Mike Leigh Articles

Javier Bardem, Biutiful The Oscar nominations tend to be fairly predictable, but every year one can find surprising inclusions and just as surprising omissions. This year is no exception. The top surprising inclusions are: Javier Bardem as a Best Actor contender for Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Mexican-Spanish drama Biutiful. In 2000, Bardem was nominated for playing a Spanish-speaking person, the Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas in Julian [...]

Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine Colin Firth’s THE KING’S SPEECH, YOGI BEAR Soar: Box Office Directed by Tom Hooper, and starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech has gone from specialty fare to top-twelve hit at 700 North American locations. The acclaimed period drama with humorous touches has already grossed more than $22m at the domestic box office. Will [...]

Natalie Portman, Black Swan Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan topped the Broadcast Film Critics Association’s 2010 Critics Choice nominations, with a record-breaking 12 nods. (List of Critics Choice Award nominations.) Impressive? That depends on how relevant you deem the Critics Choice Awards. Also, just remember that last year Rob Marshall’s much-derided box-office flop received no less than 10 nominations. You should also remember that the BFCA [...]

Jim Broadbent, Ruth Sheen, Oliver Maltman in Mike Leigh’s Another Year My predictions for the Los Angeles Film Critics Association’s winners were mostly on target. Mostly, though not exactly overwhelmingly on target. I nailed The Social Network, Toy Story 3, David Fincher, Aaron Sorkin, Colin Firth, and Jacki Weaver, while Kim Hye-ja was mentioned as a "deserving" possibility — and a "major upset." Totally missed: [...]