Jeff Bridges won’t feel guilty if he beats Colin Firth to the Best Actor prize at this year’s Oscars

The 61-year-old star triumphed over Colin – who was nominated for his performance in ‘A Single Man‘ – at last year’s Academy Awards for his role in ‘Crazy Heart’ and he admits he is quite comfortable with the prospect of defeating ‘The King’s Speech’ star again.

Jeff – who is nominated this year for his turn in ‘True Grit‘ – said: “I don’t think I’d feel too guilty, no. Just let it fall where it may.”

However, the seasoned actor has confessed he does feel guilty for not watching all of his fellow nominees’ films.

Jeff – who has watched ‘The King’s Speech’ – said: “I feel bad as I haven’t watched as many of the films out this year as I should have. But the ones I’ve seen are terrific. ‘The King’s Speech’ is wonderful. And I like ‘Winter’s Bone‘.”

Jeff also said he doesn’t mind the endless promotion that comes with being in a film that’s nominated for an award and has found that his win last year has helped his career.

He said: “It’s great to be acknowledged by the guys for what you do. There’s an element of my job that’s like being a barker at a carousel. But after you put all that energy into a film, it’s great if people come see it.

“Winning the Oscar has helped me in other ways. I’m currently making an album with T Bone Burnett. That comes directly from the success of ‘Crazy Heart‘.”

Source: BANG Showbiz

Mo’Nique wins the award for Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role.

Monique Imes, known professionally as Mo’Nique, was the 16th African American actress to receive the Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She received the honor for her role in the film Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire.

‘Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire’ also won in the category of Best Adapted Screenplay

The other nominees in this category were:

Penelope Cruz – ‘Nine’
Vera Farmiga – ‘Up in the Air’
Maggie Gyllenhaal – ‘Crazy Heart’
Anna Kendrick – ‘Up in the Air’

Avatar

It about knowing a new race a new world in a new horizon. The sequel starts with the war between the blue “Navi’s” and humans who wants to invade the alien planet “Pandora” for it priceless resources.

Navi’s are very emotional & spiritual beings who love and worships nature and very mysteriously connected with every living thing of their planet.

It is not another alien oriented film where Sigourney Weaver fights with the alliens but one of the most philosophic master piece that ever made by James Cameron which shows love and affection for the whole alien race. Actually it’s a massage in disguise that we must care for our priceless treasure, our mother earth.

It seems their has been an extensive years of research behind this movie and unique detailing in every scene. All the blue ‘Navi’s’ are so real that it reflects each and every human characters and the moral of the story is love for nature and fight for existence.

Avatar has topped all box-office records last year, making as much as £200million in one weekend, and it one of the most anticipated film for the oscars 2010.

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Claireece Precious Jones a deprived teenage girl with unfulfilled  dreams, raped by her own father abused by her own mother and infected with AIDS. It’s a very pathetic story of an American girl carelessly raised in messed up home.

Director Lee Daniels portrays “Precious” (Gabourey Sidibe) in an unbelievably realistic frame where anyone is compelled to feel for her with deepest sympathy.

The film is so down to earth that it makes us feel “Precious” is just one of our own daughter. “Precious” who is precious to no-one in her family impregnated twice by her father and treated as a slave by her mother (Mo’Nique) . This is an extremely tragic story of an imaginative girl with shattered dreams and unanswered tears, who strives hard to exists and express her sorrows.

The Hurt Locker

The film is based on real life scenario of war-zone Iraq, where life and death is determined in  matter of seconds. It’s focused on the team of US Army EOD and highlights basic human fears and frustrations of the soldiers in the bomb disposal squad.

The original story was written by Mark Boal, a freelance writer who was embedded with a bomb squad . The film shows graphical images of a young dead boy who has been surgically implanted with an unexploded bomb discovered by William James (Jeremy Renner).The flawless tight editing of this film gives a very realistic scene of war wrecked Baghdad beautifully composed by director Kathryn Bigelow.

The film has already won the BAFTA 2010 Best Film and speculations are high that it would sweep away this year’s Oscar too.

‘Up in the Air’ star George Clooney is up for the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of corporate downsizer Ryan Bingham, while the film’s female stars Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick will both battle it out for the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role prize.

‘Inglourious Basterds’ sees its’ stars up for the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role for Christoph Waltz and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for Diane Kruger.

‘Precious…’ – full title ‘Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire’ – will compete with ‘Inglourious Basterds’ for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture accolade, while Gabourey Sidibe competes with Diane for the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role gong.

Mo’nique earns the film its final nomination after being listed in the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role category.

The nominees were announced by Chris O’Donnell and Michelle Monaghan this morning (17.12.09) and the televised ceremony takes place on January 23 at the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles.

The SAGs are considered a good indication of who will win Oscars at the Academy Awards the next month.

16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards full list of nominees:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role:

Jeff Bridges – ‘Crazy Heart’

George Clooney – ‘Up In The Air’

Colin Firth – ‘A Single Man’

Morgan Freeman – ‘Invictus’

Jeremy Renner – ‘The Hurt Locker’

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role:

Sandra Bullock – ‘The Blind Side’

Helen Mirren – ‘The Last Station’

Carey Mulligan – ‘An Education’

Gabourey Sidibe – ‘Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire’

Meryl Streep – ‘Julie and Julia’

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role:

Matt Damon – ‘Invictus’

Woody Harrelson – ‘The Messenger’

Christopher Plummer – ‘The Last Station’

Stanley Tucci – ‘The Lovely Bones’

Christoph Waltz – ‘Inglourious Basterds’

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role:

Penélope Cruz – ‘Nine’

Vera Farmiga – ‘Up In The Air’

Anna Kendrick – ‘Up In The Air’

Diane Kruger – ‘Inglourious Basterds’

Mo’nique – ‘Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire’

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture:

‘An Education’

‘The Hurt Locker’

‘Inglourious Basterds’

‘Nine’

‘Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire’

Lifetime Achievement Award:

Betty White

Source: BANG Showbiz

The ‘30 Rock’ star is co-hosting next year’s ceremony with Steve Martin and believes there are higher expectations on the comic actor because he has fronted the Oscars ceremony before.

He quipped: “It is all on Steve. Steve Martin has done this before, while for me it is the first time. All the pressure is on Steve Martin.”

Despite his confidence, the actor is still amazed he was given the job and keeps waiting for someone to cancel his booking.

He joked: “I am doing it until they change their mind. I do have some preparations, but it is a secret.”

Steve – who fronted the 73rd and 75th Academy Awards – and Alec are the first people to co-host the ceremony since the first Oscars show in 1929.

Producers Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic said: “We think the team of Steve and Alec are the perfect pair of hosts for the Oscars.

“Steve will bring the experience of having hosted the show in the past and Alec will be a completely fresh personality for this event.”

The 82nd Academy Awards take place on March 7 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.

Source: BANG Showbiz

The comedians will be the first people to co-host the ceremony as a pair since the first Oscars show in 1929.

Steve joked: “I am happy to co-host the Oscars with my enemy Alec Baldwin.”

Steve – who has presented the show twice before – earned an Emmy Award nomination for his first turn in 2001, but this will be the first time ‘30 Rock’ star Alec has taken on hosting duties.

Referring to Steve’s musical abilities, Alec joked: “I don’t play the banjo but I’m thrilled to be hosting the Oscars – it’s the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Oscars producers Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic said: “We think the team of Steve and Alec are the perfect pair of hosts for the Oscars.

“Steve will bring the experience of having hosted the show in the past and Alec will be a completely fresh personality for this event.”

Baldwin was Oscar-nominated in 2004 for his role in ‘The Cooler’ and won consecutive Emmy awards for his role in ‘30 Rock’, which Martin has also guest-starred in.

Among the actors expected to receive nominations at the 82nd Academy Awards, which take place on March 7, are Meryl Streep for ‘Julie and Julia’, Christoph Waltz for ‘Inglourious Basterds’ and George Clooney for ‘Up In The Air’.

Critically acclaimed drama ‘Precious’ – starring singer Mariah Carey – is widely-tipped to receive the nod for Best Picture.

Source: BANG Showbiz