One Category at a Time: Film Editing

For ten consecutive years, the winner of the ACE Eddie has gone on to win the Academy Award for Film Editing, proving a reliable barometer for pundits. It's usually the ACE winner for Drama that shoulders the most Oscar clout, but this is a rare year in which the ACE winner for Comedy is an equally (or even more) viable contender on account of being the Best Picture frontrunner.

One Category at a Time: Director

The die has been cast in the Best Picture category for several months now, but it seems that every year pundits start pontificating the possibility of a Picture/Director split. Is it just boredom with the scent of inevitability?
Is it wishful thinking from the frontrunner's detractors?
Is it skepticism that a first-time nominee can win over more established, Oscarless filmmakers? Whatever the reason, every year some people seem to come up with some excuse to predict a split. But don't do it! Splits are rare and when they do occur there's no consistent rhyme or reason as to why.

One Category at a Time: Original Screenplay

I'm having a really tough time deciding how to feel about the slate of Best Original Screenplay nominees this year. On the one hand, there's nothing more gratifying than to see the two legitimately best screenplays of the year mentioned alongside each other. On the other hand, there's nothing more irritating than to see two uninspired screenplays squeeze out underrated gems like 50/50 and Young Adult in the one category where they could have earned some recognition. And then there's the Best Picture winner's token nomination for Writing. No strong feelings either which way about that one.

The Artist wins DGA

It should come as a surprise to precisely no one that Michel Hazanavicius all but officially confirmed The Artist's stranglehold on the Best Picture Oscar with a victory from the Directors Guild of America last night, despite being up against four more recognizable names. It's not incredibly dissimilar to last year's event which indicated The King's Speech as the film to beat when newcomer Tom Hooper triumphed over four much more established directors, only this year it's been apparent from the outset of the awards season that The Artist was "the one".

As for Documentary, James Marsh received a consolatory prize after Project Nim was shockingly snubbed by the Academy. Glad to see him walk away from the season with something substantial, but that should totally have been Steve James'.

Review - The Artist

Silence is golden in Michel Hazanavicius' quaint silent cinema homage The Artist. The story is a somewhat slight but archetypal one about the screen stars of Hollywood's silent era falling into obsolescence and obscurity at the hands of the talkies. The novelty of a (mostly) silent film in 2011 may seem a gimmick, but it's hard not to let yourself be charmed by it.

We first meet George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) at the premiere of another one of his melodramatic hits, where the showman reveling in the noiseless applause of his adoring fans. He's blissfully unaware of the impending cacophony that will threaten not only his livelihood but the way of the world as he knows it, but not before he sends bright-eyed ingenue Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo) on her own trajectory to fame and acclaim in the brave new world of talking pictures.

New York Film Critics crown 'The Artist'

In a rather attention-grabbing move, the New York Film Critics Circle had decided some time back to preempt the National Board of Review this year and be the first major critics group out of the gate with their year-end awards. Although you can hardly call them "year-end", seeings as they're coming to us a full month before the year ends, and well before most audiences have even had a chance to see their pick for Best Picture and Director; Michael Hazanavicius' silent film homage The Artist. I have no comment. How could I? I haven't even seen it yet!

I'll only briefly comment on how silly I think it is for them to do this so soon. What's the rush? Seriously.

I do dig the support for Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life, which won awards for Brad Pitt's & Jessica Chastain's performances (coupled with their performances in Moneyball & The Help/Take Shelter respectively) and for Emmanual Lubezki's cinematography.

All winners after the cut.