Actress Rachel Zegler didn’t see any pressure to stepping into the world of author Suzanne Collins’ “Hunger Games” prequel, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” And she certainly could have, with actress Jennifer Lawrence crafting an iconic character in Katniss Everdeen over a series of four movies. But for Zegler, playing District 12’s Lucy Gray Baird, who is inducted into the first ever Hunger Games meant she didn’t have to fill big shoes, especially in contrast to co-star Tom Blyth, playing Panem President Coriolanus Snow.
“What I really love is Suzanne subverted expectations a bit with this woman from District 12,” Zegler told TheWrap. “So you expect her to be another Katniss because what other kind of female archetype[slash]character could keep Coriolanus haunted for 64, plus, years?” Those subverted expectations included, for Zegler, a character who is mercurial, enigmatic and who “floats above social norms.”
“My ticket in was her voice,...
“What I really love is Suzanne subverted expectations a bit with this woman from District 12,” Zegler told TheWrap. “So you expect her to be another Katniss because what other kind of female archetype[slash]character could keep Coriolanus haunted for 64, plus, years?” Those subverted expectations included, for Zegler, a character who is mercurial, enigmatic and who “floats above social norms.”
“My ticket in was her voice,...
- 11/20/2023
- by Kristen Lopez
- The Wrap
Panem today, Panem tomorrow, but what about Panem yesterday? "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" gives us our first real look at the Capitol from long before Katniss Everdeen and her not-so-merry band of rebels ever stepped foot in the decadent, palatial estates brimming with undisguised luxury. By comparison, the war-torn city we see in the prequel film couldn't possibly look or feel more different. Still reeling from the events of the First Rebellion roughly a decade prior, the remaining survivors are in full rebuild mode. Look closely and it's clear that rubble lines the streets, buildings are still in various stages of disrepair, and even many of the characters themselves carry a haunted look in their eyes.
Given the cogent thematic core laced throughout the original "The Hunger Games" franchise, it's probably not a shocker that the creative team, from director Francis Lawrence on down, brought...
Given the cogent thematic core laced throughout the original "The Hunger Games" franchise, it's probably not a shocker that the creative team, from director Francis Lawrence on down, brought...
- 11/18/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
“You may know me from other stuff, but I don’t use a lot of colors, except when necessary,” says renowned costume designer Trish Summerville.
So, when it came to designing the main outfit worn by Rachel Zegler’s Lucy Gray in “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” Summerville, whose credits include “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” “Mank” and “Gone Girl,” had to wrap her head around “a rainbow dress with ruffles and things she keeps in her pockets.”
The rainbow dress was one of the first outfits Summerville tackled. But after several illustrations, she still didn’t feel 100% happy with what was in front of her. So, she consulted director Francis Lawrence. “That’s the beauty about reading and having books is you can conjure up your imagery in your head for each reader as to what it should be. It was a lot of...
So, when it came to designing the main outfit worn by Rachel Zegler’s Lucy Gray in “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” Summerville, whose credits include “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” “Mank” and “Gone Girl,” had to wrap her head around “a rainbow dress with ruffles and things she keeps in her pockets.”
The rainbow dress was one of the first outfits Summerville tackled. But after several illustrations, she still didn’t feel 100% happy with what was in front of her. So, she consulted director Francis Lawrence. “That’s the beauty about reading and having books is you can conjure up your imagery in your head for each reader as to what it should be. It was a lot of...
- 11/18/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Francis Lawrence didn't direct the first "Hunger Games" movie, but he directed the rest of them, and he's made the series his own. Starting with "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" and continuing through the rest of the films, Lawrence has showcased an eye for thrilling and horrifying visuals and a keen ability to draw the best out of his actors, whether they're going broad or subtle. Through his lens, what could've been a boilerplate YA series has leaned into the aggressive, the political, and the deeply moving.
Lawrence is back with "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," a prequel telling the story of young Coriolanus Snow, who will grow up to be the vicious dictator with his thumb on the sci-fi dystopia of Panem in the original four films. It's arguably the best and most thematically ambitious film in the series, putting the audience in the company...
Lawrence is back with "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," a prequel telling the story of young Coriolanus Snow, who will grow up to be the vicious dictator with his thumb on the sci-fi dystopia of Panem in the original four films. It's arguably the best and most thematically ambitious film in the series, putting the audience in the company...
- 11/17/2023
- by Jacob Hall
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
When audiences settle in for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, they should be ready to enter a different version of the annual Hunger Games.
In a first look at the upcoming Hunger Games prequel for Vanity Fair, the movie’s director Francis Lawrence and producer Nina Jacobson tease how they plan to bring Suzanne Collins’ prequel to the big screen.
An origins story of the Hunger Games villain President Coriolanus Snow, the 517-page novel explores his life before stepping into his role as Panem’s tyrannical leader, along with laying the foundations for the dystopic nation fans read about in the author’s original trilogy and saw across all three movie adaptations.
“To be able to show a different side of Panem at a different time in its history has been really exciting,” Jacobson said of working on the prequel. “It’s completely different stylistically,...
When audiences settle in for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, they should be ready to enter a different version of the annual Hunger Games.
In a first look at the upcoming Hunger Games prequel for Vanity Fair, the movie’s director Francis Lawrence and producer Nina Jacobson tease how they plan to bring Suzanne Collins’ prequel to the big screen.
An origins story of the Hunger Games villain President Coriolanus Snow, the 517-page novel explores his life before stepping into his role as Panem’s tyrannical leader, along with laying the foundations for the dystopic nation fans read about in the author’s original trilogy and saw across all three movie adaptations.
“To be able to show a different side of Panem at a different time in its history has been really exciting,” Jacobson said of working on the prequel. “It’s completely different stylistically,...
- 8/16/2022
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After becoming the must-see cultural phenomenon last year during the pandemic, Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit” dominated the Creative Arts Emmys this weekend with nine awards. Scott Frank’s Cold War-era limited series about orphan chess prodigy Beth (Anya Taylor-Joy) was honored across the board for casting, cinematography, period costumes, editing, period makeup (non-prosthetic), original dramatic score (Carlos Rafael Rivera), production design, sound editing, and sound mixing.
We’ll have to wait and see if this translates to “The Queen’s Gambit” winning Outstanding Limited Series at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards on September 19. Regardless, Frank assembled a talented team of craftspeople for conveying an almost surreal mood and atmosphere to Beth’s rite of passage.
But the big question for Tesoro was: What is too much chess? The answer: Play the faces more than the chess. And once viewers got their first glimpse of Beth, they were hooked and carried...
We’ll have to wait and see if this translates to “The Queen’s Gambit” winning Outstanding Limited Series at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards on September 19. Regardless, Frank assembled a talented team of craftspeople for conveying an almost surreal mood and atmosphere to Beth’s rite of passage.
But the big question for Tesoro was: What is too much chess? The answer: Play the faces more than the chess. And once viewers got their first glimpse of Beth, they were hooked and carried...
- 9/13/2021
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Even before “The Queen’s Gambit” showrunner Scott Frank considered shooting in Berlin, he knew he had found his first-choice for a production designer when he saw Uli Hanisch’s work in the 2017 German neo-noir television series “Babylon Berlin.”
“Whenever you ask [Frank] now, he says ‘No, no, I came to Berlin because of the designer,’ but the real truth is it was a bit of both,” said Hanisch in an interview with IndieWire “You have to go where the locations are.”
Berlin might not be the obvious choice to tell the period story of a midwestern chess prodigy, but East Berlin’s 1950s – 1980s architecture supplied the right mid-century modern style for various U.S. cities of that era, as well as offered exciting options for the big international tournaments.
“It has a lot to do with the history of Berlin and how we have the Western part — we have some classical architecture of course,...
“Whenever you ask [Frank] now, he says ‘No, no, I came to Berlin because of the designer,’ but the real truth is it was a bit of both,” said Hanisch in an interview with IndieWire “You have to go where the locations are.”
Berlin might not be the obvious choice to tell the period story of a midwestern chess prodigy, but East Berlin’s 1950s – 1980s architecture supplied the right mid-century modern style for various U.S. cities of that era, as well as offered exciting options for the big international tournaments.
“It has a lot to do with the history of Berlin and how we have the Western part — we have some classical architecture of course,...
- 8/20/2021
- by Fiona Underhill
- Indiewire
Architecture and real-life period influences were infused into many Emmy-nominated series’ sets. Here a few that stood out.
“The Oscars” (ABC)
Nominated For Variety Special (Live) Production Design
Production designer David Rockwell turned to previous Oscar ceremonies for inspiration for the 93rd annual event last April. He took cues from Hollywood’s Roosevelt Hotel, site of the first Oscars, to create the aesthetic for this year’s setting, Union Station.
“We conceived a room within a room that made circulation intuitive and completely enveloped the audience,” he says. “These early ceremonies were all formal seated dinners for a very select group of people: the nominees and their guests. This year, given how the pandemic has impacted our ability to gather, we tried to recapture that same sense of intimacy and community.” His main challenge was the building itself. “Nothing could be affixed or installed inside the train station, given its landmark status.
“The Oscars” (ABC)
Nominated For Variety Special (Live) Production Design
Production designer David Rockwell turned to previous Oscar ceremonies for inspiration for the 93rd annual event last April. He took cues from Hollywood’s Roosevelt Hotel, site of the first Oscars, to create the aesthetic for this year’s setting, Union Station.
“We conceived a room within a room that made circulation intuitive and completely enveloped the audience,” he says. “These early ceremonies were all formal seated dinners for a very select group of people: the nominees and their guests. This year, given how the pandemic has impacted our ability to gather, we tried to recapture that same sense of intimacy and community.” His main challenge was the building itself. “Nothing could be affixed or installed inside the train station, given its landmark status.
- 8/4/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
“The Queen’s Gambit” premiered on Netflix in October last year to excellent reviews and outstanding ratings for the streaming giant. It told the story of chess prodigy Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy), during the Cold War. Scroll down to watch our 12 exclusive video interviews with top Emmy contenders from the limited series which was written and directed by Scott Frank.
For her portrayal of Beth, Taylor-Joy won the SAG Award and Golden Globe. As the series follows Beth’s journey, she meets a range of personalities that make up the eclectic ensemble of “The Queen’s Gambit.” Moses Ingram plays Jolene, her rebellious best friend from the orphanage. Marielle Heller plays Alma, the lonely and supportive mother who adopts Beth. Thomas Brodie-Sangster plays Benny Watts, the brash U.S. chess champion who Beth faces and befriends. Harry Melling plays awkward Harry Beltik who moves in with Beth after she bests him. And...
For her portrayal of Beth, Taylor-Joy won the SAG Award and Golden Globe. As the series follows Beth’s journey, she meets a range of personalities that make up the eclectic ensemble of “The Queen’s Gambit.” Moses Ingram plays Jolene, her rebellious best friend from the orphanage. Marielle Heller plays Alma, the lonely and supportive mother who adopts Beth. Thomas Brodie-Sangster plays Benny Watts, the brash U.S. chess champion who Beth faces and befriends. Harry Melling plays awkward Harry Beltik who moves in with Beth after she bests him. And...
- 6/25/2021
- by Matt Noble
- Gold Derby
“In a way we were doing a superhero series,” reveals Uli Hanisch about “The Queen’s Gambit.” For our recent webchat, he continues, “Beth is this outsider kid who is a lost soul. By her start she would not have a chance to get anything done in this world. Then, all of a sudden, she has this supernatural ability at chess. That opens the door to the world. It’s fantastically amazing to follow her and see how she can succeed because she has this ability and is this strong fighter.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.
“The Queen’s Gambit” is a Netflix limited series that follows the rise of chess prodigy Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) during the Cold War. Hanisch was responsible for the sets as production designer on the project. He explains, “Because Beth’s such a strange and interior character you are never really sure how much she...
“The Queen’s Gambit” is a Netflix limited series that follows the rise of chess prodigy Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) during the Cold War. Hanisch was responsible for the sets as production designer on the project. He explains, “Because Beth’s such a strange and interior character you are never really sure how much she...
- 6/18/2021
- by Matt Noble
- Gold Derby
This story about The Queen’s Gambit first appeared in the Limited Series & TV Movies issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
The Set-Up: American chess whiz Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy), rising like a phoenix from the ashes after battling lifelong drug and alcohol addiction, bucks up and heads to Russia for the match of her life. The tense showdown, which includes one dramatic adjournment, leads to (spoiler alert) her triumphant victory against Vasily Borgov (Marcin Dorociński) at the 1968 Moscow Invitational Chess Tournament.
Four behind-the-scenes experts involved with writer-director Scott Frank’s blockbuster Netflix limited series spoke to TheWrap about shooting the heart-racing battle of wills.
The Production Design
Uli Hanisch, production designer
“This sequence looks a little different than the rest of the series. It’s very solemn and churchlike: lots of blacks, whites, grays. We had to illustrate visually that Beth was playing for dear life. There are no bright colors anymore,...
The Set-Up: American chess whiz Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy), rising like a phoenix from the ashes after battling lifelong drug and alcohol addiction, bucks up and heads to Russia for the match of her life. The tense showdown, which includes one dramatic adjournment, leads to (spoiler alert) her triumphant victory against Vasily Borgov (Marcin Dorociński) at the 1968 Moscow Invitational Chess Tournament.
Four behind-the-scenes experts involved with writer-director Scott Frank’s blockbuster Netflix limited series spoke to TheWrap about shooting the heart-racing battle of wills.
The Production Design
Uli Hanisch, production designer
“This sequence looks a little different than the rest of the series. It’s very solemn and churchlike: lots of blacks, whites, grays. We had to illustrate visually that Beth was playing for dear life. There are no bright colors anymore,...
- 6/15/2021
- by Jason Clark
- The Wrap
David Fincher’s “Mank” and Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” were among the winners at the Art Directors Guild Awards on Saturday night — both are also Oscar nominees for best production design.
In a hybrid ceremony, the Adg (IATSE Local 800) awarded 11 categories across television, film, music videos and commercials.
Other winners included, “Da 5 Bloods” (Wynn Thomas), and “Soul” (Steve Pilcher).
In the television category, “The Mandalorian: Chapter 13: The Jedi,” “The Queen’s Gambit,” and “What We Do in the Shadows: Resurrection” were all recognized.
Comedian Jb Smoove, co-star of HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” served as the evening’s host, entertaining a global audience. Nelson Coates, Adg president, and Mark Worthington, art directors council chair, presided over the awards ceremony.
“I’m grateful we were able to share our open awards event with all of our members, their families, friends, and coworkers this year,” producer Scott Moses said. “The show...
In a hybrid ceremony, the Adg (IATSE Local 800) awarded 11 categories across television, film, music videos and commercials.
Other winners included, “Da 5 Bloods” (Wynn Thomas), and “Soul” (Steve Pilcher).
In the television category, “The Mandalorian: Chapter 13: The Jedi,” “The Queen’s Gambit,” and “What We Do in the Shadows: Resurrection” were all recognized.
Comedian Jb Smoove, co-star of HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” served as the evening’s host, entertaining a global audience. Nelson Coates, Adg president, and Mark Worthington, art directors council chair, presided over the awards ceremony.
“I’m grateful we were able to share our open awards event with all of our members, their families, friends, and coworkers this year,” producer Scott Moses said. “The show...
- 4/11/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
“Mank,” “Tenet,” “Da 5 Bloods” and “Soul” have won the feature-film awards at the 25th annual Art Directors Guild Awards, which were handed out in a virtual ceremony on Saturday.
“Mank” won in the period-film category, the Adg category that most closely corresponds to the Oscar for Best Production Design. “Tenet” won in the fantasy category, “Da 5 Bloods” in the contemporary category and “Soul” in the animated category.
In the 14 years since the current Adg categories were established, the winner in the period category has gone on to win the Oscar for Best Production Design six times, the fantasy winner has taken the Oscar four times, and the contemporary winner has won the Oscar once. In all but three of those years, the Oscar has gone to one of the Adg winners.
“Mank” and “Tenet” are both nominated for the Best Production Design Oscar; “Da 5 Bloods” and “Soul” are not.
“Mank” won in the period-film category, the Adg category that most closely corresponds to the Oscar for Best Production Design. “Tenet” won in the fantasy category, “Da 5 Bloods” in the contemporary category and “Soul” in the animated category.
In the 14 years since the current Adg categories were established, the winner in the period category has gone on to win the Oscar for Best Production Design six times, the fantasy winner has taken the Oscar four times, and the contemporary winner has won the Oscar once. In all but three of those years, the Oscar has gone to one of the Adg winners.
“Mank” and “Tenet” are both nominated for the Best Production Design Oscar; “Da 5 Bloods” and “Soul” are not.
- 4/11/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The 25th Annual Art Director’s Guild Awards took place tonight as a reimagined virtual show, with Mank,, Tenet and Da 5 Bloods taking home top film honors.
Hosted by Curb Your Enthusiasm’s J.B. Smoove, the event celebrates outstanding production design in theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials, animated features and music videos. For all the winners and nominees, see the list at the bottom of this post.
Ryan Murphy received Cinematic Imagery Award honoring his work reflecting the highest quality of production design. The award was presented by Matt Bomer, star of many of Murphy’s shows including Boys in the Band.
Other presenters included Jordi Molla (Jack Ryan); Nicco Annan (P-Valley); Tyra Banks; Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm), Aasif Mandvi (Evil); Jenna Elfman (Fear the Walking Dead) and Brian Tee (Chicago Med).
Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to Emmy-winning production designer Stuart Wurtzel (Ad), set designer Martha Johnston (Sdmm...
Hosted by Curb Your Enthusiasm’s J.B. Smoove, the event celebrates outstanding production design in theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials, animated features and music videos. For all the winners and nominees, see the list at the bottom of this post.
Ryan Murphy received Cinematic Imagery Award honoring his work reflecting the highest quality of production design. The award was presented by Matt Bomer, star of many of Murphy’s shows including Boys in the Band.
Other presenters included Jordi Molla (Jack Ryan); Nicco Annan (P-Valley); Tyra Banks; Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm), Aasif Mandvi (Evil); Jenna Elfman (Fear the Walking Dead) and Brian Tee (Chicago Med).
Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to Emmy-winning production designer Stuart Wurtzel (Ad), set designer Martha Johnston (Sdmm...
- 4/10/2021
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
The Art Directors Guild announced the nominations for the 25th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards on Thursday, honoring the finest production design in theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials, music videos, and animation features.
Among the nominees for film are Oscar hopefuls “Mank,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” with TV accolades including “The Mandalorian,” “The Queen’s Gambit,” and “What We Do in the Shadows.”
Netflix was the big winner grabbing seven Adg nominations, including three period dramas; one fantasy film (George Clooney’s “The Midnight Sky”); and three contemporary films.
Also making the cut were Christopher Nolan’s time-inversion spy thriller, “Tenet” (production designed by five-time Oscar nominee Nathan Crowley), and two surprises: Emerald Fennell’s Oscar buzzy revenge black comedy, “Promising Young Woman,” which scored a contemporary Adg nomination, and Matteo Garron’s period “Pinocchio” Gothic re-imagining, which scored for period.
Also being honored is Ryan Murphy,...
Among the nominees for film are Oscar hopefuls “Mank,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” with TV accolades including “The Mandalorian,” “The Queen’s Gambit,” and “What We Do in the Shadows.”
Netflix was the big winner grabbing seven Adg nominations, including three period dramas; one fantasy film (George Clooney’s “The Midnight Sky”); and three contemporary films.
Also making the cut were Christopher Nolan’s time-inversion spy thriller, “Tenet” (production designed by five-time Oscar nominee Nathan Crowley), and two surprises: Emerald Fennell’s Oscar buzzy revenge black comedy, “Promising Young Woman,” which scored a contemporary Adg nomination, and Matteo Garron’s period “Pinocchio” Gothic re-imagining, which scored for period.
Also being honored is Ryan Murphy,...
- 2/25/2021
- by Libby Hill and Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
The Art Directors Guild has unveiled nominations for its 25th annual Excellence in Production Design Awards, which celebrate the year’s best achievements in theatrical motion pictures, TV, commercials, music videos and animated features. Winners will be announced April 10 during a virtual ceremony.
Last year, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Avengers: Endgame and Parasite were the big film winners in the Period, Fantasy and Contemporary categories, respectively, with Hollywood going on to take the Production Design Oscar. TV winners included The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Cherrnobyl, The Big Bang Theory, Russian Doll, The Umbrella Academy and Drunk History.
As previously announced, Ryan Murphy will receive the group’s Cinematic Imagery Award. The Adg Lifetime Achievement Awards, annually presented to outstanding individuals in each of the guild’s four crafts, and will be announced shortly.
With today’s nominations out, online balloting will now be held March 11-April 7.
Here’ the list...
Last year, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Avengers: Endgame and Parasite were the big film winners in the Period, Fantasy and Contemporary categories, respectively, with Hollywood going on to take the Production Design Oscar. TV winners included The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Cherrnobyl, The Big Bang Theory, Russian Doll, The Umbrella Academy and Drunk History.
As previously announced, Ryan Murphy will receive the group’s Cinematic Imagery Award. The Adg Lifetime Achievement Awards, annually presented to outstanding individuals in each of the guild’s four crafts, and will be announced shortly.
With today’s nominations out, online balloting will now be held March 11-April 7.
Here’ the list...
- 2/25/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
“Mank,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Mulan,” “News of the World” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7” have been nominated in the Art Directors Guild Awards’ period-film category, the Adg category that most closely corresponds to the Academy Award for Best Production Design.
In the Adg’s fantasy-film category, which often supplies one or two Oscar nominees, the guild singled out “Birds of Prey,” “Pinocchio,” “Tenet,” “The Midnight Sky” and “Wonder Woman 1984.”
Nominees in the contemporary category, which last year included Oscar nominee “Parasite,” were “Da 5 Bloods,” “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” “Palm Springs,” “Promising Young Woman” and “The Prom.”
In the television categories, nominees included episodes of “Lovecraft Country,” “The Crown,” “The Mandalorian,” “The Flight Attendant” and “Utopia” in the one-hour categories; “Emily in Paris,” “Space Force,” “What We Do in the Shadows,” “The Neighborhood” and “Will & Grace” in the half-hour categories; and “Fargo,” “Hollywood...
In the Adg’s fantasy-film category, which often supplies one or two Oscar nominees, the guild singled out “Birds of Prey,” “Pinocchio,” “Tenet,” “The Midnight Sky” and “Wonder Woman 1984.”
Nominees in the contemporary category, which last year included Oscar nominee “Parasite,” were “Da 5 Bloods,” “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” “Palm Springs,” “Promising Young Woman” and “The Prom.”
In the television categories, nominees included episodes of “Lovecraft Country,” “The Crown,” “The Mandalorian,” “The Flight Attendant” and “Utopia” in the one-hour categories; “Emily in Paris,” “Space Force,” “What We Do in the Shadows,” “The Neighborhood” and “Will & Grace” in the half-hour categories; and “Fargo,” “Hollywood...
- 2/25/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
“Mank, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Tenet” are among the top films recognized for excellence in production design in the 25th annual Art Directors Guild nominations.
On Thursday, the Adg announced nominations for this year’s awards show, which will be held April 10 in a virtual ceremony, breaking with tradition in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Mank,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Mulan” landed nominations in the Period Feature Film category, and “Birds of Prey,” “Pinocchio” and “Wonder Woman 1984” earned recognition in Fantasy Feature Film.
Missing out were Oscar contenders “Emma,” “The Personal History of David Copperfield” and “One Night in Miami.”
As previously announced, multiple award-winning writer-director-producer Ryan Murphy, whose film and television shows have consistently reflected the highest quality of production design, will receive the esteemed Cinematic Imagery Award.
See the full list of nominations for film and TV below.
Period Feature Film
“Mank” ( Donald Graham Burt...
On Thursday, the Adg announced nominations for this year’s awards show, which will be held April 10 in a virtual ceremony, breaking with tradition in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Mank,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Mulan” landed nominations in the Period Feature Film category, and “Birds of Prey,” “Pinocchio” and “Wonder Woman 1984” earned recognition in Fantasy Feature Film.
Missing out were Oscar contenders “Emma,” “The Personal History of David Copperfield” and “One Night in Miami.”
As previously announced, multiple award-winning writer-director-producer Ryan Murphy, whose film and television shows have consistently reflected the highest quality of production design, will receive the esteemed Cinematic Imagery Award.
See the full list of nominations for film and TV below.
Period Feature Film
“Mank” ( Donald Graham Burt...
- 2/25/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
The Berlin Film Festival’s European Film Market (Efm) is gearing up for its upcoming online edition, for which it has announced 35 promising feature film projects from 25 countries selected for its co-production market.
The Efm on Friday also unveiled details of the digital platform on which business will be done.
The Berlinale Co-Production Market selection comprises works in various stages from global helmers, most of whom are known on the fest circuit while several are Berlin regulars, such as Palestinian helmer Annemarie Jacir, who was on the Berlin jury last year.
The prolific Jacir will be presenting “The Oblivion Theory”; Turkish filmmaker Yeşim Ustaoğlu, who broke out in Berlin, will be pitching her new drama “Left Over”; Oscar-nominated Polish director Jan Komasa (“Corpus Christi”) will unveil “Shine of the Sun”; while New York-based Filipina filmmaker Isabel Sandoval, who made a splash with transgender drama “Lingua Franca,” will talk up her follow-up feature “Tropical Gothic.
The Efm on Friday also unveiled details of the digital platform on which business will be done.
The Berlinale Co-Production Market selection comprises works in various stages from global helmers, most of whom are known on the fest circuit while several are Berlin regulars, such as Palestinian helmer Annemarie Jacir, who was on the Berlin jury last year.
The prolific Jacir will be presenting “The Oblivion Theory”; Turkish filmmaker Yeşim Ustaoğlu, who broke out in Berlin, will be pitching her new drama “Left Over”; Oscar-nominated Polish director Jan Komasa (“Corpus Christi”) will unveil “Shine of the Sun”; while New York-based Filipina filmmaker Isabel Sandoval, who made a splash with transgender drama “Lingua Franca,” will talk up her follow-up feature “Tropical Gothic.
- 1/15/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has confirmed “The Queen’s Gambit” is its biggest scripted limited series in history, launching to a record-breaking 62 million households over its first 28 days of release, the streamer claims. That opening number figure puts “The Queen’s Gambit” in the same league as some of Netflix’s biggest original movie debuts, including “The Kissing Booth 2” and “The Irishman.” The Scott Frank-created series starring Anya Taylor-Joy has also proven to be a hit overseas, cracking the streamer’s top 10 list in 92 countries and ranking number one in 63 countries, including the UK, Argentina, Israel, and South Africa. It’s also inspired sales of chessboards to skyrocket.
“I am both delighted and dazed by the response,” Frank said in a statement. “It’s just all way beyond what any of us could have imagined.” But speaking for my fellow producers and the entire cast and crew of the show, every one of whom...
“I am both delighted and dazed by the response,” Frank said in a statement. “It’s just all way beyond what any of us could have imagined.” But speaking for my fellow producers and the entire cast and crew of the show, every one of whom...
- 11/23/2020
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
‘The Queen’s Gambit’ Becomes Netflix’s Biggest Scripted Limited Series With 62M Checking Chess Drama
The Queen’s Gambit has been watched by 62M million households – making it Netflix’s biggest scripted limited series to date, the streaming giant said Monday. The series, which stars Anya Taylor-Joy as rising chess star Beth Harmon, launched on October 23, and is based on Walter Tevis’ novel.
Written by Scott Frank, who also directs, and co-creator with Allan Scott (Don’t Look Now), The Queen’s Gambit chronicles the life of an orphan chess prodigy. Set during the Cold War era, the story follows Harmon, from the age of 8 to 22, as she struggles with addiction in a quest to become the greatest chess player in the world.
Netflix noted that the seven-episode show ranked in its top 10 in 92 countries and No. 1 in 63 countries, including the UK, Argentina, Israel and South Africa.
The success of the drama has evidently lead to a wider interest in chess; Google searches for chess have doubled, chess...
Written by Scott Frank, who also directs, and co-creator with Allan Scott (Don’t Look Now), The Queen’s Gambit chronicles the life of an orphan chess prodigy. Set during the Cold War era, the story follows Harmon, from the age of 8 to 22, as she struggles with addiction in a quest to become the greatest chess player in the world.
Netflix noted that the seven-episode show ranked in its top 10 in 92 countries and No. 1 in 63 countries, including the UK, Argentina, Israel and South Africa.
The success of the drama has evidently lead to a wider interest in chess; Google searches for chess have doubled, chess...
- 11/23/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Sometimes it feels as though 2020 has been a black hole for television. Quality programming will be released and briefly celebrated before being swallowed whole by a gaping maw of indifference, fueled primarily by outrage and fatigue and forgetting to change out of your pajamas before working from home for the 244th consecutive day. Hulu’s “Pen15” released the first half of an impeccable second season less than two months ago, but I regularly forget about it because far too much of my mental energy is regularly absorbed by deciding whether I’ll be more productive working from my bed or working from my couch. FX’s “Fargo” is in the midst of airing a solid fourth season, a fact that refuses to find purchase in my brain because of all of last week’s sleepless nights spent agonizing over the color of Steve Kornacki’s pants.
Which is all to...
Which is all to...
- 11/12/2020
- by Libby Hill
- Indiewire
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Netflix’s lush, immersive limited series “The Queen’s Gambit,” starring Anya Taylor-Joy as a midcentury chess prodigy, is both “another risk and another unexpected charmer” from creator Scott Frank, says IndieWire’s Ben Travers in his review. And although the powerful performances from Taylor-Joy, Marielle Heller, and many others help elevate the series, the stars are aided by gorgeous hair, makeup, and costumes and striking production design (from “Babylon Berlin’s” Uli Hanisch).
If you finished the series and immediately decided to learn how to play chess, this post is for you...
Products featured are independently selected by our editorial team and we may earn a commission from purchases made from our links.
Netflix’s lush, immersive limited series “The Queen’s Gambit,” starring Anya Taylor-Joy as a midcentury chess prodigy, is both “another risk and another unexpected charmer” from creator Scott Frank, says IndieWire’s Ben Travers in his review. And although the powerful performances from Taylor-Joy, Marielle Heller, and many others help elevate the series, the stars are aided by gorgeous hair, makeup, and costumes and striking production design (from “Babylon Berlin’s” Uli Hanisch).
If you finished the series and immediately decided to learn how to play chess, this post is for you...
- 11/7/2020
- by Jean Bentley
- Indiewire
Neither VFX supervisor John Mangia nor VFX producer Arissa Blasingame were chess masters before joining Netflix’s limited series “The Queen’s Gambit,” but they learned about the game once they were recruited to come on board to create the visual effects.
Based on the novel of the same name by Walter Tevis, the series follows the rise of young chess prodigy Beth Harmon (played by Anya Taylor-Joy), an orphan with a pill addiction. So intrigued by the game is Beth after seeing the janitor play, she goes to bed and sees a chessboard form on the ceiling.
“Every time you see the chess on the ceiling or anything happening when she’s moving them mentally with her mind, all of that stuff is based on real moves,” explains Blasingame, whose company Chicken Bone FX designed the sequences. “We definitely learned [about the game] throughout.”
Mangia adds the team came on board early in...
Based on the novel of the same name by Walter Tevis, the series follows the rise of young chess prodigy Beth Harmon (played by Anya Taylor-Joy), an orphan with a pill addiction. So intrigued by the game is Beth after seeing the janitor play, she goes to bed and sees a chessboard form on the ceiling.
“Every time you see the chess on the ceiling or anything happening when she’s moving them mentally with her mind, all of that stuff is based on real moves,” explains Blasingame, whose company Chicken Bone FX designed the sequences. “We definitely learned [about the game] throughout.”
Mangia adds the team came on board early in...
- 10/28/2020
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
[Note: The following interview contains spoilers for the Netflix series “The Queen’s Gambit.”]
It’s impossible to say for sure, but there’s a scene in “The Queen’s Gambit” where it seems Alma Wheatley is at her happiest. Giddy and in the arms of a new love in a Mexico hotel, she waves at her adopted daughter Beth from across the lobby.
Filming that scene was a bit of a whirlwind for the person playing her, too. Weeks after filming the performances that became the recently released “What the Constitution Means to Me,” Marielle Heller landed in Berlin and hours later was in costume and in character. After spending a majority of the last half-decade as a director of the films “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” and “The Diary of a Teenage Girl,” that particular sequence as Alma was just one part of the front-of-camera switch-up she’d been looking for.
“When...
It’s impossible to say for sure, but there’s a scene in “The Queen’s Gambit” where it seems Alma Wheatley is at her happiest. Giddy and in the arms of a new love in a Mexico hotel, she waves at her adopted daughter Beth from across the lobby.
Filming that scene was a bit of a whirlwind for the person playing her, too. Weeks after filming the performances that became the recently released “What the Constitution Means to Me,” Marielle Heller landed in Berlin and hours later was in costume and in character. After spending a majority of the last half-decade as a director of the films “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” and “The Diary of a Teenage Girl,” that particular sequence as Alma was just one part of the front-of-camera switch-up she’d been looking for.
“When...
- 10/28/2020
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
“The Queen’s Gambit” is quite the risky proposition in itself. The seven-part Netflix limited series features an emerging star in Anya Taylor-Joy; the breakout best known for her work in horror hits like “The Witch” and “Split” is already a favorite of critics and youths alike. And yet if her captivating performance is already a given, the surrounding story’s allure is anything but. Scott Frank’s adaptation of Walter Tevis’ 1983 novel focuses on a subject typically deployed in film and television as a metaphor, usually by mature writers and aimed at a similarly senior audience. Chess, after all, is rarely described as a young person’s game.
Nor is it particularly compelling to watch. Small wooden pieces being slowly slid around a tabletop doesn’t easily lend itself to absorbing cinema, especially given the challenging nature of the game itself. “Pawn Sacrifice,” “Computer Chess,” and even the Pixar short...
Nor is it particularly compelling to watch. Small wooden pieces being slowly slid around a tabletop doesn’t easily lend itself to absorbing cinema, especially given the challenging nature of the game itself. “Pawn Sacrifice,” “Computer Chess,” and even the Pixar short...
- 10/23/2020
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
★★☆☆☆Longing, passion and an illicit love affair should be ripe material for any romping period drama. Sadly, actor-turned-director Charlie Stratton's adaptation of Neal Bell's play, In Secret (2013) - which is in turn based upon Émile Zola's 1867 novel Thérèse Raquin - is a tonally perplexing disappointment that fails to truly wrestle with the themes provided. Production designer Uli Hanisch's sets plunge us into a rather dank 19th century France - with an overly robust enthusiasm for greys - and it's in this world that we meet Thérèse (Elizabeth Olsen, also seen in Godzilla this week). Born out of wedlock, Thérèse is shipped off to live with her seemingly kind, but more accurately conniving aunt, Madame Raquin (Jessica Lang).
- 9/23/2014
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
So David Mitchell's novel was filmable after all – but will you want to see it twice?
Dai Congrong's bestselling Chinese translation of James Joyce's Finnegans Wake and the film version of David Mitchell's 2004 Booker shortlisted novel, Cloud Atlas, both complex fictions about the cyclical nature of life, should warn us against calling anything unfilmable or untranslatable. They are not necessarily proof, however, that they're worth filming or translating.
In a charming introduction to the new paperback edition of his novel, Mitchell expresses his good fortune that it fell into such "capable hands" as Lana and Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer, the film's co-directors and adaptors. The Wachowskis love intricate narratives and the world of ideas; their Matrix trilogy has, I believe, been used in introductory philosophy courses at American colleges. Tykwer's Run Lola Run, a German action movie telling the same story thrice, with events taking different courses,...
Dai Congrong's bestselling Chinese translation of James Joyce's Finnegans Wake and the film version of David Mitchell's 2004 Booker shortlisted novel, Cloud Atlas, both complex fictions about the cyclical nature of life, should warn us against calling anything unfilmable or untranslatable. They are not necessarily proof, however, that they're worth filming or translating.
In a charming introduction to the new paperback edition of his novel, Mitchell expresses his good fortune that it fell into such "capable hands" as Lana and Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer, the film's co-directors and adaptors. The Wachowskis love intricate narratives and the world of ideas; their Matrix trilogy has, I believe, been used in introductory philosophy courses at American colleges. Tykwer's Run Lola Run, a German action movie telling the same story thrice, with events taking different courses,...
- 2/24/2013
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
Today the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films announced its nominees for the 2013 Saturn Awards, one of the few awards programs in which a lot of us will recognize nearly every production. The awards have been expanded over recent years, so if you are unclear about just what type of productions are honored by the Academy, an explanation is included in the press release below, although it can really be summarized as “we know it when we see it.”
A few head-scratchers, however, just beg to be called out:
Anna Karenina? Les Miserables? Leverage? Elementary? Really? That is some broad definition. No subgenre categories for television. The Academy proofreader should know by now that it’s “Syfy” and not “SyFy” (don’t worry, I fixed it, and sorry, it’s a pet peeve). Adding in historical fiction somewhere somehow without actually mentioning it. The entire category “Best Youth-Oriented...
A few head-scratchers, however, just beg to be called out:
Anna Karenina? Les Miserables? Leverage? Elementary? Really? That is some broad definition. No subgenre categories for television. The Academy proofreader should know by now that it’s “Syfy” and not “SyFy” (don’t worry, I fixed it, and sorry, it’s a pet peeve). Adding in historical fiction somewhere somehow without actually mentioning it. The entire category “Best Youth-Oriented...
- 2/20/2013
- by Erin Willard
- ScifiMafia
This Sunday is Oscar day, but for genre fans it's The Saturn Awards that really matter, and we have the full list of this year's nominees. Although we have to say the horror pickings are rather slim indeed!
From the Press Release:
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey received more Saturn Award nominations than any other film released last year, with Life of Pi and Skyfall close behind as the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films today revealed the nominations for the 39th Annual Saturn Awards.
Marvel’s The Avengers, The Dark Knight Returns, Looper, Cloud Atlas, Argo and Les Miserables are among the films that have received multiple Saturn Award nominations, underscoring the ways in which genre filmmaking has expanded beyond its roots as niche entertainment.
The only major awards dedicated to honoring the finest in genre entertainment in film, television and home entertainment, The Saturn Awards will be presented in June,...
From the Press Release:
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey received more Saturn Award nominations than any other film released last year, with Life of Pi and Skyfall close behind as the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films today revealed the nominations for the 39th Annual Saturn Awards.
Marvel’s The Avengers, The Dark Knight Returns, Looper, Cloud Atlas, Argo and Les Miserables are among the films that have received multiple Saturn Award nominations, underscoring the ways in which genre filmmaking has expanded beyond its roots as niche entertainment.
The only major awards dedicated to honoring the finest in genre entertainment in film, television and home entertainment, The Saturn Awards will be presented in June,...
- 2/20/2013
- by The Woman In Black
- DreadCentral.com
The 39th Annual Saturn Award Nominations have been officially announced and we have the full list of nominees. The Saturn Awards recognizing outstanding Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror releases in the last 12 months, and will announce the winners in June. Included on the list are multiple nominations for American Horror Story and The Walking Dead.
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the leading film with nominations for the prestigious Saturn Awards presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. Peter Jackson’s return to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth received 9 nominations. Other films receiving major nominations include Ang Lee’s Life of Pi (8 nominations), and the 23nd entry in the James Bond franchise, Skyfall (7 nominations).
Comic book icons-turned-cinematic spectacles, Marvel’s The Avengers and Christopher Nolan’s triumphant conclusion to his Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, followed closely behind with 6 nominations each, along with the epic...
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the leading film with nominations for the prestigious Saturn Awards presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. Peter Jackson’s return to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth received 9 nominations. Other films receiving major nominations include Ang Lee’s Life of Pi (8 nominations), and the 23nd entry in the James Bond franchise, Skyfall (7 nominations).
Comic book icons-turned-cinematic spectacles, Marvel’s The Avengers and Christopher Nolan’s triumphant conclusion to his Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, followed closely behind with 6 nominations each, along with the epic...
- 2/20/2013
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
My current 2013 Oscar predictions for Best Production Design have Anna Karenina winning with Life of Pi the runner up and if the 2013 Art Directors Guild Award winners have anything to suggest about these predictions it would seem I'm on to something as both films were awarded in the Period and Fantasy categories respectively along with a win for Skyfall in the Contemporary category. Skyfall, however, is not up for an Oscar. You can check out my predictions for the category here, and I have included the winners below in bold, red text along with the nominees in each category. I also added all three winners to my Oscar Overture, which is slowly beginning to fill up. Next up are the Ves Awards tomorrow, February 5. Movies (Period Film) Anna Karenina Production Designer: Sarah Greenwood Argo Production Designer: Sharon Seymour Django Unchained Production Designer: J. Michael Riva Les Miserables Production Designer: Eve Stewart...
- 2/4/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Bond, Pi, and Anna Karenina were the big winners at the 17th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards given by the Art Directors Guild. "Skyfall" won the Contemporary category, "Life of Pi" under Fantasy, and "Anna Karenina" for the Period title.
Here's the complete list of winners/nominees; for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies, click here:
17th Annual Excellence In Production Design Awards
Period Film
(winner) Anna Karenina
Production Designer: Sarah Greenwood
Argo
Production Designer: Sharon Seymour
Django Unchained
Production Designer: J. Michael Riva
Les MISÉRABLES
Production Designer: Eve Stewart
Lincoln
Production Designer: Rick Carter
Fantasy Film
Cloud Atlas
Production Designer: Uli Hanisch, Hugh Bateup
(winner) Life Of Pi
Production Designer: David Gropman
Prometheus
Production Designer: Arthur Max
The Dark Knight Rises
Production Designers: Nathan Crowley, Kevin Kavanaugh
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Production Designer: Dan Hannah
Contemporary Film
Flight
Production Designer: Nelson Coates
(winner) Skyfall
Production Designer: Dennis Gassner...
Here's the complete list of winners/nominees; for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies, click here:
17th Annual Excellence In Production Design Awards
Period Film
(winner) Anna Karenina
Production Designer: Sarah Greenwood
Argo
Production Designer: Sharon Seymour
Django Unchained
Production Designer: J. Michael Riva
Les MISÉRABLES
Production Designer: Eve Stewart
Lincoln
Production Designer: Rick Carter
Fantasy Film
Cloud Atlas
Production Designer: Uli Hanisch, Hugh Bateup
(winner) Life Of Pi
Production Designer: David Gropman
Prometheus
Production Designer: Arthur Max
The Dark Knight Rises
Production Designers: Nathan Crowley, Kevin Kavanaugh
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Production Designer: Dan Hannah
Contemporary Film
Flight
Production Designer: Nelson Coates
(winner) Skyfall
Production Designer: Dennis Gassner...
- 2/3/2013
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
They're not the Oscars, but it's still good that there are awards for the people who make our television and film experiences so visually stunning. The Art Directors Guild has just announced the nominees for its 2012 awards.
The Guild honors production designers in television, film and advertising, dividing each medium into distinct categories. The result is that some productions not used to getting a lot of awards love do in fact get mentioned.
Take "Community" for example. While you'd be hard-pressed to find a TV critic who doesn't think this is one of TV's best comedies, the show gets nominated for virtually zero awards. The Art Directors Guild, however, took notice when appropriate -- the bizarre, visually interesting and incredible "Pillows and Blankets" episode (a Zap2It pick for one of the best episodes of the year) is nominated.
Of course, lots of the usual suspects make the list as...
The Guild honors production designers in television, film and advertising, dividing each medium into distinct categories. The result is that some productions not used to getting a lot of awards love do in fact get mentioned.
Take "Community" for example. While you'd be hard-pressed to find a TV critic who doesn't think this is one of TV's best comedies, the show gets nominated for virtually zero awards. The Art Directors Guild, however, took notice when appropriate -- the bizarre, visually interesting and incredible "Pillows and Blankets" episode (a Zap2It pick for one of the best episodes of the year) is nominated.
Of course, lots of the usual suspects make the list as...
- 1/4/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
The Art Directors Guild has announced the nominees for the 17th Annual Art Directors Guild Excellence in Production Design Awards. Winners will be announced on February 2nd at the Beverly Hilton.
Here's the complete list of nominees including television; for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies, click here:
Nominees For Excellence In Production Design For A Feature Film In 2012
Period Film
Anna Karenina
Production Designer: Sarah Greenwood
Argo
Production Designer: Sharon Seymour
Django Unchained
Production Designer: J. Michael Riva
Les MISÉRABLES
Production Designer: Eve Stewart
Lincoln
Production Designer: Rick Carter
Fantasy Film
Cloud Atlas
Production Designer: Uli Hanisch, Hugh Bateup
Life Of Pi
Production Designer: David Gropman
Prometheus
Production Designer: Arthur Max
The Dark Knight Rises
Production Designers: Nathan Crowley, Kevin Kavanaugh
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Production Designer: Dan Hannah
Contemporary Film
Flight
Production Designer: Nelson Coates
Skyfall
Production Designer: Dennis Gassner
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Production Designer:...
Here's the complete list of nominees including television; for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies, click here:
Nominees For Excellence In Production Design For A Feature Film In 2012
Period Film
Anna Karenina
Production Designer: Sarah Greenwood
Argo
Production Designer: Sharon Seymour
Django Unchained
Production Designer: J. Michael Riva
Les MISÉRABLES
Production Designer: Eve Stewart
Lincoln
Production Designer: Rick Carter
Fantasy Film
Cloud Atlas
Production Designer: Uli Hanisch, Hugh Bateup
Life Of Pi
Production Designer: David Gropman
Prometheus
Production Designer: Arthur Max
The Dark Knight Rises
Production Designers: Nathan Crowley, Kevin Kavanaugh
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Production Designer: Dan Hannah
Contemporary Film
Flight
Production Designer: Nelson Coates
Skyfall
Production Designer: Dennis Gassner
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Production Designer:...
- 1/3/2013
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
I never thought I would be so bothered when it comes to technical awards at the Oscars, but I am already preparing myself for what I expect will be three snubs for a certain film. The Art Directors Guild has all but confirmed one of them will be Moonrise Kingdom's absence from the Production Design nominees by not nominating Adam Stockhausen and Gerald Sullivan's profoundly excellent work. I expect the same to happen at the Oscars and I'm sure Moonrise will be overlooked for Cinematography and Costumes as well, even though everything I'm describing went into what makes it such a great movie. So what did get nominated? Well, in the Contemporary Film category you have Flight, Skyfall, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Impossible and Zero Dark Thirty. Of that group The Impossible and Zero Dark Thirty sound about right. Skyfall is a bit of a stretch,...
- 1/3/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Nominees For Excellence In Production Design For A Feature Film In 2012: Period Film Anna Karenina Production Designer: Sarah Greenwood Argo Production Designer: Sharon Seymour Django Unchained Production Designer: J. Michael Riva...
- 1/3/2013
- by Sasha Stone
- AwardsDaily.com
The Art Directors Guild (Adg) today announced nominations in nine categories of Production Design for theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials and music videos competing in the Adg’s 17th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards Presented by BMW for 2012. The nominations were announced by Adg Council Chair John Shaffner and Awards co-producers Greg Grande and Raf Lydon. Deadline for final voting, which is done online, is January 31. The black-tie ceremony announcing winners will take place Saturday, February 2, 2013, from the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills with Paula Poundstone serving as host for the fourth consecutive year. Production Designer Herman Zimmerman will be the recipient of the Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Hall of Fame inductees are Preston Ames, Richard MacDonald, and Edward S. Stephenson. The Production Designers behind the James Bond franchise, Sir Ken Adam, Allan Cameron, Dennis Gassner, and Peter Lamont will be honored for Outstanding Contribution to Cinematic Imagery.
- 1/3/2013
- by vmblog@hollywoodnews.com (Vitale Morum)
- Hollywoodnews.com
The Art Directors Guild (Adg) today announced nominations in nine categories of Production Design for theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials and music videos competing in the Adg’s 17th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards Presented by BMW for 2012. The nominations were announced by Adg Council Chair John Shaffner and Awards co-producers Greg Grande and Raf Lyndon. Deadline for final voting, which is done online, is January 31. The black-tie ceremony announcing winners will take place Saturday, February 2, 2013, from the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills with Paula Poundstone serving as host for the fourth consecutive year. Production Designer Herman Zimmerman will be the recipient of the Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Hall of Fame inductees are Preston Ames, Richard MacDonald, and Edward S. Stephenson. The Production Designers behind the James Bond franchise, Sir Ken Adam, Allan Cameron, Dennis Gassner, and Peter Lamont will be honored for Outstanding Contribution to Cinematic Imagery.
- 1/3/2013
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
While "Cloud Atlas" may be the most polarizing movie of the year (winding up on both year-end best and worst lists), there's no denying its ambition and beauty: it's the ultimate time travel movie about connecting and reconnecting and grappling with free will and destiny. And the production design plays a crucial role in defining the six periods that overlap the 500-year ripple. However, it made sense both economically and logistically to split the "Cloud Atlas" production into two units, with designer Hugh Bateup ("The Matrix Reloaded," "The Matrix Revolutions," "Speed Racer") working with Andy and Lana Wachowski and Uli Hanisch collaborating with Tom Tykwer ("Heaven," "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer," "Three"). Team Wachowski was responsible for Victorian 1849 in the South Pacific, 2144 in Neo Seoul, and the cataclysmic aftermath of 2321 (paired with the 2346 epilogue). Team Tykwer was...
- 12/19/2012
- by Bill Desowitz
- Thompson on Hollywood
With all the awards attention that Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty has been getting, it’s rather refreshing to see critics choose different winners for Best Picture. That’s exactly what critics from San Diego and Las Vegas have done, picking Argo and Life of Pi, respectively, as the Best Films of 2012.
Apparently each group Really liked their Best Picture winners. San Diego critics also gave Argo awards for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing. Las Vegas Critics also gave Life of Pi Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Score, and the Youth in Film award.
Could we be seeing the end of Zero Dark Thirty‘s reign already? After the Screen Actors Guild nominations this morning, I’m having doubts about its Best Picture chances. For 17 years, SAG has been giving out its Best Cast in a Motion Picture award, with only one instance...
Apparently each group Really liked their Best Picture winners. San Diego critics also gave Argo awards for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing. Las Vegas Critics also gave Life of Pi Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Score, and the Youth in Film award.
Could we be seeing the end of Zero Dark Thirty‘s reign already? After the Screen Actors Guild nominations this morning, I’m having doubts about its Best Picture chances. For 17 years, SAG has been giving out its Best Cast in a Motion Picture award, with only one instance...
- 12/13/2012
- by Jeff Beck
- We Got This Covered
The San Diego Film Critics Society picked Ben Affleck's "Argo" as the Best Picture winner of their annual awards. "Argo" also won Best Director for Affleck, adapted screenplay, and editing awards.
It is interesting to note that the San Diego Film Critics also showered the underrated "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" giving the Best Supporting Actress honor to Emma Watson and best ensemble for the cast.
Here's the full list of nominations and winners (highlighted):
Best Film .
*** Argo
Django Unchained
Silver Linings Playbook
The Master
Zero Dark Thirty
Best Director .
Ang Lee, Life Of Pi
*** Ben Affleck, Argo
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master
Best Actress .
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
*** Michelle Williams, Take This Waltz
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Best Actor .
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
*** Daniel Day-Lewis,...
It is interesting to note that the San Diego Film Critics also showered the underrated "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" giving the Best Supporting Actress honor to Emma Watson and best ensemble for the cast.
Here's the full list of nominations and winners (highlighted):
Best Film .
*** Argo
Django Unchained
Silver Linings Playbook
The Master
Zero Dark Thirty
Best Director .
Ang Lee, Life Of Pi
*** Ben Affleck, Argo
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master
Best Actress .
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
*** Michelle Williams, Take This Waltz
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Best Actor .
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
*** Daniel Day-Lewis,...
- 12/12/2012
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
The San Diego Film Critics Society has announced the nominations for their annual awards and Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master" led the pack with 9 nominations including best picture, best director and acting nods for Joaquin Phoenix (best actor), Amy Adams (best supporting actress), and Philip Seymour Hoffman (best supporting actor). "The Master" will compete against "Argo," "Django Unchained," "Silver Linings Playbook," and "Zero Dark Thirty" for the best picture category.
Here's the complete list of nominees, final voting will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 11th:
Best Film .
Argo
Django Unchained
Silver Linings Playbook
The Master
Zero Dark Thirty
Best Director .
Ang Lee, Life Of Pi
Ben Affleck, Argo
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master
Best Actress .
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Michelle Williams, Take This Waltz
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Best Actor .
Bradley Cooper,...
Here's the complete list of nominees, final voting will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 11th:
Best Film .
Argo
Django Unchained
Silver Linings Playbook
The Master
Zero Dark Thirty
Best Director .
Ang Lee, Life Of Pi
Ben Affleck, Argo
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master
Best Actress .
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Michelle Williams, Take This Waltz
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Best Actor .
Bradley Cooper,...
- 12/11/2012
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Berlinale names competition jury
COLOGNE, Germany -- Danish director Susanne Bier, German actress Diane Kruger and French star Sandrine Bonnaire are among the names to sign up for jury duty at the 58th Berlin International Film Festival.
The jury, headed by famed political filmmaker Costa-Gavras ("Z," Missing) also includes Oscar-winning film and sound editor Walter Murch (Apocalypse Now), Taiwanese actress Shu-Qi (The Transporter), Russian film producer and CTC president Alexander Rodniansky (East-West) and award-winning German production designer Uli Hanisch ("Perfume -- The Story of a Murderer").
The four-man, four-woman jury will select the winners of Berlin's Gold and Silver Bears from among this year's Berlinale competition films.
Actresses Kruger, Bonnaire and Shu-Qi are no strangers to the Berlinale. Kruger, famous for her break-through role alongside Nicolas Cage in the National Treasure films, was in Berlin last year for the In Competition premiere of Bille August's Goodbye Bafana. Shu-Qi last appeared in Berlin in Stanley Kwan's in-competition entry The Island Tales in 2000 and Bonnaire starred in Patrice Leconte's Intimate Strangers, a Berlinale competition film in 2004.
Bier joins the Berlinale jury hot off the critical success of her English-language debut, Things We Lost In The Fire, starring Halle Berry and Benicio Del Toro.
The jury, headed by famed political filmmaker Costa-Gavras ("Z," Missing) also includes Oscar-winning film and sound editor Walter Murch (Apocalypse Now), Taiwanese actress Shu-Qi (The Transporter), Russian film producer and CTC president Alexander Rodniansky (East-West) and award-winning German production designer Uli Hanisch ("Perfume -- The Story of a Murderer").
The four-man, four-woman jury will select the winners of Berlin's Gold and Silver Bears from among this year's Berlinale competition films.
Actresses Kruger, Bonnaire and Shu-Qi are no strangers to the Berlinale. Kruger, famous for her break-through role alongside Nicolas Cage in the National Treasure films, was in Berlin last year for the In Competition premiere of Bille August's Goodbye Bafana. Shu-Qi last appeared in Berlin in Stanley Kwan's in-competition entry The Island Tales in 2000 and Bonnaire starred in Patrice Leconte's Intimate Strangers, a Berlinale competition film in 2004.
Bier joins the Berlinale jury hot off the critical success of her English-language debut, Things We Lost In The Fire, starring Halle Berry and Benicio Del Toro.
- 1/30/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
'International' awarded extra funding
COLOGNE, Germany -- Tom Tykwer's espionage thriller The International received an additional funding boost on Wednesday, when Germany's Federal Film Fund approved a further 1.8 million ($2.4 million) in tax credit relief for the Clive Owen/Naomi Watts starrer.
In total the fund will pay out 5.8 million ($7.9 million) to back The International, a co-production between Columbia Pictures' Rose Line Productions and Studio Babelsberg's Babelsberg Film.
The fund's board argued the funding increase was justified because "two thirds" of the film's production would take place in Germany and The International crew includes a wealth of German talent including actors Armin Mueller-Stahl and Axel Milberg, cinematographer Frank Griebe and production designer Uli Hanisch.
The International is set to begin production this month in Berlin.
In total the fund will pay out 5.8 million ($7.9 million) to back The International, a co-production between Columbia Pictures' Rose Line Productions and Studio Babelsberg's Babelsberg Film.
The fund's board argued the funding increase was justified because "two thirds" of the film's production would take place in Germany and The International crew includes a wealth of German talent including actors Armin Mueller-Stahl and Axel Milberg, cinematographer Frank Griebe and production designer Uli Hanisch.
The International is set to begin production this month in Berlin.
- 9/6/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
'Four Minutes' wins Lola best film award
BERLIN -- Chris Kraus' "Four Minutes" was the surprise winner of the Lola for best film at the 2007 German Film Awards, held Friday night in Berlin.
The story of an elderly piano teacher who trains a young convict at a women's penitentiary, "Four Minutes" beat out Tom Tykwer's opulent epic "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" for the top prize.
Veteran actress Monica Bleibtreu won the Lola for her tour-de-force performance as the piano teacher in "Four Minutes". Bleibtreu accepted the prize on her 63rd birthday and to a standing ovation from the crowd of German film professionals.
The other big surprise Friday night was "Grave Decisions".
A small, low-budget comedy shot in an almost-incomprehensible Bavarian dialect, "Grave Decisions" won four Lolas, including best director for first-timer Marcus H. Rosenmueller and the runner-up Silver Lola for best film.
"Perfume" also won a Silver Lola, but it was in the technical categories where Tykwer's tale of a scent-obsessed serial killer sniffed at the competition.
"Perfume" swept the technical awards, taking Lolas for Frank Griebe's cinematography, Alexander Brenner's editing, Pierre-Yves Gayraud's costume design and Uli Hanisch's sets as well as the golden statuette for best sound design.
The story of an elderly piano teacher who trains a young convict at a women's penitentiary, "Four Minutes" beat out Tom Tykwer's opulent epic "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" for the top prize.
Veteran actress Monica Bleibtreu won the Lola for her tour-de-force performance as the piano teacher in "Four Minutes". Bleibtreu accepted the prize on her 63rd birthday and to a standing ovation from the crowd of German film professionals.
The other big surprise Friday night was "Grave Decisions".
A small, low-budget comedy shot in an almost-incomprehensible Bavarian dialect, "Grave Decisions" won four Lolas, including best director for first-timer Marcus H. Rosenmueller and the runner-up Silver Lola for best film.
"Perfume" also won a Silver Lola, but it was in the technical categories where Tykwer's tale of a scent-obsessed serial killer sniffed at the competition.
"Perfume" swept the technical awards, taking Lolas for Frank Griebe's cinematography, Alexander Brenner's editing, Pierre-Yves Gayraud's costume design and Uli Hanisch's sets as well as the golden statuette for best sound design.
- 5/5/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- Last year The Lives of Others cleaned up the "German Oscars", with eight nominations apiece, this year we find a tight race between Tom Tykwer's take on the Patrick Suskind novel a prison drama by helmer Chris Kraus. Perfume - The Story of a Murderer got a theatrical release stateside in late December. The Golden and Silver Lolas will be presented in a gala ceremony in Berlin on May 4. Here are the noms:Best Feature Film Emma's Bliss (dir: Sven Taddicken)The Counterfeiters (dir: Stefan Ruzowitzky)Perfume - The Story Of A Murderer (dir: Tom Tykwer)Four Minutes (dir: Chris Kraus)Grave Decisions (dir: Marcus H. Rosenmueller)Winter Journey (dir: Hans Steinbichler)Best Documentary The Short Life of Jose Antonio Gutierrez (dir: Heidi Specogna)Working Man's Death (dir: Michael Glawogger)Best Children's and Youth Film Hände Weg Vom Mississippi (dir: Detlev Buck)The Cloud (dir: Gregor Schnitzler)Best Direction
- 3/19/2007
- IONCINEMA.com
'Grave Decisions' takes top Bavaria nods
COLOGNE, Germany -- "Grave Decisions", a quirky comedy about childhood, religion and death from first-time director Marcus H. Rosenmueller was the big winner at the 28th annual Bavarian Film Awards, taking the best film and newcomer awards.
The comedy, in which the actors speak in almost incomprehensible Bavarian accents, was a sleeper hit in Germany, where it earned more than $10 million at the boxoffice.
The literary adaptation "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer," which earned five times that in Germany alone, took the best director nod for helmer Tom Tykwer and best set design for Uli Hanisch's recreation of 18th-century Paris.
Chris Kraus' "Four Minutes", which already has scooped several international awards, including top honors at the Shanghai International Film Festival, took home three Bavarian Film Awards Friday night -- best script for Kraus and acting nods for stars Monica Bleibtreu and Hannah Herzsprung. Herzsprung won in the best newcomer category.
Bleibtreu shared her best actress award with another German vet, Katharina Thalbach, who was honored for her starring performance in Volker Schloendorff's "Strike", in which she plays a nearly illiterate woman who becomes one of the founders of Poland's Solidarity union.
The comedy, in which the actors speak in almost incomprehensible Bavarian accents, was a sleeper hit in Germany, where it earned more than $10 million at the boxoffice.
The literary adaptation "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer," which earned five times that in Germany alone, took the best director nod for helmer Tom Tykwer and best set design for Uli Hanisch's recreation of 18th-century Paris.
Chris Kraus' "Four Minutes", which already has scooped several international awards, including top honors at the Shanghai International Film Festival, took home three Bavarian Film Awards Friday night -- best script for Kraus and acting nods for stars Monica Bleibtreu and Hannah Herzsprung. Herzsprung won in the best newcomer category.
Bleibtreu shared her best actress award with another German vet, Katharina Thalbach, who was honored for her starring performance in Volker Schloendorff's "Strike", in which she plays a nearly illiterate woman who becomes one of the founders of Poland's Solidarity union.
- 1/19/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
This review was originally written for the theatrical release of "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer."PARIS -- Long regarded as unfilmable, Patrick Suskind's 1985 novel "Perfume" has finally reached the screen in a blockbuster production that succeeds reasonably well in achieving what many said was beyond the scope of cinema: conveying the world of scent and smell.
Tom Tykwer's "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" is the visually lush, fast-moving story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a man whose hyper-powerful sense of smell leads him to become a serial killer.
Reportedly budgeted at more than $60 million, "Perfume" has proved a runaway hit in Tykwer's native Germany, where it opened Sept. 14, but being highly culture-specific it may receive a mixed reception in other countries. In France, where people know a thing or two about fragrances, audiences so far have been distinctly sniffy.
Grenouille, played by newcomer Ben Whishaw, is born in a fish market in Paris in 1738. He survives his mother's attempted infanticide (for which she is promptly executed), a smothering by other inmates at his orphanage and a childhood spent as a manual laborer at a tannery where life is nasty, brutal and usually short.
His sole pleasure is exploring Paris, principally with his nose, which is unmatched in its capacity to detect nuances of odor of all kinds. Chance brings him to the home of Baldini (Dustin Hoffman), a veteran perfumer who realizes the young man's olfactory prowess and takes him under his wing, training him in the arts of making oils, essences and other fragrances.
Grenouille gives a hint of what is to follow by attempting to distill a cat. He has earlier inadvertently killed a young woman, stifling her to keep her quiet, and discovered the heady delights of female body odors.
Grenouille decamps to the Provence town of Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, and has a mystic experience along the way in which he realizes that he lacks a body odor of his own. The movie now shifts into thriller mode. He embarks on creating the ultimate perfume, a collection of scents distilled from women whom he must, of course, track down and kill.
The keynote in the aromatic symphony he is composing is to be provided by Laura (Rachel Hurd-Wood), the beautiful daughter of eminent townsman Antoine Richis (Alan Rickman). Richis removes Laura to what he supposes is a safe location -- a monastery on an island in the Mediterranean -- but Grenouille pursues them there. On his return to the mainland, he is captured by gendarmes.
The movie's ending may or may not satisfy those who willingly suspended disbelief while reading the story on the page, but onscreen the denouement and epilogue are produced like a rabbit out of a hat and will be received, according to taste, either as a powerful mystic vision or as embarrassing tosh.
Tykwer is, however, merely following the novel's story line. His adaptation, scripted with Andrew Birkin and producer Bernd Eichinger, is arguably too faithful to the original, as well as being occasionally over-literal and laborious. At nearly 21⁄2 hours, it is certainly too long.
But Tykwer has a sure sense of spectacle, and despite its faults the movie maintains its queasy grip. The director makes minimal use of computer effects, preferring to use extras (more than 5,000 in all) in the many crowd scenes.
Rather than trickery, he relies on the power of images to evoke smells, whether rotting fish and oysters or roses and fields of lavender. The production design by Uli Hanisch (at Munich's Bavaria Studios and in Provence) brings 18th century France vividly to life. The narration, voiced by John Hurt, was presumably seen as necessary for exposition in the early scenes but is maintained superfluously to the end. The mainly English cast serves the film well, and Hoffman's neat turn as the fading star in the perfumers' firmament provides some lighter moments.
Tom Tykwer's "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" is the visually lush, fast-moving story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a man whose hyper-powerful sense of smell leads him to become a serial killer.
Reportedly budgeted at more than $60 million, "Perfume" has proved a runaway hit in Tykwer's native Germany, where it opened Sept. 14, but being highly culture-specific it may receive a mixed reception in other countries. In France, where people know a thing or two about fragrances, audiences so far have been distinctly sniffy.
Grenouille, played by newcomer Ben Whishaw, is born in a fish market in Paris in 1738. He survives his mother's attempted infanticide (for which she is promptly executed), a smothering by other inmates at his orphanage and a childhood spent as a manual laborer at a tannery where life is nasty, brutal and usually short.
His sole pleasure is exploring Paris, principally with his nose, which is unmatched in its capacity to detect nuances of odor of all kinds. Chance brings him to the home of Baldini (Dustin Hoffman), a veteran perfumer who realizes the young man's olfactory prowess and takes him under his wing, training him in the arts of making oils, essences and other fragrances.
Grenouille gives a hint of what is to follow by attempting to distill a cat. He has earlier inadvertently killed a young woman, stifling her to keep her quiet, and discovered the heady delights of female body odors.
Grenouille decamps to the Provence town of Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, and has a mystic experience along the way in which he realizes that he lacks a body odor of his own. The movie now shifts into thriller mode. He embarks on creating the ultimate perfume, a collection of scents distilled from women whom he must, of course, track down and kill.
The keynote in the aromatic symphony he is composing is to be provided by Laura (Rachel Hurd-Wood), the beautiful daughter of eminent townsman Antoine Richis (Alan Rickman). Richis removes Laura to what he supposes is a safe location -- a monastery on an island in the Mediterranean -- but Grenouille pursues them there. On his return to the mainland, he is captured by gendarmes.
The movie's ending may or may not satisfy those who willingly suspended disbelief while reading the story on the page, but onscreen the denouement and epilogue are produced like a rabbit out of a hat and will be received, according to taste, either as a powerful mystic vision or as embarrassing tosh.
Tykwer is, however, merely following the novel's story line. His adaptation, scripted with Andrew Birkin and producer Bernd Eichinger, is arguably too faithful to the original, as well as being occasionally over-literal and laborious. At nearly 21⁄2 hours, it is certainly too long.
But Tykwer has a sure sense of spectacle, and despite its faults the movie maintains its queasy grip. The director makes minimal use of computer effects, preferring to use extras (more than 5,000 in all) in the many crowd scenes.
Rather than trickery, he relies on the power of images to evoke smells, whether rotting fish and oysters or roses and fields of lavender. The production design by Uli Hanisch (at Munich's Bavaria Studios and in Provence) brings 18th century France vividly to life. The narration, voiced by John Hurt, was presumably seen as necessary for exposition in the early scenes but is maintained superfluously to the end. The mainly English cast serves the film well, and Hoffman's neat turn as the fading star in the perfumers' firmament provides some lighter moments.
- 10/19/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
PARIS -- Long regarded as unfilmable, Patrick Suskind's 1985 novel "Perfume" has finally reached the screen in a blockbuster production that succeeds reasonably well in achieving what many said was beyond the scope of cinema: conveying the world of scent and smell.
Tom Tykwer's "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" is the visually lush, fast-moving story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a man whose hyper-powerful sense of smell leads him to become a serial killer.
Reportedly budgeted at more than $60 million, "Perfume" has proved a runaway hit in Tykwer's native Germany, where it opened Sept. 14, but being highly culture-specific it may receive a mixed reception in other countries. In France, where people know a thing or two about fragrances, audiences so far have been distinctly sniffy.
Grenouille, played by newcomer Ben Whishaw, is born in a fish market in Paris in 1738. He survives his mother's attempted infanticide (for which she is promptly executed), a smothering by other inmates at his orphanage and a childhood spent as a manual laborer at a tannery where life is nasty, brutal and usually short.
His sole pleasure is exploring Paris, principally with his nose, which is unmatched in its capacity to detect nuances of odor of all kinds. Chance brings him to the home of Baldini (Dustin Hoffman), a veteran perfumer who realizes the young man's olfactory prowess and takes him under his wing, training him in the arts of making oils, essences and other fragrances.
Grenouille gives a hint of what is to follow by attempting to distill a cat. He has earlier inadvertently killed a young woman, stifling her to keep her quiet, and discovered the heady delights of female body odors.
Grenouille decamps to the Provence town of Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, and has a mystic experience along the way in which he realizes that he lacks a body odor of his own. The movie now shifts into thriller mode. He embarks on creating the ultimate perfume, a collection of scents distilled from women whom he must, of course, track down and kill.
The keynote in the aromatic symphony he is composing is to be provided by Laura (Rachel Hurd-Wood), the beautiful daughter of eminent townsman Antoine Richis (Alan Rickman). Richis removes Laura to what he supposes is a safe location -- a monastery on an island in the Mediterranean -- but Grenouille pursues them there. On his return to the mainland, he is captured by gendarmes.
The movie's ending may or may not satisfy those who willingly suspended disbelief while reading the story on the page, but onscreen the denouement and epilogue are produced like a rabbit out of a hat and will be received, according to taste, either as a powerful mystic vision or as embarrassing tosh.
Tykwer is, however, merely following the novel's story line. His adaptation, scripted with Andrew Birkin and producer Bernd Eichinger, is arguably too faithful to the original, as well as being occasionally over-literal and laborious. At nearly 21⁄2 hours, it is certainly too long.
But Tykwer has a sure sense of spectacle, and despite its faults the movie maintains its queasy grip. The director makes minimal use of computer effects, preferring to use extras (more than 5,000 in all) in the many crowd scenes.
Rather than trickery, he relies on the power of images to evoke smells, whether rotting fish and oysters or roses and fields of lavender. The production design by Uli Hanisch (at Munich's Bavaria Studios and in Provence) brings 18th century France vividly to life. The narration, voiced by John Hurt, was presumably seen as necessary for exposition in the early scenes but is maintained superfluously to the end. The mainly English cast serves the film well, and Hoffman's neat turn as the fading star in the perfumers' firmament provides some lighter moments.
Tom Tykwer's "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" is the visually lush, fast-moving story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a man whose hyper-powerful sense of smell leads him to become a serial killer.
Reportedly budgeted at more than $60 million, "Perfume" has proved a runaway hit in Tykwer's native Germany, where it opened Sept. 14, but being highly culture-specific it may receive a mixed reception in other countries. In France, where people know a thing or two about fragrances, audiences so far have been distinctly sniffy.
Grenouille, played by newcomer Ben Whishaw, is born in a fish market in Paris in 1738. He survives his mother's attempted infanticide (for which she is promptly executed), a smothering by other inmates at his orphanage and a childhood spent as a manual laborer at a tannery where life is nasty, brutal and usually short.
His sole pleasure is exploring Paris, principally with his nose, which is unmatched in its capacity to detect nuances of odor of all kinds. Chance brings him to the home of Baldini (Dustin Hoffman), a veteran perfumer who realizes the young man's olfactory prowess and takes him under his wing, training him in the arts of making oils, essences and other fragrances.
Grenouille gives a hint of what is to follow by attempting to distill a cat. He has earlier inadvertently killed a young woman, stifling her to keep her quiet, and discovered the heady delights of female body odors.
Grenouille decamps to the Provence town of Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, and has a mystic experience along the way in which he realizes that he lacks a body odor of his own. The movie now shifts into thriller mode. He embarks on creating the ultimate perfume, a collection of scents distilled from women whom he must, of course, track down and kill.
The keynote in the aromatic symphony he is composing is to be provided by Laura (Rachel Hurd-Wood), the beautiful daughter of eminent townsman Antoine Richis (Alan Rickman). Richis removes Laura to what he supposes is a safe location -- a monastery on an island in the Mediterranean -- but Grenouille pursues them there. On his return to the mainland, he is captured by gendarmes.
The movie's ending may or may not satisfy those who willingly suspended disbelief while reading the story on the page, but onscreen the denouement and epilogue are produced like a rabbit out of a hat and will be received, according to taste, either as a powerful mystic vision or as embarrassing tosh.
Tykwer is, however, merely following the novel's story line. His adaptation, scripted with Andrew Birkin and producer Bernd Eichinger, is arguably too faithful to the original, as well as being occasionally over-literal and laborious. At nearly 21⁄2 hours, it is certainly too long.
But Tykwer has a sure sense of spectacle, and despite its faults the movie maintains its queasy grip. The director makes minimal use of computer effects, preferring to use extras (more than 5,000 in all) in the many crowd scenes.
Rather than trickery, he relies on the power of images to evoke smells, whether rotting fish and oysters or roses and fields of lavender. The production design by Uli Hanisch (at Munich's Bavaria Studios and in Provence) brings 18th century France vividly to life. The narration, voiced by John Hurt, was presumably seen as necessary for exposition in the early scenes but is maintained superfluously to the end. The mainly English cast serves the film well, and Hoffman's neat turn as the fading star in the perfumers' firmament provides some lighter moments.
- 10/19/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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