It's not quite accurate to say that Nip/Tuck has "jumped the shark."
It's more like the show has driven off a cliff and burst into flames and now everyone involved is burning to death slowly and painfully. It's absolutely horrible but impossible to look away.
Although I suspect after last night's highly disappointing, downright laughable (and not in a good way), season finale many people will, in fact, look away. Ryan Murphy has probably killed his baby. Not that he cares, he's on to a film career where he can ruin other people's stories (the trailer for his probably disappointing first feature actually previewed during last night's episode, even though the film won't be released until next fall).
This season had one big driving force in The Carver but when the killer's identity was finally revealed it turned out to be the most obvious candidate. But that was less offensive than the cheap horror-movie theatrics that played out over the final half-hour, complete with hackneyed intercutting with the episode's B-story involving Matt and one more entirely-too-obvious Big Twist. There was none of the great trashy fun that elevated last season's ludicrous Famke Janssen/Alec Baldwin-driven finale.
That might be because, aside from The Carver (who popped in and out all season long), the season was a unfocused mess with a handful of great guilty pleasure moments overshadowed by terminal self-importance. That's always been Nip/Tuck's greatest problem. It's as if Melrose Place decided it was The Sopranos without realizing that the key to great human drama is to have characters who are recognizably human.
None of this is new, the show has been in a downward spiral ever since it premiered (it clearly peaked with the pilot), but things are getting truly ugly. The sad fact is much of season three was a bore. Despite the best efforts of the better cast members (most notably Joely Richardson and Julian McMahon), I don't think there was a single emotional moment that worked. But credible human drama was pretty much abandoned halfway through season two in favor of outrageous you-can't-do-that-on-television! moments. Unfortunately this season there wasn't enough trash to fill the void. Plotline after plotline fell flat: Matt's racist girlfriend, the bisexual new partner, Sean's romance with a mafia wife (a very poorly utilized Anne Heche), Julia opening a spa.
I know they probably won't but I think it's time to close up shop at McNamara/Troy. There's just nothing left. Last night's finale ended with another reconciliation between Sean and Julia. But now that the Carver is gone will anyone care?
The better question is should anyone care? And the answer is obvious.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Friday, December 16, 2005
And the nominees for Best Original Song are...
"Do the Hippogriff" from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
"I'd Have It All (If I Had Drew)" from My Date With Drew
"I'll Whip Ya Head Boy" from Get Rich or Die Tryin'
"It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from Hustle & Flow
"Nobody Jesus But You" from Palindromes
"You're Gonna Die Soon" from Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic
Hey, it could happen—and, yes, monkeys could fly out of my butt (excellent)—because all of these songs are on the "shortlist" of original songs eligible for Oscar consideration.
Lists like this are common for other categories (from special effects to documentary film) but this is the first time it's been done for original song and the results are kind of surprising. Only two of the five songs nominated for a Golden Globe are even eligible (although the Globes had their own bizarre selection in Christmas In Love, a movie that apparently has no U.S. release date).
Of course what would awards talk be without a mention of Brokeback Mountain? The movie applies here because its original song "A Love That Will Never Grow Old," written by the esteemed Gustavo Santaolalla and Bernie Taupin and sung by the magnificent Emmylou Harris, is not eligible. Apparently the music branch who judged the submissions decided that the song was not featured prominently enough in the film and is therefore not eligible for a nomination (it plays, very briefly and quietly, on the radio in Jack Twist/Jake Gyllenhaal's truck).
So there's one Oscar Brokeback Mountain definitely won't win (the situation is a bit reminiscent of the way scores from nomination-favorites The Aviator and Million Dollar Baby were left out of contention last year).
Actually, I'm kind of glad because I'm hoping all of the attention of the category will shift to Dolly Parton's "Travelin' Thru" from Transamerica. I have yet to really discuss the film here and I doubt I ever will (there simply isn't much to say other than it's well intentioned but a little too indie, and entirely too broad, to be effective), but Dolly's song is one of the year's cinematic highlights and deserves recognition. I love her to death and when that song unexpectedly rolled over the end credits it made sitting through the whole damn movie worthwhile (I was similarly grateful for Kanye West's "Jesus Walks" at the end of Jarhead, but that song, of course, is not original to the film).
Without Brokeback in the running I expect Parton's song may be joined by the eligible song from Narnia (which is not Alanis Morissette's Globe-nominated "Wunderkind"), the original song from The Producers, the song from Dreamer and possibly a song from Hustle & Flow.
But I swear to God if the pimp beats Dolly... well, "I'll Whip Ya Head Boy!"
Then again there's the song from Crash, some bizarre thing from Constant Gardener, a song from Corpse Bride (I wonder why just one?), a Carly Simon song from Pooh's Huffalump Movie (if they aren't embarrassed enough to nominate something from Pooh's Huffalump Movie) and various other possibilities. They also may choose to only nominate three songs. Or they may just decide life simply isn't worth living after listening to all the eligible songs from Palindromes.
My own wish is that Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy's "So Long and Thanks For All the Fish" joins Dolly as a finalist.
But what was I saying about monkeys flying out of my butt?
"I'd Have It All (If I Had Drew)" from My Date With Drew
"I'll Whip Ya Head Boy" from Get Rich or Die Tryin'
"It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from Hustle & Flow
"Nobody Jesus But You" from Palindromes
"You're Gonna Die Soon" from Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic
Hey, it could happen—and, yes, monkeys could fly out of my butt (excellent)—because all of these songs are on the "shortlist" of original songs eligible for Oscar consideration.
Lists like this are common for other categories (from special effects to documentary film) but this is the first time it's been done for original song and the results are kind of surprising. Only two of the five songs nominated for a Golden Globe are even eligible (although the Globes had their own bizarre selection in Christmas In Love, a movie that apparently has no U.S. release date).
Of course what would awards talk be without a mention of Brokeback Mountain? The movie applies here because its original song "A Love That Will Never Grow Old," written by the esteemed Gustavo Santaolalla and Bernie Taupin and sung by the magnificent Emmylou Harris, is not eligible. Apparently the music branch who judged the submissions decided that the song was not featured prominently enough in the film and is therefore not eligible for a nomination (it plays, very briefly and quietly, on the radio in Jack Twist/Jake Gyllenhaal's truck).
So there's one Oscar Brokeback Mountain definitely won't win (the situation is a bit reminiscent of the way scores from nomination-favorites The Aviator and Million Dollar Baby were left out of contention last year).
Actually, I'm kind of glad because I'm hoping all of the attention of the category will shift to Dolly Parton's "Travelin' Thru" from Transamerica. I have yet to really discuss the film here and I doubt I ever will (there simply isn't much to say other than it's well intentioned but a little too indie, and entirely too broad, to be effective), but Dolly's song is one of the year's cinematic highlights and deserves recognition. I love her to death and when that song unexpectedly rolled over the end credits it made sitting through the whole damn movie worthwhile (I was similarly grateful for Kanye West's "Jesus Walks" at the end of Jarhead, but that song, of course, is not original to the film).
Without Brokeback in the running I expect Parton's song may be joined by the eligible song from Narnia (which is not Alanis Morissette's Globe-nominated "Wunderkind"), the original song from The Producers, the song from Dreamer and possibly a song from Hustle & Flow.
But I swear to God if the pimp beats Dolly... well, "I'll Whip Ya Head Boy!"
Then again there's the song from Crash, some bizarre thing from Constant Gardener, a song from Corpse Bride (I wonder why just one?), a Carly Simon song from Pooh's Huffalump Movie (if they aren't embarrassed enough to nominate something from Pooh's Huffalump Movie) and various other possibilities. They also may choose to only nominate three songs. Or they may just decide life simply isn't worth living after listening to all the eligible songs from Palindromes.
My own wish is that Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy's "So Long and Thanks For All the Fish" joins Dolly as a finalist.
But what was I saying about monkeys flying out of my butt?
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Golden
A lot of surprising/bewildering selections this morning for Golden Globe nominations.
As expected Brokeback Mountain led the charge (although it missed out on one easy nom - Jake Gyllenhaal in the supporting category). Not so expected was the dismissal of Munich and King Kong. The former was viewed as a strong contender all year long but is now starting to be seen as a minor disappointment (and it still hasn't even been released), while the latter was a film that appeared to be gaining ground due to rapturous reviews and expected phenomenal box office. Both were nominated for Best Director but only landed one other nomination each (Munich for screenplay and Kong for score). Their omission in the big picture category (and all the acting categories) will not help their award profiles. But both films could simply be late bloomers, gaining traction in the coming weeks if they perform well at the box office. (For a clue about what might be holding Kong back, check out the reviews on the negative side of its metacritic page.)
In any event this year's awards are looking more unpredictable than normal, which is good. And it's hard to fault the films the Globes did select for Best Picture - Drama (although I still need to see two of them):
Brokeback Mountain
The Constant Gardener
Good Night, And Good Luck.
A History of Violence
Match Point
Five of the best reviewed movies of the year. It's really nice that there's no lazy selections, like a Memoirs of a Geisha or a Crash, in this bunch.
In the comedy/musical category the five nominees are:
Mrs. Henderson Presents
Pride & Prejudice
The Producers
The Squid and the Whale
Walk the Line
A less impressive category. Walk the Line is the year's laziest award favorite and while I haven't seen Henderson or Producers yet, something tells me there were better (but not as obvious) selections to be made. But Walk the Line should easily win this anyway, setting up a potential showdown with Brokeback Mountain for Oscar's Best Picture (they are currently the only two locks for nominations, although Good Night, and Good Luck. is holding its own).
Among the other choices:
Bad news for the non-nominated Eric Bana (Munich), Naomi Watts (King Kong), Diane Keaton (The Family Stone), Gong Li (Memoirs of a Geisha) and Joan Allen (and Upside of Anger co-star Kevin Costner). The first three especially have been ignored by nearly every group so far this week, despite a lot of buzz in their favor. Even more dead in the water: Terrence Malick's The New World, which is getting no love from anyone.
Good news for the nominated Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow), David Straitharin (Good Night, And Good Luck.), Shirley MacLaine (In Her Shoes) (yay) and Matt Dillon (Crash) (barf), who have all become stronger contenders now. It's still possible the Globes will be the end of the line for one or any of them but showing up here should help fuel their campaigns.
Little indie darling The Squid & the Whale had a good showing with its comedy picture nomination and recognition for "leads" Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney, but oddly its script, which had been getting a lot of attention, was left out (the Globes don't separate adapted and original, so that didn't help). Expect the situation to change come Oscar time, when the movie's script might be the only nomination it receives.
Maria Bello's nomination for A History of Violence is a great thing but it's also bizarre on two counts. First, she was submitted as lead actress although most other places she'll go the supporting route. Catherine Zeta-Jones did the same thing for Chicago and won an Oscar, but I just don't understand the theory behind category confusion. Second, her nomination is the only nom for History of Violence besides best picture! No Viggo Mortensen actor nom, no Cronenberg directing nom, no supporting actor mention or even original score! Obviously these things happen in competitions, but it's still a little weird.
The big thing the Globes proved is that there are a lot of well-liked films this year, but no clear favorites (other than Brokeback).
On the TV side the selections were almost laughable in their over-the-top recognition of Hot New Shows. Three of the six nominees for comedy series and four of the five for drama are in their first year of Globes eligibility. The only show nominated for a series prize that has been on the air longer than two seasons is Curb Your Enthusiasm (and thank god they at least included that).
Two of the most notable snubs: Deadwood and Arrested Development. Two of the year's best series, both nominated for zero awards. (Deadwood isn't even old! This was only its second season!) The Globes also turned their backs on FX in a major way, the only nomination for the quality cable channel went to Glenn Close for The Shield (last year's drama series winner, Nip/Tuck, was deservedly shut out but why no attention for Rescue Me?).
ABC was the Globes' network of choice this year thanks to its big shows Desperate Housewives, Lost, Grey's Anatomy and Commander-in-Chief. All of those nabbed at least two acting noms (all four Housewives got in this year and Lost scored its first ever Globe acting noms courtesy of Matthew Fox and Naveen Andrews - where's Terry O'Quinn?). Consider it the new FX (which was already the new HBO).
Also benefiting from the everything-new-is-Golden approach was Showtime's Weeds, which seemed like an obvious contender and didn't disappoint with noms for the show and actresses Mary-Louise Parker and Elizabeth Perkins. Don't be surprised to see Parker take down all the Housewives (although anyone but Teri Hatcher could conceivably win that category).
I suggest all TV nominees celebrate a lot and right now. Because half of them won't be invited back next year.
As expected Brokeback Mountain led the charge (although it missed out on one easy nom - Jake Gyllenhaal in the supporting category). Not so expected was the dismissal of Munich and King Kong. The former was viewed as a strong contender all year long but is now starting to be seen as a minor disappointment (and it still hasn't even been released), while the latter was a film that appeared to be gaining ground due to rapturous reviews and expected phenomenal box office. Both were nominated for Best Director but only landed one other nomination each (Munich for screenplay and Kong for score). Their omission in the big picture category (and all the acting categories) will not help their award profiles. But both films could simply be late bloomers, gaining traction in the coming weeks if they perform well at the box office. (For a clue about what might be holding Kong back, check out the reviews on the negative side of its metacritic page.)
In any event this year's awards are looking more unpredictable than normal, which is good. And it's hard to fault the films the Globes did select for Best Picture - Drama (although I still need to see two of them):
Brokeback Mountain
The Constant Gardener
Good Night, And Good Luck.
A History of Violence
Match Point
Five of the best reviewed movies of the year. It's really nice that there's no lazy selections, like a Memoirs of a Geisha or a Crash, in this bunch.
In the comedy/musical category the five nominees are:
Mrs. Henderson Presents
Pride & Prejudice
The Producers
The Squid and the Whale
Walk the Line
A less impressive category. Walk the Line is the year's laziest award favorite and while I haven't seen Henderson or Producers yet, something tells me there were better (but not as obvious) selections to be made. But Walk the Line should easily win this anyway, setting up a potential showdown with Brokeback Mountain for Oscar's Best Picture (they are currently the only two locks for nominations, although Good Night, and Good Luck. is holding its own).
Among the other choices:
Bad news for the non-nominated Eric Bana (Munich), Naomi Watts (King Kong), Diane Keaton (The Family Stone), Gong Li (Memoirs of a Geisha) and Joan Allen (and Upside of Anger co-star Kevin Costner). The first three especially have been ignored by nearly every group so far this week, despite a lot of buzz in their favor. Even more dead in the water: Terrence Malick's The New World, which is getting no love from anyone.
Good news for the nominated Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow), David Straitharin (Good Night, And Good Luck.), Shirley MacLaine (In Her Shoes) (yay) and Matt Dillon (Crash) (barf), who have all become stronger contenders now. It's still possible the Globes will be the end of the line for one or any of them but showing up here should help fuel their campaigns.
Little indie darling The Squid & the Whale had a good showing with its comedy picture nomination and recognition for "leads" Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney, but oddly its script, which had been getting a lot of attention, was left out (the Globes don't separate adapted and original, so that didn't help). Expect the situation to change come Oscar time, when the movie's script might be the only nomination it receives.
Maria Bello's nomination for A History of Violence is a great thing but it's also bizarre on two counts. First, she was submitted as lead actress although most other places she'll go the supporting route. Catherine Zeta-Jones did the same thing for Chicago and won an Oscar, but I just don't understand the theory behind category confusion. Second, her nomination is the only nom for History of Violence besides best picture! No Viggo Mortensen actor nom, no Cronenberg directing nom, no supporting actor mention or even original score! Obviously these things happen in competitions, but it's still a little weird.
The big thing the Globes proved is that there are a lot of well-liked films this year, but no clear favorites (other than Brokeback).
On the TV side the selections were almost laughable in their over-the-top recognition of Hot New Shows. Three of the six nominees for comedy series and four of the five for drama are in their first year of Globes eligibility. The only show nominated for a series prize that has been on the air longer than two seasons is Curb Your Enthusiasm (and thank god they at least included that).
Two of the most notable snubs: Deadwood and Arrested Development. Two of the year's best series, both nominated for zero awards. (Deadwood isn't even old! This was only its second season!) The Globes also turned their backs on FX in a major way, the only nomination for the quality cable channel went to Glenn Close for The Shield (last year's drama series winner, Nip/Tuck, was deservedly shut out but why no attention for Rescue Me?).
ABC was the Globes' network of choice this year thanks to its big shows Desperate Housewives, Lost, Grey's Anatomy and Commander-in-Chief. All of those nabbed at least two acting noms (all four Housewives got in this year and Lost scored its first ever Globe acting noms courtesy of Matthew Fox and Naveen Andrews - where's Terry O'Quinn?). Consider it the new FX (which was already the new HBO).
Also benefiting from the everything-new-is-Golden approach was Showtime's Weeds, which seemed like an obvious contender and didn't disappoint with noms for the show and actresses Mary-Louise Parker and Elizabeth Perkins. Don't be surprised to see Parker take down all the Housewives (although anyone but Teri Hatcher could conceivably win that category).
I suggest all TV nominees celebrate a lot and right now. Because half of them won't be invited back next year.
Monday, December 12, 2005
Prepare for Brokebacklash
With Brokeback Mountain racking up awards left and right, to go with its record per-screen averages, it'll only be days (maybe even minutes) before someone starts proclaiming "hey, wait a minute, it ain't that great." Whatevs. The great thing about this one is that if someone doesn't like it you can call them a homophobe, and then they'll get all mad at you and try to prove they're not. Try it, it's fun!
Anyway, the latest big prize to come Brokeback's way is Best Picture from the New York Film Critics Circle. The group also selected Ang Lee as Best Director and Heath Ledger as Best Actor.
Taking another cue from their L.A. counterparts the New Yorkers also honored A History of Violence by naming William Hurt and Maria Bello as the year's best supporting players. They went a lot more mainstream when it came to Best Actress, giving the prize to Oscar frontrunner Reese Witherspoon.
If there's one other thing that's emerging as a consistent critics' fave this year besides Brokeback it's the screenplay for The Squid and the Whale. The Noah Baumbach script has picked up prizes from New York, L.A. and the day's other major group to announce: the National Board of Review.
The Board has been under heavy scrutiny this year (for reasons too complex and boring to even mention) and they're frequently viewed as a little tacky, but they're really old (older than the Oscars) and they're not going anywhere. However, this year's announcement feels less interesting than normal, mostly because what makes the group special is they're usually first.
This year they're another voice in the chorus, albeit one that proclaimed Good Night, And Good Luck. the Best Picture of 2005. Brokeback was still heavily honored in the form of Ang Lee as Best Director and Jake Gyllenhaal as Best Supporting Actor.
The film also landed on the Board's top ten list, which was topped by Good Night and then listed in alphabetical order:
Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Crash
A History of Violence
Match Point
Memoirs of a Geisha
Munich
Syriana
Walk the Line
The Board agreed with the L.A. critics and chose Philip Seymour Hoffman as Best Actor (which sets the stage for a Hoffman/Ledger showdown at the Globes, SAG and Oscars). Their most questionable choices came in the female acting categories with the selection of two of the year's most unjustly overhyped performances: Felicity Huffman in Transamerica and Gong Li in Memoirs of a Geisha.
One more interesting thing to note: in a sign of the strong year for quality animation each major group has so far selected a different film for Best Animated Feature. L.A. picked Wallace & Gromit, New York went for Howl's Moving Castle and NBR opted for Corpse Bride. Again, I can't stress enough how much I hope these three are the finalists for the animated feature Oscar.
Tomorrow brings the Golden Globe nominations where Brokeback should score in a major way. It's likely to land eight noms (Drama Picture, Drama Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Director, Screenplay, Score, Original Song), which would be an impressive Globes showing indeed.
Award watchers will be looking closely at how Globe voters treat several other major contenders including Munich, King Kong, Walk the Line, Good Night, And Good Luck., Capote, Match Point, Cinderella Man, Memoirs of a Geisha and Crash. A History of Violence may even be in for a surprisingly strong showing. All but Walk the Line (a "musical") are angling for Best Picture - Drama nominations, which will leave a lot of disappointed contenders.
Anyway, the latest big prize to come Brokeback's way is Best Picture from the New York Film Critics Circle. The group also selected Ang Lee as Best Director and Heath Ledger as Best Actor.
Taking another cue from their L.A. counterparts the New Yorkers also honored A History of Violence by naming William Hurt and Maria Bello as the year's best supporting players. They went a lot more mainstream when it came to Best Actress, giving the prize to Oscar frontrunner Reese Witherspoon.
If there's one other thing that's emerging as a consistent critics' fave this year besides Brokeback it's the screenplay for The Squid and the Whale. The Noah Baumbach script has picked up prizes from New York, L.A. and the day's other major group to announce: the National Board of Review.
The Board has been under heavy scrutiny this year (for reasons too complex and boring to even mention) and they're frequently viewed as a little tacky, but they're really old (older than the Oscars) and they're not going anywhere. However, this year's announcement feels less interesting than normal, mostly because what makes the group special is they're usually first.
This year they're another voice in the chorus, albeit one that proclaimed Good Night, And Good Luck. the Best Picture of 2005. Brokeback was still heavily honored in the form of Ang Lee as Best Director and Jake Gyllenhaal as Best Supporting Actor.
The film also landed on the Board's top ten list, which was topped by Good Night and then listed in alphabetical order:
Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Crash
A History of Violence
Match Point
Memoirs of a Geisha
Munich
Syriana
Walk the Line
The Board agreed with the L.A. critics and chose Philip Seymour Hoffman as Best Actor (which sets the stage for a Hoffman/Ledger showdown at the Globes, SAG and Oscars). Their most questionable choices came in the female acting categories with the selection of two of the year's most unjustly overhyped performances: Felicity Huffman in Transamerica and Gong Li in Memoirs of a Geisha.
One more interesting thing to note: in a sign of the strong year for quality animation each major group has so far selected a different film for Best Animated Feature. L.A. picked Wallace & Gromit, New York went for Howl's Moving Castle and NBR opted for Corpse Bride. Again, I can't stress enough how much I hope these three are the finalists for the animated feature Oscar.
Tomorrow brings the Golden Globe nominations where Brokeback should score in a major way. It's likely to land eight noms (Drama Picture, Drama Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Director, Screenplay, Score, Original Song), which would be an impressive Globes showing indeed.
Award watchers will be looking closely at how Globe voters treat several other major contenders including Munich, King Kong, Walk the Line, Good Night, And Good Luck., Capote, Match Point, Cinderella Man, Memoirs of a Geisha and Crash. A History of Violence may even be in for a surprisingly strong showing. All but Walk the Line (a "musical") are angling for Best Picture - Drama nominations, which will leave a lot of disappointed contenders.
Season Finale: Survivor: Guatemala
Congratulations to Danni Boatwright (yep, that's her name) for winning Survivor: Guatemala. It was a rather unpredictable outcome for what had been an unusually smooth season.
I usually hate watching the show for at least half of each season but this time none of the irritating players made it very far (except for Judd, and he didn't last nearly as long as I thought he would) and this is the first time in memory I didn't find any of the players who made it to the final four incredibly annoying. Even my early apprehension about the "stunt casting" of Stephenie and Bobby Jon never developed into a serious distraction.
A couple of weeks ago I would've picked Danni and Rafe as the best final two, but I didn't think that would ever be possible. The fact that it almost happened was pretty shocking. Although I stopped rooting for Rafe right before the finale (after he started badmouthing Cindy for her decision to keep the car she won), I would've ultimately preferred to see a Rafe/Steph showdown at the end. It would've been fitting to see the two strongest players face off.
But Danni won the final immunity with ease and I think we can guess what would've happened if Rafe and Steph had faced the jury. For Steph to play the game as well as she did and only receive one vote (from Rafe) in the end says a lot about the bitterness and resentment the jury felt toward her. Steph has twice proven herself as one of the game's strongest players, it's just too bad she never got the ultimate prize.
I usually hate watching the show for at least half of each season but this time none of the irritating players made it very far (except for Judd, and he didn't last nearly as long as I thought he would) and this is the first time in memory I didn't find any of the players who made it to the final four incredibly annoying. Even my early apprehension about the "stunt casting" of Stephenie and Bobby Jon never developed into a serious distraction.
A couple of weeks ago I would've picked Danni and Rafe as the best final two, but I didn't think that would ever be possible. The fact that it almost happened was pretty shocking. Although I stopped rooting for Rafe right before the finale (after he started badmouthing Cindy for her decision to keep the car she won), I would've ultimately preferred to see a Rafe/Steph showdown at the end. It would've been fitting to see the two strongest players face off.
But Danni won the final immunity with ease and I think we can guess what would've happened if Rafe and Steph had faced the jury. For Steph to play the game as well as she did and only receive one vote (from Rafe) in the end says a lot about the bitterness and resentment the jury felt toward her. Steph has twice proven herself as one of the game's strongest players, it's just too bad she never got the ultimate prize.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Everyone's a winner!
The annual orgy of movie awards kicked into high gear this weekend with several major announcements, and it's not surprising that Brokeback Mountain received the most attention overall.
In the weekend's biggest announcement, Brokeback was voted Best Picture by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. The runner-up was David Cronenberg's A History of Violence. Ang Lee won for best director, with Cronenberg as the runner-up.
They get no argument from me. There are still several films I need to see but those are currently my two favorites of the year.
Among the L.A. critics' other selections were Philip Seymour Hoffman as Best Actor for Capote (with Brokeback's Heath Ledger as runner-up), History of Violence's William Hurt as Best Supporting Actor (Frank Langella of Good Night, And Good Luck. as runner-up; neither actor is a real Oscar favorite yet) and Catherine Keener as Best Supporting Actress for her work in a quartet of films (although the org would've been wise to leave her nothing role in The Interpreter off their mention, and wiser still to opt for their runner-up, Junebug's Amy Adams, as the winner).
The oddball choice was Vera Farmiga as Best Actress for the very little seen indie Down to the Bone. Farmiga received an Indie Spirit nom last year (after the film's festival run) and won a prize at Sundance. I have little doubt her performance is excellent (I even blogged about her earlier this year) but the choice seems like a clear statement on the very weak field for lead actresses this year.
Then there was an announcement from the slightly less reputable Broadcast Film Critics Association, who go the nomination route and have many categories.
The six nominees selected in each acting category read like lists of top Oscar contenders, although among the missing are Eric Bana (Munich), Ralph Fiennes (The Constant Gardener), Naomi Watts (King Kong), Diane Keaton (The Family Stone) and Scarlett Johansson (Match Point). But having not seen most of those movies I can't say how surprising those omissions are. The double nominations for Terrence Howard are actually kind of nice. If any of the supporting actors from Crash have to be nominated it should be him.
They also nominate ten films for Best Picture, effectively creating their own "top ten" which is listed in alphabetical order:
Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Cinderella Man
The Constant Gardener
Crash
Good Night, and Good Luck.
King Kong
Memoirs of a Geisha
Munich
Walk the Line
If the voting was held a couple weeks later it wouldn't be surprising to see Memoirs of a Geisha off this list entirely. But it's basically all the major possibilities for Best Picture Oscar noms (minus maybe Syriana, Match Point and Mrs. Henderson Presents, maybe).
The American Film Institute's top ten list (selected by these people) is a little better, even though it still includes Crash:
(alphabetical order)
Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Crash
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Good Night, and Good Luck.
A History of Violence
King Kong
Munich
The Squid and the Whale
Syriana
It's great to see Violence and Virgin in there.
AFI also released a TV top ten, which is notable mostly for its lack of Arrested Development (click the link above to see it). And Boston Film Critics and New York Online Film Critics made some picks too (yes, there's a critics group for nearly every city now). If you're really interested there are links to those here.
Tomorrow will bring yet another top ten (the delayed list from the National Board of Review along with the rest of their awards) and an announcement from the New York Film Critics. Then Golden Globe nominations on Tuesday.
In the weekend's biggest announcement, Brokeback was voted Best Picture by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. The runner-up was David Cronenberg's A History of Violence. Ang Lee won for best director, with Cronenberg as the runner-up.
They get no argument from me. There are still several films I need to see but those are currently my two favorites of the year.
Among the L.A. critics' other selections were Philip Seymour Hoffman as Best Actor for Capote (with Brokeback's Heath Ledger as runner-up), History of Violence's William Hurt as Best Supporting Actor (Frank Langella of Good Night, And Good Luck. as runner-up; neither actor is a real Oscar favorite yet) and Catherine Keener as Best Supporting Actress for her work in a quartet of films (although the org would've been wise to leave her nothing role in The Interpreter off their mention, and wiser still to opt for their runner-up, Junebug's Amy Adams, as the winner).
The oddball choice was Vera Farmiga as Best Actress for the very little seen indie Down to the Bone. Farmiga received an Indie Spirit nom last year (after the film's festival run) and won a prize at Sundance. I have little doubt her performance is excellent (I even blogged about her earlier this year) but the choice seems like a clear statement on the very weak field for lead actresses this year.
Then there was an announcement from the slightly less reputable Broadcast Film Critics Association, who go the nomination route and have many categories.
The six nominees selected in each acting category read like lists of top Oscar contenders, although among the missing are Eric Bana (Munich), Ralph Fiennes (The Constant Gardener), Naomi Watts (King Kong), Diane Keaton (The Family Stone) and Scarlett Johansson (Match Point). But having not seen most of those movies I can't say how surprising those omissions are. The double nominations for Terrence Howard are actually kind of nice. If any of the supporting actors from Crash have to be nominated it should be him.
They also nominate ten films for Best Picture, effectively creating their own "top ten" which is listed in alphabetical order:
Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Cinderella Man
The Constant Gardener
Crash
Good Night, and Good Luck.
King Kong
Memoirs of a Geisha
Munich
Walk the Line
If the voting was held a couple weeks later it wouldn't be surprising to see Memoirs of a Geisha off this list entirely. But it's basically all the major possibilities for Best Picture Oscar noms (minus maybe Syriana, Match Point and Mrs. Henderson Presents, maybe).
The American Film Institute's top ten list (selected by these people) is a little better, even though it still includes Crash:
(alphabetical order)
Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Crash
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Good Night, and Good Luck.
A History of Violence
King Kong
Munich
The Squid and the Whale
Syriana
It's great to see Violence and Virgin in there.
AFI also released a TV top ten, which is notable mostly for its lack of Arrested Development (click the link above to see it). And Boston Film Critics and New York Online Film Critics made some picks too (yes, there's a critics group for nearly every city now). If you're really interested there are links to those here.
Tomorrow will bring yet another top ten (the delayed list from the National Board of Review along with the rest of their awards) and an announcement from the New York Film Critics. Then Golden Globe nominations on Tuesday.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Hit and miss
Nothing says Oscar like a sweeping epic grounded in tragic romance, but just because you build it doesn't mean the awards will come (just ask the filmmakers behind Snow Falling On Cedars or Cold Mountain). Two movies opening in limited release today perfectly illustrate both the perils and rewards of the Serious Movie.
The good one is Brokeback Mountain, which may turn out to be the best movie of the year. Christened long ago by the media as "the gay cowboy movie" (which reminds me of Cartman's South Park joke about how all indie movies involve "gay cowboys eating pudding"), Brokeback is a movie that defies such simplemindedness simply by being excellent. Yes Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal play gay cowboys, and yes, there's a lot more to it. Their love story isn't earth-shatteringly new, but thanks to the contributions of everyone involved it feels like it is. There's more humanity here than in anything else I've seen onscreen in 2005.
Romantic movies are rarely this deeply felt or passionately rendered and there's hardly a single aspect of Brokeback Mountain that isn't a resounding success. From the performances (Ledger has been an Oscar favorite for months now and I sincerely hope he will win, while Gyllenhaal and Michelle Williams are also deserving of nominations and the entire ensemble, including Anne Hathaway, Randy Quaid, Linda Cardellini and Kate Mara, is excellent) to the technical contributions (especially cinematography, editing, score) to the fantastic adapted screenplay by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana (from Annie Proulx's well regarded short story) to the man in charge of it all: Ang Lee, a world-class director working in peak form. The movie spans decades but never loses its focus or its power. This one will be around for a long, long time.
I could continue gushing but I think you get the point. And I know I'll return to the topic in my top ten list for the year. In the meantime, if you've seen the movie and want to read more I suggest Kenneth Turan, Owen Gleiberman and especially J. Hoberman, who doesn't flat-out rave the movie (it is The Village Voice) but makes a lot of fantastic points.
While Brokeback is well on its way to a Best Picture Oscar nomination (and, who knows, maybe even a win), on the flip side is Memoirs of a Geisha. What appeared to be a lavish epic poised for Oscar glory is in reality just another disappointing adaptation of a bestselling book.
So many directors had been rumored to take on this project (from Steven Speilberg to Kimberly Peirce to-!-Spike Jonze) that it's easy to say the disappointment begins with the final selection of Rob Marshall, who makes this his follow-up to the unfortunate Oscar winner Chicago. (At least we can be grateful that Brett Ratner didn't get the gig.) After two movies Marshall has more than proven he can mount a lovely production, now he needs to pay closer attention to illuminating the emotional content of his scripts. The novel is supposedly rich in detail but, outside of the dazzling costume and production design, the movie feels utterly empty.
The acting isn't bad. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon co-stars Zhang Ziyi and Michelle Yeoh have been reunited here and it definitely feels so good. But both women are so captivating it makes the pain of the film's lack of depth even worse. They deserved more. That goes quadruple for the celebrated Gong Li, who manages a few moments of true grace in a role that is otherwise so hateful it defies logic. Youki Kudoh (the only Japanese actress in a central role) is the only actress who gets to play a range of behavior, and does it well. There are some guys in the movie too, but they're not very important.
In fact, the film's fatal flaw is its entirely unconvincing romance. The genesis of it is laughable and there's little chemistry between Zhang and default male lead Ken Watanabe. Although, to be fair, they are given so little screen time together that it's difficult to even develop it. (It also may not have helped that of all the key players Watanabe, the movie's lone Oscar nominee, is the one whose English I had the most trouble understanding. Actually the only one.)
Some movies, like Brokeback, make every second count. Geisha meanders and ultimately says nothing.
The good one is Brokeback Mountain, which may turn out to be the best movie of the year. Christened long ago by the media as "the gay cowboy movie" (which reminds me of Cartman's South Park joke about how all indie movies involve "gay cowboys eating pudding"), Brokeback is a movie that defies such simplemindedness simply by being excellent. Yes Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal play gay cowboys, and yes, there's a lot more to it. Their love story isn't earth-shatteringly new, but thanks to the contributions of everyone involved it feels like it is. There's more humanity here than in anything else I've seen onscreen in 2005.
Romantic movies are rarely this deeply felt or passionately rendered and there's hardly a single aspect of Brokeback Mountain that isn't a resounding success. From the performances (Ledger has been an Oscar favorite for months now and I sincerely hope he will win, while Gyllenhaal and Michelle Williams are also deserving of nominations and the entire ensemble, including Anne Hathaway, Randy Quaid, Linda Cardellini and Kate Mara, is excellent) to the technical contributions (especially cinematography, editing, score) to the fantastic adapted screenplay by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana (from Annie Proulx's well regarded short story) to the man in charge of it all: Ang Lee, a world-class director working in peak form. The movie spans decades but never loses its focus or its power. This one will be around for a long, long time.
I could continue gushing but I think you get the point. And I know I'll return to the topic in my top ten list for the year. In the meantime, if you've seen the movie and want to read more I suggest Kenneth Turan, Owen Gleiberman and especially J. Hoberman, who doesn't flat-out rave the movie (it is The Village Voice) but makes a lot of fantastic points.
While Brokeback is well on its way to a Best Picture Oscar nomination (and, who knows, maybe even a win), on the flip side is Memoirs of a Geisha. What appeared to be a lavish epic poised for Oscar glory is in reality just another disappointing adaptation of a bestselling book.
So many directors had been rumored to take on this project (from Steven Speilberg to Kimberly Peirce to-!-Spike Jonze) that it's easy to say the disappointment begins with the final selection of Rob Marshall, who makes this his follow-up to the unfortunate Oscar winner Chicago. (At least we can be grateful that Brett Ratner didn't get the gig.) After two movies Marshall has more than proven he can mount a lovely production, now he needs to pay closer attention to illuminating the emotional content of his scripts. The novel is supposedly rich in detail but, outside of the dazzling costume and production design, the movie feels utterly empty.
The acting isn't bad. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon co-stars Zhang Ziyi and Michelle Yeoh have been reunited here and it definitely feels so good. But both women are so captivating it makes the pain of the film's lack of depth even worse. They deserved more. That goes quadruple for the celebrated Gong Li, who manages a few moments of true grace in a role that is otherwise so hateful it defies logic. Youki Kudoh (the only Japanese actress in a central role) is the only actress who gets to play a range of behavior, and does it well. There are some guys in the movie too, but they're not very important.
In fact, the film's fatal flaw is its entirely unconvincing romance. The genesis of it is laughable and there's little chemistry between Zhang and default male lead Ken Watanabe. Although, to be fair, they are given so little screen time together that it's difficult to even develop it. (It also may not have helped that of all the key players Watanabe, the movie's lone Oscar nominee, is the one whose English I had the most trouble understanding. Actually the only one.)
Some movies, like Brokeback, make every second count. Geisha meanders and ultimately says nothing.
Oh no they didn't...
The Grammy nominations came out today (an announcement that I had pretty much forgotten about in my single-minded devotion to movieland's award season frenzy) and wow... they suck.
Sure, you can say complaining about the Grammys is like complaining about the weather, but the way I see it the music industry's big awards had actually been making some progress in recent years. They discovered hip hop, they stopped nominating so many easy listening/adult contemporary acts, they threatened to become cool (or at least cooler than they'd ever been before).
This year they blew it. Especially in the top category: album of the year.
I'm not expecting (or even asking for) the category to be filled with the likes of Arcade Fire, Fiona Apple and The New Pornographers. The Grammys, like most big awards, look for a mix of both critical and commercial success and I'm fine with that. Last year's album of the year nominees were: American Idiot (Green Day), The College Dropout (Kanye West), Confessions (Usher), The Diary of Alicia Keys (Alicia Keys) and Genius Loves Company (Ray Charles). A solid bunch.
This year we get:
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard - Paul McCartney
The Emancipation of Mimi - Mariah Carey
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - U2
Late Registration - Kanye West
Love. Angel. Music. Baby. - Gwen Stefani
I approve of Kanye.
As for the others: Gwen delivered a fine pop album and the nomination is no worse than Usher last year, so fine I can easily live with that. But... Paul McCartney? Sure, the reviews weren't awful but this smacks of out-of-touch voters (it probably came down to this or Springsteen for the token veteran spot). Sadly, the same can be said of the U2 nomination. I love the group, I really do, but they don't need to be nominated every time out and their spot here clearly should have gone to a more interesting mainstream rock album like The White Stripes' Get Behind Me Satan, or hell even Coldplay's X&Y.
As for the recently emancipated Mimi... you certainly can't cite the critics to support that. She may have strong sales but damn, is it in any way necessary to encourage her like this? I can understand that living in the era of the Simpson sisters and Lindsay Lohan has lowered the bar but come on voters, blindfold yourself and throw a dart at the Billboard chart and you'll hit a better album than this. An obvious substitute nominee: John Legend, who had a deservedly strong showing overall and would've been a much better fit here.
The nominations weren't all bad. Record of the Year (given to a single song) has a couple solid selections in Gorillaz's Feel Good Inc. and Green Day's Boulevard of Broken Dreams (and Kanye's Gold Digger and Gwen's Hollaback Girl are at least fun).
Then there's the "alternative music" album category, almost always a pleasure:
Funeral - The Arcade Fire
Guero - Beck
Plans - Death Cab For Cutie
You Could Have It So Much Better - Franz Ferdinand
Get Behind Me Satan - The White Stripes
Arcade Fire also got a nom for their original song from the final season of Six Feet Under and White Stripes and Franz Ferdinand both received an additional nom.
And Fiona, who mysteriously never gets enough Grammy love, was nominated for "Best Pop Vocal Album" for Extraordinary Machine (where she faces McCartney, Stefani, Kelly Clarkson and Sheryl Crow, what a quintet).
The Grammys aren't American Idol snobs either, nominating Kelly for two awards and Fantasia for three (plus a songwriting nomination for a track from her album that doesn't count as a personal nom for her).
But still, it's hard to believe that just two years ago the album of the year nominees were: Under Construction (Missy Elliott), Fallen (Evanescence), Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (Outkast), Justified (Justin Timberlake) and Elephant (The White Stripes).
Ah, memories.
Sure, you can say complaining about the Grammys is like complaining about the weather, but the way I see it the music industry's big awards had actually been making some progress in recent years. They discovered hip hop, they stopped nominating so many easy listening/adult contemporary acts, they threatened to become cool (or at least cooler than they'd ever been before).
This year they blew it. Especially in the top category: album of the year.
I'm not expecting (or even asking for) the category to be filled with the likes of Arcade Fire, Fiona Apple and The New Pornographers. The Grammys, like most big awards, look for a mix of both critical and commercial success and I'm fine with that. Last year's album of the year nominees were: American Idiot (Green Day), The College Dropout (Kanye West), Confessions (Usher), The Diary of Alicia Keys (Alicia Keys) and Genius Loves Company (Ray Charles). A solid bunch.
This year we get:
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard - Paul McCartney
The Emancipation of Mimi - Mariah Carey
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - U2
Late Registration - Kanye West
Love. Angel. Music. Baby. - Gwen Stefani
I approve of Kanye.
As for the others: Gwen delivered a fine pop album and the nomination is no worse than Usher last year, so fine I can easily live with that. But... Paul McCartney? Sure, the reviews weren't awful but this smacks of out-of-touch voters (it probably came down to this or Springsteen for the token veteran spot). Sadly, the same can be said of the U2 nomination. I love the group, I really do, but they don't need to be nominated every time out and their spot here clearly should have gone to a more interesting mainstream rock album like The White Stripes' Get Behind Me Satan, or hell even Coldplay's X&Y.
As for the recently emancipated Mimi... you certainly can't cite the critics to support that. She may have strong sales but damn, is it in any way necessary to encourage her like this? I can understand that living in the era of the Simpson sisters and Lindsay Lohan has lowered the bar but come on voters, blindfold yourself and throw a dart at the Billboard chart and you'll hit a better album than this. An obvious substitute nominee: John Legend, who had a deservedly strong showing overall and would've been a much better fit here.
The nominations weren't all bad. Record of the Year (given to a single song) has a couple solid selections in Gorillaz's Feel Good Inc. and Green Day's Boulevard of Broken Dreams (and Kanye's Gold Digger and Gwen's Hollaback Girl are at least fun).
Then there's the "alternative music" album category, almost always a pleasure:
Funeral - The Arcade Fire
Guero - Beck
Plans - Death Cab For Cutie
You Could Have It So Much Better - Franz Ferdinand
Get Behind Me Satan - The White Stripes
Arcade Fire also got a nom for their original song from the final season of Six Feet Under and White Stripes and Franz Ferdinand both received an additional nom.
And Fiona, who mysteriously never gets enough Grammy love, was nominated for "Best Pop Vocal Album" for Extraordinary Machine (where she faces McCartney, Stefani, Kelly Clarkson and Sheryl Crow, what a quintet).
The Grammys aren't American Idol snobs either, nominating Kelly for two awards and Fantasia for three (plus a songwriting nomination for a track from her album that doesn't count as a personal nom for her).
But still, it's hard to believe that just two years ago the album of the year nominees were: Under Construction (Missy Elliott), Fallen (Evanescence), Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (Outkast), Justified (Justin Timberlake) and Elephant (The White Stripes).
Ah, memories.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Beginning of the End
Arrested Development returns, briefly, to Fox's schedule beginning tonight.
I'd tell you to watch, but if you're a fan I know you will. And if you've never seen the show it's better to start from the beginning with seasons 1 and 2 on DVD.
It's not like anything can keep the show going at this point anyway.
[Kitchen Confidential returns to the schedule as well, with an episode reuniting former Alias co-stars Bradley Cooper and Michael Vartan. I never really mentioned the Kitchen cancellation, partly because it's not nearly as big a loss as Arrested Development, but it's too bad the promising-but-not-quite-great-yet show didn't get a longer run. Meanwhile, Stacked remains on Fox's schedule for the foreseeable future.]
I'd tell you to watch, but if you're a fan I know you will. And if you've never seen the show it's better to start from the beginning with seasons 1 and 2 on DVD.
It's not like anything can keep the show going at this point anyway.
[Kitchen Confidential returns to the schedule as well, with an episode reuniting former Alias co-stars Bradley Cooper and Michael Vartan. I never really mentioned the Kitchen cancellation, partly because it's not nearly as big a loss as Arrested Development, but it's too bad the promising-but-not-quite-great-yet show didn't get a longer run. Meanwhile, Stacked remains on Fox's schedule for the foreseeable future.]
Tooned in
Yes, there are awards for everything in entertainment, including awards specifically for animation. The Annie Awards have been going on for over 30 years now but I imagine they've only become truly competitive in the last decade.
Their choices for this year's best animated films are obvious, but difficult to fault:
Best Animated Feature
Chicken Little – Walt Disney Feature Animation
Corpse Bride – Warner Bros. Presents A Tim Burton/Laika Entertainment Production
Howl’s Moving Castle – Walt Disney Studios/Studio Ghibli
Madagascar – DreamWorks Animation
Wallace & Gromit – The Curse of the Were-Rabbit – Aardman Features
Even better though are their picks in the directing category:
Directing in an Animated Feature Production
Mike Johnson, Tim Burton “Corpse Bride” – Warner Bros. Presents A Tim Burton/Laika Entertainment Production
Hayao Miyazaki “Howl’s Moving Castle” – Walt Disney Studios/Studio Ghibli
Nick Park, Steve Box – “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” – Aardman Features
Since only three films will be nominated for this year's Animated Feature Oscar it would be nice, though unlikely, for the Oscar finalists to match the above list.
One more category worth singling out:
Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
Helena Bonham Carter – Voice of Lady Campanula Tottington “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” – Aardman Features
Ralph Fiennes – Voice of Victor Quartermaine “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” – Aardman Features
Peter Sallis – Voice of Wallace “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” – Aardman Features
Nicholas Smith – Voice of Reverend Clement Hedges “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” - Aardman Features
I think we have our winner.
Their choices for this year's best animated films are obvious, but difficult to fault:
Best Animated Feature
Chicken Little – Walt Disney Feature Animation
Corpse Bride – Warner Bros. Presents A Tim Burton/Laika Entertainment Production
Howl’s Moving Castle – Walt Disney Studios/Studio Ghibli
Madagascar – DreamWorks Animation
Wallace & Gromit – The Curse of the Were-Rabbit – Aardman Features
Even better though are their picks in the directing category:
Directing in an Animated Feature Production
Mike Johnson, Tim Burton “Corpse Bride” – Warner Bros. Presents A Tim Burton/Laika Entertainment Production
Hayao Miyazaki “Howl’s Moving Castle” – Walt Disney Studios/Studio Ghibli
Nick Park, Steve Box – “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” – Aardman Features
Since only three films will be nominated for this year's Animated Feature Oscar it would be nice, though unlikely, for the Oscar finalists to match the above list.
One more category worth singling out:
Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
Helena Bonham Carter – Voice of Lady Campanula Tottington “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” – Aardman Features
Ralph Fiennes – Voice of Victor Quartermaine “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” – Aardman Features
Peter Sallis – Voice of Wallace “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” – Aardman Features
Nicholas Smith – Voice of Reverend Clement Hedges “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” - Aardman Features
I think we have our winner.
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