Random Act .02: Awards News

Random Act of Self Indulgence .02: Year-End Awards News

If you don't follow film as closely as you used to (kids keep a person busy, don’t they?!), here's a movie to watch for (I'm dying over here!), especially if you were ever a Mickey Rourke fan. Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler, starring one bloodied and beaten (literally and figuratively) Mickey Rourke in what's being widely heralded as a mind blowing comeback. Critics are openly admitting to girlish weeping in dark theaters, and an Oscar for Rourke seems more than possible. (Opening Dec. 19th.)

From Variety:

" ... Rourke creates a galvanizing, humorous, deeply moving portrait that instantly takes its place among the great, iconic screen performances."





I'm also ridiculously excited to see Frost/Nixon. I felt like such a dork in a theater recently when the trailer came on, catching me by surprise (I hadn't heard anything about it at that point), and I got all giddy and excited... over the (impeached President) Richard Nixon/David Frost interviews?! You'd think Brad Pitt was in it. But I'm a bit of a sucker for politics sometimes. As a secretly dorky teen, I spent a summer in front of the TV watching the Watergate proceedings unfold. I think my husband may be one of the few who did the same (as I found out years later, of course). I guess that's why we found each other.

- New York Times review here.

Here's a round-up of year-end award news, culled mostly from the helpful Awards Daily web site (linked in my right column): (I'll update with Golden Globe nominations on Thursday.)

- Italian mob movie Gomorra was a BIG winner at the European Film Awards on December 6.

- National Board of Review have named Slumdog Millionaire the best film of the year.

- Independent Spirit Awards: Winners to be announced Feb. 21, 2009. Best Feature Nominations:

Ballast
Frozen River
Rachel Getting Married
Wendy and Lucy
The Wrestler

- Gotham Independent Awards: Best Feature Film (Winners announced Dec. 2):

Frozen River

The nominees in the category were:
Frozen River
Ballast
Synecdoche, New York
The Visitor
The Wrestler

- British Independent Film Awards held on Nov. 30 announced: Best Film and Best Director:

Slumdog Millionaire