King Colin reigns!

Well, what a fantastic night for British cinema. I am over the moon to see Colin Firth walk away with Best Actor, and The King's Speech to have won 3 other awards. Very very well deserved. Damn good bloody good job!

For those of you living in some kind of bubble, here's how it went down at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards:

Best picture - The King's Speech
Best actor - Colin Firth, The King's Speech
Best actress - Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Best supporting actor - Christian Bale, The Fighter
Best supporting actress - Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Best director - Tom Hooper, The King's Speech
Best Original Screenplay - David Seidler, The King's Speech
Best Adapted Screenplay - Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network

Well those are the biggies (as it were) although I should mention Inception which walked away with 4 awards, and The Social Network which picked up two others. Toy Story 3 (which I found a little disappointing) won Best Animation. I suppose there wasn't any real competition, but I would have literally jumped for joy if How to Train Your Dragon could have pipped Pixar!

I was a little surprised not to see the Coen's True Grit there. Maybe they didn't understand Jeff Bridges either!

All of that aside, the most important thing is that it would seem that Britain, the Monarchy and speech impediments are still cool. Kate and Wills: The Movie, anyone?...

http://www.oscar.com/

Oscars night!!

Drumroll please...
The winner is...

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Films: True Grit (2010)

Dir: Joel and Ethan Coen

Cast: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld

I found it really hard to even understand a word that Jeff Bridges' character 'Rooster' Cogburn was saying for a good portion of this movie. But the lines I did get were utter genius! All three of the lead characters in the film are portrayed superbly, and major props must be given to little Hailee Steinfeld who is already a superstar, and a complete bad-ass.

The film is shot with the sepia glaze of a Coen brother's romp through the Wild West, and scattered with some completely off the wall, animal impersonating characters. They saved big bucks on soundtrack - featuring delicate little piano renditions of 3 old church hymns throughout - but some incredible production design, and sweeping location shots provide their own beauty to this dark and rugged film.

My rating: **** 4/5 stars

Recommendation: A good old cowboy ride in the mountains. Bridges is excellent. Inintelligible but excellent.

Films: The Social Network (2010)

Dir: David Fincher
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake


I grew up in the Facebook age. I used Facebook right through university and still, four years later, religiously check 'My page' daily. When Mark Zuckerberg invented Facebook (and let's, for arguments sake, say he did), he discovered Atlantis.

I feel like I use the phrase 'pleasantly surprised' too much. It certainly applies to my reaction to this movie. Eisenberg's Zuckerberg is neurotic, arrogant, hilarious, mond-bogglingly intelligent and speaks at an unbelievable rate. British star-on-the-rise, Andrew Garfield, plays his much maligned best friend and colleague, with a gutsy and likeable performance. And, Justin Timberlake? Yeah. Pleasantly surprised. Add the fast paced dialogue (Aaron Sorkin at the helm) and masterful direction, and you have a serious Oscar contender.


My rating: ***** 5/5 stars
Recommendation: Don't sneer at 'the Facebook film.' It's a brilliant film about a once-in-a-generation life-altering invention.

**Later note: That one took me 3 minutes. Is that allowed? **

OSCAR SEASON: Films: The King's Speech (2010)

Dir: Tom Hooper
Cast: Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Geoffrey Rush

Dang it. I could discuss this film for a whole day, never mind 60 seconds. Still...

There is a very good reason why almost every single person involved in the making of this movie is up for an Oscar this year. It is quite simply an exquisite piece of cinema. From the script, to the music, to the beautiful acting performances and the evocative score, this is a wonderful film.

Following King George 'Bertie' VI whirlwind journey to the throne, the films gives us the story of his struggle to overcome a speech impediment at the time of wireless and World War 2. The country needed a King who could speak with strength, conviction and eloquence. Through the surprisingly funny, tender and normal relationship which Bertie struck up with his charistmatic Antipodean speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Rush), this is just what the country got.

My Rating: ***** 5/5 stars. This will win big at the Oscars. Or I'll eat my stopwatch.
Recommendation: Incredibly moving, witty and sensitive. Even Queen Elizabeth II is rumored to have enjoyed it. We are most definitely amused.

It's Oscars Week!

That's right, the countdown has officially begun. The Oscars are in 6 short days and I would not like to be a nominee up against Colin Firth or Natalie Portman right now.

You can get a full list of the nominees in every category over at The Official Oscars Webpage.

Now, I'm not normally the gambling sort but if I was, here's where my money would lie:

Best actor - Colin Firth, The Kings Speech
Best actress - Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Best film - Inception
Best Supporting actor - Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech

Pretty standard, all. I'd like to see The Social Network get some recognition because it really is an excellent movie, but not enough to defeat King Colin and company! Sorry.

Coming up this week:
Movie reviews - The Social Network (saw it ages ago but forgot to blog), The King's Speech, True Grit
Music Reviews - Gungor, The Shelter (Jars of Clay)
Book reviews - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Alchemaster's Apprentice, Billionaire Boy.

What? It's half term, of course I'll have time for all of these! Well, okay, I'll see how it goes.
Be back soon!

Films to see this month...

There are a whole bunch of films that i'd like to see in the next few weeks (student loan permitting). Hang on, can we pause for a moment to reflect on the fact that it is almost May already?!!

Some of the upcoming releases look, well, crap. It has to be said, Hollywood has taken to churning out some big-budget big flops of late. However, there are a few that seem to be a little different from the current phase of ambiguous, one-worded titles, like Fracture and Premonition.

So, here's my movie wish list before they come and go from the cinema, which they will in about a fortnight:

*Half-Nelson: This has been out for a week or so now, and has recieved some great reviews. It's Ryan Gosling (also in the overly-dramatically advertised Fracture) as a school teacher (no, I'm not obsessed with films set in school!) who lives a secret life as a drug addict. An unlikely friendship flourishes with one of his students who discovers his secrets. It's a case of who will have to inspire who to better things.

*Spiderman-3: I'm a sucker for a comic-book flick. If only because I've seen the other two and would feel cheated out of a trilogy if I didn't watch. Spiderman is back...in black.

*The Painted Veil: The old cinematic adaptation wins out again in 1920s heritage film style. Ed Norton (one of my all time favourites) and Naomi Watts (who has an Oscar and Norton doesn't - does that not seem unjust to anyone else?) are a couple in a troubled marriage who find unexpected unity and forgiveness amidst a cholera epidemic in China.


There we go. Chances are, it'll be Christmas before I actually see them, but I can hope!
Also, be prepared for mounting excitement about the latest Harry Potter release (Film June, Book July) and Pirates of the Caribbean 3. Yes!


UPDATE:
I retract the statement about Naomi Watts' Oscar win. She has, infact, also never won an academy award but I'm reliably informed that they are both nominated for one for The Painted Veil. Thanks, Richard! (Richard's Naomi Watts blog can be found here)