Saturday, November 17, 2007

For Your Consideration...

Well, there's 99 days to the Oscars and I'm trying to, er, atone for my lack of Oscar-relating blogging by doing lots now.

Atonement.

My own personal FYCs this year.

Film
Atonement
“Joe Wright and Working Title have made a film to be proud of. Amidst some incredible scenes (an extremely erotic library non-reading session between Robbie and Cecelia) as well as the fountain scene are amongst the many that will remain with viewers long after the credits have rolled. The quality and calibre of films that Working Title have turned out recently have been brilliant and Atonement ranks up there along with my personal favourites from them, Dead Man Walking and The Hudsucker Proxy. It is a wonderfully crafted, beautifully lush and immensely moving film that shows, above all, how storytelling can both destroy and heal.”

Actor
James McAvoy, for Atonement
“James McAvoy is the star of Atonement. In the Q&A that followed the screening of the film, director Joe Wright described Robbie as the highest form of a human being, and he is. Raised by a single mother, Robbie worked hard for everything in his life, but with success he is still a brilliantly warm and humble person. Even after he is put in the war to avoid staying in prison for longer, he does not whinge about it, but instead, gets through the day with the hope of seeing Cecelia guiding him through. James McAvoy plays this special individual with compassion and understanding. He has the accent and physicality of Robbie down to a T, but, more importantly, conveys his goodness, without ever having to resort to histrionics. McAvoy’s performance is a masterclass in subtle acting. In some pivotal scenes, it is actually his beautiful blue eyes that do the acting more than anything, and they speak more words than Briony’s ostentatious prose ever could.”

Actress
Tannishtha Chatterjee, for Brick Lane
“Chatterjee, the centrepiece of the movie, gives a performance of extreme sensitivity and intelligence. Playing Nazneen, a young woman from the Sylhet, Bangladesh, she is forced into an arranged marriage from a young age, from which she raises a family in the grim East End of London. Brick Lane is a film about a woman who is trapped, in her life, in love and in her Muslim religion, and Tannishtha Chatterjee’s raw performance is utterly heart-wrenching, more so, if we consider that she is a Hindu. ”

Supporting Actor
Rupert Grint, for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
“My darling Rupert is a joy. His ginger hair, large blue eyes, bumbling demeanour and spot-on comedy timing make him the true star of the show, and every scene that he features in benefits as a result of his appearance. Simply put, he is Godly.”

Supporting Actress
Saoirse Ronan, for Atonement
“As the young Briony, Saoirse Ronan is pitch-perfect, conveying her youthful innocence as well as whiny nosiness. Her sense of knowing about things she clearly doesn’t is infuriating, but Ronan prevents us from denouncing her entirely, reminding us that she is, after all, just a child. I have high hopes for her, and eagerly await her turn as Susie Salmon in 2008’s film adaptation of the atmospheric The Lovely Bones.”

Song
“Spider Pig”, from The Simpsons Movie
“Le Festin”, from Ratatouille

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ooh brick lane, how is it?

Emma said...

Saw it today after orchestra, grim movie, quite saddening & a tad too domestic for the big-screen, but still one of the better fares of '07.

Israel are ahead at the moment, England have a lifeline!

Anonymous said...

Le Festin is a great song, glad someone else likes it...

... though Grint is crap.

Anonymous said...

Yeah let's hope they can carry it on 'til the end... England MUST qualify

Emma said...

I know, I can't imagine life if they don't.

Agh, I musn't say anything to tempt fate.

Emma said...

And at anon, I know Grint is a terrible actor, I actually know it! From an objective p.o.v, I think he's quite bad, (though still the best of the three.) Like with Crouchie and some other hot actors, though, this is a case where my heart has a stronger hold over my brain. :)

Unknown said...

I get the impression you think Atonement will do well? I'll be dead impressed if you're proven right..

And Rupert is a good actor! He's perfect for providing the comic relief, and he's matured into a good actor. Stand up for your beloved! He's top notch.

Kayleigh said...

My vote is currently for Atonement although i think No Country For Old Men might take that over when i see it - Javier for the Oscar!
And Rupert isnt crap...he can act the socks off Emma "Look at my eyebrows!!!" Watson and Daniel "My abs are so BUFF and do more acting than my face" Radcliffe.
Scotland lost against Italy *sob*

Emma said...

Yes, I think I was being too pushover-ish previously (and also, my heart wasn't on my blog, but the football scores :p) when I said Rupert was terrible. In Driving Lessons he was quite convincing and as I said, he is by far the best of the three. Ratcliffe is SO damn overrated, the "He was their friend" scene in P.O.A. still makes me piss myself with laughter. And Emma Watson just needs to die, she's far too up herself and it shows on screen. Rupert's goofiness works.

And Kayleigh, poor you, poor Scotland! It is a huge pity, you did all the hard work against France and other sides and everything! Bah.

Unknown said...

Keira is beautiful in Attonement (as always).

And seriously, Spiderpig fo your so called "song".

Have you not seen any of the wonderful pieces to this year's many wonderful soundtracks?

J.D. said...

"Spider Pig", though awesome, isn't "original" (damn semantics). But "Le Festin" is perfect.

And Grint? Seriously? :eep:

SAOIRSE '08!