Awards
Page
Index *
OSCAR coverage here
'09 FiLM BiTCH Awards
by Nathaniel
R
Traditional
Oscar-style categories:
Majors
/
Acting /
Technicals /
Technicals 2
(Tally of Noms)
Special
Categories: Extras
/ Extras 2 / Scenes
1 / Scenes 2
(Tally of Noms) / Polls (Readers and Oscars)
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Best
Picture
the nominees are...
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Avatar James Cameron (Dec 18th, 20th Century Fox) |
Bright
Star Jane Campion (Sept 18th, Apparition) |
Hunger Steve McQueen (March 20th*, IFC) |
The
Hurt Locker Kathryn Bigelow (June 26th, Summit) |
Precious Lee Daniels (Nov 6th, Lionsgate) |
This
thrillingly imagined (and, yes, hokey. So what?) envelope pushing sci-fi
epic is a thoroughly transporting adventure. Best Scene: taming the dragon |
Campion's
cinematic poetry rivals the beauty of John Keats's own. What a heavenly
match they make for this fragile moving romance Best Scene: a kiss in the woods |
This
severe prison drama, watching the slow death of Bobby Sands, is bold
cinema. Makes most apocalyptic dramas look like Disney films Best Scene: "the wee foal" |
Bigelow's
bomb squad drama has explosive force but its power is in Sgt James'
implosion Best Scene: There's more than one? Repetitive structure is half the impact |
Whatever
its flaws, its unforgettable heart pumps so dramatically. The blood,
sweat and tears of remarkable performances fill in all the cracks Best Scene: Mary's confession |
* |
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* some people consider this a 2008 film but one week only Los Angeles releases do not qualify for The Film Experience's awards. A film must be released in the calendar year in New York City to be eligible here.
the rest of the top ten: Inglourious
Basterds, Summer
Hours, Up
in the Air, Coraline
and (500) Days of Summer |
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Best Director
the
chosen auteurs are...
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Kathryn
Bigelow The Hurt Locker |
James
Cameron Avatar |
Jane
Campion Bright Star |
Steve
McQueen Hunger |
Quentin
Tarantino Inglourious Basterds |
She
can do it all: action, character, atmosphere, theme. She gets the
implosions... not just the explosions. |
For
pushing the medium while also reminding Hollywood how one directs
action. They always forget |
Her
skills are undiminished. That singular eye imparts such ethereal beauty
and compassion |
For
his cinematic artistry, that daring discipline in the telling, and
the blunt force of the thing |
He
alchemized his love of cinema into a sophisticated yet silly and totally
singular movie about movies |
Finalists:
Olivier Assayas adds Summer Hours to the
growing case that he's one of the most intelligent and versatile directors
working * Spike Jonze takes childhood seriously for
Where the Wild Things Are and remembers that its a swirling
magical mix of moods, wonder and confusion Semi-Finalists: Marc Webb for (500) Days of Summer * Neill Blomkamp for District 9 *Jason Reitman for Up in the Air * Michael Haneke for The White Ribbon * Erick Zonca for Julia * |
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Oscar's
Best Director
Race |
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Best Original Screenplay
new
visions
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
| (500)
Days of Summer Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber |
The
Hurt Locker Mark Boal |
Inglourious
Basterds Quentin Tarantino |
The
Maid Sebastián Silva & Pedro Peirano |
Summer
Hours Olivier Assayas |
Wonderfully
adept at being two films at once, depending on what kind of romantic
fool is watching. And so funny, too |
The
minimalist confident structure somehow leaves a lot of meat on the
bones of character profile and larger theme |
A
singular voice in cinema. QT isn't exactly disciplined but that verbal
dexterity and daring flourishes are thrililng |
"the help" is poor but the film earns its riches. Familiar
beats come with complicating details and it all feels so organic. |
This
gifted versatile writer/director baldly states his
themes here. But he speaks with such grace and reaches profundity |
| Finalists:
Bright
Star Jane Campion's indelible voice takes on the aria
of Fanny & John (not an adaptation... Campion is detailing the romance
and the girlfriend who is naturally not the focus of biographies since
she's not the famous one in the equation) *
Up that wonderful central
image inspires some very funny bits and a beautiful message we don't
hear enough. It's just stuff. * Semi-Finalists: A Serious Man The Coen Bros * The White Ribbon Michael Haneke * Julia Aude Py & Erick Zonca * Duplicity Tony Gilroy * |
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Oscar's
Best Screenplay
Races |
||||
Best
Adapted Screenplay
borrowed
glories
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
Fantastic
Mr. Fox Wes Anderson & Noah Baumbach |
In
the Loop Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roache and Ian Martin |
Precious Geoffrey Fletcher |
Up
in the Air Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner |
Where
the Wild Things Are Spike Jonze & Dave Eggers |
Singular children's books inspiring one of a kind films got so regular
in 2009: Roald Dahl's book makes fora near perfect West Anderson film,
doesn't it? |
This
offshoot of The Thick Of It does sometimes feel like a TV
show... but a brilliantly written one at that, rapid fire and smartly
cutting |
The
title Precious: Pased on the Novel Push by Sapphire is unwieldy
but it handily illustrates the awed love the movie holds for the landmark
novel. Plus: that dialogue! |
Walter
Kim's novel boards the screen. The message may play a touch glib to
some but it's wonderful to hear wordy adult banter on the screen again |
Maurice
Sendak's classic lonely tale of boy's imagination gets a wise and
moving companion piece (rather than a xerox) to play with |
Finalists:
Whip
It
Shauna Cross adapts her own memoirs * Coraline
Henry Selick visualizes Neil Gaiman's classic (coincidentally a fine
companion piece to Where the Wild Things Are) |
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Oscar's
Screenplay
Races |
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