Slumdog Millionaire Wins Again!

Of course I was thrilled last night when SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE won a SAG Award for Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture! I especially liked how Freida Pinto took the time to acknowledge the young actors in the movie. They were stupendous and deserve recognition. Dev Patel also deserved his nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

In addition, I was excited that Richard Jenkins was nominated for Best Actor in THE VISITOR, but disappointed that he did not win. His performance was superb. See my December 10, 2008 entry to read more about THE VISITOR.

I want to see DOUBT and THE READER. These are two movies I have not seen yet that seem extremely intriguing. I like both Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet, so I know I will enjoy seeing them in their award winning performances. I am glad they were honored last night, just as I like seeing the very talented Sally Field win for her role in television’s “Brothers and Sisters” and James Earl Jones receive the life achievement award.

Unfortunately, Brad Pitt has not won an award for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. I think he was magnificent in the movie, and really hope he wins an award for it. Another movie that has not even received award recognition is GHOST TOWN. It is a comedy/fantasy that “marches to its own drummer,” if you will. The movie provides laughter and some romance. If you get a chance to see GHOST TOWN, do not pass it up. The movie is fun to watch and stars Greg Kinnear, Ricky Gervais, and Tea Leoni. To learn more about GHOST TOWN, visit the official Web site: http://www.ghosttownmovie.com/#/home.

The Visitor

THE VISITOR is a movie I saw during the summer that I thought was awesome. I have recently learned that 2009 Academy Award nomination predictions are being made for actors Richard Jenkins and Hiam Abbass. This is good news because both performances were fascinating.

THE VISITOR is about a widowed college professor (Richard Jenkins) in Connecticut who is told to attend and speak at a conference in New York City. When he arrives at his apartment in New York, a man named “Tarek,” played by Haaz Sleiman, and his wife “Zainab,” played by Danai Jekesai Gurira, are living in it. They are more startled than he is. He realizes they will be homeless if he makes them leave, so he invites them to stay in the apartment with him.

In an even more unprecedented twist, the three of them gain respect for one another and become friends. “Professor Walter” learns that “Tarek” and “Zainab” may be deported because they are not U.S. citizens; when Tarek is arrested “Professor Walter” visits him and develops a special friendship with his mother (Hiam Abbass) who comes to New York City after not hearing from her son in a while.

As usual, I will not tell you how this ends. I think THE VISITOR is a special movie that is well-paced. The characters are real people and the direction by Thomas McCarthy (who also wrote the screenplay) is fine (as in sharp, polished, and refined). THE VISITOR is an independent movie that I watched at an independently-owned movie theatre. Please support independent film.