Features
Headlines
Search
Loading ...
Archives
Yesterday, I began my far-fetched wishlist of nominees for tomorrow’s announcement with a look at the technical categories. Today we move into the big races. And as much as I thought I had my favorites clearly mapped out in my head, a rundown of the eligible titles made for some very crowded races indeed.
Once again, [...]
My dream ballot: part two
Posted by Guy Lodge · 3:21 pm · February 1st, 2010
Filed in: Daily
My dream ballot: part one
Posted by Guy Lodge · 7:32 pm · January 31st, 2010
As I did last year, I’m preparing for Tuesday’s announcement of the Oscar nominations by running through my own favorites in each category — following on from the ideal ballots posted by Kris and Chad in the past few weeks.
“Preparing” isn’t quite the word: it implies a link between the processes of predicting and wishing, [...]
Filed in: Daily
Mark Harris on Zoe Saldana and performance capture
Posted by Guy Lodge · 9:24 am · January 27th, 2010
Perhaps I missed it, but I’m surprised there hasn’t been more online conversation about EW writer Mark Harris’s recent critical essay on “Avatar” and performance capture technology.As one would expect from the author of “Pictures at a Revolution,” it’s a thoughtful piece, but one that should stir up considerable dissent.
He begins by slamming James Cameron [...]
Filed in: Daily
Oscars in The Times
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 1:14 am · January 10th, 2010
Fresh on the heels of a page one Mo’Nique story, The New York Times has unleashed its annual Oscar package, great stuff as always.
Manohla Dargis leads the girl-power charge with an appreciation of Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker.” It’s a solid piece of analysis that spends a few graphs discussing the art of the zoom [...]
Filed in: Daily
WEEKLY WRAP: Guilds, lists and disqualifications
Posted by Guy Lodge · 4:49 am · January 9th, 2010
• In a big week for precursor announcements, the DGA nominations were the biggest — and least surprising.
• The PGA, meanwhile, found room for all three of the year’s hot sci-fi titles in its nominee slate.
• “The Hurt Locker” triumphed at the National Society of Film Critics Awards, the first film in 12 years to [...]
Filed in: Daily
Buried treasures: Chad’s best of 2009 (list and ballot)
Posted by Chad Hartigan · 5:32 pm · January 8th, 2010
Unlike Kris, I can’t quite come to the conclusion that 2009 was the best year of the decade. Nor can I call it the “year of the woman,” the “best year for animation” or “the year James Cameron brought a sense of wonder back to the cinema.” The only thing I can personally [...]
Filed in: Daily
Art Directors Guild nominees
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:32 am · January 8th, 2010
I’ve had my eye on these because I’ve always felt that, if “Avatar” could slide in here, it might be able to get over any weird bias against the way it was designed (largely in computer, etc.). But after sitting down with Robert Stromberg yesterday, and with these nominations in mind, I feel better [...]
Filed in: Daily
WGA on the way
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:19 am · January 8th, 2010
With the DGA, SAG and PGA out of the way, it’s on to the fourth and final of the major guild announcements: the Writers Guild of America, which announces Monday.
The WGA has seemingly instituted a slash and burn campaign on a number of the year’s hopefuls this season. Go here, here and here for the [...]
Filed in: Daily
‘Wild Things,’ ‘Crazy Heart’ ineligible for score Oscar
Posted by Guy Lodge · 12:43 pm · January 4th, 2010
Steve Pond reports that Karen O and Carter Burwell’s wonderful, Golden Globe-nominated score for “Where the Wild Things Are” has been disqualified for Best Original Score by the Academy’s music branch. T-Bone Burnett and Stephen Bruton’s “Crazy Heart” score, which has taken several critics’ prizes, will not compete either.
It’s hardly a surprise, given that both [...]
Filed in: Daily
Loose threads
Posted by Guy Lodge · 5:53 pm · January 1st, 2010
On the technical side of things, is anyone as uninspired as I am by the apparent frontrunners for Best Costume Design?
I bow to no one in my admiration for the genius of Sandy Powell, but the Easter egg-colored wardrobe of “The Young Victoria” is routine work by her high standards. That hasn’t stopped most picking [...]
Filed in: Daily
Things of beauty: Guy’s best of 2009
Posted by Guy Lodge · 6:01 am · December 23rd, 2009
The year of the woman. The year of animation. The year of science-fiction. Depending on who you read (and believe), the final year of the decade has been an awful lot of things.
If you’re with Kris, it’s also the best cinematic year of the last ten. If you’re with an awful lot of others, it’s [...]
Filed in: Daily
‘Wild Things,’ ‘Up in the Air’ lead Chicago crix nods
Posted by Guy Lodge · 8:36 am · December 16th, 2009
Normally, I’m against critics’ groups bothering with nominations. Just cut the crap and give us your picks — you’re not that anticipated, after all.
But I’ll make an exception this year for the Chicago Film Critics Association, if only because it allows them to shine a light on some names that have been lost amid the [...]
Filed in: Daily
TECH SUPPORT: Best Original Song
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 3:18 pm · December 10th, 2009
Over the last five months, Gerard has diligently canvassed and re-canvassed the various crafts categories here at In Contention. The one category we have held back on all this time, as contenders have slowly fallen into place, was Best Original Song. Today, it’s time to dig into the field.
This has turned into something of a [...]
Filed in: Tech Support
TECH SUPPORT: Best Makeup — Volume II
Posted by Gerard Kennedy · 4:58 pm · November 25th, 2009
Without any doubt, one of the most difficult Oscar categories to predict is Best Makeup. Like Best Visual Effects, the final three nominees are chosen from a previously announced shortlist of seven.
Very frequently, films that would seem to be sure things fail to even make the bake-off. Even so, it is possible to [...]
Filed in: Tech Support
OFF THE CARPET: Field of adaptations
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 8:34 am · November 23rd, 2009
As always, the year’s adapted screenplay race is much more competitive than the original screenplay race. But what’s intriguing to note is that of the anticipated “big four” still to be widely screened, three of them are right in the thick of this discussion.
In the case of “Nine,” there is a chance for Anthony [...]
Filed in: Off the Carpet
