Review: Things We Lost In The Fire

Things We Lost In The Fire could so easily have been a TV movie of the week, screened mid-afternoon on ITV; instead, thanks to a powerhouse performance from Benecio del Toro and arguably Halle Berry’s best performance to date, coupled with sensitive direction and intimate photography, it becomes much more than that.

Concerned with Berry’s grief at her husband’s death and her husband’s best friend’s (del Toro) attempt to overcome his drug addiction – and how the two are intertwined - this is an adult movie in the sense that people can be unpredictable: the script often hints at heading down standard Hollywood avenues, but at the last minute pulls aside into another avenue altogether. The many emotional scenes are dealt with a (thankfully) light touch. This is as much a film about a widow’s grief as it is the friendships between men.

Both del Toro and Berry's performances have been largely overlooked in Awards season - meaning the film will probably enjoy a very short theatrical window, so look out for the DVD.
Score: 7/10

Things We Lost In The Fire
IMDb

Review: The Savages

Simply brilliant in every way, The Savages is an affecting and funny drama about dealing with ageing parents. This deserves far greater recognition than it's getting. Miss at your peril.

Starting with a beautifully observed and pitched script by Tamara Jenkins (with a fully deserved Oscar nom for Best Original Screenplay), backed by careful direction and fronted by award-worthy performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney (surely the best American actress working today, and justly deserving her Oscar nom), this is both painfully funny and achingly sad.

Hoffman and Linney are siblings, brought closer by their father and the onset of dementia that’s affecting him.
But this is no Rain Man – there’s no Hollywood grandstanding here, just delicately observed, realistic relationships. In fact, the relationship between the siblings might just be the most realistic such depiction ever to have come out of Hollywood.

The humour - and there's lots of it - is never forced. And there are a number of nice, sly touches - the depiction of the retirement town as picture postcard perfect offset by Mr Savage Snr scrawling an obscene phrase with his own excrement, the mundanity of Hoffman and Linney's lives, and the way Jenkins scripts avoids Hollywood cliches.

Ultimately, however, this is Linney's film - and if you've ever enjoyed her work, then you must see this.
Score: 9/10

The Savages
IMDb

Blood and No Country lead shock Oscar noms

Well the Academy members (or their partners) have voted - and produced some surprising Oscar nominations. No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood lead the race, with eight noms each, followed by one of the big shocks: Michael Clayton with seven (with all three key players nominated and writer/director Tony Gilroy).

Atonement also has seven noms, but only two of which are in major categories. Neither of its lead actors, Keira Knightley nor James McAvoy, secured nods. The other Best Film nominee must be considered a surprise, picking up four nominations in total for its key architects: director Jason Reitman, star Ellen Page and writer Diablo Cody. Also on four noms is The Diving Bell And The Butterfly.

The Best Actress category is largely predictable, buoyed by Laura Linney's nomination for The Savages (a nomination and performance I fully support, but which didn't cut the mustard with the Golden Globes or BAFTA). Cate Blanchett, as expected, doubled up with a Best Supporting Actress nom for I'm Not There. The surprise in that category is Ruby Dee in American Gangster (the only major nomination Ridley Scott's film got).

In the Best Actor category, the Academy members leaned towards some muscular performances: Oscar-fave Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood and Viggo Mortensen's ruthlessly committed turn in Eastern Promises (now this is a surprise). Also surprisingly on the list: Tommy Lee Jones for In The Valley Of Elah; Johnny Depp in Sweeney Todd (that film's only major nomination); and another Oscar-fave, Goerge Clooney in Michael Clayton. His co-star Tom Wilkinson is nominated for Best Supporting Actor, up against three hard to beat performances from Bardem, Hoffman and Affleck. The surprise here is Hal Holbrook in Into The Wild - and should be considered a real dark horse.

Some commentators are describing the lack of nominations for Into The Wild as a surprise - but the Academy voters have rarely shown interest in such grim films of such independent sensibility.

Michelle Pfeiffer's re-birth, with great turns in Hairspray and Stardust, have been over-looked, while the Academy clearly wasn't taken with Ang Lee's Lust, Caution.

Nice to see Roger Deakins get two nominations for his wonderful cinematography on both No Country and Assassination.

My predictions for the winners are in bold, while the dark horses are in italics.


Best Film
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Best Director
Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
Jason Reitman, Juno
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
The Coens, No Country For Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie, Away From Her
Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose
Laura Linney, The Savages
Ellen Page, Juno

Best Actor
George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Daniel Day Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
Tommy Lee Jones, In The Valley Of Elah
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises

Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck, The Assassination Of Jesse James
Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook, Into The Wild
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
Ruby Dee, American Gangster
Saorsie Ronan, Atonement
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

Original Screenplay
Juno
Lars & The Real Girl
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille
The Savages

Adapted Screenplay
Atonement
Away From Her
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Review: Sweeney Todd

This is, apparently, the film Tim Burton always wanted to make. However, that kind of ambition, that type of desire, is often doomed to fall short: the artist is too close to the work to see its faults and to understand what an audience might find to enjoy about it. This, then, is what has happened with Burton's take on Sweeney Todd.

Burton's obsessions are well-established: Gothic emotions, copious blood-letting, ordinary men driven to horrific acts or to become outcasts, his wife in a corset, etc - and Todd is awash with them. However, the usual aching melancholy at the heart of Burton's work is consumed and lost by Todd's ravenous need for vengeance. Todd's world and his actions suggest an existence utterly devoid of hope; any act of human kindness is wasted; there is only horror, death and the need to kill; this is humanity at its very worst. Burton revels in his character's pityful lives, taking a gleeful approach as horror upon horror and tragedy upon tragedy is heaped upon them.

Under the weight of the tragedy (and, let it be said, Stephen Sondheim's music), Burton also seems to lose some of his directorial verve. There are some lighter Burton touches that hark back to earlier works - the lack of ceremony with which the corpses crash-land once tipped out of Todd's barber's chair (recalling Sleepy Hollow), the cockroaches crawling across Mrs Lovett's kitchen top and Mrs Lovett's dream sequence (reminiscent of Beetlejuice) - but ultimately this is grim entertainment.
Depp is superb, throwing himself into the role, perfectly capturing Todd's murderous zeal, while the rest of the cast acquit themselves well, particularly Sacha Baron Cohen. The production design, by Dante Ferreti, glories in the horror of old London town, death lurking at every turn.

It's difficult to rate this film - everyone in it is doing their very best - but, in the end, the only measure I have is how well it speaks to me, and a film so utterly devoid of hope, that expects and accepts the worst of humanity, is hard to truly enjoy.
That a film this dark can be produced by a major studio with major talent must be a a reflection of the times in which we live...
Score: 6.5/10

For more info, go to:
Sweeney Todd
IMDb

Directors reach deal with producers; what next for writers?

"Groundbreaking and substantial." That's how the Directors Guild of America (DGA) described its tentative agreement for a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture And Television Producers (AMPTP).
Apparently concluded in just five days, the main highlights of the deal are:
* Increases both wages and residual bases for each year of the contract.
* Establishes DGA jurisdiction over programs produced for distribution on the internet.
* Establishes new residuals formula for paid internet downloads (electronic sell-through) that essentially doubles the rate currently paid by employers.
* Establishes residual rates for ad-supported streaming and use of clips on the internet.

So, well done the directors. But what next for the writers? The AMPTP's website features two constantly updated numbers boards charting how much the writers' strike is costing: the writing community - $215m and rising; and the production crew workforce - $370m and rising. Indeed, the AMPTP's site points out that the average working film or TV writer earns more than a family doctor, an airline pilot or a surgeon...

What the AMPTP's site doesn't mention is that the strike could have significant affect on US TV ad revenues. Of the four Nielsen sweeps a year, the three most important are in February, May and November. Serial TV programmes (24, Heroes CSI and the like) are plotted to ensure that the most watched episodes fall within those three sweeps; the audience figures during the sweeps are used to set advertising rates. Thus with nothing to show during the February sweep and it being highly likely that there'll be no fresh product airing in the May sweep, one might make the reasonable prediction that TV ad revenues will be down.

In the wake of cutting a deal with the DGA, the AMPTP has invited representatives of the Writers Guild of America to re-start contract talks. Pressure is mounting on writers to return to the negotiating table.

Review: No Country For Old Men

Strange, beautiful, gripping, funny, violent, melancholic and Lynchian are just some of the words that describe this latest effort from Joel and Ethan Coen.
Buoyed by an eclectic cast (Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Kelly Macdonald and Woody Harrelson to name a few) who all excel, littered with great dialogue and yet more stunning cinematography from Roger Deakins, this was the best surprise film at the London Film Festival since School of Rock.
Brolin stumbles upon the remains of a drug deal gone wrong in the Texan desert (a “goat fuck” as Jones’s sheriff describes it) – he leaves the drugs and takes the money, and so makes himself and everyone he comes into contact with marked men.
Tailed by the sheriff and Bardem’s psychopathic ‘cleaner’ (who has an arsenal that will make Guns & Ammo readers weep), who in turn is being tailed by Harrelson’s rival ‘cleaner’, Brolin is put under increasing pressure – and firepower – but refuses to break.
The film is at its best when Bardem is on screen, dealing death (or not, depending on his whim) – rarely has a screen killer been this threatening.
The numerous shoot-outs are tense, and had the audience sinking lower and lower into their seats in a desperate bid to dodge the bullets.
This being the Coens, a happy ending is unlikely. This is not only their best work for many years, but also quite possibly their best yet.
Score: 8.5/10

For more info, go to:
No Country For Old Men
IMDb

BAFTA: Atonement leads

The BAFTA nominations have been announced and Atonement leads with 14. No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood have garnered nine each, followed by La Vie En Rose with seven. The Bourne Ultimatum has picked up six (and remarkably qualifies as a British film), ahead of American Gangster, The Lives Of Others and Michael Clayton with five.

Eight of the 20 actors and actresses nominations have gone to Brits. Other good news: Shane Meadows nominated for Original Screenplay and Best British Film with This Is England.

The main nominations are:

Best Film
American Gangster
Atonement
The Lives Of Others
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Best British Film
Atonement
The Bourne Ultimatum
Control
Eastern Promises
This Is England

Director
Joe Wright, Atonement
Paul Greengrass, The Bourne Ultimatum
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, The Lives Of Others
The Coens, No Country For Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood

Original Screenplay
American Gangster
Juno
The Lives Of Others
Michael Clayton
This Is England

Adapted Screenplay
Atonement
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
The Kite Runner
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood

Foreign Film
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
The Kite Runner
The Lives Of Others
Lust, Caution
La Vie En Rose

Animated Film
Ratatouille
Shrek The Third
The Simpsons Movie

Leading Actor
George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
James McAvoy, Atonement
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises
Ulrich Muhe, The Lives Of Others

Leading Actress
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie, Away From Her
Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose
Keira Knightley, Atonement
Ellen Page, Juno

Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men
Paul Dano, There Will Be Blood
Tommy Lee Jones, No Country For Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson's War
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton

Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
Kelly Macdonald, No Country For Old Men
Samantha Morton, Control
Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

The Golden Globes: spoils shared

No film won more than two awards at this year's Golden Globes. Only one real shock: Julian Schnabel picking up Best Director for The Diving Bell And The Butterfly, which along with its Best Foreign Film Globe should help it garner a wider audience worldwide.

Biggest winner of the night must be Sweeney Todd: two high-profile wins should help the bloody musical reach a bigger audience (so far it's under-performed).

Biggest loser must be No Country: two wins for Best Supporting Actor and Best Script is not much return for what is arguably the Coens' best film.

Brits did well again: Atonement taking two, plus Day-Lewis and Julie Christie winning their categories.

Best Film – Drama
Atonement

Best Actress – Drama
Julie Christie, Away From Her

Best Actor - Drama
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

Best Film – Comedy or Musical
Sweeney Todd

Best Actress – Comedy or Musical
Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose

Best Actor – Comedy or Musical
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There

Best Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men

Best Animated Film
Ratatouille

Best Foreign Film
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly

Best Director
Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell And The Butterfly

Best Screenplay
No Country For Old Men

Best Score
Atonement

The BAFTA nominations are announced on Wednesday, followed by the Oscar noms the following Tuesday.

Review: Charlie Wilson’s War

37 years ago Mike Nichols dared to bring Catch-22 to the screen. Despite throwing the best Hollywood had at it, the film was disappointing, failing to truly capture the revulsion of war, the madness and the satire at the heart of the novel.
Nichols has returned to war again with this light satire, based on real events in the 80s – and that same sense of disappointment is evident again.
The Charlie Wilson of the title is a maverick congressman (Playboy bunny parties, booze and drugs, etc) who sits on the committee that controls the US’s war chest.
His interest is pricked by footage of the Mujahideen fighting Russians in Afghanistan and sustaining horrific losses due to their dated equipment. This is then given impetus by one of his backers, played by Julia Roberts in a largely undemanding, decorative role.

Direct support is impossible, so ultimately Wilson persuades his committee to release funds for covert action in Afghanistan – ironically the only place where the Cold War was actually ‘fought’.
Wilson enlists the help of a hacked-off CIA agent, Gust Avrakotos (played with customary zeal by Philip Seymour Hoffman) to ensure the right weapons get to the right men in Afghanistan.
The supporting cast is full of quality players, the stand-out being Amy Adams as Wilson’s private secretary.
The script is very obviously by Aaron Sorkin, full to the brim with with short, snappy dialogue delivered at breathless pace and great one-liners in the West Wing tradition. Indeed, the exchanges between Wilson and Avrakotos are almost worth the price of admission alone.

Played by Tom Hanks in something of a return to form, Wilson comes across as a Boris Johnson-esque buffoon (asking the president of Pakistan for a Scotch) whose clownish behaviour hides some intellect and quite possibly a conscience. The latter is only really hinted at in the film, as Wilson has to face the fact that while he helped the Mujahideen send the Russians packing by releasing £500m of US funds, he can’t raise a dime to start school reconstruction in the devastated region.
And thus the film’s ultimate message, that the US never follows through and completes the end game, is cast adrift towards the audience without ever really being punched home.

History hangs heavy over this film and the ironies are there for the perceptive viewer, but so light is the satirical edge that an unsophisticated audience with no knowledge of history could entirely mis-read the film as lauding the US. Ironically, of the slew of Middle East conflict films released in the last few months, this is the only one to have found an audience in the States…
So, ultimately this is not the sum of its parts.
Score: 6/10

For more info, go to:
Charlie Wilson's War
IMDb

Awards season front-runners?

So, Screen International has listed all the winners for the 19 regional critics circles in the US.
The film that was named Best Film by most circles was... No Country For Old Men (by 14 of the 19 circles). Next best was There Will Be Blood, named by four circles.
Best Director: The Coens (14 again) for No Country, followed by Paul Thomas Anderson for There Will Be Blood (four again).
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood (named by 14 circles), followed by George Clooney in Michael Clayton (three).
Best Actress: Julie Christie for Away From Her (10) followed by Ellen Page in Juno (eight).
Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem in No Country For Old Men (16) followed by Casey Affleck in Jesse James (three).
Supporting Actress: Amy Ryan in Gone Baby Gone (12) followed by Cate Blanchett in I'm Not There (five).
Best Foreign Film: The Diving Bell And The Butterfly (11) followed by 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days (four).
Best Screenplay: Juno (10) followed by No Country (seven).

Do these serve as an indicator of who will win at the Golden Globes and the Oscars? Er, probably not, as the voters in both "reach very different conclusions", as Screen drily notes. Intriguing though.

The writers' strike: deep impact?

James Evison asks: "Does the writers strike mean that there will be a 'dark age' at some point later this year where there will be no films in production or being shown?"

Good question, James. The answer is not entirely clear. The studios knew the strike was coming and were desperate to get as many scripts ship-shape and ready to shoot before the strike hit. 2008 will be largely unaffected in cinemas; any impact will really be felt in 2009. Here's what Michael Apted, president of the Directors Guild of America (DGA), had to say: "Already, a number of feature films have been cancelled or postponed."

Of course, the impact has already been felt in TV: all the US TV series are shot on the hoof, for want of a better word. Apted again: "We are now perilously close to losing both the 2007-2008 television season and the 2008 pilot season — a loss that would have a devastating effect not only on DGA members but on the industry as a whole."

The impact, as I've previously pointed out, has reached other film industry workers: the BBC reports that $325m has been lost in wages, while the wider economic impact is estimated at $500m.

James E also states, post-cancellation of the Golden Globes: "I would love it if there wasn't an Oscars ceremony this year, but I can't believe it would happen, or that studio bosses would let it happen...but you never know!"

Let's assume the Globes and the Oscars add circa $1bn worldwide in box office receipts and DVD and ancillary sales to the films that are nominated and win each year. Is it worth the studios losing a substantial chunk of that revenue if they can protect future revenues by not agreeing to the writers' demands..?

Nobody seems to have run the numbers on that one; if anyone finds anything, let me know!

DGA nominations: more surprises!!

The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has shaken up the Oscar race for Best Director with a very surprising list.
Its nominations are: Paul Thomas Anderson for There Will Be Blood; the Coens (Ethan left) for No Country For Old Men; Tony Gilroy for Michael Clayton; Sean Penn for Into The Wild; and Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and The Butterfly.

Both Schnabel and Gilroy must be considered shocks, while the list of high profile/highly fancied directors that have been snubbed: include Joe Wright (Atonement), Ridley Scott (American Gangster), Brad Bird (Ratatouille), Jason Reitman (Juno), Paul Greengrass (Bourne), Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (Lives of Others), Ang Lee (Lust, Caution), and Mike Nichols (Charlie Wilson's War) to name a few.

Why are the DGA noms so important? Only six times since 1949 has the DGA winner not gone on to win the Best Director Oscar...

Golden Globes: no stars, no show!

The Golden Globes have fallen victim to the writers' strike: there will be no show, simply an hour-long press conference on 13 January revealing the winners.

In a press release, Jorge Camara, president of The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, said: “We are all very disappointed that our traditional awards ceremony will not take place this year and that millions of viewers worldwide will be deprived of seeing many of their favorite stars celebrating 2007’s outstanding achievements in motion pictures and television. We take some comfort, however, in knowing that this year’s Golden Globe Award recipients will be announced on the date originally scheduled.”

The Oscar ceremony is just six-and-a-half weeks away: the chances of that not happening have just increased significantly...

BAFTA longlist: Atonement leads but Sweeney snubbed

The BAFTA longlists are predictable and surprising in equal measure this year.
Up to 15 films, performances or credits are eligible in each category.
Atonement, predictably, leads the list with 17 recognitions, scooping in all the major categories, particularly Best Supporting Actress, where four of the cast are recognised (Brenda Blethyn, Romola Garai, Saoirse Ronan and Vanessa Redgrave).
Next up are the very US-flavoured American Gangster, There Will Be Blood, and No Country For Old Men, all with 13 nominations.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age also has 13 nominations.

The surprises, both good and bad, are plentiful: Charlie Wilson's War is in contention for Best Film, but its director, Mike Nichols, doesn't feature in his own category; James Mangold is pitching for Best Director thanks to helming 3.10 To Yuma - a film that will not be competing for Best Film.
Sticking with the remade Western, its two stars - Christian Bale and Russell Crowe - are up for the fight for Best Actor. Crowe will also be pitching for Best Supporting Actor in American Gangster.
Other actors and actresses that feature twice are: Tommy Lee Jones (for In The Valley Of Elah and No Country); Cate Blanchett (for Elizabeth and I'm Not There); Michelle Pfeiffer (for Hairspray and Stardust); and Samantha Morton (for Control and Elizabeth).
Other nice surprises include: Halle Berry for Things We Lost In The Fire (but not her co-star Benecio ddel Toro); Katherine Heigl (for Knocked Up); Marketa Irglova (for Once); Martina Gedeck (for The Lives Of Others); and Naomi Watts (for Eastern Promises).

Perhaps the biggest shock concerns Sweeney Todd: the leads, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, both feature but neither the film nor its director, Tim Burton (a staunch supporter of British technical talent), get a mention.
Second round voting to determine the shortlists ends on 14 January. The shortlists themselves will be announced two days later.

Awards ceremonies: on or off?

The writers' strike in the US, led by the Writers Guild of America (WGA), could mean a distinct lack of stars at both the Golden Globes and Oscar ceremonies.
The strike, which started in early November, has attracted direct support from the Screen Actors Guild: its members will not cross WGA picket lines. So no column inches will be wasted on who wore what or which actress broke down in tears, etc.
This then raises the question of what worth do awards have if there is little or no press coverage of the awards themselves.
However, the organiser of the Golden Globes, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, is hopeful of finding a way for the “creative community to participate”.
Why are writers striking? Simply, it's about residuals (or what was once known as repeat fees for actors) - specifically rates for their work when downloaded or streamed or otherwise featured in new media.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers argues that writers are already compensated for digital downloads.
For more information, the BBC has established a decent strike backgrounder page.
As the final point of that page acknowledges, the writers' strike has impacted the livelihoods of film crews, putting them out of work.
We're unlikely to feel too much impact over here as so much US TV product is screened up to a year after initial US broadcast.
Meanwhile, the Directors Guild of America needs to kick off its own negotiations, raising the potential scenario of the writers agreeing a deal, but the industry then facing the possibility of a directors' strike if the helmers don't get the deal they want.

Empire Top 100 Sexiest Movie Stars

Yet another 'sexiest' poll voted for by readers with all the usual opportunities for debate and outrage... and which reveals more about the age of those voting than anything else. So who made the Empire list?
Robert Redford: 53rd; surely some mistake? And Paul Newman 19th?
Monica Bellucci (left): only 35th.
Scarily, the 17-year old Emma Watson in 25th...
Anne Hathaway: 18th. Well, actually may be that's OK.
The top 10 looks like this:
10th Gerard Butler (that'll be the homo-erotic vote surely?)
9th Keira Knightley
8th Scarlett Johansson
7th Brad Pitt
6th Eva Green (a natural blonde apparently...)
5th Johnny Depp
4th Jessica Alba
3rd Daniel Craig
2nd Natalie Portman
1st Angelina Jolie

What a strange list!

Laura Linney interview

The Guardian has interviewed Laura Linney, winner of the 2007 Golden Stan for Best Actress, ahead of the release of The Savages. If you want to know more about one of the finest American actresses working at the moment, read the interview.

I saw her at the Q&A that followed the premiere of The Savages and did come across as assured and interesting - and, dare I say it, a "genuinely nice person".
I can't think of a single duff performance from her (well, may be Congo - but the film was duff and she was the only whiff of class it had).
Her best credits include her Lady Macbeth-style performance in Clint Eastwood's Mystic River, Jim Carrey's 'wife' in The Truman Show, the guilt-obsessed mother in Jindabyne and the writer emerging from her husband's professional and personal shadow in The Squid And The Whale. And hell, she was one of the few people that made Love Actually even vaguely watchable...

Quite how she didn't get nominated for a Golden Globe for The Savages is beyond me!

The Golden Stans: 2007

56 films seen, all considered, but only a handful will achieve recognition in the Golden Stans. 2007 was a tough year: early on, it looked like there might not be that many contenders, but with such a high quality London Film Festival, I had the toughest judging ever.
Many excellent films and performances have gone unrecognised this time, when they might easily have made the nomination lists in years passed.

Working in reverse then, the first award is for Original Score. Clint Mansell's work on The Fountain was simply outstanding: I had to get the CD immediately after the screening.

The Best Cinematography Award is a no brainer: Roger Deakins' work on No Country For Old Men and The Assassination of Jesse James was untouchable.

The Best Adapted Screenplay Award goes to Flags Of Our Fathers, while Juno scoops the Best Original Screenplay Award.

The nominations for Best Supporting Actress are:
Adrianna Barraza in Babel
Rinko Kikuchi in Babel
Kristin Scott Thomas in The Walker
Meryl Streep in Lions For Lambs
Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton
Rachel Weisz in The Fountain
And the winner is... Rinko Kikuchi.

The nominations for Best Supporting Actor are:
Casey Affleck in The Assassination of Jesse James
Adam Beach in Flags Of Our Fathers
Tom Cruise in Lions For Lambs
Chiwetel Ejiofor in Talk To Me and American Gangster
Tristan Ulloa in Mataharis
Tom Wilkinson in Michael Clayton
And the winner is... Casey Affleck.

The nominations for Best Actress are:
Halle Berry in Things We Lost In The Fire
Cate Blanchett in The Good German, Notes On A Scandal, and I'm Not There
Laura Dern in Inland Empire
Laura Linney in Jindabyne and The Savages
Ellen Page in Juno
Jodie Whittaker in Venus
And the winner is... Laura Linney.

The nominations for Best Actor are:
John Cusack in Grace Is Gone
Hugh Jackman in The Fountain
Ulrich Muhe in The Lives Of Others
Benecio del Toro in Things We Lost In The Fire
Thomas Turgoose in This Is England
Forrest Whitaker in The Last King Of Scotland
And the winner is... John Cusack.

The nominations for the penultimate award, Best Director, are:
Darren Arronovsky for The Fountain
Andrew Dominik for The Assassination Of Jesse James
Clint Eastwood for Flags Of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck for The Lives Of Others
Kevin Macdonald for The Last King Of Scotland
Shane Meadows for This Is England
And the winner is... Darren Arronovsky.

And now the final award - and the most prestigious - Best Film. 15 films qualify; 14 are listed in alphabetical order before the winner is revealed at the end. Many themes presented themselves this year: war and its representation by the media, intrusion by the state and the media, violence begets violence, the refusal to accept old age and death as inevitable, and also, like 2006, the power of hope.
So, 14 of the best that I saw in 2007 are:
Flags Of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima
Grace Is Gone
Hot Fuzz
The Assassination Of Jesse James
Juno
The Last King Of Scotland
The Lives Of Others
No Country For Old Men
Once
The Savages
Son Of Rambow: A Home Movie
This Is England
Venus
Zodiac

Settling on the 15th and best film I saw was difficult with Grace Is Gone, The Lives Of Others, The Savages and Son Of Rambow in there pitching, but in the end I had to go for the film that probably divided more critics than any other in 2007, a film that requires the audience to make a huge leap, a film that refuses to accept death, a film that combines dizzying imagination, strong performances, startling visuals, and beautiful music, a film that left me emotionally shattered and yet full of hope: that film is The Fountain and it collects the Golden Stan for Best Film 2007.

May 2008 be as good!