Thursday, January 12, 2012

The FAC and Screenplays/Shame Stories/Nobbs Looks/Cinematography Guild

Good morning on a Thursday...


SPECIAL TO THE FAC: SCREENPLAYS 11 DAYS OUT

Historically the most difficult categories to predict, the writing categories are where we shine our Oscar spotlight today…

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:



1) The Descendants
2) Moneyball
3) Hugo
4) The Help
5) War Horse

In the Running:
6) Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
6) Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
8) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
9) The Ides of March
10) Drive

HOT: The Help, Tattoo
NOT: Extremely Loud
THOUGHT: I think that it’s likely that “War Horse” may be also in trouble here.  The snub yesterday by the cinematographers' guild continues a string of snubs for the Spielberg film.  I won’t be surprised next week if it’s off this list before the announcement of nominees happens.  Actually, positions 1 thru 4 seem pretty solid to me.  Maybe “Tattoo” or “Tinker Tailor” sneaks in for the fifth nomination.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY



1) The Artist
2) Midnight in Paris
3) Win Win
4) 50/50
5) Bridesmaids

In the Running:

6) Young Adult
7) A Separation
8) The Tree of Life
9) Beginners
10) Take Shelter

HOT: Win Win, 50/50, Bridesmaids, A Separation, and Beginners
NOT: Young Adult, Tree of Life
THOUGHT:  Maybe the toughest category to pick every year and seemingly even tougher this year.  If the 1 thru 5 positions hold you’d have an interesting scenario in which all of the nominees were comedies or have largely comic elements.  That’s unusual.

Of course, I still am advocating a nomination for Asghar Farhadi for his phenomenal script for
“ A Separation”.  #occupyoscar!

Tomorrow a look at the Animated Features in which a lizard will lead the way…

SHAME STORIES



I'm still saying that when I put up my top ten list for 2011 films (soon, I promise) that this film will likely be at the top of the list.  It continues to look fairly positive for Michael Fassbender to get a Best Actor Oscar nomination in a few days.  Carey Mulligan still appears to have a chance at Best Supporting Actress, but I'd wager that it's a 5 to 1 proposition for her at this point.  I'd also be on board for a number of other possible noms, but that's not going to happen.  Nevertheless, here are a couple of Shame-centric stories that appeared this week.

An interview on the Fox Searchlight website with Fassbender, Mulligan and writer/director Steve McQueen:

Also a Carey Mulligan interview posted at The New York Times:

ALBERT NOBBS LOOKS



Thanks to Movie City News we can take a look at Glenn Close in her original incarnation as Albert Nobbs from her Obie winning performance from 30 years ago.  She's a kid!


CINEMATOGRAPHY GUILD SPEAKS



The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) announced the five films nominated for their top award yesterday.  They were: The Tree of Life, Hugo, The Artist, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.  Snubbed again...War Horse.  Looking less and less like it will get the Best Picture nomination that seemed a certainty only a few days ago.

Here's a rundown of the ASC nomination story from The Wrap:


Again, I'll have a "special" to The Film Awards Clearinghouse tomorrow looking at the race for the Best Animated Film race.

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

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