'The Visitor'

Caught up with this nominee on DVD. It is certainly worth a watch. One of those small but surprising films.
Richard Jenkins in a quiet role gives an Oscar worthy performance here.

Nominees: The Glamour Shots*

*courtesy of entertainment weekly

'Vicky Chistina Barcelona'

Finally caught up with this on DVD. Not being a big Woody Allan fan I must admit he is great directing actresses. Especially his new muse Scarlett Johansen.

Penelope Cruz certainly deserves her supporting nod and there is no argument from me if she wins. I'll tell you the Supporting Actress category this year is full of great performances making it a tough choice to make a final decision. But I will.

Kate on 'Nightline' on Acting and Oscar

Kate 2/8/2009 Wins BAFTA

Kate, 'Slumdog' and Penelope Get BAFTA Awards

Best film
Slumdog Millionaire

Director
Slumdog Millionaire - Danny Boyle

Leading Actor
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Leading Actress
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Supporting Actor
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

Supporting Actress
Penélope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Original Screenplay
In Bruges - Martin McDonagh

Adapted Screenplay
Slumdog Millionaire - Simon Beaufoy

Animated Film
WALL•E
Music
Slumdog Millionaire - A. R. Rahman

Cinematography
Slumdog Millionaire - Anthony Dod Mantle

Editing
Slumdog Millionaire - Chris Dickens

Production Design
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Donald Graham Burt / Victor J. Zolfo

Costume Design
The Duchess - Michael O'Connor

Make Up & Hair
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Jean Black / Colleen Callaghan

Sound
Slumdog Millionaire - Glenn Freemantle / Resul Pookutty / Richard Pryke / Tom Sayers / Ian Tapp

Special Visual Effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Eric Barba / Craig Barron / Nathan McGuinness / Edson Williams

''What If'' Kate Finally Won?

'Frost/Nixon'

It appears I spoke to soon. 'Frost/Nixon' is the weak link in the Best Picture and Director Oscar nominations.
It is a cold look at the most disgraceful presidency ever in American history.
This is a movie that would have been a natural for HBO not a theatrical release
Just a frosty look at a cold man. No new insight. No nothing!
'Revolutionary Road', 'The Dark Knight', 'Mamma Mia' or 'The Duchess' should have been in the fifth spot.

'Milk'

With only one nominee for Best Picture yet to see I can happily say this year the Academy seems to have gotten it right.

'Milk' is just great.
It has an amazing supporting cast headed by Sean Penn in his most amazing performance to date. Like Kate Winslet he just keeps getting better. Here he performs in a way we have never seen him before. Understated, controlled and in complete grasp of the character and his performance.

I just do not get the supporting nomination of Josh Brolin over James Franco. A minor quibble I guess.
With one to go, 'Frost/Nixon', I can only say any of the four already blogged and reviewed could win and should win with no quibbling on my part. So far I say give them all an Oscar. Never happen!!!

'Brideshead Revisited'

Caught up with this 2008 film on DVD. It was released in July and got lost in the midst of the summer movies. I guess Miramax didn't have enough faith in it to hold to the fall blitz of more serious film. I t should have been held up. I t is not a great film but it isn't bad either. Having never seen the BBC adaptation it was new for me. Good story. Very British. Worth a look.

Emma Thompson is always a welcome presence in any film and plays the matriarch of Brideshead beautifully.

Nominees Luncheon 2/2/2009

'The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button'

Another brilliant film in what appears to be a great year for films.

This is so curiously different.

It's long but never boring or dull. I cannot think of a single frame that could have been cut and kept it's perfect flow.

Brad Pitt has never been better. Cate Blanchett delivers another amazing performance.
Tilda Swenton shines in a low key supporting role.
Julia Ormond is amazingly graceful as Caroline THE daughter.

But it is Taraji Penda Henson who really breaks out in a most deserved oscar nominated role. She just may be the one to beat in the end game.

David Fincher follows up 'Zodiac' and one of my favorites 'Seven' with award worthy direction. In another year when there was no 'Slumdog Millionaire' he could have won.

Second Time Honored At Santa Barbara International Film Festival

On January 24th Kate was honored at the film festival.
She is the only actor/actress to be honored twice.

Kate, Meryl, Sally, Angelina, Tina, Brad, Sean and The Gangs All Here

SAG AWARDS 2009

Sally Field Wins Best Actress IN A TV Drama

KATE WINS SAG FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS FOR 'THE READER'

'SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE' LIVES UP TO THE HYPE

I HATE GOING TO A FILM THAT HAS BEEN HYPED AND REWARDED AS THIS ONE HAS.
THERE IS A GENERAL LETDOWN FOR ME.

NOT IN THIS CASE. THIS FILM IS DIFFERENT, UNEXPECTED AND NOTHING SHORT OF BRILLIANT.

WITH A FEW MOVIES LEFT TO GO I NOW PUT THIS AS FRONT RUNNER FOR BEST DIRECTOR.

'THE READER' STILL HAS MY VOTE FOR BEST PICTURE.
BOTH DESERVE TO BE AWARDED IN EVERY WAY THOUGH.

WATCH THE NOMINATIONS HERE

ACADEMY AWARDS NOMINEE LIST

2009 Oscar scorecard

Nominees for the 81st Academy Awards


Performance by an actor in a leading role
Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor” (Overture Films)
Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features)
Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features)
Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax)
Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal)
Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)
Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Amy Adams in “Doubt” (Miramax)
Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (The Weinstein Company)
Viola Davis in “Doubt” (Miramax)
Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Best animated feature film of the year
“Bolt” (Walt Disney), Chris Williams and Byron Howard
“Kung Fu Panda” (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount), John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton

Achievement in art direction
“Changeling” (Universal), Art Direction: James J. Murakami, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Peter Lando
“The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Art Direction: Michael Carlin, Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
“Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Art Direction: Kristi Zea, Set Decoration: Debra Schutt

Achievement in cinematography
“Changeling” (Universal), Tom Stern
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Claudio Miranda
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfister
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle

Achievement in costume design
“Australia” (20th Century Fox), Catherine Martin
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Jacqueline West
“The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Michael O’Connor
“Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Glicker
“Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Albert Wolsky

Achievement in directing
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Fincher
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Ron Howard
“Milk” (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Stephen Daldry
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle

Best documentary feature
“The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)” (Cinema Guild), A Pandinlao Films Production, Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
“Encounters at the End of the World” (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment), A Creative Differences Production, Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
“The Garden” A Black Valley Films Production, Scott Hamilton Kennedy
“Man on Wire” (Magnolia Pictures), A Wall to Wall Production, James Marsh and Simon Chinn
“Trouble the Water” (Zeitgeist Films), An Elsewhere Films Production, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

Best documentary short subject
“The Conscience of Nhem En” A Farallon Films Production, Steven Okazaki
“The Final Inch” A Vermilion Films Production, Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
“Smile Pinki” A Principe Production, Megan Mylan
“The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306” A Rock Paper Scissors Production, Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde

Achievement in film editing
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lee Smith
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
“Milk” (Focus Features), Elliot Graham
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Chris Dickens

Best foreign language film of the year
“The Baader Meinhof Complex” A Constantin Film Production, Germany
“The Class” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haut et Court Production, France
“Departures” (Regent Releasing), A Departures Film Partners Production, Japan
“Revanche” (Janus Films), A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production, Austria
“Waltz with Bashir” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production, Israel

Achievement in makeup
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Greg Cannom
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullivan
“Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (Universal), Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.),Alexandre Desplat
“Defiance” (Paramount Vantage), James Newton Howard
“Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Elfman
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
“Down to Earth” from “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Lyric by Peter Gabriel
“Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar
“O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman andMaya Arulpragasam

Best motion picture of the year
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), A Kennedy/Marshall Production, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal), A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production,Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers
“Milk” (Focus Features), A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production, Nominees to be determined
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A Celador Films Production,Christian Colson, Producer

Best animated short film
“La Maison en Petits Cubes” A Robot Communications Production, Kunio Kato
“Lavatory - Lovestory” A Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company Production, Konstantin Bronzit
“Oktapodi” (Talantis Films) A Gobelins, L’école de l’image Production, Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand
“Presto” (Walt Disney) A Pixar Animation Studios Production, Doug Sweetland
“This Way Up”, A Nexus Production, Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes

Best live action short film
“Auf der Strecke (On the Line)” (Hamburg Shortfilmagency), An Academy of Media Arts Cologne Production, Reto Caffi
“Manon on the Asphalt” (La Luna Productions), A La Luna Production, Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont
“New Boy” (Network Ireland Television), A Zanzibar Films Production, Steph Green and Tamara Anghie
“The Pig” An M & M Production, Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh
“Spielzeugland (Toyland)” A Mephisto Film Production, Jochen Alexander Freydank

Achievement in sound editing
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Richard King
“Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Tom Sayers
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
“Wanted” (Universal),Wylie Stateman

Achievement in sound mixing
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney),Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
“Wanted” (Universal), Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

Achievement in visual effects
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
“The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
“Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

Adapted screenplay
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
“Doubt” (Miramax), Written by John Patrick Shanley
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Screenplay by Peter Morgan
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Hare
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

Original screenplay
“Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Courtney Hunt
“Happy-Go-Lucky” (Miramax), Written by Mike Leigh
“In Bruges” (Focus Features), Written by Martin McDonagh
“Milk” (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

BEST ACTRESS NOMINEE FOR 'THE READER'

THE ACADEMY GOT IT RIGHT. THIS WAS KATE'S BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR. AND LIKE ME THEY DID NOT SEE IT AS A SUPPORTING ROLE.