NY and LA movie critics

[KillerTomato]

They've made their picks for '08.

In LA, "WALL-E" grabbed the Best Picture prize, a first for an animated movie. Sean Penn won Best Actor for "Milk" and Sally Hawkins won for Best Actress ("Happy-Go-Lucky"). Penelope Cruz (Woody Allen's "Vicky Christina Barcelona") and Heath Ledger ("The Dark Knight") won in the supporting categories, and Danny Boyle took the prize for Directing for "Slumdog Millionaire."

On the other coast, the NY critics picked "Milk," Penn, Hawkins and Cruz, but went with Josh Brolin for his supporting role in "Milk" and director Mike Leigh for "Happy-Go-Lucky."

[MarleysGh0st]

Ken Jennings wasn't particularly impressed with Slumdog Millionaire in his blog.

Warning: If you read his review, some of what he says is somewhat spoilerish.

[Ritterskoop]

Ken Jennings wasn't particularly impressed with Slumdog Millionaire in his blog.

Warning: If you read his review, some of what he says is somewhat spoilerish.

Since I may see the movie, I'll skip his comments. I wonder, though, is his disappointment because he's on the inside of game shows? I had a friend who could not enjoy Memphis Belle as a story, because he knew too much about the markings on the plane being wrong.

[MarleysGh0st]

Ken Jennings wasn't particularly impressed with Slumdog Millionaire in his blog.

Warning: If you read his review, some of what he says is somewhat spoilerish.

Since I may see the movie, I'll skip his comments. I wonder, though, is his disappointment because he's on the inside of game shows? I had a friend who could not enjoy Memphis Belle as a story, because he knew too much about the markings on the plane being wrong.

No, he liked the game show aspect, but complained that some of the plot was too formulaic. And the scenery in Mumbai was so beautiful that he didn't really feel the poverty.

There was a cute anecdote/comment from someone who recognized him as he was going in to see the film.

[Bob Juch]

Of course the best pictures of the year haven't been released quite yet.

[silverscreenselect]

Of course the best pictures of the year haven't been released quite yet.

The critics have seen anything that has any chance at getting an award well before the rest of us will have the chance.

I was very impressed with Josh Brolin's performance in Milk. I thought going in that it was going to be a one-dimensional role, but he turned it into a very complex character who had some justification for being angry at how he was treated (although obviously not any justification for reacting in the way he did). What Brolin has done with his career is simply amazing. Three years ago, he was playing fourth banana to Paul Walker, Jessica Alba, and Scott Caan down in the Bahamas in Into the Blue. But he has had a run of great performances and quite legitimately could have gotten four Oscar nominations during the past two years (Bush and Milk this year and No Country and American Gangster last year).

I missed Happy-Go-Lucky when it played here in Atlanta, but it's the type of picture that wins critics awards and not Oscars (though Hawkins and Leigh may get nominations).

[WheresFanny]

Of course the best pictures of the year haven't been released quite yet.

The critics have seen anything that has any chance at getting an award well before the rest of us will have the chance.

I was very impressed with Josh Brolin's performance in Milk. I thought going in that it was going to be a one-dimensional role, but he turned it into a very complex character who had some justification for being angry at how he was treated (although obviously not any justification for reacting in the way he did). What Brolin has done with his career is simply amazing. Three years ago, he was playing fourth banana to Paul Walker, Jessica Alba, and Scott Caan down in the Bahamas in Into the Blue. But he has had a run of great performances and quite legitimately could have gotten four Oscar nominations during the past two years (Bush and Milk this year and No Country and American Gangster last year).

I missed Happy-Go-Lucky when it played here in Atlanta, but it's the type of picture that wins critics awards and not Oscars (though Hawkins and Leigh may get nominations).

Is Brolin playing the Twinkie guy? I'm so out of the loop since I broke up with Entertainment Weekly that I hardly know anything about any recent movies and all I've heard about Milk is Sean Penn.

I had to deal with Josh Brolin once in the course of my employment duties. He was a real nice guy.

[Ritterskoop]

Is Brolin playing the Twinkie guy?

Yes.