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The Blog
Philippe Falardeau's Monsieur Lazhar finds finely-shaded drama in a venue that has defeated many a filmmaker: a classroom full of children.
Whether Oriol's subject in frame is gang life, a fashion model or celebrity, he presents an artistic voice that is distinctly Los Angeles-bred.
What grander achievement can there be in cinematography than taking something we know and have possibly even seen on film before -- like a historic cave or a simple piece of choreography -- and transforming it into something more real than ever before?
When I was a kid growing up in Central Minnesota, I was totally obsessed with the Oscars. I loved the statues, the dresses, the drama -- even the long acceptance speeches. It was a spectacle that took me out of my rural, small-town life, and I relished every single minute.
I wish I could call up every single person who told me, "Sleep while you can!" and inform them that their advice was terrible. I wish I had used all that nap time to go to the movies, because I miss it a whole lot.
Consider what is now reality -- television is an important way to expand your talents, extend your career and rid yourself of cubas (named for the epitome of the post-Oscar slump, Cuba Gooding, Jr.). With that in mind, here are 11 Oscar Winners Who Need a TV Show, STAT.
People I do business with every day, people who are allegedly my friends -- completely avoid me. I'm talking "see-me-and-make-a-hard-left-turn-into-the-cocktail-waitress" avoid. This fascinates me in a morbid kind of way, so I purposely begin to seek these people out.
Oscar-nominated documentary Undefeated follows a season in the life of the Manassas High School football team. But as is true of any great sports story, it really isn't about the final score.
Our film The Shore is the story of one small act of reconciliation, yet it mirrors the courageous achievement of the people of Northern Ireland, Protestant and Catholic, who after 800 years of division and bloodshed came together to talk and make their peace with one another.
As you near the roped-off section where the Big Winners gloat, you suddenly devise a really solid, well-conceived plan -- grab their statues and run for the exits. Have your name engraved over theirs later. Deny you were ever at the party in the first place.
My day at the movies in Park City took some of the sting out of the Oscars' mundanities. I saw two outstanding documentaries and one dramatic feature that undoubtedly will be Oscar-bait at this time next year.
Although there were some fantastic films I didn't expect to see on the nomination lists, like Midnight in Paris, I'm going to put in my two cents for the names that weren't called.
With all the upcoming fanfare over this week's Academy Awards nominations, it might be worth noting that most of these talented, wonderful people will have one thing in common in roughly four weeks. They'll all be losers.
Well, the list is out. Thus beginning the exciting road to what is the biggest night for Hollywood. But much of my enthusiasm was lost when I realized who was missing -- begging one very obvious question: WHY DOES THE ACADEMY HATE LEO?!
I'm going to make an outrageous Oscars prediction, and it has nothing to do with the winners. When the 89th annual Academy Awards air, the most coveted viewership demographic will be watching anything but the Hollywood awards show.
