Doubt- Film synopsis/preview

Doubt Dec. 12

Directed by John Patrick Shanley, Oscar winner for writing the screenplay to Moonstruck, starring Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viloa Davis, written by Shanley, Cinematography by multiple Oscar nominee Roger Deakins, Editing by Oscar nominee Dylan Tichenor ( There Will Be Blood ) and Original Music by Oscar winner Howard Shore ( LOTR, Seven )

Doubt is a drama set in 1964 at the St. Nicholas Church School in the Bronx, NYC, and follows the story at the movies center, about a Nun, Sister Aloysius Beauvier ( Streep ), who has the strong feeling that a fellow Priest, Brendan Flynn ( Hoffman ) has sexually abused a new black student Flynn has befriended. Flynn vehemently denies the accusations. Aloysius is a hard edged, old school Nun that will not skirt the slightest of issues, and Flynn has modernized philosophies, and these two philosophies as you may guess, conflict with eachother. There is another Nun, Sister James ( Adams ) who has a big part to do with the story, as she has first hand proof of the boy and the Priest together and becomes involved in Aloysius's accusations towards Flynn. There are heated verbal discussions between Aloysius and Flynn and at one point demanding Flynn to confess and resign, which leaves Flynn crumbled as she exit's the room. In the finale, we find out that Flynn has recieved a promotion and a transfer to another Parish, leaving the viewer a chance at their own contemplation as to what the truth really is, as
Sister Aloysius makes a very important claim to Sister James as the film closes.
Rated PG for Thematic Material

Oscar chances ? Plenty. Obviously Actress and Supporting Actor. Possiblities in Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Editing and Art Direction.

Most anticipated movies still yet to be seen

I will list them in order of my anticipation, mostly based from previews I have seen.

1) Defiance
2) The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
3) Slumdog Millionaire
4) Milk
5) Doubt
6) The Wrestler
7) Frost/Nixon
8) Good
9) Australia
10) Revolutionary Road
Middle of the road interest's- Quantum Of Solace, Valkyrie, Nothing But The Truth, Yes Man, Four Christmases.

Changes seem to be coming weekly now

As of 10-25 ( and we knew it would go this way it always does )

Picture
Body Of Lies
Changeling
Rachel Getting Married
The Dark Knight
The Visitor
Out- W. ( that didn't take long )


Actor
Josh Brolin- W.
Don Cheadle- Traitor
Leonardo DiCaprio- Body Of Lies
Richard Jenkins- The Visitor
Edward Norton- Pride and Glory
Out- Ben Kingsley-Elegy


Actress-
Kate Beckinsale- Snow Angles
Anne Hathaway- Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie- Changeling
Melissa Leo- Frozen River
Julianne Moore- Blindness
Out- Kathy Bates- Bonneville

No changes in Supporting Actress

Director
Jonathan Demme- Rachel Getting Married
Clint Eastwood- Changeling
Tom McCarthy- The Visitor
Christopher Nolan- The Dark Knight
Oliver Stone- W.
Out- Ridley Scott- Body Of Lies

Another anticipated movie pushed

Just when we were pretty bummed out that The Soloist is getting pushed back to the spring of next year, there is news that came over the wire that Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize winning adaptation The Road, is being pushed back to next year as well. I for one applaud the move, as I got wind that it needed more work and was the word at a recent screening and that more visual effects are needed from director John Hillcoat has mentioned. There is no release date set for next year as of now.

Milk preview/synopsis

Milk- Dec 5

Directed by Gus Van Sant ( Good Will Hunting, Drugstore Cowboy ) Starring Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, James Franco, Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna and Victor Garber. Wtitten by Dustin Lance Black ( Cable's Big Love ) Cinematography by Harris Savides ( Zodiac, The Game ) Editing by Elliot Graham ( X-2, Superman Returns ) Original Music by 3 time Oscar nominee Danny Elfman ( Big Fish, Good Will Hunting )

Milk, is a true biopic about the later life and assassination of San Francisco City Supervisor and Gay Rights activist Harvey Milk. After his move to the Bay area from New York, he became serious in the Gay activism community, who also after his third time running was elected to the San Francisco's Board of Supervisor's in 1977, the first openly gay man to earn the distinction, and also the first to be elected into Public Office in the United States. The following year Milk and City Mayor, George Moscone were shot and killed by former City Supervisor Dan White, who blamed his former collegues denying White's attempt to resind his resignation from the board, when it was really White that was a severe hating homophobe and despised Harvey Milk and drove him to do the killing.

Rated R for Language, some sexual content and brief violence.

Oscar chances ? Plenty. Right now many are predicting an Oscar nod for Penn in the acting category. With good possibilities for Film, Director, screenplay and supporting actor.

Unfortunate Oscar news for Downey Jr. fans

Just found out that The Soloist, originally set to be released in November, has been pushed back to next year, sometime in the spring. So it looks for fans of Robert's that thought he was going to get an Oscar nomination in support for The Soloist, looks like there's no chance. So Tropic Thunder is fans best hope and I think it's a pretty safe bet the Academy will not nominate him for his great but comedic performance. I personally would because I thought it was a sublime portrayal but I'm not a snooty Academy voter and that would blow my mind if they did. Another thought is just why did they push The Soloist back ?

New changes as of 10-19-08

Best Picture:

Body Of Lies
Rachel Getting Married
The Dark Knight
The Visitor
W.
Out- Burn After Reading

Actor:

Josh Brolin- W.
Don Cheadle- Traitor
Leonardo Di Caprio- Body Of Lies
Richard Jenkins- The Visitor
Ben Kingsley- Elegy
Out- Javiar Bardem

No changes in Actress category

Supporting Actor:
James Cromwell- W.
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Heath Ledger- The Dark Knight
Viggo Mortensen- Appaloosa
Out- Russell Crowe

No changes in Supporting Actress Category

Director:
Jonathan Demme- Rachel Getting Married
Christopher Nolan- The Dark Knight
Tom McCarthy- The Visitor
Ridley Scott- Body Of Lies
Oliver Stone- W.
Out- The Coen brothers.

The Road Preview/Synopsis

The Road Nov.26

Directed by John Hillcoat ( The Proposition ) Starring Viggo Mortensen, Kody Smit-McPhee, Guy Pearce, Charleze Theron and Robert Duvall. Adapted writing by John Penhall ( The Undertaker ), Cinematography by Javiar Aquirresarobe ( Goya's Ghost's, The Other's ) edited by Jon Gregory ( In Bruges, Penelope ) and Orginal Music by Nick Cave.

The Road is an adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Cormac McCarthy ( No Country For Old Men, Blood Meridian ) about a story set in a post apocalyptic time, as a man ( Mortensen ) and his son ( McPhee ) and their journey through a landscape that has been destroyed by some sort of cataclysm, through the many months they make a journey through the unknown. It will be not told to the viewer what has happened outside the southeastern part of America. Any humans that have survived have turned into cannibals and their prisoners and a small group of people that are now scavengers. Ash is the motif in the look, covering the sun and the moon, and the man and boy have developed some home made gas masks to filter out the ash. There are no signs of decent foilage or animals, yet there is plenty of wood that can be used as fuel. The only non-human beings they have come across is a dog. There is some edible plants such as moss, some mushrooms and apples from an orchard.
Charleze Theron plays the mother in flashbacks, who happened to commit suicide after the disaster from depression in thinking they would not survive. As the man and the boy try to make it through what was once the southeastern United States, their one goal is to make it out of there and make it to a warmer climate and possibly the ocean. There is the constant feeling of dred and threats on a daily basis. The father does his best to protect his boy from exposure, attack and starvation. Throughout their journey they must maintain faith that they will make it to a better place. This movie will not be for the faint of heart. Example's: There are catamites held captive locked in a basement by their captures, and there are others that are held captive and having their limbs being used for harvestation, and one other horrific thing I cannot mention here.

Oscar chances ? Possible for Picture, Actor, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay and Cinematography.

Synecdoche, New York preview/synopsis

Synecdoche, New York Oct.24

Directed by writer Charlie Kaufman ( Being John Malkovich, Adaptation ) Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Emily Watson, Samantha Morton, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Dianne Wiest, Tom Noonan, Michelle Williams. Written by Oscar winner Kaufman himself. Cinematography by Frederick Elms ( The Namesake, Wild At Heart ) Editing by Robert Frazen ( Lovely and Amazing, Smart People ) Original Music by Jon Brion ( Punch Drunk Love, I Heart Huckabees )

Film is about ( pronounced like Schenectady ) A theater director name Caden Cotard, who is struggling with his new play and the women that are involved with it and who are in his life. He struggles with the idea of making a life size replica of New York in a huge warehouse. The film covers themes such as men and women relationships, home and family in the blurring style of reality like most past works we are familiar of Charlie Kaufman.

Rated R for Language and some sexual/nudity content. 124 minutes.

Oscar chances ? Actor, supporting actress and original screenplay.

Changes a plenty

As of 10-12-08

Best Picture:
Body Of Lies
Burn After Reading
Rachel Getting Married
The Dark Knight
The Visitor

Actor:
Javiar Bardem- Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Don Cheadle- Traitor
Leonardo Di Caprio- Body Of Lies
Richard Jenkins- The Visitor
Ben Kingsley- Elegy

Actress
Kathy Bates- Bonneville
Kate Beckinsale- Snow Angels
Anne Hathaway- Rachel Getting Married
Melissa Leo- Frozen River
Julianne Moore- Blindness

Supporting Actor:
Russel Crowe- Body Of Lies
Robert Downey Jr- Tropic Thunder
Heath Ledger- The Dark Knight
John Malkovich- Burn After Reading
Viggo Mortensen- Appaloosa

Supporting Actress:
Penelope Cruz- Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Rosemarie DeWitt- Rachel Getting Married
Amy Poehler- Baby Mama
Francis McDormand- Burn After Reading
Debra Winger- Rachel Getting Married

Director:
Ethan & Joel Coen- Burn After Reading
Jonathan Demme- Rachel Getting Married
Tom McCarthy- The Visitor
Christopher Nolan- The Dark Knight
Ridley Scott- Body Of Lies

Top 5 changes

Picture: In- Appaloosa, Out- Traitor
Actor- No changes.
Actress- In- Julianne Moore- Blindness, Out- Tina Fey- Baby Mama
Supporting Actor- In- Viggo Mortensen- Appaloosa, Out- Brad Pitt- Burn After Reading
Director- No changes.

Clooney and Depp ?

In a way I hope this is just a rumor, but if it is actually Hollywood fodder, it has me scratching my head a little. The rumor mill around La-La land is that George Clooney and Johnny Depp are close to signing to star in a film adaptation of The Lone Ranger. Yes, you heard it right. Clooney as LR and Depp as Tonto. I can't get my head around it at this point. I could see it if it's a straight up parody, but not as a true drama. Who knows, if they kept it from being a blockbuster and had a good director attached and had it be somewhat cutting edge, maybe it could work, but it just as of now sounds strange to me.

Newman top 5 ?

Well, since everybody and their mother have chimed in and gave their opinion on what their favorite Paul Newman movies are, I might do so as well. Most of his films I enjoyed, so it's hard to pick just one or even a few. But if it was for life and death my top 5 would be...

1) Cool Hand Luke
2) Hud
3) The Verdict
4) The Hustler
5) Slap Shot

Revolutionary Road Preview/Synopsis

Revolutionary Road Dec-26

Directed by Sam Mendes ( American Beauty, Road To Perdition ) Starring Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kathy Bates, Michael Shannon, Kathy Hahn, Zoe Kazan and David Harbour. Written by Justin Haythe ( The Clearing ) Cinematography by 7 time Oscar nominee Roger Deakins ( Fargo, The Shawshank Redemption ) Editing by Tariq Answar ( American Beauty, The Crucibile ) and Orginal Music by Oscar nominee Thomas Newman ( Shawshank, Lemony Snicket's ).

Revolutionary Road is a relationship drama from the highly regarded novel by Richard Yates, about a couple in the mid 50's, Frank and Abigail Wheeler, living in the Connecticut suburbs in the Revolutionary Hill Estates, who seem to be very confidant with hopes and dreams, and sort of think they are a little better than their close neighbors, and have grandiose ideals.
Frank works in a corporate job he really doesn't like, and Abigail is an aspiring actress with dreams of moving to Paris someday. Frank's beginning to drink too much and that is effecting his good judgement and will start to make the wrong decisions. The marriage then begins to get increasingly unhappy, to the point of unnecessary dissatisfaction from expecting brilliant things when none ever existsed in the first place. Both Frank and Abigail are living life as a facade as if they are intellectuals, but deep down both know of their true mediocrity the whole time.

Rated R for Language and some sexual content/nudity.

Oscar chances ? Many. Most likely in all categories. Oscar nominated talent were involved all over this film.

Pride and Glory preview/synopsis

Pride and Glory Oct-24th

Directed by Gavin O' Connor ( Miracle ) Starring Edward Norton, Jon Voight, Colin Farrell, Noah Emmerich, John Ortiz, Lake Bell, Frank Grillo and Shea Whigham. Written by O'Connor and Joe Carnahan, Cinematography by Declan Quinn ( Cold Creek Manor, In America ) Editing by John Gilroy ( Michael Clayton ) Original Music by Mark Isham ( A River Runs Through It )

Pride and Glory is a story about the Tierney family, a family of New York Police officers through generations of years. Police investigator Ray Tierney ( Norton ) has to do an investigation on a case that has to do with massive police corruption, that also happens to have some close family members that may be involved. With this, Ray is faced with a dilemma and a reality that is revealed to him that could damage his own family along with the NTPD.

Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language and brief drug content.

Oscar chances ? Probable in the actor category, screenwriting and editing.

W. preview/synopsis

W. Oct- 17th

Directed by Oliver Stone ( Platoon, Wall Street ) starring Josh Brolin as W, Elizabeth Banks as Laura Bush, James Cromwell as George Sr., Ellen Burstyn as Barbra Bush, Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney, Toby Jones as Karl Rove, Scott Glenn as Donald Rumsfeld, Thandie Newton as Condoleeza Rice, Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powell, Ioan Gruffadd as Tony Blair, Jason Ritter as Jeb Bush and Bruce McGill as George Tenet. Written by Stone and Stanley Weiser ( Wall Street ), Cinematography by Phedon Papamichael ( 3:10 To Yuma, Sideways ) Editing by Julie Monroe (De-Lovely, The Patriot ) and Original Music by Paul Candelon ( The Other Boleyn Girl )

Stone " I wanted to be fair, and paint a true portrait of the man. How did Bush go from being an alcoholic burn to becoming the most powerful figure in the world ? It's like Frank Capra territory on one hand, but I also cover the demons he has had to fight as well. "

W. is a 3 act film, starting with Bush as a young man, mixed up as a lot of young men tend to be, then his transformation into his rise of power, from working for his family oil business into going into politics and making a name for himself other than just being George Jr. The director has admitted that the film is not a parody, and won't veer away from the good side of the man, but also will not hide the negative things either that some people believe where he was wrong. He also said the film is like the movie Network in tone, as they are satire's in a serious setting. It's not parody.
Cindy Adams of the New York Post wrote that pro-Bushies will hate the movie and anti's will love it.
Stone said in a recent interview that if Nixon was a symphony then W. is like a chamber piece, and not as dark in tone that Nixon was.
Rated PG-13 for Language, including sexual references, some alcohol abuse and brief disturbing war images.

Oscar chances ? Possible for Actor if Brolin knocks the performance out of the park and Screenplay.