Reviewing the Drama: Broadway, Off-Broadway, Ballet, Movies, and TV Reviews

The 84th Academy Award nominations were announced today! And there were actually some surprises. Nothing shocking, of course, but surprises nonetheless. Let's get right to it. (Below is a highlighted list of nominees. Visit oscar.go.com/nominees for the full list.) Best Picture The Artist The Descendants Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close The Help Hugo Midnight in Paris Moneyball The Tree of Life War Horse This list wasn't so surprising, though we all know it's going to come down to The Artist and The Descendants , with the latter being my pick. I think the surprising thing about this list, particularly given nominations in other categories, is that there is not a tenth film. (With the other nominations it received, I thought Bridesmaids might have gotten a nod here.) Actor in a Leading Role Demian Bichir, A Better Life George Clooney, The Descendants Jean Dujardin, The Artist Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Brad Pitt, Moneyball I'm surprised and disappointed...

The Critics Choice Movie Awards were presented last night, just days before the Golden Globes. Visit VH1's CCMA page for the full list of winners and video of the acceptance speeches. (And here's a reminder of all the nominees .) Best Picture - The Artist I'd say that this was expected. It topped many critics' year-end lists, and even if it wasn't at the top, the critics all raved. It'll be interesting to watch this and The Descendants duke it out this season; they're in different categories at the Globes, but they'll go head to head at the Oscars. (Not that Oscar nominations have been announced yet; that'll happen on January 24.) Actor - George Clooney, The Descendants Excellent choice. I like all the nominees (especially my dear Leo) but this is Clooney's best performance to date. Actress - Viola Davis, The Help Supporting Actor - Christopher Plummer, Beginners I think it's always nice when a small film that was released months before the...

The Golden Globes, which honor both film and television, will be handed out on Sunday, January 15, 2012, and cheeky funny man Ricky Gervais will once again be hosting the ceremony. (Remember that the Globes are administered by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which is comprised of all sorts of foreign press, including tabloid rags.) Here are some of the nominees. I’m very pleased to see that 50/50 and Drive (and both films’ actors) got some love; Ryan Gosling is nominated twice this year (as is Kate Winslet); Aaron Sorkin is a nominee; and Chris Cornell, Soundgarden’s frontman, is nominated for Best Original Song (for “The Keeper” from Machine Gun Preacher ). On the TV front, there aren’t too many surprises, though I do, of course, have my favorites. Film Best Picture, Drama The Descendants The Help Hugo The Ides of March Moneyball War Horse Best Picture, Comedy or Musical 50/50 The Artist Bridesmaids Midnight in Paris My Week with Marilyn I'm surprised by the clas...

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame A new class has been named to the Rock Hall. On April 14, 2012, Guns N' Roses , Red Hot Chili Peppers , Beastie Boys and others will be inducted. The ceremony will take place in Cleveland, Ohio, home to the Hall of Fame Museum . In early May, HBO will air the ceremony, which always includes not-to-be-missed performances from the inductees and the artists honoring them. As the announcement in Rolling Stone notes, GN'R made it into the Hall in their first year of eligibility. Kennedy Center Honors The 2011 Kennedy Center Honors were presented this weekend. Honored this year were Barbara Cook, Meryl Streep, Neil Diamond, Sonny Rollins and Yo-Yo Ma. (To quote Donna Moss, "Yo-Yo Ma rules!") Playbill.com has an account of the theatre luminaries (like Patti LuPone and Sutton Foster!) who came out to perform in Cook's honor, and Broadwayworld.com has lots of photos: rehearsal arrivals ; red carpet arrivals (I want Audra McDonald's dress!...

Ryan Gosling can mess you up. In Drive , the new film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and adapted from James Sallis’s novel by Hossein Amini, Gosling plays a nameless driver who surprises everyone, including himself, when he discovers just how far he’ll go to protect the innocent. Gosling’s character is a Hollywood stunt driver by day and a get away driver for criminals by night. He takes a shine to his neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan), and offers to help her just-released-from-prison husband (Oscar Isaac) with a heist. But the heist goes wrong and the chase begins. Well, this chase begins. Gosling’s character is chasing something from the start. He’s not quite sure what. Maybe it’s Irene. Maybe it’s something else. But Gosling’s eyes never stop searching. And it’s a good thing that the talented actor’s face is so expressive. There is scant dialogue so words don’t have much of a role. (Though, when characters do speak, they speak with precision and intensity.) There’s a mome...