Congratulations Are in Order

The Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Costume were announced this morning and several of the lucky winners will soon be clearing space off the mantel. And yes, above is Vivien Leigh finding a spot for her Oscar for Gone With the Wind (1939).

And the nominees are...

Best Costume

The King's Speech:  Jenny Beavan, Costume Designer

This nomination was totally expected as the costumes are impeccable, well designed and researched and most importantly, not distracting. Of special note were the King's bespoke suits and the Queen Mum's hats. (I am also hoping vintage fur was used). This is not Beavan's first time at bat as she brought home the gold for A Room With a View.

True Grit:   Mary Zophres, Costume Designer

The perfect costume can immediately help an actor get into character and Zophres's designs for Rooster Cogburn's overcoat, Lucky Ned's wooly angora chaps  and La Boeuf's buckskin were as realistic as possible.  As Jeff Bridges notes, "You didn't have to do much acting to feel as if you were in those times."

The Tempest:  Sandy Powell, Costume Designer

Powell's  courtly attire gives a lush feel to the Julie Taymor's adapation of the Shakespearean play. Powell won her third Oscar last year for her period designs for The Young Victoria (prior awards include Shakespeare in Love and The Aviator).


Alice in Wonderland: Colleen Atwood, Costume Designer

Actors Johnny Depp (Mad Hatter), Helena Bonham Carter (Red Queen) and Anne Hathaway (White Queen) were almost unrecognizable as they were transformed into characters of the beloved Lewis Carroll classic.  Colleen Atwood wanted a more authentic look with Elizabethan and Victorian references in the costumes.

I Am Love: Antonnella Cannarozzi, Costume Designer

Cannarozzi collaborated with Jil Sander and Fendi for sheer perfection. The tailor made suits, Swinton's tangerine sheaths, Berenson in mink cape and Hermes were very fitting for this period drama of a wealthy Milanese family at the turn of the century.



Best Art Direction

The King's Speech: Eve Stewart, Production Designer and Judy Farr, Set Decorator

The Academy loves a period film and this nomination is certainly well deserved. Stewart had the

difficult  task of designing the world of the royals and commoners on a budget. From Logue's shabby/chic artist's studio to the stately rooms of Buckingham and Balmoral Palaces, Stewart and

have created some of the most memorable interiors of the year.

Alice in Wonderland:  Robert Stromberg, Production Designer and Karen O'Hara, Set Decorator

The Academy also tends to award fantasy films and this year proved to be one of the most fruitful with director Tim Burton's Alice and Wonderland leading the pack. Designed by Robert Stromberg (who won for last year's highly inventive designs for Avatar), the effects are pure "Burtonesque", alot of colorful digital eye candy as seen in Wonderland the Underland (think beneath the rabbit hole).

Inception: Guy Hendrix Dyas, Production Designer and Larry Dias and Doug Mowat, Set Decorator

Is it a dream or is it reality? That was the challenge Dyas faced in designing the sets for Inception who literally conceived the plans on the walls of director Christopher Nolan's garage. From the dream city built by Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) in his own mind to the Japanese castle, 20th century architecture played a major role.

True Grit:  Jess Gonchor, Production Designer and Nancy Haigh, Set Decorator

No swinging saloon doors here, Gonchor and   meticulously designed a post Civil War town (Granger, Texas became Fort Smith, Arkansas) to represent "America on the uprise" which meant brick buildings with awnings and balconies.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part One,  Stuart Craig, Production Designer and Stephanie McMillen, Set Decorator

The ceremony will be telecast on Sunday, February 27th. Good luck to all!

Photo Credits: The Weinstein Company, Magnolia Pictures, Miramax, Walt Disney, Paramount, Fox Searchlight, Warner Brothers, Sony Pictures

A tip of the hat to the movies

Be it a chapeau, bowler, cap or bonnet, a character in the cinema is easily identified by the hat they wear. Think of Indiana Jones sable fedora,  Bogart and his Borsalino, Garbo making a point in Ninotchka (and starting a major trend), Bonnie's beret, Eliza Doolittle's over the top Edwardian number or Samantha's straw beach hat on steroids worn in Sex and the City and you get the picture.

Such is the topic of the "Cinema with a Hat: Borsalino and Other Stories," a unique exhibition in Milan that explores the connection between headgear and the movies. The exhibition tells the relationship of the hat and its ability to arouse emotions -- fear and seduction for example -- as well as making a show-stopping fashion statement on screen. Much of the displays are also devoted to Borsalino, a name synonymous with the classic men's felt hat.

Audrey Hepburn's Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady

Faye Dunaway in Bonne and Clyde

Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones

Humphrey Bogart

Kim Cattrall in Sex and the City

The exhibit at the Triennalle di Milano runs now through March 20th so if you can't get away/snowed in/totally unfeasible/no time, I suggest watching Suzy Menke's interview for the New York Times below and enjoy!

Fit for a King

It's wonderful when a film encounters the perfect storm - a  finely crafted script filled with drama and comedy, impeccable performances and period perfect sets and costumes. The King's Speech is such a film. 

The true story of the relationship between "Bertie" a.k.a. the future King George VI of England (Colin Firth) and his eccentric speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), The King's Speech is set in  thirties London as the country is on the brink of war. Production designer Eve Stewart  designed two worlds -- the colorful palatial residences of the Royals (toned down to reflect the times) contrasted with the gritty Depression influenced interiors of the commoners.

Much of the film's scenes take place in  Logue's offices where Bertie uncomfortably received unorthodox treatments to cure his stammer. Filmed at 33 Portland Place in London, the actual space was similar to that of a Venetian palace mixed with an artists's studio. I was particularly intrigued by the walls which looked like some sort of distressed faux treatment. The original walls consisted of peeling wallpaper and treated with oil. Stewart liked the effect and reproduced the look for the entire room, creating an autumnal colored fresco that became the focal point. Little furniture was required, placing more audience focus on the actors. For authenticity, Stewart studied Logue's actual diaries and researched interiors at the Victoria and Albert Museum and Geffrye museum of interior design. 

A distressed wall becomes the focal point of Logue's office

Working on a tight budget, period locations were the key element. The production team created the opulence of Buckingham Palace at Lancaster House in the St. James district in London's West End. Considered one of the finest townhouses in London (Queen Victoria was said to have quipped upon arrival "I have come from my House to your Palace"), the ornate decor was the perfect backdrop as the royals nervously await Bertie's first wartime broadcast in the opulent gilt panelled state drawing room.   It was also used as the royal residence for the films National Secrets and Young Victoria.

On location at Lancaster House

Lancaster Hall was previously known as Stafford House
Shown here is the Grand Hall, Joseph Nash, 1850

King George VI (Colin Firth)  and Queen Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter)

Meticulous research  --  right down to the actual microphones -- was required for the film. 

Costume designer Jenny Beavan faced the same budget restrictions of designing a royal wardrobe on a pauper's budget. After surveying "massive amounts of photos"and newsreels of the real King and Queen, Beavan decided to dress Bonham Carter in muted colors with two important fashion details -- the Queen always tipped her hat at an angle and loved a touch of fur.

The actual Queen Mum

The King's Speech Costume Exhibit

I fully expect the film to be nominated for Best Art Direction and Costume categories as well as Best Picture at this year's Oscars. It's a must see film on many levels.

Photo Credits: The Weinstein Company

For Your Consideration

For some it's the Super Bowl, Wimbledon or perhaps March Madness while others live for American Idol or Dancing With the Stars. For me, the best time of the year (competition wise) is the Hollywood awards season which starts next Sunday, January 16th with the Golden Globes and concludes Sunday, February 27th with the 83rd Academy Awards. And sandwiched in between for your viewing pleasure is the Screen Actors Guild and Independent Spirit awards. Let the handicapping begin.

While much is forecasted, predicted and generally dissected ad nauseum over who will get the plum awards -- Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress -- or who will wear what on the Red Carpet -- I naturally find the design related awards (Best Art Direction and Best Costume) to be of particular interest.

The Art Directors Guild recently announced their nominations for Excellence in Production Design which gives us a  glimpse of possible films in the running for the Academy Awards. Unlike the Oscars, the Guild awards films in a variety of design categories -- period, contemporary and fantasy.  This year's theme is Designs on Film (yes, my book!!!) and the ceremony takes place February 5th in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton.

The nominations for Excellence in Production Design for Feature Film are:

Period Film:

True Grit
Production Designer: Jess Gonchor

The King's Speech
Production Designer: Eve Stewart

Shutter Island
Production Designer: Dante Ferretti

Robin Hood
Production Designer: Arthur Max

Get Low
Production Designer: Geoffrey Kirkland

Fantasy Film:

Alice in Wonderland
Production Designer: Robert Stromberg

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One
Production Designer: Stuart Craig

Inception
Production Designer: Guy Hendrix Dyas

Tron: Legacy
Production Designer: Darren Gilford

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn
Production Designer: Barry Robison

Contemporary Film:

Black Swan
Production Designer: Therese DePrez

The Social Network
Production Designer:  Donald Graham Burt

The Fighter
Production Designer: Judy Becker

The Town
Production Designer:  Sharon Seymour

127 Hours
Production Designer: Suttirat Lalarb


Congratulations and good luck to all! You can read more about the nominations -- as well as those for television here. And if you are interested in purchasing the poster at the top of the blog, they are available for 20.00 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts website here.

And a special thanks to Catrin Morris of Apartment Therapy for her piece on Cinema Style.

Between the book launch, the Christmas holidays and a much needed vacation to the beach,  I am catching up with the current movies and plan to feature several noteworthy and stylish films in the weeks to come. Next up is The King's Speech so stay tuned.

Happy 2010!

Happy Holidays!

Follow the yellow brick road to your local bookstore. Designs on Film makes a great gift!

(And yes, a little artistic license thrown in with my cat Snoopy).

Thank you for your support this past year and all the best for a prosperous and healthy 2011.

Happy Holidays!

Cathy Whitlock

At The Ballet

I was talking to a friend the other night who is a former professional "ballerina" who was quite dismayed at how Hollywood has portrayed her profession. Neurotic psychos, extreme disciplinarians and ruthless get-ahead-at-all-costs prima donnas are often the norm while a few films tend to capture the essence, technique and dedication of this truly incredible and often misunderstood art form:

Black Swan (Fox Searchlight, 2010)

The most recent addition to the dance film genre is Black Swan, a psychological thriller set in the world of the New York City Ballet. Natalie Portman plays Nina, a danceaholic who plays the lead role in Swan Lake and gets in touch with her dark side along the way. While some of the cliches are present - a bitter off the deep end retired dancer (Winona Ryder), stage door mother (Barbara Hershey), etc., the competitiveness and stress of the profession is effectively portrayed. The emotionally charged  film is garnering all sorts of early nominations and Oscar buzz.

The Turning Point (Twentieth Century Fox, 1977)

The Turning Point is the story of the lives two ballet dancers -- one who left the troupe to start a family (Shirley MacLaine) and another who became a prima ballerina (Anne Bancroft). Regret, reflection and jealousy between the two women ensues when MacLaine's daughter (Lesley Browne) joins the company. Doris Day, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn turned down the leads and as well as  real-life ballet legend Gelsey Kirkland who was offered the role of the daughter.  The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards including Best Picture and was miraculously shut out that year.

Lesley Browne and Mikhail Baryshnikov

Anne Bancroft and Shirley MacLaine as friends and rivals

The Red Shoes (Archer, 1948)

The age old choice between love and career is the theme of this ballet classic. Moira Shearer plays a young dancer who becomes the lead in The Red Shoes production (inspired by a Hans Christian Anderson fable) and is considered one of the top ten British films ever made. Art director Hein Heckroth used over 120 paintings as backdrop for the opening dance sequence.

The Company (Sony Pictures, 2003)

Director Robert Altman's drama of a group of ballet dancers with Neve Campbell as  the principal of a Chicago ballet troupe. Apparently Campbell employed her own method acting and trained eight hours a day for four months. The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago cooperated fully with the production both on and off screen.

Campbell with the company's artistic director played by Malcolm McDowell

Photo Credits: Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Archer Films, Fox Searchlight.






                                                                                                                        

Cinema Style Christmas Wishlist

Dear Santa,

While a trip to St. Barth's, world peace, tickets to this week's Paul McCartney concert on Sirius, a leopard Valentino bag and film festival tickets would be wonderful in my stocking, the following is a list any stylish film buff would be happy to receive:

The Audrey Hepburn Muse Collection

Seven of Hepburn's best films including Breakfast at Tiffany's, Sabrina, Roman Holiday, Paris When It Sizzles, War and Peace and Funny Face highlight some of the best fashion moments in her career. Available for 70.99 on Amazon.

All Posters

A great site for unique film posters -- think instant art for the wall. You can see the collection at allposters.com. I love the different take on Sunset Boulevard.

100 remastered top hits from obscure films -- and I bet you never knew Billy Paul's Me and Mrs. Jones was from the film Beautiful Girls. MP3's available from Amazon for a mere 0.99 here.

Movie Posters 2011 (Universe Publishing)

Twelve iconic films from the National Film Registry from Blazing Saddles and The Graduate to Sabrina and A Night at the Opera. It beats a year of cute puppies anytime. 12. 59 on Amazon.

Columbia Best Picture Collection

It's all here -- 11 Best Picture winners including Kramer versus Kramer, Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia and It Happened One Night. 65.99 on Amazon.

Scene-It

Bored with Scrabble? Try this interactive film game where you watch film clips, test your knowledge and perhaps humiliate yourself at parties. 18.49 at Amazon.


Bob Willoughby's Audrey Hepburn Photographs 1953-1966

If money is no object, Hollywood photographer Bob Willoughby's collector's edition of "The Tiffany Princess in a Little Black Dress" is wonderful. Behind the scene shots from Roman Holiday, My Fair Lady and many more. And only 700.00:) Available from Taschen.

Happy Shopping!

Photo Credits: Twentieth Century Fox, All Posters, Taschen