The Hollywood Reporter has compiled some Critics Picks for 2008 and some are not the expected. Glad to see Fiennes on the list…for a change.
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
Picture: “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight)
Director: Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Actor: Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
Actress: Kate Winslet, “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks/Paramount Vantage)
Supporting actor: Ralph Fiennes, “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage)
Supporting actress: Viola Davis, “Doubt” (Miramax)
Original screenplay: Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon, “WALL-E” (Disney/Pixar)
Adapted screenplay: Peter Morgan, “Frost/Nixon”“I’m continually gratified that good films come out of the studio system, despite all the problems, despite the focus on the youngest possible demographic. And I’m grateful for small favors like ‘Frost/Nixon.’ It’s intelligent, it’s well made, it’s got something to think about — all the things that get harder and harder to find in studio films.
David Ansen, Newsweek
Picture: “Encounters at the End of the World” (ThinkFilm/Discovery Films)
Director: Tomas Alfredson, “Let the Right One In” (Magnolia Pictures)
Actor: Sean Penn, “Milk” (Focus Features)
Actress: Melissa Leo, “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Supporting actor: Ralph Fiennes, “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage)
Supporting actress: Hanna Schygulla, “The Edge of Heaven” (Strand Releasing)
Original screenplay: Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais, “The Bank Job” (Lionsgate)
Adapted screenplay: Peter Morgan, “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)“The movie that transported me the most was ‘Encounters at the End of the World.’ (Director) Werner Herzog has discovered these dreamers who work at a station in Antarctica, and (tells their story with) incredibly haunting above- and below-ground landscapes.
More critics picks after the cut
Bob Strauss, Los Angeles Daily News
Picture: “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
Director: Christopher Nolan, “The Dark Knight”
Actor: Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
Actress: Sally Hawkins, “Happy-Go-Lucky” (Miramax)
Supporting actor: Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”
Supporting actress: Elsa Zylberstein, “I’ve Loved You So Long” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Original screenplay: Steve McQueen & Enda Walsh, “Hunger” (IFC Films)
Adapted screenplay: Peter Morgan, “Frost/Nixon”” ‘Dark Knight’ is the best comic book movie ever made. Then there’s the sheer power of pop narrative, married to all kinds of contemporary social concerns — such as economic (matters), fears of terrorism, anarchy, sheer social collapse — and lots of what is the holy grail of screenwriting: characters determining actions.
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor
Picture: “I Served the King of England” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Ddirector: Jiri Menzel, “I Served the King of England”
Actor: Ivan Barnev, “I Served the King of England”
Actress: Sally Hawkins, “Happy-Go-Lucky” (Miramax)
Supporting actor: Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
Supporting actress: Debra Winger, “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Original screenplay: Mike Leigh, “Happy-Go-Lucky”
Adapted screenplay: Jiri Menzel, “I Served the King of England”“It’s been a pretty lousy year, but I liked (the Czech film) ‘I Served the King of England’ quite a bit. It was a marvelous movie because it deals with tragedy in an entirely offbeat and lyrical way. That’s something (Charlie) Chaplin knew better than any other filmmaker, and Menzel has clearly been inspired by him. I don’t think we’re used to such seriousness being put on the screen with such light-fingered lyricism.
“From the standpoint of Hollywood, there were very few movies that attempted to do anything interesting — forget groundbreaking. Mostly we were watching retreads of retreads. ‘Dark Knight’ is a powerful film; it has too much plot, but it’s a rare example of how a big franchise picture can have a core of originality.”
Leonard Maltin, Secret’s Out
Picture: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount)
Director: Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight)
Actor: Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
Actress: Melissa Leo, “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Supporting actor: Haaz Sleiman, “The Visitor” (Overture Films)
Supporting actress: Viola Davis, “Doubt” (Miramax)
Original screenplay: Thomas McCarthy, “The Visitor” (Overture Films)
Adapted screenplay: Peter Morgan, “Frost/Nixon”“I’m spreading it around this year because I don’t want to put all my eggs in one basket.
“‘Benjamin Button’ cast a spell over me as few other films have. It was one of the rare long movies I’ve seen that didn’t seem long. And of course it creates its own world, its own environment. It’s visually striking, masterfully crafted — but all the craft wouldn’t mean anything if you weren’t engaged in the story and the characters.” ‘Frost/Nixon’ takes us behind the scenes and imagines a reality we weren’t privy to — and makes it credible. Peter Morgan has a gift for turning supposition and research into vibrant drama.
“And ‘Slumdog’ makes me want to use a word that’s become jargon of late: It’s an immersive experience. You feel as if you’re pulled into the picture and are experiencing everything that’s happened vicariously, along with the main character. Everything is masterfully orchestrated.”
24 Responses for "Critics Choose their 2008 faves"
Some of these are such inspired and off beat choices.
Wow…is Peter Morgan going to win the Oscar, then?
Encounters is a really wonderful movie. Glad it got some love from someone else. Werner Herzog has a way of combing the awkward with the beautiful.
…is Peter Morgan going to win the Oscar, then?
No. The screenplay is a series of fake contrivances pretending to be history. It’s the screenplay Nixon’s ego would have written.
Steven – one of my favourite moments in film this year was hearing a great director refer to a yoga class at McMurdo as “an abomination.” I hadn’t admired the man so much since Stroszek!
“Peter Morgan has a gift for turning supposition and research into vibrant drama.”
lol+ack!
Peter Morgan, the Kitty Kelly of screenwriters.
I’m a big fan of David Ansen’s writings but The Bank Job for Best Screenplay? Really?
How is it that Frost/Nixon’s script is better than The Dark Knight? I haven’t seen the former, but I thought the latter was subtle yet extremely effective in the way it conveyed it’s messages and presented all it’s characters as human beings.
Oh, and Leonard Maltin, don’t take this the wrong way, but you suck.
So i said this in a different post, but how is Frost/Nixon going to get the #1 and #2 votes required to get in, let alone be a lock?
It just seems like a film that everyone says is good, but almost no one puts 1 or 2.
Someone made the point that Michael Clayton was the same way, but still got in, so there’s history to say its still in, but it just doesn’t make sense to me.
Frank Langella ≠ George Clooney
Michael Sheen ≠ Tilda Swinton
Meryl Streep > George Clooney > Frank Langella
Phillip Seymour Hoffman > Tilda Swinton > Michael Sheen
Pulitzer > Tony
Frost/Nixon is quite the obnoxious movie.
Ryan would you agree that its most likely:
Slumdog
Milk
Button
and then 1 of Frost/Nixon and Doubt
and 1 of Dark Knight and Wall-E
with Rev Road as a fading spoiler
and Wrestler as the shot in the dark
What do you think?
I think it makes a nice bedtime prayer, Ryan H
except I might shuffle the order
Slumdog
Milk
Button
and then 1 of Dark Knight and Wall-E
and then 1 of Rev Road and Doubt
and Wrestler as the shot in the dark
with Frost/Nixon as punishment for masturbating
Why isn’t Michelle Williams getting any love? Just because her performance is devoid of histrionics. She creates Wendy in a powerful manner, bringing her to life, and she commands the film especially since she is in every scene. Her performance in Wendy and Lucy is so subtle and quiet, yet so moving and raw. I wish she could come out of nowhere and garner the second Oscar nom she is worthy of.
Yes, Hanna Schygulla was amazing in The Edge of Heaven. Encounters at the End of the World was a fascinating film. And some great, unusual actings picks. – Ralph Fiennes, Elsa Zylberstein, etc.
Strange that a lot of people pick Frank Langella as the Best Actor of the year…….what about love for Mickey Rourke? Or Richard Jenkins? Leonardo? I wouldn’t mind Sean Penn winning, but I think I’m getting a bit tired of biopic win. That’s why last year Daniel Day Lewis win is so refreshing and deserving. I hope Jamie Foxx is not nominated again next year for playing another musical genius.
@ Alexander
I have to agree with you. It is quickly becoming this year’s Juno for me.
Slumbore Millionaire is not going to win Oscar.
I guarantee it.
No chance a movie that boring wins it all.
IMHO of course, but, I just don’t get the hype.
I watched the movie and yawned all the way through.
Just didn’t connect with the characters, the story, or anything at all.
Photography was good, but the story was too choppy in places.
Wall-E was a flat-out Masterpiece. A grand classic. A tour-de-force.
The Dark Knight was a thrill ride from beginning to end, a jaw-dropper.
I seriously do not get the Slumbore hype.
Just another average indie flick in my book.
The Bands Visit and Transsiberian were both superior in my book.
But, then again, I’m just another schmo posting on this site with nothing better to do =)
I think Frank Langella’s success with the senior citizen critics points to a potential surprised on Oscar night in his favor.
surprise, rather. And all that time to edit!
Turan going with Winslet is nice! Am I the only one that thinks she is picking up steam here?
Really hope Penn winns for Milk. He was wonderful.
Nick, the script for The Dark Knight is many things but subtle is not one of them.
Frost/Nixon rocks!!! I don’t expect that everybody will like it. But if you do, you are in the next level of film appreciation and intellectual understanding.
LOL! I can’t wait for Frost/Nixon to play in my area so I can figure out which level of intellectual understanding I’m in.
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