In this morning’s roundup of Oscar news ‘n’ notes from around the web, Kate Winslet is worth $100 million and Harvey Weinstein straightens out “A Single Man.”
Kris Tapley predicts all 24 winners at next March’s Oscars. He’s nuts to do this, of course, but his choices seem pretty sensible if you accept that the “Precious” momentum is going to continue. (I don’t think I do.) He has that film winning best picture, actress and supporting actress, plus film editing; “Nine” and “Star Trek” taking three each; and “The Hurt Locker,” “Avatar” and “Crazy Heart” picking up two. I won’t hold him to this come next March, though Patrick Goldstein might. (In Contention)
For the record, the title character in Tom Ford’s “A Single Man” is gay. indieWIRE points out that you might not know this from the poster or the new trailer, which downplays or omits the most explicitly homosexual elements of the initial trailer in favor of critics’ quotes and shots of Julianne Moore. Since Miramax under the Weinstein brothers notoriously mounted a successful Oscar campaign for “The Cider House Rules” that sold the film as a feel-good love story and completely obscured its pro-choice stance, it shouldn’t really come as a surprise that the Weinstein Company would try out a little misdirection on this one.
And here’s the trailer, all full of intrigue and what appear to be smoldering glances between Firth and Moore:
(The Weinstein Company)
Pete Hammond wonders why nobody’s buzzing about the Jim Sheridan movie “Brothers” and posits Tobey Maguire (best actor) and U2 (best song) as potential nominees. He recently wondered the same thing about Brenda Blethyn in “London River,” Sandra Bullock in “Blind Side” and Christian McKay in “Me and Orson Welles.” If there are any dark-horse nominees in the acting categories, Pete will be able to say he saw them coming. (Notes on a Season)
We may not know how much an Oscar is worth to an actor’s price tag, but thanks to the UK Film Council, we now know how much an Oscar-winning actress is worth to the economy of Great Britain. If Kate Winslet is the actress in question, the figure is apparently 60 million pounds, or about $100 million. The total takes into account Winslet’s salary, as well as her value in boosting UK-based film production and investment. Winslet is the first actress to be audited thusly by UK Film Council, which has dubbed their methodology “the Winslet algorithm.” I assume they’re joking about some of this, although the article in the Guardian doesn’t indicate as much.
Roger Friedman asks around about “Nine” and comes up with a few bits ‘n’ pieces from the musical’s earliest screenings. His conclusion: people really like Penelope Cruz; out of the film’s nine principal actresses, Marion Cotillard has the closest thing to a lead role, which is good because it’s an “iffy” year for best-actress contenders (huh?); and both Daniel Day-Lewis and the film itself are big question marks. In other words, not much to report. (Showbiz 411)
“Where wonder lives and adventure rules!” The new TV spot for “Avatar” is not aimed at Oscar voters. But kids will like it.
(20th Century Fox)
