SubscribeMemo to Angelina: Book the babysitter for Oscar nite
That's what many film critics seem to be saying to Angelina Jolie based upon the gushing reviews they're giving her for "A Mighty Heart." While the film scores an impressive 86 from the "cream of the crop" of movie critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a respectable 75 on Meta Critic, Jolie steals the spotlight.
Can she really nab an Oscar for it next? Jolie is already a proven winner, having prevailed in the supporting race eight years ago for "Girl, Interrupted." Now she has such plusses as performing a role based upon a real person (Mariane Pearl, widow of slain Wall Street Journal reporter). All Oscarologists — and recent winnahs Helen Mirren and Forest Whitaker — know how key that can be. And right now Jolie has a high Cool Factor in the media. But, unfortunately, she also has one of the highest negative Q scores in Hollywood, right up there with Britney Spears and Donald Trump. If Oscars are really just hugs from one's peers, and they are, then that's a real negative for Angie. So is a film-release date so early in the year. That may be bad timing for another reason, too. "A Mighty Heart" is being released smack dab in the midst of Blockbuster Alley on the calendar. In order to succeed with Oscar voters, it needs to triumph at the box office next, which means it must successfully battle "Evan Almighty," "Fantastic Four" and "Live Free or Die Hard."
Many film critics are cheering it on, though. What might they have thought if the original casting choice got the job? Jennifer Aniston, that is — CLICK HERE!
Below are what the critics think of Jolie in the role:
Jan Stuart of Newsday thought "her intelligently tucked-in performance as Mariane avoids grandstanding, receding instead into the intricate tapestry of Michael Winterbottom's tense and authentically relayed film." Richard Roeper believes "she gives one of the most commanding and moving performances of her career" while his colleague Roger Ebert found her "both physically and emotionally convincing. A few obvious makeup changes make her resemble the woman we saw so often on TV (curly hair, darker skin, the swelling belly), but Jolie's performance depends above all on inner conviction."
Kenneth Turan of The Los Angeles Times thought Jolie, "whose significant skills have been eclipsed by her position as a tabloid favorite, puts the emphasis back where it belongs with a forceful, immediate and convincing performance. Though a series of big close-ups often places her front and center, Jolie resists the temptation to push too hard or overplay her part . . . .
. . . Rather she uses her charisma and skill to express not only weariness and fear but also the hard-edged fierceness and lack of patience that are crucial to seeing Mariane as a real person, not a biopic saint."
For Rolling Stone's Peter Travers, "this is by far her best performance, strong and true in every detail from Marianeâs accent (her roots are Dutch and Afro-Cuban) to the strength she shows under fire. Her total immersion in the role keeps the film from getting lost in the rush of details." And Claudia Puig of USA Today was relieved that "Jolie's star power threatened to eclipse the overall story, but fortunately, she plays her character with an understatement that allows us to forget we are watching one-half of the world's most-photographed couple."
Photo: If the critics are to be believed, Angelina Jolie may have her hands full with a second Oscar for "A Mighty Heart." (Paramount Vantage)
Mariane Pearl herself seeked Angelina Jolie to play her role because of the fact that they relate to each other very well as to world issues. I don't think your JA can withstand the intelligence of these two women. Mariane waited for the perfect person to play her role and finally found it in Angelina. Would you all JA fans ask Mariane herself if she would even think of having a good for nothing self involved woman to play her persona? I don't think she is fitted! Save her face fans, give JA a favor. Shut up!
Posted by: Amy | June 28, 2007 at 01:51 AM
I agree whit Calirai and Ross in every word.
Posted by: Flapp | June 26, 2007 at 09:09 AM
This year we have Cate Blanchett, Julie Christie,Nicole Kidman, Jullianne Moore, Susan Sarandon, Marion Cotillard, Jodie Foster,Laura Linney...
Jolie?
Sorry, but her victory im 1999, for me, is a shame.
Again? Twice?
Sorry, but the only thing I can think is: DON'T WASTE MY TIME!
Posted by: Flapp | June 26, 2007 at 09:06 AM
Come on people this wife stealing part is too old. Sean Smith had said: Generally, when a relationship is happy and healty, neither partner can be stolen by anyone. Bury the past. Angie was 19 or 20 years old then. Look at her now, she is 32 years old, an Oscar winner, U.N. ambassador, humanitarian, mother of four, mega star, partner of the her equal icon Brad Pitt. I think most people are hating the fact that the two most beautiful (inside and out) people in this planet are together and for the lfie of me, they want to break them apart because of a divorce which happened two or three years ago. Anyway Angie is the most straightforward person. She says an award is not the most significant in her life, but being a mother is.
Posted by: Lucy McGinley | June 25, 2007 at 07:51 AM
Cate Blanchett, Julie Christie, Marion Cotillard, Laura Linney, Vanessa Redgrave ans some other British Actress with a strong capital A. You see? ACTRESS, real ACTRESS not a spoiled woman who thinks she can do everything: from stealing a husband to get a role that wasn't scheduled to her. That's why all the rest of the world think the Americans don't know anymore how to award a real good performance. It is enough to award young girls who just have a name and a few good friends at Lions Gate, Miramax or Weinstein Co. Do you remember Gwyneth Paltrow? When we had Fernanda Montenegro, Emily Watson, Cate Blanchett and Meryl Streep in the derby of 1998! Julia Roberts best actress in 2000? My Goodness what a waste of gold! Ellen Burstyn and Joan Allen were fabulous and were just forgotten! And so many shameful situations we have to write a gigantic book to describe the most unfair Academy Award category. Just to remember: Garbo, Garland, Stanwyck, Kerr, Dunne, Gardner, Russell just to name a few NEVER GOT AN ACADEMY AWARD in competition. Shame on you Americans, you just don't konw what is a good PERFORMANCE!
Posted by: Calirai Hayek | June 25, 2007 at 05:33 AM
No, it does not seem to have attracted that crowd looking for a few laughs or an escape from reality. It is a real life drama that portrays a horrible event that shadows the unrest throughout the world. She continuously champions with the underdog. We don't have to like her or not. She does her job on and off screen exceedingly well. We should all respect her talent and her choice of causes. I doubt very much if she would ever choose or reject a movie for spite. She has more important issues. Jennifer Annisten will never be her equal. She holds back and always just pretends. Jolie gives it her all. Her performances are proof. Do you ever doubt that she is anyone but the character she is portraying? Anisten plays the same coy persona every time. No comparison. I wish her the acclaim, though I doubt that her performance was for another award. The story and its portrayal were probably reward enough.
Posted by: cecelia | June 24, 2007 at 08:17 PM
Gloria, what are you 12? Do you really believe Angelina Jolie took this role to "stick it to Jennifer Aniston"? As my grandmother would say, "You need to find Jesus" or at the least get a life. It was not your marriage, even though it seems like you spent a great deal of time pretending it was.
Angelina Jolie was magnificent as Mariane Pearl. This is the performance of a lifetime and should be recognized come oscar season. She became Mariane Pearl and I don't think another actress could have pulled it off, regardless of skin color. I saw it last night and the entire audience (my theater was filled to capacity) sat through the credits. No one wanted to leave. There wasn't a dry eye in the place. I realize there are some months to go before nomination time but I do believe her performance is that good - hell it's that great for Jolie to get nominated and even win. Yes, I said win.
Posted by: funkyfeet | June 24, 2007 at 07:47 PM
I think Jolie should remember that her movie only opened with 3.8 million, I think that speaks volumes considering how much publicity her and Pitt did to promote this. I think the truth is that people do not like her, her personal behavior is what outshines whatever humanitarian efforts she might try to deploy. She and Pitt need to go away and leave everyone alone, no one cares about her and their brood. Leave Aniston alone as well, the poor woman has suffered enough as a result of Jolie & Pitt. Why didn't they pick an African/American to play Marianne Pearl such as Thandie Newton or Hallie Berry? That would have been a more appropriate fit than Jolie. She took this role to stick it to Jennifer Aniston.
Posted by: Gloria | June 24, 2007 at 09:52 AM
To ALLAN:
SORRY, BUT HE WRITES A LOT ABOUT JOLIE AND HER SHOT AT AN OSCAR, A LOT ABOUT HER ACTING CHOICES AND A LOT ABOUT HER OSCAR WIN, BUT DID HE ACTUALLY WRITE SOMETHING ABOUT ANNISTON?! DID HE SAY HE LIKES HER?! I DOUBT IT.
Posted by: SHOWBIZ_INSIDER | June 24, 2007 at 09:29 AM
To Ross who commented before me. I'm sorry that you don't like Angelina Jolie and the fact that you wish that Brad is still with Jennifer forever and ever. Its already over. Get over it. People divorces all the time. I'm betting you will too. As for the movie A Might Heart. I think Angelina pulled it off. I can name one person in mind that can also play the lead. How bout Thandie Newton? not bad eh? But Jennifer Aniston? Accusing Angelina for stealing Jennifer Anistons role? Come on now. That girl can't act. As much praised she got for The Good Girl. I didn't like the movie. It's no where acting capability. I still can't get passed the whole Racher thing. (you might remember her as Rachel from Friends) Each movie that she makes is still a part of her. Rumor Has It?, My point is she is nowhere the calliber of Angelina Jolie. Sure she has won an Oscar and I do remember her performance unlike other people you just mentioned are doing things what Angelina Jolie is doing. You know BLOCKBUSTER, then ART MOVIES. I would get sick and tired of watching the same actresses doing the same damn thing. So let the movie speak for it self. Instead of jumping on a bandwagon bashing how you dont like her or him. Relax and just let these so called actresses do their thing. Cuz clearly you read on too much gossip. Cuz you know shit bout nothing.!
Posted by: ALLAN | June 23, 2007 at 02:16 PM
It's possible that she gets a nomination, but GIVEN the fact that nobody seems to even like her right now, and given the fact that the role was Jennifer Anniston's role (though she would have done thing wrong, really wrong), Jolie won't even be a possibility for the win. And she has one. Everyone remembers that she won (for a showy, yet forgettable performance in a year of great supporting performances, with Chloe Sevigny, Catherine Keener and Samantha Morton giving superb performances in far better films) and then she did only stupid blockbuster bullshit, based on games, etc. etc. and they won't forgive her that. And if there is somebody from the first part of the year on the Oscar ballot (of course there could be two), Julie Christey is in a much better position. Oscar voters adore her, she's a proven actor, she's a veteran and critics praised her performance and her film more than Jolie's. And of course, Jolie has the bad image, which hurts a lot. Remember Eddie Murphy?! Or even Lauren Bacall? And these didn't have Oscars, while Jolie had one and disappointed then as an actor (with bad choices), but she had the personal bad image as well. I personally think that even MARION COTILLARD has a better shot at a nomination. Buzz, a young beautiful actress, prestige... I think that we'll see Cate Blanchett, Julie Christey, Marion Cotillard, Laura Linney (who could fail due to a too subtle performance in The Savages) and for the last slot: Vanessa Redgrave or Jennifer Connelly or Jolie.
Posted by: Ross | June 23, 2007 at 12:12 AM