War Horse Premiere. Oscar Updates Soon.
Just a quick note that tonight -- er, last night -- was a big night. It was the World Premiere of War Horse here in NYC. After I sleep on it, I'll finish updating the Oscar charts for the week. The red carpet was long but, as you know, most of the War Horse cast are relative newcomers.
And most of them took to the stage to introduce the film. It was particularly exciting to see Emily Watson looking great and Tom Hiddleston being ridiculously sexy in what I think was a velvet suit (?). Steven Spielberg apologized that he didn't bring the horse "Joey" on to the stage to introduce the movie but joked that it would not be fair since several horses played the role. The audience was filled with luminaries as well. Spotted: Phyllicia Rashad, Tyler Perry, Celia Weston, Stephen Daldry (adorably huggy with David Kross who he directed in The Reader and who appears in War Horse), Stephen Lang, Cathy Moriarty and many more but the names or faces are escaping me since there was free liquor. What?
Yesterday it was The Iron Lady. Today War Horse. Tomorrow, it's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo... though as you may have heard online today that one is under strict tetchy embargo. So we'll just pretend I'm not seeing it yet, okay? In short: It must be December. So many movies. So little time to write about them but I'll get to everything as soon as I can! Thanks for your patience.
What did you see this weekend?
Reader Comments (13)
Thank you! Please take your time Nat. We will be waiting patiently for your honest, justice, unbiased reviews.
Nat. Williams won the Palm Springs International Film Festival Desert Palm Achievement Award, If that matters?
Cathy Moriarty!!! Please tell me someone there -- Daldry, Spielberg, PERRY even! -- was getting close, getting chummy, possibly considering her... I lurv her.
There was a contest and I could have won a trip to NY to watch the premiere but I didn't win :(
I'll meet you some other time :p
I saw "Taking Shelter." It was like a blue-collar version of "A Beautiful Mind." The main chracter, played by Michael Shannon, is laconic to the extreme. He's the kind of "real man" celebrated in thousands of country songs. And his wife is the Tammy Wynette type. It humiliates him to go see a psychiatrist when he starts having terrifying apocalyptic visions. I think the filmmakers thought they were keeping the audience in suspense, but anyone who has seen a supernatural thriller in the last 40 years will guess how it ends within the first 5 minutes of the movie. What this movie needed was a little humor or off-kilter craziness to keep it entertaining.
I saw Melancholia. It was a gorgeous punch in the gut.
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Is it weird that the prospect of seeing David Kross is what has me the most excited about "War Horse"? I thought he was stellar in "The Reader," and I would love to see more from him.
And maybe I'm underthinking the issue, but I'm not sure I understand the point of embargoes. Surely if a studio has enough faith in their film (or at least in their film's awards potential) that they're planning to make an Oscar push for it, they would want the buzz to start as soon as the screenings end? Particularly for December titles that haven't appeared at festivals, because they only have so much time to build buzz. If the movie wasn't finished, I could certainly understand that. But if it is finished, hey, why not get the word out? Maybe the studios want critics to have enough time to stew and possibly have their opinion change for the better. But of course, it's also a possibility that they would stew only to have their opinions turn sour. I just don't see the point of waiting.
That said, critics who agree to an embargo really should stick to it. Going back on their word isn't cool.
Finally saw Like Crazy, which actually affected me more than I expected at first glance. (Must say though, the secondary character relationships, as interludes, seemed too convenient and so forced as to give me whiplash. Who defaults like that?)
I *really* wanted to see My Week With Marilyn but didn't get around to it...again.
Nat,
Do you think Emily Watson has a chance to snag a best supporting actress nom? I've been a huge fan of her work since Breaking the Waves, so I'm happy to see her motherly revival again!
Awesome. I'm seeing War Horse at a sneak preview tomorrow and can't wait.
Caught up with My Week With Marilyn. Not sure I can say enough good things about Michelle Williams - she more than disappears into the role. Past the first couple minutes I really had no sense of remove at all - as in, I really wasn't watching Michelle Williams playing Marilyn, I was just watching Marilyn. That almost *never* happens with me with established actors playing other famous figures. The rest of the movie reminded me of Me & Orson Welles - a charming, thoroughly lightweight behind the scenes dramedy that inexplicably focuses on the least compelling character in the story. But, you know, the ride is pleasant enough and I like Eddie Redmayne, so it was all rather inoffensive and fun. But Williams... Holy hell.
Also saw some awesome old French movies on a big-ish screen, which is always a blast.
Liz, it's not weird at all. :)
I really can't wait to see the War Horse... but Spielberg's last movie really underwhelmed me, so much so that I can't seem to recall its name. Anyways can't wait to hear your review of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I'm interested to see if there will be enough differences in the "American version" from the original to justify watching. In shot : Can't wait to hear more!