And so the Academy Award nominations have been announced and what follows is an intense month filled full of excitement and speculation as to who will receive the highest accolades of the silver screen. Broadway can boast to having shown all films, nominated across all categories, with the exception of Tropic Thunder. Both January and February have long been known to be the proving ground for the Oscar contenders and the quality of the films has been undeniably high. The beginning of the month saw the opening of Stephen Daldry’s adaptation of Bernhard Schlinks’ The Reader. Kate Winslet continues her impressive awards season tour de force with a nod given for her lead role. Ironically proving Ricky Gervais right: ‘Well done Winslet. I told you, do a Holocaust movie and the awards come’ Winslet misses out on a nomination for Revolutionary Road which she earned a Golden Globe award. Revolutionary Road sees in the end of January program at the Broadway.
Slumdog Millionaire
What The Reader started, Danny Boyle’s endearing Slumdog Millionaire continued. Awarded with an impressive ten nominations, a figure only beaten by David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (6th – 19th February) with thirteen nominations, cements Slumdog Millionaire as one of the runaway success stories of the year. The film has recently caused a stir for its depiction of poverty in the Mumbai slums leading Alice Miles, a critic for The Times deeming it ‘Vile’ for glamorising the squalid conditions. This has not stopped the film being one of the most successful exports from the British film industry, discounting last summer’s Mamma Mia, for quite some time.
Darren Arronofsky’s follow up to the critically ambivalent The Fountain, The Wrestler, has received a surprisingly low amount of nominations. Mickey Rourke however continues to ride the crest of his career revival with recognition for Best Actor. Whilst many have argued that his role is nothing more than art imitating life he has still managed to turn in a tear jerking performance. His co-star Maris Tomei is also in the running for Best Supporting Actress.
- Milk
Gus Van Sant’s Milk is nominated across eight categories most interestingly Sean Penn for the portrayal of politician and gay activist Harvey Milk. Penn had been subject to scurrilous rumours on celebrity gossip blogs, a result of a text message from his rival for Best Actor Mickey Rourke, accusing him of being homophobic despite a strong and sympathetic portrayal of Milk. This has not detracted Penn from being widely acclaimed for his performance. Milk is showing until the 5th of February and had a special introduction given by Greg Woods, Professor of Gay and Lesbian Studies at Nottingham Trent University.
The Foreign-language Film category features The Baader Meinhof Complex, The Class and Waltz with Bashir all of which have had successful runs at Broadway over the past three months. Ari Goldman, director of Waltz with Bashir, walked away with the respective prize at the Golden Globes earlier in the month and is in real danger of repeating this success come February 22nd. But the category is not without its notable omissions. Gomorrah Italy’s nominated film for the category does not make the list which comes as a real shock to some who felt that the adaptation was worthy of being recognised for its brutal depiction of the country’s seedy crime world.
Heath Ledger as The Joker
Broadway does of course show more than the traditional Oscar bait for which we must seek outside the January and February hotspots. The Dark Knight unsurprisingly scooped a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in Heath Ledger. However critics remain divided as to whether it should have received a Best Picture nomination. The Golden Globes were criticised for nominating the film so widely in an alleged ploy to attract wider television audiences. This has lead at least
one academy voter to attempt a ‘write in’ vote. This was a common practice until 1936 where it was unruled. Although undeniably an entertaining film it would seem out of character for the academy to have included such a ‘mainstream’ film in its Best Picture line up.
February continues the Oscar nominated season with the release of Doubt which received five nominations including best supporting actor for Phillip Seymour Hoffman. February also sees the long awaited release of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button which has earned David Fincher his first ever nomination for Best Director despite being much touted as a possible runner for Zodiac in 2007.
Broadway Screenings:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Friday 6th February – Thursday 19th February
The Reader – Friday 2nd January – Thursday 22nd January
Slumdog Millionnaire –Friday 9th January – Thursday 29th January
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