The Linky City

Two bits from Chicago
Roger Ebert the eclectic international and intergenerational cast list of the new Roger Ebert Presents At the Movies. Congratulations to all! This can only be a gazillion times smarter than the previous short run with the Bens.
Wall Street Journal saddest movie news of the day: a classic cinema shut down in Chicago.

General Linkage
Cinematical Matt Damon's "abs double." A funny quirk of crediting.
Show Tracker What are Mad Men cast members up to between seasons?
The Social Network's official site overfloweth.
Ferdy on Films announces her favorites of the year. It's almost exclusively a festival list but she considers going by theatrical release like we do a hegemonic. Ouch!

Confession/Question
Weird reader question coming, so bear with me. Before you interview a star, the publicists almost always say "no personal questions!" and I'm always like "uh, why would I ask one of those?". I am so tied up in the celluloid that it honestly never occurs to me to say something like "so tell me who you're screwing." The only time this interests me is when it has curio above/below the line value -- for instance, I love knowing which costume designer or art director is married to which actor or actress -- or when its part of the overarching Hollywood Mythology (superstar couples like Brad & Angie, Newman & Woodward, Matt & Ben, Liz & Dick, Warren & Annette, etcetera). But sometimes my lack of interest in offscreen celebrity dating shocks even myself. I was reading on PopBytes that Macauley Culkin and Mila Kunis just broke up and I didn't even know they were a couple. Or if I knew it, I never committed it to memory. And they've been together for 8 years! I blame this ignorance on having next-to-no Mila familiarity until she started working on the big screen regularly a couple of years ago. (I have only seen, like, 2 episodes of That 70s Show.) Whenever a TV star is suddenly in demand in the movies, I have that damn info-lag.

So my question is this: Which specific aspect of celebrity life or the movie industry or whatnot do you have almost zero interest in, despite your interest in everything else???

This Link Roundup Will Soon Be Adapted Into a Stage Musical

Towleroad Far From Heaven being adapted into a stage musical. I've been burned on this sort of thing too many times but at least it's by the composer of Grey Gardens and that had a few lovely tunes.

 

And would make a good stage-to-movie candidate actually...

NYT the latest injury from the set of the Spider Man musical on Broadway. Wednesday matinee cancelled. I am 100% certain that someone will one day write a bestseller about the behind-the-scenes of this disaster prone production
Cinema Blend Peter Weir not interested in a sequel to Master & Commander. Awww. Maybe they should just adapt it for a stage musical instead. Kidding.

photo src

Movie|Line has a jolly interview with Mike Leigh on the eve of the release of Another Year. I love this bit on why he'd never make a superhero film (no, really. the question was posed to him in a way that's not as crass as it sounds)

I use film to make a personal kind of film in a very specific, particular way. And there is no more reason for me to do what I think you're suggesting than there would for me to give up being a film director an become the pilot of a jumbo jet flying across the Atlantic. Or a brain surgeon or, indeed, a coal miner.

I love thinking of Mike Leigh as coal miner. Tee hee. Come to think of it. He would make a GREAT director for a coal mining movie or a... wait a minute. I have it. Topsy-Turvy demonstrated that Leigh can sell a musical number. So... Mike Leigh, directing the acclaimed musical Floyd Collins about that explorer trapped in a cave!

Floyd Collins is so pretty. Let's listen to a couple of its songs.

Her Awesomeness Audra McDonald & Hair's Will Swenson doing
"Through the Mountains" from Floyd Collins. 

Matt Doyle (Gossip Girl) doing "How Glory Goes" from Floyd Collins.
This song is perfection but it must be hard to sing because there are a lot
of bad versions on YouTube. This version gets better as it goes.

My brain does like to wander. Obviously needed a break from thinking / writing about Oscar Oscar Oscar Oscar Oscar...

Moving On...
Pop Eater have you heard this crazy story about 80s star Marilu Henner? Seems she has something called "superior autobiographical memory" - fascinating story really and totally unrelated: I've always thought Marilu was a hilarious celebrity.
Go Fug Yourself Fug or Fab Style: Mila Kunis
In Contention Jafar Panahi banned from making films. So terrible. As Guy says, this puts the silly annual Oscar bitching into perspective.
AV Club Will Smith and Mark Wahlberg offered $1 million to box each other for charity cuz they both starred in boxing picture, see? This story cracks me up on so many levels. Like, no movie stars would risk their billion dollar faces for charity. The only risk movie stars take with their moneymakers is plastic surgery.

Tired of critics awards yet? You can say so if you are. The London Critics Circle have offered up nominations. Sadly, The King's Speech -- the only British film that doesn't need any Oscar boost -- is the only one they're willing to back for crossover attention; it shows up on both their "Film of the Year and "British Film of the Year" lists and doubles up on Helena Bonham-Carter and Colin Firth in two acting categories, too. (sigh) Whew... I thought Colin Firth was in danger of losing his Oscar momentum there for a second. Thank god, they threw their weight behind him.

Screen Actors Guild Nominations

JoBeth Williams welcomes you! "They're heeeeeeeee--eeeere"

Giggly Rosario Dawson & Angie Harmon announced the SAG nominations at 9:00 AM EST after being introduced by JoBeth Williams.

Though this is the last major clue as to where Oscar acting nominations will go, it is not the "this is it!" twin that many like to claim.

Important Differences From SAG to Oscar: Contrary to what you often read on the internet there is not significant overlap in the voting pools between SAG and Oscar. Unless they've recently changed their rules, SAG randomly chooses a sliver of its membership each year to do the nominations. Some miniscule percentage of them might be Academy members but the numbers don't add up to a big percentage. SAG is a mammoth union, representing 200,000 film, tv and background performers and all dues paying members can vote on the winners. Oscar's acting branch is infinitely harder to join; it's a final club on steroids to use The Social Network as handy 2010 reference. There are 1,205 voting actors in the Academy who all get nominating ballots. All of the Academy's 1,000+ actors are or were SAG members (having acted in films for years) but the other 198,795 SAG members are definitely not members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Other key differences: SAG nominators are (statistically) fonder of child and very young adult actors than Oscar. They're also arguably more populist in their choices overall having given the big prizes to people from smash comedies like Renée Zellweger in Chicago (2002) or Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean (2003) and arguably more influenced by your place in the Hollywood food chain, choosing legends over newbies for wins in hotly contested contests like Bening beating Swank in 99/00, Day-Lewis over Brody in 02/03 or Christie beating Cotillard in 07/08.  They are also not allowed to vote their own mind when it comes to "lead" versus "supporting" issues. Oscar voters may vote for you in whichever category they personally feel is correct. SAG voters may only vote for you in the category that your studio submits you in (which explains Keisha Castle Hughes' bizarre "supporting" citation at SAG for Whale Rider).

Nominations with commentary after the jump

2010 NOMINATIONS TELEVISION

Best Female Actor (Drama Series)

• Glenn Close (Damages)
• Mariska Hargitay (L&O: SVU is a Comedy)
• Julianna Marguiles (The Good Wife)
• Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)
• Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer)

This lineup is really gross to me, indicating that SAG voters really really love their procedurals. I do not. Procedurals are death to actors who want to dig in deep to characterizations.

Best Male Actor (Drama Series)

• Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire)
• Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)
• Michael C Hall (Dexter)
• Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
• Hugh Laurie (House)

Applause in the room for Michael C Hall. People sure do love his death-dealing. After Six Feet Under and Dexter... what can his third morbid series role be? Doesn't death come in threes?

Best Female Actor (Comedy Series)

• Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie)
• Tina Fey (30 Rock)
• Jane Lynch (Glee)
• Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)
• Betty White (Hot in Cleveland)

White continues her ubiquity. Didn't she win lifetime achievement last year? I haven't seen Cleveland otherwise this is a gorgeous lineup. I'd love to see Falco or Vergara at the podium though.

Best Male Actor (Comedy Series)

• Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
• Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
• Steve Carell (The Office)
• Chris Colfer (Glee)
• O'Neill (Modern Family)

Another terrific lineup. Well chosen.

Best Female Actor (Miniseries/Movie)

• Claire Danes (Temple Grandin)
• Catherine O'Hara (Temple Grandin)
• Julia Ormond (Temple Grandin)
• Winona Ryder (When Love is Not Enough)
• Susan Sarandon (You Don't Know Jack)

It's like a Temple Grandin key party up in there. Could vote splitting make this a big comeback for Winona?

Best Male Actor (Miniseries/Movie)

•  John Goodman (You Don't Know Jack)
• Al Pacino (You Don't Know Jack)
• Dennis Quaid (That Special Relationship)
• Edgar Ramirez (Carlos)
• Patrick Stewart (Macbeth)

I didn't even know John Goodman was in You Don't Know  Jack. Remember when he was married to Roseanne or when he used to always be in the Coen Bros pictures. Carlos is confusing me. I do not like it when things get prizes in both film & television. Stop blurring the lines! Big screens or small screens. Me no likely medium sized screens.

Best Ensemble (Drama)

• Boardwalk Empire
• The Closer
• Dexter
• Teh Good Wife
• Mad Men

Best Ensemble (Comedy)

• 30 Rock
• Glee
• Hot in Cleveland
• Modern Family
• The Office

It wasn't enough to give Betty White one nomination when you can give her two. As much as I continue to love 30 Rock and admire Glee for casting actors who can actually sing... Modern Family deserves this ten-fold. Such a seamless cast, no weak spots; everyone is hilarious.

Stunt Ensemble (Series)

• Burn Notice
• CSI New York
• Dexter
• Southland
• True Blood

I'm confused how five series get nominated for stunts but only three movies? Last I checked movies had lots of stunts, too.

2010 NOMINATIONS FILM

Mother & Son (The Fighter). Can they both take home SAG & Oscar?

Best Female Actor (Supporting Role)

• Amy Adams (The Fighter)
• Helena Bonham-Carter (The King's Speech)
• Mila Kunis (Black Swan)
• Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
• Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)

You can consider The Fighter women and HBC all locked up. As for Kunis & Steinfeld... I'd say they still have to fend off the amazing sixtysomething ladies (Jacki Weaver, Dianne Wiest, Barbara Hershey). Check out Scott Feinberg's list of awesome relevant stats. Many people are saying that Kunis is locked up after Globes & SAG nods but that's just not the case. Someone is denied nearly every year in that situation (though usually only one person).

Best Male Actor (Supporting Role)

•  Christian Bale (The Fighter)
•  John Hawkes (Winter's Bone)
• Jeremy Renner (The Town)
• Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right)
• Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech

In a very rare occurences I like all five nominees in a supporting actor category. Two of them are probably leads but what can you do. I expect Oscar will embrace Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) here so one of these men will have to go. 

Best Female Actor (Leading Role)

• Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right)
• Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)
• Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone)
• Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
• Hilary Swank (Conviction)

Hilary Swank's surprise appearance here is noteworthy in that it shows how (still) hotly contested the Best Actress race is. The way I see it there are 3 locks (Bening, Portman, Lawrence) due to support for both the performances and the films which house them and then there is 1 probable but vulnerable (Kidman) due to support for performance but not the film and then there are still 6 women (Williams, Rapace, Moore, Swank, Swinton, Manville) trying to nab 1 remaining spot. Theoretically, any of them might for various reasons and 1, at least, will.

Best Male Actor (Leading Role)

•  Jeff Bridges
• Robert Duvall
• Jesse Eisenberg
• Colin Firth
• James Franco

You can expect to see Eisenberg, Firth & Oscar host Franco nominated for Oscar but spots #4 & 5 are confusing; two spots for three men. Duvall, Bridges and SAG-shunned Ryan Gosling have to fight it out with one of them losing.

Best Ensemble (Cast)

•  Black Swan
• The Fighter
• The Kids Are All Rigth
• The King's Speech
• The Social Network

This is a huge huge get for Black Swan, which is arguably in some ways a one-woman show. The rest of the field is much closer to the type of film that one would expect to see getting ensemble attention, for better and for worse. Not that the Swan ensemble isn't terrific. It's just not the thing you'd usually see here so it shows their heat as a film. UPDATE: "When a Nomination is Still a Snub" further notes on this always bizarre category.
Stunt Ensemble

• Green Zone
• Inception
• Robin Hood

Why only 3 nominees? Is it because CGI are not stuntmen and movies have less and less reality and more and more coding? This was Inception's only nod today but we knew it was never going to be an 'actor's film'. They'll make up for it with votes from the tech branches of the Academy.

Your turn. Share opinions in the comments. Particularly about those crazy tight fifth spots in all four acting categories.

Related Post: SAG injustice (the ensemble category) BFCA & Globe nominations (good comparison points. In an unholy union of the three, you basically have your Oscar list)

Golden Globe Nomination Announcement

8:12 AM Nothing happening yet.
8:13 Flashbulb tests! That's it.
8:16 Okay Josh Duhamel and Katie Holmes and Blair Underwood are there.

Blair, Josh and Katie for what it's worth.

8:18 Guy Lodge cracks me up. On Twitter he says to me "The Holmes will not be hurried."
8:19 Blair begins. Here we go.
8:35 We've been on a short break. They start again in 4 minutes. I know I could wait to cut and paste press releases but I like to type fast. I type like the wind.

Movies

ORIGINAL SONG
Bound to You (Burlesque)
Coming Home (Country Strong)
I See the Light (Tangled)
There's a Place For Us (Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader)
You Haven't Seen the Last of Me (Burlesque)

• It hurts me deeply that the Globes don't have musical performances. CHER!

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE MOTION PICTURE
Alexandre Desplat (The King's Speech) -interview coming soon
Danny Elfman (Alice in Wonderland)
A.R. Rahman (127 Hours)
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (The Social Network)
Hans Zimmer (Inception)

• The Social Network score is brilliant and modern and smart and it's certainly racking up awards attention. But will Oscar bite? It's so not that traditionalist's branches cuppa.

SCREENPLAY
Boyle & Beaufoy (127 Hours)
Cholodenko & Blumberg (Kids Are All Right)
Chris Nolan (Inception)
David Seidler (The King's Speech)
Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network)

• After the NYFCC wins, this is great news for Lisa Cholodenko and team. Will Oscar be next? The King's Speech and Inception may prove tough Original Screenplay competition.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Biutiful (Mexico/Spain)
The Concert (France)
The Edge (Russia)
I Am Love (Italy)
In a Better World (Denmark)

• Of these films only Mexico, Russia and Denmark are eligible for the Oscar category. But it's as delicious as gourmet prawns that the great I Am Love keeps showing up for awardage. It's definitely one of the Best Pictures of the year, even though it's continually ghettoized for foreign consideration only.

ANIMATED FEATURE
Despicable Me
How To Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Tangled
Toy Story 3

• For what it's worth it's important for people to know that animated films are no longer eligible for the Musical/Comedy category which is but one of many reasons why that category is atrocious this year.

LEAD ACTRESS (COMEDY)
Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right)
Anne Hathaway (Love and Other Drugs)
Angelina Jolie (The Tourist)
Julianne Moore (The Kids Are All Right)
Emma Stone (Easy A)

• Many people were counting on Emma Stone to receive kudos here (so deserving) but I never believed it on account of Lindsay Lohan's absurd snub for Mean Girls back in the day. But go Emma! She was Grade A in that film. Though my heart remains with The Bening as it always does.
  
  As for The Tourist being a comedy... I think that's called "unintentional comedy" isn't it? I didn't know those were eligible here.

LEAD ACTOR (COMEDY)
Johnny Depp (Alice in Wonderland)
Johnny Depp (The Tourist)
Paul Giamatti (Barney's Version)
Jake Gyllenhaal (Love and Other Drugs)
Kevin Spacey (Casino Jack)

• The HFPA really likes Spacey. Remember when he got that weirdass nomination for The Shipping News. Yeah, that one stuck out. Speaking of sticking out... is it really necessary to nominate Johnny Depp twice? I mean, he'll show up if you just hand him the one.

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale (The Fighter)
Michael Douglas (Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps)
Andrew Garfield (The Social Network)
Jeremy Renner (The Town)
Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech)

• No Mark Ruffalo. *sniffle* Which is a bit strange (though not entirely unforseen) given the support for The Kids Are All Right in so many other categories. More on the Globe snubs here.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams (The Fighter)
Helena Bonham Carter (The Kings Speech)
Mila Kunis (Black Swan)
Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom) *most likely to give great speech*

Natalie isn't the only one who wants Mila

• I will just come out and admit it. When Tarantino gave Kunis a prize in Venice, I thought he was thinking with his second brain. If that's the case the Globes and the BFCA are also using their southern cortexes. Perhaps I misunderestimated awards voters but it just did not read to me at all like an "awards" performance even though I like it just fine. This is not to imply that non-"bait" performances shouldn't be considered. Quite the contrary! Just a reiteration that I remain surprised that she gained traction for it. I guess the Supporting Actress race was skewing towards 50+ women and "we can't have a category of an entire category of old ladies!" He said sarcastically.

BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan)
David Fincher (The Social Network)
Tom Hooper (The King's Speech)
Chris Nolan (Inception)
David O. Russell (The Fighter)

• Interesting gets for Hooper and Russell in a way, since The Globes tend to prefer Big Name directors in the same way they prefer Big Name acting. I wouldn't count out Danny Boyle for an Oscar nod just yet but 127 Hours is certainly slipping, isn't it?

MOTION PICTURE (COMEDY/MUSICAL)
Alice in Wonderland -all posts
Burlesque --all posts
The Kids Are All Right -all posts
Red
The Tourist

• I'm sorry but what? I think they need to retitle this category "MOTION PICTURE (DUMPING GROUND FOR ALL GENRES OTHER THAN DRAMA)" Our friend Glenn on this lineup

  "Is it too late to nominate "the 2010 Golden Globe Nominations" in the Best Musical/Comedy category? They certainly were good for a laugh."

LEAD ACTRESS (DRAMA)
Halle Berry (Frankie and Alice)
Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)
Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone)
Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
Michelle Williams  (Blue Valentine)

• Berry's intense focused late term campaigning helped. And the Globes respond to glittery stars. 

LEAD ACTOR (DRAMA)
Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)
Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
James Franco (127 Hours)
Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine)
Mark Wahlberg (The Fighter)

• I can't imagine Wahlberg repeating at the Oscars and though the list is VERY young for Oscar all told, perhaps it's Duvall vs. Bridges for the 5th spot and not Gosling vs. someone. Or are we merely employing wishful thinking?

MOTION PICTURE (DRAMA)
Black Swan -all posts
The Fighter -all posts
Inception -all posts
The King's Speech -all posts
The Social Network -all posts

• These were largely expected but it's a good get for The Fighter which will need to capitalize on its populist appeal in the Oscar race ahead.

The television nominations and the end of the live broadcast are after the jump.

Television

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Hope Davis (That Special Relationship)

Jane Lynch (Glee)

Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire)

Julia Stiles (Dexter)

Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)

LEAD ACTRESS (COMEDY)

Collette (United States of Tara)

Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie)

Tina Fey (30 Rock)

Laura Linney (The Big C)

Lea Michele (Glee)

LEAD ACTRESS (DRAMA)

Juliana Marguiles (The Good Wife)

Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)

Piper Perabo (Covert Affairs)

Katey Segal (Sons of Anarchy)

Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer)

MINISERIES

Carlos

The Pacific

Pillars of the Earth

Temple Grandin

You Don't Know Jack

LEAD ACTOR (COMEDY)

Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)

Steve Carell

Thomas Jane (Hung)

Matthew Morrison (Glee)

Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Caan (Hawaii 5 0)

Chris Colfer (Glee),

Chris Noth (Good Wife),

Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family),

Straithairn (Temple Grandin)

ACTOR (MINISERIES)

Idris Elba (Luther)

Ian McShane (Pillars of the Earth)

Al Pacino (You Don't Know Jack)

Dennis Quaid (That Special Relationship)

Edgar Ramirez (Carlos)

ACTRESS (MINISERIES)

Hayley Atwell (Pillars of the Earth)

Claire Danes (Temple Grandin)

Judi Dench (Return to Cranford)

Romola Garai (Emma)

Jennifer Love-Hewitt (The Client List)

• This lineup is making me giggle.

TELEVISION SERIES COMEDY OR MUSICAL

30 Rock

Big Bang Theory

The Big C

Glee

Modern Family

Nurse Jackie

• The Globe voters showed unusual restraint this year and this is just about the only category where they added an extra nominee. Tie?

LEAD ACTOR (DRAMA SERIES)

Steve Buscemi (Boardwark Empire)

Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)

Michael C Hall (Dexter)

Jon Hamm (Mad Men)

Hugh Laurie (House)

DRAMA SERIES

Boardwalk Empire

Dexter

The Good Wife

Mad Men

The Walking Dead

• Rooting for Mad Men as ever.

8:50 Announcement has ended.
8:51 Katie Holmes read too quickly for typing, like she didn't want to be there. Or like she knows people are asking "why are you there???" Blair Underwood paces himself beautifully for reporters. Joked that Carrie Underwood was his cousin.

8:54 There's something so final about those color bars. Or maybe the feeling of finality was the Comedy/Musical announements which JoFo rightly claims in the comments will have strong overlap with the Razzies. The comedy category is like End Times this year (god, i hate Alice in Wonderland). Apocalypse now.
*

Red Carpet Lineup: Swan Break

The New York premiere of Black Swan was held last night at the Ziegfeld which is the theater for premiere's here in Manhattan. I have so many fond memories of the place. All the stars were in attendance including Darren Aronofsky, Vincent Cassell and Barbara Hershey. Plus the deliciously dark rival ballerinas Mila, Natalie and Noni.

I think it goes without saying but I'll say it: Winona Ryder is still one of the most beautiful women on the planet. Those eyes. That coloring. Gah.

Why Noni is wearing a tux we can't be sure but we love that she did. Why Aronofsky refuses to shave that Flynn mustache we can't be sure but we wish he would. Why Natalie is carrying around Nabokov's Lolita* we... wait, what?

There's got to be a story there. I hope it does not involve obsessive fans of The Professional.


*Okay, it's apparently a clutch by Olympia Le Tan  - thx Dom - fashioned as a replica of the literary classic. The replica costs only $1,321.00 more than the real thing. But can the real thing hold your lipstick, keys and money?

Mila Kunis, Natalie Portman

Venice Awards: Somewhere, Black Swan, Barney's Version, Miral

Festivals tend to have more than one jury so let's deal with the sidebar prizes first, before we get to the main competition jury, headed by Quentin Tarantino. But a little preview: Natalie Portman went home empty-handed for Black Swank but Mila Kunis didn't. Interesssssssting.

Various Sidebars

Europa Cinema Award: This honor comes from the Venice Days sidebar and the winning film was Bertrand Blier's Le Bruit des Glacons (The Clink of the Ice), a dark French comedy about an alcoholic dealing with cancer.

The Queer Lion: This prize focuses on the way films portray gay characters and themes. The winner was En el futuro (In the Future), a 62 minute black and white film directed by Mauro Andrizzi. None of the summaries seem to tell you what it's about. Hmmmm. It played in the Orizzonti sidebar of the festival. Guess they didn't like the disturbing sapphic tryst angle of Black Swan all that much.

Brian Award: Here's another highly specialized honor. This award was chosen by the "Italian Union of Rational Atheists and Agnostics." The winning film was Roberta Torre's I Baci Mai Dati (The Kisses Never Given) about a poverty stricken girl who performs miracles.

Golden Lion Cub: This is not to be confused with the top prize which is called The Golden Lion. The Cub is voted on by "schoolchildren" -- of which age I do not know -- and was given to Richard J Lewis's adaptation of the bestseller Barney's Version. Paul Giamatti plays Barney who the official synopsis calls "politically incorrect, impulsive, irascible and fearlessly blunt." so you know you've got a showy Best Actor Oscar contender there. Dustin Hoffman is his difficult father, Rosamund Pike his dream girl and Minnie Driver his ex-wife. Does Giamatti have another Sideways on his hands in terms of adult appeal and future awards play? And why would schoolchildren like it? Curious.

UNICEF Award: Julian Schnabel's political message movie Miral took this. The film, which opened to mixed response, looks at the Israel-Palestine problem through the life of a Palestinian orphan, played by Freida Pinto. Hiam Abbas co-stars. The film is supposed to arrive in December from the Weinsteins but it could be a hard sell given the always divisive topic. It's quite a personal project for Schabel as it's based on the book written by Schnabel's real life girlfriend, writer Rula Jebreal and his daughter Stella Schnabel also acts in the film. She's also in Basquiat and Before Night Falls.

LION OF THE FUTURE: This prize is also known as the "Luigi De Laurentiis" and the jury headed by Fatih Akin (Soul Kitchen, Head On) unanimously chose a film from Turkey by Seren Yüce called Cogunluk (Majority).

CONTRACOMPTO ITALIANO PRIZE: Aureliano's 20 Sigarette. The Italiano jury also gave a special prize to the actor Vinicio Marchioni for the same film.

Orrizonti Jury

ORIZZONTI FEATURE: The top honor went to Nicolás Pereda's Verano de Goliat

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE: Noël Burch and Allan Sekula's The Forgotten Space.

ORRIZONTI MEDIUM-LENGTH: Roee Rosen's Tse (Out)
ORRIZONTI SHORT: Peter Tscherkassky's Coming Attractions
VENICE SHORT FILM NOMINEE: This is another short award that has something to do with putting the film in the running for the European Film Awards. It went to David O'Reilly's The External World
SPECIAL MENTION: Laura Amelia Guzmán and Israel Cárdenas' Jean Gentil.

Tarantino's Jury. Main Competition

GOLDEN LION: The top prize went to Sofia Coppola's Hollywood story Somewhere.
BEST DIRECTOR: Alex de la Iglesia for Balada Trista de Trompeta
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE: Jerzy Skolimowski's Essential Killing
BEST ACTOR: Vincent Gallo for Essential Killing (It's interesting that he won. Guy Lodge at In Contention predicted him as sort of a Tarantino rebel call over more potentially Oscary players like Paul Giamatti. Well done, Guy.
BEST ACTRESS: Ariana Labed for the Greek film Attenberg

Actresses Evangelia Randou and Ariana Labed at Venice (top)
and in a film still from Attenberg (bottom)

"No Natalie Portman?!?", the American internet screams in bewilderment, as it so strangely always expects Americans to win at international ceremonies. Ariana Labed, the one in fuchsia above, plays a sexual innocent participating in an experiment with three other adults in a film that's drawing comparisons to last year's Greek festival sensation Dogtooth. Dogtooth's director is the producer and also acts in this film.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Mikhail Krichman for Silent Souls (Ovsyanki) by Aleksei Fedorchenko
BEST SCREENPLAY Alex de la Iglesia for Balada Trista de Trompeta
SPECIAL LION: This was a jury prize for "overall work" to Monte Hellman


And finally, Tarantino's jury gave the MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD which is a prize for "Young Actor of Actress" to Mila Kunis for Black Swan. Hmmm, should we expect to see the ascending Mila Kunis in the next Quentin Tarantino picture?

YES, No, Maybe So: Black Swan

The gorgeous Black Swan trailer has arrived in glorious quicktime. But here it is in YouTube though, really, go watch it at Apple Trailers where you can blow it up big and be amaze-ed.



I can barely type from the shaking. I'd like to do a yes, no, maybe so but I am only yes. Or rather, a GOD YES.

Though I am not generally prone to visually vomiting out trailer screencaps, I make an exception today since I love the work of DP Matthew Libatique (still awaiting an Oscar nom. grrrrr) and the movie looks dark, dangerous and all around delicious. And I don't even like ballet!*

Here are twelve shots** in chronological order.

pretty princess ballerina all by her lonesome

Strained Natalie Portman, adult sized with a little girl voice.

Barbara f'in Hershey in a role that might be worthy of her?
I dare not hope.

ballerina so sad -- hey, what's that on my back?

Bitchy carefree sexy rival Mila Kunis. Boo! Hiss! Yum!?!

Ballerina Doubled = Self Loathing Metaphor???
These shots FREAK ME OUT.

Natalie watching her Star Wars performance on perma-loop.

A little 'me' time. Wait, isn't she getting plenty of me time by
seeing herself everywhere she goes? She'll go blind!

At this point I was totally scared for my/her life.

holy. shit.

Alternate Title: MUST SEE

Just...chills.

Especially once Natalie Portman's ballerina starts splintering. I can only pray that along with the disintegration of her psyche -- I assume that's why she's turning against herself, is it a self haunting? -- she lies to herself since Women Who Lie To Themselves™ is the greatest of film genres.

Director Darren Aronofsky has yet to make anything less than a must see. Even his weakest effort Pi, was a pretty stunning calling card. Though I suppose if I had to nitpick to try and smother excitement so it stays at normal levels rather than fanboy droolings, three things that are bugging me about this here Black Swan.

1. I already wish it were shot on celluloid and... (well perhaps it is but it doesn't look it to me exactly)
2. The nearest film I can think of as a reference point for girlie supernatural terror is Rosemary's Baby and the nearest reference point for girl who seems to be multiple girls at once is Mulholland Dr and few films are ever as good as either of those so... uh... good luck with the company you keep.
   
3. I hate that Barbara Hershey isn't named. She's a f**king Oscar nominee and she's f**king great in certain roles. I hope this is one of them.
   

*Isn't that weird. Because I love dance in general. But ballet. Something stops me from loving it.
** Can you believe I didn't screencap the lesbian makeout between Mila Kunis and Natalie? What's wrong with me.