My 2012 Oscars Round-Up

My 2012 Oscars Round-Up

No real surprises then as the brilliant THE ARTIST was the big winner on the night, collecting five awards including Best Picture. Incredibly, it is the first silent film to do so since Wings in 1929! A staggering achievement.

 The magnificent HUGO also deservedly won five, for production design, cinematography, sound editing, sound mixing, and visual effects. This is a greatly nostalgic year for the Academy, as these two front-running films, both appropriately celebrate the magic of cinema!

BEST PICTURE – A SNAPSHOT VIEW:

When, in 2005, Scorsese’s Howard Hughes epic THE AVIATOR lost out to Clint Eastwood’s drama MILLION DOLLAR BABY, it seemed to have started somewhat of a trend.

Particularly since 2006, there are two or three pictures in contention where the scenario of a crowd-pleasing favourite seems to triumph over a quieter, critical choice. Goerge Clooney’s stunning directorial debut, absolutely sensational true-life political-thriller GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK (the one I think should’ve won), lost out to the hard-hitting ensemble human-drama CRASH.

The following year in 2007, the debate continued as Stephen Frears’s THE QUEEN lost out to Scorsese’s return to the gangster genre in the mould of GOODFELLAS and CASINO, with THE DEPARTED. 
 

2008 saw one of the Academy’s biggest snubs ever when the Coen Brother’s gritty NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN triumphed over both Joe Wright’s exceptional ATONEMENT (definitely my favourite) and the superb MICHEAL CLAYTON. 

                                                                       
                                                                   

 2009 was especially interesting, it was my first trip to the BAFTAS(!) - (I'm now a regular, in attendence every year since!) Three major favourites all provided talking points. Danny Boyle’s feel-good crowd-pleaser SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE was the runaway success, but my two equally favourite films of that year, one of which was the wonderful THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON – lost out. The other, Sam Mendes’s absolutely exceptional suburban drama REVOLUTIONARY ROAD was overlooked altogether, having not even been nominated. 


2010 saw another competitive triangle, in the varied form of ultra-intense war drama THE HURT LOCKER, the leviathan blockbusting epic AVATAR,  and a dramedy taking place 165,000 feet UP IN THE AIR. Surprising both my favourite (UP IN THE AIR) and the favourite to win – AVATAR – both lost out to the far smaller THE HURT LOCKER. This was a case of substance over style. It was also the year the Academy decided to thankfully increase the number of Best Picture nominees from five to ten, in order to give more films a chance.  

Last year, my favourite film of all time even missed out on collecting a golden statue. That film was INCEPTION, Christopher Nolan’s stratospherically special, mind-blowing, globetrotting epic. It’s an instant blockbusting classic, in the same great tradition as Kubrick’s 2001: A SPACE ODDYSEY, Ridley Scott’s BLADE RUNNER, Spielberg’s JURASSIC PARK or Emmerich’s INDEPENDENCE DAY.

I really enjoyed THE KING’S SPEECH, it’s a great film, but INCEPTION should’ve definitely won! 

 
 

AND SO TO THIS YEAR…

Yet again, my favourite film of the year wasn’t even nominated – the absolutely electrifying TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY. Out of the one’s that were however, I was really hoping the wonderful HUGO would triumph, but it seemed nothing could compete with the joyous charm of THE ARTIST.

With TINKER TAILOR and HUGO both making up two-thirds of my Top 3, the other one THE RUM DIARY, was completely overlooked, both for Best Picture and Best Actor for JOHNNY DEPP. 
 
 

Not since CHIGAGO won back in 2003, has my favourite film of that particular year actually won Best Picture, in terms of the Academy Award Best Picture Nominees.

2012 – THE OTHER MAJOR WINNERS.

BEST ACTOR – It went to JEAN DUJARDIN for THE ARTIST, the initial favourite, but many thought GEORGE CLOONEY may just edge him on the night for THE DECENDENTS. It should’ve been GARY OLDMAN, terrific in TINKER TAILOR.

BEST ACTRESS – No real surprise, as MERYL STREEP won for her beyond uncanny portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in THE IRON LADY – and deservedly so. It was so interesting though that the odds tipped in VIOLA DAVIS’S favour at the very last minute for THE HELP. I must say, I’m really looking forward to seeing GLENN CLOSE in ALBERT NOBBS, when it’s released here in April. It looks like another extraordinary performance from her – probably a career-best.

BEST DIRETOR

THE ARTIST’s MICHEL HAZANAVICIOUS won, but I would have liked MARTIN SCORSESE recognised for HUGO. 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Eighty-two year-old CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER finally won his first Oscar for BEGINNERS, but I thought KENNETH BRANAGH was fantastic as Sir Lawrence Olivier in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

The favourite, OCTAVIA SPENCER won for her role as Minnie in THE HELP, but JANET McTEER should also be extraordinary as Hubert Page in ALBERT NOBBS.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Surely, this deserved to go to TINKER TAILOR. It in fact went to THE DECENDENTS.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

In many ways this was the biggest surprise of the night, as WOODY ALLEN’s time-travelling satire MIDNIGHT IN PARIS beat the favourite THE ARTIST. I would’ve liked to have seen J.C. CHANDOR win for MARGIN CALL.

BEST ANIMATION

Out of the nominees, I’m pleased RANGO won, but I would’ve liked to have seen ARTHUR CHRISTMAS win it.

FINALLY, THE BLOCKBUSTER QUESTION…

In a similar way in which The Golden Globes split their picture category into the genres of Drama, and Musical or Comedy, isn’t it time we had a Best Blockbuster Category?

2010 stands out in the memory for me, as an absolute powerhouse year, both for the blockbuster, and cinema in general. It was the year of my absolute favourite - INCEPTION of course - and also Scorsese’s SHUTTER ISLAND, Tim Burton’s version of ALICE IN WONDERLAND, and it was the year that saw the meteoric rise of 3D, used to breathtaking effect in the sequel: TRON: LEGACY.

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES was a huge hit last summer. Hopefully this year will be no exception with a flurry on the way including JOHN CARTER, WRATH OF THE TITANS, THE AVENGERS, G.I. JOE 2, SPIDERMAN, two SNOW WHITE’s, ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp collaborate again for DARK SHADOWS, and of course there’s THE DARK KNIGHT RISES!

My Top10 Films of 2010:

1.     Inception

2.     Shutter Island

3.     TRON:Legacy

4.     Alice In Wonderland

5.      The Last Station 

6.     The Ghost Writer

7.     Tamera Drewe

8.     Megamind 
9.   You Again 
10. Nine


 

     

                                                           
                                                                                                                                                                                 

 My Top 10 Films of 2011:

1. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. 

2. The Rum Diary 

3. Howl 

4. Hugo 

5. Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

6. The Iron Lady

7. Anonymous 

8. The King's Speech

9. My Week With Marilyn 

10. Never Let Me Go

      

  

My Top 10 Films of 2012:

    1. Looper

          2. The Dark Knight Rises

         3. Anna Karenina

4. Dark Shadows

5.  The Avengers Assemble  

6. Cosmopolis

7.  Argo

8. Carnage

   9.   A Dangerous Method        
10. Lincoln 

OSCARS 2013 - Who else should have been nominated?

BEST LEADING ACTOR

ANTHONY HOPKINS as absolutely transcendent as HITCHCOCK, and  JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT was phenomenal in both LOOPER and PREMIUM RUSH, as well as in supporting roles, giving the best performances in both THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, and LINCOLN. 
JOHNNY DEPP played his best ever character in DARK SHADOWS, ROBERT PATTINSON gave his best performance to date in COSMOPOLIS too. CHRISTIAN BALE gave a wonderful last performance as Batman in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES.

BEST ACTRESS

     KEIRA KNIGHTLEY -ANNA KARENINA.

     HELEN MIRREN –HITCHCOCK.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

     JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT–THE DARK KNIGHT RISES or LINCOLN.

     NICOLAI COSTER-WALDAU – HEADHUNTERS

     JAMES D’ARCY –HITCHCOCK

     MARK RUFFALO –AVENGERS ASSEMBLE

     BRYAN CRANSTON– ARGO

     MATIEAU AMERIC -COSMOPOLIS

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• ANNE HATHAWAY – THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

• OLIVIA WILLIAMS – ANNA KARENINA

• EVA GREEN – DARK SHADOWS

• HELENA BONHAM-CARTER – DARK SHADOWS

• JULIETTE BINOCHE – COSMOPOLIS

• SCARLET JOHANSSON – HITCHCOCK. 
•  
• CHARLIZE THERON - PROMETHEUS.

BEST DIRECTOR

Ø     CHRISTOPHER NOLAN– THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Ø     RIAN JOHNSON –LOOPER

Ø     JOE WRIGHT – ANNA KARENINA

Ø     STEVEN SPEILBERG –LINCOLN

Ø     DAVID CRONENBERG –COSMOPOLIS

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

• THE LORAX

• RISE OF THE GUARDIANS

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

     LOOPER

     THE DARK KNIGHTRISES

     THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

     DARK SHADOWS

 
















My Top 10 Films Of 2013

1. Oz: The Great And Powerful 

2. Hitchcock 

3. The Great Gatsby 

4. Don Jon 

5. Saving Mr. Banks 

6. The Butler 

7. Gravity 

8. Man Of Steel

9. Cloud Atlas

10. Olympus Has Fallen 

Carnage Review

Winter 2012

Genre: Comedy

Starring: Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly, Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz.

Certificate: 15

Running Time: 79 mins. approx.

Seen At: Didsbury

On: Saturday, 4^th February, 2012.

Originally a play entitled ‘God of Carnage’ written by Yazmina Reza in 2006, this is now adapted for film by one of our very finest filmmakers, Roman Polanski. The visionary behind such lasting cinematic milestones as Rosemary’s Baby and Chinatown, and most recently the political thriller The Ghost Writer, now chooses this latest project, a biting, riotous social satire, which sees two sets of Brooklyn parents convene in an apartment to discuss an altercation which occurred between their two sons.

  What starts as a superficially polite, gradually sliding façade - an artifice of pleasantries - soon turns into a hilariously uncomfortable war of words. As was the case with Mike Leigh’s Abigail’s Party in 1977, this is exactly the kind of brutal, squirm-inducing dinner party scenario that you’re so glad you’re not attending, and yet as a viewer, you secretly delight, and revel in being a fly-on-the-wall, witnessing Schadenfreude (the opportunity to glimpse at the misfortunes of others).

  Utilizing the clever concept of confining the entire film into one exquisitely upholstered apartment, greatly increases its high level of theatricality. It’s supposed to make you feel claustrophobic and certainly does, but never in a way where you want to leave – you can’t wait to see the bubbling tensions between this quartet of suburbians completely boil over before exploding.

  The couples in question are made up of four totally different characters. There’s the extremely tightly-wound, prickly, rigid travel writer Penelope (Jodie Foster). Her husband is Micheal, the complete antithesis – a laid-back household salesman, initially the group’s peacemaker (John C. Reilly).

  Juxtaposed against these more traditional parents grounded in homemaking, are the other couple, the wealthier Cowen’s, logical investment banker Nancy (Kate Winslet) and her straight-talking, constantly distracted pharmaceutical manager husband Alan (Christoph Waltz). One couple cultured, the other superior, they’re all deliciously unlikable, bouncing off one another perfectly – with four brilliant actors, each giving performances which are as fantastic as each other. Christoph Waltz’s Alan has a highly amusing snorting laugh, freely admits his own son Zachery to be a maniac, and is always on his mobile phone trying to sell unorthodox pills.

  With the scotch whiskey flowing, (which only serves to fuel these people’s contempt for each other even further), the acid-tongued remarks are soon in full swing, with topics of conversation as mundane and varied as animal cruelty, toilet-flushing and a gingerbread, apple and pear cobbler pie, which definitely disagrees with Kate Winslet’s Nancy, in the film’s most shockingly side-splitting moment, when she violently vomits all over Penelope’s treasured fine-art books! She also has to reach for the bucket several times afterwards, with other characters being broken off mid-sentence by that unmistakable retching sound!

  The argument quickly moves away from trying to solve the dispute of the two sons, with the focus rapidly escalating into examining the issues in each other’s seemingly solid marriages.

 The dialogue is barbed with a devilishly bitter sense of antagonism. The character’s political differences are even exposed: ‘My wife dressed me up as a liberal!’ the increasingly irritated Michael exclaims. Brittle Penelope isn’t ashamed of her unbreakably uptight attitude: ‘I don’t have a sense of humour, and I don’t want one’ she states. Nancy too doesn’t think twice about speaking her mind: ‘If you don’t think anything, don’t say anything!’  she snaps. When Alan’s preoccupation with his mobile becomes too much, Nancy drops it into a vase of tulips, to which an incredulous Alan replies: ‘You belong in a home dear!’ She then proceeds to drunkenly throw the tulips all over the floor!

  I love the simplicity of the setup Polanski has constructed. All filmed on a soundstage in Paris, and then with the backdrops designed to double for  New York with Subway trains whizzing past - the illusion is seamless.

  The action gradually builds inside a pressure cooker of frayed tempers and excessive alcohol consumption, going from civilized, to mild annoyance, to vomit-emitting, with a crescendo of handbag slinging and  verbal fireworks, this is a sparklingly witty, frequently laugh-out-loud experience, with its performances all perfectly judged. It also has the distinction of triumphantly translating a piece of theatre into the cinema. One of the year’s very best!

Rating: * * * * *

The Artist Review

Winter 2012

Genre: Silent/Black-and-White /Comedy-Drama/Romance.

Starring: Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, James Cromwell, Penelope Ann Miller, Missi Pyle, Malcolm McDowell and John Goodman.

Running Time: 100 mins.

Seen At: Didsbury.

On: Saturday, 28^th January, 2012.

With awards season in full flow, and both the Bafta and Oscar ceremonies fast approaching, an interesting observation to make, after the release of last week’s Academy-Award nominations, is that the two films with the highest number of nods – The Artist and Hugo, both revolve around exploring the inception of cinema.

  Obviously proving a popular choice of subject matter in Hollywood – the birthplace of that most beloved of art forms – the motion picture, so it’s perfect that this is a film about the movies, and more specifically, all about movie-making.

  The elements which have been added, or rather taken away here, are words and colour. This is a wonderfully authentic, black-and-white, near-silent (albeit for a few very important words right at the end), celebration of the industry’s golden age, in a similar mould to Tim Burton and Johnny Depp’s second collaboration Ed Wood, in 1994.

  Director Michel Hazanavicius’s decision to go down this classic, age-old route serves several functions. It reinforces the fact that you don’t always require dialogue to tell a simple, fantastic story such as this certainly is.  The deeply nostalgic, retrospective novelty appeal in the way that it’s made in the interests of posterity, really distinguishes it from its contemporaries, and, it really feels like a lost gem, straight out of the archives from nineteen twenty-seven Hollywood. The result is truly exceptional. Absolutely joyous all the way through, it’s the ultimate in an uplifting, endlessly entertaining cinematic experience.

 At its romantic heart, it’s a love story, and the two French leads who play the couple, have gone from relative unknowns to now being catapulted to superstardom.

  The wonderful Jean Dujardin is George Valantin, the number one Hollywood star of the silent movie era. Together with his brilliant dog Uggie, they prove to be a seemingly unbeatable double-act. Uggie should also win an Oscar in my opinion, his adorable personality really shines through, thanks to the amount of amazing tricks he performs, including playing dead. There’s a wonderful scene set at the breakfast table, where George and Uggie mirror each other’s actions in perfect unison, while sporting the same innocent ‘puppy dog-eyed’ expressions on their faces.  In fact, expression is a key aspect to the film’s monumental success. All the cast, particularly Dujardin, possess being so gifted and expressive with their faces, that what they’re feeling is made so clear without the need for words. They’re a master class in mime. It’s as if Dujardin were a product of the twenties, with flashes reminiscent of Chaplin or Keaton.

  The bright, optimistic young starlet Peppy Miller (a bubbly Berenice Bejo) is initially a fan of George’s, later hired as a dancer and capturing his heart, much to the disapproval of his stern, disparaging wife Doris (a suitably austere Penelope Ann Miller).

  Soon though, it’s Peppy rather than George who’s flavour-of-the-month, with the inevitable arrival of the new phenomenon dubbed as: the ‘talkie’. Refusing to adapt with the changing times, his popularity dwindles and he’s forced out of work. Can Peppy save him...?

Many clever moments of imagery are utilized. One sees Peppy alone in George’s dressing room, pretending to be arm-in-arm with him, but really putting her own arm in his coat on the coat-stand. Another, has George literally ‘reflecting’ on his descent from stardom in a shop window, where his head just fits into the tuxedo and top-hat on display, attire to which he was once synonymous.

  Artistically, the film greatly recaptures some fantastically intricate period detail. Peel-eyed viewers will notice that the famous Hollywood sign reads ‘Hollywoodland’ here, and the quest for authenticity even boils down to the Variety newspapers and magazines of the time, that people are seen reading.

  Ludovic Bource has composed an extraordinary soundtrack. The glockenspiel-led main theme is extremely lively and memorable, and the score throughout revels in every snap of a clapperboard or ascending strum of a harp as a door opens. Bernard Herrman’s famous love theme from Vertigo is even used, and fits perfectly.

  In terms of genre, another part of this film’s appeal is its crossover of themes. It is both comedically very funny and deeply moving by turns, but most of all heart-stoppingly romantic. It also fully embraces its musical sensibilities; with two breathtaking tap-dance routines that are simply a joy to watch. The film’s two stars both have a great physicality and musicality during those set-pieces – they’re the new Fred and Ginger! The phrase: ‘They don’t make them like they used to’ is no longer true – they do now! This is an amazing, charming movie, one that I think will be the most likely to win the Best Picture Oscar – it’s deservedly taken the world by storm!

Rating: * * * * *

The Iron Lady Review

January 2012

Biopic/Political Drama.

Cast: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Olivia Colman, Nicholas Farrell, Roger Allam, Richard E. Grant, Alexandra Roach and Anthony Head.

Running Time: 105 mins.

Certificate: 12A.

Seen At: Didsbury.

On: Sunday, 15^th January, 2012.

Biopics continue their current trend of being extremely popular in recent months. We’ve had Marilyn Monroe, released this Friday there’s the very different double-whammy of J. Edgar Hoover and Wallis Simpson, but, towering above them all is the 16-time Academy Award-nominated Meryl Steep, as the much-contested, contentious first lady of politics – Margaret Thatcher.

   For one half of the public she’s still regarded and idolized as one of this country’s finest politicians, with her badly-needed radical shake-up of policy, for the other (depending upon where your political views lie) she’s this forever-tainted ‘monster-mother’ figure, where the population are said to still be recovering from her time in office. 

   It’s perhaps fitting then that structurally, this is distinctly a film of two halves, one charting her meteoric rise to power in the ’79 election, focusing on her political life,  and the other controversially depicting her in the present day, as a frail old lady suffering from dementia, under the illusion that her husband Denis is still alive.

  It’s for this latter half that the film has received some much-publicized criticism, with people, in the press and public alike, expressing their view that it’s cruel to show the effects of someone living with Alzheimer ’s disease.

  But actually, while I can certainly understand their point, on this occasion, I disagree. The portrayal of Lady Thatcher’s rapid decline in health, is actually dealt with truthfully, sympathetically, and very tenderly. It’s by no means intrusive in any way, and I look on it as a brave choice to make.

 The problem is, the balance is somewhat uneven. In fact only about forty percent of content actually focuses on her as the politician, and surprisingly the majority of the film actually occurs in the present day, with a lonely, older Margaret as she is now, reflecting through utilizing the rather odd format of flashbacks.  

With this heavily one-sided ratio, what you’re in fact left with, is predominantly an incredibly sad film, made most saddening for the stark antithesis of once seeing such a powerful figure in her heyday, with all that power suddenly taken away.

Dare I say, to me, the trailers have been quite deceptive, in making the film seem like a far more lighthearted affair, with the inclusion of the first bars of the eighties hit Our House now feeling rather misjudged after having seen the finished film.

While the film itself was said from the outset to be completely politically impartial, at times it’s evident that it doesn’t paint her reign in power in a particularly favorable light, with the emphasis seemingly being on her decision to apparently widen the ever-increasing margin between the wealthier upper-classes and the poor working-classes.

  The film has also been criticized for being ‘political-light’. I really don’t think it’s political-light at all, it crams an awful lot of key issues into its comparatively short running time, sometimes using actual news footage. These include that famous speech and her final entry into No. 10 in that iconic blue suit, the Falkland’s War, the riots, the rising poll-tax and the bombings of both Brighton’s Grand Hotel (from which Margaret and Denis narrowly escaped), and the fatal car-bombing of her colleague Airey Neave.

  The element of including the real archive footage for some of these issues is worth mentioning, as it helps provide the audience with a real sense of truthful and authenticated urgency.

  Of course, while the film itself may have a few minor misjudgments in terms of either structure, format or tone, what it does contain is an absolutely flawless, superb portrayal from Meryl Streep.

  It feels inaccurate to describe what she does as acting – at no point did I feel I was watching a performance on the screen. From the first frame to the last – she was Margaret. It’s the closest interpretation of a real-life figure I’ve ever seen. I’ve no doubt that she will win countless awards fully deservedly, including a long-overdue third Oscar. Every aspect, from the posture, to that unmistakable authority in her inimitable tone of voice, the hairstyle, even the prosthetic make-up used for her as she is now, are all beyond uncanny, particularly when she’s in her unstoppable speech-mode.

  Abi Morgan’s brilliant screenplay does include some much needed witty dialogue with lines such as: ‘The Falkland Islands belong to Britain…and I want them back'. When at an appointment with the doctor, who murmurs: ‘You’re bound...to be feeling...’, she simply replies in her velvety tones: ‘What? What am I bound to be feeling? What we think, we become. And I think I am fine’. My favourite line is: ‘I may be persuaded to surrender the hat. The pearls however, are absolutely non-negotiable!’.

  Thomas Newman’s excellent score, is melancholic in the present day sections, while being frenetically charged with tension as it charts her public career, really informing the audience throughout.

There are strong performances too from Jim Broadbent as the bumbling Denis, and Olivia Colman is spot-on as her daughter Carol. Anthony Head and Richard E. Grant make all-too-brief appearances as Geoffrey Howe and Micheal Heseltine.

  The film is at its strongest with Streep’s scenes which occur in the heated debates of The House of Commons, and is a brilliant account of one phenomenally tough lower middle-class woman’s triumphs, in a world dominated by men.

  It really is a superb, and deeply moving film, made infinitely better with the sublime Meryl Streep.

Rating: * * * *

My thoughts on the Nominations for The 2012 Orange British Academy FilmAwards

Best Film

No surprises then that the silent film THE ARTIST leads the way with 12 nominations including this one, for Best Film. If it wins the best picture at The Oscars, it’ll be the first silent film to do so since 1929!

  It’s a real mixed bag of genres this category, with a stylish neo-noir thriller, (NICHOLAS WINDING REFN’s DRIVE), an intimate family dramedy (ALEXANDER PAYNE's THE DESCENDANTS) emotional civil-rights drama THE HELP, and of course, my favourite, the outstanding, electrifying TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY. 
                                         
                                             

I was very disappointed that MARTIN SCORSESE's wonderful HUGO wasn’t in the running, as was the case for BRUCE ROBINSON's brilliant THE RUM DIARY. 
                                                                              
                                       
                                 

 

As much as I would have loved to see RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES or THE THREE MUSKETEERS on the list, I’m not surprised that neither made it, as is the case with comedies, big, effects-laden blockbusters almost never obtain recognition. I think they should include a Best Blockbuster category. 

 

Who I’d like to win: TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

 Who I think will win: THE ARTIST

Best British Film

To help increase TINKER TAILOR’s chances, it’s included again here, though I feel it may be foreshadowed by either the gritty SHAME or the disturbing WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN.

Not including THE IRON LADY here is as surprising as it is interesting, again reinforcing the general, much-publicised consensus that Streep’s performance is far stronger than the film itself. It’s nice to see MY WEEK WITH MARILYN included. 
                                                                
                                                        
                                                                                                           

Just because a film has won Best Film, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee the double-whammy of also going on and winning Best British Film. But that’s not to say that a film can’t equally go on to win both, as THE KING’S SPEECH did last year. I found this category the most difficult to choose.

Who I’d like to win: TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

Who I think will win: WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

Best Animation

Who I’d like to win: ARTHUR CHRISTMAS 

Who I think will win: RANGO 

Best Director

Interestingly, BAFTA have favoured NICHOLAS WINDING-REFN’s DRIVE over SHAME, so there’s no entry for the popular STEVE MCQUEEN. Thank goodness MARTIN SCORSESE is deservedly nominated for HUGO, MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS is once again up for THE ARTIST, probably being the most likely contender, but don’t underestimate TOMAS ALFREDSON for TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY or, LYNNE RAMSEY, on stylish form in WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN.

Who I’d like to win: MARTIN SCORSESE for HUGO.

Who I think will win: MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS for THE ARTIST

Best Original Screenplay

Ironically, silent film THE ARTIST has no dialogue but is still nominated for its screenplay. It may win on the merit of that novelty. There’s three more unusual comedic entries for WOODY ALLEN’s MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, BRIDESMAIDS and THE GUARD, and the interesting choice of ABI MORGAN for her unique account of THE IRON LADY.

Who I’d like to win: ABI MORGAN for THE IRON LADY.

Who I think will win: MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS for THE ARTIST

Best Adapted Screenplay

ALEXANDER PAYNE’s THE DESCENDANTS won big at the Golden Globes, and seems to be edging ahead of THE IDES OF MARCH. AARON SORKIN and STEVEN ZALLIAN have had high praise indeed for MONEYBALL’s freight-train-like, rat-a-tat-tat dialogue that’s now become their trademark. In my mind however, TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY had a truly brilliant adapted screenplay.

Surprisingly, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, THE RUM DIARY and HUGO weren’t nominated.

Who I’d like to win: BRIDGET O’CONNER and PETER STRAUGHAN for TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY.

Who I think will win; STEVEN ZALLIAN and AARON SORKIN for MONEYBALL

Best Actor

THE ARTIST’s JEAN DUJARDIN is already firm favourite to win, but surely GARY OLDMAN’s faultless portrayal of Goerge Smiley is in with a chance. All the other three also have a very equal chance of winning: MICHAEL FASSBENDER in SHAME, GEORGE CLOONEY in THE DESCENDANTS and BRAD PITT in MONEYBALL. There’s no real outsider.

There are four big names that I was quite shocked to see weren’t included for best actor, all fantastic in their very different films: JOHNNY DEPP for THE RUM DIARY, BEN KINGSLEY as film auteur George Melies in HUGO, JAMES FRANCO in RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES and JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT in 50/50. I thought they all had a real chance.

Who I’d like to win: GARY OLDMAN for TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

Who I think will win: JEAN DUJARDIN for THE ARTIST

Best Actress

Probably the easiest one of them all to call, surely MERYL STREEP will win for her beyond-uncanny portrayal of Margret Thatcher in THE IRON LADY. VIOLA DAVIS has also received good reports for THE HELP and MICHELLE WILLIAMS was magnificent in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN as was TILDA SWINTON in WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN. BERENICE BEJO in THE ARTIST is probably the outsider. 

 

There are four actresses who unfairly, didn’t make the list, most notably KEIRA KNIGHTLEY for A DANGEROUS METHOD, and several of my fellow critics couldn’t believe OLIVIA COLMAN wasn’t nominated, brilliant in TYRANASOUR. It’s surprising that neither JODIE FOSTER nor KATE WINSLET were nominated for CARNAGE.

Who I’d like to win: MERYL STREEP for THE IRON LADY

Who I think will win: MERYL STREEP for THE IRON LADY

Best Supporting Actor

CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER has already received a Golden Globe for BEGINNERS,  and is probably the favourite to win, although KENNETH BRANAGH can’t be far behind, hilarious as Sir Lawrence Olivier in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN. JIM BROADBENT does well as Denis Thatcher in THE IRON LADY, and the outsider in the category is probably JONAH HILL in MONEYBALL

There are five brilliant actors that I really thought should have made it onto the list and didn’t, all in completely different roles. ORLANDO BLOOM made a truly great return to the mainstream, stealing the show in THE THREE MUSKETEERS, GIOVANNI RIBISI was just inspired as drunken reporter Moburg in THE RUM DIARY, and three great supporting roles in TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY totally slipped under the radar; those of JOHN HURT, COLIN FIRTH and TOM HARDY.

Who I’d like to win: KENNETH BRANAGH for MY WEEK WITH MARILYN

Who I think will win: CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER for BEGINNERS

Best Supporting Actress

CAREY MULLIGAN has been nominated for DRIVE and not SHAME, the one that seemed the more likely contender. JESSICA CHASTAIN seems to have had an incredibly busy year, and impressed in THE HELP, but I’ve a feeling she may get pipped to the post by her co-star OCTAVIA SPENCER in the role of Minnie, probably the favourite to win. But you never know, our very own DAME JUDI DENCH was splendid in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN...

The trio of actresses I each expected to make the list didn’t – it’s a great shame, they're three great character actresses in entirely different roles. HELEN MCRORY gave the best performance in HUGO as Jean Melies, ZOE WANAMAKER stole the show in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN as Paula Strasberg, Monroe’s acting coach, and KATHY BURKE made a triumphant return to acting as Connie Sachs in TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY.

Who I’d like to win: DAME JUDI DENCH in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN

Who I think will win:  OCTAVIA SPENCER in THE HELP

To Conclude…

THE ARTIST leads the way with 12 nominations, with TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY hot on its heels with eleven, HUGO with nine and MY WEEK WITH MARILYN has eight.

 My top three films out of those nominated, are TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, HUGO and THE ARTIST. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for those three in particular! :)