| The Wrestler |
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Written by Ameen Hojabr |
| Friday, 16 January 2009 00:00 |
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood
Certificate: 12A
Remember that day when you were ten years old and you found out wrestling was fake? A spandex-fuelled sham? Well, Darren Aronofsky is about to hit your inner 10-year-old over the head with a chair; more than anything else, The Wrestler is definitely one thing: authentic.
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| Last Updated on Tuesday, 15 September 2009 12:16 |
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| BAFTA Nominations Announced |
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Written by Ivan Radford |
| Thursday, 15 January 2009 08:48 |
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 Here we go again, but this time on home soil, and Danny Boyle has done it a second time: with a total of 11 nominations, Slumdog Millionaire is all over the shop. In fact, the only other film with that many nods is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - it grabbed nowt at the Globes, so it's not an odds-on favourite.
Then it's The Dark Knight in third (9, none for Nolan's direction or script), just leading Changeling (8) and Frost/Nixon (6). The Reader nabs 5 noms (including the Winslet twins again) and, in last place, not just Milk and Revolutionary Road, but also In Bruges, all with 4.
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| Last Updated on Thursday, 22 January 2009 14:42 |
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| Rewind: Winslet's Golden Globe gaffs |
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Written by Ivan Radford |
| Monday, 12 January 2009 11:05 |
"Oh my God - who was the other one?"
Just in case you missed them. Both of them...
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| Last Updated on Tuesday, 13 January 2009 11:12 |
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| Golden Globes - The Winners |
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Written by Ivan Radford |
| Monday, 12 January 2009 08:37 |
 Well, Kate did it for the Foreign Press Association. Old SS Winslet beat Ange to the Best Serious Actress award - not for The Reader (where her performance was a far more understated form of Oscar-baiting, with no screaming or wailing) but for Revolutionary Road. What is surprising, though, is that she got the Best Supporting Serious Actress for The Reader as well.
In other categories, Danny Boyle did as I predicted and swept Clint Eastwood clean away with his vibrant, sassy and overall British, direction. Nice one, Danny. And Slumdog naturally picked up screenplay and soundtrack awards - is there any other score that could compete? Hardly Changeling's melodramatic slush. Slumdog is so full of crack-a-lacking components, in fact, that it won Best Serious Film too. Well done the Brits!
Speaking of which, Sally Hawkins got her recognition (as I did indeed pray for), trumping Penelope Cruz for her winning, winsome and whimsical portrayal of Happy-Go-Lucky teacher Polly. If you're up there, Morgan Freeman, thank you. And whilst on the topic, congratulations to Heath Ledger. Was there ever any doubt?
Anyway, enough of that. Here are the winners:
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| Last Updated on Thursday, 22 January 2009 14:43 |
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| The Reader |
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Written by Ivan Radford |
| Friday, 09 January 2009 11:35 |
Director: Stephen Daldry
Cast: Kate Winslet, Raiph Fiennes, David Kross
Certificate: 15
Trailer
“If you do a film about the Holocaust, you're guaranteed an Oscar.” Winslet’s own words in Extras. After years of gong-less persistence, now she’s taken her own advice, playing the part of Hanna Smitz. One day, she crosses paths with a young boy, Michael Berg (Kross), who is suffering from scarlet fever. She helps him. Once better, Michael seeks her out to say thank you. Naturally, one thing leads to another and pretty soon they’re both naked and getting jiggy with it.
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| Last Updated on Friday, 16 January 2009 11:41 |
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| Defiance |
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Written by Ivan Radford |
| Friday, 09 January 2009 11:20 |
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Director: Edward Zwick
Cast: Daniel Craig, Live Schreiber, Jamie Bell
Certificate: 15
Trailer
He proved it in Munich, now he’s doing the same in the Belarussian woods: Daniel Craig can do a token foreign accent. Doing that Hollywood thing of playing another nationality whilst still speaking English, he is Tuvia Bielski, eldest of the Bielski clan. Leading his brothers Zus (Schreiber – the angry one) and Asael (Bell – the quiet one) into the forest, they seek a way to survive the German slaughter of WWII.
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| Last Updated on Friday, 16 January 2009 11:42 |
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| BAFTA Rising Star Shortlist Revealed |
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Written by Ivan Radford |
| Thursday, 08 January 2009 13:07 |
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And the winner of the 2009 Orange British Academy Film Award for Rising Star is...
Last year, Shia LeBeouf's star was deemed to have risen the highest (no surprises there, given that he was in Transformers, Disturbia, voiced the lead in Surf's Up and had finished filming Indiana Jones Conquers the Martians.)
Then, come to think of it, the Rising Star Award often seems to go to someone who is already doing their bit to brighten Hollywood's glittery night sky. Eva Green got her kit off for Bernardo Bertolucci in The Dreamers yonks before being crowned queen of 2007, which came on the back of her jaw-dropping performance in
Casino Royale (hottest. Bond Girl. Ever.) Oh, and Kingdom of Heaven, of course. Not anyone's greatest moment, but a high-profile flop if ever there was one. But this is not to mention James McAvoy (swoon), the first winner of the award, who was famous from Shameless but not much else, and picked up the plaudit after his turn as child-friendly Mr Tumnus - from that point on, his star didn't rise. It soared.
Why such a mixed bag of known unknowns? Well, Rummy, it's all down to the audience. This is their award. So get ready to click in the name of cinema and cast your vote for 2009...
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| Last Updated on Thursday, 08 January 2009 13:12 |
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