It is Steve Coogan's world, and we are all just living in it.

Note:  Over the coming weeks I will be writing about the Oscars, giving you my personal, sometimes very idiosyncratic, picks on who or what should win (whether they were nominated or not), and then give you my opinion on who is likely to win from the nominees.  Today I am going to speak about Steve Coogan.

There is a very funny moment near the end of Michael Winterbottom's film, The Trip, which stars Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, essentially "playing" themselves.

As the two actors tuck in to a large English breakfast, Brydon asks Coogan to just what lengths he would go to for a BAFTA award.  Then, Brydon ups the stakes:  "Best Actor.  Academy Award winner, Steve Coogan."  Coogan eventually concedes that he would consider letting his child suffer through a brief bout of appendicitis  -- the child would recover fully -- in order to win Best Actor.  Of course, they are joking.  (Right?)

Naturally, Coogan did win a BAFTA television award for his performance in The Trip.  (The film version that I am referring to is actually an edited version of a British television series.) And, he won a couple more BAFTA TV awards last year for resurrecting his Alan Partridge character in Alan Partridge:  Welcome to the Places of My Life.

But, now is the big time, and perhaps we should check on his daughter's health, because Coogan is not only up for some big time BAFTA film awards but he is up for some Oscars, as well.  He is not up for Best Actor, but is up for Best Adapted Screenplay (with his co-writer, Jeff Pope), and, because he is one of the producers, Best Picture (Philomena), too.

Philomena was certainly one of my favorite films of last year, and I think it is deserving of its nomination.  And, I am very proud of Coogan for bringing this story to the cinema, and assembling a great team (Stephen Frears directs and Dame Dench is up for Best Actress again -- rightfully so) to get it done.  But, I am also just as proud for him for his performance in another film that is getting absolutely no mention at all this awards season, which is What Maisie Knew.

Which is why if I were King Academy Award, I would give the Best Supporting Actor Award to Steve Coogan for his performance in What Maisie Knew.

Onata Aprile and Steve Coogan in What Maisie Knew

Although, unfortunately for Mr Coogan, if I were King Academy Award I would give the Best Adapted Screenplay Award not to Coogan and Pope for Philomena but to Nancy Doyne and Carroll Cartwright for What Maisie Knew and have them share that award with Tom Stoppard for his screenplay for the HBO miniseries, Parade's End.

What is actually likely to happen is Jared Leto will win  Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Dallas Buyer's Club, which is perfectly fine by me; and either Terence Winter (The Wolf of Wall Street) or John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) will win Best Adapted Screenplay.  Right now I am leaning towards Ridley for the award, but that could change right at the last minute.

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This household loves ourselves some Steve Coogan, and part of me would like to see him do something outrageous if he wins an Oscar.  But, I do not think he stands much of a chance in either category.  And, he was very well behaved at the Golden Globes, too, sharing the stage with the real Philomena.  In any event, I think Mr Coogan's daughter, Clare, can rest easy, and make the trip to Hollywood with her Da.












Mwah, ... 

What Maisie Knew comes

Extremely highly recommended from the Wife and I.  Starring Julianne Moore, Steve Coogan, and six year old child, Onata Aprile, as Maisie, this is one of the finest films the Wife and I have seen in years.

The film is a modern update on Henry James' novel of the same name, and is remarkable for the superb method of forcing the audience to see the entire action through the naive, extremely objective eyes of a six year old.  This is accomplished with a masterful panache, appearing nearly artless.  The audience does notice that much of the action is shot at Maisie's eye level, but there are also things that the script does, like leaving out key details of incidents in the plot, details that Maisie prob would not have heard, or even understood or cared about if she did hear.  I also think that some of the acting choices that the directors and the actors came up with, notably sequences where Maisie is overhearing an argument or a discussion amongst the adults in her life, are played flat, as if to reinforce the feeling that Maisie is hearing a type of language she recognizes, but does not fully comprehend at her tender age.

The film also projects a subtle, yet definite sense of dread or fear for Maisie's personal well-being throughout.  Renee and I were particular invested in the action of the film, reacting verbally at many of the twists and turns as the story unfolds.

I loved all the performances in the film, including all four adult leads -- Steve Coogan really stood out to me, as a completely self-involved art dealer, who has absolutely no ability whatsoever to connect, comprehend, or communicate with his own daughter; and the Wife was particularly taken with Ms Moore's performance -- but, the real star of this picture is Aprile.  There is even talk that she might garner an Academy Award nomination.  I am absolutely flabbergasted how they found her, and coaxed such a sweet, frankly European objective performance from her.  She is amazing. Even if she never acted again, she has this under her belt.  She could retire right now, literally on top.  (Perhaps she should.)

I know next to nothing about the directing team that made this extremely touching and honest film. It was directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, and Maisie is their fifth film.  Perusing their cv, I notice that they have done a few thrillers, and that definitely comes across in very subtle shadings in this movie.  I really can not compare this film to many others in style.  The closest comparison I have would be to Cary Fukunaga's excellent Jane Eyre of 2011.  Both are adaptations of famous novels,and both are expertly told through the eyes of their lead character. Plus, both films are seamlessly layered with fraught moving moments of suspense.

I am going to rifle through McGehee and Siegel's previous work, and keep you updated.

Definitely see this film, folks.  Of course, catch it in a theater if you can, but see it.