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"I am completely motivated by the way that the story is going to be received by the world. But I measure my own success on whether it shoots well." Apple has revealed yet another new behind-the-scenes look at Emancipation, which is now available to watch streaming on Apple TV+ after playing in limited theaters. The survival film stars Will Smith as Peter, a runaway slave who forges through the swamps of Louisiana on a tortuous journey to escape plantation owners that nearly killed him. Based on a true story - it's inspired by the 1863 photos of "Whipped Peter," taken during a Union Army medical examination. This video focuses on the production – spending time with director Antoine Fuqua, cinematographer Robert Richardson (who also shot Tarantino's Django Unchained & Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), and production designer Naomi Shohan who built some incredible sets for this movie. It seems they're hoping...

Click here to read the full article.

Will Smith made his return to late-night television on Monday when he appeared on The Daily Show With Trevor Noah for the first time since he slapped Chris Rock on the Dolby Theatre stage at this year’s Oscars.

When Noah asked the Academy Award winner about his journey in the months since the slap incident, Smith began by saying that it was “a horrific night.”

“[There are] many nuances and complexities to it, you know, but at the end of the day, I just, I lost it, you know,” Smith told Noah. “I guess what I would say, you just never know what somebody’s going through.”

He continued by explaining that he was going through something that night, not that that “justifies my behavior at all.”

“You’re asking, what did I learn? And it’s that we just got to be nice to each other,...

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages are Davis’ assessment of the current standings of the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any film or performance. Like any organization or body that votes, each individual category is fluid and subject to change. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Last Updated: Oct. 20, 2022

2023 Oscars Predictions: Best Production Design Thirteen Lives, from left: Thira Chutikul, Viggo Mortensen, 2022. ph: Vince Valitutti / © MGM / Courtesy Everett Collection

Category Commentary: More to come…

See the latest film predictions, in all 23 categories, in one place on Variety’s Oscars Collective.

To see the ranked predictions for each individual category, visit Variety’s Oscars Hub.

All Awards Contenders And Rankings:

And...

A Wrinkle in Time is a film that demands a very pointed perspective, and while that may not be the kiss of death for what is clearly a family-oriented story, it needn’t have been the case. With that in mind, this is a film that divides its audience and renders itself enjoyable only for those who are young enough to be mesmerized by glittery landscapes and floating and/or flying creatures. Those young enough to find themselves enraptured by the general sense of wonder that simply is storytelling will likely find much to enjoy, but even still the overall effect is closer to that of an amusement park ride than something that truly has a story. Meg (Storm Reid) is likable enough and “everygirl” enough that audiences will quickly find themselves rooting for her, and the Mrs. trio are odd and magical enough to instill a sense of adventure in the target audience.

Much has been made of the budget allotted to the big screen adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s classic novel A Wrinkle in Time and how Director Ava DuVernay was a woman tackling something so massive. That’s a lot of press and pressure on a risky venture considering the novel may be beloved but not in the public consciousness. Thankfully, there have been other hits and misses to take attention away from the fact that this entertaining effectively flopped.

The movie, out today on Blu-ray from Walt Disney Home Entertainment, is a solid if flawed adaptation, that somehow missed the magical touch to enthrall younger viewers. As a result, the film is hovering near the $100 million domestic gross with prognosticators estimating it will lose the studio at least that much.

And that’s a shame because it deserves to be seen. The movie is colorful, visual treat that fully realizes L’Engle’s worlds,...

Burbank, Calif. — Just in time for summer break, Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time, from acclaimed director Ava DuVernay, comes home May 29 on Digital HD, 4K Ultra HD and Movies Anywhere and June 5 on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, DVD and On-Demand. The stunning story of an ordinary girl’s extraordinary adventure through time and space offers exhilarating entertainment and positive messages for the whole family—encouraging self-confidence, inclusion and pushing imagination to the next level.

Families who bring home A Wrinkle in Time will go behind the scenes to meet the talented crafts persons, actors and filmmakers who brought to life every spectacular detail of this triumphant tale. Bonus material includes an extended featurette providing inside access to the A-list cast and crew; insightful audio commentary from director Ava DuVernay and team; deleted scenes; bloopers; and two music videos, including “I Believe” performed by Grammy®-nominated music mogul DJ Khaled...

Just in time for summer break, Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time from acclaimed director Ava DuVernay, comes home May 29 on Digital HD, 4K Ultra HD and Movies Anywhere and June 5 on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD, DVD and On-Demand. The stunning story of an ordinary girl’s extraordinary adventure through time and space offers exhilarating entertainment and positive messages for the whole family—encouraging self-confidence, inclusion and pushing imagination to the next level.

Families who bring home Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time will go behind the scenes to meet the talented crafts persons, actors and filmmakers who brought to life every spectacular detail of this triumphant tale. Bonus material includes an extended featurette providing inside access to the A-list cast and crew; insightful audio commentary from director Ava DuVernay and team; deleted scenes; bloopers; and two music videos, including “I Believe” performed by Grammy®-nominated music mogul DJ Khaled...

"It was a dark and stormy night." That's the first sentence of Madeline L'Engle's 1962 fantasy novel A Wrinkle in Time, a smoke-screen opening salvo that doesn't begin to prep readers for what lies ahead in this beloved kids' book: tesseracts and shape-shifting biddies, shadowy forces and M.I.A. fathers, interdimensional travel and preternaturally genius preteens and the revolutionary notion that a young woman can save the world. From such simple, mundane beginnings spring the skeleton keys that unlock imaginations, and if you can say nothing else about Ava DuVernay's adaptation...

Simon Brew Jan 23, 2018

Ava DuVernay is directing the screen adaptation of A Wrinkle In Time - and Disney has hopes for a big hit. Here's the new trailer...

One of the few non-franchise films that Disney is backing at the moment is the upcoming screen adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s novel, A Wrinkle In Time. The film’s screenplay has been penned by Frozen director Jennifer Lee, and Ava DuVernay has directed the movie.

In front of the camera? Quite a cast. You get Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Mindy Kaling, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Zach Galifianakis, amongst others.

A new trailer for the movie has now landed too, along with the synopsis for the film. Let’s do the trailers first…

And here's the original trailer, from November 2017...

And here’s the synopsis….

From visionary director Ava DuVernay comes Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” an epic adventure...

From visionary director Ava DuVernay comes Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” an epic adventure based on Madeleine L’Engle’s timeless classic which takes audiences across dimensions of time and space, examining the nature of darkness versus light and, ultimately, the triumph of love.

Through one girl’s transformative journey led by three celestial guides, we discover that strength comes from embracing one’s individuality and that the best way to triumph over fear is to travel by one’s own light.

Watch the brand new warrior trailer from Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” which debuted on the “American Music Awards”.

Directed by Emmy(R) winner and Oscar(R) and Golden Globe(R) nominee Ava DuVernay from a screenplay by Oscar winner Jennifer Lee based upon the beloved novel by Madeleine L’Engle, “A Wrinkle in Time” stars: two-time Academy Award(R) nominee Oprah Winfrey, Oscar and Emmy winner Reese Witherspoon,...

Production for Disney’s upcoming epic, live-action adventure “A Wrinkle in Time” kicks off tomorrow in Los Angeles starring Oprah Winfrey (“Selma”, “The Butler”) as Mrs. Which, Reese Witherspoon (“Wild, “Walk the Line”) as Mrs. Whatsit, Mindy Kaling (“The Mindy Project,” “Inside Out”) as Mrs. Who, Chris Pine (“Star Trek Beyond,” “Hell or High Water,” “Into the Woods”) as Mr. Murry, Gugu Mbatha-Raw (“Beauty and The Beast,” “Belle”) as Mrs. Murry, Zach Galifianakis (“Birdman,” “ The Hangover,”) as The Happy Medium, André Holland (“Moonlight,” “Selma”) as Principal Jenkins, Levi Miller (“Pan”) as Calvin, Deric McCabe as Charles Wallace, and introducing Storm Reid as the iconic literary character Meg Murry.

Bellamy Young, Rowan Blanchard and Will McCormack round out the highly acclaimed cast.

Directed by Ava DuVernay (“13th,” “Selma”), the film is a reimagining of Madeleine L’Engle’s classic novel that takes Meg Murry, her brilliant brother Charles Wallace and their...

Yet another classic tale is being adapted by Disney as a live-action movie and filming starts tomorrow! Come inside for more information, including a complete cast, for A Wrinkle In Time!

Starting tomorrow, a set in California will be home to filming one of the most iconic stories of all time, Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle In Time. This will be Disney's second attempt at creating a live-action adaptaion of L'Engle's story, after the 2003 debacle. Now, A Wrinkle in Time joins the vast library of Disney's live-action reboots, like The Jungle Book, Maleficent, Mulan, The Lion King, and the soon to be released Beauty and the Beast.

The story tells of Meg Murry, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin who cross dimensions in an effort to bring their father home. The shooting schedule also includes a brief two-week stint in New Zealand that will no doubt encompass one...

You might think that James Marsh’s Oscar-winning 2008 documentary Man on Wire was the last word on Philippe Petit’s unforgettable walk between the towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. The Walk proves otherwise. Filmmaker Robert Zemeckis wanted to dramatize what could only be talked about, inferred or glimpsed in the non-fiction movie. With the help of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, production designer Naomi Shohan, and visual effects supervisor Kevin Baillie, he’s created an amazing film that makes dazzling use of cinematic storytelling and deserves to be seen in 3-D. The casting of Gordon-Levitt was inspired, not just because he speaks fluent French...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]...

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, along with a French accent, stars as Philippe Petit in the latest trailer for TriStar Pictures’ The Walk.

Twelve people have walked on the moon. Only one has ever, or will ever, walk in the immense void between the World Trade Center towers.

Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), guided by his real-life mentor, Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley), is aided by an unlikely band of international recruits, who overcome long odds, betrayals, dissension and countless close calls to conceive and execute their mad plan. Robert Zemeckis, the master director of such marvels as Forrest Gump, Cast Away, Back to the Future, Polar Express and Flight, again uses cutting edge technology in the service of an emotional, character-driven story.

With innovative photorealistic techniques and IMAX® 3D wizardry, The Walk is genuine big-screen cinema, a chance for moviegoers to viscerally experience the feeling of reaching the clouds.

It is also one of...

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom, Inc., announced today that principal photography has begun on “Ben-hur” starring Jack Huston (“American Hustle”) as Judah Ben-Hur, Morgan Freeman (“The Shawshank Redemption”) as Ilderim, Toby Kebbell (“Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes”) as Messala and Nazanin Boniadi (“Homeland”) as Esther. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov (“Wanted”) and written by Keith Clarke (“The Way Back”) and John Ridley (“12 Years A Slave”), the film is based on Lew Wallace’s epic novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of The Christ. The producers are Sean Daniel (“The Mummy” franchise), Mark Burnett (“Son Of God”), Joni Levin (“The Way Back”) and Duncan Henderson (“Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World”). Serving as executive producers are Roma Downey (“The Bible”), Keith Clarke, John Ridley and Jason Brown. Filming will take place in Rome and Matera, Italy with the film set for release February 26, 2016. “Ben-hur” also...

Ben-hur is returning to the big screen!

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Paramount Pictures announced today that principal photography has begun on Ben-hur starring Jack Huston (“American Hustle”) as Judah Ben-Hur, Morgan Freeman (“The Shawshank Redemption”) as Ilderim, Toby Kebbell (“Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes”) as Messala and Nazanin Boniadi (“Homeland”) as Esther.

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov (“Wanted”) and written by Keith Clarke (“The Way Back”) and John Ridley (“12 Years A Slave”), the film is based on Lew Wallace’s epic novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of The Christ.

The epic 1959 film was directed by William Wyler and starred Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Haya Harareet, Sam Jaffe and Hugh Griffith. It won 11 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor. The magnificent score is by composer Miklós Rózsa.

Watch the trailer Here.

The producers are Sean Daniel (“The Mummy” franchise), Mark Burnett (“Son Of God”), Joni Levin (“The Way Back...

If you were looking forward to seeing an updated version of the classic Ben-Hur story on the big screen, then you'll be happy to hear that principal photography has officially started on the epic, with a more full cast last revealed as well. Come inside to see.

I'm honestly not sure what to think about a Ben-Hur remake. Done correctly, it could be pretty cool and a great way to introduce a new generation to this story. It also has a good chance of sucking, but that's the risk you take with any remake. Either way, I tend to hold off judgement until I've seen footage, which we've just taken a big step towards seeing as filming has officially started:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom, Inc., announced today that principal photography has begun on “Ben-hur” starring Jack Huston (“American Hustle”) as Judah Ben-Hur, Morgan Freeman (“The Shawshank Redemption”) as Ilderim,...

Here’s your first look at the dreamlike teaser, as well as the striking first poster, for director Robert Zemeckis’s upcoming movie, The Walk. The film is set to hit theaters next fall on October 2, 2015.

Twelve people have walked on the moon, but only one man – Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) – has ever, or will ever, walk in the immense void between the World Trade Center towers. Guided by his real-life mentor, Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley), and aided by an unlikely band of international recruits, Petit and his gang overcome long odds, betrayals, dissension and countless close calls to conceive and execute their mad plan.

Robert Zemeckis, the director of such marvels as Forrest Gump, Cast Away, Back to the Future, Polar Express and Flight, again uses advanced technology in the service of an emotional, character-driven story.

With innovative photorealistic techniques and IMAX 3D wizardry, The Walk is true big-screen cinema,...

Principal photography has wrapped on the inaugural film from Tom Rothman’s TriStar Productions, now officially titled The Walk.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film is a true story based on Philippe Petit’s book “To Reach the Clouds,” starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the young dreamer who dared the impossible: an illegal wire walk between the World Trade Center towers.

Zemeckis wrote the screenplay with Christopher Browne. Producers are Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis, and Jack Rapke. The film will be released on October 2, 2015.

Today is the 40th anniversary of the astounding event, now being brought back to vivid life in the third act climax of the film.

Twelve people have walked on the moon, but only one man has ever, or will ever, walk in the immense void between the World Trade Center towers. Guided by his real-life mentor, Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley), and aided by an unlikely band of international recruits,...

Set in a mythic New York City and spanning more than a century, Winter’S Tale is a story of miracles, crossed destinies, and the age-old battle between good and evil.

The film stars Colin Farrell (“Saving Mr. Banks”), Jessica Brown Findlay (TV’s “Downton Abbey”), and Oscar® winners Jennifer Connelly (“A Beautiful Mind”), William Hurt (“Kiss of the Spider Woman”), Eva Marie Saint (“On the Waterfront”) and Russell Crowe (“Gladiator”). “Winter’s Tale” also introduces young newcomers Ripley Sobo and Mckayla Twiggs (both from Broadway’s “Once”).

The film marks the directorial debut of Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (“A Beautiful Mind”), who also wrote the screenplay, based on the acclaimed novel by Mark Helprin.

Wamg invites you to enter for your chance to receive a pass (Good for 2) to the advance screening of Winter’S Tale – Monday, February 10 at 7Pm in St. Louis.

Answer the following:

What...

Colin Farrell and Russell Crowe are at odds in an age-old battle between good and evil in this first trailer for Winter’S Tale. Set in a mythic New York City and spanning more than a century, Winter’S Tale is a love story of miracles and crossed destinies.

Bring the hankies – this tear-jerker opens Valentine’s Day 2014. For those not prone to sentimental films of the heart, The Weinstein Company’s Vampire Academy also debuts on February 14th.

The film stars Colin Farrell (“Total Recall”), Jessica Brown Findlay (TV’s “Downton Abbey”), and Oscar winners Jennifer Connelly (“A Beautiful Mind”), William Hurt (“Kiss of the Spider Woman”), Eva Marie Saint (“On the Waterfront”) and Russell Crowe (“Gladiator”). It also introduces young newcomers Ripley Sobo and Mckayla Twiggs (both from Broadway’s “Once”).

The film marks the directorial debut of Academy Award-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (“A Beautiful Mind”), who also wrote the screenplay,...

Warner Bros. Pictures has set a winter release date for Winter’S Tale, written and directed by Oscar-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (“A Beautiful Mind”) and based on the novel by Mark Helprin. The film, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures, will open in North America on February 14, 2014.

Set in a mythic New York City and spanning more than a century, Winter’S Tale is a story of miracles, crossed destinies, and the age-old battle between good and evil.

The film stars Colin Farrell (“Total Recall”), Jessica Brown Findlay (TV’s “Downton Abbey”), and Oscar winners Jennifer Connelly (“A Beautiful Mind”), William Hurt (“Kiss of the Spider Woman”), Eva Marie Saint (“On the Waterfront”) and Russell Crowe (“Gladiator”). It also introduces young newcomers Ripley Sobo and Mckayla Twiggs (both from Broadway’s “Once”).

Winter’S Tale marks the directorial debut of Akiva Goldsman, who also wrote the screenplay, based...

Chicago – On a good day, Nicolas Cage can be one of the most exciting and enjoyable actors in the business. Whether he’s angrily reciting the alphabet in Robert Bierman’s 1988 satire “Vampire’s Kiss,” or hallucinating about iguanas in Werner Herzog’s 2009 comic masterpiece “The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans,” Cage has proven to be the most fun to watch when granted the opportunity to cut loose.

Unfortunately, Cage’s most profitable films have nearly always been his weakest, thanks to the master of commercial mediocrity, Jerry Bruckheimer. The man is incapable of producing a picture that doesn’t have his dumbed down thumbprint engraved on it. His so-called family entertainments are nothing more than watered down versions of his standard action blockbusters sold to adults, with a few cutesy in-jokes thrown in to give audiences the impression that they’re watching a Disney movie (a Buzz Lightyear alarm clock here,...

With The Sorcerer’s Apprentice on Blu-ray and DVD (here) in stores now, Killer Film catches up with the film’s director, Jon Turteltaub to talk about the film. Read on!

With the success of the “National Treasure” films, how was it like to work with Nicholas Cage in a different type of film, especially with a film that is very visual effect driven?

Jon Turteltaub: Nic and I had a great conversation before starting this film. Basically, we talked about how he let me take the reins in a lot of ways on National Treasure. That was such a buttoned-up character with a lot of intellectual and historical mumbo-jumbo to say. Balthazar, however, is a renegade… an outsider… a rock-and-roll-style hero. So this time, I let Nic take me on the ride… and I loved it.

Is there any special content made for the Blu-ray version? And are...

The 14th Annual Art Directors Guild Excellence in Production Design Awards, hosted by Paula Poundstone, will be presented Saturday, February 13, 2010 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Los Angeles, celebrating accomplishments of Production Designers and Art Directors, recognized in eight categories of Feature Films, Television, Commercials and Music Videos.

This year's feature film nominees include best Period film contenders, “A Serious Man,” Jess Gonchor, “Inglourious Basterds,” David Wasco, “Julie & Julia,” Mark Ricker, “Public Enemies,” Nathan Crowley and “Sherlock Holmes,” Sarah Greenwood.

For best Fantasy film, nominees are “Avatar,” Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg, “District 9,” Philip Ivey, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” Stuart Craig, “Star Trek,” Scott Chambliss and “Where the Wild Things Are”, K.K. Barrett.

For best Contemporary film, nominees are “Angels & Demons,” Allan Cameron,

“The Hangover,” Bill Brzeski,“The Hurt Locker,” Karl Juliusson,“The Lovely Bones,” Naomi Shohan, “Up in the Air,” Steve Saklad.

Established in 1937, Adg represents nearly 2,000 members who work throughout the Us,...

There was a Best Actress tie -- Sandra Bullock kissed Meryl Streep to celebrate their joint win. Who else took home a Critics Choice Award?

Best Picture

Avatar, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Invictus, Nine, Precious, A Serious Man, Up, Up In The Air

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart, George Clooney - Up In The Air, Colin Firth - A Single Man, Morgan Freeman - Invictus, Viggo Mortensen - The Road, Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker

Best Actress (tie)

Emily Blunt - The Young Victoria, Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side, Carey Mulligan - An Education, Saoirse Ronan - The Lovely Bones, Gabourey Sidibe - Precious, Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

Best Supporting Actor

Matt Damon - Invictus, Woody Harrelson - The Messenger, Christian McKay - Me And Orson Welles, Alfred Molina - An Education, Stanley Tucci - The Lovely Bones, Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds...

Below you will find exactly what my votes were for the 15th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards on VH1 this Friday night. I’m a member of the Bfca, and therefore an actual, honest to god, voting member for the awards. I have 1/235th of a voice in exactly what wins. This is simply over-analyzing (a rant) the numbers of how I exactly voted. Again, this is how I voted, not the final results of the show, which won’t be known until Friday.

Inglourious Basterds – 5 votes

Where The Wild Things Are – 4 votes

Avatar – 3 votes

Fantastic Mr. Fox – 2 votes

Star Trek - 2 votes

A Single Man – 1 vote

An Education – 1 vote

Precious - 1 vote

The Hurt Locker – 1 vote

District 9 – 1 vote

Broken Embraces – 1 vote

The Hangover - 1 vote

The Cove – 1 vote

Well, if you can’t tell, Inglourious Basterds is my favorite movie of the year. But Away We Go was in...

The Oscars are a secret. You never see the ballot of Meryl Streep, George Clooney or James Cameron come awards time. I’m not a fan of that. I know they don’t want to admit they have favorites, but I do. I vote for the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards as a member of the Bfca (Broadcast Film Critics Association). My ballot is below, and I think all critics should show what they consider the best, whether they vote in the Ofcs (Online Film Critics Society) or Cfca (Chicago Film Critics Society). The 15th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards airs on VH1 on Friday night.

Nominees For The 15Th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards

(my vote is in italics)

Best Picture – for me this was a no-brainer

Avatar

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Invictus

Nine

Precious

A Serious Man

Up

Up In The Air

Best Actor – Bridges and Renner had a chance,...

Kristin Chenoweth is hosting, Kevin Bacon is being honored, and I am voting.

What should I do for the 15th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards?

The Broadcast Film Critics Association vote, and the ceremony will be broadcast live on VH1 Friday night.

Here’s your chance to try and influence the vote.

I will put in bold movies that have a chance for my vote. My final ballot is due tomorrow, and I will post my final votes on this site come Wednesday.

Nominees For The 15Th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards

(so again, everything in bold is something that could get my vote, those that aren’t in bold have No chance)

Best Picture

Avatar

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Invictus

Nine

Precious

A Serious Man

Up

Up In The Air

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges – “Crazy Heart”

George Clooney – “Up In The Air”

Colin Firth – “A Single Man...

Obvious picks were Sherlock Holmes, Star Trek, And Avatar. Once again, no love for Nine, but I was pleased to see an embrace from this guild for The Lovely Bones. Now that Art Directors, Producers, Directors, and Screen Actors guilds have announced their nominees, the only other “countries” to be heard from are the Writers Guild and American Cinema Editors. We’ll hear from the WGA on Monday and the Ace on Tuesday.

From THR by way of Awards Daily, here are the nominations announced earlier on Friday by the Art Directors Guild. The Adg will hold its 14th annual Excellence in Production Design Awards on Feb. 13 at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Feature Film Nominees

Period film:

“A Serious Man,” production, designer, Jess Gonchor “Inglourious Basterds,” David Wasco “Julie & Julia,” Mark Ricker “Public Enemies,” Nathan Crowley “Sherlock Holmes,” Sarah Greenwood

Fantasy film:

“Avatar,” Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg “District 9,” Philip Ivey...

The lush and iridescent forests of "Avatar," the sooty Victorian London of "Sherlock Holmes" and even the trashed, morning-after Vegas suites of "The Hangover" all caught the collective eye of the Art Directors Guild, which announced its nominations Friday.

The Adg, which will hold its 14th annual Excellence in Production Design Awards on Feb. 13 at the Beverly Hills Hotel, unveiled noms in nine categories, covering movies, TV, commercials and music videos.

In the category of fantasy film, "Avatar" will do battle with two other sci-fi titles -- "District 9" and "Star Trek" -- as well as the book adaptations "Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince" and "Where the Wild Things Are."

The nominees for period film range from "Sherlock Holmes," set in the 19th century, to the Depression-era America of "Public Enemies" to the World War II France of "Inglourious Basterds" as well as the post-war France of "Julie & Julia" and...

I am shocked to report that my new membership did not singlehandedly or significantly increase their taste levels, he said sarcastically. A few of the following nominations are hard to justify qualitatively speaking but you can't always get what you want. Again Oscar punditry combined with 'I just unwrapped this gift' excitement seem to have replaced careful consideration of what the year had to offer. But then it does appear as if only about 15 movies truly existed this year. In fact six movies Inglourious Basterds, Nine, Avatar, Up in the Air, The Hurt Locker, Precious and The Lovely Bones account for 48% of all the nominations. Crazy.

Am I just grumpy because they think The Lovely Bones (6 nominations) is better looking and The Blind Side (2 nominations) better acted than the exquisite Bright Star (1 nomination only)? I find those two judgment calls totally unsupportable. The abundant nominations for the garish and messy...

The Hurt Locker, Up in the Air, Inglorious Basterds, Avatar …

It’s my first year voting. There is a 0.01% chance that I will listen to your opinion over mine. But, I’m saying there is a chance. So, what would you vote for? The Critics’ Choice Awards air on Vh-1 on January 15. I will post my voting ballot then. If you had a vote, where would it go?

Avatar might get my visual votes, but nothing else. My personal sadness is the exclusion of Away We Go.

Complete Coverage of the 15th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards

15th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards

Complete Nominees of the 15th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards

What should I do? – 15th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards

Best Picture

Avatar

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Invictus

Nine

Precious

A Serious Man

Up

Up In The Air

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges – “Crazy Heart”

George Clooney – “Up In The Air...

The awards season is upon us. The Golden Globes are coming. The Oscars will be here. For now, it’s the 15th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards.

This is my first year as a voting member of the Broadcast Film Critics’ Association (Bfca).

Complete Coverage of the 15th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards

15th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards

Complete Nominees of the 15th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards

What should I do? – 15th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards

Here is the complete list of nominees …

Best Picture

Avatar

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Invictus

Nine

Precious

A Serious Man

Up

Up In The Air

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges – “Crazy Heart”

George Clooney – “Up In The Air”

Colin Firth – “A Single Man”

Morgan Freeman – “Invictus”

Viggo Mortensen – “The Road”

Jeremy Renner – “The Hurt Locker”

Best Actress

Emily Blunt – “The Young Victoria”

Sandra Bullock – “The Blind Side”

Carey Mulligan – “An Education”

Saoirse Ronan...

Brad Pitt's "Inglourious Basterds" and Penelope Cruz's "Nine" are tied with 10 nominations each for the 15th annual "Critics' Choice Awards." The show, hosted by Kristin Chenoweth, airs live on VH1 Jan. 15 at 9 Pm E.S.T.

Below, the complete nomination list:

Best Picture

"Avatar"

"An Education"

"The Hurt Locker"

"Inglourious Basterds"

"Invictus"

"Nine"

"Precious"

"A Serious Man"

"Up"

"Up In The Air"

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges - "Crazy Heart"

George Clooney - "Up In The Air...

The Broadcast Film Critics Association (yes, I'm a proud voting member!) has announced the nominees for the 15th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards.

The winners will be announced at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards live on Friday, January 15, 2009 at 9:00 Pm Et/Pt. This year's event will take place at the Hollywood Palladium and will be hosted by Kristin Chenoweth. For the third year in a row VH1 will broadcast the gala live on the network.

"Inglourious Basterds" and "Nine" each received an unprecedented ten nominations for the 15th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards. "Inglourious Basterds" garnered nods for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Ensemble, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Editing, Best Costume Design and Best Action Movie. "Nine" received nominations for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, Best Ensemble, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, Best Sound and Best Song.

The World War II tale "Inglourious Basterds" and the Rome-set musical "Nine," both releases from the Weinstein Co., led the list of nominees for the Broadcast Film Critics Assn.'s 15th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards, announced early Monday, with ten nominations each.

The 3-D sci-fi film "Avatar" followed close behind with nine noms, while "The Hurt Locker" and "Up in the Air" received eight nominations each.

The awards, which will be handed out on Jan. 15 at ceremonies broadcast from the Hollywood Palladium by Vh-1, expanded this year from 17 to 25 categories, adding seven technical categories and separating its screenplay category into original and adapted slots.

Since the critics group also includes genre categories like best action movie and best comedy as well as awards for best acting ensemble and best young actor/actress, that opened the door for plenty of multiple nominations.

Saoirse Ronanl, the 15-year-old actress who plays a...

Constantine, based on characters populating the DC Comics/Vertigo Hellblazer graphic novels, is one of those rare pulpy page-to-screen translations that actually gets it right.

An engrossing mix of atmospheric gothic horror and smart sci-fi that's cemented by intriguing mythology, terrific visual effects, a dry sense of humor and an ideally cast Keanu Reeves, the picture officially heralds the end of the New Year release doldrums.

Appreciative audiences should mark the occasion by creating a sizable boxoffice splash for the Warner Bros. Pictures release. Although it's probably too dark to reach the heights of an X-Men or Spider-Man, international business should be equally impressive, making a sequel definitely within the realm of possibility.

Unlike so many other first-time feature directors who made their name helming music videos, Francis Lawrence -- who created eye-catching clips for Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson and Will Smith, among others -- hasn't opted for a flashy visual style at the expense of story and character.

He quickly gets down to the business of immersing the viewer in Constantine's intriguing environment -- one in which the otherworldly manifestations of heaven and hell are on the verge of being thrown out of their precarious balance right here on Earth.

Specifically speaking, that would be Los Angeles, where Reeves' John Constantine spends his tortured days and nights ensuring that balance isn't knocked out of kilter through less-than-divine intervention.

For the uninitiated, Constantine has been cursed with the lifelong ability to see the true demonic or beatific faces of the "half-breeds" living among us -- intermediaries who have been sent back to Earth to do the bidding of their respective commanders in chief.

An expert in demonology, Constantine has been keeping busy dispatching a disturbing influx of evil half-breeds back to hell, but his intentions are far from being heroic.

Recently diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, the chain-smoking anti-hero is really just in it for himself, hoping that with all that satanic butt-kicking, he might be able to buy his way into heaven.

But his strategy is complicated with the arrival of Angela Dodson (the always welcome Rachel Weisz), a stoical police detective whose sister has committed what appears to be suicide.

There's actually, refreshingly, a lot more plot to go around thanks to clever writing officially credited to Kevin Brodbin and Frank Cappello, but there's the sense that producer Akiva Goldsman also made some contributions to the script, which is filled with great characters.

Among them is Tilda Swinton's gender-blurring Gabriel, Peter Stormare's self-styled Satan (in a white suit), Gavin Rossdale's slick Balthazar and Djimon Hounsou's noncommittal Midnite, whose offbeat nightclub serves as a neutral meeting ground for half-breeds of both persuasions.

But it's Reeves who, outfitted with an economy of dialogue and costume designer Louise Frogley's sleek monochromatic apparel, gets the requisite film noir look and attitude down cold.

He and Weisz, who once again projects a beguiling combination of beauty and intelligence, make for a classically cynical graphic novel couple.

Working in perfect harmony with Lawrence's organic direction, the writing and performances are the technical contributions, particularly those of cinematographer Philippe Rousselot (Big Fish), production designer Naomi Shohan (Training Day) and visual effects supervisor Michael Fink (the X-Men movies), who succeed in turning downtown Los Angeles into a convincingly hellish Hades on Earth.

Constantine

Warner Bros. Pictures

Warner Bros. Pictures presentsin association with Village Roadshow PicturesA Donners' Co./Batfilm Prods./Weed Road Pictures/3 Arts Entertainment production

Credits:

Director: Francis Lawrence

Screenwriter: Kevin Brodbin

Based on characters from the Hellblazer graphic novels by: DC Comics/Vertigo

Producers: Lauren Shuler Donner, Benjamin Melniker

Michael Uslan

Erwin Stoff, Lorenzo di Bonaventura

Akiva Goldsman

Executive producers: Gilbert Adler, Michael Aguilar

Director of photography: Philippe Rousselot

Production designer: Naomi Shohan

Editor: Wayne Wahrman

Costume designer: Louise Frogley

Visual effects supervisor: Michael Fink

Music: Brian Tyler and Klaus Badelt

Cast:

John Constantine: Keanu Reeves

Angela Dodson/Isabel: Rachel Weisz

Chaz: Shia LaBoeuf

Gabriel: Tilda Swinton

Father Hennessey: Pruitt Taylor Vince

Midnite: Djimon Hounsou

Balthazar: Gavin Rossdale

Satan: Peter Stormare

MPAA rating: R

Running time -- 117 minutes...

Constantine, based on characters populating the DC Comics/Vertigo Hellblazer graphic novels, is one of those rare pulpy page-to-screen translations that actually gets it right.

An engrossing mix of atmospheric gothic horror and smart sci-fi that's cemented by intriguing mythology, terrific visual effects, a dry sense of humor and an ideally cast Keanu Reeves, the picture officially heralds the end of the New Year release doldrums.

Appreciative audiences should mark the occasion by creating a sizable boxoffice splash for the Warner Bros. Pictures release. Although it's probably too dark to reach the heights of an X-Men or Spider-Man, international business should be equally impressive, making a sequel definitely within the realm of possibility.

Unlike so many other first-time feature directors who made their name helming music videos, Francis Lawrence -- who created eye-catching clips for Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson and Will Smith, among others -- hasn't opted for a flashy visual style at the expense of story and character.

He quickly gets down to the business of immersing the viewer in Constantine's intriguing environment -- one in which the otherworldly manifestations of heaven and hell are on the verge of being thrown out of their precarious balance right here on Earth.

Specifically speaking, that would be Los Angeles, where Reeves' John Constantine spends his tortured days and nights ensuring that balance isn't knocked out of kilter through less-than-divine intervention.

For the uninitiated, Constantine has been cursed with the lifelong ability to see the true demonic or beatific faces of the "half-breeds" living among us -- intermediaries who have been sent back to Earth to do the bidding of their respective commanders in chief.

An expert in demonology, Constantine has been keeping busy dispatching a disturbing influx of evil half-breeds back to hell, but his intentions are far from being heroic.

Recently diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, the chain-smoking anti-hero is really just in it for himself, hoping that with all that satanic butt-kicking, he might be able to buy his way into heaven.

But his strategy is complicated with the arrival of Angela Dodson (the always welcome Rachel Weisz), a stoical police detective whose sister has committed what appears to be suicide.

There's actually, refreshingly, a lot more plot to go around thanks to clever writing officially credited to Kevin Brodbin and Frank Cappello, but there's the sense that producer Akiva Goldsman also made some contributions to the script, which is filled with great characters.

Among them is Tilda Swinton's gender-blurring Gabriel, Peter Stormare's self-styled Satan (in a white suit), Gavin Rossdale's slick Balthazar and Djimon Hounsou's noncommittal Midnite, whose offbeat nightclub serves as a neutral meeting ground for half-breeds of both persuasions.

But it's Reeves who, outfitted with an economy of dialogue and costume designer Louise Frogley's sleek monochromatic apparel, gets the requisite film noir look and attitude down cold.

He and Weisz, who once again projects a beguiling combination of beauty and intelligence, make for a classically cynical graphic novel couple.

Working in perfect harmony with Lawrence's organic direction, the writing and performances are the technical contributions, particularly those of cinematographer Philippe Rousselot (Big Fish), production designer Naomi Shohan (Training Day) and visual effects supervisor Michael Fink (the X-Men movies), who succeed in turning downtown Los Angeles into a convincingly hellish Hades on Earth.

Constantine

Warner Bros. Pictures

Warner Bros. Pictures presentsin association with Village Roadshow PicturesA Donners' Co./Batfilm Prods./Weed Road Pictures/3 Arts Entertainment production

Credits:

Director: Francis Lawrence

Screenwriter: Kevin Brodbin

Based on characters from the Hellblazer graphic novels by: DC Comics/Vertigo

Producers: Lauren Shuler Donner, Benjamin Melniker

Michael Uslan

Erwin Stoff, Lorenzo di Bonaventura

Akiva Goldsman

Executive producers: Gilbert Adler, Michael Aguilar

Director of photography: Philippe Rousselot

Production designer: Naomi Shohan

Editor: Wayne Wahrman

Costume designer: Louise Frogley

Visual effects supervisor: Michael Fink

Music: Brian Tyler and Klaus Badelt

Cast:

John Constantine: Keanu Reeves

Angela Dodson/Isabel: Rachel Weisz

Chaz: Shia LaBoeuf

Gabriel: Tilda Swinton

Father Hennessey: Pruitt Taylor Vince

Midnite: Djimon Hounsou

Balthazar: Gavin Rossdale

Satan: Peter Stormare

MPAA rating: R

Running time -- 117 minutes...

Constantine, based on characters populating the DC Comics/Vertigo Hellblazer graphic novels, is one of those rare pulpy page-to-screen translations that actually gets it right.

An engrossing mix of atmospheric gothic horror and smart sci-fi that's cemented by intriguing mythology, terrific visual effects, a dry sense of humor and an ideally cast Keanu Reeves, the picture officially heralds the end of the New Year release doldrums.

Appreciative audiences should mark the occasion by creating a sizable boxoffice splash for the Warner Bros. Pictures release. Although it's probably too dark to reach the heights of an X-Men or Spider-Man, international business should be equally impressive, making a sequel definitely within the realm of possibility.

Unlike so many other first-time feature directors who made their name helming music videos, Francis Lawrence -- who created eye-catching clips for Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson and Will Smith, among others -- hasn't opted for a flashy visual style at the expense of story and character.

He quickly gets down to the business of immersing the viewer in Constantine's intriguing environment -- one in which the otherworldly manifestations of heaven and hell are on the verge of being thrown out of their precarious balance right here on Earth.

Specifically speaking, that would be Los Angeles, where Reeves' John Constantine spends his tortured days and nights ensuring that balance isn't knocked out of kilter through less-than-divine intervention.

For the uninitiated, Constantine has been cursed with the lifelong ability to see the true demonic or beatific faces of the "half-breeds" living among us -- intermediaries who have been sent back to Earth to do the bidding of their respective commanders in chief.

An expert in demonology, Constantine has been keeping busy dispatching a disturbing influx of evil half-breeds back to hell, but his intentions are far from being heroic.

Recently diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, the chain-smoking anti-hero is really just in it for himself, hoping that with all that satanic butt-kicking, he might be able to buy his way into heaven.

But his strategy is complicated with the arrival of Angela Dodson (the always welcome Rachel Weisz), a stoical police detective whose sister has committed what appears to be suicide.

There's actually, refreshingly, a lot more plot to go around thanks to clever writing officially credited to Kevin Brodbin and Frank Cappello, but there's the sense that producer Akiva Goldsman also made some contributions to the script, which is filled with great characters.

Among them is Tilda Swinton's gender-blurring Gabriel, Peter Stormare's self-styled Satan (in a white suit), Gavin Rossdale's slick Balthazar and Djimon Hounsou's noncommittal Midnite, whose offbeat nightclub serves as a neutral meeting ground for half-breeds of both persuasions.

But it's Reeves who, outfitted with an economy of dialogue and costume designer Louise Frogley's sleek monochromatic apparel, gets the requisite film noir look and attitude down cold.

He and Weisz, who once again projects a beguiling combination of beauty and intelligence, make for a classically cynical graphic novel couple.

Working in perfect harmony with Lawrence's organic direction, the writing and performances are the technical contributions, particularly those of cinematographer Philippe Rousselot (Big Fish), production designer Naomi Shohan (Training Day) and visual effects supervisor Michael Fink (the X-Men movies), who succeed in turning downtown Los Angeles into a convincingly hellish Hades on Earth.

Constantine

Warner Bros. Pictures

Warner Bros. Pictures presentsin association with Village Roadshow PicturesA Donners' Co./Batfilm Prods./Weed Road Pictures/3 Arts Entertainment production

Credits:

Director: Francis Lawrence

Screenwriter: Kevin Brodbin

Based on characters from the Hellblazer graphic novels by: DC Comics/Vertigo

Producers: Lauren Shuler Donner, Benjamin Melniker

Michael Uslan

Erwin Stoff, Lorenzo di Bonaventura

Akiva Goldsman

Executive producers: Gilbert Adler, Michael Aguilar

Director of photography: Philippe Rousselot

Production designer: Naomi Shohan

Editor: Wayne Wahrman

Costume designer: Louise Frogley

Visual effects supervisor: Michael Fink

Music: Brian Tyler and Klaus Badelt

Cast:

John Constantine: Keanu Reeves

Angela Dodson/Isabel: Rachel Weisz

Chaz: Shia LaBoeuf

Gabriel: Tilda Swinton

Father Hennessey: Pruitt Taylor Vince

Midnite: Djimon Hounsou

Balthazar: Gavin Rossdale

Satan: Peter Stormare

MPAA rating: R

Running time -- 117 minutes...

"Constantine", based on characters populating the DC Comics/Vertigo "Hellblazer" graphic novels, is one of those rare pulpy page-to-screen translations that actually gets it right.

An engrossing mix of atmospheric gothic horror and smart sci-fi that's cemented by intriguing mythology, terrific visual effects, a dry sense of humor and an ideally cast Keanu Reeves, the picture officially heralds the end of the New Year release doldrums.

Appreciative audiences should mark the occasion by creating a sizable boxoffice splash for the Warner Bros. Pictures release. Although it's probably too dark to reach the heights of an "X-Men" or "Spider-Man", international business should be equally impressive, making a sequel definitely within the realm of possibility.

Unlike so many other first-time feature directors who made their name helming music videos, Francis Lawrence -- who created eye-catching clips for Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson and Will Smith, among others -- hasn't opted for a flashy visual style at the expense of story and character.

He quickly gets down to the business of immersing the viewer in "Constantine"'s intriguing environment -- one in which the otherworldly manifestations of heaven and hell are on the verge of being thrown out of their precarious balance right here on Earth.

Specifically speaking, that would be Los Angeles, where Reeves' John Constantine spends his tortured days and nights ensuring that balance isn't knocked out of kilter through less-than-divine intervention.

For the uninitiated, Constantine has been cursed with the lifelong ability to see the true demonic or beatific faces of the "half-breeds" living among us -- intermediaries who have been sent back to Earth to do the bidding of their respective commanders in chief.

An expert in demonology, Constantine has been keeping busy dispatching a disturbing influx of evil half-breeds back to hell, but his intentions are far from being heroic.

Recently diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, the chain-smoking anti-hero is really just in it for himself, hoping that with all that satanic butt-kicking, he might be able to buy his way into heaven.

But his strategy is complicated with the arrival of Angela Dodson (the always welcome Rachel Weisz), a stoical police detective whose sister has committed what appears to be suicide.

There's actually, refreshingly, a lot more plot to go around thanks to clever writing officially credited to Kevin Brodbin and Frank Cappello, but there's the sense that producer Akiva Goldsman also made some contributions to the script, which is filled with great characters.

Among them is Tilda Swinton's gender-blurring Gabriel, Peter Stormare's self-styled Satan (in a white suit), Gavin Rossdale's slick Balthazar and Djimon Hounsou's noncommittal Midnite, whose offbeat nightclub serves as a neutral meeting ground for half-breeds of both persuasions.

But it's Reeves who, outfitted with an economy of dialogue and costume designer Louise Frogley's sleek monochromatic apparel, gets the requisite film noir look and attitude down cold.

He and Weisz, who once again projects a beguiling combination of beauty and intelligence, make for a classically cynical graphic novel couple.

Working in perfect harmony with Lawrence's organic direction, the writing and performances are the technical contributions, particularly those of cinematographer Philippe Rousselot ("Big Fish"), production designer Naomi Shohan ("Training Day") and visual effects supervisor Michael Fink (the "X-Men" movies), who succeed in turning downtown Los Angeles into a convincingly hellish Hades on Earth.

Constantine

Warner Bros. Pictures

Warner Bros. Pictures presentsin association with Village Roadshow PicturesA Donners' Co./Batfilm Prods./Weed Road Pictures/3 Arts Entertainment production

Credits:

Director: Francis Lawrence

Screenwriter: Kevin Brodbin

Based on characters from the "Hellblazer" graphic novels by: DC Comics/Vertigo

Producers: Lauren Shuler Donner, Benjamin Melniker

Michael Uslan

Erwin Stoff, Lorenzo di Bonaventura

Akiva Goldsman

Executive producers: Gilbert Adler, Michael Aguilar

Director of photography: Philippe Rousselot

Production designer: Naomi Shohan

Editor: Wayne Wahrman

Costume designer: Louise Frogley

Visual effects supervisor: Michael Fink

Music: Brian Tyler and Klaus Badelt

Cast:

John Constantine: Keanu Reeves

Angela Dodson/Isabel: Rachel Weisz

Chaz: Shia LaBoeuf

Gabriel: Tilda Swinton

Father Hennessey: Pruitt Taylor Vince

Midnite: Djimon Hounsou

Balthazar: Gavin Rossdale

Satan: Peter Stormare

MPAA rating: R

Running time -- 117 minutes...

Diane Lane is set to star in Must Love Dogs, a romantic comedy that Gary David Goldberg wrote and will direct for Warner Bros. Pictures. Goldberg also is producing through his UBU Prods. banner. Based on Claire Cook's 2002 book, Dogs is about a 40-ish preschool teacher who seeks to remedy her single status with a personal ad. Warners exec Polly Cohen oversees, while Grant Rosenberg is the executive producer. The project is scheduled to shoot in Los Angeles in the fall. Naomi Shohan (American Beauty) has signed on to production design. A veteran television writer-producer, Goldberg created Family Ties and co-created Spin City. Lane starred in last year's Under the Tuscan Sun and received a best actress Oscar nomination for her work in Unfaithful. She recently wrapped Fierce People for Lions Gate. Lane is repped by Endeavor and manager Joan Hyler.

Opens Friday, March 7

As the president prepares the nation for war, the Bush administration could not have asked for a more beneficent combat movie than "Tears of the Sun". The Antoine Fuqua-directed action thriller sends Bruce Willis into the African jungle, leading a squadron of compassionate warriors, conscience-stricken with every death and tenderhearted toward every mistreated villager. Willis plays a Navy SEAL lieutenant who chooses to defy orders and significantly alter a mission in order to save a handful of refugees in the midst of an ethnic cleansing. When asked by his own men about his decision to play hero at the risk of their mission, he says, "When I figure it out, I'll let you know." Apparently, he never does.

Fuqua mixes the heroism, tears and courage with enough taut suspense and action to appeal to male audiences of all ages. Sony is backing the slick production with plenty of TV spots and marketing support to win high awareness and ensure solid numbers when the film opens next weekend. The downside is that Willis is no longer a sure thing at the boxoffice. Helping matters is Monica Bellucci as a Doctors Without Borders physician whose blouse is never buttoned more than halfway up, delivering as much sex appeal as a combat movie will allow. Final numbers should be in the middle range.

"Tears" imagines a revolution breaks out in Nigeria, spurring atrocities and the assassination of the ruling family. (As that troubled country has returned to elected civilian rule, it isn't clear what the filmmakers mean by a "ruling family.") The U.S. government orders Willis and his SEALs to parachute into the remote jungle to retrieve the good doctor, a priest and a couple of nuns. None of these Westerners is willing to go, but Willis tricks Bellucci into believing he will also rescue her ambulatory hospital patients.

The helicopter can't accommodate the lot, of course, but his mission is nearly complete when he shoves the angry doctor into the chopper without her patients. Then halfway back to the aircraft carrier, after the choppers fly over Bellucci's hospital devastated by rebels, Willis abruptly changes his mind and has the helicopters return for the sick villagers.

Sending as many natives as possible back in two choppers, he and his squad now must escort the remainder as well as Bellucci -- her presence on ground making absolutely no sense -- to the border of Cameroon. Normally, this would require nothing more strenuous than a cross-country hike. But writers Alex Lasker and Patrick Cirillo decide that hidden among the villagers is the sole surviving heir of the murdered Nigerian rulers, whom rebel troops want to kill at all costs.

All of this extracurricular activity causes near apoplexy in Tom Skerritt, Willis' commanding officer. Skerritt makes constant phone calls to his suddenly rebellious lieutenant, always dialing up when he is topside, screaming into the phone as aircraft take off and land.

Much of the action is arbitrary and predictable. The best moment comes not with sound and fury but absolute silence as enemy soldiers creeps past the villagers' position in the nighttime jungle. The movie's many emotional moments do wear thin, though. John Wayne war movies were seldom this sentimental. The nadir is attained when a black SEAL declares "those Africans are my people, too." Did he really have to say that?

Cinematographer Mauro Fiore lets the flora and fauna of the Hawaiian locations do much of the work. Naomi Shohan's set design, in a location far from Africa, looks realistic enough. Hans Zimmer supplies a fairly traditional action-movie score though with a pleasing hint of African percussion.

TEARS OF THE SUN

Columbia Pictures

Revolution Studios presents a Michael Lobell/Cheyenne Enterprises production

Credits:

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Screenwriters: Alex Lasker, Patrick Cirillo

Producers: Michael Lobell, Arnold Rifkin, Ian Bryce

Executive producer: Joe Roth

Director of photography: Mauro Fiore

Production designer: Naomi Shohan

Music: Hans Zimmer

Costume designer: Marlene Stewart

Editor: Conrad Buff

Cast:

Lt. A.K. Waters: Bruce Willis

Dr. Lena Kendricks: Monica Bellucci

"Red" Atkins: Cole Hauser

"Zee" Pettigrew: Eamonn Walker

Kelly Lake: Johnny Messner

"Slo" Slowenski: Nick Chinlund

"Silk" Owens: Charles Ingram

Capt. Rhodes: Tom Skerritt

Running time -- 118 minutes

MPAA rating: R...

Returning to the kind of idiosyncratic films he used to do before becoming the star of a hit TV series (see "The Rapture", "Kalifornia"), David Duchovny refuses to let success stand in the way of risk-taking with "Playing God".

While the effort may be admirable, the result is a pretentious, blood-spattered misfire of a crime thriller that will have Mulder's "X-Files" faithful wondering what kind of alien presence clouded his brain while he was reading Mark Haskell Smith's tediously farfetched script.

Although it may attract a few curiosity-seekers, "Playing God"'s boxoffice prospects are considerably less than divine.

At least Duchovny's character had potential. A drug-addicted doctor who lost his medical license after botching an operation while messed up on amphetamines, Dr. Eugene Sands isn't exactly an "ER" poster boy.

Still, he isn't quite able to forget about the Hippocratic oath, and when a patron is shot point-blank at one of his seedier hangouts, Sands comes to the rescue and does amazing things with an empty water bottle and a little tubing.

His makeshift first-aid technique attracts the attention of powerful criminal mastermind Raymond Blossom (a way-over-the-top Timothy Hutton with ever-changing blond highlights), who solicits Sands' services as a "gunshot doctor" administering to the life-threatening wounds of Blossom's lowlife associates, who understandably happen to be hospital-shy.

Reluctantly, Sands accepts the gig -- the generous $10,000 payments and perks help support his ongoing pharmaceutical habits -- but things get a little complicated when he develops more than a doctor-patient relationship with Blossom's coolly seductive girlfriend Claire (Angelina Jolie).

That triangle is the prevailing motif here, and in case we miss the point, first-time feature director Andy Wilson (TV's "Cracker") and production designer Naomi Shohan ("Feeling Minnesota") load the picture with enough three-sided examples (swimming pools, interior decor, fancy lap dissolves) to fill an entire geometry semester. Production values are likewise overtly purposeful.

If he had been a little more concerned with matters of plot and character instead of trying so hard to be cutting edge, Wilson might have at least salvaged the wildly uneven performances. While Duchovny brings his patented puppy dog-eyed amiability to a potentially unsympathetic role, he barely breaks a sweat despite all the action, and those wall-to-wall, philosophical voice-overs grow increasingly annoying.

Still, he's more grounded than Hutton, who seems completely out of control here, doing some kind of bad Bruce Dern impression of a psychotic bad guy.

As the woman who comes between them, Jolie (daughter of newly transformed screen heavy Jon Voight), brings an intriguingly exotic, aloof quality to an otherwise thankless part.

PLAYING GOD

Buena Vista

Touchstone Pictures

presents in association with Beacon Pictures

a film by Andy Wilson

Director Andy Wilson

Screenwriter Mark Haskell Smith

Producers Marc Abraham,

Laura Bickford

Executive producers Armyan Bernstein,

Thomas A. Bliss

Director of photography Anthony B. Richmond

Production designer Naomi Shohan

Editor Louise Rubacky

Costume designer Mary Zophres

Music Richard Hartley

Music supervisor G. Marq Roswell

Color/stereo

Cast:

Eugene David Duchovny

Raymond Timothy Hutton

Claire Angelina Jolie

Gage Michael Massee

Vladimir Peter Stormare

Yates Gary Dourdan

Running time -- 95 minutes

MPAA rating: R...