Casting Corner
Reynolds and Witherspoon's, Wiig and Stiller's new projects


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• Ryan Reynolds and Reese Witherspoon are attached to a Tim Burton-produced biopic called Big Eyes. The film is based on the lives of Walter and Margaret Keane. Walter Keane was a popular artist in the 1950s, but became the center of a scandal once the couple divorced and it became apparent Margaret had done all the paintings herself. Reynolds seems an odd choice as he has done little to impress in the few dramatic roles he's had.
• Ben Stiller has landed a leading lady for his remake of the classic The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Stiller will direct and play the title character and Kristen Wiig will star opposite him. Mitty is about a squirrely magazine photo manager at a magazine who goes in search of a missing negative and finds adventure. Wiig is one of Hollwood's hottest talents. She just finished shooting Imogene, and has two more films planned for 2012 so far: Revenge for Jolly! and The Comedian, which co-stars Robert DeNiro and is directed by Sean Penn.
• Dylan Kidd has his hopes set on some impressive talent for his new film, Get a Job. Kidd burst onto the scene in 2002 with Rodger Dodger, which starred a then-unknown Jesse Eisenberg. He has done little since so hopefully Get a Job puts him back on the map. Variety reports no deals are in place but offers are out to Anna Kendrick, Bryan Cranston, and Miles Teller. Eisenberg and Jay Pharoah may be in the mix for smaller roles as well. The Get a Job script has been on the Black List for a while and involves a story about recent college grads struggling for work after graduation. (Thanks to Slashfilm).

Blu-Ray of the Week
50/50

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen star in Jonathan Levine's semi-autobiographical comic drama about a young man who is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. The character is based on Levine and draws from his friends' and family's real-life reactions to the news. Gordon-Levitt is great as Adam, a realist who continues his life as best as he knows how after learning he may die soon. His best friend Kyle (Rogen) tells him his 50/50 odds of living would be the best at any casino. Rogen is funny and likable as Adam's stalwart buddy and the funniest scenes come after Adam's girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) breaks up with him and Rogen chastizes her. Anna Kendrick is also terrific as Adam's young therapist trying to help him through it.

50/50 (2011)
Directed by: Jonathan Levine
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogan, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, Angelica Huston, Philip Baker-Hall






2012 Oscar Nods and Predictions
Nominations Announced!


(images via iMDB)

The 2012 Academy Award nominations were announced Tuesday morning at 5:30am PST. It's been an exceptional year for film, which made the 2012 nominations harder than usual to predict. Let's take a look at the nominations in the main categories.

Best Picture
The Artist
The Descendants
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life 
The Help
War Horse 
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

I did not have Extremely Loud on my ballot, opting instead for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The Stephen Daldry film was an Oscar front-runner months ago but a lukewarm critical reception left me with doubts. The biggest surprise was the nomination of The Tree of Life, which many Oscar pundits had on the outside looking in despite its Palme d'Or win at Cannes earlier this year. Kudos to the Academy for getting it right. The field of nine is impressive (although I hated War Horse and The Help) and I see six of the films as deserving winners. Nevertheless, this is a three-horse race between The Artist, The Descendants, and Hugo.
My pick: The Artist

Best Director:
Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist
Alexander Payne- The Descendants
Martin Scorsese - Hugo
Woody Allen - Midnight in Paris
Terence Malick - The Tree of Life

Hallelujah! The Academy defied all odds and nominated genuine auteur Malick for Best Director over the likes of Daldry, David Fincher, Bennett Miller and Steven Spielberg! This was my favorite surprise as The Tree of Life was the most original and ambitious film of 2011. This category will go hand in hand with Best Picture as usual and, sadly, The Tree of Life is an underdog for the marquee category. I can see Hazanavicius, Payne, or Scorsese all winning, but I really think it's The Artist's year.
My pick: Hazanavicius

Best Actor
Jean Dujardin - The Artist
George Clooney - The Descendants
Brad Pitt - Moneyball
Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Demian Bichir  - A Better Life

Michael Fassbender was my prediction for the fifth slot here, although I thought Michael Shannon's performance in Take Shelter was more deserving. Bichir was the surprise nominee at the Screen Actor's Guild (SAG) nominations and he rode that headwind into an Oscar nod. He has no chance, however, as this is Clooney's category to lose. Pitt and Dujardin have outside shots with Oldman and Bichir the underdogs. It's about time the Academy recognized Oldman, who, incredibly, had never been nominated.
My pick: Clooney

Best Actress
Viola Davis - The Help
Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams - My Week with Marilyn
Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs
Rooney Mara - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I had Tilda Swinton's We Need to Talk About Kevin performance over Mara's, but Mara is just as deserving. The four other nominees were predictable. Swinton was nominated by the SAG, but the Academy went the opposite direction this time. Despite Streep's Golden Globe win, Davis remains the front-runner here. Either could easily win, but my money is on Davis.
My pick: Davis

Best Supporting Actor
Christopher Plummer - Beginners
Kenneth Branagh - My Week with Marilyn
Nick Nolte - Warrior
Jonah Hill - Moneyball
Max Von Sydow - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

One of the biggest surprises was the Academy's snub of Albert Brooks for Drive. The violent Nicolas Winding Refn movie was snubbed in every category despite being, arguably, one of the best films of the year. The SAG did snub Brooks as well, but critics everywhere had his as one of the best supporting performances of the year. Typically, the Academy rewards actors going off-type (see: Hill, Jonah). The rest of the field is solid, even Hill, who surprised many with his tight, nuanced performance in Moneyball. This one is over already though as Plummer will win.
My pick: Plummer

Best Supporting Actress
Octavia Spencer - The Help
Berenice Bejo - The Artist
Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs
Jessica Chastain - The Help
Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids

Another nomination that will shock most casual movie-goers is McCarthy's. Her over-the-top and great performance in Bridesmaids gained real steam after her SAG nomination and she too, will be in attendence on Oscar night. I had predicted The Descendants' Shailene Woodley over McCarthy, but was pleasantly surprised when the nominations came out. McCarthy deserves it, and comedic performances, in general, deserve more acclaim. Unfortunately, Spencer has had this one locked up for months.
My pick: Spencer