2007 Independent Spirit Awards

The nominees were announced today and here they are:

Best Feature:
"American Gun"
"The Dead Girl"
"Half Nelson"
"Little Miss Sunshine"
"Pan's Labyrinth"

Best Director:
Robert Altman, "A Prairie Home Companion"
Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris, "Little Miss Sunshine"
Ryan Fleck, "Half Nelson"
Karen Moncrieff, "The Dead Girl"
Steven Soderbergh, "Bubble"

Best First Feature:
"Day Night Day Night"
"Man Push Cart"
"The Motel"
"Sweet Land"
"Wristcutters: A Love Story"

Best Documentary:
"A Lion in the House"
"My Country, My Country"
"The Road to Guantanamo"
"The Trials of Darryl Hunt"
"You're Gonna Miss Me"

Best Foreign Film:
"12:08 East of Bucharest"
"The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros"
"Chronicle of an Escape"
"Days of Glory"
"The Lives of Others"

Best Female Lead:
Shareeka Epps, "Half Nelson"
Catherine O'Hara, "For Your Consideration"
Elizabeth Reaser, "Sweet Land"
Michelle Williams, "Land of Plenty"
Robin Wright Penn, "Sorry, Haters"

Best Male Lead:
Aaron Eckhart, "Thank You For Smoking"
Ryan Gosling, "Half Nelson"
Edward Norton, "The Painted Veil"
Ahmad Razvi, "Man Push Cart"
Forest Whitaker, "American Gun"

Best Supporting Female:
Melonie Diaz, "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints"
Marcia Gay Harden, "American Gun"
Mary Beth Hurt, "The Dead Girl"
Frances McDormand, "Friends With Money"
Amber Tamblyn, "Stephanie Daley"

Best Supporting Male:
Alan Arkin, "Little Miss Sunshine"
Raymond J. Barry, "Steel City"
Daniel Craig, "Infamous"
Paul Dano, "Little Miss Sunshine"
Channing Tatum, "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints"

Best Screenplay:
Neil Burger, "The Illusionist"
Nicole Holofcener, "Friends with Money"
Ron Nyswaner, "The Painted Veil"
Jason Reitman, "Thank You For Smoking"
Jeff Stanzler, "Sorry, Haters"

Best First Screenplay:
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, "Half Nelson"
Michael Arndt, "Little Miss Sunshine"
Goran Dukic, "Wristcutters: A Love Story"
Dito Montiel, "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints"
Gabrielle Zevin, "Conversations with Other Women"

Best Cinematography:
Arin Crumley, "Four Eyed Monsters"
Anthony Dod Mantle, "Brothers of the Head"
Guillermo Navarro, "Pan's Labyrinth"
Aaron Platt, "Wild Tigers I Have Known"
Michael Simmonds, "Man Push Cart"

Someone to Watch Award:
So Yong Kim, "In Between Days"
Julia Loktev, "Day Night Day Night"
Richard Wong, "Colma: The Musical"

John Cassavetes Award:
"Chalk"
"Four Eyed Monsters"
"Old Joy"
"Quinceañera"
"Twelve and Holding"

Truer Than Fiction Award:
AJ Schnack, "Kurt Cobain: About a Son"
Adele Horne, "The Tailenders"
Eric Daniel Metzgar, "The Chances of the World Changing"

Producers Award:
Julie Lynn, "Nine Lives," "10 Items or Less"
Alex Orlovsky and Jamie Patricof, "Half Nelson," "Point&Shoot"
Howard Gertler and Tim Perell, "Shortbus," "Pizza"

Special Distinction:
David Lynch, Laura Dern, "Inland Empire"

Summer and Smoke

Yesterday I went to see the play Summer and Smoke. It was a very good play, and it is a shame that it is closing this weekend. The play starred Rosamund Pike from Pride and Prejudice and Chris Carmack from The O.C.. I really enjoyed the play and thought that all of the actors did an amazing job. It was a great night.

Remembering Robert Altman

A few days ago, Hollywood lost a legend, Robert Altman. The legendary director who made films such as MASH, Nashville, The Player, A Prairie Home Companion, Short Cuts, and Gosford Park, was 81. He was a five time Academy Award nominee for Best Direcotr, and at this past years awards ceremony he receieved an honory award for being a pioneering filmmaker and an amazing director. He was known for having large ensamble casts, and overlapping dialogue. In 2002 he won the Golden Globe for Best Director, for Gosford Park. Altman will truly be missed by the filmmaking industry, and his last project has already come to hault, because it is doubted that any other filmmaker would be able to make the film, Hands on a Hard Body.

Casino Royale

James Bond is back, and this time he is better then ever. This is not the Bond that most people are used to. First off when the film starts he is yet to be a "00" and the beginning of the film is him gaining his "00" status. Second off, this Bond does not look like your typical blonde, he isn't a glamorous Bond, he gets bet up, and nearly killed, and even tourtured. Also he is a blonde haired, blue eyed Bond. And while others argue that Bond would never have blonde hair, but I don't think that his hair colour has anything to do with who Bond is. Daniel Craig, was the perfect Bond. I feel that he was the best choice for the role, and he did a smashing job.

The rest of the cast included Eva Green, Judi Dench, Mads Mikkelsen, and Jeffrey Wright. The cast did a fantastic job, and they really rejuvinated the franchise. This film was able to show, how Bond started out, and how he became the man he is. I certainly can not wait for the next installment.

The Magic of The Prestige

The Prestige is the tale of two turn of the century magicians, Alfred Borden (Hugh Jackman) and Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman). The two started out as friends, but later became bitter rivals, and each one tries to out do the other oneand when Alfred is able to do the transported man, Robert must beat him, and the games that they are playing have deadly consequences, not only for themselves, but also for their loved ones. The rest of the cast includes, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Andy Serkis and David Bowie. The film is directed by Chritopher Nolan, who also directed Memento and Batman Begins, and the screenplay was written by Christopher and his borther Jonathon Nolan. The film is made as though it is a magic trick, you can never be certain whether you are seeing something for real, or whether it is some slight of hand by Nolan.

With an amazing cast, and an interesting story, you can't go wrong with this film. Bale is fantastic, and Jackman delivers an emotional and amazing monologue, that showed his range as an actor. This was one of the better films of 2006, it was everything that I expected it to be and more, and it left nothing to e desire, any theater goer will leave completely satisfied.