No Response for "AD’s 7th Annual First Half of the Year Nominees"

1. James July 8th, 2008 at 3:42 pm 1

   No Amy Adams for Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.

2. James July 8th, 2008 at 3:43 pm 2

   I just wanted to say that I love you Sasha, I have been a fan of this site for almost five years.

3. Tero Heikkinen July 8th, 2008 at 3:49 pm 3

   This was fun, but none of these (well, maybe a few technical ones) will be nominated come Oscar-time. This has been a sucky year so far…

4. Michael July 8th, 2008 at 3:59 pm 4

   No Snow Angels? Ditto for the lack of Amy Adams.

   There’s also a time overlap with Paranoid Park. Wasn’t that nominated for Independent Spirit 2007?

   Funny Games is a stretch for any nominations.

   Too much In Bruges.

5. sonnymoscoso July 8th, 2008 at 4:05 pm 5

   in bruges will rule in the main categories, in the tech categories, iron man will rule, in the art categories the fall will rule, and WALL E will win best pic…
   other than that, i dont care, Sasha you should have wait one more week, so that THE DARK KNIGHT can sweep everything

6. SaltireFlower July 8th, 2008 at 4:06 pm 6

   Russell Brand is on this list; therefore I approve

7. Xavi Rodriguez July 8th, 2008 at 4:59 pm 7

   Love Songs for Best Movie but not Louis Garrel and Chiara Mastroianni? WTF???!!!! Well unleast we have Julianne Moore

8. Brandon W July 8th, 2008 at 5:08 pm 8

   Interesting choices. Being it half a year already. Though, I do think The Dark Knight will win Best Picture and Supporting Actor for Heath .

9. Free July 8th, 2008 at 5:16 pm 9

   This just proves that at mid-year, this has not been a great start for movies, especially once you compare it to last year or the year before. The fact that My Blueberry Nights made the cut for categories other than Supporting Actor and Cinematography says a lot. Or The Ruins getting in at all.

10. nicholas July 8th, 2008 at 5:41 pm 10

    If only I believed that In Bruges would receive the kind of love it deserves. At least I thank YOU for showing it that much.
    best film of the year so far.

    along with Norway’s “Reprise”

11. Dylan July 8th, 2008 at 8:42 pm 11

    Hey Sasha! Big fan of the sight, and of your articles. However, I’m not too sure I agree with your picks for the nominees so far.

    I know it’s only July, and it’s still WAY too early to really predict, but I think you should re-think some of your choices. For ex: I honestly don’t think any of the movies you predicted for Best Picture, Director, Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, Art Direction, or Costume Design will get nominated (espescially “Wall-E,” unless you’re talking about only Sound Editing, Score, Original Screenplay, and Animated Feature).

    As much as I like Robert Downey Jr., there’s no way he’s getting nominated for Best Actor – it’s just not that kind of award-worthy performance. He’s got critical acclaim, but it’s not a Best Actor performance, and I don’t think you’ll hear his name for serious consideration come this fall – I’d take him off (but he’s got a shot for a Golden Globe).

    One last thing – it struck me funny how you didn’t have “Speed Racer” nominated for a single category. Not one! I know it wasn’t a box office success and wasn’t well-recieved by critics, but I don’t think it’s a movie that’s going to fade away and have “Iron Man” or “Indiana Jones” take all the heat. I think “SR” has a really good shot at Best Sound Mixing, and espesically Best Visual Effects (I would personally take off “Indiana Jones” and you should certainly take off “Iron Man,” whose visuals aren’t really award-worthy. The only way I see “IM” getting a Visual nomination is if the Academy is going to honor Stan Winston. Possible, but very unlikely).

    But besides my little quibbles, I still think your movie articles are growing more and more interesting! Keep up the good work! But I’d just maybe hold off on predicting the big categories until we see more award-worthy performances and films, and keep your mind open to other films – not just “Iron Man” or “Wall-E” but maybe “Speed Racer,” or maybe even start predicting for upcoming films like “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Miracle at St. Anna,” etc.

    But thanks again, Sasha. I mean all of this out of respect, because I wouldn’t point these out if I didn’t look up to you so much. Thanks, man.

    Dylan.

12. Jayclops July 8th, 2008 at 9:16 pm 12

    Oh my gosh. In Bruges. Absolutely perfect.

13. Rob July 8th, 2008 at 9:16 pm 13

    Maybe I am not understanding this annual first half awards. I thought that they were created to honor the movies that came out Jan 1 through Jun 30, as those films are usually overlooked. (Don’t get me started on Crash.)

    Some people here are thinking that this is what one person (Sasha) thinks is going to be nominated in January 2009.

14. ladylurks July 8th, 2008 at 9:33 pm 14

    These nominations were voted on by the forum members. They’re not Sasha’s picks or predictions. And they’re only for films released before July 1.

    In Bruges is a great choice! Hope it wins big. And I’m very pleased to see Richard Jenkins nommed for best actor.

15. Fidel July 8th, 2008 at 10:58 pm 15

    Wall-E for Best Actor and Eve for Best Supporting Actress (so she’ll actually have a shot at winning)!! (Just kidding, of course)

16. John Stevenson July 8th, 2008 at 11:22 pm 16

    Hooray for Robert Downey! Here’s hoping he wins!

    Major oversights:
    VANTAGE POINT for editing (multiple plot lines, time-bending, and a killer carchase would be a lock for a year-end nomination if they weren’t in a poorly reviewed release from March.)
    INCREDIBLE HULK for sound (a terrific footchase, an enormous battle in the middle and a CGI finale should warrant a nomination)
    RAMBO for cinematography and sound editing

17. walkabout July 9th, 2008 at 1:56 am 17

    I felt the need to repeat it: These are not Sasha’s picks. It’s an annual organization voted by the members of the AD forum to chose the best of the year so far (among all the US theatrical releases opened between January 1 – June 30)…

    go In Bruges!

18. John July 9th, 2008 at 2:07 am 18

    There is no way in this world that Cate Blanchett, Cynthia Nison, Bette Midler and Natalie Portman are better than Amy Adams, the girl from The band’s visit, Kristin Scott Thomas, Chiara Mastroianni, Amber Tamblyn or even Gwyneth Paltrow. INCREDIBLE! Bad taste… bad taste…

19. McAllister July 9th, 2008 at 8:02 am 19

    Cassandra’s Dream was first released limited in 2007… and also Colin Farrell was better than Ewan McGregor, I thought (the role was better).

20. Sam Juliano July 9th, 2008 at 12:01 pm 20

    On the actress picks, GALINA VISHNEVSKAYA gave a towering performance in ALEXANDRE, and although we all know she hasn’t got a Chinaman’s chance at an Oscar nod, it gratifying that this group has her among the five nominees. Oddly enough not a single one of the other four belongs in this group, and none will snare noms in January. Outside of Vishnevskaya, this is a VERT weak categoru.

    Too bad HANNA SHYGULLA (Edge of Heaven) was passed over for a supporting actress nod.

21. Iain July 9th, 2008 at 12:31 pm 21

    BEST PICTURE – Wall E
    BEST DIRECTOR – Andrew Stanton for Wall E
    BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE – Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man
    BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE – Frances McDormand in Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
    BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – Simon Iteanu in The Flight of the Red Balloon
    BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – Cate Blanchett in Indiana Jones
    BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – Wall E
    BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY – Iron Man
    BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – The Flight of the Red Baloon
    BEST FILM EDITING – Cloverfield
    BEST ART DIRECTION – The Fall
    BEST COSTUME DESIGN – The Fall
    BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – Wall E
    BEST ORIGINAL SONG – Down to Earth from Wall E
    BEST SOUND MIXING – Wall E
    BEST SOUND EDITING – Wall E
    BEST VISUAL EFFECTS – Cloverfield (I think Cloverfield’s special effects are great, I happen to just love em)
    BEST MAKE UP – The Ruins

22. Rob Wills July 9th, 2008 at 2:19 pm 22

    Chiwetel Ejiofor for Redbelt, Anton Yelchin for Charlie Bartlett, Ellen Burstyn for The Stone Angel. I thought Flight Of The Red Balloon had mainly improvised dialogue. If that doesn’t disqualify it from Best Screenplay Joseph L. Mankiewicz ought to stage a return and sue. I didn’t think anybody liked anything about Funny Games.

23. Michael July 9th, 2008 at 10:20 pm 23

    Just goes to show you, January to June is a miserable 6 months for film lovers. And a great period for Netflix.

24. aleadholm76 July 10th, 2008 at 12:35 am 24

    Thank you for recognizing Bette Midler’s wonderful performance in an otherwise average movie!!

25. Nick Plowman July 10th, 2008 at 2:21 am 25

    I’m loving the love for “Paranoid Park.” So underrated.

26. Stephen Holt July 10th, 2008 at 8:46 am 26

    Out of all this downer of a half year’s movies so far, the only one that jumped out at me was Julianne Moore’s in “Savage Grace.” So I think that it’s right that you noted her, Sash.

    Oh! And I felt the same way bout Naomi Watts in “Funny Games,” a film that has stayed as vivid in my mind as the horrifying first time I saw it.

    And on the lighter side, yes, to Kim Cattrall as the only possible serious nominee in “SATC.” Pitch perfect comedic performance and she admits she’s 50 = nomination to me. Only one of those fatale femmes to make it to a nom, je pense.

    And the Academy likes to acknowledge comedy, if it does so at all in the Supporting category.

    And back to Naomi. She also produced “Funny Games.” And her highly emotional performance was lacerating, in much the same way as Julianne Moore’s was.

    And another thing, this part of the year, begins to show us the distaff side of things more clearly year after year.

    Remember Marion Cotillard and Julie Christie both opened their Oscar-bait roles in MAY.

    So we may have more of the final women represented than we think.

    And also given “The Visitor”s surprising “legs”, you can’t not consider Danai Guria(sp?) magnficent turn as the deportation-dodging wife. AND she not African or Senegelese at all. She went to NYU Grad Acting. And wrote and starred in a hit Off-Broadway show “In the Continuum.” This gal’s got “legs”, too! And “Chops”!

27. Noah R. July 10th, 2008 at 12:41 pm 27

    Overjoyed about all of In Bruges’ nominations. We really need to start a campaign for that film towards the end of the year. Maybe if the critics recognize it with their awards, the film will have a shot at the Best Original Screenplay Oscar AT LEAST.

    Also happy to see My Blueberry Nights get some love. I don’t see the animosity towards that film. Sure, Wong Kar-Wai has done better, but I liked it as far as it went. And David Strathairn was phenomenal.

28. nemov July 10th, 2008 at 4:56 pm 28

    Wall-E is an amazing movie; however, I loved In Bruges. It feels like such a small movie. Maybe it’s the racist midget. Is there any chance that it’s not forgotten come Oscar time?

29. RichardA July 13th, 2008 at 7:07 pm 29

    Richard Jenkins is The Best Actor so far.

30. Sam Juliano July 13th, 2008 at 9:06 pm 30

    Richard A. We do agree on Richard Jenkins. He is indeed the Best Actor so far.

31. blizzards14 July 13th, 2008 at 11:39 pm 31

    I am a big fan of Rachel Weiss in My Blueberry Nights…

32. Amurabi Mendez July 18th, 2008 at 4:23 pm 32

    OMISSIONS:
    Director: Claude Lelouch (Roman De Gare) & Michel Gondry (Be Kind Rewind)
    Actor: Ryan Phillippe (Stop, Loss) & Chiwetel Ejiofor (Redbelt)
    Actress: Ines Efron (XXY) & Asia Argento (The Last Mistress,Boarding Gate)
    Supporting Actor: Hiam Abbas (The Visitor) & Joseph Gordon Levitt (Stop, Loss)
    Supporting Actress: Kate Beckinsale (Snow Angels) & Chiara Mastroianni (Love Songs)
    …but your options are really great (except for too much love to “Funny Games” and “My Blueberry Nights”)