Review: "Knives Out" a Fresh Cut of Murder Mystery

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 15 (of 2020) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Knives Out (2019)
Running time:  130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for thematic elements including brief violence, some strong language, sexual references, and drug material
WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Rian Johnson
PRODUCERS:  Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Steve Yedlin (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Bob Ducsay
COMPOSER:  Nathan Johnson
Academy Award nominee

MYSTERY/COMEDY

Starring:  Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, LaKeith Stanfield, Christopher Plummer, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, Riki Lindhome, Edi Patterson, Frank Oz, K Callan, Noah Segan, M. Emmet Walsh, and Marlene Forte

Knives Out is a 2019 mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson.  The film is a modern whodunit and a murder mystery inspired by the works of the legendary mystery novelist, Agatha Christie.  Knives Out focuses on a master detective investigating an eccentric, combative family after the family's patriarch is found dead.

Knives Out introduces wealthy crime novelist, Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer).  He has invited his family to his Massachusetts mansion for his 85th birthday party.  The following morning, Harlan's housekeeper, Fran (Edi Patterson), finds Harlan dead, with his throat slit.  Local police Detective Lieutenant Elliott (LaKeith Stanfield) believes Harlan's death to be a suicide.  However, an anonymous party among the family has secretly paid private eye, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), to investigate Harlan's death as a homicide.  Blanc finds his suspects among the members of the family, and each one is either eccentric or combative.

Blanc learns that Harlan's relationships with his family were strained.  Blanc is keeping an eye on particular members of the family.  There is Harlan's eldest daughter, Linda Drysdale (Jamie Lee Curtis), a real estate mogul, and his youngest son, Walt Thrombey (Michael Shannon).  There is also Joni Thrombey (Toni Collette), Harlan's daughter-in-law and the widow of his late son, Neil, and his son-in-law, Richard Drysdale (Don Johnson), Linda's husband.  Even Harlan's nurse and close friend, Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas), is a suspect... or at least has knowledge that will answer important questions.  And where is Harlan's grandson, Ransom “Hugh” Drysdale (Chris Evans), the spoiled playboy son of Linda and Richard?

Whodunit... if it is true that someone did anything criminal?  Or is the truth more complicated and too obvious for even world-famous private investigator Benoit Blanc to discover?

Rian Johnson's Knives Out starts with an excellent screenplay, not necessarily in terms of the mystery's plot.  That is mostly just an exercise in genre elements and trappings – similar to the twists and terms found in the works of Agatha Christie and those stories inspired by Christie.  The best of Knives Out is in the characters, the kind that character actors can use to chew up movie scenery.

The cast of Knives Out is comprised of actors who have been at or near the top of their professions in film or television at some point in their careers.  They are not really known as character actors because they have been or still are headliners.  However, they are mostly veteran actors, and they can do what character actors do best, and that is deliver performances that create the kind of characters of which film audiences cannot get enough.

That is what Rian Johnson did with this film.  He composed a topnotch script, and then, he directed his actors to topnotch performances.  The result is a mystery film that grabs the viewers and holds them from start to finish.  I certainly felt as if I could not let stop watching Knives Out; it is truly a fun film to watch.  It is not perfect; there seems not to be enough screen time for some of the best characters, such as Jamie Lee Curtis' Linda Drysdale, Michael Shannon's Walt Thrombey, and Toni Collette's Joni Thrombey.  And Chris Evan's Ransom Drysdale seems misused...

Still, get yourself to Knives Out, dear reader.  It is one of the funniest and most enjoyable murder mystery films in quite some time.

8 of 10
A

Saturday, June 20, 2020


NOTES:
2019 Academy Awards, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Original Screenplay” (Rian Johnson)

2019 BAFTA Awards:  1 nomination: “Best Screenplay” (Rian Johnson)

2019 Golden Globes, USA:  3 nominations:  “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy,” “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Ana de Armas), and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Daniel Craig)


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site or blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Historical Drama, "Cliffs of Freedom," Expands into More Theaters.

Film expands into additional cities and theaters

CLIFFS OF FREEDOM (also known as The Crescent and the Cross) is a 2019 independent historical period drama film.  It is based on Marianne Metropoulos's novel, Daughter of Destiny.  Produced by Casey Cannon and Metropoulos, Cliff's of Freedom is directed by Van Ling from a screenplay by Ling, Metropoulos, and Kevin Bernhardt. It stars Tania Raymonde, Jan Uddin, Raza Jaffrey, Patti LuPone, and Christopher Plummer.

After rousing screenings in the past weeks and during its opening weekend in New York and Los Angeles, "Cliffs of Freedom" is getting enough crowd-pleasing buzz that it is expanding to five more American cities as of Friday, March 8th, 2019.  Those cities are: Chicago, Illinois; Baltimore, Maryland; Washington DC; Phoenix, Arizona; and Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. 

Like the freedom fighters it depicts, the film is much more than it seems at first glance.  Currently one of the best-kept secrets in Hollywood, this independent historical film about romance, rebellion and tragedy at the dawn of the Greek War of Independence in the early 1800s is engaging audiences of all kinds, raising pride in those of Greek heritage and sweeping up non-Greeks in an epic and little-explored history, and bringing more than a few emotional tears to both.

Six more cities will be joining the revolution on March 15th, at theaters in: San Diego, California; Seattle, Washington; West Palm Beach, Florida; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Columbus, Ohio; and Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota.

Chicago, Illinois
AMC Showplace Cicero 14 / 4779 W Cermak Rd, Cicero, IL 60804

Washington DC
Hoffman Center 22 / 206 Swamp Fox Rd, Alexandria, VA 22314

Dallas, Texas
Valley View 16 / 13331 Preston Rd #2300, Dallas, TX 75240

Baltimore, Maryland
Owings Mills 17 / 10100 Mill Run Cir, Owings Mills, MD 21117

Phoenix, Arizona
Arizona Center 24 / 565 N 3rd St, Phoenix, AZ 85004

New York
Port Chester 14 / 40 Westchester Ave, Port Chester, NY 1057
Stony Brook 17 / 2196 Nesconset Hwy, Stony Brook, NY 11790

Los Angeles
Universal City Walk Stadium 19 / 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608 91608
Rolling Hills 20 / 2591 Airport Dr, Torrance, CA 90505

NOW PLAYING IN SELECT THEATERS

Click below to follow Cliffs of Freedom:

Official Website: http://www.cliffsoffreedomfilm.com/
Facebook View: https://www.facebook.com/officialCliffsofFreedomFilm/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cliffsoffreedomfilm/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cliffsfilm
#CliffsOfFreedom

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2018 Oscars "Best Supporting Actor" - Sam Rockwell

Actor in a Supporting Role:

Sam Rockwell - Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri - WINNER

Nominees:
Willem Dafoe - The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson - Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
Richard Jenkins - The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer - All the Money in the World

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 5th to 11th, 2017 - Update #38

Support Leroy on Patreon.

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:   Marvel's "Thor: Ragnarok" set to rule the box office for a second straight weekend.

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SCANDAL - From Variety:   Louis C.K. performed a voice in the hit film, "The Secret Life of Pets," but he has been dropped from the sequel follow accusations of and his admission to sexual misconduct.

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POLITICS - From Newsweek:  Danica Roem becomes Virginia's first transgender state lawmaker, and she beat the sponsor of an anti-transgender bathroom bill to win.

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SCANDAL - From THR:  Hollywood lawyers up - Hollywood attorneys say that they are getting calls from the accused and accusers in light of the scandals involving Hollywood men being accused of sexual misconduct.

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MUSIC From XXL:  Eminem releases a new single, "Walk on Water," and Beyonce sings the hook.

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SCANDAL - From TheNYTimes:  Louis CK admits to the sexual abuse allegations against him.

From THR:  FX cuts ties with Louis CK.  He was producing four shows with the cable net and was the star of its Emmy-winning series, "Louie."

From THR:  Indie film distributor, The Orchard, has dropped its distribution of Louis C.K.'s directorial debut, "I Love You, Daddy."

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WAR - From teleSUR:  Since 9/11, the United States has spent $4.3 TRILLION on wars in Asia and the Middle East.

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POLITICS - From RSN:  The voters of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania may have made a big move in ending mass incarceration with their recent choice for district attorney.

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STAR TREK - From TheWrap:  CBS All Access has announced that "Star Trek: Discovery" Chapter 2 begins January 7, 2018.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther, Creed) will make his directorial debut with a film adaptation of the novel, "The Stars Beneath Our Feet."

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STREAMING - From TheWrap:  Apple is investing a billion dollars in producing original content. It has given Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston's untitled TV drama a two-season straight-to-order series.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Damn, Ridley Scott is the man!  He has replaced in Kevin Spacey in his film, "All the Money in the World."  Get this: the movie was finished filming and was scheduled for release in time for Christmas.  Now, Scott will re-shoot Spacey's scenes with his original choice for his the role of J. Paul Getty, Christopher Plummer.

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SCANDAL - From TheWrap:  Amazon now investigating a sexual harassment claim against Emmy-winning actor, Jeffrey Tambor.

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POLITICS - From Politico:  Apparently, Time-Warner will have to dump CNN or all the Turner Broadcasting properties in order to get President Trump's Department of Justice to approve Time-Warner's merger with AT&T.

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STREAMING - From TheWrap:  Grammy-winning hip-hop artist and rapper, Drake, LeBron James' business partners, Maverick Carter and Jamal Henderson, are helping to revive the British drug-dealer TV drama, "Top Boy," for Netflix.  The original stars and creative team will return.

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COMICS-FILM - From DeadlineTV:  Amazon has given a green light to the superhero drama based on the comic book, "The Boys."  Seth Rogen and his partner, Evan Goldberg, are involved.

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BLM - From YahooNews:   "That's how people like you get shot," a white male teacher in former slave state Georgia told a black male student.

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COMICS-FILM - From QuartzMedia:  Marvel takes Hollywood.

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TELEVISION - From BleeedingCool:  Woody McClain played Bobby Brown in BET's miniseries, "The New Edition Story."  McClain will reprise the role in BET's two-part miniseries, "The Bobby Brown Story."

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HEALTH - From TheHill:  Open enrollment for ObamaCare surges to record level in the early days of the sign-up, despite the roadblocks that President Clownface... I mean... President Trump placed in front of healthcare.

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POLITICS - From TheGuardian:  Read "The Guardian's" series, "The Paradise Papers."

From TheGuardian:  Senator Bernie sanders warns of an "international oligarchy" after the release of "the Paradise Papers."

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CULTURE - From BuzzFlash:  "Jeff Bezos wants the keys to your house" by Jim Hightower

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MEDIA - From Deadline:  In the possible Fox-Disney deal (which could be worth $20 billion), content is the weapon of choice.

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SCANDAL - From Variety:  In the wake of the sexual allegations scandal involving Kevin Spacey, Sony Pictures is pulling Spacey's upcoming film, "All the Money in the World," out of the AFI Fest.  Directed by Ridley Scott, the film is about the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III.

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COMICS-FILM - From THR:  Asher Angel, one of the stars of Disney Channel's "Andi Mack," will play Billy Batson, opposite Shazam, who will be played by Zachary Levi.

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COMICS-FILM - From ScreenRant:  Marvel Cinematic Universe rumors - confirmed and otherwise.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 11/3 to 11/6/2017 weekend box office is "Thor: Ragnarok" with an estimated take of $121 million.

From Variety:  "Thor: Ragnarok" puts an emphatic end to the month-long box office slump.

From CNNMoney:  "Thor: Ragnarok" is Marvel Studios' 17th film to open at #1 in weekend box office.

From YahooEntertainment:  "Thor: Ragnarok" director Taika Waititi and two of the film's star, Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie) surprised movie goers at a Los Angeles showing of the film.

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POLITICS - From NBCNews:  During the 2016 Republican National Convention, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn led the crowd to chants of "Lock her up! Lock her up!"  Now, he may be facing criminal charges from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. Presidential elections.

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BLM - From Truthout:  St. Louis is still rising up against police violence, although the national new media mostly ignores it.

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COMICS-FILM - From Mashable:  After the first 50 reviews, "Thor: Ragnarok" stands as the best-reviewed superhero movie of all time, but it is still early in the process.

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SCANDAL - From Indiewire:  The New York City Police Department is reportedly gathering evidence to arrest Harvey Weinstein on a rape charge, and the department believes it has a "credible rape allegation."

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INTERNATIONAL - From YahooFinance:  Dozens of Saudi princes have been arrested in sweeping corruption probe.

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CULTURE - From TheRoot:  "The Culture of Male Silence: Men Treat Sexual Assault Like America Treats White Supremacy" by Michael Harriot

OBITS:

From THR:  The actor John Hillerman has died at the age of 84, Thursday, November 9, 2017.  He was best known for playing the snooty caretaker, Jonathan Quayle Higgins III, on "Magnum P.I," for which he won an Emmy Awards in 1987.  Fans of Mel Brooks will also remember Hillerman as "Howard Johnson" in "Blazing Saddles."

From THR:  A "Bond girl" has died.  German actress Karin Dor has died at the age of 79, Monday, November 6, 2017.  Dor played Helga Brandt (SPECTRE Agent No. 11) in the 1967 James Bond film, "You Only Live Twice."

From YahooSports:  Former Major League Baseball pitcher, Roy Halladay, has died at the age of 40, Tuesday, November 7, 2017.  Halladay was killed after his plane crashed in the Gulf of Mexico Tuesday afternoon.  He was a two-time National League Cy Young Award winner.  His pitched the 20th perfect game in MLB history on May 29th, 2010.  He also pitched only the second postseason (playoff) no-hitter in MLB history on Oct. 6th, 2010.

2016 Canadian Screen Award Nominations - Complete Film Category List

The Canadian Screen Awards honor achievements in Canadian film and television production, as well as achievements in digital media.  In 2012, the formerly separate Genie Awards (for film) and Gemini Awards (for television) merged into a single ceremony, the Canadian Screen Awards.

The Canadian Screen Awards are presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.  This is a national, no-profit, professional association dedicated to the promotion, recognition and celebration of exceptional achievements in Canadian film, television and digital media.  The Academy describes itself as a “Unifying industry professionals across Canada, the Academy is a vital force representing all screen – based industries.”

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television Awards will be handed out on Sunday, March 13, 2016.  The nominations list below is only for the film categories, excluding the television, digital media, and special award categories (except for two).

2016 Canadian Screen Awards Nominations:

Best Motion Picture / Meilleur film

    Brooklyn – Pierre Even, Marie-Claude Poulin, Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey
    Corbo – Félize Frappier
    The Demons | Les Démons – Philippe Lesage
    Felix and Meira | Félix et Meira – Sylvain Corbeil, Nancy Grant
    The Forbidden Room – Phoebe Greenberg, Penny Mancuso, Phyllis Laing, David Christensen, Guy Maddin
    My Internship in Canada | Guibord s’en va-t-en guerre – Luc Déry, Kim McCraw
    Our Loved Ones | Les êtres chers – Sylvain Corbeil, Nancy Grant
    Remember – Robert Lantos, Ari Lantos
    Room – David Gross, Ed Guiney
    Sleeping Giant – Karen Harnisch, Andrew Cividino, Marc Swenker, James Vandewater, Aaron Yeger

Achievement in Direction | Meilleure réalisation

    Philippe Lesage – The Demons | Les Démons
    Maxime Giroux – Felix and Meira | Félix et Meira
    Anne Émond – Our Loved Ones | Les êtres chers
    Lenny Abrahamson – Room
    Andrew Cividino – Sleeping Giant

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role | Interprétation masculine dans un premier rôle

    Maxim Gaudette – Our Loved Ones | Les êtres chers
    Christopher Plummer – Remember
    Rossif Sutherland – River
    Jacob Tremblay – Room
    Jasmin Geljo – The Waiting Room

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role | Interprétation masculine dans un rôle de soutien

    Waris Ahluwalia – Beeba Boys
    Tony Nardi – Corbo
    Irdens Exantus – My Internship in Canada | Guibord s’en va-t-en guerre
    Nick Serino – Sleeping Giant
    Patrick Hivon – Ville-Marie

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role | Interprétation féminine dans un premier rôle

    Leah Goldstein – Diamond Tongues
    Hadas Yaron – Felix and Meira | Félix et Meira
    Karelle Tremblay – Our Loved Ones | Les êtres chers
    Céline Bonnier – The Passion of Augustine | La Passion d’Augustine
    Brie Larson – Room

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role | Interprétation féminine dans un rôle de soutien

    Balinder Johal – Beeba Boys
    Mylène Mackay – Endorphine
    Christine Beaulieu – The Mirage | Le Mirage
    Joan Allen – Room
    Cynthia Ashperger – The Waiting Room

Achievement in Art Direction / Production Design | Meilleure direction artistique

    Louisa Schabas – Felix and Meira | Félix et Meira
    Galen Johnson, Brigitte Henry, Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski – The Forbidden Room
    Ken Rempel, Kathy McCoy, Erik Gerlund – Forsaken
    Arv Greywal, Steve Shewchuk, Larry Spittle – Hyena Road
    Ethan Tobman, Mary Kirkland – Room

Achievement in Cinematography | Meilleures images

    Yves Bélanger – Brooklyn
    Sara Mishara – Felix and Meira | Félix et Meira
    Rene Ohashi – Forsaken
    Karim Hussain – Hyena Road
    Danny Cohen – Room

Achievement in Costume Design | Meilleurs costumes

    Joanne Hansen – Beeba Boys
    Judy Jonker – Corbo
    Christopher Hargadon – Forsaken
    Katelynd Johnston – Hyena Road
    Arabella Bushnell – Songs She Wrote About People She Knows

Achievement in Editing | Meilleur montage

    Renee Beaulieu – Adrien | Le Garagiste
    David Wharnsby – Hyena Road
    Mathieu Bouchard-Malo – Our Loved Ones | Les êtres chers
    Nathan Nugent – Room
    James Vandewater – Sleeping Giant

Achievement in Make-Up | Meilleurs maquillages

    Catherine Beaudoin – Anna
    David Scott, Trina Brink – Backcountry
    Gail Kennedy, Rochelle Parrent, Jojo Preece – Forsaken
    Jayne Dancose, Debra Johnson, Charles Porlier – Hyena Road
    Sid Armour – Room

Achievement in Music – Original Score | Meilleure musique originale

    Michel Corriveau – Anna
    Michael Brook – Brooklyn
    François Dompierre – The Passion of Augustine | La Passion d’Augustine
    Stephen Rennicks – Room
    Chris Gestrin – Songs She Wrote About People She Knows

Achievement in Music – Original Song | Meilleure chanson originale

    Peter Katz, Karen Kowsowski – 88 – “Where the Light Used to Be”
    Martin Léon – Our Loved Ones | Les êtres chers – “Red and Yellow”
    Noah Reid – People Hold On – “People Hold On”
    Jenny Salgado – Scratch – A Hip-opera | Scratch – Un Hip-Opéra – “C’est aujourd’hui que je sors”
    Kris Elgstrand – Songs She Wrote About People She Knows – “Asshole Dave”

Achievement in Overall Sound | Meilleur son d’ensemble

    Sylvain Brassard, Arnaud Têtu, Pascal Van Strydonck, Olivier Léger – Adrien | Le Garagiste
    Bernard Gariépy Strobl, Daniel Bisson, Jean-Charles Desjardins, François Grenon – Endorphine
    Lou Solakofski, Ian Rankin, Joe Morrow, Russ Dyck, Graham Rogers, James Bastable, André Azoubel, Don White, Jack Hereen – Hyena Road
    Lou Solakofski, Kirk Lynds, Kristian Bailey, Don White, Jack Heeren,
    Rob Coxford, Peter Caristedt – Into The Forest
    Bernard Gariépy Strobl, Daniel Bisson, Claude La Haye, Benoît Leduc – My Internship in Canada | Guibord s’en va-t-en guerre

Achievement in Sound Editing | Meilleur montage sonore

    Benoît Dame – Adrien | Le Garagiste
    Sylvain Bellemare, Claire Pochon, Jérôme Décarie, François Senneville – Endorphine
    Mark Gingras, Jill Purdy – Forsaken
    John Gurdebeke, David Rose – The Forbidden Room
    Jane Tattersall, David McCallum, Martin Gwynn Jones, Barry Gilmore, David Evans, Dave Rose, Brennan Mercer, Ed Douglas,
    Kevin Banks, Goro Koyama, Andy Malcolm – Hyena Road

Achievement in Visual Effects | Meilleurs effets visuels

    Darren Wall – Borealis
    Alain Lachance, Eve Brunet – Endorphine
    Phil Jones, Sarah Wormsbecher, Eric Doiron, Anthony DeChellis, Lon Molnar, Geoff D.E. Scott, Nathan Larouche, Mark Fordham – Hyena Road
    Eric Doiron, Sarah Wormsbecher, Nathan Larouche, Anthony DeChellis, Geoff D.E. Scott, Jason Snea, Joel Chambers, Kaiser Thomas, Lon Molnar, Rob Kennedy – Remember
    Marcelo Alves de Souza, Paulo Barcellos, Adams Carvalho, George Schall, Luis Dourado, Emerson Bonadias, Diego Moreira, Luciano Santa Barbara, Thiago Sá, Luis Dreyfuss – Zoom

Adapted Screenplay | Meilleure adaptation

    Josh Epstein, Kyle Rideout – Eadweard
    Emma Donoghue – Room
    Wiebke von Carolsfeld – The Saver

Original Screenplay | Meilleur scénario

    André Turpin – Endorphine
    Philippe Falardeau – My Internship in Canada | Guibord s’en va-t-en guerre
    Anne Émond – Our Loved Ones | Les êtres chers
    Benjamin August – Remember
    Matt Hansen – Zoom

Academy Legacy Award
EUGENE LEVY AND CATHERINE O'HARA

Lifetime Achievement Award
MARTIN SHORT

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Kansas City Film Critics Chose "The Descendants" in 2011

by Leroy Douresseaux

I'm still playing catch-up on the 2012 film awards season.  I discovered that I missed the Kansas City Film Critics Circle (KCFCC) in 2011, although I covered them in 2010.  So here are their 2011 awards:

2011 Loutzenhiser Awards:

Best Film: The Descendants

Robert Altman Award for Best Director: Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

Best Actor: George Clooney, The Descendants

Best Actress: Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life

Best Original Screenplay: Mike Mills, Beginners

Best Adapted Screenplay: Steven Zaillian & Aaron Sorkin, Moneyball

Best Animated Film: Rango

Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation (Iran)

Best Documentary: Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Vince Koehler Award for Best Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror Film: Hugo

Review: Rooney Mara is All Woman in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 68 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Running time: 158 minutes (2 hours, 38 minutes)
MPAA - R for brutal violent content including rape and torture, strong sexuality, graphic nudity, and language
DIRECTOR: David Fincher
WRITER: Steven Zaillian (based upon the novel, Man som hatar kvinnor, by Stieg Larsson)
PRODUCERS: Cean Chaffin, Scott Rudin, Soren Staermose, and Ole Sondberg
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jeff Cronenweth
EDITORS: Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
COMPOSERS: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Academy Award winner

DRAMA/MYSTERY/THRILLER

Starring: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Steven Berkoff, Robin Wright, Yorick van Wageningen, Joely Richardson, Geraldine James, Goran Visnjic, Donald Sumpter, Ulf Friberg, Julian Sands, and David Dencik

The subject of this movie review is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, a 2011 American thriller and murder mystery from director David Fincher. The film is based upon the late author Stieg Larsson's 2005 novel, Man som hatar kvinnor (translates to "Men who hate women"). The novel is best known by the title used for its English-language release, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which was previously adapted into a 2009 Swedish film.

The film opens with Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), the co-owner of Millennium magazine, losing a libel case. He doesn't know that a brilliant, but troubled computer hacker and researcher named Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) has just compiled an extensive background check on him for Swedish business magnate Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer). Vanger wants Blomkvist to solve the apparent murder of his niece, Harriet Vanger, 40 years ago. There is a common thread that eventually brings Mikael and Lisbeth together, when she becomes his assistant. Are their talents enough to solve what seems to be a series of murders of young women over a 20-year period, including the time when Harriet disappeared?

I saw the American film version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo about two weeks after I saw the 2009 Swedish version, so I could not help but compare the two. I prefer the Swedish film, and I have to admit that there were things in the Swedish version that were not in the American version, and I missed them. I think the American film pales a little in comparison to it. Why?

The American film's casting is inferior. Daniel Craig is too rough and craggy-looking to play the introspective Mikael Blomkvist, and Christopher Plummer, fine actor that he is, seems out of place as Henrik Vanger. That the overrated, anorexic-like Ellen Page was once considered as the choice to play Lisbeth Salander makes me realize that I'm luck the filmmakers got one bit of casting dead right. That is casting Rooney Mara as Lisbeth.

The premise of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is simply great. The subplots are also exciting and appealing, and the words to describe how good the characters are fail me. Give David Fincher this kind of material and he'll give us an exceptional movie, which he does in spite of my complaints. Still, everything turns on Lisbeth Salander.

That is why I give a lot of the credit for this movie's quality to Rooney Mara's performance as Lisbeth. Following Noomi Rapace's mesmerizing turn in the Swedish version is not a job for the squeamish or the overrated. Mara's Lisbeth has a spry sense of humor and sparkling wit. She is both feral and vulnerable, and she seems chaste while also being capable of being quite the seductress. Her intelligence and willingness to get physical with opponents makes Lisbeth often seem like a superhero.

Fincher makes Mara the focus of the story, and sometimes his attention to details about Lisbeth seems lurid. However, the script has holes and some of the other actors aren't up to snuff, so Fincher rightly builds the success of this film on Rooney Mara1s solid foundation. In Mara, the American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has a dragon of an actress, indeed.

7 of 10
A-

NOTES:
2012 Academy Awards: 1 win: "Best Achievement in Film Editing" (Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter); 4 nominations: "Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role" (Rooney Mara), "Best Achievement in Cinematography" (Jeff Cronenweth), "Best Achievement in Sound Editing" (Ren Klyce), and "Best Achievement in Sound Mixing" (David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, and Bo Persson)

2012 BAFTA Awards: 2 nominations: "Best Cinematography" (Jeff Cronenweth) and "Best Original Music" (Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor)

2012 Golden Globes, USA: 2 nominations: "Best Original Score - Motion Picture" (Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor) and "Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture-Drama" (Rooney Mara)

Thursday, August 16, 2012

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Review: "Inside Man" is Slick Entertainment, Nothing More (Happy B'day, Spike Lee)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 130 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Inside Man (2006)

Running time: 128 minutes (2 hours, 8 minutes)
MPAA – R for language and some violent images
DIRECTOR: Spike Lee
WRITER: Russell Gewirtz
PRODUCER: Brian Grazer
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Matthew Libatique (director of photography)
EDITOR: Barry Alexander Brown
COMPOSER: Terrence Blanchard

DRAMA/CRIME with elements of a thriller

Starring: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Willem Dafoe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Carlos Andrés Gómez, Kim Director, James Ransone, Bernard Rachelle, Peter Gerety, Victor Colicchio, and Cassandra Freeman

Inside Man is a 2006 crime drama from director Spike Lee. Lee was basically a director-for-hire of this story of a peculiar bank heist, which was originally going to be directed by Ron Howard.

Four people dressed in painters outfits march into the Manhattan Trust Bank and take 50 customers and employees hostage, and then put the bank under a surgically planned siege. Detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) and Detective Bill Mitchell (Chiwetel Ejiofor) are dispatched to the seemingly airtight heist by their precinct captain, with Frazier acting as the hostage negotiator. Frazier is hopeful of resolving the situation quickly, but Dalton Russell (Clive Owen), the bank robbers’ leader, is exceedingly clever, uncannily calm, and totally in command. Not only does he manage to disorient his hostages, but he’s also managing to confuse the police and stall for time.

Meanwhile, the bank’s chairman of the board of directors (ostensibly the owner), Arthur Case (Christopher Plummer), has used his vast and considerable political connections to arrange a meeting between Madeline White (Jodie Foster), a shadowy power player, and Russell – much to the chagrin of Detective Frazier. White is vague with Frazier about what she and Russell discuss during their brief meeting, but it seems as if looting a bank full of money isn’t Russell’s only objective. Detective Frazier needs to unravel this puzzle though, because he’s running out of time to keep this standoff from turning ugly and bloody for both hostages and hostage takers. The police high command is about to unleash Emergency Services Unit (ESU) Captain John Darius (Willem Dafoe) and his tactical unit to go in and settle the situation – to kill if necessary - and Frazier still isn’t sure just who is pulling the invisible strings of this strange case.

Inside Man may be Spike Lee’s most purely enjoyable film to date, being that it is almost totally free of his usual political drama and social commentary. The film is clever and Spike expertly extracts the unexpected turns and labyrinthine twists of writer Russell Gewirtz’s script. Lee adds the big time gloss to Gewirtz’s screenplay, his first produced for the big screen (He’d previously written for the late ABC TV series “Blind Justice.”). Lee makes the plot’s crafty tricks practical for a movie aimed at a broad audience.

Gewirtz’s script is rife with good characters, but it is obviously up to the director to set the tone and the actors to create by giving flesh to the concepts. There’s a natural humor to the characters, especially in their dialogue, and Lee allows that to play out, which brings the right amount of levity to this crime drama – a nice touch since this bank heist/hostage situation really isn’t about blood, guts, and guns. Lee also makes the most of the match of wits or chess game between Clive Owen’s Dalton Russell and Denzel Washington’s Keith Frazier.

This is the fourth collaboration between Spike and Denzel, after Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, and He Got Game. Lee also seems familiar with Clive Owen, as he comfortable taps into Owen’s understated air of menace – the charming rogue. Jodie Foster makes the most of her part and creates an adversary that engages the audience as much as she engages the other characters. Foster’s Madeline White is a charming reptile; like the actress, the character has a natural intelligence that is obvious the first time someone meets her, but Foster adds the twist of making Madeline the perfect trouble-shooting witch.

Still, Inside Man is a bit too clever for its own good. Gewirtz never really taps into the raw emotional power of the devastating secret at the heart of his heist story, and Lee seems more in love with the shiny bauble the plot is, with all its unexpected shifts and revelations in the narrative, than he is with the consequences of malfeasance and with genuine evil. As a police procedural and heist film, Inside Man is as crafty as its colorful cast of cunning and wily characters makes it, and that’s craftiness by the carload – enough to keep your mind fighting with the puzzle for just about all of this film. The last 20 minutes or so of Inside Man is a bit of a stumble, as the filmmakers avoid the meat of an ugly subject matter, but getting to the end was still fun to watch.

Once upon a time – not that long ago – Spike would have readily ignored the genre aspects of this story in favor of tackling the issues of bigotry, public corruption, and appalling evil this story raises. Oh, well. At least he proved that he can be a very capable director-for-hire.

6 of 10
B

Thursday, June 15, 2006

NOTES:
2007 Black Reel Awards: 1 win: “Best Director” (Spike Lee); 3 nominations: “Best Actor” (Denzel Washington), “Best Film” (Brian Grazer and Jonathan Filley), “Best Original Score” (Terence Blanchard)

2007 Image Awards: 1 win: “Outstanding Directing in a Feature Film/Television Movie - Comedy or Drama” (Spike Lee); 1 nomination: “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” (Denzel Washington)

-------------------------

Christopher Plummer Wins Best Supporting Actor Oscar

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

WINNER - Christopher Plummer for Beginners

Nominees:
Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill for Moneyball
Nick Nolte for Warrior
Max von Sydow for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

2012 BAFTAs Name "The Artist" Best Film

The Orange British Academy Film Awards (also known as the BAFTAs) are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). It is the British counterpart of the Oscars.

The 2012 Orange British Academy Film Awards ceremony was held on Sunday, February 12, 2012 at London's Royal Opera House.  To no one's surprise, the black and white, silent film, The Artist, was the big winner, capturing the best film prize and winning in 7 of the 12 categories in which it was nominated.

2012 Orange British Academy Film Awards winners:

BEST FILM
WINNER: THE ARTIST - Thomas Langmann

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
WINNER: TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - Tomas Alfredson, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo, Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
WINNER: TYRANNOSAUR - Paddy Considine (Director), Diarmid Scrimshaw (Producer)

DIRECTOR
WINNER: THE ARTIST - Michel Hazanavicius

DOCUMENTARY
WINNER: SENNA - Asif Kapadia, James Gay-Rees, Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan, Manish Pandey

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
WINNER: THE ARTIST - Michel Hazanavicius

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
WINNER: TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
WINNER: THE SKIN I LIVE IN - Pedro Almodóvar, Agustin Almodóvar

ANIMATED FILM
WINNER: RANGO - Gore Verbinski

LEADING ACTOR
WINNER: JEAN DUJARDIN - The Artist

LEADING ACTRESS
WINNER: MERYL STREEP - The Iron Lady

SUPPORTING ACTOR
WINNER: CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER - Beginners

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
WINNER: OCTAVIA SPENCER - The Help

ORIGINAL MUSIC
WINNER: THE ARTIST - Ludovic Bource

CINEMATOGRAPHY
WINNER: THE ARTIST - Guillaume Schiffman

EDITING
WINNER: SENNA - Gregers Sall, Chris King

PRODUCTION DESIGN
WINNER: HUGO - Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo

COSTUME DESIGN
WINNER: THE ARTIST - Mark Bridges

SOUND
WINNER: HUGO - Philip Stockton, Eugene Gearty, Tom Fleischman, John Midgley

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
WINNER: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 - Tim Burke, John Richardson, Greg Butler, David Vickery

MAKE UP & HAIR
WINNER: THE IRON LADY - Mark Coulier, J. Roy Helland, Marese Langan

SHORT ANIMATION
WINNER: A MORNING STROLL - Grant Orchard, Sue Goffe

SHORT FILM
WINNER: PITCH BLACK HEIST - John Maclean, Gerardine O'Flynn

ORANGE WEDNESDAYS RISING STAR AWARD
WINNER: ADAM DEACON

ACADEMY FELLOWSHIP
Martin Scorsese

OUTSTANDING BRITISH CONTRIBUTION TO CINEMA
John Hurt

"The Help" Cleans Up at 2012 Screen Actors Guild Awards

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is an American labor union that represents film and television performers worldwide. Most people probably know SAG for the various actors’ strikes or for the Screen Actors Guild Award, which SAG uses to honor outstanding performances by its members. The first SAG Awards ceremony was held in February 1995 (for films released in 1994).

The big winner last night was the 2011 hit movie, The Help.  It won two acting awards and the top prize, "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture" (or Best Ensemble-Film), which is something of an upset.  Going into last night, The Artist, had to be at least a slight favorite because it has won the top prize from most film critics organizations, and it won the top prize at the Golden Globes and from both the Directors and Producers Guilds.  However, in the previous 17 years of the SAG Awards, only 9 "Best Ensemble" winners have also won the best picture Oscar.  Last year's Best Ensemble SAG winner, The King's Speech, did win the Oscar.

The 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were presented on Jan. 29, 2012 from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and aired live on TBS and TNT.

18th Annual SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® Winners (for the year 2011):

FILM

BEST ENSEMBLE
"The Help" (Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney, Chris Lowell, Ahna O'Reilly, Sissy Spacek, Octavia Spencer, Mary Steenburgen, Emma Stone, Cicely Tyson, Mike Vogel)

BEST ACTOR
Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"

BEST ACTRESS
Viola Davis, "The Help"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Octavia Spencer, "The Help"

BEST STUNT ENSEMBLE
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2"

TELEVISION

BEST DRAMA ENSEMBLE
"Boardwalk Empire" (Steve Buscemi; Dominic Chianese; Robert Clohessy; Dabney Coleman; Charlie Cox; Josie Gallina; Lucy Gallina; Stephen Graham; Jack Huston; Anthony Laciura; Heather Lind; Kelly MacDonald; Declan McTigue; Rory McTigue; Gretchen Mol; Brady Noon; Connor Noon; Kevin O'Rourke; Aleksa Palladino; Jacqueline Pennewill; Vincent Piazza; Michael Pitt; Michael Shannon; Paul Sparks; Michael Stuhlbarg; Peter Van Wagner; Shea Whigham; Michael Kenneth Williams; Anatol Yusef)

BEST DRAMA ACTOR
Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire"

BEST DRAMA ACTRESS
Jessica Lange, "American Horror Story"

BEST COMEDY ENSEMBLE
"Modern Family" (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons; Julie Bowen; Ty Burrell; Jesse Tyler Ferguson; Nolan Gould; Sarah Hyland; Ed O'Neill; Rico Rodriguez II; Eric Stonestreet; Sofia Vergara; Ariel Winter)

BEST COMEDY ACTOR
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"

BEST COMEDY ACTRESS
Betty White, "Hot in Cleveland"

BEST MOVIE/MINI ACTOR
Paul Giamatti, "Too Big to Fail"

BEST MOVIE/MINI ACTRESS
Kate Winslet, "Mildred Pierce"

BEST TV STUNT ENSEMBLE
"Game of Thrones"

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - Screen Actors Guild Awards 48th Annual Life Achievement Award:
Mary Tyler Moore

2012 Academy Award Nominations: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Nominees:

Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn (2011)

Jonah Hill for Moneyball (2011)

Nick Nolte for Warrior (2011)

Christopher Plummer for Beginners (2010)

Max von Sydow for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)

Critics' Choice Chooses "The Artist" Best Film; "The Help" Best Ensemble

The Broadcast Film Critics Association bestowed the 17th annual Critics' Choice Awards last night (Thurs., Jan. 12) in a ceremony aired live on VH1.

17th Annual Critics' Choice Awards: Complete List of Winners for the Year in Film – 2011 (WINNER in bold):

BEST PICTURE
WINNER - "The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"Drive"
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
"The Help"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"Moneyball"
"The Tree of Life"
"War Horse"

BEST DIRECTOR
Stephen Daldry – "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
WINNER - Michel Hazanavicius – "The Artist"
Alexander Payne – "The Descendants"
Nicolas Winding Refn – "Drive"
Martin Scorsese – "Hugo"
Steven Spielberg – "War Horse"

BEST ACTOR
WINNER - George Clooney – "The Descendants"
Leonardo DiCaprio – "J. Edgar"
Jean Dujardin – "The Artist"
Michael Fassbender – "Shame"
Ryan Gosling – "Drive"
Brad Pitt – "Moneyball"

BEST ACTRESS
WINNER - Viola Davis – "The Help"
Elizabeth Olsen – "Martha Marcy May Marlene"
Meryl Streep – "The Iron Lady"
Tilda Swinton – "We Need to Talk About Kevin"
Charlize Theron – "Young Adult"
Michelle Williams – "My Week With Marilyn"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Kenneth Branagh – "My Week With Marilyn"
Albert Brooks – "Drive"
Nick Nolte – "Warrior"
Patton Oswalt – "Young Adult"
WINNER - Christopher Plummer – "Beginners"
Andrew Serkis – "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Berenice Bejo – "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain – "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy – "Bridesmaids"
Carey Mulligan – "Shame"
WINNER - Octavia Spencer – "The Help"
Shailene Woodley – "The Descendants"

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Asa Butterfield – "Hugo"
Elle Fanning – "Super 8"
WINNER - Thomas Horn – "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
Ezra Miller – "We Need to Talk About Kevin"
Saoirse Ronan – "Hanna"
Shailene Woodley – "The Descendants"

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
"The Artist"
"Bridesmaids"
"The Descendants"
WINNER - "The Help"
"The Ides of March"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY"The Artist" – Michel Hazanavicius
"50/50" – Will Reiser
WINNER - "Midnight in Paris" – Woody Allen
"Win Win" – Screenplay by Tom McCarthy, Story by Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni
"Young Adult" – Diablo Cody

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
"The Descendants" – Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" – Eric Roth
"The Help" – Tate Taylor
"Hugo" – John Logan
WINNER - "Moneyball" – Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Story by Stan Chervin

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
"The Adventures of Tintin"
"Arthur Christmas"
"Kung Fu Panda 2"
"Puss in Boots"
WINNER - "Rango"

BEST ACTION MOVIE
WINNER - "Drive"
"Fast Five"
"Hanna"
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
"Super 8"

BEST COMEDY
WINNER - "Bridesmaids"
"Crazy, Stupid, Love"
"Horrible Bosses"
"Midnight in Paris"
"The Muppets"

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"In Darkness"
"Le Havre"
WINNER - "A Separation"
"The Skin I Live In"
"Where Do We Go Now"

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"Buck"
"Cave of Forgotten Dreams"
WINNER - "George Harrison: Living in the Material World"
"Page One: Inside the New York Times"
"Project Nim"
"Undefeated"

BEST ART DIRECTION
"The Artist"
Production Designer: Laurence Bennett, Art Director: Gregory S. Hooper

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
Production Designer: Stuart Craig, Set Decorator: Stephenie McMillan

WINNER - "Hugo"
Production Designer: Dante Ferretti, Set Decorator: Francesca Lo Schiavo

"The Tree of Life"
Production Designer: Jack Fisk, Art Director: David Crank

"War Horse"
Production Designer: Rick Carter, Set Decorator: Lee Sandales

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (TIE)
"The Artist" – Guillaume Schiffman
"Drive" – Newton Thomas Sigel
"Hugo" – Robert Richardson
WINNER - "The Tree of Life" – Emmanuel Lubezki
WINNER - "War Horse" – Janusz Kaminski

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
WINNER - "The Artist" – Mark Bridges
"The Help" – Sharen Davis
"Hugo" – Sandy Powell
"Jane Eyre" – Michael O’Connor
"My Week With Marilyn" – Jill Taylor

BEST EDITING
"The Artist" – Michel Hazanavicius and Anne-Sophie Bion
"Drive" – Matthew Newman
WINNER - "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" – Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
"Hugo" – Thelma Schoonmaker
"War Horse" – Michael Kahn

BEST MAKEUP
"Albert Nobbs"
WINNER - "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"The Iron Lady"
"J. Edgar"
"My Week With Marilyn"

BEST SONG
"Hello Hello" – performed by Elton John and Lady Gaga/written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin – "Gnomeo & Juliet"

WINNER - "Life’s a Happy Song" – performed by Jason Segel, Amy Adams and Walter/written by Bret McKenzie – "The Muppets"

"The Living Proof" – performed by Mary J. Blige/written by Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman and Harvey Mason, Jr. – "The Help"

"Man or Muppet" – performed by Jason Segel and Walter/written by Bret McKenzie – "The Muppets"

"Pictures in My Head" – performed by Kermit and the Muppets/written by Jeannie Lurie, Aris Archontis and Chen Neeman – "The Muppets"

BEST SCORE
WINNER - "The Artist" – Ludovic Bource
"Drive" – Cliff Martinez
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
"Hugo" – Howard Shore
"War Horse" – John Williams

BEST SOUND
WINNER - "
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"Hugo"
"Super 8"
"The Tree of Life"
"War Horse"

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"Hugo"
WINNER - "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
"Super 8"
"The Tree of Life"

The SEC Crowns "The Descendants" as Best Picture of 2011

Obviously, I've taken liberty with a film critics association's acronym.  But forgive me because this is the eve of an all-SEC BCS Championship Game.

Anyway, the Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) is a professional organization of more than 40 film journalists working in the print, radio and online media.  The group represents the Southeastern section of the United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Since 1992, SEFCA seeks to “promote the art of film criticism, the ethics of journalism and the camaraderie of peers among professionals working in the print, radio and online media in the Southeast.”

2011 SEFCA Winners:

BEST PICTURE
The Descendants

TOP TEN FILMS
The Descendants
The Artist
Hugo
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
Drive
Midnight in Paris
Win Win
War Horse
The Help

BEST ACTOR
Winner – George Clooney (The Descendants)
Runner-up – Michael Fassbender (Shame)

BEST ACTRESS
Winner – Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Runner-up – Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner – Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Runner-up – Albert Brooks, Drive

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner – Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Runner-up – Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

BEST ENSEMBLE
Winner – The Help
Runner-up – The Descendants

BEST DIRECTOR
Winner – Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Runner-up – Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Winner – Midnight in Paris
Runner-up – The Artist

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Winner – The Descendants
Runner-up – Moneyball

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Winner – Project Nim
Runner-up – Tabloid

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
Winner – A Separation
Runner-up – The Skin I Live In

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Winner – Rango
Runner-up – The Adventures of Tintin

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Winner – The Tree of Life
Runner-up – Hugo

The GENE WYATT AWARD
Winner – The Help
Runner-up – Undefeated

Online Film Critics Society Choose "The Tree of Life" as 2011's Best

The full list of winners of the (2011) 15th Annual Online Film Critics Society Awards:

Best Picture: The Tree of Life

Best Animated Feature: Rango

Best Director: Terrence Malick - The Tree of Life

Best Lead Actor: Michael Fassbender - Shame

Best Lead Actress: Tilda Swinton - We Need to Talk About Kevin

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer - Beginners

Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain - The Tree of Life

Best Original Screenplay: Midnight in Paris

Best Adapted Screenplay: Tinker Tailor Solider Spy

Best Editing: The Tree of Life

Best Cinematography: The Tree of Life

Best Film Not in the English Language: A Separation

Best Documentary: Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Special Awards (previously announced):

• To Jessica Chastain, the breakout performer of the year

• To Martin Scorsese in honor of his work and dedication to the pursuit of film preservation

For more information, visit the Online Film Critics Society at ofcs.org.

Dallas and North Texas Film Critics Raise "The Descendants"

The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association is also known as the DFW Film Critics Association. The group describes itself as a not-for-profit, unincorporated voluntary organization of print, broadcast and internet film critics based in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area and greater North Texas who meet its membership criteria. The DFW Film Critics Association currently consists of 29 broadcast, print, and online journalists from throughout North Texas.

The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association 18th Annual Critics’ Poll:

Best Film: THE DESCENDANTS

Runner-ups:
2. THE ARTIST
3. EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE
4. MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
5. THE TREE OF LIFE
6. HUGO
7. 50/50
8. DRIVE
9. SHAME
10. MONEYBALL

Best Director: Alexander Payne for THE DESCENDANTS

Runner-ups:
Michel Hazanavicius for THE ARTIST
Terrence Malick for THE TREE OF LIFE
Martin Scorsese for HUGO
Woody Allen for MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

Best Actor: George Clooney for THE DESCENDANTS

Runner-ups:
Jean Dujardin for THE ARTIST
Michael Fassbender for SHAME
Brad Pitt for MONEYBALL
Michael Shannon for TAKE SHELTER (5).

Best Actress: Michelle Williams for MY WEEK WITH MARILYN.

Runner-ups:
Tilda Swinton for WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
Meryl Streep for THE IRON LADY
Charlize Theron for YOUNG ADULT
Kirsten Dunst for MELANCHOLIA

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer for BEGINNERS

Runner-ups:
Albert Brooks for DRIVE
Max von Sydow for EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE
Armie Hammer for J. EDGAR
Kenneth Branagh for MY WEEK WITH MARILYN

Best Supporting Actress: Shailene Woodley for THE DESCENDANTS

Runners-up:
Berenice Bejo for THE ARTIST
Octavia Spencer for THE HELP
Melissa McCarthy for BRIDESMAIDS
Carey Mulligan for SHAME

Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year: A SEPARATION

Runners-up:
THE SKIN I LIVE IN
INCENDIES
13 ASSASSINS
Tie: OF GODS AND MEN and CERTIFIED COPY

Best Documentary: CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS

Runners-up:
PROJECT NIM
THE INTERRUPTERS
PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES
BUCK

Best Animated Film: RANGO

Runner-up:
THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN

Best Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash for THE DESCENDANTS

Runner-up:
Woody Allen for MIDNIGHT IN PARIS.

Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki for THE TREE OF LIFE

Runner-up:
Janusz Kaminski for WAR HORSE.

The association voted WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN as the winner of the Russell Smith Award. Named for the late Dallas Morning News film critic, this honor is given annually to the best low-budget or cutting-edge independent film.

Detroit Film Critics are Patrons of "The Artist"

According to John Serba, film critic for The Grand Rapids Press and member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, the group has announced its 2011 winners.

The Detroit Film Critics Society Winners for 2011:

Best Picture: “The Artist”

Best Director: Michel Hazanivicius

Best Actor: Michael Fassbender, “Shame”

Best Actress: Michelle Williams, “My Week with Marilyn”

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”

Best Supporting Actress: Carey Mulligan, “Shame”

Best Ensemble: “Carnage”

Best Breakthrough Performance: Jessica Chastain, “The Tree of Life,” “Take Shelter,” “The Help”

Best Screenplay: Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, “Moneyball”

Best Documentary: “Tabloid”
 

Indiana Film Critics Honor "The Artist"

The Indiana Film Journalist Association announced its film critics awards earlier this week.  The black and white, silent movie, The Artist, continues to be the darling of the 2011 film critics awards.

The full list of 2011 winners:

Best Film of the Year
Winner: The Artist
Runner-up: The Descendants

Other Finalists: Coriolanus, Drive, Hugo, Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Muppets, The Skin I Live In, Super 8, The Tree of Life

Best Animated Film
Winner: Rango
Runner-up: Winnie the Pooh

Best Foreign Language Film
Winner: The Skin I Live In
Runner-up: 13 Assassins

Best Documentary
Winner: Project Nim
Runner-up: Into the Abyss

Best Original Screenplay
Winner: Win Win
Runner-up: Margin Call

Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: The Descendants
Runner-up: Moneyball

Best Director
Winner: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Runner-up: Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

Best Actress
Winner: Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Runner-up: Tilda Swinton, We Need To Talk About Kevin

Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Viola Davis, The Help
Runner-up: Amy Ryan, Win Win

Best Actor
Winner: Paul Giamatti, Win Win
Runner-up: Ralph Fiennes, Coriolanus

Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Runner-up: Albert Brooks, Drive

Best Musical Score
Winner: Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Runner-up: Howard Shore, Hugo

Original Vision Award
Winner: The Tree of Life
Runner-up: The Artist

The Hoosier Award
Winner: Lindsay Goffman, producer of "Dumbstruck"

Los Angeles Film Critics Vote "The Descendants" Best Picture

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) is a professional organization of Los Angeles-based, professional film critics working in the Los Angeles print and electronic media. Since 1975, LAFCA members vote on the year's Achievement Awards each December, honoring screen excellence on both sides of the camera.

37th Annual (2011) Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards:

BEST PICTURE: "The Descendants"
Runner-up: "The Tree of Life"

BEST DIRECTOR: Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"
Runner-Up Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"

BEST ACTOR: Michael Fassbender, "A Dangerous Method", "Jane Eyre", "Shame", "X-Men: First Class"
Runner-up: Michael Shannon, "Take Shelter"

BEST ACTRESS: Yun Jung-hee, "Poetry"
Runner-up: Kirsten Dunst ("Melancholia")

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Runner-up: Patton Oswalt ("Young Adult")

Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain, "Coriolanus," "The Debt," "The Help," "Take Shelter," "Texas Killing Fields," "Tree of Life"
Runner-up: Janet McTeer ("Albert Nobbs")

BEST Screenplay: Asghar Farhadi, “A Separation"
Runner-up: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash ("The Descendants")

BEST Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, "The Tree of Life"
Runner-up: Cao Yu ("City of Life and Death")

Best Production Design Dante Ferretti, "Hugo"
Runner-up: Maris Djurkovic ("Tinker Tailor Solider Spy")

Best Music Score "Hanna" The Chemical Brothers
Runner-up: "Drive" Cliff Martinez

Best Foreign-Language Film: "City of Life and Death" Directed by CHUAN LU
Runner-up: "A Separation" directed by Asghar Farhadi

Best Documentary/Non-Fiction Film "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" directed by Werner Herzog
Runner-up: "The Arbor" directed by Clio Barnard

Best Animation: "Rango" directed by Gore Verbinski
Runner-up: "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn" directed by Steven Spielberg

New Generation: Antonio Campos, Sean Durkin, Josh Mond and Elizabeth Olsen, "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

Career Achievement: Doris Day

The Douglas Edwards Experimental/Independent Film/Video Award: Bill Morrison, "Spark of Being"

http://www.lafca.net/

2011 Gotham Awards Chooses "Beginners" and "The Tree of Life"

The Gotham Awards were handed out Monday night, November 28th. The Gotham Awards honor independent films:

21st Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards Winners and Nominees:

Best Feature (tie)
WINNER: Beginners (Focus Features)
Mike Mills – director
Leslie Urdang, Dean Vanech, Miranda de Pencier, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen - producers

WINNER: The Tree of Life (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Terrence Malick - director
Sarah Green, Bill Pohlad, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Grant Hill – producers

Nominees:
The Descendants
Alexander Payne, director; Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Meek’s Cutoff
Kelly Reichardt, director; Neil Kopp, Anish Savjani, Elizabeth Cuthrell, David Urrutia, producers (Oscilloscope Laboratories)

Take Shelter
Jeff Nichols, director; Tyler Davidson, Sophia Lin, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)

Best Documentary
WINNER: Better This World (Loteria Films, Picturebox, Motto Pictures and Passion Pictures; ITVS in association with American Documentary
POV)
Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane de la Vega –directors
Katie Galloway, Kelly Duane de la Vega, Mike Nicholson – producers

Nominees:
Bill Cunningham New York
Richard Press, director; Philip Gefter, producer (Zeitgeist Films)

Hell and Back Again
Danfung Dennis, director; Mike Lerner, Martin Herring, producers (Docurama Films)

The Interrupters
Steve James, director; Alex Kotlowitz, Steve James, producers (The Cinema Guild)

The Woodmans
C. Scott Willis, director; Neil Barrett, Jeff Werner, C. Scott Willis, producers (Lorber Films; Kino Lorber, Inc.)

Best Ensemble Performance
WINNERS: Beginners (Focus Features)
Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Melanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, Kai Lennox, Mary Page Keller, Keegan Boos

Nominees:
The Descendants
George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges, Robert Forster, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Nick Krause, Amara Miller, Mary Birdsong, Rob Huebel (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Margin Call
Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci, Aasif Mandvi (Roadside Attractions)

Martha Marcy May Marlene
Elizabeth Olsen, Christopher Abbott, Brady Corbet, Hugh Dancy, Maria Dizzia, Julia Garner, John Hawkes, Louisa Krause, Sarah Paulson (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Take Shelter
Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Tova Stewart, Shea Whigham, Katy Mixon, Kathy Baker, Ray McKinnon, Lisagay Hamilton, Robert Longstreet (Sony Pictures Classics)

Breakthrough Director
WINNER: Dee Rees for Pariah (Focus Features)

Nominees:
Mike Cahill for Another Earth (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Sean Durkin for Martha Marcy May Marlene (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Vera Farmiga for Higher Ground (Sony Pictures Classics)
Evan Glodell for Bellflower (Oscilloscope Laboratories)

Breakthrough Actor
WINNER: Felicity Jones for Like Crazy (Paramount Vantage)

Nominees:
Elizabeth Olsen in Martha Marcy May Marlene (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Harmony Santana in Gun Hill Road (Motion Film Group)
Shailene Woodley in The Descendants (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Jacob Wysocki in Terri (ATO Pictures)

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You
WINNER: Scenes of a Crime
Blue Hadaegh, Grover Babcock - director-producers

Nominees:
Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same
Madeleine Olnek, director; Laura Terruso, Madeleine Olnek, producers

Green
Sophia Takal, director; Lawrence Michael Levine, producer

The Redemption of General Butt Naked
Eric Strauss, Daniele Anastasion, directors and producers

Without
Mark Jackson, director; Mark Jackson, Jessica Dimmock, Michael Requa, Jaime Keeling, producers

Second Annual Gotham Independent Film Audience Award
WINNER: Girlfriend
Justin Lerner - director-producer
Jerad Anderson, Kristina Lauren Anderson, Shaun O’Banion - producers

New this year is the Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers ‘Live the Dream’ grant. It is a $25,000 cash award for an alumnus of IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs, which aims to further the careers of emerging women directors by supporting the completion, distribution and audience engagement strategies of their first feature film.

WINNER: Lucy Mulloy, director, UNA NOCHE

Nominees:
Jenny Deller, director, FUTURE WEATHER
Rola Nashef, director, DETROIT UNLEADED