The King’s Speech: A BAFTA breakdown

Posted on February 17, 2011. Filed under: Movies to see before you die, Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , |

The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed a lack of awards chatter on the blog this year.  This is for two reasons. Firstly, having written posts the last two years I’m not sure there’s anything new I can bring to the party when it comes to debating the differences in the British and American voting systems; and secondly, I’ve been completely useless at getting to the cinema since I started my new degree and so have seen very few of the nominated films

Last night however, I finally managed to get myself to Leicester Square again for a long overdue appointment with The King’s Speech. As one of the last people in the universe to see this film, I thought rather than write you a straight review repeating what everyone has already said about how this really is a groundbreaking piece of cinema, I’d break it down in terms of last week’s BAFTA sweep, with one eye on the coming Oscars at the same time.  Kind of two birds with one stone.

Best Film (and Outstanding British Film)

Well, this one is a bit of a no brainer.  The King’s Speech is not a film I would ordinarily seek out, but the trailers caught my eye and once the critics started going insane about it I knew I had to get to the cinema.  I think the best thing about this film is the way it focusses a very down to Earth problem in an impossibly ostentatious setting.  Not being able to express yourself is one of the most frustrating feelings, and combatting that as someone who is supposed to speak for the nation is a very strong starting point for a story.  It could have worked just as well as a film about a normal man with a stammer, but the fact that he is a kind of second-choice King brings a grounded humanity to the character which has the audience really rooting for him.  It’s a testament to both the direction and the performances (more on that later) that we can feel a connection with a family who are as far removed from the common man in the cinema as you can possibly get.

An undeniably deserving BAFTA win, but I’m not sure it’ll repeat the success at the Oscars.  I’d like it to, but I have a feeling True Grit or The Social Network might take it.

Original Screenplay

It’s a very British screenplay: filled with emotion but in an incredibly understated way that suits the tone of the film perfectly.  There are some, now infamous, scenes which will probably stick in the collective memory for a long time, but some of the more subtle moments are what gives this film its class.  Two particular moments for me were when Bertie (if Lionel can call him that so can I!) is coming to terms with the fact that he’s going to become King, and the final scene where he delivers his speech.  That last movement is so wrought with tension it shows just how much we’ve invested in the characters.

As far as the Oscars go, I can’t call this one.

Original Music-Alexandre Desplat

I’d spotted this win before I went so I was keeping one ear on the music while I watched.  It’s a gracefully understated score, with simple piano and strings mirroring the drama in a totally non-invasive way.  I’m definitely going to have a listen to it again now that I’ve seen the film to properly admire the work that went into it. He’s in with a shot at the Oscars, but Zimmer might just beat him to it.

Supporting Actor-Geoffrey Rush

For me, Rush very nearly steals the film out from underneath Firth.  He is instantly likeable and wonderfully down to Earth.  His complete lack of reverence for the monarch is fantastic, and r elatable in our increasingly non-royalist culture.

I went in expecting to see a knock out performance from Firth, but Rush really surprised me.  I shouldn’t have been shocked really, he’s always good in eveerything he does.  I really hope he gets the recognition he deserves at the Oscars.  If he doesn’t I think it might go to Bale.

Supporting Actress-Helena Bonham-Carter

I can go either way with Helena Bonham-Carter.  I’m never quite sure what I think of her but she tends to be better than I expect her to be.  That’s definitely true in this case. She gives an very strong performance with just the right amount of dry wit and tenderness.  I think she’s got serious competition from Hailee Steinfeld at the Oscars but I’m glad she got the British award for a classically British character.

Leading Actor-Colin Firth

Well, this is what everyone is talking about isn’t it?  In the last few years, Colin Firth has remembered that he is an actor and a very good one at that.  He’s finally got out from under the shadow of the RomComs and Mr Darcy and started making films where he gets to play someone other than the uptight Englishman.

His portrayal of King George feels like it is coming from someone who really knows the man.  He shows both the sensitivity and the strength in his character as well as capturing the exasperation of someone who has a lot to say but cannot say it.  It’s a very respectful depiction, but it’s fearless enough to show him as a human being rather than an untouchable.

He’s in with a very good chance at the Oscars. And I really hope he wins, because he deserves it.


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“I think I’m gonna have a heart attack and die from not surprised!”

Posted on March 8, 2010. Filed under: News | Tags: , , , |

The winners are announced then, and while I wouldn’t have predicted a sweep from The Hurt Locker initially, after the BAFTAs and the continued hyping by the media it wasn’t exactly shocking when it came away with another 6 awards. The Best Original Screenplay one intrigues me most of all, since there’s rumblings of a law suit from a soldier who says they’ve stolen his story. Not so original then.

Deperate to inject some drama, the news reports were most excited by the fact that Kathryn Bigelow is James Cameron’s ex-wife, with feminists counting a win for the team. I’m sure Jim is at home right now weeping into his $2.5billion.

As for the other winners, the Brits were in with much less of a shot across the pond and it’s no surprise that Jeff Bridges got the Best Actor award.  Sandra Bullock on the other hand…I guess I’ll have to see the film to get it, ‘cos at the moment I just don’t. Especially against Mulligan and Sidibe.

The morning TV was citing a win for Christopher Waltz as a surprise, but again following the BAFTAs it seemed pretty obvious. Same goes for Mo’Nique…and the more I read throught the winners, the more obvious they seem.

So why didn’t I predict all of these back when the nominations were announced? Simple, I hadn’t seen the BAFTAs yet.

A while ago I wrote a post about the differences in the nominations between the BAFTAs and The Oscars, but when it comes down to it, the winners are always very similar. The greatest variation is always in the Best Actor/Actress category, with each nation favouring home grown talent.

The Oscars is the wrap party of the award season, but its later timing means that the winners tend to seem a foregone conclusion by the time we actually hear who they are. Kinda takes the drama out of it to be honest. It’s not even a surprise that Avatar only took home effects awards, because in the end, the effects were the major achievement of the film, and even if the media want some kind of outrage there, I think most people would agree that it took away the awards it deserved.  I’m still not sure what I would have given Best Film to, but I wont restart The Hurt Locker debate.

And the winners are:

BEST PICTURE

The Hurt Locker

BEST DIRECTOR

Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)

BEST ACTOR

Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)

BEST ACTRESS

Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Mo’Nique (Precious)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

El Secreto de Sus Ojos – The Secret in Their Eyes (Argentina)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker)

BEST ANIMATION

Up

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Geoffrey Fletcher (Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire)

BEST ART DIRECTION

Avatar

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Avatar

BEST SOUND MIXING

The Hurt Locker

BEST SOUND EDITING

The Hurt Locker

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

The Weary Kind (theme from Crazy Heart) from Crazy Heart by Ryan Bingham, T Bone Burnett

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Up (Michael Giacchino)

BEST COSTUMES

The Young Victoria

BEST FILM EDITING

The Hurt Locker

BEST MAKE-UP
Star Trek
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Logorama

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

The New Tenants

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Avatar

**Bonus points if you can place the quote**

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BAFTA thoughts

Posted on February 22, 2010. Filed under: News | Tags: , , |

Biggest surprise of the night?  The Hurt Locker came away with 6 awards. I haven’t seen it, so I can’t really argue, but I’ve heard so little about this movie other than it is just very…worthy. I’m a bit concerned that it’s the politically correct choice.

Avatar only managed two, which is less of a surprise, but I think it will do better in America. I’m still not expecting it to win Best Film, though.

Nicholas Hoult was robbed for the Rising Star award, but when you let the public vote anything involving the omnipresent “Twiglet” is bound to win.

Happy that Brits took the Best Actor/Actress masks, and bonus points to Colin Firth for making a speech about fridges. Hooray for Michael Giacchino’s win for the Up score, definitely one to watch for movie music in the future.  Also loved  that the first award of the night went to Duncan Jones, who cried.

Here’s the full list for those who are interested:

Best Film:
The Hurt Locker

Outstanding British Film:
Fish Tank

Director:
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

Actor:
Colin Firth, A Single Man

Actress:
Carey Mulligan, An Education

Supporting Actor:
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Supporting Actress:
Mo’Nique, Precious

Original Screenplay:
The Hurt Locker

Adapted Screenplay:
Up in the Air

Film not in the English Language:
A Prophet

Animated Film:
Up

Cinematography:
The Hurt Locker

Costume Design:
The Young Victoria

Editing:
The Hurt Locker

Make-Up & Hair:
The Young Victoria

Music:
Up

Production Design:
Avatar

Sound:
The Hurt Locker

Visual Effects:
Avatar

Short Animation:
Mother of Many

Short Film:
I Do Air

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer:
Duncan Jones (director, Moon)

Orange Rising Star Award:
Kristen Stewart

Outstanding contribution to British cinema:
Joe Dunton

Bafta Fellowship:
Vanessa Redgrave

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BAFTAs vs Oscars

Posted on February 4, 2010. Filed under: News | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Nominations are out for two of the biggest award cermonies on each side of the pond and I’m sure the designers are already getting over excited. There’s always a few interesting differences between the choices which highlight some taste variations between us Brits and our cousins across the Atlantic so I thought it might be worth taking a look.  So far the biggest difference I’ve noticed is that all the Academy awards have ridiculously over the top names. I mean what the hell is “achievement in music written for motion picture?”  What’s wrong with Best Original Score?  That and the fact that we haven’t had some of the Oscar movies released over hear yet.
My movie hit count is appalling this year, so most of my opinions here are based on hearsay, gossip, rumour and psychic ability, just so you know 😉

Going through all the awards would take me way to long so I’m just doing the biggies. No offence to all you make up artists, editors and short film makers out there.

Best Movie

BAFTA:
Avatar
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Precious
Up in the Air

Oscar:
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire (The Americans love to use that full title)
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

No surprises that Avatar, Up in the Air and Precious make it onto both lists. I’m thinking it’s a shoe in for Avatar. There’s a lot more nominees for the Academy, including Up, which interestingly makes it onto the list for Best Film as well as Best Animated. Not often that a cartoon breaks through, and it’s well deserving of it’s nomination. It wont win this category though.

Best Actor
BAFTA:
Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)
George Clooney (Up in the Air)
Colin Firth (A Single Man)
Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker)
Andy Serkis (Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll)

Oscar:
Jeff Bridges
George Clooney
Colin Firth
Morgan Freeman(Invictus)
Jeremy Renner

Poor Andy Serkis. Never gets awards from the Academy, despite being robbed outrageously at the Oscars back in 02/03. OK, so Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll isn’t out in the US. And a biopic about Ian Drury isn’t exactly going to capture the Yankee imagination but he has to win an Oscar some day!
Other than that the only difference is Invictus which is only just coming out over here. As for predictions, I’ve got my fingers crossed for Andy over here, I’m not sure about America but ‘m thinking wither Renner or Freeman.

Best Actress
BAFTA:
Carey Mulligan (An Education)
Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones)
Gabourey Sidibe (Precious)
Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)
Audrey Tautou (Coco Before Chanel)

Oscar:
Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)
Helen Mirren (The Last Station)
Carey Mulligan
Gabourey Sidibe
Meryl Streep

I think my feelings for Sandra Bullock have been made quite clear so I’m gonna gloss over that one.
I reckon Sidibe has got both here from what I’m hearing about her performance. If not possibly Mulligan over here because An Education got a lot of very positive reviews.

Supporting Actor
BAFTA:
Alec Baldwin (It’s Complicated)
Christian McKay (Me and Orson Welles)
Alfred Molina (An Education)
Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones)
Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)

Oscar:
Matt Damon (Invictus)
Woody Harrelson (The Messenger)
Christopher Plummer (The Last Station)
Stanley Tucci
Christoph Waltz

Quite a few differences here. I’m wondering if Christian McKay might win over here. Gotta say I’m shocked that Alec Bladwin is in there since everything I’ve heard about that movie is bad. I don’t think Matt damon is going to win an Oscar, but I’m not sure who is…

Supporting Actress
BAFTA:
Anne-Marie Duff (Nowhere Boy)
Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air)
Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air)
Mo’Nique (Precious)
Kristin Scott Thomas (Nowhere Boy)

Oscar:
Penélope Cruz (Nine)
Vera Farmiga
Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart)
Anna Kendrick
Mo’Nique

Again, I’m thinking Precious is taking this one. Two nominatons for Up in the Air from the Brits suggest one of those might get it if Mo’Nique doesn’t. Possibly an Oscar for Penelope Cruz…but I think she’s already had one right?

Best Director
BAFTA:
James Cameron (Avatar)
Neill Blomkamp (District 9)
Lone Scherfig (An Education)
Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)
Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds)

Oscar:
James Cameron
Kathryn Bigelow
Quentin Tarantino
Lee Daniels (Precious)
Jason Reitman (Up in the Air)

Another unsurprising list. I think James Cameron will probably get the Oscar, and is quite likely to get the BAFTA too, but he might just be pipped by someone like Blomkamp.  No BAFTA nod for Precious….

Animation
BAFTA:
Coraline
Fantastic Mr Fox
Up

Oscar:
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Up

The Princess and the Frog is only just coming out over here so that explains it’s absence from the BAFTA list. Although I’m not sure it’s Oscar material from the few clips I’ve seen. Probably quite good, and about time Disney had a black heroine, but maybe that’s more the reason it’s getting nominated.  I would like Up to win both.

Music
BAFTA:
Avatar (James Horner)
Crazy Heart (T-Bone Burnett, Stephen Bruton)
Fantastic Mr Fox (Alexandre Desplat)
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (Chaz Jankel)
Up (Michael Giacchino)

Oscar:
James Horner
Alexandre Desplat
The Hurt Locker (Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders)
Sherlock Holmes (Hans Zimmer)
Up

I do remember the music from Up being particularly good, and it’s taken a Globe already. Strangely, the score for Avatar left no impression on me and as someone who usually notices these kind of things that suggests it wasn’t that amazing.  Having not seen the other films I can’t comment. The nominations seem to vary quite a bit between countries, but the same few films are popping up again and again.

Cinematography
BAFTA:
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Road

Oscar:
Avatar
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The White Ribbon

This one really has to be Avatar. The whole point of that film is the cinematography and special effects.  Interesting choice of Harry Potter by the Academy while once again over here we give a nod to District 9 which seems so far to be missing out across the pond.

Special visual effects
BAFTA:
Avatar
District 9
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Star Trek

Oscar:
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

Avatar has this one all tied up.  I thoguth the effects were really good in Star Trek but apparently BAFTA don’t agree with me.

And that’s all folks. Let me know your thoughts on the nominations.  I’m thinking if Avatar doesn’t sweep then we’ll be seeing big wins from Precious and The Hurt Locker in both ceremonies and Inglourious in America.

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Well I wasn’t expecting that!

Posted on January 18, 2010. Filed under: News | Tags: , , , |

I can admit when I’m wrong. As Mad Hatter tried to warn me, The Globes don’t make sense. First of all, a world where Sandra Bullock wins a Best Actress award for a straight role while Meryl Streep gets hers for comedy just confuses me.  I think the Yanks finally got bored of giving awards to Helen Mirren.

I probably should’ve guessed that Avatar would win best film but so far all I hear is that it looks great but has little substance (kind of the bimbo model of the movie world) so I’m still not seeing an Oscar for it. I was right about Director though.

I cannot believe The Hangover beat Nine. That seems to make no sense, and I don’t think anyone predicted Jeff Bridges for Best Actor.  I haven’t even heard of the film, but that’s probably because I have been hideously cut off from the cinema for months.  I am glad Robert Downey Jr won for Sherlock which I will see soon if it kills me and I predicted that Up would get the Animated prize.  I also was right in hoping Giacchino would beat Horner for the score 🙂

Here’s the full list for those who care. Sorry fo rthe stream of consciousness writing.

Best film (drama)
Avatar
Also nominated:
The Hurt Locker
Precious
Up In The Air
Inglourious Basterds

Best film (musical or comedy)
The Hangover
Also nominated:
(500) Days of Summer
It’s Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine

Best director
James Cameron (Avatar)
Also nominated:
Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)
Clint Eastwood (Invictus)
Jason Reitman (Up In The Air)
Quentin Tarantino (Inglorious Basterds)

Best actor (drama)
Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart)
Also nominated:
George Clooney (Up In The Air)
Colin Firth (A Single Man)
Morgan Freeman (Invictus)
Tobey Maguire (Brothers)

Best actress (drama)
Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side)
Also nominated:
Emily Blunt (The Young Victoria)
Helen Mirren (The Last Station)
Carey Mulligan (An Education)
Gabourey Sidibe (Precious)

Best actor (musical or comedy)
Robert Downey Jr (Sherlock Holmes)
Also nominated:
Matt Damon (The Informant!)
Daniel Day-Lewis (Nine)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer)
Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man)

Best actress (musical or comedy)
Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)
Also nominated:
Sandra Bullock (The Proposal)
Marion Cotillard (Nine)
Julia Roberts (Duplicity)
Meryl Streep (It’s Complicated)

Best supporting actor
Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)
Also nominated:
Matt Damon (Invictus)
Woody Harrelson (The Messenger)
Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones)
Christopher Plummer (The Last Station)

Best supporting actress
Mo’Nique (Precious)
Also nominated:
Penelope Cruz (Nine)
Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air)
Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air)
Julianne Moore (A Single Man)

Best foreign language film
The White Ribbon (Germany)
Also nominated:
Baaria (Italy)
Broken Embraces (Spain)
The Maid (Chile)
A Prophet (France)

Best animated feature film
Up
Also nominated:
Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs
Coraline
Fantastic Mr Fox
The Princess and the Frog

Best screenplay
Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner (Up In The Air)
Also nominated:
Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell (District 9)
Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker)
Nancy Meyers (It’s Complicated)
Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds)

Best original song
The Weary Kind (Crazy Heart)
Also nominated:
Cinema Italiano (Nine)
I Want To Come Home (Everybody’s Fine)
I Will See You (Avatar)
Winter (Brothers)

Best original score
Michael Giacchino (Up)
Also nominated:
Marvin Hamlisch (The Informant!)
James Horner (Avatar)
Abel Korzeniowski (A Single Man)
Karen O, Carter Burwell (Where The Wild Things Are)

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I am so behind!

Posted on January 17, 2010. Filed under: News | Tags: , , , , |

You may have noticed that compared to last year there is a deplorable lack of awards chatter on this blog.  I blame my job.  But since it’s the Golden Globes tonight I’m determined to get a few lines up about the upcoming awards.  Unlike last year, there’s no obvious front runner to sweep the trophies this year; no Slumdog, no Benjamin Button, so the competition is kind of wide open.  We all know the Globes are a good indicator of The Oscars, so tonight we’ll be getting a pretty good idea of what’s to come.  Incidentally, if anything does sweep, I think it might be Nine.

A few predictions then.  In the Best Movie (Drama) category I’m thinking probably the wonderfully spelt Inglourious Basterds with the Best Musical/Comedy going to Nine.  Best Actress I expect to go to Helen Mirren, because she always wins, but I think that anyone in that category (except Sandra Bullock) is in with a shot.  Best Actor I’m thinking George Clooney and Best Animated absolutely has to be Up (that’s getting the Oscar too).  I can’t really guess about the Supporting Role awards since I haven’t seen any of the films(!) and Best Director is a tricky one, but I think they just might give it to James Cameron for being brave enough to make Avatar.  Michael Giacchino should be in with a shot for his score of Up,  but James Horner (Avatar) is stiff competition  (I haven’t even heard the score yet but the fact that he wrote it means I have no doubt it’s brilliant).

As for the telly awards, that’s kind of wandering off point a bit, but in my book House wins everything. Except musical, that’s Glee.

I’ll try to keep a bit more on top of these awards. Let me know your predictions!

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I’d like to thank the Academy…

Posted on January 15, 2010. Filed under: Memes and Blogathons, News | Tags: , , |

Award season is upon us. And apparently it’s not just the movie moguls dishing out awards, the lovely lads over at Ross vs Ross are sending them in my direction too!

I don’t know the full story of the “Kreativ Blogger Award.” It seems to be a kind of chain letter of back slapping for bloggers, but it’s always fun to have people write nice things about you and I don’t want to be the one to break the rules, so here they are, (strategically nicked from the Rosses themselves)

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name seven things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate seven Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

Here we go then….

Thank you Ross McG. Thank you Ross McD. I don’t know which of you decided to put me on your list but I love you both for it and the nice things you said about me.  You should all go and read their blog here

And there’s the logo. Cute innit? I learn from Carol that the original was “handmade from fabric scraps by a very creative Norwegian lady named Hulda.” So that’s nice.

As for linking to the Rosses. Well I’ve done that already.

7 interesting things about myself….right then….

um…

  1. I am a middle child. People have a worrying tendency of being able to guess that fact
  2. I am one of 4 members of the formidable Lego Fanclub pub quiz team. We were unbeaten in sixth place for many a season.
  3. I play the saxophone. In the sense that I taught myself how to tame incoherent honking into slightly more ordered honking. I should probably take a few lessons…
  4. Last year I saw The Killers live for free, and I plan to do something very similar again this Summer.
  5. I have a ginger haired troll named Gary who was bought for me as a joke. He lives on top of my wardrobe and generally creeps everybody out.
  6. I’ve been in 3 Operas and plan to be in another 5.
  7. I can juggle. Oh yeah.

On with the nominations. Let the gushing begin.

  1. I’ll start with the gents who began this. Ross vs Ross. For starters it’s a great idea for a blog. Two guys with the same name argue about which movie is better out of a similar pair. It’s such a good idea I’ve stolen it for my own blog before and probably will again.  Until today I was under the impression their page had been up and running for much longer than mine, which shows how good it is and they always manage to make me laugh.
  2. Faded Glamour.  Winning enough awards of his own, Saam probably doesn’t need this one. But he’s gonna get it anyway. It started as a music blog and grew to include movies too (I like to think that’s my influence).  Always very up to date and the person I expect to know about the really great movies and bands that I would otherwise miss out on.
  3. Shortcake and Snap.  This one has absolutely nothing to do with movies.  Neha’s combined her two passions, food and photography, into one yummy blog that looks as delicious as the recipes taste.  Great photos accompany top tips on how to cook and since it’s only been running a few months she gets bonus points for regular posting. I can personally vouch for the lavender cupcakes.
  4. Daniel’s Critical Corner.  This was one of the first blogs I found when I started this whole malarkey and it is guaranteed to make me laugh.  All the way from Albuquerque, Daniel has his own unique take on movie reviewing which will get you thinking about your favourite films in ways you never have before.  He deserves a nomination for his picture captions alone.
  5. Movie Mobsters. This one is a recent discovery for me but I’m liking it more every time I go back. Countdowns, quotes, reviews and more from a team of talented writers. The page also looks great. I need an html tutorial
  6. Fandango Groovers. I can always rely on Andy for a comment and a debate.  His blog has given me some great ideas for posts of my own as well as drawing my attention to movies I’d never heard of.
  7. Let’s Go to the Movies. Caz is a regualr updater who’s always on top of the news. One of my favourite features on her blog is the movie posters, always a teaser of great things to come. Her love of Gerard Butler might bias a few of the reviews, but who can blame her! Always has something I want to read and one of the first places I go.

And that’s that. If anyone actually knows anything about this “award” please fill me in.  Let’s all carry on being lovely to eachother in a kind of facebook note-spam way.

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Tonight’s the Night!

Posted on February 22, 2009. Filed under: News | Tags: , , , , , |

Yep, tonight we find out the answer to that all important question: Who are you wearing?

But besides that, there’s also a little award ceremony.  Once again I’ve managed to put myself away from a computer at the critical moment, but I’ll get the winners list up ASAP.  If not tonight then tomorrow morning.

In true British style, we’re already coming up with excuses for why we haven’t won; the favourite being the Academy always favour their own, but after 6 nominations I think this is finally Kate’s year.

Benjamin Button has equalled the record of Lord of the Rings and Chicago for 13 nominations, but I don’t think it’ll beat LOTR‘s 11 award record with competition like Slumdog Millionairre.

I guess we’ll find out tonight….

*Of course, most of it doesn’t get going stateside until I intend to be fast asleep…so tomorrow morning more likely.*

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And the BAFTA goes to…

Posted on February 9, 2009. Filed under: News | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

As promised, I’m back with a full list of the winners (‘cos who needs to write their dissertation presentation?)

I’m always going to miss Stephen Fry as host, but Jonathon Ross did a decent job, and kept Stephen’s game of getting a random word into the show via a twitter vote.  Unfortunately I missed that bit when I was travelling but I’ll try and find it later.  Just goes to show that twitter really is taking over the world…

The BAFTAs are a pretty good indicator of who’ll be taking home the Oscars, and I think some of my earlier predictions are a bit off now that I think about it.  Here’s last night’s results:

Best Film: Slumdog Millionaire

No surprises there, it’ll get the Oscar too. (Somebody take me to the cinema so I can back this claim up having actually seen it!)

Best Actor: Mickey Rourke

As I said last night, this one shocked me, but I’m hearing nothing but good things about The Wrestler.  He is nominated for the Oscar but I still don’t quite see him winning it.  Something’s telling me Brad Pitt will get it, but Rourke’s in with a chance…

Best Actress: Kate Winslet

Well this one was obvious wasn’t it?  You can’t not win when you’re nominated twice.  Incidentally, she got it for The Reader rather than Revolutionary Road which I have on good authority is the most boring film ever.

Best Director: Danny Boyle

Continuing Slumdog’s sweep.  He’s a dead cert for the Oscar I reckon

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger

Of course.

Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz

Vicky Cristina Barcelona has only just come to my attention but I’m intrigued.

Best Music: AR Rahman-Slumdog Millionaire

In the little clips we got from the Noms, this was the only one that caught my attention.  Might change my mind on my Oscar prediction based on that.

Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle-Slumdog Millionaire

That sweep just keeps going…

Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy-Slumdog Millionaire

And going…

Best Original Screenplay: Martin McDonagh-In Bruges

I really wanted to see this despite bad reviews, now I want to see it more!

Best Animated Feature: Wall-E

Had to be didn’t it?

Visual Effects: Eric Barba, Craig Barron, Nathan McGuinness, Edson Williams-Benjamin Button

Again, it’s hard ot argue with that one.  I completely take back my stupid prediction for the Oscars (I really wasn’t paying attention) Button is way ahead of the pack.

Academy Fellowship: Terry Gilliam

I wasn’t expecting this, but as soon as you watch that reel of all his movies you know he deserves it.

That’s not quite all of them, but it’s the biggies.  Slumdog finished with 7 masks, and we can expect a repeat performance at the Oscars.  I don’t think there’ll be much difference in the winner’s either, but I may well be eating those words in a couple of weeks.  In the interests of fairness, I wont go and change my predictions from a couple of weeks ago, but the BAFTAs have changed my mind on a couple of them.

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A Quick BAFTA Post…

Posted on February 8, 2009. Filed under: News | Tags: , , , , , , |

I’m coming back to this tomorrow morning, but in case you were wondering:

Slumdog Millionaire took best film, with Kate Winslet winning Best Actress and Mickey Rourke a surprise win (at least to me) for Best Actor.

Full list tomorrow, unfortunately I missed half the show travelling back to London but that’s the big three. Annoyed I missed Best Director, but Slumdog also got Best music and the Fellowship went to Python Legend Terry Gilliam.

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