Inglourious Basterds

DVD Review: ‘The Beautiful Person’ Offers French Take on Teenage Drama

mattmovieman — Wed, 18 May 2011 13:07:17 -0400

CHICAGO – Léa Seydoux is blessed with the sort of face that appears to convey a thousand different emotions without ever having to move a muscle. Her smile is beautiful but it almost feels like an intrusion, breaking the exquisite mystery of her passive, brooding expressions. Much has been written about her resemblance to Godard’s muse, Anna Karina, which perhaps inspired New Wave successor Christophe Honoré to direct her in this evocative drama.

“La belle personne” (a.k.a. “The Beautiful Person”) could’ve easily been made in the ’60s. Within the walls of its claustrophobic school, hormonal urges and repressed desires materialize in the form of pointed glances and scribbled notes as opposed to Facebook posts. Gossip is spread the old fashioned way, without the assistance of a Twitter feed. Body language emerges as the primary tool of communication. When a tight embrace is mistaken for a kiss, it can lead to devastating consequences.

DVD Rating: 3.5/5.0

Madame de La Fayette’s 1678 novel, “La Princesse de Clèves,” functions more or less as the source material for Honoré and Taurand’s script, which gives the classic story an enticing modern twist. Whereas “Clèves” centered on a young heiress caught in a love triangle between her royal husband and the Duke of her dreams, “Person” follows a teenage student, Junie (Seydoux), torn between the desires of her devoted boyfriend, Otto (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet), and an infatuated teacher, Nemours (Honoré regular Louis Garrel). Junie’s hypnotic eyes carry the weight of tragedy, as her awe-struck peers whisper about the sudden death of her mother. There’s no question that the girl’s emotional state is at its most fragile, and Nemours seems all too eager to take advantage of it. Though the story requires its two marquee names to be in love, the film does not build a convincing case. Besides the fact that Nemours is a loathsome cad, there are few moments in which his eyes ever seem to truly connect with Junie’s. Garrel’s ageless beauty is the only thing his character has going for him, and the actor is effective in scenes where the camera lingers on his love-struck gaze. Yet Seydoux’s attention appears to be elsewhere, as she exudes a presence more enigmatic than passionate.

Léa Seydoux stars in Christophe Honoré’s The Beautiful Person.
Photo credit: IFC Films

Throughout his career, Honoré has always been drawn to exploring the panorama of adolescent lust. While so many films about high school romance settle for trite melodrama, Honoré’s unsentimental, often detached approach is rather refreshing. He views his characters not as standard archetypes but unformed beings with wildly erratic heartstrings. Poor Otto (tenderly played Leprince-Ringuet) has no idea where he stands with Junie. She’ll bare her breasts to him one day and then treat him like a stranger the next. His despair eventually leads to one of the most unexpected yet oddly naturalistic musical numbers in recent memory. Honoré does a wonderful job of fleshing out other segments of the student body, creating a fully realized world that could’ve inspired a miniseries, if not a soap opera (it sure beats anything on the CW Network).

Louis Garrel stars in Christophe Honoré’s The Beautiful Person.
Photo credit: IFC Films

Junie’s cousin, Matthias (Esteban Carvajal-Alegria), plays a crucial role in the film’s central action, and his subplot gradually develops a life of its own. We also meet the lovers of varying ages that Nemours dumps in order to single-mindedly pursue Junie. “I’m as lost as you are,” Nemours moans to her, deluding himself with the belief that his problems are in any way linked to her own. Nemours’ love isn’t just blind, it’s willfully ignorant. While “Clèves” ended on a rather bleak note, “Person” takes a grounded approach to the material that ends up being much more hopeful.

This may be one of the rare French films in which audiences find themselves rooting for the two extraordinarily photogenic leads to not end up in bed together. The picture is ultimately as frustrating and enthralling as lust itself. As usual, Honoré elicits uniformly authentic performances from his young cast, particularly Seydoux, who seems poised to become an international star of considerable magnitude, particularly after her brief yet beguiling appearances in “Inglourious Basterds” and the upcoming Woody Allen comedy, “Midnight in Paris.” Seydoux is a splendid example of an actress whose magnetism is not merely a result of her beauty. The conflicting nuances reverberating beneath every stolen kiss and stifled sob is the stuff that stars are made of.

“The Beautiful Person” is presented in its 1.78:1 aspect ratio, complete with flawless picture quality and optional subtitles in English and Spanish. A misleading trailer edits together unrelated shots to create a romantic connection between Seydoux and Garrel that’s far more direct that the one in the actual film.

‘The Beautiful Person’ is released by IFC Films and stars Léa Seydoux, Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet, Louis Garrel, Esteban Carvajal-Alegria, Simon Truxillo and Agatha Bonitzer. It was written by Christophe Honoré and Gilles Taurand and directed by Christophe Honoré. It was released on May 17, 2011. It is not rated.

By MATT FAGERHOLM
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
matt@hollywoodchicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 50 Chicago Passes to ‘Countdown to Zero’ From ‘The Inconvenient Truth’ Producer

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 02:02:42 -0400

CHICAGO – In our latest documentary edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 50 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of the new documentary “Countdown to Zero”!

The film comes from Oscar winner and current nominee Lawrence Bender (the producer of “The Inconvenient Truth” and “Inglourious Basterds”) and acclaimed documentarian Lucy Walker (“The Devil’s Playground,” “Blindsight”). “Countdown to Zero” opens in Chicago on July 30, 2010.

To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “Countdown to Zero” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This screening is on Monday, July 26, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. in Chicago. Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

The movie poster for “Countdown to Zero”.
Image credit: Magnolia Pictures

Here is the plot description for “Countdown to Zero”:

“Countdown to Zero” traces the history of the atomic bomb from its origins to the present state of global affairs. Today, nine nations possess nuclear weapons capabilities with others racing to join them and the world is held in a delicate balance that could be shattered by an act of terrorism, failed diplomacy or a simple accident.

Written and directed by acclaimed documentarian Lucy Walker (“The Devil’s Playground,” “Blindsight”), the film features an array of important international statesmen including President Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pervez Musharraf and Tony Blair. It makes a compelling case for worldwide nuclear disarmament, which is an issue more topical than ever with the Obama administration working to revive this goal today.

The film was produced by Academy Award winner and current nominee Lawrence Bender (“Inglourious Basterds,” “An Inconvenient Truth”) and developed, financed and executive produced by Participant Media together with the World Security Institute. Participant collaborated with Magnolia on last year’s “Food, Inc.” (which was recently nominated for an Academy Award) and the upcoming “Casino Jack and the United States of Money”.

Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Bruce Blair and Matt Brown are the film’s executive producers.

The movie trailer for “Countdown to Zero” can be watched now below.

To secure your free tickets now, make sure you’re logged into your HollywoodChicago.com account. If you don’t yet have one, you can quickly register here. Having an account with a valid e-mail address is required. Then, simply add a new comment in the form below. In your comment, include an answer to this question:

What is your argument for or against global nuclear disarmament?

Like all Hookups here, this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup is simple: Just submit your comment below and we will award 50 people randomly via e-mail for our “Countdown to Zero” Hookup. Winners need to arrive early as seats are consumed on a first-come, first-served basis. Good luck!

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Taking the Oscars Home: How to See the 2010 Academy Award Winners

BrianTT — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:03:50 -0500

CHICAGO – Believe it or not, a lot of people heard about some critically acclaimed 2010 films for the first time on Sunday night, when they won or were nominated for 2010 Academy Awards and are now wondering how they can see winning films like “The Hurt Locker,” “Crazy Heart,” “The Blind Side,” “Inglourious Basterds,” “Precious,” and “Avatar”. Let us guide the way.

The Hurt Locker
Photo credit: Summit Entertainment

Of course, the big winner of the night was “The Hurt Locker,” which will likely be rented out at most of the Blockbusters and “Long Wait” on Netflix queues as people catch up with the lowest-grossing Best Picture winner in years. It’s currently available on DVD and Blu-ray along with five other winners.

You can currently rent or own the Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature, “Up,” as well as the Academy’s pick for Best Documentary of 2009 - “The Cove”. “Star Trek” may have been denied a spot in the Best Picture top ten but it did win Best Makeup and you can get it on DVD or Blu-ray now. Finally, you can rent or own both supporting acting winners, catching Christoph Waltz’s amazing work in “Inglourious Basterds” and Mo’Nique’s in “Precious,” hitting stores today.

As for winners about to hit DVD/Blu-ray, “The Blind Side” and its Best Actress-winning star Sandra Bullock will be in stores on March 23rd, 2010 and the winner for Best Costume Design, “The Young Victoria” brings its pretty dresses to stores on April 20th.

The Blind Side
Photo credit: Warner Brothers Home Video

The final three winners of the night are either playing in theaters or about to be released. Foreign Language Film winner “The Secret in Their Eyes” will be released in Chicago soon and “Crazy Heart” and its Best Actor-winning icon Jeff Bridges is in theaters now. Oh, and there’s a little movie called “Avatar” that I think might still be playing at a theater near you. Rumor has it that James Cameron’s uber-blockbuster will have a DVD/Blu-ray release possibly as soon as late April and it will probably be playing in theaters until then.

To recap - “The Hurt Locker,” “Inglourious Basterds,” “Precious,” “Up,” “Star Trek,” and “The Cove” are all at your local video store; “The Blind Side” will be released on 3/23/10; “The Young Victoria” comes home on 4/20/10; we’re currently waiting on release dates for “Crazy Heart,” “Avatar,” and “The Secret in Their Eyes,” but they’re all in theaters or about to be.

As for major nominees on DVD and Blu-Ray, you can also check out “Up in the Air,” “A Serious Man,” “District 9,” “Julie & Julia,” and “In the Loop” today if you want.

As for upcoming nominees, “An Education” comes home on March 30th, 2010, “The Lovely Bones” will be released on April 20th, 2010, “Nine” comes home on May 4th, 2010, and “The Messenger” will be in stores on May 18th, 2010. You’ll have to wait on “A Single Man,” “Invictus,” and “The Last Station,” none of which have DVD release dates quite yet but all three should be announced soon.

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

‘The Hurt Locker,’ Kathryn Bigelow, Sandra Bullock, Jeff Bridges Win 2010 Academy Awards

BrianTT — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:44:39 -0500

CHICAGO – It was a triumph worthy of David and Goliath at The 82nd Annual Academy Awards on Sunday, March 7th, 2010. Summit Entertainment’s ‘The Hurt Locker’ became the lowest-grossing picture to take home the Best Picture Oscar, while its director, Kathryn Bigelow, became the first woman in history honored with the Academy Award for Best Director. The film won six awards total, including trophies for Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing.

Kathryn Bigelow
Photo credit: Craig Sjodin

“The Hurt Locker”’s biggest competitor couldn’t have been more formidable, considering it is now the highest-grossing film of all time. Yet “Avatar” ended up claiming only three awards, while “Crazy Heart,” “Up” and “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ By Sapphire” racked up two apiece. The major wins for “Hurt Locker” were a thrilling finale to a rather lackluster evening, devoid of the vitality and excitement found in recent years.

All of the winners in the acting categories were expected. With his typical brand of heartfelt eloquence, Christoph Waltz accepted the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for “Inglourious Basterds,” beating out Matt Damon for “Invictus,” Woody Harrelson for “The Messenger,” Christopher Plummer for “The Last Station” and Stanley Tucci for “The Lovely Bones.”

Mo’Nique was greeted with a standing ovation and delivered a stirring speech after being named Best Supporting Actress for “Precious.” She thanked her husband for helping her “forgo what’s popular for what’s right,” while beating out Penelope Cruz for “Nine,” Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick for “Up in the Air,” and Maggie Gyllenhaal for “Crazy Heart.”

Sandra Bullock displayed her crowd-pleasing self-deprecation upon accepting the Best Actress Oscar for her dramatic turn in “The Blind Side.” She opened by asking, “Did I win this, or did I just wear you all down?” Bullock’s win was also a groundbreaker, making her the first actress in history to win an Oscar and a Razzie in the same year (on Saturday, she accepted the Worst Actress Razzie for “All About Steve”). Her Oscar speech was one of the night’s highlights, as she praised the work of her fellow nominees, and tearfully paid tribute to her mother. Bullock beat out Helen Mirren for “The Last Station,” Carey Mulligan for “An Education,” Gabourey Sidibe for “Precious,” and Meryl Streep for “Julie & Julia.”

Sandra Bullock
Photo credit: Craig Sjodin

Jeff Bridges accepted his Best Actor trophy for “Crazy Heart” with a laid-back bemusement worthy of The Dude, while beating out George Clooney for “Up in the Air,” Colin Firth for “A Single Man,” Morgan Freeman for “Invictus” and Jeremy Renner for “The Hurt Locker.” The three-and-a-half hour show went into overtime as the lead actor nominees were each verbally honored by a former collaborator.

In an upset, Geoffrey Fletcher won Best Adapted Screenplay for “Precious.” He delivered one of the night’s most emotional speeches, saying that his award is, “for anybody who works for a dream everyday.” The other big surprise of the night was the winner of Best Foreign Language Film, Argentina’s “El Secreto de Sus Ojos.” Director Juan Jose Campanella took a playful swipe at “Avatar” by thanking the Academy for “not considering Navi a foreign language.”

Best Animated Film went to “Up,” Best Documentary to “The Cove,” Best Animated Short Film to “Logorama,” and Best Live Action Short Film to “The New Tenants.” One of the night’s most cringe-inducing moments occurred when “Music By Prudence” director Roger Ross Williams was interrupted by fellow winner Elinor Burkett during their acceptance speech for Best Documentary Short.

“Avatar” won for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects. Michael Giacchino’s music for “Up” predictably took home the Best Original Score Oscar, while Ryan Bingham and T. Bone Burnett’s memorable tune, “The Weary Kind” from “Crazy Heart,” won Best Original Song. Best Makeup went to “Star Trek,” while Best Costume Design winner Sandy Powell (for “The Young Victoria”) gave the night’s cattiest speech. There was also a tribute to the late John Hughes, featuring members of the Brat Pack.

Jeff Bridges
Photo credit: Craig Sjodin

Expectations for the show skyrocketed at the beginning, as surprise guest star (and hopefully future host) Neil Patrick Harris performed a show-stopping musical number while introducing the two hosts, whom he referred to as, “the biggest pair since Dolly Parton.” Unfortunately, co-hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin delivered far more duds than slam-dunks, and set the tired, mediocre tone for the evening. Perhaps the morose stars in attendance were disenchanted with the award night’s increasing commercialization. Or maybe they were just bored with blue people.

In what was arguably the funniest moment of the night, Ben Stiller appeared onstage dressed in a Navi costume that illustrated just how hideous the creatures would have looked if they hadn’t been animated. Sporting yellow eyes capable of frightening away Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter, Stiller leered at a less-than-amused Cameron and said, “I want to plug my braid into your dragon!” Martin concluded the night with the quip, “This show is so long that ‘Avatar’ now takes place in the past.”

By MATT FAGERHOLM
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
matt@hollywoodchicago.com

From ‘Avatar’ to ‘The Hurt Locker’: HollywoodChicago.com Picks the 2010 Oscar Winners

BrianTT — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:44:44 -0500

CHICAGO – Content Director Brian Tallerico and Staff Writers Matt Fagerholm and Patrick McDonald have merged their movie-loving minds and come up with the ultimate Oscar preview. Win your office pool, impress your friends, and propose a toast to the nominees that should have been when The 82nd Annual Academy Awards are broadcast on Sunday, March 7th, 2010 at 7pm CST. And be sure to use the in-feature links to see our coverage of all the nominees.

BEST PICTURE

The Hurt Locker
Photo credit: Summit Entertainment

“Avatar”
“The Blind Side”
“District 9”
“An Education”
“The Hurt Locker”
“Inglourious Basterds”
“Precious”
“A Serious Man”
“Up”
“Up in the Air”

The general consensus is that “Avatar” and “The Hurt Locker” are competing for the big prize of the night with some predicting a dark horse win for “Inglourious Basterds”. For the other seven nominees, just being nominated will have to do. The staff of HollywoodChicago.com barely gives the edge to “The Hurt Locker” with Patrick and Brian thinking that Summit Entertainment will lay claim to their first Best Picture. Matt goes with the popular favorite “Avatar”.

As Patrick says, “I would have no problem with “Avatar” taking the gold, but The Hurt Locker represents so much more – and even though it wasn’t in my Top Ten – can touch more souls than the previously mentioned fare.”

Brian would have a bit more of a problem with “Avatar” winning but expects that “it won’t happen as the film has proven a bit too divisive and the new preferential voting system should favor films more universally loved like “Hurt Locker” and “Basterds”. “Avatar” is probably #3.”

Matt sees the recent hubbub about inappropriate emails about “The Hurt Locker” as the deciding factor in a close race — “…co-producer Nicholas Chartier’s reputation-tarnishing email (begging Academy members to vote for his film) may cause the picture to unjustly lose the top prize. Plus, money talks in Hollywood, and “Avatar” has just crossed the $700 million mark domestically.”

Ironically, all three writers agree that “The Hurt Locker” should win the big prize and even agree as to the film that should have been nominated instead of one of the other nine choices - Spike Jonze’s “Where the Wild Things Are”. It was Mr. Tallerico’s best film of 2009 and both McDonald and Fagerholm pick it as the film that history is likely to regard more positively than at least half of the nominees.

BEST ACTOR

Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart
Photo credit: Fox Searchlight

Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney, “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth, “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman, “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner, “The Hurt Locker”

Last year’s tight race between Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke has been supplanted by a clear frontrunner as all three writers predict a win for The Dude. Jeff Bridges has been nominated five times. He’s not going home empty-handed this time.

Brian thinks Bridges is actually deserving of what some may call a Career Achievement Award but Matt and Patrick point to a newcomer to the category and his excellent work in one of this year’s least seen nominees, Colin Firth in “A Single Man”. Patrick praises his “difficult emotional journey” while Matt cites his “richly layered and revelatory turn”.

As for who got snubbed, Mr. Fagerholm reaches back to an arguably career-best work from Joaquin Phoenix in “Two Lovers,” Mr. Tallerico thinks that Sam Rockwell is quickly becoming the new “most underrated actor alive” now that Bridges can no longer claim that title and that he should have landed a nod for “Moon,” while Patrick looks at an iconic turn in a popular film - “Zachary Quinto as Spock in “Star Trek.” He took a virtually impossible role NOT to caricature and made it as “human” as possible.”

BEST ACTRESS

Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side
Photo credit: Warner Brothers

Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren, “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan, “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe, “Precious”
Meryl Streep, “Julie and Julia”

Once again, unity reigns in the “Will Win” department as we have all given into the likelihood that Sandra Bullock will win an Oscar for the wildly successful “The Blind Side”. And all agree that she’s shouldn’t be the winner with Matt and Brian pointing to Carey Mulligan’s star-making turn in “An Education” and McDonald rooting for La Meryl to win for the first time since “Sophie’s Choice”.

There’s even some agreement as to who should have been nominated. Brian gets nearly apoplectic when he even considers the number of snubbed performances better than Bullock’s - Abbie Cornish in “Bright Star,” Melanie Laurent in “Inglourious Basterds,” Maya Rudolph in “Away We Go,” and, especially, Tilda Swinton in “Julia” spring to mind. In fact, both Fagerholm and McDonald point to Cornish as well, clearly the most snubbed actress of the year.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds
Photo credit: The Weinstein Company

Matt Damon, “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson, “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer, “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci, “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds”

Like the rest of the world, there’s nothing but agreement here, as the staff at HollywoodChicago.com thinks the Academy will get it right and give the breakthrough male star of the year an Oscar for his internationally acclaimed work in “Inglourious Basterds”. Christoph Waltz started winning awards for his multilingual turn as Hans Landa in Tarantino’s epic back at Cannes and that’s not going to change on Oscar night. It may be the most locked award of the night.

An interesting tidbit courtesy of Mr. Tallerico - the last three winners for Best Supporting Actor comprise three of the most legendary villains of the new millennium - Landa in “Basterds,” The Joker in “The Dark Knight,” and Anton Chigurh in “No Country For Old Men”. Nice guys truly do finish last.

There may be complete agreement on who will win and who should win this category but who was snubbed produces different responses, indicating perhaps a lack of complete enough agreement to get these poor fellas nominated.

Patrick McDonald praises the entire ensemble of the great “In the Loop” but points to James Gandolfini as “a perfect example of an actor’s presence game-changing a role and the film.” Tallerico would have loved to see Gandolfini’s stunning vocal work in “Where the Wild Things Are” cited over “In the Loop,” but most regrets the absence of either of the supporting men of “An Education” - Alfred Molina and Peter Sarsgaard.

Fagerholm says, “Yet with so many fresh faces being recognized, Christian McKay’s exclusion from this category is an absolute robbery. He didn’t play Orson Welles so much as channel his larger-than-life soul. Like Streep’s Julia Child, one wishes McKay’s Welles was the central subject of his own picture. He may have been a force to be reckoned with in the lead actor category.”

Continue on to page two for the screenplays, director, and supporting actress:

‘Avatar,’ ‘The Hurt Locker’ Lead Academy Award Nominations

BrianTT — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:28:35 -0500

CHICAGO – The nominees for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards were announced this morning, February 2nd, 2010 and “Avatar” and “The Hurt Locker” led the way with nine nominations each, closely followed by fellow Best Picture nominees “Inglourious Basterds,” “Up in the Air,” and “Precious”.

Jeremy Renner stars in The Hurt Locker.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Summit Entertainment

The five films with the most nominations led Best Picture and were joined by “The Blind Side,” “District 9,” “An Education,” “A Serious Man,” and “Up”. The expansion from five Best Picture nominees to ten allowed for an interesting mix of small films like “An Education” and “A Serious Man” with blockbusters like “The Blind Side” and “District 9”. Pixar landed their first ever Best Picture nomination. It’s about time.

Nomination morning contained few surprises with perhaps the exception of Penelope Cruz (“Nine”) and Maggie Gyllenhaal (“Crazy Heart”) in Best Supporting Actress, The exclusion of “Avatar” from Best Original Screenplay should continue the controversy surrounding what many consider that film’s biggest weakness. Stay tuned to HollywoodChicago.com for more Oscar coverage and check out the full list of nominees below.

Full List (courtesy of Oscars.com):

Performance by an actor in a leading role

* Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart” (Fox Searchlight)
* George Clooney in “Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
* Colin Firth in “A Single Man” (The Weinstein Company)
* Morgan Freeman in “Invictus” (Warner Bros.)
* Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

* Matt Damon in “Invictus” (Warner Bros.)
* Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger” (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
* Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station” (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones” (DreamWorks in association with Film4, Distributed by Paramount)
* Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a leading role

* Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side” (Warner Bros.)
* Helen Mirren in “The Last Station” (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Carey Mulligan in “An Education” (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)
* Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia” (Sony Pictures Releasing)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

* Penélope Cruz in “Nine” (The Weinstein Company)
* Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
* Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart” (Fox Searchlight)
* Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
* Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)

Best animated feature film of the year

“Coraline” (Focus Features)
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” (20th Century Fox)
“The Princess and the Frog” (Walt Disney)
“The Secret of Kells” (GKIDS)
“Up” (Walt Disney)

Achievement in art direction

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox)
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Nine” (The Weinstein Company)
“Sherlock Holmes” (Warner Bros.)
“The Young Victoria” (Apparition)

Achievement in cinematography

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox)
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” (Warner Bros.)
“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment)
“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company)
“The White Ribbon” (Sony Pictures Classics)

Achievement in costume design

“Bright Star” (Apparition)
“Coco before Chanel” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Nine” (The Weinstein Company)
“The Young Victoria” (Apparition)

Achievement in directing

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox)
“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment)
“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company)
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)
“Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)

Best documentary feature

“Burma VJ” (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
“The Cove” (Roadside Attractions)
“Food, Inc.” (Magnolia Pictures)
“The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers”
“Which Way Home”

Best documentary short subject

“China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province”
“The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner”
“The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant”
“Music by Prudence”
“Rabbit à la Berlin”

Achievement in film editing

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox)
“District 9” (Sony Pictures Releasing)
“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment)
“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company)
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)

Best foreign language film of the year

“Ajami”(Kino International)
“El Secreto de Sus Ojos” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“The Milk of Sorrow”
“Un Prophète” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“The White Ribbon” (Sony Pictures Classics)

Achievement in makeup

“Il Divo” (MPI Media Group through Music Box)
“Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment)
“The Young Victoria” (Apparition)

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox)
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” (20th Century Fox)
“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment)
“Sherlock Holmes” (Warner Bros.)
“Up” (Walt Disney)

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

“Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” (Walt Disney)
“Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” (Walt Disney)
“Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Take It All” from “Nine” (The Weinstein Company)
“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” (Fox Searchlight)

Best motion picture of the year

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox)
“The Blind Side” (Warner Bros.)
“District 9” (Sony Pictures Releasing)
“An Education” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment)
“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company)
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)
“A Serious Man” (Focus Features)
“Up” (Walt Disney)
“Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)

Best animated short film

“French Roast”
“Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty”
“The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)”
“Logorama” (Autour de Minuit)
“A Matter of Loaf and Death” (Aardman Animations)

Best live action short film

“The Door” (Network Ireland Television)
“Instead of Abracadabra” (The Swedish Film Institute)
“Kavi”
“Miracle Fish” (Premium Films)
“The New Tenants”

Achievement in sound editing

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox)
“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment)
“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company)
“Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment)
“Up” (Walt Disney)

Achievement in sound mixing

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox)
“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment)
“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company)
“Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment)
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro, Distributed by Paramount)

Achievement in visual effects

“Avatar” (20th Century Fox)
“District 9” (Sony Pictures Releasing)
“Star Trek” (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment)

Adapted screenplay

“District 9” (Sony Pictures Releasing) Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
“An Education” (Sony Pictures Classics) Screenplay by Nick Hornby
“In the Loop” (IFC Films) Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” (Lionsgate) Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
“Up in the Air” (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios) Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Original screenplay

“The Hurt Locker” (Summit Entertainment) Written by Mark Boal
“Inglourious Basterds” (The Weinstein Company) Written by Quentin Tarantino
“The Messenger” (Oscilloscope Laboratories) Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
“A Serious Man” (Focus Features) Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“Up” (Walt Disney) Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter

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

‘Avatar,’ ‘Glee,’ ‘Mad Men,’ ‘The Hangover’ Big Winners at 2010 Golden Globes

BrianTT — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 23:11:08 -0500

CHICAGO – The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards were held tonight, January 17th, 2010 and big winners included Mo’Nique, Meryl Streep, Christoph Waltz, James Cameron, Sandra Bullock, Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Michael C. Hall, Juliana Margulies, Toni Collette, John Lithgow, Drew Barrymore, Kevin Bacon, Alec Baldwin, and Chloe Sevigny.

“The Invention of Lying” and “The Office” star Ricky Gervais was the live host from Los Angeles and he injected the show with his clever brand of dry wit and sharp-tongued humor, although stumbled a bit after a strong opening monologue. Commenting on the recent late night crisis, Gervais quipped at the end of his opener, “Let’s get on with it before NBC replaces me with Jay Leno.”

Ricky Gervais
Photo credit: NBC

Nicole Kidman mentioned that viewers can go to NBC.com to donate to Haiti, a serious moment before moving on to the general frivolity of the night. Kidman presented Best Supporting Actress to Mo’Nique for her much-lauded work in “Precious: Based on the Novel by ‘Push’ by Sapphire”. Mo’Nique, who has taken some heat lately for not fully embracing the awards season process, seemed honestly moved by the award and the standing ovation that went with it. You can expect the moment to repeat itself at the Oscars in just a few weeks time.

Sofia Vergara of “Modern Family” and Matthew Fox of “Lost” presented the trophy for Best Actress in a Television Comedy to Toni Collette in Showtime’s “The United States of Tara”. The gorgeous Australian seemed typically humble and thoroughly enjoying herself. Jim Parsons and Lauren Graham handed the TV award for Best Supporting Actor to John Lithgow for his season-stealing work in Showtime’s “Dexter”. In case anyone hasn’t noticed, Showtime is doing some pretty interesting work. Lithgow was his usually gracious self. It’s so wonderful to see such a great actor get this kind of meaty part and do award-winning work with it.

In an unusual choice, Sir Paul McCartney handed out the prize for Best Animated Film to the team behind Pixar’s “Up”. In one of the better presenter lines of the night, McCartney said, “Animation is not just for children. It is also for adults who take drugs.” Director Pete Docter accepted the Golden Globe for the film.

Toni Collette
Photo credit: NBC

Neil Patrick Harris of “How I Met Your Mother” and Jane Krakowski of “30 Rock” presented Best Actor in a TV Series Drama to Michael C. Hall for his riveting work on “Dexter”. Showtime was cleaning up at this point. It was Hall’s first win for either “Six Feet Under” or “Dexter”. Can anyone say “it’s about damn time”? Hall, who recently revealed a battle with cancer and wore a hat definitely looked sick but couldn’t have been more gracious, calling “Dexter” his dream job.

The same pair of presenters handed the Best Actress in a Drama trophy to the first broadcast network winner of the night, giving it to Juliana Margulies for her highly acclaimed (and truly fantastic) work on CBS’s “The Good Wife”. Margulies took a swipe at NBC, thanking her team for believing in “the ten o’clock drama”. Amen. A broadcast that was getting a little dry was slightly perked up by two trophies, for Hall and Margulies, that felt 100% right.

The action got a bit sleep-inducing again when Cher and Christina Aguilera (yes, that says Cher) presented Best Original Song to T Bone Burnett and Ryan Bingham for their excellent theme to the film “Crazy Heart,” “The Weary Kind”. Excellent choice. If you haven’t seen “Crazy Heart” yet, get to it. The unusual pair stuck around and gave Michael Giacchino the trophy for Best Original Score for “Up,” making the Pixar film the first multiple award winner of the night.

Amy Adams and Josh Brolin handed HBO their first trophy of the night, giving Best Mini-Series or TV Movie to the network’s excellent “Grey Gardens,” a drama starring Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore.

Mo’Nique
Photo credit: NBC

Colin Farrell presented the prize for Best Actress in a Comedy to double nominee Meryl Streep for her sure-to-be Oscar-nominated work in “Julie & Julia”. Every year seems to bring another round for Streep in the awards season and her performance in “Julie & Julia” has been one of the most acclaimed of the season. Streep was typically wonderful. Every awards show is a bit classier when she gives a speech.

Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana of “Avatar” presented Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Movie to Kevin Bacon for his work in HBO’s “Taking Chance”. Drew Barrymore very deservedly won (she should have won the Emmy too) for her career-best work in “Grey Gardens”. HBO continues to dominate the Mini-Series or Movie category. Go HBO.

Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler presented Best Screenplay to Jason Reitman for his fantastic work on “Up in the Air”. A very moved Reitman ended by thanking his famous father Ivan.

Jennifer Garner and Ashton Kutcher accepted the award for Best Actor in a Comedy on behalf of Alec Baldwin for “30 Rock”.

A still glorious Sophia Loren presented Best Foreign Language Film to Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon,” one of the best films of 2009 that recently opened here in Chicago. Don’t miss it.

Juliana Margulies
Photo credit: NBC

Zachary Levi of “Chuck” and Amy Poehler of “Parks and Recreation” presented Best Drama Series to AMC’s “Mad Men”. A predictable choice to be sure, but one that’s hard to argue with.

Kristen Bell and Chace Crawford presented Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series, Mini-Series of TV Movie to Chloe Sevigny for “Big Love”. Great choice. Weird speech. Seriously though, if you’re not watching what Sevigny is doing on this great HBO drama, you’re missing some of the best acting on television.

Halle Berry, awkardly introduced by Gervais and even more awkwardly attired, presented Best Supporting Actor in a Film to Christoph Waltz for his widely acclaimed and totally awesome work in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds”.

Mel Gibson presented Best Director to James Cameron for bringing the world of Pandora to life in his smash hit “Avatar,” beating ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow, herself a nominee for “The Hurt Locker”.

Kiefer Sutherland and Olivia Wilde handed Best TV Series Comedy or Musical to new FOX hit “Glee”. With the spectacular “Glee” and “Modern Family” building followings and acclaim the run of “30 Rock” may be over, making the comedy categories a bit more unpredictable than in recent years.

Meryl Streep
Photo credit: NBC

Reese Witherspoon gave Best Picture - Comedy or Musical to “The Hangover”. The category was definitely weak this year but this is a shock, as the film beat “Nine,” “(500) Days of Summer,” “It’s Complicated,” and “Julie & Julia,” all more widely predicted to win. It seems like perhaps the category was split with no clear favorite.

Mickey Rourke presented Best Actress in a Drama to Sandra Bullock for her work in the wildly successful “The Blind Side”. If you haven’t read it yet, consider yourself having read it here first. In a few months, advertisers will be able to put the words “Oscar-winning” next to Bullock’s name. The charming, likable star gave the performance of her career and the Academy will reward it.

The great Sally Hawkins presented Best Actor in a Comedy to Robert Downey Jr. in “Sherlock Holmes”. Um, okay. I love Downey, but the Comedy awards going to “The Hangover” and “Sherlock Holmes” makes it clear that box office success was the biggest deciding factor for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Downey gave a funny speech, but really? Best Actor?

Jeff Bridges won the prize for Best Actor in a Drama for his amazing work in “Crazy Heart.” a trophy that I truly hope is repeated on Oscar day.

Finally, the big prize of the night, Best Drama went to “Avatar”. As someone joked tonight, if you haven’t seen “Avatar,” you’re the only one out there who hasn’t. The phenomenon continues. But can it continue to a Best Picture Oscar? Only time will tell.

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

Blu-Ray Review: Masterful ‘Inglourious Basterds’ One of 2009’s Best Blu-Rays

BrianTT — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 23:40:25 -0500

CHICAGO – If only there were more filmmakers with visions as unique as “Inglourious Basterds” and the guts to put their reputation on the line. Thriller, drama, comedy, action film, and a slice of revisionist history that plays as a modern revenge fantasy, “Inglourious Basterds” plays even better the second time through and shines with a fantastic Blu-Ray release. It’s a total blast.

Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0

Audiences were drawn in by previews that incorrectly made “Basterds” look like a big summer action movie, but they found a more dialogue-driven film about the power of propaganda that proved to be even more rewarding. I have to admit that I suspected most viewers would be turned off by “Inglourious Basterds,” but I was happily proven wrong and I think the film serves as proof that not every summer movie needs to be a Michael Bay action extravaganza.

Inglourious Basterds was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on December 15th, 2009.
Photo credit: Universal Home Video

The film, told in chapters, opens with the two characters who are arguably the leads in the film as they provide the true through-line through the story - Shosanna Dreyfus (later played by Melanie Laurent) and Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) - in arguably the best scene of the year in any film.

Inglourious Basterds was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on December 15th, 2009.
Photo credit: Universal Home Video

From there, the life of Shosanna, now the manager of a movie theater rented by Goebbels himself to show Nazi propaganda, intersects with a few crazy Americans (including Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, and BJ Novak), a British double agent (Michael Fassbender), a German actress (Diane Kruger), Landa, and Hitler himself.

Almost everyone in “Inglourious Basterds” has a reputation that precedes them. Pitt and his men, on a quest for as many Nazi scalps as possible, usually leave one man alive to spread their legend. The power of propaganda and secret identities (every major character pretends to be someone else at one or more points in the film) propel this fascinating film from one our most interesting directors.

Thrilling, gorgeously shot by Tarantino’s regular collaborator Robert Richardson, and with a great ensemble (recently nominated for a SAG ensemble award) led by likely Oscar winner Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds” is a must-see. As he has done for years, Quentin Tarantino has delivered a film that feels like it could have come from no one. It is one of the few films of 2009 not easily dissected, discussed, or dismissed. Whatever you may think of it, you need to see it.

And there’s no better way to see it than in spectacular 1080p courtesy of Universal Home Video. They’ve long produced technically impressive Blu-Ray releases but this may be their best of the year. It’s a “show-off title,” the kind you put in to show off that Blu-Ray player or HD TV that Santa brought you this year.

Special features on “Inglourious Basterds” include 3 deleted/alternate scenes (none of which are that interesting), a half-hour roundtable discussion with Elvis Mitchell, Tarantino, and Pitt, “The Making of Nation’s Pride,” “Nation’s Pride,” “The Original Inglorious Bastards,” “Quentin Tarantino’s Camera Angel, “A Conversation with Rod Taylor,” “Film Poster Gallery Tour.” and more.

Clearly, it’s an extensive collection of special features with a nice variety of supplemental material like the film-within-a-film (“Nation’s Pride”), posters, and the Mitchell interview, which features Tarantino in classic form and Pitt more comfortable and open than usual. A commentary would have been nice, but what is provided and the technical specs for the film itself, along with the high quality of the movie itself, work together to make for one of the best Blu-Ray releases of the year.

‘Inglourious Basterds’ is released by Universal Home Video and stars Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Christoph Waltz, Melanie Laurent, BJ Novak, Til Schweiger, and Michael Fassbender. It was written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It was released on Blu-Ray and DVD on December 15th, 2009.

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

‘The Hurt Locker’ Sweeps Chicago Film Critics Association Awards

BrianTT — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:24:05 -0500

CHICAGO – Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker” swept the Chicago Film Critics Association awards for 2009, winning in every single category in which it was nominated, taking home prizes for Best Picture, Best Director (Kathryn Bigelow), Best Original Screenplay (Mark Boal), Best Actor (Jeremy Renner), and Best Cinematography (Barry Ackroyd).

Other multiple winners for 2009 include “Up,” winner for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score, and “An Education,” winner for Best Actress and Most Promising Performer, both awarded to Carey Mulligan.

(Left to right) Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie star in The Hurt Locker.
Photo credit: Jonathan Olley

Christoph Waltz and Mo’Nique continued their awards season dominance, winning the Best Supporting acting awards for “Inglourious Basterds” and “Precious,” respectively.

The adapted screenplay award went to “Up in the Air” by Sheldon Turner and Jason Reitman. Best Foreign Language Film was awarded to Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon” and Best Documentary went to “Anvil! The Story of Anvil”. Finally, Neill Blomkamp received the award for Most Promising Filmmaker for his debut film, “District 9.”

THE WINNERS

BEST PICTURE: The Hurt Locker

BEST DIRECTOR: Kathryn Bigelow—The Hurt Locker

BEST ACTOR: Jeremy Renner—The Hurt Locker

BEST ACTRESS: Carey Mulligan—An Education

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christoph Waltz—Inglourious Basterds

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Mo’nique—Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Mark Boal—The Hurt Locker

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner—Up in the Air

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM: The White Ribbon

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Up

BEST DOCUMENTARY: Anvil: The Story of Anvil

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Barry Ackroyd—The Hurt Locker

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Up—Michael Giacchino

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER: Carey Mulligan—An Education

MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER: Neill Blomkamp—District 9

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

‘Up in the Air,’ ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ Lead Nominations By Chicago Film Critics Association

BrianTT — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:29:25 -0500

CHICAGO – The Chicago Film Critics Association, of which HollywoodChicago.com writers Brian Tallerico, Adam Fendelman, and Pat McDonald are all voting members, announced their nominees for the best of 2009 this morning. “Up in the Air” and “Where the Wild Things Are” led the way with six nominations each, closely followed by “The Hurt Locker” and “Inglourious Basterds,” each with five.

“Up in the Air” and “Where the Wild Things Are” each scored nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. “The Hurt Locker” and “Inglourious Basterds” scored a similar trifecta of Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. The fifth Best Picture slot went to the latest work by Joel & Ethan Coen, “A Serious Man,” a pair who were also nominated for Best Director. The Coen’s “Fargo” and “No Country For Old Men” are previous Best Picture winners of the CFCA. “A Serious Man” also landed a nod for Best Original Screenplay.

Director Spike Zonze (front) and Max Records on the set of “Where the Wild Things Are”.
Image credit: Sonny Geras

The acting categories honored a wide range of talent from timeless stars like Meryl Streep (“Julie & Julia”) to new actors like Michael Stuhlbarg (“A Serious Man”). Joining Stuhlbarg in the Best Actor category are Jeff Bridges as a down-and-out country singer in “Crazy Heart,” George Clooney as a slick corporate type in “Up in the Air,” Matt Damon as a would-be whistle-blower in “The Informant!” and Jeremy Renner as an adrenaline-junkie bomb defuser in “The Hurt Locker.”

In the Best Actress category, the legendary Meryl Streep, nominated for her inspired turn as Julia Child in “Julie & Julia,” is up against four relative newcomers in Abbie Cornish for “Bright Star,” Carey Mulligan for “An Education,” Maya Rudolph for “Away We Go” and Gabourey Sidibe for “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.”

In the category of Supporting Actor, the nominees include Peter Capaldi for his hilarious turn as a foul-mouthed political insider in “In the Loop,” Woody Harrelson as a veteran soldier charged with informing families that their loved ones died in combat in “The Messenger,” Christian McKay as Orson Welles in “Me and Orson Welles,” Stanley Tucci as the neighborhood killer in “The Lovely Bones” and Christoph Waltz as the embodiment of milk-sipping evil in “Inglourious Basterds.”

“Up in the Air” co-stars Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick both received nominations for Best Supporting Actress along with Mo’nique as the monstrous mother in “Precious,” Julianne Moore as the platonic pal of “A Single Man” and Natalie Portman as a woman torn between her presumed-dead husband and his ne’er-do-well brother in “Brothers.” McKay, Mulligan and Sidibe were also nominated for Most Promising Performer along with Sharlto Copley for “District 9” and Max Records for “Where the Wild Things Are.”

BEST PICTURE

The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
A Serious Man
Up in the Air
Where the Wild Things Are

BEST DIRECTOR

Kathryn Bigelow (-) The Hurt Locker
Joel & Ethan Coen (-) A Serious Man
Spike Jonze (-) Where the Wild Things Are
Jason Reitman (-) Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino (-) Inglourious Basterds

BEST ACTOR

Jeff Bridges (-) Crazy Heart
George Clooney (-) Up in the Air
Matt Damon (-) The Informant!
Jeremy Renner (-) The Hurt Locker
Michael Stuhlbarg (-) A Serious Man

BEST ACTRESS

Abbie Cornish (-) Bright Star
Carey Mulligan (-) An Education
Maya Rudolph (-) Away We Go
Gabourey Sidibe (-) Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Meryl Streep (-) Julie & Julia

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Peter Capaldi (-) In the Loop
Woody Harrelson (-) The Messenger
Christian McKay (-) Me and Orson Welles
Stanley Tucci (-) The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz (-) Inglourious Basterds

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Vera Farmiga (-) Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick (-) Up in the Air
Mo’Nique (-) Precious
Julianne Moore (-) A Single Man
Natalie Portman (-) Brothers

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Away We Go (-) Dave Eggers & Vendela Vida
The Hurt Locker (-) Mark Boal
Inglourious Basterds (-) Quentin Tarantino
A Serious Man (-) Joel & Ethan Coen
Up (-) Bob Peterson

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

An Education (-) Nick Hornby
In the Loop (-) Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci & Tony Roche
The Informant! (-) Scott Z. Burns
Up in the Air (-) Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner
Where the Wild Things Are (-) Spike Jonze & Dave Eggers

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Anvil!: The True Story of Anvil
Capitalism: A Love Story
The Cove
Food, Inc.
Tyson

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM

Broken Embraces
Red Cliff
Sin Nombre
Summer Hours
The White Ribbon

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Ponyo
The Princess and the Frog
Up

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Avatar (-) Mauro Fiore
Bright Star (-) Greig Fraser
The Hurt Locker (-) Barry Ackroyd
Inglourious Basterds (-) Robert Richardson
Where the Wild Things Are (-) Lance Acord

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Avatar (-) James Horner
Fantastic Mr. Fox (-) Alexandre Desplat
The Informant! (-) Marvin Hamlisch
Up (-) Michael Giacchino
Where the Wild Things Are (-) Carter Burwell & Karen Orzolek

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER

Sharlto Copley (-) District 9
Christian McKay (-) Me and Orson Welles
Carey Mulligan (-) An Education
Max Records (-) Where the Wild Things Are
Gabourey Sidibe (-) Precious

MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER

Neill Blomkamp (-) District 9
Scott Cooper (-) Crazy Heart
Cary Fukunaga (-) Sin Nombre
Duncan Jones (-) Moon
Marc Webb (-) (500) Days of Summer

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