Across the Universe

A stunning homage to the powerful and timeless songs of the Beatles. Julie Taymor who has made a career in visually extravagant films (Titus, Frida) doesn't disappoint with her third feature. For anybody looking for something more than the homage will be disappointed. The story has been catered to the songs and goes from one classic to another. Fresh face Jim Sturgess plays the lead along with Evan Rachael Wood. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age

The sequel to "Elizabeth" came too late after nine years. It fails to impress on its own instead relies a lot of the far superior first part. Cate Blanchett returns as the virgin queen along with a line of other great actors in supporting roles. Despite the major age difference Ms. Blanchett pulls off the impossible and makes this queen shine and saves the film from a complete disaster. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

3:10 to Yuma

It's one of the more successful remakes since the original starring Van Heflin and Glenn Ford seems dated. However it suffers immensely by updating the story. First of all, having the Dan Evans character an artificial leg seems far fetched, specially in those time the technology was that advanced that we see Christian Bale walking around normal and jumping roofs. Secondly the empathy that Ben Wade (Russel Crowe) has at the end for Dan Evans feels false and compromises what a good film it could have been. Russel Crowe and Christian Bale are fine as the leads. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

American Gangster

The rise of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) and his fall through Richie Roberts (Russel Crowe) is subject to this solid film by Ridley Scott. However the film doesn't offer anything new we haven't already seen before in one of the most exploited genres in cinema. It reminds of other great but more superior films from the 70's. American Gangster can be seen more as an homage than creating a new classic. The film and performances are as good as you expect it from the A-list talent involved. However Scott plays it safe and doesn't take any risks. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

Michael Clayton

Tony Gilroy's excellent corporate thriller is another indication of the return of golden age of cinema along with other recent classics such as There Will Be Blood, No Country for Old Men and other great films in the last few years. The film shines a light on the corporate machinery and how they deal with internal problems. For many who wondered why nobody at ENRON did anything, this film might give some clues that the individual in the corporate world doesn't have many choices but a lot to loose. The excellent cast includes Tom Wilkenson and recent Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton along with the star George Clooney who continues to impress and deliver interesting and exciting work both behind and in front of the Camera. Gilroy who's responsible for the excellent Bourne Triology makes his feature debut that shows he can be as good as a director as he's a writer. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

Juno

What makes this film standout from the TV film of the week is the smart script that's void of cliches and brings an honest and complex depiction with genuine humor. The performances are all solid all around. Given that the screen writer Diablo Cody is new in the business explains the freshness that's eludes most veterans. She has been awarded an Academy Award, the highest honor in the industry, for her first script which is not bad either but expectations will be sky high on her future projects. YRCinema's coverage of current releases.

GUILD AWARDS 10: 80th Academy Awards (Oscar)

FILM 
ATONEMENT
JUNO
MICHAEL CLAYTON
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
THERE WILL BE BLOOD 

DIRECTOR
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY – Julian Schnabel
JUNO – Jason Reitman
MICHAEL CLAYTON – Tony Gilroy
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – Joel Coen/Ethan Coen
THERE WILL BE BLOOD – Paul Thomas Anderson

LEADING ACTOR
GEORGE CLOONEY – Michael Clayton
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS – There Will Be Blood
JOHNNY DEPP – Sweeny Todd
TOMMY LEE JONES – In The Valley Of Elah
VIGGO MORTENSEN – Eastern Promises

LEADING ACTRESS
CATE BLANCHETT – Elizabeth: The Golden Age
JULIE CHRISTIE – Away From Her
MARION COTILLARD – La Vie en Rose
LAURA LINNEY – The Savages
ELLEN PAGE – Juno

SUPPORTING ACTOR
CASEY AFFLECK – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
JAVIER BARDEM – No Country for Old Men
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN – Charlie Wilson’s War
HAL HALBROOK – Into The Wild
TOM WILKINSON – Michael Clayton

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
CATE BLANCHETT – I’m Not There
RUBY DEE – American Gangster
SAOIRSE RONAN – Atonement
AMY RYAN – Gone Baby Gone
TILDA SWINTON – Michael Clayton

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
JUNO – Diablo Cody
LARS AND THE REAL GIRL – Nancy Oliver
MICHAEL CLAYTON – Tony Gilroy
RATATOUILLE – Brad Bird
THE SAVAGES – Tamara Jenkins

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
ATONEMENT – Christopher Hampton
AWAY FROM HER – Sarah Polley
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY – Ronald Harwood
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – Joel Coen/Ethan Coen
THERE WILL BE BLOOD – Paul Thomas Anderson

FOREIGN FILM
BEAUFORT - ISRAEL
THE COUNTERFEITERS - AUSTRIA
KATYN - POLAND
MONGOL – KAZAKHSTAN
12 – RUSSIA

For more info: www.oscars.org

23rd INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS

FEATURE FILM
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
I'm Not There
Juno
A Mighty Heart
Paranoid Park

ACTRESS
Angelina Jolie, A Mighty Heart
Sienna Miller, Interview
Ellen Page, Juno
Parker Posey, Broken English
Wei Tang, Lust, Caution

ACTOR
Pedro Castaneda, August Evening
Don Cheadle, Talk to Me
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Savages
Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Lust, Caution
Frank Langella, Starting Out in the Evening

DIRECTOR
Todd Haynes, I'm Not There

Tamara Jenkins, The Savages

Jason Reitman, Juno

Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Gus Van Sant, Paranoid Park

Chicago 10

Brett Morgen follows his fantastic "The Kid Stays in the Picture" with another genre bending film that mixes archival footage with animation in this documentary about the 1968 riots at the Democratic Convention in Chicago. Instead of talking heads telling you what happened, Morgen lets you have a first hand experience that tells the story surrounding the events and the trial that happened. There are a lot relevant themes to todays events but also shows a different America from what it has become. He also adds contemporary music such as rap and it works just fine. The mix of documentary footage and animation works just fine. It's an important and entertaining film which is not an easy accomplishment. YRCinema's coverage of upcoming releases.

Jodhaa Akbar

Ashutosh Gowariker continues to prove that he's one of the best directors in Bollywood with his third feature after Lagaan and Swades. He also changes genres easily with each film and gets the best out of major talents. Jodhaa Akbar is an epic love story that has a solid story and romance that will sweep audiences of their feet world wide with an equally potent and important message. It's a deserving prequel to the classic "Mughal-e-Azam". The stars Aishwarya Rai and Hrithick Roshan are perfectly cast and shine as the lead roles. The film does have minor flaws but are forgiven. YRCinema's coverage of current releases.

Married Life

The latest film from Ira Sachs (Forty Shades of Blue) is a misfire due to the tone and miscasting of an important role. The story is potent and could have pulled off like the much superior "Far From Heaven" but it fails because the tone is off. It should have been a comedy with drama weaved seamlessly instead you get an uneven mess which is bad for the actors such as Chris Cooper and Patricia Clarkson who do their best to keeps things real. However the miscasting of Pierce Brosnan is the deadly blow to the film. He doesn't fit one bit in the period piece. He looks more like 1990's than 1940's. He's the weakest link in the film, specially when Cooper, Clarkson and Rachel McAdams in a Kim Novak mode morph wonderfully into their characters. It's one of the films that could have been great but turned out less; hence why it will be released in March instead of the fall.
YRCinema's coverage of upcoming releases.

GUILD AWARDS 9: British Academy Awards (BAFTA)

FILM
AMERICAN GANGSTER – Brian Grazer/Ridley Scott
ATONEMENT – Tim Bevan/Eric Fellner/Paul Webster
THE LIVES OF OTHERS – Quirin Berg/Max Wiedemann
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – Scott Rudin/Joel Coen/Ethan Coen
THERE WILL BE BLOOD – JoAnne Sellar/Paul Thomas Anderson/Daniel Lupi

DIRECTOR
ATONEMENT – Joe Wright

THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM – Paul Greengrass

THE LIVES OF OTHERS – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – Joel Coen/Ethan Coen

THERE WILL BE BLOOD – Paul Thomas Anderson

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
AMERICAN GANGSTER – Steven Zaillian

JUNO – Diablo Cody

THE LIVES OF OTHERS – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

MICHAEL CLAYTON – Tony Gilroy

THIS IS ENGLAND – Shane Meadows

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
ATONEMENT – Christopher Hampton

THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY – Ronald Harwood

THE KITE RUNNER – David Benioff

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – Joel Coen/Ethan Coen

THERE WILL BE BLOOD – Paul Thomas Anderson

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY – Julian Schnabel

THE KITE RUNNER – Marc Foster

THE LIVES OF OTHERS – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

LUST, CAUTION – Ang Lee

LA VIE EN ROSE – Olivier Dahan

LEADING ACTOR
GEORGE CLOONEY – Michael Clayton

DANIEL DAY-LEWIS – There Will Be Blood

JAMES McAVOY – Atonement

VIGGO MORTENSEN – Eastern Promises

ULRICH MÜHE – The Lives of Others

LEADING ACTRESS
CATE BLANCHETT – Elizabeth: The Golden Age

JULIE CHRISTIE – Away From Her

MARION COTILLARD – La Vie en Rose

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY – Atonement

ELLEN PAGE – Juno

SUPPORTING ACTOR
JAVIER BARDEM – No Country for Old Men

PAUL DANO – There Will Be Blood

TOMMY LEE JONES – No Country for Old Men

PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN – Charlie Wilson’s War

TOM WILKINSON – Michael Clayton

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
CATE BLANCHETT – I’m Not There

KELLY MACDONALD – No Country for Old Men

SAMANTHA MORTON – Control

SAOIRSE RONAN – Atonement

TILDA SWINTON – Michael Clayton

For further info: http://static.bafta.org/

GUILD AWARDS 8: Sound Guild (CAS)

Best Sound
"No Country for Old Men"
"Transformers"
"300"
"The Bourne Ultimatum"
"Into the Wild"

FESTIVAL 4: Berlin, Germany

One of the top three festivals in the World (the others being Cannes and Venice) is more serious and political than the others. However due to its time slot, it doesn't get the big films that Cannes gets. Instead Berlin gets to pick from big Hollywood films that gets released late in the year for Award considerations. It's the only one of the three festivals open to the public.

COMPETITION
The Elite Squad, Brazil, Jose Padilha (GOLDEN BEAR)
In Love We Trust, China, Wang Xiaoshuai (SCRIPT)
Black Ice, Finland-Germany, Petri Kotwica
I've Loved You So Long, France-Germany, Philippe Claudel
Julia, France, Erick Zonca
Lady Jane, France, Robert Guediguian
Blood Cherries, Germany, Doris Doerrie
Heart of Fire, Germany-Italy-Austria, Luigi Falorni
Sparrow, Hong Kong, Johnnie To
The Song of Sparrows, Iran, Majid Majidi (ACTOR)
Restless, Israel-Germany-Canada-France-Belgium, Amos Kollek
Quiet Chaos, Italy, Antonello Grimaldi
Kabei: Our Mother, Japan, Yoji Yamada
Night and Day, South Korea, Hong Sang-soo
Lake Tahoe, Mexico, Fernando Eimbcke (Alfred Bauer Prize)
Gardens of the Night, U.K.-U.S., Damian Harris
Happy-Go-Lucky, U.K., Mike Leigh (ACTRESS)
Ballast, U.S., Lance Hammer
Elegy, U.S., Isabel Coixet
S.O.P. Standard Operating Procedure, U.S., Errol Morris (SILVER BEAR)
There Will Be Blood, U.S., Paul Thomas Anderson (DIRECTOR, MUSIC)

OUT OF COMPETITION
Katyn, Poland, Andrzej Wajda
Be Kind Rewind, U.S., Michel Gondry, CLOSER
Fireflies in the Garden, U.S., Dennis Lee
The Other Boleyn Girl, U.S.-U.K., Justin Chadwick
Shine a Light, U.S.-U.K., Martin Scorsese, OPENER

PANORAMA: SPECIAL
La rabia, Argentina, Albertina Carri
Revanche, Austria, Goetz Spielmann
What No One Knows, Denmark-Sweden, Soren Kragh-Jacobsen
The Feelings Factory, France-Belgium, Jean-Marc Moutout
Chiko, Germany, Ozgur Yildirim
Love and Other Crimes, Germany-Serbia-Austria-Slovenia, Stefan Arsenijevic
3 Women, Iran, Manijeh Hekmat
Lemon Tree, Israel-Germany-France, Eran Riklis (AUDIENCE)
Sonetaula, Italy, Salvatore Mereu
Beautiful, South Korea, Juhn Jai-hong
Before Fall, Spain, Javier Gutierrez
Transsiberian, Spain-Germany-U.K.-Lithuania, Brad Anderson
Soul of a Demon, Taiwan, Chang Tso-chi
Filth and Wisdom, U.K., Madonna
Sleep Dealer, U.S.-Mexico, Alex Rivera

For more info: http://www.berlinale.de

FESTIVAL 3: Göteborg , Sweden

Göteborg International Film Festival is working to spread valuable film from all over the world to an audience as broad as possible. The festival also wants to contribute to a creative and extensive discussion about the film as an artistic means of expression.

The Nordic Film Award
Let the Right One in by Tomas Alfredson, Sweden 2008

The FIPRESCI Award
Go With Peace Jamil by Omar Shargawi, Denmark 2008

The Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award
Solitary Fragments by Jaime Rosales, Spain 2008


For more info: https://www.filmfestival.org

FESTIVAL 2: Rotterdam, Holland

The International Film Festival Rotterdam offers a quality selection of worldwide independent, innovative and experimental cinema and visual arts. Devoted to actively supporting independent filmmaking from around the globe, IFFR is the essential hub in Holland for discovering film talent, for catching premieres, and for exploring its competitions, main sections of recent feature films, short films and documentaries, visual arts exhibitions, theme sections and debates.

VPRO Tiger Awards Winners 2008:
Wonderful Town by Aditya Assarat, Thailand, 2007
Go with Peace Jamil by Omar Shargawi, Denmark, 2008
Flower in the Pocket by Liew Seng Tat, Malaysia, 2007

Dioraphte Award:
Mutum by Sandra Kogut, Brazil, France, 2007

FIPRESCI Award:
The Sky, the Earth and the Rain by José Luis Torres Leiva, Chili/France/Germany, 2008


For more info: http://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com