My Awards nominations: Production Design

Production design is on the mind today on account of the ADG nominations, so I'll follow suit and chalk up my own picks for the best Production Design, Set Decoration, and Art Direction of the year:

Captain America
(Rick Heinrichs, John Bush, John Dexter, Chris Lowe, Andy Nicholson):

This period-fantasy concoction is richly evoked; from the cozy, sepia-tinted confines of the good Captain's base of operations to the steely, serpentine corridors of Hydra's sinister research facilities.

Hugo (Dante Feretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo):

It cannot be understated that Hugo is a thing of beauty. The stunning recreations of 1930s Paris, the concealed corridors and compartments of the train station, and George Melies' old studio are wondrous to behold.

Kung Fu Panda 2 (Raymond Zibach, Tang Kheng Heng):

The beautifully rendered 2D prologue sets us up for the visual splendour of Dreamworks' gorgeous imagining of ancient China. Bold colours and stylized scenery, both urban and natural, fit the film's tone to a tee.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Maria Djurkovic, Tom Brown):

The details don't draw much attention to themselves in this nuanced period piece, but they form a completely convincing representation of time and place. The beauty is in the minutia, and the chilly Cold War atmosphere it imbues.

X-Men: First Class
(Chris Seagers, Larry Bellantoni, Erin Boyd, Sanja Klaus, John King, Dawn Swiderski):

Similarly to Captain America, the art department here melds period authenticity with fantastical influences to yield a polished alternative Marvel universe that we can believe took place in the 1960s.

Just missed: Anonymous, The Artist, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,
Harry Potter 8, War Horse

ADG nominees announced

Excellence in Production Design for a Period Film:

Anonymous
The Artist
The Help
Hugo Here's your winner
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Not sure why War Horse is missing from this category, but I should think it'll score with the Academy's art direction branch nonetheless. The Young Victoria scored an Oscar nom without an ADG nom two years ago, so the guild isn't necessarily a requisite qualifier.

Excellence in Production Design for a Fantasy Film:
The Adventures of Tintin
Captain America: The First Avenger
Cowboys & Aliens
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Winner?
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Glad to see Rick Heinrich's terrific work on Captain America turn up here. As for Tintin, I'm happy with anything it can get, but if there had to be an animated entry in this category, I'd have preferred the gorgeous stylings in Kung Fu Panda 2.

Excellence in Production Design for a Contemporary Film:
Bridesmaids
The Descendants
Drive
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Not much to discuss here. None of these are likely to be nominated by AMPAS.
I guess The Descendants will win on the goodwill of Best Picture buzz.

Review - Captain America: The First Avenger

I want YOU to go see Captain America! The final pillar upon which Marvel will rest next summer's Avengers movie is terrific fun, putting a bright Cap (pun intended) on the Superhero Summer That Kept On Giving.

Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) may have the right heroic attitude Uncle Sam looks for in a soldier, but his scrawny 90-pound frame – a brilliantly achieved illusion that disguises Evans' truly beefy musculature for nearly the entire first act – disqualifies him at every attempt to enlist. German expatriate Dr. Abraham Erskine (the wonderfully warm Stanley Tucci) immediately recognizes the virtue of Rogers' dedication, and makes him the prime candidate for an experimental formula that should transform this playground punching bag into an ass-kicking Adonis. It works! But no sooner does Rogers' new bodywork emerge from the chamber than the last sample of the serum is stolen by an agent of Hydra, a Nazi R. & D. department headed by the maniacal Johann Schmidt, aka: Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), the original test subject of Erskine's imperfected formula that left him grotesquely disfigured and all the more determined to personally attain Godlike power.

My Award nominations: Production Design and Set Decoration

With the Art Directors' Guild announcing their nominees tomorrow, today seems like a good one for me to offer up my own selections for the Best Production Design, Set Decoration, and Art Direction of 2010:

The Illusionist (Jacques Arhex, Bjarne Hansen):

True, no sets are built for this gorgeous animated gem, but the art direction still makes a lasting impression. Beautiful watercolour effect.

Inception (Guy Dyas, Larry Dias, Douglas Mowat, Brad Ricker):

Multiple dream levels designed to reflect our protagonist's id, and constructed to accommodate the many special effects. The stuff that dreams are made of.

The King's Speech (Eve Stewart, Judy Farr, David Hindle):

Visually evokes distinctions between class and character with subtlety and richness, from Lionel's cozy wallpaper to Bertie's austere matte painted walls.

Shutter Island (Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Shiavo, Robert Guerra):

The decaying edifice of the titular island's asylum for the criminally insane help put us in an uneasy state of mind. Spooky, spooky, spooky.

The Wolfman (Rick Heinrichs, John Bush, Vincent Jenkins, Andy Nicholson):

Absolutely nailed the creepy atmosphere, and serves as a nice throwback to vintage Universal monster movie lore. Gotta love that Gothic period detail!

Just missed: The Ghost Writer, Prince of Persia, Tangled