Sunday, January 20, 2013

2012 CinSpec Awards

Holy Motors (dir. Leos Carax)

Now that I've posted my top 10 list, here is my 2012 awards ballot. Not surprisingly, the leaders this year are Cloud Atlas and Holy Motors with 8 and 7 nominations apiece. However, I like to spread the love, so there should be a surprise or two.

Note: Winners are in yellow. You can click on the images to enlarge them.

If you missed them, you can also check out my updated 2011 and 2010 ballots.



















Updated: 7/22/15

22 comments:

  1. If only the Academy was as daring. Well, they have nom'ed an Austrian film as best pic, so there's hope. I don't share your love of CA but I do respect its ambition.dying to see Turin Horse.

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    1. Thanks man. Yeah, there's hope, especially if they keep the 5-10 slots in the Best Picture category. I loved CA on both viewings, but I know I'm in the minority on it. Don't know if you can access it, but The Turin Horse is on Netflix Instant.

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  2. Awesome! I love seeing others ballots. It gives me more films to look to see :-D I'll have mine done closer to mid-year. That's just how it goes over here. I still have so much to see!

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    1. Thanks! Haha. Take your time. Can't wait to see your picks! :)

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  3. Holy Motors seems to fly under the radar for me but I'm super curious now after reading people's reaction to it. Hmmm, Bardem in Skyfall is good but not great, I don't think it's Oscar-worthy for me. I'd rather see Judi Dench in the supporting role nod. Nice to see TDKR in your ballot though Josh, can't believe it was completely snubbed by the Academy!

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    1. I'm curious to hear you thoughts on Holy Motors. Again, I loved it, but I'm not sure if it's your type of film.

      I've seen Skyfall 3 times, and Bardem's performance just grew stronger for me over the past couple of months. It's his first win too, so I'm glad I could give him an award. :) Loved Dench's performance too, by the way.

      Yeah, it's hard to believe TDKR was shut out. Even Batman Begins got a nomination.

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  4. I'm surprised to see Kerry Washington here I didn't know you liked her work so much! Love Cloud Atlas soundtrack, though it won't make my line up this year.

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    1. Yeah, I loved her performance. She did so much with a small but crucial role, and I couldn't leave her off.

      Glad you love the Cloud Atlas soundtrack! :)

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  5. Hooray for Rachel Weisz and Oslo, August 31! Haven't seen these other films yet.

    Something about the mask from that first Holy Motors photo creeps me out. :-)

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    1. Haha, glad you like those wins. I was thrilled to honor them.

      Yeah, that mask is kinda creepy. :)

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  6. Oh yes, I've also seen The Secret World of Arrietty. That would've been my choice too.

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    1. Yay! It wasn't eligible at the Oscars, but I think it deserved a nomination at least.

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  7. Bitchin picks man. Really solid work. Holy Motors getting that love. I dig it.

    Really like seeing Weisz as your Actress pick. She was so damn good in that movie.

    Your screenplay picks are damn fine as well!

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    1. Thanks man! I wanted to give Holy Motors 7 awards, but I didn't want to deny the other films. Still, 5 is a good amount.

      Yeah, I had to see The Deep Blue Sea twice, but Weisz is my clear winner, despite her brilliant competition.

      Thanks again! Had to give Haneke something, and Oslo wins by a mile in its category. :)

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  8. I just love love this new look bro! It adds such a new life to your awards!

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    1. Thanks so much man! They're so much fun to do!

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  9. Tough year! I had more trouble with this year than any other. Didn't realize how little I had seen and many of which I did, Les Miz, The Master, Hunger Games, I hated. Others, Zero Dark Thirty, Silver Linings Playbook, seriously underwhelmed me. Even some of my nominees were a stretch to fill the slots.

    Picture:
    Amour
    Argo
    Lincoln-Winner
    Moonrise Kingdom
    Skyfall
    I'm a sucker for historical dramas on a grand scale and Lincoln is one of the best I've ever seen, although it should have ended about ten minutes sooner.

    Director:
    Ben Affleck-Argo-Winner
    Wes Anderson-Moonrise Kingdom
    Michael Haneke-Amour
    Steven Spielberg-Lincoln
    Joe Wright-Anna Karenina
    This would have gone to Spielberg had he known the proper place to end Lincoln and while I didn't love the film I admired Joe Wright's fresh take on the material of Anna Karenina but Affleck's sure handed guiding of Argo kept it taut and consistently interesting.

    Actor:
    Daniel Day-Lewis-Lincoln-Winner
    Richard Gere-Arbitage
    Hugh Jackman-Les Miserables
    Ewan McGregor-The Impossible
    Daniel Radcliffe-Woman in Black
    While I hated Les Miz and almost everybody in it Jackman was a shining light and showed why he's so great on stage. The underappreciated pair of Gere and McGregor were excellent in their respective films and Radcliffe continues to impress as he pursues roles that expand his talents. DDL though immerses himself completely into Abe Lincoln giving so much more than an impersonation.

    Actress:
    Jessica Chastain-Zero Dark Thirty
    Marion Cotillard-Rust and Bone
    Keira Knightley-Anna Karenina
    Emmanuelle Riva-Amour
    Rachel Weisz-The Deep Blue Sea-Winner
    All the women were wonderful but I love Rachel Weisz's work in Deep Blue Sea so much, it's my favorite performance of the year in any category.

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    1. There are some foreign titles I still need to see, but I liked a lot from this year. While I didn't nominate Lincoln and barely nominated Argo, I am a fan of those films.

      Great stuff. Love seeing overlooked performances like Gere, Radcliffe, McGregor (who I'd put in Supporting) and Knightley recognized. Radcliffe is an actor I'd really like to nominate, if the right role comes along. So glad that Weisz wins!

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  10. Supporting Actor:
    Javier Bardem-Skyfall
    Simon Russell Beale-The Deep Blue Sea
    John Goodman-Argo
    Tommy Lee Jones-Lincoln-Winner
    James Spader-Lincoln
    Spader's richly comic turn adds a much needed touch of levity to the serious Lincoln but he makes sure he never comes across as a clown. Alan Arkin got the lion's share of the attention in their teaming but I thought Goodman was the more effective of the two in Argo and Bardem as always makes a great villain in Skyfall. Beale is quietly wonderful as the cuckold husband in Deep Blue Sea but the irasible Jones is ideally cast as the equally irasible Thaddeus Stevens in Lincoln, he should have won this year amongst the actual nominees instead of Christoph Weitz repeat of his Inglorious Basterds role.

    Supporting Actress:
    Ann Dowd-Compliance
    Sally Field-Lincoln-Winner
    Gloria Rueben-Lincoln
    Charlize Theron-Snow White and the Huntsman
    Kerry Washington-Django Unchained
    Again I didn't like Compliance or Django but Dowd & Washington were great in them-Dowd is my runner up in fact. Likewise Snow White was underwhelming but Theron ignited the movie whenever she appeared on screen. Rueben's quiet power in Lincoln made a role that could easily have faded into the background of the many characters that surrounded the main pair into something memorable. But it's Sally Field in a role she fought like a tiger to get who tears up the screen balancing Mary Todd Lincoln's extreme moods into a symmetry not just with DDL's Lincoln but with all her scene partners, her smiling smackdown of Tommy Lee's Thaddeus Stevens is a joy to behold.

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    1. Thrilled that Bardem, Beale and Washington made your lineups. I enjoyed the performances from Goodman, Jones and Spader as well. Theron was a bit much for me in Snow White. Ann Dowd was in the running in either category, like Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Master, but like his performance, I couldn't decide where to place her.

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  11. Where'd you find Oslo, August 31st? It sounds col :)

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    1. I think it's still streaming on Netflix. It's a great little film.

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