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Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 6:24 am
by FilmFan720
Have you seen Transsiberian? Emily Mortimer is excellent in that underrated thriller.
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 6:17 am
by OscarGuy
I don't know how you feel about Julianne Moore, but her work in Blindness was sadly overlooked. She is magnificent IMO.
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 4:03 am
by Precious Doll
How about Kristin Scott Thomas in I've Loved You So Long? It's the only great performance by an actress in a lead role that I've seen from a 2008 film.
I found it very hard to come up with 4 other actresses in my own choices for 2008.
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 3:24 am
by Eric
Can't help you there, Damien. I was backing Anne Hathaway and Sally Hawkins.
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 2:21 am
by Damien
Sabin wrote:Eight wins for The Assassination of Jesse James...
I won't complain about No Country for Old Men's four victories (among the best of the decade, I'd argue) but what a wonderful evening it would've been if Dominick's movie was even nominated for eight Oscars.
When can we expect the next round?
We're having our 2008 IRA meeting on Saturday the 21st.
(Quick, somebody give me some movies to see for Best Actress contenders. All I have so far are Asia Argento in Boarding Gate, Meryl Streep in Doubt and Juliette Binoche in Flight Of The Red Balloon.)
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 12:18 am
by Sabin
Eight wins for The Assassination of Jesse James...
I won't complain about No Country for Old Men's four victories (among the best of the decade, I'd argue) but what a wonderful evening it would've been if Dominick's movie was even nominated for eight Oscars.
When can we expect the next round?
Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 4:55 pm
by Precious Doll
I was being a little hard on Foster in Contact and Sommersby. She gave better performances then the films deserved, particularly in Contact, a role in which most of the so-called 'major' actresses of today would struggle with to pull off.
I wish she would go back to selecting more off-beat smaller projects then the big-budget Hollywood dross of late.
Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:25 pm
by OscarGuy
I love the movie Contact. It was one of the few blockbusters that actually challenged religion on the subject of science. Sure there have been plenty of films to do so, but here's one that was a huge success. And Jodie Foster is absolutely mesmerizing in it. Contact is one of my favorite films of that year and Foster one of the best actresses as well.
Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:21 pm
by Greg
flipp525 wrote:In Contact, Foster lends a gravitas and compelling emotional range to her situation that elevates the entire film. I would've supported a nomination for her that year.
Same for me, even though there are some here who really hate Contact.
Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 11:58 am
by flipp525
Precious Doll wrote:Speaking of Jodie Foster I can't think of another major actress who gave so many terrific performances in the first 15 or so years on receiving her first Oscar nomination (Taxi Driver, Candleshoe, Freaky Friday, Foxes, Carny, Stealing Home, Five Corners, The Accused, Silence of the Lambs, The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane) to some of the worst choices that are frankly way beneath her talent (Maverick, Contact, Anna and the King of Siam, Flight Plan, Panic Room, Sommersby, etc).
While, in general, I have to agree with your assessment, Precious Doll, I do have to take exception to two of the films you listed in your "latter-day Jodie Foster downward spiral list": Sommersby and Contact.
It might just be me looking at the film through rose-colored adolescent glasses, but I have a special place in my heart for Foster's performance in the underrated Sommersby. Based on true story in France, many elements of the film come together in a rather unexpected way. Gere's affable persona is appropriately used by the director. You can see the reasons why he might be able to charm the whole town into thinking he's someone he's not. The high-drama finish in the courtroom scene, while contrived, is emotionally-charged and filled with memorable cinematic moments. And as the defiant Civil War "widow", Foster is able to use her stalwart toughness as the shell that, by the end of the film, must be (and is) cracked by love. In fact, it's one of the movies I bring out to prove that Foster does make a convincing heterosexual when she wants to be.
In Contact, Foster lends a gravitas and compelling emotional range to her situation that elevates the entire film. I would've supported a nomination for her that year.
And as hackneyed as some elements of The Brave One were, her performance in it is spectacular.
Her performance in Stealing Home is also quintessential Jodie. She is so luminous, tragic, mysteriously hypnotic, you'd be hard pressed to walk out of the film and not have a huge crush on her. I certainly did. The 'Stealing Home' theme is wonderfully fitting as well.
Edited By flipp525 on 1207354417
Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 10:36 am
by barrybrooks8
I especially enjoy your choice of Mary Kay Place for Cictizen Ruth. What a great performance and a great movie!
Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:22 am
by flipp525
What a great bunch of choices. I'm putting a lot of these on my Netflix queue. Were there any runner-ups, Damien? Norma Aleandro for The Official Story (1985) takes my Best Actress prize with Cher close behind for Mask that same year.
Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 4:43 am
by Precious Doll
There's certainly plenty of inspired choices here. Love some of the choices particularly:
Denholm Elliott for Saint Jack
Eric Roberts for Star 80
Vanessa Redgrave for Prick up Your Ears
Jeff Bridges for Cutter's Way
Lee Marvin for The Big Red One
Jerry Lewis for The King of Comedy
Divine for Hairspray
Isabelle Huppert in Story Of Women
John Hurt for Scandal
Mary Kay Place in Citizen Ruth and Manny & Lo
Mare Winningham for Georgia
Paddy Constantine in My Summer Of Love
Carmen Maura in Volver
Jodie Foster in Carny & Foxes
Speaking of Jodie Foster I can't think of another major actress who gave so many terrific performances in the first 15 or so years on receiving her first Oscar nomination (Taxi Driver, Candleshoe, Freaky Friday, Foxes, Carny, Stealing Home, Five Corners, The Accused, Silence of the Lambs, The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane) to some of the worst choices that are frankly way beneath her talent (Maverick, Contact, Anna and the King of Siam, Flight Plan, Panic Room, Sommersby, etc).
By all accounts Nim's Island doesn't break this bad streak. Such a shame.
Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 2:12 pm
by rain Bard
For some reason I remember you mentioning that Jan Svankmajer's Little Otik won the dramamine award one year. Must have been 2001, for which you have that award blank.
Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 9:15 am
by Zahveed
Damien wrote:1999
Best Picture: Fight Club
Score