01.27.2023 | By Jack Rico |
As the dust settles on the 95th Annual Academy Award nominations, I had a chance to visit my friends at PIX11 News, Marysol Castro and Chris Cimino, to break it down. One thing is clear: the sci-fi epic, Everything Everywhere All at Once, is the film to beat. With a whopping 11 nominations, it has more than any other film this year. Top Gun received 7 nominations, but Tom Cruise was snubbed… again.
01.31.2017 | By Jack Rico |
This week, I break down the Oscar nominations with NY1’s film critic Neil Rosen (:55). We’ll talk snubs and surprises and go over the top categories. Also, I’ll tackle the lack of visibility of Latinos in Hollywood films with my good friend and film contributor on The Insider and Entertainment Tonight, Tara McNamara (29:30). Why are we so invisible when we should also be at the forefront of film and pop culture? And finally, I discuss Trump, the wall, our new Mexico feud and sanctuary cities with The Wall Street Journal’s Laura Meckler (20:41). Will cities abide by the new immigrant proposals? Miami already has and that is bad news for Latinos. Read More
01.24.2012 | By Jack Rico |
Fresh new Latino faces were represented at the Oscar nominations with the Argentinian Berenice Bejo (THE ARTIST) getting a nod for Best Supporting Actress, Mexican Demian Bichir (A BETTER LIFE) received a Best Actor nomination, and Chico y Rita obtained a Best Animated Film nom.
But before you continue reading, I need to get a few things off my chest. I like Demián Bichir’s work in A BETTER LIFE, but even he would tell you that he was nominated for the wrong film! Fidel Castro in CHE was his best performance in his career to date.
The Buenos Aires born Bérénice Bejo selection is understandable but hard to swallow for me. I hate to confess this but Bejo didn’t impress me in The Artist. Compared to every other actor in the cast, she was the weakest link. Her mannersisms seemed force and unnatural. Obviously, I’m not a fan. But for the sake of Latinos surging in a white film universe, I wish her a win.
One thing I have not even remotely heard from anyone is that RODRIGO GARCIA directed ALBERT NOBBS! He’s Colombian! Why isn’t anyone talking about him?
Glad to see HUGO get its due with 11 nominations. It begins slow, but boy does it leave an impression on you for days. 3D is pretty sick too.
BTW, I have a major issue with MONEYBALL and its story. Why was this made into a movie? Moneyball didn’t help the Oakland Athletics even pass the first round of the playoffs!
Speaking about Moneyball, Jonah Hill was very good. I’d argue he was the best part of the irrelevant film. But over Albert Brooks? He was robbed. The one who wasn’t was Nick Nolte. Well deserved. Max Von Sydow? BS.
Another travesty is Steven Spielberg not being nominated for Best Director: War Horse is as close to a masterpiece as we’re going to get 2011.
Michael Fassbender not getting a nod for BEST ACTOR is tragical. It was between him and Jean Dujardin for the win. His performance was powerful!
‘Extremely Loud’ is unbearable to watch. It shouldn’t even be nominated. Why do you think no other film organization awarded it? The film possesses so many problems so many holes. Hanks, Bullock, Daldry no noms, ha!
Also, Oscars picked 9 films. Why not just go for the full 10!? Drive, Dragon, The Ides of March, My Week with Marylin, Potter, were all worthy option.
Shocking moments from Oscar list: Dicaprio, Fassbender, Brooks, Spielberg, Tintin no nods. Hill, Bichir, McCarth, Glenn Close getting nods. Many surprises!
Moving on… here is the complete list of nominations for the 84th Academy Awards.
Best Picture
War Horse
The Artist
Moneyball
The Descendants
The Tree of Life
Midnight in Paris
The Help
Hugo
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Best Actress
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Viola Davis, The Help
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Best Actor
Demian Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Best Director
Michel Hazanivicus, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
Best Original Screenplay
Michel Hazanivicius, The Artist
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumulo, Bridesmaids
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation
Best Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, The Descendants
John Logan, Hugo
George Clooney, Beau Willimon and Grant Heslov, The Ides of March
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, Moneyball
Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Best Foreign Feature
Bullhead
Footnote
In Darkness
Monsieur Lazhar
A Separation
Best Animated Feature
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango
Art Direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
War Horse
Cinematography
The Artist
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse
Costume Design
Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.
Documentary Feature
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated
Documentary Short Subject
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God Is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
Film Editing
Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Kevin Tent, The Descendants
Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Thelma Schoonmaker, Hugo
Christopher Tellefsen, Moneyball
Makeup
Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle, Albert Nobbs
Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland, The Iron Lady
Music (Original Score)
John Williams, The Adventures of Tintin
Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Howard Shore, Hugo
Alberto Iglesias, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
John Williams, War Horse
Music (Original Song)
“Man or Muppet” from The Muppets, Bret McKenzie
“Real in Rio” from Rio, Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett
Sound Editing
Drive
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon
War Horse
Sound Mixing
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Monyeball
Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon
War Horse
Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon
Short Film (Animated)
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life
Short Film (Live Action)
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic
02.1.2010 | By Jack Rico |
With less than 24 hours away from the 2010 Oscar nomination announcements, most of us movie critics are thinking who the Oscar committee will pick as the Top 10 films this year. Will the comedy ‘The Hangover‘ make a surprise appearance this year? How about ‘Up‘ which I think is one of the best films of the year overall.
Here at ShowBizCafe.com, I got together with our staff and decided to predict the nominees in the top 10 categories. In the Foreign Film department, 9 finalists made it and two of them are Latin American, there is an Argentinean film and Peruvian film in the mix. I picked both because they’re that good, but looks like Haneke’s ‘The White Ribbon’ will take major honors.
Closer to the Oscar Awards in March, I’ll give you my take on the winners.
Without any more delays, check out my 2010 Oscar Nominees Predictions:
Best Picture
Precious
The Hurt Locker
Up in the Air
Inglorious Basterds
Avatar
Up
District 9
500 Days of Summer
A Single Man
An Education
Best Director
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Lee Daniels, Precious
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Best Actress
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Maggie Gyllenhall, Crazy Heart
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Best Actor
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Best Supporting Actress
Mo’Nique, Precious
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Diane Kruger, Inglorious Basterds
Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Matt Damon, Invictus
Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker
Original Screenplay
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
Pete Docter & Bob Peterson, Up
Scott Neustatder & Michael H. Weber, (500) Days of Summer
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Adapted Screenplay
Wes Anderson & Noah Baumbach, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell, District 9
Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious
Nick Hornby, An Education
Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
Animated Feature
Up
Coraline
9
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Mary and Max
Foreign Language Film
The White Ribbon – Germany
A Prophet – France
El Secreto de Sus Ojos – Argentina
Winter in Wartime – The Netherlands
The Milk of Sorrow – Peru
01.22.2009 | By Jack Rico |
No major surprises at the 81st annual Academy Awards announcements. Some of the highlights were Spanish actress Penelope Cruz’s second nomination in her career, this time for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, a post-humous nod for Heath Ledger for his work in The Dark Knight, Slumdog Millionaire’s 10 nominatios and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button leading the way with 13 nominations.
Its competition in the best picture race includes the political dramas “Frost/Nixon” and “Milk,” the post-Holocaust tale “The Reader” and the Mumbai-set rags-to-riches story “Slumdog Millionaire.”
The best actor nominees include Richard Jenkins for “The Visitor,” Frank Langella for “Frost/Nixon,” Sean Penn for “Milk,” Brad Pitt for “Button” and Mickey Rourke for “The Wrestler.”
Best actress nominees are Anne Hathaway for “Rachel Getting Married,” Angelina Jolie for “Changeling,” Melissa Leo for “Frozen River,” Meryl Streep for “Doubt” and Kate Winslet for “The Reader.”
Winslet’s nomination for playing a former concentration camp guard in “The Reader” proved to be a particular surprise since the actress had been promoted for the lead actress slot for her performance in “Revolutionary Road,” while it had been suggested to the Academy that she be nominated for a supporting role “The Reader.”
This year, all the best picture nominees also earned their respective directors best director noms. Making the list are David Fincher for “Button,” Ron Howard for “Frost/Nixon,” Gus Van Sant for “Milk,” Stephen Daldry for “The Reader” and Danny Boyle for “Slumdog Millionaire.”
Best picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Reader
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Frost/Nixon
Director
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant, Milk
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actress
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, The Reader
Actor
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Supporting actress
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Supporting actor
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, Dark Knight
Shannon, Revolutionary Road
Original screenplay
Courtney Hunt, Frozen River
Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky
Martin McDonough, In Bruges
Dustin Lance Black, Milk
Andrew Stanton, WALL-E
Adapted screenplay
Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley, Doubt
Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
David Hare, The Reader
Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
Foreign-language film
Baader Meinhof Complex, Germany
The Class, France
Departures, Japan
Revanche, Austria
Waltz With Bashir, Israel
Animated film
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E
