BAFTAS

The BAFTA's always seem to fill me with an odd combination of emotions , something between being  inspired , proud , excited with an inevitable edge of envy. As usual Stephen Fry was on top form as the night's host , bounding with British humour and a tad too many humorous references to his sexuality in my opinion. It was certainly a spectacular year , with many many famous faces in attendance and for once in a while one film did not overshadow the rest ; halleluyah!

5 things right about 2013 Bafta's
1.The very British Bond picking up Outstanding British Film
2. Billy Connelly dubbing the Bafta trophy 'a death mask on a stick' , he has a point they have a slightly dark era to them , perhaps a change is in order?
3.Daniel Day Lewis and his ability to mock himself for his over method acting , as always he deserves the top prize.
4.David O Russell thanking his son in an amiable acceptance speech for best screenplay.
5. The Imposter winning , and sigh the Academy can't even give it a nomination.

6 things wrong about 2013 Bafta's
1. Paloma Faith's opening , was everyone at the Grammy's?
2. Tarantino turning the tables and enforcing Bafta to feel grateful for his support of their organisation , a little to blase and nonchalant for my liking.
3. Chris Tucker , I had to immediately slam down the volume , he just has an irritable voice.
4. Someone on twitter quipped Anne Hathaway's acceptance speech longer than her screen time , perhaps true indeed , too much of a shaky hyperbole of humbleness and surprise.
5.Eddie Redmayne sick , not an ideal time for illness.
6. Is it just me or were a lot of winners absent?

I am admittedly slightly synical in character and thus I found more things wrong than I did right , even though I had more things to agree with than most years. Above all I am just upset that my invite happened to get lost in the post again , Royal Mail ey? What are we to do?  To repeat I'm glad that the winners varied across films , however I found Argo slightly bland and feel it did not deserve it's winnings. Perhaps it was just a process of elimination , I mean Hooper , Bigelow , Lee and Spielberg have all been there before - did they simply want something new? Anyway mostly I'm happy , Ang Lee should have got more appreciation for the tremendous achievement of turning the unfilmable in to a magnificent cinematic adventure. As per Bafta make me feel proud to be British , I feel we are just simply more civilised than the over rehearsed speeches , bouts of performances and the inevitable cheese of American awards shows. Now I'm left a bit dumb founded , I have no idea what will win the Oscars , none what so ever. Meanwhile I will continue practising my Bafta winners speech , and waiting for my invite.

Zero Dark Thirty

What's it all about? Much like Argo , Zero Dark Thirty dramatises another secret government mission , although this time it follows the recent hunt for al - Qaeda terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden ; which ultimately culminated in his death on 6 May 2011. 

Starring? Jessica Chastain , Joel Edgerton , Chris Pratt 

I remember clearly the announcement of Bin Laden's death last year , strangely enough it was my birthday and the royal wedding had occurred only a few days prior ; nonetheless it was an uplifting long weekend. Within this however lies a key dilemma for the film-maker , how can one build up edge-of-your-seat suspense when the entire audience is well aware of the missions success? Somehow director Katherine Bigelow manages , despite the 153 minutes , to execute a film that is constantly intriguing  and plentiful with suspense. Bin Laden's death is inevitable , and yet we are incredibly captivated by how indeed the secret services got there. It is a though rally entertaining film , Bigelow and writer Mark Boal show a clear skill in portraying the entire American 'war on terror' in the length of a single film. Its acted tremendously , with a generous cast and some well known faces popping up unexpectantley from time to time. Chastain gives a confident and authentic performance as the lead , providing films answer to Homeland's Carrie Mathison , only without the bipolar. It is is unarguably a brilliantly executed film , surpassing the mark with performances , dialogue , effects and cinematography. However  my issue with Zero Dark Thirty lies amidst the well accomplished action.  It does not shy away from placing torture in front of the audience , stating clearly that these methods were used to successfully find a terrorist. It unarguably edges towards being pro-torture and yet I find it almost brave that aside from its opinion it presents the matter so frankly. On the other hand Zero Dark Thirty makes me slightly uneasy , the release of restricted government files so soon after the incident makes me extremely sceptical ; is this propaganda?  Certainly America is conveyed as the empowered heroes , with little time reflecting on the effect the 'war on terror' has had on the Middle East. Perhaps it is the British in me talking , but I found myself being reminded of certain Team America scenes , the portrayal of almighty America distracts from the skill of the film making. The propagandist elements lets it down somewhat , yet looking past this it is an achievement for all involved , capturing tension  in a way that Argo fails to do. I am left with one question for The Academy , where's Bigelow's nomination?

Verdict? 4.5 Stars , hugely entertaining and captivating propaganda. 

Catcher In The Rye

Ok so it's not a film , and judging by Salinger's distaste for the industry we aren't going to see a cinematic version any time soon. Anyhow I thought I'd change it up and review a book I just finished . Catcher In The Rye follows a young Holden Caulfieds bildungsroman , in which he gets kicked out of school and well wonders around New York smoking a lot. Alas , there is much more too Catcher In The Rye than Caulfield's odd encounters and his rambling complaints about anything and everything phony.  Beneath the chatter is an adolescent struggling with adulthood , seeing himself as the hunter catching childhood in the rye before it falls away. I suppose at seventeen in my last year of education I do somewhat relate. It's almost like a masculine Bell Jar , but with more wit and frankness. The plot merges together in a hazy motion , reading more like an almost montage , blurred by memory. The narrative is interestingly childish and boyishly rude all together , the prose is clean and offers a strangely entertaining perception of reality. An engaging and a tragically authentic coming of age ,  not a markably refined sense of plot but heartfelt nonetheless. It is somewhat in-concise , yet a confusingly enjoyable read - at 218 pages its well worth the time.

Verdict? 4 Stars , symbolic , witty and perceptive yet struggles to evoke an emotional response.

Oscar Nominations

Best Picture

Amour / Life Of Pi / Argo / Lincoln / Beats Of The Southern Wild / Silver Linings Playbook / Django Unchained / Zero Dark Thirty / Les Miserables

Verdict? The obvious suggestion is that Lincoln ill leave victorious , however part of me wonders if this will be a controversial year for the Oscars and Argo or Les Mis may take the top prize? 

Best Actor 

Bradley Cooper / Joaquin Phoenix / Daniel Day Lewis / Denzel Washington / Hugh Jackman

Verdict? The winner will be Day-Lewis , and while I'm content I also think it's time for someone else to win , Phoenix' performance in The Master was extraordinary and worth commending. 

Best Actress

Jessica Chastain / Jennifer Lawrence / Emmanuelle Riva / Quevenzhane Wallis / Naomi Watts

Verdict? I see Chastain as the winner , while Lawrence is  skillful actress she deserved it more for Winters Bone than Silver Linings , Watts also gave a tremendous performance in The Impossible. 

Best Supporting Actor 

Alan Arkin / Robert De Niro / Philip Seymour Hoffman / Tommy Lee Jones / Christoph Waltz

Verdict? The obvious choice is Christoph Waltz , he does deserve it too he is a terrific actor. 

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams / Sally Field / Anne Hathaway / Helen Hunt / Jacki Weaver

Verdict? Hathaway will win and rightly so for that heart rendition rendition of I dreamed a dream , and for stealing the show with less than 20 minutes screen time. Although I pity Adams who's seems to always crop up and never win , she undoubtedly deserved it more for The Fighter than for The Master though. 

Best Director 

Michael Haneke / Benh Zeitlin / Ang Lee / Steven Spielberg / David O Russell

Verdict? I see no other option than Spielberg taking the prize , although perhaps the academy will surprise us. I am yet too see Beasts. so I can't comment on Zeitlin , I will hope however that Lee gets some recognition for his extraordinarily mesmerising direction of Life Of Pi. 

Best Adapted Screenplay 

Chris Terrio (Argo) / Benh Zeitlin & Lucy Alibar (Beasts.) / David Magee (Life Of Pi) / Tony Kushner (Lincoln) / David O Russell (Silver Linings Playbook)

Verdict? Russell's screenplay was unique , witty and surprisingly respectable for a rom-com , Argo was cleverly paced and formed so Terrio is also worth commending. Magee took the difficult job of transforming Pi onto screen but despite all this I can only picture the award being handed to Kushner. 

Best Original Screenplay 

Michael Haneke (Amour) / Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained ) / John Gatins (Flight) / Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola (Moonrise Kingdom) / Mark Boal (Zero Dark Thirty)

Verdict? I would love Moonrise Kingdom to win for its off beat , odd and rare take at a sort of rom-com , but I think Tarantino will take the prize for this one. 

What's right and wrong about this years nominations?

5 things right about 2013 nominations: 

1. Well done academy you've nominated a rom com , a foreign film and an indie ; how diverse!
2. Moonrise Kingdom for best original screenplay , such a nostalgic and charmingly original idea.
3. Bafta nominating seven physcopaths for outstanding British film , it has been underrated and was hugely unique coupled with a brilliantly witty and intelligent script.
4. Bafta rising stars , Elizabeth Olsen , Juno Temple please.
5. Headhunters being nominated for a Bafta , what an extraordinary thriller , the script was excellently clever and provided an extremely intriguing watch.


9 things wrong about this years nominations:
1. The lack of Eddie Redmayne in best supporting actor category for Les Mis , did anyone watch and hear empty chairs and empty tables?
2. Where is John Hawkes nomination? The topic may be odd but his performance in The Sessions was incredible!
3. Bradley Cooper is not an Oscar worthy actor , just because he frowned a little , shouted about Ernest Hemingway and was directed by David O Russel.
4. The probable fate that Lincoln will walk away with most , yes its Spielberg and Day Lewis but yes its long , boring and it's time to  give someone else a go.
5. Leonardo DiCaprio missing out once more , I feel like most people forget he is actually a very good actor ,  forget Titanic and think Gilbert Grape.
6. If you're going to nominated O Russel for some shots of Cooper throwing books and Lawrence dancing the how about Juan Antonio Bayona's The Impossible , those magnificent scenes of the tsnunami and the shots that captured the aftermath of tragedy have since been undermined.
7. What about The Impostor for best documentary? A rare story that proves truth may be stranger than fiction , executed in such a chilling and captivating manner its hard to forget. Although the acedemy gave it a miss fortunately Bafta saw the light.
8. Bafta nominating The Master for original screenplay , it was increadibly unsteady , unsure of itself and at most oddly confusing.
9. Bafta , why have you nominated Ben Affleck for best actor , did you notice he only changed his facial expression once during Argo's entirety? A certain song from Team America comes to mind....

The Sessions

What's it about? Inspired by a true story , a man who uses an iron lung seeks a sex surrogate in order to loose his virginity. 

Starring? John Hawkes , Helen Hunt , William H Macy 


An unusual topic at most , something many may steer clear of , and yet The Sessions is refreshingly unique. The issue of severe disability is handled with delicate grace and good humour , providing a somewhat different outlook. The story of Mark O Brian may not seem extraordinary , but what may seem a small leap for many is an incredible feat for him. It's unconventional  , almost touching on taboo but it provides a healthily different perception of sex that marks a stark contrast from the cleches of many blockbusters. Hawkes gives a stellar performance as paralysed O Brian , he utterly commits to the part and although his performance is physically limited he is still able to convey his characters' insight to the audience. Helen Hunt also provides an wonderful support , bringing an uplifting sense of ease to the film which is much needed. Hunt's performance is brave and she manages to execute the role with comfortable elegance that many actress' would struggle to achieve.  Lewin's script is well paced , charmingly frank , humorous and handles the odd topic with masterful skill. The sessions is ultimately touching , a truly authentic story that makes a brilliant change from the norm. I feel it an utter disgrace that Hawkes has lost out on a nomination , especially considering the likes of Bradley Cooper made it. Finally Lewin's direction as polio sufferer himself creates a film that is brilliantly heartfelt and a watch that is not easily forgotten.

Verdict? 4.5 stars , a witty yet touching tale brilliantly executed. 

Golden Globes

The Golden Globes 2013 , the expected glamour , some unexpected winners and most of all an array of heart felt , witty and articulate acceptance speeches. Certainly the surprise success of Ben Affleck's Argo has shaken the nominations of The Academy Awards in late February . Affleck himself was excluded from the Best Director Category and many had counted on Lincoln leaving with the big awards. Amy Poehler and Tina Fey did an excellent job bringing mostly guilt free humour to the show , and providing an adequate replacement to Ricky Gervais. The awards season has truly begun with a bang. 

The 6 best moments:
1. The entirety of Tina Fey's and Amy Poehler's opening duologue.
2.Daniel Day Lewis doing the ET finger.
3. Jodie Fosters tearful speech.
4. Will Ferell and Kristin Wiig presenting an award.
5.  That Adele / Daniel Craig high five.
6. Glenn Close drunk.

The 5 worst moments:
1. Taylor Swifts moment of jealousy as Adele wins 'best song'
2. Listening to each person doing their best French pronunciation of 'Les Miserables'
3. Leonardo DiCaprio missing out once more.
4. Qunetin Tarintino's foul backstage language.
5. The silence between Selma Hayek and Paul Rudd when the Teleprompter failed.


The top 6 quotes of the night:
1. "When it comes to torture I trust the lady who spent three years married to James Cameron" (Amy Poehler)
2.  "I have never seen someone so totally alone and abandoned like that since you were on stage with James Franco at the Oscars" (Tina Fey , referring to Anne Hathaway)
3. "I want to dedicate this to my mum , who I know is up there tonight looking down on me ... and telling everyone around up there how well her son is doing in acting" (Damien Lewis)
4. "Oh..what does it say? I beat Meryl!" (Jennifer Lawrence)
5.  "Oh my god! Honestly I've come for a night out with my friend Ida , we're new mums ....I was not expecting this! Thank you so much! Oh my god! " (Adele)
6. "You know what Taylor Swift? You stay away from Michael J Fox's son. " (Tina Fey)