2009 British Independent Film Award Nominations

Katie Jarvis in Fish Tank (top); Sam Rockwell in Moon (middle); Carey Mulligan, Dominic Cooper in An Education (bottom)

Andrea Arnold’s Fish Tank leads the list of 2009 British Independent Film Award nominees.
The tale of a rough teenager (Katie Jarvis) whose life is upended after her mother gets a new boyfriend, Fish Tank was shortlisted in eight categories including best independent British film, best director, best screenplay (Arnold), best actress (Jarvis), best supporting actress (Kierston Wareing), best supporting actor (2008 BIFA best actor winner Michael Fassbender), and most promising newcomer (also Jarvis).
Duncan Jones‘ feature-film debut, the sci-fi thriller Moon, received seven nominations including best British film, best director, best debut director, and best actor (Sam Rockwell).
Lone [...]

British Independent Film Awards 2009

2009 British Independent Film Awards
2009 British Independent Film Award nominations: Oct. 26, 2009
2009 British Independent Film Award winners: The Brewery in London on Dec. 6, 2009
 

Emma Thompson, Carey Mulligan in An Education (top); Katie Jarvis in Fish Tank (bottom)
 

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM
An Education
Fish Tank
In the Loop
Moon
Nowhere Boy
BEST FOREIGN FILM
Il Divo
The Hurt Locker
Let The Right One In
Sin Nombre
The Wrestler
BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Age of Stupid
The End of The Line
Mugabe and The White African
Sons of Cuba
Sounds Like Teen Spirit
BEST DIRECTOR
Andrea Arnold – Fish Tank
Armando Iannucci – In the Loop
Duncan Jones – [...]

Oscar 2010: Early Predictions – Best Supporting Actress

Best Supporting Actress

Penélope Cruz, Nine
A film director’s seductive mistress (if she’s half as tantalizing in the film as she is in the above photo, Cruz deserves not only a nod but the golden statuette itself)

Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
A professional downsizer’s trainee

Mo’Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
A pregnant, illiterate teen’s Mom from Hell

Julianne Moore, A Single Man (with Colin Firth)
A married alcoholic pining for an English professor — who just happens to be both gay and suicidal

Emma Thompson, An Education
A school headmistress in 1960s London

The most disputed acting category in the 2010 Oscar race. In addition to the aforementioned five actresses, five others who could easily land a nomination (in case their movies open [...]

Oscar 2010: Early Predictions – Best Supporting Actor

Best Supporting Actor

Alfred Molina, An Education (with Cara Seymour, Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard)
An overprotective father worries about his wayward daughter in 1960s London.

Christopher Plummer, The Last Station (with Helen Mirren)
Initially touted as a potential best actor contender, Plummer is getting the supporting treatment for his performance as the elderly Leo Tolstoy. In that category, the veteran actor has a much better chance of landing a nomination. (James McAvoy, formerly in this list for his role in The Last Station, is now in the Oscar 2010 best actor race.)

Paul Schneider, Bright Star
John Keats‘ not too sympathetic best friend Charles Armitage Brown.

Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Apparently, nothing lovely about Tucci in this one.

Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds (with Diane Kruger)
Nazi [...]

Oscar 2010: Early Predictions – Best Actress

Best Actress

Abbie Cornish, Bright Star
Frances ‘Fanny’ Brawne has a relatively brief but intense love affair with poet John Keats

Carey Mulligan, An Education
In 1960s London, a schoolgirl falls for a man in his 30s

Michelle Pfeiffer, Cheri
An older courtesan introduces a young man to the art of lovemaking

Gabourey ‘Gabby’ Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
An abused pregnant teen is befriended by a compassionate teacher

Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Julia Child joyfully introduces dead poultry into American kitchens

A dozen actresses — female actors if you wish — can be considered as very strong candidates for a 2010 best actress nomination (as long as their movies open in LA until December 31). In addition to the [...]

Oscar 2010: Early Predictions – Best Picture

BEST FILM

An Education, d: Lone Scherfig; scr: Nick Hornby
In Swinging (suburban) London, a teenager decides to have her first sexual experience with a man in his thirties.

The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow; scr: Mark Boal
An elite unit of the US Army must disarm bombs during combat in an "enemy" city in Iraq.

The Informant!, d: Steven Soderbergh; scr: Scott Z. Burns
A whistle-blower (who also happens to be a pathological liar) helps the US government nab an agribusiness conglomerate.

The Lovely Bones, Peter Jackson; scr: Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens
A murdered girl, now a heaven-resident, sees how life has changed in her small Pennsylvania town following her disappearance.

The Men Who Stare at Goats, d: Grant Heslov; scr: Peter Straughan
A journalist gets involved with US [...]

Sundance 2009

Jeff Daniels, Lou Taylor Pucci in The Dream of Romans (top); Emma Thompson, Carey Mulligan in An Education (bottom)

Perhaps it’s just my impression, but the 25th edition of the Sundance Film Festival, which runs from Jan. 15-25, 2009, in Park City, Utah, seems to be focused on more commercial fare. If so, that’s understandable considering that for the most part Sundance films have been flopping left and right at the US box office. That is, when they find distribution.
This year, there are quite a few films — many of which seem to be about romantic endeavors — featuring name talent: Susan Sarandon and Pierce Brosnan in Shana Feste’s family drama The Greatest; Michael Cera as (a version of) himself [...]