Celebs share their Oscar tips with movie Mazz

It's almost Oscars time bitches! Booyah! Now I've got to dash because I've got the live event to cover, but in the meantime . . . here are some hot and exclusive tips from a bunch of fantatsic people I've interviewed over the past few weeks. I had a ball compiling this list and I hope you have just as much fun reading it. Stay posted for live Oscars results today AND all the rad pics from 2011 Oscars party. Ciao.

Chris `Ludacris' Bridges, Actor and RapperThe rapper turned actor found critical success in best picture Oscar-winner Crash and nominee Hustle & Flow. He said the ``smart money'' is on his No Strings Attached co-star:
``Natalie Portman man, this is her year. She's come out with Black Swan and she's in like three other movies this year. I think that she's just shining right now. I'm really proud of her and I wish her well. Plus, she did she did a damn good job in Black Swan.''

Callan McAuliffe, Actor

The 16-year-old actor from Sydney has spent his first year in Hollywood starring in blockbusters such as I Am Number Four and Flipped. He throws his support behind an animated contender:
``How To Train Your Dragon was my favourite film of 2010, I love it and I hope it wins the animation category. I saw True Grit and I want it to win something, it was great, and Inception, which was amazing. I think both of those two deserve an award.''

Stephen Frears, Filmmaker

As a two-time best director Academy Award nominee and the man who directed Helen Mirren in her award-winning turn in The Queen, Frears knows all about the selection process and his bet is on a fellow Brit for best actor.
``Surely Colin (Firth) will win. That's what everyone seems to think. I'm not really too good at guessing those sorts of things.''

Oliver Ackland, Actor

The star of upcoming Australian film Wasted On The Young and recipient of the Heath Ledger Scholarship tips Ledger's The Dark Knight co-star:
``I think Christian Bale for best supporting actor, but I'm not so sure for best actor, I'll leave that up in air. I'm a big fan of Christian Bale, he deserves to win every time around. It's nuts that this is only his first nomination, it doesn't make any sense. I really like Inception, but I think something like The King's Speech will probably get up.''

Posdnuos, Rapper

As one third of legendary hip hop group De La Soul, Posdnuos aka Plug One is an influential force in the music industry. But he's also an avid movie lover who has been following the Oscars race closely:
``I just saw Winter's Bone the other day and that was a really great film. That actress, Jennifer Lawrence, is young and just getting into it, but it's so great that movie can be a part of the Oscars.''

John Cameron Mitchell, Filmmaker and Actor

Best known for his boundary pushing films Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Shortbus, Cameron Mitchell is behind the raw drama Rabbit Hole, which scored Nicole Kidman a best actress nomination:
``I have a mechanism when my film is out or up for award that I have to tune everything out, I get to crazy. But I'm cheering for Nicole. It's just the perfect role for her and one of her best performances to date.''

Damian Walshe-Howling, Actor The former Underbelly actor and star of shark thriller The Reef has his fingers crossed for one of the few Australians in the field:
``I just hope Jacki (Weaver) as the underdog takes the prize. It's such as such an amazing performance and Animal Kingdom is such an amazing film. I love that she's so down to Earth. The other day I read a quote from her in the paper where they were asking her about her chances and she said ``I feel like a Shetland at the Melbourne Cup.'' I think that's so wonderful. She's taking it in her stride and I would love an Australian film to take an Oscar, but just to get there is great. Also Christian Bale in The Fighter was sensational. That role, I just can't fault it at all.''

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Movie Mazzupial's Oscar predictions

With the hysteria of the Golden Globes starting to die down, the attention now turns to the Ben Hur of Hollywood awards ceremonies - the Oscars. On Wednesday, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce this year's nominees and, if the combined results of the Globes and Critics Choice Awards are anything to go by, The Social Network will lead the charge. It will most definitely get nominations across the board in the best film, best director, best original screenplay, and best actor/supporting actor categories. But history has shown us several best picture favourites have fallen on their own sword in past Oscars upsets.

Few Oscarphiles will forget the shocking, and still debated, win by Shakespeare In Love which took out the top honours over hot favourite and Golden Globe winner Saving Private Ryan in 1999. Brokeback Mountain was also a surprise loser when Crash caused a major upset by snagging the Oscar in 2006, despite a best picture Golden Globe and several other wins just weeks earlier. But historically it's Citizen Kane's best picture loss to the little-seen mining film How Green Was My Valley that proves The Social Network isn't as much of a sure thing as punters would have us believe.

Which is good news for Inception and The Fighter - arguably the Facebook film's two biggest competitors. Christopher Nolan hasn't been an Academy favourite in the past, with The Dark Knight being completely overlooked for best picture and best director in 2009 and Memento failing to win the best original screenplay award it so deserved in 2001. But considering the public outcry surrounding The Dark Knight's exclusion and the Academy being forced to open up the best picture category to ten nominees as a result last year, they might try and redeem themselves by awarding Inception.Boxing films have proved to be big winners at the Oscars, which could both work for and against The Fighter. Academy voters are less likely to be confronted by the conceptually challenging themes, like they will with Inception, and The Fighter is a superbly acted underdog tale that is benefited by the indie leanings of director David O.Russell. But where Rocky and Million Dollar Baby have concurred, boxing flicks like Raging Bull and The Hurricane have been knocked out, so it could go either way for Mark Wahlberg's passion project.

Other potential best picture nominees are likely to be The King's Speech, Black Swan, 127 Hours, Winter's Bone, Toy Story 3 and True Grit, with left-field entries coming from Blue Valentine, The Town and The Kids Are All Right. Best director nominees are likely to reflect the Globes, with David Fincher, David O.Russell, Christopher Nolan, Tom Hooper and Darren Aronofsky to battle it out, with Danny Boyle and Ben Affleck outside chances. Weighing in on the Oscar nominations is veteran British director Stephen Frears (The Queen, Dangerous Liaisons). As a two-time best director Academy Award nominee Frears knows all about the selection process and said although he's unsure of a potential best director winner, his bet is on a fellow Brit for best actor.
“Surely Colin (Firth) will win,'' he said.
“That's what everyone seems to think.
“I'm not really too good at guessing those sorts of things.''Firth is certainly the favourite for the career Oscar and his superb turn in The King's Speech is likely to be unshakable. But two-time Oscar nominee M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs) thinks The Social Network's Jesse Eisenberg is in with a shot.
"With Jesse . . .I always look to what are the performances that can never be duplicated by any other actor,'' he said.
“He certainly gave one of those performances.
“He (Mark Zuckerberg) is a one of a kind human being and he (Eisenberg) put that on screen.
“He brought humanity to a very difficult character.''

Hollywood filmmaker Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, X-Men: The Last Stand) has been all too happy to name his front-runners, raving about indie film Blue Valentine on Twitter last week. Ratner tweeted Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams would be his choices for best actor and best actress in what he called a “great film.'' Oscar winner Ben Affleck is keeping his bromance alive by picking best friend Matt Damon's film True Grit as a best picture potential.
“I may be a little biased because of Matt (Damon), but I think True Grit is magnificent,'' he said.

Althought most of you will be lying in a pool of your own vomit while friends draw the southern cross on your back with a Sharpie come Australia Day, I'll be sure to post the full list of nominees next Wednesday because that's just the kind of girl I am. I will also be at work, which may or may not have everything to do with it.

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A Frearful experience

After slinging back a double shift last night to cover the floods, I had today off and conducted my phone interview with Stephen Frears (above) from home this afternoon. The acclaimed British director is the master behind such films as The Deal, Dirty Pretty Things, High Fidelity, Dangerous Liaisons, The Queen, Cheri and, most recently, Tamara Drewe (which I review below). Besides having been up for two best director Oscars himself, his actors have also scored countless nominations for their work in his films and Helen Mirren famously picked up the gong for her role in The Queen.

He’s an accomplished filmmaker and someone who’s work I admire, so I was quite excited to chat to him. Unfortunately he wasn’t so excited to chat to me, as trying to get any sort of insightful or substantial response from Frears was like trying to get Miley Cyrus to wear pants. It’s not that he was rude outright, more that he was just abrupt and clearly uninterested in the whole interview process. Anywho, I will do my best to salvage a feature article from this, but here is my interview with Stephen Frears in full. Enjoy, I certainly didn’t.

Movie Mazzupial: Hi Stephen, it’s lovely to talk to you.

Stephen Frears: Are you all right up there?

MM: Yes, thanks. For once it’s just missed us and we’re staying dry today since it’s sunny.

SF: I don’t understand why it came through everywhere expect you.

MM: (Laughs) Definitely, we’re all feeling pretty lucky. Now you’re in Sydney at the moment after a screening of Tamara Drewe last night. Is this your first time in Australia?

SF: In Sydney, yes. It’s my first visit here (in Australia). I stayed with a friend on the coast and now I’m doing this work thing so I’m not really allowed to do the tourist things.

MM: Well, that’s a shame, I hope you get some time afterwards. Now, I loved the Posy Simmonds graphic novel, what was it about it that made you think `you know what, I want this to be my next film?’

SF: It was very funny and very fresh – not like everything else. I thought it would make a good film.

MM: There are some major differences in the film, like the decision to keep Jody alive, what made you opt for that lighter ending?

SF: Yes, I don’t know why she died in the end. I don’t know why she did that, it was inexplicable.

MM: It definitely makes a better film keeping her on in the end.

SF: Yes, I think so.

MM: And what a cast! Besides Gemma Arterton (above) leading the charge, you had Dominic Cooper, Tamsin Grieg, Jessica Barden who were all highlights. What was it like working with them?

SF: They’re all very, very good actors. British actors can do all sorts of that stuff.

MM: You’ve worked with some incredibly British actors, like Helen Mirren and Michael Sheen, as well as some great American actors like John Cusack and Michelle Pheiffer, no cast must seem like a big deal to you anymore?

SF: The real thing is when you work with actors who aren’t good. But most of the time, they’re incredible, incredible people.

MM: And Gemma Arterton, what made you think she was the perfect Tamara Drewe?

SF: It’s not just the combination of the actor and the character. She was also clearly gorgeous and very likable.

MM: The book has some strong messages about beauty on the outside not equating to happiness on the inside, is that something you made a conscious effort to get across in the film as well?

SF: I’m not sure I wanted to get any message across but when you say it like that it’s quite clear. It’s pretty obvious what goes on underneath is more interesting and not as beautiful as what’s on the surface.

MM: Now, it’s coming up to the Oscars next month. You’ve been nominated for a best director gong twice, do you think we’ll ever get to see you take one home?

SF: No. I doubt I ever will.

MM: Have you got any tips or ideas on who you think will win?

SF: Surely Colin will win. That’s what everyone seems to think. I’m not really too good at guessing those sorts of things.

MM: High Fidelity and The Queen are personal favourites of mine, do you have a favourite film of yours?

SF: A little Irish film called The Snapper.

MM: Now Michael Sheen (below) has played Tony Blair for you twice, what has that experience been like working with him?

SF: Well, he’s a very, very good actor and he’s a wonderful friend of mine now.

MM: You too must obviously have a shared passion for bringing significant British political moments to screen?

SF: Yes, that’s what those films are about.

MM: Now going back to movies, what are some of your all time favourites?

SF: How about you tell me yours?

MM: Really?

SF: Yes.

MM: No one ever asks me that. The New World by Terrence Malick, Brick by Rian Johnson, The Fifth Element, The Dark Knight, The Blob, Jaws, I really could go on forever.

SF: Well there you go, it’s all the same as yours really. If I asked you again in five minutes it would be a different list.

MM: So what are yours?

SF: Mine are the same as yours really except I’m older. The Third Man.

MM: Oh, I love that.

SF: Well, there you go.

MM: Great, well, thanks for talking to me Stephen.

SF: Right, don’t get caught in the rain.

Tamara Drewe opens February 3.

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Who are Drewe?

Based on the critically acclaimed graphic novel by Posy Simmonds, Tamara Drewe sees the lives of people within a country writer's retreat spiced up when sexy newspaper columnist Tamara (Gemma Arterton, above) returns to her childhood home. It's the latest film from veteran British director Stephen Frears (The Queen, Dangerous Liaisons, High Fidelity) who is in familiar territory steering a romantic romp-com.

To Frears credit he has kept very closely to the tone, pace and style of the graphic novel - even perfectly duplicating the speech bubble flashbacks. Moira Buffini has done a solid job adapting Simmonds screenplay by adding necessary back story and forming the collection of personalities within the writer's retreat. But adjusting the ending to make it lighter and more cinematic was a misfire.British `It Girl' Gemma Arterton doesn't quite shine as much as she did in her last role in The Disappearance Of Alice Creed, but she encapsulates the vulnerability, intelligence and sexiness of Tamara Drewe. However, it's the supporting cast that steal the show from under her - namely Dominic Cooper (above) as a drummer from a popular indie band and Tamara's fiancée. It's a role that could have teetered over into stereotype if not handled correctly, but Cooper masterfully becomes Ben Sergeant and provides some of the more colourful moments. Other standouts include newcomer Jessica Barden as a surly British teenager and the always impressive Tamsin Greig as the under-appreciated wife of a famous novelist.

Tamara Drewe is a fantastically sunny film that while touching on a few serious issues manages to stay upbeat and, for the most part, very amusing. Despite everything coming together a little too perfectly in the end, it's the British humour, adept direction and colourful characters that get it across the line.Tamara Drewe is out February 3.

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