Black Sheep @ The Oscars: ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The Original Screenplay category is certainly aptly named this year. This is by far the freshest and most unexpected category in the bunch. There was not one, not two, but three surprise nominations in this category. Three surprises meant no room for Writers Guild nominees, BURN AFTER READING by the Coen Brothers (winners in the Adapted Screenplay category last year for NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN), VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA by Academy favorite, Woody Allen, or the underappreciated and subtle screenplays for THE WRESTLER or THE VISITOR. Still, the WGA winner for Original Screenplay is here so who knows whether all the surprises will actually lead to an original winner come Oscar night.

And the nominees for Best Original Screenplay are …

FROZEN RIVER
Written by Courtney Hunt


Ray: I’m not taking them over the border. That’s a crime.
Lila: There’s no border here. This is free trade between nations.
Ray: This isn’t a nation.

It has finally happened. I have seen FROZEN RIVER. I have seen it and can now honestly say that I think it is overrated. Melissa Leo certainly deserves her nod for Best Actress but any one of the overlooked scripts I mentioned above would have made a better competitor here. I do commend Hunt for telling her tale honestly and frankly; this is certainly a bleak tale told by a brave soul. Its setting though is far more compelling than its actual plot. In the end, it doesn’t add up to much more than two women smuggling immigrants across a river again and again so that they can both afford better lives. Perhaps I’m just angry that they portrayed Montreal (the city I live in) with a run down shack of a strip club in a forest somewhere. Montreal certainly has its share of strip clubs but they’re in the middle of a cosmopolitan city, not the woods.


HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
Written by Mike Leigh


Scott: Bear with me.
Poppy: Is there? Where is he?

What I like best about Mike Leigh’s boisterous script for HAPPY-GO-LUCKY is that is as unapologetic as its unforgettable heroine, Poppy (Sally Hawkins). Within the first few minutes, the viewer is instantly challenged to the point where you question whether or not you can make it through this film. It isn’t too gruesome or disturbing. In fact, it is entirely the opposite. Leigh kills you with kindness through Poppy. The woman is seemingly impervious to the world’s incessant negativity and instead of celebrating her, you want to shake her until she sees that the world is a horrible place. That’s pretty much the time when you realize that you see the world as such a horrible place and you begin to wonder why you can’t be more like Poppy.


IN BRUGES
Written by Martin McDonagh


Ken: Your girlfriend’s pretty.
Jimmy: She ain’t my girlfriend. She’s a prostitute I just picked up.
Ken: Well, you’ve picked up a very pretty prostitute then.
Jimmy: Thank you.

This is only Martin McDonagh’s second screenplay but it carries itself with a weight that typically comes with experience and maturity. It was billed as a comedy and though it does make for some good laughs, it was certainly one of the most tragic comedies I’ve ever seen. When two hit men find themselves literally in the little town of Bruges while they await further instruction from their boss, they have no idea what’s in store. They expect a fairly uneventful few days of site seeing but find that even the most seemingly quaint of places has an underbelly. Ordinarily, they would fit in just fine but they both come face to face with accountability instead. When in Bruges …


MILK
Written by Dustin Lance Black


Dan White: Society can’t exist without the family.
Harvey Milk: We’re not against that.
Dan White: Can two men reproduce?
Harvey Milk: No, but God knows we keep trying.

Dustin Lance Black may not have adapted any particular source material to tell Harvey Milk’s life story but he definitely had a plenty of inspiration to draw from. Harvey Milk was quintessentially original. His spirit was infectious; his ambitions and pride, boundless. Still, as larger than life as his particular life was, it was grounded in a harsh reality and Black balances both of these extremes seamlessly. Black gives us Milk, the politician, the humanitarian and the lover. Basically, he gives us Milk, the man, and then we watch that man be built up only to be taken down by hatred and ignorance so disturbing that we can only find solace in the fact that that was then and this is now. Only according to Black, now is still then.

WALL-E
Screenplay by Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon
Original Story by Andrew Stanton and Pete Docter


Blue-lit eyes.
Female.
Eve.
Wall-E is transfixed..
Inches closer.
Watches EVE from behind the device.
Tilts his head.
Time stops.
She’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen.

Dialogue? Who needs it? Certainly not this writing team. WALL-E director, Andrew Stanton, along with Pixar mainstay Pete Docter and relative newcomer, Jim Reardon, shattered the conventions of animated film with this endearing and enduring love story. Sure, it has to be colorful to keep the kids happy but I had my doubts that kids my age would be able to sit through a relatively silent film, let alone the young kids Disney was banking on to make the film a hit. The beauty of WALL-E though is that so many deeply felt emotions are communicated not only without the use of words but through two non-gender specific robots. That little computer generated robot knew love when he saw and he knew how important and precious it was that he was even feeling it. We humans could learn a lot from that guy.

Despite the surprises amongst the nominations, I would have to say the WGA winner, MILK, should follow through as the expected winner. I certainly wouldn't mind a WALL-E upset.

Black Sheep @ The Oscars: ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

As you are reading these words, I suppose it goes without saying that I am a writer. I have an appreciation for the craft, as I do know, to some extent, the difficulties faced when one sits down in front of the computer to stare at a blank screen. That said, I am mostly uninspired by the nominees in this category. Perhaps I am just bitter not to see THE DARK KNIGHT nominated. Or perhaps I am just upset to see films I felt were held back by their screenplays receiving recognition as the best of the year. I can’t be sure. Regardless, my apathy could apparently make for a great adapted screenplay.

And the nominees are …

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Screenplay by Eric Roth
Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
Based on the short story, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” by F. Scott Fitzgerald


Daisy: Would you still love me if I were old and saggy?
Benjamin Button: Would you still love me if I were young and had acne? When I’m afraid of what’s under the bed? Or if I end up wetting the bed?

This is Eric Roth’s fourth Oscar nomination. In fact, he actually won the Oscar in this very same category in 1994 for adapting FORREST GUMP. Now, you might be saying to yourself right now that this is amusing seeing as how, when you really think about it, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON is an awful lot like FORREST GUMP. Both are epic stories about one man’s life and just how expansive that can be. Both ask the audience to appreciate what they have in their lives by showing us men with serious obstacles still finding meaning in life. Both go on a little longer than they should but personally, I found I at least felt some connection with that lovable guy waiting for the bus. Mr. Roth, I believe you already have an Oscar for writing this script.


DOUBT
Screenplay by John Patrick Shanley
Based on the stageplay, “Doubt” by John Patrick Shanley


Father Brendan Flynn: Doubt can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty. When you are lost, you are not alone.

Although it was easy for me to point out that John Patrick Shanley’s direction in DOUBT was what kept the film from achieving greatness, it is impossible for to fault him for his writing. Sadly, I cannot say that I had the opportunity to see DOUBT on stage but if the play held a fraction of the insight and mystery that his screenplay holds, it must have been one heck of a religious experience. The only reason that I am not more excited about this title being nominated is because I don’t imagine that Shanley had to work too hard to make words he already knew worked work again on screen. Perhaps I am being far too naïve about his process but I’d say he was fairly familiar with the material going in.


FROST/NIXON
Screenplay by Peter Morgan
Based on the stageplay, “Frost / Nixon” by Peter Morgan


David Frost: I’ve had an idea for an interview, Richard Nixon.
John Birt: You’re a talk show host. I spent yesterday watching you interview the Bee Gees.
David Frost: Weren’t they terrific?

I like this Peter Morgan fella. His first and last Oscar nomination before this one, for THE QUEEN, was so playful and sincere that he brought great humanity to a monarch that is oft criticized for her lack thereof. And just as he brought us behind the castle gates last time, he brings us this time behind the cameras for an interview that had America holding its breath. You can just tell that Morgan is having a great time with FROST/NIXON. You never know who is going to break first in this historic interview and he makes it so that you aren’t necessarily rooting for one side of the other. Although Morgan expanded his stageplay to a much larger space Shanley did with DOUBT, his familiarity with the material is stellar but not necessarily new.


THE READER
Screenplay by David Hare
Based on the novel, “The Reader” by Bernhard Schlink


Hanna Schmitz: It doesn’t matter what I think. It doesn’t matter what I feel. The dead are still dead.

Having not read Bernhard Schlink’s tale of dealing and healing, I cannot say whether the criticisms of David Hare’s screenplay are true. It has been said that Hare’s take is fairly straightforward and does not have its own voice. This is the same complaint I have about the adapted stageplays. Adaptation certainly has its advantages. There is a solid framework that is already firmly in existence. The trick is to bring something new to table and make the words seem as if they are all of your own construction without taking full credit for where they come from. Personally, I enjoyed Hare’s script. I found it to be appropriately short and stunted given that it discusses subject matter that no one is comfortable with. Still, despite THE READER’s surge in popularity since it scored an unexpected five Oscar nods, it still has nothing on …


SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Written by Simon Beaufoy
Based on the novel, “Q and A” by Vikas Swarup


Jamal Malik: When somebody asks me a question, I tell them the answer.

It’s all right there in that quote. By this point, it is no secret that I am not riding the SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE wave all the way to the podium. And here I find myself face to face with my biggest beef about this film, its screenplay. Yes, I will admit to loving the Jamal and Latika’s love story just as much as the next guy and I do admire that it is a love that endures poverty, betrayal and the perils of the slums to find its place in the sun. That said, I cannot condone the beating Simon Beaufoy gives to fate and the stifling structure that robs the film of its spontaneity. Question, answer, here’s how I knew it – over and over again. Seriously though, Jamal’s life history is referenced one question after the next on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” in chronological order. This didn’t strike anyone as odd? This is fate deconstructed, not celebrated.

Rant aside, Black Sheep still predicts that the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay will go to Simon Beaufoy for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. There is just no keeping the slumdog down.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: We're Just That Into You

Valentine’s Day doesn’t come until next weekend but there was a lot of love at the box office this weekend. I couldn’t throw specific dates at you but I don’t recall the last time I saw such slight declines across the board in the Top 10. You just know that when a disappointment like THE UNINVITED drops off only 38% in its second week, something isn’t right.


Of course, the most love went to the impressive ensemble comedy, HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU. The film is based on a the popular novel of the same name, which was essentially based on one line of dialogue from the “Sex and the City” television series. All they need to do now is develop the film into a Broadway musical and then develop a film based on that and the cycle will be complete. I suppose there could be a book encapsulating the entire process. Or better still, maybe they could refer to it in the next “Sex and the City” movie. No matter really as the film, which was originally slated for last October, proved to be another hit for Jennifer Aniston, who, after MARLEY & ME, has finally found her box office stride.


The girl power generated from the romantic comedy’s success made its way down to kids too as CORALINE finally found its way to screens. This film was originally slated for release last year and surpassed industry expectations in its new weekend. Not only did the stop-motion animation film, based on the Neil Gaiman children’s book, play well to kids, it also played well to cult audiences who have been waiting for a new Henry Selick film ever since his last, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.


There was a lot more love shown to holdovers than any other new releases. Last week’s champ, TAKEN, found itself, uh, taking in another $20 million, off only 17% from last week. Liam Neeson, the action star – who knew? Maybe they’ll reissue DARKMAN to capitalize on his newfound action hero role. Hmm, probably not. Clint Eastwood couldn’t get any love from the Oscar people but GRAN TORINO continues to pull in solid cash, falling off less than 10% this week for a grand total of over $120 million. Kevin James must be laughing a lot harder than any of us are as I’m sure he never imagined that PAUL BLART: MALL COP would spend a month in the Top 5 and pass the $100 million mark, which it is sure to do by next weekend. And Best Picture favorite, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE continues to pull in droves of people desperate for hope. With only two weeks to go before the Oscar telecast, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE remains the only Best Picture nominee in the Top 10.


All that holding over left little room for THE PINK PANTHER 2 and PUSH to find their own love. The Steve Martin sequel opened about $8 million lower than its predecessor. I’d say that puts an end to this embarrassing series. And PUSH had a hard time getting past its limited run to find the wide X-MEN audience it so clearly was trying to rip off.

NEXT WEEK: Given the current economic climate, I’m not sure this film has the best timing but CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC will make the jump from page to screen. Tom Tykwer goes Hollywood with THE INTERNATIONAL, starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts. And given that next Friday is the 13th, what better time could there be to release the FRIDAY THE 13TH remake?

Black Sheep @ The Oscars: BEST ACTRESS

This was a tough one. The nomination competition was fierce enough on its own without Kate Winslet contending for a spot for two standout performances. Sally Hawkins won the Golden Globe and a number of critics’ accolades for her performance in HAPPY-GO-LUCKY but missed her shot here. Kristen Scott Thomas hoped for a spot for her performance in I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG but that little seen film left little impression. Michelle Williams had hoped that her stark performance in WENDY AND LUCY would earn her a second nod but it was too bare to register. Even Cate Blanchett, an Oscar regular, couldn’t get swept up in the Benjamin Button bonanza. And so with one slot inevitably going to Winslet, who else managed to squeak past the stiff competition?

Anne Hathaway in RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

When you first meet Kym in Jonathan Demme’s "love it or hate it" family drama, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, she is a lot to take. She talks to fill the silence and she does so very defensively in order to close the doors before they are even opened. She doesn’t want anyone to see what lies behind those doors, not ever herself. Hathaway infuses Kym with a nervous likeability that makes her both compelling and repelling. It is certainly the kind of performance that gave everyone pause and had everyone wondering if there was more to this princess than anyone had ever imagined.


Hathaway was considered to be an early favorite in this category when the film debuted to rave reviews at the Venice and Toronto film fests. Still, the film has proven to be more of a critical darling than anything else and, quite sadly as this critic loved it, this is the film’s only nomination, indicating that overall support may be thin.

Angelina Jolie in CHANGELING

Christine Collins is always a lady. She is always properly made up and appropriately composed. This would prove to be her downfall as all assume that she will just sit quietly and take all that is thrown at her but they did not take into account what a mother would do for her missing son. Jolie delivers another understated performance here and is just as captivating for her fragility and endurance as for her beauty.

CHANGELING is also not a widely regarded film. Jolie missed the nomination in this category last year for her role in A MIGHTY HEART and so some might want to reward her for both as a means of making up for the past but she does already have an Oscar at home for her earlier performance in GIRL, INTERRUPTED. Jolie is not considered a threat in this category and I doubt that will change.

Melissa Leo in FROZEN RIVER

To be fair, I still have not seen this film. It only comes out next week on DVD and I can’t even remember it playing in theatres here in Montreal, which is odd considering the story takes place party in Quebec. I can tell you Leo plays Ray Eddy, a single mother drawn into the world of border smuggling. Aside from that, I got nothing.


Leo is certainly the dark horse in this category. The nomination alone has made people take notice of the film and, along with its nod for original screenplay, it could build some last minute momentum. Leo has been nominated for a number of awards already, including the National Board of Review, the Independent Spirit Awards and the Screen Actors Guild. There is certainly good reason to consider her the underdog contender but keep in mind, the SAG nominated her but she did not ultimately win. No, that honour went to …

Meryl Streep in DOUBT

You may never know a scarier screen nun after Streep’s Sister Aloysius Beauvier. The way that she leers at the children in the playground, just waiting for them to step out of line so that she can assume her duties as disciplinarian and well, discipline them. She almost seems to get some perverse joy out of it. She scours the world for all its evils and when she sets her eyes on her parish priest, you know he’s in big trouble because even God will be too scared to not side with the sister.

How many times does someone need to be nominated in their lifetime? Streep holds the records for most Oscar nods with 15 in total. She does have two wins but her last was for SOPHIE’S CHOICE in 1982. She is definitely due and many are saying that this will be her year. DOUBT did not play well outside of the acting categories, which denotes a certain apathy toward the film but Streep did take home the SAG award for this intense performance. The trouble is, so did …

Kate Winslet in THE READER

Hanna Schmitz is one of Winslet’s most complex characters. We meet her under the same circumstances as the young boy she ends up taking to bed. She seems nice enough, if not perhaps just a bit cold and guarded. Still, you would never imagine that she was personally responsible for countless deaths as an SS officer in the Second World War. Furthermore, it is unfathomable that she is actually able to rationalize her actions as entirely reasonable.


Winslet was expected to earn a nomination here for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD. In fact, after her double win at the Golden Globes opened the possibility of an Oscar repeat. Her role in THE READER was touted as a supporting performance but as she has the most screen time of any character in the film, that was a hard sell that was eventually rejected by the academy. The SAG rewarded Winslet in the supporting category and now both SAG honoured actresses find themselves going head to head at the Oscars. It could get ugly.

I would say though that even though Winslet did not get the nod for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, no one will forget the force with which she delivered in both films. And so, Black Sheep predicts Kate Winslet for Best Actress in THE READER.

Black Sheep @ The Oscars: BEST ACTOR

This past spring, I caught Thomas McCarthy’s THE VISITOR and found myself unexpectedly taken with Richard Jenkins. I had only known him as the infamous Nathaniel Fisher on “Six Feet Under” and suddenly felt as though I had never seen him before. In October, I caught a press screening of FROST/NIXON and thought Frank Langella had it locked after his pitch perfect incarnation of Richard Nixon. Then I saw Sean Penn in MILK. I’m not a huge Penn fan but, as soon as I was through weeping, I was consumed with how transformative his performance was. I couldn’t imagine it getting any better but then I saw THE WRESTLER. Aside from being completely floored by Mickey Rourke’s comeback performance, I was most excited to know that the Best Actor race at the Oscars would be the most exciting race around. Oh wait, I forgot about Brad. This is probably because I found him and THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON fairly forgettable.

Richard Jenkins in THE VISITOR

For five years, all anyone knew of Richard Jenkins was that he was one of the coolest dead guys around and that he certainly did a number on his adopted television family. In THE VISITOR, Jenkins plays Walter Vale, a widow who hasn’t lived a day since his wife passed. It isn’t until he meets visitors from foreign lands in a home that is supposed to be his own, that he realizes that he is a visitor in his own life.

Jenkins was always a dark horse to get the nomination in this category and this is certainly a case where the nomination will be the ultimate honour. The nod will open plenty of doors though and Jenkins will walk right through them. We may hear his name here again before very long.

Frank Langella in FROST/NIXON

Langella’s Nixon is a tricky one indeed. He is always on top of whatever game is being played. He always has his sights on a grand return to the public eye, one that he never doubts he is fully entitled to. It is the moments where he finds himself alone though that reveal the most surprising aspects of a very guarded personality – fear and uncertainty. Langella makes Nixon human.

Langella originated this role on the stage and has been in Nixon’s skin long enough to make everything look so easy. He was the early favorite this year, with the added sympathy bonus for missing out last year on a nod for STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING, but this race comes down to only two horses really.

Sean Penn in MILK

Penn is considered to be one of the most prolific living actors of his generation. As I mentioned earlier, I’m not always sold on this. As Harvey Milk though, he embodies the spirit of progress, equality and life, all of which made the real Harvey Milk so incredibly charismatic and convincing. Penn’s portrayal of the first openly gay man elected to American public office is no caricature; it is tender and human.

Unfortunately, Penn won the Oscar a few years ago for MYSTIC RIVER, a performance I never felt was that impressive in a film that I always felt was horribly overrated. Having one statue already on his mantle or his toilet (I don’t know where he keeps these things), puts him at a disadvantage here as voters might choose to reward someone who has never won before. That said, he just picked up the SAG award and that has a lot of sway.

Brad Pitt in THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Pitt is hit or miss most of the time. He definitely hit it in David Fincher’s 13 times nominated epic but was it really him who hit it? Pitt’s facial expressions were captured using CG and subsequently graphed onto a number of other actors’ faces and bodies to show the character’s transition from old and dying to young and new. Personally, I never felt like I truly ever came to know Benjamin Button despite the technical marvel.

Pitt may have gotten swept up in Benjamin Button buzz here because he is way out of his league considering the competition. That’s saying a lot considering the gravitas of this particular superstar. Still, many have argued that Pitt’s performance is a collective collaboration with a handful of other actors, all of which had Pitt’s face pasted on theirs.

Mickey Rourke in THE WRESTLER

It only takes about five minutes of watching Darren Aronofsky’s return to form, THE WRESTLER, before you are amazed by how perfect Rourke is as Randy "The Ram" Robinson, an aging professional wrestler who still has to play in order to pay for his lackluster life. Rourke’s performance inspires such intense sympathy but remains authentic and realistic. It is no exaggeration when people say Rourke was born to play this part.

After picking up the Golden Globe for this performance, it pretty much comes down, in my opinion, to a final death match between Rourke and Penn. Rourke’s recent announcement that he will be fighting in a legitimate WWE wrestling match a few months from now is a little odd but Rourke still has one major advantage over Penn, the comeback vote. Who doesn’t love a comeback … especially when it is this damn good?

All in all, this a very hard one to call. I’m going to have to flip a coin now and make the big decision at the last second. Heads, it’s Penn; tails, it’s Rourke … And Rourke it is!

Black Sheep @ The Oscars: BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

The Best Supporting Actor race this year is a bit of a formality. Four of the nominees should start appreciating their nomination now because a win will not be following. The Academy may have ignored THE DARK KNIGHT in the top categories but there is no way they can ignore Heath Ledger’s last completed performance as The Joker. Not only does the man have an immense amount of sympathy behind him but he has also won nearly every major award leading up to the Oscar and – now this is the crazy part – he is actually amazing as The Joker. It is impossible to remove the layer Ledger’s death added to the way his performance is seen but does it really matter when he is completely engrossing and captivating? It’s fair to say who I’m putting my money on here but just to be fair, the nominees for Best Supporting Actor are …

Josh Brolin for MILK
Brolin is beautiful as the man who kills Harvey Milk and subsequently establishes the infamous twinkie defence, Dan White. Brolin’s performance is mostly internal. He is clearly always thinking but what he is thinking about is a tightly guarded mystery that struggles to come to the surface.

Brolin made a major comeback last year with stellar performances in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and AMERICAN GANGSTER, both of which were overlooked by the Academy. And after his finely nuanced performance as former President, George W. Bush (it feels so good to be able to use the word, “former” now) in Oliver Stone’s W., the Academy is rolling all their love into this one nod. Sean Penn is the likely favorite to win an acting award for MILK though and Brolin is not Ledger.

Robert Downey Jr. in TROPIC THUNDER
For years now, Downey Jr.’s potential comeback was slight at best. Then came 2008. His turn as Tony Stark in IRON MAN brought him back to the level of celebrity he was always destined for. His turn in TROPIC THUNDER is certainly one of the best things about Ben Stiller’s very funny but also often very dumb comedy. Black face is generally frowned upon but Downey Jr. not only pulls it off, he shows us a thing or two about our own prejudices while he’s at it.

THE SOLOIST was supposed to be Downey Jr.’s ticket to the Oscars this year but when that got bumped to the spring, weight was thrown behind TROPIC THUNDER. He wouldn’t have won the Best Actor Oscar this year given the competition and he won’t win the Supporting Actor nod either for the same reasons. Welcome back though.

Philip Seymour Hoffman in DOUBT
Hoffman has overcome many an odd in Hollywood. He is not a typically handsome, svelt leading man but he is one heck of a great actor. He shines over and over again in almost everything that is thrown at him. Albeit little seen and even less appreciated, Hoffman’s lead performance this year in Charlie Kaufman’s SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK was marvelous. It is his more traditional role as a priest accused of abusing a young boy in DOUBT that has the Academy’s full attention though.

Hoffman has the best chance of besting Ledger in this category. This is fitting as Ledger and Hoffman went head to head three years back for their respective roles in BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN and CAPOTE. Ultimately, Hoffman took home the statue there and that will likely leave voters throwing it the other way this time out.

Heath Ledger in THE DARK KNIGHT
What can I say that I didn’t already say? Ledger hasn’t always been a critical darling but he always wanted to be. He fought hard against playing typical roles and got the recognition he deserved for spots in MONSTERS BALL, CANDY and the aforementioned BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. In THE DARK KNIGHT, he does exactly what he did in that gay cowboy movie (c’mon, for old time’s sake); he transforms his entire self into his character. Sure, he had precedent to draw upon as The Joker but this is The Joker like we’ve never seen him before. He is naturally playful and sinister but he is also empty and hollow inside. He is essentially terrifying and entirely deserving of what will likely be only the second posthumous Oscar to be awarded in history.

Michael Shannon in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
Shannon almost passed up the opportunity to play John Givings, a man out of step with society in the 1950’s and therefore deemed mentally unfit, to star in a play. It must have been one heck of a good play opportunity because he would have been passing up an incredible opportunity that has now led him to his first Oscar nomination.

Shannon was tipped to be a contender in this category very early on but the tepid reception to REVOLUTIONARY ROAD by most critics was seemingly squashing that. Oddly enough, he finished by being the only actor in that film to garner a nomination. Still, it is clear to me that Shannon nabbed the fifth spot here and it would be a miracle for him to climb to the top.

PREDICTION
Like I said before, there is no contest here. Black Sheep bets on Heath Ledger, hands down.

Black Sheep @ The Oscars: BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Up until a couple of weeks ago, it was widely thought that Penelope Cruz would take this prize for her feisty performance in Woody Allen’s VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA. Then Kate Winslet went and won the Golden Globe for her performance in THE READER and all bets were off. When the Oscars were announced though, that all changed again. The Winslet camp’s decision to push her role in THE READER as supporting failed and the Academy nominated her as a lead instead. This put Cruz back at the forefront and allowed for one other lady to get an invitation to the ball.

The nominees for Best Supporting Actress are …

Amy Adams in DOUBT
This is Adams’s second Oscar nomination in total and in this category. She was nominated a few years back for her boisterous performance as a pregnant girl from the sticks in JUNEBUG. She is now nominated for a polar opposite performance as a school teaching nun who has beliefs shaken in DOUBT.

Adams was the unexpected entry here. Nabbing the fifth slot does not bode well for her chances and she has not scored much recognition so far. Still, the entire cast of DOUBT scored nominations and the acting division clearly likes Adams and the film. The Academy did not throw a lot of love for DOUBT anywhere else though so I suspect this is not Adams’s year.

Penelope Cruz in VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Cruz does not appear in Woody Allen’s latest into about half way through the film but when she does, the already enjoyable film becomes something inspired and exciting. As Maria Elena, Cruz is dramatic, smoldering and insightful. She wraps her beautiful lips around all of Allen’s incredible dialogue as though they were thoughts that burned in her soul.

Cruz is almost always more enjoyable when she is speaking her mother tongue. Her lead performance in this summer’s ELEGY was also very subtly nuanced despite it being in English though and the praise she won for that role will certainly help her chances here. This is Cruz’s second Oscar nomination after her leading role in Pedro Almodovar’s VOLVER and I think the Academy is ready to acknowledge that Cruz is not just a pretty face.

Viola Davis is DOUBT
Davis did not blow me away in DOUBT as she seems to have done to everyone else. As Mrs. Miller, she must rectify her son’s future being open with his potentially damaging present at the hands of a supposedly abusive priest. It is one of those dilemmas that is unfathomable but Davis makes it all make sense. She makes the most of her time on screen but it was not enough to leave an impression on me.

Davis’s performance in DOUBT is one of those controversial turns where one has to decide whether it is fair or not to reward someone who only has a dozen or so screen minutes. She won the Breakthrough Performance award at the National Board of Review but little else. Still, she remains a strong competitor in this category.

Taraji P. Henson in THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Henson first made me stand up and take note (well, maybe not literally) when she appeared in HUSTLE & FLOW with Terrence Howard. She is loud and dominant but she gets her point across and does so within minutes of appearing in David Fincher’s opus. As Benjamin Button’s adoptive mother, Henson shows what real mothers are made of and exudes love and protection.

This is Henson’s first Oscar nomination and the Academy will likely assume that more opportunities to reward her will come up later. That assumption might be premature. I read the other day that Henson says she has no offers on her table currently and that was after the nominations were announced. It sounds to me like she needs a new agent.

Marisa Tomei in THE WRESTLER
Tomei gives another signature bare performance in Darren Aronofky’s THE WRESTLER. This time though, she is bare in a whole other way as she plays an aging stripper. Yet still, even though she is standing there without clothes on for a good portion of her performance, she manages to shed even more layers to show us this character.

Tomei is already an Oscar winner in this category. She nabbed the prize for MY COUSIN VINNY way back in the 90’s. Many thought it was unwarranted but the Oscars don’t do do-overs. She has spent a lot of time proving herself since then and even earned another nod in this category in 2001 for IN THE BEDROOM. I would love to see her take this but THE WRESTLER is Mickey Rourke’s to win for.

PREDICTION
It’s time to party like you’re on a beach in Spain. Black Sheep bets on Penelope Cruz.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Mall Cop vs. The Oscars

Alright, yes, PAUL BLART: MALL COP held on to the number one spot this weekend with a very narrow decline. And yes, UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS opened in second place with respectable numbers considering Kate Beckinsale did not return for this third outing. None of this matters though because this past Thursday, the 81st Annual Academy Award nominations were announced and it’s time to check in on the top nominee to see how they fared now that the highest honours have been bestowed upon them.


Two out of the five nominees for Best Picture find themselves in the Top 10. Re-entering in ninth place this weekend is the nominee leader with a whopping 13 nods, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. The film has been playing in wide release now for six weeks but still managed an 8% increase. With a total of $111 million, it is by far the most successful of the five nominees. It may have come in second place in the overall tally but SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is the top box office performer this weekend amongst the nominees. The film entered its first wide release frame this weekend and moved up five spots to reach the number five position, a new high in its lengthy 11 week run. The film has nabbed up over $55 million already and judging from the reception and accolades that keep lining up for it, the Danny Boyle success is almost certainly destined to top $100 million.


SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE was not the only Oscar hopeful that planned its wide release expansion for this weekend to coincide with expected nominations. Best Picture nominee, FROST/NIXON added a hefty 946 screens to see its take increase over 350% from last weekend. While it may sound impressive, its average was under $3K, which is nothing compared to the averages it was pulling down in limited release. THE WRESTLER only managed to earn two Oscar nods (Springsteen was robbed!) but that didn’t stop it from increasing over 115% after adding 422 screens this last week. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD came up short at the Oscars, earning only three nominations but it had already planned to add 887 screens so what can you do. The film saw its returns increase by 195% and just missed the Top 10 so hopefully that will make up for the Academy not giving the love to Winslet’s disheartening performance. Lastly, THE DARK KNIGHT reentered IMAX theatres this weekend in hopes of capitalizing on its nominations and crossing the $1 billion mark internationally. Sadly, it missed the nominations in all the major categories, save for Heath Ledger’s supporting turn, and Warner Bros. has not released its projected earnings so I can’t even tell you if it lost out there too.


The remaining two nominees for Best Picture did nothing this weekend to take advantage of their recognition. Still, both MILK and THE READER saw their earnings increase by 10% each. MILK is essentially finishing its run while THE READER will expand next weekend.

NEXT WEEK: There will be no box office report as Black Sheep will be on a beach somewhere.

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

Written by Justin Haythe
Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Michael Shannon and Kathy Bates


John Givings: Now you’ve said it. Plenty of people are onto the emptiness but it takes real guts to see the hopelessness.

The drive from the train station is not that far. Once you get past the first stretch, home to local folk like plumbers, seamstresses and the like, you turn on to a quaint, quiet road. The house that will hopefully soon be the home to you and your children, present and future, sits atop its tiny slope, understated but proud. As you drive past the other homes, you see the people that inhabit them. The children run under sprinklers; the parents sit on their porches and enjoy their afternoon cocktails. They all look so happy, so home. This is what you need. This is what will make you happy too. This is Revolutionary Road. Only, it isn’t really that. What it is really, is Sam Mendes’ REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, and just like the pretty picture it paints, it isn’t as revelatory as it inherently suggests nor does it bring the happiness you thought it might.


Mendes has been down this particular road before. In the Oscar winning, AMERICAN BEAUTY, Mendes explored the trappings of suburban life. It was hardly revelatory when he did it then but screenwriter, Alan Ball’s unique take on the subject made it feel fresh and relevant. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD is based on Richard Yates’ 1961 novel of the same name. It tells the story of Frank and April Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet), the lovely, new couple who have bought the aforementioned house at the end of Revolutionary Road and who bring with them the promise of youth and vitality. You see, the Wheeler’s are special. Everyone has always said as much. Then they moved to Revolutionary Road. They made their house into a home and filled that home with two wonderful children. It was at this point that they realized that they may not truly be as special as everyone has always said, that perhaps they are not destined for anything greater than what they already have.


Leo and Kate are perfectly cast as the Wheeler’s. More than ten years after TITANIC, the pair are together again and now everyone gets to see exactly what might have happened if the couple had survived the boat going down. (I trust I gave nothing away there.) And while there is nothing romantic about their reunion, they are REVOTIONARY ROAD’s one true revelation. Winslet is remarkable. She is subtly but always at odds with herself inside. She wants to love her life, her husband, and on some level, she does. But she is also yearning and desperate to feel alive. DiCaprio is a bit shaky but while April’s hand is less than reassuring, Winslet’s hand lifts him and elevates his performance to nearly the same level as hers. To watch the two of them go back and forth between being hopeful for their futures and dismally resigned to a lifetime of unhappiness is a ride well worth taking and one that will certainly leave you dizzy by the time it comes to its harrowing close.


The problem with REVOLUTIONARY ROAD is that Mendes seems more concerned in presenting the Wheeler’s as a symbol for the greater point instead of allowing them to just be the relatable characters that they are. Frank and April are special. When we begin to buy into the idea that we are just like everyone else is when we become just like everyone else. When a film tries to make a point instead of just allowing the point to make itself is when a film takes on an importance it did not earn to start. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD could have been beautiful if it wasn’t trying so hard to be the biggest house on the block.

Tis the Season: The 81st Academy Awards

I said yesterday that if the Oscar people knew what was good for them, they would nominate THE DARK KNIGHT for Best Picture, Director and Screenplay. Having the biggest box office hit of the year nominated so prominently would give the Academy a ratings boost that they desperately need. Instead, and despite THE DARK KNIGHT earning nominations from the Producer's Guild, Director's Guild and Writer's Guild, they ignored it completely in all the major categories, except of course when it came to Heath Ledger in the Supporting Actor category. Instead the nominations went a little something like this ... THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON leads with 13 nominations. That is one less than I predicted yesterday. Oh, and I should mention here that my predictions in the major categories were 80% accurate. Not too shabby, I think. Anyway, moving on ... while SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is the favorite to win the top prize, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON is certainly the bigger picture and capable of scoring nods in many more of the technical categories. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE finished with 10 nominations, including two in the Best Original Song category. MILK and THE DARK KNIGHT are next with eight nods each and rounding out the Top 5 nomination leaders is that lovable little robot, WALL-E, with six nominations. I should point out that WALL-E did better overall than other Best Picture nominees, FROST/NIXON and THE READER.

SURPRISES ... While I fully expected Viola Davis to grab a nomination for her minimal performance in DOUBT, I did not expect for Amy Adams to join her in the same category for the same film. Including Adams meant excluding Kate Winslet for THE READER, a role which she just won the Golden Globe for. The Academy does not allow actors to earn multiple nominations in the same category in the same year so Winslet's role in THE READER was promoted throughout the campaign season as a supporting role. The push was apparently unconvincing as she actually went on to earn her expected Best Actress nomination for THE READER and not for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD. I think I may have cried a little when that was announced. Joining Winslet in the Best Actress category unexpectedly was Melissa Leo in FROZEN RIVER. The film earned some very early awards season support and it has paid off as FROZEN RIVER managed a Best Original Screenplay nomination as well. That particular category had a few unexpected entries. HAPPY-GO-LUCKY was a long shot in this category but made it anyway. This was its only nomination, which means Sally Hawkins' Golden Globe winning performance in the film was passed over. I believe though that the inclusion of IN BRUGES was certainly the least expected. And while Winslet did not see love come her way for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, Michael Shannon did. Most had expected that the critic's tepid reaction to the film made this nearly impossible. The film earned no love for its leads but he managed overcome.

SNUBS ... THE DARK KNIGHT, duh. This is a technical marvel and was rewarded for all its technical achievements but it was also one of the most engaging blockbusters in recent history and a genre defining epic. The Academy should have noticed what everyone else did. With three surprises in the Original Screenplay category, this meant that exceptional works like RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, THE VISITOR and VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA went overlooked. Oh, and Bruce Springsteen for THE WRESTLER! What gives with that? Springsteen won the Golden Globe for this beautiful song and the Academy decided to only nominate three songs in a year they could have easily nominated this one and that Miley Cyrus/John Travolta track from BOLT as well. I demand an explanation. I doubt I will get one though. Aside from that, I can't think of too many omissions. I'm still pretty much stuck on Christopher Nolan.

The full list of Academy Award nominations are ...

BEST PICTURE
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
FROST/NIXON
MILK
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

BEST DIRECTOR
David Fincher, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Ron Howard, FROST/NIXON
Gus Van Sant, MILK
Stephen Daldry, THE READER
Danny Boyle, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
BOLT
KUNG FU PANDA
WALL-E

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
THE BAADAR MEINHOF COMPLEX
ENTRE LES MURS (THE CLASS)
DEPARTURES
REVANCHE
WALTZ WITH BASHIR

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin, MILK
Robert Downey Jr., TROPIC THUNDER
Philip Seymour Hoffman, DOUBT
Heath Ledger, THE DARK KNIGHT
Michael Shannon, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, DOUBT
Penelope Cruz, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Viola Davis, DOUBT
Taraji P. Henson, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Marisa Tomei, THE WRESTLER

BEST ACTOR
Richard Jenkins, THE VISITOR
Frank Langella, FROST/NIXON
Sean Penn, MILK
Brad Pitt, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Mickey Rourke, THE WRESTLER

BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
Angelina Jolie, CHANGELING
Melissa Leo, FROZEN RIVER
Meryl Streep, DOUBT
Kate Winslet, THE READER

ART DIRECTION
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
THE DUCHESS
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

CINEMATOGRAPHY
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

COSTUME DESIGN
AUSTRALIA
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DUCHESS
MILK
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
THE BETRAYAL
ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD
THE GARDEN
MAN ON WIRE
TROUBLE THE WATER

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
THE CONSCIOUS OF NEHM EN
THE FINAL INCH
SMILE PINKI
THE WITNESS

FILM EDITING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
FROST/NIXON
MILK
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

MAKEUP
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY

MUSIC SCORE
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
DEFIANCE
MILK
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
WALL-E

MUSIC ORIGINAL SONG
Down to Earth, WALL-E
Jai Ho, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
O Sava, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

SHORT FILM ANIMATED
LA MAISON EN PETITES CUBES
LAVATORY - LOVESTORY
OKTAPODI
PRESTO
THIS WAY UP

SHORT FILM LIVE ACTION
ON THE LINE
MANON ON THE ASPHALT
NEW BOY
THE PIG
TOYLAND

SOUND EDITING
THE DARK KNIGHT
IRON MAN
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
WALL-E
WANTED

SOUND MIXING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
WALL-E
WANTED

VISUAL EFFECTS
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
IRON MAN

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
FROZEN RIVER
HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
IN BRUGES
MILK
WALL-E

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
DOUBT
FROST/NIXON
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

For more information on how the Academy Award nominations are decided, check out this article from Variety.com. The 81st Annual Academy Awards will be announced February 22 and Black Sheep Reviews will be bringing you in depth looks at the nominees between now and then.

Tis the Season: Predicting the Oscars

The night before the Oscar nominations are announced is a little like the night before Chistmas for me. I even leave cookies and milk by the fireplace, just in case. This year, I think I will make "Dark Knight" cookies, essentially dark chocolate cookies with Joker faces painted on them. My logic is that if Oscar climbs down my chimney and has these fantastic theme cookies, it will ensure that THE DARK KNIGHT secures a Best Picture nomination tomorrow. Basically, if the Oscar people are smart, Christopher Nolan's ginormous hit will hear its name called tomorrow morning in the Best Picture category. The most watched Oscar telecasts have been for years where the front runner is an audience favorite (like LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING or TITANIC). Last year, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, took home the top prize and it was the lowest rated telecast in years. And the Coen Brother masterpiece wasn't even a flop.

I predict that THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON will lead the pack with 14 nominations. The most nominated films after this one will be THE DARK KNIGHT (11 nominations), MILK and SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE with 10 nominations and finally FROST/NIXON and WALL-E with 6 nominations each.

The following are my predictions in the eight major categories. Check back tomorrow for a full list of the 81st annual Oscar nominations and a report on how my psychic capabilities measure up.

BEST PICTURE
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
FROST/NIXON
MILK
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
David Fincher, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Ron Howard, FROST/NIXON
Christopher Nolan, THE DARK KNIGHT
Gus Van Sant, MILK

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin, MILK
Robert Downey Jr., TROPIC THUNDER
James Franco, MILK
Philip Seymour Hoffman, DOUBT
Heath Ledger, THE DARK KNIGHT

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Viola Davis, DOUBT
Taraji P. Henson, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Marisa Tomei, THE WRESTLER
Kate Winslet, THE READER

BEST ACTOR
Richard Jenkins, THE VISITOR
Frank Langella, FROST/NIXON
Sean Penn, MILK
Brad Pitt, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Mickey Rourke, THE WRESTLER

BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
Sally Hawkins, HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
Angelina Jolie, CHANGELING
Meryl Streep, DOUBT
Kate Winslet, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
MILK
RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
WALL-E

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
DOUBT
FROST/NIXON
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE