Well, another Oscar season has come to a close. As expected, The Artist walked away with the night’s top prize, becoming only the second silent film ever to win Best Picture (after Wings, which won at the very first ceremony). Billy Crystal returned as host after a long absence and turned in a confident, funny performance that helped keep the show on-pace and more entertaining than those from recent years. As usual there were surprises and sure-things, hilarious guests and awkward presentations. The Haiku Review even managed to predict 16 of the 24 categories – a solid two-thirds, which, frankly, is not too shabby considering the large number of close races this year. (I am kicking myself for switching to Clooney at the last minute, and not sticking with Dujardin, who was my choice right up until the last minute). Nevertheless, it’s time to move on to a whole new season of movies, so to wrap up this whole Oscar business, the Haiku Review offers you some final thoughts on the ceremony and its winners and losers, along with a complete list of the victors. Continue reading
Category: Oscars
Considering there are a number of really close races (both lead acting categories) and very few “sure things” (both supporting categories) – and given the Academy’s penchant for out-of-left-field surprises – I wouldn’t recommend betting too much money in your Oscar pool this year. Nevertheless, the Haiku Review will take a stab at prognostication; just don’t come crying if you lose your lunch money. Here are the picks for who will (and should) win in the major categories at the 84th annual Academy Awards this weekend. Continue reading
These are the five films nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the 2012 Academy Awards. Continue reading
These are the five films nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the 2012 Academy Awards. Continue reading
By Daniel J. Hoag
The 83rd Academy Awards have come and gone and the Haiku Review has some final thoughts and reactions to the festivities.
So many movies
were more deserving of Best
Pic than The King’s Speech.
I hope Tom Hooper
has trouble sleeping at night
cause FINCHER GOT ROBBED!
Continue reading
By Daniel J. Hoag
The 83rd Academy Awards are here, and though this race is all but over, you can still take a look at the Haiku Review’s Oscar Spotlight focusing on the category of Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Javier Bardem, Biutiful
Javier Bardem is no stranger to Oscar: this is his third nomination, and he won Best Supporting Actor a few years back for his memorable performance as the psychopathic Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men. And if going to a dark place for that role weren’t enough, Bardem practically drowns in bleakness for his role in Biutiful, a nominee for Best Foreign Film. Bardem plays Uxbal, a single father from Barcelona who is dying a painful death from cancer, unable to trust the futures of his children to his emotionally unstable, alcoholic ex-wife. As if that weren’t miserable enough, he’s surrounded by the hard knock lives of illegal immigrants he traffics in (for money), many of whom suffer poverty, slave wages, sweatshop working conditions, deportation, and gruesome death. And he kinda sees dead people. Through it all Bardem wears sorrow and hopelessness like an old sweater, frayed and sagging from age. But as bleak and distubing as the movie is around him, Bardem’s performance is, indeed, beautiful–no matter how you spell it. Continue reading
By Daniel J. Hoag
The 83rd Academy Awards are upon us, so take a look at these five ace actresses competing for gold in the Haiku Review’s Oscar Spotlight focusing on the category of Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
For her fourth Oscar nomination, Annette Bening brought the proverbial thunder as Nic, the hard-working, hard-drinking head-of-house at the center of this domestic dramedy. Already dealing with marital friction as a result of her wife’s decidedly unfocused career ambitions, Nic’s life is thrown into further disarray when her two children seek out their sperm-donor father and introduce him into their family life. Distrust, jealousy, and unfaithfulness soon follow, forcing Nic to rescue herself from an emotional breakdown and put her family back together. Bening plays her rollercoaster range of emotions with ease, winning over audiences and Oscar voters alike. In a film full of great performances, Bening blows them all out of the water. Continue reading
By Daniel J. Hoag
The second in the Haiku Review’s Oscar Spotlight series focuses on the category of Best Supporting Actress, which is likely to be the closest acting race this season.
Amy Adams, The Fighter
This is Adams’ third time competing in the Best Supporting Actress category; she was previously nominated for 2005’s Junebug and 2008’s Doubt. As Charlene Fleming, thick-skinned girlfriend to Mark Wahlberg’s titular pugilist, Adams goes head-to-head with some heavy-hitting actors. Charlene finds herself at odds with her beau’s drug-addled brother and manipulative mother (played by fellow nominees Christian Bale and Melissa Leo); she even gets into a front-porch smackdown with several of his scrappy sisters. Continue reading
By Daniel J. Hoag
The 83rd annual Academy Awards take place on Sunday, February 27th, 2011. With the ceremony only a few weeks away, the Haiku Review begins a series of spotlight features focusing on individual categories. Up first is the race for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
Christian Bale, The Fighter
It’s hard to believe this is Bale’s first nomination, especially considering the fine work he’s done in Rescue Dawn, American Psycho, and the viral recording in which he screams insults at the poor director of photography who happened to have the misfortune to be doing his job in Bale’s line of sight. Continue reading
By Daniel J. Hoag
The 83rd Academy Award nominations have been announced, which means Oscar season is in full bloom. Dozens of folks in Hollywood have been recognized for their artistic achievements and, as usual, a few of them have been noticeably omitted. Forthwith, the Haiku Review presents to you some Oscar commentary. Continue reading
The Haiku Review 