Resurrecting the Movies thread...

[MaineWriter]

From Awards Daily (www.awardsdaily.com) the prize winners with all the nominees


No Country for Old Men Wins NBR!
By Sasha Stone
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN NAMED 2007 BEST FILM OF THE YEAR BY THE  NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW
***
George Clooney and Julie Christie Named Best Actor and Best Actress
 
Michael Douglas is honored with the Career Achievement Award
 
THE GREAT DEBATERS and PERSEPOLIS win the
The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression
 
***
 
New York, NY – December 5th, 2007 – The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures named NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN the 2007 Best Film of the Year.  Directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, released by Miramax and Paramount Vantage on November 21st, the film is based on Cormac McCarthy’s novel. It simultaneously strips down the American crime drama and broadens its concerns to encompass themes as ancient as the Bible, and as bloodily contemporary as this morning’s headlines.
 
For Best Actor and Actress of 2007, the NBR honors two artists whose performances were truly outstanding. The 2007 Best Actor, GEORGE CLOONEY, was selected for his performance in the title role of Michael Clayton.  For the 2007 Best Actress honor, the NBR has selected JULIE CHRISTIE for her performance in Away From Her.
 
Below is a full list of the awards given by the National Board of Review:
 
Best Film: NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Best Director: TIM BURTON, Sweeney Todd
Best Actor: GEORGE CLOONEY, Michael Clayton
Best Actress: JULIE CHRISTIE, Away From Her
Best Supporting Actor: CASEY AFFLECK, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Best Supporting Actress: AMY RYAN, Gone Baby Gone
Best Foreign Film: THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
Best Documentary: BODY OF WAR
Best Animated Feature: RATATOUILLE
Best Ensemble Cast: NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: EMILE HIRSCH, Into The Wild
Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: ELLEN PAGE, Juno
Best Directorial Debut: BEN AFFLECK, Gone Baby Gone
Best Original Screenplay (tie):
DIABLO CODY, Juno and NANCY OLIVER, Lars and the Real Girl
Best Adapted Screenplay: JOEL COEN and ETHAN COEN, No Country For Old Men
 
Top Ten Films:
(In alphabetical order)
THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD
ATONEMENT
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
THE BUCKET LIST
INTO THE WILD
JUNO
THE KITE RUNNER
LARS AND THE REAL GIRL
MICHAEL CLAYTON
SWEENEY TODD
 
Top Five Foreign Films:
(In alphabetical order)
4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, 2 DAYS
THE BAND’S VISIT
THE COUNTERFEITERS
LA VIE EN ROSE
LUST, CAUTION
 
 
Top Five Documentary Films
(In alphabetical order)
DARFUR NOW
IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON
NANKING
TAXI TO THE DARKSIDE
TOOTS
 
Top Independent Films
(In alphabetical order)
AWAY FROM HER
GREAT WORLD OF SOUND
HONEYDRIPPER
IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH
A MIGHT HEART
THE NAMESAKE
ONCE
THE SAVAGES
STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING
WAITRESS
 
Career Achievement – MICHAEL DOUGLAS
William K. Everson Film History Award – ROBERT OSBORNE
Career Achievement in Cinematography – ROGER DEAKINS
The BVLGARI Award for NBR Freedom of Expression – THE GREAT DEBATERS and PERSEPOLIS

[SFEnnisSF]

If NCFOM wins for Best Picture at the Oscars this year, it just further shows what a joke and a charade they are.  Need I remind you that Miramax, the company behind Crash, is responsible for NCFOM!  You bet they're gonna play dirty again.  And what did the BP win for Crash do for it?  Abolutely nothing!   


On a lighter note, I saw BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT last Friday night at the Spectacular GRAND LAKE THEATRE here in Oakland, CA.  The theatre has almost ~600 seats and was near SOLD OUT!    I had never seen BLADE RUNNER before and it was pretty good.  The crowd ate it up.  With the sell out conditions for it at all theatres playing it here in the Bay Area (I checked), it seems to me there's $$ to be made in touching up these older (but not too old) classics and re-releasing them on the big screen. 

Here are some pictures of the inside of the auditorium of the GRAND LAKE THEATRE:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/424193874/
and
http://www.renaissancerialto.com/images/grandmain.jpg

Yes, they do play the Wurlitzer Organ before the movie.  This theatre is also famous for the ANTI-BUSH political messages on the marquee  , as seen here (Barb you'll love this!):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaseo/403101378/

And another photo at night:
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=1914388037&size=l

[Meryl]

Those are great pictures, Eric, thanks!  I'd love to see that new cut of Blade Runner.  I really loved that film when I saw it years ago. 

[oilgun]

I miss River Pheonix!  I finally watched The Thing Called Love and he is so adorable in it.  It's not a bad little film.  Dermott Mulroney is at his sexiest and Sandra Bullock is a delight as Linda Lou Linden.  Not crazy about Samantha Mathis though.

[Kd5000]

I'm surprised THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY didn't make it as one of the five best foreign films. I saw it at a film fest in October at a friend's insistence.  I quite enjoyed it, never had heard of the book before or the guy's story. Really amazing.  The movie is getting alot of publicity now as it's in general release.  I'm glad Johnny Depp wasn't cast in the lead role as initially reported.

[serious crayons]

I heard of the guy's story when it became a book. What an amazing accomplishment! Not just to do a book at all, but to do a really good one. It didn't seem filmable, but I'm looking forward to seeing it if it comes my way.

[oilgun]

Well, just getting back from Atonement.  I haven't read the book but I quite enjoyed the film.  Talk about your tragic love story!  I always said that children should never be believed    It's a beautiful film but I wasn't completely sucked into the story. I mean I wasn't moved to tears or anything like that.  James McAvoy and Keira Knightley are wonderful in it but I actually have to think about whether it will displace I'm Not There or Fracture from my top ten.

EDIT:  After sleeping on it, I've decided that Atonement won't make my top 10 list.  Although I loved everything about the first half, IMO the story faultered too badly in the second.  I also felt that the final revelation was anti-climactic and a bit of a relief and I don't think that was the intent.

[MaineWriter]

I'm surprised THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY didn't make it as one of the five best foreign films. I saw it at a film fest in October at a friend's insistence.  I quite enjoyed it, never had heard of the book before or the guy's story. Really amazing.  The movie is getting alot of publicity now as it's in general release.  I'm glad Johnny Depp wasn't cast in the lead role as initially reported.

Yes, I read about it in last week's Wall Street Journal and the story and movie both sound amazing. Not sure I want to see it though.

"Grace is Gone" with John Cusack got a fabulous review at Pajiba. I think John Cusack is terrific, anyway, and they say he is great in this. It is only open in New York and Los Angeles at the moment. And it sounds like you should go to the theater prepared with a big box of tissues.

L

[delalluvia]

Just came from seeing "The Golden Compass" aka anti-Narnia.

Very good all the way around.  It's a fantasy movie, so I don't worry about the lapses of commonsensicalness.

Tells an interesting story and one worth telling.  Alas, not enough Daniel Craig.

Recommend.

[ednbarby]

AND, Del, ... Since Christian groups are saying Christians should boycott it, I AM SO SEEING IT.  Gleefully.  (I would have anyway for Daniel Craig and the talking polar bear, but this clinches it.)