Barbie

Yes, I knew you would be happy when you logged in today

First and foremost, the BFCA awards are considered by those who folllow award season/Oscar bloggers as one of the important precursors on the way to a possible Oscar nod.

And why ? Because they are the only award /nomination that the critics as a whole give/ have a say in. Infact , most Oscar bloggers feel that they and the SAG are the two key Osacar precursors, much more so than the GG nods or various other groups awards.

What I would say is that ,we as Leo fans, hope Leo's nod means that the critics were able to distinguish ( as they ideally should ) between the quality of a performance versus the quality of a film.

As you may note J Edgar, the film, did not receive a nod from them.

So that , seems to indicate, they felt the film as a whole may not have been worthy of a nod for BP , but Leo's performance was . Which is a very good sign, as we hope that is the mindset Oscar voters will use as well when selecting their top five choices.

As you may note they didn't nominate for BP Iron Lady or Weekend with Marilyn, but they did nominate for their performances Meryl Streep and Michelle Williams.

Also, one can not say , as some bloggers have tried to do in the past ,whenever, big stars are nominated, that Leo's nomination had anything to do with a desire to have some star power present ; as even though I only want to see Leo, with George and Brad getting nods, they didn't need Leo present for star power.

So as we discussed long ago , did every critic praise Leo's performance ? No, but enough of the important critics felt it was an excellent performance as we see evidenced by this nomination. :)

As to your question about Oldman ( it is not that the BFCA critics didn't like his film , Tinker's BFCA score is 86 versus J Edgar 76). but apparently they felt stronger about Leo's performance than Oldman's.

Now we move to SAGS, and as I pointed out in my earlier post, it will depend on what the 2,100 selected at random actors think are the top five performances.

My friend told me years ago that depending on who makes up the nominating committee that sometimes it is harder for a star with talent to get a nod, as if a lot of the below the fame line /struggling actors nominate they connect more with actors they feel are like them, or actors that are considered more character actors like Robert Duvall /Michael Shannon rather than with those who they feel already have it all ( fame, top salary/choices ) like Leo, Brad, etc.

Of course, we know that shouldn't be how they decide who to vote for , but it does happen.

I just know that the SAGS were the award group I had the most misconceptions about. I wrongly thought that all 120,000 actors/members voted on the nods, so I thought any nomination meant a majority consensus of all actors.

At same time, when I spoke with my friend I had a habit of saying "But that nod is so important because it comes from an actor's peers." And as my friend informed me , That is not necessarily so, as do you really think a person who has been an extra in 3 commericals is really Leo's peer when it comes to acting ?? "

He made me unerstand that the SAG nods are dependent on the makeup of that 2,100 randomly selected group.

As the general body can't vote for a person if they weren't nominated.

So tomorrow we have the SAG awards, and just like last night, we can only hope for the best for our Leo !

Sic

Yes, tomorrow are the SAG award, see my post above that explains how they are chosen

And then Thurs we have the Golden Globes chosen by the foreign press .

Both of these groups ,also, announce bright and early in the morning.

Solange

Thanks for video clip and wonderful gif of Leo and Kate

I agree in this

Infact , most Oscar bloggers feel that they and the SAG are the two key Osacar precursors, much more so GG nods or various other groups awards.

I mean, remember last year, Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp nominated for The Tourist? and as best comedy actors?

A complete joke!

HUZZAH FOR LEO BEING NOMINATED! YAAAY!

Thanks for the translation Sick.

Also oooh I like that Tarantino thing you posted Solange. INTERESTING. His writing is so ugly though.

Thanks Ox for all the awards talk. You really have givin me alot of clarity on these awards, and the nomination process's!

Princess, yeah I remember Johnny and Angelina being nominated last year. And Ricky Gervais really called them out on it! I would really like Leo to get nominated for the GG's, so we can also hear what Ricky has to say about leo. He is pretty harsh, and there was alot of contreversy about it last year, but I am soo excited they asked him back!

FASSHHHH! I sent you a PM

we should be very proud that Leo has never been nominated just for his star power, despite the fact that he's the most powerful actor among them

welcome girls!

Another J.Edgar interview. LOL love his comment about dating models

In Hollywood, where a star’s worth is gauged by the amount of money his movies bring in at the box office, Leonardo DiCaprio is something of an enigma. Since Titanic (1997), he has made a career out of risky choices, playing mainly unsympathetic characters in serious movies geared towards adult audiences.

No one doubts he is a genuine star, yet none of his recent movies have been blockbusters, and not all of them have even been successful.

As Clint Eastwood says: “Leonardo could make a lot of money making mechanical genre pictures, but he wants to be challenged.”

His latest challenge is probably the biggest he has yet undertaken: portraying the founder of the FBI, J Edgar Hoover, from his twenties until his death at the age of 77 in a remarkable, Oscar-worthy performance under Eastwood’s direction.

Hoover is the latest in a line of mostly tortured, unlikeable characters DiCaprio has portrayed, including Howard Hughes in The Aviator, a Zimbabwe diamond smuggler in Blood Diamond, an unfaithful husband in Revolutionary Road, a psychotic detective in Shutter Island and a dream-extractor in Inception.

“I’ve never doubted the material I’ve been drawn to,” he tells me. “I don’t do a film because I feel it’s time to do a comedy or a science-fiction film or another genre; I do it because I’m motivated, it interests me, and I feel as if I could be of service to the character. And I like complicated characters.

“Like The Great Gatsby, J Edgar led to a million questions I wanted answered, and it got me excited to research the character.”

Apart from reading everything he could find about Hoover, his research included watching news footage of him, visiting one of his old homes, touring the Justice Department in Washington, and talking to one of the few people still alive who worked closely with him.

To portray the ageing Hoover, DiCaprio spent four hours every morning being made up with a full bald cap with punched-in hair, false teeth, contact lenses, a “fat suit” and silicone prosthetics glued to his forehead, cheeks, mouth, neck and hands.

“It was very claustrophobic, and I wanted to put on extra weight so I didn’t have to wear a big suit. I tried my best but there weren’t enough cupcakes around to do it,” he laughs.

As directed by Eastwood, J Edgar treads carefully around some of the more salacious rumours about Hoover’s private life and portrays him as a crusader who modernised crime-fighting with fingerprints and scientific analysis, while at the same time snooping into the private lives of suspected Communists and some of America’s most powerful figures, including several sitting presidents, whom he saw as threats to his own power. He is depicted as a man who stopped at nothing to protect America through eight presidents and three wars.

The script, by Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, takes a non-judgmental approach to Hoover’s sexual identity, depicting him as a man unable or unwilling to pursue intimacy . He is shown, however, to have had a lifelong friendship with his trusted deputy, Clyde Tolson, who, as portrayed by Armie Hammer, is clearly gay. Hoover is also portrayed as being dominated by his overpowering mother (Judi Dench), who tells him: “I’d rather have a dead son than a daffodil for a son.”

“I think,” says DiCaprio, “he was a tragic figure and the only way he could receive love was through the workplace, which is why he was tyrannical about being in a position of power his entire life and why he manipulated everyone around him. His life was about protecting his own secrets and finding out other people’s.”

He dismisses the long-standing stories about Hoover being a cross-dressing homosexual who flaunted his transvestitism. “People still think that he dressed up as a woman, but that’s completely ridiculous. There’s no way in a million years he would have shown up at a party dressed in a frock with lipstick on, gallivanting around with champagne. That story came from a woman whose husband had been thrown in the slammer by the FBI and she wanted to get back at Hoover. He knew about those rumours and they haunted him throughout his career.”

Like Hoover, 37-year-old DiCaprio has managed to retain a mystique about his personal life, declining to talk about his off-screen activities. When asked by male interviewers about his penchant for dating beautiful models, his stock answer is: “Wouldn’t you if you could?”

The boyish good looks that made him the idol of millions of girls who went to see Titanic have matured, and he has developed into a seemingly well-adjusted, self-assured man with a strong social conscience that has led him to become an ardent campaigner for the environment.

But the young DiCaprio, in the form of his Titanic character Jack Dawkins, is about to return to haunt him when writer-director-producer James Cameron re-releases the Oscar-winning epic in 3D.

“It was a very interesting period in my life because both Kate Winslet and I were these young independent actors who were thrown into this gigantic world that was Titanic. Not only was making the movie an amazing experience; so was everything that happened after that, with the incredible amount of attention put on us. ”

DiCaprio is currently filming The Great Gatsby for director Baz Luhrmann and is preparing to play Frank Sinatra in what will be his fourth collaboration with Martin Scorsese.

“I get the sense that careers are fleeting, so, when I get these opportunities, I have to grab them. It seems like all I’ve been doing is churning out movie after movie, year after year, but I have a lot of personal time, too, and I don’t have any regrets.

“I’d regret it if I looked back on this time in my life and said, 'You were a little lazy. You didn’t seize the gifts that were being offered to you, and you didn’t take advantage of how lucky you were.’ Then I would regret it, but I’m not doing that.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/st...ng-J-Edgar.html

thanks kat! nice to read, and his comment about models

also liked his last quote

we should be very proud that Leo has never been nominated just for his star power, despite the fact that he's the most powerful actor among them

welcome girls!

So agree!

Great job on the translation of the interview, Sick. Very appreciated, thanks a lot.

Finally some good news... Leo nominated for a prestigious award. Let's hope the best of this week. Positive thinking always .

Thanks girls for all pics, videos and news .

I know I'm neglecting the site a bit, but I have my schedule a little tight... shame on me .

Oh, and Oxford... excellent explanation of the voting system on the SAG and about other awards. Do you really know the things . I confess that I also thought that all members voted, but I was wrong . Can you tell if Oscar is in the same way?

The excerpt below is from The Hollywood Reporter about today's BFCA nominations

I posted just a few excerpts , as well as, link to entire article below

First, their headline mentions why BFCA is considered an Oscar precursor

THR's awards expert Scott Feinberg dissects the meaning of today's big announcement from the BFCA, one of the most reliable predictors of the Oscars.

In recent years, the BFCA's choices have correlated with the Academy's as often as any of the early awards groups'.

This next passage talks specifically about how the nods impact the Oscar BA hunt

And, Barbie, the writer addresses your question about what does this mean for Gary Oldman ???

And as he states all expect Clooney, Pitt, Dujardin to get SAG nods, so the question is who takes 4th and 5th spot from : Leo, Fassenbender, Gosling, Oldman

I think we know who we think it should be

It has long looked like three spots in the best actor Oscar field were locked up -- Jean Dujardin (The Artist), George Clooney (The Descendants), and Brad Pitt (Moneyball) -- and today's announcement did nothing to dispel that. For a long time, I thought that Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar) had a solid hold on the fourth, but as his film has plummeted in recent weeks I began to question that; today, however, we learned that critics do not hold DiCaprio responsible for J. Edgar's shortcomings (rightly so), and that he may yet dig out an Oscar nod for his fine performance. And, as for the fifth and final spot, it has, all along, appeared to be up for grabs amongst a large group of talented actors who did fine work in small films. Today, we learned that two of them may have a better shot than the others: Michael Fassbender (Shame) and Ryan Gosling (Drive). I suppose it makes sense, considering the sort of year that both have had -- Fassbender gave strong perfs in four high-profile movies, with Shame stirring up buzz just as ballots came due, and Gosling, the highest-profile of the lot, also had The Ides of March in the discussion. I must admit that it was somewhat surprising to see Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) lose out to both of them; indeed, if the veteran can't register with even critics, who generally adore him, it's hard to imagine him registering with the Academy, which has never nominated him.

Entire Hollywood Reporter/BFCA article link

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/broa...s-awards-272802

I did want to post this passage from the guy who follows the Oscars for EW . We've heard about J Edgar not having big box office #'s , but do notice what he says about some of the other films and box office.

And in reference to the film Chicago , that was a film back by you guessed it Harvey Weinstein

The year that happened, 2002, contains some noteworthy parallels to the current head-to-head-to-head battle. That year, the prelims went to About Schmidt (L.A.), The Hours (NBR), and Far From Heaven (New York). But the Oscar went to Chicago, a movie that, not incidentally, grossed $50 million more than the three aforementioned movies combined. This matters because if The Descendants, Hugo, and The Artist have one thing in common, it is a perhaps perilous degree of box-office vulnerability. Hugo added 800 screens this weekend and still saw its grosses drop — it just isn’t particularly clicking with moviegoers. The Descendants increased its screen count by 50 percent and still couldn’t improve its take from the previous weekend. And The Artist has taken in only about half of what The King’s Speech did last year in an identical release pattern — indicating that, as it widens, it may perform more like an offbeat, charming curio than an emotional people’s-choice steamroller.

How much of a role grosses play in Oscar victories depends on the kind of movie in the contest. Voters are willing pick a low-grossing Best Picture winner if its modest take feels connected to its uncompromising nature (for instance, The Hurt Locker), but they’re less likely to vote for a movie that’s intended to be a crowd-pleaser but can’t draw crowds. If that’s the case, perhaps there’s room for a four-quadrant box-office stallion to assert itself as a compromise choice over the holidays

Sic

Great comment ; I totally agree !

we should be very proud that Leo has never been nominated just for his star power, despite the fact that he's the most powerful actor among them

Kat

Thanks for Daily Telegraph; love the passages you highlighted

As to Leo's comment about models, I don't know if you were a big fan of Sex & The City, but one episode dealt with Carrie trying to figure out why so many men yearned to date models.

At the time Big dated a lot of models, and when she asked him why he did, he gave an answer similar to Leo's = "Because I can "

It has long looked like three spots in the best actor Oscar field were locked up -- Jean Dujardin (The Artist), George Clooney (The Descendants), and Brad Pitt (Moneyball) -- and today's announcement did nothing to dispel that. For a long time, I thought that Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar) had a solid hold on the fourth, but as his film has plummeted in recent weeks I began to question that; today, however, we learned that critics do not hold DiCaprio responsible for J. Edgar's shortcomings (rightly so), and that he may yet dig out an Oscar nod for his fine performance. And, as for the fifth and final spot, it has, all along, appeared to be up for grabs amongst a large group of talented actors who did fine work in small films. Today, we learned that two of them may have a better shot than the others: Michael Fassbender (Shame) and Ryan Gosling (Drive). I suppose it makes sense, considering the sort of year that both have had -- Fassbender gave strong perfs in four high-profile movies, with Shame stirring up buzz just as ballots came due, and Gosling, the highest-profile of the lot, also had The Ides of March in the discussion. I must admit that it was somewhat surprising to see Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) lose out to both of them; indeed, if the veteran can't register with even critics, who generally adore him, it's hard to imagine him registering with the Academy, which has never nominated him.

Oh, please. "Drive" is sooooo BLAH. I have not seen the trio Oldman, Fassbender and Clooney, so I cannot compare... but a nomination for Gosling for this movie? No, definitely not.

Tks Ox for the infos.

An article about the new Gatsby stills

I love the guy's comments about Leo ; he's got that right almost always perfect

Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan Embrace the Book's Magic in 'The Great Gasby' Images

By Michael Arbeiter, Hollywood.com Staff|Tuesday, December 13, 2011

I've been skeptical—and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been—about the developing film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby: a piece of writing connoted, arguably more than any other, with the term "the Great American Novel." It is a grand gesture to attempt an adaptation of a work of art of this magnitude. And I'm not ignoring the fact that Gatsby has been adapted to film before: in 1974, with Robert Redford playing the titular hero, Mia Farrow playing Daisy Buchanan and Law & Order's Sam Waterston as Nick Carraway. But to me, that doesn't take away from the risky business attached to any subsequent attempts at making a Gatsby film.

That said, I am beginning to warm up to the idea. We've seen pics from production before, like star Leonardo DiCaprio driving an era-appropriate car and the three stars (DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire) on set, in costume. But the below images are the first ones straight from the movie itself. And something about them makes me feel a little bit of the magic that is powdered throughout Fitzgerald's pages.

DiCaprio is a universally acclaimed figure in the acting world. Almost everyone thinks he's almost always almost perfect. Carey Mulligan is more of a newbie, but I'll be damned if she is not a dramatic minefield (if you're unconvinced, see her in Shame...you'll cry). Tobey Maguire isn't exactly my cup of tea, but I can't say that he's not an understandable fit for the character of Nick Carraway. And though Tom Buchanan is a slightly smaller role, they've roped in the great Joel Edgerton to play him. And that's just dandy.

In short, the more I prepare for The Great Gatsby's sublime release date, the more I'm willing to let my hopes rise. Baz Luhrmann's adaptation also stars Isla Fisher, Gemma Ward and Jason Clarke.

Nanda

Beyond J Edgar, I have seen Drive, Moneyball, and The Descendants.

For my personal taste, I don't think any of the lead performances were Oscar worthy. And , I may be wrong, but I don't see Drive as playing well to the Oscar group which skewers older.

In general, for my acting tastes, I think that Ryan is a much better actor than either Brad or George.

And I thought it was a crime that Michelle Williams got an Oscar nod for Blue Valentine and not Ryan Gosling. It would be how I would have felt if the year before that Kate was nominated for Revolutionary Road and not Leo.

Even though, personally,I thought Kate gave a much more worthy Oscar performance in RR than The Reader .

Nanda

Beyond J Edgar, I have seen Drive, Moneyball, and The Descendants.

For my personal taste, I don't think any of the lead performances were Oscar worthy. And , I may be wrong, but I don't see Drive as playing well to the Oscar group which skewers older.

In general, for my acting tastes, I think that Ryan is a much better actor than either Brad or George.

And I thought it was a crime that Michelle Williams got an Oscar nod for Blue Valentine and not Ryan Gosling. It would be how I would have felt if the year before that Kate was nominated for Revolutionary Road and not Leo.

Even though, personally,I thought Kate gave a much more worthy Oscar performance in RR than The Reader .

Yeah, I agree with you. Gosling is so much better than Brad and George. But I don't think this is a movie that deserves an indication, I expected more of "Drive" by all that I had read and heard before.

And yes... "J. Edgar" seems to be more the style of the Academy, for sure. Maybe that's why I'm so confident .

Nanda

Well, looking at your comment below wait to you see "The Descendant's and George's performance

expected more of "Drive" by all that I had read and heard before.

Early on I read comments by all of these critics who attended early screenings saying "Wow, George really bared his soul in the heavy emotional scenes " or " Gosh to see a big star like George break down like that /cry like that / be so vulnerable . "

And then I go to movie and see the so called big emotional scenes and go "WTF ?? "

Early on I read comments by all of these critics who attended early screenings saying "Wow, George really bared his soul in the heavy emotional scenes " or " Gosh to see a big star like George break down like that /cry like that / be so vulnerable . "

And then I go to movie and see the so called big emotional scenes and go "WTF ?? "

Get me out a doubt... it's a movie-style "made for teenagers"? <_<

I'm about to give up to see it. But I need... I like to see all competitors before the Oscars.

Nanda

Me ,too

First, because I don't feel I can fairly make a comment as to which I thought was best if I didn't see all.

My award /Oscar friend is a big movie buff, and he likes to talk movies, and it is hard to discuss movies/performances if you don't see them.

I like to see all competitors before the Oscars.

So our sexy yummy Leo was nominated?Can you update me girls?What is it about? I wasnt able to read all the articles that have been posted,this thread moves quite fast! But I'm happy anyway!!! That's great news!! :hell yea!:

Tks Oxford for remembering me when it comes to his big shoulders!! I wish I was Daisy!

Tks Princess for that sexy Danny Archer....I felt like he was staring at me or something like that..... :brows:

Tks for the articles girls!

Love you girls!

Pami

Updating you : Leo was nominated for BA for BFCA awards, the first of the Oscar precursors

Tomorrow morning they announce the SAG awards.

Thurs morning they announce the Golden Globe awards.

We are hoping to Leo is nominated for both awards for his terrific J Edgar performance

Yes, I thought you would like the picture that showed more of Gatsby broad shoulders

LOL, I loved this line about Leo and I agree: DiCaprio is a universally acclaimed figure in the acting world. Almost everyone thinks he's almost always almost perfect. thanks for the article ox.

ox, also thanks for that big and very clear explanation about the awards and their importance, I'am happy to know critics choice is really this relevant and a thermometer for the Academy nominations.