Archive for February, 2010
Baftas Winners List And My Opinions
Feb 22nd
The Hurt Locker was the big winner of the night bringing home 6 Baftas including two of the big ones – Best Film and Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow. I’m extremely happy Colin Firth, Duncan Jones and Carey Mulligan each won awards which they each thoroughly deserved, I never thought I’d say that about Colin Firth to be honest, I thought he’d be forever stuck in my mind as the guy all my Aunties fancied and a ‘regular romantic comedy guy’. I was in agreement with most of the winners on the night, the only one that stood out for me was the Orange Rising Star award, I think that being a public vote with all the hardcore Twilight fans gave Kristen Stewart a huge advantage, she is talented but I’d rather have seen Tahar Rahim or Carey Mulligan win, in Twilight she’s predominantly moping around for 2 hours.
One thing the Baftas reminded me of was how sh*tty the British press is, I’ve seen so many headlines along the lines of ‘Baftas snub Avatar’, acknowledging nothing else about the whole ceremony. First off how do they snub a film that won two awards? Just because a film makes $2 Billion it doesn’t necessarily mean that that film is the ‘best’ film, if all awards were awarded to what made the most money that would mean McDonalds make the nicest food in the world. Just to clarify I think Avatar is a great film and was my favourite cinematic experience of the year, my p*ssedoffness (I know it’s not a word) is with the British press and not with Avatar.
Best film The Hurt Locker
Leading actor Colin Firth (A Single Man)
Leading actress Carey Mulligan (An Education)
Supporting actor Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)
Supporting actress Mo’Nique (Precious)
Outstanding British film Fish Tank
Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer Duncan Jones (director – Moon)
Director Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)
Original screenplay The Hurt Locker (Mark Boal)
Adapted screenplay Up in the Air (Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner)
Film not in the English language A Prophet
Animated film Up
Music Up (Michael Giacchino)
Cinematography The Hurt Locker
Editing The Hurt Locker
Production design Avatar
Costume design The Young Victoria
Sound The Hurt Locker
Special visual effects Avatar
Makeup & hair The Young Victoria
Short animation Mother of Many
Short film I Do Air
The Orange Rising Star Award Kristen Stewart
Outstanding British contribution to cinema Joe Dunton
New Kick Ass Red Band Trailer
Feb 19th
A new Red Band Trailer for Kick Ass has been released online, it’s safe to say from watching it I’m sold, it wasn’t much of a doubt from watching the other trailers and clips but this has just cemented it further. The film looks completely nuts!
Kick Ass tells the story of average teenager Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), a comic-book fanboy who decides to take his obsession as inspiration to become a real-life superhero. As any good superhero would, he chooses a new name — Kick-Ass — assembles a suit and mask to wear, and gets to work fighting crime. There’s only one problem standing in his way: Kick-Ass has absolutely no superpowers. His life is forever changed as he inspires a subculture of copy cats, is hunted by assorted violent and unpleasant characters, and meets up with a pair of crazed vigilantes, including an 11-year-old sword-wielding dynamo, Hit Girl (Chloë Moretz) and her father, Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage).
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps International Trailer
Feb 19th
The timing for this film couldn’t have been better with the current economic climate. I’m definitely looking forward to this, a sequel that is needed not just a quick ca$h in! This trailer is a lot better than the teaser trailer, it gives a bit too much away for me but that’s nit picking. I’m amped for this Josh Brolin and especially Michael Douglas look great and to be fair so does Shia Labeouf, who up until now I haven’t been fully convinced by.
Michael Douglas returns as Gordon Gekko, a role which earned him an Academy Award. The film is set nearly two decades after the first film, with Gekko, having spent 14-years in prison for insider trading and security fraud, now making the lecture circuit as a published financial author. He mentors a young Wall Street broker named Jacob (Shia LaBeouf) in hopes to reconnect with his daughter Winnie, Jacob’s wife (Carrey Mulligan). The film is directed by Oliver Stone and also features Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon, and Josh Brolin. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is scheduled to hit theaters on April 23rd 2010.
My 2010 Oscar Predictions and Competition
Feb 18th
I’m useless at predictions, below is more of a ‘I hope they win list’ than actual predictions. I haven’t accepted the fact that Sandra Bullock will more than likely win the Best Actress Oscar so I’ve gone with Carey Mulligan, due to me believing she deserves it and also for the fact that Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep seem get automatic nominations every year, which kinda pisses me off, they are GREAT actresses but jeez!
Vouchercodes.co.uk are challenging film fans to take on the critics and blog your predictions for the 2010 Oscars. Whoever guesses the most winners from the following categories will win £250 in Amazon vouchers – to keep you in movies for the year ahead! A number of Film critics and Bloggers and have given their picks, my own doomed to loose picks are below. Check out here to enter.
- Best Film: The Hurt Locker
- Best Director: Quintin Tarantino
- Best Actor: Jeff Bridges
- Best Actress: Carey Mulligan
- Best Suporting Actor: Christopher Walz
- Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique
- Best Original Screenplay:The Hurt Locker by Mark Boal
- Best Adapted Screenplay: Up In The Air by Jason Reitman
- Best Animated Feature: Up
- Best Foreign Language Film: Un Prophete
Amanda Seyfried Interview For Chloe
Feb 18th
Below is my interview with Amanda Seyfried for the film ‘Chloe’ which is Directed by Atom Egoyan (great name) and also stars Liam Neeson (all around legend) and Julianne Moore (red head legend). Amanda plays the titular character an irresistible and alluring young woman who Julianne Moore’s character Catherine hires to see if her suspicions of her husbands (Liam Neeson) infidelity is in fact reality. Chloe’s seductive behaviour begins to obsess Catherine and events take an unpredictable turn with potentially fatal consequences for her family. Amongst a great cast Amanda’s performance was definitely the highlight of the film for me. Check out my interview with Julianne Moore here
What got you interested in the film?
Amanda Seyfried: Well I’m gonna say the challenge because I’m pretty young in my career and I haven’t had many opportunity’s to spread my wings, this is a pretty extraordinary role that I couldn’t resist. I couldn’t resist the challenge. Also working with Atom (director) was another selling point.
Did you find it difficult to relate to someone quite different to yourself?
Amanda Seyfried:Yeah, its funny because at first it was very hard to relate to her until I started taking in and absorbing what Atom was describing to me, we spoke at great lengths about Chloe and how she was dealing with different moments in film, it was so extensive. I felt overwhelmed at times with all the information, but I was able to absorb it all to a point I could really connect to her and fall in love with her, I really did like her. It was challenging, this character is so inconsistent throughout the movie it’s almost like I’m playing so many different characters in one, it was great playing that.
What was it like working with Julianne?
Amanda Seyfried: Working with Julianne was amazing, I’ve had the fortune to work with a few ridiculously talented actresses who’s work I have seen and obviously it doesn’t feel real sometimes. I learnt a lot though, she was great. It was the first time I’ve worked on a film working with someone like Julianne and I was really respected, I was treated like a pear, it was the first time, it was the best feeling in the world to feel like a equal.
How did you find doing the more intimate scenes?
Amanda Seyfried: It’s very technical when you have to do something physically intimate, so that’s what it was, Atom showed us exactly what he had in mind to make it as easy as possible and we just laughed, there were a lot of jokes (laughs).
Chloe is in cinemas the 5th of March.
Brooklyn’s Finest 4 New Clips
Feb 17th
I like the look of this, it looks real intense, I’ve always been a sucker for crime thrillers, selling them to me is pretty easy, the poster alone pretty much got me. Brooklyn’s Finest is the new film from Antoine Fuqua, director of Training Day, Shooter & King Arthur so expect a lot of kickassery! Brooklyn’s Finest has a first rate ensemble cast in Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Lili Taylor, Ellen Barkin, Will Patton, Michael K Williams (Omar in The Wire………’OMAR’S COMING’) and Vincent D’Onofrio. Check out 4 new clips below