Jamie passion and passionfruit!

I liked this film.  Pablo Trapero returns to form in this prison drama starring his wife Martina Gusman who does a great job as a woman who gives birth in prison and then battles to keep her child.  The film seems authentic bar a pair of things (like Rodrigo Santoro as the boyfriend, not that he doesn’t do the best he can with the part) and comes across as a thoughtful work without obvious clichés.  The use of amateur actors in the prison scenes is a plus.

 

* * * *

Quirky Kiwi comedy about a pair of losers who strike up a romance together.  Lily is a burger bar vendor who is tremendously played by Loren Horsley – gauche and yet determined she does not fit in but sets her sights on Jarrod, an unspeakably self-centred nerd ably played by Jemaine Clement of The Conchords.  It is a gentle and small film in which Lily accompanies Jarrod back home to meet his folks.  Lots of embarrassment and awkwardness all add up to a different and enjoyable movie without it ever being anything transcendental.  Appealing little number.

 

* * *

Nominees:

 

Apocalypto (US 06)

The Band’s Visit (Israel/France 07)

Eastern Promises (UK/Canada/US 07)

The Host (Korea 07)

Indigenes (Algeria/France/Morocco/Belgium 06)

No Country for Young Men (US 07)

Ratatouille (US 07)

Sweeney Todd (US 07)

 

Winner

 

Eastern Promises

Nominees:  

 

Daniel Day-Lewis (There will be blood)

Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd)

Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild)

Tommy Lee Jones (In the Valley of Elah)

Karl Markovics (Die Falscher/The Counterfeiters)

Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises)

Gordon Pinsent (Away from Her)

Philip Seymour Hoffmann (The Savages)

 

Special Mention

 

Daniel Day-Lewis

 

For another superb character in the annals of cinema.

 

Winner

 

Viggo Mortensen

 

This performance showed tremendous guts and also degrees of subtlety and charm that made it a round nuanced and compelling display of acting

 

Nominees:

 

Brenda Blethyn (Clubland)

Helena Bonham Carter (Sweeney Todd)

Julie Christie (Away from Her)

Laura Linney (The Savages)

Ellen Page (Juno)

Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia)

Wei Tang (Lust, Caution)

Charlize Theron (In the Valley of Elah)

 

Winner

 

Meryl Streep

 

Singing, dancing and comedy all added to Meryl’s dramatic skills – she’s a model!

Melancholic  Argentine film about two lost souls who meet in the middle of a very rainy period in Buenos Aires.  The plus is that it is not entirely predictable, the acting of Valeria Bertuccelli holds it together with support from the duller Ernesto Alterio.  Neither though are very likeable.  Technical effects are also very good.

The minus factors are the length, the lack of real plot, long stretchjes with nice photography and music but no action and a final sensation that it doesn’t really matter.  More an exercise in cinematography than a passion which is a shame as it has its good points.

 

*  *  + 

British comedy of the old school which means unbelievable situations and a suspension of disbelief most of the way-  Simon Pegg, Thandie Newton (too gorgeous to be a credible love interest for the lead and Hank Azaria do what they can with a surfeit of weirdo supporting artists as an unfit loser tries to finish the London marathon to win back his girl!  It is bearable watching for a rainy day but you can’t help feeling you should be doing something more worthwhile as there is nothing original in this.

 

*  * 

Nominees:

 

Bong Joon-hoo (The Host)

Tim Burton (Sweeney Todd)

Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country for Young Men)

David Cronenberg (Eastern Promises)

Mel Gibson (Apocalypto)

Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia)

Sarah Polley (Away from Her)

 

Special Mention

 

Mel Gibson

 

Mel takes a tough assignment and combines a thriller, an adventure and a historical drama into a film that may not be perfect but achieves a lot.

 

Winner

 

Joel and Ethan Coen

 

Bloody violent and yes, just plain bloody but of its type and for its daring the Coen’s create a stunning piece of work with a mastery of direction.

Nominees:

 

Javier Bardem (No Country for Young Men)

Vincent Cassel (Eastern Promises)

Rolf Lassgard (After the Wedding)

Armin Mueller-Stahl (Eastern Promises)

Philip Seymour Hoffmann (Charlie Wilson’s War)

 

Winner:

 

Javier Bardem

Perfectly enjoyable, light but meaningful ‘girl’s film’ on a group of women and one man in LA who meet to discuss Jane Austen’s novels and get to have insights on their own lives in the process.  All very nice but ultimately neither earth shattering nor very innovative film making.  Good for a rainy day and to see some good actors at work: Emily Blunt, Maria Bello in particular but Kathy Baker and the four men – Hugh Dancy, Jimmy Smits, Marc Blucas and Kevin Zegers do a competent job.  Robin Swicord is the director and writer who looks after it all in a caring way.

 

*  *  * 

Nominees:

 

Cate Blanchett (I’m not there)

Angela Finocchiaro (Mio fratello e figlio mio)

Amy Madigan (Gone Baby Gone)

Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone)

Susan Sarandon (In the Valley of Elah)

Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)

 

Winner

 

Cate Blanchett

Nominees:

 

Rachid Bouchareb and Olivier Lorelle (Indigenes)

Diablo Cody  (Juno)

Tamara Jenkins (The Savages)

Steven Knight (Eastern Promises)

Sarah Polley (Away from Her)

 

Winner

 

Diablo Cody

 

A nice fresh treatment of a coming of age story from New York and a sort of reconciliation with the past.  Dito Montiel wrote the story and directs and writes this small but effective film on one’s memories of teenage life and on our destinies.  The use of music from the era and the natural way the film is shot help a lot to create the right mood and Montiel has gathered a great bunch of actors: Robert Downey Jnr, Rosario Dawson (great in her scene), Dianne Wiest, Chazz Palmintieri and Shia Leboeuf as his young self.

 

Satisfying!

 

*  *  *  * 

Nominees:

 

Afonso Beato (Love in the time of Cholera)

David Connell (December Boys)

Robert Elswit (There will be blood)

Oscar Faura (El orfanato)

Eric Gautier (Into the Wild)

Rodrigo Prieto (Lust, Caution)

Dean Semler (Apocalypto)

Dariusz Wolski (Sweeney Todd)

 

Winner

 

Dean Semler

 

A worthy winner for two main reasons – the recreation of the jungle and temple scenes and for the dexterity and ability of the chases in the jungle.  Filming speed is one of his specialties.