Thompson on Hollywood

Oscar Talk, Episode 5: An Education, Hosts, Best Actress

In Episode 5 of Oscar Talk, In Contention's Kris Tapley and I discuss possible hosts and producers for the Oscarcast, the strength and weakness of the Best Actress category, and whether Peter Sarsgaard should be considered lead or supporting actor for An Education, which opens Friday.

By Anne Thompson
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October 9, 2009 8:25 AM
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India Picks Surprise Oscar Submission: Harishchandrachi Factory

Only three Indian films have been nominated for the best foreign film Oscar: 1957's Mother India, Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay in 1988, and Lagaan, in 2001. This year's choice was a surprise, from 40-year-old rookie director Paresh Mokashi: Harishchandrachi Factory, the story of India's first feature film. Made in 1913, Raja Harishchandra was directed by Dadasaheb Phalke, the D.W. Griffith of Indian cinema.

By Anne Thompson
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October 8, 2009 12:30 PM
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Talking European Award and Oscar Docs

The European Film Academy and the European culture channel ARTE announced their nominated documentaries today. The winner will be presented at the 22nd European Film Awards Ceremony on Saturday, 12 December, in Bochum, Germany.

By Anne Thompson
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October 8, 2009 8:42 AM
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Monaghan Drives Trucker

Former Slamdance Film fest producer James Mottern wrote and directed Trucker, an unpretentious, tough little movie that debuted at Tribeca in 2008 and is finally getting a modest release this week, starting in New York. The movie is about an independent young truck-driver (Michelle Monaghan) who is happiest when she's in the cab of her semi. She married at 18, had a baby, and then left her family behind. Sure enough, a decade later she has to face that kid when his father gets sick.

By Anne Thompson
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October 7, 2009 10:40 AM
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An Education Clips

An Education is even better the second time, when you know the motivations of everyone involved. Writer Nick Hornby (wittily adapting The Observer columnist Lynn Barber's short memoir) and director Lone Scherfig (a protege of Lars von Trier) allow the movie to seduce you as they drop hints of what's really going on. The information is all there. But the initial exhilaration of a schoolgirl's first love affair is a giddy experience indeed. Sony Pictures Classics opens the movie October 9.

By Anne Thompson
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October 5, 2009 3:08 AM
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Oscar Talk Episode 4: A Single Man, A Serious Man, Bright Star, Get Low, The Last Station

In Oscar Talk, Episode 4, In Contention's Kris Tapley and I continue our discussion of all things Oscar. We cover the foreign language submissions (62 so far), the PGA and Oscar ten best films, the long-term forecast on Bright Star, Sony Pictures Classics’ Oscar hopefuls The Last Station and Get Low, and The Weinstein Co's Toronto buy A Single Man. We also veer off topic with discussions of New York Film Festival opener Wild Grass, Zombieland and Paranormal Activity.

By Anne Thompson
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October 2, 2009 9:29 AM
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Sony Pictures Classics Acquires The Last Station

Sony Pictures Classics has added Telluride Film Festival hit The Last Station to its burgeoning 2009 slate of possible Oscar contenders. (Here's my Telluride feature on the movie.) The studio specialty subsidiary, which acquired North And Latin American rights, will push for Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer and James McAvoy for Oscar nominations.

By Anne Thompson
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October 2, 2009 2:51 AM
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Italy Enters Tornatore's Big-Budget Baaria for Oscars

The Italian government's decision to submit Giuseppe Tornatore's $35.5 million period epic Baaria for the foreign film Oscar is already kicking up a fuss. 53-year-old Tornatore's tribute to his Sicilian hometown spans three generations, from the 1930s to the present, from the rise of Fascism through World War II and its aftermath. Among the most expensive Italian films ever made, utilizing 35,000 Tunisian extras, the picture was the first Italian film to open the Venice Film Festival in two decades. Tornatore already won the Oscar in 1998, for Cinema Paradiso. The deadline for countries to submit their films is October 1. IndieWIRE is tracking submissions to date.

By Anne Thompson
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September 29, 2009 6:26 AM
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Israel Picks Ajami for Ophir and Oscar

In an upset at Israel's Ophir Awards, Ajami beat out Venice Golden Lion winner Lebanon today, tweets @Cinemascopian's Yair Raveh:

By Anne Thompson
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September 26, 2009 8:32 AM
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Denmark Submits Terribly Happy; Remake in Works

It's that time of year when one after the other, countries around the world submit their best choice for Oscar contention in the foreign film category. Only five will be nominated. (Last year 67 films were entered.) The latest submission comes from Denmark, which has chosen Henrik Rubin Genz's droll cop film noir Terribly Happy (Frytgtelig lykkelig). The international hit won six Bodil Awards out of seven nominations. Oscilloscope will release the film in North America.