Random Act of Self Indulgence .08

Ok, enough time has passed that I can now write about my huge disappointment in not being able to see the Oscars last night. We had a monster snowstorm last night, and lost our ABC affiliate about 20 minutes into the Big Show.

I don't know if I've ever scowled quite like I did last night, or cursed my rural state quite as much or as colorfully as I did.

Whatever.

Not a big deal. We kept our power, and many people lost it and are just getting it restored. I'm grateful for that (really ... I am...).

I'm thrilled at the Sean Penn win and the screenwriting win for Milk, as well. Yay. Yay. Yay.

I've heard mixed opinions on the show: refreshing, with all the song-and-dance stuff? Lively and entertaining? Or Dullsville?

What did you think?

One thing: I'm pretty sure the Oscars should include clips from the films and performances that are nominated. Pretty sure. You?

Oscar Nominations

They're here! Ok, they're there (I'm linking you to the site, as I'm too lazy/under the weather today to post even just the Big Ones here).

Sad to see The Wrestler is not nominated, but there were so many good films to contend with ... I'm really, really happy to see Richard Jenkins nominated (The Visitor is a great little film!), and also that Melissa Leo is being recognized for her impressive work in Frozen River (please see this film!). Of course, Heath Ledger has a lock on the Supporting Actor catagory, but it makes me smile big time to see Robert Downey, Jr. nominated as well (for Tropic Thunder). I mean, come on, you have to admit that was a helluva role he played!

Ok, so once again, go here for the full list (go to the Oscar site homepage and you can see this morning's presentation).

Wall-E Wins Big: Critics' Awards

East and west meet-up: Awards were announced this week for both The Los Angles Film Critics Association and the New York Film Critics Circle, and there are some distinct favorites emerging ... at least with the critic crowd!

The Big News: The LAFCA awarded its Best Picture award to an animated feature, for the first time in its 33-year history! The charming and thought-provoking Wall-E won the title. Can you see an Oscar in the works? I doubt it. But it’s still an utterly amazing win. The LAFCA gave its Best Actor award to Sean Penn for Milk, Best Actress to Sally Hawkins of the delightful Happy-Go-Lucky, and Best Director went to Slumdog Millionaire’s Danny Boyle.
Visit the LAFCA web site here.

The New York Film Critics Circle awarded their highest film prize to Milk, but Wall-E took home the Best Animated Film prize. As did the LAFCA, the NYFCC gave its Best Actor award to Sean Penn, and Best Actress to Sally Hawkins. Mike Leigh won the NYFCC’s Best Director award for Happy-Go-Lucky.
Visit the NYFCC web site here.

The last word on year-end favorites and awards: Roger Ebert has announced his favorite films of 2008, in case you need to know what to catch up on. I love his “screw’em, there are too many good ones to do a Top 10” attitude. Go, Roger. (My only complaint about this time of year: All the powerhouse films come out now, and sometimes they don't all make it here in time for the Academy Awards [or they play for one week and are gone]. It's a surprisingly short time between December and Oscar night when you have to work hard to see everything in time for Oscar martinis!)

We’re happy to note that not only did the truly award-worthy and excellent Wall-e make it to Roger's faves list, but so did Iron Man and Werner Herzog’s Encounters at the Edge of the World.

GOLDEN GLOBES 2009

For the nominees announced this morning, you can go right to the Golden Globes web site, or take a peek here at some of the main nominees... Right off, I wonder: no Milk or Wrestler for Best Picture (although Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke both have nominations)? Revolutionary Road and The Reader both look good, like two-hanky dramas (which, come to think of it, might not be what I’m most in the mood for these days), and I’m looking forward to Slumdog Millionaire, love Danny Boyle’s work. But... Benjamin Button? Look, like any sane female, I love Brad Pitt (and his work), but that movie hasn’t really been at the top of my must-see list. Hmmm.


BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
(These directors were all nominated as well for Best Director):
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Frost/Nixon (2008)
The Reader (2008)
Revolutionary Road (2008)
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

BEST MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Burn After Reading (2008)
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)
In Bruges (2008) (Editorial Note: husband D and I loved this film!)
Mamma Mia! (2008)
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR (DRAMA):
Leonardo DiCaprio for Revolutionary Road (2008)
Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Sean Penn for Milk (2008)
Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (2008)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS (DRAMA):
Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Angelina Jolie for Changeling (2008)
Meryl Streep for Doubt (2008)
Kristin Scott Thomas for Il y a longtemps que je t'aime (2008)
Kate Winslet for Revolutionary Road (2008)

BEST ANIMATED FILM - No surprises here!:
Bolt (2008)
Kung Fu Panda (2008)
WALL·E (2008)

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