Friday, March 16, 2012

2011 CinSpec Awards

Hugo (dir. Martin Scorsese)

I'm really late in posting this, but here's my ballot for last year. Note: Winners are in yellow. You can click on the images to enlarge them.



















Updated: 6/24/15

15 comments:

  1. How did I not comment on these already? I love that you nominate Trond Nilssen!!!! UGH, you know how I feel about that performance. These images are great. I love it when our nominees don't really mesh because it spreads so much wealth in these years for film. Such inspired picks all the way around.

    The Academy can suck it!

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    1. Thanks for commenting! Oh, Nilssen is fantastic, and I also love when our awards spread the wealth. I can't wait to finish the images for this year!

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  2. Picture:
    The Artist
    Drive
    Midnight in Paris
    Moneyball-Winner
    Source Code
    Loved all these films but being neither a big sports fan nor a whiz with numbers I was surprised how accessible Moneyball was for the lay person. That it was emotionally engaging on top of that made it my winner.

    Director:
    Woody Allen-Midnight in Paris
    Michael Hazanavicius-The Artist
    Duncan Jones-Source Code
    Bennett Miller-Moneyball-Winner
    Nicholas Winding Refn-Drive
    The other four men did terrific things with their material but Miller's ability to take what was basically a story about percentages and guide it in such a way as to make it not just interesting but fun seems the strongest accomplishment.

    Actor:
    Dominic Cooper-The Devil's Double-Winner
    Michael Fassbender-Shame
    Ryan Gosling-Drive
    Brad Pitt-Moneyball
    Michael Shannon-Take Shelter
    This was a tough category to chose since there isn't a weak contender among the five. Michael Shannon is great as a man trying hard to keep himself together as he feels things slipping away Fassy is equally good as he faces different problems but a similar situation is the depressing Shame. Gosling is the calm center in the alternately icy cool and shockingly violent Drive. Pitt's meditative, emotionally rangy performance in Moneyball may be his best so far and would have been my choice of this year's nominees though I loved The Artist and Jean Dujardin's work which didn't make my cut. But Cooper in the dual role as The Devil's Double is simply extraordinary but somehow was passed over come nomination time

    Actress:
    Viola Davis-The Help
    Anna Paquin-Margaret
    Tilda Swinton-We Need to Talk About Kevin
    Charlize Theron-Young Adult
    Kathleen Turner-The Perfect Family-Winner
    The reverse of the actors all of these are good performances but I don't feel passionately about any one in particular however Turner, who doesn't get nearly enough opportunities these days, carries the entirety of Perfect Family on her shoulders and finds every possible nuance in her nutty complex character.

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    1. Love these! Midnight in Paris used to be in my top 5, and I really like Moneyball. I've seen both films several times. Thrilled to see Paquin and Theron (hated to snub her) in Best Actress, and that Cooper nod for The Devil's Double is brilliant. I couldn't fit him in, but he was great in that.

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  3. Supporting Actor:
    Albert Brooks-Drive
    Tom Hardy-Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
    Jonah Hill-Moneyball
    Nick Nolte-Warrior
    Corey Stoll-Midnight in Paris-Winner
    Hill really surprised me in Moneyball being able to flesh out his character remarkably well. Tinker is a plodding, disappointing slog but Hardy's portrait of the weary rogue agent is gold as is Nolte's worn out father in Warrior. But this was between Brooks atypical slimeball of a crime lord and Stoll's pinpoint perfect take on Hemingway in Midnight in Paris. I went with Stoll since he managed to steal the film handily in the least amount of time.

    Supporting Actress:
    Jessica Chastain-Take Shelter
    Anjelica Huston-50/50
    Carey Mulligan-Shame
    Vanessa Redgrave-Coriolanus-Winner
    Octavia Spencer-The Help
    Anjelica Huston makes every one of her too few seconds count in 50/50, Spencer a no nonsense joy in The Help and Chastain handles the complexities of her role like a pro. Any other year my winner would be Mulligan's searing work in Shame but Vanessa Redgrave is so damn good in Coriolanus I couldn't imagine choosing anyone else.

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    1. Great picks again. I love most of these, though I'm not as high on the performances from Huston and Spencer. Glad that Hardy got another nod, and it's awesome that Stoll and Redgrave are your winners.

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  4. Very neat choices. Here is what my ballot would've looked like (subject to change):

    Best Picture:
    50/50
    Attack The Block
    Drive
    Shame (WINNER)
    Weekend

    Best Director:
    Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive (WINNER)
    Lars Von Trier, Melancholia
    Steve McQueen, Shame
    Lynne Ramsay, We Need To Talk About Kevin
    Andrew Haigh, Weekend

    Best Actor:
    Tom Cullen/Chris New, Weekend
    Michael Fassbender, Shame (WINNER)
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50
    Ryan Gosling, Drive
    Peter Mullan, Tyrannosaur

    The inclusion of both Tom Cullen and Chris New seems like a bit of a cheat. But because of how they are the narrative and their performances complement each other, I feel that one is incomplete without the other.

    Best Actress:
    Olivia Colman, Tyrannosaur
    Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia
    Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
    Tilda Swinton, We Need To Talk About Kevin
    Charlize Theron, Young Adult

    Best Supporting Actor:
    John Boyega, Attack The Block
    Albert Brooks, Drive (WINNER)
    Patton Oswalt, Young Adult
    Brad Pitt, Tree of Life
    Mark Strong, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

    Seems cruel to leave Christopher Plummer out because he deserved his Oscar. But, Tinker Tailor had one of the best ensembles of the year and I wanted to include at least one actor from that bunch.

    Best Supporting Actress:
    Jessica Chastain, Tree of Life
    Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
    Carey Mulligan, Shame
    Kim Wayans, Pariah (WINNER)
    Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

    Chastain and Mulligan were at a very close "any other year" second and third place, respectively. But ultimately, it was Kim Wayans who won out for me for her astonishingly layered work in Pariah. If you haven't seen that film, I highly recommend it.

    Best Original Screenplay:
    50/50
    Attack The Block
    Bridesmaids
    Shame
    Weekend (WINNER)

    Originally, I picked Shame. That is until I saw Weekend, whose genius behind its script is that it feels unscripted.

    Best Adapted Screenplay:
    The Descendants
    Drive (WINNER)
    Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
    Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
    We Need To Talk About Kevin

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    1. Thanks! I love your picks. Several of the performances were very close to making my ballot, particularly Colman, Olsen, Swinton, Theron, and Woodley. Also, it's great to see a win for Nicolas Winding Refn (my runner-up), and I love that you included both Cullen and New for Weekend. I really need to see Pariah and give Tinker Tailor another look. Who's your Best Actress winner?

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  5. Elizabeth Olsen. Although it was a squeaker between her, Swinton, and Theron.

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    1. Nice. Theron was this close to making my ballot. Olsen would probably be just behind her.

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    2. Nice. It was a tough year to pick just five. It's funny because it was a great year for lead actresses, yet I didn't really think it was represented well in the actual BA category.

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    3. Yeah, I love strong years for performances, but it sucks when I have to narrow it down to five. The acting categories at the Oscars don't always reflect the strength of the year, sadly.

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  6. What a rich year, and I adore your love of Hugo! What a wonderful film. I just reviewed the book/film on my blog. Love seeing it adored, and I think it's one of Scorsese's finest films.

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    1. I agree it's one of his best. Though, A Separation would be my Best Picture winner now. (I need to update this ballot.)

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