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The 2009 Oscar Nominations: ‘Slumdog,’ ‘Button,’ ‘Penelope,’ ‘Rourke’

2009/01/22 at 12:00am

The 2009 Oscar Nominations: ‘Slumdog,’ ‘Button,’ ‘Penelope,’ ‘Rourke’

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

‘Slumdog’, ‘Vicky Cristina’ win at the Golden Globes

By Mack Chico

2009/01/12 at 12:00am

Movies

‘Slumdog’, ‘Vicky Cristina’ win at the Golden Globes

01.12.2009 | By Mack Chico |

“Slumdog Millionaire” took its rags-to-riches storyline to the next level at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, riding an emotional groundswell to pocket the nods for best picture, director, screenplay and original score.

The top musical or comedy award went to “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.”

The show’s 66th installment, presented from the Beverly Hilton, was a glitzy and often emotional return to form after last year’s event was disrupted and turned into a glorified press conference due to the Writer’s Guild strike.

Here are the winners of the Golden Globes:

FILM

BEST FEATURE – DRAMA

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” – Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures; Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures

“Frost/Nixon” – Imagine Entertainment, Working Title, Studio Canal; Universal Pictures

“The Reader” – Mirage Enterprises; The Weinstein Company

“Revolutionary Road” – An Evamere Entertainment BBC Films Neal Street Production; DreamWorks Pictures in Association with BBC Films and Paramount Vantage

WINNER: “Slumdog Millionaire” – Fox Searchlight Pictures and Warner Bros.; Fox Searchlight Pictures and Warner Bros.

BEST FEATURE – COMEDY

“Burn After Reading” – Working Title/Releasing Company; Focus Features in association with Studio Canal

“Happy-Go-Lucky” – Summit Entertainment, Film4, Ingenious Film Partners, Miramax Films; Miramax Films

“In Bruges” – Blueprint Pictures; Focus Features

“Mamma Mia!” – Relativity Media, Playtone, Littlestar; Universal Pictures

WINNER: “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” – Mediapro; The Weinstein Company

DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE

WINNER: Danny Boyle – “Slumdog Millionaire”

Stephen Daldry -“The Reader”

David Fincher -“The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button”

Ron Howard – “Frost/Nixon”

Sam Mendes -“Revolutionary Road”

ACTOR – DRAMA

Leonardo DiCaprio – “Revolutionary Road”

Frank Langella – “Frost/Nixon”

Sean Penn – “Milk”

Brad Pitt – “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

WINNER: Mickey Rouke – “The Wrestler”

ACTRESS – DRAMA

Anne Hathaway – “Rachel Getting Married”

Angelina Jolie – “Changeling”

Meryl Streep – “Doubt”

Kristin Scott Thomas – “I’ve Loved You So Long”

WINNER: Kate Winslet – “Revolutionary Road”

More than one option

(Co) Paramount Pictures
(Co) Paramount Pictures Scoring Stage M
(Co) Paramount Studio Facilities

More than one option

(Co) Studio Canal
(Co) StudioCanal

More than one option

(Film) La Lectrice
(Film) The Reader

More than one option

(Person) Danny Boyle
(Person) Danny J Boyle

More than one option

(Film) Milk
(Film) Milk
(Film) Milk

More than one option

(Film) Pehlivan
(Film) The Wrestler
(Film) The Wrestler

More than one option

(Tv) Changeling
(Film) The Changeling

ACTOR – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Javier Bardem – “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

WINNER: Colin Farrell – “In Bruges”

James Franco – “Pineapple Express”

Brendan Gleeson – “In Bruges”

Dustin Hoffman – “Last Chance Harvey”

ACTRESS – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Rebecca Hall – “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

WINNER: Sally Hawkins – “Happy-Go-Lucky”

Frances McDormand – “Burn After Reading”

Meryl Streep – “Mamma Mia!”

Emma Thompson – “Last Chance Harvey”

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Tom Cruise – “Tropic Thunder”

Robert Downey Jr. – “Tropic Thunder”

Ralph Fiennes – “The Duchess”

Philip Seymour Hoffman – “Doubt”

WINNER: Heath Ledger – “The Dark Knight”

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amy Adams – “Doubt”

Penelope Cruz – “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

Viola Davis – “Doubt”

Marisa Tomei – “The Wrestler”

WINNER: Kate Winslet – “The Reader”

SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE

WINNER: Simon Beaufoy – “Slumdog Millionaire”

David Hare – “The Reader”

Peter Morgan – “Frost/Nixon”

Eric Roth – “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

John Patrick Shanley – “Doubt”

BEST SCORE

Alexandre Desplat – “The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button”

Clint Eastwood – “Changeling”

James Newton Howard – “Defiance”

WINNER: A. R. Rahman – “Slumdog Millionaire”

Hans Zimmer – “Frost/Nixon”

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“Down To Earth” from “Wall-E” – Music By: Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman; Lyrics By: Peter Gabriel

“Gran Torino” from “Gran Torino” – Music By: Clint Eastwood, Jamie Cullum, Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens; Lyrics By: Jamie Cullum

“I Thought I Lost You” from “Bolt” – Music & Lyrics By: Miley Cyrus, Jeffrey Steele

“Once In A Lifetime” from “Cadillac Records” – Music & Lyrics By: Beyoncé Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Scott Mcfarnon, Ian Dench, James Dring, Jody Street

WINNER: “The Wrestler” from “The Wrestler” – Music & Lyrics By: Bruce Springsteen

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

“Bolt” – Walt Disney Pictures; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

“Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation SKG; Paramount Pictures

WINNER: “Wall-E” – Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

“The Baader Meinhof Complex” (“Der Baader Meinhof Komplex”)(Germany) – Constantin Film Produktion GmbH; Summit Entertainment, LLC

“Everlasting Moments” (“Maria larssons eviga ögonblick”) (Sweden) – Final Cut Productions Aps; IFC Films

“Gomorrah” (“Gomorra”) (Italy) – Fandango; IFC Films

“I’ve Loved You So Long” (“Il y a longtemps que je t’aime”) (France) – UGC YM/UGC Images/France 3 Cinema/Integral Film; Sony Pictures Classics

WINNER: “Waltz with Bashir” (Israel) – Bridgit Folman Film Gang/Les Films D’Ici/Razor Films/Arte France/ITVS International; Sony Pictures

TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

“Dexter” (Showtime) – Showtime/John Goldwyn Productions/The Colleton Company/Clyde Phillips Productions

“House” (Fox) – Universal Media Studios In Association With Heel And Toe Films, Shore Z Productions And Bad Hat Harry Productions

“In Treatment” (HBO) – Sheleg, Closest To The Hole Productions In Association With HBO Entertainment

WINNER: “Mad Men” (AMC) – Lionsgate Television

“True Blood” (HBO) – Your Face Goes Here Productions In Association With HBO Entertainment

MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

“A Raisin in the Sun” – Sony Pictures Television, Storyline Entertainment and Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment

“Bernard and Doris” – Trigger Street Independent Productions in association with Little Bird and Chicago Films and HBO Films

“Cranford” – A Co-Production of BBC and WGBH Boston.

WINNER: “John Adams” – Playtone in association with HBO Films

“Recount” – Spring Creek/Mirage Productions in association with Trigger Street Productions, Everyman Pictures and HBO Films

TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

WINNER: “30 Rock” – Universal Media Studios in association with Broadway Video and Little

Stranger Inc.

“Californication” – Showtime Presents in association with Aggressive Mediocrity, And Then…

“Entourage” – Leverage and Closest to the Hole Productions in association with HBO Entertainment

“The Office” – Deedle Dee Productions, Reveille LLC, Universal Media Studios

“Weeds” – Lionsgate Television

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

WINNER: Gabriel Byrne – “In Treatment”

Michael C. Hall – “Dexter

Jon Hamm – “Mad Men

Hugh Laurie – “House

Jonathan Rhys Meyers – “The Tudors

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

Sally Field – “Brothers And Sisters”

Mariska Hargitay – “Law And Order: Special Victims Unit”

January Jones – “Mad Men”

WINNER: Anna Paquin – “True Blood”

Kyra Sedgwick – “The Closer”

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Christina Applegate – “Samantha Who?”

America Ferrera – “Ugly Betty”

WINNER: Tina Fey – “30 Rock”

Debra Messing – “The Starter Wife”

Mary-Louise Parker – “Weeds”

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL

WINNER: Alec Baldwin – “30 Rock”

Steve Carell – “The Office”

Kevin Connelly – “Entourage”

David Duchovny – “Californication”

Tony Shalhoub – “Monk”

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Judi Dench – “Cranford”

Catherine Keener – “An American Crime”

WINNER: Laura Linney – “John Adams”

Shirley Maclaine – “Coco Chanel”

Susan Sarandon – “Bernard And Doris”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Ralph Fiennes – “Bernard and Doris”

WINNER: Paul Giamatti – “John Adams”

Kevin Spacey – ” Recount”

Kiefer Sutherland – “24: Redemption”

Tom Wilkinson – “Recount”

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Neil Patrick Harris – “How I Met Your Mother”

Denis Leary – “Recount”

Jeremy Piven – “Entourage”

Blair Underwood – “In Treatment”

WINNER: Tom Wilkinson – “John Adams”

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Eileen Atkins – “Cranford”

WINNER: Laura Dern – “Recount”

Melissa George – “In Treatment”

Rachel Griffiths – “Brothers And Sisters”

Dianne Wiest – “In Treatment”

Penelope Cruz, ‘Slumdog’, win big from ‘National Board of Review’

By Mack Chico

2008/12/05 at 12:00am

Movies

Penelope Cruz, ‘Slumdog’, win big from ‘National Board of Review’

12.5.2008 | By Mack Chico |

If “Slumdog Millionaire” is really the new “Chariots of Fire” — a little indie flick about champion underdogs that wins best picture at the Oscars — then it just hit a kudos jackpot by being named best picture of 2008 by the National Board of Review. In 1981, the National Board of Review was the first and only major U.S. awards group to give its top prize to the small film about runners with big dreams of breaking into the Olympics before it went the distance in the Oscars derby. Now the little movie about a ghetto boy who wins India’s version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” has emerged as a top dog in this year’s Oscars race.

This is the second year in a row that National Board of Review issued its top 10 list of best films separately from the winner of best picture. This year’s entries: “Burn After Reading,” “Changeling,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Defiance,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Gran Torino,” “Milk,” “Wall-E,” “The Wrestler.” Notable snubs: “Doubt,” “Revolutionary Road,” “The Reader,” “Australia” and — considering the awards love it received in other NBR categories — “Frozen River.”

All major movies were seen by National Board of Review members this year with one exception: United Artists did not screen “Valkyrie” before voting but will show it to members before it’s released to theaters this month. In past years, NBR’s awards came out so early in December that its voters missed seeing such Oscar best picture winners as “Gone with the Wind” (1939), “Rain Man” (1988), “A Beautiful Mind” (2001) and “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” (2003).

Other winners of 2008 NBR Awards:

Best director: David Fincher, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Best actor: Clint Eastwood, “Gran Torino”
Best actress: Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”
Best supporting actor: Josh Brolin, “Milk”
Best supporting actress: Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Best foreign-language filim: “Mongol”
Best documentary: “Man on Wire”
Best animated feature: “Wall-E”
Best ensemble cast: “Doubt”
Best breakthrough actor: Dev Patel, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Best breakthrough actress: Viola Davis, “Doubt”
Best directorial debut: Courtney Hunt, “Frozen River”
Best original screenplay: Nick Schenk, “Gran Torino”
Best adapted screenplay (tie): Simon Beaufoy, “Slumdog Millionaire”; Eric Roth, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Spotlight Award: Melissa Leo, “Frozen River”; Richard Jenkins, “The Visitor”
Freedom of Expression: “Trumbo”
William K. Everson Film History Award: Molly Haskell, Andrew Sarris

Top five best foreign-language films, listed alphabetically: “Edge of Heaven,” “Let the Right One In,” “Roman de Guerre,” “A Secret,” “Waltz with Bashir”

Top five documentary films, listed alphabetically: “American Teen,” “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon),” “Dear Zachary,” “Encounters at the End of the World,” “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired”.

Of the 100 films nominated for best picture at the Oscars over the last two decades, the NBR named 72 of them on their annual lists. The comparison is a bit skewed since National Board of Review picks 10 or 11 films per year instead of five, but it’s still worthy of note. Three times in those 20 years all five Oscar nominees made the NBR top list and the winners agreed: 1989 (“Driving Miss Daisy”), 1994 (“Forrest Gump”) and 2002 (“Chicago”). The two awards also chose the same best pictures five other times in those two decades: 1990 (“Dances With Wolves”), 1991 (“Silence of the Lambs”), 1993 (“Schindler’s List”), 1999 (“American Beauty”) and 2007 (“No Country for Old Men”).

"Slumdog" and "Hunger" sweep at the BIFA

By Mack Chico

2008/12/01 at 12:00am

Movies

"Slumdog" and "Hunger" sweep at the BIFA

12.1.2008 | By Mack Chico |

You could be seeing these two films at the upcoming Oscar awards in 2009.

Director Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire,” about a poor Indian boy who gets a shot at winning millions in a television game show, swept the British Independent Film Awards on Sunday with three prizes.

“Hunger,” artist Steve McQueen‘s widely acclaimed directorial debut, also picked up three awards, followed by Mike Leigh‘s uncharacteristically upbeat “Happy-Go-Lucky,” which took both the best supporting actor and actress prizes.

Slumdog Millionaire won the best British independent film, best director and most promising newcomer categories, the latter going to young actor Dev Patel who played the lead role of Jamal.

The movie has already won rave reviews at film festivals and generated early Oscars buzz.

Also with three awards was Hunger, a hard-hitting film about the final days of IRA prisoner and hunger striker Bobby Sands in 1981.

Sands was played by Michael Fassbender, who won the best actor category, while McQueen was awarded the Douglas Hickox prize for best debut director and cinematographer Sean Bobbitt was honoured for best technical achievement.

Best actress went to Vera Farmiga in “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas,” and the best screenplay award was won by Martin McDonagh for “In Bruges.”

Alexis Zegerman was named best supporting actress for Happy-Go-Lucky, and Eddie Marsan won the best supporting actor prize for the same film.

“The Escapist” won the best achievement in production award, “Man on Wire” won best documentary, “Soft” won best British short film, and best foreign film went to “Waltz With Bashir,” Ari Folman’s haunting Middle East war animation.

Actor David Thewlis was honoured with the Richard Harris award for outstanding contribution to British film, and Michael Sheen won the Variety award.