Press release:
41 Original Songs Queue for 2010 Oscar®
Beverly Hills, CA (December 15, 2010) – Forty-one songs from eligible feature-length motion pictures are in contention for nominations in the Original Song category for the 83rd Academy Awards®, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today.
The original songs, along with the motion picture in which each song is featured, are listed below in alphabetical order by film and song title:
"Alice" from "Alice in Wonderland"
"Forever One Love" from "Black Tulip"
"Freedom Song" from "Black Tulip"
"Bound to You" from "Burlesque"
"Welcome to Burlesque" from "Burlesque"
"You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me" from "Burlesque"
"There’s a Place for Us" from "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader"
"Coming Home" from "Country Strong"
"Me and Tennessee" from "Country Strong"
"Despicable Me" from "Despicable Me"
"Prettiest Girls" from "Despicable Me"
"Dear Laughing Doubters" from "Dinner for Schmucks"
"Better Days" from "Eat Pray Love"
"If You Run" from "Going the Distance"
"Darkness before the Dawn" from "Holy Rollers"
"Sticks & Stones" from "How to Train Your Dragon"
"Le Gris" from "Idiots and Angels"
"Chanson Illusionist" from "The Illusionist"
"Never Say Never" from "The Karate Kid"
"To the Sky" from "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole"
"What If" from "Letters to Juliet"
"Life during Wartime" from "Life during Wartime"
"Made in Dagenham" from "Made in Dagenham"
"Little One" from "Mother and Child"
"Be the One" from "The Next Three Days"
"If I Rise" from "127 Hours"
"When You See Forever" from "The Perfect Game"
"I Remain" from "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time"
"Dream Big" from "Pure Country 2: The Gift"
"How I Love You" from "Ramona and Beezus"
"Darling I Do" from "Shrek Forever After"
"Noka Oi" from "Six Days in Paradise"
"This Is a Low" from "Tamara Drewe"
"I See the Light" from "Tangled"
"Rise" from "3 Billion and Counting"
"We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3"
"Eclipse: All Yours" from "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"
"Nothing" from "Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too"
"A Better Life" from "Unbeaten"
"Shine" from "Waiting for ‘Superman’"
"The Reasons Why" from "Wretches & Jabberers"
On Thursday, January 6, the Academy will screen clips featuring each song, in random order, for voting members of the Music Branch in Los Angeles. Following the screenings, members will determine the nominees by an averaged point system vote. If no song receives an average score of 8.25 or more, there will be no nominees in the category. If only one song achieves that score, it and the song receiving the next highest score shall be the two nominees. If two or more songs (up to five) achieve that score, they shall be the nominees. A DVD copy of the song clips will be made available to those branch members who are unable to attend the screening and who request it for home viewing. A mail-in ballot will be provided.
Under Academy rules, a maximum of two songs may be nominated from any one film. If more than two songs from a film are in contention, the two songs with the most votes will be the nominees.
To be eligible, a song must consist of words and music, both of which are original and written specifically for the film. A clearly audible, intelligible, substantive rendition of both lyric and melody must be used in the body of the film or as the first music cue in the end credits.
The 83rd Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 25, 2011, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2010 will be presented on Sunday, February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Review: Birthday Boy Samuel L. Jackson Shines in "Coach Carter"
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 140 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux
Coach Carter (2005)
Running time: 130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for violence, sexual content, language, teen partying, and some drug material
DIRECTOR: Thomas Carter
WRITERS: Mark Schwain and John Gatins (Inspired by the life of Ken Carter)
PRODUCERS: Brian Robbins, Mike Tollin, and David Gale
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Sharone Meir
EDITOR: Peter Berger, A.C.E.
Black Reel Award winner
DRAMA/SPORTS
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Ri’chard, Rob Brown, Debbi Morgan, and Ashanti, Rick Gonzalez, Antwon Tanner, Nana Gbewonyo, Channing Tatum, Denise Dowse, and Texas Battle
A true story inspires the film, Coach Carter, in which former high school basketball star named Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) takes the job as the head basketball coach at his alma mater, an inner city high school in Richmond, California. The film is not only inspirational, but is also an excellent look at what one person can do when he demands much of young people – the kind of whom no one expects much except prison, dead end jobs, or death by violence. To watch Carter take on a community that believes that playing on a winning team is the last good thing that will happen in the lives of these young athletes is rousing. It’s also depressingly true because so many people think that the only good thing many young black men have is sports; maybe they’re right, but Carter helped a few of them gain a little high ground.
Watching the team play before he formerly accepts the job, Carter is taken aback by the players’ lack of cohesiveness as a team and their disdain for rudimentary basketball skills. After he takes the job as coach of the Richmond High Oilers, he demands that the players respect both himself and one another. In order to stay on the team, the players must each sign a contract promising to attend class, maintain a 2.3 grade point average (they formerly only needed to maintain a 2.0 gpa), and wear a coat and tie on game day. Carter wants the boys to reach for more in life than just basketball, and he wants them to certainly see attending college as a realistically attainable goal. In the real life story, Carter received both high praise and staunch criticism when he made national news for padlocking the Richmond High gym, benching his entire team, and forfeiting games because some had failed to meet the academic requirements of their contract. The community, which had never had a championship basketball team, erupted in dissension when he refused to allow the players access to the gym for the failing to keep up their grades. The movie Coach Carter is a fictionalized account of the events, from the time Carter became Richmond’s coach to the resolution of the lockout.
Coach Carter is very much a basketball movie; although the script frequently delves into the lives of Ken Carter and some of his players off the court, it does so with a mixture of brevity and succinctness. There are nicely played, but rich subplots. One involves a player, Kenyan Stone (Rob Brown), and his girlfriend, Kyra (singer Ashanti), dealing with teen pregnancy. It is tough, heartfelt, and honest, rather than fake, cloying, and sociopolitical; there’s enough in that subplot to be a movie all its own. A second subplot follows Timo Cruz, superbly played by a rising talent, Rick Gonzalez (The Rookie), a troubled young man who almost becomes a victim of Richmond’s drug culture. One plot that was sadly glossed over (or underdeveloped) is the relationship between Ken Carter and his son, Damien Carter (Robert Ri’chard); Damien leaves a prestigious private school and transfers to Richmond to play for his father, much to Coach Carter’s chagrin, at least initially. That’s pretty much where that subplot ends.
The film really doesn’t deal with the opposition to Ken Carter as being villains. The thoughts, feelings, and beliefs of the community aren’t denigrated. In a non-stereotypical fashion, screenwriters Mark Schwain and John Gatins depict people’s disagreements with Ken Carter as the result of them having limited vision. He shows the good and bad of high school sports, and shows how it can exacerbate the reluctance to strive in people who already have narrow dreams. While Schwain and Gatins deal with the character and philosophical issues, director Thomas Carter makes sure Coach Carter works as a basketball movie. The game sequences have an edge-of-the seat feel to them, the kind of verisimilitude that suggests watching live games up close and personal, as if the viewer were actually in the game. That’s probably better than watching the majority of collegiate and pro basketball telecasts.
As usual, Samuel L. Jackson is the consummate professional actor, and he’s played the best African-American disciplinarian since Morgan Freeman in Lean On Me. He’s a star, and he sells this movie to the audience the way Ken Carter sold his athletes on his message – perhaps more so. Although a movie star, Jackson can climb into a fictional character and give it a skin, bringing the fictional to starkly radiant life. It’s evident from the first time Ken Carter confronts Richmond High Principal Garrison (Denise Dowse) who doesn’t see that both she and he, as well the entire school, must ask these young men to reach for more and to believe that they are capable of more than just being basketball players. This is the kind of really good movie that affirms our way of life and the belief in an American dream, and Jackson is the head salesman and best preacher.
8 of 10
A
NOTES:
2006 Black Reel Awards: 1 win: “Best Director” (Thomas Carter); 3 nominations: “Best Actor” (Samuel L. Jackson), “Best Breakthrough Performance” (Ashanti), and “Best Film”
2006 Image Awards: 1 win “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” (Samuel L. Jackson); 3 nominations: “Outstanding Directing in a Feature Film/Television Movie” (Thomas Carter), “Outstanding Motion Picture,” and “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” (Ashanti)
Coach Carter (2005)
Running time: 130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for violence, sexual content, language, teen partying, and some drug material
DIRECTOR: Thomas Carter
WRITERS: Mark Schwain and John Gatins (Inspired by the life of Ken Carter)
PRODUCERS: Brian Robbins, Mike Tollin, and David Gale
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Sharone Meir
EDITOR: Peter Berger, A.C.E.
Black Reel Award winner
DRAMA/SPORTS
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Ri’chard, Rob Brown, Debbi Morgan, and Ashanti, Rick Gonzalez, Antwon Tanner, Nana Gbewonyo, Channing Tatum, Denise Dowse, and Texas Battle
A true story inspires the film, Coach Carter, in which former high school basketball star named Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) takes the job as the head basketball coach at his alma mater, an inner city high school in Richmond, California. The film is not only inspirational, but is also an excellent look at what one person can do when he demands much of young people – the kind of whom no one expects much except prison, dead end jobs, or death by violence. To watch Carter take on a community that believes that playing on a winning team is the last good thing that will happen in the lives of these young athletes is rousing. It’s also depressingly true because so many people think that the only good thing many young black men have is sports; maybe they’re right, but Carter helped a few of them gain a little high ground.
Watching the team play before he formerly accepts the job, Carter is taken aback by the players’ lack of cohesiveness as a team and their disdain for rudimentary basketball skills. After he takes the job as coach of the Richmond High Oilers, he demands that the players respect both himself and one another. In order to stay on the team, the players must each sign a contract promising to attend class, maintain a 2.3 grade point average (they formerly only needed to maintain a 2.0 gpa), and wear a coat and tie on game day. Carter wants the boys to reach for more in life than just basketball, and he wants them to certainly see attending college as a realistically attainable goal. In the real life story, Carter received both high praise and staunch criticism when he made national news for padlocking the Richmond High gym, benching his entire team, and forfeiting games because some had failed to meet the academic requirements of their contract. The community, which had never had a championship basketball team, erupted in dissension when he refused to allow the players access to the gym for the failing to keep up their grades. The movie Coach Carter is a fictionalized account of the events, from the time Carter became Richmond’s coach to the resolution of the lockout.
Coach Carter is very much a basketball movie; although the script frequently delves into the lives of Ken Carter and some of his players off the court, it does so with a mixture of brevity and succinctness. There are nicely played, but rich subplots. One involves a player, Kenyan Stone (Rob Brown), and his girlfriend, Kyra (singer Ashanti), dealing with teen pregnancy. It is tough, heartfelt, and honest, rather than fake, cloying, and sociopolitical; there’s enough in that subplot to be a movie all its own. A second subplot follows Timo Cruz, superbly played by a rising talent, Rick Gonzalez (The Rookie), a troubled young man who almost becomes a victim of Richmond’s drug culture. One plot that was sadly glossed over (or underdeveloped) is the relationship between Ken Carter and his son, Damien Carter (Robert Ri’chard); Damien leaves a prestigious private school and transfers to Richmond to play for his father, much to Coach Carter’s chagrin, at least initially. That’s pretty much where that subplot ends.
The film really doesn’t deal with the opposition to Ken Carter as being villains. The thoughts, feelings, and beliefs of the community aren’t denigrated. In a non-stereotypical fashion, screenwriters Mark Schwain and John Gatins depict people’s disagreements with Ken Carter as the result of them having limited vision. He shows the good and bad of high school sports, and shows how it can exacerbate the reluctance to strive in people who already have narrow dreams. While Schwain and Gatins deal with the character and philosophical issues, director Thomas Carter makes sure Coach Carter works as a basketball movie. The game sequences have an edge-of-the seat feel to them, the kind of verisimilitude that suggests watching live games up close and personal, as if the viewer were actually in the game. That’s probably better than watching the majority of collegiate and pro basketball telecasts.
As usual, Samuel L. Jackson is the consummate professional actor, and he’s played the best African-American disciplinarian since Morgan Freeman in Lean On Me. He’s a star, and he sells this movie to the audience the way Ken Carter sold his athletes on his message – perhaps more so. Although a movie star, Jackson can climb into a fictional character and give it a skin, bringing the fictional to starkly radiant life. It’s evident from the first time Ken Carter confronts Richmond High Principal Garrison (Denise Dowse) who doesn’t see that both she and he, as well the entire school, must ask these young men to reach for more and to believe that they are capable of more than just being basketball players. This is the kind of really good movie that affirms our way of life and the belief in an American dream, and Jackson is the head salesman and best preacher.
8 of 10
A
NOTES:
2006 Black Reel Awards: 1 win: “Best Director” (Thomas Carter); 3 nominations: “Best Actor” (Samuel L. Jackson), “Best Breakthrough Performance” (Ashanti), and “Best Film”
2006 Image Awards: 1 win “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” (Samuel L. Jackson); 3 nominations: “Outstanding Directing in a Feature Film/Television Movie” (Thomas Carter), “Outstanding Motion Picture,” and “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” (Ashanti)
--------------------------
Monday, December 20, 2010
Steve Carell Comedy, "Crazy, Stupid, Love" Get New Release Date
Press release:
“Crazy, Stupid, Love.” Gets Summer Play Date
The Release of the New Steve Carell Comedy Moves to July 29, 2011
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Responding to overwhelmingly positive test screening results, Warner Bros. Pictures is moving the release date of “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” starring Steve Carell, to July 29, 2011.
The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, who stated, “From our early recruited screenings, we have seen that audiences love ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love.’ From all indications, we feel strongly that the film has a very broad appeal, so we have decided to release it where it will have the widest possible platform. The studio is very excited to include this film in our powerhouse Summer slate, alongside films like ‘The Hangover Part II,’ ‘Green Lantern’ and ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.’”
“Crazy, Stupid, Love.” also stars Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, John Carroll Lynch, Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon.
Carell leads the cast as straight-laced, fortysomething Cal Weaver, who is living the dream—good job, nice house, great kids and marriage to his high school sweetheart. But when Cal learns that his wife, Emily (Julianne Moore), has cheated on him and wants a divorce, his perfect life quickly unravels. Worse, in today’s single world, Cal, who hasn’t dated in decades, stands out as the epitome of un-smooth. Now spending his free evenings sulking alone at a local bar, the hapless Cal is taken on as wingman and protégé to handsome, thirtysomething player Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling). In an effort to help Cal get over his wife and start living his life, Jacob opens Cal’s eyes to the many options before him: flirty women, manly drinks and a sense of style that can’t be found at Supercuts or The Gap. But despite Cal’s makeover and his many new conquests, the one thing that can’t be made over is his heart, which seems to keep leading him back to where he began.
Glenn Ficarra and John Requa directed “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” from a screenplay by Dan Fogelman. The film is produced by Carell and Denise Di Novi, with David A. Siegel, Vance DeGeneres and Charlie Hartsock serving as executive producers. Warner Bros. Pictures presents “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” a production of Carousel Productions and DiNovi Pictures. The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and has been rated PG-13 for coarse humor, sexual content and language.
“Crazy, Stupid, Love.” Gets Summer Play Date
The Release of the New Steve Carell Comedy Moves to July 29, 2011
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Responding to overwhelmingly positive test screening results, Warner Bros. Pictures is moving the release date of “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” starring Steve Carell, to July 29, 2011.
The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, who stated, “From our early recruited screenings, we have seen that audiences love ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love.’ From all indications, we feel strongly that the film has a very broad appeal, so we have decided to release it where it will have the widest possible platform. The studio is very excited to include this film in our powerhouse Summer slate, alongside films like ‘The Hangover Part II,’ ‘Green Lantern’ and ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.’”
“Crazy, Stupid, Love.” also stars Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, John Carroll Lynch, Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon.
Carell leads the cast as straight-laced, fortysomething Cal Weaver, who is living the dream—good job, nice house, great kids and marriage to his high school sweetheart. But when Cal learns that his wife, Emily (Julianne Moore), has cheated on him and wants a divorce, his perfect life quickly unravels. Worse, in today’s single world, Cal, who hasn’t dated in decades, stands out as the epitome of un-smooth. Now spending his free evenings sulking alone at a local bar, the hapless Cal is taken on as wingman and protégé to handsome, thirtysomething player Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling). In an effort to help Cal get over his wife and start living his life, Jacob opens Cal’s eyes to the many options before him: flirty women, manly drinks and a sense of style that can’t be found at Supercuts or The Gap. But despite Cal’s makeover and his many new conquests, the one thing that can’t be made over is his heart, which seems to keep leading him back to where he began.
Glenn Ficarra and John Requa directed “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” from a screenplay by Dan Fogelman. The film is produced by Carell and Denise Di Novi, with David A. Siegel, Vance DeGeneres and Charlie Hartsock serving as executive producers. Warner Bros. Pictures presents “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” a production of Carousel Productions and DiNovi Pictures. The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and has been rated PG-13 for coarse humor, sexual content and language.
Review: Michael Douglas' Performance in Original "Wall Street" Still Amazes
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 104 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux
Wall Street (1987)
Running time: 126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)
MPAA – R
DIRECTOR: Oliver Stone
WRITERS: Stanley Weiser and Oliver Stone
PRODUCER: Edward R. Pressman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robert Richardson (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Claire Simpson
COMPOSER: Stewart Copeland
Academy Award winner
DRAMA
Starring: Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Darryl Hannah, Martin Sheen, John C. McGinley, Hal Holbrook, James Karen, Terrence Stamp, Sean Young, James Spader, Saul Rubinek, and Tamara Tunie
Although I was hot to see it when it was first released, I finally watched director Oliver Stone’s Wall Street – 23 years after it debuted in theatres. The film, which follows a young stockbroker’s adventures with an immoral corporate raider, is certainly one of Stone’s most popular films.
Wall Street opens in 1985, as Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a junior stockbroker (salesman) at Jackson Steinem & Co., struggles to get out of a rut and make it big. Fox wants to become involved with his hero, Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), the corporate raider and Wall Street player who is legendary for both his ruthlessness and his success. Bud’s father, Carl (Martin Sheen), an airline maintenance worker and union president, inadvertently provides his son with the information that captures Gekko’s interest. Gekko takes on Bud as a kind of apprentice and co-conspirator and helps him to become wealthy. Bud also gets a new girlfriend, an interior decorator named Darien (Daryl Hannah), a close friend of Gekko’s. Bud, however, begins to lose himself the deeper he goes in with Gekko.
Michael Douglas’ performance as Gordon Gekko is one of the best of the last quarter of the 20th century. Simply, it is magnificent. It is hard to believe that at the time of the film, Douglas was apparently considered a mediocre actor – more of a film producer than a performer. In Douglas’ hands, Gekko not only personifies “Wall Street greed,” but also the nature of greed and the competitive urge in humanity. Douglas as Gekko could make you think the phrase, “tour de force,” was created specifically to describe such an awesome and awe-inspiring performance. Like Raging Bull, Wall Street is a movie that enters the rarefied air of remarkable dramatic films made important because of great performances by lead actors.
Still, Wall Street is not completely about Michael Douglas. Charlie Sheen’s stiff-acting style actually makes Bud Fox the perfect dupe/foil for Gekko. Sheen’s (then) exceedingly fresh-looking baby face embodies America’s youth (relatively speaking), and his facial expressions are all about lust for success and money. At other times, Sheen depicts in Fox that inherent guilt that keeps our gluttony and baser appetites in check, for the most part.
Oliver Stone even draws out Wall Street’s religious subtext in scenes where the devilish Gekko mentors (or tempts) Fox on how to get ahead the unethical and illegal way. Stone and Douglas are quite good at presenting their vision of greed. Wall Street makes it look sexy – as if greed were really good, as Gekko says in his legendary monologue. Wall Street is still fantastic, and it may make you remember just how good Stone and Douglas were when they were at the top of their respective games.
8 of 10
A
NOTES:
1988 Academy Awards: 1 win: “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (Michael Douglas)
1988 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Michael Douglas)
1988 Razzie Awards: 1 win: “Worst Supporting Actress” (Daryl Hannah)
Monday, December 20, 2010
Wall Street (1987)
Running time: 126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)
MPAA – R
DIRECTOR: Oliver Stone
WRITERS: Stanley Weiser and Oliver Stone
PRODUCER: Edward R. Pressman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robert Richardson (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Claire Simpson
COMPOSER: Stewart Copeland
Academy Award winner
DRAMA
Starring: Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Darryl Hannah, Martin Sheen, John C. McGinley, Hal Holbrook, James Karen, Terrence Stamp, Sean Young, James Spader, Saul Rubinek, and Tamara Tunie
Although I was hot to see it when it was first released, I finally watched director Oliver Stone’s Wall Street – 23 years after it debuted in theatres. The film, which follows a young stockbroker’s adventures with an immoral corporate raider, is certainly one of Stone’s most popular films.
Wall Street opens in 1985, as Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a junior stockbroker (salesman) at Jackson Steinem & Co., struggles to get out of a rut and make it big. Fox wants to become involved with his hero, Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), the corporate raider and Wall Street player who is legendary for both his ruthlessness and his success. Bud’s father, Carl (Martin Sheen), an airline maintenance worker and union president, inadvertently provides his son with the information that captures Gekko’s interest. Gekko takes on Bud as a kind of apprentice and co-conspirator and helps him to become wealthy. Bud also gets a new girlfriend, an interior decorator named Darien (Daryl Hannah), a close friend of Gekko’s. Bud, however, begins to lose himself the deeper he goes in with Gekko.
Michael Douglas’ performance as Gordon Gekko is one of the best of the last quarter of the 20th century. Simply, it is magnificent. It is hard to believe that at the time of the film, Douglas was apparently considered a mediocre actor – more of a film producer than a performer. In Douglas’ hands, Gekko not only personifies “Wall Street greed,” but also the nature of greed and the competitive urge in humanity. Douglas as Gekko could make you think the phrase, “tour de force,” was created specifically to describe such an awesome and awe-inspiring performance. Like Raging Bull, Wall Street is a movie that enters the rarefied air of remarkable dramatic films made important because of great performances by lead actors.
Still, Wall Street is not completely about Michael Douglas. Charlie Sheen’s stiff-acting style actually makes Bud Fox the perfect dupe/foil for Gekko. Sheen’s (then) exceedingly fresh-looking baby face embodies America’s youth (relatively speaking), and his facial expressions are all about lust for success and money. At other times, Sheen depicts in Fox that inherent guilt that keeps our gluttony and baser appetites in check, for the most part.
Oliver Stone even draws out Wall Street’s religious subtext in scenes where the devilish Gekko mentors (or tempts) Fox on how to get ahead the unethical and illegal way. Stone and Douglas are quite good at presenting their vision of greed. Wall Street makes it look sexy – as if greed were really good, as Gekko says in his legendary monologue. Wall Street is still fantastic, and it may make you remember just how good Stone and Douglas were when they were at the top of their respective games.
8 of 10
A
NOTES:
1988 Academy Awards: 1 win: “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (Michael Douglas)
1988 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Michael Douglas)
1988 Razzie Awards: 1 win: “Worst Supporting Actress” (Daryl Hannah)
Monday, December 20, 2010
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Sunday, December 19, 2010
San Diego Film Critics Not Feeling Sociable; Choose "Winter's Bone"
San Diego Film Critics Society Choose Top Films of 2010
December 14th, the San Diego Film Critics Society announced their film awards for 2010 and surprised everyone by being the first film critics group NOT to choose The Social Network as the best film of the 2010. The San Diego critics chose hot indie drama, Winter's Bone.
In fact, San Diego was being quite contrary. Winter's Bone won two acting awards: Best Actress for Jennifer Lawrence and Best Supporting Actor for John Hawkes - both well deserved. San Diego even went with Colin Farrell as Best Actor for Ondine and not with Colin Firth (The King's Speech) or Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), the two names that have dominated film awards thus far.
2010 Awards (Winners in bold and CAPS):
BEST FILM: - WINTER’S BONE
BLACK SWAN
INCEPTION
THE KING’S SPEECH
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
BEST DIRECTOR – Darren Aronofsky, BLACK SWAN
Christopher Nolan, INCEPTION
Danny Boyle, 127 HOURS
David Fincher, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Debra Granik, WINTER’S BONE
BEST ACTRESS – Jennifer Lawrence, WINTER’S BONE
Carey Mulligan, NEVER LET ME GO
Michelle Williams, BLUE VALENTINE
Natalie Portman, BLACK SWAN
Tilda Swinton, I AM LOVE
BEST ACTOR – Colin Farrell, ONDINE
Aaron Eckhart, RABBIT HOLE
Colin Firth, THE KING’S SPEECH
James Franco, 127 HOURS
Jesse Eisenberg, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Lesley Manville, ANOTHER YEAR
Blake Lively, THE TOWN
Dale Dickey, WINTER’S BONE
Jacki Weaver, ANIMAL KINGDOM
Melissa Leo, THE FIGHTER
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – John Hawkes, WINTER’S BONE
Christian Bale, THE FIGHTER
Geoffrey Rush, THE KING’S SPEECH
Jeremy Renner, THE TOWN
John Hurt, 44 INCH CHEST
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain and Chris Morris, FOUR LIONS
Christopher Nolan, INCEPTION
David Seidler, THE KING’S SPEECH
Michael Arndt, TOY STORY 3
Neil Jordan, ONDINE
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY – Aaron Sorkin, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini, WINTER’S BONE
Laeta Kalogridis, SHUTTER ISLAND
Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright, SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD
Peter Craig & Ben Affleck & Aaron Stockard, THE TOWN
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM – I AM LOVE
BIUTIFUL
MOTHER
NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT PERSIAN CATS
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
BEST DOCUMENTARY – EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP
A FILM UNFINISHED
INSIDE JOB
THE TILLMAN STORY
WAITING FOR ‘SUPERMAN’
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – Wally Pfister, INCEPTION
Anthony Dod Mantle & Enrique Chediak, 127 HOURS
Eduardo Serra, HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1
Matthew Libatique, BLACK SWAN
Robert Richardson, SHUTTER ISLAND
BEST ANIMATED FILM – TOY STORY 3
DESPICABLE ME
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
TANGLED
THE ILLUSIONIST
BEST EDITING – Jonathan Amos & Paul Machliss, SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD
Andrew Weisblum, BLACK SWAN
Angus Wall & Kirk Baxter, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Jon Harris, 127 HOURS
Lee Smith, INCEPTION
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – Dante Ferretti, SHUTTER ISLAND
Guy Hendrix Dyas, INCEPTION
Robert Stromberg, ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Stuart Craig, HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1
Thérèse DePrez, BLACK SWAN
BEST SCORE – Rachel Portman, NEVER LET ME GO
A. R. Rahman, 127 HOURS
Clint Mansell, BLACK SWAN
Danny Elfman, ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE – 44 INCH CHEST
ANOTHER YEAR
THE FIGHTER
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
WINTER’S BONE
BODY OF WORK FOR 2010
Rebecca Hall, (RED RIDING 1974, PLEASE GIVE, THE TOWN)
KYLE COUNTS AWARD
Duncan Shepherd (San Diego Reader film critic)
http://sdfcs.org/2010/12/14/san-diego-film-critics-choose-top-films-of-2010/
December 14th, the San Diego Film Critics Society announced their film awards for 2010 and surprised everyone by being the first film critics group NOT to choose The Social Network as the best film of the 2010. The San Diego critics chose hot indie drama, Winter's Bone.
In fact, San Diego was being quite contrary. Winter's Bone won two acting awards: Best Actress for Jennifer Lawrence and Best Supporting Actor for John Hawkes - both well deserved. San Diego even went with Colin Farrell as Best Actor for Ondine and not with Colin Firth (The King's Speech) or Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), the two names that have dominated film awards thus far.
2010 Awards (Winners in bold and CAPS):
BEST FILM: - WINTER’S BONE
BLACK SWAN
INCEPTION
THE KING’S SPEECH
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
BEST DIRECTOR – Darren Aronofsky, BLACK SWAN
Christopher Nolan, INCEPTION
Danny Boyle, 127 HOURS
David Fincher, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Debra Granik, WINTER’S BONE
BEST ACTRESS – Jennifer Lawrence, WINTER’S BONE
Carey Mulligan, NEVER LET ME GO
Michelle Williams, BLUE VALENTINE
Natalie Portman, BLACK SWAN
Tilda Swinton, I AM LOVE
BEST ACTOR – Colin Farrell, ONDINE
Aaron Eckhart, RABBIT HOLE
Colin Firth, THE KING’S SPEECH
James Franco, 127 HOURS
Jesse Eisenberg, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Lesley Manville, ANOTHER YEAR
Blake Lively, THE TOWN
Dale Dickey, WINTER’S BONE
Jacki Weaver, ANIMAL KINGDOM
Melissa Leo, THE FIGHTER
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – John Hawkes, WINTER’S BONE
Christian Bale, THE FIGHTER
Geoffrey Rush, THE KING’S SPEECH
Jeremy Renner, THE TOWN
John Hurt, 44 INCH CHEST
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain and Chris Morris, FOUR LIONS
Christopher Nolan, INCEPTION
David Seidler, THE KING’S SPEECH
Michael Arndt, TOY STORY 3
Neil Jordan, ONDINE
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY – Aaron Sorkin, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini, WINTER’S BONE
Laeta Kalogridis, SHUTTER ISLAND
Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright, SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD
Peter Craig & Ben Affleck & Aaron Stockard, THE TOWN
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM – I AM LOVE
BIUTIFUL
MOTHER
NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT PERSIAN CATS
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
BEST DOCUMENTARY – EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP
A FILM UNFINISHED
INSIDE JOB
THE TILLMAN STORY
WAITING FOR ‘SUPERMAN’
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – Wally Pfister, INCEPTION
Anthony Dod Mantle & Enrique Chediak, 127 HOURS
Eduardo Serra, HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1
Matthew Libatique, BLACK SWAN
Robert Richardson, SHUTTER ISLAND
BEST ANIMATED FILM – TOY STORY 3
DESPICABLE ME
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
TANGLED
THE ILLUSIONIST
BEST EDITING – Jonathan Amos & Paul Machliss, SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD
Andrew Weisblum, BLACK SWAN
Angus Wall & Kirk Baxter, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Jon Harris, 127 HOURS
Lee Smith, INCEPTION
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – Dante Ferretti, SHUTTER ISLAND
Guy Hendrix Dyas, INCEPTION
Robert Stromberg, ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Stuart Craig, HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1
Thérèse DePrez, BLACK SWAN
BEST SCORE – Rachel Portman, NEVER LET ME GO
A. R. Rahman, 127 HOURS
Clint Mansell, BLACK SWAN
Danny Elfman, ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE – 44 INCH CHEST
ANOTHER YEAR
THE FIGHTER
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
WINTER’S BONE
BODY OF WORK FOR 2010
Rebecca Hall, (RED RIDING 1974, PLEASE GIVE, THE TOWN)
KYLE COUNTS AWARD
Duncan Shepherd (San Diego Reader film critic)
http://sdfcs.org/2010/12/14/san-diego-film-critics-choose-top-films-of-2010/
Review: "Hero" or "Ying Xiong," by Any Name is Great
Hero (2004)
Original title: Ying Xiong (2002)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: China/Hong Kong; Language: Mandarin
Running time: 99 minutes (1 hour, 39 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for stylized martial arts violence and a scene of sensuality
DIRECTOR: Yimou Zhang
WRITERS: Feng Li, Bin Wang, and Yimou Zhang
PRODUCERS: Bill Kong and Yimou Zhang
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Christopher Doyle
EDITORS: Angie Lam and Ru Zhai with Vincent Lee
Academy Awards nominee
MARTIAL ARTS/ACTION/DRAMA/ROMANCE
Starring: Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Maggie Cheung, Ziyi Zhang, Daoming Chen, and Donnie Yen
If you liked Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, you may like Ying Xiong, better known by its English title, Hero. However, the two movies aren’t exactly alike. Crouching Tiger is an epic love story in which the romance is intertwined with political intrigue, betrayal and mystery. Hero is both a love story and a revenge tale, but both of those elements are ultimately submerged for a philosophical and spiritual message of national heritage. They are similar in this: I thought Crouching Tiger was by far and away the best film of 2000, and I think Hero is better than the vast majority of films that have been released domestically in the time since Hero first appeared theatrically in China (2002). Hero was also a 2003 Oscar® nominee for Best Foreign Language Film.
In the story, the Nameless Hero (Jet Li) seeks to murder the King of the province Qin (Daoming Chen). Decades earlier, the King’s forces massacred Nameless’ people in the province of Zhao as part of his campaign to unify the lands that would eventually become China. Nameless reaches the Emperor’s palace and shares the story of his journey up to that point. There is, however, another facet to the story. Nameless also takes on the challenge of defeating three swordsmen, Sky (Donnie Yen) and the assassin couple, Snow (Maggie Cheung) and Broken Sword (Tony Leung Chiu Wai), who also plot to kill the Emperor. Or as the Emperor of Qin discovers, is there more to the story of Nameless and three assassins than Nameless is telling the Emperor.
Although Hero will draw comparisons to the aforementioned Crouching Tiger, the film shares more with Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon in terms of narrative and Wong Kar-Wai’s Ashes of Time in terms of its visual appearance and its spirit. Regardless of what other films it may resemble, Hero is an exemplary feat of filmmaking that is both thrilling and poignant. Awash in colors and emotion, Hero has beauty that will make your head swoon. The writing defines the lead characters so well, and the cast plays them with such furious conviction that you can’t help but live vicariously through them.
To enjoy such thrilling characters that you can’t help but feel their joy and sorrow, their triumph and noble resignation, or feel their boldness for martial confrontation and feel like you are in battle with them is what we ask of great movie characters. And to find such great characters in a movie that lives up to the promise of its players is an infrequent treat. To find a movie that delves into history and sends a message to the present that makes us realize the importance of the past is all the more rare.
10 of 10
NOTES:
2003 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Foreign Language Film” (China)
2003 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Foreign Language Film” (China)
Original title: Ying Xiong (2002)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: China/Hong Kong; Language: Mandarin
Running time: 99 minutes (1 hour, 39 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for stylized martial arts violence and a scene of sensuality
DIRECTOR: Yimou Zhang
WRITERS: Feng Li, Bin Wang, and Yimou Zhang
PRODUCERS: Bill Kong and Yimou Zhang
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Christopher Doyle
EDITORS: Angie Lam and Ru Zhai with Vincent Lee
Academy Awards nominee
MARTIAL ARTS/ACTION/DRAMA/ROMANCE
Starring: Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Maggie Cheung, Ziyi Zhang, Daoming Chen, and Donnie Yen
If you liked Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, you may like Ying Xiong, better known by its English title, Hero. However, the two movies aren’t exactly alike. Crouching Tiger is an epic love story in which the romance is intertwined with political intrigue, betrayal and mystery. Hero is both a love story and a revenge tale, but both of those elements are ultimately submerged for a philosophical and spiritual message of national heritage. They are similar in this: I thought Crouching Tiger was by far and away the best film of 2000, and I think Hero is better than the vast majority of films that have been released domestically in the time since Hero first appeared theatrically in China (2002). Hero was also a 2003 Oscar® nominee for Best Foreign Language Film.
In the story, the Nameless Hero (Jet Li) seeks to murder the King of the province Qin (Daoming Chen). Decades earlier, the King’s forces massacred Nameless’ people in the province of Zhao as part of his campaign to unify the lands that would eventually become China. Nameless reaches the Emperor’s palace and shares the story of his journey up to that point. There is, however, another facet to the story. Nameless also takes on the challenge of defeating three swordsmen, Sky (Donnie Yen) and the assassin couple, Snow (Maggie Cheung) and Broken Sword (Tony Leung Chiu Wai), who also plot to kill the Emperor. Or as the Emperor of Qin discovers, is there more to the story of Nameless and three assassins than Nameless is telling the Emperor.
Although Hero will draw comparisons to the aforementioned Crouching Tiger, the film shares more with Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon in terms of narrative and Wong Kar-Wai’s Ashes of Time in terms of its visual appearance and its spirit. Regardless of what other films it may resemble, Hero is an exemplary feat of filmmaking that is both thrilling and poignant. Awash in colors and emotion, Hero has beauty that will make your head swoon. The writing defines the lead characters so well, and the cast plays them with such furious conviction that you can’t help but live vicariously through them.
To enjoy such thrilling characters that you can’t help but feel their joy and sorrow, their triumph and noble resignation, or feel their boldness for martial confrontation and feel like you are in battle with them is what we ask of great movie characters. And to find such great characters in a movie that lives up to the promise of its players is an infrequent treat. To find a movie that delves into history and sends a message to the present that makes us realize the importance of the past is all the more rare.
10 of 10
NOTES:
2003 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Foreign Language Film” (China)
2003 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Foreign Language Film” (China)
----------------------
"The Social Network" Leads Chicago Film Critics Nominations
The Chicago Film Critics Association announced their nominations on Friday. The winners will be named tomorrow (Dec. 20th). As usual, The Social Network dominates, but the Coen Bros.' True Grit is right behind David Fincher's highly-acclaimed flick:
The nominees are:
BEST PICTURE
Black Swan
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
Winter’s Bone
BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
David Fincher, The Social Network
Debra Granik, Winter’s Bone
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
Christopher Nolan, Inception
BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours
Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Lesley Manville, Another Year
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale, The Fighter
Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Black Swan, Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz & John McLaughlin
Four Lions, Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain & Chris Morris
Inception, Christopher Nolan
The Kids Are All Right, Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
The King’s Speech, David Seidler
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Rabbit Hole, David Lindsay Abaire
The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin
Toy Story 3, Michael Arndt
True Grit, Joel & Ethan Coen
Winter’s Bone, Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Black Swan, Matthew Libatique
Inception, Wally Pfister
Shutter Island, Robert Richardson
The Social Network, Jeff Cronenweth
True Grit, Roger Deakins
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Black Swan, Clint Mansell
I Am Love, John Adams
Inception, Hans Zimmer
The Social Network, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
True Grit, Carter Burwell
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Inside Job
Restrepo
The Tillman Story
Waiting for Superman
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
Biutiful
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
I Am Love
Mother
A Prophet
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Despicable Me
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Tangled
Toy Story 3
MOST PROMISING PERFORMER
Armie Hammer, The Social Network
Katie Jarvis, Fish Tank
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Tahar Rahim, A Prophet
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER
Bansky, Exit Through the Gift Shop
Derek Cianfrance, Blue Valentine
David Michod, Animal Kingdom
Aaron Schneider, Get Low
John Wells, The Company Men
The nominees are:
BEST PICTURE
Black Swan
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
Winter’s Bone
BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
David Fincher, The Social Network
Debra Granik, Winter’s Bone
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
Christopher Nolan, Inception
BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours
Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Lesley Manville, Another Year
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale, The Fighter
Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Black Swan, Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz & John McLaughlin
Four Lions, Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain & Chris Morris
Inception, Christopher Nolan
The Kids Are All Right, Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
The King’s Speech, David Seidler
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Rabbit Hole, David Lindsay Abaire
The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin
Toy Story 3, Michael Arndt
True Grit, Joel & Ethan Coen
Winter’s Bone, Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Black Swan, Matthew Libatique
Inception, Wally Pfister
Shutter Island, Robert Richardson
The Social Network, Jeff Cronenweth
True Grit, Roger Deakins
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Black Swan, Clint Mansell
I Am Love, John Adams
Inception, Hans Zimmer
The Social Network, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
True Grit, Carter Burwell
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Inside Job
Restrepo
The Tillman Story
Waiting for Superman
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
Biutiful
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
I Am Love
Mother
A Prophet
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Despicable Me
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Tangled
Toy Story 3
MOST PROMISING PERFORMER
Armie Hammer, The Social Network
Katie Jarvis, Fish Tank
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Tahar Rahim, A Prophet
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER
Bansky, Exit Through the Gift Shop
Derek Cianfrance, Blue Valentine
David Michod, Animal Kingdom
Aaron Schneider, Get Low
John Wells, The Company Men
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