"Man Push Cart."
I haven't seen all the nominees ("The Dead Girl," "American Gun," "Wristcutters: A Love Story," etc.), but, as always, there are some most welcome nominations. (Links below go to my reviews, festival coverage -- or even Opening Shots.)
"Man Push Cart," for best first feature (director Rahmin Bahrani), male lead (Ahmad Razvi) and cinematography (Michael Simmonds). Opening Shot treatment here.
"Half Nelson," for best feature, director (Ryan Fleck), first screenplay (Anna Boden & Fleck), male lead (Ryan Gosling), female lead (Shareeka Epps)
"Pan's Labyrinth," for best feature and cinematography (Guillermo Navarro). (But not Guillermo del Toro for director and screenplay?!?!?!)
"Old Joy," for the John Cassavettes Award.
Paul Dano for "best supporting male" (that's the IFP's category) in "Little Miss Sunshine," which is also nominated for best feature, screenplay, directors -- and Alan Arkin, also nominated for supporting male. I love Arkin (it's all about "Little Murders," people!), but I thought Steve Carell and Dano stole the movie, with Toni Collette and Greg Kinnear close behind.
Catherine O'Hara for best female lead in "For Your Consideration."
Robert Altman, best director for "A Prairie Home Companion."
Biggest disappointments: No documentary nominations for "51 Birch Street" or "The Bridge." The former may have been too deceptively simple and artless (in truth, it's a complex work of art) and the latter too cold and disturbing for many in the Indie tent-party crowd.
I'm still technically on break, but I'll be back to blogging (and editing) Wednesday.
I'm glad the Dardennes-esque DAY NIGHT DAY NIGHT got nomitaded; it's brilliant and ferocious and whatnot. I bet it'll remain underrated though.
Good Lord, I've seen only four of the films nominated in all those categories: LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, THE ILLUSIONIST, PRAIRIE HOME and QUINCEANERA. (Liked the first three, but not the fourth.) I've got to get cracking!
One of the most deserving nominations among the documentaries is also one of the least seen. If there's any justice in the indie-film world, "A Lion in the House" will have a solid chance of winning, and I dare anyone who sees this film to refrain from openly weeping -- and I mean that in a good way. At four hours long, and with subject matter (children with cancer) that would scare many potential viewers away, this is truly one of the best films of the year. Kudos to co-directors Steve Bognar and Julia Reichert -- and yes, I say that because they are friends, but also because they fully deserve the accolades and I'd be saying all the same things if they were total strangers. Perhaps PBS will re-run the film sometime; keep an eye out for it. (Jim, I have it on DVD if you're curious.) - JS