Right back where (or at least when) it belongs, it’s the 5th Annual White Elephant Blogathon! The brainchild of Lucid Screening’s Ben Lim, who has since moved on to work for the good folks at The Criterion Collection (www.criterion.com), White Elephant has quickly become a yearly tradition for the blogosphere’s most fearless and foolhardy souls. In case you’re new to the whole White Elephant thing, here are the rules as laid down by Ben back in ’07:
1) Submit the title of a movie that you want someone else to review (preferably something available via Netflix).
2) Review the movie that you get assigned and post the review on April 1.
3) Have fun!
This year’s crop of movies is more eclectic than it’s ever been, with some notorious garbage, some cult favorites and curiosities, and even a handful of legitimate classics in the bunch, although there will no doubt be some debate over which movies fall under which category.
So instead of playing a prank that could jeopardize your job or land you in hot water with your significant other, celebrate April Fool’s Day by checking out this year’s White Elephant reviews.
I'll be updating this list over the next few days, so check back throughout the weekend to sample the goodness the White Elephant has to offer this year.
Now, without further ado, this year's White Elephant lineup!
Simon Abrams hangs with Ice-T in Surviving the Game!
Jim Bach tackles Southland Tales!
Kent Beeson witnesses the epic battle of the ‘Stache vs. the Tongue in Runaway!
Josh Bell gets stung by Scorpion Thunderbolt!
Andrew Bemis goes running with The Devils!
Christianne Benedict gets tangled up in Exte: Hair Extensions!
Steven Carlson shudders at the touch of Myra Breckinridge!
I go back- wayyyyyyyyyy back- in time with Caveman!
KC Costanzo tears the cover off Unmasking the Idol!
Dennis Cozzalio argues for (or against) The Life of David Gale!
Jose Cruz goes pro with Amateur!
Andy Fernandez orders up Le Boucher!
Jaime Grijalba recibe ordenado por El Cardenal! (note: in Spanish)
Ivan Lerner gets into Big Trouble!
Matt Lynch walks the plank with Cutthroat Island!
Michael May recounts The Legend of Boggy Creek!
Ripley McCoy does the bedpan two-step with Patch Adams!
Victor J. Morton IS Cool As Ice!
Joe Neff powers up with Electric Dragon 80000V!
Cole Roulain gets Three O’Clock High!
Caroline Shapiro looks into Feeding Boys, Ayaya!
Stacia investigates the mysteries of Deadlier Than the Male!
Philip Tatler takes on Triumph of the Will!
Patrick Williamson says Welcome Home, Soldier Boys!
Bryce Wilson cracks open the Diary of a Cannibal!
Friday, April 01, 2011
White Elephant Blogathon 2011: My Review of Caveman (Carl Gottlieb, 1981)
When I learned that I would be reviewing Caveman this year’s White Elephant Blogathon, I was relieved to draw a movie that I could actually watch with my fiancée and kid, unlike so many movies I’ve reviewed in the past. Yet at the same time, I was a little conflicted about the movie itself. I knew that I had seen it as a child, but I was hard-pressed to remember much about it, aside from the phrase “zug-zug,” which seems to be Caveman’s best-known bit. Moreover, I was a little uneasy about reviewing a movie of such modest ambition, since while it would be an easy sit, there isn’t a whole lot of meat on the movie to which one can apply critical insight, much less write something of interest to more than a handful of people.
Caveman, directed by Carl Gottlieb, is a lowbrow comedy, and it aspires to be nothing more than that. There’s a well-worn critical adage that it’s impossible to debate comedy and eroticism, since one’s tastes for both are subjective. This goes double for a movie like Caveman. While one can appreciate some forms of comedy without necessarily finding them funny- hell, Jacques Tati’s films are so intricately engineered that one is too busy marveling at the direction to laugh- the truth is that a movie like Caveman has little to offer but guffaws. So in the end, if Caveman is funny to you, it works, and if it’s not, it doesn’t. What can I say? It worked for me.
Much of this is because it’s so unashamedly silly. From beginning to end, Caveman takes the low road comedy-wise, but the tone is so good-naturedly goofy that it’s infectious. Leading man Ringo Starr has little to do but mug for the camera, but he does it well and lets his hangdog charm do the rest. And the rest of the cast is just as committed, especially Dennis Quaid as Starr’s none-too-bright sidekick, who ends up taking even more abuse than the hero.
Of course, your mileage may vary depending on your taste for slapstick and barn-door-broad gags. Caveman is full of gags aimed at the average grade-school-aged boy, which may be why it’s becoming one of my son’s favorites. It’s the kind of movie in which the heroes, having just discovered fire, fend off an enemy by burning his butt. It contains multiple appearances by a most clever dinosaur who not only howls at the moon at night but also crows like a rooster at dawn. And would you be surprised if I told you that there’s a scene in which Starr, Quaid, and company track through a big pile of dinosaur poop? I didn’t think so.
Then again, Caveman is so sincere about its desire to little more than silly fun that it’s aged surprisingly well. I recently bemoaned to a friend of mine that silliness is in short supply in contemporary comedies, which are so set on being smart and hip that they can’t quite commit to the jokes. Compare Caveman to 2009’s misbegotten Year One and you’ll see the difference- while Year One is just as full of lowbrow gags and egregious contractions of history as Caveman (if not more so), it never musters up the nerve to go all the way with its comedy, and consequently feels less like a movie than a tossed-off sketch by the Apatow Company All-Stars. At least when Caveman unleashes a dumb joke- which, let’s face it, is pretty frequently- you get the sense than it means it.
Now, I don’t want to oversell the merits of Caveman. It’s not a great movie, and much of my affection for it comes from how much it feels like the product of a bygone era in comedy. But I’ll be honest- it’s a hard movie to dislike. For one thing, it lacks many of the more mean-spirited impulses that usually characterize slapstick. As a result, the movie is surprisingly gentle in tone, making it (with a few minor exceptions) pretty solid family viewing, complete with a fun impromptu musical number around a campfire. Also, the stop-motion dinosaurs are a lot of fun- strangely, the unsophisticated animation gives them more character than a more technically proficient rendering, allowing them to come off less as photorealistic dinos than overgrown house pets. And somehow, thirty years ago, Gottlieb got away with making a “dumb” comedy in which 99% of the dialogue was delivered in a nonsensical invented language, and without subtitles to boot. Is there any way this could happen in today’s Hollywood climate? Not a chance.
Caveman, directed by Carl Gottlieb, is a lowbrow comedy, and it aspires to be nothing more than that. There’s a well-worn critical adage that it’s impossible to debate comedy and eroticism, since one’s tastes for both are subjective. This goes double for a movie like Caveman. While one can appreciate some forms of comedy without necessarily finding them funny- hell, Jacques Tati’s films are so intricately engineered that one is too busy marveling at the direction to laugh- the truth is that a movie like Caveman has little to offer but guffaws. So in the end, if Caveman is funny to you, it works, and if it’s not, it doesn’t. What can I say? It worked for me.
Much of this is because it’s so unashamedly silly. From beginning to end, Caveman takes the low road comedy-wise, but the tone is so good-naturedly goofy that it’s infectious. Leading man Ringo Starr has little to do but mug for the camera, but he does it well and lets his hangdog charm do the rest. And the rest of the cast is just as committed, especially Dennis Quaid as Starr’s none-too-bright sidekick, who ends up taking even more abuse than the hero.
Of course, your mileage may vary depending on your taste for slapstick and barn-door-broad gags. Caveman is full of gags aimed at the average grade-school-aged boy, which may be why it’s becoming one of my son’s favorites. It’s the kind of movie in which the heroes, having just discovered fire, fend off an enemy by burning his butt. It contains multiple appearances by a most clever dinosaur who not only howls at the moon at night but also crows like a rooster at dawn. And would you be surprised if I told you that there’s a scene in which Starr, Quaid, and company track through a big pile of dinosaur poop? I didn’t think so.
Then again, Caveman is so sincere about its desire to little more than silly fun that it’s aged surprisingly well. I recently bemoaned to a friend of mine that silliness is in short supply in contemporary comedies, which are so set on being smart and hip that they can’t quite commit to the jokes. Compare Caveman to 2009’s misbegotten Year One and you’ll see the difference- while Year One is just as full of lowbrow gags and egregious contractions of history as Caveman (if not more so), it never musters up the nerve to go all the way with its comedy, and consequently feels less like a movie than a tossed-off sketch by the Apatow Company All-Stars. At least when Caveman unleashes a dumb joke- which, let’s face it, is pretty frequently- you get the sense than it means it.
Now, I don’t want to oversell the merits of Caveman. It’s not a great movie, and much of my affection for it comes from how much it feels like the product of a bygone era in comedy. But I’ll be honest- it’s a hard movie to dislike. For one thing, it lacks many of the more mean-spirited impulses that usually characterize slapstick. As a result, the movie is surprisingly gentle in tone, making it (with a few minor exceptions) pretty solid family viewing, complete with a fun impromptu musical number around a campfire. Also, the stop-motion dinosaurs are a lot of fun- strangely, the unsophisticated animation gives them more character than a more technically proficient rendering, allowing them to come off less as photorealistic dinos than overgrown house pets. And somehow, thirty years ago, Gottlieb got away with making a “dumb” comedy in which 99% of the dialogue was delivered in a nonsensical invented language, and without subtitles to boot. Is there any way this could happen in today’s Hollywood climate? Not a chance.
Friday, March 11, 2011
2010 Muriels Wrap-up!
Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to post links to the Muriels announcements this year. So instead, for the benefit of those who haven’t been keeping up, I’m going to include all the winners in one convenient wrap-up post, complete with links to the almost uniformly awesome write-ups penned by the voters. Here’s the list, with the winners listed alongside my personal ballot and a handful of my thoughts. And if you want to check out all of this year’s Muriel goodies, I encourage you to slide on over to the Muriels blog or check out the full results at the Muriels Web site.
Anyway, the list:
Best Film:
Muriel’s top 10:
1. The Social Network
2. True Grit
3 (tie). Dogtooth and Toy Story 3
5 (tie). The Ghost Writer and Winter’s Bone
7. Carlos
8. Exit Through the Gift Shop
9. Black Swan
10. Mother
My top 10:
1. Dogtooth
2. Exit Through the Gift Shop
3. The Social Network
4. Winter’s Bone
5. Another Year
6. Inception
7. The Ghost Writer
8. Somewhere
9. Carlos
10. Everyone Else
Unless you’re the Skandies (or if you’re less awesome, the Oscars), the dominance of Social Network was pretty predictable. But as always, I’m impressed by the diversity of our choices here. Sure, there are a handful of Oscar-nominated films, but be fair- at least they’re good Oscar nominees instead of the requisite tepid middlebrow stuff. Seeing as how we’re junkies for all things Coen and Pixar, it wasn’t much of a stretch to imagine True Grit and Toy Story 3 figuring prominently in this year’s Muriels. But who could have predicted that Dogtooth would go over this well with our crowd? Not only did Lanthimos’ masterpiece go toe to toe with three of this year’s most acclaimed wide releases- it also turned out to be the highest-placing foreign-produced film in the five-year history of the Muriels. Good job, folks.
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Muriel’s top 5: Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network; Edgar Ramirez, Carlos; Tahar Rahim, A Prophet; James Franco, 127 Hours; Jeff Bridges, True Grit
My top 5: Ramirez, Eisenberg, Rahim, Franco, Louis-do de Lencequesaing, The Father of My Children
Can’t complain about this top 5- Muriel’s top 4 match mine, albeit in a slightly different order, and I’m a Bridges fan of long standing. That said, how awesome would it have been if Ramirez pulled out the upset? It ended up being a surprisingly tight race, as you’ll be able to see by checking the Muriels site.
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Muriel’s top 5: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit; Natalie Portman, Black Swan; Kim Hye-ja, Mother; Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone; Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine
My top 5: Sylvie Testud, Lourdes; Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Vincere; Lawrence; Ruth Sheen, Another Year; Birgit Minichmayr, Everyone Else
Good job Muriel buds realizing that True Grit is Mattie’s story, and therefore that Steinfeld is the daggum lead in the movie. Seeing Kim placing in the top 5, along with the diversity in the best picture and actor categories, makes me wonder if 2010 wasn’t the year of the foreign film… at least in Muriels land.
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Muriel’s top 5: John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone; Christian Bale, The Fighter; Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech; Andrew Garfield, The Social Network; Matt Damon, True Grit
My top 5: Hawkes; Garfield; Niels Arestrup, A Prophet; Armie Hammer, The Social Network; Pierce Brosnan, The Ghost Writer
So… not a close race. But Hawkes is so great in Winter’s Bone that I don’t mind. But wait… only four other people voted for Armie Hammer? Seriously? That just doesn’t compute with me.
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Muriel’s top 5: Greta Gerwig, Greenberg; Olivia Williams, The Ghost Writer; Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom; Aggeliki Papoulia, Dogtooth; Amy Adams, The Fighter
My top 5: Williams; Dale Dickey, Winter’s Bone; Papoulia; Kathryn Hahn, How Do You Know; Elle Fanning, Somewhere
Gerwig wasn’t on my ballot- and frankly, I would’ve considered her a lead in Greenberg- but this is the kind of off-the-wall surprise I always hope for from the Muriels, not unlike Tilda Swinton and Antichrist taking home Best Actress and Cinematography, respectively, last year. Additionally, a second look at my ballot leads me to wonder if I didn’t underrate Hahn, whose warm and funny performance in How Do You Know grows in my memory along with the film itself.
Best Direction:
Muriel’s top 5: David Fincher, The Social Network; Olivier Assayas, Carlos; Joel and Ethan Coen, True Grit; Yorgos Lanthimos, Dogtooth; Bong Joon-ho, Mother
My top 5: Lanthimos; Fincher; Banksy, Exit Through the Gift Shop; Mike Leigh, Another Year; Debra Granik, Winter’s Bone
I would just like to give a nice shout-out to Sony Pictures Classics, who distributed Another Year like it was, oh I dunno, Take Me Home Tonight, dropping it in theatres just after Oscar nominations came out, and a scant two days before Muriels ballots were due. With a cannier release pattern, Leigh’s film could have gained some critical traction a la Winter’s Bone, as well as connecting with Leigh’s usual audiences in arthouses everywhere. It’s sad to see a film like this, that everyone seems to care about except for those in charge of distributing the damn thing.
Best Screenplay:
Muriel’s top 5: The Social Network (Aaron Sorkin); True Grit (Joel and Ethan Coen); Dogtooth (Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou); Inception (Christopher Nolan); Carlos (Olivier Assayas and Dan Franck)
My top 5: The Social Network; Dogtooth; Carlos; Inception; The Ghost Writer (Roman Polanski and Robert Harris)
Again, can’t argue with this.
Best Cinematography:
Muriel’s top 5: True Grit (Roger Deakins); Shutter Island (Robert Richardson); The Social Network (Jeff Cronenweth); Inception (Wally Pfister); Black Swan (Matthew Libatique)
My top 5: Let Me In (Greig Fraser); The Social Network; Valhalla Rising (Morten Søborg); Never Let Me Go (Adam Kimmel); Shutter Island
Even if the Academy doesn’t recognize Deakins, Muriel sure the hell does.
Best Editing:
Muriel’s top 5: The Social Network; Inception; Scott Pilgrim vs. the World; Shutter Island; Black Swan
My top 5: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World; Exit Through the Gift Shop; Inception; The Social Network; Dogtooth
New category this year, and these choices are all fairly solid in my opinion.
Best Music:
Muriel’s top 5: The Social Network; Scott Pilgrim vs. the World; Inception; Tron: Legacy; True Grit
My top 5: Never Let Me Go; Scott Pilgrim vs. the World; The Social Network; Tron: Legacy; Soul Kitchen
This is always a bit of a strange one, since for me it’s not about which movie has the best music so much as which one uses it most effectively. For my money, my top two choices are easily the best of 2010, although it says something that the Tron Legacy score is on regular rotation on my iPod.
Best Cinematic Moment:
Muriel’s top 10:
1. Staring into the inferno - Toy Story 3
2. “Burning for You” - Let Me In
3. Nina Sayers is… the Black Swan - Black Swan
4. Anniversary dance - Dogtooth
5. Zero-gravity fight - Inception
6. Opening breakup - The Social Network
7. Facemash - The Social Network
8. Ending - The Ghost Writer
9. Opening credits - Enter the Void
10. Blackie’s midnight ride - True Grit
My top 10:
1. Bedside proposal, takes 1 and 2 - How Do You Know
2. Henley Royal Regatta - The Social Network
3. Opening credits - Enter the Void
4. Sex Bob-omb vs. the Katayanagi Twins - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
5. Initiation killing - A Prophet
6. “Burning for You” - Let Me In
7. Cat with a hammer - Dogtooth
8. “Is this our time?” - Winter’s Bone
9. Tale of the Three Brothers - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
10. Carlos stops the party - Carlos
This is always a lot of fun, although it can be tough to narrow it down to ten. It’s such a competitive category that my favorite never seems to crack the top 10, and that was the case again this year. Was it that everyone skipped How Do You Know due to the disappointing reviews? As I’ve said before, I expect time will be very kind to Brooks’ film. Oh well- at least the centerpiece scene of Let Me In ended up at a strong #2.
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Muriel’s top 5: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit; Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone; Banksy, Exit Through the Gift Shop; Chloe Grace Moretz, Kick-Ass/Let Me In; Yorgos Lanthimos, Dogtooth
My top 5: Lanthimos; Edgar Ramirez, Carlos; Banksy; Lawrence; Tahar Rahim, A Prophet
This category is always all over the map, and not always in a good way. But it’s hard to knock our choice of winner, who landed just outside my personal top 5. And hey, Lanthimos!
Best Body of Work:
Muriel’s top 5: Leonardo DiCaprio; Mark Ruffalo; Manoel de Oliveira; Chloe Grace Moretz; Andrew Garfield
My top 5: Garfield; DiCaprio; Oliveira; Ruffalo; Ewan McGregor
Looking at our winner, you’d think DiCaprio had strong showings for both of his 2010 performances in the Best Male Lead category, but no- five votes for Shutter Island, none at all for Inception. It was just one of those wonky categories, on in which a teenaged actress could find herself placing alongside a filmmaker roughly six times her age (seriously, the dude just keeps crankin’ ‘em out. I hope I can even make it to 102, much less be as productive as he is).
Best Ensemble Performance:
Muriel’s top 5: The Social Network; True Grit; The Kids Are All Right; Carlos; Another Year
My top 5: Dogtooth; The Social Network; Winter’s Bone; Another Year; How Do You Know
A handful of Muriel favorites show up here again, but this is the only appearance of Kids Are All Right in the top 5 in any category, unless you count Ruffalo’s silver medal in Body of Work. Makes sense- I didn’t love the movie as a whole, but the cast was pretty solid.
Best Web-Based Film Criticism:
Muriel’s top 5: The AV Club; The Man Who Viewed Too Much; Slant; MUBI; Roger Ebert
My top 5: The AV Club; The Man Who Viewed Too Much; MUBI; Vern; The Academic Hack
Hey look- I wrote this one up. Check it out!
10th Anniversary Award for Best Film, 2000:
Muriel’s top 5: In the Mood for Love (Wong); Memento (Nolan); Yi Yi (Yang); Requiem for a Dream (Aronofsky); Dancer in the Dark (von Trier)
My top 5: La Commune [Paris, 1871] (Watkins); Songs From the Second Floor (Andersson); Code Unknown (Haneke); Yi Yi; Eureka (Aoyama)
25th Anniversary Award for Best Film, 1985:
Muriel’s top 5: Brazil (Gilliam); Ran (Kurosawa); After Hours (Scorsese); Back to the Future (Zemeckis); Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (Burton)
My top 5: Come and See (Klimov); Back to the Future; Brazil; Ran; After Hours
50th Anniversary Award for Best Film, 1960:
Muriel’s top5 6: Psycho (Hitchcock); The Apartment (Wilder); Breathless (Godard); Peeping Tom (Powell); L’Avventura (Antonioni); La Dolce Vita (Fellini)
My top 5: Les Bonnes Femmes (Chabrol); Peeping Tom; The Apartment; L’Avventura; Psycho
Something I enjoy doing is predicting a year in advance what movies will take the anniversary awards the following year. This year was pretty easy, and I went three-for-three. Psycho was a particularly obvious choice, considering that he’s taken this category for the third straight year now. This makes next year that much trickier, since he didn’t release a movie in 1961. As such I’m predicting that David Lynch takes both 2001 and 1986, and that Yojimbo edges out Jules and Jim for 1961.
Special award: Best Film of the 1950s:
Muriel’s top 10:
1. Vertigo (Hitchcock)
2. Rear Window (Hitchcock)
3. The Searchers (Ford)
4. The 400 Blows (Truffaut)
5. Touch of Evil (Welles)
6. Seven Samurai (Kurosawa)
7. Sunset Boulevard (Wilder)
8. Singin’ in the Rain (Kelly/Donen)
9. Rashomon (Kurosawa)
10. Night of the Hunter (Laughton)
My top 10:
1. Orpheus (Cocteau)
2. The 400 Blows
3. The Seven Samurai
4. M. Hulot’s Holiday (Tati)
5. Vertigo
6. Sweet Smell of Success (Mackendrick)
7. Singin’ in the Rain
8. Sansho the Bailiff (Mizoguchi)
9. Rio Bravo (Hawks)
10. Ordet (Dreyer)
After last year’s best-of-the-00s categories, Steve decided it would be a good idea to continue doing special awards on a year basis. I know several of the voters who complained how tough of a choice it was to narrow down this category to 10, so rich a filmgoing period was the 1950s. And yet… there’s Hitchcock again, in both the first and second spots. Then again, considering the dude pretty much owned the decade (with special mention for Messrs. Kurosawa, Wilder, and Ray), that’s not a bad thing.
Anyway, the list:
Best Film:
Muriel’s top 10:
1. The Social Network
2. True Grit
3 (tie). Dogtooth and Toy Story 3
5 (tie). The Ghost Writer and Winter’s Bone
7. Carlos
8. Exit Through the Gift Shop
9. Black Swan
10. Mother
My top 10:
1. Dogtooth
2. Exit Through the Gift Shop
3. The Social Network
4. Winter’s Bone
5. Another Year
6. Inception
7. The Ghost Writer
8. Somewhere
9. Carlos
10. Everyone Else
Unless you’re the Skandies (or if you’re less awesome, the Oscars), the dominance of Social Network was pretty predictable. But as always, I’m impressed by the diversity of our choices here. Sure, there are a handful of Oscar-nominated films, but be fair- at least they’re good Oscar nominees instead of the requisite tepid middlebrow stuff. Seeing as how we’re junkies for all things Coen and Pixar, it wasn’t much of a stretch to imagine True Grit and Toy Story 3 figuring prominently in this year’s Muriels. But who could have predicted that Dogtooth would go over this well with our crowd? Not only did Lanthimos’ masterpiece go toe to toe with three of this year’s most acclaimed wide releases- it also turned out to be the highest-placing foreign-produced film in the five-year history of the Muriels. Good job, folks.
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Muriel’s top 5: Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network; Edgar Ramirez, Carlos; Tahar Rahim, A Prophet; James Franco, 127 Hours; Jeff Bridges, True Grit
My top 5: Ramirez, Eisenberg, Rahim, Franco, Louis-do de Lencequesaing, The Father of My Children
Can’t complain about this top 5- Muriel’s top 4 match mine, albeit in a slightly different order, and I’m a Bridges fan of long standing. That said, how awesome would it have been if Ramirez pulled out the upset? It ended up being a surprisingly tight race, as you’ll be able to see by checking the Muriels site.
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Muriel’s top 5: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit; Natalie Portman, Black Swan; Kim Hye-ja, Mother; Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone; Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine
My top 5: Sylvie Testud, Lourdes; Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Vincere; Lawrence; Ruth Sheen, Another Year; Birgit Minichmayr, Everyone Else
Good job Muriel buds realizing that True Grit is Mattie’s story, and therefore that Steinfeld is the daggum lead in the movie. Seeing Kim placing in the top 5, along with the diversity in the best picture and actor categories, makes me wonder if 2010 wasn’t the year of the foreign film… at least in Muriels land.
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Muriel’s top 5: John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone; Christian Bale, The Fighter; Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech; Andrew Garfield, The Social Network; Matt Damon, True Grit
My top 5: Hawkes; Garfield; Niels Arestrup, A Prophet; Armie Hammer, The Social Network; Pierce Brosnan, The Ghost Writer
So… not a close race. But Hawkes is so great in Winter’s Bone that I don’t mind. But wait… only four other people voted for Armie Hammer? Seriously? That just doesn’t compute with me.
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Muriel’s top 5: Greta Gerwig, Greenberg; Olivia Williams, The Ghost Writer; Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom; Aggeliki Papoulia, Dogtooth; Amy Adams, The Fighter
My top 5: Williams; Dale Dickey, Winter’s Bone; Papoulia; Kathryn Hahn, How Do You Know; Elle Fanning, Somewhere
Gerwig wasn’t on my ballot- and frankly, I would’ve considered her a lead in Greenberg- but this is the kind of off-the-wall surprise I always hope for from the Muriels, not unlike Tilda Swinton and Antichrist taking home Best Actress and Cinematography, respectively, last year. Additionally, a second look at my ballot leads me to wonder if I didn’t underrate Hahn, whose warm and funny performance in How Do You Know grows in my memory along with the film itself.
Best Direction:
Muriel’s top 5: David Fincher, The Social Network; Olivier Assayas, Carlos; Joel and Ethan Coen, True Grit; Yorgos Lanthimos, Dogtooth; Bong Joon-ho, Mother
My top 5: Lanthimos; Fincher; Banksy, Exit Through the Gift Shop; Mike Leigh, Another Year; Debra Granik, Winter’s Bone
I would just like to give a nice shout-out to Sony Pictures Classics, who distributed Another Year like it was, oh I dunno, Take Me Home Tonight, dropping it in theatres just after Oscar nominations came out, and a scant two days before Muriels ballots were due. With a cannier release pattern, Leigh’s film could have gained some critical traction a la Winter’s Bone, as well as connecting with Leigh’s usual audiences in arthouses everywhere. It’s sad to see a film like this, that everyone seems to care about except for those in charge of distributing the damn thing.
Best Screenplay:
Muriel’s top 5: The Social Network (Aaron Sorkin); True Grit (Joel and Ethan Coen); Dogtooth (Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou); Inception (Christopher Nolan); Carlos (Olivier Assayas and Dan Franck)
My top 5: The Social Network; Dogtooth; Carlos; Inception; The Ghost Writer (Roman Polanski and Robert Harris)
Again, can’t argue with this.
Best Cinematography:
Muriel’s top 5: True Grit (Roger Deakins); Shutter Island (Robert Richardson); The Social Network (Jeff Cronenweth); Inception (Wally Pfister); Black Swan (Matthew Libatique)
My top 5: Let Me In (Greig Fraser); The Social Network; Valhalla Rising (Morten Søborg); Never Let Me Go (Adam Kimmel); Shutter Island
Even if the Academy doesn’t recognize Deakins, Muriel sure the hell does.
Best Editing:
Muriel’s top 5: The Social Network; Inception; Scott Pilgrim vs. the World; Shutter Island; Black Swan
My top 5: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World; Exit Through the Gift Shop; Inception; The Social Network; Dogtooth
New category this year, and these choices are all fairly solid in my opinion.
Best Music:
Muriel’s top 5: The Social Network; Scott Pilgrim vs. the World; Inception; Tron: Legacy; True Grit
My top 5: Never Let Me Go; Scott Pilgrim vs. the World; The Social Network; Tron: Legacy; Soul Kitchen
This is always a bit of a strange one, since for me it’s not about which movie has the best music so much as which one uses it most effectively. For my money, my top two choices are easily the best of 2010, although it says something that the Tron Legacy score is on regular rotation on my iPod.
Best Cinematic Moment:
Muriel’s top 10:
1. Staring into the inferno - Toy Story 3
2. “Burning for You” - Let Me In
3. Nina Sayers is… the Black Swan - Black Swan
4. Anniversary dance - Dogtooth
5. Zero-gravity fight - Inception
6. Opening breakup - The Social Network
7. Facemash - The Social Network
8. Ending - The Ghost Writer
9. Opening credits - Enter the Void
10. Blackie’s midnight ride - True Grit
My top 10:
1. Bedside proposal, takes 1 and 2 - How Do You Know
2. Henley Royal Regatta - The Social Network
3. Opening credits - Enter the Void
4. Sex Bob-omb vs. the Katayanagi Twins - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
5. Initiation killing - A Prophet
6. “Burning for You” - Let Me In
7. Cat with a hammer - Dogtooth
8. “Is this our time?” - Winter’s Bone
9. Tale of the Three Brothers - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
10. Carlos stops the party - Carlos
This is always a lot of fun, although it can be tough to narrow it down to ten. It’s such a competitive category that my favorite never seems to crack the top 10, and that was the case again this year. Was it that everyone skipped How Do You Know due to the disappointing reviews? As I’ve said before, I expect time will be very kind to Brooks’ film. Oh well- at least the centerpiece scene of Let Me In ended up at a strong #2.
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Muriel’s top 5: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit; Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone; Banksy, Exit Through the Gift Shop; Chloe Grace Moretz, Kick-Ass/Let Me In; Yorgos Lanthimos, Dogtooth
My top 5: Lanthimos; Edgar Ramirez, Carlos; Banksy; Lawrence; Tahar Rahim, A Prophet
This category is always all over the map, and not always in a good way. But it’s hard to knock our choice of winner, who landed just outside my personal top 5. And hey, Lanthimos!
Best Body of Work:
Muriel’s top 5: Leonardo DiCaprio; Mark Ruffalo; Manoel de Oliveira; Chloe Grace Moretz; Andrew Garfield
My top 5: Garfield; DiCaprio; Oliveira; Ruffalo; Ewan McGregor
Looking at our winner, you’d think DiCaprio had strong showings for both of his 2010 performances in the Best Male Lead category, but no- five votes for Shutter Island, none at all for Inception. It was just one of those wonky categories, on in which a teenaged actress could find herself placing alongside a filmmaker roughly six times her age (seriously, the dude just keeps crankin’ ‘em out. I hope I can even make it to 102, much less be as productive as he is).
Best Ensemble Performance:
Muriel’s top 5: The Social Network; True Grit; The Kids Are All Right; Carlos; Another Year
My top 5: Dogtooth; The Social Network; Winter’s Bone; Another Year; How Do You Know
A handful of Muriel favorites show up here again, but this is the only appearance of Kids Are All Right in the top 5 in any category, unless you count Ruffalo’s silver medal in Body of Work. Makes sense- I didn’t love the movie as a whole, but the cast was pretty solid.
Best Web-Based Film Criticism:
Muriel’s top 5: The AV Club; The Man Who Viewed Too Much; Slant; MUBI; Roger Ebert
My top 5: The AV Club; The Man Who Viewed Too Much; MUBI; Vern; The Academic Hack
Hey look- I wrote this one up. Check it out!
10th Anniversary Award for Best Film, 2000:
Muriel’s top 5: In the Mood for Love (Wong); Memento (Nolan); Yi Yi (Yang); Requiem for a Dream (Aronofsky); Dancer in the Dark (von Trier)
My top 5: La Commune [Paris, 1871] (Watkins); Songs From the Second Floor (Andersson); Code Unknown (Haneke); Yi Yi; Eureka (Aoyama)
25th Anniversary Award for Best Film, 1985:
Muriel’s top 5: Brazil (Gilliam); Ran (Kurosawa); After Hours (Scorsese); Back to the Future (Zemeckis); Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (Burton)
My top 5: Come and See (Klimov); Back to the Future; Brazil; Ran; After Hours
50th Anniversary Award for Best Film, 1960:
Muriel’s top
My top 5: Les Bonnes Femmes (Chabrol); Peeping Tom; The Apartment; L’Avventura; Psycho
Something I enjoy doing is predicting a year in advance what movies will take the anniversary awards the following year. This year was pretty easy, and I went three-for-three. Psycho was a particularly obvious choice, considering that he’s taken this category for the third straight year now. This makes next year that much trickier, since he didn’t release a movie in 1961. As such I’m predicting that David Lynch takes both 2001 and 1986, and that Yojimbo edges out Jules and Jim for 1961.
Special award: Best Film of the 1950s:
Muriel’s top 10:
1. Vertigo (Hitchcock)
2. Rear Window (Hitchcock)
3. The Searchers (Ford)
4. The 400 Blows (Truffaut)
5. Touch of Evil (Welles)
6. Seven Samurai (Kurosawa)
7. Sunset Boulevard (Wilder)
8. Singin’ in the Rain (Kelly/Donen)
9. Rashomon (Kurosawa)
10. Night of the Hunter (Laughton)
My top 10:
1. Orpheus (Cocteau)
2. The 400 Blows
3. The Seven Samurai
4. M. Hulot’s Holiday (Tati)
5. Vertigo
6. Sweet Smell of Success (Mackendrick)
7. Singin’ in the Rain
8. Sansho the Bailiff (Mizoguchi)
9. Rio Bravo (Hawks)
10. Ordet (Dreyer)
After last year’s best-of-the-00s categories, Steve decided it would be a good idea to continue doing special awards on a year basis. I know several of the voters who complained how tough of a choice it was to narrow down this category to 10, so rich a filmgoing period was the 1950s. And yet… there’s Hitchcock again, in both the first and second spots. Then again, considering the dude pretty much owned the decade (with special mention for Messrs. Kurosawa, Wilder, and Ray), that’s not a bad thing.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Lost: The Poll
I've been really swamped lately, which means that something had to give. Hence, no content for almost a month now. It's nothing personal, but with so few worthwhile movies out right now and so much else going on in my life, I just don't have the energy to write as much as I'd like to. At the end of a long day, I'd just as soon watch something. In the past, this would have been a movie, but in recent months Angela and I have gotten hooked on watching Lost, which we can stream through Netflix. As of now we're almost done with season 3, and while it's sort of bumpy going on occasion, it's also compulsively watchable. So for all you Lost fans out there, here's a poll I made for your enjoyment, which will hopefully stir up discussion until such time as I can rustle up new content.
Why only the survivors, you ask? Because at this point I can't begin to get a reading on many of the Others, not to mention the supporting characters who appear in flashbacks and such. Besides, considering how many characters have appeared on Lost, can you really blame me for keeping the number down?
So which of the characters listed below are your favorites? You can choose up to three. And yes, I've included Vincent for all you dog lovers out there.
Why only the survivors, you ask? Because at this point I can't begin to get a reading on many of the Others, not to mention the supporting characters who appear in flashbacks and such. Besides, considering how many characters have appeared on Lost, can you really blame me for keeping the number down?
So which of the characters listed below are your favorites? You can choose up to three. And yes, I've included Vincent for all you dog lovers out there.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Retro Muriels Bonus: Best of the Aughts
Finally, as a last palate cleanser before this year's awards begin, here's my picks for the best of the last decade by category:
Best Picture:
The New World
Waking Life
Audition
8 Women
Dogville
There Will Be Blood
25th Hour
The Son
Synecdoche, New York
Beau Travail
Best Director:
Terrence Malick, The New World
Lars von Trier, Dogville
Takashi Miike, Audition
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
Spike Lee, 25th Hour
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Emmanuelle Devos, Gilles’ Wife
Isabelle Huppert, The Piano Teacher
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Carice Van Houten, Black Book
Charlotte Rampling, Under the Sand
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Olivier Gourmet, The Son
Damian Lewis, Keane
Sam Rockwell, Joshua
Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain
Tom Wilkinson, In the Bedroom
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Nick Nolte, Clean
Daniel Day-Lewis, Gangs of New York
Ray Winstone, The Proposition
Peter Sarsgaard, Shattered Glass
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Mia Kershner, The Black Dahlia
Hafsia Herzi, The Secret of the Grain
Juliette Binoche, Code Unknown
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Maria Bello, A History of Violence
Best Screenplay:
Synecdoche, New York
The Prestige
Primer
25th Hour
The Secret Lives of Dentists
Best Ensemble Performance:
8 Women
Dogville
Zodiac
Offside
Kings and Queen
Best Cinematography:
The New World (Emmanuel Lubezki)
Beau Travail (Agnès Godard)
Gerry (Harris Savides)
In the Mood for Love (Christopher Doyle and Mark-li Ping-bin)
Silent Light (Alexis Zabe)
Best Music:
25th Hour (Terence Blanchard)
There Will Be Blood (Jonny Greenwood)
Waking Life (Glover Gill and the Tosca Tango Orchestra)
Birth (Alexandre Desplat)
WALL*E (Thomas Newman)
Best Cinematic Moment (unranked):
25th Hour – last temptation of Monty
Bus 174 – slow motion apprehension gone awry
Caché – “I just wanted you to be present”
Déjà vu – interchronological car chase
Oldboy – hammer time
Ratatouille – Ego’s flashback
Talk to Her – “Shrinking Lover”
We Own the Night – rainstorm ambush
Werckmeister Harmonies – cosmos (opening shot)
You, the Living – honeymoon fantasy
Young @ Heart – “Fix You”
The New World
Waking Life
Audition
8 Women
Dogville
There Will Be Blood
25th Hour
The Son
Synecdoche, New York
Beau Travail
Best Director:
Terrence Malick, The New World
Lars von Trier, Dogville
Takashi Miike, Audition
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
Spike Lee, 25th Hour
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Emmanuelle Devos, Gilles’ Wife
Isabelle Huppert, The Piano Teacher
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Carice Van Houten, Black Book
Charlotte Rampling, Under the Sand
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Olivier Gourmet, The Son
Damian Lewis, Keane
Sam Rockwell, Joshua
Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain
Tom Wilkinson, In the Bedroom
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Nick Nolte, Clean
Daniel Day-Lewis, Gangs of New York
Ray Winstone, The Proposition
Peter Sarsgaard, Shattered Glass
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Mia Kershner, The Black Dahlia
Hafsia Herzi, The Secret of the Grain
Juliette Binoche, Code Unknown
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Maria Bello, A History of Violence
Best Screenplay:
Synecdoche, New York
The Prestige
Primer
25th Hour
The Secret Lives of Dentists
Best Ensemble Performance:
8 Women
Dogville
Zodiac
Offside
Kings and Queen
Best Cinematography:
The New World (Emmanuel Lubezki)
Beau Travail (Agnès Godard)
Gerry (Harris Savides)
In the Mood for Love (Christopher Doyle and Mark-li Ping-bin)
Silent Light (Alexis Zabe)
Best Music:
25th Hour (Terence Blanchard)
There Will Be Blood (Jonny Greenwood)
Waking Life (Glover Gill and the Tosca Tango Orchestra)
Birth (Alexandre Desplat)
WALL*E (Thomas Newman)
Best Cinematic Moment (unranked):
25th Hour – last temptation of Monty
Bus 174 – slow motion apprehension gone awry
Caché – “I just wanted you to be present”
Déjà vu – interchronological car chase
Oldboy – hammer time
Ratatouille – Ego’s flashback
Talk to Her – “Shrinking Lover”
We Own the Night – rainstorm ambush
Werckmeister Harmonies – cosmos (opening shot)
You, the Living – honeymoon fantasy
Young @ Heart – “Fix You”
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Muriels Retro: 2009
Best Picture:
Up
Lorna’s Silence
Inglourious Basterds
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Passing Strange
The Hurt Locker
Duplicity
Still Walking
Antichrist
35 Shots of Rum
Best Director:
Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne, Lorna’s Silence
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Pete Docter, Up
Wes Anderson, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Hirokazu Kore-eda, Still Walking
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Tilda Swinton, Julia
Charlotte Gainsbourg, Antichrist
Arta Dobroshi, Lorna’s Silence
Melanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds
Maria Onetto, The Headless Woman
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Nicolas Cage, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Joaquin Phoenix, Two Lovers
Matt Damon, The Informant!
Michael Fassbender, Hunger
Michael Jai White, Black Dynamite
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Jeremie Renier, Lorna’s Silence
Jackie Earle Haley, Watchmen
Christian McKay, Me & Orson Welles
Michael Fassbender, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Zoe Kazan, Me & Orson Welles
Ursula Strauss, Revanche
Edith Scob, Summer Hours
Kirin Kiki, Still Walking
Alycia Delmore, Humpday
Best Screenplay:
Duplicity
Lorna’s Silence
Up
Inglourious Basterds
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Best Ensemble Performance:
Passing Strange
Home
Still Walking
Duplicity
35 Shots of Rum
Best Cinematography:
Antichrist (Anthony Dod Mantle)
Tetro (Mihai Malamaire, Jr.)
Hunger (Sean Bobbitt)
Inglourious Basterds (Robert Richardson)
35 Shots of Rum (Agnès Godard)
Best Music:
Tetro (Osvaldo Golijov)
Up (Michael Giacchino)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (Alexandre Desplat et al)
Coraline (Bruno Coulais)
The Informant! (Marvin Hamlisch)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Christoph Waltz (actor- Inglourious Basterds)
Michael Fassbender (actor- Hunger)
Michael Jai White (actor/writer- Black Dynamite)
Arta Dobroshi (actor- Lorna’s Silence)
Melanie Laurent (actor- Inglourious Basterds)
Best Body of Work:
Michael Fassbender (actor- Hunger, Inglourious Basterds)
Werner Herzog (director- Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done)
Jérémie Renier (actor- Lorna’s Silence, Summer Hours)
Agnès Godard (cinematographer- 35 Shots of Rum, Home)
Steven Soderbergh (director/editor/cinematographer- The Informant!, The Girlfriend Experience)
Best Cinematic Moment:
You, the Living – honeymoon fantasy
Up – scenes from a marriage
Lorna’s Silence – Claudy rides off into the sunset. CUT.
Inglourious Basterds – meeting in a fuckin’ basement
Antichrist – opening scene
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans – nursing home shakedown
Duplicity – tarmac throwdown
Inglourious Basterds – Once Upon a Time in Nazi-Occupied France
Drag Me to Hell – parking garage fight
35 Shots of Rum – “Night Shift”
Up
Lorna’s Silence
Inglourious Basterds
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Passing Strange
The Hurt Locker
Duplicity
Still Walking
Antichrist
35 Shots of Rum
Best Director:
Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne, Lorna’s Silence
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Pete Docter, Up
Wes Anderson, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Hirokazu Kore-eda, Still Walking
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Tilda Swinton, Julia
Charlotte Gainsbourg, Antichrist
Arta Dobroshi, Lorna’s Silence
Melanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds
Maria Onetto, The Headless Woman
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Nicolas Cage, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Joaquin Phoenix, Two Lovers
Matt Damon, The Informant!
Michael Fassbender, Hunger
Michael Jai White, Black Dynamite
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Jeremie Renier, Lorna’s Silence
Jackie Earle Haley, Watchmen
Christian McKay, Me & Orson Welles
Michael Fassbender, Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Zoe Kazan, Me & Orson Welles
Ursula Strauss, Revanche
Edith Scob, Summer Hours
Kirin Kiki, Still Walking
Alycia Delmore, Humpday
Best Screenplay:
Duplicity
Lorna’s Silence
Up
Inglourious Basterds
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Best Ensemble Performance:
Passing Strange
Home
Still Walking
Duplicity
35 Shots of Rum
Best Cinematography:
Antichrist (Anthony Dod Mantle)
Tetro (Mihai Malamaire, Jr.)
Hunger (Sean Bobbitt)
Inglourious Basterds (Robert Richardson)
35 Shots of Rum (Agnès Godard)
Best Music:
Tetro (Osvaldo Golijov)
Up (Michael Giacchino)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (Alexandre Desplat et al)
Coraline (Bruno Coulais)
The Informant! (Marvin Hamlisch)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Christoph Waltz (actor- Inglourious Basterds)
Michael Fassbender (actor- Hunger)
Michael Jai White (actor/writer- Black Dynamite)
Arta Dobroshi (actor- Lorna’s Silence)
Melanie Laurent (actor- Inglourious Basterds)
Best Body of Work:
Michael Fassbender (actor- Hunger, Inglourious Basterds)
Werner Herzog (director- Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done)
Jérémie Renier (actor- Lorna’s Silence, Summer Hours)
Agnès Godard (cinematographer- 35 Shots of Rum, Home)
Steven Soderbergh (director/editor/cinematographer- The Informant!, The Girlfriend Experience)
Best Cinematic Moment:
You, the Living – honeymoon fantasy
Up – scenes from a marriage
Lorna’s Silence – Claudy rides off into the sunset. CUT.
Inglourious Basterds – meeting in a fuckin’ basement
Antichrist – opening scene
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans – nursing home shakedown
Duplicity – tarmac throwdown
Inglourious Basterds – Once Upon a Time in Nazi-Occupied France
Drag Me to Hell – parking garage fight
35 Shots of Rum – “Night Shift”
Monday, February 14, 2011
Muriels Retro: 2008
Best Picture:
Synecdoche, New York
Silent Light
The Duchess of Langeais
The Class
In the City of Sylvia
Che
Rachel Getting Married
A Christmas Tale
Chicago 10
The Secret of the Grain
Best Director:
Carlos Reygadas, Silent Light
Jacques Rivette, The Duchess of Langeais
Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, New York
Jose Luis Guerin, In the City of Sylvia
Steven Soderbergh, Che
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Catherine Deneuve, A Christmas Tale
Naomi Watts, Funny Games
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Michael Shannon, Shotgun Stories
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Guillaume Depardieu, The Duchess of Langeais
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Synecdoche, New York
Benicio Del Toro, Che
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges
Brad Pitt, Burn After Reading
Bill Irwin, Rachel Getting Married
Roger Allam, Speed Racer
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Hafsia Herzi, The Secret of the Grain
Rosemarie DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married
Ann Savage, My Winnipeg
Samantha Morton, Synecdoche, New York
Jane Lynch, Role Models
Best Screenplay:
Synecdoche, New York
A Christmas Tale
Rachel Getting Married
The Duchess of Langeais
In Bruges
Best Ensemble Performance:
Rachel Getting Married
A Christmas Tale
The Class
Synecdoche, New York
In Bruges
Best Cinematography:
Silent Light (Alexis Zabe)
Paranoid Park (Christopher Doyle and Kathy Rain Li)
The Man From London (Fred Kelemen)
Che (Peter Andrews [Steven Soderbergh])
The Duchess of Langeais (William Lubtchansky)
Best Music:
WALL*E (Thomas Newman)
Speed Racer (Michael Giacchino)
Cassandra’s Dream (Philip Glass)
My Winnipeg (Jason Staczek et al)
Happy-Go-Lucky (Gary Yershon)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Hafsia Herzi (actor- The Secret of the Grain)
Charlie Kaufman (director- Synecdoche, New York)
Rosemarie DeWitt (actor- Rachel Getting Married)
Martin McDonagh (director/writer- In Bruges)
Danny McBride (actor- The Foot Fist Way)
Best Body of Work:
Darius Khondji (cinematographer- Funny Games, My Blueberry Nights, Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait)
Michael Shannon (actor- Shotgun Stories, Revolutionary Road)
Roger Deakins (cinematographer- Revolutionary Road, Doubt; visual consultant- WALL*E)
Samantha Morton (actor- Synecdoche, New York, Mister Lonely)
Richard Jenkins (actor- Burn After Reading, The Visitor, Step Brothers)
Best Cinematic Moment:
Young @ Heart – “Fix You”
Kung Fu Panda – no charge for awesomeness
Woman on the Beach – diagram
Silent Light – bathing the children
In Bruges – tower showdown
Silent Light – sunrise
The Wrestler – Ram at the deli counter (first time)
JCVD – “Hard Times”
The Silence Before Bach – traveling player piano
XXY – sex surprise
Synecdoche, New York
Silent Light
The Duchess of Langeais
The Class
In the City of Sylvia
Che
Rachel Getting Married
A Christmas Tale
Chicago 10
The Secret of the Grain
Best Director:
Carlos Reygadas, Silent Light
Jacques Rivette, The Duchess of Langeais
Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, New York
Jose Luis Guerin, In the City of Sylvia
Steven Soderbergh, Che
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Catherine Deneuve, A Christmas Tale
Naomi Watts, Funny Games
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Michael Shannon, Shotgun Stories
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Guillaume Depardieu, The Duchess of Langeais
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Synecdoche, New York
Benicio Del Toro, Che
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges
Brad Pitt, Burn After Reading
Bill Irwin, Rachel Getting Married
Roger Allam, Speed Racer
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Hafsia Herzi, The Secret of the Grain
Rosemarie DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married
Ann Savage, My Winnipeg
Samantha Morton, Synecdoche, New York
Jane Lynch, Role Models
Best Screenplay:
Synecdoche, New York
A Christmas Tale
Rachel Getting Married
The Duchess of Langeais
In Bruges
Best Ensemble Performance:
Rachel Getting Married
A Christmas Tale
The Class
Synecdoche, New York
In Bruges
Best Cinematography:
Silent Light (Alexis Zabe)
Paranoid Park (Christopher Doyle and Kathy Rain Li)
The Man From London (Fred Kelemen)
Che (Peter Andrews [Steven Soderbergh])
The Duchess of Langeais (William Lubtchansky)
Best Music:
WALL*E (Thomas Newman)
Speed Racer (Michael Giacchino)
Cassandra’s Dream (Philip Glass)
My Winnipeg (Jason Staczek et al)
Happy-Go-Lucky (Gary Yershon)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Hafsia Herzi (actor- The Secret of the Grain)
Charlie Kaufman (director- Synecdoche, New York)
Rosemarie DeWitt (actor- Rachel Getting Married)
Martin McDonagh (director/writer- In Bruges)
Danny McBride (actor- The Foot Fist Way)
Best Body of Work:
Darius Khondji (cinematographer- Funny Games, My Blueberry Nights, Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait)
Michael Shannon (actor- Shotgun Stories, Revolutionary Road)
Roger Deakins (cinematographer- Revolutionary Road, Doubt; visual consultant- WALL*E)
Samantha Morton (actor- Synecdoche, New York, Mister Lonely)
Richard Jenkins (actor- Burn After Reading, The Visitor, Step Brothers)
Best Cinematic Moment:
Young @ Heart – “Fix You”
Kung Fu Panda – no charge for awesomeness
Woman on the Beach – diagram
Silent Light – bathing the children
In Bruges – tower showdown
Silent Light – sunrise
The Wrestler – Ram at the deli counter (first time)
JCVD – “Hard Times”
The Silence Before Bach – traveling player piano
XXY – sex surprise
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Muriels Retro: 2007
Best Picture:
There Will Be Blood
Zodiac
No Country for Old Men
Gone Baby Gone
Lake of Fire
The Host
Offside
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Joshua
Syndromes and a Century
Best Director:
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
David Fincher, Zodiac
Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Bong Joon-ho, The Host
Jafar Panahi, Offside
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Carice Van Houten, Black Book
Nicole Kidman, Margot at the Wedding
Ashley Judd, Bug
Luisa Williams, Day Night Day Night
Ellen Page, Juno
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Sam Rockwell, Joshua
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Tommy Lee Jones, In the Valley of Elah
Michael Shannon, Bug
Ulrich Mühe, The Lives of Others
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Mark Ruffalo, Zodiac
Kurt Russell, Grindhouse
Paul Dano, There Will Be Blood
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Peter O’Toole, Ratatouille
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There
Margo Martindale, Paris, Je T’Aime
Kelly Macdonald, No Country for Old Men
Kelli Garner, Lars and the Real Girl
Best Screenplay:
There Will Be Blood
Zodiac
No Country for Old Men
The Hunting Party
Ratatouille
Best Ensemble Performance:
Zodiac
Offside
No Country for Old Men
Hot Fuzz
I’m Not There
Best Cinematography:
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Roger Deakins)
There Will Be Blood (Robert Elswit)
Regular Lovers (William Lubtchansky)
Youth Without Youth (Mihai Malamaire Jr.)
Zodiac (Harris Savides)
Best Music:
There Will Be Blood (Jonny Greenwood)
Once (The Swell Season)
Ratatouille (Michael Giacchino)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Nick Cave and Warren Ellis)
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (Michael Andrews, John C. Reilly, et al)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Carice Van Houten (actor- Black Book)
Jonny Greenwood (composer- There Will Be Blood)
Ben Affleck (director/writer- Gone Baby Gone)
Luisa Williams (actor- Day Night Day Night)
The Swell Season [Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova] (actors/composers- Once)
Best Body of Work:
Roger Deakins (cinematographer- The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, No Country for Old Men, In the Valley of Elah)
Josh Brolin (actor- No Country for Old Men, Grindhouse, American Gangster, In the Valley of Elah)
Casey Affleck (actor- The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Gone Baby Gone, Ocean’s 13)
Robert Elswit (cinematographer- There Will Be Blood, Michael Clayton)
Sam Rockwell (actor- Joshua, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford)
Best Cinematic Moment:
We Own the Night – rainstorm ambush
Ratatouille – Ego’s flashback
Superbad – Seth’s secret shame
There Will Be Blood – baptism
The Host – Han River attack
There Will Be Blood – derrick explosion
Zodiac – Lake Beryessa
No Country for Old Men – showdown at Hotel Eagle
Grindhouse – Ship’s Mast
Offside – trip to the men’s room
There Will Be Blood
Zodiac
No Country for Old Men
Gone Baby Gone
Lake of Fire
The Host
Offside
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Joshua
Syndromes and a Century
Best Director:
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
David Fincher, Zodiac
Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Bong Joon-ho, The Host
Jafar Panahi, Offside
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Carice Van Houten, Black Book
Nicole Kidman, Margot at the Wedding
Ashley Judd, Bug
Luisa Williams, Day Night Day Night
Ellen Page, Juno
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Sam Rockwell, Joshua
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Tommy Lee Jones, In the Valley of Elah
Michael Shannon, Bug
Ulrich Mühe, The Lives of Others
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Mark Ruffalo, Zodiac
Kurt Russell, Grindhouse
Paul Dano, There Will Be Blood
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Peter O’Toole, Ratatouille
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There
Margo Martindale, Paris, Je T’Aime
Kelly Macdonald, No Country for Old Men
Kelli Garner, Lars and the Real Girl
Best Screenplay:
There Will Be Blood
Zodiac
No Country for Old Men
The Hunting Party
Ratatouille
Best Ensemble Performance:
Zodiac
Offside
No Country for Old Men
Hot Fuzz
I’m Not There
Best Cinematography:
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Roger Deakins)
There Will Be Blood (Robert Elswit)
Regular Lovers (William Lubtchansky)
Youth Without Youth (Mihai Malamaire Jr.)
Zodiac (Harris Savides)
Best Music:
There Will Be Blood (Jonny Greenwood)
Once (The Swell Season)
Ratatouille (Michael Giacchino)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Nick Cave and Warren Ellis)
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (Michael Andrews, John C. Reilly, et al)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Carice Van Houten (actor- Black Book)
Jonny Greenwood (composer- There Will Be Blood)
Ben Affleck (director/writer- Gone Baby Gone)
Luisa Williams (actor- Day Night Day Night)
The Swell Season [Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova] (actors/composers- Once)
Best Body of Work:
Roger Deakins (cinematographer- The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, No Country for Old Men, In the Valley of Elah)
Josh Brolin (actor- No Country for Old Men, Grindhouse, American Gangster, In the Valley of Elah)
Casey Affleck (actor- The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Gone Baby Gone, Ocean’s 13)
Robert Elswit (cinematographer- There Will Be Blood, Michael Clayton)
Sam Rockwell (actor- Joshua, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford)
Best Cinematic Moment:
We Own the Night – rainstorm ambush
Ratatouille – Ego’s flashback
Superbad – Seth’s secret shame
There Will Be Blood – baptism
The Host – Han River attack
There Will Be Blood – derrick explosion
Zodiac – Lake Beryessa
No Country for Old Men – showdown at Hotel Eagle
Grindhouse – Ship’s Mast
Offside – trip to the men’s room
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Muriels Retro: 2006
Best Picture:
The Prestige
Children of Men
Dave Chappelle’s Block Party
The Departed
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story
Brick
The Proposition
Duck Season
The Child
Best Director:
Alfonso Cuaron, Children of Men
Christopher Nolan, The Prestige
Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Michel Gondry, Dave Chappelle’s Block Party
Cristi Puiu, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Laura Dern, INLAND EMPIRE
Gretchen Mol, The Notorious Bettie Page
Laura Smet, The Bridesmaid
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
Sandra Hüller, Requiem
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat: Cultural Learnings of American for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brick
Ion Fiscuteanu, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
Hugh Jackman, The Fountain
Steve Coogan, Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Nick Nolte, Clean
Ray Winstone, The Proposition
Michael Caine, The Prestige
Sacha Baron Cohen, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Mia Kershner, The Black Dahlia
Cloris Leachman, Beerfest
Eva Green, Casino Royale
Rebecca Hall, The Prestige
Maribel Verdu, Pan’s Labyrinth
Best Screenplay:
The Prestige
The Departed
Brick
Inside Man
The Proposition
Best Ensemble Performance:
The Departed
The Prestige
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
The Proposition
Tristam Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story
Best Cinematography:
Miami Vice (Dion Beebe)
Children of Men (Emmanuel Lubezki)
The Proposition (Benoit Delhomme)
The Black Dahlia (Vilmos Zsigmond)
Three Times (Mark-li Ping-bin)
Best Music:
The Fountain (Clint Mansell)
The Proposition (Nick Cave and Warren Ellis)
Brick (Nathan Johnson)
Drawing Restraint 9 (Björk)
The Prestige (David Julyan)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Cristi Puiu (director/writer- The Death of Mr. Lazarescu)
Rian Johnson (director/writer- Brick)
Laura Smet (actor- The Bridesmaid)
Rebecca Hall (actor- The Prestige)
Sandra Hüller (actor- Requiem)
Best Body of Work:
Sacha Baron Cohen (actor- Borat, Talladega Nights)
Ray Winstone (actor- The Proposition, The Departed)
Hugh Jackman (actor- The Fountain, The Prestige, X-Men: The Last Stand, Scoop, Flushed Away)
Michael Caine (actor- The Prestige, Children of Men)
Clive Owen (actor- Children of Men, Inside Man)
Best Cinematic Moment:
Déjà vu – interchronological car chase
jackass number two – The Valentine
Children of Men – escaping the safe house
Children of Men – battle of Bexhill
Talladega Nights – enter Jean Girard
Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny – “Kickapoo”
A Prairie Home Companion – “Bad Jokes”
Borat – nude smackdown
A Scanner Darkly – Freck’s suicide
4 – opening shot
The Prestige
Children of Men
Dave Chappelle’s Block Party
The Departed
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story
Brick
The Proposition
Duck Season
The Child
Best Director:
Alfonso Cuaron, Children of Men
Christopher Nolan, The Prestige
Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Michel Gondry, Dave Chappelle’s Block Party
Cristi Puiu, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Laura Dern, INLAND EMPIRE
Gretchen Mol, The Notorious Bettie Page
Laura Smet, The Bridesmaid
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
Sandra Hüller, Requiem
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat: Cultural Learnings of American for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brick
Ion Fiscuteanu, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
Hugh Jackman, The Fountain
Steve Coogan, Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Nick Nolte, Clean
Ray Winstone, The Proposition
Michael Caine, The Prestige
Sacha Baron Cohen, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Mia Kershner, The Black Dahlia
Cloris Leachman, Beerfest
Eva Green, Casino Royale
Rebecca Hall, The Prestige
Maribel Verdu, Pan’s Labyrinth
Best Screenplay:
The Prestige
The Departed
Brick
Inside Man
The Proposition
Best Ensemble Performance:
The Departed
The Prestige
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
The Proposition
Tristam Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story
Best Cinematography:
Miami Vice (Dion Beebe)
Children of Men (Emmanuel Lubezki)
The Proposition (Benoit Delhomme)
The Black Dahlia (Vilmos Zsigmond)
Three Times (Mark-li Ping-bin)
Best Music:
The Fountain (Clint Mansell)
The Proposition (Nick Cave and Warren Ellis)
Brick (Nathan Johnson)
Drawing Restraint 9 (Björk)
The Prestige (David Julyan)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Cristi Puiu (director/writer- The Death of Mr. Lazarescu)
Rian Johnson (director/writer- Brick)
Laura Smet (actor- The Bridesmaid)
Rebecca Hall (actor- The Prestige)
Sandra Hüller (actor- Requiem)
Best Body of Work:
Sacha Baron Cohen (actor- Borat, Talladega Nights)
Ray Winstone (actor- The Proposition, The Departed)
Hugh Jackman (actor- The Fountain, The Prestige, X-Men: The Last Stand, Scoop, Flushed Away)
Michael Caine (actor- The Prestige, Children of Men)
Clive Owen (actor- Children of Men, Inside Man)
Best Cinematic Moment:
Déjà vu – interchronological car chase
jackass number two – The Valentine
Children of Men – escaping the safe house
Children of Men – battle of Bexhill
Talladega Nights – enter Jean Girard
Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny – “Kickapoo”
A Prairie Home Companion – “Bad Jokes”
Borat – nude smackdown
A Scanner Darkly – Freck’s suicide
4 – opening shot
Friday, February 11, 2011
Muriels Retro: 2005
Best Picture:
The New World
Kings and Queen
Innocence
Caché
A History of Violence
Tropical Malady
Keane
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Gilles’ Wife
The Matador
Best Director:
Terrence Malick, The New World
Arnaud Desplechin, Kings and Queen
Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Innocence
Michael Haneke, Caché
David Cronenberg, A History of Violence
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Emmanuelle Devos, Gilles’ Wife
Emmanuelle Devos, Kings and Queen
Sibel Kekilli, Head-On
Q’Orianka Kilcher, The New World
Naomi Watts, King Kong
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Damian Lewis, Keane
Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain
Robert Downey Jr., Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Viggo Mortensen, A History of Violence
Choi Min-sik, Oldboy
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Jeff Daniels, The Squid and the Whale
Mickey Rourke, Frank Miller’s Sin City
Bruno Ganz, Downfall
Oliver Platt, The Ice Harvest
Mathieu Amalric, Munich
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Maria Bello, A History of Violence
Robin Wright Penn, Nine Lives
Qiu Yuen, Kung Fu Hustle
Michelle Monaghan, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Magali Woch, Kings and Queen
Best Screenplay:
A History of Violence
Kings and Queen
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
The Matador
The New World
Best Ensemble Performance:
Kings and Queen
A History of Violence
The New World
Games of Love and Chance
Nobody Knows
Best Cinematography:
The New World (Emmanuel Lubezki)
The Intruder (Agnès Godard)
Innocence (Benoit Debie)
2046 (Christopher Doyle)
Kings and Queen (Eric Gautier)
Best Music:
Tony Takitani (Ryuichi Sakamoto)
The Beat That My Heart Skipped (Alexandre Desplat et al)
Gilles’ Wife (Vincent D’Hondt)
King Kong (Howard Shore)
Pride & Prejudice (Dario Marianelli)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Sibel Kekilli (actor- Head-On)
Lucile Hadzihalilovic (director/writer- Innocence)
Q’Orianka Kilcher (actor- The New World)
Michelle Monaghan (actor- Kiss Kiss Bang Bang)
Richard Shepard (director/writer- The Matador)
Best Body of Work:
Emmanuelle Devos (actor- Kings and Queen, Gilles’ Wife, The Beat My Heart Skipped)
Heath Ledger (actor- Brokeback Mountain, Lords of Dogtown, The Brothers Grimm, Casanova)
Werner Herzog (director- Grizzly Man, Wheel of Time, The White Diamond)
Mathieu Amalric (actor- Kings and Queen, Munich)
Joan Allen (actor- The Upside of Anger, Yes, Off the Map)
Best Cinematic Moment:
Caché – “I just wanted you to be present”
Oldboy – hammer time
The Devil’s Rejects – “Free Bird”
The New World – arrival of the English
Kings and Queen – a letter from dad
King Kong – Kong searches for Anne in NYC
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang – Harry under the bed
Kung Fu Hustle – the musicians
Domino – Jerry Springer
Last Days – “Death to Birth”
The New World
Kings and Queen
Innocence
Caché
A History of Violence
Tropical Malady
Keane
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Gilles’ Wife
The Matador
Best Director:
Terrence Malick, The New World
Arnaud Desplechin, Kings and Queen
Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Innocence
Michael Haneke, Caché
David Cronenberg, A History of Violence
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Emmanuelle Devos, Gilles’ Wife
Emmanuelle Devos, Kings and Queen
Sibel Kekilli, Head-On
Q’Orianka Kilcher, The New World
Naomi Watts, King Kong
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Damian Lewis, Keane
Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain
Robert Downey Jr., Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Viggo Mortensen, A History of Violence
Choi Min-sik, Oldboy
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Jeff Daniels, The Squid and the Whale
Mickey Rourke, Frank Miller’s Sin City
Bruno Ganz, Downfall
Oliver Platt, The Ice Harvest
Mathieu Amalric, Munich
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Maria Bello, A History of Violence
Robin Wright Penn, Nine Lives
Qiu Yuen, Kung Fu Hustle
Michelle Monaghan, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Magali Woch, Kings and Queen
Best Screenplay:
A History of Violence
Kings and Queen
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
The Matador
The New World
Best Ensemble Performance:
Kings and Queen
A History of Violence
The New World
Games of Love and Chance
Nobody Knows
Best Cinematography:
The New World (Emmanuel Lubezki)
The Intruder (Agnès Godard)
Innocence (Benoit Debie)
2046 (Christopher Doyle)
Kings and Queen (Eric Gautier)
Best Music:
Tony Takitani (Ryuichi Sakamoto)
The Beat That My Heart Skipped (Alexandre Desplat et al)
Gilles’ Wife (Vincent D’Hondt)
King Kong (Howard Shore)
Pride & Prejudice (Dario Marianelli)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Sibel Kekilli (actor- Head-On)
Lucile Hadzihalilovic (director/writer- Innocence)
Q’Orianka Kilcher (actor- The New World)
Michelle Monaghan (actor- Kiss Kiss Bang Bang)
Richard Shepard (director/writer- The Matador)
Best Body of Work:
Emmanuelle Devos (actor- Kings and Queen, Gilles’ Wife, The Beat My Heart Skipped)
Heath Ledger (actor- Brokeback Mountain, Lords of Dogtown, The Brothers Grimm, Casanova)
Werner Herzog (director- Grizzly Man, Wheel of Time, The White Diamond)
Mathieu Amalric (actor- Kings and Queen, Munich)
Joan Allen (actor- The Upside of Anger, Yes, Off the Map)
Best Cinematic Moment:
Caché – “I just wanted you to be present”
Oldboy – hammer time
The Devil’s Rejects – “Free Bird”
The New World – arrival of the English
Kings and Queen – a letter from dad
King Kong – Kong searches for Anne in NYC
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang – Harry under the bed
Kung Fu Hustle – the musicians
Domino – Jerry Springer
Last Days – “Death to Birth”
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Muriels Retro: 2004
Best Picture:
Dogville
Before Sunset
Kill Bill: vol. 2
Cowards Bend the Knee
The Five Obstructions
Primer
Birth
Los Angeles Plays Itself
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Zatoichi
Best Director:
Lars von Trier, Dogville
Quentin Tarantino, Kill Bill: vol. 2
Guy Maddin, Cowards Bend the Knee
Richard Linklater, Before Sunset
Jonathan Glazer, Birth
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Bryce Dallas Howard, The Village
Moon So-ri, Oasis
Julie Delpy, Before Sunset
Nicole Kidman, Dogville
Esther Gorinton, Since Otar Left…
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Red Lights
Paul Bettany, Dogville
Gael Garcia Bernal, Bad Education
Jeff Bridges, The Door in the Floor
Jim Carrey, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Mark Wahlberg, I [heart] Huckabees
Danny Huston, Birth
Jude Law, I [heart] Huckabees
David Carradine, Kill Bill: vol. 2
John Hurt, Dogville
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Coralie Revel, Secret Things
Maia Morgenstern, The Passion of the Christ
Eva Green, The Dreamers
Daryl Hannah, Kill Bill: vol. 2
Cate Blanchett, Coffee and Cigarettes
Best Screenplay:
Primer
Before Sunset
Dogville
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
I [heart] Huckabees
Best Ensemble Performance:
Dogville
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Moolaadé
I [heart] Huckabees
Kill Bill: vol. 2
Best Cinematography:
Birth (Harris Savides)
Hero (Christopher Doyle)
Father and Son (Aleksandr Burov)
Collateral (Paul Cameron and Dion Beebe)
Distant (Nuri Bilge Ceylan)
Best Music:
Birth (Alexandre Desplat)
The Incredibles (Michael Giacchino)
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (Mark Mothersbaugh and Seu Jorgé)
Greendale (Neil Young)
Bad Education (Alberto Iglesias)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Shane Carruth (director/producer/actor/writer/composer/editor/production designer/sound designer- Primer)
Bryce Dallas Howard (actor- The Village)
Moon So-ri (actor- Oasis)
Coralie Revel (actor- Secret Things)
Eva Green (actor- The Dreamers)
Best Body of Work:
Lars von Trier (director/writer- Dogville, The Five Obstructions)
Cate Blanchett (actor- Coffee and Cigarettes, The Aviator, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou)
Jude Law (actor- I [heart] Huckabees, Closer, The Aviator, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Alfie, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Jamie Foxx (actor- Collateral, Ray, Breakin’ All the Rules)
Nicole Kidman (actor- Dogville, Birth, The Stepford Wives)
Best Cinematic Moment:
Before Sunset – Celine’s apartment
Kill Bill: vol. 2 – the Bride vs. Elle Driver
Birth – not a funny matter
Dogville – Grace’s escape attempt
Gozu – reach out and touch someone
Enduring Love – balloon accident
Anchorman – biker incident
Notre Musique – Hell
The Incredibles – Elastigirl infiltrates Syndrome’s lair
Hero – attack on calligraphy school
Dogville
Before Sunset
Kill Bill: vol. 2
Cowards Bend the Knee
The Five Obstructions
Primer
Birth
Los Angeles Plays Itself
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Zatoichi
Best Director:
Lars von Trier, Dogville
Quentin Tarantino, Kill Bill: vol. 2
Guy Maddin, Cowards Bend the Knee
Richard Linklater, Before Sunset
Jonathan Glazer, Birth
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Bryce Dallas Howard, The Village
Moon So-ri, Oasis
Julie Delpy, Before Sunset
Nicole Kidman, Dogville
Esther Gorinton, Since Otar Left…
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Red Lights
Paul Bettany, Dogville
Gael Garcia Bernal, Bad Education
Jeff Bridges, The Door in the Floor
Jim Carrey, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Mark Wahlberg, I [heart] Huckabees
Danny Huston, Birth
Jude Law, I [heart] Huckabees
David Carradine, Kill Bill: vol. 2
John Hurt, Dogville
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Coralie Revel, Secret Things
Maia Morgenstern, The Passion of the Christ
Eva Green, The Dreamers
Daryl Hannah, Kill Bill: vol. 2
Cate Blanchett, Coffee and Cigarettes
Best Screenplay:
Primer
Before Sunset
Dogville
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
I [heart] Huckabees
Best Ensemble Performance:
Dogville
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Moolaadé
I [heart] Huckabees
Kill Bill: vol. 2
Best Cinematography:
Birth (Harris Savides)
Hero (Christopher Doyle)
Father and Son (Aleksandr Burov)
Collateral (Paul Cameron and Dion Beebe)
Distant (Nuri Bilge Ceylan)
Best Music:
Birth (Alexandre Desplat)
The Incredibles (Michael Giacchino)
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (Mark Mothersbaugh and Seu Jorgé)
Greendale (Neil Young)
Bad Education (Alberto Iglesias)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Shane Carruth (director/producer/actor/writer/composer/editor/production designer/sound designer- Primer)
Bryce Dallas Howard (actor- The Village)
Moon So-ri (actor- Oasis)
Coralie Revel (actor- Secret Things)
Eva Green (actor- The Dreamers)
Best Body of Work:
Lars von Trier (director/writer- Dogville, The Five Obstructions)
Cate Blanchett (actor- Coffee and Cigarettes, The Aviator, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou)
Jude Law (actor- I [heart] Huckabees, Closer, The Aviator, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Alfie, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Jamie Foxx (actor- Collateral, Ray, Breakin’ All the Rules)
Nicole Kidman (actor- Dogville, Birth, The Stepford Wives)
Best Cinematic Moment:
Before Sunset – Celine’s apartment
Kill Bill: vol. 2 – the Bride vs. Elle Driver
Birth – not a funny matter
Dogville – Grace’s escape attempt
Gozu – reach out and touch someone
Enduring Love – balloon accident
Anchorman – biker incident
Notre Musique – Hell
The Incredibles – Elastigirl infiltrates Syndrome’s lair
Hero – attack on calligraphy school
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Muriels Retro: 2003
Best Picture:
The Son
Irreversible
Kill Bill: vol. 1
The Secret Lives of Dentists
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Spider
Bus 174
Stuck on You
Gerry
The Good Thief
Best Director:
Gaspar Noé, Irreversible
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, The Son
Quentin Tarantino, Kill Bill: vol. 1
Peter Jackson, Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
David Cronenberg, Spider
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Monica Bellucci, Irreversible
Uma Thurman, Kill Bill: vol. 1
Oksana Akinshina, Lilja 4-Ever
Angela Bettis, May
Charlize Theron, Monster
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Olivier Gourmet, The Son
Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Nick Nolte, The Good Thief
Campbell Scott, The Secret Lives of Dentists
Matt Damon, Stuck on You
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Peter Sarsgaard, Shattered Glass
Brendan Gleeson, 28 Days Later
Albert Dupontel, Irreversible
Sean Astin, Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Sonny Chiba, Kill Bill: vol. 1
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Sand and Fog
Miranda Richardson, Spider
Catherine O’Hara, A Mighty Wind
Alison Lohman, Matchstick Men
Ellen DeGeneres, Finding Nemo
Best Screenplay:
The Secret Lives of Dentists
Kill Bill: vol. 1
Shattered Glass
The Son
Stuck on You
Best Ensemble Performance:
A Mighty Wind
The Secret Lives of Dentists
Kill Bill: vol. 1
Shattered Glass
The Good Thief
Best Cinematography:
Gerry (Harris Savides)
Spider (Peter Suschitzky)
Kill Bill: vol.1 (Robert Richardson)
City of God (Cesar Charlone)
Irreversible (Benoit Debie)
Best Music:
A Mighty Wind (Various)
The Triplets of Belleville (Benoit Charest)
The Fog of War (Philip Glass)
Spider (Howard Shore)
Kill Bill: vol. 1 (RZA et al)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Oksana Akinshina (actor- Lilja 4-Ever)
Angela Bettis (actor- May)
José Padilha (director- Bus 174)
Zooey Deschanel (actor- All the Real Girls)
Anna Kendrick (actor- Camp)
Best Body of Work:
Johnny Depp (actor- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Once Upon a Time in Mexico)
Harris Savides (cinematographer- Gerry, Elephant)
Matt Damon (actor- Stuck on You, Gerry)
Hope Davis (actor- The Secret Lives of Dentists, American Splendor)
Howard Shore (composer- Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Spider)
Best Cinematic Moment:
Bus 174 – slow motion apprehension gone awry
Gerry – rock marooned
Gerry – sunrise shuffle
Kill Bill: vol. 1 – the Bride vs. Go-Go Yubari
A Mighty Wind – “A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow”
So Close – “Close to You” in the record store
The Son – Francis uses the air hose
Kill Bill: vol. 1 – the Bride meets the Man From Okinawa
The Secret Lives of Dentists – the flu spreads
Spellbound – “your word is… Darjeeling.”
The Son
Irreversible
Kill Bill: vol. 1
The Secret Lives of Dentists
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Spider
Bus 174
Stuck on You
Gerry
The Good Thief
Best Director:
Gaspar Noé, Irreversible
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, The Son
Quentin Tarantino, Kill Bill: vol. 1
Peter Jackson, Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
David Cronenberg, Spider
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Monica Bellucci, Irreversible
Uma Thurman, Kill Bill: vol. 1
Oksana Akinshina, Lilja 4-Ever
Angela Bettis, May
Charlize Theron, Monster
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Olivier Gourmet, The Son
Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Nick Nolte, The Good Thief
Campbell Scott, The Secret Lives of Dentists
Matt Damon, Stuck on You
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Peter Sarsgaard, Shattered Glass
Brendan Gleeson, 28 Days Later
Albert Dupontel, Irreversible
Sean Astin, Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Sonny Chiba, Kill Bill: vol. 1
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Sand and Fog
Miranda Richardson, Spider
Catherine O’Hara, A Mighty Wind
Alison Lohman, Matchstick Men
Ellen DeGeneres, Finding Nemo
Best Screenplay:
The Secret Lives of Dentists
Kill Bill: vol. 1
Shattered Glass
The Son
Stuck on You
Best Ensemble Performance:
A Mighty Wind
The Secret Lives of Dentists
Kill Bill: vol. 1
Shattered Glass
The Good Thief
Best Cinematography:
Gerry (Harris Savides)
Spider (Peter Suschitzky)
Kill Bill: vol.1 (Robert Richardson)
City of God (Cesar Charlone)
Irreversible (Benoit Debie)
Best Music:
A Mighty Wind (Various)
The Triplets of Belleville (Benoit Charest)
The Fog of War (Philip Glass)
Spider (Howard Shore)
Kill Bill: vol. 1 (RZA et al)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Oksana Akinshina (actor- Lilja 4-Ever)
Angela Bettis (actor- May)
José Padilha (director- Bus 174)
Zooey Deschanel (actor- All the Real Girls)
Anna Kendrick (actor- Camp)
Best Body of Work:
Johnny Depp (actor- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Once Upon a Time in Mexico)
Harris Savides (cinematographer- Gerry, Elephant)
Matt Damon (actor- Stuck on You, Gerry)
Hope Davis (actor- The Secret Lives of Dentists, American Splendor)
Howard Shore (composer- Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Spider)
Best Cinematic Moment:
Bus 174 – slow motion apprehension gone awry
Gerry – rock marooned
Gerry – sunrise shuffle
Kill Bill: vol. 1 – the Bride vs. Go-Go Yubari
A Mighty Wind – “A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow”
So Close – “Close to You” in the record store
The Son – Francis uses the air hose
Kill Bill: vol. 1 – the Bride meets the Man From Okinawa
The Secret Lives of Dentists – the flu spreads
Spellbound – “your word is… Darjeeling.”
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Retro Muriels: 2002
Best Picture:
8 Women
25th Hour
Songs From the Second Floor
Punch-Drunk Love
Russian Ark
Talk to Her
What Time Is It There?
Spirited Away
The Piano Teacher
Trouble Every Day
Best Director:
Spike Lee, 25th Hour
Francois Ozon, 8 Women
Roy Andersson, Songs From the Second Floor
Aleksandr Sokurov, Russian Ark
Paul Thomas Anderson, Punch-Drunk Love
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Isabelle Huppert, The Piano Teacher
Samantha Morton, Morvern Callar
Sylvie Testud, Murderous Maids
Julianne Moore, Far From Heaven
Summer Phoenix, Esther Kahn
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Nicolas Cage, Adaptation.
Ryan Gosling, The Believer
Danny Huston, ivans xtc.
Sam Rockwell, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Edward Norton, 25th Hour
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Daniel Day-Lewis, Gangs of New York
Brian Cox, 25th Hour
Andy Serkis, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Dennis Quaid, Far From Heaven
Philip Seymour Hoffman, 25th Hour
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Isabelle Huppert, 8 Women
Meryl Streep, Adaptation.
Ronit Elkabetz, Late Marriage
Ludivine Sagnier, 8 Women
Emily Watson, Punch-Drunk Love
Best Screenplay:
25th Hour
Talk to Her
Y Tu Mama Tambien
8 Women
Adaptation.
Best Ensemble Performance:
8 Women
Monsoon Wedding
25th Hour
Far From Heaven
Talk to Her
Best Cinematography:
Far From Heaven (Edward Lachman)
Morvern Callar (Alwin Kuchler)
Punch-Drunk Love (Robert Elswit)
What Time Is It There? (Benoit Delhomme)
25th Hour (Rodrigo Prieto)
Best Music:
25th Hour (Terence Blanchard)
Far From Heaven (Elmer Bernstein)
Sex and Lucia (Alberto Iglesias)
Punch-Drunk Love (Jon Brion)
8 Women (Krishna Levy et al)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Ryan Gosling (actor- The Believer)
Ludivine Sagnier (actor- 8 Women)
Danny Huston (actor- ivans xtc.)
Summer Phoenix (actor- Esther Kahn)
Steve Coogan (actor- 24 Hour Party People)
Best Body of Work:
Isabelle Huppert (actor- The Piano Teacher, 8 Women, Merci Pour le Chocolat, Les Destinées)
Steven Soderbergh (director- Solaris, Full Frontal; executive producer- Far From Heaven, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Insomnia, Naqoyqatsi)
Alberto Iglesias (composer- Sex and Lucia, Talk to Her)
Edward Norton (actor- 25th Hour, Death to Smoochy, Red Dragon)
Ludivine Sagnier (actor- 8 Women, My Wife Is An Actress)
Best Cinematic Moment:
25th Hour – last temptation of Monty
Talk to Her – “Shrinking Lover”
8 Women – “Message Personnel”
Songs From the Second Floor – airport
Punch-Drunk Love – opening scene
Minority Report – spiders
The Fast Runner – punching heads
Femme Fatale – slow motion legs
Cherish – “Private Eyes”
Brotherhood of the Wolf – the world’s greatest dissolve
8 Women
25th Hour
Songs From the Second Floor
Punch-Drunk Love
Russian Ark
Talk to Her
What Time Is It There?
Spirited Away
The Piano Teacher
Trouble Every Day
Best Director:
Spike Lee, 25th Hour
Francois Ozon, 8 Women
Roy Andersson, Songs From the Second Floor
Aleksandr Sokurov, Russian Ark
Paul Thomas Anderson, Punch-Drunk Love
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Isabelle Huppert, The Piano Teacher
Samantha Morton, Morvern Callar
Sylvie Testud, Murderous Maids
Julianne Moore, Far From Heaven
Summer Phoenix, Esther Kahn
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Nicolas Cage, Adaptation.
Ryan Gosling, The Believer
Danny Huston, ivans xtc.
Sam Rockwell, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Edward Norton, 25th Hour
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Daniel Day-Lewis, Gangs of New York
Brian Cox, 25th Hour
Andy Serkis, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Dennis Quaid, Far From Heaven
Philip Seymour Hoffman, 25th Hour
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Isabelle Huppert, 8 Women
Meryl Streep, Adaptation.
Ronit Elkabetz, Late Marriage
Ludivine Sagnier, 8 Women
Emily Watson, Punch-Drunk Love
Best Screenplay:
25th Hour
Talk to Her
Y Tu Mama Tambien
8 Women
Adaptation.
Best Ensemble Performance:
8 Women
Monsoon Wedding
25th Hour
Far From Heaven
Talk to Her
Best Cinematography:
Far From Heaven (Edward Lachman)
Morvern Callar (Alwin Kuchler)
Punch-Drunk Love (Robert Elswit)
What Time Is It There? (Benoit Delhomme)
25th Hour (Rodrigo Prieto)
Best Music:
25th Hour (Terence Blanchard)
Far From Heaven (Elmer Bernstein)
Sex and Lucia (Alberto Iglesias)
Punch-Drunk Love (Jon Brion)
8 Women (Krishna Levy et al)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Ryan Gosling (actor- The Believer)
Ludivine Sagnier (actor- 8 Women)
Danny Huston (actor- ivans xtc.)
Summer Phoenix (actor- Esther Kahn)
Steve Coogan (actor- 24 Hour Party People)
Best Body of Work:
Isabelle Huppert (actor- The Piano Teacher, 8 Women, Merci Pour le Chocolat, Les Destinées)
Steven Soderbergh (director- Solaris, Full Frontal; executive producer- Far From Heaven, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Insomnia, Naqoyqatsi)
Alberto Iglesias (composer- Sex and Lucia, Talk to Her)
Edward Norton (actor- 25th Hour, Death to Smoochy, Red Dragon)
Ludivine Sagnier (actor- 8 Women, My Wife Is An Actress)
Best Cinematic Moment:
25th Hour – last temptation of Monty
Talk to Her – “Shrinking Lover”
8 Women – “Message Personnel”
Songs From the Second Floor – airport
Punch-Drunk Love – opening scene
Minority Report – spiders
The Fast Runner – punching heads
Femme Fatale – slow motion legs
Cherish – “Private Eyes”
Brotherhood of the Wolf – the world’s greatest dissolve
Monday, February 07, 2011
Retro Muriels: 2001
Best Picture:
Waking Life
Audition
The Royal Tenenbaums
Code Unknown
Mulholland Dr.
The Man Who Wasn’t There
Eureka
Gosford Park
Werckmeister Harmonies
A.I.: Artificial Intelligence
Best Director:
Takashi Miike, Audition
Wes Anderson, The Royal Tenenbaums
Richard Linklater, Waking Life
Michael Haneke, Code Unknown
David Lynch, Mulholland Dr.
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Charlotte Rampling, Under the Sand
Naomi Watts, Mulholland Dr.
Kim Dickens, Things Behind the Sun
Lina Endre, Faithless
Thora Birch, Ghost World
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Tom Wilkinson, In the Bedroom
Gene Hackman, The Royal Tenenbaums
Billy Bob Thornton, The Man Who Wasn’t There
Eric Bana, Chopper
Koji Yakusho, Eureka
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Tony Shalhoub, The Man Who Wasn’t There
Steve Buscemi, Ghost World
Jude Law, A.I.
Justin Theroux, Mulholland Dr.
Ben Kingsley, Sexy Beast
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Juliette Binoche, Code Unknown
Piper Perabo, Lost and Delirious
Marisa Tomei, In the Bedroom
Eihi Shiina, Audition
Mary McDonnell, Donnie Darko
Best Screenplay:
The Man Who Wasn’t There
Gosford Park
The Royal Tenenbaums
Donnie Darko
Memento
Best Ensemble Performance:
Gosford Park
Va Savoir
Together
The Man Who Wasn’t There
The Royal Tenenbaums
Best Cinematography:
In the Mood for Love (Christopher Doyle and Mark-li Ping-bin)
The Man Who Wasn’t There (Roger Deakins)
Werckmeister Harmonies (de Ranter/Gurban/Lanzensberger/Medvigy/Novak/Tregenza)
A.I. (Janusz Kaminski)
Code Unknown (Jürgen Jürges)
Best Music:
Waking Life (Glover Gill and the Tosca Tango Orchestra)
Monsters, Inc. (Randy Newman)
A.I. (John Williams)
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Howard Shore)
The Man Who Wasn’t There (Carter Burwell)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Naomi Watts (actor- Mulholland Dr.)
Eric Bana (actor- Chopper)
John Cameron Mitchell (actor/director/writer- Hedwig and the Angry Inch)
Richard Kelly (director/writer- Donnie Darko)
Bob Sabiston (animator- Waking Life)
Best Body of Work:
Richard Linklater (director/writer- Waking Life, Tape)
Billy Bob Thornton (actor- The Man Who Wasn’t There, Monster’s Ball, Bandits)
Marisa Tomei (actor- In the Bedroom, Happy Accidents)
Juliette Binoche (actor- Code Unknown, The Widow of St. Pierre)
Ethan Hawke (actor- Tape, Waking Life, Training Day)
Best Cinematic Moment:
Werckmeister Harmonies – cosmos (opening scene)
Code Unknown – subway confrontation
Audition – the phone rings
Mulholland Dr. – “let’s play this one niiiiiiiiice and close”
Monsters, Inc. – doors chase
The Man Who Wasn’t There – tar macadam
Zoolander – gasoline fight
Mulholland Dr. – Castigliani bros.
Tuvalu – nude swim with fishbowl
The Pledge – Mickey Rourke
Waking Life
Audition
The Royal Tenenbaums
Code Unknown
Mulholland Dr.
The Man Who Wasn’t There
Eureka
Gosford Park
Werckmeister Harmonies
A.I.: Artificial Intelligence
Best Director:
Takashi Miike, Audition
Wes Anderson, The Royal Tenenbaums
Richard Linklater, Waking Life
Michael Haneke, Code Unknown
David Lynch, Mulholland Dr.
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Charlotte Rampling, Under the Sand
Naomi Watts, Mulholland Dr.
Kim Dickens, Things Behind the Sun
Lina Endre, Faithless
Thora Birch, Ghost World
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Tom Wilkinson, In the Bedroom
Gene Hackman, The Royal Tenenbaums
Billy Bob Thornton, The Man Who Wasn’t There
Eric Bana, Chopper
Koji Yakusho, Eureka
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Tony Shalhoub, The Man Who Wasn’t There
Steve Buscemi, Ghost World
Jude Law, A.I.
Justin Theroux, Mulholland Dr.
Ben Kingsley, Sexy Beast
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Juliette Binoche, Code Unknown
Piper Perabo, Lost and Delirious
Marisa Tomei, In the Bedroom
Eihi Shiina, Audition
Mary McDonnell, Donnie Darko
Best Screenplay:
The Man Who Wasn’t There
Gosford Park
The Royal Tenenbaums
Donnie Darko
Memento
Best Ensemble Performance:
Gosford Park
Va Savoir
Together
The Man Who Wasn’t There
The Royal Tenenbaums
Best Cinematography:
In the Mood for Love (Christopher Doyle and Mark-li Ping-bin)
The Man Who Wasn’t There (Roger Deakins)
Werckmeister Harmonies (de Ranter/Gurban/Lanzensberger/Medvigy/Novak/Tregenza)
A.I. (Janusz Kaminski)
Code Unknown (Jürgen Jürges)
Best Music:
Waking Life (Glover Gill and the Tosca Tango Orchestra)
Monsters, Inc. (Randy Newman)
A.I. (John Williams)
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Howard Shore)
The Man Who Wasn’t There (Carter Burwell)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Naomi Watts (actor- Mulholland Dr.)
Eric Bana (actor- Chopper)
John Cameron Mitchell (actor/director/writer- Hedwig and the Angry Inch)
Richard Kelly (director/writer- Donnie Darko)
Bob Sabiston (animator- Waking Life)
Best Body of Work:
Richard Linklater (director/writer- Waking Life, Tape)
Billy Bob Thornton (actor- The Man Who Wasn’t There, Monster’s Ball, Bandits)
Marisa Tomei (actor- In the Bedroom, Happy Accidents)
Juliette Binoche (actor- Code Unknown, The Widow of St. Pierre)
Ethan Hawke (actor- Tape, Waking Life, Training Day)
Best Cinematic Moment:
Werckmeister Harmonies – cosmos (opening scene)
Code Unknown – subway confrontation
Audition – the phone rings
Mulholland Dr. – “let’s play this one niiiiiiiiice and close”
Monsters, Inc. – doors chase
The Man Who Wasn’t There – tar macadam
Zoolander – gasoline fight
Mulholland Dr. – Castigliani bros.
Tuvalu – nude swim with fishbowl
The Pledge – Mickey Rourke
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Retro Muriels: 2000
Best Picture:
Beau Travail
Yi Yi
George Washington
Requiem For a Dream
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
Before Night Falls
The House of Mirth
Humanité
Jesus’ Son
Wonder Boys
Best Director:
Claire Denis, Beau Travail
Edward Yang, Yi Yi
David Gordon Green, George Washington
Darren Aronofsky, Requiem For a Dream
Julian Schnabel, Before Night Falls
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Ellen Burstyn, Requiem For a Dream
Björk, Dancer in the Dark
Juliette Binoche, Alice and Martin
Gillian Anderson, The House of Mirth
Laura Linney, You Can Count on Me
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Javier Bardem, Before Night Falls
Denis Lavant, Beau Travail
Billy Crudup, Jesus’ Son
Forest Whitaker, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
Tom Hanks, Cast Away
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Issei Ogata, Yi Yi
Tim Blake Nelson, O Brother, Where Art Thou?
David Morse, Dancer in the Dark
Jack Black, High Fidelity
Robert Downey Jr., Wonder Boys
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Samantha Morton, Jesus’ Son
Jennifer Connelly, Requiem For a Dream
Catherine Deneuve, Dancer in the Dark
Jennifer Ehle, Sunshine
Frances McDormand, Wonder Boys
Best Screenplay:
Wonder Boys
You Can Count on Me
Yi Yi
Croupier
State and Main
Best Ensemble Performance:
Yi Yi
Best in Show
Wonder Boys
George Washington
Jesus’ Son
Best Cinematography:
Beau Travail (Agnès Godard)
The House of Mirth (Remi Adefarasin)
George Washington (Tim Orr)
Before Night Falls (Xavier Perez Grobet and Guillermo Rosas)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Roger Deakins)
Best Music:
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (RZA et al)
Requiem For a Dream (Clint Mansell)
Dancer in the Dark (Björk)
POLA X (Scott Walker)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Various)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
David Gordon Green (director/writer- George Washington)
Björk (actor/composer- Dancer in the Dark)
Jack Black (actor- High Fidelity)
Clive Owen (actor- Croupier)
Kate Hudson (actor- Almost Famous)
Best Body of Work:
Catherine Deneuve (actor- Dancer in the Dark, POLA X, Place Vendome, East-West)
Billy Crudup (actor- Jesus’ Son, Almost Famous, Waking the Dead)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (actor- State and Main, Almost Famous)
Robby Müller (cinematographer- Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Dancer in the Dark)
Frances McDormand (actor- Wonder Boys, Almost Famous)
Best Cinematic Moment:
Beau Travail – silent funeral
Beau Travail – “Rhythm of the Night”
The House of Mirth – estate/Mediterranean transition
The Wind Will Carry Us – in the barn
Jesus’ Son – “patient complains of knife in head”
Erin Brockovich – car accident
The Way of the Gun – surprise in the fountain
Dancer in the Dark – “I’ve Seen It All”
O Brother, Where Art Thou? – sirens
You Can Count on Me – “it’s a sin”
Beau Travail
Yi Yi
George Washington
Requiem For a Dream
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
Before Night Falls
The House of Mirth
Humanité
Jesus’ Son
Wonder Boys
Best Director:
Claire Denis, Beau Travail
Edward Yang, Yi Yi
David Gordon Green, George Washington
Darren Aronofsky, Requiem For a Dream
Julian Schnabel, Before Night Falls
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Ellen Burstyn, Requiem For a Dream
Björk, Dancer in the Dark
Juliette Binoche, Alice and Martin
Gillian Anderson, The House of Mirth
Laura Linney, You Can Count on Me
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Javier Bardem, Before Night Falls
Denis Lavant, Beau Travail
Billy Crudup, Jesus’ Son
Forest Whitaker, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
Tom Hanks, Cast Away
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Issei Ogata, Yi Yi
Tim Blake Nelson, O Brother, Where Art Thou?
David Morse, Dancer in the Dark
Jack Black, High Fidelity
Robert Downey Jr., Wonder Boys
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Samantha Morton, Jesus’ Son
Jennifer Connelly, Requiem For a Dream
Catherine Deneuve, Dancer in the Dark
Jennifer Ehle, Sunshine
Frances McDormand, Wonder Boys
Best Screenplay:
Wonder Boys
You Can Count on Me
Yi Yi
Croupier
State and Main
Best Ensemble Performance:
Yi Yi
Best in Show
Wonder Boys
George Washington
Jesus’ Son
Best Cinematography:
Beau Travail (Agnès Godard)
The House of Mirth (Remi Adefarasin)
George Washington (Tim Orr)
Before Night Falls (Xavier Perez Grobet and Guillermo Rosas)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Roger Deakins)
Best Music:
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (RZA et al)
Requiem For a Dream (Clint Mansell)
Dancer in the Dark (Björk)
POLA X (Scott Walker)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Various)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
David Gordon Green (director/writer- George Washington)
Björk (actor/composer- Dancer in the Dark)
Jack Black (actor- High Fidelity)
Clive Owen (actor- Croupier)
Kate Hudson (actor- Almost Famous)
Best Body of Work:
Catherine Deneuve (actor- Dancer in the Dark, POLA X, Place Vendome, East-West)
Billy Crudup (actor- Jesus’ Son, Almost Famous, Waking the Dead)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (actor- State and Main, Almost Famous)
Robby Müller (cinematographer- Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Dancer in the Dark)
Frances McDormand (actor- Wonder Boys, Almost Famous)
Best Cinematic Moment:
Beau Travail – silent funeral
Beau Travail – “Rhythm of the Night”
The House of Mirth – estate/Mediterranean transition
The Wind Will Carry Us – in the barn
Jesus’ Son – “patient complains of knife in head”
Erin Brockovich – car accident
The Way of the Gun – surprise in the fountain
Dancer in the Dark – “I’ve Seen It All”
O Brother, Where Art Thou? – sirens
You Can Count on Me – “it’s a sin”
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Retro Muriels: 1999
Best Picture:
After Life
The War Zone
Three Kings
Topsy-Turvy
Bringing Out the Dead
Eyes Wide Shut
Show Me Love
Magnolia
The Iron Giant
Being John Malkovich
Best Director:
Hirokazu Kore-eda, After Life
Tim Roth, The War Zone
David O. Russell, Three Kings
Mike Leigh, Topsy-Turvy
Stanley Kubrick, Eyes Wide Shut
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Lara Belmont, The War Zone
Emilie Duquenne, Rosetta
Reese Witherspoon, Election
Hilary Swank, Boys Don’t Cry
Leila Hatami, Leila
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Sean Penn, Sweet and Lowdown
Jim Broadbent, Topsy-Turvy
Russell Crowe, The Insider
Richard Farnsworth, The Straight Story
Johnny Depp, Sleepy Hollow
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
John Malkovich, Being John Malkovich
John C. Reilly, Magnolia
Stephen Rea, The End of the Affair
Ray Winstone, The War Zone
Sydney Pollack, Eyes Wide Shut
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Sarah Polley, Go
Melora Walters, Magnolia
Samantha Morton, Sweet and Lowdown
Chloe Sevigny, Boys Don’t Cry
Nicole Kidman, Eyes Wide Shut
Best Screenplay:
Being John Malkovich
Show Me Love
The Lovers of the Arctic Circle
Autumn Tale
Magnolia
Best Ensemble Performance:
After Life
Topsy-Turvy
The War Zone
Magnolia
Eyes Wide Shut
Best Cinematography:
Snow Falling on Cedars (Robert Richardson)
The Straight Story (Freddie Francis)
Sleepy Hollow (Emmanuel Lubezki)
Eyes Wide Shut (Larry Smith)
The War Zone (Seamus McGarvey)
Best Music:
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (Trey Parker and Marc Shaiman)
Magnolia (Jon Brion and Aimee Mann)
The Red Violin (John Corigliano)
Ravenous (Michael Nyman and Damon Albarn)
The Straight Story (Angelo Badalamenti)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Charlie Kaufman (writer- Being John Malkovich)
Lara Belmont (actor- The War Zone)
Spike Jonze (director- Being John Malkovich)
Brad Bird (director- The Iron Giant)
Hilary Swank (actor- Boys Don’t Cry)
Best Body of Work:
Robert Richardson (cinematographer- Snow Falling on Cedars, Bringing Out the Dead, Mr. Death)
Julianne Moore (actor- The End of the Affair, Magnolia, A Ideal Husband, Cookie’s Fortune, A Map of the World)
Spike Jonze (director- Being John Malkovich, actor- Three Kings)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (actor- Magnolia, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Flawless)
Joan Cusack (actor- Arlington Road, Toy Story 2)
Best Cinematic Moment:
Magnolia – “Wise Up”
Being John Malkovich – Malkovich Malkovich
Magnolia – when it rains…
After Life – walking alone
Bringing Out the Dead – fireworks
The Iron Giant – “Super-mannnnnnnnnnn…”
Deep Blue Sea – monologue, interrupted
Eyes Wide Shut – “what is the password to the house?”
Topsy-Turvy – “corroborative”
I Stand Alone – “You Now Have 30 Seconds to Leave the Theatre”
After Life
The War Zone
Three Kings
Topsy-Turvy
Bringing Out the Dead
Eyes Wide Shut
Show Me Love
Magnolia
The Iron Giant
Being John Malkovich
Best Director:
Hirokazu Kore-eda, After Life
Tim Roth, The War Zone
David O. Russell, Three Kings
Mike Leigh, Topsy-Turvy
Stanley Kubrick, Eyes Wide Shut
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Lara Belmont, The War Zone
Emilie Duquenne, Rosetta
Reese Witherspoon, Election
Hilary Swank, Boys Don’t Cry
Leila Hatami, Leila
Best Lead Performance, Male:
Sean Penn, Sweet and Lowdown
Jim Broadbent, Topsy-Turvy
Russell Crowe, The Insider
Richard Farnsworth, The Straight Story
Johnny Depp, Sleepy Hollow
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
John Malkovich, Being John Malkovich
John C. Reilly, Magnolia
Stephen Rea, The End of the Affair
Ray Winstone, The War Zone
Sydney Pollack, Eyes Wide Shut
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Sarah Polley, Go
Melora Walters, Magnolia
Samantha Morton, Sweet and Lowdown
Chloe Sevigny, Boys Don’t Cry
Nicole Kidman, Eyes Wide Shut
Best Screenplay:
Being John Malkovich
Show Me Love
The Lovers of the Arctic Circle
Autumn Tale
Magnolia
Best Ensemble Performance:
After Life
Topsy-Turvy
The War Zone
Magnolia
Eyes Wide Shut
Best Cinematography:
Snow Falling on Cedars (Robert Richardson)
The Straight Story (Freddie Francis)
Sleepy Hollow (Emmanuel Lubezki)
Eyes Wide Shut (Larry Smith)
The War Zone (Seamus McGarvey)
Best Music:
South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (Trey Parker and Marc Shaiman)
Magnolia (Jon Brion and Aimee Mann)
The Red Violin (John Corigliano)
Ravenous (Michael Nyman and Damon Albarn)
The Straight Story (Angelo Badalamenti)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Charlie Kaufman (writer- Being John Malkovich)
Lara Belmont (actor- The War Zone)
Spike Jonze (director- Being John Malkovich)
Brad Bird (director- The Iron Giant)
Hilary Swank (actor- Boys Don’t Cry)
Best Body of Work:
Robert Richardson (cinematographer- Snow Falling on Cedars, Bringing Out the Dead, Mr. Death)
Julianne Moore (actor- The End of the Affair, Magnolia, A Ideal Husband, Cookie’s Fortune, A Map of the World)
Spike Jonze (director- Being John Malkovich, actor- Three Kings)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (actor- Magnolia, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Flawless)
Joan Cusack (actor- Arlington Road, Toy Story 2)
Best Cinematic Moment:
Magnolia – “Wise Up”
Being John Malkovich – Malkovich Malkovich
Magnolia – when it rains…
After Life – walking alone
Bringing Out the Dead – fireworks
The Iron Giant – “Super-mannnnnnnnnnn…”
Deep Blue Sea – monologue, interrupted
Eyes Wide Shut – “what is the password to the house?”
Topsy-Turvy – “corroborative”
I Stand Alone – “You Now Have 30 Seconds to Leave the Theatre”
Friday, February 04, 2011
Retro Muriels: 1998
Note: I will be posting one retrospective ballot per day leading up to the beginning of the Muriels announcements on Sunday, February 16. Also, these are not my original ballots from these years, but rather were formulated over the last few weeks based on my more-or-less current feelings about the movies in question. In the case of the years in which the Muriels were taking place, these new ballots in no way negate my original ballots. These are strictly for fun and curiousity’s sake.
Best Picture:
Buffalo ‘66
The Celebration
Rushmore
Love and Death on Long Island
Dark City
The Thin Red Line
Babe: Pig in the City
Mother and Son
Taste of Cherry
Bulworth
Best Director:
Vincent Gallo, Buffalo ‘66
Thomas Vinterberg, The Celebration
Terrence Malick, The Thin Red Line
Wes Anderson, Rushmore
Alex Proyas, Dark City
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Samantha Morton, Under the Skin
Kathy Burke, Nil by Mouth
Jennifer Lopez, Out of Sight
Fernanda Montenegro, Central Station
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth
Note: In making these ballots, I did my damnedest to concentrate solely on the individual achievements themselves, rather than what has happened in the intervening years. It wasn’t easy at times, but I think I pulled it off. To wit: my #3 in the above category. In the last decade or so, I have more or less given up on Ms. Lopez, a once-promising actress whose voracious desire for superstardom has torpedoed any talent she once displayed. Yet the awesomeness of her OUT OF SIGHT performance is, even today, pretty undeniable.
Best Lead Performance, Male:
John Hurt, Love and Death on Long Island
Nick Nolte, Affliction
Jeff Bridges, The Big Lebowski
Jason Schwartzman, Rushmore
Warren Beatty, Bulworth
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Bill Murray, Rushmore
James Coburn, Affliction
Oliver Platt, Bulworth
Billy Bob Thornton, A Simple Plan
Benicio Del Toro, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Olivia Williams, Rushmore
Patricia Clarkson, High Art
Toni Collette, Velvet Goldmine
Kimberly Elise, Beloved
Kathy Bates, Primary Colors
Best Screenplay:
Love and Death on Long Island
Rushmore
The Spanish Prisoner
Henry Fool
The Celebration
Best Ensemble Performance:
The Celebration
Rushmore
Out of Sight
The Big Lebowski
Happiness
Best Cinematography:
The Thin Red Line (John Toll)
Great Expectations (Emmanuel Lubezki)
Bulworth (Vittorio Storaro)
The Big Lebowski (Roger Deakins)
Dark City (Dariusz Wolski)
Best Music:
Velvet Goldmine (Carter Burwell et al)
Gods and Monsters (Carter Burwell)
Rushmore (Mark Mothersbaugh et al)
Dark City (Trevor Jones)
The Thin Red Line (Hans Zimmer)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Vincent Gallo (director- Buffalo ’66)
Samantha Morton (actor- Under the Skin)
Thomas Vinterberg (director- The Celebration)
Jason Schwartzman (actor- Rushmore)
Cate Blanchett (actor- Elizabeth)
Best Body of Work:
Carter Burwell (composer- Gods and Monsters, The Big Lebowski, The Spanish Prisoner, Velvet Goldmine)
Nick Nolte (actor- Affliction, The Thin Red Line)
Ben Gazzara (actor- Buffalo ’66, The Spanish Prisoner, The Big Lebowski, Happiness)
Oliver Platt (actor- Bulworth, The Imposters)
Edward Norton (actor- Rounders, American History X)
Best Cinematic Moment:
Funny Games – Be unkind, rewind
Buffalo ’66 – face to face with Scott Woods
Babe: Pig in the City – Flealick in paradise
Saving Private Ryan – death of Mellish
Rushmore – “A Quick One While He’s Away”
A Simple Plan – Lou’s confession
Velvet Goldmine – “Ballad of Maxwell Demon”
The Big Lebowski – “Gutterballs”
The Eel – bloody Yamashita turns himself in
Out of Sight – White Boy Bob on the stairs
Best Picture:
Buffalo ‘66
The Celebration
Rushmore
Love and Death on Long Island
Dark City
The Thin Red Line
Babe: Pig in the City
Mother and Son
Taste of Cherry
Bulworth
Best Director:
Vincent Gallo, Buffalo ‘66
Thomas Vinterberg, The Celebration
Terrence Malick, The Thin Red Line
Wes Anderson, Rushmore
Alex Proyas, Dark City
Best Lead Performance, Female:
Samantha Morton, Under the Skin
Kathy Burke, Nil by Mouth
Jennifer Lopez, Out of Sight
Fernanda Montenegro, Central Station
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth
Note: In making these ballots, I did my damnedest to concentrate solely on the individual achievements themselves, rather than what has happened in the intervening years. It wasn’t easy at times, but I think I pulled it off. To wit: my #3 in the above category. In the last decade or so, I have more or less given up on Ms. Lopez, a once-promising actress whose voracious desire for superstardom has torpedoed any talent she once displayed. Yet the awesomeness of her OUT OF SIGHT performance is, even today, pretty undeniable.
Best Lead Performance, Male:
John Hurt, Love and Death on Long Island
Nick Nolte, Affliction
Jeff Bridges, The Big Lebowski
Jason Schwartzman, Rushmore
Warren Beatty, Bulworth
Best Supporting Performance, Male:
Bill Murray, Rushmore
James Coburn, Affliction
Oliver Platt, Bulworth
Billy Bob Thornton, A Simple Plan
Benicio Del Toro, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Best Supporting Performance, Female:
Olivia Williams, Rushmore
Patricia Clarkson, High Art
Toni Collette, Velvet Goldmine
Kimberly Elise, Beloved
Kathy Bates, Primary Colors
Best Screenplay:
Love and Death on Long Island
Rushmore
The Spanish Prisoner
Henry Fool
The Celebration
Best Ensemble Performance:
The Celebration
Rushmore
Out of Sight
The Big Lebowski
Happiness
Best Cinematography:
The Thin Red Line (John Toll)
Great Expectations (Emmanuel Lubezki)
Bulworth (Vittorio Storaro)
The Big Lebowski (Roger Deakins)
Dark City (Dariusz Wolski)
Best Music:
Velvet Goldmine (Carter Burwell et al)
Gods and Monsters (Carter Burwell)
Rushmore (Mark Mothersbaugh et al)
Dark City (Trevor Jones)
The Thin Red Line (Hans Zimmer)
Best Cinematic Breakthrough:
Vincent Gallo (director- Buffalo ’66)
Samantha Morton (actor- Under the Skin)
Thomas Vinterberg (director- The Celebration)
Jason Schwartzman (actor- Rushmore)
Cate Blanchett (actor- Elizabeth)
Best Body of Work:
Carter Burwell (composer- Gods and Monsters, The Big Lebowski, The Spanish Prisoner, Velvet Goldmine)
Nick Nolte (actor- Affliction, The Thin Red Line)
Ben Gazzara (actor- Buffalo ’66, The Spanish Prisoner, The Big Lebowski, Happiness)
Oliver Platt (actor- Bulworth, The Imposters)
Edward Norton (actor- Rounders, American History X)
Best Cinematic Moment:
Funny Games – Be unkind, rewind
Buffalo ’66 – face to face with Scott Woods
Babe: Pig in the City – Flealick in paradise
Saving Private Ryan – death of Mellish
Rushmore – “A Quick One While He’s Away”
A Simple Plan – Lou’s confession
Velvet Goldmine – “Ballad of Maxwell Demon”
The Big Lebowski – “Gutterballs”
The Eel – bloody Yamashita turns himself in
Out of Sight – White Boy Bob on the stairs
Thursday, January 27, 2011
The White Elephant Strikes Back
Well, you asked for it! And if you didn’t, you should have, because after the success of last June’s White Elephant Blogathon- the fourth to date and the first held here at Silly Hats Only- it’s coming back once more. And this time, I’ll be running it on April Fool’s Day, as God and creator Ben Lim intended.
If you’ve participated in the past, you already know the drill. If you’re new to the White Elephant game, the rules are as follows:
1) Submit the title of a movie that you want someone else to review (preferably something available via Netflix).
2) Review the movie that you get assigned and post the review for your site/blog on April 1.
3) Have fun!
As always, this year promises a memorable cross-section of cinema’s widows and orphans- notorious stinkers (THE PEST, SWEPT AWAY), cult favorites (ISHTAR, CRIMES OF PASSION), so-bad-they’re-great classics (GYMKATA, PIECES), and movies that time almost forgot (ROCK’N’ROLL NIGHTMARE, ROLLER GATOR). And if history is any indication, there should be at least a handful of legitimately good movies thrown into the mix (SUMMER / THE GREEN RAY), but be warned- just because the person submitting a movie likes it doesn’t mean you will too (THE INTRUDER).
So if you’re interested in taking part this year- and really, why wouldn’t you?- please send your submission to me at lastwordsquiz@yahoo.com no later than February 15. And if you’d like to know more about the White Elephant Blogathon, feel free to e-Mail me about that as well.
See you all on April Fool’s Day!
If you’ve participated in the past, you already know the drill. If you’re new to the White Elephant game, the rules are as follows:
1) Submit the title of a movie that you want someone else to review (preferably something available via Netflix).
2) Review the movie that you get assigned and post the review for your site/blog on April 1.
3) Have fun!
As always, this year promises a memorable cross-section of cinema’s widows and orphans- notorious stinkers (THE PEST, SWEPT AWAY), cult favorites (ISHTAR, CRIMES OF PASSION), so-bad-they’re-great classics (GYMKATA, PIECES), and movies that time almost forgot (ROCK’N’ROLL NIGHTMARE, ROLLER GATOR). And if history is any indication, there should be at least a handful of legitimately good movies thrown into the mix (SUMMER / THE GREEN RAY), but be warned- just because the person submitting a movie likes it doesn’t mean you will too (THE INTRUDER).
So if you’re interested in taking part this year- and really, why wouldn’t you?- please send your submission to me at lastwordsquiz@yahoo.com no later than February 15. And if you’d like to know more about the White Elephant Blogathon, feel free to e-Mail me about that as well.
See you all on April Fool’s Day!
Monday, January 03, 2011
Gritty Fighter
So I finally managed to crank out a pair of multi-paragraph reviews for a change. Enjoy!
(click poster to link to review)
(click poster to link to review)
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Screener Grubbing, 2010 Muriels Edition
Hey everyone. Muriel season is about to kick off, which means I need to get caught up with a mess of 2010 releases before I feel good about submitting my ballot. So just like last year I’m asking you folks for help in getting this done. I’ve made a list of the movies I most want to see before the deadline (end of January, in case you’re wondering), and I’m listing them here in order of how much I want to see them. So if anyone reading this could point me toward a screener of any/all of the titles listed below, I would be much obliged (as in, I’d gladly pay for shipping). If you think you could help out in this area, shoot me an e-Mail at lastwordsquiz@yahoo.com. And thanks in advance for your help.
Anyway, here’s the list.
1. Another Year (Leigh) – I haven’t lovedlovedloved a new Leigh film since Topsy-Turvy, but still- it seems unconscionable to do a ballot without having seen this. If nothing else, it has a good chance of impacting the performance awards.
2. Hadewjich (Dumont) – Dumont doesn’t always make great movies, but he’s a visionary through and through, which means there’s always the potential for greatness.
3. The Illusionist (Chomet) – As a Tati fan, I’m really curious about this one. Chomet might go overboard on the whimsical touches, but still, it’s Tati.
4. Somewhere (Coppola) – like Another Year and several other titles listed here, the web sites for various Columbus theatres have this listed as “Coming Soon”, which doesn’t inspire confidence in a time when arthouse screens are likely to be tied up with Black Swan and The King’s Speech for the next month.
5. Amer (Cattet/Forzani) – this one actually has a booking in Columbus, but it’s only scheduled to show once on a Saturday afternoon, which conflicts with one of my classes (d’oh!). Word on this giallo homage is really strong, so I’m hoping to have a chance to watch this one way or another.
6. And Everything Is Going Fine (Soderbergh) – waiting on new Soderbergh movies might be a lot like waiting for the subway in NYC, but that doesn’t mean I want to miss anything he does.
7. Inspector Bellamy (Chabrol) – Chabrol passed on this year, and I just wouldn’t feel right letting his passing go by without giving his latest (last?) film a shot. Besides, A Girl Cut in Two was a serious contender two years ago.
8. Ne Change Rien (Costa) – see #2. Costa’s work has yet to grab me, but he’s clearly a major talent, so maybe this will be the one that finally wins me over. It’s booked at the Wex on February, which is after the deadline, so that option’s out.
9. Let Me In (Reeves) – missed this back in its short October release, mostly because I wasn’t a big Let the Right One In and the reviews for this remake didn’t inspire confidence. But since then some people I respect highly have made me reassess my initial impressions. Could I have overlooked something special?
10. Blue Valentine (Cianfrance) – See #4.
11. Rabbit Hole (Mitchell) – See #4.
And if you see anything else on my full need-to-see list that you would be willing to part with (temporarily at least), feel free to send me an e-Mail letting me know. Again, my e-Mail address is lastwordsquiz@yahoo.com. Thanks again.
Anyway, here’s the list.
1. Another Year (Leigh) – I haven’t lovedlovedloved a new Leigh film since Topsy-Turvy, but still- it seems unconscionable to do a ballot without having seen this. If nothing else, it has a good chance of impacting the performance awards.
2. Hadewjich (Dumont) – Dumont doesn’t always make great movies, but he’s a visionary through and through, which means there’s always the potential for greatness.
3. The Illusionist (Chomet) – As a Tati fan, I’m really curious about this one. Chomet might go overboard on the whimsical touches, but still, it’s Tati.
4. Somewhere (Coppola) – like Another Year and several other titles listed here, the web sites for various Columbus theatres have this listed as “Coming Soon”, which doesn’t inspire confidence in a time when arthouse screens are likely to be tied up with Black Swan and The King’s Speech for the next month.
5. Amer (Cattet/Forzani) – this one actually has a booking in Columbus, but it’s only scheduled to show once on a Saturday afternoon, which conflicts with one of my classes (d’oh!). Word on this giallo homage is really strong, so I’m hoping to have a chance to watch this one way or another.
6. And Everything Is Going Fine (Soderbergh) – waiting on new Soderbergh movies might be a lot like waiting for the subway in NYC, but that doesn’t mean I want to miss anything he does.
7. Inspector Bellamy (Chabrol) – Chabrol passed on this year, and I just wouldn’t feel right letting his passing go by without giving his latest (last?) film a shot. Besides, A Girl Cut in Two was a serious contender two years ago.
8. Ne Change Rien (Costa) – see #2. Costa’s work has yet to grab me, but he’s clearly a major talent, so maybe this will be the one that finally wins me over. It’s booked at the Wex on February, which is after the deadline, so that option’s out.
9. Let Me In (Reeves) – missed this back in its short October release, mostly because I wasn’t a big Let the Right One In and the reviews for this remake didn’t inspire confidence. But since then some people I respect highly have made me reassess my initial impressions. Could I have overlooked something special?
10. Blue Valentine (Cianfrance) – See #4.
11. Rabbit Hole (Mitchell) – See #4.
And if you see anything else on my full need-to-see list that you would be willing to part with (temporarily at least), feel free to send me an e-Mail letting me know. Again, my e-Mail address is lastwordsquiz@yahoo.com. Thanks again.
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