Yes, No, Maybe So: Nicole vs. Juli. September 2012
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 7:00PM Since there weren't enough prizes in the world for Claire "Temple Grandin" Danes and Kate "Mildred" Winslet, who will be our next "Her, again?" awards gobbler?
Will it be Nicole Kidman in Hemingway & Gellhorn vs. Julianne Moore in Game Change? The last time they faced off in awards season (2002) they were actually co-stars and Nic' won for The Hours (Julianne losing for Far From Heaven and The Hours albeit in two separate categories) . Or will they both be trumped by someone we're not thinking of yet when the Emmys role around in September 2012 and this whole awards circus begins anew?
In this corner, Nicole Kidman as Martha Gelhorn in Hemingway and Gellhorn...
Yes - Philip Kaufman is directing and he's made some amazing films in the past like The Right Stuff and Henry & June. The last time Nicole Kidman lowered her voice this noticeably to play a ballsy writer, she won the Oscar.
No - Isn't there a danger of this gorgeous Star strolling through the rubble of war reminding people of Australia? They didn't much like that one. Four minute trailers always have the problem of making the oncoming product seem overstuffed, unduly episodic and desperate for attention. "And then this happened. And then this happened. And then this happened. And then this happened. Interested? No?" Uh... [Cue: flop sweat, razzle dazzle] Uh... Oh... okay the first part is shit but the second part is REALLY nifty! Ok.... she'd go ♫. I'd go ♫. we'd gooooo. ♫"
Maybe So - The success of this may well rest on the chemistry between Clive Owen and Kidman. Do they have it? And can Clive Owen work his way around the very vivid recent memory of Corey Stoll in this role via Midnight in Paris?
In this corner Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin in Game Change...
Yes - It might be fun to watch Juliannne Moore attempt biopic mimicry because it's not the sort of thing she's known for. And at this point we'll take anything that might win her an award. Has there ever been an actress as major who hasn't won any major prizes? She wins nothing. No Emmys, No Globes, No Oscars.
No - "Fair and balanced" has been wiped clean of all meaning ever since Fox News took over the world, but where will this film fall on the scale of fair representation? On the one hand, it might be super to watch a take-down of Sarah Palin. But then again, the target is just so easy so it might feel way too cheap shot-like. On the other, excessive humanization of seemingly soulless political monsters through the magic of warm actresses (see also The Iron Lady) comes with its own queasiness, the humanization of dehumanizing idealogies.
Maybe So - Will anyone be ready to sit through more Sarah Palin when she's been so torturously around ever since 2008? And can Juli work his way around the very vivid recent memory of Tina Fey in this role via Saturday Night Live?
"I have to win this thing. I so don't want to go back to Alaska!"What kind of bet are you laying down?
Better yet, do you see awards attention beyond our leading ladies for these HBO Movies? Both have amazing casts. Hemingway & Gellhorn is giving us Clive Owen, Parker Posey, Robert Duvall, David Straithairn, Rodrigo Santoro and Molly Parker (in awards bait position of scorned wife). Game Plan is giving us Woody Harrelson, Ed Harris and Sarah Paulson and a ton of others in small roles.
Be brave in the comments and make some Emmy calls now!
Reader Comments (42)
My two favourite actress fighting for the win!! This is gonna be glorious. Moore is going to sweep though
I'll go with Julianne!
"Hemingway" looks overstuffed and the spanish sequence was kind of awful.
PS Julianne has won a Volpi Cup and a Silver Bear. Not everyone gets those...
I'll go with Julianne.
And I'm just glad that even though you're freaking me out by watching the Super Bowl, you are still posting about actresses during.
I'm a maybe so re: Juli playing that not-so-bright Alaska girl
I'm a yes/maybe so re: Nicole speaking as if, well, as if I'm speaking.
I'm curious to see how they'll try to make Paulin's story interesting. Is there anything more to it than "it was a stupid idea..thank god the Republicans lost"?
I love Nicole's voice in the trailer and it seems like it could be good.
The only sure thing is that both shows are about people who enjoy hunting. It's a miracle they didn't lose me already. Actually, two miracles: Nicole and Julianne.
Oh, and I predict Julianne. Mimicry + "totally about her" = at last, SOMETHING!
I always feel like these awards come down to who is the bigger film star so I would give the edge marginally to Nicole regardless of the performance.
I'm not gonna predict, but I REALLY like what I see from Nicole in that trailer.
Im going with Nic. Her character is more sympathetic nad kinda of a hero as opposed to anti heroine. Same reason Viola wins over Meryl.
Moore. Finally!!! Nicole is doing something that i feel i have already seen from her.
Could Helen Mirren spoil it for both of them? She is in the Phil-Spencer-biopic with Al Pacino.
Both Moore and Kidman look very good in their trailers, and interestingly transformed.
Have we long since passed the point of way too much with Sarah Palin? Of course. But if there's one person who can bring way too much into empathetic focus it's Julianne. Hadn't we had way too much of bad wives by the time Magnolia rolled around, or of depressed housewives as the foggy aughts got rolling in The Hours? Julianne might just turn Sarah from Alaska from stupid clown to banal joke that actually says something about our times. And I do worry that Sarah says a lot about our times.
HBO films always seem a bit worthy, don't they? Do they really have to be so awards baity? They're basically the only ones in the competition.
Anyway, based on the trailers I'm lukewarm on both of these.
I'm sick of the exact-recreation-of-political-events-from-just-a-few-years-ago trend (I blame Peter Morgan) so I was happy to see the Game Change trailer pushing the comedy but then my disappointment kicked in at the same time as the serious music did. Striking the right tone will be very important for this one, I don't want a serious film about Sarah Palin but I don't want a mean one either. I don't think there should be a Palin film at all! Can't we just forget about her for a while? But Julianne looks good...
I agree with Ramification though, I think Nicole will win because she's the bigger star. Plus she's doing the voice! The trailer seems a bit much- important historical events! romantic turmoil! exotic dancers! and I'm not sure about Clive Owen but I do love the way Molly Parker spits out Gelhorn! I wonder did Hemingway and Gelhorn actually call each other Hemingway and Gelhorn? If so, it's kind of fabulous.
I'm totally rooting for Julianne!!! Hope she'll finally win at least the Golden Globe, she stil hasn't won any big prize in America (while she was awarded in Venice and Berlin Film Festivals) and her performance as Sarah Palin looks really marvellous! Give the Globe - and the Emmy - to Julianne, please!
Completely rooting for Nicole. Love her. Like Julianne but I detest Palin and all that she thinks she's doing for womankind. Frankly she's a disgrace to my gender and humanity. I'll probably watch 5 minutes of it to see if Moore captures her essence but I doubt I can stand more than that.
It would not surprise me if Hemingway and Gellhorn called each other Hemingway and Gellhorn. Even if they didn't it sounds like something from a Hollywood movie of their era which is totally cool and gets a full endorsement from me. Nic and Clive have such chemistry.
Moore technically has an Emmy, albeit a Daytime one. I suspect she's the sweeper this year, though.
John T good point and like Whoopi says on 30 Rock 'it still counts' .
Hmmm. I thought that Moore was supporting in "Game Change." Going up against Nicole all season long will be tough. Moore might have the advantage in an election year and all, so I'll go with her. But never underestimate the pull that star power can deliver. Just being Nicole Kidman in an HBO Emmy-bait project might be enough. "Hemingway & Gellhorn" comes out first before "Game Change," so that could be another advantage for the latter.
I think they'd much rather go for Nicole. It just looks more enjoyable. Yes, I hate Sarah Palin, but I doubt people want to feel sympathy for her dumbass. And as much as I love Danny Strong (the only 'celeb' I've actually met...he came into our acting class at my arts high school during my senior year and as a huge Buffy fan, I freaked), this biopic looks kinda silly. It'd be hard for me to take seriously.
It just looks like Nicole has more work to do. I'm rooting for her. Plus, Julianne has an Emmy already anyway. :P
Haven't watched the Game Change trailer. Doubt I will. Definitely won't watch it. So tired of Sarah Palin. Don't care about her. Not paying attention to anything to do with her. Talking about her just continues to keep her alive in the public consciousness. Wish all of these talented people had found something better to do with their time.
Samson - Game Change comes out in March, H&G comes out in May just in time for Emmy eligibility.
I think Moore wins this because her movie will probably get more attention because of the subject. I want to see her win a televised award and it's going to be great to see two big stars competing against each other at the Emmys.
Here's my prediction: Nicole is going to win, again. But I wish it was Julianne, and I dream that people give her a standing ovation when she takes the stage.
I'm rooting for Julianne Moore.
I'm rooting for Julianne, but predicting Nicole for the win.
Nobody ever said that life was fair. Nicole's the bigger star; she'll always beat Julianne.
I'm rooting for Julianne, but predicting Nicole for the win.
Nobody ever said that life was fair. Nicole's the bigger star; she'll always beat Julianne.
I'm rooting for Julianne, but predicting Nicole for the win.
Nobody ever said that life was fair. Nicole's the bigger star; she'll always beat Julianne.
Julianne will win for Sarah Palin just like Laura Dern won for Katherine Harris.
TEAM NICOLE!!! I am SO excited about this - Nicole's voice is so incredibly different!! It took me a while for my brain to register it was really her voice!! C'mon Nicole, an Emmy has your name on it!!
I think maybe Nicole will win the Emmy, because it seems that they like to award big movie stars, but I think Moore might win the Globe.
Moore does have the Tina Fey impersenation to contend with.
Alex: "Julianne will win for Sarah Palin just like Laura Dern won for Katherine Harris."
So... not?
I probably think julianne moore will win over nicole kidman. As moore explains it is so difficult to capture someone that is recent and judging from the trailer, she nailed the performance. By the way tina fey's sarah palin was meant to be a caricature that was made to be funny. Also, i watched the trailer of nicole kidman's hemingway but her performance is somewhat not extraordinary. Yeah for sure she lowered her voice tone but she is no meryl streep and her facial expressions are always the same well except for the hours where she really did a great performance. Also it doesnot matter if you like or you dont like sarah palin because its the performance that really counts. I really hope that the academy really looks into moores performace and give her the emmy that she really deserves. It's about her time to shine.
I feel as if I'm alone in thinking that Julianne doesn't look that good in Game Change? Not horrible or anything, and she has her moments in the trailer (her line about not wanting to go back to Alaska being one; that killed) but mostly I just fear it's going to be Tina Fey 2.0 with a maybe a few on the nose scenes sprinkled in to make the audience feel sympathy for Palin. Which, if that's the case, will make me do the ultimate eye roll. What made Laura Dern so awesome in Recount is that while we got to see the batshit that was Katherine Harris portrayed, we also got to see Dern somehow transcend that without begging the audience for some kind of abject sympathy. I worry that's not going to happen here. I don't know, something about Game Change so far just feels...obvious. It also feels like too much too soon. But we'll see!
H&G looks, as someone else has said, more enjoyable (not to mention major Emmy bait; it's totally sweeping techs at the very least) and it looks like Nicole does in fact have much more to work with. Her Gellhorn voice alone felt so far removed from Nicole's own at points in the trailer. Very impressive. I wonder if her voiceover in the trailer may come from an older Gellhorn looking back on her time and life with Hemingway, but that's just total pointless guess work lol.
As for awards, HBO already seems to be pushing H&G more because of its premiere date in May (during sweeps and the perfect time for Emmy consideration). If I had to bet on someone right now it would be Nicole. Though it won't be as easy a win as Winslet's for Mildred Pierce. The category for 2012 already looks much more fluid than last year just from Moore and Kidman and we haven't even seen what Helen Mirren is up to in the Phil Spector biopic, if it even comes out in time for this round of nominations. Could be interesting.
Either way, it'll be fun to see Nicole and Julianne square off again.
Also, I feel kind of gross for being so attracted to Clive Owen even with the mustache. I should fight it, but I'm not.
I do think Kidman will win this thing. Emmy voters will recognize Kidman more because of her total transformation, whereas Moore only transformed in her appearance. Also, because of impersonations by Tina Fey, Moore's chance of winning is decreasing.
I do think Kidman will win the Emmy and the Globe (the HFPA LOVES her: 8 nominations and 3 wins, c'mon!)
I'm not sure about the SAG. Maybe Moore will win because her co-actors love her, but maybe not because she already has one, whereas Kidman, who was brutally snubbed for both Moulin Rouge! or The Others in 2001, doesn't have one. Maybe it's time they give Kidman her actor.
Moore doesn't have a SAG Award.
I always assumed Kidman would take the Globe and that Moore would take Emmy and SAG. After seeing the trailers however, H&G does look like much more of an Emmy vehicle and the trailer is so KIDMAN dominant. So for now, I say Kidman takes Emmy and Globe, Moore takes SAG.
I'm looking forward to both of these, actually.
@Kaz - I almost think that the voiceover voice we hear is not Nicole's at all, but another (genuinely older) actress'; there's almost too much of a difference. But we'll see (will there be some old age work we're not seeing here? I rather hope not.)
Regarding Juli, I'm also going to add, never forget the powers of biopic mimicry, esp when it comes to recent historical/public figures that we all know (or think we know). It works wonders with AMPAS - does it also work with Emmy?
There's also the "overdue" factor, is there not? This looks like an "it's time" opportunity, as sort of consolation prize for not winning an Oscar. So I'm thinking Juli takes it.
I'm as tired of SP as anyone - I agree with SVG, I don't like giving the woman more attention. I'm sure she's loving that this is being made about her and Juli Moore is playing her (or she's pissed because they're not completely lauditory about her) - it looks in the trailer as though Juli has nailed this. I don't think I want to watch anything about Palin but I'm intrigued, in much the same way ol' Marsha is - what this says, what her ascent says, about our times. (She's just as much a reality show celebrity as anyone, isn't she? Just on a larger scale, and that's what it's all about nowadays.) And I liked what she was doing several points along the way; I certainly wasn't bored by this trailer.
Also it's got Harrelson coming off a great year, and Ed Harris. Color me intrigued.
I like that Nicole has at least lowered her voice (I thought about her voice in the Hours, too - why does she get away with the breathy little girl voice so often? That's not the way her voice sounded in her early work - Dead Calm, Flirting, etc - with our without the Aussie accent). But I had some of the same thoughts you did, Nat - the trailer seems too long, giving us the entire movie, basically; and would Owen wipe away memories of Stoll's recent take on the character? I think it could be argued that there are a lot of people who didn't see Midnight in Paris, however, but do get HBO, and that won't be a problem for a lot of the audience.
I actually was not thinking of Australia at all when I was watching the H & G trailer, but Australia struck me as cartoony, something I'm not seeing here. And Gelhorn seems like someone who could wipe the floor with Lady Sarah, so it doesn't look like the "same thing".
If HBO is going to continue making quality movies for our favorite actresses, when the feature films jobs and decent scripts are few and far between - bring it on, I say.
What I meant to say bottom line was "Yes" to both.
Finally broke down and watched the trailer. Kaz, I'm not liking this either. As much as Fey's Palin was meant to be a parody I think those sketches nail it more than Julianne. Of course it's only a trailer but that's my first impression. The character looks as if its written as an unprepared soccer mom, not a nitwit local politician unprepared for the national stage which is far scarier and what made Fey's take on her so great.
Nicole gets the Globe for sure. They haven't given her one in nearly 10 years!
Julianne Moore is simply not allowed to win televised awards, much to my dismay.
That voice! I wondered who that was narrating at the beginning of the trailer but bam, it was her. The trailer looks a bit Australia-ish, but at least her hair looks way more suitable.
Julianne Moore also looks pretty great. I might see her losing though because the movie seems like it might wander into "W." .
I'm totally excited to see both! But i'll give the edge to Kidman, because, damn, that voice.
I think Nicole will in the Emmy and the SAG Award and Julianne will win the Golden Globe
Mike M --- right? it's a law. fine print on the rules of all awards bodies. No Trophies for Julianne!