The Hot Blog

When are the Oscar nods announced again? Barely a week into official awards season, and I'm tired of it.
Interesting that it could be a Marty vs Clint battle again. Can't wait to see Letters! Too bad I missed Flags :(

I think Catherine O'Hara deserves a place on the charts, at least in the uncommented-upon also-rans.

How is Will Smith's performance 'against type'? Because he has a moustache and some gray in his hair? Otherwise it looks like he's playing the same charming guy he always plays. Is it the crying?

Flags is definitely worth seeing. If Letters does well won't the studio re-release Flags to capitalize on the double feature?

Ugh, I had a whole thing typed out and then my power cut out.

Anyway. General thoughts:

*I still can't see Thank You For Smoking getting a nomination. I expect The Painted Veil to be the fifth place getter.

*I'm starting to think that this year could be a lot like 2003 when things just went as unexpected as could be. Best Actress went high wire and movies like City of God managed four nominations.

*What happens if Iwo Jima does as poorly as Flags? I know it cost less, but won't the stink of Flags still be there?

*When are they gonna realise that an Innaritu movie needs be released as late as possible. They all fade too fast. And by all, I mean 21 Grams did it and Babel seems to be following that path and receiving maybe two acting nods for it's trouble and that's it. I suppose it's still hanging around for some others, but it's looking dangerously on the edge.

After seeing The Painted Veil, I'm pretty sure that Naomi Watts will get into that fifth slot over Kate Winslet.

I'm predicting Watts too. Mirren, Streep, Dench, Cruz and Watts. Two hotties and three grand dames. Considering Mirren is still seen as a sex symbol, it sort of balances out.

There's one thing I'll say for John Curran. He likes to be diverse. Praise, We Don't Live Here Anymore and now The Painted Vail.

It's the same director who did We Don't Live Here Anymore? Goodbye to my interest in seeing Painted Veil.

Vail? Is that the Australian spelling for Veil? (Sorry Kami, I couldn't resist. BTW: What the heck is Wendy Hughes up to these days? Local TV? Damn, she was a hottie in Warm Nights on a Slow-Moving Train.)

Will Smith in HAPPYNESS is definitely not playing "Will Smith." It's a very controlled, often internalized performance that depends on smarts and compassion rather than that twinkly charm that is his trademark (though that does come to the surface on occasion when needed). I think a lot of people will be surprised; I know I was.

I can't stand Catherine O'Hara and all those other mugging actors...Eugene Levy is just about the worst actor working today...ugh...

Just to clarify the post of mine you quoted in your Oscar column, I wasn't really defending the NBR as a legitimate awards organization -- hence the wording of my opening remarks -- merely defending it from the particular charge of being irrelevant for not predicting the Oscars correctly. I think it's irrelevant for totally different reasons, which you addressed in subsequent blog comments and that Oscar column, just not to the post I was specifically replying to.

Anyway, good column.

Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)

URL:
Remember me? YesNo

Comments: