Friday, May 24, 2013

2009 CinSpec Awards


Films I still need to see include: The Stoning of Soraya M., Of Time and City, The Damned United, Valhalla Rising, Tetro, Revanche, Police, Adjective, Disgrace, Paranormal Activity, Thirst, The Soloist, The Limits of Control, Taking Woodstock, Big Fan, Whip It, and Rudo y Cursi.



















Updated: 3/6/15

18 comments:

  1. That's a good list. Here's my list of my favorite films of that year as I'm going by official release date rather than theatrical release dates.

    There's still some 2009 films I'm eager to see like Julia and Tetro as I'll get around to them.

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    1. Thanks man. Your list is great. I have Fish Tank in my top 5 of 2010, and I nominate Dogtooth and Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1974 in 2010 as well.

      Julia is currently on my top 10 of 2009 list, and I really need to see Tetro as well.

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  2. So glad to see that you included Christian McKay in there. I can't sing enough praises for that guy's performance! He's amazing. And also the inclusion of Rosamund Pike made me happy, I love her in An Education.

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    1. Glad you love those picks, Stevee! They were wonderful in those films.

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  3. Good picks again! Surprised you loved Summer Hours so much. Yep, that Moon score was superb. Help Yourself song, I actually prefer Up in the Air - Kevin Renick from the end credits.
    Can certainly recommend The Stoning of Soraya M on your watchlist there-really powerful and stayed with me, but is also not for everyone, obviously, with that controversial topic. Have you seen The Vicious Kind (2009)?-terrific performances.
    I haven't seen Tilda Swinton in Julia. The Swinton film I Am Love (2009) I would probably have in costume category. I'm still catcing up on Dardenne's, will get to Lorna's Silence eventually.

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    1. Thanks, Chris! Really? I'd be more surprised that I didn't nominate Juliette Binoche for it. ;)

      "Up in the Air" is a good song, but "Help Yourself" is more prominent in the film and more memorable to me.

      The Stoning of Soraya M. is at the top of my 2009 watchlist, so I'll probably see it before any of the others. The Vicious Kind slipped my mind, but I haven't seen it yet.

      Swinton is Oscar-worthy in Julia, and she's likely my runner-up (Gainsbourg is *this* close though). I nominated I Am Love for Best Costume Design in 2010. Hope you like what you see of the Dardennes!

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  4. Love these! I have Brothers Bloom in 2008, as well as Lorna's Silence. Love the Niel's and Marion wins! These are great man.

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    1. Thanks man! Yeah, if I had The Brothers Bloom in 2008, it probably would have some technical mentions like you gave it. This was another tough year!

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  5. YES to Sam Rockwell for Moon. I can't believe how robbed he was during awards season. I really wanted Coraline to win Best Animated Feature as well. It's still to this day the only movie that I liked seeing in 3D.

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    1. Yay! Rockwell is my runner-up. :) Coraline is gorgeous. I wish I could see it on the big screen.

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  6. Awesome to see Rosamund Pike among your nominees. Her performance in An Education is so underrated!

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    1. I'm glad more people like that performance. She is great in the film!

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  7. Nice picks! Renner is a beast in The Hurt Locker. I really wish he would’ve won that year. Niels Arestrup is a great choice for Supp. Actor.

    In the Loop, Broken Embraces, Antichrist, The White Ribbon… solid stuff all around!

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    1. Thanks! Renner is phenomenal in the role, and I wish Arestrup received more notice for his performance.

      Glad you like those picks. I love to spread the wealth.

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  8. Yikes! I've only seen one of your nominated films and sorry to say while I respect the filmmaking technique I hated The Hurt Locker.

    Picture:
    An Education
    Inglorious Basterds
    Moon
    Star Trek
    Undertow-Winner
    Good films, I particularly like how the lumbering Star Trek franchise was reenergized into the vigorous new version, but only the Peruvian ghost story Undertow really moved me.

    Director:
    J.J. Abrams-Star Trek
    Kathryn Bigelow-The Hurt Locker
    Javier Fuentes-Leon-Undertow
    Duncan Jones-Moon-Winner
    Quentin Tarantino-Inglorious Basterds
    I'm not usually a big fan of Tarantino's direction and his very free reworking of history bugged me at times but he does style an enjoyable adventure in Basterds. I hated The Hurt Locker but Bigelow's direction was solid nonetheless and Abrams's made sure to keep the pace of Star Trek going at a propulsive rate. This was between the subtly unobtrusive work of Fuentes-Leon and Jones's studied approach to the virtual one man show of Moon. Jones never lets Moon's focus waver keeping the viewer involved throughout, a tough feat with such a limited canvas so he takes the prize.

    Actor:
    Colin Farrell-Triage
    Colin Firth-A Single Man
    Cristian Mercado-Undertow-Winner
    Jeremy Renner-The Hurt Locker
    Sam Rockwell-Moon
    Farrell, Renner and Rockwell are all brilliant in their films and of this actual nominees Colin Firth should have taken the award but Mercado plays his deeply conflicted fisherman with infinite grace and delicacy, one of my favorite performances of the decade.

    Actress:
    Emily Blunt-The Young Victoria
    Patricia Clarkson-Cairo Time
    Romola Garai-Glorious 39
    Carey Mulligan-An Education-Winner
    Tilda Swinton-I Am Love
    These are all talented women doing good work but the roles in this category seemed a bit thin this year so it was great that the one role with real substance was played by an actress, Carey Mulligan, equal to the part's requirements.

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    1. Nice picks. I need to see Triage, Undertow and Glorious 39. Love Star Trek and Moon, and I used to have the former in my lineup as well.

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  9. Supporting Actor:
    Dominic Cooper-An Education
    Woody Harrelson-The Messenger-Winner
    Anthony Mackie-The Hurt Locker
    Christopher Plummer-The Last Station
    Christoph Waltz-Inglorious Basterds
    The only performance close to Harrelson's brillance is Waltz in Basterds so his victory at awards time didn't rankle too much but Woody's work is the standout in this category.

    Supporting Actress:
    Tatiana Astengo-Undertow
    Claudia Cardinale-The String-Winner
    Marion Cotillard-Nine
    Rosamund Pike-An Education
    Rachel Weisz-The Brothers Bloom
    Again another fine collection of talented actresses with roles that don't really test their mettle. There was one role that was so tiny it didn't seem right to include but Emma Thompson's razor sharp cameo as Carey Mulligan's headmistress is a dazzler. Claudia Cardinale's Sara may not be the best defined character but has it's possibilites which the legendary actress takes advantage of giving a fun flashy performance.

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    1. Oh, I haven't seen The String either, but these are great. Glad to see more love for An Education here. Pike is so underrated in that, and Cooper is an actor I'd love to nominate for something. Really pleased that Cotillard made the cut as well.

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