraordinary powers who is plagued by memory problems even as she serves one side in a galactic war between two alien races.

Captain Marvel opens in 1995 on Hala, the capital planet of the Kree Empire.  The focus is on a young woman named “Vers” (Brie Larson), a member of “Starforce,” a Kree special ops unit.  Starforce leader, Yon-Rogg (Jude Law), leads Vers and the rest of his unit on a rescue mission into the territory of the Skrulls, alien shape-shifters who are the Kree Empire's mortal enemies.

During the mission, Vers is captured, but upon escaping, she finds herself near the planet Earth.  She crash lands in Los Angeles where she finds herself immediately confronted by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., and also by a Skrull unit led by a commander named Talos (Ben Mendelsohn).  Vers, however, has more than S.H.I.E.L.D. and Skrulls to worry her.  Vers is plagued by fragments of memories and by the visions of a woman named Carol Danvers.

Captain Marvel will face inevitable comparisons to 2017's Wonder Woman, the first major film featuring a female comic book superhero in the solo and lead role.  Like Wonder Woman the character, Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers, is not a woman willing to allow a man to take the lead or have control over her.  Captain Marvel is an origin story of sorts, but it is not a coming-of-age story, nor does it offer the heroic arc.  Carol Danvers/Vers is a powerful woman striving to “be her best self,” because she is already an able and capable woman, even before she gained great power.

Oscar-winning actress, Brie Larson, captures the woman that is Carol Danvers/Vers with a level of self-confidence that I found off-putting.  Even after years of reading comic book featuring female superheroes, I am still getting used to women who are every bit as confident and self-possessed as the ultra-powerful male superheroes.  Carol Danvers does not need an Obi-Wan, an Alfred Pennyworth, or a Ben Parker.  In Captain Marvel, Larson is helping me get over my male-centric notions of the hero.

Samuel L. Jackson also gives a good performance as Nick Fury.  Since Captain Marvel's story is set a decade before the story in Marvel Studio's first film, Iron Man (2008), we get a younger Fury.  Jackson was digitally “de-aged” to play the younger Fury, but his sarcasm and edgy personality remains.  This film also gives Jackson a chance to show a softer, playful side (thanks to “Goose” the cat).  [Clark Gregg reprises his character, Phil Coulson, and is also de-aged.]  Jackson makes excellent use of his opportunities to be humorous, after all, he does not need to be the bad-ass, because (as I just said) Danvers does not need a sidekick or male helper, even if she does have one or two...

Ben Mendelsohn gives a nuanced turn in two roles, as Talos (a Skrull) and Keller (a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent).  There is something about Mendelsohn that reminds me of Martin Freeman (Black Panther; The Hobbit film series), and I'm always down to be reminded of Martin Freeman.  Also, here, Jude Law makes an art of being shifty and slippery as the Kree, Yon-Rogg.

Captain Marvel is delightfully off-beat and odd.  Perhaps, some of the critics and fans (trolls) who claim that Marvel Studios' films are too alike will be satisfied with a film that is as different as its title character is (but probably not).  I cannot quite put to words why I like Captain Marvel so much, but I can say that I did not want it to end.  I wanted more, much more of Captain Marvel.

A
8 of 10

Saturday, March 9, 2019


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Sony Pictures Classics Plans 2018 Release for Michael Mayer's "The Seagull"

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS ACQUIRES THE SEAGULL

NEW YORK – Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they have acquired all rights in North America, Germany, Scandinavia, Greece, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia (excluding China, Korea and Japan) to THE SEAGULL, directed by Michael Mayer and adapted by Stephen Karam from Anton Chekhov’s classic play.

THE SEAGULL stars four-time Oscar® nominee Annette Bening, two-time Oscar® nominee Saoirse Ronan, Golden Globe® and Emmy® winner Elisabeth Moss, Corey Stoll, Brian Dennehy, Mare Winningham, Jon Tenney, Glen Fleshler, Michael Zegen, and Billy Howle. The legendary Ann Roth and Jane Musky design.

THE SEAGULL is the heartbreaking and funny story of friends and lovers, all of whom are in love with the wrong person. The movie is timely in its depiction of the tragic consequences of narcissism, particularly on young dreams and romantic love.

"Here finally is the definitive film version of the master storyteller’s play. It is fun and the cast is simply sublime," said Sony Pictures Classics.

Said Michael Mayer, "If I could dream up the perfect company to release my film, I would conjure Sony Classics. Michael Barker and Tom Bernard have released so many brilliant and varied films in the last nearly 30 years, it's a huge honor to collaborate with them on the release of THE SEAGULL."

"Tom and Michael create passionate and devoted audiences for Sony Classics films and we are thrilled that THE SEAGULL is in their excellent hands," said producers Tom Hulce and Leslie Urdang.

THE SEAGULL is produced by Tom Hulce, Leslie Urdang, Bob Salerno, Jay Franke & David Herro. The deal was negotiated between Sony Pictures Classics and CAA and Endeavor Content. Hyde Park International represents the remaining world rights.

Sony Pictures Classics is planning for a 2018 release.


ABOUT SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
Michael Barker and Tom Bernard serve as co-presidents of Sony Pictures Classics—an autonomous division of Sony Pictures Entertainment they founded with Marcie Bloom in January 1992, which distributes, produces, and acquires independent films from around the world. Barker and Bernard have released prestigious films that have won 37 Academy Awards® (33 of those at Sony Pictures Classics) and have garnered 163 Academy Award® nominations (137 at Sony Pictures Classics) including Best Picture nominations for WHIPLASH, AMOUR, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, AN EDUCATION, CAPOTE, HOWARDS END, AND CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 142 countries. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.

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Amazon Prime Video Extends Deal with Film Company, A24

Amazon Extends Deal with A24, Brings Moonlight, Winner of Three Academy Awards Including Best Picture to Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video will continue to be the exclusive premium subscription streaming service for critically-acclaimed films from A24 including Academy Award winning Moonlight, current theatrical hit 20th Century Women and Casey Affleck’s next film, A Ghost Story

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon Prime Video today announced the extension of an exclusive content agreement with A24, making Prime Video the only premium subscription home for all upcoming A24 films. Moonlight starring Mahershala Ali (House of Cards) is available on Amazon Video, and starting May 21, 2017, Prime members will be able to stream and download the Oscar winning film at no additional cost to their membership. Swiss Army Man starring Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), Cannes Jury Prize winner The Lobster starring Colin Farrell (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) and Rachel Weisz (Amazon Studios’ Complete Unknown) and Green Room starring Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation) are already available to stream on Prime Video.

    “We are thrilled to be the exclusive subscription streaming service to offer customers Academy Award winner Moonlight”

“We are thrilled to be the exclusive subscription streaming service to offer customers Academy Award winner Moonlight,” stated Jason Ropell, VP, Worldwide Head of Motion Pictures for Amazon Studios. “We already have an incredible catalog of films from A24 like Room and Ex Machina that Prime members love to watch and we are happy to extend our relationship to continue to bring Prime members these award winning, prestige films. Collaborating with A24 in addition to creating our own Academy Award winning movies like Manchester by the Sea and The Salesman make Amazon Video a premiere platform for streaming films.”

Highly anticipated A24 films coming to Prime Video later this year include Academy Award nominated 20th Century Women from Mike Mills (Beginners) and starring Annette Bening (American Beauty) and Elle Fanning (Amazon Studios’ The Neon Demon), American Honey starring Sasha Lane (Hunting Lila) and Shia LaBeouf (Transformers), Free Fire starring Brie Larson (Room), Cillian Murphy (Inception) and Armie Hammer (Nocturnal Animals), The Lovers starring Debra Winger (Terms of Endearment) and Tracy Letts (Imperium) and It Comes at Night starring Joel Edgerton (Warrior) and Riley Keough (The Girlfriend Experience). Written and directed by David Lowery (Pete’s Dragon) and starring Casey Affleck (Amazon Studios’ Manchester by the Sea), A24’s A Ghost Story, will also land on Prime Video.

Amazon Prime members are already enjoying access to A24’s impressive library of titles including 2016 Oscar award winning films like Room with Brie Larson’s Best Actress performance as Ma and Amy, the Oscar winner for Best Documentary depicting the life and death of singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse as well as the thought-provoking supernatural horror film The Witch, Ex Machina, starring Golden Globe nominee Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl) and Dark Places starring Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road) and Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass).

Prime Video is available via the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices and mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/primevideo. In addition to unlimited streaming, Prime members can also download titles to mobile devices at no additional cost for offline viewing.


About Amazon Video
Amazon Video is a premium on-demand entertainment service that offers customers the greatest choice in what to watch, and how to watch it. Amazon Video is the only service that provides all of the following:

•     Prime Video: Thousands of movies and TV shows, including popular licensed content plus critically-acclaimed and award-winning Amazon Original Series and Movies from Amazon Studios like Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, Love & Friendship and kids series Tumble Leaf, available for unlimited streaming as part of an Amazon Prime membership
•     Amazon Channels: Over 100 video subscriptions to networks like HBO, SHOWTIME, STARZ, PBS KIDS, Acorn TV and more, available to Amazon Prime members as add-ons to their membership – to view the full list of channels available, visit www.amazon.com/channels
•     Rent or Own: Hundreds of thousands of titles, including new-release movies and current TV shows available for on-demand rental or purchase for all Amazon customers
•     Instant Access: Instantly watch anytime, anywhere through the Amazon Video app on TVs, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets, or online. For a list of all compatible devices visit www.amazon.com/howtostream
•     Premium Features: Top features like 4K Ultra HD, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and mobile downloads for offline viewing

In addition to Prime Video, the Prime membership includes unlimited fast free shipping options across all categories available on Amazon, more than two million songs and thousands of playlists and stations with Prime Music, secure photo storage with Prime Photos, unlimited reading with Prime Reading, unlimited access to a digital audiobook catalogue with Audible Channels for Prime, a rotating selection of free digital games and in-game loot with Twitch Prime, early access to select Lightning Deals, exclusive access and discounts to select items, and more. To sign-up for Prime or to find out more visit: www.amazon.com/prime.

About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

About A24
Launched in the summer of 2012, A24 is a New York-based media company focused on the distribution, financing, development and production of feature films and television projects. Recently the company released Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, which just won 3 Academy Awards® at the 2017 Oscars - Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor. The film also won a record-breaking 6 Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, and was honored with the Best Picture – Drama award at the 2017 Golden Globes.

Other recent film releases include Mike Mills’ funny and heartwarming 20th Century Women, nominated for a Best Original Screenplay Oscar® and featuring a renowned central performance by Annette Bening; Yorgos Lanthimos' critical and commercial hit The Lobster, also an Oscar® nominee for Best Original Screenplay and starring Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz; Andrea Arnold’s highly acclaimed American Honey, starring Shia Labeouf, which won the Jury Prize at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival; the outrageous comedy Swiss Army Man, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano; and Robert Eggers’ horror smash The Witch, winner of 2 Independent Spirit Awards.

In 2015, A24’s releases included Room, winner of the Academy Award® for Best Actress for Brie Larson’s emotionally stunning performance; Amy, Asif Kapadia’s heart-wrenching portrait of Amy Winehouse which was a major commercial hit and won the Oscar® for Best Documentary; and Alex Garland's lauded directorial debut Ex Machina, a sci-fi smash starring Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac and Alicia Vikander, which won the Academy Award® for Best Visual Effects.

In 2014, the company released Sundance breakout Obvious Child, featuring Jenny Slate, and Jonathan Glazer’s singular Scarlett Johansson film, Under the Skin. In 2013, the company released Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring, James Ponsoldt’s The Spectacular Now, and Harmony Korine’s record-breaking Spring Breakers.

Upcoming titles include Trey Edward Shults’ It Comes at Night, a horror film starring Joel Edgerton, Riley Keough, and Christopher Abbott that marks the eagerly anticipated follow-up to the director’s celebrated debut feature Krisha; David Lowery’s A Ghost Story, which stars Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara, and premiered at Sundance 2017 to rave reviews; Menahse, a heartwarming father/son story set in the Hasidic community and performed entirely in Yiddish; and Ben Wheatley’s wickedly funny action comedy Free Fire, starring Brie Larson, Armie Hammer, CillianMurphy, and Sharlto Copley, and winner of the People’s Choice Award in the Midnight Madness Section of the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.

A24's television projects include The Carmichael Show which will soon be returning to NBC for its third season and USA's Playing House.

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Nevada Film Critics Name "Hell or High Water" Best Film of 2016

The Nevada Film Critics Society (NFCS) is apparently a society of film critics who reside in Nevada and produce film reviews for print, broadcast, radio, and online.

The Nevada Film Critics Society's 2016 Awards for Achievement in Film:

Best Film – Hell or High Water

Best Actor – Casey Affleck – Manchester by the Sea

Best Actress – Annette Bening – 20th Century Women

Best Supporting Actor – Ben Foster – Hell or High Water

Best Supporting Actress – Greta Gerwig – 20th Century Women

Best Youth Performance – Alex Hibbert – Moonlight

Best Director – David Mackenzie – Hell or High Water

Best Original Screenplay – Taylor Sheridan- Hell or High Water

Best Adapted Screenplay – Eric Heisserer – Arrival

Best Ensemble – Moonlight

Best Documentary – O.J. Made in America


Best Animated Movie – Moana

Best Production Design – David Wasco and Sandy Reynold-Wasco – La La Land

Best Cinematography – Linus Sandgren – La La Land

Best Visual Effects – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

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Spielberg and Katzenberg Drop Big Dollars for Academy Museum

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces major gifts from Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg

Katzenberg and Spielberg donate $10 million each to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

Beverly Hills, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences received separate $10 million gifts from Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. In recognition of these gifts, the two main galleries on the lobby floor of the Academy Museum will be named for Katzenberg and Spielberg – The Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg Gallery and The Spielberg Family Gallery.

“Steven and Jeffrey share a passion for moviemaking and philanthropy,” said Academy Museum Campaign Chair Bob Iger. “With these incredibly generous gifts, they are combining the two, moving us closer to our goal of building a museum to preserve the history of motion pictures and inspire the next generation of filmmakers.” The Academy launched the Museum’s $300 million capital campaign in 2012 and has already secured more than half of the campaign’s goal in commitments. The campaign is co-chaired by Annette Bening and Tom Hanks.

“I am so pleased to join with Jeffrey to help build this museum to celebrate, educate, and preserve the arts and sciences of motion pictures,” said Spielberg. “Having our family name on the lobby floor is a deeply personal way to say how much motion pictures and the Academy have meant to all our lives.”

“Both Steven and I recognize that film’s global impact deserves a museum that reflects its unequaled heritage and serves as a beacon for the future of what we love,” added Katzenberg. “Marilyn and I appreciate this opportunity to be part of such a significant project.”

Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs commented, “Steven and Jeffrey have elevated the art of filmmaking to new heights and have created some of the most beloved films of all time. They continue to be champions of our industry. Having them join us as we build the Academy Museum is an incredible honor. We are so grateful for their support and partnership.”

The lobby of the Academy Museum will be a lively open space that will invite the public to engage in the life of the Museum. The Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg Gallery and The Spielberg Family Gallery will be the only gallery spaces on the lobby level and will showcase exhibitions that will explore the past, present, and future of moviemaking.

“We are building the world’s premier movie museum, and I cannot imagine doing this without the support of two of our industry’s most inspiring leaders,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “Their gifts will create the first galleries our visitors experience when entering the Museum.”

Designed by architects Renzo Piano and Zoltan Pali, the Academy Museum will be located next to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in the historic Wilshire May Company building. Slated to open in early 2017, the Academy Museum will contain nearly 300,000 square feet of state-of-the-art galleries, exhibition spaces, theaters, screening rooms, education centers, and special event spaces.

Review: "Mother and Child" Honest and Real

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 25 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Mother and Child (2009/2010)
Running time: 127 minutes (2 hour, 7 minutes)
MPAA – R for sexuality, brief nudity, and language
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Rodrigo García
PRODUCERS: Lisa Maria Falcone and Julie Lynn
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Xavier Pérez Grobet (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Steven Weisberg
Image Award winner

DRAMA

Starring: Naomi Watts, Annette Bening, Kerry Washington, Jimmy Smits, Samuel L. Jackson, S. Epatha Merkerson, Cherry Jones, Elpidia Carrillo, Shareeka Epps, David Morse, Eileen Ryan, Amy Brenneman, and David Ramsey

Mother and Child is an ensemble drama film released in 2010, after premiering at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. Focusing on the complications and complexities of motherhood and adoption, the film is poignant, powerful, and even beautiful. It is also sometimes grueling to watch.

Mother and Child opens almost 40 years earlier on a scene in which a 14-year-old girl prepares to have sex with a teen boy. She gets pregnant and later gives up her baby for adoption. 37 years later, we learn that the baby is Elizabeth Joyce (Naomi Watts), a high-powered attorney returning to Los Angeles, the place of her birth. Elizabeth takes a job at a law firm owned by a man named Paul (Samuel L. Jackson). Elizabeth begins an affair with Paul, but this is but one affair of many for a woman who uses her sex appeal to have the upper hand in situations in which she does not have control.

Meanwhile, her birth mother, Karen (Annette Bening), is a 50-something physical therapist still riddled by the guilt of giving up her baby. Although initially resistant, she begins a relationship with Paco (Jimmy Smits), a co-worker who seems to be therapeutic for Karen. At the same time, a small businesswoman, Lucy (Kerry Washington), and her husband, Joseph (David Ramsey), begin the process of adoption. However, the birthmother, a difficult young woman named Ray (Shareeka Epps), interrogates Lucy and seems hostile to Joseph.

Top to bottom, Mother and Child is filled with splendid acting, and there isn’t an actor, regardless of the size of his or her part, who does not deliver the kind of first-class performance that a professional actor should always give. Naomi Watts, Annette Bening, Sam Jackson, and Shareeka Epps give distinctive performances that add both surprising nuance to a film that rages with dark emotions and strong feelings (particularly anger, bitterness, and regret).

Writer and director Rodrigo García composed a sumptuous screenplay rich with characters and vivid characterizations. It is Garcia’s directing, however, that is the star here, as he gives his actors the space they need to develop these characters and to deliver on the characters’ promise without slowing the film.

Still, there are moments in Mother and Child that feel contrived and overwrought, as if Garcia doesn’t trust his cast to deliver or his audience to understand his film, which is as spiritual as it is dramatic. Garcia captures how vulnerable people are when they open themselves to relationships, and he accurately depicts the bitterness people feel over perceived betrayals. Sometimes the raw emotions are too much to bear (or watch). As good as this film is, and Mother and Child is exceptionally good, I sometimes got a feeling or a notion that things were a little overdone. But don’t let that keep you from seeing one of 2010’s very best films.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2011 Black Reel Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Supporting Actor” (Samuel L. Jackson) and “Best Supporting Actress” (Shareeka Epps)

2011 Image Awards: 1 win: “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture” (Samuel L. Jackson); 2 nominations: “Outstanding Independent Motion Picture” and “Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture-Theatrical or Television” (Rodrigo García)

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Natalie Portman Wins Best Actress Oscar for "Black Swan"

Actress in a Leading Role

Natalie Portman in “Black Swan” WINNER

Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right”

Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole”

Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter's Bone”

Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine”
 

Oscars, "Black Swan" Buzz Yahoo! Search Engine

83rd Annual Academy Awards Projections from Yahoo!: According to Yahoo! Search, Black Swan Reigns Supreme and the Web is Buzzing About Co-Host Anne Hathaway

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The 83rd Annual Academy Awards are set to air on Sunday February 27th. As the world prepares for Hollywood’s biggest night, Yahoo! looked at which films and actors are getting the most buzz online.

According to Yahoo! the web is excited about Hollywood’s big show:

Searches for “when are the Oscars” are spiking on Yahoo!

Searches on Yahoo! for “Oscars 2011” are up 1403%

Oscar ballots are spiking on Yahoo! up 38%

Searches for the award show are split between males and females

States searching for “Oscars” the most: California, Illinois, Texas, Washington and New Jersey

Older viewers: those under 24 only make up 16% of searches for “Oscars”

Black Swan Reigns Supreme: According to Yahoo! the top searched nominated films are:

1. Black Swan
2. True Grit
3. 127 hours
4. The Kids Are Alright
5. Inception
6. The Fighter
7. Toy Story 3

According to Yahoo! the top searched nominated actresses are:

1. Natalie Portman
2. Nicole Kidman
3. Jennifer Lawrence
4. Annette Bening

According to Yahoo! the top searched nominated actors are:

1. Javier Bardem
2. James Franco
3. Colin Firth
4. Jeff Bridges

According to Yahoo! the top searched Oscar hosts are:

1. Anne Hathaway
2. Ellen DeGeneres
3. James Franco
4. Alec Baldwin
5. Hugh Jackman
6. Whoopi Goldberg
7. Jon Stewart
8. Chris Rock
9. Steve Martin

Hostess with the Most:
Yahoo! users searched for Oscar co-host Anne Hathaway more than all of the “Best Actress” nominees.

Can’t get enough of the Oscars? Check out Yahoo! Movies’ exclusive coverage complete with predictions, nominees, polls, photos and more: http://oscars.movies.yahoo.com/

Natalie Portman Wins Best Actress BAFTA for "Black Swan"

LEADING ACTRESS

NATALIE PORTMAN Black Swan

ANNETTE BENING The Kids Are All Right

JULIANNE MOORE The Kids Are All Right

NOOMI RAPACE The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

HAILEE STEINFELD True Grit

London Film Critics Join "The Social Network"

If I understand correctly, the London Film Critics’ Circle is part of a larger organization, The Critics’ Circle, which makes an annual award for Services to the Arts. This circle is comprised of the five sections: dance, drama, film, music, and visual arts.

On its website, The Circle says that its aims are “to promote the art of criticism, to uphold its integrity in practice, to foster and safeguard members’ professional interests, to provide opportunities to meet, and to support the advancement of the arts.” Currently there are 430 members of the Circle, mostly from the UK, and the majority of them write regularly for national and regional newspapers and magazines. Membership is by invitation.

Thursday night, the film critics announced their 2010 film award winners.

Winners list of 31st London Critics’ Circle Film Awards:

* FILM OF THE YEAR: ‘The Social Network’

* DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR: David Fincher – ‘The Social Network’

* SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR: Aaron Sorkin – ‘The Social Network’

* ACTOR OF THE YEAR: Colin Firth – ‘The King’s Speech’

* ACTRESS OF THE YEAR: Annette Bening – ‘The Kids Are All Right’

* THE ATTENBOROUGH AWARD: BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR: ‘The King’s Speech’

* BRITISH DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR: Tom Hooper – ‘The King’s Speech’

* BRITISH ACTOR OF THE YEAR: Christian Bale – “The Fighter”

* BRITISH ACTRESS OF THE YEAR: Lesley Manville – ‘Another Year’

* BRITISH ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Andrew Garfield – ‘The Social Network’

* BRITISH ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Olivia Williams – ‘The Ghost’

* YOUNG BRITISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR: Conor McCarron – ‘NEDs’

* BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH FILM-MAKER: Gareth Edwards – ‘Monsters’

* DILYS POWELL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FILM: Kristin Scott Thomas

* FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR: 'Of Gods and Men'

2011 Oscar Nominations: Lead Actress

Actress in a Leading Role

Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right”

Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole”

Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter's Bone”

Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”

Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine”

Complete List of 68th Golden Globe Winners

The Golden Globe Awards, presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, were handed out last night.  On the film side of things, things were fairly boring as the expected winners won.  If you are starting to see a pattern, you are not paranoid.  Once again, The Social Network triumphs.  So here is a list of the winners in both the film and television categories:

2011 Golden Globe Awards Winners (For the year ended December 31, 2010)

FILM AWARDS
Picture, Drama: "The Social Network."

Picture, Musical or Comedy: "The Kids Are All Right."

Actor, Drama: Colin Firth, "The King's Speech."

Actress, Drama: Natalie Portman, "Black Swan."

Director: David Fincher, "The Social Network."

Actress, Musical or Comedy: Annette Bening, "The Kids Are All Right."

Actor, Musical or Comedy: Paul Giamatti, "Barney's Version."

Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, "The Fighter."

Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, "The Fighter."

Foreign Language: "In a Better World."

Animated Film: "Toy Story 3."

Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, "The Social Network."

Original Score: "The Social Network."

Original Song: "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me," (written by Diane Warren), "Burlesque."

TELEVISION AWARDS
Series, Drama: "Boardwalk Empire," HBO.

Actor, Drama: Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire."

Actress, Drama: Katey Sagal, "Sons of Anarchy."

Series, Musical or Comedy: "Glee," Fox.

Actor, Musical or Comedy: Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory."

Actress, Musical or Comedy: Laura Linney, "The Big C."

Miniseries or Movie: "Carlos," Sundance Channel.

Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Claire Danes, "Temple Grandin."

Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Al Pacino, "You Don't Know Jack."

Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Jane Lynch, "Glee."

Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Chris Colfer, "Glee."

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED
Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award: Robert De Niro.

Annette Bening Wins Best Actress Musical/Comedy Golden Globe

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy:

Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right WINNER

Anne Hathaway for Love and Other Drugs

Angelina Jolie for The Tourist

Julianne Moore for The Kids Are All Right

Emma Stone for Easy A

Review: "The Kids Are All Right" is Alright

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 4 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Kids Are All Right (2010)
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong sexual content, nudity, language and some teen drug and alcohol use
DIRECTOR: Lisa Cholodenko
WRITERS: Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg
PRODUCERS: Gary Gilbert, Philippe Hellmann, Jordan Horowitz, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Celine Rattray, and Daniela Taplin Lundberg
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Igor Jadue-Lillo (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Jeffrey M. Werner
COMPOSER: Carter Burwell

DRAMA/COMEDY

Starring: Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson, Yaya DaCosta, Kunal Sharma, Eddie Hassell, Zosia Mamet, and Joaquin Garrido

The Kids Are All Right is a domestic drama, but isn’t like other dramas about the American nuclear family. Directed by Lisa Cholodenko, the film focuses on a family lead by sax-sex parents who discover that their children have found their biological father.

Jules (Julianne Moore) and Nic (Annette Bening) are a lesbian couple living in California. Each gave birth to a child via the same anonymous sperm donor. As she prepares to leave for college, 18-year-old Joni (Mia Wasikowska) acquiesces to a request by her brother, 15-year-old Laser (Josh Hutcherson), to discover the identity of their sperm donor dad. What they find is a small businessman living a bohemian lifestyle, and soon this person by the name of Paul (Mark Ruffalo) is part of the family. But how will he fit in, if he should fit in at all?

In some ways, The Kids Are All Right is sly. With its depictions of affairs, couples squabbling, marital sex, sullen teens, and assorted household dynamics and relationship dysfunction, the film seems to be the average family melodrama. However, the family at the heart of this film is not a normal family, as we generally think of what a normal family should be. Perhaps, the film’s writers, Stuart Blumber and director Lisa Cholodenko, tell this story in the way they do to show that a family headed by a same-sex couple will pretty much have the same ups and downs of a family headed by a man and his wife. This may be their sly and clever way of saying that gay couples are the same as straight couples. Well, they’re not, and that’s just fine.

In an attempt to create an average family drama around a same-sex couple, this film often seems contrived and even a little melodramatic. The Kids Are All Right is certainly a good film, with many fine performances. Annette Bening, who gives a layered and textured performance, however, stands out as genuine, real, and gritty in a film that seems too pat. Bening seems to embody the narrative’s urge to be more than just another indie drama, one with a need to be a carbon copy family dramedy with the straight parents swapped out for a gay couple.

In fact, The Kids Are All Right is really not about the children, which is disappointing because they are such good characters. Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson also give the kind of performances as Joni and Laser, respectively, that makes you really want to get to know them much more than you do.

This is not to say that the film is glaringly deficient. One of the things that makes it so attractive is that both the story and the characters seem to be searching for something more or something that is missing. Its charm is the same-sex nuclear family masquerading as straights, but the writers seem reticent about tearing off the masks and showing something different and really new. The Kids Are All Right, but everything could have been so much more.

7 of 10
B+

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

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Review: Annette Bening is Radiant in "Being Julia"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 43 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Being Julia (2004)
Running time: 105 minutes (1 hour, 45 minutes)
MPAA – R for some sexuality
DIRECTOR: István Szabó
WRITER: Ronald Harwood (from the novel Theatre by W. Somerset Maugham)
PRODUCER: Robert Lantos
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Lajos Koltai
EDITOR: Susan Shipton
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA/COMEDY

Starring: Annette Bening, Jeremy Irons, Shaun Evans, Michael Gambon, Juliet Stevenson, Miriam Margolyes, Bruce Greenwood, Lucy Punch, Tom Sturridge, Rosemary Harris, Rita Tushingham, and Denzal Sinclaire

Annette Bening earned an Oscar nomination (“Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role) for her searing, tour de force performance of feminine wiles and power in Being Julia. Rarely in these recent times has an actress torn up the screen the way Ms. Bening does here. In fact, her performance is worthy of comparisons to Betty Davis in All About Eve and Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind. Ms. Bening’s Julia is witty and sharp, and she plays her audience like a harp. Ms. Bening makes what would have been only another costume drama, a biting stage piece that works as a movie.

Set in London, circa 1938, Being Julia follows aging stage actress, Julia Lambert (Ms. Bening), who seeing her youth fading, is looking for some spark to ignite her passions. She demands that her husband, Michael Gosselyn (Jeremy Irons), who is also her agent and a theatrical producer, give her an extended vacation. Although Michael is reluctant to do so, he gives in to Julia’s demands. However, Julia meets Tom Fennel (Shaun Evans), a young accountant who works for her husband. Tom is a great admirer of Julia’s, and he makes an advance on her one evening when he invites her to his small flat for tea. Although she first resists, Julia allows Tom to sweep her off her feet in an illicit affair and romance that, if discovered, could ruin her.

All is, however, not as Julia would want it. She must rediscover herself, reconnect with her husband, and open up to her somewhat estranged son, Roger Gosselyn (Tom Sturridge). Leaning on reliable friends such as her dresser Evie (Juliet Stevenson), her long time friend, Lord Charles (Bruce Greenwood), and the “spirit” of her drama teacher, Jimmie Langton (Michael Gambon), Julia searches for the balance between two worlds, the stage and life.

Ronald Harwood’s (The Dresser) script for Being Julia focuses on characters, with setting and story being backdrops, and he creates the kind of material a fine cast of actors can transform into a suite of mesmerizing performances that make us forget that the movie might be light on plot and glosses over its settings. Harwood makes even the bit parts juicy, and he makes what could have been a nuisance, Michael Gambon’s role as a kind of ghost, spirit, or figment of Julia’s imagination, Jimmie Langton, something to enhance Julia’s back story and history.

The film is also well directed, and the sets and costumes are equal to all but the most spectacular costume dramas and period films. But in the end, this film belongs to Annette Bening. She gives radiant, fiery life to Julia and makes the audience take this annoying woman into their hearts. Julia isn’t just compelling and winning, as a film character, she’s a beautiful painting created by a performing artist. Ms. Bening takes this character with a shallow personality and by the end of Being Julia, makes her whole.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2005 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role” (Annette Bening)

2005 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Annette Bening)

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Review: "Open Range" a Welcomed Western (Happy B'day, Robert Duvall)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 139 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Open Range (2003)
Running time: 139 minutes (2 hours, 19 minutes)
MPAA – R for violence
DIRECTOR: Kevin Costner
WRITER: Craig Storper (based upon the novel, The Open Range Men by Lauran Paine)
PRODUCERS: Kevin Costner, Jake Eberts, and David Valdes
CINEMATOGRAPHER: James Muro (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Michael J. Duthie and Miklos Wright
COMPOSER: Michael Kamen

WESTERN

Starring: Robert Duvall, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening, Michael Gambon, Michael Jeter, Diego Luna, James Russo, Abraham Benrubi, Dean McDermott, and Kim Coates

Much has been made of Kevin Costner’s ode to classic Western movies, the surprise hit Open Range, but I think this film is very good on its own, even if I ignore the respect it pays to older Westerns (so much so that it shows its influences). Open Range is Costner’s third credited effort as a film director (he finished Waterworld although Kevin Reynolds received director’s credit), and it shows that Costner shines when he’s making Westerns.

In the film, Costner is Charlie Waite, the protégé of Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall), a grizzled free graze cattleman. Unlike ranchers, freegrazers herded their cattle across the unowned land of the West. This was fine prior to the War Between the States, but after the conflict, big ranchers began to buy up all that open range, and they considered any land near that property to also be their territory. Consequently, the resented freegrazers’ cattle roaming across the west, so conflict ensued. When Spearman, Waite, and their men tend their herd on a patch of unspoiled terrain near the makeshift town of Harmonville, they encounter the wrath of vicious Irish brute named Denton Baxter (Michael Gambon). Baxter, a heartless rancher, owns the local sheriff (James Russo) and lords his power over the scared town folks. Baxter and his goons beat up one of Spearman’s men (Abraham Benrubi), and when Spearman and Waite fight back, the violence escalates from there.

Costner patterns Open Range on a number of sources, both old and new. In spirit, the film’s tone resembles Clint Eastwood’s epic film Unforgiven, and the immediacy of the violence in Open Range is similar to the portrayal of violence in Tombstone. Other than that, the film is pretty much its own thing. It lacks the snap and crack of older westerns, but Costner does fool the audience. The film’s laconic pace and somber mood in the beginning belies the coming storm of righteous violence coming in the end. The funny thing is that you can really identify with both Boss Spearman and Charlie Waite’s fierce sense of independence, and you can easily digest their need to bring hell down on those who go out of their way to deny Spearman and Waite their rights to a livelihood. Both characters strike me as men with a low tolerance threshold; they won’t warn you off too many times about screwing with them before they bring the pain.

Open Range is a gorgeous film with beautiful vistas of the wide, open spaces – an untamed country of beautiful green prairies and hills and of a lovely but dangerous sky. Even the filthy little town has a pretty quality to it despite all the dirty earth tones that define it.

This film is also one of those times that Kevin Costner’s monotone delivery of his dialogue works; usually that’s just a sign of poor acting. His Waite is quite man hiding a dark past; he’s slow to anger, and even when he explodes, he really doesn’t come apart at the seams so much as he remains a steady assault of death dealing. What more does one need to say about the consummate talent of the brilliant character actor that is Robert Duvall? He’s always a pleasure to watch and with his talent, he finds a way to make it seem as if he and Costner are old partners, both in the film and in reality. There is so much good chemistry between the two one might think this is just the latest in many film projects together. Many of the other parts are a bit hokey, character types familiar to almost every old horse opera, but the actors redeem them with the quiet and serious intensity of actors who treat every role as if it’s a career defining moment. Even Annette Bening gives her role as the saintly spinster Sue Barlow some zing as she makes goo goo eyes at Costner’s Waite.

I loved this film, and I heartily recommend it to people who love westerns, especially the old-fashioned kind in which bad guys (with their figurative black hats force) loose-spirited men to do something they’d rather not – pick up a gun and take a human life to save their own. I can see this as a stable on such cable channels as Turner Classic Movies or American Movie Classics, and Open Range has Saturday matinee written all over it. At times it is too dry and slow, but the grit and determination of the characters and the filmmakers will hold your attention. Beside, it’s also one of the few recent movies where all the male actors act like real grown men and not overgrown teenage boys.

7 of 10
B+

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New York Film Critics Circle "The Social Network"

Founded in 1935, the New York Film Critics Circle is, according to their website, “an organization of film reviewers from New York-based publications that exists to honor excellence in U.S. and world cinema.” Members are critics from daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, magazines, and online general-interest publications (that meet certain qualifications). Every year in December, Circle members meet in New York to vote on awards for the year's films. The Circle also puts on an awards presentation, which will be held on Monday, January 10, 2011 to honor 2010 winners.

The Circle was the first film critics organization that I encountered as a budding, young movie lover. The Circle's awards have been predictors of the Oscar nominations. However, The Circle sees it awards “as a principled alternative to the Oscars, honoring esthetic merit in a forum that is immune to commercial and political pressures,” according to their website.

Here's the complete list of the 2010 winners:

Best Film – The Social Network

Best Director – David Fincher (The Social Network)

Best Screenplay – Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg (The Kids Are All Right)

Best Actress – Annette Bening (for The Kids Are All Right)

Best Actor – Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)

Best Supporting Actress – Melissa Leo (The Fighter)

Best Supporting Actor – Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right)

Best Cinematography – Matthew Libatique (The Black Swan)

Best Animated Film – The Illusionist

Best Non-fiction Film – Inside Job

Best Foreign Language Film - Carlos

Best First Feature – Animal Kingdom

Boston Society of Film Critics Love Them Some "The Social Network"

The 18-member Boston Society of Film Critics includes some oft-quoted critics, including Boston Globe writers, Ty Burr and Wesley Morris.  This year, they beat the L.A. Film Critics in announcing their end-of-year prizes.  Thanks to the blog Film Experience for the following information (because the Bostonians' website has not been updated as of this writing):

Picture: The Social Network
Runner up: Toy Story 3

Director: David Fincher for The Social Network
Runner up: Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan

Actress: Natalie Portman in Black Swan
Runner up: Annette Bening in The Kids Are All Right

Actor: Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network
Runner up: Colin Firth (The King's Speech)

Supporting Actress: Juliette Lewis in Conviction
Runner Up: Melissa Leo (The Fighter)

Supporting Actor: Christian Bale in The Fighter
Runner Up: Andrew Garfield in The Social Network

Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin for The Social Network
Runner up: Nicole Holocener for Please Give

Cinematography: Roger Deakins for True Grit
Runner up: Matthew Libatique for Black Swan

Editing (in memory of Karen Schmeer) Andrew Weisblum for Black Swan
Runner up: Lee Smith for Inception

New Filmmaker (in memory of David Brudnoy) Jeff Malmberg for Marwencol
Runner up: David Michôd for Animal Kingdom

Best Use of Music in a Film Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for The Social Network
Runner up: Carter Burwell for True Grit

Ensemble Cast: The Fighter
Runner up: The Kids Are All Right

Documentary: Marwencol
Runner up: Inside Job

Foreign Language: Film Mother (South Korea)
Runner up: I Am Love (Italy)

Animated Film: Toy Story 3
Runner up: The Illusionist

http://www.thebsfc.org/

Countdown to Oscar 2011: 2011 Spirit Awards Nominations

Press release:

2011 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

- $125,000 in grants to be awarded to filmmakers -

LOS ANGELES (November 30, 2010) – Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced nominations this morning for the 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Eva Mendes and Jeremy Renner served as presenters and 2011 Spirit Awards host Joel McHale was also on hand. Nominees for Best Feature include 127 Hours, Black Swan, Greenberg, The Kids Are All Right and Winter’s Bone.

Please Give was selected for the Robert Altman Award, which is given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.

2011 SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS:

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer, Executive Producers are not listed)
127 Hours
Producers: Danny Boyle, Christian Colson, John Smithson

Black Swan
Producers: Scott Franklin, Mike Medavoy, Arnold W. Messer, Brian Oliver

Greenberg
Producers: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Scott Rudin

The Kids Are All Right
Producers: Gary Gilbert, Philippe Hellmann, Jordan Horowitz, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Celine Rattray, Daniela Taplin Lundberg

Winter’s Bone
Producers: Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Anne Rosellini

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 - Director: Frazer Bradshaw, Producers: A.D. Liano, Laura Techera Francia

Get Low - Director: Aaron Schneider
, Producers: David Gundlach, Dean Zanuck

Night Catches Us - Director: Tanya Hamilton
, Producers: Sean Costello, Jason Orans, Ronald Simons

The Last Exorcism - Director: Daniel Stamm
, Producers: Marc Abraham, Tom Bliss, Eric Newman, Eli Roth

Tiny Furniture - Director: Lena Dunham
, Producers: Kyle Martin, Alicia Van Couvering

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. Executive Producers are not listed

Daddy Longlegs
Writer/Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
Producers: Casey Neistat, Tom Scott

Lbs.
Director: Matthew Bonifacio
Writer/Producers: Matthew Bonifacio, Carmine Famiglietti

Lovers of Hate
Writer/Director: Bryan Poyser
Producer: Megan Gilbride

Obselidia
Writer/Director: Diane Bell
Producers: Chris Byrne, Mathew Medlin

The Exploding Girl
Writer/Director: Bradley Rust Gray
Producers: Karin Chien, Ben Howe, So Yong Kim

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
Director: Banksy

Marwencol
Director: Jeff Malmberg

Restrepo
Directors: Tim Hetherington, Sebastian Junger

Sweetgrass
Directors: Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor

Thunder Soul
Director: Mark Landsman

BEST FOREIGN FILM (Award given to the director)
Kisses
(Ireland)
Director: Lance Daly

Mademoiselle Chambon
(France)
Director: Stéphane Brizé

Of Gods and Men
(France)
Director: Xavier Beauvois

The King’s Speech (United Kingdom)
Director: Tom Hooper

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
(Thailand)
Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul

ACURA SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The 17th annual Acura Someone to Watch Award recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Acura.

Hossein Keshavarz

Dog Sweat

Laurel Nakadate

The Wolf Knife

Mike Ott

Littlerock

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD – The 14th annual Piaget Producers Award honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget.

In-Ah Lee

Au Revoir Taipei

Adele Romanski

The Myth of the American Sleepover

Anish Savjani

Meek’s Cutoff

AVEENO® TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The 16th annual AVEENO® Truer Than Fiction Award is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by AVEENO®.

Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor - Sweetgrass

Jeff Malmberg - Marwencol

Lynn True, Nelson Walker - Summer Pasture

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD - (Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)

Please Give
Director: Nicole Holofcener
Casting Director: Jeanne McCarthy
Ensemble Cast: Ann Guilbert, Rebecca Hall, Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Lois Smith, Sarah Steele

http://www.spiritawards.com/

http://www.filmindependent.org/content/2011-film-independent-spirit-award-nominations-announced