Public service announcement.

Every time you give him:

your personal Best Actor award in 2007 over him:

God mercilessly kills a kitten.



The more you know...

*choir of angels sings*

It is God's birthday today. I know I probably say a lot of people are "God" in this blog (I feel God in this blog tonight. WHOOOO!!!!!), but I really mean it with him. He is probably the most talented living artist. In honor of him, contemplate how much better Sweeney Todd, the stage show, is from Sweeney Todd, the movie (which is still not bad, probably just because I love that show so goddamn much).

Also: Reese Witherspoon (still love her.). Andrew Lloyd Webber (I don't have the pure hatred for him a lot of musical theater people do, but yeah his shows are pretty bad and his music very schlocky. And why is he on the IMDb main page for birthdays and not Sondheim? Sondheim's got an Oscar too, bitches!). Damn Karl Malden is 96?!

Brill.

Why haven't I seen this before? Also, it's amusing how only like 3 of the films in there had any sort of Oscar success (Atonement, Sweeney, No Country), and the rest flopped like all hell (Things We Lost..., Rendition, Lions for Lambs, Reservation Road, Dan in Real Life).

BAFTA longlist thoughts.

WTF doesn't necessarily indicate bad choices (though sometimes it does), just...weird ones

BEST PICTURE
American Gangster
Atonement
The Bourne Ultimatum
Charlie Wilson's War
Control
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Eastern Promises
Into the Wild
Juno
The Kite Runner
The Lives of Others
Lust, Caution
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
WTF?: The Bourne Ultimatum, Control, The Kite Runner, The Lives of Others

BEST DIRECTOR
the same, except instead of Nichols for CWW there's James Mangold for 3:10 to Yuma

BEST ACTOR
Christian Bale :: 3:10 to Yuma
Daniel Day-Lewis :: There Will Be Blood
Denzel Washington :: American Gangster
Emile Hirsch :: Into the Wild
George Clooney :: Michael Clayton
James McAvoy :: Atonement
Johnny Depp :: Sweeney Todd
Josh Brolin :: No Country for Old Men
Matt Damon :: The Bourne Ultimatum
Russell Crowe :: 3:10 to Yuma
Sam Riley :: Control
Tom Hanks :: Charlie Wilson's War
Tommy Lee Jones :: In the Valley of Elah
Ulrich Muhe :: The Lives of Others
Viggo Mortensen :: Eastern Promises
WTF?: Bale (they couldn't go for Rescue Dawn?), Damon, Crowe (they couldn't go for American Gangster? Well, okay, they did in supporting), Muhe

BEST LEAD ACTRESS
Angelina Jolie :: A Mighty Heart
Cate Blanchett :: Elizabeth, The Golden Age
Charlize Theron :: In the Valley of Elah
Ellen Page :: Juno
Halle Berry :: Things We Lost in the Fire
Helena Bonham Carter :: Sweeney Todd
Julie Christie :: Away from Her
Katherine Heigl :: Knocked Up
Keira Knightley :: Atonement
Marion Cotillard :: La vie en rose
Marketa Irglova :: Once
Martina Gedeck :: The Lives of Others
Naomi Watts :: Eastern Promises
Nikki Blonsky :: Hairspray
Tang Wei :: Lust, Caution
WTF?: Theron, Berry, Irglova, Gedeck, Watts

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada :: The Kite Runner
Armin Mueller-Stahl :: Eastern Promises
Casey Affleck :: The Assassination...
Chiwetel Ejiofor :: American Gangster
Clive Owen :: Elizabeth, The Golden Age
Geoffrey Rush :: Elizabeth, The Golden Age
Hal Holbrook :: Into the Wild
Javier Bardem :: No Country for Old Men
John Travolta :: Hairspray
Paul Dano :: There Will Be Blood
Philip Seymour Hoffman :: Charlie Wilson's War
Russell Crowe :: American Gangster
Tom Wilkinson :: Michael Clayton
Tommy Lee Jones :: No Country for Old Men
Vincent Cassel :: Eastern Promises
WTF?: Mahmoodzada, Mueller-Stahl, Ejiofor, Owen, Rush, Cassel

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Allison Janney :: Juno
Brenda Blethyn :: Atonement
Cate Blanchett :: I'm Not There
Catherine Keener :: Into the Wild
Joan Allen :: The Bourne Ultimatum
Julia Roberts :: Charlie Wilson's War
Kelly MacDonald :: No Country for Old Men
Michelle Pfeiffer :: Hairspray
Michelle Pfeiffer :: Stardust
Romola Garai :: Atonement
Samantha Morton :: Control
Samantha Morton :: Elizabeth, The Golden Age
Saoirse Ronan :: Atonement
Tilda Swinton :: Michael Clayton
Vanessa Redgrave :: Atonement
WTF?: Janney, Blethyn, Allen, Pfeiffer x2

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
American Gangster
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Eastern Promises
Elizabeth, The Golden Age
Hot Fuzz
In the Valley of Elah
Juno
Knocked Up
The Lives of Others
Michael Clayton
Once
Ratatouille
Things We Lost in the Fire
This Is England
La vie en rose
WTF?: The Golden Age, Things We Lost in the Fire, This Is England, La vie en rose

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
3:10 to Yuma
Atonement
The Bourne Ultimatum
Brick Lane
Charlie Wilson's War
Control
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Into the Wild
The Kite Runner
Letters from Iwo Jima
Lust, Caution
No Country for Old Men
Sweeney Todd
There Will Be Blood
WTF?: 3:10 to Yuma, The Bourne Ultimatum, Brick Lane, Control

Okay, so, thoughts, thoughts, as I catch up on the movies of 2007 (thank god for *cough* certain...locations)...

- Imelda Staunton still can't get nominated, even in a list of freaking 15, on her home turf?
- The BAFTA longlist always goes apeshit for one big blockbuster smash every year, don't they? Last year it was Casino Royale, which was understandable. This year, it's... The Bourne Ultimatum? Sure, why not. It was a good movie, and the Damon had a good year.
- Sweeney snubbed for Picture and Director? That can't be good. For crap like The Kite Runner?
- At first, I was pretty weirded out that Gone Baby Gone was a complete snub (especially Amy Ryan), but then I remembered that its British premiere won't be until next year; it's been pushed back becuase of the Madeleine McCann case.
- No Amy Adams? MAY GOD DEVOUR THEIR SOULS!
- Brenda Blethyn? I love her, but puhleeze, she had nothing to do in Atonement. They left out Imelda for that?
- While Michelle Pfeiffer was highly entertaining in Stardust, she really did nothing in Hairspray besides look really really bad (seriously, she looked awful. Sorry to those of you out there who are all like "SHE IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN ON EARTH BLAH BLAH BLAH"). John Travolta was just flat-out awful in the same movie and I truly hope he doesn't get an Oscar nomination.
- Casey Affleck is just great in The Assassination..., but LEAD. LEAD LEAD LEAD LEAD. Like, undebatable. This is possibly worse than Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain. Possibly worse than Jamie Foxx in Collateral. Jesus. The same goes for Russell Crowe in American Gangster.
- I'm glad to see all three Brionys from Atonement get in. They were all pretty damn amazing.
- I think this is the year where I realized the genius of Tommy Lee Jones. He's never quite impressed me before, but he just MIRACULOUS in No Country for Old Men and In the Valley of Elah. Thanks, BAFTA, for agreeing with me.
- Janney over Garner for Juno? BOO.
- the supporting actor noms are so... Brit-loving. Oh Clive, you know I love you...but you don't deserve to get shortlisted over... a lot of people. Chiwetel Ejiofor did nothing in American Gangster.
- I did like Marketa in Once and I'm glad she got shortlisted here, as she's pretty underrated. Her character was annoying and bizarre (dragging a vacuum cleaner through Dublin? Durrr...), but she was adorable and charming. Though, really, if you want potentially annoying/bizarre turned into adorable and charming, again, you need my girl Amy Adams.
- Jesus Christ can we get over Elizabeth, The Golden Age? That movie was a pile of suck. Cate Blanchett was highly entertaining in it, but in the same way as Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert DeNiro in Stardust: bad, but so very over-the-top that you can't help but feel grateful every time she's on screen.
- the Original Screenplay longlist is half-inspired and half-horrendous.
- Yay for Atonement love, among others...
- why oh why are Laura Linney's Oscar chances/precursors d-e-a-d dead :( ?

the only 2007 movies i've seen between september 1-now.

no reservations: absolutely harmless, but the ending makes it compare - unfavorably - with ratatouille, a far superior film. B-

el orfanato (the orphanage): it's getting overrated by those who have seen it. it's like some strange combo of the sixth sense and the ring. also, the first-time director seems, at times, to be a little bit like "LOOK AT ME!!! I'VE GOT A CAMERA!!! WHEEEE!!!" (this is like last year's last king of scotland, though not nearly as bad). still, belen rueda is great, and it's certainly solid. B

fracture: why did nobody tell me this was terrible? ryan gosling is okay but his part is terrible, anthony hopkins is just kind of like "hey...remember that silence of the lambs movie? i think i'm just gonna do that again." the twist is silly. it isn't painful, but it's bad. C-

superbad: okay, i think i need to see this in english before i judge it (with the slang and whatnot, i could understand about 90% of it in spanish, but a lot of things probably don't translate directly), but i did think it was funny, if a little too crude at times (the blood, ewwww.). B

enchanted: okay, it's a little too disney-perfect, but i found it simply magical and absolutely wonderful. 90% of this is due to amy adams, who i now worship. WOR. SHIP. you have no idea. A-

august rush: i read some review that said "the worst film that will make you cry this year." i disagree even with the latter...it's supposed to make you cry, but it's just so generic and not-particularly-well-acted that it doesn't. D+

sweeney todd: i don't feel, at all, like it's tim burton's masterpiece or johnny depp's best performance (those are both ed wood), but it's still very strong. it's hard to ruin source material that good. B+

atonement: i didn't think i would like it as much as i did. it's beautiful, and that ending - heartbreaking. i see how it could be considered a little cold, but that last scene...amazing. james mcavoy finally gives a performance that makes him live up to his hype. A-

GARRRRR

Via Oh No They Didn't, via some other site:

Warner Bros wants Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street director Tim Burton to “butcher” his own film, according to a report from the Daily Mail. Apparently the early footage from the film was so extremely bloody that the studio executives have become a tad squeamish and are requesting the film to be re-cut. In its present form the film would merit an R-Rating, but Warner Brothers would prefer it to be released with a PG-13 MPAA tag.

Sweeney? PG-13? HEADDESK.

Movies I should probably be looking forward to a little more...

Or, "Why Justine [obviously not my real name] Doesn't Really Care That Much About the Prestige Picture Season of 2007." And yes, some of these were on my "most anticipated" list at the beginning of the year...

Atonement - I read the book, and it was really good, and I'm gonna mention that I sat next to Ian McEwan one time again, but when I heard they were gonna make it into a movie I was like "errr..." It could work. I mean, The Hours is basically just internal monologues, and the movie certainly has its strong points, but I'm just...more skeptical than a lot of people, let's put it that way. Plus, you can't get me excited about a movie starring Keira and James. You just can't. Not that it matters, because everyone else seems to have enough excitement to make up for my lack thereof. Both Keira and James could be awful and everyone will be like "ACADEMY AWARD" because people think they are attractive (James, yes; Keira, nooooo). And that picture above just makes me want to eat a cheeseburger. Oh, and buy that dress, because it is fantastic.

Silk - TWO movies starring Keira? Ew. AND Michael Pitt. James might be overrated, but at least he can act.

Lust, Caution - I used to like Ang Lee, and he's still very obviously a talented director. But, in the awards season of Brokeback Mountain, he kind of proved to me that he's an entitled and terribly whiny man. Seriously, if I wanted to hear entitled, whiny, and overly hostile people whining about movies, I'd just read my fellow bloggers (ZING). Plus, it just...meh...

The Darjeeling Limited - Love the title and the trailer, but Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman is like the unholy trinity of actors. Yuck.
Edit: OMG I just looked this up on IMDb and BILL MURRAY IS IN IT HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS??!?!!! You can take this off the list. It's probably just going to be a cameo but I will cry in joy anyway.

The Golden Age - Ugh, Cate. Go away. I'd rather have Keira win than Cate again, I think. Plus, judging from the trailer, she is ridiculously over-the-top and anachronistic. Yuck. While the first film was fine, it wasn't really screaming sequel, until Cate turned into the new Judi Dench (AKA: getting awards for doing things such as waking up and walking to the grocery store, even when she isn't deserving). On the other hand, if it gets Clive Owen or Samantha Morton an Oscar, I just might love this film forever.

Rendition - zzzz

Eastern Promises - I don't knoooow. A History of Violence was fantastic but this...just doesn't appeal to me.

I'm Not There - More Blanchett. Snore. Plus, Todd Haynes is terribly pretentious and his fans are annoying.

There Will Be Blood - Yeah, I know, Day-Lewis. But also, Dano. Based on his previous work, I just prefer PT in manic, gazillions-of-cast-members mode; Magnolia + Boogie Nights >>>>>>> Hard Eight + Punch-Drunk Love.

Sweeney Todd - Okay, the poster was awesome. And I am open to it being awesome. I don't like any of the three main players (its director, lead actor, and lead actress) but they are capable of being good to great. I just... would REALLY HATE to see it screwed up. It's maybe the best theatrical work from 1950 on.

Charlie Wilson's War - No matter how good it is, people are gonna say it sucks because it has Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts (cue all other bloggers: OMG HOW DARE THE ACADEMY LIKE PEOPLE I DON'T!!!!) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (OMG UGLY PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE ON CAMERA EW!). I can say it sucks because Mike Nichols AKA Mr. Faaaaantastic seems to have recruited the performers of two of the more overrated supporting actress turns in recent years, Amy Adams (who I still like) and Emily Blunt (who I don't); all he needs is Cate Blanchett for the trifecta. And, I don't know. It just doesn't appeal to me.

Lions for Lambs - Awful, boring trailers (not that I should hold that against it), and my God, MORE POLITICAL THRILLERS? They really don't appeal to me. Yes, The Constant Gardener was quite spectacular, but that was so much more than just a political thriller.

I'm such a cranky-boots today. I need a nap, or something. =/

This is fucking awesome.

Please, please, please, please don't suck...

slow day

happy birthday to alan rickman, one amazing actor. yay die hard, love actually, and sense and sensibility. and i'm counting on you to make sweeney todd not suck cuz god knows the guy playing sweeney ain't gonna do much about that.

also, happy birthday to the guy who wore some funny shirts in high school musical. it's a remarkably horrendous movie but hilarious in its badness.