Yesterday (2004)

Powerless to change the past . . . She lived to change the future.

To close out the SIL Festival, I wanted to watched the only movie in history to nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Made for TV Movie, Yesterday. I didn’t know that much about the movie. I heard a summary for the movie and I was intrigued to see it.

During blistering South African summer, a young Zulu woman named Yesterday (Leleti Khumalo) is walking two hours from her village of Roohiek to Kromdraai with her daughter, Beauty (Lihle Mvelase) by her side.

She has had a serious cough for a while and she wanted it check out by the Doctor (Camilla Walker). Being the only doctor in miles, there is a long line to see the Doctor and she is eventually turned away. she had to wait a week to come back to the Doctor.

Yesterday waits toiling through farmland near her house until she nearly collapses. She goes back to the clinic a little earlier, but she is turned away again for being in the long line. Frustrated, she tries to satay strong for her daughter by fetching water from the communal water pump and wait for the day that her husband, John (Kenneth Khambula) to come back from a mining assignment in Johannesburg.

One day, Yesterday passes out in the doorway of her house and is take to a Sagoma to check out. A Sagoma is a kind of witch doctor. She tells Yesterday that she is holding on to some residual anger that is causing her systems. Yesterday doesn’t feel that she is angry at all.

A local Teacher (Harriet Lenabe) Yesterday has befriended gives her the money to take a taxi to the clinic so she would be the one of first in line. When she is finally examined by the Doctor, the Doctor wants to take her blood. On a follow-up visit, Yesterday receives the devastating news that she is HIV+. She has been faithful to her husband. How could she get the virus? It is now her mission to find her husband.

Being that this is the first Zulu full-length feature is  a pleasant surprise for me. I never thought that this woman who cannot read or write could be stricken with the virus that would eventually kill her. During the course of the movie, the movie becomes like The Scarlet Letter, but Yesterday wants to fight to survive. I applaud her for her courage.

Judgment: This is a great story that you wish that this disease would be gone from our lives.

Rating: 8.5/10

The Tuskegee Airmen (1995)

The four elements: earth, air, water, and fire. Of these, I call your attention to two: air and fire. Though it is your privilege to live in the air, you will die by fire.

— Major Sherman Joy

The Tuskegee Airmen was a made for television movie for HBO back in 1995. I never heard of the movie back then, but the film was nominated for many Emmy awards. I wanted to learn more about the historic 332nd fighter squadron when I traveled through Tuskegee, Alabama on the Greyhound.

In 1942, a young pilot trainee, Hannibal “Iowa” Lee Jr. (Laurence Fishburne) has been drafted into a special government program to let Negroes fly Army fighter planes for the US. He meets others on the train to Tuskegee, Alabama like the cocky Billy “Train” Roberts (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) and a licensed pilot Walter Peoples III (Allen Payne).

Upon arriving at the base, they are greeted by their commanding officer, Colonel Noel Rogers (Daniel Hugh Kelly), Major Sherman Joy (Christopher McDonald) and their liaison officer (Courtney B. Vance).

They are in for a rude awakening when Major Joy thinks that Negroes are not capable enough to fly a fighter jet. He wants to make them fail by any means necessary. It seems to be what is going on as 1/3 of the cadets were gone when they were halfway through the training. One particular cadet’s death rattles the spirits of Leroy Cappy (Malcolm-Jamal Warner).

Not to be deterred from the ultimate goal of graduating, the cadets exceed all expectations to be the the very first Negro pilots to serve in World War II. Their time to celebrate may be short-lived as Senator Conyers (John Lithgow) wants tp dismantle the program, because of unfounded evidence to their ability ti fly the planes.

I am glad that I watched this movie. I learned a part of history that is not taught in schools. We hear the name “Tuskegee Airmen”, but we never get the chance to see what they have done, what they accomplish. I thought the performances were stupendous across the board. I have to give a special mention to Laurence Fishburne who was nominated for a Best Actor Emmy and Andre Braugher who was nominated for his convincing role of Benjamin O. Davis in the Supporting Actor Category.

Judgment: It takes you on the journey of these men without boring you with facts and figures.

Rating: 8/10

The Special Relationship (2010)

I had a taped showing of The Special Relationship on the DVR for a couple of months before I had to delete it. I happened upon the flick when I was flipping through the channels. At first, I thought that the movie was about the relationship that landed Bill Clinton in hot water during the latter part of his second term. I forgot that the movie is about the relationship between Clinton and Prime Minister Tony Blair. Yeah! (Branden says sarcastically.)

Starting in 1996, the movie is about newly elected Prime Minister, Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) having a meeting with US President, Bill Clinton (Dennis Quaid). They want to join forces to advance a democratic, progressive way a country is run.

Screenwriter Peter Morgan tried to portray these two political factions from opposite sides of the ocean. It should the everyday lives of the Blairs and Clintons. Their relationship is tested when the Monica Lewinsky scandal reared its ugly head. Clinton thinks that the scandal would die down quickly, but it snowballed out of control.

Usually, I’m not keen on political movies. This movie proves that way of thinking. Does this story need to be told? I lived through that time of the country where the scandal was all on the minds of the media and the country. You would imagine that leaders of the country would be friendly with each other. I felt that I didn’t learn anything from the movie. Maybe the next generation could get some enjoyment out of it.

The only saving grace with this movie is Michael Sheen as Blair, because he has played him in The Queen and the British TV movie, The Deal. He knows the character inside and out. He was believable. Quaid on the other hand was a parody of Clinton. I enjoyed John Travolta’s Clinton-isms in Primary Colors than in this movie. Hope Davis as Hilary Clinton was bland. Nuff said.

Judgment: Skip this flick.

Rating: 3/10

The Sunset Limited (2011)

I don’t believe in God. Can you understand that? Look around you, man. Can’t you see? The clamour and din of those in torment has to be the sound most pleasing to his ear.

— White

I was mildly interested in seeing The Sunset Limited when it came on HBO a couple of weeks. When I first saw the film, I fell asleep halfway through it. I thought maybe it was that I was tired. Looking at the film again, I almost fell asleep again. The movie was very dry.

Based on the play by famed author, Cormac McCarthy adapted it to become a television movie directed by Tommy Lee Jones. The main thrust of the movie is about an ex-con, Mr. Black (Samuel L. Jackson) saving a philosophy professor, Mr. White (Tommy Lee Jones) from being a Jackson Pollack painting on a subway car called “The Sunset Limited.” The whole movie is taking place at Mr. Black’s rundown apartment where he is trying to dissect why would an educated man wanted to end his life.

It was a verbal chess match with the two opposing forces trying to get to the checkmate. Mr. Black is the spiritual man trying to find the good in people where Mr. White sees nothing but darkness. Mr. Black wants to save Mr. White from doing the same thing again the next day by having a lengthy discussion with him about faith, the human condition and man’s existence in the world.

I understand the intention of what Cormac McCarthy was trying to do. The eternal debate of nihilism and blind faith. Black and white. Light and darkness. He tries to turn traditional images of this on its head. Have the “white” character be filled with darkness and have the “black” character be very hopeful about life and God. I do not believe that a philosophy professor would have an existential conversation on a deep level with an ex-con.

Besides, I thought Jackson blow Jones out of the water. I felt like a play being filmed. Is this a knock on Tommy Lee Jones as the director? Yes. I was bored by the end of the movie. There were some moments of brilliance in the movie but it was too few and far between.

Judgment: What was the point of the movie, to advocate atheism?

Rating: 5.5/10

Boy A (2007)

Here is another film that popped up in my radar because of the hosts of Filmspotting enjoyed the lead performance in Boy A. I didn’t know that much about the movie from the start. I saw the trailer and a plot description; it had more intrigued to see the film. It was a television movie over in England before it was released theatrically here a year later.

Based on the novel by Jonathan Trigell tells the story of a 24-year-old young man, Jack Burridge (Andrew Garfield) is released from jail after a lengthy prison sentence. He wants to start his life over, because he doesn’t want to be that guy anymore. A rehabilitation worker, Terry (Peter Mullan) is assigned to Jack to help him integrate back into normal life in Manchester. Terry pretends to be Jack’s uncle to give Jack a place to live at a friends, Kelly’s (Siobhan Finneran) flat and helps him find work at DV Deliveries.

Jack has a police presence staked out in front of the house when he gets settled in. Alone in his room, Jack has flashbacks from when he was a kid (Alfie Owen) befriending a fellow troublemaker, Philip (Taylor Doherty) as they skip school, shoplift food and stand up to a couple of bullies. Philip confides in him about being raped by a family member. They become very couple when they make a grave mistake that affected their lives forever.

Jack is wondering about the circumstance of what happened to Philip when he was in jail. Did he commit suicide or was he killed by fellow inmates? He wants Terry to find out what exactly happen to him. Terry’s underachieving son, Zeb (James Young) appears on his doorstep because he has become homeless and has no place to go. He seems uninterested in having a life outside of the house.

Starting out on his new job, Jack becomes from friends with Chris Cowie (Shaun Evans) who is his delivery partner. Jack tries to become more accustomed to his new life that he is too shy to know that the company secretary, Michelle (Katie Lyons) is interested in him. On a night on the town with the boys from work, a different side of Jack comes out when Chris is getting hit from a group of guys and he steps in to save him.

Taking a drive back to the warehouse one day, Jack notices a broken stone wall. They go to investigate and find a car crashed against tree over an embankment. Jack saves a little girl. Afterwards, Jack and Chris are labeled heroes around Manchester. They feel pretty good about themselves, but Jack doesn’t want to have a picture taken. He tries to hide his face. When Jack’s face hits the newspapers his dark past he has been running from come back to haunt him and destroy everything that he ever worked for.

Granted that this movie was originality shown on broadcast television made me a little hesitant about the pacing, because it is a slow burn for most of it. It was like watching a rubber band being slowly stretched out. Nothing really happened until the last twenty minutes of the movie. I thought this was a fascinating exploration of redemption. Can you escape from your past? Will you ever forget what has been done?

Judgment: I would say, watch this movie, hang on to the end, and you will not regret it.

Rating: ****

Award Show Analysis: 2010 Screen Actors Guild Awards

I think that the Screen Actors Guild is the biggest precursor to who will be nominated for the Oscars. I am liking this slate of nominees than the Globes.

(Will win, should win, surprise win)

16th ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® NOMINATIONS

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

JEFF BRIDGES / Bad Blake – “CRAZY HEART” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

GEORGE CLOONEY / Ryan Bingham – “UP IN THE AIR” (Paramount Pictures)

COLIN FIRTH / George Falconer – “A SINGLE MAN” (The Weinstein Company)

MORGAN FREEMAN / Nelson Mandela – “INVICTUS” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

JEREMY RENNER / Staff Sgt. William James – “THE HURT LOCKER” (Summit Entertainment)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

SANDRA BULLOCK / Leigh Anne Tuohy – “THE BLIND SIDE” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

HELEN MIRREN / Sofya – “THE LAST STATION” (Sony Pictures Classics)

CAREY MULLIGAN / Jenny – “AN EDUCATION” (Sony Pictures Classics)

GABOUREY SIDIBE / Precious – “PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL ‘PUSH’ BY SAPPHIRE” (Lionsgate)

MERYL STREEP / Julia Child – “JULIE & JULIA” (Columbia Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

MATT DAMON / Francois Pienaar – “INVICTUS” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

WOODY HARRELSON / Captain Tony Stone – “THE MESSENGER” (Oscilloscope Laboratories)

CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER / Tolstoy – “THE LAST STATION” (Sony Pictures Classics)

STANLEY TUCCI / George Harvey – “THE LOVELY BONES” (Paramount Pictures)

CHRISTOPH WALTZ / Col. Hans Landa – “INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS” (The Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

PENÉLOPE CRUZ / Carla – “NINE” (The Weinstein Company)

VERA FARMIGA / Alex Goran – “UP IN THE AIR” (Paramount Pictures)

ANNA KENDRICK / Natalie Keener – “UP IN THE AIR” (Paramount Pictures)

DIANE KRUGER / Bridget Von Hammersmark – “INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS” (The Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures)

MO’NIQUE / Mary – “PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL ‘PUSH’ BY SAPPHIRE” (Lionsgate)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

AN EDUCATION (Sony Pictures Classics)

DOMINIC COOPER / Danny

ALFRED MOLINA / Jack

CAREY MULLIGAN / Jenny

ROSAMUND PIKE / Helen

PETER SARSGAARD / David

EMMA THOMPSON / Headmistress

OLIVIA WILLIAMS / Miss Stubbs

THE HURT LOCKER (Summit Entertainment)

CHRISTIAN CAMARGO / Col. John Cambridge

BRIAN GERAGHTY / Specialist Owen Eldridge

EVANGELINE LILLY / Connie James

ANTHONY MACKIE / Sgt. J.T. Sanborn

JEREMY RENNER / Staff Sgt. William James

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (The Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures)

DANIEL BRÜHL / Fredrick Zoller

AUGUST DIEHL / Major Hellstrom

JULIE DREYFUS / Francesca Mondino

MICHAEL FASSBENDER / Lt. Archie Hicox

SYLVESTER GROTH / Joseph Goebbels

JACKY IDO / Marcel

DIANE KRUGER / Bridget Von Hammersmark

MÉLANIE LAURENT / Shosanna

DENIS MENOCHET / Perrier LaPedite

MIKE MYERS / General Ed French

BRAD PITT / Lt. Aldo Raine

ELI ROTH / Sgt. Donny Donowitz

TIL SCHWEIGER / Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz

ROD TAYLOR / Winston Churchill

CHRISTOPH WALTZ / Col. Hans Landa

MARTIN WUTTKE / Hitler

NINE (The Weinstein Company)

MARION COTILLARD / Luisa Contini

PENÉLOPE CRUZ / Carla

DANIEL DAY-LEWIS / Guido Contini

JUDI DENCH / Lillian

FERGIE / Saraghina

KATE HUDSON / Stephanie

NICOLE KIDMAN / Claudia

SOPHIA LOREN / Mamma

PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL “PUSH” BY SAPPHIRE (Lionsgate)

MARIAH CAREY / Ms. Weiss

LENNY KRAVITZ / Nurse John

MO’NIQUE / Mary

PAULA PATTON / Ms. Rain

SHERRI SHEPHERD / Cornrows

GABOUREY SIDIBE / Precious

PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

KEVIN BACON / Lt. Col. Michael R. Strobl – “TAKING CHANCE” (HBO)

CUBA GOODING, JR. / Ben Carson – “GIFTED HANDS: THE BEN CARSON STORY” (TNT)

JEREMY IRONS / Alfred Stieglitz – “GEORGIA O’KEEFFE” (Lifetime)

KEVIN KLINE / Cyrano de Bergerac – “GREAT PERFORMANCES: CYRANO de BERGERAC” (PBS)

TOM WILKINSON / Salter – “A NUMBER” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

JOAN ALLEN / Georgia O’Keeffe – “GEORGIA O’KEEFFE” (Lifetime)

DREW BARRYMORE / Little Edie – “GREY GARDENS” (HBO)

RUBY DEE / Mrs. Harper – “AMERICA” (Lifetime)

JESSICA LANGE / Big Edie – “GREY GARDENS” (HBO)

SIGOURNEY WEAVER / Mary Griffith – “PRAYERS FOR BOBBY” (Lifetime)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

SIMON BAKER / Patrick Jane – “THE MENTALIST” (CBS)

BRYAN CRANSTON / Walter White – “BREAKING BAD” (AMC)

MICHAEL C. HALL / Dexter Morgan – “DEXTER” (Showtime)

JON HAMM / Don Draper – “MAD MEN” (AMC)

HUGH LAURIE / House – “HOUSE” (FOX)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

PATRICIA ARQUETTE/ Allison Dubois – “MEDIUM” (NBC/CBS)

GLENN CLOSE / Patty Hewes – “DAMAGES” (FX)

MARISKA HARGITAY / Det. Olivia Benson – “LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT” (NBC)

HOLLY HUNTER / Grace Hanadarko – “SAVING GRACE” (TNT)

JULIANNA MARGULIES / Alicia Florrick – “THE GOOD WIFE” (CBS)

KYRA SEDGWICK / Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson – “THE CLOSER” (TNT)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy – “30 ROCK” (NBC)

STEVE CARELL / Michael Scott – “THE OFFICE” (NBC)

LARRY DAVID / Himself – “CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM” (HBO)

TONY SHALHOUB / Adrian Monk – “MONK” (USA NETWORK)

CHARLIE SHEEN / Charlie Harper – “TWO AND A HALF MEN” (CBS)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

CHRISTINA APPLEGATE / Samantha Newly – “SAMANTHA WHO?” (ABC)

TONI COLLETTE / Tara Gregor – “UNITED STATES OF TARA” (Showtime)

EDIE FALCO / Jackie Peyton – “NURSE JACKIE” (Showtime)

TINA FEY / Liz Lemon  – “30 ROCK” (NBC)

JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / Christine Campbell – “THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE” (CBS)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

THE CLOSER (TNT)

G.W. BAILEY / Lt. Provenza

MICHAEL PAUL CHAN / Lt. Mike Tao

RAYMOND CRUZ / Det. Julio Sanchez

TONY DENISON / Lt. Andy Flynn

ROBERT GOSSETT / Commander Taylor

PHILLIP P. KEENE / Buzz Watson

COREY REYNOLDS / Sgt. David Gabriel

KYRA SEDGWICK / Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson

J.K. SIMMONS / Asst. Police Chief Will Pope

JON TENNEY / FBI Special Agent Fritz Howard

DEXTER (Showtime)

PRESTON BAILEY / Cody

JULIE BENZ / Rita Bennett

JENNIFER CARPENTER / Debra Morgan

COURTNEY FORD / Christine

MICHAEL C. HALL / Dexter Morgan

DESMOND HARRINGTON / Joey Quinn

C.S. LEE / Vince Masuka

JOHN LITHGOW / Arthur Mitchell

RICK PETERS / Elliot

JAMES REMAR / Harry Morgan

CHRISTINA ROBINSON / Astor

LAUREN VÉLEZ / Lt. Maria Laguerta

DAVID ZAYAS / Angel Batista

THE GOOD WIFE (CBS)

CHRISTINE BARANSKI / Diane Lockhart

JOSH CHARLES / Will Gardner

MATT CZUCHRY / Cary Agos

JULIANNA MARGULIES / Alicia Florrick

ARCHIE PANJABI / Kalinda Sharma

GRAHAM PHILLIPS / Zach Florrick

MacKENZIE VEGA / Grace Florrick

MAD MEN (AMC)

ALEXA ALEMANNI / Allison

BRYAN BATT / Salvatore Romano

JARED S. GILMORE / Bobby Draper

MICHAEL GLADIS / Paul Linsey

JON HAMM / Don Draper

JARED HARRIS / Lane Pryce

CHRISTINA HENDRICKS / Joan Holloway (Harris)

JANUARY JONES / Betty Draper

VINCENT KARTHEISER / Peter Campbell

ROBERT MORSE / Bertram Cooper

ELISABETH MOSS / Peggy Olson

KIERNAN SHIPKA / Sally Draper

JOHN SLATTERY / Roger Sterling

RICH SOMMER / Harry Crane

CHRISTOPHER STANLEY / Henry Francis

AARON STATON / Ken Cosgrove

TRUE BLOOD (HBO)

CHRIS BAUER / Andy Bellefleur

MEHCAD BROOKS / Eggs

ANNA CAMP / Sarah Newlin

NELSAN ELLIS / Lafayette Reynolds

MICHELLE FORBES / Maryann Forrester

MARIANA KLAVENO / Lorena

RYAN KWANTEN / Jason Stackhouse

TODD LOWE / Terry Bellefleur

MICHAEL McMILLIAN / Steve Newlin

STEPHEN MOYER / Bill Compton

ANNA PAQUIN / Sookie Stackhouse

JIM PARRACK / Hoyt Fortenberry

CARRIE PRESTON / Arlene Fowler

WILLIAM SANDERSON / Bud Dearborne

ALEXANDER SKARSGÅRD / Eric Northman

SAM TRAMMELL / Sam Merlotte

RUTINA WESLEY / Tara Thornton

DEBORAH ANN WOLL / Jessica Hamby

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

30 ROCK (NBC)

SCOTT ADSIT / Pete Hornberger

ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy

KATRINA BOWDEN / Cerie

KEVIN BROWN / Dot Com

GRIZZ CHAPMAN / Grizz

TINA FEY / Liz Lemon

JUDAH FRIEDLANDER / Frank Rossitano

JANE KRAKOWSKI / Jenna Maroney

JOHN LUTZ / Lutz

JACK McBRAYER / Kenneth Parcell

TRACY MORGAN / Tracy Jordan

KEITH POWELL / Toofer

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM (HBO)

LARRY DAVID / Himself

SUSIE ESSMAN / Susie Greene

JEFF GARLIN / Jeff Greene

CHERYL HINES / Cheryl David

GLEE (FOX)

DIANA AGRON / Quinn Fabray

CHRIS COLFER / Kurt Hummel

PATRICK GALLAGHER / Ken Tanaka

JESSALYN GILSIG / Terri Schuester

JANE LYNCH / Sue Sylvester

JAYMA MAYS / Emma Pillsbury

KEVIN McHALE / Arty Abrams

LEA MICHELE / Rachel Berry

CORY MONTEITH / Finn Hudson

HEATHER MORRIS / Brittany

MATTHEW MORRISON / Will Schuester

AMBER RILEY / Mercedes

NAYA RIVERA / Santana Lopez

MARK SALLING / Puck

HARRY SHUM JR. / Mike Chang

JOSH SUSSMAN / Jacob Ben Israel

DIJON TALTON / Matt Rutherford

IQBAL THEBA / Principal Figgins

JENNA USHKOWITZ / Tina

MODERN FAMILY (ABC)

JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy

TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy

JESSE TYLER FERGUSON / Mitchell Pritchett

NOLAN GOULD / Luke Dunphy

SARAH HYLAND / Haley Dunphy

ED O’NEILL / Jay Pritchett

RICO RODRIGUEZ / Manny Delgado

ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron

SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria Delgado-Pritchett

ARIEL WINTER / Alex Dunphy

THE OFFICE (NBC)

LESLIE DAVID BAKER / Stanley Hudson

BRIAN BAUMGARTNER / Kevin Malone

CREED BRATTON / Creed Bratton

STEVE CARELL / Michael Scott

JENNA FISCHER / Pam Beesly

KATE FLANNERY / Meredith Palmer

ED HELMS/ Andy Bernard

MINDY KALING / Kelly Kapoor

ELLIE KEMPER / Kellie Erin Hannon

ANGELA KINSEY / Angela Martin

JOHN KRASINSKI / Jim Halpert

PAUL LIEBERSTEIN / Toby Flenderson

B.J. NOVAK / Ryan Howard

OSCAR NUÑEZ / Oscar Martinez

CRAIG ROBINSON / Darryl Philbin

PHYLLIS SMITH / Phillis Lapin-Vance

RAINN WILSON / Dwight Schrute

SAG HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

PUBLIC ENEMIES (Universal Pictures)

STAR TREK (Paramount Pictures)

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN (Paramount Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series

24 (FOX)

THE CLOSER (TNT)

DEXTER (Showtime)

HEROES (NBC)

THE UNIT (CBS)

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Screen Actors Guild Awards 46th Annual Life Achievement Award

Betty White

Award Show Analysis: 2010 Golden Globe Nominations

– Nominees for the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards, announced Tuesday in Beverly Hills, Calif.:

(Will win, should win, surprise win)

MOTION PICTURES

_Picture, Drama: “Avatar,” “The Hurt Locker,” “Inglorious Basterds,” “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” “Up in the Air.”

_Picture, Musical or Comedy: “(500) Days of Summer,” “The Hangover,” “It’s Complicated,” “Julie & Julia,” “Nine.”

_Actor, Drama: Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”; George Clooney, “Up in the Air”; Colin Firth, “A Single Man”; Morgan Freeman, “Invictus”; Tobey Maguire, “Brothers.”

_Actress, Drama: Emily Blunt, “The Young Victoria”; Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”; Helen Mirren, “The Last Station”; Carey Mulligan, “An Education”; Gabourey Sidibe, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.”

_Director: Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”; James Cameron, “Avatar”; Clint Eastwood, “Invictus”; Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”; Quentin Tarantino, “Inglorious Basterds.”

_Actor, Musical or Comedy: Matt Damon, “The Informant!”; Daniel Day-Lewis, “Nine”; Robert Downey Jr., “Sherlock Holmes“; Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “(500) Days of Summer”; Michael Stuhlbarg, “A Serious Man.”

_Actress, Musical or Comedy: Sandra Bullock, “The Proposal”; Marion Cotillard, “Nine”; Julia Roberts, “Duplicity”; Meryl Streep, “It’s Complicated”; Meryl Streep, “Julie & Julia.”

_Supporting Actor: Matt Damon, “Invictus”; Woody Harrelson, “The Messenger”; Christopher Plummer, “The Last Station”; Stanley Tucci, “The Lovely Bones”; Christoph Waltz, “Inglorious Basterds.”

_Supporting Actress: Penélope Cruz, “Nine”; Vera Farmiga, “Up in the Air”; Anna Kendrick, “Up in the Air”; Mo’Nique, “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”; Julianne Moore, “A Single Man.”

_Foreign Language: “Baaria,” “Broken Embraces,” “The Maid (La Nana),” “A Prophet,” “The White Ribbon.”

_Animated Film: “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” “Coraline,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “The Princess and the Frog,” “Up.”

_Screenplay: Neill Blomkamp, “District 9”; Mark Boal, “The Hurt Locker”; Nancy Meyers, “It’s Complicated”; Jason Reitman, “Up in the Air”; Quentin Tarantino, “Inglorious Basterds.”

_Original Score: Michael Giacchino, “Up”; Marvin Hamlisch, “The Informant!”; James Horner, “Avatar”; Abel Korzeniowski, “A Single Man”; Karen O, Carter Burwell, “Where the Wild Things Are.”

_Original Song: “Cinema Italiano” (written by Maury Yeston), “Nine”; “I Want to Come Home” (written by Paul McCartney); “Everybody’s Fine”; “I Will See You” (written by James Horner, Simon Franglen, Kuk Harrell); “Avatar”; “The Weary Kind (Theme from ‘Crazy Heart’)” (written by Ryan Bingham, T Bone Burnett), “Crazy Heart”; “Winter” (written by U2), “Brothers.”

TELEVISION:

_Series, Drama: “Big Love,” HBO; “Dexter,” Showtime; “House,” Fox; “Mad Men,” AMC; “True Blood,” HBO.

_Actor, Drama: Simon Baker, “The Mentalist”; Michael C. Hall, “Dexter”; Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”; Hugh Laurie, “House”; Bill Paxton, “Big Love.”

_Actress, Drama: Glenn Close, “Damages”; January Jones, “Mad Men”; Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”; Anna Paquin, “True Blood”; Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer.”

_Series, Musical or Comedy: “30 Rock,” NBC; “Entourage,” HBO; “Glee,” Fox; “Modern Family,” ABC; “The Office,” NBC.

_Actor, Musical or Comedy: Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”; Steve Carell, “The Office”; David Duchovny, “Californication”; Thomas Jane, “Hung”; Matthew Morrison, “Glee.”

_Actress, Musical or Comedy: Toni Collette, “United States of Tara”; Courteney Cox, “Cougar Town”; Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”; Tina Fey, “30 Rock”; Lea Michele, “Glee.”

_Miniseries or Movie: “Georgia O’Keeffe,” Lifetime Television; “Grey Gardens,” HBO; “Into the Storm,” HBO; “Little Dorrit,” PBS; “Taking Chance,” HBO.

_Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Joan Allen, “Georgia O’Keeffe”; Drew Barrymore, “Grey Gardens”; Jessica Lange, “Grey Gardens”; Anna Paquin, “The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler”; Sigourney Weaver, “Prayers for Bobby.”

_Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Kevin Bacon, “Taking Chance”; Kenneth Branagh, “Wallander: One Step Behind”; Chiwetel Ejiofor, “Endgame”; Brendan Gleeson, “Into the Storm”; Jeremy Irons, “Georgia O’Keeffe.

_Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Jane Adams, “Hung”; Rose Byrne, “Damages”; Jane Lynch, “Glee”; Janet McTeer, “Into the Storm”; Chloë Sevigny, “Big Love.”

_Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Michael Emerson, “Lost”; Neil Patrick Harris, “How I Met Your Mother”; William Hurt, “Damages”; John Lithgow, “Dexter”; Jeremy Piven, “Entourage.”

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED

Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award: Martin Scorsese.

Grey Gardens (2009)

Mother wanted me to come out in a kimono, so we had quite a fight.
— Little Edith Bouvier Beale

This past September, the HBO movie Grey Gardens was nominated for sixteen Emmys. It won six Emmys including, Best Actress Jessica Lange, Best Supporting Actor Ken Howard and Best Television Movie. It deserves it.

This movie expands the world of Edie and Edith Beale (Drew Barrymore, Lange), the reclusive relatives of Jackie O that were captured in the Al and David Mayseles’ 1975 documentary. The structure of the movie is set up as the brothers filming the staunched women and it flashes back to 1936 where the Beales were at the top of high society.

Edith and her husband Phelan (Ken Howard) only wanted to have Edie to find a suitor to have a stable life on her own. Edie doesn’t want to be somebody’s wife. She wants to be a famous actress and dancer on Broadway.

During the summer, the Beales go to their vacation house, Grey Gardens to get away from hustle and bustle of New York City. Edith retreats from her marriage to take up singing with music teacher Gould Strong (Malcolm Gets).

The relationship between Edie and Edith comes to a head when Phelan wants to move the family back to the city. Edith wants to stay in Grey Gardens, because the house is under her name. She will not leave or sell the house to anyone.

After the next couple of years when the trust fund runs out, the house goes into disarray when the servants had to be let go and there is no one to take care of the house.

Edie’s life doesn’t fair any better in the big city. She is living off the allowance from both of her parents. She still hasn’t found a suitable husband. Phelan wants to cut her off. She takes a job as a model where she meets the married Julius Krug (Daniel Baldwin) and has an affair with him.

After the relationship ended, Edie is sent to Grey Gardens where the two Edie spend the next couple of decades in squalor. The health department for Suffolk County wants to condemn the house for unsanitary conditions for piles of trash, the stench of cat urine and feces, etc.

When the news comes out about the recluses, Jackie O (Jeanne Tripplehorn) visits Grey Gardens to see for herself the state that her aunt and cousin are in. After her visit, she orchestrates the clean up of Grey Gardens when the Maysles brothers, Al and David (Arye Gross, Justin Louis).

Ultimately, the message of the movie is how your decisions affected the people in your life and your own. The movie is filled with bitterness and resentment with the decisions that Edie and Edith made during their lives.

This was a fascinating exploration of the Beales. The way that Drew and Jessica transformed themselves was a thing of beauty. I thought I saw the actual people. I have seen the documentary but not the sister film, The Beales of Grey Gardens. It was nice to see the duo is happier times, but the middle of the movie delved into melodrama when Edie moves back into Grey Gardens. I won’t spoil it, but you will know it when you see it.

Judgment: A bubbly romp that makes you want to spend more time with Beales.

Rating: ****

9 Minute Trailer of “The Prisoner”

I was combing over the blogs that I frequent and I caught this sneak preview of the six hour AMC mini-series, “The Prisoner”. This remake begins airing in early November over the course of three nights. It stars Ian McKellan and Jim Caviezel.

**The trailer is sub-titled in French.**

FB Recommendation: “Little Dorrit”

“Little Dorrit” is based on the classic Charles Dicken’s novel.

This is a miniseries that played on the BBC in 2008.

There are 14 parts to this.

It is currently playing on PBS right now.

One of the installments played last night.

You can catch up with the installments by going to pbs.org to watch it.

The cast includes Claire Foy, Matthew Macfayden, Eddie Marsan, Andy Serkis and Harriet Walter.