.*BAFTA 2010 NOMINATIONS"-

And the nominees are...


Over the years I've come to prefer the BAFTAs over the Oscars, one reason is their choice of nominees which usually are more interesting than those of the Oscars. Whereas the Academy at times seems to be influenced by star quality and box office results, the BAFTAs appear more credible, with often some surprise nominees that I too feel are more deserving than some of the more obvious choices the Oscars go for. Also, with only one hour of time difference I'm able to watch the BAFTAs on the BBC without having to wake up in the middle of the night or actually early morning to watch the ceremony. 'Cause this is the case with the Oscars of which I can never be sure, by the way, that they will be broadcasted on Dutch television at all (!!!) And perhaps, yes, perhaps :D I just got a more loving kind of feeling towards the Brits! Just a little...maybe ;)

"]MY MISTAKE*(

I've been using the term prepatory for months when I actually meant preparatory, 'cause I've been going to preparatory school. I guess I've been confused 'cause in French it's préparé, so 'prepare' even though it's also préparatoire. Anyway, I just discovered my mistake while reading C.S. Forester's 'The General' :D The good that reading can do

Check out this band called Local Natives and their song Airplanes

Airplanes Split from Local Natives on Vimeo.

Such a wonderful song.
Very nice voice as well

I finally watched Låt Den Rätte Komma In (Let The Right One In) today. Dutch critics have called it the best film of 2009 and I might agree. I don't know what a 'best film' is, but Let The Right One In is definetly great. I especially loved the two young actors who play Oskar and Eli. They play their roles so well. I would seriously give them an Oscar for their performances if I was in charge. There's one scene where Oskar looks at Eli with such fascination. His eyes just gaze at her. I'm not sure if I've ever seen young love portrayed so well. I'm still a bit stunned.

<*DIRECTORS ROUND TABLE_)

They ususally do this with actors only when the Oscars draw nearer, but now there's a version with directors! As much as I like the ones with the actors, I'm more interested what the directors have to say. Featured are Jason Reitman, Jim Cameron, Kathryn Bigelow, Lee Daniels, Peter Jackson and Quentin Tarantino, all directors whose films have received Oscar buzz over this past year



To watch part 2 & 3 head over to Awardsdaily.com

>*THE JACKET$#

Just finished watching The Jacket which is this really interesting film which doesn't seem to make much sense, but it just grabs you from the beginning and sucks you in. You just have to forget about what's real and what's not and just jump into the diegetic world of this film and watch the story unfold. I guess it's science-fiction, a bit of fantasy. When you think about the story too much you'll ruin it for yourself. I can't really explain. It's a really good film and at the same time it's flawed and I would totally understand if someone would just bluntly call it bad. But I feel there's just so much more to this film. It's very satisfying, it feels so layered. So full. So detailed. It just believes in itself and overall is just very convincing. Adrien Brody carries the film really well. There's a lot of suspense, I had some moments that gave me some chills a bit which not happens often. Keira Knightley for the first time felt to me to be really in the right place. I've never been really convinced by her as an actress. She was nominated for Pride & Prejudice for an Academy Award but after seeing that film I just couldn't understand what was so great about her performance. For some reason she never really gets to me. I never feel involved. But in this one she was pretty good. I guess I liked her in Bend It Like Beckham as well but Pride & Prejudice as well as Atonement didn't really do it for me. Perhaps I have to see those two again. The film also features Jennifer Jason Leigh who has been one of my favourite actresses for quite a long time. I loved her in eXistenZ and The Hudsucker Proxy. She deserves way more recognition. So I thought I was going to watch a not so good film, because I remembered critics not liking it too much, but I ended up watching a film which really got hold of me and that will probably linger on in my mind for quite some days to come. Totally unexpected. I really like this film :)

*%10 BEST PICTURE NOMINEES(+

Still one winner though. Thanks to Awardsdaily.com for pointing out this huge change. Instead of 5 Best Picture nominees at the Oscars they make a change next year with adding 5 more to a total of ten. Exciting news! This means more attention for 5 more films. Good thing. So who knows, perhaps Star Trek will get a best Picture nom then as well as Pixar's Up!

&#REALLY?|]

The list of winners for the 2009 Academy Awards has been leaked, or so they say.
This list below apparently is the list of winners. To know if this is correct you have to watch and find out tomorrow though. This list, however, could be the definite one, but then again anyone could have predicted this. Only real standout is Amy Adams' win for best supporting actress for her role in Doubt. She has been nominated before so a win could be the case. However, so far Penélope Cruz as well as Viola Davis have been the favourites, not miss Adams. Departures win for foreign language film over big names such as Entre Les Murs and Waltz With Bashir seems unlikely though...

Actor in a leading role: Mickey Rourke
Actor in a supporting role: Heath Ledger
Actress in a leading role: Kate Winslet
Actress in a supporting role: Amy Adams
Animated Feature Film: Wall-E
Art Direction: The Dark Knight
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire
Costume Design: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Directing: Slumdog Millionaire
Documentary feature: Man on Wire
Documentary short: The Conscience of Nhem En
Film editing: Milk
Foreign language film: Departures
Makeup: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Music (Score): Defiance
Music (Song): Down to Earth (Wall-E)
Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Short film (animated): Presto
Short film (live action): Auf Der Strecke (On The Line)
Sound editing: Wall-E
Sound mixing: The Dark Knight
Visual effects: Iron Man
Writing (Adapted screenplay): The Reader
Writing (Original screenplay): In Bruges

_*OSCAR OSCAR OSCAR^*

I'm home. Went back after my shift and after having picked up some of my tickets for several films. So here they are 2009 Academy Award Nominees:

81st Oscar Nominations

Performance by an actor in a leading role

* Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor” (Overture Films)
* Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
* Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features)
* Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
* Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

* Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features)
* Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
* Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax)
* Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
* Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Performance by an actress in a leading role

* Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal)
* Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)
* Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

* Amy Adams in “Doubt” (Miramax)
* Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (The Weinstein Company)
* Viola Davis in “Doubt” (Miramax)
* Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
* Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Best animated feature film of the year

* “Bolt” (Walt Disney), Chris Williams and Byron Howard
* “Kung Fu Panda” (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount), John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
* “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton

Achievement in art direction

* “Changeling” (Universal), Art Direction: James J. Murakami, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Peter Lando
* “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Art Direction: Michael Carlin, Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
* “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Art Direction: Kristi Zea, Set Decoration: Debra Schutt

Achievement in cinematography

* “Changeling” (Universal), Tom Stern
* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Claudio Miranda
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfister
* “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle

Achievement in costume design

* “Australia” (20th Century Fox), Catherine Martin
* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Jacqueline West
* “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Michael O’Connor
* “Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Glicker
* “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Albert Wolsky

Achievement in directing

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Fincher
* “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Ron Howard
* “Milk” (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant
* “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Stephen Daldry
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle

Best documentary feature

* “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)” (Cinema Guild), A Pandinlao Films Production, Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
* “Encounters at the End of the World” (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment), A Creative Differences Production, Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
* “The Garden” A Black Valley Films Production, Scott Hamilton Kennedy
* “Man on Wire” (Magnolia Pictures), A Wall to Wall Production, James Marsh and Simon Chinn
* “Trouble the Water” (Zeitgeist Films), An Elsewhere Films Production, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

Best documentary short subject

* “The Conscience of Nhem En” A Farallon Films Production, Steven Okazaki
* “The Final Inch” A Vermilion Films Production, Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
* “Smile Pinki” A Principe Production, Megan Mylan
* “The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306” A Rock Paper Scissors Production, Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde

Achievement in film editing

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lee Smith
* “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
* “Milk” (Focus Features), Elliot Graham
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Chris Dickens

Best foreign language film of the year

* “The Baader Meinhof Complex” A Constantin Film Production, Germany
* “The Class” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haut et Court Production, France
* “Departures” (Regent Releasing), A Departures Film Partners Production, Japan
* “Revanche” (Janus Films), A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production, Austria
* “Waltz with Bashir” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production, Israel

Achievement in makeup

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Greg Cannom
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullivan
* “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (Universal), Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.),Alexandre Desplat
* “Defiance” (Paramount Vantage), James Newton Howard
* “Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Elfman
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman
* “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

* “Down to Earth” from “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Lyric by Peter Gabriel
* “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar
* “O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman andMaya Arulpragasam

Best motion picture of the year

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), A Kennedy/Marshall Production, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
* “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production,Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers
* “Milk” (Focus Features), A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers
* “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production, Nominees to be determined
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A Celador Films Production,Christian Colson, Producer

Best animated short film

* “La Maison en Petits Cubes” A Robot Communications Production, Kunio Kato
* “Lavatory - Lovestory” A Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company Production, Konstantin Bronzit
* “Oktapodi” (Talantis Films) A Gobelins, L’école de l’image Production, Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand
* “Presto” (Walt Disney) A Pixar Animation Studios Production, Doug Sweetland
* “This Way Up”, A Nexus Production, Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes

Best live action short film

* “Auf der Strecke (On the Line)” (Hamburg Shortfilmagency), An Academy of Media Arts Cologne Production, Reto Caffi
* “Manon on the Asphalt” (La Luna Productions), A La Luna Production, Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont
* “New Boy” (Network Ireland Television), A Zanzibar Films Production, Steph Green and Tamara Anghie
* “The Pig” An M & M Production, Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh
* “Spielzeugland (Toyland)” A Mephisto Film Production, Jochen Alexander Freydank

Achievement in sound editing

* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Richard King
* “Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Tom Sayers
* “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
* “Wanted” (Universal),Wylie Stateman

Achievement in sound mixing

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
* “WALL-E” (Walt Disney),Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
* “Wanted” (Universal), Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

Achievement in visual effects

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
* “Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

Adapted screenplay

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
* “Doubt” (Miramax), Written by John Patrick Shanley
* “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Screenplay by Peter Morgan
* “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Hare
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

Original screenplay

* “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Courtney Hunt
* “Happy-Go-Lucky” (Miramax), Written by Mike Leigh
* “In Bruges” (Focus Features), Written by Martin McDonagh
* “Milk” (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black
* “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

(}AS IT IS IN HEAVEN>?

Last night I watched Så Som I Himmelen (As It Is In Heaven) which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2005. It's good, very good. Really strong drama, very toucvhing, with wodnerful characters. I liked that so many characters were given prominence apart from the main character played by Michael Nyqvist. The premise of the film is very simple but is carried out with a lot of depth turning this film not into some sort of Sister Act or Les Choristes. Så Som I Himmelen clearly is a film for adults and not a family film. Main character Daniel Daréus is the spill of the film, his pain, his grudge towards what happened to him as a child is what gives this film its main substance. I loved Nyqvist portrayal of the character, his silences during which you see him struggling inside. His fear for affection. Slowly he moves into his own self again and is dragged out this black hole with the help of all these beautiful people he has come to surround himself with. The best performance comes from actress Ingela Olsson who plays the wife of the village's pastor. The constant discussions between she and her husband are great to watch. She really throws herself into this role. The biggest role apart from Daniel is Lena. Frida Hallgren portraying her kind of fools the audience, at first coming off as this young, chippy, naive girl, but in the end showing that there's much more to her character than you expected. She becomes the character for which she end up caring the most for and who becomes such a great support to Daniel. In the end seeing them together I just felt so happy for these actors and for Kay Pollak, the film's director, as they really have succeeded in making a really strong film. They can all be proud of themselves as it is a wodnerful achievement.