predictions 2012: how will costume design fare with nary a sandy powell in sight?
It’s a return to form for Oscar fave Peter Jackson, so the costumers’ guild will likely go gaga for The Hobbit. Yet, there’s considerable period and literary costuming in the mix and a double dose of the unstoppable Colleen Atwood. How will newcomers fare, particularly without a contender from category fave Sandy Powell in the mix? And will Terrence Malick actually release a film this year that could come into play here? Check out my thoughts on the upcoming Costume Design competition!
predictions 2012: can pixar make up for a bum 2011?
Look – we already know that Brave will more likely than not be a return to form for Pixar after last year’s unlikely misstep with Cars 2, but the real question will be whether or not it can crack the Best Picture crowd without a guaranteed 10-wide field. Boasting the studio’s first-ever leading female character, it’ll be interesting how box office receipts fare, but ideally she’ll rake it in and encourage future similar endeavors. The other big question mark for me is The Lorax. Sure, it’ll be a top 10 of the year entry, but will the so-so reviews translate to a nomination? Check out my year-ahead Best Animated Feature thoughts.
tops of 2011: the 25 best films
And it all ends, to borrow a tagline from one of my 25 favorite movies. Here are the best of the best of 2011 in one person’s humble opinion. Here I come 2012!
top 10s of 2011: best film leading actresses
Just two more categories to go in my countdown before I wave goodbye to 2011. And in a traditionally competitive category, we have the 10 ladies that contended for a nomination and win for my awards this year…
#1: Charlize Theron, Young Adult – C’mon, people. Whether your into comedy or drama, you have to admit that this performance was one for the ages. I knew that Charlize could make a powerhouse gritty drama work, but I always hoped she’d utilize her comedic gifts more. And clearly she’s got skills. Her Mavis is a completely damaged person with nary a redeemable quality in sight. She’s fascinating, darkly hysterical, and an incredibly written character.
#2: Vera Farmiga, Higher Ground – Again, I can’t say this enough. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, you must. It’s a surprisingly smart, preachy-less, respectful film about growth in religion and faith that just plain works. And Farmiga’s confidence in the project is evident in her performance as Corinne, the doting wife and mother who’s finding herself a new position in her congregation. Farmiga is typically astounding.
#3: Olivia Colman, Tyrannosaur – As a big fan of her bit-part work as the goofy Doris in Hot Fuzz, I was not expecting this. As the loving consignment store clerk Hannah who feels a connection with an angry violent type, Colman is so measured and so subtle. There’s so much to love about her delicate performance, and she has to be one of the purest of heart of the characters this year. Please let her do something like this again!
#4: Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin – Let’s be real. Swinton can do no wrong. And Kevin is no exception. Though the material is a bit touchy, Swinton has no trouble painting a complicated character with at times questionable and at other times sympathetic tendencies. From scene to scene Tilda commands the material with incredible expertise, despite what you may think of the movie as a whole.
#5: Mia Wasikowska, Jane Eyre – The girl is going places. After starting out with a big-budget blockbuster of questionable quality, she’s forayed that into several impressive little parts in wonderful movies (namely Kids Are All Right and this). Sure, the Bronte story has been done before many times, but Wasikowska and her co-star are brilliant chemistry-wise, and Mia is nuanced and breathtaking in her own way.
#6: Viola Davis, The Help – Much has been made of her performance, the film itself, and her surprise loss at the Oscars, but one thing’s certain in my eyes. On further viewings, Davis’s role as Aibileen, the downtrodden housekeeper with a rich past and story to tell, is performed beautifully. One viewing might not register the intricate details the gifted actress instills in the character. So watch it again, and throw the woman a bone, if you’re a naysayer.
#7: Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids – Though she’s gotten crap for her over-exposure and over-use on SNL (which in my mind is an “if you’ve got it, flaunt it” situation – she happens to be the show’s anchor, so why wouldn’t she be used frequently), no one can deny her big-screen coming out party had a lasting effect. Annie is a strangely relatable and comedic gold type that is atypical of most ensemble comedies of this nature. A groundbreaker that wasn’t expected.
#8: Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn – What seemed like it could be her big winning break with Oscar now that she’s become a frequent invitee, it didn’t quite pan out. But let’s not forget that her take on Marilyn was somehow both spot-on and completely her own. She didn’t impersonate tics and phrases; she fully impersonated the spirit of her character. Not that we should be surprised after seeing her in Wendy and Lucy and Blue Valentine.
#9: Jodie Foster, Carnage – The movie didn’t gain much traction outside of a couple stray Globe nods, but it’s a pity more wasn’t made of this return to excellence from Jodie Foster. Not since Contact, really, has Foster reminded us of why she was considered one of the best of her generation. And stepping out of the box for the uptight control freak in Carnage, it’s a breathtaking reminder. Doesn’t hurt that she’s best in show.
#10: Monia Chokri, Heartbeats – The French-Canadian indie romance provided a lot of entertainment, and no part more so than Chokri, whose quirky best friend was awkwardly funny and stylish and the perfect yin to Xavier Dolan’s yang. Her doe-eyed stares and sneakily brilliant spoken and unspoken competition for the person of interest’s attentions is both actorly impressive and a great joy to watch.
top 10s of 2011: best film leading actors
As my annual best-of comes nearer and nearer to a close, I present to you the last of the male actors, the leading stars of the movies for 2011…
#1: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50 – This was a tough call, as the performances in this arena were so varied, but perhaps my most pleasant surprise, as well as my favorite leading actor performance of the year, was easily Gordon-Levitt. As someone who felt Zooey stole the show in 500 Days, I was readily impressed with his ability to amuse and muster up considerable emotion as the cancer-ridden central character.
#2: Hunter McCracken, The Tree of Life – It was a close call. The completely green young actor was so incredibly believable as the arguable central focus of this artsy epic, his performance rivaled his adult co-stars’. Though it’s entirely possible we may never see him in anything else, McCracken was a quiet, subtle scene-stealer, and his starkly different relationships with both Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain made for a thoroughly auspicious debut.
#3: Ryan Gosling, Drive – I think all those out there in the blogosphere will agree that Drive was a stylistic and story-telling triumph. But thanks to its uber-talented leading star, the quiet, disturbing role of The Driver, a stunt man with a brooding personality and a protective mentality with his young neighbor, Gosling excelled with nary a piece of dialogue in sight.
#4: Joel Courtney, Super 8 – Speaking of auspicious debuts in believable, lived-in performances, heading up a rather impressive cast of kids in the ’80s-traditional Super 8, I was just as surprised as anyone that the very green cast played so well with hardly any adult supervision on screen. Courtney’s portrayal of Joe Lamb, the nerdy, monster-makeup-loving youngster who falls in with some alien trouble, is fantastic, and the product of some great natural instincts and direction.
#5: Anton Yelchin, Like Crazy – Rounding out my unusually young nominee slate in this category is Yelchin, whose heartbreaking take on the long-distance boyfriend with little hope for the future of his relationship, demands much of his abilities of expression, with little dialogue to throw around in many key scenes. Don’t get me wrong – Felicity Jones was fantastic and clearly could be a bright new star – but Yelchin stole the show for me.
#6: Michael Fassbender, Jane Eyre – People went gaga for Shame, and a few went for Dangerous Method, but in Fassbender’s mammoth year as the busiest man in movies, I was most impressed with his work as Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre. His incredibly chemistry with stellar Mia Wasikowska and his darkly mysterious aura kept me interested. This one definitely demands some repeat viewings to appreciate fully.
#7: Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – We’ve all seen Oldman go nuts with the scenery chewing – see Dracula or Air Force One for the proof – but who knew the endlessly entertaining actor could be so effective in the role of virtually silent George Smiley. The cool effect of his glances and his even-tempered performance made him a formidable lead of a fantastically assembled cast.
#8: Jean Dujardin, The Artist – The eventual Oscar winner certainly wasn’t overrated. As the star of the innovative Artist (okay, maybe that’s the wrong word, as it banked on the past, but still…) Dujardin remarkably made a lasting impression when the film itself could’ve easily been the star. A charmer and an expressive performer, he made his George Valentin a future classic character.
#9: Brad Pitt, Moneyball – He’s certainly had an excellent year. One that, I’d argue, is quickly becoming the pinnacle of his famed career. Delivering two of his best performances within months of each other is something I don’t recall seeing since Nicole Kidman in 2001. But thanks to Billy Beane, the charming, if sometimes demanding, manager of the central baseball team, Pitt was able to use his own natural talents to an effective extent. It may feel like it’s just Pitt playing Pitt, but methinks that’s just a testament to how well he’s doing here.
#10: Matt Damon, We Bought a Zoo – The movie didn’t receive any awards attention, had mediocre box office results, and reviews that were tepid at best. And I certainly don’t understand it. I found the film, and particularly Damon’s typically wonderful performing, a treat – a surprisingly potent combination of adorable funnies and truth-ringing familial drama. Damon hasn’t seemed to miss a beat as he ages into a mature actor, and this is just another example of that.
top 10s of 2011: best film supporting actresses
The fun keeps coming – now that the supporting actors are out of the way, it’s time for the traditionally competitive supporting actress area. There were some tough calls this year, but some female ensembles truly excelled…
#1: Jessica Chastain, The Help – What a debut. Breaking out onto the scene in an incredible year, you’d think a newbie with such beauty and red-carpet glamor would be a throwaway pretty face, but instead she delivered one startlingly different performance after another. And this one was my definite favorite. As Celia Foote, she takes the “dumb blonde” routine beyond the silliness and creates a character with a lot of heart and surprising depth.
#2: Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids – Easily one of the toughest calls of the year, McCarthy clearly was a favorite. Ever since falling for her as Sookie St. James on Gilmore Girls, I’ve wanted her to get some props. And at the prime of life, Melissa is a comedic force beyond many of her more traditionally starworthy peers. In Bridesmaids, McCarthy is clearly outrageous and hilarious, but she’s also surprisingly enough the most grounded lady of the bunch.
#3: Anjelica Huston, 50/50 – She’s got a pretty minimal role in the surprisingly heartfelt comedy, but she works her magic on each scene she’s present for. As the overbearing but well-meaning mother of a cancer patient, Huston is so familiar and so typically great. Though she’s got a regular TV role now, I’m thinking that she wasn’t really all that far off from an Oscar nod this year, so let’s hope she makes a return to the big-screen very soon.
#4: Octavia Spencer, The Help – She got all the accolades this year for her turn as the mouthy yet vulnerable southern gal Minny in The Help, and, though she didn’t make my top three spots, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the underused character actress take such a dominant role to task. She plays so well with Viola Davis and Jessica Chastain, making me hope for more return trips to big, talented female cast chemistry.
#5: Anna Kendrick, 50/50 – I had my doubts. After Up in the Air gave us another young actress who pulled out a killer performance, it seemed like it’d be quite easy for Kendrick to fall into the “one and done” syndrome rampant in so many young actresses. But thanks to 50/50, she’s proven that she’s a performer who makes smart decisions and has incredible wit when it comes to awkward comedy.
#6: Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life – So close, Jessica. So close to that rare double nod. But her co-star and the 50/50 women pushed her out. Which is not to say that Chastain’s polar opposite, quiet delicacy take on the mother in the groundbreaking Tree of Life wasn’t fantastic. She’s so gut-wrenching with so little to physically say, and her work with the young actors is totally believable.
#7: Vera Farmiga, Source Code – Surprised? So was I. Not only was the early-year release Source Code a strangely compelling and underrated flick, but it also boasted a performance that went above and beyond necessity in Vera Farmiga. As a potentially flat plot-mover keeping Jake Gyllenhaal’s storyline going, Farmiga bucks the trend instills some great instinctual tics to what could’ve been a bland portrayal.
#8: Helen McCrory, Hugo – In a movie that excelled in the visual arena, it was unclear whether any particular performance would stand out above the beautiful noise. And in a surprising turn, a British character actress outdid the bigger names to become the true heart of the days-gone-by central plotline. McCrory is brilliant as the former leading lady and steps beyond the “wife by my side” prototype.
#9: Bryce Dallas Howard, The Help – I’ll be honest: Sometimes Bryce Dallas Howard makes me nervous. Having been unearthed in a couple of M. Night Shyamalan’s most reviled movies, it’s easy to forget that she does actually have talent. And amongst the many players in The Help, she doesn’t attempt to make her villainous Hilly likable or redeemable – which is strangely admirable. She’s cold and cruel, and she’s pivotal to everyone’s arcs.
#10: Judy Greer, The Descendants – Talk about your small but impressive parts. As a big fan of Greer since her days as the hysterical Kitty Sanchez, I’m so glad she managed to find a high-profile, surprisingly meaty role as the aloof wife of Clooney’s wife’s cheating partner. Greer only has a couple of scenes to impress, but she milks them effectively. She’s able to muster up what the rest of the cast has more than three times the screen time in which to do so.
top 10s of 2011: best film supporting actors
Let’s get the ball rolling on the film categories! As the best of television has come to a close, there are only a few more categories to go before I focus my sights on 2012. So I’m just going to relish in the end-of-year fun a bit longer, starting with the best supporting actors…
#1: Christopher Plummer, Beginners – Yep, I’m going to have to concur with the Academy on this one. Plummer has been around the block, but never before quite like this. As a dying father rediscovering himself in his 80s, the actor truly stretched himself to an endearing and revelatory result. It’s always nice to see an Oscar win for a senior star that has nothing to do with a lifetime achievement and everything to do with the greatness of this particular role.
#2: Brad Pitt, The Tree of Life – I will admit – this was a close one. The typically weak Supporting Actor category was invigorated by two seeming career-best performances, and Pitt goes completely out of his element as an aggressive, dark-hearted ’50s poppa. His interplay with his on-screen youngsters is inspired, and he’s hit his career stride in 2011.
#3: Corey Stoll, Midnight in Paris – What a great embodiment. Beyond just mere mimicry, Stoll has picked up on the sheer spirit of Hemingway, namely in that backseat scene with Owen Wilson. He’s dry and wordy and incredibly funny. He’s been around a while, but clearly this is his big breakthrough. I’m excited to see what he does next. Woody Allen has done him some favors, that’s for sure. A standout in an stellar cast – no easy feat.
#4: John Hawkes, Higher Ground – For those few of you who actually saw this movie (shame, really) you might be wondering why I’ve chosen such a minimal role in my top 5. It’s a role that easily could’ve been phoned in by any actor. But Hawkes is so reluctant to let himself fall into that, and it’s made evident in his performance as a loving but often-anger-drive father. And that scene late in the movie with Donna Murphy is pure facial expression brilliance.
#5: Laramie Eppler, The Tree of Life – First thing’s first – how is this kid not related to Brad Pitt? The casting on this movie is out of this world. Second, how great was this year for young male actors? After last year’s wonderful octogenarian set (Duvall in Get Low, Guilbert in Please Give) we got the opposite in this year’s crop. Eppler masters his limited dialogue with startlingly realistic responses, particularly with on-screen brother Hunter McCracken.
#6: Colin Firth, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – One of the great casts of 2011, Tinker offered up some great departures from many of its actors. Firth abandoned his usual endearing self seen in Love Actually and King’s Speech in favor of this shady character who’s equal parts charm and smarm. Like everything else in this film, it’s subtle to be sure, but Firth uses his vaguely shrouded character to great effect, particularly in the latter half of the movie.
#7: John Hawkes, Martha Marcy May Marlene – The stellar year for Hawkes continues with this total opposite character. As the persuasive leader of a quietly evil commune, he’s charming and convincing, making his role within the cult all the more eerie and disturbing. From his interactions with Elizabeth Olsen’s title character to his serenading in the barn, Hawkes is subdued, but uses his craggy looks and sinister smile to harrowing effect.
#8: Patton Oswalt, Young Adult – Sure, he relied on his real-life persona at times in this painfully funny movie, but his lonesome loser was so convincing and so endearing that by the time the film reaches its character climax, nothing about it seems strange. Oswalt is a Jiminy Cricket to Theron’s Mavis, granted with a slightly rumpled suit. Though he spews out funnies throughout the duration, his Matt is heartbreaking and meaningful.
#9: Benedict Cumberbatch, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – He’s starting to get his footing as, at the very least, a recognizable face stateside. In his two major movie roles this year, the other being in War Horse, he shows incredible range and promise. And having seen him in Stuart a Life Backwards last year, I can tell he’s a future talent for the Brits. In Tinker, he plays very well with Oldman and makes his most powerful scene believable, beautiful, and a punch to the gut.
#10: Andy Serkis, Rise of the Planet of the Apes – Let’s throw Andy Serkis a bone. His Gollum was iconic, his King Kong was humanizing, and now his Cesar is a little of both. I was as shocked as the rest of you that this movie ended up being so excellent. On its face it seemed like a bad idea. But thanks to the lived-in performance as an ape reaching a new level of sentience, Serkis continues his stellar filmography. It’s not as memorable as Gollum, but then again, it’s virtually dialogue-free.
top 10s of 2011: best television series
Getting back to my countdown of the best of last year, we’ll round out the television areas with the top prize – the 10 best series of 2011. And believe me when I say, as someone who watches excessive amounts of TV, making this list is no easy feat:
2nd annual film bloggers’ choice awards: WINNERS
It just dawned on me that the Oscars had come and gone and the winners of the Bloggers’ Choice Awards were still mum. Well here they are, ladies and gents! How will last year’s eight wins for Black Swan and five wins for Best Picture winner The Social Network be followed up?
top 10s of 2011: tv leading actors
Though there’s often a drought of exceptional leading actor performances out there, with the ever-expanding onslaught that is cable, options are everywhere, and these were my favorite of the lead gents:
#1: Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights – Though NBC was hesitant to give this show its proper full run, thank goodness for DirecTV’s confidence in this quality drama, easily one of the all-time best. Sporting magnificent chemistry with on-screen wife Connie Britton and a sneakily soft-hearted approach to his coaching style, coach Eric could’ve been one-note, but Chandler made him a father, husband, and mentor, among many other facets. For me, he scores his second win in this category in a row!
#2: Steve Carell, The Office – It’s frankly amazing that NBC was able to hang on to the burgeoning star for so many years, but thank goodness we got seven seasons of Michael Scott. The Office boasts a great supporting cast, but Carell has always been the leader of the pack. His timing is obviously fantastic, and his swan song, namely his sunset walk with Holly Flax and the final Dundees (tear), made for one great send-off.
#3: John Krasinski, The Office – The poor man is one of the losingest people ever at my humble little awards show (been nominated in this category the past seven years in a row sans win), but that’s not to say that Jim Halpert hasn’t brought the even-tempered, subdued humor week after week, keeping the often over-the-top Dunder Mifflin antics a little grounded in the madness. And he’s taken the reins of leading the cast without Carell quite nicely. Maybe next year Jimmy!
#4: Ed O’Neill, Modern Family – His Jay Pritchett serves a similar function as Krasinski’s – amidst the mayhem of the big performers around him, he’s the quiet force that manages to pull out the most intelligent and most even-mannered laughs consistently. He’s come a long way from the hammy, goofball Al Bundy, and I couldn’t be happier. And anyone that can make his May-December on-screen marriage seem so totally natural is a talent indeed.
#5: Oliver Platt, The Big C – Though it’s unclear what his role will be in season three of the show, Platt managed to take a character that could’ve been easily one-note – the sideline husband to the central, cancer-stricken character – and made it an interesting take on real-life struggles of today. The writers blessed him with a job-loss storyline, and he handled it with great realism.
#6: Lucas Neff, Raising Hope – A nominee last year, he just barely missed the mark for 2011. In one of the best casts on TV (that isn’t even getting watched, no less) he’s the central character, the doltish lug who’s tryst with a serial killer left him and his white trash family with a bundle of joy to raise. Jimmy Chance is sweet-natured and well-meaning, and he’s got one of the best and most buyable on-screen parental relationships with mom and dad Bert and Virginia.
#7: Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory – Though the show has exploded in popularity the last few years, Big Bang had a little dip in 2010 and even early 2011. But an infusion of great new material and a resurgence in the brilliant cast’s performing has made Parsons a great new version of himself playing Sheldon Cooper. His interactions with castmates Mayim Bialik and, as always, Kaley Cuoco, totally make the show for me.
#8: Sean Bean, Game of Thrones – It’s indeed hard not to talk about the character without incredible amounts of spoiler alerts, but I’ll do my best. Ned Stark is such a stock-seeming character amidst a cast of dozens of medieval players. But as the family man with an even head and a good heart, he’s the only one offsetting the conniving, evil tendencies of the people around him. It’s great to see Bean, who had an evil sideline role himself in Lord of the Rings, play the hero, and he does it so well.
#9: Damian Lewis, Homeland – Though Claire Danes often owns the show, it’s surprising how believable Brit Lewis is as the mysterious American soldier she’s investigating. From bad decision to worse decision, he’s taken a ride by Danes’s Carrie, and the sinister secrets hiding behind his eyes are made evident by the nuanced performance he gives. The leads in this show work wonders with the great teleplays, and Lewis is a big part of that.
#10: Will Arnett, Up All Night – Though it’s been written off as a throwaway one-season sitcom, a supremely talented cast makes what could’ve been a tedious concept at least at times uproariously funny. And it’s arguably only gotten better as the 2011-12 year has progressed. In a breath of fresh air, Gob Bluth himself plays Chris as a decent, happy, loving human being – which is kind of a departure from Arnett’s usual tactless schemers. He and Applegate make a great TV couple, and I think that you all should consider tuning in to see why.
Journalistic Skepticism 