End of the Road

We’ve finally come to the end of the road. But let’s remember, this was just one of the many wonderful roads awaiting Marion Cotillard.

Throughout this past year, she has demonstrated she is a genuine, thoughtful, obscenely talented person. I’ve enjoyed following her career from the sidelines since last summer. When I saw “La Vie en Rose” for the first time last July, I was so mesmerized that I went back to the theater three more times. I felt galvanized – I had to do something to pay tribute to what I believe to be one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen, male or female. And so this blog was born.

But it was born with an expiration date. This was not your traditional fan site – I’m too lazy for that! (if you're looking for a fansite, please visit Magnifique Marion Cotillard, kept up wonderfully by the amazing Maria). Rather, it was meant to be a bit of a time-capsule.

It was a risky proposition – Marion was not as well known as she is today. She was starring in a foreign-language film; she did not have the benefit of a huge studio behind her; although famous in Europe and especially her native France, her appearances in English-language films like “Big Fish” and “A Good Year” did not make a huge impact.

And yet something told me that this performance would be recognized – it was too great. I am a dreamer, after all, and not a self-fixated one – I do have dreams for others. So on I went with the blog, reporting little things here and there and receiving lovely messages from Marion's long-time fans. I familiarized myself with her body of work and felt even more inspired to continue this blog. I re-watched “A Very Long Engagement” and remembered thinking back to when I first saw it and how I thought “that girl” who played Tina Lombardi was great. I saw films like “Love Me If You Dare” and “Innocence” and admired an actress who can easily move between romantic comedy and experimental drama. I took in a viewing of “Les Jolie Choses” and found yet another groundbreaking performance by the same actress. In short, I became a fan – I suspect I always will be.

November arrived and K began her invaluable contribution to this blog. It was perfect timing – things got incredibly busy as award season got started. And all along Picturehouse ran a lovely, dignified, intense campaign for their star. There were ups (LAFCA!, Boston Society of Film Critics!), and downs (NYFCC, National Board of Review), then more ups (Golden Globe, BAFTA), and finally the one that really mattered…and we all know how that ended.

This was such a joyous experience for me – a lovely distraction from work – that along with K, we’ve decided to continue with a similar project. While we will not be focusing exclusively on Marion, and will not be updating the blog any more, we are sure to follow closely her career. We are still on the planning stages, so please check back in a few weeks, when we’ll hopefully have a better idea of what the new site will be. *Update* You can now find us here.

In the meantime, thanks again to all the regulars (you know who you are) and all the lurkers (thanks for dropping by!).

K, you’ve been an amazing collaborator and I look forward to continuing our work together. You rock.

And thank you (you definitely know who you are) for putting up with all the time I spent on my blog, all the Marion & Oscar talk, and for cheering just as loud as I did for her last night. You are the best.

Love, Dorothy
________________________________________

I've got very little to add to those sentiments. What a film! What a performance! What a year! What a joy this blog was! I'm mostly just happy to have had the opportunity to contribute, to help shed light on Marion's amazing journey. So I thank you, Dorothy, for inviting me to join in and for starting the blog to begin with! You championed one hell of a performance and did an incredible job following, as Marion would say, this "adventure."

Thank you to everyone for their comments and discussion these past few months. It's been so much fun to get to gush about this performance with people and not sound like a lunatic! I know I'm not the only one here who screamed and jumped and danced about in excitement when Marion finally won her Oscar. Congrats to her, thanks to Dorothy, and thanks to everyone for reading.

K

Marion on French TV

Check out the comments section for a great translation by delsa.

Serendipity

This is such a beautiful image. Sigh, remember?.

From the AP:

OSCAR SHOCK: As Marion Cotillard stepped offstage with the best-actress Oscar for "La Vie En Rose," Forest Whitaker enveloped her in a hug that lasted at least a minute. Then they looked at each other and laughed. "I'm shaking, like wow," Cotillard trembled. Stopping by the backstage "thank you" cam, she expressed her gratitude in French and studied her Oscar. "I'm shaking so much I think I can't talk," she said. Whitaker led her arm-in-arm behind the stage on the winner's walk. "This is huge, this is huge," she gushed as backstage workers applauded. At a stop for a makeup touch up she tried to breathe deeply. "This is crazy, this is totally crazy. Ooh la la la la! It's totally surreal," she said.

Video Highlights

More Marion photos

Several HQ photos of Marion with her Oscar, from here. Click the thumbnails to enlarge:

PRESS ROOM



ELTON JOHN'S 16TH ANNUAL AIDS FOUNDATION ACADEMY AWARDS PARTY

Marion and her BRAND NEW OSCAR

Here are some HQ pics of Marion accepting her -- yes, HER -- Oscar:

Marion Cotillard's Road to Oscar

We will be wrapping things up shortly, but will be updating the blog throughout the day with several items as we get them. Thanks to all the people who wrote to us; even when things looked shaky, I would get an email from folks all over the world reminding me to stay positive and sharing their admiration for Marion Cotillard. I've met some amazing people through this blog, and we will continue this project (albeit in a different incarnation). This has been a wonderful journey -- Marion Cotillard united all of us with her art, and she has been rewarded with the highest accolade an actor can receive. A deserving winner if I ever saw one.

MARION WINS OSCAR!!!!! - OFFICIAL 80TH ANNUAL OSCAR POST

*HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE. THANK YOU ALL FOR BELIEVING* Watch Marion's thank you here from backstage. And here's the WINNING MOMENT: Thank you, eegah! Big hug my friend, you've been there since the beginning.
This is the lineup:

AWARD#1
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
(Jennifer Garner): 5:54 PM (PT)
WINNER - ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE

AWARD #2
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
(Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway): 5:54 PM (PT)
WINNER - RATATOUILLE

AWARD #3
MAKEUP
(Katherine Heigl): 5:57
WINNER - LA VIE EN ROSE!!!

PERFORMANCE - SONG #1 (26) 6:03:09
“Happy Working Song”(2:07)
(Amy Adams-vocals, orchestra)

AWARD #4
VISUAL EFFECTS
(Dwayne Johnson): 6:09
WINNER - THE GOLDEN COMPASS

AWARD #5
ART DIRECTION
(Cate Blanchett): 6:13
WINNER - SWEENEY TODD

Here Jon Stewart will joke about Blanchett’s double nomination as Queen Elizabeth and as Bob Dylan.

More, way more, after the cut
AWARD #6
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
(Jennifer Hudson): 6:18
WINNER - JAVIER BARDEM (Oh my God, this is the first time I've ever cried during an Oscar speech since Tom Hanks' win for "Philadelphia." Beautiful tribute to his family and his country. Felicidades Javier!

PRESENTER INTRO PERFORMANCE 6:27
(Keri Russell)

PERFORMANCE - SONG #2 6:27
“Raise It Up”
(Jamia Simone Nash, Impact Repertory Theatre of Harlem [21],
Total Praise Community Choir [15], Orchestra)

AWARD #7
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
(Owen Wilson): 6:30
WINNER - THE MOZART OF PICKPOCKETS

AWARD #8
ANIMATED SHORT FILM
(Barry B. Benson): 6:36
WINNER - PETER AND THE WOLF

AWARD #9
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
(Alan Arkin): 6:39
WINNER - TILDA SWINTON

SCI-TECH AWARDS RECAP 6:49:20
(Jessica Alba)

AWARD #10
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
(James McAvoy, Josh Brolin): 6:50
WINNER - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

PRESENTER INTRO PERFORMANCE 6:57:38
(Miley Cyrus)

PERFORMANCE - SONG #3
“That’s How You Know”
(Kristin Chenoweth-vocals, Dancers [32],
Marlon Saunders-singer, Steel Drummer,
Kids [2], Tuba Players [4], Chorus [16]): 7:00

AWARD #11
SOUND EDITING
(Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen): 7:06
WINNER -THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM

AWARD #12
SOUND MIXING
(Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen): 7:09
WINNER - THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM

AWARD #13
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
(Forest Whitaker): 7:15
WINNER - MARION COTILLARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Full List Here

Thank you Yawa for sending in the first photo of Marion on the red carpet!

MARION'S ARRIVAL
(click to enlarge...from Yawa)

UPDATE from k: Dorothy, feel free to add anything to this post as the evening goes on. I'm not in a position to live blog, so if you could update with photos and news of La Vie en Rose's wins/losses...well, you'd do that anyway, because you're on top of things. And this is your blog.

UPDATE from Dorothy: Totally. I'll be posting winners as they are announced. And k, it's totally OUR blog :-) Stay tuned guys, and don't be shy and post (I know you're out there...we broke our own record hours ago).

UPDATE from k: Oui...our blog. But you had the brains to start it first. I'm a little sad to let go. How pathetic is that? And I'm still waiting for red carpet photos of Marion to pop up. I haven't seen her yet!

Bonne Chance, Marion

Good luck!
¡Buena suerte!
(Fingers crossed)

Tom O'Neil: an upset for Cotillard?

Tom O'Neil, of The Envelope, believes Cotillard could edge out Christie and win Best Actress tonight at the Oscars:

Our Buzzmeter gurus Pete Hammond and Dave Karger are getting nervous, I hear. Really nervous. They're among the vast majority of our pundits (29 out of 32) on the Julie Christie train in the best-actress race now fretting that it might suddenly get derailed when a winner crosses the finish line tonight.

That's because they're hearing more and more of what I've been hearing for the last few weeks too, causing me to jump off and switch to Marion Cotillard in our final Buzzmeter logged earlier this week. When you talk to actual voters, you find out that gads aren't voting with the Christie pack, as widely presumed. Cotillard is ahead in the private count I've been keeping but only narrowly. The few dozen academy members I've polled isn't a scientific sampling, but it's enough to convince me of an upset ahead.

You can read the rest of his analysis (BEWARE: He does treat The Babe Factor as a serious trend) here.

Marion's Reaction to her Oscar Nomination

Marion Cotillard Winning the Golden Globe

Let's all go back to last month when the Golden Globe awards were announced. As you remember, there was no ceremony, but a rather dreary press conference instead. Here's Marion, friends, agents, and Olivier Dahan making a cameo in the documentary "Mon Clown":I'd love to see this docu in its entirety, but, alas, it's only airing on French television. Here's hoping a dedicated fan will load it to YouTube, DailyMotion, etc.

Here's her AMC Shootout appearance:

Finally, a lovely interview with Craig Ferguson:

ABC News supports Cotillard

ABC gives their Oscar predictions. While they believe Christie will take the Oscar, they believe it should go to Cotillard.

BEST ACTRESS

Nominees
Julie Christie ("Away from Her")
Cate Blanchett ("Elizabeth: The Golden Age")
Marion Cotillard ("La Vie En Rose")
Laura Linney ("The Savages")
Ellen Page ("Juno")

Who will win
Julie Christie

Who should win
Marion Cotillard

Veterans and newcomers crowd the best actress field, and the vote for who will win versus who should win is split between the two. Julie Christie, 66, holds Hollywood's respect for her roles in classics like 1965's "Doctor Zhivago" and 1963's "Darling," for which she won a best actress Oscar. Her performance in "Away From You" may sway the Academy to give her another.

"People in the industry think it's a terrific role, a terrific performance," said Gregg Goldstein, film reporter for The Hollywood Reporter. "They feel like she deserves it because of her career."

But French newcomer Marion Cotillard, 32, wowed critics with her poignant portrayal of Edith Piaf in "La Vie En Rose" and in January scored the best actress Golden Globe for the role.

"I think Marion Cotillard deserves to win," Vecchiarelli said. "There was something unsurprising about the fact that Julie Christie did a great job in her role."

Source

Odds & Sods

So I'm bad with numbers and haven't really been keeping up with the odds-makers. Thankfully Marion supporter Kit has and here is his take:

As of this morning, David Carr of the NEW YORK TIMES has predicted Marion as the winner on Sunday. Here's a little of what he said:

"Deep into the season it seemed Julie Christie would win for her role as a woman lost in the wilds of Alzheimer's disease, but the Bagger's (his pseudonym) instinct suggests that her legendary beauty and aura may not do the trick....Marion Cotillard did herself and LA VIE EN ROSE a world of good by graciously campaigning and spreading her charm....so the Bagger is going with Piaf's gorgeous doppelganger."

Others filing late predictions of Marion as the winner include David Ansen, NEWSWEEK; David Germaine, Associated Press; Moira MacDonald, SEATTLE TIMES; Bill Wine (?), Celebrity News Service; Jen Chaney, WASHINGTON POST; Jill Serjeant, Reuters, in the WASHINGTON POST, plus FILM EXPERIENCE, BOSTON HERALD, ATLANTA DAILY REPORT, and the MARIN INDEPENDENCE JOURNAL.

Much of the blowviating over Christie is by people who say, "I didn't see her film, but everyone is talking about it," or, "the Academy loves giving Oscars to old British actors," or "I didn't see any of the films but I respect her work." It reminds me of the opening song in GUYS & DOLLS, where the bettors are talking about the latest tip someone whispered in their ear as to what animal to bet: "I got the horse right here, his name is Paul Revere, and I'm told that whenever the weather's clear, can do, can do, I hear that the horse can do." Or something like that. That group seems to have been reflecting what they heard rather than making up their own minds. Most people in the Academy are much more committed and serious about the weight of their votes (or at least the people I know), and they work in the field because they love talent and cherish hard work.
Younger journalists and "critics" chose Ellen Page, because they can relate to Juno's circumstances, I guess. But most seasoned writers seem to think "it's not her year." Well, there's Roger Ebert, long of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, who apparently has lost his reason over JUNO, but he's not the influence he once was. And none of these people vote for Oscars.

Kit also sent encouraging news earlier today:

This is from the NATIONAL POST, and will be hopefully prophetic. I like "Hollywood pundits have prematurely offered the best actress statue to icon Julie Christie....But hold on now. Marion Cotillard's astounding LA VIE EN ROSE portrait of Edith Piaf just could get the glory deserved.".....Betting for Las Vegas gamblers (and elsewhere) has moved to Cotillard, win 5/2, according to majorwager.com....

Update. If you're a betting man/woman:

But Christie is the only actress that requires more of a risk than a reward. Marion Cotillard (nominated for La Vie En Rose) is listed with 2/1 odds. You'll notice that in Cotillard's case, the number to the left is larger than the number to the right. This is where excelling in High School math really would have been important perhaps. The number to the left indicated your payout. The number to the right indicates how much you will have to bet to receive that payout. In this case (2/1), you would bet $1 to win $2. Of course if you were to bet $2, you would win $4 (for every $1 bet you win $2) and so on. Of course you win nothing if Cotillard doesn't take home an Oscar.

The best payout for Cotillard is actually at Bookmaker.com, which has been in business since 1985 and is offering a 20% signup bonus. There, Cotillard pays out $2.25 for every $1.00 bet. Just 25 cents more but that adds up the more you wager. Bookmaker.com's utilizes the American Odds format. In other words Cotillard is listed as +225 and can be thought of as $1.00 pays out $2.25 or $10 pays out $22.50 or a $100 bet pays out $225.00. Notice how the decimal point keeps moving to the right depending on the size of the bet.

Source. I might just make a little bet...(seriously).

A Narrative

I was playing around with Comic Life, so bare with me:Click for a full image.

Utagged César Pictures + Oscar Portraits

Today we have some untagged photos of Marion at the César Awards. They are HUGE pictures, so you've been warned. First, her arrival (from this site):

Next, they also have several HQ pictures of her receiving her award:

This site also has HQ portraits taken of Marion at the Oscar Luncheon:

MARION WINS César Award

M Cotillard Meilleure Actrice César 2008
Uploaded by fullhdReady

Alain Delon: "Marion, I give you this César. I think this César is for a great great actress, and I know what I'm talking about"

Marion: "Thank you. I'd like to thank Olivier Dahan. Olivier, you're not here tonight, but you changed my life, you changed my life as an actress, you changed my whole life. You wrote the most beautiful role ever, and you gave it to me, you asked me to play a whole life, and just for that, it (the César) is obviously for you. I'd like to thank the crew of course: the French one, the English one, the one from the Czec Republic; all these beautiful souls who made this adventure so extraordinary. I'd like to thank all my partners who have been ... who have given me so so so so much (she begins to cry) and I'd like to thank my parents because they made me feel like being an actress, they gave me all the freedom to say that it was possible to act great parts, and I'd like to thank my inspirations: Marcel, my grandmothers and the little blond angel. All this people together created Piaf and also Ginou: I love you; you opened your life to me, you opened 15 years of friendship with Piaf to me and it really inspired me. And I'd like to thank all the people who are giving this (the César) to me tonight. Thank you very much ! (Translation by Cassie)."

Marion accepts her Best Actress award.

Stay tuned for results throughout the day (I believe the ceremony starts at 4pm EST). Amely has very graciously volunteered to give us updates.

Although there's some doubt as to whether Marion will take the Best Actress award tonight, let's stay hopeful and wish her (and everyone nominated for their work on "La Vie en Rose") good luck!

UPDATE: Keep checking the comments section, as Amely is providing us with regular updates about the ongoing ceremony. Also, she's directing us to Getty Images, which has the first photos of Marion's arrival.

UPDATE 2: So Marion won the big prize and we're thrilled for her. Hopefully someone will upload her speech to YouTube in warp speed :) Thanks to Amely for the running commentary. A very exciting day here at "Road to Oscar." And the end of the road is almost here -- seems like only yesterday!

While we wait, make sure you check the excerpts from a documentary on Marion's "LVeR" journey here.The documentary will be aired soon on French television. This is fantastic stuff; we even get to see Marion's reaction to her Golden Globe win (first clip); and her having a ciggy before the Oscar nominations announcement (not because she's nervous, she says, lol). Thanks, Amely!

More Support for Marion

From AfterEllen:

Academy Award Winner Marlee Matlin:

"Not only did I cry, I sat there with my mouth hanging open at the bravery of Marion's performance. If they give her the Oscar on Academy Award night, they might as well throw the Kodak Theatre in with it. She deserves it all."

Ellen Huang, former film executive who created Queer Lounge:

"Marion Cotillard gave one of the most inspired performances ever — yeah, maybe even better than Meryl Streep!"

Jill Bennett, out actress:

Best Actress: "With absolute certainty, Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose — a tour-de-force performance, one of my favorites of the last five years easily. As much as I love Ellen Page, [Cotillard] blows away the competition in her category."

Road to Oscar - Best Supporting Actor

Thoughts off the top of my head (nothing too deep).

The Nominees Are:

-Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
-Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
-Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War
-Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild
-Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton

PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN: I haven’t seen “Charlie Wilson’s War” yet, so I’m not the best judge of Mr. Hoffman’s chances, and my observations are probably useless. Still…Hoffman won his Best Actor award for “Capote” a couple of years back. Let’s call it the Blanchett-effect: a recent win translates into a lesser chance of winning. Hoffman, like Blanchett, is highly respected by his peers. He is a tricky one, though; is he a leading man or a character actor who moves seamlessly between the categories? If the Academy sees him as the former, it’s quite likely that they won’t cast their vote for him in what can be perceived as a “lesser” category (which is ridiculous). The film was not very well-received, despite a lot of initial hype and Hoffman’s is its sole nomination. In sum, it ain’t gonna happen.

CASEY AFFLECK: Affleck has been talked about for his role in “Jesse James” for as long as Marion has for “LveR.” His performance was uniformly praised from all angles and his many nominations have surprised no one. But something happened between the initial adulation and awards season – Affleck, though recognized by all of the main groups, did not earn any substantial victories. I sense a case of “the nomination is his reward-itis.” Moreover, whispers of “category fraud” have cast a shadow over his nomination, since, to some, he is arguably the lead in “Jesse James” (I personally don’t agree with that view). I think it’s highly unlikely that Affleck will win on Sunday, but look at it this way: he has a better chance than Hoffman.

TOM WILKINSON: Now we’re getting closer to the contenders. “Michael Clayton” appears to be quite beloved by a certain voting bloc of the Academy (mostly the elderly…seriously). I haven’t seen the film (will be seeing it tomorrow, though), so I can’t really go into the strength of Wilkinson’s performance; but I’ll say this: the man is one hell of an actor. If the film is as beloved by voters as it appears to be, this might be the category where it gets recognized. Wilkinson is also nominated for a role in a Best Picture nominee, which brings exposure that three of his co-nominees lack. Regardless, as of today, I don’t think Wilkinson will win, but I would not be shocked if he did.

HAL HOLBROOK: This is my personal choice, but I’ll try to be objective. Um…okay, I can’t be objective. I hope Holbrook wins – he gives a beautiful, nuanced, incredibly moving performance. His is what I consider a true supporting performance. There are several strikes against him: “Into the Wild” was ridiculously overlooked by the Academy, and he hasn’t won any of the precursor awards. But let’s think back to last year, and years before that: elderly men with long, respected careers are often rewarded in this category (see Jack Palance, Alan Arkin, etc.). Will it happen this year? I hope so. But if it goes to a certain someone (see below), I’d be thrilled as well.

JAVIER BARDEM: You’re looking at Sunday night’s Oscar winner, fo’ sho. Javi (because we’re close like that) has taken every award over the moon for his turn as a sociopathic killer on the run. He is in a film that has been recognized almost uniformly by the guilds, critics, and audiences alike. He has put in one amazing performance after the other (see “Before Night Falls,” “Mar Adentro” just to mention the ones for which he was Oscar-nominated) but hasn’t taken the big prize yet. He easily navigates the deep waters separating English and Spanish-language films. He is also gorgeous (thought I’d mention that) and admired by his peers. Plus, any man who kisses Julian Schnabel on the lips is cool on my book. Come Sunday night, this is Javi’s world, and we just live in it. ‘Nuff said.

Predictions:
Winner: Javier Bardem
Spoiler: Hal Holbrook
Dark Horse: Tom Wilkinson

George Clooney on Marion

In an interview with TIME Magazine, George Clooney had the following to say about Marion's performance:

The actor was also impressed by La Vie En Rose's Marion Cotillard. "[She] does an old person trying to be young, instead of what everyone does – a young person trying to be old," he says. "It's a stunning performance."

Read the rest of his thoughts on this year's Oscars here.

I'll bite - Best Supporting Actress

Dorothy's posted her picks, I may as well post my own! The Best Supporting Actress nominees this year are:

Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
Ruby Dee, American Gangster
Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

Blanchett's got the Globe. Dee's got the SAG. Ryan's got the critics' awards. Swinton's got the BAFTA. Ronan's got the most interesting part in a Best Picture nominee. So, who's the frontrunner?

I'll start off this analysis by saying that I've not seen I'm Not There in its entirety, but I have seen Blanchett's entire performance. The Weinstein Co., after Blanchett didn't sweep up the Oscar precursors as expected, has tried a different strategy to secure a win for her: they've not only sent out screeners containing only her performance, but have have started streaming all of her scenes online for free, here. The Weinsteins realize that many felt that the film itself was alienating and even pretentious. Blanchett doesn't appear until halfway through, so they are trying anything to make sure that her performance will be seen. However, this new strategy might rub people the wrong way. For me, at least, it comes across as being desperate. Add in the fact that Blanchett won three years ago for The Aviator, add in the fact that Blanchett never really picked up any momentum, and consider the uncertainty around this category (it truly could go anywhere), and I'd say her chances aren't as high as people initially anticipated. She could very well take it, but I wouldn't put money on it.

As for her performance...well, it was good, I suppose. Blanchett is one of the best actresses working today, but this performance came across as being gimmicky and a little cheesy. I'm the first person who will tell you that I don't know anything about the life of Bob Dylan, but I only feel confused after watching Blanchett's segment. Does hers, combined with the rest of the film, come together to have one ultimate message? What am I supposed to have gotten from her piece in the film? I was only left confused by her performance and by her entire segment in the film, which would be a non-issue if the performance wasn't so superficial. I feel as though she only skimmed the surface.

Ruby Dee is an interesting case, because, at this point in the game, I'd feel good predicting her for the win even though hers is the nomination I just don't understand. I've said it before and I'll say it again: there is a major difference between being happy for the performer and being happy for the performance. I am thrilled for Dee, but disappointed she got nominated for what is, quite frankly, an uninteresting, throwaway role. Putting the flaws of the film aside, Dee's performance clocks in at about five minutes. Now, ladies like Judi Dench and Beatrice Straight have proven that much can be made of a small role, but Dee doesn't hit that level. It's not as though she turns in a bad performance, but she doesn't own the role, she doesn't make the character her own. After the movie was finished, I wasn't left thinking, "Wow, that Ruby Dee. I can't imagine anyone else playing that role." The reason for that being that I didn't think anything about her when the film was over, as it was an uninspired, uninteresting performance.

The Oscars love the sentimental vote, though. Dee has had an extraordinary career in film, television, and on the stage, and has gone unnoticed by the Academy. Being in a box office smash, starring opposite Denzel Washington in her scenes....well, it was time, I guess. I'd give her a slight edge here.

My favorite Briony in Atonement was Vanessa Redgrave (she gave the film the emotional punch it was lacking), but Saoirse Ronan's Briony is the most complex, challenging character in the film. Ronan handles the role with aplomb. Dorothy calls her a "child-villain," which she is, in some respect. I was reminded of Tracy Flick, from Election, while watching her, but in the end, I don't see her as being as manipulative as Flick, nor do I consider her to be a villain. I think she really, truly believes in what she's doing, not realizing that her misunderstanding, her story-telling is condemning a man to death, a couple to years and years of misery, for a crime he didn't commit. It's a remarkably accomplished performance, especially considering Ronan's youth and inexperience.

A nomination is all Ronan should hope for. It's a well-earned nomination, but she's not my personal pick to win it and I don't think she's got overwhelming support within the Academy. The fact that she is in a Best Picture nominee (which earned 7 nominations total) could play in her favor, but Tilda Swinton is in the same situation -- Michael Clayton earned 7 nominations, including a Best Picture nod -- but has a years of experience and a BAFTA in her corner.

Amy Ryan shocked everyone when she, not Blanchett, started picking up award after award from the critics groups for her turn as a drug-addled, grief-stricken mother in Gone Baby Gone (one of my top 10 films this year...criminally overlooked, I think). As Helene, the mother of missing girl Amanda, Ryan gives one of the best performances -- male or female, leading or supporting -- of the year. She evokes sympathy and compassion, but at the drop of the hat she'll disgust you, she'll shock you, and she'll, ultimately, scare you. It's a very ambiguous performance; you don't really ever know what her intentions are, who she is truly looking out for. She seems unperturbed by the loss of her child when you first see her, high and withholding information during an interrogation, then she is upbeat and carefree, before she is lost and devastated. She believes a very dangerous group of people to be involved, she thinks they are seeking revenge on her for stealing their money, and she leads cops down a bizarre trail. It's clear she's trying to protect someone, but who? Her little girl? Her lover? Herself? Capped off by that final scene in the film, I didn't really know how to feel about Helene, but Ryan's performance is so rounded, so full, that I'm not left unsatisfied by the questions those last three minutes raises.

Ryan took all of the critics awards (LAFCA, NYFCC, BFCA, NBR, among others), but has had some trouble at the larger, national groups. Though not eligible for the BAFTA this year, Ryan couldn't beat Blanchett for the Globe or Dee for the SAG. Can she beat them -- as well as Swinton and Ronan -- for the Oscar? I sure hope so...and I think it will happen.

This is the one performance in this category that I haven't seen, though the film will be arriving within the next week or so via Netflix. Because of this, I don't feel comfortable speaking about her performance yet, but I will say that she is a very well-respected actress, who many feel was overdue for a nomination, and who has lately been picking up a lot of steam. While Atonement has a Best Picture nomination and a Writing nomination, the rest of their nominations are scattered amongst technical categories (which aren't unimportant at all). Michael Clayton has heavy, heavy support in every major category: Best Picture, Best Director (Tony Gilroy), Best Actor (George Clooney), Best Supporting Actor (Tom Wilkinson), Best Original Screenplay (Tony Gilroy). If there's a real "surprise" win, it'll be Swinton.

Final Wrap-Up:

Will Win: Amy Ryan
Should Win: Amy Ryan
Spoiler: Ruby Dee
Dark Horse: Tilda Swinton
Don't Count Out: Cate Blanchett

Final Rankings:

1. Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
2. Ruby Dee, American Gangster
3. Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton
4. Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
5. Saoirse Ronan, Atonement

Road to Oscar - Best Supporting Actress

It's Oscar week! We'll be posting Oscar predictions for the top categories (supporting actress, supporting actor, actor, actress, best director, and best picture). Tonight I kick things off with Best Supporting Actress.

This year's nominees are:

-Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
-Ruby Dee, American Gangster
-Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
-Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
-Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

CATE BLANCHETT: Let's get this out of the way first: I adore Cate Blanchett. I worship the ground she walks on, and I believe that, along with Kate Winslet, she's one of the greatest living actresses. Having said that, I don't think Blanchett will win this year. It's rather facile to say this, but the truth is that her win (in this category no less) in 2005 for "The Aviator" is too fresh in the collective Oscar voters' memories. The film (which I haven't seen yet) has been quite polarizing: many people disliked it, may more loved it, but most were perplexed. Personally, Todd Haynes can't do no wrong in my eyes, and I look forward to seeing the film. I hate to underestimate Blanchett, but I just don't think lightning will strike twice...at least this year.

SAOIRSE RONAN: Saoirse Ronan was, quite simply, exceptional in the role of Briony Tallis. She is the galvanizing force in McEwan's story, and, gasp, a child-villain (haven't seen one of those in a while, Oscar). So, we all know Oscar loves little girls who turn in great performances (see Patty Duke, Tatum O'Neal, Anna Paquin, Keisha Castle-Hughes, etc.), fair enough. Saoirse also stars in one of the Best Picture nominees for this year, which means more exposure, and which could translate into more votes. There's also the UK vote. It seems like all the pieces are there...but not so fast. "Atonement" lost a lot of momentum (quite unfortunately), and even the recent BAFTA triumph was met with a whimper. It's also reasonable to think that the UK vote will be split between Ronan and Swinton. Youth can be both shield and sword. Just ask folks who rationalize voting for someone older by thinking that the young one will have plenty of more chances to be awarded later in their career (silly as that is). Finally, Ronan hasn't been as visible throughout the award season as some of the other nominees -- fair or not, voters take note of such things. I'm not totally writing off Ronan. Surprises tend to happen most often in the supporting categories. Anna Paquin's win remains one of my top Oscar moments, but let's remember that Paquin was recognized with a LAFCA for her work in "The Piano." Ronan doesn't have any precursor wins to her name -- but again, I wouldn't count her out.
TILDA SWINTON: Unquestionably a great actress. If you haven't seen "Orlando," please rent it asap (only if you like trippy films, though). Unfortunately, I haven't seen "Michael Clayton" yet (though it's apparently on its way from Netflix as I type this). Her BAFTA triumph seems to have shocked a lot of people and many pundits are now predicting her for the win. I would love to follow suit, but my thought is that Swinton might have peaked too late. I would not be surprised if she took the Oscar on Sunday night, but I wouldn't bet on it.

RUBY DEE: A living legend; a lovely woman, and a solid performance. Let me correct that, a solid five-minute performance. Oscar is no stranger to rewarding short film appearances, it's true (see Judi Dench, Beatrice Straight, etc.), which is why I think Dee has a very strong shot at a win here. The film itself is not strong, but Dee's performance is not forgettable. She does a lot with just a few lines. The nomination was a surprise, and I'm glad Dee's talent was recognized. Reaction to Ms. Dee's nomination has been, for the most part, quite shameful on the part of many people, and that's a real bummer (hey, I totally understand why people would be mad, but attacking the lady is just out of line; if anything, attack the Academy, they're the ones who nominated her, after all). In my humble opinion, lesser performances have been rewarded. Would I vote for Dee? If I were to vote on merit, no (my vote would go to the lady in the next paragraph), but I wouldn't be insulted if Dee won. She has a solid body of work, and I'm used to Oscar trying to right prior wrongs with questionable late-career wins (wassup Alan Arkin? Good to see you). That's just how it is.

AMY RYAN: Ryan is incredible in "Gone Baby Gone" (an underrated gem of a film). She swept virtually every critic award of consequence, but unfortunately lost steam with Globe and SAG losses (she wasn't eligible for the BAFTA, maybe next year!). Ryan, a stage actress, had her hand fulls with Helene McCready. She plays an unlikeable character who makes questionable choices and who doesn't seem to learn much from life's vicissitudes. And yet, Ryan rises up to the challenge and elevates what could have been a stock caricature with three-dimensional emotions and feelings. Her Helene is funny, unnerving, dumb, street smart, angry, isolated. But what I most admired of Ryan's performance was her unwillingness to make the audience like her character. She doesn't pander but rather pushes and pushes until we can barely take it anymore. It's a courageous performance that deserves to be rewarded. I predict that, if GBG was seen by enough people, Ryan will win the Oscar she so rightfully deserves.

Predictions:

Winner: Amy Ryan
Spoiler: Ruby Dee
Dark Horse: Tilda Swinton

Tomorrow I'll write about Best Supporting Actor.

Another win for Marion?

Rebecca Leffler, of The Hollywood Reporter, writes that Marion picked up another Best Actress award from The Golden Star Awards in Paris last night:

Oscar favorite and Golden Globe winner "La Vie en Rose" star Marion Cotillard had to share the spotlight with "Anna M."'s Isabelle Carre for the best actress award.

I'll do a little investigating into The Golden Star Awards, because I can't seem to find anything on them anywhere.

Anybody able to help me out here?

EDIT

Thanks to Amely! The Golden Star Awards -- Les Étoiles d'Or de la Presse du Cinéma Français -- are French cinema awards given away by journalists and critics. La Vie en Rose was up for Best Film but didn't win. The official website is here. Here is what Marion won:

It's rather pretty, I think.

Short Marion Interview

Here's Marion at the DGA awards a few weeks ago.

01-26-DGA-Interview-1
Uploaded by marionGfandemarionC

Marion Mag Scans

ONTD has posted some beautiful scans (from The Fashion Spot) of Marion from Elle Magazine. As always, click to enlarge:

PHOTOS

TEXT

Updates: More Oscar picks, an interview, and another win for Marion

Marion has recently been named Best Actress by the InterNational Online Cinema Awards, edging out Amy Adams (Enchanted), Julie Christie (Away From Her), Nicole Kidman (Margot at the Wedding), Anamaria Marinca (4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days), and Tang Wei (Lust, Caution) for the win.

Next, In a piece entitled Class Acts, Michael Phillips, of The Chicago Tribune, names Cotillard's nomination one of the best performances honored this year by the Oscars. The other three on his list? Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood), Julie Christie (Away From Her), and Tommy Lee Jones (In the Valley of Elah).

Here's what he had to say about Cotillard:

Marion Cotillard, 'La Vie En Rose'

Physical transformation may not be everything when it comes to playing a historical figure, let alone drawing serious awards consideration. But when you see the French actress Marion Cotillard in "A Private Affair" or even the smug Russell Crowe romantic comedy "A Good Year," you know you're in the presence of serious, easygoing glamor. As Edith Piaf, Cotillard had to trade one sort of charisma for quite another. The result is a performance full of technical facility as well as emotional yearning. I don't love the movie -- it's no better and no worse than other Hollywood biopics -- but in the long, late sequence in which the singer learns of her boxer lover's fate, Cotillard cracks open a legend's perpetually breaking heart.

He also gives his Oscar predictions, saying that while he would vote for Ellen Page to win Best Actress, he believes it will go to either Cotillard or Christie. Currently, he gives Christie the slight edge. There is a video up at the Tribune link.

On the other hand, both Wesley Morris and Ty Burr, top film critics for The Boston Globe, believe that she SHOULD win, even though they do not think she will take it. Remember: Cotillard won the Best Actress award from the Boston Society of Film Critics, where both men were voters. Click on thumbnails for full sizes:

Finally, David Germain, of The Hartford Courant, has published an interview with Cotillard, entitled, Marion Cotillard As Edith Piaf Gets It. A snippet:

Marion Cotillard's first acting job was a baffling but valuable lesson in the art of denying real life in favor of make-believe.

She was 3 or 4 and playing a girl whose mother lay dead before her. Cotillard, an Academy Award nominee for "La Vie En Rose," could not understand why the director insisted the actress playing the dead woman was her mother, when her actual mom was right there on stage with her, playing a different woman.

"I remember he said to me, 'It's your mother,' and in my head, I was like, 'She's not my mother, because my mother is there!'" Cotillard said with an emphatic gesture as she recalled her first stage gig. "It was so disturbing. I really remember this feeling I had."

The rest can be found at the Courant link.

San Francisco Gate Interviews Marion

Thanks to kvc, fan extraordinaire, for sending in this article. One of the things we discovered while reading it was that, as suspected, Marion is a bit sick (all this globe-trotting cannot be too healthy). Let's hope she gets better soon.

Marion Cotillard has had better days. Looking a bit pale, bundled up in a black cowl-neck sweater and slouching deeply into a sofa, she occasionally reaches for a cup of tea. With any luck, the drink will help fight off a cold that's left her with a rib-rattling cough.

Behind her, outside the 12th-floor window of a downtown San Francisco hotel, the sky and surroundings are dull gray, streaked with heavy rainfall; it's not unlike a typical winter day in Paris, which may make the 32-year-old Parisian actress even more homesick. She's been away from her terre natale for a year and a half, doing publicity for the biopic "La Vie en Rose," in which she plays Edith Piaf, and she says she longs to be back with her family and friends.

Not that she's complaining.

"I can't say, 'Oh, yeah, I'm fed up, baba baba baba," she says in charmingly accented English, employing her equivalent of yada yada. "If I would say this, I wish someone would say, 'Eh, hello! Do you know what's happening to you? Do you know that people would love to be where you are right now?'"

More here.

As you probably know, Marion is now back in France!

2 New FYC Ads

Sorry for the poor quality of these...they are only snapshots of FYC ads from eBay.

The first one, found here, is a rare ad from The Hollywood Reporter, not only promoting Marion for Best Actress but also campaigning for Marit Allen (Costume Design) and Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald (Hair & Makeup). I'm sorry that this is the largest version:

The other is from The Daily Variety, found here. Again, this is the largest size available:

If there's anyone reading who lives in LA and/or subscribes to either publican and can find these issues, scan them, and send them in, it would be most appreciated!

TV Guide picks Marion for the win

In what is, quite frankly, a rather stupid write-up, TV Guide predicts Marion will take the Oscar "by a hair."

BEST ACTRESS

Is this award going back to Europe again? Helen Mirren took the trophy across the Atlantic last year, and now the front-runners are England's Julie Christie and France's Marion Cotillard. But might voters be tired of shipping Oscars overseas and reward Ellen Page, the fresh-faced Canadian of surprise hit "Juno"? Probably not. When it comes to best actress, the Academy likes heavy, not light. The early favorite, Cotillard, inhabits singer Edith Piaf in the kind of raging, larger-than-life performance voters love. But the radiant Christie has been picking up momentum since winning the SAG award for her heartbreaking portrayal of a woman slipping into dementia. This Oscar will definitely be living in Europe by month's end -- probably France, by a hair.

Oscar: The Next Generation

The Envelope has posted a list of young Oscar nominees. Marion has been included (click for larger image):

More Oscar talk from EW

Entertainment Weekly, in this week's issue, gives Marion 25% of the vote for Best Actress, putting her third behind Julie Christie (33%) and Ellen Page (27%) to win the Oscar. Laura Linney comes in fourth with 10%, and Cate Blanchett rests at fifth with 5%. Here's what they had to say:

Marion Cotillard
La Vie en Rose
FOR HER Cotillard's physically and emotionally transformative performance as tempestuous chanteuse Edith Piaf (complete with impeccable lip-synching) means she's an absolute shoo-in for the Best Actress prize...
AGAINST HER ...At the César Awards. It's very tough to win votes for a foreign-language performance, particularly against these four.

They do give the Best Makeup Oscar to La Vie en Rose, saying:

It should be a French kiss for the La Vie en Rose team, who made 32-year-old Marion Cotillard into the legendary singer Edith Piaf -- and then took her from age 19 to her death at a haggard 47.

HOWEVER, they also asked "six high-profile Academy members -- an actor, an actress, a director, a producer, a studio executive, and a screenwriter" whom they voted for and why. And, I have to say, things are looking good for Marion there; 3/6 of those asked (50%, duh) voted for Marion.

THE ACTRESS
She's played victims and screwball heroines, but don't underestimate the intelligence and talent of this one-time Best Supporting Actress nominee. She's a fan of nuanced, controlled filmmaking and seamless performances.

BEST ACTRESS
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
"I think if enough people see La Vie en Rose, she could win. She just blew me away."

--------

THE DIRECTOR
Our insider, a Best Director winner himself who's adept at making warm, intimate films with broad appeal, laments the absence of high-gloss studio films like The Bourne Ultimatum.

BEST ACTRESS
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
"I keep hearing Julie Christie's going to win for Away From Her, but I don't know anyone who actually got through that movie. I don't think there's any other performance that comes close to Marion Cotillard's. She became another human being up there on the screen."

---------

THE PRODUCER
A prolific filmmaker behind one Best Picture winner and numerous film and television projects, he has an affinity for unconventional narratives that push boundaries.

BEST ACTRESS
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
"I'm voting for the person I don't think is going to win. But if all the voters see La Vie en Rose...there was no trace of Marion in that. It was all Edith Piaf.

-----------

The Actor (He's volleyed between comedy and drama, leading man and character roles, but our former Best Supporting Actor nominee is no waffler when it comes to this year's contenders, especially those that dive into the heart of darkness.) picked ELLEN PAGE.

----------

The Executive (This former high-ranking studio exec enjoyed a lot of the contenders this year, but thinks Oscar could use more feel-good films.) picked LAURA LINNEY.

-----------

The Screenwriter (This versatile scribe of period epics and genre flicks has won two Oscars. He was impressed with this year's crop of nominees, but not overly so...) picked LAURA LINNEY.

So things may actually turn out to be in Marion's favor. Here's hoping!

Anyone have any guesses as to who the anonymous voters are?

THE ISSUE IS ON NEWSSTANDS NOW.

New FYC Ad

Awards Daily has posted a new FYC ad for Marion (Best Actress):

As always, click on the thumbnail for full resolution.

AMC Preview

Be sure to tune into AMC this Friday, February 15 at 10:30pm to see the full interview.

EDITED TO ADD: HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

More Updates

Thanks so much to Pierrick for sending in these lovely scans of a recent feature on Marion:

We'll have an English translation soon for those of you who (like me) only have a basic understanding of the beautiful French language.

kvc has been keeping us quite busy and very generously sent out the following article on the BAFTA results. Here's an excerpt:

Cotillard's performance as Edith Piaf in "La Vie En Rose" has earned her quite a lot of admirers, if not many statuettes. Canadian Ryan Gosling gushed to Variety in December that, "Not only did she craft a flawless impersonation of a famous personality, but Marion's humanity elevated her performance to a devastatingly honest and yet seemingly effortless personification of integrity and grace.

"To me, this is more than just a great performance; it's a document of this actress's overwhelming ability to love."

Finally, Amely directed us to a beautiful scan of Time Magazine's piece on Marion last month (you might remember my crappy black and white scan). Here's the image in all its glory:

Then we have a link to Time's Oscar predictions. They maintain that Marion will take the Oscar, but don't celebrate just yet, they then say Julie Christie "should win." But don't hate on them too much, they do say that Keira Knightley was robbed. I tend to agree; I wish I could have seen her nominated. I was never a big fan until I saw "Atonement" last year and I was thoroughly impressed.

Thanks to everyone who takes the time to send us kind thoughts; it is much appreciated!

César Nominee Dinner

Marion was at the César Nominee Dinner at Fouquet's Restaurant in Paris on February 13. La Vie en Rose is up for a staggering 11 César Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Marion Cotillard), Best Director and Best Original Screenplay (Olivier Dahan for both). The film picked up several technical nominations, while Pascal Greggory, who played Louis, and Sylvie Testud, who played Piaf's best friend Mômone, are up for Supporting Actor and Actress, respectively.

She looks exhausted, but happy. Getty Images has four images up (click thumbnail for full resolution):

Thanks to poppy for the info!

Tons of updates

kvc has sent in several interesting articles for us to post. Thanks, kvc!

First, there is an interview from The Nevada Appeal.

To observe that a French actress is beautiful is ordinarily an exercise in the incredibly obvious. But given Marion Cotillard’s titanic and tortured performance in “La Vie en Rose” — in which she twists, bends and mutilates her physique to re-create the legendary chanteuse Edith Piaf — the transformation is unforgettable. Lithe, buoyant and with eyes so blue they put the Pacific to shame, Cotillard had just won a best actress Golden Globe when interviewed at the Chateau Marmont.

Read the whole thing here.

Next, The Telegraph ran an article on Cotillard after her triumphant win at the BAFTAs:

"I was not the one the financiers wanted to see in this role," she told me, shortly before the British release of the film last June. "It's not hard to guess who they would have preferred, and, frankly, if I'd had to cast someone to play Piaf, I would also have chosen [Da Vinci Code star] Audrey Tautou. She's far better known at an international level, far more bankable than me."

Read the entire article here.

Next, The Hollywood Reporter ran an analysis of this year's Oscar acting categories. In a nutshell, they label Marion a dark horse, but that the race is so close it's hard to pick the winner.

If the votes were tallied today, chances are only a handful would separate Julie Christie in Lionsgate's "Away From Her" and Marion Cotillard in Picturehouse's "La Vie en Rose."

Read all four parts here.

kvc also sends in this tidbit about the BAFTAs, TIME, and the odds in Vegas:

There's a delicious moment on a video (on youtube, one of two titled "Keira Knightley at the BAFTA"). It starts out with a man asking Marion, if she doesn't win the BAFTA, whom she would like to see win it. Then the reporter introduces the two of them. Keira says she thinks Marion should win. You probably already know all this, but it really tickled me. When the reporter said, "Here's Keira Knightley," Marion says, like a fan, "Oh, I love her."

The betting in Las Vegas, which was done by people who probably never go to the movies at all, had Christie heavily touted; now it's beginning to change in Marion's favor. As already mentioned, TIME MAGAZINE has already chosen Marion the winner.

Here is, I believe, the video kvc is talking about:



Here's hoping Marion and Keira work together in the future! Both are incredibly talented, and they seem to like and respect one another greatly.

And for those of you who can't play embedded videos, so the link to the video is here.

Again, thanks to kvc for the head's up!

EDIT

Thanks to oliver for bringing this to my attention.

Nancy O'Dell spoke to Marion at the Oscar luncheon about her nomination. The video can't be embedded, but you can view the very adorable interview here.

Must See

The Oscar Experience

Marion recently talked to People magazine about her whirlwind Oscar experience (thanks, Amely!). Here's a preview:

When asked about words of wisdom she’s been given about the Oscars, the star says she agrees with the advice George Clooney gave to her fellow nominee Amy Ryan. “‘It will be over in a minute. When the awards are done, they’re done, everyone goes back’” he said. “‘So just to enjoy it and don’t be too frightened.’”

Read the rest of the article here.

Marion Featured on Men's Vogue

This is a bit of old news, but Marion was recently featured on Men's Vogue (thanks for the heads up, kvc!). Here's an excerpt:

Cotillard takes a sip of fresh orange juice and reflects on the singer who inspired this life-changing performance. "My desire was not to try to imitate her technically," she says of Piaf, who died of cancer in 1963 at age 47. "I wanted to understand what was inside that woman, what was inside her heart and soul." To do so, Cotillard front-loaded her brain with all things Piaf until she was brimming with her ineffable essence. She also befriended the singer's old friend Ginou Richer, who revealed that Piaf wasn't such a tragic figure after all. "She loved life, she loved to be happy, and she was funny," Cotillard says.

Check out the rest of the article here.

Marion Featured on People Magazine

Read the accompanying article here. Thanks to Candace for the heads up.

Vote for Marion

(click for full-sized pic)

IMDB is holding an Oscar poll, where IMDB members can vote for their own Oscar winners.

Currently Marion is in fourth by quite a bit, trailing behind Ellen Page, Julie Christie, and Cate Blanchett.

If you're a member, you can vote here.

Flabbergasted Marion

And here's the win (thanks eegah!):

Perfect clip!!!


Thanks, Maria!

Daniel Day-Lewis opened his speech with the following (thanks, Rory!): "Never mind all the other qualities in her astonishing performance. For sheer balls alone, I feel Marion should have this award as well."

More BAFTA Photos

Thanks to Yawa for sharing these lovely images:

BAFTA NAMES MARION COTILLARD BEST ACTRESS!

Hot off the presses. From BAFTA Press Release:

Marion Cotillard received the BAFTA for Leading Actress for La Vie en Rose for her portrayal of Edith Piaf. The film also won awards for Music, Make Up & Hair and Costume Design, presented posthumously to designer Marit Allen.

Source.

Visit Getty Images for some pictures of Marion (with dreamboat Javi Bardem -- I assume she presented the Supporting Actor award) at the BAFTA's tonight.

Remember who Marion was going up against:

CATE BLANCHETT – Elizabeth: The Golden Age
JULIE CHRISTIE – Away From Her
MARION COTILLARD – La Vie en Rose
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY – Atonement
ELLEN PAGE – Juno

This was formidable competition. A big congratulations to Mlle. Cotillard for a well-deserved win!

A bit of trivia...Sophia Loren also won the BAFTA in 1961 for "Two Women" but for "Best Foreign Actress." Marion is the first actress to win a BAFTA Best Actress award for a non-English language performance since Stéphane Audran in The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie in 1974 (before I was born...that's just wrong!).

Spoiler alert regarding the other awards: Please don't read if you want to watch the Ceremony tonight -

Here's the full BAFTA Press Release:

Atonement was named Best Film at tonight’s Orange British Academy Film Awards, held at London’s Royal Opera House.

La Vie en Rose received the highest number of wins with 4 BAFTAs. No Country for Old Men won 3 BAFTAs, with Atonement and The Bourne Ultimatum receiving 2 BAFTAs each.
Marion Cotillard received the BAFTA for Leading Actress for La Vie en Rose for her portrayal of Edith Piaf. The film also won awards for Music, Make Up & Hair and Costume Design, presented posthumously to designer Marit Allen.

Joel and Ethan Coen won the Director award for No Country for Old Men and Javier Bardem was named Supporting Actor for his performance. The film also received the Cinematography BAFTA.

In addition to winning the Best Film BAFTA, Atonement also won the Production Design award. The Bourne Ultimatum won the awards for Sound and Editing.

Anthony Hopkins was awarded the Academy Fellowship, the highest accolade bestowed by BAFTA, in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film.

Daniel Day Lewis won Leading Actor for his performance as oil baron Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood. The Supporting Actress award was presented to Tilda Swinton for her role in Michael Clayton.

This is England was named Best British Film, one of 6 award categories decided by BAFTA jury. The Film Not in the English Language award was won by The Lives of Others.
The Original Screenplay BAFTA was presented to Diablo Cody for Juno and the Adapted Screenplay award went to Ronald Harwood for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
The award for Animated Film was won by Ratatouille. The Special Visual Effects BAFTA was presented to The Golden Compass.

Writer Matt Greenhalgh won The Carl Foreman Award for Special Achievement by a British Director, Writer or Producer for their First Feature Film for Control.

The Pearce Sisters won the Short Animation award and the Short Film award was presented to Dog Altogether.

Property Master Barry Wilkinson was presented with the award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema. This award is given in the Gift of the Academy and its primary purpose is to honour the talents of individuals from the film industry whose achievements are not usually recognised in other awards categories. Barry’s credits include Indiana Jones, Titanic, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Fifth Element, and the Harry Potter films.

The Orange Rising Star Award was presented to Shia LaBeouf, star of Transformers. This award recognises a young international actor or actress who has demonstrated exceptional talent and has begun to be recognised as a film star in the making. This award, now in its third year, was created in honour of Mary Selway, the highly respected casting director, who died in 2004.

The winner of 60 Seconds of Fame, BAFTA and Orange’s short film initiative, was announced earlier this afternoon in front of a big screen in Covent Garden Piazza. Hundreds of filmmakers from the 15 BBC Nations and Regions around the UK entered 60-second short films, which were then voted on by regional BAFTA panels. Up to five films in each region were put to a public vote and over 24,000 votes were cast. The winning film from each region was viewed by a BAFTA jury who decided the overall winner. The winning film, United (Polar Showtime Dancers) was created by Cheryl Marshall from the East Midlands.

The Orange British Academy Film Awards were hosted by Jonathan Ross and broadcast on BBC ONE at 21:00. The Awards were sponsored by Orange for the 11th year running and the awards broadcast was produced by Whizz Kid Productions.

All I can say is: ¡Viva Inglaterra!

Marion on NYT

Just thought I'd share:
The featured actors are being rotated on the cover throughout the day.

My BAFTA Predictions

BEST FILM: ATONEMENT

BEST BRITISH FILM: CONTROL

DIRECTOR: ATONEMENT – Joe Wright

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: THE LIVES OF OTHERS – Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: ATONEMENT – Christopher Hampton

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: THE LIVES OF OTHERS

BEST ANIMATED FILM: RATATOUILLE – Brad Bird

LEADING ACTOR: DANIEL DAY-LEWIS – There Will Be Blood

LEADING ACTRESS: MARION COTILLARD – La Vie en Rose

SUPPORTING ACTOR: JAVIER BARDEM – No Country for Old Men

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: SAOIRSE RONAN – Atonement

MUSIC: ATONEMENT – Dario Marianelli

CINEMATOGRAPHY: ATONEMENT – Seamus McGarvey

EDITING: ATONEMENT – Paul Tothill

PRODUCTION DESIGN: LA VIE EN ROSE – Olivier Raoux

COSTUME DESIGN: ATONEMENT – Jacqueline Durran

Disclaimer: So Julie Christie will most likely win the BAFTA tomorrow, but I'm calling it for Marion because BAFTA also tends to have some surprises up their sleeve.

Also, here are some reminders about where/when to watch the Ceremony tomorrow from an earlier post:

The Orange British Academy Film Awards will be held on Sunday, February 10 at the Royal Opera House in London's Covent Garden. Thanks to one of our readers for the following info:

If you're in the US, BBC America will broadcast the Baftas twice on the day of the event, the first time live.

Watch it LIVE here.

BBC Programmers are unsure if it will be made available LIVE yet or not so check nearer the time to ascertain the situation.

The ceremony should be available for viewing for SEVEN days AFTER it's transmission

There is a micro website here.

Marion's Teen Press Interview

One word: adorable.

Ro Speaks

Rosie O'Donnell has a Q&A section on her blog. Here's a recent exchange:

Keith writes:
Julie Christie or Marion Cotillard….and why?
marion
simply the best performance ever

I believe she's a member of the Academy, by the way.

Source

Marion talks to RT

RottenTomatoes.com recently sat down for an interview with Marion Cotillard. An interesting snippet about her new film Public Enemies:

You were recently cast in Michael Mann's Public Enemies. What can you say about that?

MC: What I can tell you [is that] what I have to do in that movie makes La Vie en Rose seem like a piece of cake.

Read the entire interview by clicking on the image.

Marion is Actress of the Year at London Film Critics Award

Congratulations to Marion for this triumph. Daniel Day-Lewis received the Actor of the Year award. "No Country for Old Men" continued its unstoppable road to Oscar with a Film of the Year triumph. (If only Oscar followed suit with these three picks...Hey, I'm a Cotillard true believer!).

Other winners included James McAvoy for British Actor of the Year (Sweet!) and Julie Christie for British Actress of the Year. Sam Riley took their Breakthrough award (Yay!!! About time!).

More here.

Thanks for the heads up, eegah!

Here are some photos from the event (thanks Yawa!):




More pics available at Getty Images.

Oscars 2008: Breakthrough Performances in Film

The New York Times has published a list of the acting breakthroughs of the past year. No such list would be complete without Ms. Cotillard, and she's properly featured. There's an accompanying short film (directed by Jake Paltrow) in which all of the Breakthrough actors talk about their work and their inspirations.

You can read the article here.
You can see the videos here.

EDITED WITH THE PHOTO, FROM ONTD. CLICK IMAGE FOR FULL-SIZED PICTURE.

Also, check out the "Making of" the Breakthrough short film here. You'll see a short snippet of Marion in wintry Montauk, NY (where the above picture was taken).

More Vanity Fair

Source.

Marion in VF Hollywood issue

Marion will appear alongside folks like Keira Knightley, Julie Christie, Casey Affleck, Javier Bardem, Jodie Foster, and many, many more in Vanity Fair's annual Hollywood Issue. The magazine will be available for purchase later this week.

This year, stars will appear in a photo spread which stages them in classic Hitchcock films.

Ms Cotillard will be featured as the Marion Crane character in a recreation of the iconic shower scene from Hitchcock's 1960 classic, Psycho.

Vanity Fair has got the full list of featured actors as well as an official Behind The Scenes video at their website, here. Marion IS featured (screaming her ASS off!) in the VF video.

Here is ET's Preview on YouTube:

True Believers

I like the sound of that. Case in point, an excerpt from Vanity's Fair witty Oscar blog, LITTLE GOLD MEN:

His [Bob Berney, head of Picturehouse] method is not entirely dissimilar to that of Fox Searchlight, which pushed Juno to its four nominations on the basis of a phenomenon as opposed to the all-inclusive technical merits of films like No Country for Old Men or There Will Be Blood. In fact, La Vie en Rose is a thoroughly unremarkable film with only Cotillard’s work to recommend it; like Monster and the recent Best Actress winners Monster’s Ball and Walk the Line before it, it has merely been seasoned with Oscar bait, not made from it. Which, as this category’s history indicates, may be all it needs to win [...] Bob Berney hardly invented this paradigm, but his selectivity, taste, and—this is important—campaign moderation make Cotillard both a front-runner and backlash-proof.

Lest I spoil the surprise, S.T. VanAirsdale concludes his post thus:

So count me among the Cotillard true believers; there’s a higher power than hype at work here.

Read the rest here.

While I don't agree with his opinion of "La Vie en Rose" as a film, I'm always happy when someone sees the light! ;)

Ready for a picture post?

Yes, we have a MASSIVE picture post ahead! As always, remember to click the thumbnails to see the full-sized pictures.

First, we have some untagged photos of Marion arriving at the Oscar luncheon:

Next: There are some pictures of Marion shooting an interview for AMC's Shootout, which is to air sometime during the channel's Oscar month. Date and time is unknown. From the looks of things, it looks as though it was tapes just before, just after, or during the Oscar luncheon:

Finally, there are photos up of Chopard honoring Marion at Chateau Marmont:

Thank you, Anna!

Annoying Message

If you're in one of the Super Tuesday states: GO VOTE! "It's your sacred franchise" (who can guess where the line is from?).

The Envelope talks to Marion

The Envelope talks to Marion at yesterday's Oscar luncheon (click image to play):

And The Dish Rag's Elizabeth Snead had this to say:

"La Vie en Rose" best actress nominee Marion Cotillard looked fresh as a proverbial daisy in a floral print sundress by Elie Saab, although she conceded that it looked a bit Pradaesque.

ALSO, the 80th Oscar Yearbook photo has been released. Marion was front and center, sitting near Viggo Mortenson, George Clooney, Sarah Polley, Julie Christie, Casey Affleck, Ellen Page, and, of course, the giant Oscar statuette! Click the thumbnail for the (giant!) fill-sized photo:

Notes on La Vie en Rose

As many of you know, this blog has been a bit of an experiment on our part. We were moved by Marion's performance in "La Vie en Rose" and felt compelled to track her journey to the Oscars, the symbol of highest excellence in cinema world-wide. This was last July, and thankfully, we've seen Marion recognized time and time again for her tremendous performance. As originally intended, this blog will become inactive after the Oscars ceremony in a few weeks. The Road to Oscar team, however, does have a few things in the planning stages which we hope to see to fruition, but more on that later.

I've received a considerable amount of emails (as well as comments on the blog) from people sharing their thoughts about Marion and her work (be it in "La Vie en Rose" or, for some who have followed her career for years, her lesser-known films). I wish I could post all of them here and I'd like to thank each one of you who has taken the time to join us on this interesting journey. Your voices are incredibly eloquent and your thoughts (and barrage of messages of support after Marion encounters yet another obstacle on her road to the Oscar) always bring a smile to my face.

In that spirit, I'd like to share a post by sartre, who beautifully captures everything I'm sure all of us felt when watching "La Vie en Rose" for the first time. Enjoy:

I put off seeing La Vie En Rose for the longest time for two reasons. It was a biopic and the film in general received discouraging reviews. I probably would have skipped it altogether had it not been for the renown of Cotillard’s performance and your championing of it as someone whose opinions I respect.

The biopic is one of my least favorite genres. It seeks to represent and explain a famous person’s achievements and in some cases decline. In order to meet the latter goal we’re given key events from a life, usually beginning with supposedly telling childhood experiences and progressing through to those in early adulthood, middle age, and beyond. The formulaic nature of the genre becomes immediately apparent.

Representing the achievements of someone famous usually takes up a fair bit of screen time. This necessitates a shorthand presentation of the key causal and consequential events and experiences in relation to them in what remains of the 90 to 120 minute running time. Past biopics have left me feeling like nothing was convincingly presented to help better understand a life. What we get accompanying the achievements and decline highlight reel are to various degrees clumsy or inadequate psychological explanations.

La Vie certainly gives us achievements and key events and experiences throughout Piaf’s life, but makes an excellent choice in frequently jumping around chronologically. Despite all the time-shifts the film’s narrative momentum is still generally taking us from beginning to end. This is refreshing, and works in many important ways. It is more representative of how we actually experience life where the past regularly interacts with the present. And this is particularly the case for those more damaged by earlier experiences as Piaf was. They spend a great deal of time either thinking about trauma or trying to avoid thinking about it. The pieces of her life the film represents, their ordering, and the frequency of time shifts between them heightened the sense of both these reactions playing out in the character. This rang true in a way I’ve not encountered in a biopic before. It was a plausible psychological portrait, and one that quite possibly was relevant to the real Piaf.

We are given a person so haunted by their past that enormous energy was put into escaping it – through fame, pleasing others (chiefly through performance), substance abuse, partying and high jinx, being larger than life, capriciousness, and losing herself in romantic adventure. But we also understand how she would be so in need of a side-kick or entourage to collude with her efforts to escape, give her a sense of connection, and to both curb her excesses and to rebel against when they seek to curtail them. Similarly we accept her desire for strong personalities, particularly in men who were controlling of her, and her sometimes rebellious reactions to their bullying. We come to understand her central fear of abandonment and, eventually her terrible unspoken guilt with regards the greatest loss. The choice to leave this revelation until the very end of the film was a masterstroke. It explained the rawest wound of a life deliberately constructed to run away from painful memories, and served to deepen the psychological significance of all the key events that occurred prior and after the loss.

I’ve praised the film’s writing and director’s collaboration with the editor. But all artistic departments were of the highest order. The film had many creatively breathtaking sequences, none better for me than when Piaf apparently lovingly meets her just returned boxer lover, goes to get him a drink (with a hint that something was off), rapturously returns to him and leaves again to hunt out a present (the reactions of others present now allow us to more confidently understand what is happening), she is confronted with the reality of his death and her unfolding self delusion, rushes to confirm his presence to no avail, and is overwhelmed by grief. The scene ends with her numbly rising and walking through a door onto a stage to perform. Wow. The director represents her immediate reaction of denial to the news of her lover's death in a psychologically truthful and excitingly creative way.

Another critical creative decision was the strong use of close-ups with Cotillard. Often biopics capture a person from a more removed distance, focusing on what they do, rather than their internal world. I know that the desire for perfect aging and character make-up was in part driven by the director’s interest in close-ups. The effect in combination with the time shifts magnifies the sense of the viewer’s intimacy with a psychologically layered character. But for the creative decision to work required a towering performance from the actress, and this is exactly what Cotillard gives us.

In many ways her achievement is comparable to that of Daniel Day Lewis’ in There Will be Blood. Both are almost constantly on the screen for relatively long running times. And both are mesmerizing. Javier Bardem referred to Day-Lewis as a sculptor of the human soul and I believe that the same could be said of Cotillard’s performance. She became the character for me in a way that was so deeply realized that I really thought I was watching Edith Piaf in all her physical manifestations. It was both amazing body and internal acting. The sometimes expressed dismissal of her performance as mimicry is lazy and facile. Cotillard somehow made a larger than life personality seem real rather than caricatured. I knew beforehand that she didn’t sing herself, hardly surprising, but I couldn’t detect any evidence of this. She was perfect for the role and it is difficult imagining anyone else conveying a sense of Piaf’s sad, fragile, yet resilient soul so authentically and movingly.

Bravo Marion and Olivier Dahan. And bravo Dorothy for championing a truly great lead performance and an outstandingly film.

More Marion Photos

Here's another treat (we're picture-happy today!). Thanks to Anna for all these lovely images. Enjoy:

At the Los Angeles Film Critics Ceremony (where she was given the Best Actress award):




Marion at the DGAs:





At the SAG Awards Ceremony:

Marion arrives

The Envelope has a picture of Marion arriving to today's Oscar luncheon:

In fame's glare
Marion Cotillard, nominated for best actress in "La Vie en Rose," gets the spotlight as she arrives for the nominees luncheon.

They also include this photo:

French actress Marion Cotillard is nominated for her starring role as Edith Piaf.

Getty Images also has pictures of Marion on the red carpet (including one with AMPAS president Sid Ganis). As always, click thumbnail for larger picture:

IMDB has updated their photos of Marion, including some of her arriving at the DGA gala as well as her at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival:

Oscar Nominee Luncheon

CNN has a live feed to this event right now on their website (click on the video link in the box at the far right). UPDATE - the feed is no longer available.

Edit from K -- Screen caps:

SBIFF Virtuoso Awards

Santa Barbara Film Festival: 2008 Virtuosos Award
Uploaded by SBIFF

Mon Dieu

Just because...

BAFTA Info and Other Items

The Orange British Academy Film Awards will be held on Sunday, February 10 at the Royal Opera House in London's Covent Garden. Thanks to one of our readers for the following info:

If you're in the US, BBC America will broadcast the Baftas twice on the day of the event, the first time live.

Watch it LIVE here.

BBC Programmers are unsure if it will be made available LIVE yet or not so check nearer the time to ascertain the situation.

The ceremony should be available for viewing for SEVEN days AFTER it's transmission

There is a micro website here.


Also, thanks to Fabien for notifying us that Time magazine is predicting Marion as the winner on Oscar night (although for some reason they pick Julie Christie as the "should win" for the Award...). I'll try to scan the image on Monday.

Finally, thanks a bunch to Giuseppe and the folks from the Dogville Forum for notifying me that their group awarded Marion with 2 Dogville Movie Awards: Best Actress in a leading role (beating Judi Dench,Keira Knightley,Cate Blanchett and Laura Dern) and Best Discovery of 2007 (over Romola Garai and "Lives of the Others").

An award from the fans, I'm sure Marion would very much appreciate it.

Marion at the DGAs Last Saturday

Here's some footage from the pre-ceremony interviews (Marion's brief interview clocks in at around 1:50):

They Should Win

Right about this time the fans get creative and channel their passion in constructive ways. Enjoy:

AP talks to Virtuoso recipients

The Associated Press talked to the 2008 Virtuoso Award recipients at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in a forum setting. It's a very funny interview, but Cotillard only spoke up once.

All of hot young Hollywood is not in this room, but it sure feels that way. Posing for photos on an antique sofa are Casey Affleck, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Amy Ryan, and James McAvoy: four first-time Oscar-nominated actors, and the leading man of an Oscar-nominated Best Picture contender.

[...]

AP: And what do you think you'll most remember about this time of your life?

Cotillard: I would say all the people I've met, and all the people I've talked with to share that work you're talking about. In France, we're not used to meeting so many people because there's not such a sha-bah-dah about this.

The rest of the interview -- which features James McAvoy being his usual, charming self -- can be found here.

A Case for Marion

By Scott Feinberg from "And the winner is..."

There has been much discussion about the obstacles in the way of a Best Actress win for Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose). To name just a few: she is the least familiar name and face among the nominees in her category; she is being considered for a movie from France that features features; and her movie is not nearly as great as her performance within it. Additionally, it is extremely rare for a foreign actor in a foreign language film to win an acting Oscar—only two, Sophia Loren (Two Women) and Roberto Benigni (Life Is Beautiful), have previously managed the feat. Naturally, this begs the question: Is there any reason to believe Cotillard could make three? I think there might be...

Amidst the flurry of discussion about presumptive front-runners Julie Christie (Away from Her) and Ellen Page (Juno), I think we are forgetting there are also a number of key points in her favor...

She is a stunningly beautiful young woman (see this sexy clip sent in by a reader) portraying a jarringly unattractive character—keep in mind that the Academy seems to love nothing more than attractive women de-glamourizing themselves for serious roles (consider the recent Oscar wins of Roberts, Kidman, Berry, Theron, Mirren, etc.).
She is the star of a bio-pic about a well known, complex, real person, and we know how much the Academy loves to reward those sorts of performances (consider the recent Oscar wins of Swank, Roberts, Kidman, Theron, Witherspoon, Mirren, etc.), especially when it comes to musicians (Spacek, Lange, Witherspoon)

At thirty-two, she is precisely at the average age of Best Actress winners, unlike her two main rivals—Christie would be much older than usual at 66 (and also already won an Oscar back when she was 24), and Page would be much younger at 21 (she'll turn that age on the 21st)

Even though Christie won the SAG Award, she and Cotillard both won Golden Globes, and by my count Cotillard is very competitive with Christie and Page for the lead of most honors from key critics and awards groups
She has the admiration of her peers. Consider the following praise...

Cate Blanchett: "Marion Cotillard in La Vie En Rose was absolutely astonishing, and the synthesis of the performance with the whole film is superb. As much as inhabiting Piaf, she was also creating a creature, and I thought that was astonishing and inspiring... one of the most remarkable things I've ever seen."

Ryan Gosling: "Not only did she craft a flawless impersonation of a famous personality, but Marion's humanity elevated her performance to a devastatingly honest and yet seemingly effortless personifcation of integrity and grace. To me,this is more than just a great performance; it's a document of this actress' overwhelming ability to love.

Keira Knightley: "I think that's one of the most extraordinary performances I've ever seen."

Oprah Winfrey: A "transcendent performance."

Forest Whitaker [asked who he expects to hand the Oscar to]: "Marion Cotillard! Did you not see her in La Vie En Rose? She's transforming! That's it!"

So, can Cotillard follow in the footsteps of Simone Signoret (A Room at the Top) and become just the second native of France to win an acting Oscar? To quote Henry Fonda in Twelve Angry Men, "I'm not saying yes. I'm just saying it's possible!"

Source (click here for some nice pics accompanying the post)
Needless to say, I wholeheartedly agree.

MIJ talks to Marion after LVeR screening

At a recent screening of La Vie en Rose for the California Film Institute, Paul Liberatore of the Marin Independent Journal talked to Marion about the film and Piaf.

Marion Cotillard, whose transcendent portrayal of the tragic French chanteuse Edith Piaf in "La Vie en Rose" earned her an Oscar nomination for best actress, made a hastily arranged appearance in Marin this week, charming an adoring audience at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center.

The rest of the article can be read here.