The Halfway Mark Pt 2. Actors & Actresses

I assume that the entire time you were reading the Halfway Mark Best Screenplays & Pictures you were thinking "get to the actors already!" because, damn you're predictable and also so am I and I love to pay homage to great performances. So, here they are in six categories for your perusal and debate and "I guess I'd better watch that" list-making pleasure.

Best Actor in a Limited or Cameo Role (THUS FAR): Lior Ashkenazi (of Late Marriage fame) temporarily energizes the unfortunately bland Yossi by temporarily attempting to to rub off on and up against Yossi himself with pushy sleaze; James Badge Dale, who also won a nomination in this category at 2012's Film Bitch Awards for Flight, is in every big movie now (World War Z, The Lone Ranger, Iron Man 3) and pretty much great in all of them though the roles are growing exponentially and he's already too large for this category!; Kyle Chandler memorably flips his 'clear eyes, full hearts' image on its head as an absent father in The Spectacular Now; Cheyenne Jackson is robbed of his signature voice entirely in Behind the Candelabra as a disgruntled employee/protege/lover but it turns out he doesnt need it absolutely nailing every tiny gesture and facial expression; and finally, I liked Jamie Sheridan's conflicted big business father in The East.

Best Actress in a Limited or Cameo Role: Hillary Baack, is moving in a key brief role as The East's hearing impaired member; Zoe Kazan wins best in show for a group acting exercize masquerading as a movie called Some Girl(s) with an agonizing backstory; Debbie Reynolds, is a real hoot and unrecognizable in the Liberace flick Behind the Candelabra; Orly Silbersatz Banai adds wonderful depth and shading to her history of denial in Yossi; And in a fine cast in Stoker, Jacki Weaver, makes the most of her tense few scenes as the deservedly worried unannounced visitor Aunt Ginny; and my apologies to Grace Gummer in Frances Ha who I didn't quite have room for but I liked her prickly Ivy League alumna

4 More Acting Category "Bests" after the jump

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The Halfway Mark Pt 1: Pictures & Screenplays

We're halfway through the calendar, if not the film year exactly given the backloaded release schedule. So, let's take stock as to where we've been. Herewith my choices for Best thus far... which means I'm hoping that AMPAS and all awards groups will give them a try before the mad traffic jam of year-end Oscar vehicles.

Disclaimer: But first of all... did I miss anything? Sure. You can't see everything though I see my share (full list). My biggest 'oops' for 2013 is definitely Stories We Tell, Sarah Polley's docudrama about her family history which most people I trust at least like and some love. But I also wish I'd seen the Israeli Oscar submission Fill the Void which didn't compete for the foreign film Oscar but did win a release and great reviews.

BEST OF THE YEAR... THUS FAR

Original Screenplay

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June. It's a Wrap

June is always the toughest month for me to wrap my head 'round. It's my busy birthday month, the summer hits, the blog dips. And when it's over I'm all like "What? The year is half over?!?!?" In the last week of June we celebrated Gay Moments in Cinema and though it wasn't planned we gave equal time to movies before gay liberation (Suspicion, All About Eve, The Maltese Falcon) as after (My Beautiful Laundrette, and My Own Private Idaho) which is kinda how we always do here at TFE, spanning all eras of movies. We can't be penned in by the now! I didn't have time to revisit but I myself kept thinking about Weekend, that recent gay romantic drama that instantly seems to have seized hearts, gay and straight, around the internet. I couldn't be prouder of that movie if it was the last movie on earth. Where do you hope gay cinema goes in the future?  

 Anywhay herewith a handful of highlights from the month that was in case you, like many people during the summer, don't get to your favorite blog (oh you know you "like" us) as often as you'd like...

• Great Zombie Makeover Warm Bodies DVD extras
• Bull Durham a 25th anniversary appreciation
• Scandinavian Adventure a few notes from the longest vacation I've taken
• Teen Wolf returns, gets "tattoo" -TV Review
• i ♥ glowing eyes a supernatural gallery
• Leonardo DiCaprio and Oscar do you think they've treated him fairly?
• top ten 1960s Hitchcock, Bergman and double dose of Deneuve and Natalie Wood

Coming in July:

• QUEUE 'EM!: We'll be talking about Dead Ringers (1988), Mary Poppins (1964) so get familiar (or familiar again)
• SEE EM?: We'll be visiting the multiplex for The Lone Ranger and The Wolverine and the arthouse for Oscar hopefuls Fruitvale Station and Blue Jasmine among other new releases. 
• SUGGEST IT: Want somethin'? Say so. 

If they had to announce the Oscar nominees right now...

...which 2013 releases (thus far) do you think would be the Best Picture nominees? And which sure thing nominees right now won't have a prayer come January? True, it's only June 26th and we've 204 days left until nominations are announced for realz but play along would'ya? Because speculative fantasy is fun.

Would blockbusters or indies rule the noms if the year ended today?

P.S. We'll review the year's first half next week. Woohoo.

May. It's a Wrap.

Maybe we ended with a whimper but May was a pretty great month here at TFE with lots of bangs for your buck... not that you are spending bucks (though we always welcome subscriptions -- see sidebar -- to keep us afloat). I know because I had a way more difficult time selecting entries for this "Best of the Month" post than usual. And that's not even including regular series like Monologues, Tuesday Top Ten, or the seasonal May Flowers postings (thank you especially on two of those three to new TFE contributors Andrew & Andrew (no relation: that's Andrew Kendall and Abstew in the bylines). And then of course we also found time to do the first Oscar predictions for the upcoming race - Always fun to argue about!

So herewith ten highlights from the month...

Those Who Have Gone "Before" five reasons why the Before trilogy is masterful
Q&A discussion of disappointing actresses and mixed-up hunks 
Team Experience: Oscar's Greatest Losers in which we investigated the greatest Best Actress nominated performances that didn't win Oscars 
Summertime & The Talented Mr Ripley -- two straight weeks in Italy -- marked the peak of popularity for 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot' this season. Are you trying to tell us something about your next vacation? 
Cannes Closing Ceremony thoughts on the orgasmic finale to the fest
RIP Smash the musical series we rooted for but were crushed by 

Q&A discussion of disappointing actresses and mixed-up hunks 
I Dreamed of Gatsby Baz Luhrmann sucks Moulin Rouge! dry
The Only Post You Will Ever Need on the August: Osage County Teaser Poster - done
The "Punk" Met Gala with fashion-joke girl genius, Courtney Enlow Hall
Burning Questions what's the greatest quality divide is between Movie and Soundtrack?

P.S. And just in case you haven't been voting in the spontaneous silliness of our polls, please humor me. It gives me lolz to see your votes and comments. And - please to note - that on the last serious poll "which book becoming a movie should I read?" Twelve Years a Slave and Labor Day triumphed so we'll be reading those and discussing sometime soon. Care to join us?

P.P.S. Coming in June. I've actually no idea though the blog might be dark for a week (more details to come). Any suggestions?