Veterans face off against newcomers
22.05.12
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be, but yearning is making a comeback at the 2012 Academy Awards.
Not only is the Feb. 26 Oscar party hosted by former MC Billy Crystal, the nomination leaders are chock full of remember-when themes.
Both the family fable, Hugo, (with 11 nominations) and the black-and-white silent film, The Artist, (with 10) count on reminiscences from the early days of cinema when silence spoke volumes.
Since the picture with the most nods usually wins the best picture Oscar - 14 out of the last 20 times - the statue should go to Martin Scorsese's Hugo. However, chances are the Michel Hazanavicius-directed The Artist will scoop up the coveted award.
Yet, Scorsese has supporters in the director category. The Oscar winner for The Departed in 2007 took a departure from crime thrillers with the fantasy, family friendly Hugo, about a boy who lives in the walls of a Paris train station and a one-time director of moving pictures.
Certainly, his loyal crew of actors were thrilled to be a part of his Hugo ensemble. Emily Mortimer, who previously worked with Scorsese on the macabre Shutter Island, was excited about re-teaming with him. Whatever the genre, Mortimer said Scorsese trusts his actors. "He gives you licence to find the lights and darks in a character," she said.
Source: StarPhoenix