In Contention

Tag: Once

  • In praise of the modern movie soundtrack

    I generally try to ignore film opinion pieces I think are fundamentally misguided — à chacun son goût and all that, plus the fact that fighting one mind is generally more trouble than it’s worth — but Ben Walsh’s idle article in The Independent today on the supposed demise of the movie soundtrack does such an absurd disservice to the current landscape of film music that it can’t pass without objection.

    Walsh’s standpoint is a dully nostalgic one: movie scores were so much more memorable in the old days, when greats like John Williams, Ennio Morricone and Danny Elfman (who are all dead, apparently) conjured whistle-ready themes by the dozen, while scores today “seem so completely unmemorable” by comparison.

    His pool of case studies for this assertion is a shallow one — he speaks mainly of the recent Oscar winners by Best Picture, Original Score and Original Song, oddly conflating the last two categories as if the two disciplines are somehow comparable — and even through that narrow prism, his preferences are hard to justify.

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  • Happy St. Patrick’s Day

    A favorite from a favorite:

  • Guy’s top 50 of the decade: #21-30

    Maggie Cheung in In the Mood for LoveA little late, but we’re at the halfway mark now, and I must say I couldn’t be more delighted and flattered by your warm response to the list so far.

    I mentioned in my intro to the first installment that I’d prefer you to view this as a loose playlist than as a rigid ordered assessment, and I’m thrilled that some of you have already taken me at my word, seeking out less-seen titles like “Last Resort” on Netflix and the like. On behalf of the movies, I thank you.

    With that said, today’s bracket of ten perhaps offers less buried treasure than yesterday’s, even turning up a pair of Best Picture Oscar winners. Hey, sometimes films get popular for a reason — I’m not such a snob, after all.

    That said, I suspect at least one of the following inclusions might prompt some healthy disagreement. The list continues after the cut.

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  • Sticking to the music

    Way back in April, in my very first post for InContention as it happens, I reported that Marketa Irglova — the delightful star of “Once” and the woman responsible for the best speech of this year’s Oscar ceremony — was in talks to further her acting career by appearing in “Darkness,” a new horror film from Czech veteran Juraj Herz.

    Sadly, it’s not to be. Irglova has backed out of the project in order to tour with her personal and professional partner (and, of course, “Once” co-star) Glen Hansard. I shouldn’t complain, since I can’t wait to see them in concert, but it would’ve been interesting to see her on screen again. Here’s hoping something else comes up.

  • 10/17 Oscarweb Round-up

    (from left) Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. in The Soloist• Dave Karger responds to the “Soloist” slide. [Oscar Watch]

    • Seven favorite screen Presidents.  In total agreement on #1. [Cinematical]

    • A welcome respite from the vitriol you might have come across elsewhere, New York Magazine runs an intern’s review of the “Road” screening that happened in the Big Apple this week.  Does that qualify as “AICN-style” as well? [Vulture]

    • A brief history of the Bond villain. [The Independent]

    • “Once”: a broadway musical. [Culture Monster]

    • Spike Lee carries his loud and off-base message overseas. [The Guardian]

    • Charting the true crime history of “Changeling”‘s Collins kidnapping. [Los Angeles Times]

    • Setting out to define what “best” picture means. [Awards Daily]

    • A sweet profile of Paul Thomas Anderson approximately 10 months after it would have really done him some good. [Esquire]

    • David Hinckley recycles the same old “it’s too early” argument regarding “W.” [New York Daily News]

    • But has Hollywood gone too easy on our Commander-in-Chief? [Slate]

    • Joe Morgenstern conveys the joy of ensemble films. [Wall Street Journal]

    • Why Eddie Marsan deserves an Oscar nomination. [The Playlist]

    • Cast your revote for the Best Actress contenders of 1983 in the much bally-hooed Oscar Revote. [Pop Watch]

  • ‘Frozen River’ first out of the gate with Oscar screeners

    Sony Pictures Classics' Frozen RiverSony Pictures Classics is the first studio to send out Academy screeners this season.  “Frozen River,” which garnered considerable praise for lead actress Melissa Leo when it was released in August, landed on doorsteps over the weekend, giving the studio a head start on the race.

    With plenty of indie film performances in the mix for Best Actress in 2008, this move could go a long way to ensuring that voters consider Leo’s work.  Additionally, Leo won the Best Actress award this weekend at the San Sebastian Film Festival.  Co-stars Tsilla Chelton and Oscar Martinez also took acting honors.

    Last year Fox Searchlight was the first studio to unleash screeners, albeit during the first week of September.  The studio sent out copies of “The Namesake,” “Once” and “Waitress,” though only “Once” found its way to an Oscar nod (for Best Original Song).  Sony Classics is taking this opportunity to distinguish Leo in the minds of voters, with Kristin Scott Thomas’s work in “I’ve Loved You So Long” still to come from the studio.

    Read up on the latest “Frozen River” news here.

  • Israel leaves Vantage: “It’s not the same company”

    This strikes me as very bad news indeed. Amy Israel, head of acquisition and production at Paramount Vantage, has been shown the exit. You’d think overseeing the production of such titles as “No Country for Old Men” and “There Will Be Blood,” and acquiring, among others, “An Inconvenient Truth,” would count for something. Apparently not.

    Replacing Israel is Guy Stodel, a former exec from New Line. He has some history of acquiring arthouse titles (“The Sea Inside,” “The Upside of Anger”), but worryingly, his most emphasised accomplishment in the press release is having brought the two “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” remakes to fruition. Because that’s the kind of thing we’re looking for, right?

    Israel’s parting statement is diplomatic, but somewhat ominous:

    I’m proud of having been a part of building Paramount Vantage from the ground up under John Lesher, making great films. I love the company we built. It’s not the same company. (It) is evolving a different direction.

    Truthfully, we all knew this was coming. When Vantage was incorporated into the main body of the studio last month, it was pretty obvious they wanted to broaden their focus to more commercial genre projects. Vantage president Nicholas Meyer insists specialty films will remain a priority:

    Although the moves signal that Vantage is moving more in the genre direction, Meyer insists the studio is pursuing a more “eclectic and elastic” slate. “We are not abandoning the specialty business. We are too committed to it,” Meyer said. “As the company evolves, we need to morph and mutate in order to survive in a challenging environment.”

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  • Marketa Irglova: More than ‘Once’

    Good news for fans of the winsome 20 year-old singer/songwriter/actress — the one who, not content with showing up every other Best Song nominee in her live performance with Glen Hansard, went on to deliver the best damn acceptance speech of the night too. (Fan? Me?)

    Anyway, after stating in multiple interviews that it was unlikely she would ever act again, seems like Irglova has had a change of heart. Screen International reports that she’s in talks to play the female lead in Czech production “Darkness,” a psychological thriller from veteran Slovak director Juraj Herz. The film, which begins shooting in the fall, centres on a man returning to his childhood home and being haunted by visions of his past.

    OK, so far so familiar, and chances are it won’t see the light of day in the US. Still, nice to see that someone noticed there was more substance to her performance in “Once” than a couple of (very) pretty songs. I’m sure I’m not the only one crossing my fingers for her.

    (Meanwhile, those seeking to recapture the magic of Marketa and Glen’s Oscar night performance would be well advised to check out their equally awesome appearance on last week’s episode of “Later… with Jools Holland” on BBC Two, where even the terrific Goldfrapp paled by comparison. Bound to be on YouTube soon, folks.)