As we quickly move closer to this Sunday’s 82nd Annual Academy Awards and the Academy seals its suspenseful white envelopes, we wanted to take a minute to pay respect to the efforts of our users and the community Tomatometer.
All year long, users just like you have been rating movies, crafting reviews, and creating quote worthy one liners on the year’s most celebrated films. We paddled through a boatload of your reviews and decided to list each category’s movies according to your community Tomatometer, while treating you, our faithful users, as our in-house critics with your very own critic pull quotes here on RT.
We mentioned yesterday in our Oscar poll that our Editor-in-Chief Matt Atchity will be attending the Oscars and providing live Twitter updates you can find on our Awards Tour page and on Twitter, where you can follow us as we walk you through not only the Oscars, but Tomatometers and other movie fun – 140 characters at a time. For the first time on RT, using your Facebook account, you can hang out with us (ok, and each other) while you’re watching the show at home during the broadcast, with your trusty RT Oscar ballot in your lap as you scream out “Booyakasha!” to a room filled with awkward silence after each correct prediction like it was 2006.
This year’s Golden Tomato Award winner in the Wide Release category, Up was rated highest out of this year’s ten nominees by members of RT’s community. Luke Bettencourt said “Up is what you’d expect: Another Pixar masterpiece.” RT founder Senh Duong (The Senhman) said that the film “reminds me of a Miyazaki film,” while Joey Pickles seemed to find broad appeal for the film, saying “I’m not a big animation guy, but Up really struck a nerve in me.” Since Toy Story, the Disney/Pixar (Dixar?) collabo has no doubt spawned a loyal following, like prkprkprk who called the Up “The best Pixar film since, well, the last Pixar film!” And with all of its animated flare, super reviewer bondfreak ultimately calls Up “A massive roller coaster of emotions and one incredible journey that is something special.” With high ratings and reviews across the board, Up‘s community T-meter stands tallest amongst this year’s Best Picture nominees.
If there is a front runner in this year’s Best Picture race, it could be Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker, which took Up in the Air‘s early momentum and doubled it through the second half of Awards season. And as many a strength and conditioning coach has preached, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. Clearly, it’s a war movie, but Nbrush comments that “there have been so many war movies, but this movie is more about the inner turmoil of the soldiers in this bomb squad.” Kristoffer K. praises the film’s realistic perspective when he says, “War is hell, and this movie does a perfect job expressing that,” and Jazza923 calls the film “Disturbing, thought provoking and unforgettable.” With its gritty take on the Iraq War, Ambrish Gokuldas says of Locker, “I think it will be the best war movie ever made in our times.” The film certainly has its share of momentum and as the Academy tallies the votes to see if it will be named Best Picture, Ryan F. calls it “Hands down the best film of 2009. The best war film since Black Hawk Down.”
One of the biggest surprises of this year’s nominations has to be the story of Baltimore Ravens lineman Michael Oher’s path to the NFL in The Blind Side. The film proved extremely durable at the box office through the holiday season and performed well with critics. The Statistician appreciated the story’s origins, “This is not the best movie ever. This isn’t even the best movie of this year. But it is a true story. And that alone makes it beyond words, for me.” Though Blind Side is a sports movie that comes with an expected story arc, Johnny R. still calls it “a movie that I’d recommend to just about anyone despite its overbearing cliches” and Splitter goes as far as to call it “one of the most layered titles of the year.” A fan of the film, “the strong acting throughout and realistic dialogue make this a worth-seeing (though not can’t-miss) film” for StonedMagician99. Like many moviegoers who might have found the movie to be a surprise, Mr. Art-Atrocity recounts his experience: “I have never been so unexpectedly pleased while eating a cinnamon pretzel.”
Another movie hailed by both critics and the RT community alike was An Education, which seemed to thrust its star Carey Mulligan into the spotlight this year in her role as a precocious teenage British schoolgirl. Pezgirrll says of the film, “Top notch acting and the story unfolds in a perfectly paced and precise way so as to really draw you in, leaving you guessing how it will turn out til the very end.” Most users praise the coming of age film’s storyline, with Philip B. calling the film a “refreshingly simple and totally absorbing story that captures the period beautifully.” Zeppo1 echoes Philip B.’s thoughts, “It captures wonderfully a time and place and its script is tight and breezy.” And while fewer moviegoers have likely seen An Education compared to other Best Picture nominees, Doug P. assures us, “the overall film was very deserving of the recognition it’s gotten.”
One of RT’s most talked about and reviewed movies this year is director Neill Blomkamp’s District 9, a film that many were pleasantly surprised to see get nominated. Gio describes the unorthodox alien flick as “a gore fest, shaky documentary, stunning sci-fi and drama all in one, here is the first sci-fi splatter drama in ten years that can be considered a masterpiece.” Om3ga gravitated towards the film’s unique perspective – “Everything about District 9 is different, from the unfamiliar surroundings of Johannesburg as the focal point of this alien encounter, to the absence of Hollywood stars.” Frequent Critics Consensus commenter King Crunk spoke for the sci-fi fans in attendance by declaring, “That is what great sci-fi is about, more than the cool technology and creatures, more than explosions and action, but about something a little deeper.” And for the non-Sci-fi fans, we have Dr. Gonzo representing and saying, “Not much of a sci-fi fan, but wow this movie was amazing.”
Bursting into awards season with arguably more momentum than just about any movie was Up in the Air. With all the awards talk around the movie before the masses had even seen it, Joe K. notes, “The hype around this movie is pretty ridiculous, but well deserved.” Jamasianman agrees, “Led by strong performances, Up in the Air is as good as everyone says.” Our pen-named user Nomdeplume Dematante calls the movie “an odd film, in the way It’s a Wonderful Life is an odd film.” Up in the Air certainly came out at a difficult economic time and Dean B. believes “no film in recent memory has captured the zeitgeist, the absolutely dead-on, of-the-moment reality of how we live–our hopes, our dreams, our regrets, our kindnesses, and–in the lovely final shots–our questions about what we should do next.” Well put, Dean B.
With one of the most passionate fanbases of any of this year’s nominees, Inglourious Basterds may not have seen its share of award wins this season, but that hasn’t stopped RT’s community from raving about Quentin Tarantino’s take on killing Nazis. Despite his username, we think Sarcastic Man is being serious when he warns, “The brutality is off the scale. It’s insane. Do not watch this movie if you do not have a good stomach because you will puke.” Our wildlife dwelling reviewer MovieMoose certainly found a lot to like in Basterds – “Superb acting, incredible plot, plenty of laughs, plenty of gore, intelligent script, EVERYTHING about this movie was ABSOLUTELY amazing.” Apparently, great minds think alike, because Mr. White also failed to find much to fault in the film, saying “At first I was gonna give it a 9… until I realized there is absolutely NOTHING to pick about. This film delivers in all manners of the word.” And ultimately, while Keith Fierro calls the movie “Ostentatious, stupid fun,” it seems clear that Basterds made quite the impression on our community. thirdman sums it up by saying, “Inglourious Basterds is wonderfully scripted, fantastically acted, beautifully directed and it ends up being one of the most memorable movies you could see this year.”
From Sundance to the Oscars, Precious has made an impression in a big way on critics and audiences alike with its breakout performances and designation as one of the more emotionally challenging films to get nominated this year. Lurohamey praises the film’s gritty take on the life of Claireece “Precious” Jones, “Now THIS is what I’m talking about: life being messy, unresolved, painful, uplifting, but – check this out – NOT Hollywood.” While many of us have heard that Precious is one of the more difficult movies of the year to watch, Tom W. assures us, “There’s a certain style to Precious that makes the content significantly more watchable than it would initially sound.” Allie W calls the film “an exceptional movie that should be seen by everyone” and Christopher Small echoes Allie’s take on the movie when he says “Precious is a rare film: one that drives narrative with performance.” Though the movie strikes an emotional chord with most everyone who has seen it, Dustin D. calls Precious “One of the most moving and ultimately triumphant films I’ve ever seen.”
Late last year, there was a little movie about a beautifully green planet filled with nature loving blue aliens that fought to save their home from the capitalistic, dirty hands of filthy humans. This little known, mildly promoted, and seldom talked about movie would turn out to be the highest grossing blockbuster of all time. Of course, this movie is Avatar, a movie Anton B. describes as “a mix between Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and the recent Star Trek film.” On the flipside, Brent C. simply describes the Na’vi flick as “Pure sex on screen! It was phenomenal!” (well put, Brent) RT’s resident Psycho Manana Banana Man calls Avatar “an interesting story full of barely disguised moral issues which are happening every day in our climate, and breathtaking action sequences which are all astonishingly executed.” However, as its lower Community Tomatometer would suggest, not everyone was enamored by their trip to Pandora. Tom W. bravely observes, “Ironically for a film boasting state-of-the art 3D animation James Cameron has successfully put together one of the most 2D collection of characters possible.” Any movie of this magnitude will always have its detractors and skeptics, but Zylowen proves that even they can be won over – “I expected to have a mediocre opinion of the film, and instead I left the theater in awe.”
Far behind the rest of the nominees in terms of community T-meter is the Coen Brothers’ A Serious Man. The film itself has yet to take home a major award this season and users like TerreF15 seem at peace with the idea that this might not be the year for the Coens: “Most likely they [The Coen Brothers] will not win with there being ten nominations this year, but I’m glad to see it got some recognition.” Though it was a limited release and, as a result, not a huge commercial success, Jennifer’s picks & pans still found the movie to be a success in its own right, saying “in an era where Hollywood seems to stifle creativity and artistic freedom it’s nice to see some visionary filmmakers are unafraid to do what they want.” Sharing the namesake of The Hills sweetheart Lauren Conrad, LC was ultimately disappointed in the film and said, “No matter how certainly the film is crafted well, there is that rather inevitable, foreign feel that lurks that forged it to succumb to failure.” But Coen Brothers fans, like Steven G., who says that the movie “ranks as one of the Coen’s best in my mind and that’s a list that includes some of the best movies ever made,” can find a lot to like in Best Picture nominee.
The clear front runner for the Best Director award this year has to be Kathryn Bigelow, and based off community Tomatometer, it would appear that her work has far and away won the respect of our users. Alex G. says, “Kathryn Bigelow achieves what few are able to; make a war film that is unbiased, suspenseful and emotionally draining.” It was not hard to find users impressed with Bigelow’s work; manofthemovie16 was impressed with her ability to direct “with a startling immediacy, pulling you directly into the film’s action and conflict as well as pummeling you with situation after situation of fever pitch life-and-death tension,” and Greg Dragon appreciates how the film was shot to keep “the audience centered on the important things.” William Crotty praises Bigelow’s ability to mix “just the right amount of drama, action, and even a little bit of horror together.”
After Juno and Thank You For Smoking, Jason Reitman undoubtedly faced high expectations with Up in the Air. And in Nick Fancher‘s mind, he delivered. “Jason Reitman goes three for three in this near-perfect drama that so expertly captures the face of the working America and its fight for relevance and survival.” Aided by strong performances by its leads, David H. believes, “In the hands of any other director, Up in the Air may have fallen flat. But because Reitman is so young, he is able to nail what human connection is like today.” Touching on Reitman’s ability to take otherwise bleak situations and apply an approachable human touch, Marten L. says that Reitman “takes what many would consider to be a bad situation and turns it into some kind of chicken soup that the everyman can watch over and over again.” Ultimately, our geometric community critic boxman sums it up by saying, “Reitman has delivered another deeply entertaining, charismatic, and involving comedy that sprinkles in potent human drama.”
While the conversation for Best Director this year has been largely dominated by The Hurt Locker‘s Kathryn Bigelow and Avatar‘s James Cameron, there is certainly a vocal bunch of RT users that would not be upset to see Quentin Tarantino take home the Best Director award. Amardeep i. describes Basterds as a “Tarantino-style bloody revenge drama on the backdrop of Nazi occupied France.” Edward G. Shmails thinks the movie “demonstrates Tarantino’s talent right from the start” and Lundgren D. believes “Quentin really did something special here.” While we won’t question the subconscious thoughts of our users, jedimasterjessamyn takes the praise for the director one step further, “Dear Quentin Tarantino, thank you for fulfilling my innermost fantasies and making all of my dreams come true.” With much of the talk around the film being about its use of violence, Seasonson defends the director and asks, “Tarantino is a master. Some say too violent, but this is a Tarantino film so what do you expect?”
A relative newcomer to the scene compared to his fellow Best Director nominees, Lee Daniels made an impression on RT users with his realistic, painful, yet hopeful view on a world that few of us see on a day to day basis. Bill T. praises Daniels’ ability to walk the fine line that made Precious so memorable, saying “Director Lee Daniels has directed a wonderfully balanced film that never sugarcoats the pain Precious suffers yet gives her many opportunities to dream, to laugh and to rebuild her crumbling life.” J Callowell might give Daniels his highest praise, especially when the film’s stars have won and been nominated for so many accolades, by saying, “Perhaps the most compelling thing about Precious is that director Lee Daniels offers a glimpse at the life of an individual, not society in general.” But not all opinions of Daniels’ direction are positive, as Salty Gritts calls his direction “a mixed bag, he has a tendency to linger too long in some places and not long enough in others, and his pacing is suspect at points during the middle third of the film.” In the end, it’s the brutally honest storytelling that helped Precious put such an impression on viewers, and bondfreak reflects this idea by saying, “Director Lee Daniels and writer Geoffrey Fletcher take you to a world that you know exists, but you hope never to end up in.”
With a win at the Golden Globes, the prospects of James Cameron taking home Best Director honors on Sunday does not seem at all out of the question – some would even say likely. And while it is not unthinkable that former Vice President nominee John Edwards would be writing reviews on RT, we’ll assume it’s a clever screen name. Either way, he says of Cameron, “His ability to find the actors he needs to portray the parts is remarkable, but also getting his ensemble cast to perform them with great ability speaks very highly of his ability to direct a fantastic picture.” Inevitably, any conversation about Avatar has to include at least some mention of the film’s effects and Marto says “Cameron drops you at a breathtaking pace into the world of his imagination, and what a world!” And of course, it has been well documented that the film cost more than a couple trips to the Coinstar machine and took many moons to get made, and ultimately, Jaden N. believes “the time and money James Cameron spent on this film were definitely worth it.” For Cameron fans, of which there are definitely many more these days, Jarrad F. speaks loud and clear when he says, “While this film is fantastic, it makes me sad that until the next time James Cameron makes a movie we will all have to watch ‘regular movies.'”
With all the stellar performances in The Hurt Locker, it’d be tough for any one actor to stand out, yet Jeremy Renner managed to have all eyes on him as he played the complicated and adrenaline addicted Sergeant William James. Red Fox was clearly impressed by his performance, saying “Jeremy Renner delivers a visceral performance, amid a sea of fantastic performances by the rest of the cast. The scene where Renner’s character breaks down in the shower stall is one of the most riveting I have seen in (quite literally) YEARS!” Nick C. also recognizes Renner’s ability to stand out in a challenging role: “There are more than three people in this film, but you will not be blamed if you only pay attention to Renner. It is difficult to imagine a performance more challenging than one which requires the actor to convey complete sincerity in his boredom and angst.” However, not everyone was blown away by Renner’s performance, like Big Head who says, “Renner delivers an understated performance and while it won’t launch him to superstar status, it definitely will earn him an opportunity to keep working.” Keep working as an Oscar nominee, he surely will.
Nearly sweeping the Best Actor honors this season, Jeff Bridges’ performance in Crazy Heart has been one of the most celebrated roles of the year. While the film performed well with critics and our users overall, it’s Bridges’ performance that stole the spotlight. virharding says of the veteran actor, “The hype on Crazy Heart seems to center on Jeff Bridges’ performance. Sure, I’ll give you that; he’s totally convincing as a crude, whiskey-breathed, guitar-strumming loser.” Though the Academy would never award individuals based on lifetime achievements, Bill D 2007 hopes this will be Bridges’ year: “Let’s hope this is Bridges’ Oscar year at last. It’s been a long time coming. Perfectly coiffed movie stars like George Clooney and Brad Pitt get all the attention, but Bridges has put out vastly more interesting material than they have for 25 years running.” Matt Scieszka also praises the actor’s adaptable talents, saying “Bridges has an ease that really pulls us in and makes us forget he is playing a part.” Even the Rotten Tomatoes Show’s own Ellen Fox couldn’t resist Bridges’ charms: “Charming, beer-bellied, I could watch him take a piss by a deserted roadside and feel like I’m getting my money’s worth.”
In what ranks as one of George Clooney’s most celebrated performances of his career, RT’s community members seemed to agree with critics who not only nominated, but awarded Clooney for his backpack toting performance of an emotionally detached, but extremely well-traveled corporate reorganizer. hYPE “went there” and admits, “It’s a total clich� but I have to say it. This was a role Clooney was meant to play.” And though “Clooney has played the cool, confident character before,” Bill T. recognizes that he’s never done so “with this kind of arc or depth.” Also impressed with Clooney’s brand of cool is Benny Blanco, who calls him “a breath of fresh air in this romantic black comedy,” while Hayden M. recognizes his performance as “fantastic.” Though Clooney’s momentum appears to have been taken by Jeff Bridges of late, his performance is still hailed as one of the best of the year by critics and RT’s community alike.
Though fewer moviegoers saw limited release A Single Man, those who did have been left largely impressed with Colin Firth’s sobering, but powerful performance in the Tom Ford film. ARileyL was impressed with Firth’s ability to embrace “having a role that is the complete driving force of the movie.” And though Kirk Pearson refers to A Single Man as “tragedy porn at its best,” he says “Firth’s performance is realistic. It’s also quite depressing. The most effective film I’ve seen reflecting the melancholy of day-to-day life since American Beauty.” Even those not inclined to like Firth, like Paolo Sardinas, admits “Firth, whose films I never enjoyed, delivers something truly unique in his depressed English professor.” Despite its smaller audience, Rob B. believes that Firth “deserves all the praise he has received for this role.”
Teaming up with Clint Eastwood again, Morgan Freeman’s portrayal of Nelson Mandela returned the talented actor to a leading role. The Mad Prophet appreciates that “Morgan Freeman is really nothing less than brilliant as usual. Instead of spoon-feeding an explanation to their audience, the director and the actor both dally with the personal problems between Mandela and his family, without enlarging them to dominate the film’s story.” Jake Mc says that “Morgan Freeman acted with meaning and near-perfection” in his portrayal of the South African President and Daniel Tucker is impressed that Freeman “doesn’t overact, but instead plays his part rather naturally.” While this year’s awards would make Freeman a clear long shot for the Best Actor award behind performances from Renner, Bridges, and Clooney, RT’s community still recognizes a good performance when they see one.
Largely trading wins with Meryl Streep this season is Sandra Bullock, who delivered what many believe to be the strongest performance of her career in The Blind Side. Keeping it real is Nikhil A., “I thought she delivered a spot on performance and made this film what it was. Not to mention she looked HOT.” Rriter says that The Blind Side benefits from an “Oscar moving performance by Bullock that has your eyes watering from both a funny and sincere way.” Ultimately, Steven M. took it a step further and believes that The Blind Side “rests on the back of Sandra and her remarkable performance.” So will Bullock take home the Oscar for the movie that showed such surprising staying power throughout the holiday season though she stares straight into the awards magnet Streep? We’ll find out on Sunday!
Fresh off a Best Actress win at the BAFTAs, Carey Mulligan has largely shared the spotlight with Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock in this year’s actress race. Though she has been in a number of television shows, most of the movie watching community was introduced to her through her breakout role in An Education, so much so that Blitz asks “Where did Carey Mulligan come from? She’s like a new and improved version of Katie Holmes!” Impressed by her ability to connect with the story, Rodstar says, “You can feel her brimming over like a freshly popped bottle of Moet as the older Peter Sarsgaard (always brilliant) sweeps her off her feet.” Speaking for all of those who saw the movie, Diego C. admits “I did fall for Carey Mulligan, just like everyone else.” And despite his love for her performance, Anthony M. concedes what he feels will be an Oscar defeat for the young star: “Carey Mulligan should win the Oscar (though Sandra Bullock is going to).”
In the year’s most celebrated breakout role, Gabourey Sidibe’s performance as a hopeful sixteen year old pregnant with her second child in a hopeless situation in Precious helped the movie become the critical success that it was this year. Jeff S.C. says that Sidibe “plays the lead perfectly” as the film’s focal point. And while Sidibe hasn’t so far been able to nab any awards outside of those specific to “breakout”-type roles, Marten L. believes, “Of the potentially nominated actresses that I’ve seen up for awards this season, she goes above and beyond any of them.” Ut’s because of Sidibe that Aaron J. is able to describe and characterize Precious as “Beyond powerful drama, a riveting and heartbreaking lead performance.”
With its beyond talented cast, The Last Station may not have been a commercial success as a limited release, but Helen Mirren’s performance was certainly not missed by critics and RT’s community alike. sam48 m. says of her performance, “Mirren keeps the film alive with her moments of ferociousness, frustration and romantic idealism. We never doubt her love for her husband.” And even those less than thrilled with the overall film, like mothrover, still took notice of her performance in saying, “Histrionic performances by Mirren and Giamatti balance McAvoy and Plummer’s nervous and put upon characters for the duration of this too long movie.” Ali Akbar enthusiastically proclaims, “Helen Mirren’s acting is really powerful. The cast is near to perfect!!” And while this year’s nominees all seem to be honored to be nominated alongside Mirren, the chances of her taking home Best Actress appear to be slim, though any of her fellow nominees would likely be more than gracious to see the veteran take home the award.
One of the clear front runners for this year’s Best Actress category should come as no surprise to any moviegoer. Meryl Streep’s portrayal of Julia Child is one of this year’s most recognized on-screen performances. halimali “loved the way she portrayed the character of Julia with her look, voice and body language. Amy was good too for her role but the award winning role is for Meryl here.” Catherine S. declares, “It was like she was born to play her. She even got the accent down right!” Antonis believes that Streep stole the whole movie, saying the “film would have been nowhere close to good if it weren’t for the amazing performance of Meryl Streep. Her part is all that stays in mind after the rolling credits.”
Taking the attention away from the talented and easy on the eyes Brad Pitt in a film is no small feat, but Christoph Waltz appears to have done so with his role in Inglourious Basterds. Edward G. Shmails says, “Christoph Waltz delivers Tarantino’s vision with exceptional precision, playing a despicable Nazi with smooth charisma and style, and rightfully so, is receiving most of the accolades.” Our frustrated clairvoyant reviewer The Mad Prophet describes Waltz’s performance, “He hams it up slightly, but you never feel there’s any denigration to the menace he presents. Like all the best villains, he’s a thoroughly sick human being, but the best of those long scenes I mentioned feature him playing with his prey via interrogation and eccentricity, subverting expectations at every turn.” Taking it even further, Dylon M. pays Waltz the ultimate compliment, “He gives the audience a glimpse into the future of acting, and portrays his character so good, I would dare to say it’s some of the better acting I’ve seen in years.” Will an Oscar be in Waltz’s future? Based off the three month history of this year’s award shows, we’d have to say there’s a very, very good chance.
Christopher Plummer took on no small feat when accepted the role of author Leo Tolstoy in The Last Station, and his portrayal of the Russian author is one that few think anyone else could have replicated. Bill T. respectfully notes, “When it comes to Plummer’s portrayal of Tolstoy, he plays the character with the dignity and respect you would expect from an actor of Plummer’s caliber.” Other RT users were impressed with Plummer’s ability to channel the author’s complex character; thesubstream says Plummer’s portrayal is “vague, at once confused and resolute, apprehensive and full of joy and certainty.” And ultimately, sam48 m. sums it up by saying, “Plummer is pitch perfect as Tolstoy.”
While the Academy deemed Matt Damon’s performance worthy of an Oscar nod, RT’s community was pretty split on his portrayal of a South African rugby captain playing for much more than just a large table setting. Raymond e. takes a positive stance on Damon’s performance, saying that he is “very good in a supporting role. Damon is a bona fide star; who can still play character roles.” And on the flip side, Blind Pariah was less than thrilled with what he thought was a standard performance from Damon: “Matt Damon plays Matt Damon, continuing his long line of repeats of the same character that will have him rival to John Wayne’s playing himself in every movie if it continues, as I surely expect it will.” Ross W. took a friendlier stance, but ultimately seemed to agree, saying that “Damon is pretty good, but mostly one-dimensional.” Though high praises from RT users for Damon in Invictus were never quite plentiful, Daniel Mumby pays him a strong compliment when he says, “He still plays second fiddle to [Morgan] Freeman in terms of screen time, but they are evenly matched for quality.”
Delivering tragic news to the families of fallen soldiers, Woody Harrelson gives what many RT users believe to be the performance of his career in The Messenger. However, most seem to concede that a certain role will prevent Harrelson from winning an Oscar this year. Jeff S.C. says, “If it weren’t for Christoph Waltz, Woody Harrelson would win best supporting actor for his performance.” Nodding his head in agreement one lane over in the information superhighway is Muvybuf19, who says, “It’s Woody Harrelson that gives a performance that gives Oscar bait a good name. If this came out any other year, he would be the man to beat.” And despite the thought that Harrelson will play second chair to Waltz’s first, Johnny R. believes, “The entire cast is superb, but it’s Woody Harrelson’s performance that makes this movie worth watching. He’s never been better. You believe that tough exterior when he’s on the job, just as you buy his vulnerability afterward.” Can Harrelson pull the upset and defy the prediction of RT readers?
While critics weren’t fans of The Lovely Bones, both the academy and RT users recognized the work of Stanley Tucci, who arguably had the creepiest role out of the category’s nominees. Though Tucci has seen a good share of nominations this year, RT users believe that this is ultimately everyone’s year to play a collective second to Christoph Waltz. jorge m. says, “Stanley Tucci steals the movie (I enjoyed every scene with him). Oscar-nomination worthy, but not Oscar worthy (not with Christoph Waltz next to him).” Also conceding victory to Waltz, but respecting Tucci’s performance is Brandon M., who says, “While his job is not on par with Christoph Waltz, he does a terrifyingly great job.” And like any great performance, an actor’s ability to translate on-screen performance into emotion is a vital part of the experience, and our cursed photosynthesizer Haunted Flower proclaims, “He thoroughly succeeded in making my skin crawl every time he was on screen, so bravo!” Though The Lovely Bones‘ Tomatometer (32%) and community Tomatometer is far below that of its fellow nominees, we commend the RT community for still being able to recognize what is otherwise a very strong performance.
Though Gabourey Sidibe has taken most of the breakthrough-type awards this year, Up in the Air‘s Anna Kendrick certainly did enough with her performance to be known as more than another member of the Twilight Saga cast, even outshining her co-stars Vera Farmiga and George Clooney in the eyes of some of RT’s users. “Anna Kendrick plays such a great hard as nails exterior, gooey on the inside apprentice to Clooney’s esoterically disconnected Maverick, that she steals most of the scenes the two of them are in,” says thedownstar. Lopez16 believes that Kendrick “shows that at 24, she has what it takes to play ball with the big boys,” and Park M. thanks the higher powers for Kendrick, “Thank god she’s doing something else with her talent now, because it especially shows in this film.” Our politically savvy reviewer SOS4Prez believes that Kendrick delivers a full acting performance: “Often, the physical form of acting is overlooked and that’s where Kendrick truly hangs with her co-stars. When her character is finally put one-on-one via web cam with the 57-year old man…her body acting/expressions/overall visage is simply flawless and she was just a joy to watch on-screen.” Though Mo’Nique is as favored as anyone can be in any category this year, Kendrick’s performance and subsequent nomination has clearly made her one of Hollywood’s hottest young stars.
Playing Marty Jannetty to Anna Kendrick’s Shawn “The Heartbreak Kid” Michaels performance is Vera Farmiga. Though Clooney and Kendrick took a good deal of the attention for Up in the Air, Farmiga’s portrayal of the female equivalent of the hyper-efficient, emotionally detached Clooney has been a near constant in this year’s Supporting Actress nominations. uwguy98 observes that “Vera Farmiga is getting a lot of praise for her role and while I agree she was quite good, I wouldn’t say it is one of the best of the year.” And coincidentally, Farmiga has yet to win an award for her performance this year. Sean S. praises the “great ensemble cast with the biggest standout being Vera Farmiga, who brings a perfect counter-balance to Clooney.” While Up in the Air was largely driven by trademark Reitman dialogue, Jessie L. remarks that Farmiga “emulates so much with a slight look or a tilt of her head.”
One of the surprises from this year’s nominations, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s role as Jeff Bridges’ single mom love interest in Crazy Heart earned the actress her first ever Academy Award nomination. But despite the nomination, many RT users found the romance between her and Bridges’s Bad Blake to be a little too far fetched. Even one of Maggie G’s fans, Doug P., says, “After seeing it I thought they might have mis-cast her, even though her performance was excellent, and I am a big fan of hers. I just couldn’t see them together.” Virharding agrees, saying “the casting of Maggie Gyllenhaal as the love interest is ridiculous.” But on the movie as a whole, Keith Fierro recognizes, “Even though you’ve seen a lot of what’s going on here, Bridges and Gyllenhaal make it totally worth seeing again” and Dana I. says Gyllenhaal’s “control over her body is a master class in cinematic acting.” One of this year’s biggest surprise nominees that split the RT community, Gyllenhaal could be the category’s biggest underdog to unseat Mo’Nique’s near-perfect awards season.
The clear front runner for this year’s Best Supporting Actress award is Mo’Nique, “Yes, THAT Mo’nique. You know, that crass, often terribly unfunny comedian, star of such films as Phat Girlz, has an Oscar nomination under her belt. And is fully expected to win. And, even more strangely, completely and utterly deserves it,” in the words of JimD73. Pretty much anyone and everyone was taken with the comedienne’s transformation, including Richard S., who observes, “Mo’Nique is revelation in a ghastly role, reminiscent of Ray Winstone’s equally gruesome character in 1997’s Nil By Mouth.” Praising her ability to play one of this year’s most intense roles of the category is needbutter who comments that “What made Mo’Nique’s psychotic welfare mom’s performance so riveting is she never became a caricature.” Though gentlemen’s bets and monetary risks have their place, Christopher Small makes perhaps the best promise of all, “If Mo-Nique doesn’t win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, I shall eat my shoe.” We’re holding you to that, Smalls.
While not a critical (37%), box office, or community Tomatometer success, and despite the fact that many in the RT community believed it was Marion Cotillard who shined the most out of the females in the film, Penelope Cruz was shown some love by the Academy this year for her work in Nine. That being said, a number of RT users still agreed that Cruz’s performance stood out enough on its own. Nicki P. appreciates the balance Cruz approached the role with, saying “She plays the role of the mistress well, being sexy as well as vulnerable and desperate for Guido’s affections.” According to Jonathan M., “She filled that role with all the sex, longing, desire, and crazy that it needed. Probably my favorite performance of the whole show.” And in the cast full of hotties, Dean B. says, “Penelope Cruz is in a whole ‘nother league doing ‘A Call From The Vatican’ (she’s so good you even forgive her for wearing lingerie instead of just a sheet, which was supposed to be the point of the number), and her wounded, heartbroken dramatic turn is as astonishing in its way as anything she did in Volver or Vicky Christina Barcelona.”
Come back and watch the Oscars with RT this Sunday, March 7 starting at 4:00PM Pacific/7:00PM Eastern for live coverage of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards! With your trusty Oscar ballot in hand, we’ll be covering the show via Twitter and Facebook on our Awards Tour headquarters with all the latest winners and pictures live from the show!
