February. It's a Wrap
Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at 3:01PM 
February ends. Which means Oscar season has wrapped for another year and we begin anew for 2012. (I realize there's a few loose ends and we'll make like boy scouts and tie them.)
Here were a dozen highlights from the month that was.
Nicole vs. Juli - Emmy Battle September 2012 ?!
Thoroughly Modern Actresses Vanity Fair
Ten Most Deserving Supporting Actresses from Mercedes to Dianne
Dream Big Dream Fierce Viola Davis's moving speeches
Smash the pilot. Yes, I want to write about this weekly. But Oscar season was making it difficult.
Burning Questions - Michael and I are glad you've been answering.
Arianne Phillips one of her costumes for Madonna on W.E. and much more.
Megan and the Dolphin Melissa McCarthy's indelible laughs in Bridesmaids
Oscar Symposium five guys walk into a blog...
Most Popular: SAG Live Blog
Most Discussed: Reader's Ranking Streep Project from Music of the Heart to Sophie's Choice and Streep's Third. Internal Conflict Y'all always want to talk Streep. "The Streep Experience" ayiyiyi. I love her as much as anyone but I really need a break. I am taking a long Streep break in 2012. Other actresses deserve the discussion now. Let me think on who to obsess over though you're free to give me ideas.
IN MARCH! We're taking a few days off soon (GASP! That never happens) but then we'll be back with new films like John Carter, Boy, and Hunger Games, and we'll be celebrating the return of Mad Men (OMG). We'll also maybe look back at Raising Arizona, and I'm even considering an entire Tim Burton retrospective on the way to Dark Shadows so as to try to revive the love so as to get excited for Pfeiffer's return.
Some anniversaries coming up. What sets your anticipatory heart thumping?
Year in Review, polls
Reader Comments (33)
All those topics would be interesting but a Wendy Hiller retrospective would be a dream! Just the kind of thing I'd expect from the site.
We certainly need a Streep break. Get all crazy and go Pfeiffer!
How 'bout Julianne?
Anything but movies based on comic books!
You've GOT to do a 'Titanic' retrospective, even if it doesn't win this poll. You don't talk enough about your feelings on the 1997 film, although I get the impression that you like it. I just need you to justify my love for it :)
Suggestion of an actress-obsession: Gena Rowlands. See the work of one of the greatest actreses ever while she is with us, please.
And I second the ban on comics stuff!
Women I appreciate that you don't included: Jessica Lange, Cate Blanchett, and Marion Cotillard must be removed from any suggestion list. I'm actually sick of defending and building up Bates. I've been in an Emma Thompson mood and I'm curious about Catherine Deneuve since the only performance I've seen of her is from Dancer in the Dark. There's that Tony Scott vampire movie with my Sarandon.
Third the ban on comic book movies - but it is your site, after all. (And second the Streep hiatus.)
@The Jack - but didn't Nat already talk about that movie in Best Pictures from the Outside In? I thought that was pretty well covered there.
Of course I voted gene kelley because if anyone can write about him with the appropriate joy it would be you, Nat. Then Antonioni and Dame Wendy because I know this blog doesn't tend to go too vintage, but when you have in the past (such as your write-up of Rebecca) I always enjoy it.
Tony Leung, of course - never mind if he doesn't get enough votes, why else did you put the name on the list? Your appreciataion of Mr Leung was what brought me to your site in the first place. And Wendy Hiller, yay.
Gene Kelly and Wendy Hiller, please. Especially the latter, because "Pygmalion" is one of my absolute favorite movies, and it's never discussed enough for my liking!
I can't help but hope that Amy Adams has a huge year. She is in potentially 3 movies coming out this year and one of them being a Paul Thomas Anderson movie. Basically I'm saying my actress obsession is Amy Adams but I'm willing to share.
Come on Kelly! Overtake Titanic!
Evan Rachel Wood!!!!!!!!
James: I am 100% with you! Oscar Nom #4 this year? I can dream.
any reason why you aren't considering a piece on the godfather celebrating its 40th anniversary?
Sean -- I was trying to come up with a retrospective series some time ago and thought it would be fun to do 10|25|50|75|100 so even though it didn't become a regular series and even though 10|20|30|40|50 etcetera woudl be easier to keep track of, it just kind of stuck in my head.
Wait, do you mean all comic book movies or just the super hero ones? What if a film adaptation of, oh, American Born Chinese comes out? Or Blankets? Or JTHM? Or I Kill Giants? Or...I could go all day listing non superhero comics.
PLEASE PLEASE Wendy Hiller and Tony Leung Chiu Wai *-* I want you to introduce me Wendy Hiller and I LOVE Tony Leung. Runner up: Antonioni. ^^
Btw, if you are going to write about Tarzan or any of those super heroes you would have to do an interesting hard-working searching job. Thanks for all the excitement you let as live during 2012 Oscar period!!
I lloked at the poll results and Wendy Hiller was at 9% and I was all upset and then I read the comments and they're like 90% Wendy. Nat, we may be a minority but we're vocal! That should count.
Personal thoughts: don't listen to us. Rave about the ones you love the most. I would have never discovered Tony Leung Chiu Wai otherwise.
You didn't list the rest of the FB Awards in the March agenda-- I'm looking forward to seeing the "Extra Categories"... when can we expect them?
Wishful thinking perhaps, but I personally would love to see an avant-garde (re)assessment of distinct, largely forgotten talents like Mercedes Ruehl, Shelley Duvall and Tuesday Weld.
Re: Nic vs. Juli, let's hope Hemingway & Gelhorn and Game Change are more Recount than The Reagans.
P.S. Look! Rooney Mara *was* in a pink gown, just as you wished, Nat. ;-)
And say what you will about Winslet, but she was very smart to lay low after her Oscar win and then team with an auteur in a long-form medium that would challenge her actorly gifts in a different way. (Oh, and she has oodles of awards to show for it.)
Nathaniel, do yourself a favour and see THE SNOWTOWN MURDERS. it opens in NYC on Friday. And its Australian. And its outstanding.
Nathaniel --- I throw it out! What about a Sophia Loren retrospective?
I've hated her for almost my entire life, thinking she was definitely overrated and didn't understand why here in Italy everyone considered her as a legend. But I recentely re-watched most of her movies and definitely changed my mind. I am now curious about your opinion and TFE readers'. This could be the good occasion... even because you never talk about italian cinema, and I would like to! =)
I am delighted to see so many votes for Jodie Foster. It would be lovely to read your thoughts about her and her career. (And she is aging so pretty, isn't she?)
And pleeaaaaaaaaase Gene Kelly! <3
@Volvagia - you're probably addressing Nat (not myself specificially) but yes, I should have said in my own post "comic book action heros", not just "comic books". Not being a reader of the form, it shows, and I forgot to make the distinction. I know that there are some brilliant works out there; and I would still love to see Maus on the big screen, done right (a la Persepolis).
I thought about voting for Foster, but then that delightful retrospective Nat did a while back, that "origins story" if you will, popped into my head, and I felt that there was really nothing left to say, especially as she's been laying low for most of the decade. (It actually feels closer to two decades at this point.)
I have to agree with the Wendy Hiller fans. She's probably not very familiar to a lot of readers and spotlighting someone like her is exactly the type of insight I expect from your site. Nathaniel, i think you owe this to Wendy!
I voted for Titanic, because I'm a populist. I know that Cameron re-uses some of the same images from Aliens but I don't care because visually awesome, even in 3D! Also, I don't know if you will also talk about the version with Barbara Stanwyck and the TV movie, if you do those things, with Tim Roth in it.
*sorry, Tim Curry, not Tim Roth. Also, was television full of other Titanic (TV) movies and Kate movies after Titanic came out, or was that just me and the old country?
Janice: I was addressing everyone calling for a ban, not just you. Think about the specifics. I'm a fairly good "non superhero" comic book fan and I'd be cringing if they all REALLY wanted a stoppage on talk about any comic book film adaptation no matter what the genre or subject matter. Remember, everybody: A History of Violence was also a comic book.
I'm the only one who loves Tarzan. LOL. I've tried to write up Tarzan stuff before and no one cares. ah well. you can't write about everything.
thanks for all the input y'all. I definitely want to do Wendy Hiller because I am largely unfamiliar but what I've seen I've really liked.