This year’s Academy Awards show did not disappoint, nor did it provide many surprises. “Slumdog Millionaire,” nominated for ten Oscars, walked away with six, including Best Picture and Best Director. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” won only three Oscars, including Art Direction, Visual Effects and Makeup. Ron Howard’s critically acclaimed “Frost/Nixon,” and “Doubt” were both shut out. Kate Winslet finally won Best Actress for “The Reader,” after having been
Motion Picture: “Slumdog Millionaire.” Actor: Sean Penn, “Milk.” Actress: Kate Winslet, “The Reader.” Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight.” Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” Director: Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire.” Foreign Film: “Departures,” Japan. Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, “Slumdog Millionaire.” Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black, “Milk.” Animated Feature Film: “WALL-E.” Art Direction: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” Cinematography: “Slumdog Millionaire.” Sound Mixing: “Slumdog Millionaire.” Sound Editing: “The
From gowns to speeches, I am crazy about the Academy Awards. I sit rapt through the red carpet show, the award ceremony and the follow-up best and worst dressed shows that will follow all week. Obviously, I look forward to the Academy Awards, and they are finally here. Here are my illustrious predictions: Documentary Feature – The Betrayal (Nerakhoon), Encounters at the End of the World, Garden, Man on
Rated R Directed by Stephen Daldry Starring Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross, Hannah Herzprung, Karoline Herfurth Heidi’s Illustrious Rating: 3 Word of Warning: Graphic sex scenes, this one is not for those who blush easily. I’ve been watching previews of this movie for month and I really wanted to like “The Reader.” It was recently nominated for an Oscar in the
Rated R Directed by Ron Howard Starring Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell, Toby Jones, Matthew MadFayden Heidi’s Illustrious Rating: 3.5 Word of Warning: The R rating is entirely to a few four-letter words. Other than those words, it would have been a PG movie. Good performance throughout the movie, in addition to the historical significance of the event, makes “Frost/Nixon” worth watching, but I do not feel it
Rated R Heidi’s Illustrious Rating: 4.5 Word of Warning: Language, racial slurs and violence – this one’s not for the kiddos or the easily offended. Written, directed and starring an icon of our time, Clint Eastwood, “Gran Torino is one of the best movies of 2008 (it was in limited release during December, widely released in January). Clint Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a veteran of the Korean War and
Rated PG13 Heidi’s Illustrious Rating: 3.75 Word of Warning: Some war scenes and tame sexual situations. After watching months of previews for this movie, I had had enough of the storyline and when it finally arrived in theaters I didn’t go to see it right away. However, when I finally decided to see “Benjamin Button,” the story had me captivated from beginning to end. As I walked out of
Rated R Heidi’s Illustrious Rating: 4 Word of Warning: Scenes of tragic poverty and violence. This movie is now playing at Lyric Cinema Café on Mountain Avenue in Fort Collins. Englishman Danny Boyle directed this Golden Globe Best Picture winner. “Slumdog Millionaire” has also been nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Picture category, along with receiving nine other nominations in various categories. Read the rest of this
With award season just around the corner, movies are hitting theaters fast and furious – and so am I. Frankly, I couldn’t be happier about it. Finally, there are some great movies being released! Because of the amount of movies needing to be reviewed, some of my reviews will be a bit on the short side so that I can review two at a time for the newpaper
This movie won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor in a Supporting Role and Writing (adapted screenplay). Find out whether I agreed with the Academy: No Country for Old Men. As a side note, the 80th Academy Awards aired last Sundy. It received the all-time lowest rating for an Academy Award show. Quite frankly, it was boring. I say, get rid Jon Stewart. He was not funny. Bring
