Kate Wins Two and Mickey Gets a Second Chance

A happy Kate Winslet with her two Golden Globe Awards, photo uploaded on Flickr by beastandbean

Kate Winslet absolutely deserved both Golden Globe Awards. Her performances in Revolutionary Road and The Reader were screen perfection. She won best actress for Revolutionary Road and best supporting actress for The Reader. Winslet was the embodiment of these two very different women.

Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler, photo uploaded on Flickr by robiffic

Loved seeing Mickey Rourke win best actor for The Wrestler. He was that character. There were countless scenes in that film that ripped my heart apart. One that stands out in my mind was when he was working in the deli. His interactions with the customers were priceless.

Others include when he was playing video games with the kids in his trailer, the autograph signing convention, every time he adjusted his hearing aid, and the opening scene in the trailer park where Rourke's character lived.

I loved Rourke's acceptance speech. Rourke thanked his dogs because they were the only friends he had while he was living a life of loneliness on the fringe of Hollywood.

I have heard interviews with Rourke where he says that so many things about the character resonated with him.

Also loved that Bruce Springsteen won best song for The Wrestler. Springsteen said that Rourke called him, described the character he was playing, and asked if he would write a song for the film. Springsteen said, "I told Mickey that I knew guys like that." Love Bruce Sprinsteen. Always have.

Rourke also thanked the director for taking a chance on him. Rourke said that Darren Aronofsky had a hard time getting financing because he was playing the lead. But Aronofsky stuck with his choice forcing him to make the film on a very low budget. Good call Mr. Aronofsky.

Slumdog Millionaire, photo uploaded by beast and bean on Flickr


Best picture and director went to Slumdog Millionaire. The director, Danny Boyle got all choked up while giving his speech. They won two other awards as well. This is a great film that takes you right into the slums of Mumbai and the undying love of a man for a woman.

Waltz With Bashir won for best foreign film. The director, Ari Folman, gave a perfect speech in light of the recent incursion by Israel into Gaza. He said,"Four children from members of my crew were born during the making of this film. I only hope that when they are old enough to see my film, it will all seem unreal and foreign to them because they have never seen anything like it in their life time."
Waltz With Bashir, photo uploaded by guido castillo on Flickr

Surprisingly, Vicky Christina Barcelona won for best comedy. I am happy, but was not expecting it. This is a great film with the sexy Javier Bardem. This film takes you to the heart of Barcelona, passion, lust, and adventures in travel. The film made me think of a spontaneous affair I had with a sexy lawyer in Mexico one summer while I was in college. Even if you never had an affair while traveling, go see this film. It will make you want to hop on a plane for Spain.


Vicky Christina Barcelona, photo uploaded on Flickr



Sally Hawkins won for best actress in a comedy for Happy Go Lucky. Just loved this film. Mike Leigh usually makes such dark and creepy films. Granted, there are a couple of creepy moments, but nothing like you normally see in one of Mr. Leigh's films. I especially like the flamenco dance instructor. God, I thought I would never stop laughing.




Sally Hawkins in Happy Go Lucky, photo uploaded on Flickr




Lastly, Madmen won. I was hoping it would win. If you haven't seen this series on AMC, I highly recommend it. Madmen takes place in the 1960s at an advertising firm. This, my friends, was the beginning of the massive influence advertisers have had on the world. We live in a society of the spectacle.

I have written reviews for the movies above, except Happy Go Lucky. Check December 2008 archives if interested. A review of Vicky Christina Barcelona can be found in August 2008 and an addendum to the post in September 2008. But I must warn you, the review is more about my affair with a sexy lawyer in Mexico while traveling for the summer.

I have absolutely no complaints about the choices the Hollywood foreign press made last night. They were all perfect in my humble opinion.

Bad News and Oscars

Walter Cronkite (Flickr, E-dubya)

I just finished reading a book called Bad News by Tom Fenton. I heard him interviewed on Jon Stewart's The Daily Show. Fenton was a foreign correspndent for CBS News. His book is about how we have become brainwashed, how the news is supposed to be a public service, but has become nothing more than 22 minutes of fluff and sound bites to sell commercial ads.

Fenton also says we have to fight back. It is a great book and easy to read. Check it out. It is at the library. I loved it so much I did buy a copy from a gift certificate I got for Christmas.

I read something interesting in the book about Walter Cronkite, the most trusted man in America. Long ago, Cronkite was told by fellow journalists that he should run for president. He responded with, "they think they would want me for president until they found out if I was president I would take all guns out of Americans hands." I would have voted for him.


Hal Holbrook and Dixie Carter at Academy Awards, 2008, photo taken by Alan Light (Flickr)

I was pleased with the winners at the Academy Awards. I wanted Hal Holbrook to win, but Javier Bardum nailed the character, Anton Chigurgh. I noticed that Hal Holbrook and his wife, Dixie Carter were sitting about five or six rows back in the audience. However, they were moved up to the front row a little later and were sitting next to Daniel Day Lewis and his wife. That was cool. Holbrook deserves our respect and a front row seat. I wonder if Daniel Day Lewis arranged that.

SAG Awards and Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger (Posted on Flickr by Elywt)






I watched the SAG Awards last night. For my friends in foreign lands, that is the Screen Actors Guild Awards (the actors unions). It was great how they had many actors discuss the importance of unions. Karl Marx of course also discussed the importance of unions. Old Karl didn't want folks to be exploited in the work place and wanted their rights protected. Imagine that?

Anyway, I really wanted Hal Holbrook to win for his performance in into the wild. but Javier Bardem was also great in No Country for Old Men. Javi won. I was pleased to see that Ruby Dee won for american gangster. The scene they showed last night is the scene that was worthy of that award. Great film.

Hal Holbrook and Emile Hirsh, posted on Flickr by Nicolas Frederic



Lastly, I loved that Daniel Day Lewis won. He was great in the film There Will Be Blood. The last scene in the bowling alley I am sure got the religious folks wound up. I, of course, loved what Daniel Day Lewis made the preacher say. I could have lived without what Dan Day Lewis did in that scene.

Dan Day Lewis dedicated his award to Heath Ledger. I loved what he said about Ledger. I have got to tell you that news of Heath's death last week made me so very sad. Such a great young actor.

I love him for accepting the role in brokeback mountain. Such an important movie. Daniel Day Lewis commented on the scene at the end in the mobile home in front of the closet. I also thought that was one of the most powerful scenes you could see from an actor. I am sure most of you thought the same.. That scene gave me the shivers.

Day Lewis commented on Ledger's performance in Monster's Ball as well. Ledger was Billy Bob Thornton's son. He was the one who had a hooker come to his hotel room. That scene with the hooker was just so powerful. And I am not talking about the actual sex.

Another movie worthy of look is called Candy. I rented it after saw Ledger in Brokeback Mountain. It is a great film and an amazing performance.

I read in some obits that he is being compared to James Dean. Also read that his parents named him after Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. His sister was named after Catherine. I loved that book.