With dazzling performances by a star-studded cast, NINE has scored five nominations at the 2009 Golden Globes, including Best Film: Comedy or Musical.

Having an all-star cast featuring Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Judy Dench, Penelope Cruz, and Marion Cotillard teamed up with director Rob Marshall (Chicago), hopes were high for this movie-musical.  Though the story seems slightly distant at times, the wonderful musical numbers and excellent acting definitely make NINE a worthy candidate for its nominations.

The story follows director Guido Contini as he searches for inspiration for his ninth film.  Through the film, he is surrounded by many beautiful women including his mistress, his wife, his muse, and the memory of his mother.  The songs take place in Guido’s mind, but fit into the story very well.  Though they are well-performed, perhaps the only two which are particularly catchy are Be Italian (an astoundingly great performance by Fergie) and Cinema Italiano (performed by Kate Hudson and nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Original Song).

Overall, the razzle-dazzle of this sexy musical tale make it easy to overlook the NINE’s faults, and provide an enjoyable experience for anyone who enjoys musical films.

My rating: ✯✯✯✯1/2

The Cast of NINE

Celeb hottie and New Moon co-star Taylor Lautner wore the sterling silver Signature Cross Necklace by Stella & Dot at the Golden Globes gift lounge. The necklace is a favortie from the men’s jewelry line — which will feature many new items with the upcoming Stella & Dot spring jewelry launch on January 15th — and it features a genuine Italian vintage wax seal, called “intaglios,” on to sterling silver for just $79. The necklace is a unisex design, so both men and women can wear the necklace to update their outfit.

Want a piece of Taylor? Get the SAME necklace that he’s wearing … Buy it HERE.

The Plot
Tenoch (Diego Luna) dan Julio (Garcia-Bernal) bersahabat erat. Mereka bertemu dengan Luisa (Maribel Verdu), sepupu jauh Tenoch dan ketiganya ber-road trip menuju pantai the mouth of heaven.

The Comment
Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001) menjadi sebuah extraordinary adventure besutan sutradara muda Alfonso Cuaron paska Great Expectations (1998). Dengan setting Mexico city, this is not kind of Hollywood teen drama. Bersama dengan saudaranya Carlos, Alfonso menulis skripnya menjadi sebuah perjalanan pencarian jati diri bagi Tenoch, Julio dan Luisa.

Dengan menggunakan model narasi, Y Tu Mama Tambien mengajak anda melihat interaksi Tenoch dan Julio yang ditambah oleh Luisa dalam tigaperempat film. Scene yang full frontal with nudity realitasnya dibalut Cuaron dengan elegan sehingga tidak terjebak pada cheap teen drama. Actually, this movie isn’t only about sexual adventures , Cuaron dengan pintar menyelipkan banyak isu sosial terkait dengan kondisi sosial ekonomi di Meksiko melalui karakter Tenoch dan Julio berasal dari keluarga yang berbeda dan keduanya menjalani everday life di kota yang penuh dengan demonstrasi, politisi korup, obat bius, hingga bunuh diri.

Karakter Luisa sendiri menjadi tokoh sentral sekaligus filter dalam cerita ini. Ia memberikan apa yang diinginkan Tenoch dan Julio, tetapi yang tidak dipahami keduanya, Luisa tahu betapa kuatnya bonding Tenoch dan Julio. Well, mereka berdua realitasnya telah berbagi segalanya dan adventure ini menyingkap inner passion dalam friendship dua anak muda berusia 17 tahun yang sedang puber.

Ending Y Tu Mama Tambien membuktikan pengerjaan skrip yang brilian dari Cuaron bersaudara. Dan film ini membuktikan bahwa petualangan memang berharga mahal dan bagaimanapun, anda harus menjadi dewasa. Tetapi toh anda jangan takut bertualang! Karena seperti yang dikatakan Luisa,

Life is like the surf, so give yourself away like the sea

Do You Know?
Y Tu Mama Tambien menjadi nominee Golden Globe Best Foreign Language Film pada tahun 2002, dan nominee Oscar best screenplay bagi Cuaron bersaudara tahun 2003
Y Tu Mama Tambien menjadi film pertama Cuaron setelah 10 tahun yang menggunakan bahasa utama Spanish

Christmas is often a time for me to sit back, (eat plenty of food/get fat), relax and watch a lot of films…and I’ve found myself enjoying some real treats, and not just edible ones. 2009 has financially been an incredible year for FILM – it has been reported that 2009 is now the most successful year in Hollywood’s history…whether that is actually true doesn’t matter to me.

I want to just reflect on some of my favourite actors and actresses of the moment…

Actors

Sam Worthington – Terminator Salvation, the lead in Cameron’s “Avatar” and he is Perseus in next year’s “Clash Of The Titans” – erm what can this guy not do?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt – although I wasn’t that keen on GI Joe, Gordon-Levitt was in the live-action film adaptation AND starred in the indie-flick (500) Days of Summer.

Morgan Freeman – Invictus. Need I say anymore? I am sure he’ll be receiving an Academy Award Nomination

I am sure Matt Damon’s performance will also be exceptional.

Robert Downey Jr – this guy gives me so much jokes. Love his energy and way he simply acts – Iron Man 2 next year and Sherlock Holmes has just been released

Ryan Reynolds – Adventureland, Wolverine, The Proposal and next year he’s playing two superheroes – Deadpool and the Green Lantern…Am I going crazy?! – or does the snap of Ryan Reynolds above remind you a little bit of Marlon Brando?

Actresses

Mo’Nique – after seeing her in Precious, i’m still in awe at how well she portrayed the sadistic mother

Gabourey Sidibe – this young actress will go very far, at least I hope, after her incredible performance as Claireece Precious Jones

Sandra Bullock – this has been her YEAR. The Proposal was a huge box office success for her. Cue “The Blind Side” and her TWO Golden Globe nominations + the fact that the film became the highest grossing sports film ever AND the highest grossing film of Sandra Bullock’s career.

Zoë Saldana – Star Trek and Avatar = I think the gross revenue of both films speaks for itself…her career is definitely soaring

أفضل فيلم – فئة دراما

أفضل فيلم – فئة كوميديا أو موسيقى

فئة أفضل مخرج

Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker (2008)
James Cameron – Avatar (2009)
Clint Eastwood – Invictus (2009)
Jason Reitman – Up in the Air (2009/I)
Quentin Tarantino – Inglourious Basterds (2009)

فئة أفضل نص سينمائي

District 9 – Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
The Hurt Locker – Mark Boal
Inglourious Basterds – Quentin Tarantino
It’s Complicated – Nancy Meyers
Up in the Air – Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner

فئة أفضل فيلم أنيميشن

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
Up

فئة أفضل أغنية أصلية

Avatar – James Horner, Simon Franglen, Kuk Harrell(“I Will See You”)
Brothers – U2, Bono(“Winter”)
Crazy Heart – T-Bone Burnett, Ryan Bingham(“The Weary Kind”)
Everybody’s Fine – Paul McCartney(“(I Want To) Come Home”)
Nine – Maury Yeston(“Cinema Italiano”))

فئة أفضل موسيقى أصلية

Avatar – James Horner
The Informant! – Marvin Hamlisch
A Single Man – Abel Korzeniowski
Up – Michael Giacchino
Where the Wild Things Are – Carter Burwell, Karen Orzolek

قولدن قلوب واللي تعتبر -رابطة هوليوود للصحافة الأجنبية” أعلنت ترشيحاتها من فترة
وهذي هي الأسماء المرشحة من الممثلين والممثلات من كل الفئات

إضغط على الصورة للتكبير

The Plot
Ketika manusia bumi datang ke planet Pandora, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) terpilih karena ‘keadaan’ sebagai messenger program Avatar untuk mempelajari bangsa Na’vi. Dan ini adalah kisah Jake menjadi mahluk biru itu.

The Comment
Avatar (2009) adalah science fiction epik yang lahir dari director yang juga seorang inovator sejati, James Cameron, seorang visioner yang berpikir out of the box, memiliki kemampuan menciptakan teknologi 3D sendiri berupa e-motion capture technology serta kesabaran diri. Banyaknya review positif dari hasil press screening membuat saya sangat menunggu film ini dan ekpektasi saya terpenuhi, bahkan, Cameron berhasil mengimpress saya jauh lebih dalam daripada yang ia lakukan melalui Titanic (1997).

Landscape dan all the species di Pandora adalah magical picture yang disajikan Cameron dalam Avatar. Forest yang indah, hewan-hewan aneh yang menarik, gunung yang melayang, dan tentunya, mahluk setinggi 9 kaki berwarna biru yang bernama Na’vi dengan kebudayaan yang sangat menghargai alam membuat Avatar is visually stunning and gorgeous. Dalam format 3D, semuanya terasa lebih hidup dan membuat anda seolah ikut masuk ke dalam Pandora.

Tetapi wait, Cameron juga selalu menyajikan drama yang menyentuh, dan dalam Avatar, hal ini dihadirkan melalu karakter Sully bersama dengan Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), si putri pemimpin suku. Mereka jatuh cinta dan Sully belajar satu hal penting dari Neytiri yaitu gunakan perasaaanmu. Sully yang mati rasa perlahan mulai belajar merasakan dan menghormati alam kembali. Anda pasti paham bahwa Cameron menyindir manusia yang selama ini sudah terlalu jahat dengan alam.

Saya juga melihat beberapa pesan subliminal lain dari Cameron, seperti bagaimana karakter dan culture bangsa Na’vi sedikit mirip dengan bangsa Indian ataupun masyarakat kulih hitam, yang dapat dilihat dari costume, aksesoris tubuh, cara mereka berperang dan berdoa yang sangat menunjukkan culture Indian dan Afrika sekali. Dan dalam hal ini, pemilihan cast bagi bangsa Na’vi pun dilakukan dengan pas. Saldana ataupun Pounder memang memiliki darah keturunan Afrika.

Pesan Avatar memang sederhana, tetapi plot sederhana tersebut dibalut dengan sangat baik oleh tangan dingin Cameron, yang seperti raja midas, mampu mengubah hal simple menjadi spectacular. Adegan aksi antara pesawat tempur bersenjata melawan Na’vi yang menembak dengan panah menunjukkan adanya perlawanan modern vs. tradisional disajikan dengan sangat megah dan membuat anda akan merasa, manusia seperti Col.Quaritch adalah mahluk yang jahat.

Anda termasuk audience yang beruntung menjadi saksi mata epik ini karena Avatar adalah tonggak penting dalam sejarah perkembangan film 3D. Teknologi yang digunakan Cameron di film ini  realitasnya juga akan digunakan Spielberg dan Peter Jackson dikemudian hari. Dan sekali lagi, Cameron membuktikan bahwa rentetan aksi yang disajikan Michael Bay dan kumpulan film action musim panas lalu hanyalah appetizer, dan Avatar adalah main menunya.

Do You Know?
Avatar dinominasikan dalam Golden Globe ke 67, termasuk didalamnya untuk Best Motion Picture  Drama dan Best Director untuk Cameron
Bahasa Na’vi diciptakan Cameron bersama dengan profesor linguistik Paul Frommer yang menjadi kepala Centre of Management Communication di USC

Steven Allan Spielberg, KBE (born December 18, 1946) is an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer. In a career spanning over four decades, Spielberg’s films have touched on many themes and genres. Spielberg’s early sci-fi and adventure films sometimes centering on children, were seen as an archetype of modern Hollywood blockbuster filmmaking. In later years his films began addressing such issues as The Holocaust, slavery, war and terrorism.

Spielberg won the Academy Award for Best Director for 1993’s Schindler’s List and 1998’s Saving Private Ryan. Four of Spielberg’s films, Jaws (1975), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and Jurassic Park (1993), broke box office records, each becoming the highest-grossing film made at the time. To date, the unadjusted gross of all Spielberg-directed films exceeds $8.5 billion worldwide. Forbes magazine places Spielberg’s personal net worth at $3.0 billion. In 2006, Premiere listed him as the most powerful and influential figure in the motion picture industry. Time listed him as one of the 100 Most Important People of the Century. At the end of the twentieth century, Life named him the most influential person of his generation.

ET and Steven Spielberg

Trademark:

Uses powerful flashlights in dark scenes (Jurassic Park (1993); The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)). The outline of the beam is often made visible through dust, mist, or fog.

Frequently uses music by John Williams.

Often shows shooting stars (Jaws (1975)).

Onscreen performers staring, usually at something off camera.

He often uses images of the sun (Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), The Color Purple (1985), Empire of the Sun (1987), Saving Private Ryan (1998)).

His films often show children in some sort of danger.

Consistent references to World War II.

Frequent references to Disney films, music, or theme parks.

Frequently uses a piano as an element in key scenes (Schindler’s List (1993), Saving Private Ryan (1998), Minority Report (2002)).

Important images, or characters, are often seen through the rear-view mirror of a car (Duel (1971) (TV), E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Jurassic Park (1993), Schindler’s List (1993), Artificial Intelligence: AI (2001)).

Frequently casts Tom Hanks, Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison Ford, Frank Welker and Tom Cruise.

Protagonists in his films often come from families with divorced parents, with fathers portrayed as reluctant, absent or irresponsible, most notably in _E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)_ (Elliot’s mother is divorced and father is absent) and Catch Me If You Can (2002) (Frank Abagnale’s mother and father split early in the film). This reflects Spielberg’s own experience as a youth with his parents breaking up.

A common theme in many of his films is ordinary people who discover something extraordinary – people, places, artifacts, creatures, etc. (Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)).

Since Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), all of his movies have featured visual effects (even those that were undetected) by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the F/X house created by his friend George Lucas. The only exception has been The Terminal (2004), which had F/X work by Digital Imageworks.

Is credited for starting the summer blockbuster tradition with 1975’s first $100 million megahit, Jaws (1975).

Trivia:

Member of Theta Chi Fraternity (Zeta Epsilon Chapter, Long Beach State University). One of his fraternity brothers was Roger Ernest.

Received the Germany’s Cross of Merit with star for his sensible representation of Germany’s history in Schindler’s List (1993). [1998]

Jonathan Norman was sentenced to 25 years to life, for stalking Spielberg and threatening to rape him. [June 1998]

Chosen by Entertainment Weekly as the most powerful person in entertainment in 1997. [31 October 1997]

American Film Institute Life Achievement Award. [1995]

There are seven children in the Capshaw-Spielberg family: Theo Spielberg, who was adopted by Kate Capshaw before their marriage and later adopted by Spielberg, born in 1988, Sasha Spielberg, born on 14 May 1990, Sawyer Spielberg, born on 10 March 1992, their adopted daughter Mikaela George Spielberg, born on 28 February 1996, and Destry Allen Spielberg, born on 1 December 1996. Kate Capshaw’s daughter Jessica Capshaw, born in 1976, is from her previous marriage. Steven Spielberg’s son Max Spielberg, born in 1985, is from his previous marriage to Amy Irving.

Amy Irving gave birth to his son Max Spielberg on 13 June 1985.

He claims Richard Dreyfuss is his alter-ego.

Attended California State University, Long Beach after being turned down by USC Cinema school twice.

Attended Arcadia High School in Phoenix.

Awarded second annual John Huston Award for Artists Rights by the Artists Rights Foundation. [1995]

Co-founder (with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen) of DreamWorks SKG.

He has one of the original Rosebud sleds from Citizen Kane (1941) in his house.

Godfather of Drew Barrymore and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Named Best Director of the 20th Century in an Entertainment Weekly on-line poll, substantially beating out runners-up Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick. [September 1999]

Born to Arnold Spielberg, a computer engineer, and Leah Adler, née Posner, a restaurateur and concert pianist.

Received the Distinguished Public Service Award, the U. S. Navy’s highest civilian honor, on Veterans Day 1999 for his work on the movie Saving Private Ryan (1998).

Sits on USC School of Cinema-Television’s Board of Councilors.

When he was a child, he sneaked onto the lot of Universal Studios during a tour and befriended an editor who showed him a few things about filmmaking.

Gwyneth Paltrow calls him Uncle Morty.

During filming of their episode of “Night Gallery” (1970), Spielberg gave Joan Crawford the gift of a single red rose in a Pepsi bottle. During an on-set conversation with Detroit Free Press reporter Shirley Eder, Crawford pointed out Spielberg and said, “Go interview that kid, because he’s going to be the biggest director of all time!” Crawford and Spielberg remained good friends until her death in 1977.

Awarded the honor of Knight of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in New Years Honours 2001 by Queen Elizabeth II for his contribution to the British film industry. As a non-Commonwealth citizen, he will not be able to use the title. [December 2000]

States that the work of David Lean has had a profound effect on his career.

Spent five months developing the script for Rain Man (1988) with Ronald Bass, but had to commit to his handshake deal to direct Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). Spielberg gave all of his notes to Barry Levinson.

Almost directed Big (1988) with Tom Hanks starring, but didn’t want to steal the thunder of his sister, Anne Spielberg, who co-wrote the script.

Personally offered the American Beauty (1999) script to Sam Mendes, who ended up winning the Academy Award for Best Director on the film, which was Mendes’s debut feature.

Flew Will Smith to his Hamptons home via helicopter to offer him the part in Men in Black (1997).

Often casts new actors based on their performances in other works. Rarely does auditions for major roles.

Was asked to approve use of the theme music from Jaws (1975) for Swingers (1996). When he saw a cut of the film, he saw Vince Vaughn, whom he chose to play Nick Van Owen in The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997).

He is an Eagle Scout and was on an advisory board for the Boy Scouts of America. He left this position because he did not agree with the fact that the Boy Scouts of America discriminated against homosexuals.

Was directing a childbirth scene when he received a call that Amy Irving was giving birth to their son Max Spielberg.

According to the 2001 issue of Forbes’ “400 Richest People In America,” Spielberg’s fortune is $2.1 billion.

Was irked when footage from his movie Duel (1971) (TV) was used as stock footage in an episode of “The Incredible Hulk” (1978). But since Universal Studios owned the rights to both the The Incredible Hulk series and the film of Duel, taking legal action was not possible. However, he subsequently updated his contracts to include a clause that would protect his future material from being used as stock footage.

On May 31, 2002, graduated from California State University Long Beach with a bachelor’s degree in film and electronic arts. He had dropped out of college in 1968 to concentrate on his career, but during the 2000s fulfilled his remaining graduation requirements via independent projects, which required correspondence courses and several term papers. For Spielberg, the school waived its requirement that all senior film majors must submit a completed 12-minute short film, accepting Schindler’s List (1993) in its place. He donned cap and gown and marched in the commencement ceremony with his fellow graduates.

Received honorary doctor of humane letters degree from Yale University (27 May 2002).

When Spielberg received his undergraduate degree (about 35 years after he had first entered college), the orchestra played the theme from the “Indiana Jones” series of films as he walked up to and across the stage.

Owns the rights to the Stephen King novel “The Talisman”. As of 2002, the book has not been made into a film. He is now producing this film for release in 2007.

His father served in World War II in South East Asian Front.

Michael Kahn has edited all of Spielberg’s theatrical features since Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), their first collaboration. Kahn did not, however, edit E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) because he was editing Poltergeist (1982). E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) was edited by Carol Littleton.

According to the 2002 edition of Forbes’ “400 Richest People in America,” his fortune is estimated at $2.2 billion, a $100 million improvement over the 2001 estimate.

Ranked #1 in Premiere’s 2003 annual Hollywood Power List. It is the third time he received the top ranking (the others being in 1994 & 1995). He had ranked #6 in 2002.

In Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), the humans and aliens use music and computers to communicate. Spielberg’s father was a computer scientist and his mother was a musician. This fact was only recently pointed out to him on “Inside the Actors Studio” (1994) by host James Lipton and he was unsurprisingly delighted when he realised the connection.

Is set to produce a mini-series for HBO that will set out to debunk the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The mini-series, written by David Leland, will focus on the historical reality of life in 500 A.D., when Arthur was thought to be King and will have no round table, Merlin, Lancelot, Excalibur, or knights. Camelot itself will be shown to have been a simple Roman fort and Arthur, named Artos in the film, will be portrayed as a humble blacksmith whose forging skills win him the English throne. It was expected to air sometime in 2004. [2003]

The first film he directed that was not scored by John Williams was The Color Purple (1985), which was scored by Quincy Jones.

Was voted the 11th Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

In 1983, he lost the Best Picture Oscar to Gandhi (1982), directed by Richard Attenborough. He later went on to direct five cast members, as well as Attenborough, in his later movies: Amrish Puri in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984); Roshan Seth in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984); Richard Attenborough in Jurassic Park (1993); Ben Kingsley in Schindler’s List (1993), Nigel Hawthorne in Amistad (1997) and Martin Sheen in Catch Me If You Can (2002).

Has worked with four actors from the Hannibal Lecter film series, in reverse order to the order in which the Lecter films came out. The first one he worked with was Ralph Fiennes in Schindler’s List (1993), who went on to play Francis Dollarhyde in Red Dragon (2002). His next film was The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), with Julianne Moore, who played Clarice Starling in the third Lecter film, Hannibal (2001). After this, he made Amistad (1997), with Anthony Hopkins, who began playing Hannibal Lecter in the second film, The Silence of the Lambs (1991). After this he made Saving Private Ryan (1998), which featured Dennis Farina, who played Jack Crawford in the original Lecter film, Manhunter (1986).

When asked what are the films he’s made he would like to be remembered for, he said E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and Schindler’s List (1993).

Although close friend, George Lucas, has vowed to only shoot future movies digitally, Spielberg has been the most vocal film-maker of the opposing view: to continue shooting all of his movies on film. Other directors siding with Spielberg include Martin Scorsese and Oliver Stone.

According to his interview on the series “Inside the Actors Studio” (1994), his favorite curse word is “Rats!”

To date, has never provided a director’s commentary on any of his films DVDs. [2004]

In the 2004 edition of Forbes’ “400 Richest People in America”, his net worth is estimated at $2.6 billion, his highest showing yet. The only filmmaker ahead of him is his good friend George Lucas, whose worth is estimated at $3 billion.

Described One Froggy Evening (1955) as “the most perfect cartoon ever made”.

His longtime friend George Lucas originally wanted him to direct the third entry of the original Star Wars trilogy, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983) and Spielberg was eager to do so, but Lucas was unsuccessful in getting him the job because of his dispute with the Director’s Guild at the time.

When he used product placement in E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), he used Reese’s Pieces only because M & M’s parent company didn’t want their product associated with aliens and UFOs.

Directed nine actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Liam Neeson; Ralph Fiennes; Anthony Hopkins; Tom Hanks; Melinda Dillon; Whoopi Goldberg; Oprah Winfrey; Margaret Avery and Christopher Walken.

Wrote a letter to Polish writer/director Mira Hamermesh in appreciation of one of her films.

Graduated from Saratoga High School in Saratoga, California.

Ranked #2 on Premiere’s 2005 Power 50 List, behind only Peter Jackson. Had the same ranking in 2004, behind Pixar bosses John Lasseter and Steve Jobs.

Though he has directed 9 actors in Oscar-nominated performances, to date he has never directed an Oscar-winning performance.

Ranked #1 in Empire (UK) magazine’s “The Greatest directors ever!” (2005).

Has been Honorary Member of the Society of Operating Cameramen (SOC) since 1995 and received the Governors Award “for his contributions in the advancement of the use of the motion picture camera”.

He has always been very protective of his name. If his company is working on a film and he feels it is not up to his standards, he will remove his name as a producer.

Aside from producing The Goonies (1985), he also directed at least one scene in the movie.

In the 2005 edition of Forbes’ “400 Richest People in America”, his net worth is estimated at $2.7 billion, a $100 million improvement over 2004 (due mostly to his share of the DreamWorks Animation public stock offering). He, and good friend George Lucas (net worth: $3.5 billion) are the only filmmakers on the list.

In December, he, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen sold DreamWorks SKG to Paramount Pictures Corporation for $1.6 billion.

Once screened Lawrence of Arabia (1962) with director David Lean, who gave Spielberg a “live director’s commentary”, as Spielberg put it. Spielberg said that it was one of the best moments of his life, learning from a true master. Consequently, Spielberg stated that it helped him make better pictures and that commentary directly influenced every movie he has made since.

His ten favourite films of all time are: Fantasia (1940); Citizen Kane (1941); A Guy Named Joe (1943); It’s a Wonderful Life (1946); The War of the Worlds (1953); Psycho (1960); Lawrence of Arabia (1962); 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968); The Godfather (1972) and La nuit américaine (1973).

Has an estimated fortune of $2.8 billion ($2,800,000,000), according to the “Los Angeles Business Journal”. The size of his fortune him the 14th richest person in the Los Angeles area and likely the wealthiest producer-director in the world (with only his friend George Lucas coming close).

His iconic character “E.T.” from E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) is ranked #26 on Premiere Magazine’s 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Is the most represented filmmaker on the American Film Institute’s 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time, with five films on the list and three in the top ten. They are: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) at #58; The Color Purple (1985) at #51; Saving Private Ryan (1998) at #10; E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) at #6 and Schindler’s List (1993) at #3.

Ranked #6 in the Power Rankings and #1 in the Money Rankings on Forbes’ 2006 Celebrity 100 List, with earnings of $332 million. Most of those earnings were from the 2005 sale of DreamWorks to Paramount Pictures.

Ranked #4 on Premiere’s 2006 “Power 50″ list. Had ranked #2 in 2005.

Interviewed in “Directors Close Up: Interviews with Directors Nominated for Best Film by the Directors Guild of America”, ed. by Jeremy Kagan, Scarecrow Press, 2006.

In 1996, he purchased Clark Gable’s Oscar (which he won for It Happened One Night (1934)) to protect it from further commercial exploitation and gave it back to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, commenting that he could think of “no better sanctuary for Gable’s only Oscar than the Motion Picture Academy”.

On 14 December 2002 he bought Bette Davis’ Oscar, which she won for Dangerous (1935), at a Sotheby’s auction in New York to return it to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The statuette was among the memorabilia sold by the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain, which has emerged from bankruptcy protection.

On 19 July 2001 he purchased Bette Davis’ Oscar statuette, which she won for Jezebel (1938), at a Christie’s auction and returned it to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Early in his career, while working for Universal Studios, he was asked to give a tour to a special guest who had just sold the film rights to one of his books to the studio. That guest was Michael Crichton, who later worked with Spielberg on Jurassic Park (1993).

Both live-action adaptations of “The Incredible Hulk” have references to his films. The first used stock footage from Duel (1971) (TV). In the 2003 film by Ang Lee (Hulk (2003)), the impact of the Hulk hitting the ground causes ripples to form in nearby bodies of water, just as the Tyrannosaur does in Jurassic Park (1993).

Though he frequently works with Tom Hanks, Hanks is not, as of 2006, involved in Spielberg’s biopic about Abraham Lincoln, even though he is descended from the family of Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks.

Owns one of the largest gun collections on the East Coast. He shoots, but only privately.

Awarded Kennedy Center Honors in 2006, with Dolly Parton, Smokey Robinson, Zubin Mehta, and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

According to Teri Garr, Spielberg told her on a set that one of his favorite movies is Viva Las Vegas (1964), starring Elvis Presley.

Is of Hungarian descent, which explains his surname, coming from the Austrian city where his ancestors lived.

Considered directing Memoirs of a Geisha (2005).

He, George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola presented Martin Scorsese with his first ever award for Best Director, for The Departed (2006).

Is a huge fan of the actors Steve Martin, Bill Murray and Robin Williams. He is also proud to admit they are good friends of his.

Was offered the opportunity to direct California Split (1974), but job went to Robert Altman.

Was originally set to direct Cape Fear (1991). He later recommended Martin Scorsese for the job and personally called the director, letting him know that this was a commercial film that had potential to be a hit, which would exercise more power for Scorcese to make his films.

Attended the funeral of Princess Diana with friends Richard Attenborough, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and Tom Hanks. [September 6, 1997]

Went to the same college, CSULB as Frank Miranda.

Was originally in talks to direct The Mask of Zorro (1998) but later only produced it.

Burt Reynolds film “White Lightning” (1973) was originally slated to be Spielberg’s first theatrical feature and he spent months on pre-production.

Robbie Williams mentions him in his song “I Will Talk and Hollywood Will Listen”.

2007- Ranked #2 on EW’s The 50 Smartest People in Hollywood.

Is a fan of “Doctor Who” (1963).

In 2007, Forbes estimated his earnings for the year 2006 to be $110 million.

Is a fan of video games and says that their development is intriguing to him.

His dog Elmer starred in several of his films including Jaws (1975) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).

Owns homes in Pacific Palisades, California; New York City; East Hampton, New York; and Naples, Florida.

Pulled out of his role as advisor to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, reacting to the Chinese government’s inaction over the genocide in Darfur (February 2008).

Is a fan of the works of Carl Barks, and cites them as a big inspiration on his storytelling.

Dated actress Valerie Bertinelli in the late ’70s.

Turned down the opportunity to direct Deep Impact (1998) and The Mask of Zorro (1998) to work on Saving Private Ryan (1998).

Steven Spielberg receiveing Philadelphia'’s 2009 Liberty Medal

Served on the Board for the Institute for the Study of Women in Men in Society for USC. Hosted events for the intellectual society at his screening room and offices on the Universal lot in the late 1980s.

In the 5th edition of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (edited by Steven Jay Schneider), 8 of Spielberg’s films are listed: Jaws (1975), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), The Color Purple (1985), Jurassic Park (1993), Schindler’s List (1993) and Saving Private Ryan (1998).

When Spielberg accepted the Cecil B. DeMille award at the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards he expressed his gratitude to DeMille for helping him come to love filmmaking in the first place, describing his earliest childhood memory of going to see DeMille’s The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) with his father. “I think my fate was probably sealed that day in 1952″, he said, recalling how the train wreck scene in that film inspired first a keen interest in electric train sets and eventually his passion for film.

Is an excellent shot with a shotgun. Actor Shia LaBeouf once said about his shooting, “He’s an Olympic shot. The hand-eye co-ordination of that man is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. If he weren’t a great director, he could be one of our greatest snipers”.

Worked with both father and son Brolin actors. He worked with James Brolin in Catch Me If You Can (2002), and Josh Brolin in The Goonies (1985) and “Into the West” (2005).

Is one of 7 directors to win the Golden Globe, Director’s Guild, BAFTA, and Oscar for the same movie, winning for Schindler’s List (1993). The other directors to achieve this are ‘Mike Nichols (I)’ for The Graduate (1967), Milos Forman for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), Richard Attenborough for Gandhi (1982), Oliver Stone for Platoon (1986), Ang Lee for Brokeback Mountain (2005), and Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008).

CAUTION: This film should have a 3 drink minimum.

Tobey Maguire and Natalie Portman in Brothers

There are very few films out now that deal with the issue of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and the trials of those left at home during wartime. Brothers does just that.

Directed by Jim Sheridan, the film stars some of the greatest actors of my generation: Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman and Tobey Maguire. Although the trailer suggests this film will involve a torrid love affair between Grace Cahill (Portman) and her husband’s brother Tommy (Gyllenhaal). Perhaps if this was true, the film would have been easier to bear, but rest assured this never comes to pass. What we get instead is a first hand account of what the war in Afghanistan can do to a family.

Capt. Cahill (Maguire, in a Golden Globe Nominated Performance) is a highly skilled Marine stationed in Afghanistan. When he and his friend Private Willis are involved in a helicopter crash, they are missing presumed dead. In reality they have been captured and are now Prisoners of War. These sequences of the film are expertly filmed and acted, although they probably were filmed in the Arizona desert or in Canada. They really do give the feeling of a war zone, and Maguire’s performance is calculated perfection.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Sam Shepherd in Brothers

The real drama does not occur on the battlefield but at home in the US. Grace and her children Isabelle (Bailee Madison) and Maggie (Taylor Geare) believe their father is dead, even having a funeral. Help arrives in the form of  Uncle Tommy  (Gyllenhaal), Capt. Cahill’s ex-con brother. He takes care of Grace and the kids, re-doing the kitchen and taking them ice skating (what a winner).

When Capt. Cahill is found alive and returns to his family, it becomes clear that he is not the man they remember. Cold and detached, he begins to suspect that his brother was doing more than ice skating with his wife. The torment of the acts he was forced to commit to escape his captors haunts him, and he begins to lose his mind. He has the most tension with his brother, of course, but also his oldest daughter Isabelle. Bailee Madison’s performance in this film is heartbreaking. She shows emotional depth far beyond her years, and will no doubt grow into a fantastic young actress.

Needless to say, this film is not the happiest out there. But it is one of the most realistic, daring and honest films I have seen about the war in the Middle East.  Just take a Valium before you go in. I was not at all prepared…

Shared by Joe Shlabotnik on Flickr

by Jen

Just in case you missed it, the 2010 Golden Globe nominees have been announced!

A couple of the most nominated movies were released just in time to be considered, so you might not have even seen them yet!

For the complete list of nominations, you can visit the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s website.

The five actresses nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical are … oh, wait, that’s only four!  Meryl Streep actually received two nominations — one for It’s Complicated and another for Julie and Julia.

There are tons of great names on the list this year!  Who are you rooting for?  Personally, I’ll be cheering for HBO’s Grey Gardens, but then, I have a lot of catching up to do!  In some of these categories, it will be extremely hard to decide!

Okay “GLEE” fans… I just saw some information on Playbill.com that you may get very excited about!

IDINA MENZEL IS GOING TO BE ON THE SHOW!

Idina Menzel

Hearing this made me VERY excited. “Glee” has been such an outlet for Broadway performers to appear on the show and utilize their talents.

Matthew Morrison

Take Matthew Morrison who plays Will on the show (who’s up for a Golden Globe!). I remember seeing him on Broadway when I went to see the musical “Hairspray.” I remember him playing Link and it took me a little while to realize after watching the show to put two-and-two together. I remember him being really good looking in “Hairspray“, and hey, he is still gorgeous on the show today!

Lea Michele

And Lea Michele. Gorgeous girl (up for a Golden Globe too by the way!! Go Lea!). Lea plays the role of Rachel Berry…and if you haven’t seen the show, this character is the person in high school that you may (or may not) have experienced in your life: the so-called “star” of the show. This character is involved in EVERY show…always…ALWAYS aiming for the lead roles. Wants the solos in choir. Wants that awesome dance move. If an opportunity is there…she wants it. That’s Rachel Berry. If you GLEEks out there saw the final episode of the season, you KNOW she’s got pipes. You’ve seen it all season, but “Don’t Rain on my Parade” really took the cake. She is a star. And this girl comes from Broadway roots. Lea has been involved with the project “Spring Awakening” since she was 14 years old (See Blake Hayes’ video for more information on Lea and the cast of “Spring Awakening“..). My brother saw the show when it was Off-Broadway with his class and then saw it on Broadway as well and loved both experiences.

Jenna Ushkowitz

And Jenna Ushkowitz (who plays Tina) also comes from “Spring Awakening.” Small world, huh?

Jonathan Groff

Well it’s getting smaller because ALSO according to Playbill.com, Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele’s co-star in the Broadway show, is ALSO set to be on “Glee” in the second half of the first season as the lead member of the rival show choir Vocal Adrenaline.

And speaking of Vocal Adrenaline…Idina may be playing the coach of Vocal Adrenaline from what Playbill was saying.

(L-R) : Idina Menzel as Elphaba and Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda in "Wicked"

Idina Menzel is fantastic…I remember seeing her in “Wicked” with my brother and being in absolute awe of her talent, and of course Kristin Chenoweth (who ALSO just appeared on “Glee” too!)!!! She’s a powerful singer. I had the pleasure of seeing Idina even more recently with my Dad at Lincoln Center. Her and Josh Groban (who ALSO appeared on “Glee” too this season! Small world again!) were taping PBS specials and we got to be in the audience for the taping. I was SO excited for both of them. The audience was absolutely packed. Idina had a new album that came out and she was singing all of her new songs live for everyone to hear.

I know Idina has had albums that have come out before this one…Theater friends I knew from high school would talk about songs she sang and I would think, “She has an album? I had no idea!” Well now that I got to hear the most recent one, I was so pleased with the words in the songs and her style of music she was going with. I’d say her style for this particular album, if classified by radio, would be Adult Contemporary. One song that particularly stood out to me was the song “Brave.”

“Brave” is a really wonderfully crafted song. The message is clear: taking that next step in life without fear, embracing yourself and loving yourself and really being free to take risks.

Here are the lyrics (thank you letssingit.com):

I don’t know just where I’m going
And tomorrow is a little overwhelming
And the air is cold and I’m not the same anymore.

I’ve been running in your direction for too long now,
Lost my own reflection and I can’t look down
If you’re not there to catch me when I fall.

If this is the moment I stand here on my own,
If this is right of passage that somehow leads me home,
I might be afraid but it’s my turn to be brave.
If this is the last chance before we say goodbye,
At least it’s the first day of the rest of my life,
I can’t be afraid ’cause it’s my turn to be brave.

All along, all I ever wanted was to be the light
When your life was daunting but I can’t see mine,
And I feel as though you’re pushing me away.

Well who’s to blame? Are we making the right choices?
‘Cause we can’t be sure, if we’re hearing our own voices,
As we close the door, even though we are to desperate to stay.

If this is the moment I stand here on my own,
If this is right of passage that somehow leads me home,
I might be afraid but it’s my turn to be brave.
If this is the last chance before we say goodbye,
At least it’s the first day of the rest of my life,
I can’t be afraid ’cause it’s my turn to be brave.

And I might still cry,
And I might still bleed,
These thorns in my side,
This heart on my sleeve.
And lightening my strike this ground at my feet,
And I might still crash,
But I still believe…

This is the moment I stand here all alone,
With everything I have inside, everything I own,
I might be afraid but it’s my turn to be brave.
If this is the last chance before we say goodbye,
At least it’s the first day of the rest of my life,
I can’t be afraid ’cause it’s my turn to be brave.

-

To take things a step further…It’s about a force: something or someone holding you back from truly being yourself and being free to do what you choose in life. Bloggers: Have you felt this way?

Certain parts in the chorus especially stuck out to me:

If this is the moment I stand here on my own,

^In regards to this piece of the lyric, you need to visualize yourself in a moment where you really have had to do something on your own because you felt it in your gut. Trusting instincts.

If this is the right of passage that somehow leads me home,

^This lyric discusses the distraction of the force that’s holding you back…Being brave means getting on the right path to feeling good about yourself once again after the pain subsides.

I might be afraid, but it’s my turn to be brave.

^Case in point.

As I keep repeating in many-a-post, there is music that can truly move you…And then the music that really moves you can move you to emotions such as tears.  I have experienced this type of emotion from music on several occasions.

Idina is an example of someone that touches lives through music. Beyond her time in “Wicked,” or beyond her albums of singing, her personality alone is something that is truly a joy to see as well…During that PBS taping she spoke about growing up and her life and it was just interesting to sit back hear the things she experienced. I’m excited for her to be on “Glee” not only for her talent, but because of the person that she is from what I saw sitting in the audience watching her speak about her life…What’s behind what you may see her as in a character. I think she’ll bring another fresh angle to the show that’ll keep “Glee” on its’ toes, as it has been thus far.

I look forward to the April episodes of “Glee!”

To conclude this post here are a few videos of Idina…The first being the song “Brave” and the second being a similar song with the message of “Brave” that you may know… “Defying Gravity” (the version from the PBS taping). Enjoy!

—

((pictures courtesy of: brettberk.com, newagevibe.com, broadwayworld.com, leamichele.com, broadwaystars.com, signplay.com))

Bad Santa (2003)

Billt Bob Thornton as Willie the crappy Santa Claus.

Bad Santa is a comedy released in 2003 directed by Terry Zwigoff (Ghost World, Crumb). Zwigoff has a unique sense of humor that a general audience might often miss, but here the humor could not be easier to detect. I don’t have Zwigoff’s cut of the film but I do hear it’s quite different. The film is produced by the Cohen brothers (Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski). It is hard to call Bad Santa a holiday film. It’s more of an anti-holiday film I suppose, because almost all of its charm is within the film’s shocking dark humor. It stars Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Lauren Graham and the late Bernie Mac and John Ritter. It was Ritter’s final film. Thornton was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance.

Willie and this kid (Brett Kelly).

Willie (Thornton) is an alcoholic who, along with his friend Marcus (Cox), work at the mall for the holiday season as a Santa and Santa’s elf, respectively. The two of them work together to plot a robbery of the mall’s safe every year. Willie’s increasing alcoholism and decreasing thievery skills make him less effective as a partner in crime for Marcus each Christmas. Soon a little lonely boy approaches Willie and he seems to believe that Willie is indeed the real Santa Claus. The mall’s manager Bob (Ritter) begins to see what’s happening, and the security chief Gin, an extortionist, also gets involved.

Willie (Thornton) and Sue (Lauren Graham) in a scene from the movie.

I guess this story has the kind of the humor that I could appreciate. There are some true holiday movies that I can appreciate as well, but I can certainly see how this one would rub people in a very different direction. This is a dirty film that wants to push buttons, but it also happens to be hilarious and original.

My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

Ya comenntábamos en un post anterior, que Diane Kruger es una de las celebridades que puede llevar lo que sea, y aún así lucir espectacular. Así la vimos en la presentación de los nominados a los Golden Globe.

Kruger lució regia en una pieza de la colección Primavera-Verano 2010 de Chanel. Su cabello recogido y su maquillaje en rosa complementaron el perfecto estilo de la Kruger.

Para el lanzamiento del dvd de Inglorious Bastards, Diane optó por una traje blanco, labios rojos y pelo

Para el lanzamiento del DVD de Inglorious Bastards, el mismo día de anunciar los nominados, Diane optó por traje balnco, labios rojos y llevar el pelo como el filme, muy década ‘40.

We love her!

Imágenes: Fashionising

It’s official: Tveit is leaving Next to Normal, Massey stepping in

Kyle Dean Massey (Xanadu, Wicked, Altar Boyz), who played Gabe in the Tony-winning musical Next to Normal while Aaron Tveit took a leave of absenc, will assume the part of Gabe permanently beginning on Jan. 4. Tveit will play his final performance Jan. 3 at 7:30 PM.

Wicked sets yet another record – becoming Broadway’s 20th longest running show of all time

On Dec 15, Wicked played its 2,535th performance, surpassing Avenue Q’s admirable run and becoming the 20th longest running show in Broadway’s history. And as the Thanksgiving weekend records showed, this musical is still more than holding its own on Broadway. Here’s hoping the wonderful show will continue running for years to come!

A digital soundtrack release and five Golden Globe nominations for Nine

The soundtrack for the Rob Marshall film version of Nine is now available for digital download on iTunes. Buzz about the movie is big – it was just nominated for five Golden Globes, including those for Best Motion Picture and Best Actor in a Motion Picture for Daniel Day-Lewis. The film opens to the general public on Christmas day.

Kenny Ortega will direct the In the Heights film; Lin-Manuel Miranda will star as Usnavy

Variety is reporting that Kenny Ortega, the man who helmed Newsies, High School Musical, This is It and Dirty Dancing, will direct Universal’s film version of In the Heights, starring Tony Award-winning songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda in the role he originated on Broadway, Usnavy. The Tony-nominated librettist Quiara Alegria Hudes is adapting the screenplay. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for this film!!!

Broadway could have another strike in the works

According to the New York Times, members of the Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ — which includes porters, cleaners and bathroom attendants at over two-dozen Broadway theatres — unanimously gave its “union bargaining committee the authority to settle or strike.” Back in 2007, the stagehands union strike shut down Broadway for a full 18 days. A strike of even half that length in this economic landscape could mean the end for a number of struggling Broadway shows…

Gloden Globe Awards 2010

Best Motion Picture — Drama
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sadibe, Precious

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Tobey Maguire, Brothers

Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
(500) Days of Summer
The Hangover
It’s Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Meryl Streep, It’s Complicated
Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia
Julia Roberts, Duplicity

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy
Matt Damon, The Informant
Daniel Day Lewis, Nine
Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Gordon Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Mo-Nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Penelope Cruz, Nine

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Matt Damon, Invictus
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Christopher Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Best Animated Feature Film
Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
The Princess and the Frog
Up

Best Foreign Language Film
Barria
Broken Embraces
A Prophet
The White Ribbon
The Maid

Best Director — Motion Picture
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds

Best Screenplay — Motion Picture
Up in the Air
It’s Complicated
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds

Best Original Score — Motion Picture
Michael Giacchino, Up
Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant
James Horner, Avatar
Abel Krozeniowski, A Single Man
Karen O. and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are

Best Original Song — Motion Picture
“I Will See You,” Avatar
“The Weary Kind,” The Crazy Heart
“Winter,” Brothers
“Cinema Italiano,” Nine
“I Want to Come Home,” Everybody’s Fine

http://www.weareallprecious.com/

Certificate – 15; 110mins

Released – 29^th January 2010 (UK)

Directed – Lee Daniels

Starring – Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Lenny Kravitz, Mariah Carey

Nominated – Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Performance (Actress); Gabourey Sidibe and Best Performance (Supporting Actress); Mo’Nique for the Golden Globe Awards 2010

Beyond the gritty and harsh truths of an overweight, black, teenage girl in 1980s Harlem, Precious really is just that. Already destined for big things, given today’s announcement of three Golden Globe nominations, so deservedly so, Gabourey Sidibe and Mo’Nique give powerful performances in such a strong contender for next years’ awards season.

Claireece ‘Precious’ Jones (Sidibe) lives with her mother, Mary (Mo’Nique) in a run-down Harlem tenement and has already birthed her first child by her biological father. Routinely let down by failing welfare policy and subject to systematic sexual and physical abuse – continued by her mother, in her father’s absence – Precious ambles on through expulsion from school due to her second pregnancy and floundered societal conform.

Parts of Precious so perfectly cushion the dreary story which we follow with deep-rooted distress for our 16-year-old anti-hero. Fruits of her sustained abuse are her shared daydreams of what she wished she could become; dancing on a brightly-lit stage with a handsome man, walking the red carpet as a worshipped celebrity idol, all what-ifs in what we see as impossibilities given her situation.

Given Oprah Winfrey as an executive producer, you begin to understand how names such as Lenny Kravitz and Mariah Carey came to feature in Lee Daniels’ only film since 2005’s directorial debut, Shadowboxer. Where most would see washed-up pop stars trying their luck at acting, Kravitz and Carey both bring glimmers of fantastic, unexpected hope to a film that would easily have succeeded without them.

The hope extends a hand to Precious in the form of her alternative school teacher, Blu Rain (Paula Patton) who adds her vernacular truculence to the welfare system and failing of a “normal” high school.

Truly a film to look out for in 2010, Precious has already caught the eye of a few important bodies in the land of film and even though it can be a awkward watch in the throes of Christmas, it will definitely pick up quite a backing in the festive fallout.

2009 has been a banner year for Hollywood – and with yesterday’s announcement of the Golden Globe nominees, it’s officially awards season.  Before you watch the nominees work the red carpet (and, perhaps, get tipsy during the broadcast), hear how they got there in the first place.

Check out Kurt’s candid conversations with some of the nominees about being (and staying) creative in Hollywood.

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Kathryn Bigelow was nominated for Best Director for “The Hurt Locker” (which is also nominated for Best Picture and Best Screenplay)

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Jason Reitman’s also up for Best Director for “Up in the Air” (which is also nominated for Best Picture and four other awards), based on the book by Walter Kirn.

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Marvin Hamlisch was nominated for his killer score for “The Informant!”

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Gabourey Sidibe was nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for her break-out performance in “Precious.”

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And coming up…

James Cameron was just in the studio to talk about his new movie “Avatar” – listen for that interview this weekend.  And later this month, we’ll talk to David Shore (creator of the nominated TV series “House”) about his hero’s not-so-secret resemblance to Sherlock Holmes.

See the full list of nominees HERE.

- Jenny Lawton

BULLOCK ‘STUNNED’ WITH GOLDEN GLOBE NODS.

Golden Globe

Jorge Camara, the herald of the Hollywood surface charge Association, has announced the calendar for the 2010 Golden Globe Awards to body broadcast in HD Sunday, January 17, 2010, from 5-8 PM (PST) besides 8-11 PM (EST) live on NBC from The Beverly Hilton Hotel.
This will document the prime time that the aglow Globes action will be broadcast live all over the United States. direction previous years, those on the West Coast watched the Globes on video delay, nearest already knowing who’d won, what the stars were wearing, and whose speeches were the supremely long-winded.
Golden Globe.