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2009 Diva Cup Awards: The "Extra" Categories

Who said May was too late to start my year-end Diva Cup Awards for 2009? Everyone? Oh well. You all know I'm no slave to timelines and I decided this year particularly that I wasn't going to rush myself into "finishing" the year by some certain date. I wanted to stop and smell the roses, so to speak, and relish the year in filmmaking. It turns out I chose the wrong year to do that, but that's neither here nor there. Anyways, let's get this motherfucker started, shall we? First up are my "extra" awards, the categories you won't see in the Oscar broadcast but are simply too awesome to resist honoring.

Best Ensemble

Adventureland
[Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Margarita Levieva, Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Matt Bush, Martin Starr]


The Brothers Bloom
[Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz, Mark Ruffalo, Rinko Kikuchi]


In the Loop
[Peter Capaldi, Tom Hollander, Olivia Poulet, Chris Addison, Mimi Kennedy, Anna Chlumsky, James Gandolfini, David Rasche, Zach Woods]


Inglourious Basterds
[Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Mélanie Laurent, Diane Kruger, Michael Fassbender, Daniel Brühl]


Star Trek
[Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, John Cho, Eric Bana, Simon Pegg, Leonard Nimoy]


And the Diva Cup Goes to: The Brothers Bloom

Best Scene

(500) Days of Summer
Reality/Fantasy
Description: Summer invites Tom to her party months after breaking up and recently reconnecting. Tom imagines the situation going one way, while, in a split screen, we see what actually happens.

In this heartbreaking scene, the truth emerges: the once perfect relationship is truly over. Reality is a total bitch.

Away We Go
Finale
Description: The couple finally decides on the perfect place to raise their child.

Sniffle. Who knew that the usual quirkiness was all leading up to this pitch-perfect emotional finale?

An Education
Miss Stubbs Confronts Jenny
Description: Sensing that usually bright Jenny is putting her valuable education on hold for a her beau, Miss Stubbs decides to offer some (apparently unwanted) advice.

In a movie full of two-dimensional adults who just don't "get" Jenny, Miss Stubbs quiet confrontation proves that someone is truly looking out for her needs.

Obsessed
The Catfight
Description: Ali Larter touched her child, so B decides to take out her pent up aggression on Larter's face in the most insanely glorious catfight ever captured on film.

I was laughing so hard I nearly peed my pants. This is what camp cinema is all about.

A Single Man
George and Charley's Dance
Description: Old friends George and Charley let loose for a few moments as they dance to a hip new song.

The simple moment speaks volumes about the nature of George and Charley's relationship. They've been through it all together and are so comfortable in each others presence they can make an ass out of themselves and not give a crap.

And the Diva Cup Goes to: Obsessed

Best Musical Scene


(500) Days of Summer
"You Make My Dreams"
The perfect exaltation of love and happiness after the first night with someone you love.


Adventureland
"Don't Dream It's Over"
This clip is sadly unavailable, but it's the moment that I realized Adventureland was truly something special. "Don't Dream It's Over" perfectly captures this sentimental mood and seems to raise more questions about Kristen Stewart's character than it answers.



Nine
"A Call From the Vatican"
Oh, hi there! Glad to see you could make it, penis. This is something, huh?



Nine
"Take It All"
The perfect "fuck you" moment ever captured on film.



Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself
"Rock Steady"
Done with such authority and conviction, I couldn't believe Henson was lip syncing. Bonus points for rocking that fro!


And the Diva Cup Goes to: Adventureland

Best Quote

In the Loop
"Is that why you said, 'Climbing the mountain of conflict'? You sounded like a Nazi Julie Andrews."
Peter Capaldi is quite possibly the greatest swearer on the planet, but he didn't need to drop an f-bomb to make this quote vividly funny.


The Lovely Bones
"You have a TOMB in the middle of your HOUSE!"
I have no idea how Sarandon fits in with the whole of The Lovely Bones but her line delivery here is top notch.


Nine
"Because I have no more/There's nothing left to give"
Luisa's mega outburst in "Take It All" excellently sums up just how drained she is dealing with him and this "marriage."


Obsessed
"You listen to me. You know who this is. You came into my house? You touched my child? You think you're crazy? I'll show you crazy. Just try me. Bitch."
Beyoncé, I surrender! As soon as she uttered this line, her performance was never quite the same. The film may have been a trainwreck, but she was not going quietly into the night.


Precious
"Love ain't done nothin' for me...but beat me, rape me, call me an animal! Make me feel worthless."
Not gonna lie, I almost teared up here. Sidibe's reading of this line is positively heartbreaking.

And the Diva Cup Goes to: Obsessed

Breakthrough Performance



Sharlto Copley, District 9
Anchors a tough sci-fi action movie with sharp political messages on his shoulders like a regular Tom Cruise or Will Smith (except, you know, talented).











Sterling Knight, 17 Again
Before I knew what a Chad Dylan Cooper was, Sterling Knight impressed the hell out of me as Zac Efron's son in 17 Again. Ignoring the usual child actor beats you'd expect in a film like this, Knight is legitimately funny, continuously pushing his co-stars to match his natural delivery.









Mélanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds
Taking over the reigns from Uma Thurman as QT's figurehead is no easy task. Laurent, however, bravely accepts the challenge and strikes some fierce poses along the way. Acting with your body taken to the extreme.








Carey Mulligan, An Education
And you all thought I hated her, huh? I must admit that I still don't quite get all the "She deserved the Oscar, damnit!" hoopla that surrounded her all last season. With that being said, I believe she has potential for greatness. An Education was just a beginning, so let's hope she improves.









Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
What I love most about Gabby is the fact that after giving an almost impenetrable performance in Precious, she bombarded the awards circuit with her effervescent personality. The two sides of her almost don't mix but shows that she offers an array of possibilities in the future.

And the Diva Cup Goes to: Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

Best Diva

Taraji P. Henson as April in Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself
Diva Moment: Her angry reaction to continuously being woken up after a long night at the club (and sleeping with her married beau).


Rinko Kikuchi as Bang Bang in The Brothers Bloom
Diva Moment: Her soundless giggles after blowing shit up.


Diane Kruger as Bridget von Hammersmark in Inglourious Basterds
Diva Moment: Her general demeanor--playful, overly nice to her fans--during the bar scene. She has no over-the-top moments, but her attitude here betrays the fact that she's seen it all...twice.


Susan Sarandon as Grandma Lynn in The Lovely Bones
Diva Moment: The cleaning montage--Grandma attempts to perform an variety of household chores with a ciggy dangling out of her mouth and a drink never out of reach.


Tilda Swinton as Julia in Julia
Diva Moment: The opening scene--a drunken Julia gets lost in the music (and numerous men).

And the Diva Cup Goes to: Rinko Kikuchi, The Brothers Bloom

Best Sexpot

Penélope Cruz, Nine
Hottest Scene: 'A Call From the Vatican' turned me straight momentarily.


Zac Efron, 17 Again
Hottest Scene: I was literally swooning during the opening moments with Efron shooting hoops shirtless.


Nicholas Hoult, A Single Man
Hottest Scene: Slyly baring his ass in front of Colin Firth.


Taylor Lautner, Twilight Saga: New Moon
Hottest Scene: Sitting on Bella's bed, shirtless, just taunting her (and us in the audience!) with his raw sexuality. I nearly passed out.


Chris Pine, Star Trek
Hottest Scene: Sexin' that alien chick. Lord how I wanted to trade places with her--green skin and all.

And the Diva Cup Goes to: Taylor Lautner, Twilight Saga: New Moon

Best Cameo/Limited Performance




Steve Buscemi, The Messenger
A moving performance that travels a wide gamut of emotions in a short period of time. Buscemi, ever the old pro, makes it look easy.











Mariah Carey, Precious
Ditches the vanity and her diva persona for a beautifully down-to-earth performance. She listens, she absorbs, she reacts but never once steals the thunder from Sidibe or Mo'Nique. Glitter who?








Sally Hawkins, An Education
She only appears for a brief moment of time, but Hawkins provides a pivotal moment of clarity for both Mulligan's character and the film as a whole.










Anna Kendrick, Twilight Saga: New Moon
Clever, precise and uproariously funny. I nearly peed my pants during her line reading of "Movies with Bella? Funnnnn." A much better representation of Kendrick's talents than her Oscar-nominated work in Up in the Air.









Catherine O'Hara, Away We Go
Brings her usual hilarious self to propel Krasinski & Rudolph's journey toward self-discovery.

And the Diva Cup Goes to: Mariah Carey, Precious

Best Poster





Antichrist
Snip snip! A delicious in-joke.











Funny People
I'm not sure why I'm so attached to this poster, but I find it completely adorable.











The Headless Woman
Says more about the film than you'd ever guess a poster could. The way she's turned away from the camera shows just how disconnected the character is from her world.










The Informant!
It's this year's House Bunny: a completely stupid expression selling an entire film.












Precious
The poster is a work of art on its own. Beautifully abstract.

And the Diva Cup Goes to: The Headless Woman

So Many Women, So Little Time: The Sexual Politics of Up in the Air and Nine

Hollywood has always been a man's town. Wait, scratch that. Hollywood has always been a middle-aged, upper-class, heterosexual white man's town. It tries to pretend it is diverse and changing with the times but, like Washington, D.C., it is still run by prehistoric white dudes. Not too surprising, I'm afraid, given the content of 90% of the crap Hollywood releases each year. How else do you explain Couples Retreat, a "realistic" movie where bloated and puffy Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn are somehow married to young, thin and gorgeous Malin Akerman and Kristin Davis, respectively? Something is obviously wrong with this and, yet, nothing ever seems to change. Looking at two of the year's Oscar contenders--Jason Reitman's "zeitgeist" dramedy Up in the Air and Rob Marshall's musical follow-up to Chicago, Nine--what stands out is that even the most progressive-appearing of this year's batch of films are still haunted by this male-dominated conservatism.

The fact that Up in the Air is being marketed as a "zeitgeist" film, the film of our times, is both laughable and alarming at the same time. It is laughable because the film's corporate downsizing/unemployment themes become so unimportant by the end of the movie, you barely realize the film has said anything about the subject. That's probably because Up in the Air doesn't. The widely celebrated "documentary" scenes with "real" unemployed people are hackily tacked on for some semblance of relevance that just does not exist. They offer nothing I didn't already glean from Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story and are so disconnected from the narrative they truly make no sense in the context of the film.


I am alarmed by Up in the Air's status as the film of our times because the film treats its main female characters as bad, if not worse, than TV treated women in the 1950's and 60's. When it is busy not saying anything about the recession, Up in the Air follows Ryan Bingham (George Clooney playing George Clooney), an unattached, isolated bachelor who works for a company that fires people, and his inevitable journey toward self-discovery and settling down. Along the way, he meets two women who help him change his lifestyle for the better. The first is Alex (Vera Farmiga), a fellow business traveler he has a one-night stand with after meeting in a hotel. Their relationship eventually blossoms into something where Ryan seriously considers giving up his jet-setting lifestyle and settling down with her. The other woman is Natalie (Anna Kendrick), Ryan's young co-worker who develops a program that further decreases the inhumanity of Ryan's job and threatens to ground him indefinitely. With these two women so vital to the narrative, you would think the film would treat them with more respect than they are ultimately given. For the most part, Alex and Natalie are portrayed as women who have many characteristics of men. Alex, at one point, rather vividly and bluntly describes herself as a man with a vagina. Natalie's introduction to Up in the Air is a scene where she introduces her video conferencing program that allows the company to fire people from the main office instead of in person. She is wearing a boxy, unfeminine business suit and adopts the cheesy mannerisms of a stereotypical 50 year-old businessman, cracking corny jokes and playfully grabbing the shoulders of her boss (Jason Bateman). To top it all off, in their own ways, both women are emotionally frigid and distant: Alex repeatedly insists that she does not want a complicated relationship with Ryan while Natalie is so focused on saving the company money, she does not see the inhumanity of the technology she has created. Normally, this would not be a problem, but Up in the Air feels the need to punish Alex and Natalie for wanting to act like men, pushing this idea that unless these women act like women, they are not truly women until they do. After a film-changing (and narratively ridiculous) twist toward the end of the movie, Alex becomes the villain of Up in the Air. According to the film, she's an evil harpy standing in the way of Our Hero from reaching self-actualization. I'm actually surprised that at no point does Ryan burn an effigy of her to further the point. Since Alex is so incapable of committing to Ryan, an unwomanly thing to do since women are wedding-crazy and solely focused on getting that ring, she must become the villain of the film. Natalie, on the other hand, gradually loses any male traits she had in the beginning, replacing them with softer, more traditional female traits. She gradually abandons her head-strong, businessman persona and becomes Ryan's conscience, urging him to give a chance on love with Alex. Up in the Air seems to suggest that successful females either have to choose between a career and love because women can not have it all. If you're a middle-aged man taking a chance on love for the first time while decrying the heartlessness of modern technology, however, you're off the hook. Puh-lease.


Even if the women in Up in the Air become muddled by the narrative, at least they occasionally appear to be real people (the scene in the hotel lobby between Clooney, Farmiga and Kendrick is the highlight of the entire movie). The same can't be said with the ladies of Nine who are nothing more than shallow, one-dimensional stereotypes parading around the film's soundstage. For a film all about a director whose entire life has been shaped and guided by women, it is disconcerting to find that none of these women are as complex or even interesting as Guido seems to find them. As Nine unfurls, it becomes increasingly hard to believe that anyone would have as many existential crises as Guido does about his wife Luisa (Marion Cotillard) and his mistress Carla (Penélope Cruz). To save time, I'm surprised no one thought to just name these characters Madonna and Whore to make the point even more clear. Think about it: what exactly do we learn about any of the female characters that we do not already grasp from their opening scene? Luisa is a saint for putting up with Guido's shit (although the film forgives Guido because, by golly, he's a hot-blooded Italian artist and fucking multiple people is a part of "being Italian"). Carla loves sex and loves Guido. That's seriously it. 'A Call to the Vatican' is a visual ode to the beauty of Cruz's body, but does not actually say anything about Carla besides she has a nice ass. Lilli (Dame Judi Dench) acts as Guido's conscience throughout the film but, even with the Dench touch, she still does not come across as anything more than a shallow plot device. Claudia (Nicole Kidman) has nice hair extensions. Loren, Hudson and Fergie are in the movie for so little of the runtime they barely register before they are quickly ushered off for more of Our Hero's insufferable suffering. Rob Marshall is so focused on the problems Our Hero faces juggling the numerous women in his life, the women become nothing more than pawns, or even obstacles in some instances, in Guido's journey toward making his movie. Not exactly a commendable attitude for a movie that has been non-stop in its marketing as a movie about all of these juicy, glorious actresses.

Up in the Air C-
Nine C-

My Dream Supporting Lineups for 2009

I gave up on Oscar predicting this year because a) there are a multitude of sites out there who do it better and more in depth than myself and b) I was quickly growing bored with it. It gets exhausting predicting the same 8 names all year, you guys! So, while I don't do that anymore, I thought about a couple of weeks or so ago that it would be fun just to make up random lineups that I would kill to see from this year's crop of Oscar contenders. The lead categories seem too cut and dry at this point with only a few legitimate contenders (we'll have to wait until Toronto ends for the true buzz to begin) so I wanted to dig through the supporting categories since they offer a wider array of actors in different films. I only had two rules when picking my linueps: one, the film actually has to have a legitimate chance (as of right now) at the Oscars (goodbye Sunshine Cleaning, Brothers Bloom and Funny People) and two, the performance doesn't necessarily matter--it's pretty much all about how I feel about the actor and the role. Whether it's because they're one of my favorite working actors, an underrated up-and-comer or just plain sexy, these are who I think would make the ideal supporting lineups this year at the Academy Awards

Best Supporting Actress

Mariah Carey, Precious
Wouldn't this be a great "fuck you" to all the assholes who burned her when Glitter came out? Plus, I hear she's legitimately good in this movie! It also doesn't hurt that I've loved Mariah for most of my life (seriously).

Penélope Cruz, Nine
The sexiest working actress today singing and dancing in sexy outfits. Yes please.
Dame Judi Dench, Nine
She is Dame Judi fucking Dench for Christ's sake. Do you even have to ask with me?
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
I have been talking about this young actress for ages now and it seems like she will finally get her due in the loudly buzzing Up in the Air. Maybe the stars will actually align for her and she will sneak in this category.
Mo'Nique, Precious
The star of Beauty Shop and Phat Girlz with an Oscar nomination (and possible win)? Only in America, my friend.

Best Supporting Actor

Daniel Brühl, Inglourious Basterds
He's so pretty. All pretty people should get Oscar noms (especially when they're young and pretty).
Nicholas Hoult, A Single Man
He's also very pretty and, along with Kendrick, I feel like I've been talking about him for awhile. (And, on a side note, I love how everyone "discovered" A Single Man this past week after its Venice win when myself and A Blog Next Door have been talking about it since February and December of last year, respectively)
James McAvoy, The Last Station
Pretty. And he's been great in so many things without getting any due acclaim.
Joel McHale, The Informant!
The hilarious host of E!'s clip show The Soup with an Oscar nomination? Be still my beating heart.
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
He's just so goddamned good, that's why.

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.