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Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 11:55 am
by Okri
Precious Doll wrote:Well one true contender who I mentioned before in another post is Melissa Leo for Frozen River.
Given that the film has now opened, received respectable reviews and is doing reasonable business on a limited release a nomination for Ms Leo is looking more likely.
And the Academy will definitely select her for a nomination before the annoying Sally Hawkins.
Well, this is staggeringly prescient.
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 1:16 pm
by Sabin
It's Mike Leigh, which gives it cred. It's looking like a weak autumn. And it seems like there's a dearth of decent sterling female roles. She's won at Berlin and the movie looks like a crowd-pleaser, maybe Mike Leigh's most successful film. I'm not getting what I'm missing here.
I haven't seen 'Frozen River' and it doesn't seem like a lot of other people have either. Melissa Leo is probably fantastic and could pick up an Indie Spirit nod/win and maybe a critic's award and pick up a little steam, but she could end up like Tilda Swinton in 'The Deep End'.
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 10:46 am
by Uri
I guess I should warn you there might be some minor spoilers here.
Poppy, the character played by Sally Hawkins, is indeed a character "we", meaning the average person watching the film, would initially see as totally intolerable (exactly the sentiment which is manifested in the early scene in the bookstore). Some spectators might not want to spend too much time with her in the end of the movie too, but there are some valid arguments made along the way which explain her attitude and make her totally conscious choices appeared to be, if not admired, then at least respected, and we can understand why sober, intelligent, "normal" people (her flat mate, her boss, her boyfriend) totally accept her as she is.
And as for the comedic elements of Happy-Go-Lucky, remember – it is a Mike Leigh's film. The apparent cheerfulness should be taken with a grain of salt.
And I don't think the trailer, at least the one I saw, truly reflected what the actual movie is about. In retrospect, it looked like an attempt to sell it as a feel good movie, and not the character study or a study of a certain philosophical take on life which is more accurate description of what it really is.
Edited By Uri on 1219430300
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 9:18 am
by OscarGuy
I see something entirely different in the Happy-Go-Lucky preview. I found it refreshing, amusing and joyful.
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 8:51 am
by flipp525
That Happy-Go-Lucky thing looks like the most annoying movie ever made. Am I missing some hidden depth and meaning? The entire trailer made me naseous.
Ana Faris looks delightful in House Bunny. Is there really some support for her performance?
Precious Doll, Melissa Leo was one of the best things about 21 Grams. I can certainly see her making a splash given the right material and it sounds like Frozen River might just be it. She'll need a critical push to overcome the hurdle of the film's low profile.
How nice to hear that Debra Winger might be welcomed back. I saw her in Black Widow recently and she was rather fantastic in it.
I'm sticking with my earlier prediction of a Drew Barrymore surge.
Edited By flipp525 on 1219414430
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 8:47 am
by Eric
No, she probably won't be nominated, but I can see her getting talked up at least a la Amy Adams.
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 8:45 am
by OscarGuy
I just can't see that happening. I could see her pulling a Cameron Diaz with New York, but they'll never nominate Faris for an Oscar.
Though, I must say that she has been one of the consistently good things about the "X" Movie franchise. She has a natural comedic quality that would have fit well with the glory days of SNL and is better than nearly anything SNL has put out since Phil Hartman (Tina Fey is the best SNL has put out since Phil).
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 8:38 am
by Eric
Longshot populist favorite likely to be endorsed by critical intelligentsia: Anna Faris, The House Bunny
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 3:43 am
by Precious Doll
Well one true contender who I mentioned before in another post is Melissa Leo for Frozen River.
Given that the film has now opened, received respectable reviews and is doing reasonable business on a limited release a nomination for Ms Leo is looking more likely.
And the Academy will definitely select her for a nomination before the annoying Sally Hawkins.
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 3:45 pm
by Sabin
No, he hasn't. That's just how he talks.
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 2:56 pm
by Mister Tee
I just flipped through Peter Travers' generally useless fall preview on the newsstand -- useless because he as always froths over far too many films, and also because you can't always tell if he's actually seen the films in questions or is just expectorating over buzz.
Two maybe-genuine pieces of news:
He's clearly seen Rachel Getting Married; calls it Demme's best film in years (better than the Charade remake?!), and highlights Hathawaty and Winger for lead and supporting actress nods.
He appears to have screened Frost/Nixon, and describes Langella as giving the performance of a lifetime.
There: your crumbs of fall-anticipation. Resume summering.
Edited By Mister Tee on 1219348626
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 6:38 am
by OscarGuy
I haven't seen the film, but the trailer is absolutely charming. It was sweet, funny and true to Manohla Dargis' word: makes you smile.
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 2:46 am
by Cinemanolis
Precious Doll wrote:If there is a strong field she won't have a hope in hell. Her character is so f...ing annoying, it's a relief once the film is over.
I totally agree. A good and funny performance, but really annoying. I don't feel she has a chance of being nominated. As for the film... i didn't really like it. I couldn't see any point in it, and i regard it one of Mike Leigh's weekest films.
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 2:20 am
by rain Bard
Interesting that Berlin-winning actresses have done very well with Oscar in the past decade two decades, at least if they've been in English-language films. But its probably worth noting that the only notable exception from that period was another British film: Ken Loach's Ladybird, Ladybird, whose Crissy Rock won the Silver Bear but was unnominated by the Academy.
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 1:59 am
by Precious Doll
Sabin wrote:So, 'Happy-Go-Lucky'...
I just saw this trailer and with the knowledge that Sally Hawkins has won the Berlin Film Festival award for Best Actress, she has to be something of a safe bet for a nomination at this point. My question...what of this film? It looks lovely. For such an "Academy unfriendly" figure, Mike Leigh has amassed five nominations thus far, some of them relatively unexpected.
If there is a strong field she won't have a hope in hell. Her character is so f...ing annoying, it's a relief once the film is over.
She only won in Berlin because the films in competition where basically were very weak.