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| Canada's Oscar nominee Rebelle could dominate Sunday's Canadian Screen Awards |
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| The new Canadian Screen Award |
The coverage of the Academy Awards gives Rebelle an obvious advantage over the
rest of the competition. Canada’s previous nominees, Incendies and Monsieur Lazhar,
steamrolled the Genies after gaining momentum as Canada’s pride at the Oscars.
The Oscar race plays a significant role in creating the myth that all the good
Canadian films come out of Quebec. In previous years, film’s like Barney’s Version and The Whistleblower were equally worthy of
the award. You’d have to go back to 2008’s winner Passchendaele to find an English-language winner. Perhaps the worst
film ever to win the Genie, Passchendaele
is the kind of joke that made the Genies seem like domestic affair that
rewarded Canadian content over quality cinema.
Canada has had an odd year with the push-and-pull
relationship between flag-waving and support for great films. Ben Affleck’s Argo put Canadian moviemaking in the
spotlight, even if it was an American film about a fake Canadian movie. The
disappointing vendetta against Argo that was
pioneered by Maclean’s Magazine and
other outlets suggests that some Canadians still think national heritage trumps
quality filmmaking. (Although we have to remember that Maclean's is the same magazine that dismissed Midnight's Children for not being "visibly Canadian".) On the other hand, Toron’o audiences embraced the film at
TIFF and voted favourably enough to make Argo
the runner-up for the People’s Choice Award. A letter to the editor in yesterday’s Ottawa
Citizen also notes the convoluted nature of some Canadians’ criticism of Argo since the Canadian industry itself
praised and awarded a film that plays loose with facts for the sake of making a
good story: Passchendaele.
This year’s Canadian Screen Awards, however, seem to find a
good middle ground between nationalism and cinephilia. There are strong films
in contention, not to mention a diverse field. Likewise, many of the nominees
are actually Canadian, as opposed to previous ceremonies that have largely
recognized foreign talent. Only one of the eight acting winners at the previous
two ceremonies was Canadian: Monsieur
Lazhar’s Sophie Nélisse.
Equally important is the number of nominees that one could
see before the awards. Thanks to iTunes and such, the availability of Canadian
films has never been better. (But it still has a ways to go.) Festivals also
play a vital role in Canadian awards, even more so than with the Oscars, since a
film can submit to the CSAs prior to its theatrical release if it plays at two
accredited festivals. Hence, a film like Still
Mine can compete this year even though most Canadians will only be able to
see it in the months following the awards. This makes it difficult to predict
the awards, but it's also easy to be up on the nominees if one happened to be at the
right festival. For the first time ever, I saw all the Animated Short nominees
before the nominations were even announced; however, I have seen only one Live Action nominee due to the choices I made at TIFF and due to the fact that Canada's Top Ten never came to Ottawa. Likewise, seeing five out of six
Best Picture nominees is surprisingly good for me, even though I make an effort
to watch as many of these contenders as possible.
The fact that one has to interpret these films/awards sight
unseen often makes the awards unpredictable, but it usually comes down to the
our Oscar submission competing against the top English-language nominee. Who
could/should be the first film winners at the Canadian Screen Awards? Let’s
see:
Best Motion Picture:
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| Midnight's Children should win Best Picture. |
The best Canadian film of the year wasn’t even allowed to be
a contender. Sarah Polley’s beautiful Stories We Tell was ineligible for the top prizes because it is a documentary. Stories could have swept the awards
since it was arguably the most well-reviewed Canadian film of last year.
Documentary filmmakers work just as hard as dramatic filmmakers do, so they
should be allowed to compete in categories such as direction, editing, and
such. But I digress…
Rebelle has a
solid lead over the other films since it won deserved praise from the Canadian
festival circuit and from corners of the country where it saw distribution.
(It’s now available on home video, so you should watch it before Sunday night.)
Rebelle’s top rival is probably the
film it battled to become Canada’s Oscar entry: Xavier Dolan’s Laurence Anyways. Even though Laurence bested Rebelle for the prize of Best Canadian film at TIFF, Rebelle went on to the Oscars. I presume
that Rebelle moved on because it had
an American distributor at the time and Laurence
did not. Rebelle is also simply the
better film and it’s far more accessible than Dolan’s three-hour art film is,
so I guess it will triumph again for these two reasons.
I would personally give the award to Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children. The scope and style
of the film is a well-executed feat. Mehta took a risk in bringing Salman
Rushdie’s acclaimed novel to the screen and I think she nailed it. Mehta has
never won the top prize at the Genies even though she was nominated for
acclaimed films like Water, so Midnight’s Children could do well if
enough voters embrace it. As one of only two English-language films among the
six, Midnight’s Children could do
well against the four Francophone films, which could siphon a few votes to L’affaire Dumont and Inch’Allah, the latter of which is my
pick for the best film Quebec had to offer this year. The other English film, Still Mine, probably had a hard time
reaching voters since it hasn’t made it to theatres yet, even though it made
Canada’s Top Ten. CTT didn’t even come to Canada’s capital, if one wants a
sense of how difficult it is for these films to find a home in Canadian
theatres.
★Will win: Rebelle/War Witch
★I’d vote for: Midnight’s Children
★Shoulda been there: Stories We Tell, Cosmopolis
Achievement in Direction:
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| Deepa Mehta on the shoot of Midnight's Children |
Nguyen wins for many of the reasons listed above.
It’s his first nomination, though, which could be an obstacle since the
Canadian Academy doesn’t have the best track record for rewarding new talent.
Just ask Xavier Dolan, who was shut out in 2009 even though I Killed My Mother was easily the most
acclaimed Canadian debut in years. Dolan could take this prize since he has
never won before and has gained in popularity since Mother. Laurence, despite
its flaws, has also been seen as a step forward in the young filmmaker’s
impressive filmography. Deepa Mehta could also be a sentimental favourite since
she hasn’t won before and Midnight’s
Children is easily the finest achievement of her career. It’s a strong
field.
I’m also thrilled that the Academy acknowledged
Bernard Émond for All That You Possess,
a film that seemed to have been lost at TIFF and its subsequent release. Émond
probably won’t win, nor will Michael Dowd, since their respective films didn’t
earn Best Picture nods, but they cap off a category filled with impressive
filmmakers.
★Will
win: Kim Nguyen, Rebelle/War
Witch
★I’d
vote for: Deepa Mehta, Midnight’s Children
★Shoulda
been there: Sarah Polley, Stories
We Tell; David Cronenberg, Cosmopolis
*A trend is emerging!
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:
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| Will Melvil Poupaud bring Laurence Anyways its only major win? |
The two best performances by actors in a Canadian film aren’t
here. Christopher Plummer gives the performance of his career in Barrymore, but he got the cold shoulder.
Plummer’s absence could be related to a lack of submission, so I’ll give him a
hat tip and remind you that he was my pick for the best performance of 2012.
Also robbed of a Best Actor nomination is—and I never would have guessed that
I’d write this—Robert Pattinson. Pattinson was hosed for his impressively cold
turn in David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis.
I don’t understand why the Academy failed to embrace Cosmopolis even though they have repeatedly heaped on prizes and
nominations for lesser Cronenberg films. Cosmopolis
is Cronenberg’s best Canadian film in over a decade and it deserved some
hardware. It’s a divisive film, to be sure, but I thought Pattinson’s
performance would at least bring some star power to the award show.
The absence of Plummer and Pattinson is especially
curious given the small nature of the films for which performers are nominated.
I hadn’t even heard of Collaborator prior to the nominations
announcement. Collaborator is a
Canada/US co-pro directed by Martin Donovan, so I wish it had made it to some
platform in Ottawa. Like Collaborator,
few people have probably seen Still Mine,
All That You Possess, or L’affaire Dumont, so Cromwell, Drolet,
and Grondin don’t stand a very good chance of winning. I was able to see the
latter two films, and I think that the actors give performances worthy of the
award, so anything is possible. I think, however, that the win will go to Laurence Anyways star Melvil Poupaud
since his film was the only one that could have been widely seen. (At least in
the sense of how a Canadian film can be widely seen.) He gives a brave
performance as the transgendered Laurence and he could bring Dolan’s film its
only major win of the night.
★Will win: Melvil Poupaud, Laurence Anyways
★I’d
vote for: Poupaud
★Shoulda
been there: Plummer, Pattinson.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:
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| Clément should win by a landslide for Laurence Anyways, but will she? |
I will be annoyed if Suzanne Clément
doesn’t take this award. In spite of all my reservations for Laurence Anyways, I recommended the film
consistently due to Clément’s performance, which joined Plummer on my list for the year's best. She’s a powerhouse as Fred,
the girlfriend of Laurence who undergoes a gruelling personal odyssey when her
lover declares that he wants to change his sex. Everything about Dolan’s
critique of society’s take on normalcy is conveyed through Clément’s
performance. The “brunch scene” alone merits a win.
Clément’s top competition comes from Rebelle’s Rachel Mwanza. Mwanza is quite
good in her quiet performance as the child soldier Komona and, after revisiting
the film prior to the Oscars, I will admit that I didn’t give her performance
enough credit when I first saw the film. Mwanza’s performance could benefit
from love for the film and from additional sentiment brought by her
rags-to-riches story. As good as Mwanza is, though, her work simply isn’t in
the league of Clément’s performance. I honestly don’t know how anyone could
watch these two performances and not give the prize to Clément; however, in the only
showdown between the actors, the Vancouver Film Critics’ Awards, Mwanza came
out on top.
★Will
win: Rachel Mwanza, Rebelle/War
Witch
★I’d
vote for: Suzanne Clément, Laurence Anyways
★Shoulda
been there: Melissa Leo, Francine
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:
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| Goon has to win something, eh? |
The category doesn’t seem as strong as the others
do. These are all good performances, but hardly award-worthy ones. Where is—again—Cosmopolis scene-stealer Paul Giamatti?
Any member of the ensemble from Midnight’s
Children could have been here, too. My guess is that local favourite Jay
Baruchel will win for his funny performance as a hockey-hoser in Goon. Goon was one of the few Canadian films last year that enjoyed
anything close to mainstream success, so it can expect to win something. Serge
Kanyinda is also quite memorable in Rebelle,
though, and he could add another win to the film’s total haul.
★Will
win: Jay Baruchel, Goon
★I’d
vote for: Serge Kanyinda, Rebelle
★Shoulda
been there: Paul Giamatti, Cosmopolis
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:
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| Midnight's Children can expect at least one win thanks to Seema Biswas |
No Sarah Gadon? What gives? Canada’s blonde
bombshell is our newest star-in-the-making and she could have been nominated
for her performances in one or both of this year’s Cronenberg films: David’s Cosmopolis and Brandon’s Antiviral. The nomination committees
could have chosen one of these equally deserving performances, but they picked
neither.
Equally worthy of praise were several foreign
actresses who brought star-power and top-level skills to Canadian films.
Nathalie Baye (Laurence Anyways),
Samantha Morton (Cosmopolis), and
Marisa Tomei (Inescapable) were among
the highlights of their respective films. The stars were passed over for
Canadians in unseen films, such as pop star Fefe Dobson, whose Home Again has drawn some rave reviews
after playing in only a handful of festivals. Likewise, Corner Gas’s Gabrielle Miller earned a nomination simply for
showing up to the shoot for the commercial-comedy blunder Moving Day. Sabrina Ouazani marks one of the few notable
obscurities, as her performance as Rand in Inch’Allah
is a welcome addition to this category.
I can’t really complain, though, since my top
choice made the cut. Seema Biswas could win her second trophy for a Deepa Mehta
film after winning a Best Actress Genie for Water.
Biswas is the heart of Midnight’s
Children and she deserves to win.
★Will
win: Seema Biswas, Midnight’s
Children
★I’d
vote for: Biswas
★Shoulda
been there: Sarah Gadon and Samantha Morton, Cosmopolis; Nathalie Baye, Laurence Anyways.
The rest of the awards:
Original Screenplay
Blackbird –
Jason Buxton
Laurence Anyways – Xavier Dolan
Rebelle/War Witch – Kim Nguyen
Still Mine – Michael McGowan
Adapted Screenplay
Cosmopolis – David Cronenberg
Goon –
Jay Baruchel, Evan Goldberg
The Lesser Blessed – Anita Doron
Mars et Avril – Martin Villeneuve
Achievement in Art Direction/Production Design
L’affaire Dumont – André Guimond
Antiviral –
Arvinder Grewal
Laurence Anyways – Anne Pritchard
Midnight’s Children – Dilip Mehta
Rebelle/War Witch – Emmanuel Frechette, Josée Arsenault
★Will win: Antiviral
★I'd vote: Midnight's Children
★I'd vote: Midnight's Children
Achievement in Cinematography
Sponsor: Christie Digital
Goon –
Bobby Shore
Inch’Allah –
Philippe Lavalette
Midnight’s Children – Giles Nuttgens
Rebelle/War Witch – Nicolas Bolduc
Achievement in Costume Design
Laurence Anyways – Xavier Dolan, François Barbeau
Mad Ship – Patricia Henderson
Rebelle/War Witch – Éric Poirier
Resident
Evil: Retribution – Wendy Partridge
Silent
Hill: Revelation 3D – Wendy Partridge
★Will win: Laurence Anyways
★I'd vote: Laurence Anyways
-->How on earth did Midnight's Children miss this prize?
★I'd vote: Laurence Anyways
-->How on earth did Midnight's Children miss this prize?
Achievement in Editing:
L’affaire Dumont – Valéie Héroux
Blackbird –
Kimberlee McTaggart
Inch’Allah –
Sophie Leblond
Rebelle/War Witch – Richard Comeau
Achievement in Make-up
Silent
Hill: Revelation 3D
★Will win: Antiviral
★I'd vote: Antiviral
★Will win: Antiviral
★I'd vote: Antiviral
Achievement in Music – Original Score
Antiviral – E.C. Woodley
Cosmopolis –
Howard Shore
Laurence Anyways - NOIA
Mars et Avril – Benoit Charest
Achievement in Music – Original Song
(Sponsor: Slaight Music)
Cosmopolis,
“Long to Live” – Emily Haines, James Shaw, Howard Shore
Rufus,
“Wanting” – Erland & The Carnival
Achievement in Overall Sound
Sponsor: Deluxe Toronto Ltd.
The
Disappeared
Mars
et Avril
★Will win: Rebelle
★I'd vote: Antiviral
★I'd vote: Antiviral
Achievement in Sound Editing
The
Disappeared
Resident
Evil: Retribution
★Will win: Resident Evil: Retribution
★I'd vote: Rebelle
★I'd vote: Rebelle
Achievement in Visual Effects
Mars
et Avril
Resident
Evil: Retribution
Silent
Hill: Revelation 3D
★Will win: Resident Evil: Retribution
★I'd vote: Midnight's Children
-->No Antiviral? Really?
★I'd vote: Midnight's Children
-->No Antiviral? Really?
Ted Rogers Best Feature Length Documentary Award
Sponsor: Rogers Group of Funds
Alphée des étoiles - Hugo Latulippe, Eric De Gheldere, Colette
Loumède
Indie
Game: The Movie - Lisanne Pajot, James Swirsky
Over
My Dead Body - Brigitte Poupart, Virginie Dubois, Stéphanie
Morissette
Stories We Tell - Sarah Polley, Anita Lee
The World Before Her - Nisha Pahuja, Ed Barreveld, Cornelia Principe
2013
★Will win: Stories We Tell
★I'd vote: Stories We Tell
★I'd vote: Stories We Tell
Best Short Documentary
Sponsor: Hot Docs
The Boxing Girls of Kabul - Ariel Nasr, Annette Clarke (Watch)
The
Fuse: Or How I Burned Simon Bolivar - Igor Drljaca
Keep
a Modest Head - Deco Dawson, Catherine Chagnon
Let the Daylight into the Swamp - Jeffrey St. Jules, Anita Lee
Three
Walls - Zaheed Mawani, Andrea Bussman
★Will win: Keep a Modest Head
★I'd vote: Let the Daylight into the Swamp
★I'd vote: Let the Daylight into the Swamp
Best Live Action Short
Chef
de Meute - Chloé Robichaud, Fanny-Laure Malo, Sarah
Pellerin
First
Snow - Michaël Lalancette
Frost -
Jeremy Ball, Lauren Grant, Robert Munroe
The
Near Future - Sophie Goyette
Throat
Song - Miranda de Pencier, Stacey Aglok MacDonal
★Will win: Frost
★I'd vote: Frost!
★Will win: Frost
★I'd vote: Frost!
Best Animated Short
Demoni -
Theodore Ushev
Edmond was a Donkey - Franck Dion, Richard Van Den Boom, Julie Roy
The first of the
awards for television and digital media have
already been handed out, but the winners of the film awards will be named
on Sunday, March 3rd. The awards broadcast, hosted by Martin Short,
airs on CBC at 8pm on March 3rd.
