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Last updated:
February 25, 2008
Copyright
2006 Michael R. Colford.
All rights reserved
current
nominations • ceremony • archives
• special awards • ballot
2005, 11th Annual Awards, March 20, 2005 |
Best Movie |
It's a Tie! |
  Lucas
Belvaux's The Trilogy - Individually, the
three films that comprise THE TRILOGY by Belgian writer/director/actor
Lucas Belvaux are certainly praiseworthy. The political thriller
ON THE RUN explores the devestating alienation we experience
the world passing us by. The sex farce AN AMAZING COUPLE highlights
our desire to hear only what is already in our minds -- even
if it arouses our deepest insecurities and fears. And the intense
melodrama AFTER THE LIFE shows how our intimate secrets cause
us not only loneliness and suffering, but can be the primary
glue holding our relationships together. However, taken as a
complete work, these three films of disparate genres form a masterpiece.
By engaging different points of view in the same scenes of the
interconnected stories, THE TRILOGY is a truly unique work brilliantly
illustrating the notion that no one may ever walk in another
person's shoes. --sc |
 Spring,
Summer, Winter Fall... and Spring - The journey to
enlightenment. Redemption through suffering. The cyclical nature of
existence. Korean director Ki-duk Kim explores these themes in his
Buddhist allegory SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, WINTER... AND SPRING.
In spring, a monk teaches a boy difficult lessons about life. In summer,
the boy, now a youth, learns that desire brings pleasure and pain.
In the fall, the young man flees the world's corruption for the temple's
refuge, only to be turned back by the monk to face justice. In the
winter, the chastened man learns the lessons that suffering can teach
him. In the spring again, he takes on the burden of teaching a new
generation, and begins his own journey toward enlightenment. Set in
a jewel-like, ever changing wilderness, and filled with rich characters,
both human and animal, the story moves those who surrender to its languid
pace to ponder timeless truths. --jp |
 Good
Bye Dragon Inn - Tsai Ming-Liang's love letter
to the endangered art-house theatre resonated deeply with Chlotrudis
members. Told with gorgeous imagery during the final screening
of the 1966 film DRAGON INN, also the final screening of this
grand dame of single screen theatres. Ming-Liang composes beautiful
shots with a stationery camera as the few character, the solitary
ticket taker, a visiting Japanese tourist, and a small assortment
of random film viewers, move through the theatre. The sense
of isolation, so often featured in the Taiwanese director's
films, permeates GOOD BYE DRAGON INN, as the viewers mourn
the passing of an age. --mrc |
 Last
Life in the Universe -
Kenji, a Japanese ex-pat relocated in Thailand, continuously daydreams.
Unfortunately, it seems a number of his daydreams circle around suicide.
The difference between his first fantasy and his last fantasy in
LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE occurs after his encounter with a pair
of sisters whom give him a hope towards his future. Many parts of
the movie are so unreal, you wonder if any of the events take place
outside of Kenji's mind. Is he the "last life in the universe?"
The book he finds bears the movie's title, but later disappears,
and possibly never existed at all, and if Kenji is indeed the "last
life," does anything outside of his mind exist? Every part
of this movie deserves recognition, from Asano Tadanobu & Sinitta "Noon" Boonyasak's
strong performances, the cinematography of Christopher Doyle, and
the adept handling by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang. --tg |
 Moolaadé -
Osmane Sembene’s newest feature, MOOLADÉ, weaves tribal
mythology and history into a modern tale of women finding, and fighting
for,
their power – in this case by refusing to continue the tradition
of genital mutilation. The film was shot on location in an African
village that has been in existence for over 2,000 years, an appropriate
location for a film addressing the battle between modernism and tradition.
The film’s direction (of both actors and filmmaking), screenplay,
and cinematography are excellent, not only exemplifying Sembene’s
talent and experience (he is the grandfather of African film after
all) but also proves that a simple film with a smaller budget can
be just as powerful as those with big budgets and grand visions. --im |
 The
Return is
the story of a father who has returned to his two sons after an unexplained
absence of many years. The older son who remembers
his father is happy to see him; the younger son is not. The three
embark on a three day journey which will alter their lives. The languid
pace, sparse dialogue, foreboding atmosphere, and non-traditional
camera angles transform the most mundane moments into visual poems
and essays. -- bk |
Buried Treasure |
 Nosey
Parker - John O'Brien's NOSEY PARKER sneaks
up on you. It's a sly charmer about a married couple from Connecticut
who buy their dream house (or rather, buy a house and remodel
it into their dreamhouse) in small-town Vermont. NOSEY PARKER
humorously, and insightfully tracks the feelings of the locals
at this sudden intrusion. At the core of the film is a beautifully
drawn friendship that develops between Natalie, the young wife
whose older husband has trouble understanding, and George,
a much older man who becomes Natalie's first and best friend.
The gentle banter was developed through improvisation, and
professional actress Natalie Pico seamlessly blends her style
to the natrualism of the non-professionals. Gentle, warm, and
funny, NOSEY PARKER is a treasure worth digging up. --mrc |
|
 The
Rage in Placid Lake - Tony McNamara's witty
yet fierce directorial debut follows Placid Lake's struggle
to fit in, only to discover that perhaps he's better off not
fitting in. It's a story that has been done to death, yet McNamara's
film triumphs due to the effective mix of irreverent, dark
comedy and real heart. Pop musician Ben Lee seems tailor-made
for the title role, while his foil, young Rose Byrne, combines
innocence and genius with a sharp tongue and a look that embraces
both movie star beauty and awkward geekiness. The ever-reliable
Miranda Richardson almost steals the show as Placid's flighty,
new-age, mother, shimmying ever further out on the branch of
wackiness while grounding her character with real emotion and
love for her son. --mrc |
 Reconstruction -
Christoffer Boe's fascinating feature directorial debut is a complex
tale of men, women, love and writing. On the surface, RECONSTRUCTION
tells the tale of August, a writer who is having trouble with the
characters in his novel. Spurred by thoughts of his beautiful wife
Aimee possibly having an affair with the ruggedly handsome Alex,
August constructs a tale of two couples and cruelly manipulates his
characters as his whim changes. But is all that's going on in this
multi-layered story? Using gorgeous digital photography, rapid cuts,
stunning yet simple visual effects, and strong performances, especially
from actress Maria Bonnevie who tackles two roles, Boe has a hidden
winner with RECONSTRUCTION. --mrc |
 Stander -
STANDER is an entertaining cops and robbers film that adeptly
tackles political outrage with a deft touch. Based on the life
of Andres Stander, one of South Africa's top police officers
in the 1970's, STANDER chronicles his disillusionment with South
African law after his participation in quelling a riot, and his
subsequent, allegedly politically motivated descent into crime.
Screenwriter Bima Stagg crafts a powerful story suggesting a
noble motivation that guides Stander throughout his criminal
career.
Director Bronwen Houghes shows her directing chops for edgy, crime
fare after pleasing the masses with HARRIET THE SPY and FORCES OF
NATURE. But the true revelation here is Thomas Jane, who embodies
Andres Stander with his physicality and his intelligence at the forefront.
Jane brings Stander fully to life, capturing his ego, his outrage
and subsequent guilt, and his love for his wife beautifully. Here's
a movie the deserves to be viewed by a much wider audience. --mrc |
Best Director |
 Lucas
Belvaux for Lucas Belvaux's The Trilogy -
If there is one strength to Lucas Belvaux's trio of films, ON
THE RUN, AN AMAZING COUPLE, and AFTER THE LIFE (and there are,
in fact, many of them) Belvaux's assured director's touch is
certainly it. After directing only two feature films, neither
of which was released in America, Belvaux hits a grand slam with
three intricate films telling the same larger story in three
very different genres. ON THE RUN's thriller hits an ironic existential
note, AN AMAZING COUPLE examines the resistance of changing perceptions
in the guise of a screwball comedy, and AFTER THE LIFE brings
real feeling and honesty to its melodramatic tone. Each film
uses all the traditional elements of their respective genres
while twisting the viewers perceptions of the characters by what
is revealed. Truly a masterful work with much promise on what
is still to come. --mrc |
|
 Pen-Ek
Ratanaruang for Last Life
in the Universe - Ratanaruang’s first three films never
were released in this country although they did get some festival
activity. His fourth film, THE
LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE, is a
dazzling mixture of style (Christopher Doyle’s photography
is exquisite) and playful, mysterious narrative. Kenji and Noi
meet by chance as her sister’s violent death interrupts his
suicide attempt. Kenji is obsessive-compulsive; Noi is a slob.
In spite of their differences, they connect in the way strangers
often do. The story seems simple, but Ratanaruang quietly takes
the viewer by surprise. What seems like a chance encounter may
be more than it appears. Ratanaruang is a director we will be hearing
more about in the future. -- bk |
 Andrei
Zvyagintsev for The Return -
Zvyagintsev's debut is a thriller with a mythic elements: a father,
after twelve years of absence, returns to take his two adolescent
sons on a three-day fishing trip. The director is totally in command: pace,
dialogue, remarkable performances, atmosphere, camera angles, ambient
noise. The desolate land- and seascapes of Russia, the downpours
and brillant sun play with the tension and foreboding to give us
a slow burn.--djy |
 Guy Maddin for The Saddest Music
in the World - |
 Jonathan
Caouette for Tarnation -
In his astonishing first feature film, Jonathan Caouette deftly uses
the classic cinematic technique of montage to turn twenty years of
home movies into not only a fascinating family history, but also
an eloquent film essay on the influences that made him the man he
is today. Partially a moving portrait of his emotionally fragile
mother and partially a love letter to 70's and 80's pop culture,
Tarnation lays the director figuratively naked before his audience,
exposing his deeper fears, regrets, and desires in a sincere, personal,
and self-effacing way. Challenging most preconceived notions regarding
documentary filmmaking, Tarnation points toward a bold new future
in visual creative nonfiction. --sc |
 David Gordon Green for Undertow - |
Best Actress |
 Imelda
Staunton for the role of Vera Drake in Vera
Drake - A role such as VERA DRAKE is every actor's dream. Imelda
Staunton plays Vera to perfection. From the beginning of the film where
Vera cheerfully tends to the well being of everyone around her to the
grim moments when the police arrive at her house and she says 'I
know why you’ve come,' Imelda Staunton is amazingly convincing.
Hers is one of the best performances of any year. --bk |
 Toni
Colette for the role of Sandy Edwards
in Japanese Story - This must be the type of multi-dimensional
role that Toni Colette lives for. On the surface, Sandy Edwards is
a tough, smart, capable woman, an Australian scientist who bristles
at the idea of acting as a driver for a visiting Japanese businessman.
She is affronted by his dismissive attitude toward her (and presumably
women in general) but comes to a better understanding when the two
become stranded in the Australian outback overnight. After experiencing
sudden tragedy, Colette must bring to life a fully realized, sudden
grief and horror, after already switching emotional gears from annoyance
and frustration to joy and discovery. Colette is clearly up for the
task. This is a role worthy of a fine young actress. --mrc |
 Sinitta
Boonyasak for the role of Noi in Last Life
in the Universe -
Prior to starring in Pen-Ek Ratenaruang's LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE,
Sinitta "Noon" Boonyasak had only appeared in about 20
Thai soap operas. Planning to quit acting, she was approached by
Pen-Ek about Last Life. Drawn in by the script, she agreed. She plays
Noi, a young woman whose sister dies in a car crash, but just before
she's about to leave Thailand for Tokyo, she meets with Genji, whose
compulsive behavior plays well off of Noi's complete lack of organization.
Despite acting beside her more famous sister Laila, Sinitta shines
as she plays the role of Noi with an independent charm essential
to the character. Whether she's awkwardly communicating to the Japanese
Genji in broken English, or confidently striding through her own
familiar world, Noi's character is made whole by Sinitta.--tg |
 Catalina Sandino Moreno for the role of Maria in Maria Full
of Grace - |
 Fatoumata
Coulibaly for the role of Collé Gallo Ardo
Sy in Moolaadé - Collé, played by Fatoumata
Coulibaly, is the rebel in her village. She has given sanctuary
-moolaadé -
to four girls who seek her help to avoid being taken to the circumcision
ceremony where they would be cut according to Muslim ritual. Single
handily taking on the village elders and the women who perform the
circumcisions, Coulibaly creates a character that is sassy, insightful,
strident, caring and –above all – courageous. -- bk |
 Anne
Reid for the role of May in The
Mother - Anne Reid tackles the difficult titular role in this
portrait of a grieving family. When May's husband dies unexpectedly,
she realizes that her entire life has been consumed by the responsibilities
of wife and mother. Suddenly widowed and alone, May struggles to
feel needed and wanted again; faced with the reality of the distant
relationship she has with her two adult children. May falls into
a secret relationship with a younger man who is also involved with
her unstable daughter. This entanglement exposes May emotionally,
mentally, and sexually, but her strong resolve enables her to accept
the mistakes of her past and move on. --hn |
|
Best Actor |
 Gael
García Bernal for the role of Ángel/Juan/Zahara
in Bad Education - In Pedro Almodovar's intricate, subversive
take on film noir, Bernal displays his range by playing two stunningly
distinct characters (both of them as far away from his angelic Che
Guevara in THE
MOTORCYCLE DIARIES as possible). He first appears
onscreen as shaggy wannabe actor/former drag performer Ignacio, presenting
a screenplay to his childhood friend/first love, Enrique, who is
now a filmmaker. However, minutes later Bernal unexpectedly dons
drag as Zahara, a transvestite central to Ignacio's presumably autobiographical
script. Bernal is fine in both roles, but his Zahara is a revelatory
creation: compelling and voluptuous but still dignified, he nearly
makes you forget the well-known actor behind the glamorous frocks,
wigs and makeup--always the measure of a great performance, drag
or otherwise. --ck |
 Tony
Leung for the role of Chan Wing
Yan in Infernal Affairs - In INFERNAL
AFFAIRS, Leung (IN THE
MOOD FOR LOVE, HERO,
HAPPY TOGETHER) plays Chan Wing Yan who is a mole: an undercover policeman
working for the triad, the renowned Hong Kong
mobsters. Amid double crosses, false starts, and quick turns of events
Leung brings an underlying intelligence and emotional complexity to
INFERNAL AFFAIRS that elevate the film way above the typical good cop/bad
cop crime drama. Leung is a marvel to watch as he infuses the simplest
of gestures with several layers of context. -- bk |
 Tadanobu Asano for the role of Kenji in Last Life in the Universe - |
 Paul Giamatti for the role of Miles
Raymond in Sideways - |
 Jamie Sives for the role of Wilbur in Wilbur
Wants to Kill Himself - |
 Kevin
Bacon in the role of Walter in The
Woodsman - Somewhere along the line, this skilled actor became
a bit of a joke. Maybe it was that trivia game, Six Degrees of
Kevin Bacon. Maybe it was because he started a rock band. Whatever
it was, may all doubts be laid to rest that Bacon is one of the
finest film actors working today. With Nicole Kassell's
challenging and controversial debut THE WOODSMAN, Bacon inhabits
a complex character that few audiences would be compelled to sympathize
with. As Walter, a quiet, anti-social man who works at a lumber
yard, Bacon is nearly unrecognizable, with his stiff-gaited walk
replacing his customary swagger and his normally spiky hair pulled
into a bland buzz cut. Bacon's physicality
is the key to his performance and is thrilling to watch. One minute
his nostrils flare with barely-repressed rage, the next he literally
doesn't seem to know where to put his hands. When Walter befriends
a young girl and nearly backslides into his previous ways, Bacon's
struggle is portrayed with subtlety and restraint. It was a fluke
that Bacon ended up playing the lead in this first-time director's
film; he was handed a script by a potential backer. He meant to
skim it but could not put it down and eventually insisted on playing
the lead role. Such opportunities are rare in the industry and
Bacon makes the most of this one. --pa |
Best Supporting Actress |
 Virginia
Madsen for the role of Maya in Sideways -
Virginia Madsen had not built a career based on stellar acting
work in films such as ELECTRIC DREAMS, DUNE, and CANDYMAN, so
it's doubly delightful that her powerful and rooted performance
as Maya in SIDEWAYS comes years after the ingenue phase of her
life. SIDEWAYS is all about men in the throes of mid-life crises,
but what about women? How do they react to the middle years of
their lives? If they're like Maya, they go back to school for
another Masters Degree. Madsen captures the blend of caution
and hopefulness with which older woman often approach relationships
perfectly. And anyone who has seen SIDEWAYS will never forget
her moving monologue equating her life to a fine wine. --mrc |
 Fenella
Woolgar for the role of Agatha
in Bright Young Things - The odd-looking English actress
with the funny name; that is how many of us remember Fenella Woolgar.
Her straw-colored hair, aquiline nose and strong jawline make her
a natural for films of the Masterpiece Theatre ilk, which might explain
why she is mainly known for her roles in period films. She's an arch
society type in Mike Leigh's VERA DRAKE. But in writer/director
Stephen Fry's BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS (adapted from Evelyn Waugh's Vile
Bodies) she is the adventurous, outrageous Agatha, constantly
at the heart of the latest scandal. Since most of the main characters
are fast-living socialites circa 1930s London, it is saying a lot
that Agatha is the most reckless and feckless of all of them. Wealthy
and, in her own mind, beyond reproach, she drinks more, drives faster,
and laughs louder than anyone else in the room. As The Guardian's
Peter Bradshaw puts it, Woolgar is the "only person in the cast
who really does look and sound like someone from the 1930s, presenting
a face to the camera that is somehow very clever and very stupid
simultaneously." --pa |
 Cate Blanchett for the role of Cate/Shelly
in Coffee and Cigarettes - |
 Rie
Miyazawa for the role of Tomoe Iinuma
in Twilight Samurai - Miyazawa plays a difficult role, an
outspoken, intelligent young woman trapped in an age where women
are submissive housewives. Tomoe escapes an abusive marriage and
explores the love she feels for a common samurai beneath her station.
Their warm playful banter feel relaxed and real without seeming anachronistic.
The strength of Miyazawa's character complements the gentleness of
her leading man without overpowering it. Miyazawa brings a relaxed,
natural grace to the role, sidestepping both the victim and the manipulator
to play something much more difficult: a real woman. --mrc |
 Shirley
Henderson for the role of Alice
in Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself - Indie audiences have had
a few opportunities to fall in love with gamine, hummingbird-voiced
Shirley Henderson. She's shown her range and presence in Mike Leigh's
TOPSY TURVY, as a young actress in The Mikado, in ONCE UPON A TIME
IN THE MIDLANDS, a quirky romantic comedy opposite Ryhs Ifans, and
as the crying ghost who haunts the girls' lavatory in the HARRY POTTER
films. In Lone Scherfig's sad, funny love story, she plays Alice,
a shy but compassionate woman who marries the stable, sweet Harbour
(Adrian Rawlins) but quickly falls in love with his suicidal, laconic
brother Wilbur (Jamie Sives). Henderson is physically and vocally
always recognizable–with a vulnerable, fey quality and that
high-pitched, drawling voice that sounds like a sugar-plum fairy
on opium. But what comes through is not her oddness or her limitations;
instead, she captivates with her dark and ivory beauty, the perfection
of her comic timing, and an emotional intensity as clear and sharp
as spun glass. --pa |
Best Supporting Actor |
 Peter
Sarsgaard for the role of Clyde Martin in Kinsey -
Fast making a name for himself as one of the best of his generation,
Peter Sarsgaard infuses his portrayal of Clyde Martin with fearless
curiosity and guileless honesty. The first trait drives Martin’s
attraction to Kinsey’s ideas and vision, such that he becomes
a vital member of the research team. But it is the second emotion
that drives home Sarsgaard’s most vivid moments, when he
gently seduces his hero, and when he confronts (and recognized)
the flawed human behind the visionary. --bc |
 Alfred
Molina for the role of Alfred
in Coffee
and Cigarettes - In the best-written segment of Jarmusch's
collection of vignettes, Molina (as himself), tries to ingratiate
himself with the condescending Steven Coogan. Hoping that a common
genealogy will yield a personal and professional relationship,
Molina puts himself on the line. Ultimately, in a counterpoint
to Coogan's Hollywood powerplays, Molina one-ups him in a charming
way. He delivers his lines in the most apt manner, ever polite.
A small and very satisfying performance. --djy |
 Mark
Wahlberg for the role of Tommy Corn
in I
[Heart] Huckabees - As Tommy Corn, a firefighter amid existential
crisis, Wahlberg shows that his best roles are as earnest, somewhat
misguided, but well-intentioned, guys guys. In our post-9/11 society,
it's easy to rely on one-dimensional stereotypes of the heroic
public servant, but Wahlberg portrays a real, flawed and conflicted
man in search of a greater meaning. The essence of this character
is most evident in the triumphant expression on Tommy's face as
he rides his bike, while clad in full gear, past his petroleum-consuming
colleagues whose firetruck is stuck in traffic on the way to respond
to a call. --hn |
 Anthony
Wong Chau-Sang for the role of SP Wong
in Infernal
Affairs - Anthony Wong Chau-Sang first caught the eye of the
Hong Kong audience with his brilliant performance in THE UNTOLD
STORY back in 1992. Since then, he's appeared in over 100 movies!
But his
best
role since then has to be as Inspector Wong in the
thriller INFERNAL AFFAIRS. As one of the film's clear-cut good
guys, he plays the part with a calm demeanor perfect for both the
role and the movie as a whole. While his performance could have
been buried under the flawless performances by Tony Leung and Andy
Lau, it's nice to see him get a nomination for his work. The hardest
working man in Hong Kong cinema! --tg |
 Phil
Davis for the role of Stan in Vera
Drake - Mike Leigh fans will recognize Davis from his funny,
acerbic portrayal of Cyril, the working-class ex-radical in Leigh's
first cinematic feature HIGH HOPES. In VERA DRAKE, set in London
in 1950, Davis
is Vera's husband Stan, a working man whose devotion to his family
wavers when his wife is accused of being a back-alley abortionist.
Leigh's film works so well because he so effectively captures an
era with a number of brilliant set-pieces. Davis is the perfect
actor for such a film because his characterization is so subtle
and subdued. Stan works in the "motor trade" and his
son is a tailor; both are sanguine and prone to raucous laughter.
When Vera and Stan invite Reg (Eddie Marsdan), a lonely neighbor,
to eat dinner with them, it is a casual event to them but it becomes
clear to them that, to Reg, it means the world. Stan talks quietly
with him about the war and, almost imperceptibly, he becomes a
part of their family, even before he decides to court their mousy
daughter. Stan also has a brother who has done well for himself
financially, but who envies Stan's domestic happiness. But when
Vera is arrested, Stan is struck silent. He has to briefly confront
the fact that he is appalled by what his wife is accused of doing;
but when his son (Daniel Mays) passionately decries Vera's actions,
Stan insists she is a good woman, and in that brief moment we see
him struggling to believe it himself. --pa |
Best Original Screenplay |
 Lucas
Belvaux's The Trilogy, screenplay by Lucas
Belvaux - Lucas Belvaux wrote three screenplays at one time using
the same characters, sharing many of the same scenes and covering the
same period of time. The first film, AN AMAZING COUPLE, is a madcap
farce, an extraordinary accomplishment one can only appreciate upon
viewing the remaining two films in the Trilogy. The second film, ON
THE RUN, is a film-noir thriller. The third film, AFTER THE LIFE, is
a melodrama. What an amazing feat in screenwriting. Lucas Belvaux’s
TRILOGY is a unique experience. --bk |
 Dogville,
screenplay by Lars von
Trier - Acclaimed director Lars von Trier astounds us once
again with his screenplay for his epic fable DOGVILLE– sort
of a hellish version of “Our Town” where the Gibbs’ are
sadists and Emily can only wish she were dead. Though von Trier’s
film uses theatrical conventions to expose the inner life of this
wretched town, the screenplay is subtly cinematic as it takes viewers
one step closer to the jaw-dropping climax as each chapter begins.
Incorporating themes as diverse as religion, politics, gender,
and conformity, Dogville dares to say what no one wants to hear:
redemption bears a steep price and mercy can be the cruelest act
of all. --sc |
 Maria
Full of Grace, screenplay by Joshua
Marston - Joshua Marston’s debut as a screenwriter is
an auspicious one. While the story of Maria and other mules (those
who swallow cocaine pellets to smuggle the drug into the USA) is
interesting, suspenseful and horrifying it also has many pedestrian
aspects. What makes the film so vital is how the tedium and claustrophobia
of Maria’s physical and emotional environment in Colombia set
the stage for her actions. The opening scene defines Maria’s
character so expertly that everything which follows seems realistic
and believable. The scenes on the plane and in the airport are riveting.
Marston cleverly turns his unpretentious, straightforward screenplay
into a chilling thriller. -- bk |
  Shaun
of the Dead, screenplay by Simon
Pegg and Edgar Wright - This writing duo somehow manages
the insanely tricky if not near-impossible feat of crafting a script
that is equal parts romantic comedy, Gen X-ers turning 30 buddy story,
satire on this modern world, commentary on life in today’s
London, and oh yeah - classic zombie flick! What’s more, each
does double-duty, with Pegg playing the titular hero and Wright in
charge of directing this amiably madcap chaos. You’d have to
be brain-dead not to enjoy this one! --bc |
|
 Vera
Drake, screenplay by Mike Leigh -
Mike Leigh has frequently danced around the subject of abortion in
his films for years. Audiences might have at least
guessed Leigh had ambivalent feelings about this issue, as opposed
to coming down firmly on one side or the other. But in VERA DRAKE,
set in London in 1950, Leigh finally seems to offer a more definitive
view. The titular character (played brilliantly by Imelda Staunton)
is portrayed as a "do gooder" who helps out "girls
in trouble." She charges no money, although the friend who arranges
the meetings with pregnant woman collects a fee. When one of her
clients suffers an infection and nearly dies, Vera is arrested and
tried for what is, at that time, an offense punishable by incarceration.
Vera's family are shocked and humiliated by what has happened. Leigh's
parents were a doctor and nurse respectively, so one suspects he
developed views on this issue early on. Known
for the strong roles he writes for women, more than one critic has
complained that Vera, capable and confident throughout most of the
film, becomes weak-willed and inarticulate once she is arrested.
Family and friends turn against her and those who support her are
ostracized. This demonization of Vera is a perplexing choice, hinting
that Leigh indeed thinks an abortionist deserves to be punished;
but perhaps it is not about morality as much as it is about the very
English sense of shame and embarrassment surrounding sexuality in
the public forum. Mike Leigh's stories continue to be grounded fully
in the lives of their characters, and we cannot judge VERA DRAKE's
politics without
wondering what is behind the wife-mother-abortionist's quivering
lips and silent tears. --pa |
  Wilbur
Wants to Kill Himself, screenplay
by Lone Scherfig and Anders Thomas Jensen - Screenwriters
Scherfig (ITALIAN
FOR BEGINNERS) and Jensen (OPEN
HEARTS) superimpose
a cool Danish sensibility on the life-and-death troubles of some
drily
funny
Scottish misfits. Wilbur's repeated
attempts at suicide are foiled by his more responsible brother Harbour,
with whom he runs the family bookstore. Harbour and Wilbur both fall
in love with a quirky customer, Alice. As in Scherfig's ITALIAN FOR
BEGINNERS, relationships are subtle and tentatively pursued, and
offbeat, fragile people find
hidden strength through love. --djy |
Best Adapted Screenplay |
 The
Saddest Music in the World, screenplay by Guy
Maddin and George Toles, based on the original
screenplay by Kazuo Ishiguro - One can only wonder what Kazuo
Ishiguro’s original, unproduced screenplay is like. But
the adaptation of THE SADDEST  MUSIC IN THE WORLD by Guy Maddin
and George Toles certainly has the mark of distinction, even
amongst Maddin’s peculiar catalog of films. This may well
be the director’s finest work in terms of plot, story,
and character. While it borrows stylistic and thematic elements
from classic films and genres (melodrama, Frankenstein, Busby
Berkely-esque musical spectacular), the screenplay is surprisingly
deep and multi-layered, incorporating clever satirical views
of entertainment, commerce, and international politics. Who else
but Maddin would think to make his femme fatale require glass-and-ale
gams? --sc |
 Big
Animal, screenplay by Krzysztof
Kieslowski, based on the short story by Kazimierz Orlos - Childless,
middle-aged couple Zygmunt (director Jerzy Stuhr) and Marysia (Anna
Dymna) awaken one morning to find, of all things, a camel in their
yard, unwittingly left behind by a circus passing through their provincial
village. They slowly warm up to the misplaced mammal and adopt it like
it was a lost puppy. At first, the townspeople react with admiration
and delight, but soon, the novelty wears off and their envy and contempt
towards the couple's new possession surfaces. Based on a script written
by legendary filmmaker Krzysztof Kieslowski in the 1970s, BIG ANIMAL
is both a charming, kindhearted fairy tale (shot in luminous black-and-white)
and a sharp, veiled critique of Communism and conformity. --ck |
 A Home at the End of the World, screenply
by Michael Cunningham, based on his novel - |
 The Motorcycle Diaries, screenply by
Jose Rivera, based on books by Ché Guevara and Alberto
Granada - |
 Sideways, screenplay by Alexander
Payne and Jim Taylor, based on the novel by Rex Pickett - |
 Twilight
Samurai, screenplay by Yoji
Yamada and Yoshitaka
Asama, based on the novels of Shuuhei Fujisawa - The beauty of
TWILIGHT SAMURAI comes from the gentle story of a man who struggles
between the difficulty of maintaining his standing as a samurai, sometimes
forced to participate in practices he disagrees with, and the fulfillment
he finds from his home and family life, tending his farm and caring
for his two daughters and aging mother now that his wife has died.
Yamada and Asama’s gentle adaptation of Fujisawa’s novels
create a character who might be a carpenter, or plumber rather than
a samurai, and the story would remain intact. Our hero, Seibei, is
thoroughly believable and fully rendered whether being scolded for
wearing a tattered uniform, or shyly turning down a proffered engagement
to a lovely young woman because he feels he is not worthy. Perhaps
most refreshing of all, it is a strong screenplay that lets so much
unfold with out extraneous dialogue when a glance or look will do just
as well.--mrc |
|
Best Cinematography |
It's a Tie! |
 Mikhail
Krichman for The Return - Opening with
an overhead shot of nothing but voluminous, undulating water,
THE RETURN constantly revisits this motif in other forms: the
occasional, relentlessly drenching rains, the splotchy puddles
left behind, the sea that leads its characters to a deserted
island that could very well be the absolute edge of the world.
Krichman may cloak much of the film in a muted palette of blues,
grays and greens, but he also often backlights the actors and
their environments until they take on an eerie, nearly iridescent
glow. Assured, sinuous camera movements also add to the film's
elegiac splendor and dark beauty. --ck |
 Dong-hyeon
Baek for Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and
Spring - Dong-hyeon Baek's work in FALL, SUMMER, PIE AND
CREAM FILING is essential to this moral play. When you consider
that every item in the film, from tree to boat to cat to knife
to island, has a meaning to the story being unfurled, his contribution
may be slightly more than usual to a movie. When a shot of a
large door, attached to no wall, partially submerged in water,
tells more of the story than any section of dialogue, that shot
is going to have to be done just right. Dong-hyeon Baek's patience,
artistry and sense of dignity compliments the tone of SPRING,
SUMMER, PANTS AND SHIRT perfectly. The color, stillness, darkness
and movement needed to get the movie right are supplied in abundance.
--tg |
 Eduardo
Serra for Girl with a Pearl
Earring - Serra’s trademarks of saturated colors and
diffuse light in his work (see WHAT DREAMS MAY COME and UNBREAKABLE)
made him the ideal candidate to bring to life the imagined creation
story behind Johannes Vermeer’s famous painting. Serra takes
on the challenge and succeeds brilliantly, so much so that when
the moment comes in the film for life to imitate art, it takes
a beat for it to register, so utterly does Serra capture the mood
of this Dutch Master’s work. --bc |
 Ben-Bong
Liao for Good Bye Dragon Inn -
With only a few words of dialogue and infinitesimal action, the visuals
must carry the show--the last show at a decaying, neglected movie
palace in Taiwan. Tsai Ming-Liang is a master with the camera, setting
up stationary shots through which the few characters move. With only
one shot that involves moving the camera (a slow, short pan to the
right), Tsai's cinematography makes clear the film's intent: what
is important is not what happens in a movie but how we internalize
it. Fanatic movie-goers like Chlotrudis members cherish the stretched-out
takes of the entire auditorium, the confined spaces of hallways and
toilets, the crippled ticketseller standing to the side of the shining
screen. Not many directors go out of their way to capture the aesthetic
of a deserted hallway or the echo of footsteps long after they are
out of visual range. Such moments set Tsai’s films apart from
most contemporary cinema.--djy |
 Xiaoding Zhao for House of Flying Daggers - |
 Christopher Doyle for Last Life in
the Universe - |
Best Cast |
 Lucas
Belvaux's The
Trilogy - Lucas Belvaux’s Trilogy, ON
THE RUN, AN
AMAZING COUPLE, and AFTER
THE LIFE, boasts interweaving storylines, genre-bending themes
and direction, and a group of actors, taken collectively, that
make up one of the most exciting ensemble casts of the year! Each
main actor in THE TRILOGY is allowed to show a different side of
their character depending on the film they appear in. This, in
essence, is the theme of the film: at any given moment, we are
only presenting one aspect of ourselves to the world, and there
are many, many external forces that may be causing us to behave
in such a way. Gilbert Melki shows the most thorough metamorphosis,
starting out as a driven, corrupt cop in ON THE RUN, spending time
as a bullying, aggressive lout in AN AMAZING COUPLE, and finally
settling in as a lost husband, desperately in love with his troubled
wife in AFTER THE LIFE. Ornella Muti, Dominique Blanc, Lucas Belvaux,
François Morel, Catherine Frot, and Valérie Mairesse
are just some of the terrific actors adding to this tour de force.--mrc |
 Coffee and Cigarettes - |
 Dogville -
You can usually count on Lars von Trier to assemble a rich, quirky
cast for one his controversial, polarizing societal parables, and
DOGVILLE, the first film in his "USA - Land of Opportunities" trilogy
has one his best. Headed by a rarely-more-riveting and sympathetic
Nicole Kidman, the film's massive ensemble features fine work from
Hollywood legends (Lauren Bacall, Ben Gazarra, James Caan), rising
stars (Paul Bettany, Chloe Sevigny), indie fixtures (Patricia Clarkson,
Jeremy Davies) and international icons (Harriett Andersson, Udo Kier).
All of them work together to make von Trier's conceptually daring,
chalk-outlined stage of a town come alive, and John Hurt's succinct,
dry voice-over narration is just the cherry on top. --ck |
 Saved! -
Newcomers Jenna Malone, Mandy Moore, Patrick Fugit, and Eva Amurri
join Chlotruidis favorites Martin Donovan, Mary-Louise Parker, and
Heather Matarazzo to form a form a tight ensemble in Brian Dannelly’s
first feature SAVED! Even Hollywood veteran Macaulay Culkin subtly
blends into the mix, displaying (perhaps for the first time) the
ability to direct his attention to his collaborators rather than
straight to the camera. Each actor is required to use his or her
best skills to flesh out the individual they portray (Moore sings,
Parker worries, and Culkin cracks wise), but the respect they show
the people they portray is evident. And since the characters’ views
on morality and religion vary so greatly, this respect effectively
drives home Dannelly’s message that no one’s path through
life can be prescribed." --sc |
 Sideways - |
|
Best Documentary |
 Tarnation - |
 The Agronomist - |
 Bright
Leaves -
Like all Ross McElwee films, this one revolves around a subject (smoking
and the tobacco industry) that's merely a jumping off point for a
mostly free-form, frequently enlightening cinematic memoir. This
one begins when McElwee discovers the film BRIGHT
LEAF, a long-lost
1950 melodrama that may have been about his great-grandfather, a
failed 1800s tobacco baron. From there, he visits his North Carolina
hometown, interviewing everyone from old friends (like Charlene,
a feisty presence in all of his work) to eccentric film theorist
Vlada Petric. Full of McElwee's trademark wry humor and incessant
narration, this lovingly surveys the past and present of a region
generally unknown to anyone outside its borders. To those familiar
with McElwee's previous work, it's like a cherished visit from an
old friend. --ck |
 Control
Room -
Of the plethora of political documentaries of 2004, CONTROL ROOM
stands out as having a director who was open to where the film
would
lead
her, not with a preordained conclusion. The original
footage tells its own story: no voiceovers or background or charts.
It's sober, not cutesy. Noujaim covers Al Jazeera, the controversial
and powerful Arab news outlet, over five weeks at the start of the
Iraq War. She explores objectivity and bias by thoughtfully
juxtaposing her coverage of Al Jazeera with interviews and news footage
of the war
from Western media outlets like FoxNews and the US military public
relations officer. CONTROL ROOM provides a view into
the surprising solidarity among journalists of all nationalities. --djy |
 DiG! -
Director Ondi Timoner spent seven years documenting the ups and downs
of two bands, the Dandy Warhols and the Brian Jonestown Massacre,
and the friendship and rivalry that developed between the two frontmen.
Granted extraordinary access, Timoner has crafted arguably the quintessential
rock ‘n’ roll epic. After watching this film, you’ll
understand better both the irresistible appeal and the unavoidable
pitfalls of the musician cum rockstar lifestyle. --Director Ondi Timoner
spent seven years documenting the ups and downs of two bands, the
Dandy Warhols and the Brian Jonestown Massacre, and the friendship
and rivalry that developed between the two frontmen. Granted extraordinary
access, Timoner has crafted arguably the quintessential rock ‘n’ roll
epic. After watching this film, you’ll understand better both
the irresistible appeal and the unavoidable pitfalls of the musician
cum rockstar lifestyle.--bc |
 The Fog of War - |
 Screaming Men - |
Best Short Film |
Winner! Chlotrudis Award & Audience Award! |
 Dwaine's Big Game by Justin Fielding (US -
5 min.) – Dwaine's Big Game is a short documentary about
a bowler's quest for perfection. Dwaine Daye, a Boston firefighter,
joined the B.I.B. (Black is Beautiful) bowling league to answer a
colleague's challenge - Could he bowl a perfect game?
Justin Fielding is co-founder of Castparty Productions. His latest movie is the satirical short Bush Focus Group. |
Runner-Up Chlotrudis Award |
|
Runner-Up Audience Award |
|
Other Nominees |
 The
Cry by Kirill Davidoff (USA - 13 minutes) – The
Cry
is an experimental documentary that explores the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of
April 26, 1986 in Ukraine when a tremendous explosion ocurred in the nuclear
power plant. Seventeen years later The Cry
returns to Chernobyl to capture images never seen before.
|
 Fault by Justin
Swibel (US
- 15 min.) – A poignant, disturbing, ad darkly funny short film about
a rich American boy who attacks his tennis instructor. Shot in Los
Angeles breath taking Griffith Park, Fault captures rage
seething under a surface of content. When nothing 12-year-old David
can do
is good enough for his coach, frustration gives way to rage.
Fault is Justin Swibel's second short film. In 2002, after founding Starmaker Productions NFP, he wrote, directed, and co-produced Sunset Town, a 25-mnute farce about a small-town police chief s descent into madness. It premiered at the Lake Placid Film Forum in May 2003. This summer in Hollywood, Justin produced and assistant directed Athol Fugard s Blood Knot, directed by Harold Becker. He is currently working on several feature scripts with Jane Renaud and is in pre-production for his third short film. Justin will graduate from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in May 2005. |
|
Graduate of Cal State Long Beach film production department, this is John's senior film. He is an avid film fan and screenwriter/director currently beating down Hollywood's door. |
Jason Di Rosso was born in Perth, Western Australia in 1972. He completed a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Film and Television and Italian. He has worked in the film industry as an assistant director and assistant editor. He is currently working on a six month contract as a producer for Australian Public Radio, as well as developing longer format film scripts. Stray Heart is his second short. |
A New York artist, Nisa Rauschenberg holds a BFA from Parsons School of Design and an MS from College of New Rochelle in art therapy. She has exhibited her paintings and collages across the country and was awarded the 2001 Emerging Artist fellowship by the Aljira Center for Contemporary Arts in 2001. Tico Tico is her first animated film. |
Anna Sikorski has just graduated from the Mel Hoppenhiem School of cinema in Montreal Quebec. Her last short, a troublesome desire has been awarded a 35mm blow up by the school. |
Bad Education
Ming-Liang Tsai for Good Bye Dragon
Inn - 
Isabella Rossellini for the role of
Lady Port-Huntly in The
Saddest Music in the World - There are few actress as talented
and beautiful as Isbella Rossellini, who are also so willing
to dive headfirst into the bizarre realms of such films as David
Lynch's BLUE VELVET, Mary Lambert's SIESTA, Robert Zemeckis'
DEATH BECOMES HER, and Guy Maddin's quirkily delightful THE SADDEST
MUSIC IN THE WORLD, for which she receives this Best Actress
nod, and emerge so brilliantly? Indy film audiences adored her
for her work with David Lynch, but she really showed her acting
mettle in a severely underrated turn as a wife struggling to
understand her husband's transformation after a horrific tragedy
in Peter Weir's masterful FEARLESS. As Lady Port-Huntly, Rossellini
shines as the fabulous star she is, while carrying a years-old
tragedy of her own. The barely contained rage over the outcome
of that long past tragedy is no less surprising than the sudden,
girlish giddiness with which she wraps herself in after a sudden
turn in her life. It is long past time for Isabella to claim
her Chlotrudis nomination. --mrc
Undertow,
screenplay by Lindgard
Jervey, Joe Conway and David Gordon Green -
David Gordon Green and Joe Conway successfully convert a true
crime story into an elaborate Southern gothic in UNDERTOW. The
film is about a family of brothers being slowly rent apart by
the family’s “black sheep” maddened by jealousy
and greed. This is the first genre film that Gordon Greeen has
made and the co-writers effectively use storytelling devices
from a number of genres to twist this true tale. But the film
also contains the naturalism that Gordon Green is known for,
creating an oddly effective genre film that is unexpected and
unsettling. --im
Vera Drake - 
Highway
Amazon by Ronnie Cramer (USA
- 10 minutes) – The strange saga of Christine Fetzer, a female
bodybuilder who travels the country wrestling men on beds
in hotel rooms. Betwee 'sessions,' she discusses her unique
method of earning a living and talks about her former career
as an exotic dancer. After pulling down a couple of beers,
she even spills the beans about bodybuilders and drugs..
Colorado-based Artist/Musician/Filmmaker Ronnie
Cramer has been
active in the arts community for over twenty-five years. His paintings
have been exhibited in galleries and other venues across the country
(including two dozen shows in 2003 alone), his music has achieved
airplay on over 200 radio stations nationwide and his critically-acclaimed
films have been screened at festivals from coast to coast and sold
thousands of copies on videocassette and DVD.
Kirill Davidoff currently resides in Los Angeles but was
born in Russia. He has a Master's Degree in Cinematography and has worked on
numerous films and commercial projects that have been awarded at festivals.
In 1999 he founded Fire Horse Films, an independent media production company. The
Cry is Kirill's first project as a director. It was shot entirely in the
Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Kirill worked as producer and cinematographer on
the feature-length thriller, The Gun, which won the honor of being
the only American selection for World Competition at the 2003 Montreal Film
Festival. 
Jane
Doe by Kramer O'Neil (US
- 5 minutes) – A young woman returns home after a hard day
at work...
Out
and About by John Jameson (US - 13 minutes)
- It is the story of a young couple examining their romantic
relationship told through the eyes of a cynical sales clerk.
Josh and Beth have enough problems without the help of Byron
the video store clerk who seems intent on telling their story
for them, filtered through his biased point of view.
Stray
Heart by Jason
Di Rosso (Australia - 12 min.) – After his local
priest dies, a lonely church caretaker starts visiting
a nearby shopping mall to relieve the pain. He loves
the bright lights and happy people but soon finds himself
in a vicious cycle of shoplifting, lies and self-hate.
Tico
Tico by Nisa Rauschenberg (US - 5
min.) – An animated film score to Tico Tico performed
by Shooby 'The Human Horn' Taylor who claimed to play
the 'air saxophone'. His quirky rendition of Tico Tico
is matched by the quirky animation.
A
Troublesome Desire by Anna Sikorski (Canada
- 12 min.) – A young girl develops a crush on her
older sisters boyfriend, and becomes increasingly
disturbed by her desires.