Monday, February 15, 2010

Per Time Magazine: the Great Performances of 2009


"She’s been Miss Congeniality, one of Hollywood’s best-liked stars, since her 1994 breakthrough with Speed. But Bullock, 45, never won official acclaim until she played Leigh Anne Tuohy — the Memphis, Tenn., matron who turned a lost black teen into a football star — in the true-life smash The Blind Side. During the shoot, she recalls, “something clicked, that divine moment when preparation meets with letting go and you find yourself comfortable in another person’s skin.” Now Bullock has to get used to being a Best Actress nominee. “After two decades in Hollywood,” she says, “I am just thankful that I was allowed to work for two decades. I love what I have been lucky enough to do.”




"Ah, Mr. Darcy, the “man without fault” who courted Jennifer Ehle’s Elizabeth Bennet in the BBC’s 1995 Pride and Prejudice. The role marked Firth as a gently seductive actor but one who often loses the leading lady to a name higher on the marquee. How lucky he was, then, to get the role of George, a teacher mourning the loss of his longtime lover in A Single Man. Firth infuses this sad gay fellow with warmth, delicacy and a desperation that is all the more powerful for being so subtly expressed. “This is a very personal story about a man’s relationship with the world,” Firth says. “He has a decision that he’s made, to die, and life keeps trying to call him back.” It’s not just the role of a lifetime, well worthy of its Oscar nomination, but also a declaration that at 49, Firth is fully qualified for large, complex roles that he can play with force and nuance — and, of course, without fault.:


and the rest







Didn't Think I Had a Horse in The Best Actress Race This Year...

...but then i never thought sandra bullock would get an oscar nomination...not ever! so what a surprise. sandra has always been a favorite hollywood darling. She's appeared generally in light romantic comedies which generally are not oscar bait. her dramatic turn in this year's 'the blind side' took a 180. i think she was more than terrific in it. sure there are the nay sayers but i ask them this...would her possible win be anything more or less than that of julia roberts win in 'erin brokovitch'? not!

as for the cynics who say 'well meryl hasn't won in 27 years' THINK: kate hepburn waited 30 years between oscar one and oscar two and then went on to win another two. so that argument is patently absurd.




on charlie rose



Sunday, February 14, 2010

Friday, February 12, 2010

Oscarbation: 75 Years Ago



and the winners were:*

picture - 'mutiny on the bounty'
actress - bette davis for 'dangerous'
actor - victor mclagen for 'the informer'


*(supporting categories had not yet been created)

Thursday, February 11, 2010

It's Official: They Will Present

Sandra in Santa Barbara




This year's "It” girl , Sandra Bullock, was feted in Santa Barbara this past weekend. The two-hour celebration of her career included a Q&A moderated by Pete Hammond with clips of her work thrown in here and there was, to be perfectly honest, a grand tribute. And then at last Forest Whitaker’s presentation of the American Riviera Award to the actress.

The Riviera Award is given to an actor or actress who has made an indelible mark on American cinema. Sandra was invited back in September prior to her Oscar nom and current front-runner status. That said: it’s an undeniable pick given Bullock’s status in the film industry.









Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Meet the Mad Hatter


Alice in Wonderland Exclusive Mad Hatter Featurette in HD

Trailer Park Movies | MySpace Video

'Eyes Wide Open': Gay Love Story Set In Israel's Orthodox Community


Directed by Haim Tabakman and written by Merav Doster, 'Eyes Wide Open' is a gay love story set in Jerusalem’s "ultra-orthodox" Jewish community — in other words, in a society in which homosexuality is totally unacceptable.

Here’s the synopsis from the Eyes Wide Open press release: "Aaron, a respectable butcher in Jerusalem’s ultra-orthodox Jewish community is married to Rivka and is a dedicated father of four children. One day, he meets Ezri, a handsome twenty-two year old student, and soon falls in love with him. He then starts to neglect his family and community life, swept away by his love and lust for Ezri. But guilt, torment and pressure from the community will catch up with him, leading him to make a radical decision."
Winner of the John Schlesinger Award for Outstanding First Feature at the 2010 Palm Springs Film Festival, Eyes Wide Open is now playing in New York City at the Cinema Village. No other release dates have been set.

Eyes Wide Open stars Jerusalem Film Festival best actor winner Zohar Shtrauss, best supporting actor Israeli Academy Award nominee Ran Danker, Tzahi Grad, Isaac Sharry, and — no joking— Tinkerbell (who played Satan in Assi Dayan’s The Gospel According to God).