Cinemanila schedule

The 8th Cinemanila International Film Festival is starting tonight with Michel Gondry's The Science of Sleep, starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Charlotte Gainsbourg. See you there!

You can check the schedule for the festival films here.

75 Great Performances: #1

1. Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

Audrey Hepburn, one of the most beloved actresses of all time, has had many films in which she plays mostly sweet girls, or naughty, tough women with soft hearts. The power of Hepburn is that she makes any role she plays endearing. If asked to pick a favorite Hepburn performance, many may go for her Princess Ann in Roman Holiday, while some may choose Sabrina, or others still Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, or some other role. Many, though not necessarily most, would pick perhaps her most amusingly and memorably named character: Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Who would forget the opening scene of the film, where she eats in front of Tiffany's with a her famous black dress on; or her singing "Moon River;" or her love for "Cat;" or just simply her child-like innocence and radiance? In my humble opinion, Audrey Hepburn has never been as beautiful, or as skilled, as she is in this film. She masterfully portrays Holly as a strong, no-nonsense girl who nevertheless is longing for love in the truest sense. One cannot help but be drawn into Holly's world and want to reach out and comfort her, for despite her confidence, she is fragile and vulnerable. Whatever scene she's in, she shines in it. In the rain, looking for Cat and finding both it and love, she becomes more complete and we love her even more for it.

This may not be the best performance of any actor in terms of sheer skill, but how can we compare on that basis anyway? Definitely, Audrey Hepburn's Holly Golightly is one performance that will forever stand the test of time and define her as an actress.

#2: Bjork as Selma Jezkova in Dancer in the Dark (2000)

Mini-Reviews

The Grudge 2

It has its creepy moments, since it takes elements from naturally creepy Japanese horror imagery (and the director is that of the original), but The Grudge 2 is nothing special as a horror movie. The acting is all right, the story is so-so, and the fright level is less than what true horror fans would want. As a whole, the film is lukewarm, watchable but ultimately lacking flavor. It could have been better. Grade: C+


World Trade Center

Oliver Stone has atoned for his sin that was Alexander. World Trade Center is a touching, well edited piece that evokes emotions without being overly sappy (though there are points that slightly are). The cast is generally very capable, with Nicolas Cage, a former Oscar winner, being particularly good in his role. The calm before the storm, when Stone shows the quiescent New York before the crashes, makes the succeeding tragedies and triumphs all the more poignant. Just like United 93 before it, this film relies on human emotion and simple techniques rather than on flash. Grade: B+


Marie Antoinette

Let me start by saying that it's not as bad as the early reviews say it is. Marie Antoinette is beyond any doubt the most visually beautiful film that I've seen this year so far, and that's saying a lot, since I've seen The Banquet. Its costumes and set pieces and makeup designs are breathtaking. The story is mostly involving, and Kirsten Dunst is worthy of compliments for her understated performance. But the sheer length of the movie and many of its scenes... Sofia Coppola's extravagance spills over to some scenes, making them drag on and on and on long past the point where their expository value has been milked for all their worth. More judicious editing would have made this film at least three times better. There are, however, some very strong sequences that show Coppola's artistry. The score, which is mostly modern rock, may prove distracting and even inappropriate at times, but it is not as big a deterrent as I had expected it to be. Grade: B

Images from IMDb

New Layout

Thanks to El for the great new layout of this blog! The pictures making up the banner are my favorite films of each decade. Now I'm doubly excited to update this blog regularly.

75 Great Performances: #2

2. Björk as Selma Jezkova in Dancer in the Dark (2000)

The fans of Icelandic pop icon Björk have always known that she is a true artist and have always had an inkling that she would do well in a musical (as evidenced by her performance in the music video for "It's Oh So Quiet"), but we probably never expected that she would be able to give a downright haunting, mesmerizing, heartbreaking portrayal of a blind martyr of a mother. Her role in Lars von Trier's Dancer in the Dark is typical for the heroines of the director's recent projects (Emily Watson and Nicole Kidman, both on this list), but Björk's quiet energy, never subtler, makes Selma Jezkova one of the more endearing. Just like in many of her more brilliantly understated works, she speaks in whispers in this film, but her eyes are never quiet. In the key scenes of the film, musical or otherwise, her elfish face speaks of an inherent sadness and a strong conviction that effortlessly stir (or twist) the heart of the viewer. Anyone who has loved his or her mother or who has been a mother herself would be drawn in by Björk's almost mystical performance. The last sequence is one of the most agonizing that I've seen in any film, and it is made more astoundingly intense by Björk's amazing handling of what could have been an overly hysterical part. She deservedly won at Cannes but was insanely overlooked by the Academy. Here's hoping that she make another film, blow audiences away again, and prove too hard to ignore by anyone this time. Heck, even with that swan costume, I'd have loved to see her up the stage to receive the Oscar.

#3: Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth (1998)

Mini-Reviews

The Banquet

Zhang Ziyi has shown before that she can act (especially in Kar Wai Wong's 2046), and in Hong Kong's entry to the 78th Academy Awards, Ye Yan (The Banquet), she shines once again and shows why she's China's leading actress. She's more than just a pretty face, though she easily displays both this and her skill in the loose retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Just like in many other recent Chinese/Hong Kong epics, the set designs and costumes are stunning, and the music is suitably grand (though in this film sometimes messy); most of those involved in Ye Yan were the same people Ang Lee worked with in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. That means that yes, there are still high-flying martial arts fight scenes here, mostly courtesy of Daniel Wu. They can prove distracting, sometimes even overdone, and the film might have worked more as a whole had subtlety not been cast aside for flash, but here the fights are more akin to a dance and are mostly fluid and lyrical. Aside from Zhang, actress Xun Zhou also gives a strong performance. Grade: B

The Prestige

Wolverine and Batman squaring off in a movie about magicians? I was onboard the moment I heard of the plot, the casting, and the director (Christopher Nolan). I did not let some negative pre-release reviews of The Prestige prevent me from seeing a film that I knew I would at least enjoy. I was not disappointed at all. The viewer can get slightly thrown off by the chronological order of the scenes (especially if he or she is not accustomed to Nolan's style of tweaking with the time element, as he so masterfully did in Memento), but other than that it's a strong headtrip of a movie, with a twist that you would be able to predict early on in the movie without ruining the whole experience. All principal actors, Hugh Jackman (in a dual role), Christian Bale, and Michael Caine, are superb, though Scarlett Johansson fails to shine onscreen. David Bowie is extremely effective in a short role. It is a thought-provoking and riveting film that is every bit as magical as its premise suggests. Grade: B+

The King and the Clown

Just like Hong Kong's Oscar entry, Korea's own, Wang-ui Namja (The King and the Clown), is a very visually appealing movie, with splashes of color in the Korean garb and set designs, and a pretty lead actor to boot. It is a moving film about two street performers/minstrels (played adequately by Woo-seong Kam and bishonen Jun-gi Lee) who land a job as court jesters by mocking the King (Jin-yeong Jeong in a far from endearing performance). Complications arise when the King's tyranny and cruelty abound as a result of the revelatory nature of the acting troupe's skits and are exacerbated by his growing obsession with Gong-gil (Jun-gi). Jun-gi's performance is the flashier here, with Woo-seong's being more subtle but no less effective. The film builds up the tension in the court without rush, and the dramatic scenes near the end are suitably powerful. The ending scene (and the scene accompanying the credits) is poignant and wraps up the film in a beautiful tone of realization and surrender. Grade: B+

Trailer of Notes on a Scandal

The trailer of Notes on a Scandal can be viewed here. It's powerful and searing and shows potentially great performances by co-leads Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett. I'm smelling nominations for both of them (lead for Dench and supporting for Blanchett).

75 Great Performances: #3

3. Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth (1998)

I love Shakespeare In Love more than I probably should (it's my second favorite movie of all time, just after the Lord of the Rings trilogy), but it remains one of the biggest blunders and injustices of the Academy to have given Gwyneth Paltrow the Best Actress statuette over who was the true best actress of that year. Actresses with the name of C/Kate seem to be blessed with uncannily magnificent acting talents (Kate Hepburn and Kate Winslet, anyone?); Australian Cate Blanchett is undoubtedly one of the most respected thespians of her generation, despite having gotten only two Oscar nominations (and one of what should have been two wins). Everyone buzzed her performance as Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth for its sincerity and power, but she lost out to then "It" girl Paltrow. The term "breakthrough performance" could not be better applied to any other (though of course Blanchett has been acting professionally before that film). Just like Helen Mirren is being praised this year for bringing out the humanity of the current monarch in The Queen, Blanchett is able to strike a balance between showing the queen who brooked no nonsense and survived the schemes of her enemies and portraying her as ultimately a woman, who could love and get her heart pierced. At times fragile and tentative, at times headstrong and willful, Blanchett went through this prism of emotional states like a true artist best at her craft: with control, precision, and sophistication. Many continue to have issues against Shakespeare In Love winning the top prize that year over Saving Private Ryan. That result could be justified by many reasons beyond the Weinsteins' power. The true injustice that year, with all due respect to Mrs. Paltrow-Martin, was the Academy passing over Cate Blanchett's bravura performance as the queen that she truly is.

#4: Mieko Harada as Lady Kaede in Ran (1985)

75 Great Performances: #4

4. Mieko Harada as Lady Kaede in Ran (1985)

In one of world cinema's best films, the great Akira Kurosawa's Ran, the performances are majestic and forceful, as if they were actors playing in front of gods (Peter's jester Kyoami cries in anguish to them in one key scene). The actors constitute only one part of the glorious scale of this movie, but they are as memorable as the battle scenes and the haunting music and the splashes of red. Her role is neither large nor central to the story (a point that can perhaps be argued), but Mieko Harada's masterful portrayal of the Lady Kaede demands attention--and fear. Her Kaede is a scheming, slinking serpent of a woman. She knows what she wants and she's going to get it, if she has to glare at you with demonic eyes or threaten you with a dagger to do so. Not many actresses could bring such intense fire, sophistication, and a hint of eeriness to the role of a manipulative, ambitious wife. Toshiro Mifune will forever remain the principal actor in Kurosawa's troupe of thespians, but Harada can stake a claim to having one of the most vivid and indelible contributions to the director's craft.

#5: Jodie Foster as Nell Kellty in Nell (1994)

75 Great Performances: #5

5. Jodie Foster as Nell Kellty in Nell (1994)

"Chicka, chicka, chickabee." It may sound like gibberish, but for Nell Kellty, a wildchild with her own language, it speaks volumes. There was a time when the Academy loved the brilliant Jodie Foster, bestowing on her three nominations (two of them wins) in six years. Her last nomination was for playing the title character in Nell, a film that perhaps not many will remember seeing if not for Foster's incendiary performance. Despite the interesting premise, the film is ultimately unremarkable and not very memorable. But Foster lifts it several notches to the level of a film that must be watched for the artistry of its major star. In the hands of a less capable actress, the role would have turned overly demanding of pity and attention. Foster's performance subtly, gently makes us understand Nell's humanity, whether or not she speaks words and in whatever language.

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#6: Maria Falconetti as Jeanne D'Arc in La Passion de Jeanne D'Arc (1928)

Mini-Reviews

Pulse

Its title is exactly what the film lacks. Pulse is a lifeless thing weighed down by dumb dialogue, logical flaws, and amateur acting. It has some creepy imagery, but it isn't enough to lift the film from a state of utter flatness. Grade: D





Keeping Mum

Keeping Mum is a delightful British comedy with understated, fine performances by Rowan Atkinson, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Dame Maggie Smith. Thomas and Smith are the definite standouts, though more scenes with Smith and greater development of her wickedly funny character would have been preferred. The last scene makes the film twice as amusing as it is before that shot. A misstep: though he tries, Patrick Swayze was a serious miscast in this viewer's opinion. Grade: B


Akeelah and the Bee

How good or original could a film about spelling bees be? It is easy to expect such a movie as Akeelah and the Bee, about the simple girl Akeelah Anderson who with a little expert coaching (from Laurence Fishburne) and newfound confidence makes it to the National Spelling Bee, to be inspiring. The film achieves that goal effortlessly, and the way it does is original. It has the common elements, yes (among other obstacles, a domineering mother, Angela Basset, who at first prevents Akeelah from joining the Bee), but the way Akeelah gets her groove back after a slump and the outcome of the Scripps National Spelling Bee are little things to be appreciated for elevating this film above similarly themed projects. Keke Palmer (Akeelah), Fishburne, and Bassett all give commendable performances. Grade: B+

Pictures source

Review: The Departed

Infernal Affairs, the brilliant Hong Kong movie by Wai Keung Lau and Siu Fai Mak on which The Departed was based, is a sleek thriller, with aesthetics typical of the gems photographed by Christopher Doyle. The remake, masterfully directed by Martin Scorsese, is more raw and primal, but in no way is the frenetic energy of the original diminished. Siu Fai Mak and Felix Chong's story is transplanted practically intact to Boston, home of the Irish-blooded gangsters, where Jack Nicholson's Frank Costello is the big boss. Andy Lau's character is played by Matt Damon, while Tony Leung's is played by Leonardo DiCaprio.

Jack Nicholson is, as always, sufficiently smarmy and frightfully unpredictable. His is a role that is technically a supporting one that could land nevertheless land him a nomination as lead actor, by virtue of sheer size and gravitas. Nicholson is irresistible as Costello, but there is nothing new to see, and at times he even loses the Boston accent that his character is supposed to have. Despite the importance of his role, Matt Damon isn't given much room to shine, but he makes do with what he is given well enough. It is Leonardo DiCaprio who is given the opportunity to show great range, and he steps up to the challenge astoundingly. This film only serves to convince one that DiCaprio is a truly great actor, who by this time should have already reaped so many more awards than he has. Just like in the original, in which Tony Leung is inarguably the centerpiece, the character of the undercover cop constantly in risk of discovery and death or loss of identity allows its actor much berth for a career performance. A number of critics have hailed DiCaprio's performance here as his best, and it is hard to argue that point. Among the supporting cast, Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg are absolute scene-stealers, while Martin Sheen and Vera Parmiga contribute fairly good turns in their respective roles.

The Departed has a running time of 149 minutes, but at no point will the viewer feel as if it's taking too long. Such is the power of Scorsese's direction (some cite this as his best work to date, or at least in recent years), the all-star cast, and, of course, the original story (which was rightfully cited). The very minimal departure from the original plot and the slightly forced (and gratuitous) ending sequence are minor factors that barely diminish the overall greatness of the film. Grade: A

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COMING SOON...

Scariest Film Scenes
(What film is this one from?)

75 Great Performances: #6

6. Maria Falconetti as Jeanne d'Arc in La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc (1928)

Carl Theodor Dreyer's silent masterpiece La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc relied on Expressionist motifs and close-ups of the principal actors to get into the raw core of their emotions. The style proved nowhere as irresistible and intense as when it had the camera dwelling on Maria Falconetti, who played the title role of the persecuted saint. In what would be her last and most significant performance, Falconetti's despair, determination, and loyalty cut deep, and only with the movements of her eyes and mouth. If there was ever a doubt that silent films could convey as much emotion and expression, if not stronger, than talkies, one has to watch only a few scenes with Falconetti to forever dispel that notion. Her face is a haunting image of gloom when the situation calls for it, and that is often, for as is commonly known, Jeanne d'Arc's life was tragic, though ultimately redeeming. It could not be said how sound could have affected the film and the performances, but it is beyond doubt that Maria Falconetti's touching portrayal of Jeanne d'Arc is deservedly one of cinema's most unforgettable performances.

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#7: Emily Watson as Bess in Breaking the Waves (1996)

75 Great Performances: #7

7. Emily Watson as Bess in Breaking the Waves (1996)

The great director Lars von Trier has gotten magnificent performances from most of his actresses, with practically all of them being quiet and restrained but still powerful. But the only one to have received a nomination from the Academy Awards was Emily Watson, who plays the tragic Bess in Breaking the Waves. The character that she portrays is at once pitiful, frustrating and endearing, as she constantly throws herself into harm's way. Regardless of what you feel about Bess at a certain moment, it is that Watson makes you feel for the character that is a testament to the actress's fine power to capture the audience. She is an astounding actress, and the way she balances Bess's fragility with her conviction effortlessly tugs at heartstrings. Von Trier's masterful handling of the tragic heroine will be echoed in subsequent films in Dogville's Kidman (#27) and an actress who is yet to appear on this list.

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#8: Anna Magnani as Pina in Roma, Citta Aperta (1945)

Review: Sarong Banggi

Sarong Banggi, from the producers of Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros, is not the type of film that you would be inclined to proclaim right away as excellent or even very good (unlike Maximo). But it would be difficult to leave a viewing of the film unaffected, either by mild disgust, unwanted stirrings in the mind, or insistent tugging at the heart. Or all of the above. The way the film plays with the lights of Roxas Boulevard and the Baywalk area is mesmerizing, almost akin to the play with Hong Kong lights in Chungking Express, and its chaotic mood is first belied by the lead characters' almost static states. But of course, nothing stays still for long. When Jaclyn (Jacklyn Jose), the aging prostitute, and Nyoy (Angelo Ilagan), the innocent looking for his first time, finally meet, there is the anticipation of a break in the monotony, an interaction that would allow for a bit of drama to stir things up. And how it does! It is not any graphic sexual scene that captures the mind and the heart in this movie but the revelation that shatters the core of Jaclyn that "one night" (the literal translation of the title). It is a twist that I predicted very early on in the film, and as soon as I thought of the possibility of it happening, what went on repeatedly in my head was: "Please don't let me be right."

But I was. I was disappointed at first that the film had to take such a drastic turn. I thought the twist forced, contrived, predictable. And it would have been all those things and worse if the film had not ended as it had. The scene with Nyoy falling asleep on Jaclyn's lap as she watches the night turn into morning (the full impact of it is understandable only to those who know what happened) is still haunting my mind a day after the viewing. I do not think it will go away so soon, powerful as it is. It is made doubly effective by the running of end credits at the side of the screen during that particular scene. Instead of the technique serving as a distraction, it gives the movie a painful finality. You know that as painful as it is, it will have to end the way it ultimately does.

Jacklyn Jose, who I have always believed to be one of the Philippines's finest actresses, comes across in this film as nothing short of amazing. She effortlessly carries the character through stages of insightful, creative boredom (when she has nothing better to do, she makes up stories about people she sees) and of sheer, raw agony. She is a natural. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Ilagan, a new actor, who comes across as stiff and excessively rehearsed in both stance and speech. But there are moments when you can glimpse some promise, and that is saying a lot when he has to share scenes with veteran Jose. He may get better yet.

I still do not think that the film is a masterpiece or somewhere close to being one, but it is undoubtedly a powerful, touching picture that would lodge scenes of itself indelibly in your mind and heart, whatever you feel about that final revelation. Grade: B+

OSCAR YEAR 2006: OVERVIEW

Many critics, insiders and casual Oscar watchers have lamented last year’s lack of great films, or at least films that scream for awards attention. It was an understandable sentiment; while there were highly significant and well crafted offerings (it could be argued that the Best Picture nominees of the 78th Academy Awards were the most deserving lot in a long while), those were mainly released in the last few months of 2005. Eventual Best Picture winner Crash was of course an exception, having been released early in the year.

How is this cinema year shaping up? The early consensus seems to be that 2006 is going to be a significantly better year for international film, with more than a few pictures having already gained significant attention at Cannes (most notably Alejandro González Iñárritu’s cross-cultural Babel and Pedro Almodóvar’s female-powered family drama Volver) and several others (among them Stephen Frears’s Helen Mirren-starrer The Queen and Kevin Macdonald's The Last King of Scotland, vehicle for a Forest Whitaker revelation) building momentum toward nomination time. Add to the mix standard Oscar fare (Clint Eastwood’s twin-bill Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima, Bill Condon’s much-hyped musical Dreamgirls), complex head-trips (Michel Gondry’s The Science of Sleep, Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain), and visual effects-dependent Holiday escapist fare (Stefen Fangmeier's Eragon, Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth), and we have an extremely exciting, eclectic mix of films up for the industry’s biggest honours.

Performance-driven

The actors’ and actresses’ performances during the year are generally as anticipated as the pictures themselves, and few and far between are Best Picture nominees without at least one acting nomination, so it is no surprise that a lot of the early buzz this year has centred on performances ranging from intriguing to potentially powerful and star-making.

Recent festival talk from Venice and Toronto has revolved around two very different yet also thematically similar roles. In The Queen, two-time Oscar nominee Helen Mirren portrays Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, going beyond mere impersonation to give another strong dramatic turn characteristic of the dame. Playing the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland is Forest Whitaker, likely looking at his first nomination for an incendiary, bigger-than-life performance.

Annette Bening, nominated thrice and beaten twice by Hilary Swank, is heavily considered a near-lock for a lead actress nomination and perhaps even a win. She plays a mother with bipolar disorder in Running with Scissors, an adaptation that could also land supporting cast-mates Brian Cox and Jill Clayburgh nods. Bening’s is definitely a baity role, and unless Swank gets nominated for The Black Dahlia (highly unlikely, at least for this category), it could finally win her the statuette.

That is, if thirteen-time nominee and long-time winless Meryl Streep does not pull off a win from a highly probable fourteenth nod for The Devil Wears Prada. If Diane Lane can get into the final five despite the early release date of Unfaithful, then Streep definitely can, with what many consider to be her best, or at the very least her juiciest work in recent years.

Another dame, perennial nominee Judi Dench, can get into the fold of lead actresses for her role in Notes on a Scandal. But is she the lead or is it Cate Blanchett? Blanchett, however, can afford to give up that slot; she is also up for performances in The Good German, Babel and the Australian film Little Fish.

Among the ensembles, one would be hard pressed to find a larger, stronger one than that of Dreamgirls, easily the most Oscar-buzzed of all this year’s imminent releases. Any one of the main players, from R&B superstar Beyoncé to Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx, could potentially get a nod. But early screenings suggest that comedy icon Eddie Murphy and American Idol darling Jennifer Hudson, both having never been nominated, are the most likely to get nods and are in fact essential shoo-ins.

Diverse, but not diverse enough?

In the 77th Academy Awards, there were a record-setting five black performers nominated for acting awards, with one of them, Jamie Foxx, winning the Best Actor plum for Ray. If this prognosticator and several others would be proven correct, that record will be broken in the 79th. Aside from Whitaker, Murphy and Hudson, previous nominee Will Smith is also in the running for the tearjerker The Pursuit of Happyness. Derek Luke and Bonnie Mbuli may get into the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress categories, respectively, for their strong roles in Phillip Noyce’s Catch a Fire.

But what about foreign-language performances? Penélope Cruz and Carmen Maura are fresh off a Cannes victory (a joint Best Actress award) for Volver, thus giving one or both of them some fighting chance to represent the Hispanics. Gael Garcia Bernal could possibly get noticed for his supporting work in the ensemble drama Babel, or, if The Science of Sleep is as well received as Gondry’s previous work (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), for his leading turn in that film.

Last year, at least three actors from the principal cast of Memoirs of a Geisha were buzzed as potential nominees. That was before the film came out and was generally spurned by critics. If the Japanese trailer is any indication, and if the Academy still loves him as much as they have in recent years, then Clint Eastwood is unlikely to fail in such a spectacular way with his Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima. His last two films (Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby) landed multiple acting nominations, so Eastwood definitely has a deft hand at handling his actors. If not one of the main actors from Flags, such as Ryan Philippe, then perhaps previous nominee Ken Watanabe can get a nod for Letters. Gong Li, a revered star of international cinema and almost a nominee last year for Memoirs, has a long shot at a lead nomination for Zhang Yimou’s upcoming epic Curse of the Golden Flower.

Themes of the films

Biopics dominated the film year 2004, with three of the five Best Picture nominees being films made about real-life characters. In 2005, politically and socially relevant pictures took top honours.

Some of the films this year seem to be in the same mould as some of the players in last year’s Academy Awards. Babel, a film about cultural barriers, can be this year’s Crash, with a strong social angle, significant critical favour this early, and a powerful cast that includes Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Gael Garcia Bernal. Emilio Estevez’s Bobby, which revolves around the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, is currently gaining a lot of steam in the race toward Oscar. It looks like the Good Night, and Good Luck of 2006. Catch a Fire can be an echo of Munich. In fact, even Truman Capote is back for another round with Infamous.

But it would not be entirely fair and accurate to see these critically acclaimed new movies as mere reiterations of last year’s crop of winners. Looking at the list of the strongest contenders to the top prize, one cannot help but notice a more diverse line-up than those of the last two years. Unlike Babel, Bobby and Catch a Fire, which are all only possible nominees at this point, the musical Dreamgirls is an essential lock, if very early reviews and buzz are to be trusted. Pundits are not so confident about the chances of Flags, much less Letters, which are epic retellings of the Battle at Iwo Jima, but Eastwood has clout among voters that cannot be denied. The Good Shepherd, directed by Robert De Niro, investigates the CIA, while Steven Soderbergh’s The Good German is a war-time romance/thriller. Assuming that distribution issues will be resolved sometime soon, a period piece about Francis Goya, Milos Forman’s Goya’s Ghosts, can get into the top five.

Blockbusters

In the 76th Academy Awards, Johnny Depp was nominated for his memorable turn as Captain Jack Sparrow in the box-office hit Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Prior to that, the revolutionary film The Matrix won all the awards for which it was nominated. Blockbusters, often loud, visual effects-driven mega-productions, have for a long time dominated the technical awards, particularly sound editing and visual effects. This film year is no different, and we could easily expect multiple technical nods for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, which is only the third picture in history to reach the $1 billion mark in sales. The less-than-stellar Superman Returns can get noticed for sound and effects. Eragon, a potential box-office draw, can also garner nominations for its crew.

The summer box-office had a lot of room for an animated blockbuster. Cars was a huge success by any standard and so is in the lead for the Best Animated Feature award. Like other animated behemoths before it, the attention can spill over to technical categories like sound editing.

Comebacks

Milos Forman, Francis Ford Coppola and Brian De Palma used to be big names in film, but they have not had significant directorial contributions to cinema for some time now. This year, Forman has Goya’s Ghosts, Coppola has Youth Without Youth, and De Palma has The Black Dahlia. De Palma’s noir-ish suspense film can get mostly technical nods, particularly for its cinematography and costume design. Acting nominations could be in the offing for both Ghosts (Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgard, Natalie Portman) and Youth (Tim Roth, Bruno Ganz), but both have uncertain releases as late in the year as this time.

A more successful comeback story this year could be Emilio Estevez’s. Audiences have not seen him in movies lately, but Bobby, which he directs and acts in, could be one of the biggest players in this year’s awards derby. He managed to bring together a phenomenally huge cast that includes, among others, Demi Moore, Lindsay Lohan, Sharon Stone, William H. Macy and Christian Slater, and early reviews are favourable. Estevez could be sharing the actor-turned-director slot with Robert De Niro.

Among the actors, only Jill Clayburgh is a significant returnee to awards consideration, unless you consider Robert Downey Jr.’s multiple projects this year (A Scanner Darkly, Zodiac and Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus) a comeback of sorts. For his important, scene-stealing return to being an in-demand actor, Downey has the strongest—perhaps the only—chance for a second nomination with Fur.

Terrorism and 9/11

Much as the satire American Dreamz touches on terrorism, that is not the film on the subject that has been getting Oscar buzz. Paul Greengrass’s United 93 is a powerful film with unknown actors, and it is still one of the year’s most critically praised releases thus far. World Trade Center, directed by Oliver Stone, was almost insignificant in the box-office, and does not hold as much clout among critics as United 93, but it boasts of a stronger cast and a later release date. Among the actors, Maria Bello and Maggie Gyllenhaal have the most realistic chances.

In general, audiences seem to be emotionally ready to see a film or two about the tragic events of 9/11. But is the Academy prepared to honour such work? Given the number and strength of potential contenders for the top prizes, all less risqué, it is going to be an uphill climb for either film.

Another exciting race

The sheer diversity of movies and performances would have any true cinephile itching to rush to the cineplexes. How much more excited could Oscar insiders and enthusiasts be? Christopher Guest’s satire of the awards buzz, For Your Consideration (itself up for consideration this year), looks into the world of campaigning leading up to the awards season. Undoubtedly, the film will capture the exuberance of the whole process of selecting cinema’s best. No matter what and who get nominated at the end, being able to watch all these films and pick your own winners are treasures all to themselves. It is just icing on the cake when the name of your favourite is called out come the night of nights of Hollywood glory, the Oscars.

Watch For: Saving Sally

In all honesty, only seldom do I get excited over an upcoming local (Filipino) film. I'm looking forward to the film adaptation of Zsa Zsa Zaturnah, but only because I loved the comics on which it is based (I'm not so hot about the cast that they assembled, or the director that they chose to helm it). But it is a small (ok, maybe not so small) independent film that the director, Avid Liongoren, promises to finish within the next 243 years (I'm hoping that it comes out sooner) that has got me really stoked. How much? I found myself gleefully clapping while viewing the trailer and other tidbits found on the official website. The tagline says that Saving Sally is "A Tiny Independent Film About A Girl, A Boy, A Few Monsters & Some Ice Cream." Intriguing. The production is even more so; it's going to be the first Filipino full-length feature to be shot entirely on a blue screen. It has something of the look and feel of Dave McKean's MirrorMask, but it undoubtedly has uniquely Filipino sensibilities. I highly encourage you to check it our for yourself. A trailer, a music video, and a photo gallery are all up at the site.

79th Academy Awards Host: Ellen DeGeneres

It's official: Ellen DeGeneres will be the host of the 79th Academy Awards presentation in February 2007. Very early announcement compared to last year. I'm slightly disappointed that Conan O'Brien still didn't get the gig, but I'm sure that Ellen is going to do a great job.

COMING SOON...

Updated, detailed predictions for the major categories.