Posts Tagged James Franco
Picks for Academy Award nominations: BEST PICTURE & other nominations
Posted by Amy Steele in Film on January 24, 2011
keep forgetting there are now 10 Best Picture nominees
here’s what I *hope* to see get nominated (ha ha):
Best Picture:
Winter’s Bone
Somewhere
Black Swan
The Social Network
127 Hours
The Kids Are All Right
The Town
The King’s Speech
The Fighter
The Ghost Writer
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Documentary:
The Art of the Steal
Exit Through the Gift Shop**
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
The Oath
Restrepo
acting noms:
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Best Actress:
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right**
Naomi Watts, Fair Game
Colin Firth, The King's Speech
Best Actor:
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech**
James Franco, 127 Hours
Ewan McGregor, The Ghost Writer
Stephen Dorff, Somewhere
Jim Carrey, I Love You Phillip Morris
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Best Supporting Actress:
Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
Mila Kunis, Black Swan
Melissa Leo, The Fighter**
S. Epatha Merkerson, Mother and Child
Dianne Wiest, Rabbit Hole
[perhaps: Greta Gerwig, Greenberg]
Christian Bale, The Fighter
Best Supporting Actor:
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Christian Bale, The Fighter**
Ethan Hawke, Brooklyn’s Finest
Ewan McGregor, I Love You Phillip Morris
Best screenplay original:
Lisa Chodolenko, The Kids Are All Right**
Sofia Coppola, Somewhere
Robert Harris, The Ghost Writer
David Seidler, The King’s Speech
The Town
Best screenplay adapted:
Ben Affleck and Peter Craig and Aaron Stockard, The Town
Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, I Love You Phillip Morris
David Lindsay-Abaire, Rabbit Hole
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, True Grit
Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Best Director
Sofia Coppola, Somewhere
Ben Affleck, The Town
Darren Aronowsky, Black Swan**
David Fincher, The Social Network
Lisa Chodolenko, The Kids Are All Right
CELEBS: Some of my favorite looks from The Golden Globes
Posted by Amy Steele in Celebs on January 18, 2011
Best Actor, Drama-- Colin Firth
–very dashing. sophisticated.
Best Actress, Miniseries-- Claire Danes
–a favorite of the night. excellent fit, lovely color. classic style. Claire might be one of the skinniest actresses I’ve ever seen [interviewed her years ago].
presenter Olivia Wilde
–stunning. Olivia is gorgeous and can wear anything. This dress is amazing.
nominee James Franco
–looks like a plush texture to the jacket. like it. cool guy.
presenter, Matt Damon
–pretty sure this is the most handsome I’ve ever seen Matt look. I like the longer hair.
presenter Helen Mirren
–classy, sophisticated. beautiful.
presenter/icon Jane Fonda
–great hair. attitude. nice silhouette to the dress.
Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas
–dark green is such a perfect color for Catherine and the way this dress flows on her. gorgeous.
Black Swan nominee Mila Kunis
–another fantastic green gown worn by the svelte Mila.
presenter Halle Berry
–Halle glows in this one. I also like that she showed a lot of leg with sophistication.
Best Actress winner Melissa Leo
–fab. just simply great.
presenter Scarlett Johansson
–she looks dewy and so lovely in pink. it’s definitely her color.
nominee Jennifer Lawrence
–the layers on this black and white funky dress really suit Jennifer. her hair is great too.
–a crowd favorite. nice and flowing for maternity.
–hard to say much about most of the guys. I just like Ryan a ton.
presenter Milla Jovovich
–va-va-voom. not many women can pull off this mermaid style.
Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green
–Megan’s make-up is alluring and pink makes her pop. Brian doesn’t look too bad either.
Kaley Cuoco, Big Bang Theory
–The frills on this are just enough to make it fun and flouncy but not too out of control. wish it were blue or a darker color though.
FILM: My thoughts on 2011 Golden Globes
Posted by Amy Steele in Film on January 15, 2011
see the official Golden Globes website for more information.
Best movie — drama:
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
I preferred the psychoanalytical thriller Black Swan versus The Social Network. The former included compelling characters and performances by Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Barbara Hershey. It dealt with pressures, deprivation and isolation often required to truly succeed. The latter is also about success but about a geeky college dropout spurned by a girl who stumbles into an empire to which way too many people have become addicted. Facebook and Mark Zuckerburg don’t particularly interest me. The Social Network tells the story of more white men who belittle and humiliate women on their way to the top. The Fighter wasn’t strong enough or unique enough compared to other triumphant working-class/ athletic stories of past years. It’s no Million Dollar Baby; that’s a certainty. Inception is steeped in special effects and conundrums and riddles. The King’s Speech features the finest acting performance of the year by Colin Firth but I’m not sure that such a small film will carry the Golden Globes.
want to win: Black Swan
will win: The Social Network
Best actress — drama:
Halle Berry, Frankie and Alice
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine
Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole
I’m torn between Kidman in Rabbit Hole and Portman for Black Swan. While Winter’s Bone is one of my favorite films of all time, I don’t think it’s an award-winning performance by Jennifer Lawrence. She’s young yet. Kidman’s stripped down interpretation of grief is as good as Portman’s escalating example of psychosis.
want to win: Nicole Kidman
Best actor — drama:
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours
Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
Mark Wahlberg, The Fighter
Colin Firth, The King's Speech
Firth is SO brilliantly flawed and perfect as King George VI in The King’s Speech, how could he not win every award he’s nominated for? While James Franco carried a 90 minute film pretty much on his own in gripping, harrowing fashion, I still like Firth’s chances. Eisenberg is good in The Social Network but I haven’t seen him play much other than a hyper-active nerdy type so far. Plus Firth is the elder-statesmen of this category.
want to win: Colin Firth
Best movie — comedy or musical:
Alice in Wonderland,
Burlesque
The Kids Are All Right
Red
The Tourist
want to win: The Kids Are All Right
will win: The Kids Are All Right
The Golden Globes are strange in that there’s the Drama and then Comedy/Musical categories. I didn’t consider The Kids Are All Right to be a comedy. It’s an amazing film that shows the ups and downs of marriage, family and relationships.
Best actress — comedy or musical:
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Anne Hathaway, Love And Other Drugs
Angelina Jolie, The Tourist
Julianne Moore, The Kids Are All Right
Emma Stone, Easy A
Annette Bening and Julianne Moore, The Kids Are All Right
This is a pretty weak category except for Bening and Moore for The Kids Are All Right. I think Bening inches out over Moore only because she had to deal with more emotionality in her role.
want to win: tie for Bening and Moore? ha ha.
Best actor — comedy or musical:
Johnny Depp, Alice in Wonderland
Johnny Depp, The Tourist
Paul Giamatti, Barney’s Version
Jake Gyllenhaal, Love And Other Drugs
Kevin Spacey, Casino Jack
I’m going to guess that Depp wins for Alice in Wonderland or Spacey for Casino Jack. I only saw Alice in Wonderland and Love and Other Drugs.
want to win: this category doesn’t matter to me
Best supporting actress:
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
Mila Kunis, Black Swan
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom
Kunis and Bonham Carter are both exquisite in their respective films. Leo just pops in The Fighter.
Melissa Leo in The Fighter
want to win: Melissa Leo
Best supporting actor:
Christian Bale, The Fighter
Michael Douglas, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech
Christian Bale in The Fighter
I’m expecting The Golden Globes to be all over the place. No sweeps for any film. Christian Bale was such a stand-out in The Fighter, someone told me he thought he was watching a documentary. Michael Douglas was much better in Solitary Man than Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. Garfield and Renner are good but not award-worthy. Rush is impressive as always.
want to win: Christian Bale
Best director:
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
David Fincher, The Social Network
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
Christopher Nolan, Inception
David O. Russell, The Fighter
want to win: Darren Aronofsky
Best Screenplay– motion picture:
Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy, 127 Hours
Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg, The Kids Are All Right
Christopher Nolan, Inception
David Seidler, The King’s Speech
Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
want to win: Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg, The Kids Are All Right
BEST OF 2010: FILM
Posted by Amy Steele in Film on January 6, 2011
Films underwhelmed me this year.
Here are the ten that made the greatest impact on me:
Winter’s Bone
— gritty is the most simplistic way to describe this film. At first I thought I’d never get enthralled by a film about trailer parks and meth addicts but soon I was, my stomach wrenching throughout.
The Ghost Writer
– yes, I know that liking a film by child rapist Roman Polanski should mean I’m not a feminist but I have to separate the artist and the art. This film has that wow factor that’s been lacking for so long in thrillers.
Black Swan
–provocative. so many levels of psychoanalysis for this film. is it reality or delusion?
Exit Through the Gift Shop
–engrossing from the first ten minutes. couldn’t stop watching this documentary about a Frenchman who gets caught up in the secretive lives of street artists. fascinating.
The Kids Are All Right
–great script and direction from Lisa Cholodenko. brilliant cast including Annette Bening, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo. engaging, heart-warming story that sublimely highlights all the complications of families and relationships of all kinds.
The King’s Speech
–the Royals aren’t as confident as we might think and Colin Firth should win an Academy Award for his performance as King George VI.
Joan Rivers: a piece of work
–aging in front of the camera, amidst a youth-obsessed culture. Joan Rivers shows the harsh truth in a poignant and funny manner.
The Social Network
–a film about Facebook’s creation that’s so uncomfortable you feel like taking a shower after leaving the theater. These geeky guys with their bravado and disdain for women is just awful.
Somewhere
–Sofia Coppola makes films about very little taking place extremely well. Divine imagery, unspoken moments between and father and daughter provide much more insight than many of the more chatty independents can.
127 Hours
–writer/director Danny Boyle and actor James Franco made this true-life story into a harrowing cinematic experience.
stand-out performances:
Annette Bening, Kerry Washington, S. Epatha Merkerson and Naomi Watts in Mother and Child
Jim Carrey in I Love You Phillip Morris
Christian Bale in The Fighter
FILM trailer: 127 Hours
Posted by Amy Steele in Film on October 28, 2010
the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston’s (James Franco) remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah
directed by Danny Boyle
Milk: Film Review
Posted by Amy Steele in Film on December 10, 2008
When gay rights continue to be threatened today, a film about a 1970s gay rights pioneer is important to see. Unfortunately it will not reach the audiences that it needs to reach most. Here in Massachusetts, we have gay marriage. In California, where Harvey Milk fought for gay rights so ardently, gays have had their civil rights taken away and now are fighting Prop 8 (the recent vote against gay marriage). This should be merely a historical film but it cuts into today’s political climate as much now as it did then. It saddens me. I saw the film with my close friend who happens to be gay. We saw it in liberal Brookline at the Coolidge Corner theatre. During classes we took together there was an early undercurrent of “is he or isn’t he gay?” and I just don’t see why this type of discussion still exists or needs to exist today. Why does who someone chooses to have sex with really matter in the end? More importantly, why should society and the government care so much?
At 40-years-old, Harvey Milk lamented that he hadn’t done anything with his life and after looking around his neighborhood and realizing he had a chance to make a difference, he threw himself into politics. He vigilantly worked against many against many anti-gay initiatives. His effervescent personality, resiliency and perseverance (he ran for office four times) paid off when he finally became elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and the first openly gay elected politician, in 1977. Everyone seemed to like him and he developed a huge grassroots following. During his short time in office, he managed to pass a major gay rights ordinance for San Francisco. Milk and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by disgruntled former San Francisco supervisor Dan White.
Sean Penn [The Interpreter, Mystic River] portrays Milk in a powerful, profound, commanding performance and will most likely be nominated for an Academy award. He is ebullient and convicted to the end result and wins you over from the first frame. He makes you love Milk right off. He also makes you feel like you are watching a documentary at times. He has the mannerisms and affectations down. And when he’s with his lover, played by the talented James Franco [Pineapple Express, Spider-Man 3], the sex appeal oozes. The duo has smoldering and intense chemistry. James Brolin [W, No Country for Old Men] as Dan White and Emile Hirsch [Into the Wild] as Milk’s protege Cleve Jones, are outstanding as well. First-time screenwriter Dustin Lance Black weaves a compelling script, while director Gus Van Sant [Elephant, Good Will Hunting] scores another convincing, provocative film that delves into a difficult, emotional subject.
Milk is a moving, inspirational film. The gay rights movement, starting around 1970, piggybacked on the civil rights movement, and is equally as historical. Though there are not as many big names attached to the movement or memorable speeches or seminal/blood shed moments. Being openly gay and advancing the rights of gays not only in California but throughout the country by making people realize that being gay wasn’t something that should hold them back or allow them to be discriminated against. He created legislature against such discrimination. Harvey Milk began every speech saying, “My name is Harvey Milk and I’m here to recruit you.” He had a “platform”, so to speak,” of getting people to come out to their families, friends, and co-workers. That is his legacy. 
Dubbing himself the Mayor of Castro Street, Milk had charisma. He declared that it was “not just issues. This is our lives we are fighting for.” And that it was never just gay rights but human rights. Harvey Milk understood the big picture long before others did and longer before many more will.
–Amy Steele [12.10.2008]
STEELE SAYS: SEE IT IN THE THEATRE
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Journalist/Critic/Writer. Medical Assistant. Vegan. Alternative Gen-Xer. Volunteer. Avid reader. Masters in journalism from Boston University. BA from Simmons College.
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