Melissa Leo

Slideshow: 30-Image Gallery For Red-Carpet Arrivals at 2009 Academy Awards

BrianTT — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 23:45:22 -0700

CHICAGO – This 30-image slideshow contains a selection of the arrivals at The 81st Annual Academy Awards. Want to know what people were wearing? Check out images of Kate Winslet, Penelope Cruz, “High School Musical“‘s Vanessa Hudgens, Marisa Tomei, Mickey Rourke, Natalie Portman, Taraji P. Henson, Melissa Leo, “New Moon“‘s Robert Pattinson, and many more.

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos are credited to Adam Larkey and courtesy of ABC. All Rights Reserved.

oscars2009_red_carpet_01: Miley Cyrus
oscars2009_red_carpet_02: Emile Hirsch
oscars2009_red_carpet_03: Vanessa Hudgens
oscars2009_red_carpet_04: Freida Pinto
oscars2009_red_carpet_05: Melissa Leo
oscars2009_red_carpet_06: Viola Davis
oscars2009_red_carpet_07: Taraji P. Henson
oscars2009_red_carpet_08: Richard Jenkins
oscars2009_red_carpet_09: Heidi Klum
oscars2009_red_carpet_10: Leslie Mann
oscars2009_red_carpet_11: Amy Adams
oscars2009_red_carpet_12: Amanda Seyfried
oscars2009_red_carpet_13: Sarah Jessica Parker
oscars2009_red_carpet_14: Diane Lane
oscars2009_red_carpet_15: Marisa Tomei
oscars2009_red_carpet_16: Marisa Tomei and Natalie Portman
oscars2009_red_carpet_17: Mickey Rourke
oscars2009_red_carpet_18: Evan Rachel Wood
oscars2009_red_carpet_19: Meryl Streep
oscars2009_red_carpet_20: Jessica Biel
oscars2009_red_carpet_21: Penelope Cruz
oscars2009_red_carpet_22: Kate Winslet
oscars2009_red_carpet_23: Angelina Jolie
oscars2009_red_carpet_24: Alicia Keys
oscars2009_red_carpet_25: Virginia Madsen
oscars2009_red_carpet_26: Robert Pattinson
oscars2009_red_carpet_27: Melissa George
oscars2009_red_carpet_28: Natalie Portman
oscars2009_red_carpet_29: Mickey Rourke
oscars2009_red_carpet_30: Angelina Jolie

Read our full 2009 Oscar coverage of the winners.
Read our full list of the 2009 Oscar nominees.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Mickey Rourke, Melissa Leo Win 2009 Film Independent Spirit Awards

BrianTT — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 18:31:45 -0700

CHICAGO – “The Wrestler” was the big winner at the Film Independent Spirit Awards in Los Angeles, as Darren Aronofsky’s film took home the prize for Best Picture and Mickey Rourke won for Best Actor. Other big winners included Melissa Leo for Best Actress for “Frozen River,” James Franco for Best Supporting Actor for “Milk,” and Penelope Cruz for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”.

Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
Photo credit: Fox Searchlight

Mickey Rourke gave the most entertaining speech of the day, taking time to note that friend Eric Roberts should get the same kind of career comeback that he has had with “The Wrestler” and becoming emotional when speaking about his recently deceased close friend, his dog Loki. Like a lot of people, he was clealry having a blast

Rourke gave one of the most heartfelt, fun, and generally entertaining speeches in years, a part of a ceremony that always feels more laid-back and enjoyable than nearly any other awards show. How many other awards shows feature f-bombs and giant bottles of Jameson on the table?

The Steve Coogan-hosted event included unusual musical numbers (sung by people like Christina Applegate, Teri Hatcher, and Rainn Wilson) for the five films nominated for Best Feature (“Ballast,” “Frozen River,” “Rachel Getting Married,” “Wendy and Lucy,” and “The Wrestler”)

“The Wrestler” may have been the big winner but the Independent Spirit Awards, hosted by Steve Coogan and broadcast live on IFC, really spread the wealth around with each acting award and the director award going to five different films.

Other major winners includes Thomas McCarthy for Best Director for “The Visitor,” Woody Allen for Best Screenplay for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” “The Class” for Foreign Film, Maryse Alberti for Best Cinematography for “The Wrestler,” and “Man on Wire” for Best Documentary.

Charlie Kaufman won Best First Feature for “Synecdoche, New York” and Dustin Lance Black won Best First Screenplay for “Milk”.

The Acura Someone to Watch Award went to Lynn Shelton for “My Effortless Brilliance”. The Plaget Producers Award went to Heather Rae for “Frozen River”. Margaret Brown won the Lacoste Truer Than Fiction Award for “The Order of Myths”. The team behind “Synecdoche, New York” was given a special prize, the Robert Altman Award, given to the film’s director, casting director and its ensemble cast.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: Oscar-Nominated ‘Frozen River’ Has Gripping Dramatic Power

BrianTT — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:50:32 -0700

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Courtney Hunt’s “Frozen River” is easily the most unlikely double Oscar nominee of 2008, scoring nods for Best Actress and Best Original Screenplay and now available on Blu-Ray from Sony Home Entertainment.

Like “Wendy and Lucy” and “Ballast” (both films I think are slightly superior), “Frozen River” is about people on the economic fringe. Melissa Leo gives a stunning performance as Ray, a Yankee Dollar employee struggling to make ends meet after the gambling addict father of her kids leaves her with next to nothing.

Misty Upham and Melissa Leo star in Courtney Hunt’s Frozen River.
Photo credit: Sony

Ray can’t make the payments on her new double-wide house, feeds her kids popcorn and Tang for dinner, and does everything she can to keep her fragile world together. She lives in Massena, New York, near the Canadian border on a landscape of North American that feels frozen physically, socially, and emotionally. Everyone is on thin ice.

Misty Upham and Melissa Leo star in Courtney Hunt’s Frozen River.
Photo credit: Sony

In this bleak terrain, Ray crosses path with another single mother, Lila, a recently widowed Mohawk woman who has watched her mother-in-law steal her child from her with no repercussions. Lila still wants to provide for her child and has entered the smuggling business, traveling across the Mohawk reservation to Canada, putting illegal immigrants in her trunk and coming back.

Ray and Lila have so few options to make ends meet that they team up in their illegal venture transporting immigrants in the middle of the night across a frozen river. Ray can see the down payment in just another trip or two, but, of course, circumstances spiral out of control and both women are forced to make a series of decisions that could mean life or death.

The nomination for Melissa Leo for Best Actress for “Frozen River” is understandable ten minutes into the Blu-Ray for this gripping drama. Her performance is the beating heart of this film and it is one hundred percent believable. It’s the kind of role that so many actresses would have turned into melodramatic scenery-chewing but Leo never goes there, saving the emotions for where they are needed in the final act.

Having said that, I think Leo took a Best Actress spot that Michelle Williams for “Wendy and Lucy,” Kristin Scott Thomas for “I’ve Loved You So Long,” and Sally Hawkins for “Happy-Go-Lucky” arguably deserved more. Watching Melissa Leo in “Frozen River,” marveling at her excellent performance, and then realizing that she probably still wouldn’t be in my top five for 2008 just proves how incredible a year it was for actresses.

Melissa Leo stars in Courtney Hunt’s Frozen River.
Photo credit: Sony

As for the screenplay, while I love when the Academy recognizes new voices, Hunt’s work did not deserve an Oscar nomination over at least half a dozen other choices including “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” “The Visitor,” “Rachel Getting Married” or “Synecdoche, New York”. I’m a little stunned that it was and wonder if it’s not partially due to the economic crisis this country now faces and the dramatic power the real headlines lend this story.

The script and direction for “Frozen River” are good, but there’s a subtlety in Leo’s performance that’s a bit missing from the rest of the piece. The music choices, numerous shots of the cracking ice, and general pervading sense of dread always made me feel like I was watching a movie, even though Leo’s work goes a long way in making the story believable.

The Sony Blu-Ray release for “Frozen River” is good, but far from great. The 1080P picture with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio is good but mixed a little too dark. I wonder if taking a film that was shot on such a low-budget and giving it the HD treatment doesn’t backfire for the final product. “Frozen River” is the kind of movie that might look better in standard definition. And the audio track in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 is not significantly enhanced by the format although the dialogue is well-mixed and never muffled.

As for special features, “Frozen River” includes only one, an informative and interesting commentary about the making of the film from Hunt and producer Heather Rae.

“Frozen River” is probably the major Oscar nominee that most of you haven’t seen. Correct that before the ceremony on Sunday, February 22nd, 2009, just in case Leo and Hunt pull the ultimate upset.

‘Frozen River’ is released by Sony Pictures Entertainment and stars Melissa Leo, Misty Upham, Charlie McDermott, Michael O’Keefe, and Mark Boone Junior. It was written and directed by Courtney Hunt. It was released on February 10th, 2009.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Interviews With 2009 Oscar Nominees: Melissa Leo, Richard Jenkins, Taraji P. Henson

BrianTT — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 08:14:27 -0700

CHICAGO – In 2008, HollywoodChicago.com was lucky enough to speak to several of of this year’s lucky Oscar nominees, including Melissa Leo of “Frozen River,” Richard Jenkins of “The Visitor,” Taraji P. Henson of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” and Darren Aronofsky of “The Wrestler,” who may have missed out Best Director but saw his two stars, Marisa Tomei and Mickey Rourke, land major nominations.

We thought we would recap and link to some of the best interviews from our team in 2008 by a few of the people that the Academy deemed worth of Oscar nominations for their work in 2008.

“If you’re an actor, you are enough. You have to believe that - that you are enough.” - Patrick McDonald speaks to Richard Jenkins about “The Visitor” (Nominee for Best Actor)

“We are here to grow into our best selves. That is my religion. Whatever can get you there and whatever the trials, that is what betters us. That is how the story of this film is played out.” - Patrick McDonald speaks to Melissa Leo about “Frozen River” (Nominee for Best Actress)

“Frozen River” star Melissa Leo in Chicago on July 16, 2008.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

“It was very bold for Eric Roth to choose to make Queenie an African-American woman who was the surrogate mother to Benjamin Button – a white character – which would have been very unusual at the time with what was happening in the country with race.” - Adam Fendelman speaks to Taraji P. Henson about “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Nominee for Best Supporting Actress)

(On Rourke) “Between action and cut, there was no one I’ve ever met who was as natural, and he was in complete control,” Aronofsky said. “He was aware of what was going on and was always fully there as the character.” - Patrick McDonald speaks to Darren Aronofsky about “The Wrestler” (Nominee for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress)

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

2008 in Review: The Top 5 Film Interviews of HollywoodChicago.com

PatrickMcD — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:19:54 -0700

CHICAGO – After participating in close to 25 interviews in 2008 for HollywoodChicago.com, the mechanics of each sit down are interestingly similar. The reporters gather at a pre-determined spot (usually a Chicago downtown hotel).

And then either one-by-one or part of group, we are led into the inner sanctum of the actor or director’s interview room. Then, getting anywhere from 14 to 40 minutes, we get to ask questions.

Sometimes there are phone interviews. Nothing is more surreal than sitting in the home office, surrounded by everything that is familiar, and talking to one of the industry’s most notorious playwrights or an admired character actor.

The goal of each profile became the opportunity to either ask a question the interviewee had never heard, or to get a nugget of information that distinguishes the film or television show that they’re promoting. It is a terrific challenge.

After assessing all of the 2008 interviews, it was these five that stood out.

Melissa Leo, Lead Actress, “Frozen River”

“Frozen River” star Melissa Leo in Chicago on July 16, 2008.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

The Background

After playing Sgt. Kay Howard on the TV show “Homicide” in the 1990s, and having notable supporting character roles for years, Leo got the opportunity to be the prime mover in this unusual story of immigrant running on the Canadian border.

The Quote

“We are here to grow into our best selves. That is my religion. Whatever can get you there and whatever the trials, that is what betters us. That is how the story of this film is played out.”

Behind the Scenes

When asked about playing Suellen O’Hara (Scarlett’s sister) in the mini-series “Scarlett” (1994), she laughed that it was “ancient history.” When informed that the 1939 Suellen (Evelyn Keyes) of “Gone With the Wind” had died the week before, she regretted never meeting her.

Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lead Actor, “Redbelt”

“Redbelt” star Chiwetel Ejiofor in Chicago on March 31, 2008.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

The Background

This fascinating British actor (name pronounced choo-ih-tell edge-o-for), who began his career working with Stephen Spielberg (”Amistad”), has played many memorable roles for directors ranging from Spike Lee to Woody Allen.

He was amazing as a Jujitsu master in the underrated David Mamet film, “Redbelt.”

The Quote

“If anything, the film is commenting on the way of how people – through their own volition – favor a simple way of living within their own moral framework, but find themselves at times vulnerable to the bigger machines at work.

The lesson within the film is that if you maintain your own position, you’ll find ways of engaging if not defeating anything that comes your way.”

Behind the Scenes

While talking about Hollywood politics, we both got into a spasm of uncontrolled laughter.

Steve Conrad, Director/Writer, “The Promotion”

“The Promotion” writer and director Steve Conrad in Chicago on April 22, 2008.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

The Background

This Chicago-based writer/director put his heart and soul into the charming and brilliantly observed human comedy “The Promotion.” Passionate about the character of Chicago, he convinced the producers to film, with his all-star cast, on location in the city.

The Quote

“I would always try to measure the comedy through real human behavior. Among others things, it’s about carving out the space in America to become your better self, how that challenges you and what it costs. It amounts to the fight of all of our lives.”

Behind the Scenes

The interview was conducted in Conrad’s favorite tavern in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago.

Richard Jenkins, Lead Actor, “The Visitor”

Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor”.
Photo credit: Overture Films

The Background

Getting the lead role after a career of supporting portrayals (most notably as the father on “Six Feet Under”), Jenkins took “The Visitor” on his shoulders as the complex but heroic character of Walter Vale.

The native of DeKalb, Illinois, also spoke about his younger days watching movies at the Egyptian Theater there.

The Quote

“There’s nothing like walking onto a Hollywood sound stage.

You walk onto Warner Brothers and on those big sound stages that have been there for years there’s a list of every movie ever shot there. You are in the same place where Spencer Tracy, Errol Flynn, Jimmy Cagney and Humphrey Bogart made movies.”

Behind the Scenes

His distinct gravely voice felt like a private performance when coming out of the speaker phone. It was Richard Jenkins as Richard Jenkins.

Neil LaBute, Director/Writer, “Lakeview Terrace”

Director Neil LaBute and Samuel L. Jackson on the set of “Lakeview Terrace”.
Photo credit: imdb

The Background

One of the most notorious and controversial playwrights in America, LaBute put his distinct spin on race relations in his must-see morality film, “Lakeview Terrace.”

His unblinking instinct to showcase human beings in their most unsettled form formulates a provocative atmosphere.

The Quote

“If Rodney King asks the question ‘can’t we all get along?,’ I would say after much scrutiny the answer would be ‘just barely’.”

Behind the Scenes

Even though the indication was that Mr. LaBute would be available via phone only for 17 minutes, he graciously went overtime and engaged in all of the interview questions.

Quick Takes on Some of the Other Good Ones in 2008

Funniest Interviews

“Shaun of the Dead” Simon Pegg loved his personalized water bottle, and frenetic Sam Rockwell did several minutes on trying to light a cigarette.

Master Class

One of the top and most famous documentary makers, Errol Morris, held a group of us in awe as he spoke of his craft.

Big Stars

Oscar winner Chris Cooper was a larger-than-life presence and Rainn Wilson – Dwight Schrute himself of “The Office” – rhapsodized about fulfilling a life-long show business dream.

Finally, Dude, You Are So Old & Boring

One of the subjects of the documentary, “American Teen” spent most of the group interview surreptitiously text messaging a distant friend. “OMG, STFU!”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Interview: Melissa Leo Channels John Wayne in Sundance Hit ‘Frozen River’

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:51:00 -0600

CHICAGO – Melissa Leo is a familiar face to admirers of the TV show “Homicide: Life on the Street”.

After playing Sgt. Kay Howard for five years on that popular series, she left the show to pursue character roles in such films as “21 Grams” and “The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada”. Taking on a leading role in her latest film “Frozen River,” Leo captures the desperation and strength of a woman with everything to lose.

“Frozen River” star Melissa Leo in Chicago on July 16, 2008.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

A scene from “Frozen River”.
Photo credit: Jory Sutton, copyright Frozen River Productions

HollywoodChicago.com recently interviewed Leo in anticipation of the film’s release. The actress candidly talked about her character’s direction and the nature of the unusual film.

“Frozen River,” which is an acclaimed Sundance Film Festival drama, refers to an upper New York state tributary that freezes so hard in the winter that vehicles are known to drive over it. Leo plays Ray Eddy: a resident of that Canadian border town whose husband has abandoned her with two children.

He also has stolen savings that would have been a down payment for a new trailer in which the family could have lived. Leo speaks about how she landed the role and how she collaborated with writer and director Courtney Hunt.

“The first thing Courtney said to me was: ‘Will you read my short?’ I happily did,” Leo said. “Then I called her and said: ‘Let’s do this.’ We shot the short. She edited it, showed it to me and said: ‘Good job.’ Then she said: ‘Would you like to do the feature?’ I didn’t even know she had a feature.”

Melissa Leo as Ray Eddy in “Frozen River”.
Photo credit: Jory Sutton, copyright Frozen River Productions

Rating: 4.0/5.0

“Courtney knew much more about the characters,” Leo said. “There were unanswered questions in the short we didn’t even know. The characters at that time were the ‘native’ and the ‘blonde’. They had no names.”

Ray Eddy became the character’s name. She lives desperately hand to mouth. With her husband gone and her savings wiped out, she decides to begin running illegal immigrants in the trunk of her car. The way to Canada without a border check is by directly driving over the frozen river.

“Courtney gave me a valuable piece of direction right before we shot the feature,” Leo said. “Watch ‘The Searchers’ (1956) and ‘Rio Grande’ (1950). Watch John Wayne. That’s probably the most consistent piece of direction throughout the rest of the filming process. It’s a little bit of the Duke.”

Eddy partners with Lila (Misty Upham): a Native American who lives on a nearby reservation.

Director Courtney Hunt on the set of “Frozen River”.
Photo credit: Jory Sutton, copyright Frozen River Productions

Charlie McDermott as TJ Eddy in “Frozen River”.
Photo credit: Jory Sutton, copyright Frozen River Productions

Lila knows the particulars of the immigrant running. She and Eddy have parallel lives with Lila having a husband who recently died and a son being raised by grandparents. Both women are looking to make a quick score and get the money they need to move on with their lives.

“This was actually a matriarchal story,” Leo said. “The natives have a lot of female tribal heads. You see the portrayal of the tribal meetings in the film to be heavily female, which is an accurate portrayal of those types of meetings.”

Leo added: “In our film, this is women doing what women do to get by especially when the men have let them down.”

The film is heavy with thematic symbolism involving race, gender and class. Leo spoke about those elements while emphasizing another aspect of the overall experience.

RELATED IMAGE GALLERY
View our full, high-resolution “Frozen River” image gallery.

RELATED READING
More film reviews from critic Patrick McDonald.

“The strength of the film is the story – a story that most people haven’t heard before,” Leo Said. “It’s a rich story because it encompasses all those themes.”

The “rich story” also has – in what Leo describes – a “satisfying” ending. She added: “The two women have learned something, have grown and are better people by the end of the film because of the journey the audience watches them go through.”

She concluded: “We are here to grow into our best selves. That is my religion. Whatever can get you there and whatever the trials, that is what betters us. That is how the story of this film is played out.”

“Frozen River” from writer and director Courtney Hunt stars Melissa Leo, Misty Upham and Michael O’Keefe opens in limited theaters on Aug. 15, 2008.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com