The Sixth Annual FiLM BiTCH Awards

Awards Page Index * OSCAR coverage here
'05 FiLM BiTCH Awards
by Nathaniel R

Traditional Oscar categories: Majors / Technicals / Technicals 2 (Tally of Noms)
Special Categories: Extras / Extras 2 / Scenes 1 / Scenes 2 (Tally of Noms) / Movie Mixers (Poll Games)

Body of Work
also known as "My Apologies!"
busy actors who i enjoyed this year and wanted to reward elsewhere but couldn't...


Mathieu Almaric Kings and Queen & Munich	Ralph Fiennes Constant Gardener, White Countess, and Wallace & Gromit	Jake Gyllenhaal Brokeback Mountain, Proof, and Jarhead	Catherine Keener The 40 Year Old Virgin & Capote	Vince Vaughn for Be Cool, Mr & Mrs Smith, & Wedding Crashers
Finalists: Cillian Murphy Breakfast on Pluto, Red Eye, & Batman Begins * Rachel McAdams, Red Eye & The Family Stone * Semi Finalists: Valeria Bruni Tedeschi 5 x 2 & Munich *

Best Actress in a Limited or Cameo Role
there are no small parts


Thelma Barlow "Lady Conway" Mrs Henderson Presents	Annie Girardot "La mère de Georges" Caché	Loretta Devine "Shaniqua Johnson" Crash	Roberta Maxwell "Jack's Mom" Brokeback Mountain	Miranda Richardson "Rita Skeeter" Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire
Wickedly amusing and amused. Sets up the volley for Dench to spike.	Frightfully intuitive. She knows her son inside and out.	Devine is divine with indignation. Always a welcome character actress.	Conveying years of secret knowledge in no time flat. Wondrous.	The bit players are where the real magic of the Potter films resides.

Finalists: Brittany Murphy & Carla Gugino both make lasting impressions w/ only two short scenes in Frank Miller's Sin City. Gugino, like Rourke, completely nails the specific tone of the film. Murphy's oversized screen presence is also a match for the direct comic to film transfer. * Semi-Finalists: Speaking of vivid impressions...there's also chatty Anna Faris in Brokeback Mountain, a former winner in this category, the superiority complex of Judi Dench in Pride & Prejudice , the jilted Emmanuelle Devos in The Beat That My Heart Skipped, and the doomed Sarah Paulson in Serenity.

Best Actor in a Limited or Cameo Role
there are no small parts


William Hurt "Richie Cusack" A History of Violence	Ralph Fiennes "Voldemort" Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire	Ian Howard "Ian" Heights	Dallas Roberts "Sam Phillips" Walk the Line	Rufus Wainwright "Jeremy" Heights
Forgotten star wattage. He also casts backward light for comedic readings of this here film.	The sidelines are where Potter films get interesting. Fiennes gives good heebie jeebies (the makeup helps)	Like his effect on the lead (Elizabeth Banks) his charisma sneaks up on you. You want to know more.	Handed a thankless duty --thematically underlined monologue to kick off the "rise to fame" act --but he sells it.	Sometimes you just like seeing someone you love from other medium on screen. l-o-v-e my Rufus.

Finalists: David Krumholtz returns (all too) briefly to reprise his role as Mr. Universe in Serenity * Frodo gets spooky--I speak of Elijah Wood in Frank Miller's Sin City who wouldn't leave my head after the movie finished, damn him. * Semi-Finalists: Randy Quaid in Brokeback Mountain avoids caricature despite Representing an entire unwelcoming society and Christopher Guest gets big laughs in Mrs. Henderson Presents but maybe both their roles are a touch too big for this category. I enjoyed them nonetheless.

Breakthrough Award
actors who "arrived" this year, whether through a breakthrough in exposure, a fine debut,
or graduation from tiny roles to the big leagues


Amy Adams in Junebug	Terrence Howard in Crash / Hustle & Flow etc...	Tony Jaa in Ong Bak: Thai Warrior	Q'Orianka Kilcher in The New World	Sibel Kekilli in Head On
Amy has been kicking around sweetly in the background of Hollywood films since 1999's Drop Dead Gorgeous. After Junebug, foreground offers will come rolling in. next project Recently completed two new films, a Will Ferrel NASCAR comedy and Moonlight Serenade.	He's been acting on screen and TV for 13 years --but suddenly everyone knew who he was this year. He showed astonishing range and charisma in what must have been an exhausting year (8 projects in total; tv, film, straight to video) next project Two films on the way in 2006.	A physical sensation --you can't believe what his body can do. Here's hoping more Jaa action flicks arrive quickly. I'm also hoping he's learning English for an international action career. next project Continuing his partnership with Thai director Prachya Pinkaew in both Tom Yum Goong and Sword.	Pocahontas revealed an actress of beauty, subtlety, and warmth. And she's only 15. That gives Hollywood some time to figure out how to cast her --they should! Unfortunately they do have trouble supporting the careers of ethnic actors. next project Nothing yet.	This Turkish German actress was a sensation in her legit debut (after a porn past) in Head On. With her hypnotically watchable face, real acting talent, and sensuality --she's the whole movie star package. next project She's completed two new German films already.

Finalists: Michelle Monaghan was a sympathetic beauty opposite Charlize Theron in North Country but really proved her mettle holding her own opposite a great Robert Downey Jr and a resurgent Val Kilmer in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang * Nathalie Press shocked us last year with a brave naturalistic performance in the Oscar winning short Wasp. My Summer of Love reminds us that she's going to be an important actress * Miranda July charmed us with her multiple talents in Me and You and Everyone We Know. Semi Finalists: * Joseph Gordon Levitt proved his dramatic chops in Mysterious Skin. But after fame and years on a hit TV sitcom it's hard to say "breakthrough" as if he's unknown. * Ashton Holmes was an endearing son to Viggo and Maria in A History of Violence and we're hoping to see more of him soon onscreen.

Best Individual Line Reading
I told you I was bonkers


A History of Violence Ed Harris	Brokeback Mountain Jake Gyllenhaal	Brokeback Mountain Michelle Williams	Goodnight and Good Luck. Patricia Clarkson	Walk the Line Reese Witherspoon
"How come he's so good at killing people?" the taunting cadence. A question that's also a dare that's also a threat that's also the plot.	"I wish I knew how to quit you" An amazingly open performance, at first vulnerable but guarded, then plaintive and angry.	"Jack Twist? Jack Nasty." a childs perception of an adult situation. She understands this characters inside and out.	"Chairman Mao" Patty~ the greatest supporting actor in the business bar none. I didn't understand this scene at all but the punchline works.	"...steady like a train. sharp like a razor." Reese has such sweet soulfulness in this movie. And the cutest accent ever, especially with the hint of a cold.
The voices I hear in my head when thinking about the movies of 2005
Finalist: Steve Carell "KELLY CLARKSON!" endlessly funny in The 40 Year Old Virgin * How Jewel Staite wraps herself around this awkward tongue twister "going on a year now, I ain't had nothing twixt my nethers ain't run on batteries" I'll never know. Funny. Heath Ledger in Brokeback Mountain --but try choosing a line. Every mumbled utterance is gold. Semi-Finalists: "My door is always open...so to speak" Everyone in The 40 Year-Old Virgin is on their game but Jane Lynch gave me the biggest laughs * Cillian Murphy "The Bat Man" in Batman Begins * Joan Allen has numerous great line readings in The Upside of Anger "I need a Bloody Mary as soon as is humanly possible"

Best Ensemble Work
they are family

	Brothers Connie Nielsen, Ulrich Thomsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Bent Mejdjing, etc... Supple and expressive cast form a troubled family unit. Even the children never strike false notes.
	Good Night, and Good Luck. David Strathairn, Patricia Clarkson, Jeff Daniels, Frank Langella, etc... Excellent period work and believable workplace camaradie and shaky trusts.
	Junebug Embeth Davidtz, Allesandro Nivola, Celia Weston, Amy Adams, etc... A family's hesistant interaction with an unfamiliar in-law. Surprisingly fascinating and free of cliché
	Pride & Prejudice Keira Knightley, Donald Sutherland, Matthew McFayden, Judi Dench, etc A whole greater than its individual parts. Wit, high energy, and genuine affection abound.
	The Squid and the Whale Jeff Daniels, Jessie Eisenberg, Laura Linney, Owen Kline, Billy Baldwin These committed actors never drop the spiky unpleasant ball. A wicked funny look at shifting loyalty.
Finalists: A History of Violence & Brokeback Mountain, my two favorite films of the year, both have stupendous individual performances and memorable duet scenes. But there was ultimately not enough group-related work for me to feel justified in placing them as a nominee above any of the five selected --Still and all, superbly acted films * Match Point's double dating players and in-laws are all on their game. Semi Finalists: Happy Endings & Me and You and Everyone We Know Both offer mosaics of vivid and interesting characters* Crash & Syriana's huge ensembles are sprinkled with noteworthy performances * And Rent reunites most of its original talented cast who joyously recreate their work.

Best Casting
NEW AWARD ---I don't know why I've never given this.


Frank Miller's Sin City Beth Sepko & Mary Vernieu	Good Night, and Good Luck. Ellen Chenoweth	Junebug Mark Bennett Craig Fincannon & Lisa Mae Fincannon	Me and You and Everyone We Know Meg Morman & Linda Phillips-Palo	Walk the Line Lisa Beach Shirley Fulton Crumley & Sarah Katzman
Prosthetics aside some of these actors couldn't look more like their comic roots. Plus it's a diverse cast that coheres.	Classy from top to bottom. Strathairn was a decision of genius and sturdy talented non-star actors like Matt Ross and Grant Heslov fill it out.	An unusual movie that manages to collect a bundle of the best undersung but semi-known talent together and give them their best roles yet.	The challenges of building an entire unknown relatively inexperienced ensemble for a demandingly odd assignment? whew.	Most biopics need one big star perfectly cast as another. This needed two. Added bonus: The chemistry couldn't be better.

Finalists: Brokeback Mountain Deb Green & Avy Kauffman* Hustle & Flow Chris Gray & Kim Hardin * Semi-Finalists: The Squid and the Whale Douglas Aibel The 40 Year Old Virgin Marla Garlin & Allison Jones * Happy Endings John Brace & Linda Lowy * Capote Heike Brandstatter, Avy Kaufman & Coreen Mayrs*

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