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The 7th Annual Edgy Award Winners
It’s that time of year, folks. When I am hip deep in moviegoing and fantasizing about what my year list will look like. And then I realize that I never finished my 2016 work as of yet, and just can’t bear to leave that stone unturned.
So, on with the winners of last year’s Edgy Awards:
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BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“City of Stars” featured in “La La Land”
Music by Justin Hurwitz (1st win), Lyrics by Benj Pasek (1st win) and Justin Paul (1st win)
Runner-Up: “Heathens” featured in “Suicide Squad”
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BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
“Moonlight”
Nicholas Britell (1st win)
Runner-Up: “Jackie”
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BEST MAKE-UP EFFECTS
“Suicide Squad”
Alessandro Bertolazzi (1st nom) and Christopher Allen Nelson (1st nom)
Runner-Up: “The Witch”
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BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
“The Jungle Book”
Andrew R. Jones (2nd win), Robert Legato (1st win), Dan Lemmon (2nd win) and Adam Valdez (1st win)
Runner-Up: “Arrival”
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BEST SOUND EFFECTS EDITING
“Arrival”
Sylvain Bellemare (1st win)
Runner-Up: “Midnight Special”
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BEST SOUND EFFECTS MIXING
“Arrival”
Bernard Gariepy Strobl (1st win) and Claude La Haye (1st win)
Runner-Up: “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”
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BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“Jackie”
Madeline Fontaine (1st win)
Runner-Up: “Silence”
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BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
“The Witch”
Mark Kirkland (1st win) and Craig Lathrop (1st win)
Runner-Up: “Jackie”
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BEST EDITING
“Arrival”
Joe Walker (1st win)
Runner-Up: “Moonlight”
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BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
“Arrival”
Bradford Young (1st win)
Runner-Up: “Jackie”
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BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“13th”
Spencer Averick (1st nom), Howard Barish (1st nom) and Ava DuVernay (1st nom)
Runner-Up: “Tower”
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BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“Moonlight”
Barry Jenkins (1st win) and Tarell Alvin McCraney (1st win)
Runner-Up: “Arrival”
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BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“Manchester by the Sea”
Kenneth Lonergan (1st win)
Runner-Up: “Jackie”
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BEST ENSEMBLE CAST PERFORMANCE
“American Honey”
Chad Cox, Raymond Coalson, Veronica Ezell, Arielle Holmes, Gary Howell, Crystal Ice, Sasha Lane, Shia LaBoeuf, McCaul Lombardi, Shawna Ray Moseley, Will Patton, Johnny Pierce II, Isaiah Stone, Kenneth Kory Tucker, Christopher David Wright
Runner-Up: “Moonlight”
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BEST ACTRESS in a SUPPORTING ROLE
Viola Davis – “Fences”
1st win
Runner-Up: Greta Gerwig – “20th Century Women”
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BEST ACTOR in a SUPPORTING ROLE
Mahershala Ali – “Moonlight”
1st win
Runner-Up: “Nocturnal Animals”
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BEST ACTRESS in a LEADING ROLE
Natalie Portman – “Jackie”
3rd win
Runner-Up: Amy Adams – “Arrival”
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BEST ACTOR in a LEADING ROLE
Casey Affleck – “Manchester by the Sea”
1st win
Viggo Mortensen – “Captain Fantastic”
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BEST DIRECTOR
Denis Villeneuve – “Arrival”
1st win
Runner-Up: Robert Eggers – “The Witch”
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BEST MOTION PICTURE of the YEAR
“Moonlight”
Dede Gardner (2nd win), Jeremy Kleiner (2nd win) and Adele Romanski (1st win)
Runner-Up: “Arrival”
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FUNNIEST FILM
“Everybody Wants Some”
MOST EXCITING FILM
“Hell or High Water”
MOST FRIGHTENING FILM
“The Witch”
MOST EMOTIONALLY-MOVING FILM
“Arrival”
MOST SURPRISING FILM
“Krisha”
MOST DISAPPOINTING FILM
“Blair Witch”
MOST UNDERRATED FILM
“American Honey”
MOST OVERRATED FILM
“Hidden Figures”
BEST PROTAGONIST
Paterson – “Paterson”
BEST ANTAGONIST
Black Peter – “The Witch”
BEST ANTIHERO
Star – “American Honey”
BEST ROMANCE
Mildred and Richard – “Loving”
BEST OPENING SEQUENCE
“Hell or High Water”
BEST ENDING SEQUENCE
“Arrival”
BEST SCENE
What’s a Faggot? – “Moonlight”
BEST LINE of DIALOGUE
“Don’t think for one second that I’ll let you publish that.” – “Jackie”
FILM I REALLY WANTED TO SEE, BUT NEVER GOT AROUND TO
“The Handmaiden”
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MY TOP TEN of 2016
10. “Silence”
9. “Tower”
8. “Paterson”
7. “13th”
6. “Manchester by the Sea”
5. “The Witch”
4. “American Honey”
3. “Jackie”
2. “Arrival”
1. “Moonlight”
The 7th Annual Edgy Award Nominations
Alas, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Time to take stock of what’s been seen and shower you all with my opinions. On schedule for once.
To remind everyone, while there may only be 6 previous editions of the Edgies available online, the awards are cataloged by yours truly going all the way back to 1940. The recipients’ nomination and win counts are grouped according to each category, with the exception of the two music categories and the four acting categories being linked. So while Martin Scorsese may be getting only his 3rd nomination for producing, that certainly does not include the wealth of nominations he’s accumulated for directing.
Without further ado, here are my nominations for the best craftsmanship and talent on display in 2016:
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BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Audition“
featured in “La La Land”
Music by Justin Hurwitz (2nd nom), Lyrics by Benj Pasik (2nd nom) and Justin Paul (2nd nom)
“City of Stars“
featured in “La La Land”
Music by Justin Hurwitz (2nd nom), Lyrics by Benj Pasik (2nd nom) and Justin Paul (2nd nom)
“Drive It Like You Stole It”
featured in “Sing Street”
Music and Lyrics by Gary Clark (1st nom)
“Heathens“
featured in “Suicide Squad”
Music and Lyrics by Tyler Joseph (1st nom)
“Letter to the Free“
featured in “13th”
Music and Lyrics by Common (2nd nom)
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BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
“Arrival“
Johann Johannsson (2nd nom, 1 win – “Sicaro”)
“Jackie“
Mica Levi (2nd nom)
“Midnight Special“
David Wingo (1st nom)
“Moonlight“
Nicholas Britell (1st nom)
“The Witch“
Mark Korven (1st nom)
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BEST MAKEUP and HAIRSTYLING
“Green Room“
Nancy J. Hvasta Leonardi (1st nom) and Stephen Prouty (1st nom)
“Hacksaw Ridge“
Shane Thomas (1st nom)
“The Light Between Oceans“
Michael Marino (4th nom)
“Suicide Squad“
Alessandro Bertolazzi (1st nom) and Christopher Allen Nelson (1st nom)
“The Witch“
Francois Deganais (1st nom) and Michael J. Walsh (1st nom)
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BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
“Arrival“
Alexander Lafortune (1st nom) and Louis Morin (1st nom)
“The BFG“
Mark Gee (1st nom), Joe Letteri (9th nom, 5 wins – “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” “Avatar,” “LOTR: The Return of the King,” and “LOTR: The Two Towers”), Kevin McGaugh (1st nom) and Kevin Andrew Smith (1st nom)
“The Jungle Book“
Andrew R. Jones (3rd nom, 1 win – “Avatar”), Robert Legato (5th nom), Dan Lemmon (3rd nom, 1 win – “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”) and Adam Valdez (1st nom)
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story“
Neil Corbould (4th nom, 2 wins – “Gravity” and “Gladiator”), John Knoll (6th nom, 1 win – “POTC: Dead Man’s Chest”), Hal T. Hickel (4th nom, 1 win – “POTC: Dead Man’s Chest”) and Mohen Leo (1st nom)
“The Shallows“
Scott E Anderson (4th nom, 2 wins – “Starship Troopers” and “Babe”), Nathan McGuinness (2nd nom) and David Nelson (1st nom)
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BEST SOUND EFFECTS EDITING
“Arrival“
Sylvain Bellemare (1st nom)
“Hacksaw Ridge“
Robert MacKenzie (1st nom) and Andy Wright (1st nom)
“Midnight Special“
Jeremy Bowker (1st nom) and Will Files (2nd nom)
“A Monster Calls“
Oriol Tarrago (1st nom)
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story“
David Acord (2nd nom, 1 win – “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) and Matthew Wood (8th nom, 1 win – “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”)
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BEST SOUND EFFECTS MIXING
“Arrival“
Bernard Gariepy Strobl (1st nom) and Claude La Haye (1st nom)
“Blair Witch“
Andy Hay (1st nom) and Greg Townsend (1st nom)
“Green Room“
Bob Chefalas (2nd nom, 1 win – “Apollo 13”) and Roland Vajs (1st nom)
“Midnight Special“
Will Files (2nd nom) and Brandon Proctor (1st nom)
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story“
David Parker (7th nom, 1 win – “The Social Network”), Christopher Scarabosio (4th nom) and Stuart Wilson (3rd nom)
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BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“Allied“
Joanna Johnston (3rd nom)
“Florence Foster Jenkins“
Consolata Boyle (1st nom)
“Jackie“
Madeline Fontaine (1st nom)
“Silence“
Dante Ferretti (1st nom)
“The Witch“
Linda Muir (1st nom)
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BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
“Arrival“
Paul Hotte (1st nom) and Patrice Vermette (1st nom)
“Hail, Caesar!“
Jess Gonchor (1st nom) and Nancy Haigh (8th nom)
“Jackie“
Veronique Melery (3rd nom, 1 win – “A Very Long Engagement”) and Jean Rabasse (1st nom)
“La La Land“
Sandy Reynolds-Wasco (2nd nom) and David Wasco (2nd nom)
“The Witch“
Mark Kirkland (1st nom) and Craig Lathrop (1st nom)
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BEST EDITING
“American Honey“
Joe Bini (1st nom)
“Arrival“
Joe Walker (4th nom)
“Hell or High Water“
Jake Roberts (1st nom)
“Midnight Special“
Julie Monroe (1st nom)
“Moonlight“
Joi McMillon (1st nom) and Nat Sanders (1st nom)
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BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
“Arrival“
Bradford Young (2nd nom)
“Jackie“
Stephane Fontaine (1st nom)
“La La Land“
Linus Sandgren (1st nom)
“Moonlight“
James Laxton (1st nom)
“The Witch“
Jarin Blaschke (1st nom)
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BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“13th“
Spencer Averick (1st nom), Howard Barish (1st nom) and Ava DuVernay (1st nom)
“Cameraperson“
Kirsten Johnson (1st nom) and Marilyn Ness (1st nom)
“Gleason“
Seth Gordon (2nd nom, 1 win – “King of Kong: A Fistful of Dollars”), Mary Rohlich (1st nom) and Clay Tweel (1st nom)
“Newtown“
Maria Cuomo Cole (1st nom) and Kim A. Snyder (1st nom)
“Tower“
Megan Gilbride (1st nom), Keith Maitland (1st nom) and Susan P. Thomson (1st nom)
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BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“Arrival“
Eric Heisserer (1st nom)
“Loving“
Jeff Nichols (2nd nom)
“Moonlight“
Barry Jenkins (1st nom) and Tarell Alvin McCraney (1st nom)
“Nocturnal Animals“
Tom Ford (1st nom)
“Silence“
Jay Cocks (2nd nom) and Martin Scorsese (3rd nom, 1 win – “Goodfellas”)
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BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“Everybody Wants Some“
Richard Linklater (6th nom, 1 win – “Boyhood”)
“Hell or High Water“
Taylor Sheridan (2nd nom)
“Jackie“
Noah Oppenheim (1st nom)
“Manchester by the Sea“
Kenneth Lonergan (2nd nom)
“Paterson“
Jim Jarmusch (1st nom)
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BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
“American Honey“
Chad Cox, Raymond Coalson, Veronica Ezell, Arielle Holmes, Gary Howell, Crystal Ice, Sasha Lane, Shia LaBoeuf, McCaul Lombardi, Shawna Ray Moseley, Will Patton, Johnny Pierce II, Isaiah Stone, Kenneth Kory Tucker, Christopher David Wright
“Everybody Wants Some“
Temple Baker, Will Brittain, Zoey Deutsch, Ryan Guzman, Tyler Hoechlin, Blake Jenner, J. Quinton Johnson, Glen Powell, Wyatt Russell, Juston Street
“Manchester by the Sea“
Casey Affleck, Anna Baryshnikov, Matthew Broderick, Kyle Chandler, Tate Donovan, Kara Hayward, Stephen Henderson, Gretchen Mol, Ben O’Brien, Michelle Williams, C.J. Wilson
“Moonlight“
Mahershala Ali, Patrick Decile, Naomie Harris, Alex R. Hibbert, Andre Holland, Jharrel Jerome, Janelle Monae, Jaden Piner, Trevonte Rhodes, Ashton Sanders
“The Witch“
Kate Dickie, Lucas Dawson, Bathsheba Garnett, Ellie Grainger, Ralph Ineson, Harvey Scrimshaw, Anya Taylor-Joy
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BEST ACTRESS in a SUPPORTING ROLE
Viola Davis – “Fences”
3rd nom
Greta Gerwig – “20th Century Women”
1st nom
Naomie Harris – “Moonlight”
1st nom
Riley Keough – “American Honey”
1st nom
Michelle Williams – “Manchester by the Sea”
3rd nom, 1 win – “Brokeback Mountain”
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BEST ACTOR in a SUPPORTING ROLE
Mahershala Ali – “Moonlight”
1st nom
Tadanobu Asano – “Silence”
1st nom
Ralph Fiennes – “A Bigger Splash”
3rd nom, 1 win – “Schindler’s List”
Shia LaBeouf – “American Honey”
1st nom
Michael Shannon – “Nocturnal Animals”
4th nom
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BEST ACTRESS in a LEADING ROLE
Amy Adams – “Arrival”
6th nom
Annette Bening – “20th Century Women”
4th nom, 1 win – “American Beauty”
Rebecca Hall – “Christine”
1st nom
Ruth Negga – “Loving”
1st nom
Natalie Portman – “Jackie”
(4th nom, 2 wins – “Black Swan” and “Closer”)
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BEST ACTOR in a LEADING ROLE
Casey Affleck – “Manchester by the Sea”
2nd nom
Joel Edgerton – “Loving”
1st nom
Andrew Garfield – “Silence”
2nd nom
Jake Gyllenhaal – “Nocturnal Animals”
4th nom, 1 win – “Brokeback Mountain”
Viggo Mortensen – “Captain Fantastic”
1st nom
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BEST DIRECTOR
Andrea Arnold – “American Honey”
1st nom
Robert Eggers – “The Witch”
1st nom
Barry Jenkins – “Moonlight”
1st nom
Pablo Larrain – “Jackie”
1st nom
Denis Villeneuve – “Arrival”
3rd nom
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BEST MOTION PICTURE of the YEAR
“13th“
Spencer Averick (1st nom), Howard Barish (1st nom) and Ava DuVernay (1st nom)
“American Honey“
Lars Knudsen (2nd nom), Pouya Shahbazian (1st nom) and Jay Van Hoy (2nd nom)
“Arrival“
Shawn Levy (1st nom), Dan Levine (1st nom), David Linde (1st nom) and Aaron Ryder (1st nom)
“Jackie“
Darren Aronofsky (2nd nom), Paul Franklin (2nd nom), Ari Handel (1st nom) and Mickey Liddell (1st nom)
“Manchester by the Sea“
Matt Damon (1st nom), Chris Moore (1st nom) and Kevin J. Walsh (1st nom)
“Moonlight“
Dede Gardner (2nd nom, 1 win – “12 Years a Slave”), Jeremy Kleiner (2nd nom, 1 win – “12 Years a Slave”) and Adele Romanski (1st nom)
“Paterson“
Joshua Astrachan (2nd nom) and Carter Logan (1st nom)
“Silence“
Barbara De Fina (2nd nom), Randall Emmett (1st nom), Martin Scorsese (3rd nom) and Irwin Winkler (6th nom, 2 wins – “Goodfellas” and “Raging Bull”)
“Tower“
Megan Gilbride (1st nom), Keith Maitland (1st nom) and Susan P. Thomson (1st nom)
“The Witch“
Daniel Bekerman (1st nom), Lars Knudsen (2nd nom), Rodrigo Teixeira (1st nom) and Jan Van Hoy (2nd nom)
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NOMINATION TALLY
Films with more than 2 nominations a piece:
Arrival – 11
Moonlight – 9
Jackie – 8
The Witch – 8
American Honey – 6
Manchester by the Sea – 5
Silence – 5
La La Land – 4
Midnight Special – 4
13th – 3
Loving – 3
Nocturnal Animals – 3
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – 3
20th Century Women – 2
Everybody Wants Some! – 2
Green Room – 2
Hell or High Water – 2
Paterson – 2
Suicide Squad – 2
Tower – 2
Natalie Deserved the Oscar. End of Story.
This story has plagued both publications and the blogosphere alike for the last week, and damn it, it really needs to stop. This is one of the most annoying, ill-founded, and downright inappropriate smear campaigns against a great performer in recent memory. First off, even if Natalie Portman didn’t train for and perform a great deal of dancing in “Black Swan,” that’s not why people do or should win Oscars (unless you’re Jennifer Hudson, who sang her way to an Oscar in ’06 since she sure as hell can’t act worth a damn). People win Oscars for acting, and that’s what Portman did. She acted her ass off.
I mean seriously, people. This is horrible. It’s like saying: “I actually heard a rumor once that Natalie did not do her own makeup for the final scene. Nor did she even design her own costumes. I’m appalled. She didn’t deserve the Oscar.” All of these accusations are nearly as absurd as expecting an actress to somehow cram fifteen to twenty years of dancing experience into one year of film training.
Of course, this all started when Portman’s apparent “dance double,” Sarah Lane, complained that the actress only performed five percent of the dancing in the final cut of the film. I’ve only seen the film once, but running it through my head, something about that figure automatically sounds fishy. Maybe this dancer got a raw deal, simply being credited as a hand double and an extra, but way to go by turning yourself into an international joke by insinuating that Natalie was a fraud in the film.
Meanwhile, director Darren Aronofsky is dancing to a different drumbeat, defending his actress and her career-defining performance to the last stroke. In an interview with the UK Guardian, he claims that Portman did in fact do eighty to ninety percent of her dancing in the film, putting the double to shame. In an excerpt from the piece, he says:
However, Aronofsky has issued a statement claiming Portman performed 80 to 90% of the routines seen in the final cut of his film. “Here is the reality,” he said. “I had my editor count shots. There are 139 dance shots in the film. 111 are Natalie Portman untouched. 28 are her dance double Sarah Lane. If you do the math, that’s 80% Natalie Portman.”
He added: “What about duration? The shots that feature the double are wide shots and rarely play for longer than one second. There are two complicated longer dance sequences that we used face replacement. Even so, if we were judging by time over 90% would be Natalie Portman.”
Aronofsky states that Portman did, in fact, dance on point, a difficult technique which was also said to be played false by Lane. The Guardian article also features costar Mila Kunis defending all of Portman’s performance, as well, stating that she “danced her ass off.”
What it all comes down to is CUT THE S#!T. This plague of defamation must end. I can only hope that in the end, it will only help to bolster the legacy of Portman’s performance when people realize how much she actually worked long and hard for this role. Shame on all who say otherwise.
Check out the opening scene from “Black Swan” below, re-color corrected and cut to a different song. Also, you can view the entire Guardian article, here.
The 83rd Academy Awards – Postgame Coverage
Well, not that I’ve gotten all of that out of my system, I think it’s fitting to move on to the rest of the awards presented Sunday night. As usual, they included some good, some bad, and some just downright ugly.
As far as the the show, itself, was concerned, I’d rate it about a four out of ten. Even in the face of enormous support for them, I remember stating a long time ago that selecting Hathaway and Franco as a hosting pair was just a bad idea. Finally, my convictions have been exonerated. I’m not sure what exactly was going on here, but it didn’t work. I know that Franco is not an idiot, so he was either bored, stage-frought or stoned out of his mind. Whichever path he took, he just was not there in any form of personality. Meanwhile, Anne Hathaway went way over the top in an attempt to overcompensate for Franco’s absence. A few funny lines, but overall, it was a mess.
Yes. On to the awards. I’ve already made my thoughts clear on the results of Best Picture and they are quite strong. However, if there were a race that I would have to object to, equally, if not moreso, it would have to be Best Director. The idea of Tom Hooper winning the award amongst this crop of nominees is more than absurd, it’s hilarious. Hooper’s effort in “The King’s Speech” did not merit him an Oscar and his career is substantially insufficient for such an honor. The Oscar, hands-down, should have gone to David Fincher. The man knew exactly what he wanted and got it to an extent of perfection that you don’t often see in films.
It’s true that David Fincher does not need an Oscar to make it in this industry. He’s widely considered one of the finest directors working in Hollywood and will go on to make extraordinary films. However, there is the notion of awarding in the moment. It’s quite possible that Fincher may never reach the level of perfection that he achieved here. If there’s one thing that history should have taught the Academy, it’s that Martin Scorsese should never have had to wait until “The Departed” to win an Oscar. While being in the company of “Raging Bull” and “Goodfellas” isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s sad to imagine that no matter what Fincher eventually wins for, it will be considered a “re-ward.” The Oscars should understand a man’s masterpiece when it’s put in front of their faces.
The only other moments of true disgust occurred in the design categories, which were monopolized by the showy monstrosity that was Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland.” While I predicted Colleen Atwood to take home yet another Oscar for her work on the costumes, I was really kind of hoping that it wouldn’t happen. And seeing the ridiculously gaudy, and really quite ugly, production design conquer some beautiful works of art was a horrible sight. This is an award that I actually would have preferred go to “The King’s Speech,” at least over this. However, it was “Inception”‘s intricately inventive world that was snubbed. Tim Burton’s latest is a film that really shouldn’t be able to hold the title “Academy Award Winner,” especially when none of the design was even built. I mean it’s an entire movie filmed on a green screen.
Most of the great awards of the night, sadly, were the ones that were quite expected. “Toy Story 3” was a lock for the win since the day it opened in theaters. “The Social Network” won for Best Editing because there was really no competition anywhere near in the same ballpark. If a single person didn’t vote for Aaron Sorkin’s absolutely flawless script, I might consider them clinically insane. “Inception”‘s three tech wins were all well-deserved, but it was difficult not to see that sweep occurring, much in the same style as such special-effect wonders as “King Kong,” “The Matrix” and “Jurassic Park.”
It’s hard to argue with the acting wins, even if not a single one of them has differed once, going back from the SAG, to the Golden Globes and the BFCA. The only performer who’s Oscar went hand in hand with an Edgy was Natalie Portman. A truly astonishing performance, the one aspect of “Black Swan” in which recognition is absolutely essential. Firth is definitely not my first choice for Best Actor. However, it’s the type of role that’s difficult not to respect and an actor difficult not to adore. Leo and Bale were both phenomenal and also get props for having the most out-of-control acceptance speeches of the year.
I won’t lie that I have to fly in the face of popular opinion on one issue. I’m very happy that the Academy went back to showing clips for each of the acting nominees rather than just having a bunch of people on stage talking about them. While, it must be nice for the performer to hear their peers praise their work, it’s just another gratuitous way of celebrities patting each other on the back and toasting to their own successes. It’s really kind of grotesque, in a way. Besides, I always looked forward in suspense as to which clip the producers would choose to represent each actor. It’s also a way to present an example of each person’s work for those viewers who haven’t seen all of the performances and in a way that words just can’t substitute.
Perhaps the most bittersweet moment of the night was seeing Wally Pfister receive the award for Best Cinematography. If I was to pick a handful of cinematographers whose work has truly left a mark on the last decade of cinema, Pfister would be at the head of the pack. He is a true master of camera movement and has a perfect eye for lighting a shot. “Inception” is a great exhibition of both these magnificent talents and I couldn’t be happier for him. Yet, one has to wonder, at this point, if the Academy will ever be willing to finally bestow Roger Deakins with his first Oscar. He is one of the most respected directors of photography in the industry, living or dead, and his record with Oscar is now zero for nine. One year, they are really going to have to stop passing him over.
There was one moment of the night that will always live in my memory as a true favorite and that was Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross taking the stage. Even if the Academy isn’t ready to come out of their comfort zone in Best Picture, one really has to give them props for awarding one of the most unorthodox and creative soundtracks ever scored for a substantial film. Reznor and Ross engineered a combination of both traditional rhythms with radical themes of electronic rock tracks. Now that all is said and done, it’s hard to imagine any other type of music narrating “The Social Network.” In a field of fantastic nominees, this year, this is a score that truly stands out. Well done, Academy. One of your better decisions.
Well, that’s my take on the 83rd Annual Academy Awards. While it’s hard to let go of, I believe it’s about time to move on. I believe we have at least a few days time before the race for next year’s Oscars begins, and I’ve got a lot of good stuff in store. Stay tuned.
My Final 83rd Oscar Predictions
Well, folks, it’s all come to an end. These will be my final predictions for this year’s Academy Awards. It has been a long year and a tough year, one with one of the biggest tide-turnings in the history of film. It’s hard to see the best, as well as my favorite, movie go from being on top of the world to fighting for its life. I still believe that it will come out victorious in the end, but I will be hanging on to that prediction by my fingernails until the first ballot is called.
This year, some of the races are a foregone conclusion. Both lead acting categories were practically finalized months ago, and the supporting awards are pretty close to sewn up, as well. You can probably take both of the screenplay awards to the bank, as well, along with animated feature. I also feel pretty confident calling both sound categories and visual effects for a single film to capture.
Several awards are thoroughly nagging on me and will be to the very end. One will be the very first ballot called, so we won’t have to wait long. Art Direction is in a very close. “The King’s Speech” is definitely the front runner with both “Inception” and “Alice in Wonderland” biting at its heals. It’s interesting to note that in all the times that a Tim Burton film has been nominated for this particular award, it has never lost. That statistic goes hand in hand with another, in that every time one such movie has been nominated for Best Costume Design, it has never won. I plan to go against that logic tonight, even as it faces a very strong contender in “The King’s Speech.”
Along with Design, both of the music categories have been severely nagging at me, as well. In Original Score, there is a showdown between the two Best Picture frontrunners, the stylish and innovative music in “The Social Network” vs. the quiet, beautiful, but really quite boring tones of “The King’s Speech.” Meanwhile, “Inception” and “How to Train Your Dragon” both have potential as spoilers. In Best Original Song, Randy Newman is looking for his second Oscar with the song “We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3,” while A.R. Rahman seeks his third (he won two for “Slumdog Millionaire). Either has potential.
Finally, we come to the big one. It’s funny how after everything else, Best Picture ends up being the closest race of all. In one corner, there’s “The King’s Speech,” the heart-warming, generally-appealing historical epic. In its pocket are the PGA, the DGA and the SAG Ensemble. It’s opposition: “The Social Network,” is the original, stylized, cold-shouldered work of art. Behind it is the Golden Globe, the BFCA, the WGA, the ACE and basically every critics award for Best Picture that exists. It will be a fight to the finish. The one question the Academy has to ask themselves now.
Do they want to be smart or do they want to be saps? I still have faith.
My final predictions:
BEST PICTURE
Winner: “The Social Network”
Runner-Up: “The King’s Speech”
BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: David Fincher – “The Social Network”
Runner-Up: Tom Hooper – “The King’s Speech”
BEST ACTOR
Winner: Colin Firth – “The King’s Speech”
Runner-Up: Jesse Eisenberg – “The Social Network”
BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Natalie Portman – “Black Swan”
Runner-Up: Annette Bening – “The Kids Are All Right”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Christian Bale – “The Fighter”
Runner-Up: Geoffrey Rush – “The King’s Speech”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Melissa Leo – “The Fighter”
Runner-Up: Hailee Steinfeld – “True Grit”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Winner: “The King’s Speech”
Runner-Up: “Inception”
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Winner: “The Social Network”
Runner-Up: “Toy Story 3”
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Winner: “In a Better World”
Runner-Up: “Incendies”
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Winner: “Toy Story 3”
Runner-Up: “How to Train Your Dragon”
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Winner: “Inside Job”
Runner-Up: “Exit Through the Gift Shop”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Winner: “True Grit”
Runner-Up: “Inception”
BEST EDITING
Winner: “The Social Network”
Runner-Up: “The King’s Speech”
BEST ART DIRECTION
Winner: “The King’s Speech”
Runner-Up: “Inception”
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Winner: “Alice in Wonderland”
Runner-Up: “The King’s Speech”
BEST SOUND MIXING
Winner: “Inception”
Runner-Up: “The Social Network”
BEST SOUND EDITING
Winner: “Inception”
Runner-Up: “TRON: Legacy”
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Winner: “Inception”
Runner-Up: “Alice in Wonderland”
BEST MAKEUP
Winner: “The Wolfman”
Runner-Up: “Barney’s Version”
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Winner: “The Social Network”
Runner-Up: “The King’s Speech”
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Winner: “We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3”
Runner-Up: “If I Rise” from “127 Hours”
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Winner: “The Gruffalo”
Runner-Up: “Day and Night”
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
Winner: “Strangers No More”
Runner-Up: “Poster Girl”
BEST LIVE-ACTION FILM
Winner: “Na Wewe”
Runner-Up: “The Confession”
Enjoy the Oscars folks!
The 1st Annual Edgy Award Winners
Well, Hollywood’s biggest night is this Sunday. However, the biggest night for this particular blog is right here and now. I announced the nominees for this year’s Edgy Awards last week and it’s now time to bestow said honors upon the winners. As the results will show, several films have proven their excellence by taking a high number of awards. However, much of the love has been equally spread out. Interestingly, four films out of my Top Ten List went home empty handed, while a film that I would consider quite a disappointment still propelled itself to a win in one category.
Overall, these awards are a very accurate depiction of my opinion on films this year. Now, if only the Oscars had this type of taste. However, if the Oscars always matched exactly what one person thought the best, where’s the fun in that? That kind of reality would eliminate the fun of having an opinion in the first place. It would do away with genuine discussion and healthy argument over film. And, most importantly, it would take away from making this site it’s own unique vision.
NOTE: I have been awesome enough to include a video selection for each award chosen, either a short documentary describing the category or a clip from the film that best exhibits what it has been awarded. However, I can not guarantee that any of the clips selected do or do not contain spoilers. Therefore, if you haven’t yet seen the chosen film, do not watch the clip. Simple.
Also, a number of the clips do not allow embedment. But don’t give up, so easily. Just click the link and it will take you directly to the video’s Youtube link where you can view it. Once again, simple.
Without further adieu, here are the winners of the 2011 Edgy Awards!
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“If I Rise” featured in “127 Hours”
Music by A.R. Rahman and Lyrics by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
Runner-Up: “Bred and Buttered” featured in “Winter’s Bone”
“Natalie Portman Cries A Lot”
A friend of mine, Mike Eisenberg over at Screen Rant, created this tickling montage. Natalie Portman is a great actress, maybe one of the best of her generation, and in “Black Swan,” she displays perhaps the finest work of her career. However, some people may not realize (though after seeing this, it’s impossible to deny) that she cries in probably about ninety percent of her screen appearances. I mean, wow. Those who know here movies will see clips from “Leon: The Professional,” “Where the Heart Is,” Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium,” “Closer,” “Goya’s Ghosts,” “The Other Boleyn Girl,” “Brothers,” “Revenge of the Sith,” “V for Vendetta,” “Heat” and “Cold Mountain.” All Natalie Portman. All crying. All day.
Crying on screen is fantastic talent, but one has to wonder if that line on her resume is bolded, italicized and underlined. I only spent the montage waiting for the line in “Garden State”: “I look forward to a good cry. It feels pretty good.”
Let’s all shed a tear with Natalie Portman and hope that she continues to deliver great work, post-Oscar.
“King’s Speech” and “Social Network” Win at BAFTAs
It kind of went without saying that “The King’s Speech” was destined to rape the living hell out of these awards since September when the film debuted at the Venice Film Festival. Apparently, it’s the most widely popular and acclaimed British film since, I don’t know….”Lawrence of Arabia,” though I surely don’t understand it. This is a big moment for our English brethren across the Atlantic to pat themselves on the back. A pretty strong example of this is how the British Academy Awards actually have two awards for Best Picture: Best Film and Best British Film. For years they have made it so that no film wins both awards, but rather spread the wealth. Guess what’s the first film ever to take home every Best Picture award on the market?
“The King’s Speech” ended up taking home seven awards, total. Aside from being the first film to achieve the accolade above, the film also became the first film in BAFTA history to take home three awards for acting. Colin Firth, of course, nailed the Best Actor win (not even the real King George risen from the dead could stop Firth from sweeping straight to Oscar glory). However, the film also won supporting awards for both Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter. While Geoffrey Rush is definitely picking up a bit of steam, don’t expect a repeat in the American Academy Awards. If anyone can unseat Melissa Leo, it will be Hailee Steinfeld (sadly).
Despite all of the above, “The King’s Speech” was not the only big winner of the night. Many believed that “The Social Network” was TKOed, not just for these awards, but for year, as well. Some of this ideology was attributed to the film only garnering six nominations (compared to “The King’s Speech”‘s fourteen) or perhaps the heavy American sentiment laden in the work. However, all of this was rendered false, last night, when “The Social Network” won three very substantial awards: Best Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director for David Fincher. If the Brits won’t even give their award to newcomer Tom Hooper, I can’t see any reason why the American awards circuit would stoop that low.
Check out the full list of winners, below:
BEST FILM: “The King’s Speech”
BEST DIRECTOR: David Fincher – “The Social Network”
BEST LEADING ACTOR: Colin Firth – “The King’s Speech”
BEST LEADING ACTRESS: Natalie Portman – “Black Swan”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Geoffrey Rush – “The King’s Speech”
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Helena Bonham Carter – “The King’s Speech”
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: “The Social Network”
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: “The King’s Speech”
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: “True Grit”
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM: “The King’s Speech”
OUTSTANDING BRITISH DEBUT: “Four Lions”
BEST EDITING: “The Social Network”
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: “The King’s Speech”
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: “Inception”
BEST COSTUME DESIGN: “Alice in Wonderland”
BEST SOUND: “Inception”
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: “Inception”
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIR: “Alice in Wonderland”
BEST SHORT FILM: “Until the River Runs Red”
BEST SHORT FILM, ANIMATION: “The Eagleman Stag”
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
BEST ANIMATED FILM: “Toy Story 3”
RISING STAR AWARD: Tom Hardy
First Oscar Winner Predictions
It’s time for phase 2, ladies and gentleman. Things aren’t going as well as I would have liked, but they almost never do. As Sasha Stone at Awardsdaily quotes “All the President’s Men,” in regards to the Oscar race, “The trick is not minding.” You’ve got to roll with the punches and accept that even if the deserving film doesn’t win, hopefully your predictions are still right. Therefore, at least your pride is still intact.
I have “The King’s Speech” down for the big win, sadly. Maybe later on, if there’s a potential change in vibe, I might make an alteration back. But for now, one has to put the money where the money’s gonna win. I have, meanwhile, kept David Fincher in the frontrunner position for Best Director. I simply cannot imagine a world in which Tom Hooper wins that trophy from him. It’s simply unnatural that the Academy could be that ridiculous.
You can pretty much take all of the acting wins to the bank. Melissa Leo is the only one who’s kind of flimsy, at this point, but I have a feeling her age and fantastic personality will help her beat out the unworthy newcomer.
Going over this, it still boggles me that Lee Smith missed an editing nomination for “Inception.” It really makes no sense. I have the “The Social Network” down, and my God, it deserves it. Yet, the nomination feels flimsy, and yet I can’t figure out what could possibly take it down.
With that, here are my first winner predictions for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards, complete with all of the nominees ranked in order of their chances. I will keep them posted and, hopefully, updated in the “PREDICTIONS” tab at the top of the homepage.
Click “Read More” to see the full list and tally.
BEST PICTURE
1. “The King’s Speech”
2. “The Social Network”
3. “The Fighter”
4. “True Grit”
5. “Black Swan”
6. “Toy Story 3”
7. “Inception”
8. “127 Hours”
9. “Winter’s Bone”
10. “The Kids Are All Right”
The Nominations – My Thoughts and Reactions
The nail-biting is over, at least for a few weeks. The Oscar nominations are here, and I believe that for the first time in years, my joy outweighs my sorrow. I suppose its appropriate to get into the bad news, first.
One thing’s official. As much as the Academy seems to have the most outrageous hard-on for Stephen Daldry (3 films made, 3 Best Director nods), they seem to have an everlasting grudge against Christopher Nolan as a director (3 DGA noms, no Oscar nods for Director). I just don’t understand what the man has to do to get their recognition. You can’t feel completely bad for him, pulling down two nominations for producer and writer, but are those the types of roles that any great director wants to be remembered for? I’m sure it wasn’t good enough for Stanley Kubrick. Honestly, Christopher Nolan is one of the most talented directors in Hollywood. Who else can take a film with such originality, intelligence, grandeur and finesse and bring in 300 million dollars with it or more. And on top of that, do it twice in three years. Nobody since Steven Spielberg, I’ll tell you that much.
The second-most disturbing snub has got be the exclusion of Andrew Garfield in the Supporting Actor category. Ridiculous. Definitely one of the best performances of the year, Garfield’s portrayal of innocence-lost is the soul of “The Social Network.” Though, while I bemoan the lack of Eduardo Savrin, I simply could not be more thrilled about the inclusion of John Hawkes for his turn in “Winter’s Bone.” People who’ve visited this site often must be aware of my penchant for this particular acting job, and this morning’s news of his inclusion is the crowning jewel of almost a year’s worth of supporting him on my part.
Since I’m ever so thrilled about Hawkes, I can’t blame him for the Garfield snub. Therefore, I’m gonna have to just go ahead and blame Jeremy Renner. I never thought that in one year, I could turn so much on this performer. In “The Hurt Locker” he was phenomenal, truly deserving of a lead actor nomination. Here, he is an average performance in an average film. I don’t think I ever considered him a candidate for my supporting actor picks, not even back in October. I was genuinely shocked and confused when accolades and Oscar talk began surfacing a few months ago. It baffled me then and it truly baffles me now.
At least its consolation that Renner was “The Town”‘s only nomination, missing out on that Best Picture nod that everyone was predicting….well almost everyone ;). The fact that “Winter’s Bone” took its place could not be more gratifying, as well. What a glorious film that more than deserves all of its bestowed nominations.
Let’s look at how some films made out on the whole. “127 Hours” defied pundits with a huge 6 nomination comeback, including yet another double category nomination for A.R. Rahman (Best Original Song, Best Original Score). Meanwhile, maybe the biggest shocker of the day, was “Black Swan” achieving only 5 nominations. For a while now, many people have been projecting Aronofsky’s film to be the potential nomination frontrunner, amassing perhaps ten or twelve. Instead, the film missed out on Supporting Actress (for both of its contenders), Original Screenplay, Art Direction, Costume Design and both Sound categories. I didn’t have it predicted in all of those, but it certainly had potential. Perhaps the biggest crime here is its Sound Effects exclusion. The work done on the sound of pattering feet and flapping feathers was phenomenal.
The worst overall snub of a film had to be Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island.” Not an amazing film, by any standards, but certainly one in which at least its technical achievements deserved some recognition. It should have easily made the grade for both Cinematography and Art Direction. Some of the best work of the year. I’m also depressed that Ryan Gosling missed out on a more than deserving nomination for Best Actor in “Blue Valentine.” It’s very nice to see Michelle Williams nominated, but not enough of a consolation. I’m sure that when I see “Biutiful” this weekend, however, Javier Bardem will wow the living shit out of me and I will be able to praise his surprise inclusion.
Let’s move on to some of the brighter aspects of day. The big story in the news is “The King’s Speech” being the nomination leader, but “The Social Network” really did have a pretty damned good day. 8 nominations, tied for the third highest, including four technical nominations, not an easy feat for a contemporary comedy/drama. It’s true that we definitely have ourselves a race now. Yet in terms of the race, “The King’s Speech” may have gained ground, but “The Social Network” hasn’t lost any of its.
One thing that’s really got me happy is the semi-snub of “Alice in Wonderland.” True, it did receive three nominations, yet I call it a snub for the one award it had almost always been not only a lock, but a frontrunner: Best Makeup. It appears that this branch of the Academy really does know the difference between makeup and CGI. Some very interesting choices replaced it, including “Barney’s Version” and “The Way Back.”
Without a doubt, the biggest joy for me, this morning, was seeing the results that the Doc branch rolled out. This has been one of the best years I’ve ever seen for documentary films. Lately, it’s seemed as though the lackluster “Waiting for Superman” was lined up to sweep the Oscar after wins at the BFCA and PGA. However, that belief was certainly swayed when the movie did not even show up among the nominees. The Academy also chose to avoid “The Tillman Story,” a pretentious and jumbled look at the soldier’s tragic story. Instead, among the nominations, are my three favorite documentaries of the year: “Restrepo,” “Inside Job” and the glorious “Exit Through the Gift Shop.” Well done, guys.
My predictions were some of the best of my time doing this gig. out of 109 nominations, I correctly predicted 82. Not bad at all. If you were to ask my girlfriend, I was inches away from predicting Bardem at about 2 o’clock this morning. Oh well. Got to stick to your guns.
This race has gone from being a one trick pony to a cutthroat race to the finish. It is going to be “The Social Network” vs. “The King’s Speech” right to the last note. While, for sure, I have a favorite, it’s refreshing to have a very close race. While last year was a nice David and Goliath battle, looking back, it was always “The Hurt Locker”‘s for the taking. And before that, it was two years of no competition. Now we have a race the likes of “The Departed” vs. “Little Miss Sunshine” or “Million Dollar Baby” vs. “The Aviator.” However, in reality, I don’t think we’ve ever had a race quite like this one before. Should be a good time. Stay tuned.
The Edge of the Frame 