Screening Room: Brad Pitt's Oscar Quest and 'Lost' Sweethearts Back in Major Films
(Getty Images)Trailer of the WeekThe Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - December 2012
Peter Jackson's long-awaited prequel to his Lord of the Rings trilogy has finally arrived. Despite some fanboys' protests about the trailer's banality, there is plenty to like here. For one, Gandalf is back in all his glory. Ian MacKellam as The Grey Wizard looks just like he did in LOTR which is something I was wondering about. Jackson didn't use any anti-aging effects - to his credit. The trailer also introduces plenty of new characters from J.R.R. Tolkien's novel: Gimli's bretheren, Dwalin and Balin, and Martin Freeman as the young Bilbo Baggins. Gollum returns, obviously, as he plays a major role in the story. Jackson cut The Hobbit into two parts: An Unexpected Journey and There and Back Again, which will hit theaters in December 2013. Gollum figures to have a much bigger role in the second film. Fans of the novels and Jackson's LOTR franchise will not be disappointed in these films. Jackson has a talent for epic narrative storytelling and he has a great cast with plenty of new blood including Freeman, Evangeline Lilly, Richard Armitage, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch and Bre t McKenzie will reprise his cameo from LOTR as the elf Lindir.
Red Carpet Photo of the WeekHolloway's Mission:
Josh Holloway, who hasn't been around much since Lost ended, showed up at the New York premiere of his new film, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. Holloway plays an IDF agent and has a great chase sequence to begin the film.
Actor Josh Holloway attends the "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" U.S. premiere at the Ziegfeld Theatre on December 19, 2011 in New York City. (Getty Images)more pics Technically, Warrior came out last week but it's so good, it deserves mention a week late. Gavin O'Connor's (Pride and Glory) authentic MMA drama pits brother vs. brother in a must-see type of underdog/inspirational film that defies the sports genre. Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton give violent performances as the two brothers and Nick Nolte is getting Oscar attention for his role as their estranged father. But, Hardy and Edgerton are the reasons to see it. They are two of the best young actors working today, and Hardy particularly is poised for superstardom. He's basically there already, but his role as the villain Bane in next year's The Dark Knight Rises should propel h! is caree r much farther.
(Amazon.com)
2012 Oscar PredictionsPitt, Streep, others locked in..
It's been a slow week with the holidays coming and going. Some new faces may appear after the New Year, but the contenders are well-forged at this point and seem locked in in some categories come nomination morning January 24th. The one big change this year is in the Best Picture category. Nominess may range from anywhere between five and ten films. Previously the category held ten films, but this year it may be less. The count will depend on films getting at least 5% of the votes from the Academy. With such a wide-open field this year, I expect we will see ten nominees anyway.
My prospective locks for nominations include Brad Pitt, who has been a force on the junket circuit, promoting Moneyball everywhere. He may have been even better in The Tree of Life, but his Moneyball performance is the marquee role Sony Pictures is backing. Other locks include Michel Hazanavicius for Best Director, Viola Davis and Meryl Streep for Best Actress, and Christopher Plummer and Octavia Spencer for Best Supporting Actor and Actress, respectively.
Best Actress:Viola Davis - The HelpMeryl Streep - The Iron LadyRooney Mara - The Girl with the Dragon TattooMichelle Williams - My Week with MarilynTilda Swinton - We Need to Talk About Kevin
Best Supporting Actor:Christopher Plummer - BeginnersAlbert Brooks - DriveKenneth Branagh - My Week with MarilynNick Nolte - WarriorJonah Hill - Moneyball
Best Supporting Actress:Octavia Spencer - The HelpBerenice Bejo - The ArtistMelissa McCarthy - BridesmaidsKeira Knightley - A Dangerous MethodJessica Chastain - The Tree of Life (tie)Jessica Chastain - The Help (tie)
Related Articles:
Comments
Post a Comment