ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013
NEWS/FEATURES
24
People & Places Oscars Nominees make strong late push
Expensive way to make last impact LOS ANGELES, Feb 19, (RTRS): As one of the most expensive Oscar races ever comes to a close, the Hollywood trade papers and a handful of consumer publications ought to be sending thank-you notes to the 371 members of the Academy’s Directors Branch. If those voters had gone the expected route and given a Best Director nomination to Ben Affleck for “Argo,” this Oscar season would look a lot like last year, when “The Artist” romped to what appeared to be an easy victory, or 2011, when “The King’s Speech” did the same thing. In both of those years, one film won most or all of the guild awards and breezed to Oscar gold — and both times, the film’s biggest rivals saw the writing on the wall long before the Academy Awards rolled around.
Emboldened But this year, the fact that Affleck didn’t get a director nomination means that if it wins, “Argo” will become only the fourth film in history — and only the second in 80 years — to win Best Picture without that directing nod. And that has emboldened rivals to believe that they have a real shot in a race that otherwise would appear all but wrapped up, given the string of “Argo” wins: the Producers Guild, the Directors Guild, the Writers Guild, the Screen Actors Guild’s ensemble award ... So Disney and DreamWorks (“Lincoln”) and the Weinstein Company (“Silver Linings Playbook”) and 20th Century Fox (“Life of Pi”) and Sony (“Zero Dark Thirty”) are clinging to the idea that they have a real shot at engineering an upset, and Warner Bros. (“Argo”) is doing everything it can to avoid that upset. And that has led to an endgame of big expenditures and nonstop television and print ads attempting to get that final message to voters. It will end, according to estimates by campaign veterans, with both “Argo” and “Lincoln” spending more than $10 million on ad campaigns, and with “Silver Linings Playbook” and “Life of Pi” and “Zero Dark Thirty” and “Les Miserables” making strong pushes late in the game as well. So you get TV ads that are clearly aimed at Oscar voters, not moviegoers, with filmmakers and cast members trotting out talking points in between film clips. And making-of specials, and press releases pointing out that free copies of “Lincoln” are being sent to all middle and high schools the United States, or that “Silver Linings” director David O. Russell went to Washington to meet with Vice-President Joe Biden and senators promoting a new mental health bill. And you get constant ads in the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, the Hollywood trades (including TheWrap). On Saturday, for instance, one “Silver Linings Playbook” ad in the Los Angeles Times featured a quote from Roger Ebert not about the film’s quality, but it’s awards chances: “For Best Picture, more and more, from many different quarters, I hear affection for ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ ... I sense a groundswell.” Last-minute splurges are a timehonored Oscar tradition, as are ads in consumer outlets that are really aimed at Academy voters (the better to hide the actual cost of an awards campaign). The 1999 battle between “Saving Private Ryan” and “Shakespeare in Love” is legendary, though both sides denied that expenditures hit the rumored $15 million level. As this wild race comes to a close, here’ a guide to the messages we’re seeing in this year’s endgame:
‘Argo’ The message: We’re the winner. Actually, that’s not the endgame message that “Argo” originally set out to deliver. After the nominations, television ads began to appear in which Ben Affleck talked about how at heart, his movie was about “storytelling” — a stretch, perhaps, but one that says to Hollywood, “this is your movie, all you storytellers.” But that message is less important than the message that has been sent by victories at the Producers Guild, Directors Guild, Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild: If you want to be on the winning team, go with “Argo.” With a chance to win the first major-studio Best Picture Award since its own win for 2006’s “The Departed” (and only the second in the last decade), Warner Bros. is going down to the wire with that message. So Sunday’s L.A. Times came with a wraparound cover, partially obscuring the paper’s front page with a banner that spelled it out: “Winner, BAFTA Awards; Winner,
Screen Actors Guild Awards; Winner, Golden Globe Awards; Winner, Critics’ Choice Movie Awards; Winner, USC Scripter Award; Winner, Directors Guild Awards; Winner, Producers Guild Awards.”
‘Lincoln’ The message: We’re the important movie. From the start, “Lincoln” has played things big and classy and a bit remote; while Affleck has charmed every room where he might find a handful of voters, guild members or pundits, Steven Spielberg has for the most part remained above the fray, Now, the message is getting more pointed: This is a movie both from and for the history books. “His Story Is Our Story,” is the ads’ current tag line, with quotes like “‘Lincoln’ belongs to the ages” and ads that reverently detail the contributions from each of the film’s nominated filmmakers, actors and craftsmen. Disney Educational Productions’ Feb 12 announcement that it would be giving free copies of the film to all public and private middle and high schools in the country was one more (nicely timed) indication that the film is simultaneously spending lots of money and taking the high road. But does it also emphasize what might be the film’s Achilles heel — the perception that it’s good for you, an accomplishment to respect and admire rather than one to love and embrace?
‘Silver Linings Playbook’ The message: We’re serious, too. The awards-season wins for “Silver Linings” have often come at shows that have separate categories for comedies: the Golden Globes, the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards and Saturday’s ACE Eddie Awards, among others. But after Russell’s film won some comedy awards and landed seven Oscar nominations, including a rare sweep of all four acting categories, the Weinstein campaigners began insisting that it wasn’t really a comedy after all — or that if it was, its laughs were secondary to its theme of mental health. Russell began to talk more and more explicitly about how he’d made the movie for his son; when other people from the film won awards, they brought it up, too, as if they were all working from the same, um, playbook. And late in the game, as balloting finally began, Russell went to Washington to talk to Biden and the Senate, while Robert De Niro suddenly began appearing (and crying!) on Katie Couric and getting his hand prints at the Chinese Theatre and otherwise behaving as if he were actually campaigning.
‘Zero Dark Thirty’ The message: Pay no attention to the criticism — we’ve got heavy hitters on our side. With its brutally propulsive filmmaking and moral ambiguity, “Zero Dark Thirty” originally seemed as if it might blow “Argo” out of the water — but after a barrage of criticism from several US senators and others over its depiction of torture, its toughness drove voters toward the more uncomplicated, Hollywood-ized pleasures of Affleck’s film. The initial criticisms came right at the time when voting on nominations was taking place, and they clearly wounded the film’s chances. But in the second round, Sony has capitalized on the fact that the criticism by the likes of Sen Dianne Feinstein, Sen. John McCain and Academy member David Clennon now seems distant, and the film has been more recently championed by former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, “Lincoln” writer Tony Kushner and attorney Alan Dershowitz, among others.
‘Life of Pi’ The message: It’s about humans, not just CG tigers. After landing 11 nominations for director Ang Lee’s visionary epic, Fox has been trying out a new tag line, “The Story is Yours Now,” that both plays off a key line in the film — “which story do you prefer?” — and puts the film’s fate in the hands of voters. The imagery in some of the new ads, meanwhile, has shifted from the movie’s spectacle — a boy and a tiger adrift in a boat on a mirror-like sea — to its humanity. The movie may focus on the relationship between the boy and the tiger, and it may spend its lengthy central section at sea — but of the seven shots in one frequently-used recent print ad, only one is of the computer-generated tiger, and only one is from the sequence at sea.
In this photograph taken on Feb 9, Afghan actor Jawanmard Paiz, 14, (right), talks as Fawad Mohammadi, 14, listens during an interview with AFP at the
‘Afghan Film’ organization in Kabul. (AFP)
Afghan street kid heads for Oscars red carpet An Afghan street kid is off to Hollywood and the red-carpet treatment at the Oscars — a fairytale ending to a chance encounter that led to a starring role in a movie. Fawad Mohammadi, 14, was selling maps to passing foreigners on Kabul’s famed Chicken Street to help feed his family when he met American director Sam French. Now he is preparing for his first flight in an aircraft and his first trip outside war-torn Afghanistan to a glamorous world almost beyond imagination on the grimy streets of Kabul. French cast Mohammadi as one of the main characters in “Buzkashi
Boys”, a movie shot entirely in Afghanistan and nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the Academy Awards on Feb 24. The film is about two youngsters growing up in Kabul who dream of becoming Buzkashi horseback riders in Afghanistan’s dramatic national sport, which uses a headless goat in place of a ball in a wild version of polo. In the movie, one of the boys is a street kid like Mohammadi, the other the son of a blacksmith forced to spend long hours in his father’s dark workshop sharpening axe heads. Ahead of the US trip, Mohammadi, sporting a leather coat and jeans,
told AFP the adventure would be a “great privilege for me and for all Afghanistan to meet the world’s most famous superstars”. “It’s truly such a great feeling to go to the Oscars, I had never thought about it. I still don’t believe it.” Mohammadi, whose ambition is to become a pilot, said he hoped to be able to visit the cockpit of the airplane during his flight to Los Angeles. “I have grown up watching Afghan movies. When I watched them, I dreamt of becoming an actor. Then I met Sam French on Chicken Street, that’s how I came to act in the film,” he said, with a big smile.
Mohammadi is the youngest of seven siblings. Their father died several years ago, and his five brothers all also work. He started selling chewing gum on the streets and expanded his trade to selling maps and dictionaries to foreigners. He learned English as he worked on Chicken Street, a popular destination for expats shopping for Afghan carpets, jewellery and craftwork. “We knew him from Chicken Street as the kindest and most warm-hearted street-kid, who would provide ‘bodyguarding’ services and sell maps — he always had a smile and witty remark,” French told AFP by email. (AFP)
Multitalented entertainer getting ready to host Oscars
MacFarlane puts all he’s got
A sign reading, ‘Ready, Seth, Go’ is seen on Hollywood Blvd before the 85th Academy Awards ceremony, on Feb 18, in Hollywood, California. Seth MacFarlane will host the 2013 Academy Awards ceremony, which will take place on Feb 24, at the Dolby Theatre. (AFP)
Variety LOS ANGELES: Melissa McCarthy, Liam Neeson, John Travolta and Salma Hayek Pinault will present awards on the Oscar telecast next week, the show’s producers said Monday. All four have been nominated for Oscars in the past. McCarthy was a Best Supporting Actress nominee for her role as a crass, but lovable member of the wedding party in “Bridesmaids” (2012). Neeson was among the Best Actor nominees in 1993 for his performance as a Nazi profiteer turned unlikely hero in “Schindler’s List.” Hayek Pinault (who now apparently goes by her married name) was nominated for Best Actress in 2002 for her work as unibrowed Mexican painter Frida Kahlo in “Frida.” Travolta has two Oscar nominations to his credit - one for his 1977 breakout performance in “Saturday Night Fever” and another for his 1994 comeback role in “Pulp Fiction.” Previously announced presenters include a smorgasbord of current nominees, last year’s winners and big named co-stars from 2012’s top grossing films. Ben Affleck, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Sandra Bullock, Mark Wahlberg,and “Marvel’s The Avengers” cast members Robert Downey Jr, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo are among those taking the stage. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑
LOS ANGELES: He may have guided her to her second Oscar, but Maggie Smith is no fan of Herbert Ross. The “Downton Abbey” star made it clear during an appearance Sunday on “60 Minutes” that she did not enjoy working with the late director on
LOS ANGELES, Feb 19, (AP) Seth MacFarlane might be the hardest working man in show business. Right now he’s getting ready to host Sunday’s Academy Awards, where he’s also a nominee for the original song for his hit movie “Ted.” He’s producing and writing three animated TV shows, plus voicing many of their key characters. “I’m a little exhausted,” the 39year-old confessed in a recent interview. MacFarlane also is sure this will be his only time hosting the Oscars and he already has an idea who his replacements will be. MacFarlane says it’s “very likely” that Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will get the job. They got raves for hosting the Golden Globes. MacFarlane says preparing to host the Oscars is hard work. He says he doesn’t like “working 150 hours a week.” He’s continuing to voice the characters in “Family Guy” and “American Dad” while preparing for the Oscars. He says it’s “very vocally taxing” because there’s a lot of screaming and yelling. He admits he’s “a little exhausted.” The multitalented entertainer talked with The Associated Press about what makes a great Oscar show, juggling multiple jobs and who he thinks will host next year. AP: What’s been the best part of the Oscar job so far? MacFarlane: I’ve enjoyed the writing process. It’s really a very different type of production than I’ve been involved with in the past and it’s such an extensive amount of time, and putting it together and having it feel like it has a shape and a consistency has really been a challenge. AP: How much is with your own writing team? MacFarlane: My staff has been composed of primarily “Family Guy” writers, but there’ve been about maybe four folks that have been brought on from other places. But for
“California Suite.” “I found the director a bit tricky, a bit spikey,” Smith told interviewer Steve Kroft. “He was jagged,” she added. “He was very difficult.” She said the only thing that made her feel better was when somebody on the production said that her co-star Walter Matthau was so upset over Ross’ harsh techniques that he left the set in tears.
the most part I’ve been allowed to assemble my own staff, and we’ve tried to find a balance of people that I’ve worked with for a lot of years and that know my rhythms and some new people as well, a few of whom have worked on past Oscar ceremonies. AP: What are the elements of a great Oscar host? MacFarlane: It’s part classy Master of Ceremonies and part Friars Club roaster. AP: How hard has it been to find that middle ground? MacFarlane: It’s been a challenge but not an enormous challenge. We are, I hope, smart enough guys to be aware of what the tone is and to work within those parameters. So you won’t be seeing any (penis) jokes. It’s still Disney, for Christ’s sake. AP: Is a blend of Ricky Gervais and Billy Crystal the best example of what you’re going for? MacFarlane: Certainly Billy Crystal, Johnny Carson and Bob Hope are the three that stand out as the paragons of class and effectiveness and comedic balance in the history of the Oscars. I’m going to go out there and certainly be mindful that that’s what works but also try and inject some of what I do into the mix and hopefully come out with something that is fresh and surprising and has an edge but doesn’t completely thumb its nose at the Oscars. Change happens incrementally... I think it’s safe to say what we’re doing is very self-aware of this challenge that everyone keeps asking about. AP: How long did you continue voicing the characters on your animated shows after taking on the Oscar job? MacFarlane: That’s always the challenge. The shows don’t stop for this stuff. They still have to keep moving. And it is a vocal strain. “Family Guy” and “American Dad!” are very vocally taxing shows. There’s a lot of high-energy stuff, a lot of screaming, yelling. A lot of vocal contortions. So that becomes really the biggest chal-
Neeson
Travolta
lenge of all: How to get it all done and keep it all on schedule and not destroy my throat. AP: So you’ve essentially had two or three full-time jobs. MacFarlane: Who knows how this will go. Even if it goes great, I just don’t think that I could do this again. It’s just too much with everything else that I have to do. I’m happy to be doing it and I will be thrilled to have done it, assuming I get out of there in one piece, but I really think this is a one-time thing for me. AP: Why? MacFarlane: I just don’t like working 150 hours a week. I do like to have some sort of recharge time. I think it makes everything better. If you’re working around the clock, the work starts to suffer. And it hasn’t thus far, but I’m glad (the Oscars are) in a week and a half because I’m getting close to the point where I can’t do six jobs at the same time. And also, Craig and Neil have been pretty open about the fact that they really want to do this once. They want to put on the best Oscars that they possibly can and call it a day... And I have a feeling whoever produces next year will want to put their own stamp on it. Everybody sort of assumes that Tina (Fey) and Amy (Poehler) will do it next year, and I think that is very likely. So whoever comes in and produces next year I think will want to make their own mark. Even if I wanted to do it again, I think that is a factor. Craig and Neil, I am very much a product of their gamble ‚Äî and I’m busting my ass to make sure they don’t regret it. But we are all sort of looking at this as a onetime thing. AP: Will you take vacation after this? What are you most looking forward to doing? MacFarlane: I’ll get a little bit of time off. I’ll get a week or two off. And I’ll probably just do nothing. Even travel sounds exhausting. ❑ ❑ ❑ Online: www.oscars.org
The experience may have been bad, but Smith’s performance as a fading star desperate to win an Oscar earned her the Best Supporting Actress statue in 1978. Her description of Ross might also have applied to the septuagenarian star; at least if “60 Minutes” is to be believed. Indeed the whole subtext of Kroft’s talk with Smith was that she’s unbelievably intimidating and many of her castmates cower around her. (RTRS)