Boston Film Critics Name "Zero Dark Thirty" 2012's Best Film

The Boston Society of Film Critics was formed in 1981. The group claims that its mission is to make “Boston's unique critical perspective heard on a national and international level by awarding commendations to the best of the year's films and filmmakers and local film theaters and film societies that offer outstanding film programming.” One of the society’s members, Wesley Morris, won 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.

2012 Winners:

Best Picture - Zero Dark Thirty

Best Actor - Daniel Day Lewis for Lincoln

Best Actress - Emmanuelle Riva for Amour

Best Supporting Actor - Ezra Miller for Perks of Being a Wallflower

Best Supporting Actress - Sally Field for Lincoln

Best Director - Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty

Best Screenplay - Tony Kushner fro Lincoln

Best Cinematography - Mihai Malaimare Jr for The Master

Best Documentary - How to Survive a Plague

Best Foreign-Language Film - Amour

Best Animated Film - Frankenweenie

Best Film Editing (awarded in memory of Karen Schmeer) - William Goldenberg and Dylan Tichenor for Zero Dark Thirty

Best New Filmmaker (awarded in memory of David Brudnoy) - David France for How to Survive a Plague

Best Ensemble Cast - Seven Psychopaths

Best Use of Music in a Film - Moonrise Kingdom

2013 Golden Globe Awards Nominations - Movie Categories

The Golden Globe Award is a movie accolade bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). The award recognizes excellence in both film and television. The annual awards ceremony is a major part of the film industry’s award season.

Jodie Foster will receive the “Cecil B. DeMille Award” for career achievement at the 2013 awards ceremony. The 70th Annual Golden Globes Awards to be held Sunday, January 13, 2013.

2013 Golden Globe Nominations:

1. BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. ARGO
Warner Bros. Pictures, GK Films, Smokehouse Pictures; Warner Bros. Pictures

b. DJANGO UNCHAINED
The Weinstein Company, Columbia Pictures; The Weinstein Company/Sony Pictures Releasing

c. LIFE OF PI
Fox 2000 Pictures; Twentieth Century Fox

d. LINCOLN
DreamWorks Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox; Touchstone Pictures

e. ZERO DARK THIRTY
Columbia Pictures and Annapurna Pictures; Sony Pictures Releasing

2. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. Jessica Chastain - ZERO DARK THIRTY
b. Marion Cotillard - RUST AND BONE
c. Helen Mirren - HITCHCOCK
d. Naomi Watts - THE IMPOSSIBLE
e. Rachel Weisz - THE DEEP BLUE SEA

3. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. Daniel Day-Lewis - LINCOLN
b. Richard Gere - ARBITRAGE
c. John Hawkes - THE SESSIONS
d. Joaquin Phoenix - THE MASTER
e. Denzel Washington - FLIGHT

4. BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL 

Blueprint Pictures/Participant Media; Fox Searchlight Pictures

b. LES MISERABLES
Universal Pictures, A Working Title Films/Cameron Mackintosh Productions; Universal Pictures

c. MOONRISE KINGDOM
Indian Paintbrush; Focus Features

d. SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN
CBS Films; CBS Films

e. SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
The Weinstein Company; The Weinstein Company

5. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. Emily Blunt - SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN
b. Judi Dench - THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL
c. Jennifer Lawrence - SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
d. Maggie Smith - QUARTET
e. Meryl Streep - HOPE SPRINGS

6. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. Jack Black - BERNIE
b. Bradley Cooper - SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
c. Hugh Jackman - LES MISERABLES
d. Ewan McGregor - SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN
e. Bill Murray - HYDE PARK ON HUDSON

7. BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
a. BRAVE
Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Pictures

b. FRANKENWEENIE
Walt Disney Pictures; Walt Disney Pictures

c. HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA
Columbia Pictures / Sony Pictures Animation; Sony Pictures Releasing

d. RISE OF THE GUARDIANS
DreamWorks Animation LLC; Paramount Pictures

e. WRECK-IT RALPH
Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios; Walt Disney Pictures

8. BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
a. AMOUR (AUSTRIA)
Les Films Du Losange, X Filme Creative Pool, Wega Film; Sony Pictures Classics

b. A ROYAL AFFAIR (DENMARK)
(En kongelig affære) 
Zentropa Entertainment; Magnolia Pictures

c. THE INTOUCHABLES (FRANCE)
(Les Intouchables) 
The WeinstenCompany, Quad Productions, Gaumont, TF1 Films Production, Ten Films, Chaocorp; The Weinstein Company

d. KON-TIKI (NORWAY/UK/DENMARK)
Nordisk Film Production, Recorded Picture Company; The Weinstein Company

e. RUST AND BONE (FRANCE)
(De rouille et d’os) 
Page 114, Why Not Productions; Sony Pictures Classics

9. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
a. Amy Adams - THE MASTER
b. Sally Field - LINCOLN
c. Anne Hathaway - LES MISERABLES
d. Helen Hunt - THE SESSIONS
e. Nicole Kidman - THE PAPERBOY

10. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
a. Alan Arkin - ARGO
b. Leonardo DiCaprio - DJANGO UNCHAINED
c. Philip Seymour Hoffman - THE MASTER
d. Tommy Lee Jones - LINCOLN
e. Christoph Waltz - DJANGO UNCHAINED

11. BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
a. Ben Affleck - ARGO
b. Kathryn Bigelow - ZERO DARK THIRTY
c. Ang Lee - LIFE OF PI
d. Steven Spielberg - LINCOLN
e. Quentin Tarantino - DJANGO UNCHAINED

12. BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
a. Mark Boal - ZERO DARK THIRTY
b. Tony Kushner - LINCOLN
c. David O. Russell - SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
d. Quentin Tarantino - DJANGO UNCHAINED
e. Chris Terrio – ARGO

13. BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
a. Mychael Danna - LIFE OF PI
b. Alexandre Desplat - ARGO
c. Dario Marianelli - ANNA KARENINA
d. Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil - CLOUD ATLAS
e. John Williams - LINCOLN

14. BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
a. “FOR YOU” — ACT OF VALOR
Music by: Monty Powell, Keith Urban
Lyrics by: Monty Powell, Keith Urban

b. “NOT RUNNING ANYMORE”—STAND UP GUYS
Music by: Jon Bon Jovi
Lyrics by: Jon Bon Jovi

c. “SAFE & SOUND” — THE HUNGER GAMES
Music by: Taylor Swift, John Paul White, Joy Williams, T Bone Burnett
Lyrics by: Taylor Swift, John Paul White, Joy Williams, T Bone Burnett

d. “SKYFALL”—SKYFALL
Music by: Adele, Paul Epworth
Lyrics by: Adele, Paul Epworth

e. “SUDDENLY” — LES MISERABLES
Music by: Claude-Michel Schonberg
Lyrics by: Herbert Kretzmer, Alain Boublil

2013 Golden Globe Awards Nominations - Television Categories

70th Golden Globes Awards ceremony to be held January 13, 2013.

15. BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

a. BREAKING BAD
AMC 
Sony Pictures Television

b. BOARDWALK EMPIRE
HBO 
Leverage, Closest to the Hole Productions, Sikelia Productions and Cold Front Productions in association with HBO Entertainment

c. DOWNTON ABBEY: SEASON 2
PBS 
A Carnival / Masterpiece Co-Production

d. HOMELAND
SHOWTIME 
SHOWTIME, Teakwood Lane Productions, Cherry Pie Productions, Keshet, Fox 21

e. THE NEWSROOM
HBO 
HBO Entertainment

16. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
a. Connie Britton - NASHVILLE
b. Glenn Close - DAMAGES
c. Claire Danes - HOMELAND
d. Michelle Dockery - DOWNTON ABBEY: SEASON 2
e. Julianna Margulies - THE GOOD WIFE

17. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
a. Steve Buscemi - BOARDWALK EMPIRE
b. Bryan Cranston - BREAKING BAD
c. Jeff Daniels - THE NEWSROOM
d. Jon Hamm - MAD MEN
e. Damian Lewis - HOMELAND

18. BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. THE BIG BANG THEORY
CBS 
Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television

b. EPISODES
SHOWTIME 
SHOWTIME, Hat Trick Productions, Crane Klarik Productions

c. GIRLS
HBO 
Apatow Productions and I am Jenni Konner Productions in association with HBO Entertainment

d. MODERN FAMILY
ABC 
Levitan-Lloyd Productions in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television

e. SMASH
NBC Universal Television in association with DreamWorks Television

19. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. Zooey Deshanel - NEW GIRL
b. Julia Louis-Dreyfus - VEEP
c. Lena Dunham - GIRLS
d. Tina Fey - 30 ROCK
e. Amy Poehler - PARKS AND RECREATION

20. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. Alec Baldwin - 30 ROCK
b. Don Cheadle - HOUSE OF LIES
c. Louis C.K. - LOUIE
d. Matt LeBlanc - EPISODES
e. Jim Parsons - THE BIG BANG THEORY

21. BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. GAME CHANGE
HBO 
Playtone and Everyman Pictures in association with HBO Films

b. THE GIRL
HBO 
A Wall to Wall, Warner Bros Entertainment GmbH, Moonlighting and BBC Production in association with HBO Films

c. HATFIELDS & MCCOYS
HISTORY Thinkfactory Media in association with History

d. THE HOUR
BBC AMERICA 
Kudos Film and Television/BBC America co-production

e. POLITICAL ANIMALS
USA NETWORK Berlanti Productions and Laurence Mark Productions in association with Warner Horizon Television

22. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. Nicole Kidman - HEMINGWAY & GELLHORN
b. Jessica Lange - AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ASYLUM
c. Sienna Miller - THE GIRL
d. Julianne Moore - GAME CHANGE
e. Sigourney Weaver - POLITICAL ANIMALS

23. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. Kevin Costner - HATFIELDS & MCCOYS
b. Benedict Cumberbatch - SHERLOCK (MASTERPIECE)
c. Woody Harrelson - GAME CHANGE
d. Toby Jones - THE GIRL
e. Clive Owen - HEMINGWAY & GELLHORN

24. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. Hayden Panettiere - NASHVILLE
b. Archie Panjabi - THE GOOD WIFE
c. Sarah Paulson - GAME CHANGE
d. Maggie Smith - DOWNTON ABBEY: SEASON 2
e. Sofia Vergara - MODERN FAMILY

25. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
a. Max Greenfield - NEW GIRL
b. Ed Harris - GAME CHANGE
c. Danny Huston - MAGIC CITY
d. Mandy Patinkin - HOMELAND
e. Eric Stonestreet - MODERN FAMILY

Detroit Film Critics Name "Silver Linings Playbook" Best Film of 2012

The Detroit Film Critics Society, a group of Michigan film critics, announced their "best of 2012" awards yesterday, Friday, December 14, 2012.  I had a feeling that they were jonesing for Silver Linings Playbook after I first saw their nominations list.  I was right; they named the David O. Russell film as the best in five categories, including best film, best director, and in two acting categories.

Detroit Film Critics Society’s Best of 2012:

BEST FILM
Winner: Silver Linings Playbook

BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook

BEST ACTOR
Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables

BEST ENSEMBLE
Winner: Lincoln

BREAKTHROUGH
Winner: Zoe Kazan, Ruby Sparks

BEST SCREENPLAY
Winner: David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Winner: Jiro Dreams of Sushi

http://detroitfilmcritics.com/

Review: "The Return of the King" is a Crowning Achievement

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 178 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Running time: 201 minutes (3 hours, 21 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and frightening images
DIRECTOR: Peter Jackson
WRITERS: Frances Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson (from the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien)
PRODUCERS: Peter Jackson, Barrie M. Osborne, and Fran Walsh
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Andrew Lesnie (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Jamie Selkirk
COMPOSER: Howard Shore
Academy Award winner including “Best Picture”

FANTASY/ACTION/ADVENTURE

Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellan, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler, Hugo Weaving, Billy Boyd, Cate Blanchett, Dominic Monaghan, Miranda Otto, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, David Wenham, Paul Norell, Lawrence Makoare, and Alan Howard (voice)

The subject of this movie review is The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, a 2003 fantasy film from director Peter Jackson. The film is the third of three movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s three-novel cycle, The Lord of the Rings (1954-55), specifically the first book, The Return of the King (1955).

The Rings trilogy ends with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, a magnificent epic of war, romance, honor, loyalty, and salvation. Although I view it as the least of the three films, ROTK is quite entertaining – at many moments, spectacularly so. Anyone who loved the first two pictures will certainly love this finale.

Most of the former Fellowship of the Ring: the man who would be king Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), the elfin archer Legolas (Orlando Bloom), the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan), Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), and the Hobbits – Pippin (Billy Boyd) and Merry (Dominic Monaghan) gather in preparation for the final battle in the defense of Middle Earth. They join the people of Rohan to aid Gondor in a ferocious battle to save the human royal city of Minas Tirith. Meanwhile, Gollum leads the other two hobbits – Sam (Sean Astin) and the bearer of the One Ring, Frodo (Elijah Wood), to Mount Doom. The Hobbits are unaware of the treacherous path upon which Gollum leads them; he is the former owner of the One Ring and seeks to destroy the Hobbits so that he may regain possession of the Ring. As Frodo and Sam approach Mount Doom, the birth place of the Ring and the only place where it can be destroyed, the good guys gather at the Black Gates for a battle against the bad guys as the evil eye of Sauron searches for the One Ring, the object that will restore Sauron to Middle Earth.

Although ROTK is certainly a fine film, it has an air about it of being a story that’s run too long. Much of what makes The Lord of the Rings so endearing, the pageantry, the epic scope, the romantic soliloquies, the grand battles, the sweeping score, and the lead characters love for one another slowly creep towards self-parody. Thrilling speeches seem flat; fascinating fantastical creatures become comical. That maybe one reason director Peter Jackson cut the film to three hours and 20 minutes, as an earlier cut of the film had reportedly crept close to four and half hours in length.

Because the film story’s is so wonderful and engaging, I can overlook the flaws as ROTK wraps up LOTR. All aspects of the filmmaking is, for the most part, either excellent or very good: directing, acting, script, score, photography, visual effects, costume and set design. The one really great element of the film is it’s editing; that is what holds the film together even in the moments when it starts to tread the fine line between sublime and pure ridiculous.

In the end, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is probably the best closing chapter of a trilogy since Return of the Jedi, and ROTK is, even with its blemishes, a technically superior effort to Jedi. It’s certainly better than The Matrix Revolutions, so I’ll be happy that The Return of the King is a tremendously satisfying conclusion and heartily recommend it.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2004 Academy Awards: 11 wins: “Best Picture” (Barrie M. Osborne, Peter Jackson, and Fran Walsh), “Best Art Direction-Set Decoration” (Grant Major-art director, Dan Hennah-set decorator, and Alan Lee-set decorator), “Best Costume Design” (Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor), “Best Director” (Peter Jackson), “Best Film Editing” (Jamie Selkirk), “Best Makeup” (Richard Taylor and Peter King), “Best Music, Original Score” (Howard Shore), “Best Music, Original Song” (Fran Walsh, Howard Shore, and Annie Lennox for the song "Into the West"), “Best Sound Mixing” (Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges, and Hammond Peek), “Best Visual Effects” (Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook, and Alex Funke), and “Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay” (Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson)

2004 BAFTA Awards: 5 wins: “Best Film” (Barrie M. Osborne, Fran Walsh, and Peter Jackson), “Audience Award, “Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects” (Joe Letteri, Jim Rygiel, Randall William Cook, and Alex Funke), “Best Cinematography” (Andrew Lesnie), and “Best Screenplay – Adapted” (Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson); 9 nominations: “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (Howard Shore), “BAFTA Children's Award Best Feature Film” (Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Barrie M. Osborne), “Best Costume Design” (Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor), “Best Editing” (Jamie Selkirk), “Best Make Up/Hair” (Richard Taylor, Peter King, and Peter Owen), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Ian McKellen), “Best Production Design” (Grant Major), “Best Sound” (Ethan Van der Ryn, Mike Hopkins, David Farmer, Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges, Michael Semanick, and Hammond Peek) and “David Lean Award for Direction” (Peter Jackson)

2004 Golden Globes, USA: 4 wins: “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Peter Jackson), “Best Motion Picture – Drama” “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Howard Shore), and “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” “Howard Shore, Fran Walsh, and Annie Lennox for the song "Into the West")

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Review: "The Two Towers" is the Best of the Trilogy

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 172 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Running time: 179 minutes (2 hours, 59 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for epic battle sequences and scary images
DIRECTOR: Peter Jackson
WRITERS: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Stephen Sinclair, and Peter Jackson (based upon the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien)
PRODUCERS: Peter Jackson, Barrie M. Osborne, and Fran Walsh
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Andrew Lesnie (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Michael Horton
COMPOSER: Howard Shore
Academy Award winner

FANTASY/ACTION/ADVENTURE

Starring:  Elijah Wood, Ian McKellan, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Bernard Hill, Christopher Lee, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto, David Wenham, Brad Dourif, and Andy Serkis

The subject of this movie review is The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, a 2002 fantasy film from director Peter Jackson. The film is the second of three movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s three-novel cycle, The Lord of the Rings (1954-55), specifically the first book, The Two Towers (1954).

As the second installment of the Ring Trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, begins, the hobbits Frodo (Elijah Wood) and his companion Sam (Sean Astin) continue alone to Mordor to destroy the One Ring, as the Fellowship (the group of heroes who were to accompany Frodo) is broken. The Uruk-hai (Orcs) have captured their fellow hobbits, Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd).

Meanwhile, the shadow of the Dark Lord Sauron spreads across the land as he hungers for the One Ring, which he once wore and that gave him great powers. Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), the elfin archer Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and the dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) make friends with a race of humans called the Rohan. Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellan), thought to be dead, returns as Gandalf the White. The two towers that are between Sauron’s Mordor and at the corrupt wizard Saruman’s stronghold Isengard are united in their lust for destruction.

Aragorn and his companions join the Rohan king Théoden (Bernard Hill) at the Rohan fortress Helms Deep to fend off a grand Uruk-hai army created by Saruman (Christopher Lee) to destroy mankind and Middle-earth. Frodo and Sam meet one of the Ring’s original bearers, Gollum (Andy Serkis). The creature had been stalking the hobbit pair in hopes of recapturing his “precious,” the name by which he calls the Ring, but Frodo and Sam capture Gollum and use him to lead the way to Mt. Doom, the only place where the Ring can be destroyed.

Those who liked The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the first installment, will very likely love this one as much if not more. I certainly found The Two Towers to be a superior film, which is no mean thing, as TFOTR is also a fantastic and great film. It’s an epic war story, which director Peter Jackson fills to its brim with traditional romance. In fact, it is a great romantic film, in the mold of the classic adventure films that combined intense drama or melodrama and powerful emotions.

I did find some of the special effects and computer-generated effects to be a bit weak and lame. The best SFX/CGI achievement is Gollum, who is CGI; however, Gollum actor Andy Serkis apparently acted the part out in whole – emotionally and physically. The CGI people then took his actual work and made a CGI character. Serkis also provided Gollum’s voice. Many thought Serkis was deserving of an Academy Award nomination because the CGI was “merely” copying his work, as if they simply drew over his filmed performance. Alas, Serkis did not receive a nomination.

That doesn’t matter because The Two Towers was the best film of 2002, and is arguably one of the best fantasy films ever made. Its three-hour running time goes by quickly. From TTT’s overwhelming and powerful battle scenes to the deeply, heartfelt moments between the characters, this is a film experience not to be missed, especially if you’re the kind of viewer who can understand and absorb a film of strongly fantastic elements.

10 of 10

NOTES:
2003 Academy Awards: 2 wins: “Best Sound Editing” (Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins) and “Best Visual Effects” (Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook, and Alex Funke); 4 nominations: “Best Art Direction-Set Decoration” (Grant Major-art director, Dan Hennah-set decorator, and Alan Lee-set decorator), “Best Film Editing” (Michael Horton), and “Best Picture” (Barrie M. Osborne, Fran Walsh, and Peter Jackson), “Best Sound” (Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges, and Hammond Peek)

2003 BAFTA Awards: 3 wins: “Audience Award,” Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects” (Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook, and Alex Funke), “Best Costume Design” (Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor); 8 nominations: “Best Film” (Barrie M. Osborne, Fran Walsh, and Peter Jackson), “BAFTA Children's Award Best Feature Film” (Peter Jackson, Barrie M. Osborne, Fran Walsh), “Best Cinematography” (Andrew Lesnie), “Best Editing” (Michael Horton and Jabez Olssen), “Best Make Up/Hair” (Peter Owen, Peter King, and Richard Taylor), “Best Production Design” (Grant Major), “Best Sound” (Ethan Van der Ryn, David Farmer, Mike Hopkins, Hammond Peek, Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, and Michael Hedges), and “David Lean Award for Direction” (Peter Jackson)

2003 Golden Globes, USA: 2 nominations: “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Peter Jackson) and “Best Motion Picture – Drama”

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Review: "The Fellowship of the Ring" is Still a Great Start to a Trilogy

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 5 (of 2002) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Running time: 178 minutes (2 hours, 58 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for epic battle sequences and some scary images
DIRECTOR: Peter Jackson
WRITERS: Frances Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson (based upon the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien)
PRODUCERS: Peter Jackson, Barrie M. Osborne, Tim Sanders, and Fran Walsh
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Andrew Lesnie
EDITOR: John Gilbert
COMPOSER: Howard Shore
Academy Award winner

FANTASY/ADVENTURE/ACTION/DRAMA

Starring: Elijah Woods, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Liv Tyler, Hugo Weaving, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Christopher Lee, Cate Blanchette, Sala Baker, John Rhys-Davies, Ian Holm, Craig Parker, Andy Serkis, and (voice) Alan Howard

The subject of this movie review is The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, a 2001 fantasy film from director Peter Jackson. The film is the first of three movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s three-novel cycle, The Lord of the Rings (1954-55), specifically the first book, The Fellowship of the Ring (1954).

In the adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkein’s novel The Fellowship of the Ring, a hobbit named Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood, The Ice Storm) inherits a ring from his famous uncle Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm, The Sweet Hereafter). When a wizard named Gandalf (Ian McKellen, X-Men and Gods and Monsters), who is a friend of the family, discovers that the ring is in fact the One Ring of the Dark Lord Sauron, the ring must be taken to the place of its creation, the Cracks of Doom, the only place where the ring can be destroyed. That task falls upon the shoulders of Frodo.

Three fellow hobbits join Frodo on his quest, including one who becomes very close to him, Samwise “Sam” Gamgee (Sean Astin, Rudy). Before long the group becomes nine, a Fellowship to take the ring to the Cracks of Doom so that Frodo can destroy it. However, great evil besets them in the form of Gandalf’s mentor Saruman the White (the great Christopher Lee), who is now on the side of darkness, and his army of mighty Orcs, who serve the rings original dark owner, Sauron (voice of Sala Baker). Obstacles, great dangers, horribly evils, and death confront the Fellowship every step of their quest.

Directed by Peter Jackson (Heavenly Creatures, The Frighteners), The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three films each released a year apart that will comprise the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Even within budget constraints, Jackson has always proved himself to be an inventive and imaginative director. Like a painter, his canvases are well planned and constructed, and he does not waste shots; every frame seems important to the larger work.

He previous experience in dark fantasy, horror, and the weird made him an ideal choice to direct a film version of Tolkein’s sprawling epic, and Jackson delivers a nearly three hour film that is both visceral and subdued. An epic as good as any every delivered by a Hollywood studio, it captures the imagination while keeping the viewer nearly unawares of its length.

Nearly, that is. It’s a bit of hubris on Jackson and on New Line Cinema, Lord’s studio, to assume that an audience will tolerate Fellowship’s abrupt ending simply because the story is “to be continued” next year. The beginning, middle, and end of LOTR’s story are actually three separate films, not one film. It isn’t that FOTR’s ending is bad, just presumptuous of our patience and acceptance that this movie is like a serial. We will have to wait over two years to get the entire story.

These are certainly minor complaints in light of what Jackson delivers. He has a fine cast of actors, and the characters that he took from the novel he has made into excellent cinematic characters. The work of his SFX group creates nearly flawless special effects shots. Using New Zealand as the Middle Earth location of the stories is a wonderful choice. Between special effects and creative camera work, Jackson has created a world that is itself a character. Jackson and his fellow screenwriters Frances Walsh (a frequent collaborator of Jackson’s) and Philippa Boyens have created an excellent script makes the battle of good and evil unambiguous and quite compelling. Although the characters’ desires and personalities may occasionally straddle a gray area, what is right is clearly defined from what is wrong. That’s always the case regardless of character motivations and goals; moral relativism is kicked to the curb.

While he has made it highly emotional and thoughtful at its heart, Jackson has also managed to make a war and action movie. He juggles genres like fantasy, comedy, drama, and war and weaves them into an epic. The movie, both its back-story and the main story, spans time, has multiple locations and environments, and has a wealth of characters. Visually pleasing and intellectual thoughtful, it is one of the best films in recent memories, a grand fantasy that captures the imagination on a deeper level (than say The Phantom Menace) like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. We can only hope that the two follow-ups are this good.

Go see this film.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2002 Academy Awards: 4 wins: “Best Cinematography” (Andrew Lesnie), “Best Effects, Visual Effects” (Jim Rygiel, Randall William Cook, Richard Taylor, and Mark Stetson), “Best Makeup” (Peter Owen and Richard Taylor), and “Best Music, Original Score” (Howard Shore); 9 nominations: “Best Picture” (Peter Jackson, Barrie M. Osborne, and Fran Walsh), “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” (Ian McKellen), “Best Art Direction-Set Decoration” (Grant Major-art director and Dan Hennah-set decorator), “Best Costume Design” (Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor), “Best Director” (Peter Jackson), “Best Film Editing” (John Gilbert), “Best Music, Original Song” (Enya, Nicky Ryan, Roma Ryan for the song "May It Be"), “Best Sound” (Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Gethin Creagh, and Hammond Peek), “Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published” (Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson)

2002 BAFTA Awards: 5 wins: “Best Film” (Peter Jackson, Barrie M. Osborne, and Tim Sanders), “Audience Award,” “Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects” (Jim Rygiel, Richard Taylor, Alex Funke, Randall William Cook, and Mark Stetson), “Best Make Up/Hair” (Peter Owen, Peter King and Richard Taylor), “David Lean Award for Direction” (Peter Jackson); 9 nominations: “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (Howard Shore), “BAFTA Children's Award Best Feature Film” (Peter Jackson, Barrie M. Osborne, Fran Walsh, and Tim Sanders), “Best Cinematography” (Andrew Lesnie), “Best Costume Design” (Ngila Dickson), “Best Editing” (John Gilbert), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (Ian McKellen), “Best Production Design’ (Grant Major), “Best Screenplay – Adapted” (Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson), “Best Sound” (David Farmer, Hammond Peek, Christopher Boyes, Gethin Creagh, Michael Semanick, Ethan Van der Ryn, and Mike Hopkins)

2002 Golden Globes, USA: 4 nominations: “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Peter Jackson), “Best Motion Picture – Drama,” “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Howard Shore), and “Best Original Song - Motion Picture (Enya for the song "May It Be")

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