Alexander Payne

Steve Zaillian Earns 2 WGA Nominations; Woody Allen, Diablo Cody & Alexander Payne Also In The Race

Scorecards will be adjusted and awards prognosticator types will have to adjust their bets, as the WGA have revealed their nominees for their annual awards. Why do we care? The guilds have traditionally been the best augurs for how the Oscar nominees will take shape, mostly because these are the sam...

Best Films of 2011

If there were ever a year to be wimpy and declare a tie, this would have been it: choosing between my Number 1 and Number 2 films was just silly. One is big, the other smaller; both are ambitious and perfectly made, but in wildly different ways. I adore them both.

Honor Roll 2011 | Alexander Payne On 'The Descendants' and Why it's a Minor Work

Alexander Payne is in a good mood, or at least a little more chipper than usual. If the consensus means anything, the man behind such noted black comedies as "Election" and "About Schmidt" has yet to break his winning streak. Seven years have passed since his last feature, "...

David Cronenberg Opts Out Of Adaptation Of Dennis Lehane's 'Animal Rescue'; Alexander Payne & George Clooney Sought To Direct

As far as book-to-movie adaptations go, Dennis Lehane has had an enviable track record. While he's only had three novels brought to the big screen, they've resulted in both critical acclaim and box office success, with "Mystic River," "Gone Baby Gone" and "Shutter Is...

2011's Potential Oscar Nominees For Acting, Directing & Writing Get Together To Talk At THR's Awards Roundtable

One of the necessities for any Oscar candidate is to do a lot of smiling, gladhanding interviews where they answer the same questions over and over again. An antidote to this madness is the annual Hollywood Reporter Roundtable Interviews. They’re awesome. You take six leading Oscar potentials ...

National Board Of Review Gives Best Picture & Director To 'Hugo'; Tilda Swinton & George Clooney Take Acting Awards

Critical Consensus: Maltin vs. James

In this installment of Critical Consensus, Leonard Maltin and Caryn James debate whether "The Artist" is a stunt and agree that Michelle Williams in "My Week WIth Marilyn" definitely is not.

16 New Images From Alexander Payne's 'The Descendants' Starring George Clooney; Plus Roll-Out Expansion Plan Schedule

Everyone seems to be talking to director Alexander Payne these days thanks to the festival success of his latest feature, "The Descendants." That is, except for The Playlist (*bitter tears*). Such is life. The director recently sat down with both the New York Times and L.A. Times for in-de...

The Descendants

Watching a film as mature, moving, original and unpredictable as ‘The Descendants’ renews my faith in American movies, and reaffirms Alexander Payne’s status as one of our most gifted storytellers. He has also bestowed the gift of an exceptional role on George Clooney, who gives th...