MAFFE Awards 2008!! The Lead Actors

Casey Affleck - "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"

Simply stunning work.
His Ford is both creepy and pathetic.
Shows the danger of fandom.


Christian Bale - "3:10 to Yuma"

His everyman father doing something brave and ridiculous to prove himself to his son was heroic work.
You wished he would just turn back.


Daniel Day-Lewis - "There Will Be Blood"

What can I say that has not been said already by much better writers?

A simply towering performance.


James McAvoy - "Atonement"

For an iconic performance his Robbie Turner is up there with Day-Lewis.
You believed in his love, his passion and finally his despair. Your heart breaks for Robbie.


Viggo Mortensen - "Eastern Promises"

Minus the fact that he is incredibly sexy in the role, his is also amazing. His slight character shifts are so slight as to not give him away. You wonder how he did it.


Gorden Pinsent - "Away From Her"

For all the Hosanna's bestowed upon his co-star, people forget that he has the much more difficult role.
You feel his longing and pain as he looks at the woman he loves but who doesn't know him anymore.

Empire Linky Link

Empire Magazine has one hot website. Great for all your movie news.

Here are a few interesting tidbits from the past few days.

Another Star Wars movie! Yep, tis true.

"The Others" director makes another movie...this time with Rachel Weisz.

Buffy does serious. I am still waiting for the promise that Actress showed us all on the small screen.
Perhaps this could do it. Kind of slushy sounding, but could also be "My Life Without Me" esque. Fingers crossed.

Superman is back!! The BF goes into bliss induced shock!

How the hell did the "Confessions of a Shop-a-holic" movie get such great cast? Is God herself the casting director?

Ben Affleck may be directing again. "Gone Baby Gone" was a critical success and garnered an Oscar nom (undeserving IMHO) for Amy Ryan. This time he goes the crime route...again. Well if it ain't broke.

And finally they muse of the overly elaborate movie title, and I laugh.

MAFFE Awards 2008!! Supporting Actress

This year was littered with small performances that woke you up from otherwise dull movies.

The ladies in waiting are:

Ruby Dee - "American Gangster"

She woke you up. giving the film one of it's only honest moments.
A mother so disappointed in her son, she hits him. You can see her hurt in doing so. Masterful.


Samantha Morton - "Control" & "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"

The first was a wonderful study of a woman married and a mother far too soon. The second, she hits he character out of the park in less than 5 minutes. Makes you wish the film was about her.


Saoirse Ronan - "Atonement"

Knew when to hold back and when to emote. The way you could see her processing every moment was truly masterful.
Her devastation when she sees her crush with her sister is perfect.


Emmanuelle Seigner - "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"

As the ex wife she was able to be sexy, tragic and heart breaking.
When she has to convey the message on the phone to the other woman you feel her pain.


Tilda Swinton - "Michael Clayton"

Totally in over her head and not prepared at all for her job, and Tilda lets you know this from the get go.
Classic study of a sheep in wolfs clothing.


Tabu - "The Namesake"

She is the centre of the film. She is alone in her new world and Tabu conveys the shifts in her demeanor between America and India perfectly. She just wants to go home.

Music Mondays.

I have spoken of Adele before but since today I could not stop listening to the last track from her wonderful album "19" I thought I would share it with you.
People go on and on about the lack of talent in popular chart music these days, then quibble when someone obviously talented like Adele come out and it not a size-zero-runway-ready-extension-sporting-glamazon. Those people suck.

Here is Adele singing 'Hometown Glory' live. It sends chills.

MAFFE Awards 2008!! Supporting Actor.

This was a great year for performance. The men, especially, had rich picking with roles which is clearly visible with my Best-Of pics.
And here they are

Javier Bardem - "No Country for Old Men"

He created the most memorable villainous role of the year, but did so with a glint of humor.
You loved him and feared him at the same time. No other performance has done that since Hannibal Lector.


Robert Downey Jr. - "Zodiac"

He was cocky, sarcastic, deeply flawed, a show boat and very funny. Gave the dark film much needed humor and wit but never sacrificing his characters own voice.

Hal Holbrook - "Into The Wild"

The quiet compassion and warmth he shows to the central character makes the rejection all the more tragic.
His final moments are a master class in restraint and sorrow. His Ron does not want to be alone.


Irrfan Khan - "A Mighty Heart" & "The Namesake"

His performance as the head of police in "A Mighty Heart" is sympathetic and focused. Hugely complimented by his role as a father trying to provide for his family and instill his culture in "The Namesake".


Tommy Lee Jones - "No Country for Old Men"

Give the film its voice of reason.
Masterfully lamenting on the unnecessary violence in the world without being preachy. He leaves you in regret for enjoying the film so much


Max Von Sydow - "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"

How this wasn't nominated is beyond me.
Takes your heart and shatters it in two small scenes. The grief of his father is so private you hate to watch.

I am Boomer

And I couldn't be happier.

In getting myself prepared for season 4 of "Battlestar Galactica" and when it would start (april 4th y'all) I came across the following little quizzy quiz.

I love a good quizzy quiz so I took this one and low and behold I am my favourite character. Boomers journey was a difficult one and we are still not 100% as to where her loyalties lie. I for one love this about her and wouldn't blame her at all for siding with either side. Right now she walk the middle line. Plus her on screen man is pretty damn hot!!!!

Take the quiz:

Which Battlestar Galactica Character Are You?

More on Battlestar Galactica. Created by BuddyTV

The Edge of Link

BUG FIXED ON LINKS

Cinematical is a great web site, but there is the best article on there on there now, highlighting how the Academy needs to fix the Foreign Film category (and oh boy does it need fixing). Check out what he says here….A-men brother.

Fug Madness begins. With Joan Rivers no longer laughing at the fashion of the rich (I miss her)......I say, and say it with me, “GIVE THESE GIRLS THEIR OWN SHOW!”

Every day, when I listen to my iPod on my 45 minute walk to work I thank Arjan for his blog. Otherwise I would have no wonderful good music. This week he looks at the Kanye West video for “Flashing Lights”. Never seen it, never heard it and all I can say is MY WORD!!!! I am excited for the music video genre again.

Guess who Cate Blanchett is going to be playing on stage. My fellow blogger has the scoop on his hot new blog!

OMG…..my new Obsession sings. KEIRA SINGS!!! Plus they give a sort of review of the film….SO EXCITED!

The Cellar Door reveals the beginning of the ‘little mermaid awards’.
I love bloggers doing their own awards, as it makes you reflect on performances you may not have loved, and the chance to be introduced to films you may not have seen.
He also made me pee my pants with this. If you are not a fan of Project Runway or simply do not get where you are it, watch this first.

OH NO. Say it isn’t so. Will one of the main movies I am excited about not going to be eligible for Oscar??

The daily mail is proving to be a source of great knowledge today. Samantha Morton directs!! She should hit the campaign trail before Oscar time talking about her difficult childhood on every talk show, then win the Oscar and talk about it some more. No. Wait. Samantha is classy….unlike Schmillery Skank.

Madonna - 'Hard Candy'

Ok.

So I have listened to a few tracks off of Madonna's 'Hard Candy' album.

I am at a cross roads.

I feel as though my mother (rest her soul) has just come back to me as a born again, bible thumping Bush voter.
ie: I am really disappointed.

I know she is trying to get played on U.S. radio again, but for me it is the musical equivalent of middle aged man buying a race car to impress a 18 year old girl.

I am also aware of my see-sawing on my opinion of her at this point in her career. I loves me my Madge, but I have never really been let down by her music (not since 'Ray of Light' anyway)

Go back to experimenting honey, and quick. As your departing album with Warner music I would hope you would go out with a bang...then again it could be one of the best selling albums of your career...who knows. Financial bang over artistic this time.

However there is that part of be saying I should hold out hope.

'Bedtime Stories' is my least favourite album of hers but there are tracks on there I adore. Anyone who knows that album was blown away by the genius of "Bedtime Stories" the track.
This is when she worked with popular, but still on the edge people. Bjork and Nellie Hooper helped her craft a sensual and electric track that gave us all a preview of things to come (hello 'Ray of Light').

So I will probably buy the new album (of course I will) and listen to it 20 times, before putting it away and getting out 'Music' and share in the joy of an artist having a blast experimenting with sounds. Or perhaps I will get out 'American Life' and remembering when she seemed to not care about airplay and made music for her.

MAFFE Awards 2008!! The Screenplays

John Orloff
for
"A Mighty Heart"

Shows immense restraint and respect in adapting this horrific true life story.

Never clumsy, never sentimental and always smart as well as incredible tense.




Christopher Hampton
for
"Atonement"

Never once falters in keeping alive the very complex and beautiful original material.

You are always aware of it's literary source





Sean Penn
for
"Into the Wild"

Always stays neutral in his opinion of the main character, letting the audience feel what they will.

This is what make the film so strong and work so well.



The Coen Brothers
for
"No Country for Old Men"

Sets up character and pace instantaneously. The viewer is gripped.

Very little dialogue is need to tell the story, but when it is used, it is perfect.




Vincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi
for
"Persepolis"

She writes the screenplay to the book about her own life and keeps the humor, intellegence and heart brimming over.

However she never skims of the political and social elements.



Ronald Harwood
for
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"

The adapted the impossible.

Remarkable.

There is nothing more to say with this










Cristian Mungiu
for
"4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days"

The tension builds out of no where.

Masterful storytelling.






Todd Haynes & Oren Moverman
for
"I'm Not There"

Difficult, challenging but still completely engaging.

The different story thread must have been a struggle.




Diablo Cody
for
"Juno"

An amazing debut.

Never letting the heroine get away with being too smart for her own good.





Tony Gilroy
for
"Michael Clayton"

Creating a good old fashioned legal caper yet making it fresh.

Never once do you feel it is preposterous.





Brad Bird & Jan Pinkava
for
"Ratatouille"

A rat in the kitchen would usually turn stomachs.

They made it poetic.





Tamara Jenkins
for
"The Savage"

Brothers and sisters have never been so flawed, funny and real.

MAFFE Awards 2008!! The Artistic

And here are my selections.








Ian Bailie - "Atonement"
The affluence of the manor, the simpleness of the cottage and the jaw dropping detail of Dunkirk.



Stuart Craig - "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"
The Epic scale, the attention to detail and the sly humor in these set pieces is stunning.



Steve Saklad - "Juno"
How every home/space is a visual representation of that person inhabiting it was very very clever.



Harley Jessup - Ratatouille
For the realistic details between the kitchen and the restaurant alone. Amazing work.



Mark Tildesley - "Sunshine"
How every room was different and had personality within this vast ship. The Green room alone! WOW



Jack Fisk - "There Will Be Blood"
Epically simplistic work.











Jacqueline Durran - "Atonement"
That green dress is already an iconic piece of fashion.



Alexandra Byrne - "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
Totally not accurate, but so over the top you cannot ignore them.



Rite Ryack - "Hairspray"
So much fun and colour. It was like watching candy dance. plus they were made so they could move...a tough thing to do.



Sarah Edwards - "Michael Clayton"
If ever costume ever defined character this is it. Her work with forming Karen Crowders outer persona is amazing.



Colleen Atwood - "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"
Grim, character based and oh so sexy.



Patricia Norris - "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
The level of detail in these western germents took my breath away.













Marco Beltrami - "3:10 to Yuma"
Absolutely stunning listen

Dario Marianelli - "Atonement"
Elegant and an original way of merging music and story. This one stays with you. listen

James Newton Howard - "Michael Clayton"
Dark, sparse and completely effective. listen

Michael Giacchino - "Ratatouille"
Fun, exciting and oh so Paris. listen

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis - "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
Beautiful, melodic and haunting. listen

Jonny Greenwood - "There WIll Be Blood"
Unsettling and utterly original. listen










Reading left to right (like a book).

Come So Far (So Far To Go) - "Hairspray"
So I like my songs hummable and perky...sue me!

Falling Slowly - "Once"
The most effective use of song in a film this year!

Guaranteed - "Into The Wild"
Compliments the film and story perfectly

Happy Working Song - "Enchanted"
Hysterically silly. The perfect set up.

Lyra - "The Golden Compass"
Basically anything Kate Bush does is brilliant.

Rule the World - "Stardust"
I love me a big cheesy ballad.