Here’s a new experiment. I’m putting together a list of the 30 fall releases that I’m most excited about. This of course could greatly change as they get screened and other films pop into my radar. I plan to post updates when it’s appropriate. For instance, when a firm release date comes out for other fall films - like Clint Eastwood’s GRAN TORINO, Steven Soderbergh’s CHE, or Rod Lurie’s NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH - I might add them. The same can be said if Laika and Focus Features decide to sneak CORALINE out for an Oscar qualifying run. The purpose of the piece is to gage buzz and to peak interest in upcoming movies. I’d also like to hear from readers about what they’re excited about seeing this fall. So here we go.

30) Body of Lies (Oct. 10)
Trailer
Still has Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio in it. Still directed by Ridley Scott. Needs new trailer - it’s a real buzz killer.

29) The Soloist (Nov. 21)
Inspirational story about homeless music phenom. Could be sappy. Does have Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. Downey’s having a good year, so it makes list.

28) Hounddog (Sept. 19)
Trailer
aka Dakota Fanning rape movie. Could be bad taste Oscar bait. Awaiting final word on post-Sundance cut.

27) Four Christmases (Nov. 26)
Great premise. Rushing to have Christmas at the four houses of a couple’s divorced parents. Director made KING OF KONG. Intriguing pairing of Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn. No trailer yet though.

26) Defiance (Dec. 12)
Trailer
Another WWII film, but this one stars Daniel Craig and it’s directed by Ed Zwick (GLORY).

25) Crossing Over (Oct. 24)
Sounds like a CRUSH-esque immigration tale. Sean Penn, Harrison Ford and Ashley Judd in the same film has me interested. Recent move to fall from late summer is encouraging.

24) Synecdoche, New York (Oct. 24)
Clips
Charlie Kaufman (writer of ADAPTATION.) directing his own stuff could be mad genius. Or just plain maddening.

23) City of Ember (Oct. 10)
Trailer
Trailer is nice and quirky. Tim Robbins and Bill Murray. Was very surprised with director Gil Kenan’s MONSTER HOUSE. Like to see what he does in live-action.

22) The Secret Life of Bees (Oct. 17)
Trailer
Had no desire to see it until I saw the trailer. Feels a little like simple Oscar bait. Excited by actors and word that the novel is great.

21) Appaloosa (Sept. 17)
Trailer
I do love a good Western. Especially when it stars Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen and Jeremy Irons. Harris also directs.

20) Towelhead (Sept. 12)
Trailer
Alan Ball (writer of AMERICAN BEAUTY, creator of SIX FEET UNDER) sits in director’s chair for a satire on race in America. Hear it’s the edgy JUNO for 2008.

19) Happy-Go-Lucky (Oct. 10)
Trailer
Despite making great films time and time again, Mike Leigh’s movies usually don’t drum up big enthusiasm in me to rush to the theaters. I won’t be fooled again. This one looks like a charmer.

18) Choke (Sept. 26)
Trailer
Book is very popular. Hoping this gives Sam Rockwell the award buzz he deserves. Wish I could have seen the screening at Comic-Con.

17) The Tale of Despereaux (Dec. 19)
Trailer
Despite several directors rotating in and out of the director’s chair, I really have high hopes for this one. I like the look of this animated feature. Hope it does justice to the great book.

16) Zack and Miri Make a Porno (Oct. 31)
Teaser Trailer
You had me with the title. Tell me it’s directed by Kevin Smith and it stars Seth Rogen and I’m there. Naughty teaser trailer is quite funny.

15) Australia (Nov. 14)
Trailer
Last time Baz Luhrmann (MOULIN ROGUE) tackled epic romance it was magical. Can he do it again?

14) Milk (Nov. 26)
The story of Harvey Milk, first openly gay San Fran supervisor murdered by fellow supervisor. Was inevitably going to be made and Gus Van Sant seems like the perfect director. Oh yeah, Sean Penn plays Milk.

13) Valkyrie (Dec. 26)
Trailer
Was going to be in summer then next spring now Christmas. Last time director Bryan Singer teamed with writer Christopher McQuarrie we got THE USUAL SUSPECTS.

12) Doubt (Dec. 12)
Cast: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams. Director/writer: John Patrick Shanley - director of JOE VS. THE VOLANCO, writer of MOONSTRUCK (let’s forget he wrote CONGO). Nuns uncovering possible clergy sexual abuse. High drama ensues.

11) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Dec. 25)
Trailer
This one really has me on the fence. Trailer is strange, but in a strange kind of way, if you know what I mean. Like director David Fincher (SEVEN, ZODIAC). Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett always good. Effects look amazing.

10) Waltz with Bashir (Dec. 26)
Trailer
This year’s PERSEPOLIS perhaps. Israeli, French, German co-production about the Israel-Lebanon War in the 1980s. True adult animation in the U.S. makes me happy.

9) Miracle at St. Anna (Sept. 26)
Trailer
This fall is shaping up to be one for WWII pictures. This one is the most interesting right now because this one is something very different from Spike Lee. The trailer has me wanting more.

8) Changeling (Oct. 24)
Clip
Some have Angelina Jolie’s name already engraved on the Oscar for this one. Clint Eastwood cannot be denied. Based on crazy true-life tale of a mother whose son is kidnapped and then the cops force upon her a boy she knows is not her son and when she protests they call her nuts.

7) Frost/Nixon (Dec. 5)
Trailer
Ron Howard directs serious drama. Felt like a “good for you” movie, but the trailer makes it feel like much more. Hopefully, this trailer doesn’t disappear before you can see what I mean.

6) Revolutionary Road (Dec. 26)
It’s nice to see Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet finally paired up together. Hehehe. Winslet’s husband Sam Mendes (AMERICAN BEAUTY) helms this adaptation of Richard Yales acclaimed book.

5) The Brothers Bloom (Oct. 24)
Trailer
Rian Johnson’s BRICK was one of the coolest films of the last few years. This is his follow-up. Watch the trailer. The film, starring Oscar-winner Rachel Weisz, Oscar-winner Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo and Oscar-nominee Rinko Kikuchi (BABEL) speaks for itself.

4) Quantum of Solace (Nov. 7)
Trailer
If it’s half as good as CASINO ROYALE then it will be one of the better James Bond films. The first straight sequel only makes things more interesting.

3) W. (Oct. 17)
Trailer
Whether it’s good or it’s bad, it sure has me curious. Oliver Stone doing a George W. Bush bio with Barbara Streisand’s step-son Josh Brolin starring sounds like a SNL skit, but it’s real. If Stone goes his NIXON route, it could be brilliant.

2) Burn After Reading (Sept. 12)
Trailer
Whether or not the Coen Brothers can equal the brilliance of last year’s NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN is not really an issue. This film looks hilarious. The cast is amazing. Pitt, Clooney, Malkovich, Swinton, McDormand, Richard Jenkins. It’s a different kind of film and looks like genius. I hope it holds up.

1) The Road (Nov. 14)
Based on director John Hillcoat’s bloody Western THE PROPOSITION, he seemed like the dream choice to adapt the work of author Cormac McCarthy. Now we get to see it for real. Post-apocalyptic tale starring Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce and Robert Duvall. Entertainment Weekly just named the novel the best of the past 25 years. Hope the film can live up to that. Bring on the trailer soon, please.

This site is a member of Animation blogspot, part of the Animation World Network

This site is a member of Animation blogspot, part of the Animation World Network

It’s that time again for the RFP Overlooked Awards, celebrating award-worthy films, performances, directors, screenplays and animated shorts, which are all worthy of award recognition, but didn’t get enough of a chance to glow in the spotlight. This year I have add a Jury Prize for overlooked craft categories and films and/or performances that I missed since the Overlooked Awards began. So without further ado, here are the winners and honorable mentioned.

Picture
Winner: SWEENEY TODD
With three Oscar nominations for Johnny Depp, Outstanding Art Direction and Costume Design, Tim Burton’s adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s SWEENEY TODD is a darkly humorous sensation that had me grinning the whole way through. Some have said they didn’t like the music or the bloody excess, but for me that was its charm. The traditional musical numbers subverted by the gore of a classic Hammer horror film. It’s the best musical I’ve seen since MOULIN ROGUE, and it’s the kind of musical that non-fans of the genre can certainly embrace. Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall and Sacha Baron Cohen all give stellar performances. For Burton, the devilish song and dance tale is perfect material. He handles it with his own signature twisted style; the perfect style for a tale about a murderous barber who has his victims cooked up as meat pies.

Honorable Mentions
BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOW YOU’RE DEAD
In his 80s, Sidney Lumet is still working at the top of his game. Part character study, part crime thriller, this thoughtful drama has great performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei and Albert Finney. Family can drive us to do awful things sometimes.

INTO THE WILD
Like SWEENEY TODD, Sean Penn’s adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s book about Christopher McCandless, who dropped out of society to go live in the wilderness of Alaska, is a perfect match of content and director. Along with a star-making performance from Emile Hirsch, Penn infuses this film about a lost soul with unmistakable passion.

LA VIE EN ROSE
Driven by a transformative performance from Marion Cotillard, who deserves to win the Oscar, this biopic about famed French singer Edith Piaf is not just a highlight reel of the performer’s life, but allows us to peek into her soul.

ONCE
If it were not for SWEENEY TODD, this indie musical would be the best musical since MOULIN ROGUE. Singers Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova give honest performances that drive this sweet romance that simply warms the heart.

Best Actor
Winner: Emile Hirsch — INTO THE WILD
Subtly doesn’t always grab the attention of award givers, but subtly is not always easy to perform. Emile Hirsch has been good in his other films, but this performance is remarkable. His dedication to the role of Christopher McCandless allows us to see into the mind and heart of the young man who dropped out of society to find himself. With his lead role in SPEED RACER coming this summer, Hirsch is poised to become a big star. But this performance in Sean Penn’s touching drama proves that he is more than a matinee idol.

Honorable Mentions
Josh Brolin — NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Again subtly is overlooked. Josh Brolin’s laconic Llewelyn Moss drives the Coen brothers’ intelligent thriller. With little dialogue, Brolin uses body language to express more than words could ever convey.

Don Cheadle — TALK TO ME
Don Cheadle proves once again that he is one of the finest actors working today. As original shock jock Petey Greene, Cheadle explodes from the screen and grabs the audience’s attention from start to finish.

Chris Cooper — BREACH
As Robert Hanssen, the FBI agent who sold top secrets to the Soviet Union, Oscar winner Chris Cooper brings amazing complexity to the fascinating hypocrite.

Philip Seymour Hoffman — THE SAVAGES
Key to the success of THE SAVAGES is the performances. Laura Linney received an Oscar nod, but she wouldn’t have been half as good if she didn’t have Philip Seymour Hoffman to work off of. Having received a Supporting Actor nod for his flashy role in CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR, Hoffman was sadly overlooked for his subtler work in this film and BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD.

Best Actress
Winner: Carice van Houten — BLACK BOOK
When it comes to star-making turns from an actress I have never seen before, no one stuck me in 2007 as strongly as Carice van Houten in Paul Verhoeven’s BLACK BOOK. As Rachel, a Jewish singer on the run from the Nazis, she infuses the character with amazing heroism. Few female roles give women a chance to be hero, and van Houten relishes in the opportunity. She not only makes us like her character, she makes us root for her. This year she will be seen in the Tom Cruise vehicle VALKYRIE, so be prepared for the dawn of a new superstar.

Honorable Mentions
Nikki Blonsky — HAIRSPRAY
HAIRSPRAY was a fun piece of cotton candy and a great deal of that is due to star Nikki Blonsky. Her pure enthusiasm for the role fills the film with electricity.

Angelina Jolie — A MIGHTY HEART
Better than her Oscar-winning turn in GIRL, INTERRUPTED, Angelina Jolie has rarely been better. As Mariane Pearl, the wife of murdered reporter Daniel Pearl, Jolie creates a female character who remains strong under unthinkable circumstances.

Christina Ricci — BLACK SNAKE MOAN
Christina Ricci gives an amazing performance as a sexually obsessed young woman in this sweaty morality tale. In lesser hands, the performance could have been laughable camp.

Keri Russell — WAITRESS
Keri Russell proves that she is more than a “TV actress.” She carries this fun romantic comedy, crafting a character deeper than most female romantic leads ever get to be.

Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Ben Foster — 3:10 TO YUMA
When I first saw 3:10 TO YUMA, I said Ben Foster deserves an Oscar nomination for his savage fey cowboy. He steals every scene that he is in even up against the likes of Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. He is a scary man. You don’t want to be at the end of a gun he is pointing at you. One is stuck by the power that he commands, but watch for the subtle flares that he weaves in. It’s a complex performance.

Honorable Mentions
Jason Bateman — JUNO
Jason Bateman is one of the great surprises in a film filled with them. As a supporting character with a large character arch, he makes us believe in his character’s change of heart.

Sacha Baron Cohen — SWEENEY TODD
I gave Sacha Baron Cohen the Best Actor prize for BORAT last year and now he returns with an honorable mention this year. In SWEENEY TODD, he sings, and proves that he isn’t just a prankster, but also a great performer.

Andy Griffith — WAITRESS
In a persona-bending performance, Andy Griffith shines like a star, skewering his squeaky clean persona as a wonderful foul-mouthed curmudgeon.

Peter O’Toole — RATATOUILLE
Voice-over performances are always overlooked when it comes to award time. Peter O’Toole’s performance as brutal food critic Anton Ego is classic. One more iconic part of add to his iconic resume.

Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Helena Bonham Carter — SWEENEY TODD
No one touched me more in SWEENEY TOOD than Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett, the meat pie cook who longs to be close to the demon barber of Fleet Street. She brings the perfect flare to the tunes, bringing the musical numbers to life. She makes us care about her murderous character, which is key to the success of the entire film. Her love for Todd allows us to see him through her eyes even when he sinks further and further into madness. With a perfect dose of wit, she makes it impossible to see any other actress in the role.

Honorable Mentions
Jennifer Garner — JUNO
Like Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner could have played her wanna-be mommy as a stereotypical stuck-up yuppie, but she brings depth and heart to her performance.

Catherine Keener — INTO THE WILD
In a great cast, Catherine Keener gives another stand-out performance as an aging hippie who has a great deal of buried sadness.

Leslie Mann — KNOCKED UP
Making people laugh is easy for Leslie Mann, but she also makes us believe in her character at the same time. As the ignored wife in KNOCKED UP, she brings a great deal of honesty and heart to a role that could have come off like a stereotypical shrew.

Imelda Staunton — HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
Playing one of the great villains in the HARRY POTTER series, Imelda Staunton deliciously cooks up the sugary sweet disciplinarian who tries to carve out a dictatorship at the school for wizards that will remind many viewers of petty rule enforcers from their youth.

Best Director
Winner: Tim Burton — SWEENEY TODD
As I mentioned before, Tim Burton found the perfect material for his taste in SWEENEY TODD. He’s crafted a career of subverting the sentimental with the twisted and he relishes the chance to mix horror and grand musical traditions. In addition to bringing the perfect look and tone to the story, he also handles the grand music with equal skill. Gothic epic is the best way to describe SWEENEY TODD, which is exactly what it should be. Burton understands this production and delivers.

Honorable Mentions
Brad Bird — RATATOUILLE
Brad Bird is not only one of the great animation directors working today, but simply one of the great directors. Coming onto this film late in the production, he infuses it with his one signature touch.

Olivier Dahan — LA VIE EN ROSE
Olivier Dahan takes the story of Edith Piaf and makes a rare biopic that truly touches the core of the person who he chronicles. At every turn, his unique choices surprise the viewer.

Sidney Lumet — BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD
One of the all time great directors proves once again why he is one of the all time great directors. Sidney Lumet is a legend.

Sean Penn — INTO THE WILD
No director could have done a better job bringing INTO THE WILD to the screen. Sean Penn makes this a labor of love.

Best Screenplay
Winner: Kelly Masterson — BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD
This smart, character-driven thriller jumps forward and backward in time, but for good reason. Kelly Masterson understands dramatic pacing wonderfully, knowing how to reveal and withhold information so that we are more engaged in the material. It’s not about what happens sometimes, but why that makes us inch to the edge of our seats. He fleshes out all his characters and brilliantly brings together all the threads of the story into one sensational ending that keeps us guessing at every turn. But it’s not the plot that drives any of the tension, but our clear understanding of the film’s complex characters.

Honorable Mentions
John Carney — ONCE
Working with songwriters Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, John Carney crafts a perfect balance between story and music. He gives us the songs of the lead characters, which allows us to peek into their hearts.

Olivier Dahan — LA VIE EN ROSE
Along with his great direction, Olivier Dahan also crafts a pitch-perfect screenplay that even keeps secrets from us that his subject doesn’t want to share until the end.

Scott Frank — THE LOOKOUT
One of the great thrillers of 2007, Scott Frank not only characters complex leads, but can also give surprising dimension to the smallest character in a quick moment. It’s a great example of economic screenwriting.

Vincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi — PERSEPOLIS
Based on Marjane Satrapi graphic novels, Vincent Paronnaud and Satrapi craft a script that unravels the life of an Iranian girl in three parts that powerfully captures the feelings of living under oppression, leaving one’s home and the pain of returning to a place that will never be the same.

Best Animated Short
Winner: THE PEARCE SISTERS — Luis Cook
From Aardman Animation, the creators of Wallace and Gromit, THE PEARCE SISTERS seems to be too dark for the tastes of some awards voters. The devilishly black comedy chronicles the surprising relationship of two hideous sisters, who live a solitary life by the sea. The exquisite design work and color scheme fit the tone of the piece perfectly. The short has already come to iTunes in the U.K. and I hope to the States very soon. For those who like their entertainment a little oft kilter this is the perfect film for you.

Honorable Mentions
FRANZ KAFKA’S A COUNTRY DOCTOR by Koji Yamamura
Previous Oscar-nominee Koji Yamamura crafts a trippy bizarre world that honors the name Franz Kafka. The stream-of-conscience imagery collides one idea upon the next. It’s short, but filled with so much thought.

JOHN AND KAREN — Mathew Walker
This story of a polar bear who returns to the apartment of his girlfriend after a fight is hilarious. Oh, did I mention that his girlfriend is a penguin? With signature British wit, this smart little toon makes us laugh with the truth of it all.

T.O.M. — Tom Brown and Daniel Gray
Twisted, twisted, twisted. A boy reveals a great deal about his strange personality on his way to school. After seeing this film, you might not know what it means, but you won’t ever forget it.

HOW TO HOOK UP YOUR HOME THEATER — Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers
This throwback to classic Disney shorts of the past captures the humor and tone of those films wonderfully. Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers pay homage to the past, but keep it fresh enough with the story of contemporary problems with modern gadgetry.

Jury Prize
This is a new category to recognize films that I missed seeing in time for last year’s RFP Overlooked Awards, as well as films that were overlooked in the craft categories that I feel need to be acknowledged.

* A documentary has never been nominated for best picture, but films as good as JESUS CAMP or THE BRIDGE (which didn’t even get a Best Documentary nod) deserve to be considered for the top prize. If I had seen them in time they would have made my cut for Best Overlooked Film of the Year.

* The Oscars are notorious for missing great documentaries and 2007 wasn’t an exception. THE HEART OF THE GAME, SHUT UP & SING and WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR? all deserved an Oscar nomination. Just because a doc is about the Iraq War doesn’t make it brilliant.

* Brittany Murphy’s performance in THE DEAD GIRL is a remarkable thing to behold. The film was overlooked and she was sorely overlooked in a performance that is shocking in how it displays her unexpected range.

* SPIDER-MAN 3 was not the best film in the series, but its effects were. The remarkable sand simulation alone should have placed this film in the final three. As it stands the Academy didn’t even deem it worthy enough to make the final seven.

* FACTORY GIRL was a good film, but not a great one. However, Guy Pearce’s performance as Andy Warhol is great. I’ve seen a lot of people play Warhol, but Pearce brings to life the vulnerability and cruelty of the pop art icon.

This site is a member of Animation blogspot, part of the Animation World Network

This site is a member of Animation blogspot, part of the Animation World Network

It was a year for old men and pregnant teens and rats that like fine cuisine. With the Demon Barber, there will be blood and Alexander Supertramp went into the wild on a flash flood. An Iranian girl dared to be a metal head, while brothers hoped they got away with murder before the devil knows their dead. There once was a guy and a girl who made beautiful music together and Edith Piaf sang through a life of stormy weather.

Making a definitive top ten or 25 list is a nearly impossible task. That’s why I would never attempt a “best of all time” list. As the list stands, it’s the top 25 films that were released in 2007, which I’ve seen so far. So the list works as a recommendation list. If there are five or 10 or 25 films from 2007 that I believe you need to see — these are those films in some kind of order.

However, it is subject to change as I see more films from a given year. And over time or repeated viewings my opinion can change. Because I work online in a changeable medium, I reserve the right to change my mind at any time. However, I will keep record of my original thoughts and any reasons for the changes.

For instance I still have not seen the following films from 2007— 12:08 TO BUCHAREST, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, AFTER THE WEDDING, ALPHA DOG, THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD, THE ASTRONAUT FARMER, BLAME IT ON FIDEL, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, BRAND UPON THE BRAIN!, BUG, CONTROL, DAN IN REAL LIFE, THE DARJEELING LIMITED, DELRIOUS, THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY, ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE, GONE BABY GONE, GRACE IS GONE, THE GREAT DEBATERS, I’M NOT THERE, IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON, IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH, THE JANE AUSTEN FAN CLUB, THE KING OF KONG, THE KITE RUNNER, LADY CHATTERLEY, LAKE OF FIRE, LARS AND THE REAL GIRL, LIONS FOR LAMBS, LUST, CAUTION, MARGOT AT THE WEDDING, MEMORIES OF TOMORROW, THE MIST, MY KID COULD PAINT THAT, THE NAMESAKE, OFFSIDE, THE ORPHANAGE, PARIS, JE T’AIME, PETE SEEGER: THE POWER OF SONG, PIERREPOINT, PRIVATE PROPERTY, ROCKET SCIENCE, REDACTED, RENDITION, ROMANCE AND CIGARETTES, THE SAVAGES, SHOOT ‘EM UP, SOUTHLAND TALES, STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING, STEPHANIE DALEY, SYNDROMES AND A CENTURY, THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE, THIS IS ENGLAND, THE TV SET, VANAJA, WAITRESS and THE WATER HORSE.

All the above films have received positive word from one or more places. So it is possible that one or several of those above films could make an appearance on the top-25 list at some time. Who knows? But one thing is for sure — people love lists. So here’s mine.

1) NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
There is no film this year that returns to my mind more than the Coen brothers’ masterpiece. Working equally as taut crime thriller and a metaphor for the randomness of life and death, the makers of FARGO and BLOOD SIMPLE have crafted their best work to date. Tommy Lee Jones plays an aging cop who just can’t understand the violence of the world anymore. Josh Brolin, as a laconic man, finds money that belongs to the ruthless killer Churgh, played in a brilliant stroke by Javier Bardem. By following both Jones and Brolin’s characters, it’s like getting two films in one. Joel and Ethan Coen take the story to a logical ending that finds ways to shock the audience and exceed expectations with powerful and unexpected twists that stay true to the film’s central theme.

2) JUNO
Few crowd pleasers are this smart. Led by a fully dedicated performance from Ellen Page, Jason Reitman’s teen pregnancy comedy is filled with witty dialogue that never overrides the honest development of the characters. Page’s Juno is a cool back-talking young woman who learns that having a child is actually beyond her maturity level, and she isn’t the only character that that statement applies to. The film has turned its screenwriter Diablo Cody into an instant Hollywood legend. The ensemble cast also includes great performances from Michael Cera, J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney, Jennifer Garner, and Jason Bateman. This hip production is filled with such rapid-fire humor that it only holds more pleasure for future viewings.

3) RATATOUILLE
From June till NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN’s release in November, the best film of year was a CG animated movie about a rat who dreams of becoming a great chef. Director Brad Bird and the whole Pixar team have made a family film that will probably entertain parents more than their kids. Remy’s struggle between his refined tastes for Paris cuisine and his garbage eating family push and pull him over the course of the story, which builds to a joyous ending that never cheats from the world it has set up. The statement “Anyone Can Cook” is key to understanding the wonderful metaphor that literally has a creature from the gutter rising to the heights of an artiste. RATATOUILLE’s lush world is filled with well-developed characters and a thoughtful theme, making it a mature step forward for American animation.

4) THERE WILL BE BLOOD
Bringing together a premiere director in Paul Thomas Andersen and the best actor living today in Daniel Day-Lewis makes THERE WILL BE BLOOD a grand experience. With haunting visuals and an eerie score, this historical drama, based on Upton Sinclair’s novel OIL!, follows Daniel Plainview as he works hard to transform himself into a self-made millionaire with his adopted son H.W. by his side. But like a Shakespearian tragedy, it is hubris that brings this ambitious man down. Pitted against the equally ambitious young preacher Eli Sunday, played with smarminess by Paul Dano, Daniel only sees the bad in human nature and succumbs to it as well. Epic and strange this is a unique entry in the resume of a master of cinema.

5) SWEENEY TODD
When the perfect material falls into the hands of the right artist, magic can happen. This is the case with Stephen Sondheim’s classic dark musical and director Tim Burton. Driven by the perfect performance from Johnny Depp, the bloody tale of a wronged barber who returns to London to slash throats is the anti-musical musical. When Mrs. Lovett, played brilliantly by Helena Bonham Carter, suggests that corpses be turned into filling for meat pies, we are certain that this song and dance show will not end in a uplifting number. Crafted with pitch-black wit, gothic production design and operatic music, it’s like a classic monster movie mashed up with a Broadway extravaganza. It’s the best Broadway adaptation in decades.

6) PERSEPOLIS
Not since TOY STORY 2 and THE IRON GIANT arrived in 1999 has there been two animated films as good as RATATOUILLE and PERSEPOLIS in the same year. And for the future of animation for adults there has never been such a year. Based on Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic novel, the film chronicles her as a young girl growing up during the Islamic revolution, her study abroad as a stranger in a foreign land and her return to a homeland that she no longer knows. In contrasting universal issues of growing up against the brutal restrictions of an oppressive society, PERSEPOLIS stands as a powerful indictment of simplistic views of a whole country. When a teen in the U.S. listens to heavy metal to rebel it isn’t such a daring act. But when a young girl does so in a country where she could be imprisoned for it, she is truly brave.

7) INTO THE WILD
Like SWEENEY TODD where the right material is brought to life by the right filmmaker, Jon Krakauer’s bestselling non-fiction novel INTO THE WILD is a perfect fit for the style of director Sean Penn. Emile Hirsch gives his best performance as Christopher McCandless (aka Alexander Supertramp), a young man who gives up everything to head out on the road with a desire to live in the wilderness of Alaska. Along the way, he will be an assortment of new friends including a career crowning performance from Hal Holbrook, as well as standout work from Catherine Keener, Kristen Stewart, Vince Vaughn, William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden and Brian Dierker. Part epic road movie and part character study, this ultimately tragic tale says a lot about the desire to throw off the shackles of modern society and what really is important in life.

8) BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE DEAD
In a year of good crime dramas, 83-year-old Sidney Lumet has made the best. With a cast full of great performers like Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney and Marisa Tomei, this twisting tale shows two desperate brothers carrying out a “victimless” crime that goes awfully wrong. The consequences throw them into a moral quagmire that bubbles up old family resentments to the surface. Kelly Masterson’s brilliant screenplay builds the action of the story around the nature of his characters. Taking its title from the Irish saying — May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead — this robbery caper story will have more than one character in the end who will wish that this to be true.

9) ONCE
This existential musical tells the simple love story of a guy and a girl with such heart and charm that you will be smiling with joy the whole way through. Infused by Glen Hansard’s soulful singer-songwriter tunes and the sweet humanity of Markéta Irglová, director/writer John Carney crafts a film that is virtually one song after another without a single forced moment. The great music not only entertains, but also allows us to peek into the inner feelings of its characters, who struggle to find the spark needed to move forward with their lives. Their love of music will help this happen, their growing love for each other with also help, and along the way all that love makes the viewer fall in love with this film.

10) LA VIE EN ROSE
In the past few years we’ve had great musical biopics like WALK THE LINE and RAY, and now we have LA VIE EN ROSE, the best of them all. Chronicling a remarkable life of famed French singer Edith Piaf, the film rides on the transformative performance of Marion Cotillard. Director Olivier Dahan shows us Piaf’s meager childhood on in poverty and along the way gives us foreboding peeks at the frail 47-year-old Piaf who was crippled by disease brought on by a hard lived life. Dahan perfect direction allows us to not only see what Piaf accomplished, but what motivated her. Some secrets we hold to our grave say a lot about who we are.

11) AWAY FROM HER
Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent give powerful performances in actress Sarah Polley’s brilliantly directing debut about a couple dealing with the wife’s Alzheimer’s.

12) ATONEMENT
Based on Ian McEwan’s novel, Keira Knightley and James McAvoy play lovers whose life is torn apart by the misunderstandings and lies of a young girl, who will be tormented for the rest of her life with regrets and the struggle for redemption.

13) THE LOOKOUT
Screenwriter Scott Frank’s directing debut features standout performances from star Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Jeff Daniels in a crime thriller that also acts as a character study about a young man who only wants the reclaims the potential life he lost in a terrible accident.

14-tie) NO END IN SIGHT & SICKO
The two best documentaries of the year lift the veil off two of the most important topics of our day. In NO END IN SIGHT, Charles Ferguson systematically outlines how incompetence, greed and arrogance spiraled the Iraq war into a total disaster, and in SICKO, Michael Moore makes his most mature film chronicling incompetence, greed and arrogance has left the U.S. health care system in total disaster.

15) CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR
Mike Nichols’ smart comedy stars Tom Hanks as Congressman Charlie Wilson as he teams with blunt CIA agent, played brilliantly by Philip Seymour Hoffman, to wage a secret war against the Soviets in Afghanistan that created unforeseen, but not unavoidable, consequences in the future.

16) THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY
Ken Loach’s Cannes Film Festival winning drama, starring Cillian Murphy, tells an ironic history of the IRA’s struggle to win freedom from the British.

17) AMERICAN GANGSTER
Starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, Ridley Scott’s crime drama is based on the true story of Harlem drug kingpin who used sound business principles to take control the New York drug trade by going right to the supplier in Asia.

18) HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
Continuing the historic family fantasy series, the most mature HARRY POTTER film to date chronicles Harry’s struggle against bitterness and resentment and the common feeling that the adult world does not want to take a teenager seriously.

19) 300
This stylized sword and sandal epic is an over-the-top extravaganza chronicling the thrilling stand for freedom that an army of 300 Spartan warriors made against the 20,000 plus Persian army at Thermopylae.

20) ZODIAC
David Fincher’s true crime tale shows the complex details that happened in the hunt for the infamous Zodiac killer with Jake Gyllenhaal playing the obsessed journalist Robert Greysmith, Robert Downey Jr. playing drunk and dogged reporter Paul Avery and Mark Ruffalo playing determined detective David Toschi.

21) MICHAEL CLAYTON
Writer Tony Gilroy makes his directing debut with this taut corporate thriller — brought to life by great performances from George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton and Sydney Pollack — about the plague of conscience on people who have ruined lives for corporate greed.

22) EASTERN PROMISES
David Cronenberg reteams with his A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE star Viggo Mortensen in this crime drama about the Russian mob in London where no one are as they seem.

23) BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA
This great coming of age tale delivers truth and fantasy in one emotionally devastating tale of the power of friendship.

24) BLACK BOOK
Paul Verhoeven returns to top form in this WWII set thriller where Carice van Houten gives a gripping performance as a Jewish woman who will go to great extent to survive the Nazi death machine.

25) TALK TO ME
Don Cheadle and Chiwetel Ejiofor star in this true-life story of the original shock jock Petey Greene as he speaks the truth at all costs during the turbulent 1960s.

Honorable mentions go to:
1408
3:10 TO YUMA
BEOWULF
BLACK SNAKE MOAN
BREACH
GRINDHOUSE
HAIRSPRAY
THE HOAX
HOT FUZZ
I AM LEGEND
KNOCKED UP
A MIGHTY HEART
RESCUE DAWN
THE SIMPSONS MOVIE
SUPERBAD
STARDUST

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To me the curse is mine, only because it is taking me far longer than I first imagined to post all the archival reviews from years of newsletters. Hopefully, it’s not a curse to my wonderful (though small) reader base. This archive update, at least, comes quicker than the gap between the first and the second. The new films added are from the first part of my newsletter that went out on Aug. 13, 2004. It’s a collection of good films, even some very good films.

DE-LOVELY (2004)
This musical biography of Cole Porter is brought to life by the compelling performances of its lead actors Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd.

HERO (2004)
From director Yimou Zhang, this colorful action/fantasy is so beautiful to look at that you will never forget its gripping visual poetry.

JU-ON: THE GRUDGE (2004)
The first of the theatrical releases in this Japanese horror series is filled with ghostly, creepy imagery, improving on the story with fuller characters.

13 GOING ON 30 (2004)
This kid-stuck-in-an-adult-body flicks turns out to a fairly charming romantic comedy thanks to star Jennifer Garner.

BUS 174 (2003)
This documentary puts into context the story of Rio’s most famous hostage situation, using gripping news footage of the actual event.

DUMMY (2003)
This indie comedy stars Oscar winner Adrian Brody as shy man who follows his dream of becoming a ventriloquist and features a surprisingly funny performance from Milla Jovovich.

THE EYE (2003)
This Chinese-Singapore co-production is a nice chiller chronicling a corneal transplant recipient who begins seeing dead people.

HELLBOY (2004)
One of the better superhero movies ever made, because it knows how to balance the characters, action and humor without talking down to the audience.

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Wow the last time I had a chance to post new items into the archive was April. With the addition of This Weekend’s Film Festival, new old reviews from past editions of my old e-mail newsletter have been slowing getting online. Part of the delay in catching up with the older reviews is that I’m fleshing out some of the shorter items. With some it’s easy, especially for films I really liked. For the middle ground films, it’s tough to remember what I actually thought, because the film has slipped from my mind. Anyway, here’s an eclectic mix of the remaining films from the September 16, 2004 edition of my newsletter. Hey, even if you were one of the lucky few to have read them the first time around, they’ve been upgraded. Consider them the director’s cut.

IN & OUT (1997)
This Frank Oz comedy where Kevin Kline plays a teacher trying to clear his name of charges that he is gay is successful mainly due to fine performances from Kline and Oscar nominee Joan Cusack.

JUST A KISS (2002)
AKA Kiss of Death. This D-grade indie comedy plays like it’s schizophrenic.

KURT & COURTNEY (1998)
British documentarian and provocateur Nick Broomfield looks into the conspiracies sounding the death of Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain, especially focusing on the controlling actions of his wife Courtney Love.

PORN STAR: THE LEGEND OF RON JEREMY (2001)
This documentary looks into the life and personality that is the very average looking porn legend Ron Jeremy. Fascinating, as well as sad.

SPACE JAM (1996)
Looney Tunes team up with Michael Jordon to face off against the Monstar aliens in a basketball game. What can one expect from a film based on a Nike commercial?

UNDER SIEGE (1992)
Steven Seagal kicks terrorist butt in this DIE HARD on a boat action flick.

WONDERLAND (2003)
I guess I was in a porn phase in Sept. 2004. This thriller is based on the real life murders that involved porn star John Holmes. Good performs, but the RASHOMON-style is maddening.

THE WORST WITCH (1986)
A young Fairuza Balk started off as the worst witch before turning up in THE CRAFT as the evilest witch. It amazing how similar this dated TV movie is to the world of HARRY POTTER.

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If you’ve read the history of this blog than you know many of the reviews came from a newsletter that I’ve been doing on a regular basis since 2001. I was able to get a good chunk of the older reviews up before the blog launched, but there are still about 800 more to go. So I finally have been able to get back to tackling the archives that aren’t already posted. When I post new archival reviews, I’m going to post a little recap of what’s new in the world of older reviews. There’s no ageism at Rick’s Flicks Picks… a good movie is a good movie no matter when it was made and the same can be said about a good review.

$ (DOLLARS) (1971)
This is a really fun heist comedy starring Goldie Hawn and Warren Beatty that has been sadly forgotten.

THE APPLE (1980)
Ridiculous ’80s musical that’s rotten to its core, but still deliciously cheesy.

BOXCAR BERTHA (1972)
Martin Scorsese’s second film made for B-movie master Roger Corman. It’s a riff on BONNIE & CLYDE starring Barbara Hershey and David Carradine.

CALL NORTHSIDE 777 (1948)
Solid miscarriage of justice tale starring Jimmy Stewart, which is a great example of a classic Hollywood thriller.

DAGON (2002)
Good horror yarn from the director of RE-ANIMATOR. Horror fans will love all the references.

DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978)
Oh do I love horror films… even though 90% of them are terrible. But when a good one comes along, it’s refreshing and this is one of the absolute best of all time.

THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE (2001)
Before PAN’S LABYRINTH, director Guillermo del Toro put children in peril in Fascist Spain with this chilling ghost story.

FIVE DEADLY VENOMS (1978)
If you’ve never seen a classic kung fu flick or a kung fu flick in general then this film is a great start. Exemplifies many of the genres conventions with a compelling mystery included to help move us from one great fight sequence to the next.

GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
How dare I even think of giving GONE WITH THE WIND anything less than four stars, right? Curious what I think about Ted Turner’s favorite film?

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Welcome to the 1st annual Overlooked Awards. This is a chance to recognize those films, performances, directors, screenplays and animated shorts, which are all worthy of award recognition, but didn’t received nominations at the big awards. Even though its one of those categories that the typical fan dreads to pick for polls, I’m privileged to see many of the wonderful short animated films that are made each year. So I thought it was my duty to recognize the shorts that I felt deserved nods as well.

Picture
Winner: LITTLE CHILDREN
Only second to PAN’S LABYRINTH on my top 25 of 2006 list, LITTLE CHILDREN is a masterful step forward for Todd Field, who was earlier nominated for IN THE BEDROOM as a producer. Early buzz had this film in the running for the Oscars, but it just never gained traction. Its tongue-in-cheek voice-over is the best and most original use of voice-over I’ve seen in years. It’s nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay was extremely well deserved. Field pulled career best performances from his entire cast, including Oscar nominees Kate Winslet and Jackie Earle Haley as well as Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly, Noah Emmerich and Phyllis Somerville. Field poetically realizes his screenplay, which he adapted with the original book’s author Tom Perrotta. It tackles delicate topics with intelligence and open-mindedness. This is one of the few masterpieces of the year and needs to be seen from everyone.

Honorable Mentions
BRICK
In my book, this was the coolest film of the year. This retro-film noir set in a modern high school gets the honorary badass certificate of 2007.

CHILDREN OF MEN
Nominated in several categories at the Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay, this modern sci-fi epic takes its premise of a world where people can no longer have kids to poignant and universal levels. Sci-fi is often overlooked, but when it’s this smart it ends up being more powerful than so many “important” films wish they were.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Robert DeNiro’s cerebral look at the birth of CIA is something that will only gain in prestige over time. Shrinking attention spans don’t help films that have patience and don’t ramp up the drama. This really feels like what it must be like to be a real spy.

UNITED 93
Director Paul Greengrass was nominated for Best Director for his documentary-like chronicling of the heroes of Flight 93 on 9/11. This fascinating film will stand as the first great film about September 11. It may have been too tough to watch for some, which may have cost it come award time, but history will certainly be more kind… at least it should be.

Best Actor
Winner: Sacha Baron Cohen — BORAT
What Sacha Baron Cohen pulled off in BORAT only goes to show his enormous talent. His nomination for Adapted Screenplay feels more like a consolation prize for what really made the film a success and that’s the completely focused performance of Cohen. He must stay in character under such tense situations that it’s unbelievable he can keep a straight face. Additionally, his quick wit only allows him to take advantage of situations when they develop naturally. It’s simply remarkable.

Honorable Mentions
Daniel Craig — CASINO ROYALE
For months, fans complained about Daniel Craig. Then CASINO ROYALE arrived in theaters and Craig shut them all up. He handles the iconic role with suave grace and sly wit. He nails every moment in the best Bond script in years. He’s not only capable in the role, but is key to redefining it for the next generation.

Matt Damon — THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Damon will win an Oscar one day. He shines in a tough role in THE GOOD SHEPHERD. His ability to allow us to retain sympathy for his cold and calculating spy without overplaying it in the beginning just goes to show how confident of a performer he is.

Johnny Depp — THE LIBERTINE
This film came out in early 2006, but was quickly forgotten. However, I never forgot Depp’s performance, which warranted a third nomination in a row. By selling the Earl of Rochester’s passion, Depp allows us to care for a despicable character. Remarkable stuff.

Ken Wantanabe — LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
Wantanabe brings dignity to the general who must send his troupes into a battle he knows they cannot win. His doubts boil underneath, but his duty to Japan never wavers. Wantanabe amazingly brings out all the conflicting feelings in between. And you never missed a moment of it even if you don’t understand Japanese.

Best Actress
Winner: Maggie Gyllenhaal — SHERRYBABY
How Maggie Gyllenhaal doesn’t have any Oscar nominations this year is unbelievable. In addition to her respected work in WORLD TRADE CENTER and STRANGER THAN FICTION, Gyllenhaal also elevated SHERRYBABY to another level in a daring performance. Often when talking about female performances, “daring” is a code word for “nude scenes.” And yes, Gyllenhaal handles nudity naturally, but it’s the emotional nakedness of the character in various scenes that is amazing. Gyllenhaal is never afraid to show all the sides of her angry, vulnerable character. This is also the winner of the biggest crime certificate for “what were they thinking?”

Honorable Mentions
Yeong-ae Lee — LADY VENGEANCE
Along with BRICK, LADY VENGEANCE is one of the top badass pictures of 2006. A main part of this is due to the pitch perfect performance from Yeong-ae Lee. Sexy, cunning, vulnerable and smart, Lee makes Geum-ja more than a wronged woman looking for revenge, but an icon of hurt and regret.

Gretchen Mol — THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE
I never paid much attention to Gretchen Mol before. Now I look forward to her next performance now. Mol embodies classic pin-up girl Page, creating a remarkable character, which is both innocent and intelligent. Fascinating work.

Ellen Page — HARD CANDY
Some roles need a perfect performance or the film will fail. HARD CANDY received that from teenager Ellen Page. Her strong and powerful performance is intense and multilayered. She makes her manipulative character vastly intriguing for how she hints at secrets that she never reveals.

Keke Palmer — AKEELAH AND THE BEE
In a vastly overlooked great family film, Keke Palmer shines as a South Los Angeles student who dreams of winning the National Spelling Bee. Provided with a layered role, Palmer makes the most of the well-defined character. She is an effortlessly likable performer.

Best Supporting Actor
Winner: William Hurt — THE KING
William Hurt garnered an Oscar nod for A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE mainly due to how different a role it was for him. However, that role is nothing compared to his work in THE KING. Provided with his most complex character in years, Hurt creates a strictly conservative preacher into someone we hate at first, but come to like over time with total believability. His skill to make the change of heart seem like it’s a natural change in the character is amazing. When I think of his performance, the phrase that comes to mind is “purely authentic.”

Honorable Mentions
Michael Caine — CHILDREN OF MEN
In the dark future of a world where people cannot reproduce, Michael Caine adds the perfect dose of humor to the story. In the truest sense of the word, he supports the other actors, helping define the motives and actions of Clive Owen’s leading role. And his eerie resemblance to John Lennon only adds to the part.

Kazunari Ninomiya — LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
Only if the U.S.’s pop stars could act as well as Kazunari Ninomiya. The Japanese singer is the heart of LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA. As a grunt in the army, he effortlessly makes us connect to his situation. Provided with a layered character, he slowly builds the torment in Saigo as he has to fight a battle he knows the Japanese cannot win. He is our eyes through the world and he makes us see and feel what its like.

Michael Sheen — THE QUEEN
As remarkable as Helen Mirren’s performance is in THE QUEEN, the film would only be a one-trick pony if it weren’t for the powerful performance of Michael Sheen as Tony Blair. It’s through Blair’s eyes that we see the Queen and Sheen’s perfect portrayal leads us from disrespect for the crown to a humble respect for the challenges of the monarchy.

Stanley Tucci — THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Along with Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci helps raise THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA by crafting a truthful character from something that could so easily have been an awful caricature. With less to work with, Tucci actually has a more difficult task than Streep. He creates a gay fashion guru without tapping into any of the typical gay stereotypes. His restraint is remarkable, making the character funnier and infinitely more compelling than if it were played over-the-top.

Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Juliette Binoche — BREAKING AND ENTERING
I think I may have been the only person in town who really liked Anthony Minghella’s BREAKING AND ENTERING. Looking back, Juliette Binoche’s performance still stands out. She creates a caring mother character that seems real because we relate to her humanity. The screenplay takes the character in difficult directions and Binoche sells every moment. Making the performance even more remarkable is the fact that French-speaking Binoche does the film in English with a dead-on Serbian accent. That’s a skilled performer.

Honorable Mentions
Toni Collette — THE NIGHT LISTENER
Toni Collette received an Oscar nod for thriller THE SIXTH SENSE, but her work in thriller THE NIGHT LISTENER is infinitely more interesting. Given a rich and complex role, Collette could have copped out and tapped into similar characters, but she instead creates something completely original.

Shareeka Epps — HALF NELSON
Ryan Gosling deserved his Oscar nod for HALF NELSON, but so did his young co-star Shareeka Epps. For a young actress, her commitment to the performance is impressive. She’s a streetwise kid from a bad neighborhood who has a sweet innocence lying underneath. Yet, it’s like no other streetwise kid from a bad neighborhood you have ever seen. She truly becomes the character — just watch her smile, which speaks volumes. It’s a subtle performance that many adults couldn’t pull off.

Vera Farmiga — BREAKING AND ENTERING
Vera Farmiga broke onto the scene this year in a big way in THE DEPARTED, but her performance in BREAKING AND ENTERING is the one from 2006 I will remember. She plays her pushy prostitute with enormous energy and wonderful comic timing. She’s a spark of life in the film that is really missed when her character disappears from the film.

Frances McDormand — FRIENDS WITH MONEY
In a good, but not great film, Frances McDormand outshines the rest of the ensemble cast. She makes her bitter and depressed character like none other. Jane’s flamboyant behavior is cringe inducing at times, but not because it’s over-the-top, but because we’ve seen people freak out in public just like her. Oscar-winner McDormand continues to work at the top of her game in everything she does.

Best Director
Winner: Todd Field — LITTLE CHILDREN
Todd Field moves into the realm of auteur with LITTLE CHILDREN. He adapted the screenplay and masterfully executes the tricky material. Slier and more clever than AMERICAN BEAUTY, Field patiently builds his theme and reveals it in a perfectly constructed scene at the football stadium. In bringing all the elements together in the end, he delivers an intelligent and tense conclusion that is unforgettable.

Honorable Mentions
Alfonso Cuaron — CHILDREN OF MEN
In Alfonso Cuaron’s deft hands, CHILDREN OF MEN mixes smarts, emotional poignancy and humor in perfect doses just at the right times. He crafts a believable near future and uses a brilliantly constructed long take in the end that isn’t just for flare, but enhances the mood and themes perfectly.

Robert DeNiro — THE GOOD SHEPHERD
In his second outing as a director, Robert DeNiro shows the patience of a veteran filmmaker. His skills behind the camera truly shine in how he is able to balance the multiple timelines and vast landscape of decades without losing the driving force of the narrative.

Michael Haneke — CACHE
Michael Haneke makes frightening thrillers. Haneke’s use of flat long takes brilliantly builds an uneasy tension in this skillful thriller about dealing with wrongs you committed in the past. His pacing is perfect. The final shot will be debated forever.

Rian Johnson — BRICK
Along with his wonderfully written screenplay, Rian Johnson wins the certificate for breakout of the year. In his debut film, Johnson not only creates a completely original film, but also carries out a complex plot that could have tripped up a vet. BRICK is destined to be a cult classic and presents an impressive calling card for a vastly talented new filmmaker.

Best Screenplay
Winner: Frank Cottrell Boyce — TRISTRAM SHANDY: A COCK AND BULL STORY
This was the hardest category to pick a single winner for, because all the screenplays are equally great. However, I give the nod to Frank Cottrell Boyce for ingeniously finding a way to adapt a virtually unfilmable novel into a smart and compelling picture, which presents a “story within a story” structure that works wonderfully. I love how Boyce works the themes and topics of the film adaptation of the novel into the “real” world of the film production. Comedies are rarely this smart, which makes it that more impressive and refreshing.

Honorable Mentions
Guillermo Arriaga — THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA
Guillermo Arriaga was nominated this year for BABEL for Best Original Screenplay, but MELQUIADES ESTRADA has far more complex and intriguing characters than any of the characters in BABEL. Darkly humorous, Arriaga weaves great thoughts and powerful drama into his simple narrative. For me the complexity of BABEL is a bit of smoke and mirrors while MELQUIADES ESTRADA takes its time to define its main characters fully while building a large supporting cast that only adds to the overall message and mood of the film’s world.

Rian Johnson — BRICK
Dialogue, dialogue, dialogue. The slick speech of the hip characters takes some time to get use to, but it only adds to the rewatchability of the film. This is easily the most quotable film of the year.

Neil Marshall — THE DESCENT
Good horror films are few and far between. So when one comes out, there needs to be recognition paid. Neil Marshall brilliantly uses the claustrophobic confines of a dark cave perfectly. He paces the film well and takes time to develop his characters before putting them in peril. A script for all aspiring horror filmmakers to read.

Eric Roth — THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Much like Robert DeNiro, Eric Roth writes a screenplay that captures the passing of time perfectly without losing momentum. He finds many nice sequences that define his characters’ personalities and motives. He also handles multiple themes equally well, bringing them wonderfully together in the end.

Best Animated Short
Winner: THE RUNT — Andreas Hykade
Andreas Hykade’s dark film about a little boy who saves the runt rabbit on his family’s farm is heartbreaking and powerful. It’s message of life and death is tough and hard to swallow, but it reflects a side of life that few filmmakers dare to touch. This is too challenging and too dark for the tastes of the Academy, but it’s brilliant and needs to be seen.

Honorable Mentions
DREAMS AND DESIRES — FAMILY TIES — Joanna Quinn
On the day of the Oscar nominations, this was the biggest surprise for me when it wasn’t nominated. Joanna Quinn’s exquisitely hand drawn comedy won top honors around the globe, but was probably a bit too “British” or a bit too “insider” for the Academy. The thick accents of the voice-over also make it tough, but upon multiple viewings more and more of its charms are revealed. Film fans will find the story very rewarding as a hapless woman tries to make a huge production out of filming a wedding. For it’s amazing animation alone it makes the overlooked five in my book.

GUY 101 — Ian Gouldstone
Another film that is probably way too challenging for the Academy, Ian Gouldstone simply animated tale about a man who meets another man on the Internet who tells him about a strange encounter he had with a hitchhiker is darkly humorous and clever to the nth degree. Utilizing many typical computer and roadway icons, Gouldstone constructs his visuals in a way that don’t tell the story, but constantly comment on it. It’s smart and innovative. You’ve never seen anything like it.

HERE AND THERE — Obom
The National Film Board of Canada was rightfully nominated for the Oscar for its wonderful animated short THE DANISH POET, but it could have easily earned a second nomination for Obom’s biographical short HERE AND THERE. The sweet and funny story tells of the narrator’s time in the States and in France and her close relationship with her brother. Timing is everything in this nostalgic tale.

NEVER LIKE THE FIRST TIME — Jonas Odell
This brilliant short was short-listed by the Academy, but it didn’t make the final five. Here’s another case of something not quite fitting into the humorous or heartfelt criteria that usually lands an animated short an Oscar nod. Odell tells three tales of three different individuals first sexual experiences. The first is funny and captures the awkwardness of finally getting to one’s first sexual encounter. The second is painful and life altering. The final told by a man in old age is sweet, tender and joyous. Each story is told in a different visual style that matches the tone of the tales perfectly. Having sex for the first time is a complex affair and Odell wonderfully captures the wide range of how the experience can play out.

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