Posts Tagged ‘Kate Winslet’

It was a big year for the Brits at Sunday’s Golden Globes with “Slumdog Millionaire,” Kate Winslet and Sally Hawkins taking home major awards.

“Slumdog,” a low-budget film about an Indian teenager looking for love and competing on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” took home the prizes for Best Motion Picture- Drama, Best Director for Danny Boyle, Best Screenplay for Simon Beaufoy and Best Original Score for A.R. Rahman.

With all the film’s honors and Winslet’s double-win, one might also say it’s the year of the underdog. Winslet, widely proclaimed to be the best actress of our generation, was 0-10 at the Golden Globes and the Oscars until last night.

The extremely shocked and humble star won Best Supporting Actress for “The Reader” and Best Actress for “Revolutionary Road.” She relished the moment saying, “Wrap up? You have no idea how much I’m not wrapping up” but sweetly stumbled through her speech by repeatedly telling herself to “gather” and even forgetting Angelina Jolie when acknowledging her fellow nominees.

“Happy-Go-Lucky’s” Hawkins was another speechless Brit. Fellow Best Supporting Actress nominee, Emma Thompson, who was still seated in the audience had to gently sooth and coach Hawkins to compose herself and go on.

Best Actor Mickey Rourke from “The Wrestler” had no trouble with his speech and, on the contrary, gave the audience quite an entertaining one thanking his dogs and saying “balls” twice. Plus, he got flipped off (lovingly, of course) from his director after calling him “a tough son of a bitch.”

Other noteworthy speeches from winners included the “30 Rock” cast who won Best TV Series – Comedy, Best Actor for Alec Baldwin and Best Actress for Tina Fey. Fey proceeded to tell all the web-dissers out there to “suck it,” and Tracy Morgan informed us that “Tina Fey and I had an agreement that if Barack Obama won, I would speak for the show from now on. Welcome to post-racial America!”

You didn’t have to be a winner to score laughs either. Presenter Ricky Gervais swaggered out on the stage with a beer in his hand complaining about how the Hollywood Foreign Press didn’t nominate his comedy, “Ghost Town.”

“That is the last time I have sex with 200 middle-aged journalists,” he said.

Not everyone laughed, however, at presenter Sacha Baron Cohen when he said Hollywood is also suffering from the financial crisis and Madonna had to “get rid of one of her personal assistants. Our thoughts go out to you, Guy Ritchie.” In fact, he was met with dirty looks from Sandra Bullock and Salma Hayek.

Perhaps Hollywood’s not a big fan of Borat…

Speaking of offensive, Colin Farrell who usually goes hand-in-hand with the network censors was surprisingly well-mannered not even cursing once. Although some would say his Best Actor win for “In Bruges” was surprise enough beating out Javier Bardem and Dustin Hoffman.

Gabriel Byrne’s Best Actor in a TV-Drama win and Anna Paquin’s Best Actress-Drama win also threw off Globe handicappers who were expecting more likely wins from “Mad Men’s” Jon Hamm and January Jones.

“Mad Men’s” win for Best TV Series- Drama, however, was easily predicted along with “John Adam’s” sweep and Heath Ledger’s win for Best Supporting Actor for “The Dark Knight.”

Director Christopher Nolan toasted Ledger’s legacy he built for himself in cinema’s history and also acknowledged “the hole ripped in the future of cinema” as a result of his premature death.

Despite the huge, surprising shut-out of “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” at least the Globes gave “Slumdog Millionaire” its rightful place in the history of cinema.

“Slumdog Millionaire” vs. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button?” Brad Pitt vs. Mickey Rourke? “Mad Men” vs. “True Blood?”

Who will win?

We’ll find out when the 66th annual Golden Globes air Sunday on NBC at 8/7 c, but in the meantime here’s Positively Celebrity’s picks for who will be seeing gold.

Best Motion Picture – Drama

* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Frost/Nixon

The Reader

Revolutionary Road

Slumdog Millionaire

While “Slumdog Millionaire” is equally if not more deserving, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is the most popular and beloved movie right now.

Best Actor in a Drama

Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road

Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon

Sean Penn, Milk

* Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Rourke will most likely win at the Oscars, but Pitt will win at the Globes because he is more popular and mainstream.  

Best Actress in a Drama

* Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married

Angelina Jolie, Changeling

Meryl Streep, Doubt

Kristin Scott-Thomas, I’ve Loved You So Long

Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

Fresh off her Critics Choice Award Thursday night, Hathaway will go on to win the Golden Globe as well.

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Burn After Reading

Happy-Go-Lucky

In Bruges

Mamma Mia!

* Vicky Cristina Barcelona

This one goes to the beloved Woody Allen’s film. The Coens (fresh off last year’s “No Country for Old Men” accolades) won’t win again for “Burn After Reading,” not enough people saw “Happy-Go-Lucky” or “In Bruges,” and many didn’t take “Mamma Mia!” too seriously.

Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy

Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Colin Farrell, In Bruges

James Franco, Pineapple Express

Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges

* Dustin Hoffman, Last Chance Harvey

If Bardem didn’t just win last year for “No Country for Old Men,” I’d say he’d win, so this year it could be a toss-up between Farrell and Hoffman. Given Hoffman’s popularity and long, great career, I’ll predict him.

Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy

Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

* Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky

Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading

Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia!

Emma Thompson, Last Chance Harvey

Hawkins is the critical favorite who has the best chance of all these ladies to be nominated for an Oscar. Yet, look out for Streep, whose popularity and work in “Doubt” could help score her a win.

Best TV Series- Drama

Dexter

House

In Treatment

* Mad Men

True Blood

“Mad Men” did win last year, but its second season was even better than its first. Plus, the show didn’t have much of a chance to celebrate last year because a boring press conference took the place of an actual show due to the writer’s strike.

Best TV Series- Comedy

* 30 Rock

Californication

Entourage

The Office

Weeds

“30 Rock” is the best comedy on TV right now, and it is yet to win a Golden Globe for best comedy.

Best Actor in a TV Drama

Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment

Michael C. Hall, Dexter

* Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Hugh Laurie, House

Jonathan Rhys Meyers, The Tudors

This could be a toss-up between Hamm and Hall, but I’ll give the edge to Hamm due to “Mad Men’s” enormous popularity.

Best Actress in a TV Drama

Sally Field, Brothers and Sisters

Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU

* January Jones, Mad Men

Anna Paquin, True Blood

Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Field, Hargitay, and Sedgwick are starting to become clichés in this category, and Paquin’s “True Blood” isn’t well-known. Plus, Jones really had a chance to flex her acting muscles on this season of “Mad Men.”

Best Actor in a TV Musical or Comedy

* Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Steve Carell, The Office

Kevin Connolly, Entourage

David Duchovny, Californication

Tony Shaloub, Monk

Baldwin won two years ago in this category, but, again, no comedy is better than “30 Rock” right now. Plus, Baldwin’s great lines and even greater delivery of them really makes the show.

Best Actress in a TV Musical or Comedy

* Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?

America Ferrera, Ugly Betty

Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Debra Messing, The Starter Wife

Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

Fey has been on a complete winning streak this last year with all her accolades and praise. Either she could continue her streak or there could be a backlash. I’ll go with the latter and give the edge to Applegate for her fresh, funny performance. Plus, she’s yet to win an Emmy or a Golden Globe for “Samantha Who?” and it’s about time.

It’s now officially 2009, and you know what that means: New Year’s resolutions. But, we aren’t the only ones who make resolutions – celebrities do too. Most probably want to lose weight or quit smoking like most people do; but, here’s Positively Celebrity’s ideas for how celebrities can improve their lives and careers in 2009.

Expectant moms like Jennifer Garner and “Grey’s Anatomy’s” Chyler Leigh:

Name babies normal names instead of the crazy baby names of 2008 like Ashlee Simpson’s son, Bronx Mowgli, and Gwen Stefani’s son, Zuma Nesta Rock.

Screen Actors Guild members and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers:

Come to a resolution regarding DVD residuals and online video so there will not be another strike like the 100-day writer’s strike in late 2007 and early 2008 that halted production of scripted shows and brought an onslaught of tacky reality shows.

Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan:

Follow Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet’s lead in “Revolutionary Road” by reuniting one of America’s favorite on-screen couples.

Robert Pattinson and Zac Efron:

Take advantage of your fortunate successes of starring in 2008’s “Twilight” and “High School Musical 3” by not screwing up like many other young newly minted movie stars. Ahem Shia LaBeouf and Lindsay Lohan.

The “Friends” cast:

Reunite for a successful big-screen adaptation of their show like the women of “Sex and the City” did in 2008.

Shows like “Heroes” and “Grey’s Anatomy”:

Cut the convoluted and crazy storylines and remind us why we initially loved them.

Mike Myers, Al Pacino, Meg Ryan, Amy Winehouse, and Janet Jackson:

Plan a comeback for 2009. The kind of comebacks that Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke, Tom Cruise, and Britney Spears all enjoyed in 2008.

Long time couples like Fergie and Josh Duhamel, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard, Amy Adams and Darren Legallo, and Jennifer Love Hewitt and Ross McCall:

Get married in 2009 and upstage the 2008 nuptials of Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon, and Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds.

The Hollywood Foreign Press recently announced the nominees for this year’s Golden Globes airing on Sunday, Jan. 11 at 8 p.m. on NBC. This year’s Golden Globes has special significance because last year the winners were announced during a lackluster press conference due to the writer’s strike. 

Usually, the Golden Globe nominations and winners are a good indicator of who and what will be nominated for the Academy Awards. So if you haven’t seen these movies or TV shows yet, now is your time to start checking them out.

MOTION PICTURES

Drama

Best picture

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“Frost/Nixon”

“The Reader”

“Revolutionary Road”

“Slumdog Millionaire”

Positively fact: Kate Winslet has two chances to be in a Best Picture winner. She stars in “The Reader” and “Revolutionary Road” where she is reunited with “Titanic” costar, Leonardo DiCaprio.

Best actress

Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”

Angelina Jolie, “Changeling”

Meryl Streep, “Doubt”

Kristin Scott Thomas, “I’ve Loved You So Long”

Kate Winslet, “Revolutionary Road”

Positively fact: While all the other actresses are previous nominees, this is Hathaway’s first Golden Globe nomination.

Best actor

Leonardo DiCaprio, “Revolutionary Road”

Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”

Sean Penn, “Milk”

Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”

Positively fact: This is Rourke’s first Golden Globe nomination, and Langella’s first nomination since 1970’s “Diary of a Mad Housewife.”

Comedy or musical

Best picture

“Burn After Reading”

“Happy-Go-Lucky”

“In Bruges”

“Mamma Mia!”

“Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

Positively fact: You may not have heard of some of these comedies. “Happy-Go-Lucky” came out in April and is about a woman who’s optimism has a less than cheerful effect on others. “In Bruges” was released in February and stars Colin Farrell as a hitman in Belgium.

Best actress

Rebecca Hall, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

Sally Hawkins, “Happy-Go-Lucky”

Frances McDormand, “Burn After Reading”

Meryl Streep, “Mamma Mia!”

Emma Thompson, “Last Chance Harvey”

Positively fact (s): This is the first Golden Globe nomination for Hall and Hawkins. Also, McDormand is married to Joel Coen, one of the directors of “Burn After Reading.”

Best actor

Javier Bardem, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

Colin Farrell, “In Bruges”

James Franco, “Pineapple Express”

Brendan Gleeson, “In Bruges”

Dustin Hoffman, “Last Chance Harvey”

Positively fact: Bardem won at last year’s Golden Globes for best actor in a drama for his performance in “No Country for Old Men.”

TELEVISION

Drama

Best television series

“Dexter” (Showtime)

“House” (Fox)

“In Treatment” (HBO)

“Mad Men” (AMC)

“True Blood” (HBO)

Positively fact: If “Mad Men” wins, it will the show’s second, consecutive win.

Best actress in a drama series

Sally Field, “Brothers and Sisters”

Mariska Hargitay, “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”

January Jones, “Mad Men”

Anna Paquin, “True Blood”

Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”

Positively fact: Jones didn’t earn a nomination last year, but the Hollywood Foreign Press must have warmed up to her portrayal of cold, isolated housewife, Betty Draper.

Best actor in a drama series

Gabriel Byrne, “In Treatment”

Michael C. Hall, “Dexter”

Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”

Hugh Laurie, “House”

Jonathan Rhys Meyers, “The Tudors”

Positively fact: Hamm won in this same category at last year’s awards.

Comedy or musical

Best television series

“30 Rock” (NBC)

“Californication” (Showtime)

“Entourage” (HBO)

“The Office” (NBC)

“Weeds” (Showtime)

Positively fact: All of these shows have been nominated before, but none have ever won. Past winners include “Extras,” “Ugly Betty,” and “Desperate Housewives.”

Best actress

America Ferrera, “Ugly Betty”

Tina Fey, “30 Rock”

Debra Messing, “The Starter Wife”

Mary-Louise Parker, “Weeds”

Positively fact: Fey won last year and could be on track to win two years in a row. Messing, who also was nominated last year for “The Starter Wife,” has never won in this category despite being nominated six times for “Will & Grace.”

Best actor

Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”

Steve Carell, “The Office”

Kevin Connolly, “Entourage”

David Duchovny, “Californication”

Tony Shalhoub, “Monk”

Positively fact: All of these actors have been nominated before, but Duchovny won last year.

Everyone knows “A Christmas Story,” “Rudolph,” and “It’s a Wonderful Life,” but these are considered “classic” for a reason – they’re from the last century. Below are five films that’ll bring those “Classic Holiday Movies” lists into the modern era.

Elf – Released before Thanksgiving 2003 “Elf” grossed $220,443,451 just in theaters. The site Box Office Mojo ranks it the #3 Christmas movie. But it’s a favorite because real life man child Will Ferrell does what he does best in the starring role – goofs offs and plays. Who can resist the grown-up Santa helper stuck in NYC? Also showing off their talents is Zooey Deschanel with a couple of solos. There’s even a special appearance by Santa.

The Polar Express – What can put a person in the Holiday mood more than a bright eyed child searching for the true spirit of Christmas? That’s the spirit behind “The Polar Express” and what makes it a classic Holiday movie. What makes it modern is how the movie was made. It’s one of the first films to use performance capture technology for the animation and used star Tom Hanks in five different roles, including Santa.

Love Actually – This touching film’s central theme is that “love is all around us.” The beauty of this movie is the many scenarios it takes us through…from newlyweds to a grieving step dad and son, secret crushes to inner office romances, love at first sight for movie stand ins to the Prime Minister and a misunderstanding with the President of the United States. This film has everything including a ton of today’s hottest stars.

The Holiday – “The Holiday” features four of the biggest names in the 21st century – Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet are our dynamic damsels and Jack Black and Jude Law are the heroic hunks that complete this timeless new movie. Who doesn’t need a break from their life? And that’s the central plot – Diaz steps back in time by taking over Winslet’s pad in snowy and quiet England where Winslet finds comfort in Diaz’s uber-modern house in warm LA. There’s love and families, snow and attractive people – what more does a Holiday movie need?

Last Holiday – It’s an inspring film about love and living a full life. A woman, told she has brain tumors and will die soon without surgery, desides to liquidate her assests and live out her days by living it up in the Czech Republic. Living without money worries or insecurities she inspires many along the way and finds true love – and life – in the end. This is a modern classic Holiday film due to the touching performances by the entire cast and the uplifting feeling you’ll have after watching them.

He’s starred in movies with Kate Winslet, Ellen Page, Annette Bening, and now with Anne Hathaway in this weekend’s “Passengers,” but you may not yet know about Patrick Wilson.

His first big film role was playing an accused pedophile in “Hard Candy” with Page followed by “Little Children” with Winslet in which he played a philandering husband.

Before that the 35-year-old actor from the South was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance in HBO’s “Angels in America” and was nominated for two Tony Awards for his work on Broadway.

 “When I moved , I said the only things I wanted to do was originate the lead in a show, and if it was a musical, then do the recording, and get nominated for a Tony,” he said per Internet Movie Database. “So now that I’ve done all that, I don’t know what I’m going to do. Maybe I should dream higher.”

From the looks of his blossoming movie career, it seems he has indeed dreamed higher.

In “Passengers” he plays a mysterious plane crash survivor who gets romantically involved with the grief counselor (Hathaway) assigned to counsel the five survivors until she suspects he may have more to do with the plane crash.

Right before that he starred in last month’s “Lakeview Terrace” and next stars in the highly anticipated comic book adaptation, “Watchmen,” opening next year.

But he hasn’t given up his Broadway career. Currently he’s starring in “All My Sons” with John Lithgow, Katie Holmes and Dianne Wiest.

“I would never ‘abandon’ Broadway. I do want to expand my horizons and do more film work, but I’m interested in good roles, wherever they may be,” he said according to IMBb. “I refuse to acknowledge the gap between theater and film. I want to do both. On both coasts. So I will…unless I never get a job again, in which case I’ll go back to my first career choice: chimney sweep.”

He’s married to fellow Carnegie Mellon graduate, Dagmara Dominczyk, and two years ago they had a son, Kalin Patrick, whose initials are tattooed on Wilson’s arm.

Award Season kicks off with the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals

Who would have thought the WWE-sounding film “The Wrestler” would take home the best picture prize at the Venice Film Festival?

The film by Darren Aronofsky (“Requiem for a Dream”, “The Fountain”) did just that Saturday while building up Oscar buzz for star Mickey Rourke.

The film about a retired wrestler trying to participate in one more fight while battling health problems, trying to reconcile with his daughter and romancing a stripper played by Marisa Tomei is one of the only films most critics agreed on.

According to the U.K.’s “Guardian,” jury members joked about whether or not to award any prizes this year. The only other films to receive critical acclaim were the Italian film, “The Birdwatchers,” and the Russian film, “Paper Soldier,” the latter of which won the second grand prize and best director awards. 

With the exception of the young performer prize awarded to Jennifer Lawrence, most of the winners were non-American. The African film “Teza” won the Grand Jury Prize and for best screenplay, Italian actor Silvio Orlando won best actor for “Il Papa di Giovanna” and French actress Dominique Blanc won best actress for “L’Autre.”

The Toronto Film Festival, which runs through Saturday, is showing more high profile films.

“Slumdog Millionaire” may win the top prize while The Coen brothers’ “Burn After Reading” and Charlize Theron’s “The Burning Plain” stumbled, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Dakota Fanning’s “The Secret Life of Bees” and Julianne Moore’s “Blindness” got split reactions, while Kristin Scott Thomas, Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet are the leading contenders for a best actress nomination, per the L.A. Times. 

Find out the winners when they are announced later this week.

Burn After Reading: Fresh off their Best Picture-winning No Country for Old Men, the Coen brothers bring us this comedy with an all-star cast. Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand play foolish gym employees who try to extort a CIA agent (John Malkovich) after finding his top secret CD-ROM. Best Supporting Actress Tilda Swinton and George Clooney also star. Sept. 12

Righteous Kill: Robert De Niro and Al Pacino team up for the first time since 1995’s Heat to play NYC detectives searching for a serial killer. De Niro and Pacino are reason alone enough to go. Sept. 12

Eagle Eye: Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan are being tracked by a stranger on their cell phones in a story conceived by Steven Spielberg that is pertinent in today’s technological times when everyone’s always within reach of a Blackberry or iPhone. Sept. 26

Rachel Getting Married: Anne Hathaway takes a departure from her chipper roles as a recovering drug addict and black sheep who’s attending her sister’s wedding. Oct. 3

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist: Michael Cera of Superbad and Juno and Kat Dennings of The 40 Year-Old Virgin play high schoolers who fall in love en route to a secret late-night concert in a realistic teen comedy. Oct. 3

Changeling: Clint Eastwood’s 1920s story of a woman (Angelina Jolie) whose young son disappears is already creating Oscar buzz for Jolie. Oct. 24

Quantum of Solace: The highly-anticipated “Bond” film picks up an hour after Casino Royale left off. Nov. 7

The Soloist: In this potential Oscar fare, Jamie Foxx plays a musical prodigy who ends up homeless and mentally ill on the streets of L.A. and is paired with Robert Downey Jr. as a journalist. Nov. 21

Milk: Sean Penn stars in this biopic of Harvey Milk who was the first gay man elected to political office. Directed by Gus Van Sant and also starring Emile Hirsch and James Franco. Nov. 26

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Brad Pitt ages backwards from age 80 to eight in this fantasy based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story. Also starring Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton. Dec. 25

Marley & Me: Dog lovers rejoice! Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston star in the film adaptation of the beloved book about the “world’s worst dog.” Dec. 25

Revolutionary Road: Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet reunite for the first time since Titanic – only this time they’re not a love-struck couple. This is a story about what happens to a suburban-living married couple after they fall out of love. Dec. 26

One of the most beloved on-screen couples will be together again this December in the film Revolutionary Road.

Last seen together in the 1997 film Titanic, Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio hope to charm audiences with their on-screen chemistry portraying a suburban couple from Connecticut that struggle to achieve their individual goals and keep their romance alive.

The storyline is based on a highly-praised 1961 novel by Richard Yates.

The film is the first collaboration between Winslet and husband Sam Mendes.

“We knew that if we were going to do something again, it had to be something big and emotional,” Winslet said of reuniting with DiCaprio, which she arranged, according to US Weekly.

Here we are in the modern age of cinema; past the halfway point in the year and towards the end of the summer blockbuster season. Just as it is never too early to begin Christmas shopping, it is never too early to begin generating Oscar buzz.

In the Christopher Guest film, “For Your Consideration,” the demeanor and attitudes of a group of actors change dramatically when an independent media website suggests that their film and their performances in it could win them all Oscar nominations. With all of the egos flying around Hollywood, it’s not an unlikely story. Therefore, in forecasting these following ten predictions, I apologize to anyone who might be treated badly by any of the following artists.

1. Even before it opened to limited release, Emma Thompson’s performance in “Brideshead Revisited” was garnering buzz for the big “O.” This is a guaranteed nomination.

2. While I am against posthumous awards, I believe that not only will Heath Ledger’s performance in “The Dark Knight” earn a Best Supporting Actor nomination, but as of right now, his odds for winning are about 75%.

3. Speaking of “The Dark Knight,” the film will sweep most of the technical awards.

4. A lot of people are considering “Wall-E” as a shoe-in for Best Animated Feature. But before you put money on it, wait until you see “The Tale of Despereaux,” out in December.

5. Robert Downey Jr.’s performance as a white actor taking on an African American role in “Tropic Thunder” can be compared to the bold risk taking of Mel Brooks when he did “Blazing Saddles.” It’s so wrong, so non-PC. But if he gets away with it (and Downey does), he will not only shock audiences but he could shock himself into a nomination.

6. On another technical note, “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” will get a much deserved nomination for make-up.

7. It’s Academy tradition that if Meryl Streep works at all during any given year of cinema, she must be nominated. But this nomination will not come from “Mamma Mia.” It will come from her performance as Sister Aloysius in John Patrick Stanley’s “Doubt,” due later this year.

The list will be capped by three films generating buzz in the Best Picture category.

8. “Revolutionary Road” -  the reunion of Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, directed by Winslet’s husband, Sam Mendes.

9. “Frost/Nixon,” based on the Tony nominated play directed by Ron Howard.

10. Baz Luhrman’s “Australia.” The trailer alone will give you chills.

2008 overall has been a pretty good year for cinema; lots of movies based on plays, lots of groundbreaking technological effects. Look for more Oscar favorites the closer we get to the holiday season.