At some point yesterday you may have noticed The King's Speech was having one of those weeks: A bunch of award nominations on Monday followed by a bundle of anti-MPAA goodwill gift-wrapped and delivered on Tuesday. And then came... this, the first American poster for the Weinstein Company's Best Picture thoroughbred. Looks like someone needs needs more than just speech therapy.
I haven't seen Waiting For "Superman", director Davis Guggenheim's documentary about America's failing public school system -- and the possible solutions that may be found in more exclusive, smaller charter schools, particularly in urban areas. But Lord knows I've heard about it, from rhapsodies at the Toronto Film Festival to stratospheric praise at Rotten Tomatoes to Oprah Winfrey's two -- two! -- WFS showcases. Even the President is on the bandwagon, which has careened toward next February's Oscar finish line at the front of the documentary pack. At least until this week, anyway.
All is mostly calm as the second month of Movieline's Oscar Index commences -- mostly, that is, unless you're at the top of three of the four acting categories and/or trying to get your embattled African-American ensemble drama through stolid barriers of critical mass. Otherwise, it's just hunches, gossip and word-of-mouth business as usual. Let's talk it over.
Better late than never for Halle Berry, who officially threw her wig in the Oscar race yesterday on behalf of the indie Frankie & Alice. The "'70s-set psychological drama," which the actress co-produced, features Berry as a woman battling multiple-personality disorder; photos snapped on the set months ago showcase her half-nude character raving through the streets, so you know she's not messing around. Except, that is, when it comes to distribution.
AMPAS officially confirmed this afternoon that Jean-Luc Godard will most definitely not attend next month's Governors Award, where the filmmaker is set to receive an honorary Oscar. This was a foregone conclusion weeks ago when the French New Wave legend went AWOL upon his award's announcement, then blew off the ceremony despite the Academy's insistence he'd attend. Godard does apparently want the statuette, which will be shipped to him in Switzerland and swiftly, surely and proudly welded to the hood of his Hyundai. [TOH]
A month into fall movie season means a month into Movieline's Oscar Index, your regular one-stop, fool-proof, carefully metered and weighed survey of the ongoing awards race. A few new players enter the mix this week, including a pair of legends joining the supporting player sweepstakes. But do they have a shot? Show your work..
As the Movieline Oscar Index has proved, it's never too early to start awards season. Independent Filmmaker Project announced its nominees for the 20th anniversary edition of the Gotham Independent Film Awards today and they basically confirm that Winter's Bone and The Kids Are All Right are the indie-est films of 2010. Click ahead to see the full complement of nominees.
Spikes and slides continue four weeks into Movieline's Oscar Index, with today's edition witnessing the rewards of a carefully timed rating controversy and/or Oscar-qualifying run. And there's plenty more movement to chronicle in the Big Six categories; have a look after the jump and let's talk it out below.
The For Colored Girls awards train has made its latest whistle stop, with director Tyler Perry today passing along his latest message to fans eager to know more about his all-star Oscar hopeful. To wit: It's very good! Also: You do not actually need to fulfill the title criteria to enjoy or appreciate the film. Color me relieved!
The latest edition of the 2010 Oscar Index at the end of a relatively quiet week of awards buzz, with old favorites holding strong, a few new upstarts cracking the race and just about everyone else waiting to see what the Coens, David O. Russell and Tyler Perry (yes, that Tyler Perry) have up their sleeves. Read on for the latest rankings.
The biggest shock about The Social Network -- beyond the fact that it pretty much lives up to the hype and will easily rank among the best films released in 2010 -- is how brilliantly it marries performance and technology to create Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. The Greek god-like Olympians were always going to be The Social Network's trickiest illusion, but director David Fincher, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, co-stars Armie Hammer and Josh Pence, and the visual effects team help make the twins into two distinct-but-identical beings. Still, will their collaborative effort be undone come awards time by something as innocuous as bad breath?
"If the over-60 Academy members fail to note that The Social Network is a brilliant, whippersnapper Citizen Kane-level movie about the Realm of the Now (and the Very Recent) that addresses CLASSIC THEMES, what am I supposed to do about it? Send them a complimentary month's supply of Depends? I'll tell you what SHOULD be done about it. All past-it, over-the-hill geezers should be COMPASSIONATELY EXPELLED FROM THE ACADEMY. [...] What did George S. Patton (George C. Scott) do when he found a mule obstructing his troops in Italy? He shot the mule and had him thrown over the side of a bridge." Jeffrey Wells, ladies and gentlemen! That shouldn't polarize this weekend's Academy screening at all. [Gold Derby]
We all knew it was coming, and finally it's arrived: Sony Pictures Classics is distributing awards screeners for its instant classic Animal Kingdom, accompanied by T-shirts bearing the likeness of Supporting Actress hopeful Jacki Weaver. Don't think this won't find favor among the keepers of the Oscar Index. Also: Can I have one? Click through for full-size.
Another busy cycle of hype, hurdles and more Oscar madness has come and gone, leading to an all-new edition of Moveline's 2010 Oscar Index. This week, the Coen Brothers throw their weathered cowboy hats in the ring, The Social Network builds full steam toward Friday's opening, and a handful of would-bes slide into the morass of also-rans. Read on, and let's break it down.
Oscarology has never quite been what anyone would call an exact science. Hype is often too volatile a substance to mix or study accurately, and emotions run far too high among critics, fans and the Academy voters themselves to get a stable read on films' chances during awards season. But the gang at Movieline Labs have developed the most objective* means yet of measuring Oscar hopefuls.
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