Golden Globes 2010 Predictions: Best Picture – Drama
2010 Golden Globe Predictions: Best Picture – Drama
The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow; scr: Mark Boal
A US Army elite unit disarms bombs in Iraq.
Invictus (above, with Matt Damon), d: Clint Eastwood; scr: Anthony Peckham
Newly elected South African president Nelson Mandela campaigns to stage the Rugby World Cup in South Africa so as to unite blacks and whites.
The Last Station (above, with Helen Mirren, James McAvoy), d & scr: Michael Hoffman
Leo Tolstoy’s family life is upended by the writer’s radical politics.
The Lovely Bones (above, with Saoirse Ronan), Peter Jackson; scr: Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens
A murdered girl sees the world, chiefly her small Pennsylvania town, from up above.
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire, d: Lee Daniels; scr: [...]
by Andre Soares | November 20, 2009
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Tags: Clint Eastwood, Film Awards, Golden Globe Predictions, Golden Globes, Golden Globes 2010, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Invictus, Matt Damon, Peter Jackson, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, The Hurt Locker, The Last Station, The Lovely Bones
2012 Smashes Box Office
Roland Emmerich’s apocalyptic actioner 2012 destroyed its competition at the North American box office this weekend with a solid $65 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Sony’s 2012 opened at 3,404 locations Friday, scoring an explosive average of $19,095 per theater while easily beating the $35.8 million opening gross of Emmerich’s previous film 10,000 B.C.
Starring John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, and Danny Glover, 2012 follows a group of individuals trying to survive a series of cataclysms as the world is about to come to an end.
Pirate Radio, this week’s other wide release, made it only to No. 11, with $2.8 million from ticket sales [...]
by Franck Tabouring | November 16, 2009
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Tags: 2012, A Christmas Carol, Box Office, Ewan McGregor, Gabourey Sidibe, George Clooney, James Marsden, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, Radio Pirate, Roland Emmerich, The Box, The Men Who Stare at Goats
PRECIOUS Music: Q&A with Composer Mario Grigorov
The son of a concert pianist and trumpeter, Bulgarian-born, Austrian-trained composer Mario Grigorov has been creating film music for two decades, having become particularly busy in the last ten years or so. Among his movie credits are Leonardo Ricagni’s 29 Palms (1999) and El chevrolé (2002), Alison Thompson’s documentary The Third Wave: A Volunteer Story (2007), additional music for Alex Gibney’s Oscar-winning Iraq War documentary Taxi to the Dark Side, and a number of short films.
Grigorov’s other music credits include the albums "Rhymes with Orange" and "Aria on Café del Mar," musical scores for numerous commercial outlets, and even playing in the Shah’s Symphony Orchestra in Iran, where Grigorov lived for six years. "Both on disc and onstage," [...]
by Andre Soares | November 9, 2009
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Tags: Film Music, Gabourey Sidibe, Interviews, Lee Daniels, Mario Grigorov, Mo'Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, Shadowboxer
A CHRISTMAS CAROL Tops Box Office; THIS IS IT in 2nd Spot
As expected, Walt Disney’s A Christmas Carol took the No. 1 spot at the North American box office this weekend with a solid $31 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Starring Jim Carrey (above), the Robert Zemeckis-directed 3D motion-capture adventure tale based on Charles Dickens’ classic opened at 3,683 locations and scored an average of $8,417 per theater, enough to crush its competition.
At No. 2, Michael Jackson’s This Is It delivered another strong performance, earning $14 million at 3,481 locations. Sony’s documentary about the late pop star’s planned concert series lifted its total gross to an impressive $57.8 million.
New entry The Men Who Stare at [...]
by Franck Tabouring | November 8, 2009
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Tags: A Christmas Carol, Box Office, Cameron Diaz, George Clooney, Jim Carrey, Michael Jackson, Mo'Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, Robert Zemeckis, The Box, The Fourth Kind, The Men Who Stare at Goats, This Is It
AFI FEST 2009: PRECIOUS, THE WHITE RIBBON, AJAMI
Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire by Lee Daniels (top); The White Ribbon by Michael Haneke (middle); Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Filippo Timi in Vincere by Marco Bellocchio (bottom)
Among the Sunday, Nov. 1, highlights at the AFI FEST 2009 at the Chinese Theater complex in Hollywood are:
Lu Chuan’s historical drama City of Life and Death, winner of the Golden Shell for best picture at the San Sebastian Film Festival
Claude Chabrol’s psychological mystery-drama Bellamy, his first collaboration with Gérard Depardieu
Lee Daniels‘ Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire, a strong possibility for the Oscar 2010 best picture shortlist and the Sundance 2009 US Narrative Jury Prize winner
Michael Haneke’s Palme d’Or winner and potential Oscar 2010 contender [...]
by Andre Soares | October 31, 2009
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Tags: AFI FEST, AFI FEST 2009, Ajami, Bellamy, City of Life and Death, Film Festivals, Gabourey Sidibe, Gérard Depardieu, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Lee Daniels, Los Angeles Screenings, Marco Bellocchio, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, The White Ribbon, Vincere
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 [...]
by Andre Soares | October 16, 2009
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Tags: 2010 Oscar, 2010 Oscar Predictions, A Single Man, Academy Awards, An Education, Anna Kendrick, Emma Thompson, Film Awards, Julianne Moore, Kathy Bates, Mariah Carey, Mo'Nique, Nine, Penélope Cruz, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, Rachel Weisz, Sigourney Weaver, Up in the Air, Vera Farmiga
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 [...]
by Andre Soares | October 10, 2009
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Tags: 2010 Oscar, 2010 Oscar Predictions, A Serious Man, An Education, Best Picture Predictions, Film Awards, Nine, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, The Hurt Locker, The Informant, The Lovely Bones, The Men Who Stare at Goats, The White Ribbon, Up in the Air
2009 Toronto Film Festival Winners
Gabourey ‘Gabby’ Sidibe in Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (top photo); Lee Daniels
The bizarrely titled Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, formerly known as Push: Based on a Novel by Sapphire, was the Audience Award winner at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival. The Toronto win, which follows widespread critical acclaim and a couple of Sundance awards earlier in the year, has pushed Precious to the forefront of likely Oscar contenders come February 2010. (Last year’s Toronto winner and critics’ favorite, Slumdog Millionaire, eventually turned out to be the best picture Oscar winner.)
Directed by Lee Daniels, Precious tells the story of an overweight, illiterate, pregnant teenager (Gabourey ‘Gabby’ Sidibe) who is abused by her mother (Mo’Nique), [...]
by Andre Soares | September 20, 2009
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Tags: Bruno Dumont, Cairo Time, Daybreakers, Film Awards, Film Festivals, Hadewijch, Lee Daniels, Mao's Last Dance, Michael and Peter Spierig, Patricia Clarkson, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, The Loved Ones, The Topp Twins, The Wild Hunt, Toronto 2009, Toronto Film Festival
Toronto Film Festival Awards 2009
2009 Toronto Film Festival Awards
2009 Toronto Film Festival: Sept. 10-19
2009 Toronto Film Festival Winners
Cadillac People’s Choice Awards:
PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE
Runners-up:
MAO’S LAST DANCER (above, top)
MICMACS (above, lower photo)
Documentary:
THE TOPP TWINS
Runner up:
CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY
Midnight Madness
THE LOVED ONES
Runner up:
DAYBREAKERS
FIPRESCI Special Presentation Prize: HADEWIJCH
FIPRESCI Discovery: THE MAN BEYOND THE BRIDGE
Best Canadian Feature: CAIRO TIME
Skyy Vodka Best Canadian First Feature: THE WILD HUNT
Best Canadian Short: DANSE MACABRE
Honorable Mention: THE ARMOIRE
Toronto International Film Festival Site
Toronto Film Festival Awards: 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Film Awards: 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
