lifestyle MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Featurs Oscars: Will finally land a director nomination? his year’s director race is all about the other British biopic of the year, “The Not look promising Hollywood drama “Birdman or (The pair of actor-directors who could be last- the Oscar virgins. Most of the con- Theory of Everything,” directed by James But the burning question in the race Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” minute game changers. Clint Eastwood’s Ttenders in the running-starting Marsh. is if the Academy will finally come to its despite the film’s polarizing third act. “American Sniper” hasn’t officially with Richard Linklater (“Boyhood”) — For Marsh to land a nod, the doc film- senses and honor the Susan Lucci of the He’ll probably land the Paul Thomas screened yet, but those who have seen it have never been nominated in the cate- maker will need to campaign hard with category. At first glance, the odds might Anderson vote, since the director of “The say it’s another strong effort from the gory before. But one caveat to remem- the narrative that his Stephen Hawking not look promising for Christopher Master” will be sitting out of this year’s prolific director, who hasn’t factored into ber: predictors have been wary of declar- story isn’t just a vehicle for stars Eddie Nolan, who was snubbed for “Dark ceremony for his out-there “Inherent this category since 2007’s “Letters from ing any locks in this competition since Redmayne and Felicity Jones. Marsh laid Knight” trilogy and “.” But Vice.” If Chazelle manages to grab the Iwo Jima.” (He definitely isn’t getting the Academy snubbed sure-thing con- the intricate groundwork for creating “Interstellar” is his most Academy-friend- spot, will there still be nominated for “Jersey Boys.”) And then tenders (“Argo”) and Kathryn such a true-to-life story that made ly film to date-and I mean that as a com- room for the real Bennett Miller? there’s Angelina Jolie, who makes her Bigelow (“Zero Dark Thirty”) two years Hawking himself cry at a screening. pliment. This meditation about love and In 2006, he was the young underdog English-language directing debut with ago, so there’s always the possibility of a Academy voters already love the film-it’s mortality set in outer space feels like when he snagged his first directing nom- “Unbroken.” The movie, about World War few surprises come Jan 15. just a matter of them embracing his top- “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” ination for “Capote.” This year, Miller II Olympic hero Louis Zamperini (the If there’s another good bet in the cat- notch directing. Also circling the compe- doused in Steven Spielberg-esque senti- kicked off the race by claiming the top pitch sound like “The Imitation Game” egory, it’s Norwegian director Morten tition is 29-year-old Damien Chazelle, the mentality. Even if the film is divisive, the directing prize out of Cannes for and “Foxcatcher” combined), will need to Tyldum for “The Imitation Game,” which wunderkind behind “Whiplash.” He could weighted balloting (which uses math “Foxcatcher,” his masterful tragedy about be great to convince stuffy voters who tells the story of World War II code break- be the darkhorse contender that wakes that asks each member to rank their Olympic wrestling brothers Mark and snubbed Affleck that she deserves a seat er Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch). up on Oscar nomination morning with favorites) could help Nolan-all he needs David Schultz (played by Channing at the ceremony as one of the best direc- A prominent Oscar publicist calls him the an unexpected gift (a la Benh Zeitlin for is a passionate group of colleagues to Tatum and Mark Ruffalo). Even if buzz tors of the year. Looking Good: Richard Tom Hooper of this year’s race. Like “Beasts of the Southern Wild”). The dra- champion his $165 million epic. around the picture has cooled somewhat Linklater (“Boyhood”), Morton Tyldum 2010’s “The King’s Speech,” “The Imitation ma about a drummer, starring Miles The elite group of just under 400 as other contenders have entered the (“The Imitation Game”), Alejandro Game” comes with a DNA that Oscar vot- Teller, has been slow at the box office, yet directors who vote on this race tend to competition, Miller’s film will be hard for Inarritu (“Birdman”), Christopher Nolan ers love, including a historic pedigree there’s no denying its director’s strong embrace quirkier filmmakers that take directors to ignore at balloting time. (“Interstellar”) and Bennett Miller and the backing of super campaigner point of view. And it should pick up more artistic risks. Many believe that Alejandro (“Foxcatcher”).—Reuters Harvey Weinstein. Voters will inevitably buzz after the critics awards are Inarritu will earn his second directing Great to convince be comparing “The Imitation Game” to announced. nomination (after 2006’s “Babel”) for his The question marks in the race are a Music legend Les Paul gets hometown honor usic legend Les Paul discovered dedication ceremony Saturday. his penchant for guitar at Born Lester William Polfuss in 1915, Paul MWaukesha Junior High. It’s where built his first crystal radio at age 9, around his teachers recognized his curious nature, the time he first picked up a guitar. Playing answering never-ending questions like it came quickly for Paul, and he performed how electricity got to light switches or why on the school stage that still stands today windows vibrated. Now school officials in Waukesha, about 25 miles (40 kilome- hope Paul’s inspiration and innovative spir- ters) west of Milwaukee. He went on to it rub off on current students. They’ve develop tape echo, multitrack recording renamed the suburban Milwaukee school and overdubs. He was even working on after the country and jazz guitarist, who improving hearing aid technology when he died in 2009, at the age of 94. His son, Rusty Paul, and longtime business manag- er Michael Braunstein said Waukesha was very important to Les Paul, who also sang. He insisted on being buried there even though he lived in New Jersey. “He would be blown away that the fact his hometown thought so much of him that they would this,” said Braunstein, the executive director of the Les Paul Foundation. “This would make Les emo- tional.” The school features Paul’s quotes painted on walls, his name in the gym and a historical display. The foundation funded Woman looks at a painting by artist Stelios Faitakis as she visits the exhibition “Shit and Die” as part of the “Artissima” art fair at Palazzo Cavour, the transition, including sign changes, new a Piedmontese Baroque building of the eighteenth century, on November 5, 2014 in Turin.—AFP photos letterheads and uniforms. The school is also working with a music education chari- ty, Little Kids Rock, in New Jersey to train two teachers in modern band to interest Show brings whiff of controversy to Turin more students in music, Bennett said. The Les Paul Foundation is also working with urin is seeking to cement its place as a major stop on the Wisconsin Center for Music Education the international contemporary art circuit by hosting on curriculum related to Les Paul’s contri- “Shit and Die”-an exhibition that, organizers stress, is This undated photo provided by the Les T butions to culture for grades 4 and 5. not about faeces or death. The collection of works from Paul Foundation, shows Lester Polfuss, It’s being tested at a Madison area mid- some 50 artists, including Britain’s Sarah Lucas, opened to who later became known as Les Paul.— dle school and will be available nationwide the public Thursday and will run until January 11 at the AP photos online in 2015 through the foundation’s city’s Palazzo Cavour. website. Waukesha has also honored Paul Its launch coincides with the opening of the annual also developed technology and recording with a Les Paul Parkway, a band shell Artissima contemporary art fair in the northern Italian city, techniques that set the standard in the named the Les Paul Performance Center which is best known as the home of Fiat and Juventus music industry. and a permanent exhibit at the Waukesha football club but is seeking to forge a future as a cultural Principal Rob Bennett said it seems to County Museum. Rusty Paul, who lives in hub. The “Shit and Die” collection was curated by provoca- be working: Paul and his innovations, like Ramsey, New Jersey, said music dignitaries tive Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, best-known for his the solid bodied electric guitar, come up talk about his dad all the time. “I miss the work depicting the late Pope Jean-Paul II felled by a mete- often. “You can kind of see that ‘ah ha’ guy and I wish he was still here,” he said. or. moment for them of, ‘It could be me, I “He was important to so many people in Cattelan was briefed to come up with an exhibition that could be that next person.’ So I think that is the industry.”—AP takes the city of Turin as its point of departure. The organ- pretty powerful,” Bennett said ahead of a izers described the result as being a “space that turns into a surrealist dream-or nightmare-where Contessa di Castiglione (the mistress of Napoleon III) rubs elbows with Nietzsche’s ghost while more than 60 artists occupy what used to be the house of Camillo Benso Conte de Cavour, (the) invisible but still present head of household.” And at the risk of being castigated for pretension, they defended the use of the provocative title for the exhibi- tion, which they said was a reference to artist Bruce Nauman’s 1984 work “One Hundred Live and Die”. “It (the title) sums up life reduced to its simplest and most uni- versal elements, which is exactly what the show is about,” Artissima said. “Torino (Turin), its history and its stories are treated like signs that, when translated through the syntax of contemporary art, shape into a wider statement on the complexity of human beings and the torments of life.”—AFP People visit the exhibition “Shit and Die” as part of the “Artissima” art fair.

A student helps prepare for a school renaming ceremony.

A man stands in front of a piece by artist Eric Doeringer called “The Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan presents the exhibition “Shit and Die”. Hug” showing 40.000 One dollar bills. Picture Tree grows pacts for Paulo Coehlo’s biopic ‘Pilgrim’

erlin-based Picture Tree has scored a raft of for his work. He flirted with death, escaped mad- deals on Paulo Coehlo’s biopic “The Pilgrim- ness, experimented with drugs, overcame torture, Bthe Best Story of Paulo Coelho.” The pic, made rock-and-roll history in Brazil, and found which was penned by Carolina Kotscho (“2 Sons of fame as a writer. “The Pilgrim” is produced by Sao Francisco”) and helmed by docu filmmaker Daniel Paulo-based company Dama Filmes, and Spain’s Augusto (“Amazonia Desconhecida”), sold to South Babel Films. Picture Tree is now closing Spain, Italy, Korea (Micon), Poland (Kino Swiat), Czech Republic Turkey, Taiwan and France and is targeting an (Cinemart), Hungary (Anjou Lavayette), Former international premiere for the movie at the Yugoslavia (2i Film) and CIS/Baltics (Luxor Berlinale. Meanwhile, Picture Tree sold “Suck Me Entertainment). Shakespeer” (“Fack Ju Goethe”) to Future Film Coelho’s 30 novels-including “The Alchemist” Group for Scandinavia and A-Z Films for French- and “Adultery”-have been translated into 80 lan- speaking Canada. Ocean Film release the movie in guages, distributed in 224 countries and sold more France on Nov 13 on approximatively 100 screens, A sign shows the new name of what once was Central Middle School, which was than 165 million copies.”The Pilgrim” retraces followed by Italy (Medusa) and Spain (Splendor) in changed to Les Paul Middle School. Coelho’s own story, which was the chief inspiration early 2015.—Reuters Paulo Coehlo