Oscars 2012- Page 5

[Kad]

Posted: 12/9/12 at 8:53pm

I'm not surprised The Master played better with an LA critics awards.

[jv92]

Posted: 12/9/12 at 9:01pm

I liked LINCOLN a great deal, but because I have a penchant for weird movies, mostly because they're surprising, I think I had a better time at THE MASTER. (Makes no sense to you guys, I'm sure. It doesn't make any sense to me, either.)

So I'm glad it won a few LA Critics awards, partly because I'm a HUGE P.T. Anderson fan-- BOOGIE NIGHTS is in my top 5 favorite films.

[tazber]

Posted: 12/10/12 at 4:19pm

Lots of critics lists:

Round up:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/new-york-film-critics-online

Zero Dark Thirty is winning most of them.

Also, the AFI list...


...whihc includes The Dark Knight

[strummergirl]

Posted: 12/10/12 at 4:32pm

Even as one of its most ardent defenders on the board, I would not put The Dark Knight Rises in the league of Best Movies of 2012. Then again, if it is in the field of Lincoln, Argo, and The Life of Pi, then maybe.

Oh, and there is a minor shatstorm on the political blogs today by a few very vocal people reading the reviews of Zero Dark Thirty, ardently protesting, without ever seeing the film mind you, that the film condones/glorifies torture. Most critics who saw the film are split on whether it does or not (David Edelstein seems to think so while Scott Tobias and Mark Harris disagree and just believes the movie acknowledges torture was used but no further implications). There always seems to be something 'controversial' about the Best Picture contender that produces backlash and in this case it is something a little more than whether or not Bernard Herrmann's score from "Vertigo" got plagiarized in a silent film pastiche.

Also, as somebody who did their senior thesis on a film that managed to be both anti-torture and also portray torture as effective and as a plot point, I am talking about The Battle of Algiers, my interest in this movie increased ten-fold.



Updated On: 12/10/12 at 04:32 PM

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 12/10/12 at 4:47pm

The issue that I saw Andrew Sullivan bring up (though he also has yet to see the film) is the implication that torture led to the capture of bin Laden's courier, which is factually incorrect. So I kind of understand the objection on those grounds.

I'll see for myself when it opens (this is actually the movie I'm most excited for this year).

[Kad]

Posted: 12/10/12 at 4:59pm

AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
The Dark Knight Rises
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty


I'd be content if that was the best picture roster for the Oscars. And I think that'd be very likely, too. I don't think The Dark Knight Rises is in the same league as the others, however, but I could see the Academy including it in their perpetual attempt to look cool.

The other 9 films are all extremely strong. Not one seems like a grudging addition.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 12/11/12 at 10:05am

Surprised Amour not on the AFI list; are for. lang. movies excluded?

[dreaming]

Posted: 12/11/12 at 11:06am

henrik-do they have a separate category for foreign pictures???

I think Lincoln will take the most Oscars, personally. It's a politically charged movie and rather current given what's about to happen in the Supreme Court (Does anyone else see the parallels between Dred Scott, which paved the way for the end of slavery, and the Prop 8 and DOMA, which could make same sex marriage a federal issue??? I can't help but think that there is a not so subtle connection...and perhaps an amendment will come if DOMA and Prop 8 are struck down.)

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 12/11/12 at 12:12pm

Henrik, the AFI only includes American films, though the addition of LES MISERABLES is kind of baffling since I thought that was a British production.
Here's the list for the BFCC Awards:

BEST PICTURE
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
The Master
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST ACTOR
Bradley Cooper – “Silver Linings Playbook”
Daniel Day-Lewis – “Lincoln”
John Hawkes – “The Sessions”
Hugh Jackman – “Les Misérables”
Joaquin Phoenix – “The Master”
Denzel Washington – “Flight”

BEST ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain – “Zero Dark Thirty”
Marion Cotillard – “Rust and Bone”
Jennifer Lawrence – “Silver Linings Playbook”
Emmanuelle Riva – “Amour”
Quvenzhané Wallis – “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Naomi Watts – “The Impossible”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Alan Arkin – “Argo”
Javier Bardem – “Skyfall”
Robert De Niro – “Silver Linings Playbook”
Philip Seymour Hoffman – “The Master”
Tommy Lee Jones – “Lincoln”
Matthew McConaughey – “Magic Mike”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams – “The Master”
Judi Dench – “Skyfall”
Ann Dowd – “Compliance”
Sally Field – “Lincoln”
Anne Hathaway – “Les Misérables”
Helen Hunt – “The Sessions”

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Elle Fanning – “Ginger & Rosa”
Kara Hayward – “Moonrise Kingdom”
Tom Holland – “The Impossible”
Logan Lerman – “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”
Suraj Sharma – “Life of Pi”
Quvenzhané Wallis – “Beasts of the Southern Wild”

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Argo
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Misérables
Lincoln
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook

BEST DIRECTOR
Ben Affleck – “Argo”
Kathryn Bigelow – “Zero Dark Thirty”
Tom Hooper – “Les Misérables”
Ang Lee – “Life of Pi”
David O. Russell – “Silver Linings Playbook”
Steven Spielberg – “Lincoln”

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Quentin Tarantino – “Django Unchained”
John Gatins – “Flight”
Rian Johnson – “Looper”
Paul Thomas Anderson – “The Master”
Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola – “Moonrise Kingdom”
Mark Boal – “Zero Dark Thirty”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Chris Terrio – “Argo”
David Magee – “Life of Pi”
Tony Kushner – “Lincoln”
Stephen Chbosky – “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”
David O. Russell – “Silver Linings Playbook”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
“Les Misérables” – Danny Cohen
“Life of Pi” – Claudio Miranda
“Lincoln” – Janusz Kaminski
“The Master” – Mihai Malaimare Jr.
“Skyfall” – Roger Deakins

BEST ART DIRECTION
“Anna Karenina” – Sarah Greenwood/Production Designer; Katie Spencer/Set Decorator
“The Hobbit” – Dan Hennah/Production Designer; Ra Vincent & Simon Bright/Set Decorators
“Les Misérables” – Eve Stewart/Production Designer; Anna Lynch-Robinson/Set Decorator
“Life of Pi” – David Gropman/Production Designer; Anna Pinnock/Set Decorator
“Lincoln” – Rick Carter/Production Designer; Jim Erickson/Set Decorator

BEST EDITING
“Argo” – William Goldenberg
“Les Misérables” – Melanie Ann Oliver and Chris Dickens
“Life of Pi” – Tim Squyres
“Lincoln” – Michael Kahn
“Zero Dark Thirty” – William Goldenberg and Dylan Tichenor

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“Anna Karenina” – Jacqueline Durran
“Cloud Atlas” – Kym Barrett and Pierre-Yves Gayraud
“The Hobbit” – Bob Buck, Ann Maskrey and Richard Taylor
“Les Misérables” – Paco Delgado
“Lincoln” – Joanna Johnston

BEST MAKEUP
Cloud Atlas
The Hobbit
Les Misérables
Lincoln

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
The Avengers
Cloud Atlas
The Dark Knight Rises
The Hobbit
Life of Pi

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Brave
Frankenweenie
Madagascar 3
ParaNorman
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-It Ralph

BEST ACTION MOVIE
The Avengers
The Dark Knight Rises
Looper
Skyfall

BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Christian Bale – “The Dark Knight Rises”
Daniel Craig – “Skyfall”
Robert Downey Jr. – “The Avengers”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt – “Looper”
Jake Gyllenhaal – “End of Watch”

BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Emily Blunt – “Looper”
Gina Carano – “Haywire”
Judi Dench – “Skyfall”
Anne Hathaway – “The Dark Knight Rises”
Jennifer Lawrence – “The Hunger Games”

BEST COMEDY
Bernie
Silver Linings Playbook
Ted
This Is 40
21 Jump Street

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Jack Black – “Bernie”
Bradley Cooper – “Silver Linings Playbook”
Paul Rudd – “This Is 40”
Channing Tatum – “21 Jump Street”
Mark Wahlberg – “Ted”

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Mila Kunis – “Ted”
Jennifer Lawrence – “Silver Linings Playbook”
Shirley MacLaine – “Bernie”
Leslie Mann – “This Is 40”
Rebel Wilson – “Pitch Perfect”

BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE
The Cabin in the Woods
Looper
Prometheus

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Amour
The Intouchables
A Royal Affair
Rust and Bone

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Bully
The Central Park Five
The Imposter
The Queen of Versailles
Searching for Sugar Man
West of Memphis

BEST SONG
“For You” – performed by Keith Urban/written by Monty Powell & Keith Urban – Act of Valor
“Learn Me Right” – performed by Birdy with Mumford & Sons/written by Mumford & Sons – Brave
“Skyfall” – performed by Adele/written by Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth – Skyfall
“Still Alive” – performed by Paul Williams/written by Paul Williams – Paul Williams Still Alive
“Suddenly” – performed by Hugh Jackman/written by Claude-Michel Schonberg & Alain Boublil & Herbert Kretzmer – Les Misérables

BEST SCORE
“Argo” – Alexandre Desplat
“Life of Pi” – Mychael Danna
“Lincoln” – John Williams
“The Master” – Jonny Greenwood
“Moonrise Kingdom” – Alexandre Despla

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 12/11/12 at 12:16pm

Very surprised Dario Marinelli's score for Anna Karenina not nominated.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 12/11/12 at 1:18pm

Kara Hayward for Best younger Actor? She was the only thing I didnt like about Moonrise Kingdom!

[strummergirl]

Posted: 12/11/12 at 1:33pm

Also weird that Jared Gilman was not nominated either. He was a very good successor to the Jason Schwartzman lead in an Anderson film.

Also what is the age threshold for young actor? Sharma and Lerman are both 19 and 20.

Also cool to see A Royal Affair get some love as a Foreign Language film. Totally not what I expected in the best sense.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 12/11/12 at 3:21pm

I agree it's strange to nominate Kara Hayward and not Jared Gilman, but I loved Hayward, they were a great pair together. For me, the most baffling omission (considering this is a critics group) is HOLY MOTORS in the Foreign Language (or even Best Film) category and Denis Lavant's enthralling performance in the Best Actor category.
Otherwise, it's an alright list, nothing unexpected, nothing terrible about it.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 12/11/12 at 3:22pm

I've been wanting to post about The Holy Motors, because holy crap is that film still in my head after seeing it a month ago. Lavant is incredible.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 12/11/12 at 3:29pm

Strummergirl, isn't it the most affecting film you've seen in a while? I also can't get it out of my head. Every image, every character, every line of dialogue is mesmerizing. I don't think I've been this affected by a movie since MULHOLLAND DRIVE.

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/26/12 at 7:43am

I have to say, if I were voting right now, "Lincoln" would get my vote for Best Picture, Daniel Day-Lewis for Best Actor, Tommy Lee Jones for Best Supporting Actor, and Ann Hathaway for Best Supporting Actress.

And I will also add that I have zero desire to see Zero Dark Thirty. None. There is not one clip I've seen, interview, trailer, review, or insight so far that will get me into the theatre to see that movie. If it wins praise and many awards, it will have to do it without my "buzz" as one among the masses.

[Kad]

Posted: 12/26/12 at 8:37am

I enjoyed Zero Dark Thirty, though I do have my misgivings about its take on torture. It is not a "hooray, America! We got the bastard!" film. Jessica Chastain is marvelous in it, though. I'd give her Best Actress over Jennifer Lawrence.

Right now, I think it's really between Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty for best pic. I think the Academy may be reluctant to award Bigelow so soon after The Hurt Locker, and I doubt Zero Dark will take off at the box office. I think Lincoln is the safer bet- it's as critically loved, it's done remarkably well, it's a more traditional "Best Picture" film.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 12/26/12 at 2:39pm

I think that LINCOLN will pick up Best Picture and Actor. Hard to say if they'll toss Spielberg his third directing statuette, but it'd hardly be surprising if they did.

I'm thinking this largely based on the last two winners -- THE KING'S SPEECH and THE ARTIST, two pretty foreign films, with THE ARTIST being especially the point in it's pure fluffy charming entertainment value. I think the big ponderous patriotic HISTORIC AMERICANOSITY of LINCOLN will prove irresistible to the Academy, giving it the edge over the bombastic Euro-historic hysteric tear-jerkiness of LES MISERABLES.

Updated On: 12/26/12 at 02:39 PM

[strummergirl]

Posted: 12/26/12 at 2:44pm

If anything Zero Dark Thirty shot up in terms of anticipation for me to the point if I have a chance to go down to the city before it opens nationwide on January 11th, I will try my best to go see it rather than just waiting. But if you had a computer and/or a twitter feed it is pretty damned near impossible to not go into the theater to see the film already debating and trying to spot where this movie could possibly be 'pro-torture' or just frankly portraying torture as a defining characteristic in the "war on terror". Reading another article or another twitter argument among film critics and political journalists is getting exhausting.

My issue is that the whole discussion of the film was pushed mostly by people who had yet to see the film, one of which, Andrew Sullivan, backed off his initial fears of the film 'glorifying' torture while Glenn Greenwald doubled-down and has become the face of the film's detractors (which is like making Bloomberg the face of gun control). It seems any nuanced thought about the movie from the likes of Andrew O'Hehir and David Edelstein (both of whom praised the film but still voiced concern about even making the torture program look ambiguous) got completely lost in the debate.

ZD30 actually did great in its limited release this past week with $82,000 per theater but the film would have to be promoted as a Top Gun type of movie to sell itself nationwide. You also wonder if the controversy and debate of this film either did damage to the film's box office or got more seats sold. But if I were to believe Mark Harris'(interestingly enough, Tony Kushner's husband) article on the film, it was never meant to be a box office film even if OBL's eventual killing actually made the project more 'marketable' versus its original conception about the failed Tora Bora capture.

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 12/26/12 at 5:34pm

I have not seen "The Impossible" yet, but does Naomi Watts deserve all the love? If I read correctly she's got 2 pages of dialogue in the whole movie. If thats the case Kerry Washington deserves some praise for "Django".

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 12/27/12 at 4:00am

Glad to see I'm not the only one who is uninterested in Zero Dark Thirty. I'm also surprised to see that a few places are giving Matthew McConaughey recognition for Magic Mike over Eddie Redmayne.

Very excited to go to Palm Springs this week and do nothing but see movies: Les Miserables, Django Unchained, Life of Pi, Silver Linings Playbook, Anna Karenina, and Argo are at the top of my list.

Any nes on animated film? I personally adored Paranorman.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 12/27/12 at 10:57am

I saw Zero Dark Thirty last Friday. It was a pretty terrific film, though I feel like I'm might be immune to Jessica Chastain's charms, such as they are. She has a moment or two where I wanted to pass her some floss to get the scenery out of her teeth. They just weren't of a piece with the rest of the film. And I do wish we got just a little more of Jennifer Ehle. I think she's sensational on film.

The torture stuff was indeed difficult to watch...and the movie really does seem to be asking the question 'Was any of this worth it?' in a way that I found challenging and engaging. *SPOILER* There's a moment in the film that has been picked apart as to whether it's pro-torture or not. The guy leading the torture program says something like, 'Everybody breaks. It's just biology.' People have gotten themselves into a tizzy over it, but they seem to have missed the fact that he says it to the person being tortured...not at a Congressional hearing. It's just another tactic for him...not a profound statement by Bigelow.

I suppose it really does matter how you see torture. Perhaps, if you think it's a necessary evil, you'll feel vindicated by this film. But as someone is an absolutist when it comes to these kinds of war crimes, I came away thinking it's simply evil. And the ends didn't justify the means.

[Kad]

Posted: 12/27/12 at 11:05am

The film doesn't really itself come out in one way or another about torture. It doesn't condone but doesn't go out of its way to condemn.

And the eventual takedown of Bin Laden isn't exactly portrayed as a heroic moment.


As for animated film, it's really been varying between the initial critics' awards. Wreck-It Ralph, Frankenweenie, and Paranorman have all been getting awards. Paranorman is my favorite, though. No idea what will actually win.

[broadwayboy101]

Posted: 12/27/12 at 1:02pm

It's such a shame that Rise of the Guardians is getting overlooked - I thought it and ParaNorman were the 2 best animated films this year, with Guardians having a substantial lead over the latter.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 12/28/12 at 3:02pm

Haven't seen it but isn't the concern not that it makes a value judgment about torture, but that it falsely - and in a sensationalistically (why won't bbw let me type this word? - shows torture as leading to finding Bin Laden, when that simply is not true? Therefore, making the case that torture is effective when it isn't. I've also heard that torture takes a huge part of the movie and at the beginning so that its critics find what the movie says about torture - again, perhaps not a for or against but an inaccurate recognition of its efficacy - is a signficant part of the movie.