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Movie Quote of the Day – The Tree of Life, 2011 (dir. Terrence Malick)
Mrs. O’Brien: Help each other. Love everyone. Every leaf. Every ray of light. Forgive.
Cinema Fanatic’s Favorite Fifteen Films of 2011
While, for me, 2011 was not as a great a year in cinema as 2009 (many of the films I loved from that year I didn’t get to see until Jan of 2010, but still), I found myself loving more films this year than I did last year. In fact, you may notice that although I claim this is a list of fifteen films, it in fact contains sixteen films. There is one tie and I will explain my choice when I get to it. Last year before the year ended I managed to watch 53 new releases; this year I saw 57 (which is kind of pitifully low when you consider how many new-to-me films I saw this year; but that’s neither here nor there and you have to wait until tomorrow to read about that cinematic odyssey). I want to point out that my top five films have not changed since October, but the ten (eleven) that follow have been shifted and adjusted many, many times since then. Probably when I rewatch those films late on this list might still evolve some. I also want to mention that there were at least two films that I wanted to see before the end of the year that I was not able to see (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn); as always, there is no way to know whether those films would have even made the list had I seen them, but I wanted to point out that I’ve yet to see them so that comments of “where is ***?!” didn’t ensue. Okay, enough chatter, on to the list.
“The Tree of Life” Leads 15th Annual Online Film Critics Society Awards Nominations
Best Picture:
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
Hugo
The Tree of Life
Best Animated Feature:
The Adventures of Tintin
Arthur Christmas
Kung Fu Panda 2
Rango
Winnie the Pooh
Best Director:
Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
Terrence Malick – The Tree of Life
Nicolas Winding Refn – Drive
Martin Scorsese – Hugo
Lars von Trier – Melancholia
Best Lead Actor:
George Clooney – The Descendants
Jean Dujardin – The Artist
Michael Fassbender – Shame
Gary Oldman – Tinker Tailor Solider Spy
Michael Shannon – Take Shelter
Best Lead Actress:
Kirsten Dunst – Melancholia
Elizabeth Olsen – Martha Marcy May Marlene
Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton – We Need to Talk About Kevin
Michelle Williams – My Week with Marilyn
Best Supporting Actor:
Albert Brooks – Drive
John Hawkes – Martha Marcy May Marlene
Nick Nolte – Warrior
Brad Pitt – The Tree of Life
Christopher Plummer – Beginners
Best Supporting Actress:
Jessica Chastain – The Tree of Life
Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer – Albert Nobbs
Carey Mulligan – Shame
Shailene Woodley – The Descendants
Best Original Screenplay:
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Midnight in Paris
A Separation
The Tree of Life
Win Win
Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Descendants
Drive
Moneyball
Tinker Tailor Solider Spy
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Best Editing:
Drive
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
The Tree of Life
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Best Cinematography:
The Artist
Drive
Hugo
Melancholia
The Tree of Life
Best Film Not in the English Language:
13 Assassins
Certified Copy
A Separation
The Skin I Live In
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
Best Documentary:
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
The Interrupters
Into the Abyss
Project Nim
Tabloid
Special Awards
To Jessica Chastain, the breakout performer of the year
To Martin Scorsese in honor of his work and dedication to the pursuit of film preservation
Winners will be announced on Monday, January 2, 2012
[source]
Chicago Film Critics Laud “The Tree of Life”, Michael Shannon
Best Picture – The Tree of Life
Best Director – Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
Best Actor – Michael Shannon, Take Shelter
Best Actress – Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Best Supporting Actor – Albert Brooks, Drive
Best Supporting Actress – Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life
Best Original Screenplay – Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Best Adapted Screenplay – Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Moneyball
Best Cinematography – The Tree of Life, Emmanuel Lubezki
Best Original Score – Drive, Cliff Martinez
Best Foreign Film – A Separation
Best Animated Film – Rango
Best Documentary – The Interrupters
Most Promising Performer – Elizabeth Olsen–Martha Marcy May Marlene
Mos Promising Filmmaker – Sean Durkin–Martha Marcy May Marlene
Commitment to the Craft Award – Shirley MacLaine
Oscar Micheaux Award – James Earl Jones
Commedia Extraordaire Award – Jason Segel
Commitment to Chicago – Dennis Farina
Big Shoulders Award – Second City
State of the Race: Precursors Chart
If my chart shows anything, it’s that The Artist is leading right now for Best Picture and it looks like Lubezki might just finally win himself an Oscar for his work on The Tree of Life. Also, Jessica Chastain is going to have a problem come Oscar time because per Academy rules a performer can only be nominated for one performance per category, so she may end up splitting her votes between too many roles and end up nomination-less.
I have the chart split into three sections because otherwise it is giant.
Toronto Film Critics Name “The Tree of Life” Best Picture, Director
Best Picture: The Tree of Life
Best Director: Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
Best Actor: Michael Shannon, Take Shelter
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Best Actress: Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain, Take Shelter
Best Screenplay: Moneyball
Best First Feature: Attack the Block
Best Animated Film: The Adventures of Tintin
San Francisco Film Critics Name The Tree of Life Best Picture, Director
Best Picture “The Tree of Life”
Best Director Terrence Malick, “The Tree of Life”
Best Original Screenplay J.C. Chandor, “Margin Call”
Best Adapted Screenplay Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
Best Actor Gary Oldman, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
Best Actress Tilda Swinton, “We Need to Talk About Kevin”
Best Supporting Actor Albert Brooks, “Drive”
Best Supporting Actress Vanessa Redgrave, “Coriolanus”
Best Animated Feature “Rango”
Best Foreign Language Film “Certified Copy”
Best Documentary “Tabloid”
Best Cinematography Emmanuel Lubezki, “The Tree of Life” Special Citation for underappreciated independent cinema The Mill and The Cross
Cannes Announces Winners, The Tree of Life Takes Top Prize
Palme d’Or: The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
Grand Prix (tie): The Kid with the Bike, Luc and Jean Dardenne and Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Jury Prize: Polisse, Maiween
Best Director: Nicholas Winding Refn, Drive
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Best Actress: Kirsten Dunst, Melancholia
Best Screenplay: Joseph Cedar, Footnote
Best Short Film: Cross Country, Maryna Vroda
Camera d’Or: Las acacias, Pablo Giorgelli
[source]
German Poster For Malick’s “The Tree of Life”
This poster seems to emphasize the domestic aspects of Terrence Malick’s newest films that promises to span millennia, including the origins of life – an dinosaurs! – as well as a look at the life of a boy’s relationship with his father. Brad Pitt is the father in the 1950s (or so) and Sean Penn plays the grown up version of the son. I absolutely love everything that Malick has ever done and am more than excited for this film.
The film is set to premiere on May 16, 2011 at the Cannes Film Festival before opening wide on May 27, 2011 in the United States.
Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” To Play In Competition At Cannes?
There was some speculation as to whether the film would play in competition or out because it’s possibly going to premiere in London before the French festival. However, according to a press release from the festival this morning, Malick’s latest will indeed vie for the top prize. It’s got some tough competition, including the latest from Pedro Almodóvar and Lars von Trier. Woody Allen’s 43rd feature film Midnight in Paris is set to open the festival, out of competition.
the diary of a film history fanatic 