February 2008 - Tribute.ca

Juno
Although the momentum has been building
on this offbeat comedy since
Christmas, it may not quite be enough to
carry it to the finish line.Juno
,directed by
Montreal native Jason Reitman,focuses on
a pregnant teenage girl who searches for
the perfect parents to adopt her unborn
baby. Juno features a confidently quirky
performance by Halifax-born fireball Ellen
Page. It’s already scooped up numerous
awards this season and has garnered lots
of critical acclaim. All this attention will
add to buzz but don’t expect a podium finish
come Oscar night. If it does, it would
be quite a nice little coup.
There Will Be Blood
A movie that delivers on the promise (or
threat) of its title, There Will Be Blood is
Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic tale of oil and
greed. Daniel Day-Lewis is magnificent as
ruthless oil tycoon Daniel Plainview. The
movie has been called Anderson’s “Citizen
Kane”and like that film,it may not be fully
appreciated for years to come. For example,
the movie’s climax has polarized critics—some
have called it illogical, others
found it perfectly fitting. That disagreement
may be enough to scuttle the film’s
chances come Oscar night.
Michael Clayton
Even though Michael Clayton wasn’t a
knock out at the box office, it has garnered
buzz for its great script and stellar
cast (including George Clooney,
Tom Wilkinson and Tilda Swinton).
Clooney plays the title role—an inhouse
“fixer” at one of the largest corporate
law firms in New York. It’s a
potboiler of the first order and
although Michael Clayton is a terrific
film, the competition for Best Picture is
just too tough for this one to walk
away with the hardware.
—Tom Jokic
www.tribute.ca Tribute FEBRUARY 2008
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