2011 Academy Awards full list of winners

AP

Best Picture:
The King’s Speech

Actor in a Leading Role:
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

Actress in a Leading Role:
Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Director:
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech

Original Song:
“We Belong Together” (Toy Story 3), music and lyrics by Randy Newman

Film Editing:
The Social Network

Visual Effects:
Inception

Documentary Feature:
Inside Job

Live Action Short Film:
God of Love

Documentary Short Subject:
Strangers No More

Costume Design:
Alice in Wonderland

Makeup:
The Wolfman

Sound Editing:
Inception

Sound Mixing:
Inception

Original Score:
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Social Network

Actor in a Supporting Role:
Christian Bale, The Fighter

Foreign Language Film:
In a Better World (Denmark)

Original Screenplay:
David Seidler, The King’s Speech

Adapted Screenplay:
Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network

Animated Feature Film:
Toy Story 3

Animated Short Film:
The Lost Thing

Actress in a Supporting Role:
Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Cinematography:
Inception

Art Direction:
Alice in Wonderland

Oscars 2011- It’s the King’s Speech vs Black Swan.

Two days to go until the film industry’s big night… the Oscars. So I found myself heading off to the movies the other night to see the King’s Speech, ahead of the Academy Awards. It then makes it easier to make a judgment about a film, find out what all the hype is all about and then one can formulate an opinion as to whether it’s deserving or not. Look, Colin Firth is superb in the role, as are Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter in their roles respectively. However, for me, I preferred Black Swan. I thought Darren Aronovsky’s film was incredible, dark as it may have been. His vision came to life, it sparked debates, conversations and I would imagine that is what any filmmaker would love to achieve. So it will come down to Tom Hooper and Darren Aronovsky in the battle for best director and Black Swan versus The King’s Speech for the best film of the year. It looks like The King’s Speech is the firm favourite, but I really believe Black Swan has been hugely underrated. Mila Kunis was overlooked, but Natalie Portman will come out on top I believe. Who else do you think will be successful at this year’s Oscars?

I must also just say well done to the film distributors in South Africa. All the big titles and contenders at this year’s Academy Awards have been brought to our screens ahead of the ceremony and that is usually not the case. I’ve now seen three of the big nominees. I just need to make a plan to see The Fighter before Sunday. Remember, I’ll be up and at it, blogging, tweeting throughout the night. Do join me!

Road to the Oscars is on

Award Season is coming to an end, but you know it wont go down without a bang – and that bang is the annual Academy Awards. The awards go down in LA on Sunday night, live on ABC in the US and on DStv in the wee hours of Monday morning for all of us South Africans. I’ll be up, I hope you’ll join me as we watch who will take the big honours at the 83rd Academy Awards, live from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

Some of the highlights to look forward to:
- James Franco and Anne Hathaway hosting this year’s awards. The Academy seem to be going for a younger bunch of hosts, so as to attract a a younger audience going forward.
- Presenters include Russel Brand, Scarlett Johansson, Halle Berry, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Zachary Levi, Gwyneth Paltrow and Oprah Winfrey
- Films like The Social Network, Black Swan, The Fighter and The King’s Speech are big contenders at this year’s awards.
- Top honours? Natalie Portman, Colin Firth, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo in the acting nominations I feel. Darren Aronovsky should win for his directing duties in Black Swan, but Tom Hooper might just blindside us all for his directing of The King’s Speech.

I’m going to check out The King’s Speech tonight. I need to see what the fuss is all about. Report back tomorrow.

How to get your Oscar fix:
www.oscars.org
www.facebook.com/TheAcademy
www.youtube.com/Oscars
www.twitter.com/TheAcademy

Believe the hype, Black Swan is the business

Last night I was invited to a screening of the highly acclaimed film, Black Swan. The event was held at the Nu Metro Hyde Park cinemas, in association with Fox Studios and the South African Ballet Theatre. What a fitting occasion for the Ballet Theatre Company. Not only has a film like this put ballet back in the spotlight again, but also they announced at the event that after a very difficult period, financially, the National Lottery would be funding them for the year. Plus they were celebrating their tenth birthday at the event. There were a couple of ballet dancers doing the rounds at the event, posing for pics and doing a few short numbers. This pictures was taken on my Blackberry Bold.

I’ve watched Natalie Portman clean up so far at all the major award shows, ahead of the Oscars later this month, but I didn’t want to set my expectations too high so I went in with an open mind. Wow! That is where I will start. This movie is fantastic. First of all, in addition to Portman, who plays the role of Nina Sayers, the other cast members are also really strong. The list includes Mila Kunis (Lily), Vincent Cassel (Thomas Leroy), Barbara Hershey (Erica Sayers). Winona Ryder has a small role in the movie too. The film tells the story of Nina Sayers, who after many years of trying finally gets her big break. She’s cast in the lead role of the ballet company’s new production, “Swan Lake”. Leroy, the director of the production, thinks she is perfect for the role of the delicate White Swan, but he is worried about how she will portray the Black Swan. While she has the ability to do so, she battles to relax and let go. While Nina might be battling to become the Black Swan in the production, a supportive, but needy mother; several encounters with free-spirited, Black Swan personified Lily; their growing rivalry and Leroy’s persistence and advances, all see Nina ‘morphing’ mentally into the Black Swan.

WATCH THE TRAILER NOW:

It’s a dark story, but director Darren Aronofsky is on point.

SAG Awards 2011- full list of winners

AP Photo/ Mark J. Terrill)

The King’s Speech, The Fighter, Boardwalk Empire and Natalie Portman got a whole lot of love at last night’s Screen Actors Guild Awards and this is surely an indication of where next month’s Academy Awards are going. Colin Firth must be the male favourite, while Natalie Portman is expected to take the big honours in the Best Male/ Female Lead categories respectively. Let’s wait and see, but in the mean time, check out the full list of winners below:
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
“The King’s Speech”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Colin Firth – “The King’s Speech”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Natalie Portman – “Black Swan”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale – “The Fighter”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Melissa Leo – “The Fighter”

Primetime Television

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
“Modern Family”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Steve Buscemi – “Boardwalk Empire”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Julianna Margulies – “The Good Wife”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin – “30 Rock”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Betty White – “Hot In Cleveland”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Al Pacino – “You Don’t Know Jack”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Claire Danes – “Temple Grandin”

SAG Honors for Stunt Ensembles

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
“Inception”

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
“True Blood”

Golden Globes – Natalie Portman wins

Jeff Bridges presents the Best Actress- Motion Picture drama to Natalie Portman for her role in Black Swan.
“Thank you to the HFPA. Truly the most wonderful experience to the whole reaction to this movie. I hope you’re having a drink grandma. Thank you for bring my mom into the world. Also to my dad. Thank you guys for bring me into the world. My fellow actors. Mila, you’re the greatest. Thank you so much for this.”

2010 Golden Globe nominees

Don’t forget tomorrow night’s Golden Globes takes place in Los Angeles. I’ll be up and at it, as usual, in the wee hours of Monday morning so stay tuned. The Globes are good indicators of who will be in the running for an Academy Award so let’s see who the nominees and the nominated films do tomorrow night. Best actor/ actress for me? James Franco or Johnny Depp for Best actor and Natalie Portman. At this point best film is tricky… any suggestions for the list of nominees below?

1. BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. BLACK SWAN
b. THE FIGHTER
c. INCEPTION
d. THE KING’S SPEECH
e. THE SOCIAL NETWORK

2. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. HALLE BERRY FRANKIE AND ALICE
b. NICOLE KIDMAN RABBIT HOLE
c. JENNIFER LAWRENCE WINTER’S BONE
d. NATALIE PORTMAN BLACK SWAN
e. MICHELLE WILLIAMS BLUE VALENTINE

3. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. JESSE EISENBERG THE SOCIAL NETWORK
b. COLIN FIRTH THE KING’S SPEECH
c. JAMES FRANCO 127 HOURS
d. RYAN GOSLING BLUE VALENTINE
e. MARK WAHLBERG THE FIGHTER

4. BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. ALICE IN WONDERLAND
b. BURLESQUE
c. THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
d. RED
e. THE TOURIST

5. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. ANNETTE BENING THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
b. ANNE HATHAWAY LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS
c. ANGELINA JOLIE THE TOURIST
d. JULIANNE MOORE THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
e. EMMA STONE EASY A

6. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. JOHNNY DEPP ALICE IN WONDERLAND
b. JOHNNY DEPP THE TOURIST
c. PAUL GIAMATTI BARNEY’S VERSION
d. JAKE GYLLENHAAL LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS
e. KEVIN SPACEY CASINO JACK

7. BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
a. DESPICABLE ME
b. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
c. THE ILLUSIONIST
d. TANGLED
e. TOY STORY 3