Awards Season 2008

[Antoine Doinel]

Followed closely by Penelope Cruz.

[domino harvey]

Both of which we knew before their films even came out

[The Paineful Truth]

Pardon my newbie butt in, but:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Milk
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

Revolutionary Road looks like its got a lock on both boring and depressing, so I guess it's as good as any to fill that slot. As for Milk, who knows if its really as good as its appearance on every list so far would indicate, or it's just there for it's value as a vehicle for affirmative action? Who knows?

I'd replace them with Doubt (for sure ) and Cadillac Records...or Rambo. And hey, there's still some stuff left to see this month.

I don't know what to do with The Dark Knight. I mean can a supporting actor's performance propel a whole movie to a nomination, or win? It's a good and enjoyable movie, but it's still a super hero movie after all, even if it does have some good dialogue and relevant social commentary in places. To wit:

"Because he thought it was good sport. Because some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn."--Alfred

Maybe best pic nom and a BSA win is enough for the major cats. (Anybody notice the music?)

[Jeff]

As for Milk, who knows if its really as good as its appearance on every list so far would indicate, or it's just there for it's value as a vehicle for affirmative action? Who knows?

Thousands of people have seen it, so it's not exactly an unknown quantity. I don't happen to think that it's one of the five best movies of the year, but it is very good. Despite the homophobia of a few of their members, it's right up the Academy's alley too.

Doubt is still a possibility, but it's more likely to get recognized solely for its performances. Cadillac Records doesn't have a shot at anything outside of Best Original Song.

[Antoine Doinel]

TIFF Best Canadian Films of 2008

The Toronto International Film Festival Group has selected the top 10 Canadian films of 2008.

The criteria for selection are defined as: "Each film must have either premiered at a major Canadian film festival or obtained a commercial theatrical release in Canada in 2008. The filmmaker must be a Canadian citizen or resident and have a history of working in Canada or on Canadian-financed films."

The top 10 are:
• Adoration, Atom Egoyan (Entertainment One/Seville Pictures, May 2009)
• Before Tomorrow, Marie-Hélène Cousineau and Madeline Piujuq Ivalu (Alliance Films, February 2009)
• Ce qu’il faut pour vivre (The Necessities of Life), Benoit Pilon (Entertainment One/Seville Pictures)
• C'est pas moi, je le jure! (It’s Not Me, I Swear!), Philippe Falardeau (Entertainment One/Seville Pictures)
• Fifty Dead Men Walking, Kari Skogland (TVA Films, Spring 2009)
• Heaven on Earth, Deepa Mehta (Mongrel Media)
• Lost Song, Rodrigue Jean
• Maman est chez le coiffeur (Mommy Is at the Hairdresser’s), Léa Pool (Equinoxe Films)
• La Mémoire des anges (The Memories of Angels), Luc Bourdon (National Film Board of Canada)
• Pontypool , Bruce McDonald (Maple Pictures, March 2009)

[exte]

Phoenix Film Critics Society announces

Best Picture
Slumdog Millionaire

Top Ten Films of 2008 (in alphabetical order)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
In Bruges
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
The Visitor
Wall-E
The Wrestler

Best Director
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role
Sean Penn, Milk

Best Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role
Meryl Streep, Doubt

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

Best Acting Ensemble
The cast of Milk

(winners in 19 more categories, after the cut)

Best screenplay written directly for the screen
In Bruges

Best screenplay adapted from another medium
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Live Action Family Film
High School Musical 3: Senior Year

Best Overlooked Film
In Bruges

Best Animated Film
Wall-E

Best Foreign Language Film
Let the Right One In

Best Documentary
Man on Wire

Best Original Song
“The Wrestler” from The Wrestler

Best Original Score
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Cinematography
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Film Editing
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Production Design
The Dark Knight

Best Costume Design
The Duchess

Best Visual Effects
The Dark Knight

Best Stunts
The Dark Knight

Breakout on Camera
Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire

Breakout Behind the Camera
Martin McDonagh, In Bruges

Best Performance by a Youth - Male
Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Performance by a Youth - Female
Dakota Fanning, Secret Life of Bees

[Barmy]

I think we're done on the acting Oscars: Poppy, Penn, Penelope and Pulseless.

[domino harvey]

Oh man, there's the New York Post headline right there

[tavernier]

Phoenix Film Critics Society announces

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

The first award I agree with.

[tavernier]

Oh man, there's the New York Post headline right there

I think you just outed Barmy's job.

[Jeff]

Here are the 49 songs eligible for the Best Original Song category. I like Springsteen's "The Wrestler" from Aronofsky's film, and “Little Person” from Synecdoche, New York a lot, but I'm expecting mostly crap to be nominated.

[tavernier]

Here are the 49 songs eligible for the Best Original Song category. I like Springsteen's "The Wrestler" from Aronofsky's film, and “Little Person” from Synecdoche, New York a lot, but I'm expecting mostly crap to be nominated.

How are they going to decide which 5 of those 11 High School Musical songs get nominated? 8-[ [-( :-k ](*,) #-o

[exte]

Didn't they outlaw that many after last year?

[domino harvey]

It's maximum of two per film now. But just FYI, get ready for the phrase "Oscar-nominee Miley Cyrus"

[exte]

The Austin Film Critics Association goes to the Dark side - Source: Variety:

Top 10 Films:

1. The Dark Knight
2. Slumdog Millionaire
3. Milk
4. Synecdoche, New York
5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
6. The Wrestler
7. Wall*E
8. Frost/Nixon
9. Let the Right One In
10. Gran Torino

* Picture: The Dark Knight
* Director: Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
* Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
* Actress: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
* Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
* Supporting Actress: Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* Original Screenplay: Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, New York
* Adapted Screenplay: Jonthan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
* Cinematography: Colin Watkinson, The Fall
* Original Score: James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmerman, The Dark Knight
* Foreign Language Film: Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma), Sweden
* Documentary Film: Man on Wire
* Animated Feature: Wall­-E
* Breakthrough Artist Award: Danny McBride, Pineapple Express/The Foot Fist Way/Tropic Thunder
* First Film: Nacho Vigalondo, Timecrimes (Los Cronocrímenes)
* Austin Film: Crawford

Down the coast, the San Diego Critics’ Society picks Slumdog - Source: Variety::

* Film: Slumdog Millionaire
Runner-up: The Dark Knight
* Foreign Language Film: Let the Right One In
* Documentary: Man on Wire
* Animated Film: Wall-E
* Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
* Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader
* Actor: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
* Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
* Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
* Original Screenplay: Tom McCarthy, The Visitor
* Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
* Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle, Slumdog Millionaire
* Production Design: Donald Graham Burt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* Editing: Chris Dickens, Slumdog Millionaire
* Score: A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
* Ensemble Performance: Frost/Nixon
* Body of Work for 2008: Richard Jenkins - The Visitor, Burn After Reading, Step Brothers, and The Tale of Desperaux
* Kyle Counts Award: The film program at the San Diego Central Library “for its outstanding contribution to film education and its commitment to eclectic and excellent free public film programs”

Heading east, the Phoenix Film Critics’ Society also rises for Slumdog - Source: Awards Daily:

Top Ten Films of 2008 (in alphabetical order)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
In Bruges
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
The Visitor
Wall-E
The Wrestler

* Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
* Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
* Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
* Actress: Meryl Streep, Doubt
* Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
* Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
* Acting Ensemble: Milk
* Original Screenplay: Martin McDonagh, In Bruges
* Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
* Live Action Family Film: High School Musical 3: Senior Year
* Overlooked Film: In Bruges
* Animated Film: Wall-E
* Foreign Language Film: Let the Right One In
* Documentary: Man on Wire
* Original Song: Bruce Springsteen, The Wrestler from The Wrestler
* Original Score: Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* Cinematography: Claudio Miranda, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* Editing: Chris Dickens, Slumdog Millionaire
* Production Design: Nathan Crowley, The Dark Knight
* Costume Design: Michael O’Connor, The Duchess
* Visual Effects: The Dark Knight
* Stunts: The Dark Knight
* Breakout on Camera: Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire
* Breakout Behind the Camera: Martin McDonagh, In Bruges
* Performance by a Youth - Male: Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Slumdog Millionaire
* Performance by a Youth - Female: Dakota Fanning, Secret Life of Bees

Next, the St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association pushes the Button - Source: Awards Daily:

* Picture: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
* Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
* Actress: Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
* Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
* Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Doubt
* Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
* Foreign Language Film: Slumdog Millionaire - U.K./U.S.A/India
* Documentary: Man On Wire
* Comedy: Burn After Reading
* Animated Film: Wall-E
* Most Original, Innovate or Creative Film: The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
* Cinematography: Mandy Walker, Australia
* Screenplay: Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
* Music: The Visitor
* Special Effects: The Dark Knight

And finally the Southeastern Film Critics Association (I’m skipping critics groups that only announced nominations):

Top Ten

1. Milk
2. Slumdog Millionaire
3. WALL-E
4. The Dark Knight
5. The Wrestler
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
7. The Reader
8. The Visitor
9. Frost/Nixon
10. Revolutionary Road

* Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Runner-up: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
* Actress: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Runner-up: Kate Winslet, The Reader
* Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Runner-up: Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
* Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Runner-up: Viola Davis, Doubt
* Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Runner-up: Gus Van Sant, Milk
* Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black, Milk
Runner-up: Robert D. Siegel, The Wrestler
* Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
Runner-up: Eric Roth and Robin Swicord, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* Foreign Language Film: Let the Right One In, Sweden
Runner-up: I’ve Loved You So Long, France
* Documentary: Man on Wire
Runner-up: Young@Heart
* Animated Feature: WALL-E
Runner-up: Kung Fu Panda

[tavernier]

It's maximum of two per film now.

That's good to know -- but happily, I try not to keep up with Oscar's rule updates.

[Jeff]

This one goes out to domino harvey...

Toronto Film Critics Association

BEST PICTURE
“Wendy and Lucy” (Mongrel Media)

Runners-up:
“Rachel Getting Married” (Mongrel Media)
“WALL*E” (Disney/Pixar)

BEST PERFORMANCE, MALE
Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”

Runners-up:
Sean Penn, “Milk”
Jean-Claude Van Damme, “JCVD”

BEST PERFORMANCE, FEMALE
Michelle Williams, “Wendy and Lucy”

Runners-up:
Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”
Meryl Streep, “Doubt”

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, MALE
Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”

Runners-up:
Josh Brolin, “Milk”
Robert Downey, Jr, “Tropic Thunder”
Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Doubt”

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, FEMALE
Rosemarie DeWitt, “Rachel Getting Married”

Runners-up:
Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Viola Davis, “Doubt”

BEST DIRECTOR
Jonathan Demme, “Rachel Getting Married”

Runners-up:
Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Andrew Stanton, “WALL*E”

BEST SCREENPLAY
Jenny Lumet, “Rachel Getting Married”

Runners-up:
John Patrick Shanley, “Doubt”
Peter Morgan, “Frost/Nixon”

BEST FIRST FEATURE
“Ballast”, directed by Lance Hammer

Runners-up:
“The Band’s Visit”, directed by Eran Kolirin
“Frozen River”, directed by Courtney Hunt

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
“Wall•E” (Disney/Pixar)

Runners-up:
“Kung-Fu Panda” (DreamWorks Animation)
“Persepolis” (Mongrel Media)
“Waltz with Bashir” (E1 Films)

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
“Let the Right One In” (Mongrel Media)

Runners-up:
“A Christmas Tale” (Seville Pictures)
“The Class” (Mongrel Media)
“I’ve Loved You So Long” (Mongrel Media)

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“Man on Wire” (Mongrel Media)

Runners-up:
“Standard Operating Procedure” (Mongrel Media)
“Up the Yangtze” (KinoSmith/EyeSteelFilm)

[domino harvey]

Heh. I'm not going to go look through dozens of posts about Twilight to find it again but there was an article on ONTD about Michelle Williams accepting Ledger's award, with her publicist denying she'd been contacted and more or less saying she wouldn't do it anyways. So who knows who's picking it up now

[Antoine Doinel]

The Onion AV Club

The Best

1. Wall-E
2. Rachel Getting Married
3. Synechdoche, New York
4. The Dark Knight
5. Milk
6. Paranoid Park
7. 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days
8. Man On Wire
9. Wendy & Lucy
10. Surfwise

The Worst

1. Witless Protection
2. The Happening
3. The Hottie & The Nottie
4. Meet Dave
5. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
6. Fireproof
7. Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden
8. In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
9. Good Dick
10. Religulous
11. Chapter 27
12. The Life Before Her Eyes
13. Nobel Son
14. Soul Men
15. The Eye
16. Indiana Jones & The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull
17. Smart People

[exte]

Rex Reed’s Top 10 Best Films of 2008:

1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2. Revolutionary Road
3. Rachel Getting Married
4. The Reader
5. Slumdog Millionaire
6. Frost/Nixon
7. Milk
8. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
9. The Visitor
10. Good

The 10 Worst Films of 2008

1. Synecdoche, New York
2. Burn After Reading
3. Paranoid Park
4. Funny Games
5. August
6. Mamma Mia!
7. Sex and the City
8. Speed Racer
9. Choke
10. Four Christmases
11. Equal year-end thorns, thistles and boos to My Blueberry Nights, Happy-Go-Lucky, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Wackness, Pineapple Express, Australia, Ghost Town and anything with Adam Sandler.

[Tom Hagen]

The Worst
1. Witless Protection

Their justification for this choice was so awesomely appropriate.

[lacritfan]

Here are the 49 songs eligible for the Best Original Song category. I like Springsteen's "The Wrestler" from Aronofsky's film, and “Little Person” from Synecdoche, New York a lot, but I'm expecting mostly crap to be nominated.

Three songs from Repo! The Genetic Opera are on the list. That's Repo! The Genetic Opera...featuring Paris Hilton.

[Jeff]

Three songs from Repo! The Genetic Opera are on the list. That's Repo! The Genetic Opera...featuring Paris Hilton.

The list is indicative only of eligibility, not of quality.

[swo17]

Rest assured, the list of the final five will not be indicative of quality either.

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

BEST PERFORMANCE, MALE
Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”

Runners-up:
Sean Penn, “Milk”
Jean-Claude Van Damme, “JCVD”

This is the greatest thing I've ever read.