2009 Diva Cup Awards: Best Picture and Director

Best Director

Neill Blomkamp
District 9

Tom Ford
A Single Man

Greg Mottola
Adventureland

Oren Moverman
The Messenger

Erick Zonca
Julia

And the Diva Cup Goes to: Neill Blomkamp, District 9

Best Picture/Top 10 Films of the Year

10. (500) Days of Summer
Directed by Marc Webb
The film wears its aspiration to be the new Annie Hall on its sleeve, but you'd be hard pressed to find a more charming or downright fun romantic comedy.











9. Precious
Directed by Lee Daniels
An uncompromising film which presents its ugliness as honestly as a Toni Morrison novel. A few flourishes distract, but Precious is raw, emotional cinema.











8. Jennifer's Body
Directed by Karyn Kusama
The most undervalued film of the year, not only because people didn't want to like it from the start but also because no one--not even the film's marketers--really understood what screenwriter Diablo Cody was aiming for. This isn't a straight horror film like the trailers want you to believe but, rather, a black horror comedy about the fairer sex getting their revenge on male oppressors.








7. [Rec]
Directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza
Released in Spain in 2007, [Rec] made its US debut on DVD this year after the relative success of its American remake Quarantine. I have yet to see the remake, but I can't imagine wanting to be compared to this nightmare of a film. This is how all horror films should be: suspenseful, twisted and horrifically shocking. If that final scene in the locked apartment don't give you nightmares, you are the bravest person in the world.







6. The Brothers Bloom
Directed by Rian Johnson
A delicious con game of a film. Johnson does a masterful job masking his deception, keeping us guessing until the bitter end.












5. Adventureland
Directed by Greg Mottola
What could have been played for cheap laughs is handled with an unexpected maturity. Mottola gets the most out one of the most random ensembles ever assembled as they help turn Adventureland from Superbad Redux to something as smart as Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.









4. A Single Man
Directed by Tom Ford
Where many found empty stylistics and visuals covering up an even emptier core, I found beautiful imagery used to amplify just how lonely and ugly George's, said "single man" of the film, world is. Call me crazy, but it works.










3. Julia
Directed by Erick Zonca
This is one film not afraid of its leading lady and her mammoth performance. Zonca and company matches Ms. Swinton every step of the (batshit crazy) way.











2. The Messenger
Directed by Oren Moverman
A quiet, keenly observed human drama about three regular people dealing with the Iraq War. There are no grand pronouncements nor are any "messages" spelled out as obviously as in this film's generic cousin Up in the Air; this is just a smart movie whose strengths lie in the underplayed.










1. District 9
Directed by Neill Blomkamp
I still think is the best decription for District 9 (from my post honoring my favorite films of the decade): "I wanted to vomit. I wanted to cry. I wanted to laugh. I wanted to hide. I'm pretty sure I felt every possible human emotion throughout the course of District 9. I loved every minute of it."







And the Diva Cup Goes to: District 9

Nomination Tally:

9 Nominations
District 9
A Single Man

8 Nominations
Precious

7 Nominations
The Brothers Bloom
The Messenger

6 Nominations
(500) Days of Summer
Inglourious Basterds
Nine
Star Trek

5 Nominations
Adventureland

4 Nominations
An Education
In the Loop
The Informant!
Julia

3 Nominations
Away We Go
The Box
Jennifer's Body
Obsessed
[Rec]
Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself

2 Nominations
17 Again
Antichrist
Avatar
Drag Me to Hell
The Headless Woman
The Lovely Bones
Sunshine Cleaning
Twilight Saga: New Moon
Up

1 Nomination
La Belle Personne
Confessions of a Shopaholic
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Funny People
Grey Gardens
Julie & Julia
Moon
Ponyo

Win Tally:

4 Wins
District 9

3 Wins
The Brothers Bloom
Precious

2 Wins
Jennifer's Body
Obsessed

1 Win
Adventureland
Avatar
Drag Me to Hell
An Education
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Headless Woman
The Informant!
Julia
The Messenger
Nine
[Rec]
Twilight Saga: New Moon

2009 Diva Cup Awards: The Oscar Categories

Next up in my Diva Cup Awards are the traditional Oscar categories. I've decided to forgo explanations for my picks because, quite simply, I'm ready to move on from 2009 and can't be bothered to write a little quip about the makeup in Drag Me to Hell. If you're curious, though, feel free to leave a comment or drop me an e-mail. I always appreciate a friendly conversation with my (seven) readers.

Best Original Screenplay

(500) Days of Summer
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber














Adventureland
Greg Mottola














The Brothers Bloom
Rian Johnson













Jennifer's Body
Diablo Cody













The Messenger
Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman












And the Diva Cup Goes to: Jennifer's Body


Best Adapted Screenplay

District 9
Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell













In the Loop
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche














The Informant!
Scott Z. Burns













Julie & Julia
Nora Ephron














Precious
Geoffrey Fletcher












And the Diva Cup Goes to: Precious

Best Cinematography


Antichrist
Anthony Dod Mantle


District 9
Trent Opaloch


The Headless Woman
Bárbara Álvarez


[Rec]
Pablo Rosso


A Single Man
Eduard Grau


And the Diva Cup Goes to: [Rec]


Best Editing


District 9
Julian Clarke


Inglourious Basterds
Sally Menke


[Rec]
David Gallart


A Single Man
Joan Sobel


Sunshine Cleaning
Heather Persons

And the Diva Cup Goes to: District 9


Best Score



The Box
Win Butler, Régine Chassagne and Owen Pallett

The Informant!
Marvin Hamlisch



Ponyo
Joe Hisaishi



Star Trek
Michael Giacchino



Up
Michael Giacchino

And the Diva Cup Goes to: The Informant!


Best Song



La Belle Personne
'Comme la Pluie'
Music and lyrics by Alex Beaupain
Performed by Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet



Nine
'Cinema Italiano'
Music and lyrics by Maury Yeston
Performed by Kate Hudson



Nine
'Take It All'
Music and lyrics by Maury Yeston
Performed by Marion Cotillard

And the Diva Cup Goes to: Nine ('Take It All')


Best Art Direction


The Box
Priscilla Elliott


The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Francesca Maxwell


Precious
Matteo De Cosmo


A Single Man
Ian Phillips


Up

And the Diva Cup Goes to: The Fantastic Mr. Fox


Best Costume Design


(500) Days of Summer
Hope Hanafin


The Brothers Bloom
Beatrix Aruna Pasztor


Confessions of a Shopaholic
Patricia Field


Inglourious Basterds
Anna B. Sheppard


A Single Man
Arianne Phillips

And the Diva Cup Goes to: The Brothers Bloom

Best Sound

Avatar

The Box

District 9

Drag Me to Hell

Star Trek

And the Diva Cup Goes to: Drag Me to Hell


Best Makeup

District 9

Drag Me to Hell

Star Trek

And the Diva Cup Goes to: District 9


Best Visual Effects

Avatar

District 9

Star Trek

And the Diva Cup Goes to: Avatar

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