84th Annual Academy Awards Nominations Announced, StaticBlog’s Head Is On Fire
With the exception of a lowly Sound Editing nom, Drive got shut out, including the best supporting actor performance in at least a few years by Albert Brooks. Michael Fassbender is shut out. There is at least a chance that Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, a movie with a 48 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, could win Best Picture. All of this and undoubtedly more combine to make the 84th Annual Academy Awards nominations one of the most infuriating Oscar announcements in years.
And I haven’t even started ranting about Albert Nobbs yet.
Best Picture
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse
Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
Best Actor
Demián Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Best Actress
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Best Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Best Supporting Actress
Bérénice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Best Original Screenplay
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation
Best Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Jim Rash & Nat Faxon, The Descendants
John Logan, Hugo
George Clooney, Grant Heslov & Beau Willimon, The Ides of March
Aaron Sorkin & Steven Zaillian, Moneyball
Peter Straughan & Bridget O’Connor, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Best Animated Film
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango
Best Foreign Language Film
Bullhead (Belgium)
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
A Separation (Iran)
Footnote (Israel)
In Darkness (Poland)
Art Direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
War Horse
Costume Design
Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.
Documentary Feature
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated
Documentary Short
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God Is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
Film Editing
The Artist, Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants, Kevin Tent
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
Hugo, Thelma Schoonmaker
Moneyball, Christopher Tellefsen
Makeup
Albert Nobbs, Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
The Iron Lady, Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland
Music (Original Score)
The Adventures of Tintin, John Williams
The Artist, Ludovic Bource
Hugo, Howard Shore
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Alberto Iglesias
War Horse, John Williams
Music (Original Song)
“Man or Muppet” from The Muppets, Bret McKenzie
“Real in Rio” from Rio, Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett
Short Film (Animated)
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life
Short Film (Live Action)
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic
Sound Editing
Drive
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse
Sound Mixing
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Monyeball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse
Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Welcome to StaticBlog’s Live Coverage of the 83rd Annual Academy Awards
Huzzah! Thank you for joining StaticBlog for our annual live coverage of the Oscars. This is always the cross-country death slog of live-blogging exercises, but I always come back for the scintillating back-and-forth in the comments section and the opportunity to type until the blood spurts coming out of my fingertips are happening in time with those coming from my eyes. For the love of all things holy, let’s get this cheesefest running!
And we’re off…
7:04 p.m. So, why is it that everything about this show online indicates that the ceremony starts at 7 p.m. CST, but it’s actually starting at 7:30? Weasels.
(Editor’s note: Had some technical difficulties but we are firing up again.)
James Franco and Anne Hathaway hosting the Oscars.
7:48 p.m. Already wasting time with a montage? Gah!
7:49 p.m. Tom Hanks is looking haggard, which means we are all getting a little bit older and a little bit slower.
7: 50 p.m. Hanks awards cinematography. Wally Pfister beats Roger Deakins because his name is funnier to read on the dais.
7:57 p.m. They showcase Amy Adams in the outro for Best Supporting Actress. Does it mean something? Stop trying to ascribe meaning to this.
8: 01 p.m. Kirk Douglas — “She’s gorgeous? Where were you when I was making pictures.” Saying something, given his era.
8:02 p.m. Douglas awards Best Supporting Actress, eventually… Melissa Leo — lost my first prediction of the evening. Well done, though.
8:03 p.m. Melissa Leo: “Wow — mine? For me?”
Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis present at the Oscars.
8:04 p.m. Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake … uh, I’m sorry, losing consciousness. Slowly… blurrgh…. Damn you, Mila.
Mila Kunis arrives at the Academy Awards.
8:07 p.m. When Pixar’s in the running, it’s kind of astounding when someone else beats them. “The Lost Thing” wins!
8:11 p.m. Mila announces Best Animated Feature, about the biggest fait accompli of the evening. The Oscar goes to Toy Story 3, because the sun rises.
8:17 p.m. These odd little paths to yesteryear are deflating this show.
8:18 p.m. Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem announce adapted screenplay. Call it, friendo: Aaron Sorkin, “The Social Network.”
Aaron Sorkin
8: 19 p.m. Sorkin references Chayefsky in acceptance speech. Good grace note. Stop playing him off — he knows how to string sentences!
8:21 p.m. Brolin and Bardem announce Best Original Screenplay: “The Kings Speech.” Once for each. No way to handicap Best Picture based on this.
Anne Hathaway in a tux and James Franco in a dress at the 83rd annual Academy Awards.
8:32 p.m. Reese Witherspoon announces Best Supporting Actor. Great field,especially Hawkes, but this was always going to Christian Bale for “Fighter.”
Christian Bale
Hugh Jackman arrives at the Academy Awards.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
Marisa Tomei arrives at the Academy Awards.
Cate Blanchett arrives at the Academy Awards.
Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law present at the Oscars.
9:56 p.m. Oh yeah, they showed Dennis Hopper after hitting the nitrous in “Blue Velvet.” Finally, something that didn’t make me gassy.
10:02 p.m. Hathaway must be wearing a battery pack for that blue dress.
10:05 p.m. Bigelow announces Best Director. Goes to Tom Hooper. “King’s Speech” great and all, but not on board at all. Fincher was robbed. Robbed!
10:06 p.m. Hooper gave a great speech, but “The Damned United” was better.
10:09 p.m. Lifetime Achievements introduced by Annette Bening. Godard didn’t show, of course. Hateth Oscar. As am I, if things keep going this way.
10:12 p.m. Hathaway praises Franco for “doing fabulous job.” Where? He’s hardly been there?
10:13 p.m. Jeff Lebowski gives the testimonial for Annette Bening. Wasn’t Julianne Moore just as good?
10:15 p.m. Glad they gave up the whole “Star Chamber” conferring greatness on nominees. Way too Reality TV, that was.
10:16 p.m. Love the dude, but he’s not really tying the room together.
Natalie Portman arrives at the Academy Awards.
10:17 p.m. Dude announces Best Actress: Natalie Portman wins. Was a little fearful that this was going to go elsewhere. Relief sets in. Richly deserved.
10:20 p.m. Now Sandra Bullock says nice things about five men. This takes too long. Make it stop.
10:21 p.m. Too bad Bardem was about 10 times better than the rest of “Biutiful.”
10:25 p.m. Best Actor would be considered competitive if Firth hadn’t stitched this up like a Tom Ford tux.
Colin Firth arrives at the Academy Awards.
10:27 p.m. Was there any doubt here? Firth was a bigger fait accompli than Toy Story 3 for Best Animated. Deserved, but all nominees did.
10:30 p.m. Firth: “I have impulses I have to attend to backstage”? How deliciously ambiguous! “Awww…” or “Ewwww.”
10:33 p.m. Spielberg is here to end it all by announcing Best Picture. This is where my “Should Win” gets trounced by my “Will Win.”
10:35 p.m. When the entire Best Picture montage is voiced over by King George VI, you know where it’s going.
10:37 p.m. Timpani roll! “The King’s Speech.” And StaticBlog slinks away, slightly dejected, Tweeting in vain in support of the Facebook movie.
10:39 p.m. Thanks to all for enduring a slightly different, Twitter-fueled live blog. And thank you to @nerdage for enabling this simulcast. Cheers!
– George Lang
www.twitter.com/georgedlang
Movie Review: “The Wrestler”
Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler.”
Rating: 95
When the public loses a great artist, not by death but by foolishness or misadventure, the impact is not usually realized until, by some miraculous intervention, that performer is returned to the spotlight after years in the wilderness. Director Darren Aronofsky must have felt the vacuum left by Mickey Rourke when the great method actor squandered his career in the early ’90s, and “The Wrestler” is his restoration.
Rourke, who is nominated for a best actor Oscar for this performance, is a mass of sinew and scars as Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a pro-wrestler who was as big as Hulk Hogan in his ’80s heyday. But Randy landed the way so many entertainers do in professions without retirement or medical insurance: near destitute, wringing out the last drops of his ability and fame on the margins. He clings to the bright lights whenever he can, though they get dimmer by the day.
Randy’s only confidant is Cassidy (Marisa Tomei), a stripper who, like Randy, is realizing too late that she didn’t pay attention to the “sell by” date on her profession. The fact that his only real friend works in a strip club says volumes about how everything else fell away in Randy’s life, including his now-grown daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood), who wonders why her father never was around. There are no good answers.
Rourke invests fully in Randy’s mounting personal disaster, and the greatest scenes in “The Wrestler” come when three elements intertwine: Randy’s faux-glorious past, his rotting present, and Rourke’s own personal and professional history. It’s hard not to be reminded that when Rourke became persona non grata in film and sacrificed his career, his looks and his reputation to become a middling boxer, his own life drew sharp parallels to Randy’s fall from grace. To his credit, Aronofsky allows this element to deepen his story and character rather than become a sideshow, and the director never looks down on his creations — they exist on their own terms, however meager they might be.
Both Tomei and Wood deliver remarkable performances, but “The Wrestler” is Rourke’s time in the pale sun of Aronofsky’s working-class world. Rourke proves once again that he has the depth of feeling and commitment that once made him the heir to Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro. He could have been a contender, and with “The Wrestler,” Rourke proves that he is far from being down for the count.
Oscar Statement from Gus Van Sant (“Milk”)
“I am so thankful, so humbled, by The Academy for the nominations they have given our film – I’m so proud of our screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, Sean Penn and Josh Brolin and our incredible team, Danny Glicker, Danny Elfman, Elliot Graham, and our amazing producers Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen. These nominations ensure that Harvey Milk’s legacy will live on.”
Oscar Statement from Josh Brolin (“Milk”)
“It is very special because of this movie. I am happy ‘Milk’ received so many nominations and that people are paying attention. The subject matter is so timely and important right now because of what is happening in California with Prop 8. When I think about my life a few years ago, being happy just to feed my kids, never in a million years would I have imagined I would be up at 5 in the morning getting phone calls saying I was nominated for an Academy Award. There is no reality to it.”
Oscar Statement from Martin McDonagh (“In Bruges”)
“My heartfelt thanks to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, particularly the writers’ branch, for their support. I’m thrilled that a tale so peculiar and twisted, and that was released so long ago, has stayed in their minds for so long.”
Oscar Statement from David Fincher (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
“‘Benjamin Button’ was truly a labor of love and I am humbled by the nomination. On behalf of the producers, cast and crew, I’d like to thank the Academy, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros and most of all the city of New Orleans, who gave birth to Benjamin.”
Oscar Statement from Brad Pitt (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
“This is a great honor for the movie, and I’m especially happy for David Fincher, for without him there would be no Ben Button.”
Oscar Statement from Taraji P. Henson (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”)
“I am very excited, deeply honored and grateful. I thank Laray Mayfield, David Fincher, Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy for giving me the opportunity to bring Queenie to life.”
Oscar Statement from Viola Davis (“Doubt”)
“I still feel like the little brown-skinned girl from Central Falls, Rhode Island who dreamed the biggest dream. And how great that all of my fellow actors were recognized with this incredible honor.”
