84th Academy Award Winners

The Oscars have come and gone for another year, and Billy Crystal hosted a very quick and to the point show that had the running them of embracing the art, memory and celebrating film. I actually quite liked the montages of people talking about film and considering the 2 lead nominee films (Hugo & The Artists) are films that celebrate film I can understand why they went with the memory focus. As it turns out, folks seemed to fully embrace those films and both Hugo and The Artist took home 5 awards each and The Artist won both Best Picture and Best Director. The only other multiple winner was The Iron Lady which actually won 2/2 with Make Up and Best Actress (Meryl Streep) giving it a 100% success rate from nominations to winners. All other winning films took home 1 award each.

That's the wrap up and number crunching and all the winners are below, but first here are some memorable moments and thoughts that chronological popped up in my head while watching the show....

• Cinematography first ? Wha? What happened to supporting actor/actress? ...that's usually first! Just when I think I've got the patterns down they switch them up!
• Awesome moment: Octavia Spencer getting a standing ovation when accepting her award for Actress in a Supporting Role for The Help
• I loved how editors Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall kept their speech short and sweet noted "Yep, we're editors" and left the stage post-thanks for their win for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
• Sad moment of realizing Drive didn't win it's 1 possible award.
• Cirque du Soliel interpretation of what it's like to go to the movies 1 time only performance, which I literally couldn't take my eyes off the screen although I'm sure it read better live.
• Pretty funny intro with Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey Jr. present the Oscar for documentary all genuine and 'real like' with RDJ saying they were doing a film or role of "The Presentor"
• The Documentary (Feature) team of TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas who won for Undefeated got a bleep, a music swell and their audio cut out! WOW. And they were the only ones that did.
• Emma Stone being ridiculously cute presenting for the first time.
• Jason Isaacs talking about Harry Potter and the creation of the world in the intros for both Make Up and Visual Effects, he spoke with such passion it literally brought tears to my eyes.
• Christopher Plummer and his delight acceptance speech for "Beginners"
• "Thank you to my parents for never telling me to get a real job" - Bret McKenzie, during his acceptance speech for Best Original Song for Man or Muppet, from The Muppets (and the OMG moment of realizing he's Bret from Flight of the Conchords)
• I loved father/daughter team acceptance speech for The Shore for Short Film (Live Action) Terry George and Oorlagh George, where the father says he doesn't have to wait for a wedding to tell the world how wonderful his daughter is.
• Woody Allen was the only winner not in attendance (won Best Original Screenplay for Midnight in Paris).
• I had a moment of panic when we were a healthy ways in but still no shorts awarded, but they finally did present live action, animated and documentary one after another after another, awarded by the cast of Bridesmaids.
• "You understand something that you didn't understand before, about life" - Edward Norton
• I really thought Demián Bichir from A Better Life was going to cry from Natalie Portman's introduction of him for Best Actor.
• And wow again and complete GRRR moment for the end-reveal of The Artist (in at least 2 ways) with the Best Actor lead in speech. Sigh. Why do they do that?
• "You are unreasonable good" Colin Firth describing Meryl Streep.
• Standing Ovation for Meryl Streep.
• Sad realization that The Tree of Life goes home with no awards.
• And it ends with in an unusual yet even split of 5 awards for both Hugo & The Artist.
  

84th Academy Awards Winners
In the order in which they were presented

Cinematography
"Hugo" Robert Richardson

Art Direction
"Hugo" Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo

Costume Design
"The Artist" Mark Bridges

Makeup
"The Iron Lady" Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Foreign Language Film
"A Separation" Iran

Actress in a Supporting Role
Octavia Spencer in "The Help"

Film Editing
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall

Sound Editing
"Hugo" Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty

Sound Mixing
"Hugo" Tom Fleischman and John Midgley

Documentary (Feature)
"Undefeated" TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

Animated Feature Film
"Rango" Gore Verbinski

Visual Effects
"Hugo" Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning

Actor in a Supporting Role
Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"

Music (Original Score)
"The Artist" Ludovic Bource

Music (Original Song)
"Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets" Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
"The Descendants" Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash

Writing (Original Screenplay)
"Midnight in Paris" Written by Woody Allen

Short Film (Live Action)
"The Shore" Terry George and Oorlagh George

Documentary (Short Subject)
"Saving Face" Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

Short Film (Animated)
"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg

Directing
"The Artist" Michel Hazanavicius

Actor in a Leading Role
Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"

Actress in a Leading Role
Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"

Best Picture
"The Artist" Thomas Langmann, Producer

The 84th Academy Awards were presented on Sunday February 26, 2012 .

27th Annual Spirit Awards Winners

I actually didn't watch the Spirit Awards this year but I was still very excited to hear the winners!

The 27th Annual Spirit Awards Winners are....

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the producer)
THE ARTIST - Producer: Thomas Langmann

BEST DIRECTOR
MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS - The Artist

BEST SCREENPLAY
ALEXANDER PAYNE, NAT FAXON & JIM RASH - The Descendants

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)
MARGIN CALL - DIRECTOR: J.C. Chandor; PRODUCERS: Robert Ogden Barnum, Michael Benaroya, Neal Dodson, Joe Jenckes, Corey Moosa, Zachary Quinto

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
WILL REISER - 50/50

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD
Award given to the best feature made for under $500,000; award given to the writer, director, and producer
PARIAH - WRITER/DIRECTOR: Dee Rees; PRODUCER: Nekisa Cooper

BEST FEMALE LEAD
MICHELLE WILLIAMS - My Week with Marilyn

BEST MALE LEAD
JEAN DUJARDIN - The Artist

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
SHAILENE WOODLEY - The Descendants

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER - Beginners

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
GUILLAUME SCHIFFMAN - The Artist

BEST DOCUMENTARY Award given to the dir ector and producer
THE INTERRUPTERS - DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Steve James; PRODUCER: Alex Kotlowitz

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM Award given to the director
A SEPARATION (Iran) DIRECTOR: Asghar Farhadi

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD Award given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast
MARGIN CALL
DIRECTOR: J.C. Chandor; CASTING DIRECTORS: Tiffany Little Canfield, Bernard Telsey
ENSEMBLE CAST: Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD
SOPHIA LIN producer of TAKE SHELTER

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD
MARK JACKSON director of WITHOUT

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD
HEATHER COURTNEY director of WHERE SOLDIERS COME FROM

JAMESON FIND YOUR AUDIENCE AWARD
Alysa Nahmias and Benjamin Murray

The Spirit Awards ceremony took place on February 25, 2012.

84th Academy Awards Nominations (for 2011 Films)

It's that magical time! Oscar nomination day. Recently I've mentioned not feeling all on the excitement front of awards announcements, but the tide started to turn last week with the Genie nomination announcement and today I find myself back on the awards train and very excited about this years Oscars.

I could mope about how few nominated films I've seen this year (only 12 so far!), be feign puzzlement over Transformers: Dark of the Moon's 3 nominations (even though the first Transformers also had 3) or even sigh over the repetition of pattern that the films where actresses are nominated often aren't nominated for many awards but the acting awards. I could, but I'd rather celebrate.

Celebrate that Canada's Monsieur Lazhur is nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category (it comes out in Toronto and Vancouver this Friday January 27, 2012). I'm going to celebrate Drive's Sound Editing nomination, and that The Tree of Life getting three prestigious nods for Film, Director and Cinematography. And it's wonderful to see Pina, the 3D dance documentary, be acknowledged with it's nomination in the documentary feature category.

I am also going to do a big happy dance that 3 titles from the 2011 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club are among the nominees here: Jane Eyre with 1 nomination, The Help with 4 nominations, and Hugo which leads the race with a whopping 11 nominations. I am just beaming with joy at the recognition given to these films.

I also realize there are many I should really get out to see before the Awards are presented on February 26, 2012. First and foremost, The Artist which came away with an impressive 10 nominations. That's the biggest omission on my list. There are also a few that have either just hit theatres (The Iron Lady, A Separation) or are just about to hit theatres (Monsieur Lazhur, Albert Nobbs), and there actually are quite a few already available out on DVD in a turn of the tide this year.

It's going to be an excited, and busy, month trying to pack more films onto my schedule before the winners are unveiled on Sunday February 26, 2012. Dust off the tiaras, it's Oscar time!

See also detailed film list with nominations listed and film list by number of nominations.

Here are the 84th Academy Awards Nominations

Actor in a Leading Role
Demián Bichir in "A Better Life"
George Clooney in "The Descendants"
Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"
Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Brad Pitt in "Moneyball"

Actor in a Supporting Role
Kenneth Branagh in "My Week with Marilyn"
Jonah Hill in "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte in "Warrior"
Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"
Max von Sydow in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Actress in a Leading Role
Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis in "The Help"
Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams in "My Week with Marilyn"

Actress in a Supporting Role
Bérénice Bejo in "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain in "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer in "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer in "The Help"

Animated Feature Film
"A Cat in Paris" Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
"Chico & Rita" Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
"Kung Fu Panda 2" Jennifer Yuh Nelson
"Puss in Boots" Chris Miller
"Rango" Gore Verbinski

Art Direction
"The Artist" Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
"Hugo" Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"Midnight in Paris" Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
"War Horse" Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Cinematography
"The Artist" Guillaume Schiffman
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Jeff Cronenweth
"Hugo" Robert Richardson
"The Tree of Life" Emmanuel Lubezki
"War Horse" Janusz Kaminski

Costume Design
"Anonymous" Lisy Christl
"The Artist" Mark Bridges
"Hugo" Sandy Powell
"Jane Eyre" Michael O'Connor
"W.E." Arianne Phillips

Directing
"The Artist" Michel Hazanavicius
"The Descendants" Alexander Payne
"Hugo" Martin Scorsese
"Midnight in Paris" Woody Allen
"The Tree of Life" Terrence Malick

Documentary (Feature)
"Hell and Back Again" Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
"If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front" Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory" Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
"Pina" Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
"Undefeated" TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

Documentary (Short Subject)
"God Is the Bigger Elvis" Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
"Incident in New Baghdad" James Spione
"Saving Face" Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
"The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement" Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
"The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom" Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Film Editing
"The Artist" Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
"The Descendants" Kevin Tent
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
"Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker
"Moneyball" Christopher Tellefsen

Foreign Language Film
"Bullhead" Belgium
"Footnote" Israel
"In Darkness" Poland
"Monsieur Lazhar" Canada
"A Separation" Iran

Makeup
"Albert Nobbs" Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin
"The Iron Lady" Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music (Original Score)
"The Adventures of Tintin" John Williams
"The Artist" Ludovic Bource
"Hugo" Howard Shore
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Alberto Iglesias
"War Horse" John Williams

Music (Original Song)
"Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets" Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio" from "Rio" Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown; Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Best Picture
"The Artist" Thomas Langmann, Producer
"The Descendants" Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" Scott Rudin, Producer
"The Help" Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
"Hugo" Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
"Midnight in Paris" Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
"Moneyball" Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
"The Tree of Life" Nominees to be determined
"War Horse" Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

Short Film (Animated)
"Dimanche/Sunday" Patrick Doyon
"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
"La Luna" Enrico Casarosa
"A Morning Stroll" Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
"Wild Life" Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Short Film (Live Action)
"Pentecost" Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane
"Raju" Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
"The Shore" Terry George and Oorlagh George
"Time Freak" Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
"Tuba Atlantic" Hallvar Witzø

Sound Editing
"Drive" Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Ren Klyce
"Hugo" Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
"War Horse" Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Sound Mixing
"Hugo" Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
"Moneyball" Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
"War Horse" Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Visual Effects
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
"Hugo" Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
"Real Steel" Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
"The Descendants" Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
"Hugo" Screenplay by John Logan
"The Ides of March" Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
"Moneyball" Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay)
"The Artist" Written by Michel Hazanavicius
"Bridesmaids" Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
"Margin Call" Written by J.C. Chandor
"Midnight in Paris" Written by Woody Allen
"A Separation" Written by Asghar Farhadi

The 84th Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday February 26, 2012 at 7pm EST on ABC.

32nd Genie Award Nominations - film list

List organized by most nominations, then alphabetical. Documentaries and shorts are categories that lend themselves to only have 1 nomination per film are listed separately at the end.

See also: film list with nominations detailed or full nominations list

The 32nd Genie Awards will be broadcasted on Thursday March 8, 2012 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT) on CBC Television.

Café de Flore (13)
A Dangerous Method (11)
Monsieur Lazhar (9)
The Bang Bang Club (7)
Starbuck (6)
The Whistleblower (6)
Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster (5)
Funkytown (3)
In Darkness (3)
Snow and Ashes (3)
Bumrush (2)
Jaloux (2)
Marécages / Wetlands (2)
Nuit #1 (2)
Oliver Sherman (2)
Take This Waltz (2)
Afghan Luke (1)
Amazon Falls (1)
Cloudburst (1)
Daydream Nation (1)
French Immersion (1)
Good Neighbours (1)
Keyhole (1)
Son of the Sunshine (1)
The Girl in the White Coat (1)
The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom (1)
You are Here (1)

BEST FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY / MEILLEUR LONG MÉTRAGE DOCUMENTAIRE - 1 nomination each
BEAUTY DAY - Jay Cheel, Kristina McLaughlin, Kevin McMahon, Roman Pizzacalla
FAMILY PORTRAIT IN BLACK AND WHITE - Julia Ivanova, Boris Ivanov
THE GUANTANAMO TRAP - Thomas Wallner, Amit Breuer, Patrick Crowe
LA NUIT, ELLES DANSENT / AT NIGHT, THEY DANCE - Isabelle Lavigne, Stéphane Thibault, Lucie Lambert
WIEBO'S WAR - David York, Nick Hector, C.C.E., Bryn Hughes, Bonnie Thompson

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY / MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE DOCUMENTAIRE - 1 nomination each
75 WATTS - John Cullen
DERAILMENTS - Chelsea McMullan
SIRMILIK - Zacharias Kunuk, Joel McConvey, Kristina McLaughlin, Kevin McMahon, Michael McMahon, Geoff Morrison, Ryan J. Noth

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT DRAMA / MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE DRAMATIQUE - 1 nomination each
DOUBLES WITH SLIGHT PEPPER - Ian Harnarine
HOPE - Pedro Pires, Phoebe Greenberg, Penny Mancuso
ORA - René Chénier, Philippe Baylaucq
LA RONDE - Élaine Hébert, Sophie Goyette

BEST ANIMATED SHORT / MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE D'ANIMATION - 1 nomination each
CHOKE - Michelle Latimer
LA CITÉ ENTRE LES MURS / INNER CITY - Alain Fournier
MUYBRIDGE'S STRINGS - Koji Yamamura, Michael Fukushima, Shuzo John Shiota, Keisuke Tsuchihashi
ROMANCE - Georges Schwizgebel, René Chénier, Marc Bertrand
WILD LIFE - Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby, Marcy Page, Bonnie Thompson

The 32nd Genie Awards will be broadcasted on Thursday March 8, 2012 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT) on CBC Television.

32nd Genie Award Nominations - film list with nominations detailed

List organized by most nominations, then alphabetical. Documentaries and all shorts listed separately at the end as the categories lend themselves to only have 1 nomination per film.

See also: film list only or full nominations list

The 32nd Genie Awards will be broadcasted on Thursday March 8, 2012 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT) on CBC Television.

Café de Flore (13)
BEST MOTION PICTURE / MEILLEUR FILM
ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN / MEILLEURE DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY / MEILLEURES IMAGES
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN / MEILLEURS COSTUMES
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION / MEILLEURE RÉALISATION
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP / MEILLEURS MAQUILLAGES
ACHIEVEMENT IN OVERALL SOUND / MEILLEUR SON D'ENSEMBLE
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE SONORE
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS / MEILLEURS EFFETS VISUELS
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY / MEILLEUR SCÉNARIO
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN - MARIN GERRIER
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE - VANESSA PARADIS
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN - HÉLÈNE FLORENT

A Dangerous Method (11)
BEST MOTION PICTURE / MEILLEUR FILM
ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN / MEILLEURE DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN / MEILLEURS COSTUMES
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION / MEILLEURE RÉALISATION
ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SCORE / MEILLEURE MUSIQUE ORIGINALE
ACHIEVEMENT IN OVERALL SOUND / MEILLEUR SON D'ENSEMBLE
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE SONORE
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS / MEILLEURS EFFETS VISUELS
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE - MICHAEL FASSBENDER
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN - VIGGO MORTENSEN

Monsieur Lazhar (9)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SCORE / MEILLEURE MUSIQUE ORIGINALE
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY / MEILLEURES IMAGES
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION / MEILLEURE RÉALISATION
ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE
ACHIEVEMENT IN OVERALL SOUND / MEILLEUR SON D'ENSEMBLE
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY / MEILLEURE ADAPTATION
BEST MOTION PICTURE / MEILLEUR FILM
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE - FELLAG
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN - SOPHIE NÉLISSE

The Bang Bang Club (7)
ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN / MEILLEURE DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY / MEILLEURES IMAGES
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION / MEILLEURE RÉALISATION
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SCORE / MEILLEURE MUSIQUE ORIGINALE
ACHIEVEMENT IN OVERALL SOUND / MEILLEUR SON D'ENSEMBLE
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY / MEILLEURE ADAPTATION
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN - TAYLOR KITSCH

Starbuck (6)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SONG / MEILLEURE CHANSON ORIGINALE
BEST MOTION PICTURE / MEILLEUR FILM
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY / MEILLEUR SCÉNARIO
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE - PATRICK HUARD
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN - ANTOINE BERTRAND
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN - JULIE LEBRETON

The Whistleblower (6)
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION / MEILLEURE RÉALISATION
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SCORE / MEILLEURE MUSIQUE ORIGINALE
BEST MOTION PICTURE / MEILLEUR FILM
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY / MEILLEUR SCÉNARIO
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE - RACHEL WEISZ
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN - ROXANA CONDURACHE

Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster (5)
ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN / MEILLEURE DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS / MEILLEURS EFFETS VISUELS
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE - SCOTT SPEEDMAN
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN - KEVIN DURAND
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN - CHARLOTTE SULLIVAN

Funkytown (3)
ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN / MEILLEURE DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN / MEILLEURS COSTUMES
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SONG / MEILLEURE CHANSON ORIGINALE

In Darkness (3)
ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE SONORE
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY / MEILLEURE ADAPTATION

Snow and Ashes (3)
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY / MEILLEURES IMAGES
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP / MEILLEURS MAQUILLAGES
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS / MEILLEURS EFFETS VISUELS

Bumrush (2)
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS / MEILLEURS EFFETS VISUELS
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP / MEILLEURS MAQUILLAGES

Jaloux (2)
ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SCORE / MEILLEURE MUSIQUE ORIGINALE

Marécages / Wetlands (2)
ACHIEVEMENT IN OVERALL SOUND / MEILLEUR SON D'ENSEMBLE
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE SONORE

Nuit #1 (2)
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY / MEILLEUR SCÉNARIO
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE - CATHERINE DE LÉAN

Oliver Sherman (2)
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY / MEILLEURE ADAPTATION
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE - GARRET DILLAHUNT

Take This Waltz (2)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP / MEILLEURS MAQUILLAGES
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE - MICHELLE WILLIAMS

Afghan Luke (1)
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN / MEILLEURS COSTUMES

Amazon Falls (1)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP / MEILLEURS MAQUILLAGES

Cloudburst (1)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SONG / MEILLEURE CHANSON ORIGINALE

Daydream Nation (1)
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY / MEILLEURES IMAGES

French Immersion (1)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SONG / MEILLEURE CHANSON ORIGINALE

Good Neighbours (1)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SONG / MEILLEURE CHANSON ORIGINALE

Keyhole (1)
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN / MEILLEURS COSTUMES

Son of the Sunshine (1)
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY / MEILLEUR SCÉNARIO

The Girl in the White Coat (1)
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE - PASCALE MONTPETIT

The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom (1)
ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE

You are Here (1)
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE SONORE

BEST FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY / MEILLEUR LONG MÉTRAGE DOCUMENTAIRE - 1 nomination each
BEAUTY DAY - Jay Cheel, Kristina McLaughlin, Kevin McMahon, Roman Pizzacalla
FAMILY PORTRAIT IN BLACK AND WHITE - Julia Ivanova, Boris Ivanov
THE GUANTANAMO TRAP - Thomas Wallner, Amit Breuer, Patrick Crowe
LA NUIT, ELLES DANSENT / AT NIGHT, THEY DANCE - Isabelle Lavigne, Stéphane Thibault, Lucie Lambert
WIEBO'S WAR - David York, Nick Hector, C.C.E., Bryn Hughes, Bonnie Thompson

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY / MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE DOCUMENTAIRE - 1 nomination each
75 WATTS - John Cullen
DERAILMENTS - Chelsea McMullan
SIRMILIK - Zacharias Kunuk, Joel McConvey, Kristina McLaughlin, Kevin McMahon, Michael McMahon, Geoff Morrison, Ryan J. Noth

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT DRAMA / MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE DRAMATIQUE - 1 nomination each
DOUBLES WITH SLIGHT PEPPER - Ian Harnarine
HOPE - Pedro Pires, Phoebe Greenberg, Penny Mancuso
ORA - René Chénier, Philippe Baylaucq
LA RONDE - Élaine Hébert, Sophie Goyette

BEST ANIMATED SHORT / MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE D'ANIMATION - 1 nomination each
CHOKE - Michelle Latimer
LA CITÉ ENTRE LES MURS / INNER CITY - Alain Fournier
MUYBRIDGE'S STRINGS - Koji Yamamura, Michael Fukushima, Shuzo John Shiota, Keisuke Tsuchihashi
ROMANCE - Georges Schwizgebel, René Chénier, Marc Bertrand
WILD LIFE - Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby, Marcy Page, Bonnie Thompson

The 32nd Genie Awards will be broadcasted on Thursday March 8, 2012 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT) on CBC Television.

32nd Genie Award Nominations

The Genie Nominations were announced earlier today and the highly acclaimed Café de Flore leads the way with 13 nominations. Following closing behind is David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method with 11 nominations and then inspiring teacher film Monsieur Lazhar with 9 nominations. There is more multiple nomination love with The Bang Bang Club with 7 nominations and both The Whistleblower & Starbuck with 6. It's quite a balanced set of noms between French and English films for this years best in Canadian film which is exciting to see. And I certainly have many more films to see before the awards are presented on March 8, 2012. I new I should have gone to more of Canada's Top Ten this year - 8 of their 10 films have been nominated, and many of those in multiple categories. The more celebrations of Canadian film, the better!

See also: film list with nominations detailed or full list

Genie32 will be held at The Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto, Ontario Canada and will be will be broadcasted on Thursday March 8, 2012 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT) on CBC Television.

Now let's look at all the nominations.

32nd Genie Award Nominations

BEST MOTION PICTURE / MEILLEUR FILM
A DANGEROUS METHOD - Martin Katz, Marco Mehlitz, Jeremy Thomas
CAFÉ DE FLORE - Pierre Even, Marie-Claude Poulin, Jean-Marc Vallée
MONSIEUR LAZHAR - Luc Déry, Kim McCraw
STARBUCK - André Rouleau
THE WHISTLEBLOWER - Christina Piovesan, Celine Rattray

ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN / MEILLEURE DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE
JEAN BÉCOTTE - Funkytown
AIDAN LEROUX, ROB HEPBURN - Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster
JAMES MCATEER - A Dangerous Method
PATRICE VERMETTE - Café de Flore
EMELIA WEAVIND - The Bang Bang Club

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY / MEILLEURES IMAGES
MIROSLAW BASZAK, C.S.C. - The Bang Bang Club
PIERRE COTTEREAU - Café de Flore
JON JOFFIN - Daydream Nation
JEAN-FRANÇOIS LORD - Snow & Ashes
RONALD PLANTE - Monsieur Lazhar

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN / MEILLEURS COSTUMES
DENISE CRONENBERG - A Dangerous Method
FARNAZ KHAKI-SADIGH - Afghan Luke
GINETTE MAGNY, EMMANUELLE YOUCHNOVSKI - Café de Flore
HEATHER NEALE - Keyhole
MARIE-CHANTALE VAILLANCOURT - Funkytown

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION / MEILLEURE RÉALISATION
DAVID CRONENBERG - A Dangerous Method
STEVEN SILVER - The Bang Bang Club
JEAN-MARC VALLÉE - Café de Flore
PHILIPPE FALARDEAU - Monsieur Lazhar
LARYSA KONDRACKI - The Whistleblower

ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE
JEAN-FRANÇOIS BERGERON - The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom
MICHAEL CZARNECKI - In Darkness
PATRICK DEMERS - Jaloux
STÉPHANE LAFLEUR - Monsieur Lazhar
RONALD SANDERS, C.C.E. A.C.E. - A Dangerous Method

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP / MEILLEURS MAQUILLAGES
CHRISTIANE FATTORI, FRÉDÉRIC MARIN - Café de Flore
AMBER MAKAR - Amazon Falls
VIRGINIE PARÉ - BumRush
TAMMY LOU PATE - Snow & Ashes
LESLIE ANN SEBERT, DAVID R. BEECROFT - Take This Waltz

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SCORE / MEILLEURE MUSIQUE ORIGINALE
RAMACHANDRA BORCAR - Jaloux
MYCHAEL DANNA - The Whistleblower
MARTIN LÉON - Monsieur Lazhar
PHILIP MILLER - The Bang Bang Club
HOWARD SHORE - A Dangerous Method

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC - ORIGINAL SONG / MEILLEURE CHANSON ORIGINALE
JAY BRANNAN - Cloudburst - My Love My Love
CAROLE FACAL - Starbuck - Quelque part
MALAJUBE - Good Neighbours - Oeil pour Oeil
STEVEN PAGE - French Immersion - A Different Sort of Solitude
JEAN ROBITAILLE, STEVE GALLUCCIO - Funkytown - Waiting for your Touch

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE
FELLAG - Monsieur Lazhar
GARRET DILLAHUNT - Oliver Sherman
MICHAEL FASSBENDER - A Dangerous Method
PATRICK HUARD - Starbuck
SCOTT SPEEDMAN - Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION MASCULINE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN
ANTOINE BERTRAND - Starbuck
KEVIN DURAND - Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster
MARIN GERRIER - Café de Flore
TAYLOR KITSCH - The Bang Bang Club
VIGGO MORTENSEN - A Dangerous Method

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN PREMIER RÔLE
CATHERINE DE LÉAN - Nuit #1
PASCALE MONTPETIT - The Girl in the White Coat
VANESSA PARADIS - Café de Flore
RACHEL WEISZ - The Whistleblower
MICHELLE WILLIAMS - Take This Waltz

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE / INTERPRÉTATION FÉMININE DANS UN RÔLE DE SOUTIEN
ROXANA CONDURACHE - The Whistleblower
HÉLÈNE FLORENT - Café de Flore
JULIE LEBRETON - Starbuck
SOPHIE NÉLISSE - Monsieur Lazhar
CHARLOTTE SULLIVAN - Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster

ACHIEVEMENT IN OVERALL SOUND / MEILLEUR SON D'ENSEMBLE
STÉPHANE BERGERON, YANN CLEARY, LISE WEDLOCK - Marécages / Wetlands
PIERRE BERTRAND, SHAUN NICHOLAS GALLAGHER, BERNARD GARIÉPY STROBL - Monsieur Lazhar
JEAN MINONDO, JOCELYN CARON, GAVIN FERNANDES, LOUIS GIGNAC - Café de Flore
LOU SOLAKOFSKI, STEPHAN CARRIER, KIRK LYNDS - The Bang Bang Club
OREST SUSHKO, CHRISTIAN COOKE - A Dangerous Method

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING / MEILLEUR MONTAGE SONORE
FRED BRENNAN, JAMES BASTABLE, GABE KNOX, JOHN SIEVERT - You Are Here
CLAUDE BEAUGRAND, OLIVIER CALVERT, NATALIE FLEURANT, FRANCINE POIRIER - Marécages / Wetlands
WAYNE GRIFFIN, ROB BERTOLA, TONY CURRIE, ANDY MALCOLM, MICHAEL O'FARRELL - A Dangerous Method
MARTIN PINSONNAULT, BLAISE BLANCHIER, SIMON MEILLEUR, MIREILLE MORIN, LUC RAYMOND - Café de Flore
JEREMY MACLAVERTY, DANIEL PELLERIN, GEOFF RAFFAN, JAN RUDY, JOHN SIEVERT, JAMES MARK STEWART - In Darkness

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY / MEILLEUR SCÉNARIO
ANNE ÉMOND - Nuit #1
EILIS KIRWAN, LARYSA KONDRACKI - The Whistleblower
KEN SCOTT, MARTIN PETIT - Starbuck
JEAN-MARC VALLÉE - Café de Flore
RYAN WARD, MATTHEW HEITI - Son of the Sunshine

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY / MEILLEURE ADAPTATION
PHILIPPE FALARDEAU - Monsieur Lazhar
RYAN REDFORD - Oliver Sherman
DAVID SHAMOON - In Darkness
STEVEN SILVER - The Bang Bang Club

ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS / MEILLEURS EFFETS VISUELS
DENNIS BERARDI, MATHEW BORNETT, MIKE BORRETT, WILSON CAMERON, OVI CINAZIN, JASON EDWARDH, OLIVER HEARSEY, JIM PRICE, MILAN SCHERE, WOLCIECH ZIELINSKI - A Dangerous Method
ÉVE BRUNET, JACQUES LÉVESQUE, PHILIPPE ROBERGE - Snow & Ashes
MARC CÔTÉ, STÉPHANIE BROUSSAUD, GARY CHUNTZ, VINCENT DUDOUET, CYNTHIA MOUROU, ERIC NORMANDIN, MARTIN PENSA, LUC SANFAÇON, SYLVAIN THÉROUX, NATHALIE TREMBLAY - Café de Flore
GEOFFROY LAUZON – BumRush
TOM TURNBULL, IAN BRITTON, ROBERT CROWTHER, TONY CYBULSKI - Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster

BEST FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY / MEILLEUR LONG MÉTRAGE DOCUMENTAIRE
BEAUTY DAY - Jay Cheel, Kristina McLaughlin, Kevin McMahon, Roman Pizzacalla
FAMILY PORTRAIT IN BLACK AND WHITE - Julia Ivanova, Boris Ivanov
THE GUANTANAMO TRAP - Thomas Wallner, Amit Breuer, Patrick Crowe
LA NUIT, ELLES DANSENT / AT NIGHT, THEY DANCE - Isabelle Lavigne, Stéphane Thibault, Lucie Lambert
WIEBO'S WAR - David York, Nick Hector, C.C.E., Bryn Hughes, Bonnie Thompson

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY / MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE DOCUMENTAIRE
75 WATTS - John Cullen
DERAILMENTS - Chelsea McMullan
SIRMILIK - Zacharias Kunuk, Joel McConvey, Kristina McLaughlin, Kevin McMahon, Michael McMahon, Geoff Morrison, Ryan J. Noth

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT DRAMA / MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE DRAMATIQUE
DOUBLES WITH SLIGHT PEPPER - Ian Harnarine
HOPE - Pedro Pires, Phoebe Greenberg, Penny Mancuso
ORA - René Chénier, Philippe Baylaucq
LA RONDE - Élaine Hébert, Sophie Goyette

BEST ANIMATED SHORT / MEILLEUR COURT MÉTRAGE D'ANIMATION
CHOKE - Michelle Latimer
LA CITÉ ENTRE LES MURS / INNER CITY - Alain Fournier
MUYBRIDGE'S STRINGS - Koji Yamamura, Michael Fukushima, Shuzo John Shiota, Keisuke Tsuchihashi
ROMANCE - Georges Schwizgebel, René Chénier, Marc Bertrand
WILD LIFE - Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby, Marcy Page, Bonnie Thompson

The 32nd Genie Awards will be broadcasted on Thursday March 8, 2012 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT) on CBC Television.

69th Annual Golden Globe Winners

The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards just wrapped up and were officially the first awards I wanted of the year. I haven't seen as many of the big films this year but it was clear that The Descendants and The Artist were the big winners on the film side of things and Homeland was the big TV winner. Very interesting year.

69th Annual Golden Globe Winners (for 2011 Film & TV)

FILM

Best Motion Picture - Drama (25th Awarded)
The Descendants

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama (23rd Awarded)
Meryl Streep – Iron Lady

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama (25th Awarded)
George Clooney – The Descendants

Best Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical (24th Awarded)
The Artist

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical (11th awarded)
Michelle Williams – My Week With Marilyn

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical (22nd Awarded)
Jean Dujardin – The Artist

Best Animated Feature Film (13th Awarded)
The Adventures Of Tintin

Best Foreign Language Film (16th awarded)
A Separation (Iran)

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (19th awarded)
Octavia Spencer – The Help

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (1st awarded)
Christopher Plummer – Beginners

Best Director - Motion Picture (20th awarded)
Martin Scorsese – Hugo

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture (14th Awarded)
Woody Allen - Midnight In Paris

Best Original Score - Motion Picture (8th awarded)
Ludovic Bource - The Artist

Best Original Song - Motion Picture (9th awarded)
"Masterpiece" – W.E. - Music & Lyrics By: Madonna, Julie Frost and Jimmy Harry

TV

Best Television Series - Drama (7th awarded)
Homeland

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama (17th Awarded)
Claire Danes – Homeland

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama (6th awarded)
Kelsey Grammer – Boss

Best Television Series - Comedy Or Musical (21st awarded)
Modern Family

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical (2nd awarded)
Laura Dern – Enlightened

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical (18th Episode)
Matt LeBlanc – Episodes

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television (3rd awarded)
Downton Abbey

Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television (4th Awarded)
Kate Winslet – Mildred Pierce

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (10th Awarded)
Idris Elba – Luther

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (15th awarded)
Jessica Lange – American Horror Story

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (12th Awarded)
Peter Dinklage – Game Of Thrones

Cecil B. DeMille Award
Morgan Freeman

The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards were broadcasted live on NBC on Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 8pm EST.

2012 People's Choice Awards Winners (for 2011 Films)

The People's Choice Awards were broadcasted earlier this week on January 11, 2012. The big winner of the night was definitely musical in nature with Katy Perry picking up 5 awards! Also impressive is the last in the Harry Potter series Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 which picked up 4 awards including Favourite Movie and Favourite Book to Film Adaptation. Let's look at the rest of this years results.

38th People's Choice Awards Winners are...

Favorite Movie
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Favorite Movie Actor
Johnny Depp

Favorite Movie Actress
Emma Stone

Favorite Movie Icon
Morgan Freeman

Favorite Action Movie
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Favorite Action Movie Star
Hugh Jackman

Favorite Drama Movie
Water for Elephants

Favorite Comedy Movie
Bridesmaids

Favorite Comedic Movie Actor
Adam Sandler

Favorite Comedic Movie Actress
Emma Stone

Favorite Movie Star Under 25
Chloe Moretz

Favorite Ensemble Movie Cast
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Favorite Animated Movie Voice
Johnny Depp as Rango in Rango

Favorite Movie Superhero
Ryan Reynolds as Green Lantern

Favorite Book Adaptation
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Favorite Network TV Drama
Supernatural

Favorite TV Drama Actor
Nathan Fillion

Favorite TV Drama Actress
Nina Dobrev

Favorite Cable TV Drama
Pretty Little Liars

Favorite Network TV Comedy
How I Met Your Mother

Favorite TV Comedy Actor
Neil Patrick Harris

Favorite TV Comedy Actress
Lea Michele

Favorite Cable TV Comedy
Hot In Cleveland

Favorite TV Competition Show
American Idol

Favorite TV Crime Drama
Castle

Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show
Supernatural

Favorite Daytime TV Host
Ellen DeGeneres on The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Favorite Late Night TV Host
Jimmy Fallon on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Favorite TV Guest Star
Katy Perry on How I Met Your Mother

Favorite TV CelebReality Star
Kim Kardashian

Favorite New TV Drama
Person of Interest

Favorite New TV Comedy
2 Broke Girls

Favorite Male Artist
Bruno Mars

Favorite Female Artist
Katy Perry

Favorite Song of the Year
E.T by Katy Perry featuring Kanye West

Favorite Album of the Year
Born This Way by Lady Gaga

Favorite Pop Artist
Demi Lovato

Favorite Hip Hop Artist
Eminem

Favorite R&B Artist
Rihanna

Favorite Band
Maroon 5

Favorite Country Artist
Taylor Swift

Favorite Music Video
Last Friday Night(T.G.I.F.) by Katy Perry

Favorite Tour Headliner
Katy Perry

2011 Cast Awards

James from Toronto Screen Shots has done it again! After much number crunching he has determined the 2011 CAST Awards as voted by from film lovers in the Greater Toronto Area. It's a two-tiered voting system to go whittles the choices down from all to 100, and then from that determines the top 25 films. I took part in just the first round of voting this year, but you can see many of the final ballots cast by voters here (PDF). If if you want to hear folks chat all about it you can check out the CASTcast podcast (catchy!) with the James, the Mamo boys & some of the folks from Row Three. And now, on to the list!

1. Drive
2. The Artist
3. The Tree of Life
4. Attack the Block
5. Take Shelter
6. Midnight in Paris
7. Melancholia
8. Shame
9. Beginners
10. Martha Marcy May Marlene
11. Hanna
12. Café de Flore
13.The Raid
14. Blue Valentine
15. Bridesmaids
16.The Muppets
17. The Illusionist
18. The Descendants
19. Super 8
20. Contagion
21. The Interrupters
22. Tabloid
23. Hugo
24. The Trip
25. Meek’s Cutoff

Metacritic Top Lists 2011

Last list before the New Year, the Metacritic check in! And they must have changed their site format because previously I got 200 results and now I find 99 per search! Bizarre! Only 3 titles cracked their all time reviewed list (and only one of those came out here in Toront: My Perestroika), but there are lost of interesting titles to peruse from their 2011 list including lots of documentaries. Man, now I have even more films to add to my to see list!

See also the IMDB Top 250 list at Dec 31, 2011.

2011 Movies on the Metacritic Top List as of Dec 31, 2011
39. We Were Here
44. A Separation
95. My Perestroika

Metacritics 100 Best Reviewed films from 2011 as of Dec 31, 2011
1. We Were Here
2. A Separation
3. My Perestroika
4. Poetry
5. The Artist
6. The Arbor
7. I Travel Because I Have to, I Come Back Because I Love You
8. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
10. Moneyball
11. The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu
12. 13 Assassins
13. Cave of Forgotten Dreams
14. Of Gods and Men
15. Children of Hiroshima
16. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
17. The Interrupters
18. City of Life and Death
19. Nostalgia for the Light
20. Take Shelter
21. The Tree of Life
22. Meek's Cutoff
23. Position Among the Stars
24. The Descendants
25. Project Nim
26. Hugo
27. Le Havre
28. Incendies
29. The Trip
30. Certified Copy
31. To Be Heard
32. Mysteries of Lisbon
33. The Inheritors
34. Beginners
35. Weekend
36. Kati with an I
37. Thunder Soul
38. Melancholia
39. Midnight in Paris
40. Tuesday, After Christmas
41. The Mill and the Cross
42. The Four Times (Le Quattro Volte)
43. Senna
44. Coriolanus
45. Drive
46. The Soft Skin (1969)
47. My Joy
48. Putty Hill
49. Foreign Parts
50. The Guard
51. The Yellow Sea
52. The Princess of Montpensier
53. Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness
54. Benda Bilili!
55. Bill Cunningham New York
56. Circo
57. Louder Than a Bomb
58. Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest
59. El Sicario: Room 164
60. Rebirth
61. Jane Eyre
62. Buck
63. Inni
64. Martha Marcy May Marlene
65. World on a Wire (1973)
66. Margin Call
67. Bobby Fischer Against the World
68. A Dangerous Method
69. Submarine
70. Love Exposure
71. Rango
72. Silent Souls
73. Attack the Block
74. Win Win
75. Bridesmaids
76. Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame
77. The Muppets
78. Pariah
79. The Desert of Forbidden Art
80. Caterpillar
81. Point Blank
82. Scheherazade Tell Me a Story
83. Pina
84. The Woodmans
85. Tabloid
86. Into the Abyss
87. The Time That Remains
88. Winnie the Pooh
89. Higher Ground
90. Dark Days
91. How I Ended This Summer

Metacritic Top Reviewed Films All Time as of December 31, 2011
1. Balthazar (re-release)
2. Lawrence of Arabia (re-release)
3. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
4. The Godfather
5. The Leopard (re-release)
6. The Conformist (re-release)
7. Sweet Smell of Success (re-release)
8. Fanny and Alexander (re-release)
9. Superman II
10. Seven Samurai (re-release)
11. Shoah (1985)
12. The Night of the Hunter (re-release)
13. Army of Shadows
14. Pépé le Moko (re-release)
15. Pan's Labyrinth
16. Metropolis (re-release)
17. Rififi (re-release)
18. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
19. The Adventures of Robin Hood (re-release)
20. The Producers (re-release)
21. Days of Being Wild (re-release)
22. The French Connection (re-release)
23. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
24. Ratatouille
25. Modern Times (re-release)
26. The Social Network
27. A Hard Day's Night (re-release)
28. Days of Heaven (re-release)
29. The Manchurian Candidate
30. Spirited Away
31. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (re-release)
32. Pulp Fiction
33. Killer of Sheep
34. The Hurt Locker
35. Sita Sings the Blues
36. WALL-E
37. The Battle of Algiers (re-release)
38. Sideways
39. We Were Here *2011 Film
40. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
41. Carlos
42. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
43. Reversal of Fortune
44. A Separation *2011 Film
45. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
46. Schindler's List
47. Taxi Driver (re-release)
48. La Dolce Vita (re-release)
49. Frantic
50. Amadeus
51. Yi yi: A One and a Two...
52. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
53. The Class
54. Raging Bull
55. 35 Shots of Rum
56. Umberto D (re-release)
57. Masculine Feminine (re-release)
58. There Will Be Blood
59. Beauty and the Beast (re-release)
60. Toy Story
61. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
62. Werckmeister Harmonies
63. Toy Story 3
64. Moolaadé
65. The Fast Runner (Atanarjuat)
66. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
67. Le cercle rouge (re-release)
68. The Triplets of Belleville
69. The Queen
70. Repulsion (re-release)
71. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion
72. Children of Tokyo
73. Beau travail
74. Do the Right Thing
75. Waltz with Bashir
76. Secrets & Lies
77. Patton
78. No Country for Old Men
79. Raiders of the Lost Ark
80. After Hours
81. The Crying Game
82. Ran (re-release)
83. Saving Private Ryan
84. A Prophet
85. Winter's Bone
86. L.A. Confidential
87. Bloody Sunday
88. Apocalypse Now
89. My Voyage to Italy
90. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (re-release)
91. La commune (Paris, 1871)
92. Solaris (re-release)
93. The Sweet Hereafter
94. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (re-release)
95. My Perestroika *2011 Film
96. Topsy-Turvy
97. Being John Malkovich
98. Before Sunset
99. The Incredibles

IMDB Top 250 in 2011

Every year on the last day of the year I do a check in on the IMDb Top 250 List, to see how many new of the year have been added. This year we only had 5, and to compare you can see 2010 with 7 titles and 2009 had 6 titles. It's noted that its calculated from regular voters, which is interesting as IMDB list often feels like it has more fandom picks over highly acclaimed and exceptional films, but this year I would say it feels like it's here those two meet. I also like to check in on this list as it's a dynamic one that ebbs and flows over time, so having a snapshot of what the year was like, at the end of the year, is something like I like to see. Speaking of seeing it appears I will have to see A Separation at some point as it is appearing all these year-end lists! Hopefully it will come out in Toronto in 2012.

See also the Metacritic Best Reviewed Films at Dec 31, 2011.

2011 additions to the IMDb Top 250:
108. A Separation (2011)
146. Warrior (2011)
193. Drive (2011)
195. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
201. Hugo (2011/II)

IMDb Top 250 (as of December 31, 2011)
1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
2. The Godfather (1972)
3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
5. Pulp Fiction (1994)
6. 12 Angry Men (1957)
7. Schindler's List (1993)
8. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
9. The Dark Knight (2008)
10. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
11. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
12. Inception (2010)
13. Fight Club (1999)
14. Seven Samurai (1954)
15. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
16. Goodfellas (1990)
17. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
18. City of God (2002)
19. Casablanca (1942)
20. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
21. The Matrix (1999)
22. Rear Window (1954)
23. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
24. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
25. The Usual Suspects (1995)
26. Psycho (1960)
27. Se7en (1995)
28. Forrest Gump (1994)
29. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
30. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
31. Memento (2000)
32. Leon: The Professional (1994)
33. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
34. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
35. Apocalypse Now (1979)
36. American History X (1998)
37. North by Northwest (1959)
38. Citizen Kane (1941)
39. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
40. American Beauty (1999)
41. Toy Story 3 (2010)
42. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
43. Taxi Driver (1976)
44. Alien (1979)
45. Spirited Away (2001)
46. City Lights (1931)
47. Vertigo (1958)
48. The Shining (1980)
49. Paths of Glory (1957)
50. Amélie (2001)
51. The Pianist (2002)
52. M (1931)
53. WALL·E (2008)
54. The Departed (2006)
55. Double Indemnity (1944)
56. The Lives of Others (2006)
57. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
58. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
59. Aliens (1986)
60. Modern Times (1936)
61. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
62. Life Is Beautiful (1997)
63. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
64. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
65. Back to the Future (1985)
66. Das Boot (1981)
67. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
68. The Third Man (1949)
69. The Prestige (2006)
70. L.A. Confidential (1997)
71. Chinatown (1974)
72. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
73. The Green Mile (1999)
74. Cinema Paradiso (1988)
75. The Great Dictator (1940)
76. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974)
77. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
78. Rashômon (1950)
79. Gladiator (2000)
80. Raging Bull (1980)
81. Amadeus (1984)
82. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
83. Some Like It Hot (1959)
84. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
85. All About Eve (1950)
86. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
87. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
88. Braveheart (1995)
89. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
90. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
91. Metropolis (1927)
92. Oldboy (2003)
93. The Apartment (1960)
94. Unforgiven (1992)
95. Downfall (2004)
96. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
97. The Sting (1973)
98. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
99. Princess Mononoke (1997)
100. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
101. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
102. The Elephant Man (1980)
103. Up (2009)
104. On the Waterfront (1954)
105. Die Hard (1988)
106. Gran Torino (2008)
107. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
108. A Separation (2011)
109. The Seventh Seal (1957)
110. The Great Escape (1963)
111. Rebecca (1940)
112. The Lion King (1994)
113. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
114. Batman Begins (2005)
115. Yojimbo (1961)
116. Sin City (2005)
117. For a Few Dollars More (1965)
118. The General (1926)
119. Heat (1995)
120. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
121. Blade Runner (1982)
122. Fargo (1996)
123. Snatch. (2000)
124. Ran (1985)
125. Black Swan (2010)
126. Wild Strawberries (1957)
127. Jaws (1975)
128. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
129. The King's Speech (2010)
130. Touch of Evil (1958)
131. No Country for Old Men (2007)
132. Toy Story (1995)
133. The Big Lebowski (1998)
134. The Deer Hunter (1978)
135. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
136. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
137. The Sixth Sense (1999)
138. It Happened One Night (1934)
139. Strangers on a Train (1951)
140. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
141. Annie Hall (1977)
142. Scarface (1983)
143. Ikiru (1952)
144. Platoon (1986)
145. High Noon (1952)
146. Warrior (2011)
147. Donnie Darko (2001)
148. Into the Wild (2007)
149. Trainspotting (1996)
150. The Gold Rush (1925)
151. The Kid (1921)
152. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
153. The Wages of Fear (1953)
154. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
155. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
156. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
157. Notorious (1946)
158. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
159. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
160. Gone with the Wind (1939)
161. There Will Be Blood (2007)
162. The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
163. The Thing (1982)
164. Amores perros (2000)
165. Groundhog Day (1993)
166. Casino (1995)
167. Life of Brian (1979)
168. Ben-Hur (1959)
169. Finding Nemo (2003)
170. The Terminator (1984)
171. The Big Sleep (1946)
172. Les diaboliques (1955)
173. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
174. The Graduate (1967)
175. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
176. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
177. Stand by Me (1986)
178. District 9 (2009)
179. V for Vendetta (2006)
180. Twelve Monkeys (1995)
181. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
182. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
183. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
184. Good Will Hunting (1997)
185. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
186. Network (1976)
187. Gandhi (1982)
188. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
189. The 400 Blows (1959)
190. Mary and Max (2009)
191. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
192. The Wrestler (2008)
193. Drive (2011)
194. 8½ (1963)
195. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
196. The Princess Bride (1987)
197. Dial M for Murder (1954)
198. The Killing (1956)
199. Persona (1966)
200. Ratatouille (2007)
201. Hugo (2011/II)
202. The Hustler (1961)
203. La Strada (1954)
204. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
205. The Exorcist (1973)
206. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
207. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
208. Fanny and Alexander (1982)
209. Star Trek (2009)
210. The Wild Bunch (1969)
211. Avatar (2009)
212. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
213. Stalag 17 (1953)
214. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
215. Barry Lyndon (1975)
216. Rocky (1976)
217. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
218. Sherlock Jr. (1924)
219. The Truman Show (1998)
220. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
221. Nights of Cabiria (1957)
222. Infernal Affairs (2002)
223. Mystic River (2003)
224. Let the Right One In (2008)
225. Roman Holiday (1953)
226. Festen (1998)
227. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
228. Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (2010)
229. In Bruges (2008)
230. Magnolia (1999)
231. The Incredibles (2004)
232. Rope (1948)
233. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
234. Big Fish (2003)
235. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
236. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
237. Manhattan (1979)
238. Harakiri (1962)
239. Ip Man (2008)
240. Ed Wood (1994)
241. Tokyo Story (1953)
242. Stalker (1979)
243. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
244. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
245. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
246. Shutter Island (2010)
247. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
248. Three Colours: Red (1994)
249. Nosferatu (1922)
250. Castle in the Sky (1986)

The Best Films of 2011 & The Films I Enjoyed The Most in 2011

When 2011 I started writing a memoir like fashion about the films I saw and each month I would tally up the films in terms of which I thought were the best, and which films I most enjoyed. They had very different results from the get go, and I've long been a supporter of acknowledging and embracing films you enjoy, even if they aren't perfect, or 'important' or meaningful or touchstones, revolutionary, etc. Those are all great marks in film, but how much YOU enjoy a film is important too. The reverse logic held up because one of the early theatrical releases of 2011 was the brilliant yet brutal Incendies, and as much as I can acknowledge it as a formidable film, I got zero enjoyment from watching it. So, in an effort to acknowledge and support both the films I think are formidable as well as the ones that warmed my heard and made me light up, I'm writing 2 lists the year; and here are in my opinion The Best Films of 2011 (I saw 100/400 released) and the Most Enjoyable Films (to me) of 2011:

Movie Moxie's The Best Films of 2011:

These are the films that I think are hands-down brilliant films on all levels.

1. Drive (2011)
2. TrollHunter / Trolljegeren
3. The Tree of Life
4. Small Town Murder Songs
5. The Guard (2011)
6. Four Lions
7. Melancholia
8. Incendies
9. In a Better World / Hævnen
10. Beginners
11. Jane Eyre (2011)
12. Meet Monica Velour
13. Pina
14. One Day (2011)
15. Thor
16. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
17. Beautiful Boy
18. Familiar Ground / En Terrain Connus
19. Another Earth
20. The Adjustment Bureau

Movie Moxie's Films I Most Enjoyed in 2011:

These are the films that made me laugh, smile, cry and giggle. They are the films where I felt that the film was speaking directly to me, and I wanted to hear what it had to say.

1. Drive (2011)
2. Soul Surfer
3. TrollHunter / Trolljegeren
4. The Adjustment Bureau
5. The Tree of Life
6. The Guard (2011)
7. Thor
8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
9. Fast Five
10. The Three Musketeers (2011)
11. Jane Eyre (2011)
12. Small Town Murder Songs
13. I Am Number Four
14. Super 8
15. Country Strong
16. Another Earth
17. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1
18. Kung Fu Panda 2
19. One Day (2011)
20. Melancholia

Special shout out to both Rubber and Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls, which would have made both my lists but I saw them prior to 2011 therefore they don't meet my own parameters!

I'll be writing more about the particular films and their impact in a separate post about my movie memories of the year.

New Faces & Ones to Watch From 2011

After watching 283 films in 2011, I've heard thousands of lines delivered, seen hundreds of performances and many of them were memorable from not only new faces but also familiar ones as well. But then there were actors that were more than memorable. Actors who not only lit up the screen but whose performances made me literally sit up a bit straighter and take notice. Who made my eyes widen and heart pound; who made me laugh and made me cry. People who made me search the credit list at the end of the film (yes, I always stay and read them!) to see who they were, so I could tell people to watch for them. They are coming...here they are!

The 2011 Movie Moxie's New Faces & Ones to Watch From 2011

Order is chronological according to when I saw them in film during 2011

New Faces


Elle Fanning stars in Sofia Coppola’s SOMEWHERE, an Alliance Films' release. Photo Credit Merrick Morton

Elle Fanning
Although the first film I saw here in was Somewhere, a beautifully naturalistic film where she plays the daughter of a movie star (played by Stephen Dorff) and she does a great job. But what really blew me away was her performance in Super 8, as ‘the girl’ among a gaggle of guys who recruit her into being in their film. Her performance in Super 8 transforms the pitch of the entire film, escalating it to from a nostalgic-set high-entertainment movie to an actually accessible-feeling reality. And it’s science fiction. It’s amazing.
Upcoming: Vivaldi, Bomb



Lucas Till
I won’t hide that X-Men: First Class did not go over well with me, but if nothing else it brought us a formidable performance from Lucas Till as Havoc, and wow, the combination of emotional rawness and contained weight of energy displayed was amazing, especially for such a young actor. After seeing him also in VS (2011) which has its World Premiere at Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2011 I can say that he is most definitely one to watch.
See now: cover video of Someone Like You directed by VS’ director Jason Trost
Upcoming: Park Chan-wook’s Stoker




Rafe Spall
This is literally for his performance as Ian in One Day (2011), which honestly from reading the book I completely glazed over without a second though. He completely brought Ian to life and created the most funny not-funny character I’ve seen, with very little charm and too much wit and a great, big heart. I can’t wait to see more of his work. He also played William Shakespeare in Anonymous which I have yet to see! If his name looks familiar, you have a keen eye and likely are familiar with his father Timothy Spall of Wake Wood & The Harry Potter Series.
Upcoming: Prometheus (Alien prequel)


Juno Temple in KABOOM. Courtesy of eOne Films.

Juno Temple
A new to me actor, Juno Temple I first saw in Kaboom where she plays London, the aggressive new friend to protagonist Smith (Thomas Dekker) in this bizarre, off-beat college comedy that’s not like any other college comedy you’ve ever seen. She also played the young Queen in The Three Musketeers, which was such a different and almost innocent role, and it was exciting to see a nice range from such a young actor. She was also the lead in Dirty Girl (which I haven't seen yet), so she had quite the year!
Upcoming: The Dark Knight Rises


Dustin Ingram in Meet Monica Velour

Dustin Ingram
Another new-to-me person is Dustin Ingram, who plays the porn-star obsessed Tobe from Meet Monica Velour and manages to do so with a beautiful innocence in a very not innocent setting. Although the film title feels otherwise, he’s the protagonist and we watch his coming of age story unfold as he attempts to meet the woman who encompasses his fandom world. He was also in Paranormal Activity 3 as a friend of the family – I had to look it up, even though his tall stature should have given him away!
Upcoming: The Prop Is the Girl



Jesse Moss
I saw Jesse Moss is two completely different roles this year, tonally and contextually although technically both times as a student. The first was as Jason Moss in the very disturbing film Dear Mr. Gacy, where he plays a student who tries to seduce a serial killer and honestly the film was so disturbing I didn’t end up reviewing it. But then when I saw him as the ‘dumb college student’ Chad in Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, I knew that this was it, that he’s really got it as he stole the every scene he was in. Which is a feat, as that film is hilarious.
Upcoming: Vikingdom, 13 Eerie

Ones to Keep Watching



Garrett Hedlund
Where you’ve seen him before: TRON: Legacy & Friday Night Lights
In 2011: Country Strong. In my notes on Country Strong I wrote he will ‘melt the hearts of millions’. And I really think he will. He's got it. A great actor.
Upcoming: live action version of Akira


Aaron Poole (left) with Peter Stormare in Small Town Murder Songs

Aaron Poole
Where you’ve seen him before: This Beautiful City
In 2011: Small Town Murder Songs and wow, I had to triple check that he was the same person in the two films because the performances were both so transformative. He’s a truly great actor. I quite loved his understated performance as a small town cop in Small Town Murder Songs alongside Peter Stormare. I had a chance to talk to him about the film, you can see my interview with Aaron Poole here.
Currently on the TV series 'King'


Kat Dennings in DAYDREAM NATION. Courtesy of eOne Films

Kat Dennings
Where you’ve seen her before: Defendor
In 2011: Daydream Nation and Thor. This actually was a bit of a retrospective notation as she’s the protagonist in Daydream Nation and easily carries the film, an amazing feat from a young actor especially alongside the company of Josh Lucas and Andie MacDowell.
Upcoming: Renee (2012), Lives of the Saints



Chris Hemsworth
Where you’ve seen him before: as Kirk’s Dad in the 2009 Star Trek
In 2011: Thor. I don’t really know much more to say about him, he’s fantastic. Won me over in about 5 seconds in Star Trek and continues to impress in the title role of Thor showcasing a character that has a much greater range and arch than I anticipated, and does so believably at every turn from humorous to oh so very human.
Upcoming: Snow White and the Huntsman and The Avengers


Olivia Colman (right) with Tryannosaur director Paddy Considine

Olivia Colman
Where you’ve seen her before: Hot Fuzz (female police office)
In 2011 (Festival Screening): Tyrannosaur. Powerful and challenging film that’s a directorial debut from Paddy Considine and she stars alongside 2 of my always must-see actors: Peter Mullan and Eddie Marsan, and after seeing this she easily is added to my must-see actor lists. A challenging, emotional film full of human drama and she’s fascinating in it.
Upcoming: The Iron Lady


Left: ANTON YELCHIN stars in THE BEAVER. Photo Ken Regan Courtesy of eOne Films / Right: Anton Yelchin in Fright Night

Anton Yelchin
Where you’ve seen him before: Star Trek, Terminator Salvation
In 2011: Fright Night & The Beaver; and he’s getting this for The Beaver which was one of the harder films to watch this year as it focuses on mental illness / stability but getting through it did mean I finally got to see Anton Yelchin in a non-reprisal role. I’ve had my eye on his work for a while and although I was impressed before, the characters in Star Trek, Terminator: Salvation & Fright Night were all established characters and/or remakes so I didn’t feel like it was enough to say YES, he can do it. Now I feel confident in saying YES, he can do it. Great actor.
Upcoming: The Winter Queen, Star Trek Sequel



Michael Eklund
Where you’ve seen him before: ‘Intelligence’, Walk All Over Me, Hunt to Kill
In 2011 (Festival Screening): The Divide, which technically is a 2012 film but I'm sneaking him in here because he is absolutely formidable in the film. I've been impressed with him since catching up with the show 'Intelligence' on DVD last summer, and he's also in Hunt to Kill and guest stars on many shows. Every time I watch him in something I want to watch it again, because you can feel the layers to the characters are deep and rich and I always want to see more. He is a truly great actor and this feels like a great launching point, I’ve already heard tons of well-deserved acclaim for his performance in The Divide and anticipate hearing more, and seeing much more in the future.
Upcoming: Errors of the Human Body; plus The Divide hits Toronto theatres January 2012.

And the Awesome & Ubiquitous Award for being EVERYWHERE Goes To



Ryan Gosling
As if people didn’t love him enough from The Notebook or were floored by his performance in Half Nelson, but in 2011 we saw more and more sides of Ryan Gosling. An amazing performance in one half of the trying relationship in the relationship drama Blue Valentine (and yes, I count that as 2011) to the formidable performance in Drive, we also got to see him ‘like he’s photoshopped’, Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Upcoming: Gangster Squad, Lawless


Mrs. O'Brien (Jessica Chastain) and her boys, in THE TREE OF LIFE Courtesy of eOne Films / Jessica Chastain stars in THE DEBT, an Alliance Films release. Photo credit Laurie Sparham

Jessica Chastian
With prominent roles in 4 films from 2011 (The Tree of Life, The Debt, The Help and Take Shelter), she takes the cake this year for being everywhere. Plus with the diversity of the films themselves means she was seen by different people from different taste groups whether it be art house lovers watching her as the 50’s mother in The Tree of Life to the book to film adaptation of The Help to the post apocalyptic drama of Take Shelter, she literally was every-when-where.
Upcoming: Coriolanus

That's who impressed me. Who did you have your eye on in 2011?