by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent
He may not look like your typical American leading man, but actor Paul Dano, 31, is likely a next Oscar contender for Best Actor come the Academy Awards presentation next year. Dano, who celebrated a birthday this month, is indelible as a younger Brian Wilson in Love & Mercy, though this latest is just a topper among many gripping performances. If you turn back the clock 10 years to The Ballad of Jack and Rose from writer-director Rebe...
The film Little Miss Sunshine will receive the Ischia Family Award during the Global Film & Music Fest (July 9-15). The award, which is being given for the first time this year, recognizes international films on the contemporary family, which according to the Ischia Academy of Art, present themes of great social value in a product made for the general public. American directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Fares will accept the award on July 13 at the Hotel Mezzatorre at Forio d’Ischia. Gra...
Monday, February 26-----While readers can turn to almost any newspaper, internet site or media outlet to get the results of the 79th Academy Awards (it is, after all, watched by over a billion people worldwide), this story will focus on what were, at least for me, the surprises of the evening….actually the surprises that kept the evening lively and unpredictable. Among the night's biggest surprises:BEST PICTURE: While the choice of THE DEPARTED is certainly worthy (certainly compared t...
Saturday, February 24----LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE and HALF NELSON, two films that had their premieres at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, were the big winners at the Spirit Awards, the annual awards event honoring independent filmmakers, producers and acting talents, sponsored by film organization Film Independent. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, which may just pull a Best Film Oscar out of its hat tomorrow night, was recognized for Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (for vet...
Monday, February 12----The indie hit road comedy LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE and the crime thriller THE DEPARTED were the big winners at the Writers Guild of America (WGA) Awards, setting up a showdown between the two movies at the Oscars in two weeks. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, about a dysfunctional family that takes their young daughter across country to compete in a beauty pageant, won best original screenplay honors for Michael Arndt. In a moving acceptance speech, Arndt said he wrote LITTLE MISS SUNSHI...
Monday, January 29----In what will likely be a repeat by the time the Oscars are given out on February 25, the Screens Actors Guild gave out its top awards to film and television thespians in the convivial atmosphere of the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Winners were visibly moved to be recognized by their peers as they polished the speeches that they very likely will need to give again at the Kodak Theater for the big bonanza of the Academy Awards.
The SAG Award for Best Ensemble Performa...
Friday, January 5------With the 2007 only four days old, the awards season frenzy that had a brief respite over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays has resumed in full force. Yesterday morning, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the organization that represents acting talent on both the large and small screen, announced its nominations for the prestigious SAG Awards.
Announcements were made by Elijah Wood (LORD OF THE RINGS) and Sandra Oh (SIDEWAYS, GREY’S ANATOMY). The honors, which are p...
One week more of cinema releases coming up, but nothing looks set to impress.
I'm ready to release my pick of the most inspiring films of 2006 -
(1) Little Miss Sunshine,
(2) Yes,
(3) Live and Become
'Little Miss Sunshine'. Delightful. Daring. Dangerously funny. One of the few films I've ever seen that made me want to write to all my friends and say Please, Please, Please do yourself a favour and see this film. Few films can go beyond 'quirky' with quite the same brilliance. T...
Tuesday, December 19----Alan Arkin, one of the most respected actors of his generation, makes a rare appearance this evening at New York's Walter Reade Theater. The special evening includes a screening of Arkin's latest hit, the quirky indie comedy LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, followed by an onstage conversation between the actor and Kent Jones, Associate Director of Programming of the Film Society of Lincoln Center. The evening will also feature clips from Arkin's remarkable career, which has now spa...
