APRIL, 22

Special Edition
The Golden Moon Awards Nominations

By Charlie Kiggs

Well, here they are, the Golden Moon Awards are back and, as usual, there have been some predictable nominations, a few surprises and a couple of unfair oblivions. Awards are a very subjective thing and we have to respect the rules of democracy, don’t we?, so let’s accept the results and make some comments about it.

The Landmarks

A milestone for ‘Pompeii’. The first movie ever to reach 7 nominations. Somebody said that ‘Pompeii’ could be the new James Cameron’s ‘Titanic’. And although its release didn’t break any box office record at CMP, this brilliant epic / historical / adventure / romantic / disaster movie can make history at this edition’s ceremony.

‘Dream of a king’ was a risky bet. The first biopic ever produced by CMP. And we all know how hard it is to make movies work in box office without the ‘Action’ or ‘Sci-Fi’ label. But here it is. Not only worked in box office better than expected but also its 5 nominations are a remarkable recognition for this Martin Luther King’s biopic in black and white.

Nice surprise too for ‘Omega’. This little political drama located in an imaginary ex- Soviet Republic has not been forgotten by voters. With three nominations (including a surprising one for Katie Holmes), the movie will challenge to become the Best Picture of the Season. Another proof of the very different ways box office and awards usually go.

After four movies playing the same character (Father Michaels), Patrick Stewart finally got a nomination for it as Best Supporting Actor. Better late than never…

I will write about the returns below, but there are a few talents that become regulars at the awards and deserve to be pointed out. Third nomination for Kirsten Dunst (and each of them in a different category!) and Paul Giamatti and fourth nomination for Keira Knightley and screenwriter James Bradley. They are all confirmed as CMP’s favourites and consolidate their prestige in CMP.

The Ignored

There is no room for everyone that deserves to be nominated. And, once again, I insist on how subjective this is, but there are a few oblivions I would like to remark.

‘The Lollipop Man’. 16 movies have got at least one nomination. But the most surprising hit of the Season has been completely ignored. Not a single nomination. Family movies – as it has also happened with ‘Babes in Toyland’ – are always unfairly treated when awards come.

Comedies and musicals have not been treated well this time. The funny ‘The Metal’ has been totally ignored and the brilliant ‘Quadrophenia’ only gets one nomination. And a Best Cast nomination for Ultraman would have been fair (ok, ok, just kidding). It’s been a poor harvest for minor genres.

It seems like it is not only me who thinks that ‘Blink’ deserved a little more. Of course, 4 nominations is a more than decent number. But I very much miss to see ‘Blink’ in the Best Picture and Best Director categories.

The Returns

As usual, many returns. Let’s take a quick look at them:

As I wrote before, Kirsten Dunst fights for the third time to finally hold the statue.
She has been previously nominated as Best Supporting Actress for ‘Singles’ and as Best Actress for ‘South East’. This time, Kirsten goes for Best Villain, so she equals Tom Hanks as the only talents nominated in three different categories.

James Bradley has already won Best Screenplay twice, for ‘Fools Game’ and ‘The Toymaker’. He competed with himself with his nomination for ‘Chevrolet’. Now, with ‘Pompeii’, he can be the first screenwriter to have 3 statues in his private collection.

Although unfairly ignored as Best Director’s nominee for ‘Blink’, Josh Collins reaches his third nomination in only two Seasons, after challenging for the award as both Best Screenwriter and Best Director for ‘Hollyweird’ in the past Edition.

And will it be this time The Time for Keira? CMP’s most demanded actress reaches her third and fourth nomination (Best Starring Couple and Best Actress for ‘Pompeii’). Previously nominee for Best Starring Couple (together with Pierce Brosnan) for ‘Uncommon Valour’ and for Best Actress for ‘Hitman: Two Ways To Die’, she has the chance now to become another multi-nominated-non-winning, like Scarlett Johansson, or finally taking a statue home.

The funny thing is that Keira already competed with Kate Winslet for Best Actress in the 3rd Edition of the awards. That time, both were defeated by Jennifer Connelly. Now, they will see their faces again in two categories, Best Actress and Best Starring Couple. Kate Winslet reaches her second nomination. The first one was for ‘The Toymaker’. The Knightley / Winslet duels may become a legend at the GMA.

Another talent experienced in nominations is Paul Giamatti. He won Best Starring Couple together with George Clooney in the first edition of the awards for ‘Bill and the Rocket Man’. He was also nominated for Best Actor for that same film. Now, once again Bradley and Anderson’s fables take him back to the ceremony with this third nomination, this time as Best Starring Couple again.

He also knows what winning tastes like. Johnny Depp, past edition winner for Best Starring Couple with Jack Nicholson, returns looking for his third GMA. He also won Best Villain for ‘Uncommon Valour’. So Depp has the chance to become the most awarded star in CMP.

Another one repeating from the previous edition is David Mamet. Already nominated as director for ‘Parody Of Arts’, he is back with ‘Drawing Dreams’. His movies with Marcus Trax keep being recognized by voters.

Hillary Swank is also back, this time as Best Actress. She was previously nominated as Best Supporting Actress for ‘Home’.

And Buscemi returns too after a nomination as Best Villain for ‘Checkmate’. Now, despite all the bad critical reception to her work in the movie, Ashanti will look together with him to win Best Starring Couple.

The Predictions

Too risky to make predictions. My reputation could sink if I fail. So I won’t fall into that trap. But I’ll take a look here to the main categories and my feelings about it:

1-BEST ACTRESS

Hillary Swank
In favour: She is a specialist in awards ceremonies although, in my very personal opinion, her two Oscars do not match her acting career. She’ll take the ‘prestige vote’.
Against: Doesn’t she play a supporting role in ‘Blink’?

Kate Winslet
In favour: She has made a nice work in ‘Man In The Mirror’. People feels sympathy for her and that will help.
Against: ‘Man in the mirror’ is not a Big movie. And, after all, she only plays a nice girl.

Keira Knightley
In favour: She is a CMP’s favourite so this may be the perfect chance to make her win the award. And her movie is Big.
Against: Aren’t we all a bit tired of so much Keira, Keira, Keira in CMP?

2-BEST ACTOR

Johnny Depp
In favour: Playing a character with a disease is always a guarantee of victory in awards ceremonies.
Against: Same as Keira, isn’t it a bit exhausting so much Johnny, Johnny, Johnny in CMP?

Laurence Fishburne
In favour: Playing a real life legendary character is a guarantee of victory as much as playing a character with a disease.
Against: Too predictable?

Zach Braff
In favour: ‘Schroedinger’s Litterbox’ was a nice surprise. And Braff faced bravely the challenge of playing such a peculiar character.
Against: Comedies and comedians do not win awards.

3-BEST DIRECTOR

David Mamet
In favour: Mamet means prestige. The intellectual votes will go for him.
Against: ‘Drawing Dreams’ is more based on screenplay and performances than on directional talent.

James Cameron
In favour: ‘Pompeii’ is the perfect movie to win awards. It has all the elements of a classic winner. And Cameron was the perfect director for it.
Against: Anyone wants to see him again in an award ceremony shouting ‘I’m the king of the world’?

Spike Lee
In favour: Political correction. If you make a movie about Dr. King, you deserve to be awarded.
Against: I have the feeling that people do not feel sympathy for Spike. Too selfish?

4-BEST MOVIE

DREAM OF A KING
In favour: Political correction again. Did anyone really like ‘Gandhi’? Besides that, Lee made an interesting and entertaining biopic.
Against: Some times voters hate to be accused of predictable.

POMPEII
In favour: It has it all to win. It’s Big.
Against: Again, the temptation of not being predictable.

OMEGA
In favour: It will take the votes of all those not wanting to be predictable.
Against: The two other contenders. Both are too Big.

The Golden Moon Awards History

How about taking a look at the main facts of previous GMA Editions?

-Edition 1
Most Awarded: The Crusades, 3 – Deadly Sins, 3
Most Nominated: The Crusades, 6 – Deadly Sins, 6
Best Picture: The Crusades
Best Director: Martin Scorsese (The Heirs)
Best Actor: Robin Williams (Deadly Sins)
Best Actress: Nicole Kidman (The Heirs)
Something remarkable? It was a thrill to have our first awards ceremony. It all ended up with a kind of tie between templar knights and the murderer rabbi.

-Edition 2
Most Awarded: Uncommon Valour, 3 – Fools Game, 3
Most Nominated: Wild Cards, 5 – Chevrolet, 5 – Cathedral, 5
Best Picture: Uncommon Valour
Best Director: Ridley Scott (Uncommon Valour)
Best Actor: Russell Crowe (Cathedral)
Best Actress: Catherine Z. Jones (Fools Game)
Something remarkable? It was Catherine’s night, as she won two awards (also Best Starring Couple). But it wasn’t Chevrolet’s nights: 5 nominations and not a single award.

-Edition 3
Most Awarded: Star Wars: New Order, 3
Most Nominated: The Toymaker, 6
Best Picture: Star Wars: New Order
Best Director: Tom Hanks (The Greatest Show On Earth)
Best Actor: Colin Farrell (Hitman: Two Ways To Die)
Best Actress: Jennifer Connelly (Smoke Signals)
Something remarkable? It was a surprise to see a non-typical award winning movie like ‘Star Wars’ making it for Best Picture. The Force is unbeatable. This time, the bitterness was for ‘The Great War Series: Darkening Skies’: again 5 nominations and not a single award.

-Edition 4
Most Awarded: Carousel, 5
Most Nominated: The Great War Series: Storm Breaks, 6 – South East, 6
Best Picture: The Great War Series: Storm Breaks
Best Director: Peter Weir (The GWS: Storm Breaks)
Best Actor: Daniel Radcliff (South East)
Best Actress: Claire Danes (Carousel)
Something remarkable? No doubt, it was Claire Danes’ night, nominated in three categories for two different movies. After this edition, it became almost a pattern: the most nominated movies were not the most winners. And, surprisingly, a musical became the first movie to win 5 awards (although mainly in minor categories).

-Edition 5
Most Awarded: Nagasaki Daydreams, 3
Most Nominated: Nagasaki Daydreams, 6
Best Picture: Nagasaki Daydreams
Best Director: Clint Eastwood (Nagasaki Daydreams)
Best Actor: Edward Norton (No Evil)
Best Actress: Gong Li (Nagasaki Daydreams)
Something remarkable? That was new and shocking. A box office disaster became the most awarded movie of the night. It had never happened before. The nightmare night was for Hollyweird: again, 5 nominations and no award.

DON’T MISS THE 6th GOLDEN MOON AWARDS CEREMONY