celluloidnotes

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Tonya S. Holly is directing a remake of Arthur Penn’s Bonnie & Clyde. The film, tentatively titled The Story of Bonnie & Clyde, is being produced by Cypress Moon Studios. This would all be fine, it’s a classic film, this sort of thing happens. The giant disaster is that Holly and Cypress Moon are currently in talks with Kevin Zegers to play Clyde Barrows and Hillary Duff to play Bonnie.

When asked what they thought of Cypress Moon’s casting decisions ten out of ten people I know were outraged. Citing that the Arthur Penn film is a classic that should not be sullied by Duff’s smug face. Others cited that the film was done well once, why do it again. While others, who believe in the post-modern BS of the remake, said that this was the cultural equivalent of the “go-away” bomb. We can’t know any of these things for sure, all we do know is that this film will not be good.

[photo from The Playlist]

The backlash over Steven Spielberg’s planned American remake of the South Korean classic Oldboy. The rumors began last week that the film wasn’t going to happen, and it now appears that the film is in the same place it has been since the beginning. It is nothing more than talks at this point.

In a recent interview with Mtv News Smith revealed that the film is to be based upon the original Magna more so than that Park Chan-Wook film. I know I’m not the only one who thinks this is a huge mistake. The film was a lot darker than it’s source material and the film added a nice twist to the end. Talking about the project Smith told Mtv News, “It’s the thing that Steven was attracted to… We’re working from the comic and we haven’t done anything other than talk about it. So we’ll see what happens, but he’s not going to do anything that would be less than stunning.” We’ll see about that.
[The Playlist]

PICK OF THE WEEK:
The Class
dir. Laurent Cantet
Starring: François Bégaudeau

This film won the Golden Palm at Cannes this year and was a huge smash at the New York Film Festival. It seems to have been ignored by the Academy and the buzz seems to be dying a bit right now. But this film lives up to it’s huge buzz and is the film to see this week. Unless Elizabeth Banks and the next horrible horror film is more your cup o’ tea.

The Uninvited
dir. Charles Guard Thomas Guard
Starring: Emily Browning, Arielle Kebbel, Elizabeth Banks

Despite the obvious failure of this plot this film does have some star power, with Browning, Banks and ace David Strathairn it’s hard to see how this film isn’t going to poke into the Top Ten. But whether it’s worth a damn, that’s another story.

Taken
dir. Pierre Morel
Starring: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen

This thriller looks like it’s on the same path as last week’s Killshot, an interesting idea, a potential winner, and a potential dud. With Neeson taking the lead there is always the potential that this film will be a success. He’s a winner 8 times out of 10, according to us. Neeson plays an ex-spy who tries to track down his daughter who was kidnapped by slave traders while on vacation.

New in Town
dir. Jonas Elmer
Starring: Renée Zellweger, Harry Connick Jr., Nathan Fillion

The Neo-Depression films are in. Hollywood is looking for any way they can to remain relevant right now. But last time the social climate felt this way it wasn’t films about the social climate that made the hits. And that’s all their trying to do with this. Smells like another bomb from Hollywood here.

Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh
dir. Roberta Grossman

This documentary about Hannah Senesh, the WW-II poet, activist, and paratrooper, is the first to dig into her life. This looks fascinating, and is nearly the CellNotes pick of the week. If it weren’t for the wonderful The Class coming out this week, this would be the limited release to catch this week.

Last Week’s Top Ten:
1. Paul Blart: Mall Cop
2. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
3. Gran Torino
4. Hotel for Dogs (Movie for the Bored)
5. Slumdog Millionaire
6. My Bloody Valentine 3-D
7. Inkheart
8. Bride Wars
9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Buton
10. Notorious

The Oscar nominees are in. And as I’ve said previously, oy, it was kind of a weak year at the cinema. Glad to see that The Visitor, Frozen River, and Happy-Go-Lucky all earned a nomination. Roger Deakins earned another nomination this year. Maybe it will finally be his year to win an award. He always deserves it, but if he wins it this year it’d be like spitting in the face of all of the amazing films he’s shot.

Only real disappointments: no Wallace & Gromit for short animated film and no Synecdoche, New York for best screenplay, which I think probably deserves it. Though, look at the list, this is no place for experimentation. Especially this year. Also, what the hell happened in the supporting actor category? Heath Ledger and Robert Downey, Jr. Really? I guess.
Best Motion Picture of the Year
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Ceán Chaffin, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall
Frost/Nixon (2008): Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Eric Fellner
Milk (2008): Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks
The Reader (2008): Nominees to be determined
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Christian Colson

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Richard Jenkins for The Visitor (2007/I)
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 in a Leading Role
Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Angelina Jolie for Changeling (2008)
Melissa Leo for Frozen River (2008)
Meryl Streep for Doubt (2008/I)
Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Josh Brolin for Milk (2008)
Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder (2008)
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt (2008/I)
Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008)
Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road (2008)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams for Doubt (2008/I)
Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Viola Davis for Doubt (2008/I)
Taraji P. Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler (2008)

Best Achievement in Directing
Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Stephen Daldry for The Reader (2008)
David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Gus Van Sant for Milk (2008)

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Frozen River (2008): Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008): Mike Leigh
In Bruges (2008): Martin McDonagh
Milk (2008): Dustin Lance Black
WALL·E (2008): Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, Jim Reardon

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Roth, Robin Swicord
Doubt (2008/I): John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon (2008): Peter Morgan
The Reader (2008): David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Simon Beaufoy

Best Achievement in Cinematography
Changeling (2008): Tom Stern
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight (2008): Wally Pfister
The Reader (2008): Roger Deakins, Chris Menges
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Anthony Dod Mantle

Best Achievement in Editing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter
The Dark Knight (2008): Lee Smith
Frost/Nixon (2008): Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill
Milk (2008): Elliot Graham
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Chris Dickens

Best Achievement in Art Direction
Changeling (2008): James J. Murakami, Gary Fettis
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Donald Graham Burt, Victor J. Zolfo
The Dark Knight (2008): Nathan Crowley, Peter Lando
The Duchess (2008): Michael Carlin, Rebecca Alleway
Revolutionary Road (2008): Kristi Zea, Debra SchuttBest Achievement in Costume Design
Australia (2008): Catherine Martin
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Jacqueline West
The Duchess (2008): Michael O’Connor
Milk (2008): Danny Glicker
Revolutionary Road (2008): Albert Wolsky

Best Achievement in Makeup
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Greg Cannom
The Dark Knight (2008): John Caglione Jr., Conor O’Sullivan
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008): Mike Elizalde, Thomas Floutz

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Alexandre Desplat
Defiance (2008): James Newton Howard
Milk (2008): Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman
WALL·E (2008): Thomas Newman

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, Gulzar(”Jai Ho”)
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, Maya Arulpragasam(”O Saya”)
WALL·E (2008): Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman(”Down to Earth”)

Best Achievement in Sound
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, Mark Weingarten
The Dark Knight (2008): Ed Novick, Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Resul Pookutty
WALL·E (2008): Tom Myers, Michael Semanick, Ben Burtt
Wanted (2008): Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño, Petr Forejt

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
The Dark Knight (2008): Richard King
Iron Man (2008): Frank E. Eulner, Christopher Boyes
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Tom Sayers
WALL·E (2008): Ben Burtt, Matthew Wood
Wanted (2008): Wylie Stateman

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton, Craig Barron
The Dark Knight (2008): Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Timothy Webber, Paul J. Franklin
Iron Man (2008): John Nelson, Ben Snow, Daniel Sudick, Shane Mahan

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Bolt (2008): Chris Williams, Byron Howard
Kung Fu Panda (2008): John Stevenson, Mark Osborne
WALL·E (2008): Andrew Stanton

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (2008)(Germany)
Entre les murs (2008)(France)
Revanche (2008)(Austria)
Okuribito (2008)(Japan)
Vals Im Bashir (2008)(Israel)

Best Documentary, Features
The Betrayal - Nerakhoon (2008): Ellen Kuras, Thavisouk Phrasavath
Encounters at the End of the World (2007): Werner Herzog, Henry Kaiser
The Garden (2008/I): Scott Hamilton Kennedy
Man on Wire (2008): James Marsh, Simon Chinn
Trouble the Water (2008): Tia Lessin, Carl Deal

Best Documentary, Short Subjects
Conscience of Nhem En, The (2008): Steven Okazaki
Final Inch, The (2008): Irene Taylor Brodsky, Tom Grant
Smile Pinki (2008): Megan Mylan
Witness from the Balcony of Room 306, The (2008): Adam Pertofsky, Margaret Hyde

Best Short Film, Animated
La Maison en Petits Cubes: Kunio KatoUbornaya istoriya - lyubovnaya istoriya (2007): Konstantin Bronzit
Oktapodi (2007): Emud Mokhberi, Thierry Marchand
Presto (2008): Doug Sweetland
This Way Up (2008): Alan Smith, Adam Foulkes

Best Short Film, Live Action
Auf der Strecke (2007): Reto Caffi
Manon sur le bitume (2007): Elizabeth Marre, Olivier Pont
New Boy (2007): Steph Green, Tamara Anghie
Grisen (2008): Tivi Magnusson, Dorthe Warnø Høgh
Spielzeugland (2007): Jochen Alexander Freydank

The Razzies, that prestigious award that honors the year’s worst at the cinema, have announced this years nominees. It’s safe to suspect that these are the only awards these films will receive nominations for.

There are a few surprises in here. Ben Kingsley get a nom for his role in The Wackness is surprising. Many have been surprised by Indiana Jones getting a nomination, but I’m going to have go ahead and support that one. Anyhow, I’ll try not to bash films, as this award will do that for me. Leading the pack were a host of nominations for The Happening, The Hottie & The Nottie, The Love Guru, and Uwe Boll in general (who will receive the lifetime disaster award).

The nominations:

Worst Picture Nominations:
Disaster Movie & Meet the Spartans (double nominee from the same writer-directors)
The Happening
The Hottie & The Nottie
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
The Love Guru

Worst Actor Nominations:
Larry the Cable Guy, Witless Protection
Eddie Murphy, Meet Dave
Mike Myers, The Love Guru
Al Pacino, 88 Minutes & Righteous Kill
Mark Wahlberg, The Happening & Max Payne

Worst Actress Nominations:
Jessica Alba, The Eye & The Love Guru
The cast of The Women (Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and Meg Ryan)
Cameron Diaz, What Happens in Vegas
Paris Hilton, The Hottie & The Nottie
Kate Hudson, Fool’s Gold & My Best Friend’s Girl

Worst Supporting Actor Nominations:
Uwe Boll (as himself), Uwe Boll’s Postal
Pierce Brosnan, Mamma Mia!
Ben Kingsley, The Love Guru & War, Inc. & The Wackness
Burt Reynolds, Deal & In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
Verne Troyer, The Love Guru & Uwe Boll’s Postal

Worst Supporting Actress Nominations:
Carmen Electra, Disaster Movie & Meet the Spartans
Paris Hilton, Repo! The Genetic Opera
Kim Kardashian, Disaster Movie
Jenny McCarthy, Witless Protection
Leelee Sobieski, 88 Minutes & In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale

Worst Screen Couple Nominations:
Uwe Boll and any Actor, Camera, or Screenplay
Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher, What Happens in Vegas
Paris Hilton and either Christine Lakin or Joel David Moore, The Hottie and the Nottie
Larry the Cable Guy and Jenny McCarthy, Witless Protection
Eddie Murphy and Eddie Murphy, Meet Dave

Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off, or Sequel Nominations:
The Day the Earth Blowed Up Real Good
Disaster Movie and Meet the Spartans
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Speed Racer
Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Worst Director Nominations:
Uwe Boll, 1968: Tunnel Rats, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale and Uwe Boll’s Postal
Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, Disaster Movie and Meet the Spartans
Tom Putnam, The Hottie & the Nottie
Marco Schnabel, The Love Guru
M. Night Shyamalan, The Happening

Worst Screenplay Nominations:
Disaster Movie and Meet the Spartans
The Happening
The Hottie and the Nottie
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
The Love Guru

Worst Career Achievement:
Uwe Boll

PICK OF THE WEEK
Killshot
dir. John Madden
Starring: Thomas Jane, Diane Lane, Mickey Rourke

Killshot was originally predicted to be a film that was being considered for Oscar season, aided in no small part by Mikey Rourke, who is hot again, and definitely a favorite for Best Actor for his role in The Wrestler. It looks like a taut dramatic thriller, based on the novel by Elmore Leonard and produced by Tarantino. With it getting pushed back over and over again, and their decision to have “test market” screenings instead of press-screenings, it seems that the studio has very little confidence in this movie.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
dir. Patrick Tatopoulos
Starring: Rhona Mitra, Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy

I shouldn’t be excited about this. The second installment of this series was something of a disappointment, even if this is your cup o’ tea. Yet, there is something about this trailer (and it keeps popping up on TV and everywhere else I’m looking) that makes me want to give this a shot. How does it go? Fool me once shame on me. Fool me twice shame on me…you, well you can’t fool me a third time. (Eh, one last Bush joke before the door hits him in the ass…)

Inkheart
dir. Iain Softley
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Andy Serkis, Eliza Bennett

Oh boy, another fantasy kids film with Brendan Fraser…this ought to be quite different from the last one, I’m sure. Even die hard LOTR fans who eat up everything Serkis does can’t make this seem anything less than sub-par. So, it’s sure to do well in the theaters.

Outlander
dir. Howard McCain
Starring: James Caviezel, Sophia Myles, Ron Perlman

Jesus and Hellboy star in this adaptation of Pathfinder. Well, that’s not quite accurate. But it’s not far off. This film is about a war between Vikings and Aliens in the year 709. Based on a true story. Looks so bad I kind of want to see it.

Dealing and Wheeling in Small Arms
dir. Sander Francken

This documentary attempts to trace the impacts of small arms trade around the world. Looks fascinating. This is likely to be a great film that will receive no attention whatsoever. Not surprising, but timely and a film that more people should get out and see.

Donkey Punch
dir. Oliver Blackburn
Stars: Sian Breckin, Nichola Burley, Jaime Winstone

I believe I’ve post on this gem previously. Dear lord what did humanity do to deserve this idea? I’m not going to explain it. I’m sure you see the title and think, ‘there has to be something more to this.’ There isn’t. Trust me.

Of Time and the City
dir. Terence Davies

Honestly, I haven’t seen this film and I don’t know very much about it. But the trailer is very intriguing and looks like a film that will slip under the radar unless you write this one down. Truly looks like it could be one of the more interesting films released this winter/spring (when the cinema goes down the shitter).

Last Week’s Top Ten
1. Paul Blart: Mall Cop
2. Gran Torino
3. My Bloody Valentine 3-D
4. Notorious
5. Hotel for Dogs
6. Bride Wars
7. The Unborn
8. Defiance
9. Marley & Me
10. Slumdog Millionaire

New review up over at Tiny Mix Tapes of Carlos Reygada’s brilliant Silent Light.

Here’s a brief excerpt from the introduction:

From the first frame, Silent Light wraps you in its warm, naturalistic cinematography. The opening 10 minutes, marked by the profound blackness and the sound of crickets, typify the powerful, minimal mise en scène of director Carlos Reygadas. Stars slowly surface through the darkness as the camera pans the sky, settling on the horizon as the sun begins to rise behind two silhouetted trees. The soothing sounds of this lush plain begin to give way, turning the serene landscape into a tormented portrait of the natural world and ultimately of the characters within the film. Unseen cows begin to moo, and birds chirp frantically, lost in the shadowy trees. Slowly, the mooing begins to sound distressed. We wonder, is this what it sounds like when a cow screams? Yet the beauty of the shot lends an aura of inevitability to the scene. This is what the world looks and sounds like in the absence of humanity.

Thanks for reading, as always.

The BAFTA Nominees were just announced yesterday and there are no real surprises in here outside of the number of nominations that Burn After Reading has received, which was a notably weak Coen Brothers film. Slumdog Millionaire leads the pack with eleven nominations, and seems like a sure bet on British Film of the Year. Also somewhat notable is a fair amount of nominations for The Dark Knight. There has been a lot of speculation about what the nominations The Dark Knight have really meant in regards to the year in cinema, as the film will likely receive upwards of four nominations at this years Oscars (cinematography, editing, special effects, make-up, best supporting actor, best score). Now, The Dark Knight was surely a solid film, but is it really Oscar worthy? Was it that good, or is it a particularly weak year at the the theaters? It’s probably a little of both, when films like Burn After Reading, Tropic Thunder, and In Bruges continue to get nominations throughout awards season you can only hope that next year will bring something a little more substantial.

Anyhow, the nominees:

Best film
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Best British film
Hunger
In Bruges
Mamma Mia!
Man On Wire
Slumdog Millionaire

Leading actor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Leading actress
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Kristen Scott Thomas - I’ve Loved You So Long
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Supporting actor
Robert Downey Jr - Tropic Thunder
Brendan Gleeson - In Bruges
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Brad Pitt - Burn After Reading
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt

Supporting actress
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Freida Pinto - Slumdog Millionaire
Tilda Swinton - Burn After Reading
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

Director
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Milllionaire
Stephen Daldry - The Reader
Clint Eastwood - Changeling
David Fincher - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon

Original screenplay
Burn After Reading - Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
In Bruges - Martin McDonagh
I’ve Loved You So Long - Philippe Claudel
Milk - Dustin Lance Black
Changeling - J Michael Straczynski

Adapted screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Eric Roth
Frost/Nixon - Peter Morgan
The Reader - David Hare
Revolutionary Road - Justin Haythe
Slumdog Millionaire - Simon Beaufoy

Film not in the English language
The Baader Meinhof Complex
Gomorrah
I’ve Loved You So Long
Persepolis
Waltz With Bashir

Animated film
Persepolis
Wall-E
Waltz With Bashir

The Carl Foreman award for special achievement by a British director, writer or producer for their first feature film
Simon Chinn (Producer) Man On Wire
Judy Craymer (Producer) - Mamma Mia
!Garth Jennings (Writer) - Son of Rambow
Steve McQueen (Director/Writer) - Hunger
Solon Papadopoulos, Roy Boulter (Producers) - Of Time And The City

Music
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Alexandre Desplat
The Dark Knight - Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard
Mamma Mia! - Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus
Slumdog Millionaire - AR Rahman
Wall-E - Thomas Newman

Cinematography
Changeling - Tom Stern
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight - Wally Pfister
The Reader - Chris Menges, Roger Deakins
Slumdog Millionaire - Anthony Dod Mantle

Editing
Changeling - Joel Cox, Gary D Roach
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall
The Dark Knight - Lee Smith
Frost/Nixon - Mike Hill, Dan Hanley
In Bruges - Jon Gregory
Slumdog Millionaire - Chris Dickens

Production design
Changeling - James J Murakami, Gary Fettis
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Donald Graham Burt, Victor J Zolfo
The Dark Knight - Nathan Crowley, Peter Lando
Revolutionary Road - Kristi Zea, Debra Schutt
Slumdog Millionaire - Mark Digby, Michelle Day

Costume design
Changeling - Deborah Hopper
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Jacqueline West
The Dark Knight - Lindy Hemming
The Duchess - Michael O’Connor
Revolutionary Road - Albert Wolsky

Sound
Changeling - Walt Martin, Alan Robert Murray, John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff
The Dark Knight - Lora Hirschberg, Richard King, Ed Novick, Gary Rizzo
Quantum Of Solace - Eddy Joseph, Chris Munro, Mike Prestwood Smith, Mark Taylor
Slumdog Millionaire - Glenn Freemantle, Resul Pookutty, Richard Pryke, Tom Sayers, Ian Tapp
Wall E - Ben Burtt, Tom Myers, Michael Semanick, Matthew Wood

Special visual effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Eric Barba, Craig Barron, Nathan McGuinness, Edson Williams
The Dark Knight - Chris Corbould, Nick Davis, Paul Franklin, Tim Webber
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Pablo Helman
Iron Man - Shane Patrick Mahan, John Nelson, Ben Snow
Quantum Of Solace - Chris Corbould, Kevin Tod Haug

Make-up and hair
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Jean Black, Colleen Callaghan
The Dark Knight - Peter Robb-King
The Duchess - Daniel Phillips, Jan Archibald
Frost/Nixon - Edouard Henriques, Kim Santantonio
Milk - Steven E Anderson, Michael White

Short animation
Codswallop - Greg McLeod, Myles McLeod
Varmints - Sue Goffe, Marc Craste
Wallace And Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death - Steve Pegram, Nick Park, Bob Baker

Short film
Kingsland #1 The Dreamer - Kate Ogborn, Tony Grisoni
Love You more - Adrian Sturges, Sam Taylor-Wood, Patrick Marber
Ralph - Olivier Kaempfer, Alex Winckler
September - Stewart le Marechal, Esther May Campbell
Voyages D’Affaires (The Business Trip) - Celine Quideau, Sean Ellis

The Orange Rising Star Award (voted for by the public)
Noel Clarke
Michael Cera
Michael Fassbender
Rebecca Hall
Toby Kebbell

If between reading about Oscar prediction and Golden Globe “controversies” you have some time to catch a film here is what is happening this week.

PICK OF THE WEEK:
Chandni Chowk to China
dir. Nikhil Advani
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Chia Hui Liu

This film looks hilarious. Almost like a Stephen Chow film, but…more odd? I’t sbeing billed as the first Bollywood Kung-Fu comedy. How can you argue with that?

Notorious
dir. George Tillman Jr.
Starring: Jamal Woolard, Anthony Mackie, Derek Luke

This is definitely a film that, prior to the deluge of reviews, can go either way. The topic is certainly saturated; it’s a great story, a potentially great movie. But can Jamal Woolard really evoke Biggie? Jeffery Wright evoked Muddy Waters without looking a thing like him in the recent Cadillac Records, so there is hope. And there is sure to be a pretty decent soundtrack.

My Bloody Valentine 3-D
dir. Patrick Lussier
Starring: Jensen Ackles, Jaime King, Kerr Smith

The new slew of 3-D films continues to shit out of Hollywood. What should expect? Not much. Maybe some entertaining visuals, but the substance is most certainly going to be very thin.

Hotel For Dogs
dir. Thor Freudenthal
Starring: Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin, Lisa Kudrow

Oh god, is Lisa Kudrow still making films? Hasn’t she been in a lot of “dog” themed movies already? I believe the thematic meat of this film is really that Dreamworks is desperate and will make about anything right now. Kids, if you’ve ever wanted to write a film, now is the time.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop
dir. Steve Carr
Starring: Kevin James, Keir O’Donnell

Kevin James. Where I come from you might get hit for calling someone that. When was the last time Happy Madison put out a good film? This looks terrible. Like a bad Hot Fuzz.

Last Chance Harvey
dir. Joel Hopkins
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson

Remember when Dustin Hoffman used to make great films, every time? I do. (sniff) I do.

Cherry Blossoms
dir. Doris Dörrie
Starring: Elmar Wepper, Hannelore Elsner

Not finding a translated trailer. Report from the festivals: This is a great, heartbreaking film. See it.

Serbis
dir. Brillante Mendoza
Starring: Gina Pareño, Jaclyn Jose

A Filipino film that generated a lot of controversy at this year’s Cannes. This is a film that I will be at this week.

Top Ten:
1. Gran Torino
2. Bride Wars
3. The Unborn
4. Marley & Me
5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
6. Bedtime Stories
7. Valkyrie
8. Yes Man
9. Not Easily Broken
10. Seven Pounds

I couldn’t resist the urge to post this trailer and talk about this a little bit. This film, Donkey Punch, was a film that I was asked to review a little while ago. I read the description from the production company (Magnet Releasing):

Three women holidaying in Spain happen across three eager young men,and the six party on the men’s boat. However, everything goes wrongwhen one of the men, Josh (Julian Morris), goaded by his peers,performs a sex move known as a ‘donkey punch’ on one of the women,resulting in her death from a broken neck. The other five throw herbody overboard so as to avoid trouble from the police, but their ownfears and consciences soon fester away inside, before eventuallyerupting into violence.

I couldn’t possibly review the film (though, as I’m sure so many people have, I sent the one sheet to my friends), there is no way I could take this film seriously. Have we really, as a species, just completely fucking run out of ideas? This is what gets made now? And it’s not outlandish that the general premise (the absurdity of focusing a film around a ‘donkey punch’) could potentially be molded into something interesting (because the fact that a movie is being made about this says a lot about culture right now). If it is done right there could be an interesting commentary on society, but this film is not that. Whatever. Dumb films come out all the time, no reason this one should get me more worked up than any other, but it kind of does…