Showing posts with label Julie Christie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Julie Christie. Show all posts
Monday, January 28, 2008
Daniel Day Lewis Dedicates SAG Award to Heath Ledger
The SAG Awards were a pretty ho-hum affair, with anticipated wins from Javier Bardem (No Country For Old Men), Daniel Day Lewis (There Will Be Blood), Julie Christie (Away From Her), and best cast for No Country For Old Men. Ruby Dee was a surprise (and, likely, sentimental) winner for Best Supporting Actress, while The Sopranos swept the Television Drama categories and 30 Rock picked up 2 of the 3 Comedy awards (The Office grabbed Best Cast).
As expected, there was lots of pro-WGA talk from the winners, but one acceptance speech stood out from the others. Daniel Day Lewis, in accepting his trophy for Best Actor (There Will Be Blood) dedicated his award to Heath Ledger, calling him one of the actors who has inspired him to overcome the "longing and self doubt" that accompanies taking on a role. Citing his performance in Monster's Ball as well as his work in Brokeback Mountain (which he called "perfect"), Day Lewis gave Ledger a far more meaningful tacked-on-to-the-end photo that closed the retrospective on actors who have died this past year. The looks on the stars sitting in the audience while Day Lewis spoke made it feel like a public memorial service, in a good way.
Very classy, Daniel.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Movie Review: Away From Her is a Triumph of Love
I've had the film Away From Her at home now for the past few weeks, but after watching Julie Christie pick up several Best Actress critics awards in the past couple of days, I decided it was time to see what all the fuss was about. And now that I've seen it, I know that there is only one word to describe Christie's performance -- wow.
Written and directed by the young actress Sarah Polley (who is rightly picking up awards for her debut effort), Away From Her is one of the most moving and affecting films I've seen all year. At times devastating, at other times hysterical, the movie tells the story of Fiona (Christie), a vibrant, intelligent woman who is going through Alzheimer's, and the impact her disease has on her loving husband Grant (the subtly heartbreaking Gordon Pinsent). As Grant watches his beloved wife not only "lose herself" to Alzheimer's, but also begin a relationship with a fellow nursing home patient, difficult questions of what we will do to make sure the ones we love are comfortable are raised and fascinatingly answered.
Christie is simply luminous in the role. She brings such a nuanced understanding of Fiona's mental state to the surface, that you can't help but fall in love with the woman. She beautifully manages to give glimpses of the woman Fiona was, even while in the midst of her deteriorating health. If this performance doesn't win Christie an Oscar, there's simply no justice.
Aside from Christie, who defines grace and magnificence in this role, and the wonderful Pinsent, the rest of the cast is also stellar. Wendy Crewson is pitch-perfect as the icy nursing home administrator -- she makes your skin crawl in all the right ways as she encourages Grant to move his wife to a more "progressed" floor of the nursing home. Olympia Dukakis brings humor and vitality to the film, shining as the wife of the nursing home patient Fiona falls for. Kristen Thomson, too, is just-right as the patient nurse who provides Grant with advice.
If the aging process terrifies you, this may not be the film for you. But if you are interested in stories about what we do for love, I beg you to check this movie out. You won't be sorry.
Monday, December 10, 2007
No Country Wins New York Film Critics Award
Not to be confused with the New York Online Film Critics, the New York Film Critics Circle has also announced their yearly laurels -- and they've given No Country for Old Men the Best Picture prize.
Daniel Day Lewis (There Will Be Blood) and Julie Christie (Away From Her) picked up additional prizes (both were winners in the NY Online awards) for Best Actor and Actress, while Javier Bardem (No Country) and Amy Ryan (Gone, Baby, Gone) grabbed the Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards. The Coen Brothers were named Best Directors and also won the prize for Best Screenplay.
To see the winners of the NY Online Critics, NBR and LA Film Critics, visit Movie News & Commentary
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
No Country, Juno, Clooney, Christie and Burton Pick Up NBR Awards
Don't you just love Awards season??
The National Board of Review has named this year's winners, with The Coen Brothers' No Country For Old Men claiming the top prize. Best Actor and Actress went to George Clooney (Michael Clayton) and Julie Christie (Away From Her), while Casey Affleck (The Assasination of Jesse James...) and Amy Ryan (Gone, Baby, Gone) picked up awards for Best Supporting Actor and Actress.
Tim Burton, meanwhile, grabbed the award for Best Director, while Emile Hirsch (stunning in Into the Wild) and Ellen Page (Juno) took home the Breakthrough Awards.
In addition to No Country, NBR's top 10 films of the year were:
The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
Atonement
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Bucket List
Into The Wild
Juno
The Kite Runner
Lars And The Real Girl
Michael Clayton
Sweeney Todd
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