Awards Season 2011

[Jeff]

I won't bother composing a complete list of guesses, since it would be very close to what Domino put. I think he's got the best picture contenders nailed. Same for the screenplays and supporting actresses. Director is probably right too. If the Academy does differ from DGA, I think it's probably Fincher that's in the weakest position. It wouldn't be unheard of for AMPAS to fill that fifth slot with someone like Malick or even Asghar Farhadi. Longshots to be sure. In actress, I'd probably pick both Mara and Theron in lieu of Tilda Swinton. For actor, I'd say that Michael Shannon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Demian Bechir, Gary Oldman, and even Ryan Gosling all have a better shot than Woody Harrelson. In supporting actor, Corey Stoll seems unlikely. Maybe Viggo, Patton Oswalt, or Nick Nolte?

[knives]

What was Harrelson in this year?

[Jeff]

What was Harrelson in this year?

Rampart opens at the end of this month, but got a one-week Academy-qualifying run in November specifically for Harrelson's performance.

[knives]

Wow, I've never even heard of that one.

[puxzkkx]

A * denotes a no-guts-no-glory prediction.

BEST PICTURE:
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" *
"The Help"
"Hugo"
"War Horse"
Alternate: "Moneyball"

BEST DIRECTOR:
Stephen Daldry, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" *
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"
Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"
Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"
Alternate: Steven Spielberg, "War Horse"

BEST ACTOR:
George Clooney, "The Descendants"
Leonardo DiCaprio, "J. Edgar"
Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"
Michael Shannon, "Take Shelter"
Alternate: Gary Oldman, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"

BEST ACTRESS:
Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis, "The Help"
Elizabeth Olsen, "Martha Marcy May Marlene" *
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams, "My Week with Marilyn"
Alternate: Tilda Swinton, "We Need to Talk About Kevin"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Kenneth Branagh, "My Week with Marilyn"
Albert Brooks, "Drive"
Armie Hammer, "J. Edgar" *
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Max von Sydow, "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" *
Alternate: Nick Nolte, "Warrior"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Bérénice Bejo, "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain, "Take Shelter" *
Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer, "The Help
Shailene Woodley, "The Descendants"
Alternate: Jessica Chastain, "The Help"

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" *
"Hugo"
"Moneyball"
"The Descendants"
"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" *
Alternate: "The Help"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
"50/50"
"A Separation"
"Midnight in Paris"
"Take Shelter" *
"The Artist"
Alternate: "Beginners"

[Matt]

American Society of Cinematographers nominees:

Guillaume Schiffman, The Artist
Jeff Cronenweth, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Robert Richardson, Hugo
Hoyte van Hoytema, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Emmanuel Lubezki, Tree of Life

I've only seen three of those films, but I can't argue with any of the nominations.

[Jeff]

American Society of Cinematographers nominees:

Guillaume Schiffman, The Artist
Jeff Cronenweth, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Robert Richardson, Hugo
Hoyte van Hoytema, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Emmanuel Lubezki, Tree of Life

I've only seen three of those films, but I can't argue with any of the nominations.

That's a great bunch. I've seen all five, and van Hoytema, Lubezki, Cronenweth, and Richardson are easily the four that would top my own ballot based on the 70ish films I saw last year. I suppose I understand the praise for that aspect of The Artist too, though Phedon Papamichael's work on The Descendants, Kaminski's on War Horse, or Robert Elswit's on Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol would have rounded out my list.

[swo17]

Is something like Oleg Mutu's work on My Joy even eligible? That would get my vote.

[mfunk9786]

Quentin Tarantino weighs in on his favorites, and least favorites, of the year

Quentin Tarantino’s official Top 11 of 2011

1. Midnight In Paris
2. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
3. Moneyball
4. The Skin I Live In
5. X-Men: First Class
6. Young Adult
7. Attack The Block
8. Red State
9. Warrior
10. The Artist / Our Idiot Brother (tie)
11. The Three Musketeers

Others considered in no particular order

50/50
Beginners
Hugo
The Iron Lady
Carnage
Green Hornet
Green Lantern
Captain America
The Descendants
My Week With Marilyn
Fast Five
The Tree Of Life
The Hangover Part II
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
The Beaver
Contagion
The Sitter
War Horse

Nice Try Award

Drive
Hanna
Drive Angry
Real Steel

Best Director

Pedro Almodovar
Bennett Miller
Woody Allen
Jason Reitman
Michel Hazanavicius

Best Original Screenplay

Midnight In Paris
Young Adult
Red State
Attack The Block
Our Idiot Brother
Beginners

Best Adapted Screenplay

Moneyball
The Skin I Live In
Carnage
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes
Hugo
X-Men: First Class

Worst Films

Sucker Punch
Potiche (Trophy Wife)
Miral
Insidious
Rampart
Straw Dogs
Paranormal Activity 3
Meek’s Cutoff

[Robert de la Cheyniest]

Red State is one of the year's best films and Meek's Cutoff is one of the worst? Suuuuuuuure QT

[matrixschmatrix]

Haha, Tarantino's like a sincere Armond White sometimes. Wouldn't have expected him to be a Woody Allen fan, though.

[mfunk9786]

He had Anything Else in his top 10 of the last decade.

[domino harvey]

Haha, Tarantino's like a sincere Armond White sometimes.

How so? Most if not all of the films Tarantino champions in that list were cheered here and elsewhere, it's hardly like he's saying the best film of the year was Prom

[matrixschmatrix]

Specifically, I was thinking of the 'nice try' section, which seems purpose designed to stir up shit

[Brian C]

Specifically, I was thinking of the 'nice try' section, which seems purpose designed to stir up shit

I don't think so. To me, it seems like it's simply a way to say, "Hey, I totally dig what you're trying to do with this film, but it didn't quite work for me." In other words, it comes across as a sincere "nice try" instead of Armond-esque smarm. I can't get through to the "Tarantino Archives" right now though, so maybe he explains more fully there and I'm wrong.

[Alan Smithee]

Tarantino's tastes have always been a little inexplicable. Three Musketeers? Anything Else? This is the man who feels it's really important to tell everyone how great Superman Returns is. This is the man who says the Richard Gere Breathless is better than Breathless. You can't blame the guy for being a little different though.

[knives]

He's right on that last point though.

[Cold Bishop]

I admit it... I find Breathless '83 more entertaining.

I don't know why this is so surprising. This is a guy who grew up valorizing trash cinema. Just because trash cinema has become mainstream shouldn't change that.

[Alan Smithee]

There are so many other reasons to prefer the original Breathless than just entertainment value. I don't think Tarantinos list is surprising as much as it is mediocre. There's some decent films on there and a lot of really bland, middling stuff. If it was trash like Drive Angry making his nice try list I think it would make more sense.

[Forrest Taft]

A lot of the participants at Dave Kehr's site were also quite fond of The Three Musketeers. I have to admit I'm rather curious to see it.

[knives]

There are so many other reasons to prefer the original Breathless than just entertainment value.

Like jump cuts, woowwo. Seriously though while Godard would become the better filmmaker McBride bested him at his own game with a film that managed to look back on film history, lovingly tease it, and work as an independent piece. The original Breathless really just has the editing and Belmondo's charisma to coast on. It's easily one of his worst versus the remake being one of McBride's best.

[domino harvey]

Don't make me turn this place into a car wash

[mfunk9786]

How much will it cost?

[Alan Smithee]

Well jump cuts aren't really something I normally point to as a selling point. "check out those jump cuts!" That's just a significant historical part of it. I prefer the attitude of Godards Breathless, I prefer the music, I prefer the hyper-reality of hit, I prefer Coutards photography, I prefer Jean Seberg and the greatest pixie cut ever worn buy a woman. Godards version for me captures a more foolish innocence.

[knives]

But does that make it better?