There were many surprises at the 82nd Academy Awards, including Kathryn Bigelow becoming the first woman to win Best Director for The Hurt Locker, upsetting the favorite Avatar. Jeff Bridges won his first Oscar for Best Actor in Crazy Heart. Christoph Waltz and Mo'Nique won for their unpopular villain roles in Inglorious Basterds and Precious, respectively. Sandra Bullock's win for The Blind Side was also unexpected. Overall, it was an unusual night with many historic firsts and surprises.

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3. Monte Pictures© Newsletter
CONTENTS
Announcement … p. 2
The Oscars® … p. 4
The Hosts: Steve Martin
and Alex Baldwin …. p. 5
Best Picture … p. 6
Best Director … p. 6
Best Actor … p. 7
Best Actress … p. 7
Best Supporting Actor … p. 8
Best Supporting Actress … p. 8
Best Original Screenplay … p. 9
Best Adapted Screenplay … p. 9
In Theaters … p. 10
Movie Reviews … p. 13
Entertainer of the Month:
Diane Kruger … p. 18

4. Jeff Bridges
Christophe
Waltz
the oscars ®
Mo’Nique
Sandra Bullock

5. Hosts: Steve Martin
and Alec Baldwin
There definitely was a lot of surprises at this year’s 82nd Academy Awards from Best
Actor to Best Foreign Language Film . The most unusual setting began at the very start:
all ten Best Actor and Actress nominees stood on stage bashfully for their introduction.

6. Best Picture
The Hurt Locker won the coveted Best
Picture Oscar beating heavy favorite and
all time box-office champ Avatar. One
simply cannot compare the filmmaking
crafts of James Cameron’s Avatar to
Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker. You
just can’t! The question that many Avatar
fans want answered is: should Avatar
have at least won Best Picture? You be
the judge: With an enormous budget,
stellar cast, visually stunning special
effects, and master film direction by
James Cameron, definitely, Avatar should
have won Best Picture. On the other
hand, The Hurt Locker expresses
something quite unusual, and what a
woman’s direction of a war-type film is.
The members of the Academy love war
films, however Steven Spielberg’s Saving
Private Ryan lost to Shakespeare in Love,
and The Hurt Locker is perhaps a
redemption from Spielberg’s Best Picture
lost, especially that this $15 million dollar
film beat an all time box-office champ.
Director
For the past 81 years, the
members of the Academy have
acknowledged men with the
honors of Best Director.
However, this year’s 2010
Academy Awards beg to differ
by honoring a woman, Kathryn
Bigelow, the first female
director to ever win. Kathryn
Bigelow’s win proves that it’s
definitely possible!

7. Actor
Jeff Bridge’s performance in Crazy
Heart is a fine performance that
deserved to wipe every possible
award given in a year. His
performance is honest and deeply
moving, yet not at all sentimental.
This is Jeff Bridges first Oscar win,
and for someone who has a solid
acting career: starred in 60 films to
date, and expanding four decades;
this is too surprising. Besides the
three Oscar nominations previously,
his performance in Crazy Heart is
simply the best. He has a quality
many of the greatest American actors
share like James Stewart, Marlon
Brando, and yes, George Clooney.
Actress
The question that most people want
answered is: Did Sandra Bullock deserve to
win an Oscar? Of course, and so did Meryl
Streep, Gabourey Sidibe, Helen Mirren and
Carey Mulligan – all four actresses gave a
performance of their careers. Sandra
Bullock’s performance in The Blind Side
was riveting, inspiring and out of the
ordinary from any other Sandra Bullock
movie. Perhaps members of the Academy
were awed by Sandra’s transformation
from romantic-comedy to drama films.
Sandra herself said at the start of her
Oscar acceptance speech: “Did I really
earn this or did I just wear you down?”

8. Supporting Actor
This was definitely the year of the
villains. Christoph Waltz was a definite
favorite for everyone, taking home the
Best Supporting Actor Oscar. His
performance was as strong and vital
as Javier Bardem’s performance in No
Country for Old Men. In Inglorious
Basterds Waltz played the evil,
vindictive Hans Landa, the “Jew
Hunter”. Critics and audiences alike
raved about Waltz’s performance as he
performed in four languages: English,
French, German, and Italian. Waltz’s
acceptance speech was delicate and
sincere and he dedicated his Oscar to
the cast, crew, and his mentor,
Tarantino, for their support. Also
nominated for Best Supporting Actor
were Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci,
Matt Damon, and Christopher
Plummer.
Supporting Actress
Speaking of villains, Mary Jones wasn’t
as evil as Waltz’s performance as Hans
Landa in Inglorious Basterds, but more
open to being hated in Precious: based
on the novel Push by Sapphire.
Mo’Nique portrayed Mary, Precious’
abusive mother both physically and
mentally, taking home the Best
Supporting Actress Oscar, praising the
Academy for their virtue of not being
political, and appreciating the
performance. She was indeed another
frontrunner among the Best Supporting
Actress category. The other incredible
nominees were Penelope Cruz, Vera
Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, and Maggie
Gyllenhaal.

9. Best Original Screenplay
The Hurt Locker was the
biggest winner of the night
taking home 6 Oscars out of 9
nominations. Mark Boal, the
screenwriter who risked his
life in order to capture the
true essence of war in
Afghanistan, won Best
Original Screenplay. The Hurt
Locker is a groundbreaking
achievement from a small
independent film that ended
up having a big impact on
American society.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Precious: Based on the novel
Push by Sapphire was no
slouch at the Oscars despite
the Best Picture and Best
Actress losses. Screenwriter
Geoffrey Fletcher won Best
Adapted Screenplay for his
script, a mesmerizing and
intelligent screenplay, the first
African American to do so. In
his acceptance speech he was
so overcome and speechless
he could barely speak.

11. The idea that a film could blend romantic comedy and a bounty
hunter movie is definitely unbelievable. With a weak script,
sassy, yet gorgeous Jennifer Aniston, and the often lacking
The Bounty Hunter stand-up comedian Gerard Butler, The Bunter Hunter would be
Directed by Andy Tennant best to view on network cable. There is no chemistry between
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Aniston and Gerard, sort of like Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez
Gerard Butler in 2004, Gigli. This movie is simply forgettable. Grade: D
In this era where remakes are a commonplace, Clash of the
Titans does not disappoint. If anyone has seen the original
Clash of the Titans version of Clash of the Titans (1981), then one will admit the
Directed by Louis Leterrier visual effects were not so impressing. With the 2010 version
Starring: Sam Worthington, they certainly did improve the effects drastically, even more
Liam Neeson mind blowing than the original. Beyond the effects, the film
portrays plot inaccuracies where it becomes a distraction
from the original, thus making it difficult to explain each
cause. Grade: C+ (Continued)

12. Coming Soon
to theaters
Date Night
Directed by Shawn Levy
Starring: Steve Carell, Tina Fey
Date Night is definitely not a comedy classic, but
it’s undeniably fun. The chemistry between Steve
Carell and Tina Fey is irresistible! Just assume
Steve Carell’s character Michael Scott from The
Office and Tina Fey’s character Liz Lemon from 30
Rock on a wildly-dramatic chase of their lives.
Grade: B
Opens May 14th
Opens April 30th Opens May 7th Opens May 27th
(Reviews in next issue)

14. Performances, overall, are a breath of fresh
air. Mel Gibson’s role as Father Hess could
be simply compared to his mesmerizing
performance in Ransom, but in this case a
priest struggling to regain his faith. Joaquin
Phoenix exudes and controls his emotional
feelings through some of the more difficult
scenes. Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin
both perfected their roles as brother and
sister capitalized by fear from an unknown
source. The sense of frightfulness in their
faces illuminates gorgeously on screen.
Signs ‘Shyamalan writes a
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan; 2002
Starring: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix,
perfect inclusion between
Abigail Breslin humor and fear between
There’s no argument that M. Night Shyamalan’s The
the characters.’
Sixth Sense may be his greatest achievement to date.
Unfortunately, his next film Unbreakable was
definitely more daring than perfect. Perhaps movie After watching the film at least four dozen
goers were expecting a little bit more in Unbreakable times, Shyamalan‘s trademarks are enacted
because of Shyamalan’s success from The Sixth Sense. perfectly – his use of the camera, his visual
For instance, he garnered Best Director and Best details and visual storytelling. However, the
Picture nominations. However, what I found screenplay is the biggest achievement
extraordinary in Unbreakable was the empowerment (Shyamalan received a reportedly $5 million
and essence of the performances from Bruce Willis from Disney to write Signs, making his
and Samuel L. Jackson. Plus, Shyamalan takes on a screenplay the most expensive to date),
story that is quite different from The Sixth Sense, Shyamalan writes a perfect inclusion
directing and producing on a comic book. between humor and fear between the
characters. Realism is what Shyamalan has
The film Signs, starring Mel Gibson and Joaquin gained in high quantity because he is able
Phoenix, is utterly gorgeous. Mel Gibson plays to separate fact from fiction.
Graham Hess, a former priest who recently lost his
wife from a hit-and-run accident, who becomes
intrigued after finding crop circles in his fields. His
family, including his brother Merril (Phoenix), son
Morgan (Rory Culkin) and daughter Bo (Abigail
Breslin), believes the works of the crops are created by
local neighbors. However, when more unexplainable
events take place, and the news channels begin
reporting crop circles appearing from around the
world, they begin to believe something otherworldly
could be to blame.

15. This strong adaptation from Witi
Ihimaera’s novel, The Whale Rider,
combines a coming-of-age narrative with
Maori theology. The prologue depicts a
very difficult birth resulting in death for
both a young mother and her infant son.
Fortunately, the twin sister survives.
‘This simple story
challenges the ideology
that traditions may
Whale Rider be broken.’
Directed by Nikki Caro; 2003
Starring: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Cliff Curtis The family is descended from a long line
of tribal leaders, which according to
We don’t often see mesmerizing child performances Maori tradition, the tribal founder
on screen. Why is that? Filmmakers must comply with Paikea rode to shore on the back of a
regulations after regulations with child actors, since whale. Pai (Castle-Hughes), the twin
they’re allowed to work up to 6 hours a day. This sister grows up, yet her grandfather, Koro
makes it extremely difficult to cast a lead child in any rejects the idea of Pai as his female heir
motion pictures because of the constant struggles to as chief because for thousand of years
relocate and recreate scenes under demanding time. male heirs have succeeded. This simple
However, we simply don’t want to exclude them out story challenges the ideology that
of the film industry because they are vital for traditions may be broken.
commercial assets. For instance, the ensemble cast of
the Harry Potter series has grossed over $5.4 billion Writer/director Nikki Caro captures in
worldwide. Unfortunately, child actors don’t get the the characters the true beauty of
recognition they deserve, however, when they do then individuality, challenging traditions, and
success is enormous. For example, Anna Paquin, who overcoming sexism in While Rider. The
stars in the television sitcom True Blood, won an Oscar film illustrates a gorgeous landscape that
at the age of 11 for her supporting role in The Piano. incorporates sea photography, cultural
Haley Joel Osmont was 11 years old when he garnered fashion, and spoken Maori language.
an Oscar nomination in the supporting actor category
for his role in The Sixth Sense.
Other child stars like Dakota Fanning, I am Sam and
Man on Fire, and Academy Award nominee Abigail
Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine, have set the standard in
Hollywood for aspiring young actors. However, what
makes Keisha Castle-Hughes so unique? It’s simple!
She had no acting experience whatsoever prior to the
indie-film Whale Wider. Her performance went on to
make Oscar history by becoming the youngest Best
Actress Oscar nominee at the age of 13.

16. The film’s protagonist, Dr. Karen Ross
(Laura Linney) is sent to Congo by her
employer TraviCom to locate her lost
finance, after his crew is found dead
unexplainably. With the help of Dr. Peter
Elliott (Dylan Walsh), a primatologist from
UC Berkeley who devised a way to
communicate with gorillas through sign
language, and his female ape, Amy, Dr.
Ross funds Dr. Elliot’s expedition to send
Amy back to the African jungle.
‘Congo was meant to
create a franchise of its
very own on the
popularity of Steven
Spielberg’s Jurassic Park ’
Directed by Frank Marshall the adventure
aspects of the film still hold up extremely
Congo well especially the ensemble cast of actors,
Directed by Frank Marshall; 1995 at the time, (Laura Linney, Dylan Walsh,
Starring: Laura Linney, Dylan Walsh Ernie Hudson, Tim Curry, and Grant
Heslov), all work well together. What makes
An exuberant and fast-paced film, Congo was this film intriguing is the favor of the exotic
meant to create a franchise of its very own on location and Marshall insistence to use the
the popularity of Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, continent of Africa as a character (however,
based on the bestselling author by Michael don’t be fooled, the film’s location was
Crichton, without the mystery of giant dinosaurs principally shot in Costa Rica). Though,
roaming around this film; however, the expertly staged and performed these are the
filmmakers had to rely on the adventure of aspects of the film that make it an enjoyable
exotic Africa. Congo is definitely no Jurassic Park, jungle adventure which many lesser films
as a matter of fact, Congo received several fail to accomplish.
nominations from the Razzies Awards for Worst
Picture and Worst Director, though the film is
marketed as a killer apes adventure which was
misunderstand and quickly forgotten up until its
initial release.

17. Marcus Aurelius and Commodus are
historical realities and they are portrayed
ably by Richard Harris and Joaquin
Phoenix respectively. Russell Crowe is a
younger Robert De Niro in the lead as
Maximus. Connie Neilsen portrays
Lucilla, an old flame to Maximus and is as
regal and elegant as a member of the
Roman nobility should be. Oliver Reed is
the slave-owner that Maximus is set to
work for, and sadly passed away during the
making of this film, but he will rest
assured that he went out giving one of the
best performances of his life.
Gladiator ‘Crowe gets many
Directed by Ridley Scott; 2000 opportunities to play the
Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, role that he is associated
Connie Nielson
with, the action hero.’
Historical epic films are definitely the most
challenging to create in Hollywood. A perfect Essentially though Gladiator is an action
example, Academy Award winning film Ben-Hur sets movie, and there is plenty of that. From
the standard of excellence in terms of recreating the the opening battle scene onwards the
period of Jesus Christ. Ben-Hur was an extremely action hardly lets up. Crowe gets many
expensive production, $15 million in 1959, requiring opportunities to play the role that he is
nearly 300 sets which scattered 340 acres, nearly tens associated with, the action hero. The
of thousands of costumes, one million props, and fights are hard hitting and hypnotic, the
15,000 extras. Ben-Hur went on to win eleven choreography makes each one unique, and
Academy Awards becoming the most successful and the cinematography is stunning. Most of
recognized film of all time. Ridley Scott’s Gladiator the backdrops, especially when the story
follows the tradition of historical epic films, at its best. moves to Rome are created through
Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI).
There’s always the balance between accuracy and Lastly, Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack is also a
entertainment. For instance, Ben-Hur focused on fantastic and stirring classical undertaking,
accuracy rather than Gladiator, which focused on worth owning in its own right.
entertainment. However, Gladiator does illuminate its
momentum with special effects, action sequences,
production sets, costumes, languages, and of course,
performances. Russell Crowe manages to put in a
worthy Oscar-winning performance combining
masculine physicality and sensitivity, however
supported by talented, and Oscar nominated, Joaquin
Phoenix, who portrays Commodus.

19. Diane Kruger
This young, talented actress gained
worldwide recognition by starring in several
blockbuster films such as Troy, National
Treasure, and recently, Inglorious Basterds.
Diane Kruger, born Diane Heidkruger in
Algermissen, Germany, aspired to become
a ballerina and successfully auditioned for
the Royal Ballet School in London.
Unfortunately, a permanent injury dashed
her ballet career, thus she returned home
where she became a successful model in
Germany and France in the early 90’s.
However, what makes Diane Kruger stand
out in the field of other aspiring actresses?
Her ability to master three languages:
German, French, and English, and definitely
act in all three (see: English, National
Treasure; French, Joyeux Noël; German,
Inglorious Basterds). Even though she’s only
33 years of age, we will definitely see more
of Diane Kruger to come.
Inglorious Basterds