"Green Zone"

There was a time when movies were promoted as being "torn from today's headlines." Although director Paul Greengrass' "Green Zone" can't exactly make that claim, the story it covers remains unresolved, giving the film both a touch of timeliness and a bit of a lingering sting as well. Set in Baghdad in 2003 and 2004, it's compelling and somewhat suspenseful; on the downside, it also leaves you with that sinking feeling of just having found an old bill you forgot to pay.

Read the full review here.

Detroit Film Critics Society nominations

The Detroit Film Critics Society is pleased to announce the BEST OF 2009 nominees in eight categories. The society was founded in Spring 2007 and consists of a group of 20 Michigan film critics who write or broadcast in the Detroit area as well as other major cities within a 150-mile radius of the city including Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Flint, Michigan.
Each critic submitted their top 5 picks in the following categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Ensemble, and Breakthrough Performance. From these submissions, each entry was given a point value and the top 5 in each category have been placed on the final ballot. The 2009 winners will be announced on December 18th, 2009.

Leading the nominations is “UP IN THE AIR” which was partially filmed here at McNamara Terminal. Other top nominees include Quentin Tarantino’s “INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS” and “PRECIOUS”.

THE NOMINATIONS FOR 2009 PICKED BY THE DETROIT FILM CRITICS SOCIETY (in alphabetical order)

1. BEST FILM

500 DAYS OF SUMMER
THE HURT LOCKER
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
UP
UP IN THE AIR

2. BEST DIRECTOR

KATHRYN BIGELOW– THE HURT LOCKER
PETE DOCTER - UP
JASON REITMAN – UP IN THE AIR
QUENTIN TARANTINO – INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
MARC WEBB – 500 DAYS OF SUMMER

3. BEST ACTOR

GEORGE CLOONEY – UP IN THE AIR
MATT DAMON – THE INFORMANT
COLIN FIRTH – A SINGLE MAN
JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT – 500 DAYS OF SUMMER
SAM ROCKWELL - MOON

4. BEST ACTRESS

ALISON LOHMAN – DRAG ME TO HELL
CAREY MULLIGAN – AN EDUCATION
SAOIRSE RONAN – THE LOVELY BONES
GABOUREY “GABBY” SIDIBE – PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE
MERYL STREEP – JULIE & JULIA

5. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

WOODY HARRELSON – THE MESSENGER
WOODY HARRELSON - ZOMBIELAND
CHRISTIAN MCKAY – ME & ORSON WELLES
STANLEY TUCCI – THE LOVELY BONES
CHRISTOPH WALTZ – INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

6. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

MARION COTILLARD - NINE
VERA FARMIGA – UP IN THE AIR
ANNA KENDRICK – UP IN THE AIR
MELANIE LAURENT – INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
MO’NIQUE - PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE


7. BEST ENSEMBLE
THE HANGOVER
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE
STAR TREK
ZOMBIELAND


8. BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE

ANNA KENDRICK – UP IN THE AIR
CHRISTIAN MCKAY – ME & ORSON WELLES
CAREY MULLIGAN – AN EDUCATION
CHRIS PINE – STAR TREK
GABOUREY “GABBY” SIDIBE – PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE
CHRISTOPH WALTZ – INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

The Detroit Film Critics Society members for the 2009-2010 season in alphabetical order are Kirk Baird – The Toledo Blade, Jason Buchanan – allmovie.com, Colette Evangelista – Capital Women’s Lifestyle Magazine, Jim Fordyce – www.MIentertainment.biz, Adam Graham – The Detroit News, Corey Hall – The Metro Times, Tom Long – The Detroit News, Jeff Meyers – The Metro Times, Robin Miner-Swartz – The Lansing State Journal, Chad Mitchell – The Chad Show, John Monaghan – The Detroit Free Press, Warren Pierce – WJR Radio, Greg Russell – WMYD-TV, James Sanford – The Kalamazoo Gazette, Debbie Schlussel – Sirius Patriot Channel 144’s Mike Church Show, Perry Seibert – allmovieguide.com, John Serba – The Grand Rapids Press, Lee Thomas – Fox 2, Kirk Vanderbeek – Real Detroit Weekly, Greg Walton – WIOG/KRSP, and Chris Williams – Advisor & Source Newspapers.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: RUTH DANIELS, DETROIT FILM CRITICS SOCIETY
AT (248) 703-0997 OR ruthd@emagine-entertainment.com
More information is available on the website at detroitfilmcritics.com

"Invictus"

According to director Clint Eastwood's "Invictus," William Ernest Henley's 1875 poem of the same name was a source of inspiration to South African president Nelson Mandela during his 27 years as a political prisoner on Robben Island. "Under the bludgeoning of chance/My head is bloody, but unbowed," Henley wrote. "I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul."

In 1994, after having been elected to lead the same country that once accused him of treason, Mandela (Morgan Freeman) passes this source of inspiration along to Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), captain of the South African rugby team known as the Springboks. Mandela only has to unite a fractured nation; Pienaar is being called upon to win the 1995 World Cup and, considering the Springboks' sorry track record, he's going to need a lot of encouragement.

Read the full review here.