Friday, May 8, 2009

2008 Diva Cup Awards: The Extra Categories

Best Ensemble
Burn After Reading

George Clooney, Richard Jenkins, John Malkovich, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, J.K. Simmons, Tilda Swinton

A Christmas Tale
Mathieu Amalric, Emile Berling, Laurent Capelluto, Anne Consigny, Catherine Deneuve, Emmanuelle Devos, Chiara Mastroianni, Melvil Poupaud, Jean-Paul Roussillon

Milk
Josh Brolin, Joseph Cross, Victor Garber, James Franco, Emile Hirsch, Denis O'Hare, Sean Penn, Alison Pill

Rachel Getting Married
Rosemarie DeWitt, Anisa George, Anne Hathaway, Bill Irwin, Anna Deavere Smith, Debra Winger, Mather Zickel

Reprise
Henrik Elvestad, Espen Klouman-Hoiner, Anders Danielson Lie, Christian Rubeck, Viktoria Winge

If Only There Were Six: Happy-Go-Lucky

And the Diva Cup Goes to: A Christmas Tale

Best Scene


Boy A
The Nightclub
From the moment the first chords of Robyn's searing, perfectly-chosen-for-the-moment song "With Every Heartbeat" roars over the soundtrack, the nightclub scene is one of the most fascinating scenes of the year. The highlight of this scene, however, is the above clip of star Andrew Garfield, high on ecstasy, doing the most awkward/mesmerizing dance ever captured on film. I'm not exactly sure what it is about this moment that has made me watch it over 10 times, but whatever it is, it's golden.




Burn After Reading
Staredown
Has Brad Pitt ever been this at ease and interesting on-screen? I don't think so.



Cloverfield
Subway Tunnel
This scene terrified me so much that I couldn't even re-watch the clip to make sure it was the right one. Someone please let me know if it's the wrong one.



Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
The Toilet
I wanted to gag and laugh hysterically simultaneously.



WALL-E
Dancing in the Stars
I hate to use over-the-top hyperbole, but this is the most romantic scene I've ever seen since the finale of City Lights. Simply beautiful.

If Only There Were Six: The Dark Knight: "Why So Serious?"

And the Diva Cup Goes to: WALL-E

Best Musical Scene


Les Chanson d'Amour

"J'ai cru entendre"
The number is quick and gets straight to the point, but it's magical; the romance between Louis & Grégoire is the best thing about this movie.



Hamlet 2
"Rock Me Sexy Jesus"
Not quite as funny as it thinks it is, but I must admit that the whole "Jesus comes back as a huge celebrity" theme of the number is interesting to ponder.



High School Musical 3: Senior Year
"High School Musical"
The song is really nothing special, especially compared to the original's epic closer ("We're All in This Together" in case you've forgotten) but the scene is a killer. It's totally manipulative but every time I see their outstretched arms as the curtain falls down or their final bow, I just turn into a complete mess. What a perfect way to say goodbye to our Wildcats!



High School Musical 3: Senior Year
"I Want It All"
Oretga and company throws everything including the kitchen sink into this number and it turned out orgasmically. The colors! The sets! The music! The performances from La Tisdale and Lucas! There is not one weak link in this entire number.



High School Musical 3: Senior Year
"Scream"
The storm of falling basketballs is a bit dubious, but the scene quickly builds up to Efron's should-be iconic jump of the staircase. Simply magical.

If Only There Were Six:
Mamma Mia!: "Does Your Mother Know"

And the Diva Cup Goes to: High School Musical 3: Senior Year ("I Want It All")

Best Quote/Line Reading

Happy-Go-Lucky
"En-ra-ha."
Everytime I look in the rear view mirror, this oddly charming chant pops into my head. Thank you, Scott, for teaching me the safest way to drive.

The House Bunny
"The eyes are the nipples of the face."
Any of Faris's line readings were golden (I especially loved anytime she added the word "sexy" to something like "pants" or "car wash") but this one had me craking up the hardest.

Role Models
"No, venti is twenty. Large is large. In fact, tall is large and grande is Spanish for large: venti is the only one that doesn't mean large. It's also the only one that's Italian. Congratulations! You're stupid in three languages."
Paul Rudd at his assholian best.

Savage Grace
"You are truly disgusting, you and your Spanish cunt. I am SPEAKING of a CUNT half your age."
Only Julianne Moore could deliver a line like this and not have it become a complete trainwreck. Just golden.

Tropic Thunder
"I don't read the script. The script reads me."
In a movie full of WTF funny moments, this is probably the biggest headscratcher.

If Only There Were Six: Role Models: "Me and the judge have a special relationship. I don't wanna get too graphic but I used to suck his dick for drugs."

And the Diva Cup Goes to: Happy-Go-Lucky

Breakthrough Performance


Emile Berling
A Christmas Tale
Manages to hold his own against Catherine Deneuve, Mathieu Amalric and Anne Consigny throughout the course of this movie. And yet he still doesn't even have a birthdate on his IMDb page. What does an actor have to do these days to get some respect?

Ari Graynor
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Who said young, pretty blondes can't be funny? Graynor has one joke to go on in Nick and Norah, but I'll be damned if she doesn't ride that joke for all it's worth. If I were an actor, I would be leery to accept a comedic drunk part because Graynor has set the bar impossibly high.

David Kross
The Reader
I don't quite buy him as a sex symbol, but I will admit that this performance showed tremendous amounts of potential in the acting field. I can't wait to see what he decides to show us next.

Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet
Les Chansons d'Amour
Adorable, slightly stalkerish instantly lovable and, quite honestly, the most alive person on the cast. By the end of the movie, we are loving him just as much as Louis Garrel is.

Trevor Wright
Shelter
What I appreciated the most about Wright's performance in Shelter (aka the "gay surfer movie") was that he didn't turn his character into a "type" we were automatically familiar with. In other words, I felt like I connected with his lower-class background more than I did with his homosexuality, and you know most actors wouldn't have done that.

If Only There Were Six: Mather Zickel, Rachel Getting Married

And the Diva Cup Goes to: Ari Graynor, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Best Diva



Christine Baranski
Mamma Mia!
Diva Moment: The "Does Your Mother Know" musical number. Baranski rips into that like the over-the-top goddess she is.

Penélope Cruz
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Diva Moment: Do I really have to choose one? Oh dear, how about her verbal assault on ScarJo during her first breakfast out of the hospital.

Catherine Deneuve
A Christmas Tale
Diva Moment: That moment in the backyard with Mathieu Amalric where they, laughingly yet seriously, admit they don't like each other.

Heath Ledger
The Dark Knight
Diva Moment: Performing that "magic trick," just because he can.

Ashley Tisdale
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Diva Moment: Descending from the ceiling to reclaim her version of "A Night to Remember" from that British cunt who stole it from her.

If Only There Were Six: Ana Torrent, The Other Boleyn Girl

And the Diva Cup Goes to: Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Sexpot

Penélope Cruz
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Hottest Scene: If I was straight, I would say the makeout session with ScarJo, but, since I'm not, I'll go with that moment of her leaning against the wall, cigarette in mouth, posing for ScarJo's camera.

Zac Efron
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Hottest Scene: The opening shot of Zac, staring straight at the camera, dripping with sweat and panting like he's just had an orgasm. Yes please.

Hugh Jackman
Australia
Hottest Scene: Pouring water over his hot, sticky, shirtless torso while Nicole Kidman looks on. Does anything else even compare?

Mitch Reinholt
American Teen
Hottest Scene: His first date with Hannah: he's so playful and adorable it kills me.

Marisa Tomei
The Wrestler
Hottest Scene: I think a better question to ask would be which of her scenes aren't hot. And I think the answer to that would be none.

If Only There Were Six: Amy Adams, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

And the Diva Cup Goes to: Hugh Jackman, Australia

Best Cameo/Limited Performance
Karina Fernandez
Happy-Go-Lucky
HILARIOUS! Mines more comedic depth in three minutes than most people did in entire movies.

Anna Kendrick

Twilight
It wasn't until I saw Kendrick on-screen that the character of Jessica truly made sense to me. Why oh why is the gifted comedienne slumming it in third tier parts underneath Robert Pattinson? Can someone write her a role please?

Lena Olin

The Reader
Intellectually kicks so much ass she makes what Batman and Iron Man did in their respective summer blockbusters look like kids stuff. Still the best damn performance in the entire film.

J.K. Simmons

Burn After Reading
Impossibly drole and dark in that Coen Brothers, straight-faced way we've all come to expect and love.

Kaira Whitehead

Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys
We only see glimpses of her as Cole Hauser's secretary, but she nails the one-liner she is given so much that she ends up one of the highlights of the entire film.

If Only There Were Six: Elisabeth Shue,
Hamlet 2

And the Diva Cup Goes to: Karina Fernandez, Happy-Go-Lucky

Best Poster The Dark Knight
The only reason I was actually excited for The Dark Knight was because of it's ingenious marketing campaign and this poster was one of the many beautiful ones to emerge.

Funny Games U.S.

One of the most beautiful images I've ever seen on a poster. Had me hooked into this movie straight from the get-go

The House Bunny
I'm still laughing at that stupid look on Anna Faris's face!

Prom Night
Shit movie, but that image is pretty kick ass.

The Wrestler
Interesting choice of photo and that "Witness the resurrection of Mickey Rourke..." quote is just as infamous as the film itself.

If Only There Were Six: Australia

And the Diva Cup Goes to: Funny Games U.S.

7 comments:

Karen said...

HSM 3 and Rachel Getting Married, yay!

Unknown said...

Way to give Lena Olin some props. If anyone deserved recognition in that movie, it was her. For me, her presence saved "The Reader" from being that soppy Hollywood saccharine contrivance that everyone else seems to think it was anyway.

Sam Loree said...

I cannot believe that you gave Hugh the award over Zac.....I guess it's because Zac has plenty of years to win that award down the line, huh?

Vance said...

Great noms though I think I may differ on the winners. And the Funny Games thing just disturbs/scares me still that I can't look at it.

mB said...

Love the list! (WALL-E love!!)

And yes, Ms Olin was amazing in TR. I would have gone with a little less HSM in the musical categories, but that's just me ;-) hehe

Dame James said...

Samantha: The reason Hugh won over Zac was because Hugh's role in Australia needed for him to be a sexpot and boy did he deliver. Zac is just a sexpot by default and, yes, he has plenty of years to win this award (17 Again maybe?)

mB: Maybe I did go a little crazy on the HSM3 love in the musical category, but, in all honesty, what in the hell else was I going to choose from? The sequences in Les Chanson d'Amour, for the most part, weren't fully realized musical set pieces (and with good reason). Mamma Mia!'s were mostly an embarrassment to the art of musicals. Plus, I couldn't really come up with any non-musical films that had a knock-out musical sequence. Miss Pettigrew and Forgetting Sarah Marshall come to mind, but I wasn't in love with them like I was with those three HSM numbers.

Jesue V // FILM MUSIC ART blog said...

Andrew Garfield from Boy A should go clubbing with the mute Japanese girl from Babel. It could make an interseting scene.