And The Award Goes To…

Simply put I think the Hollywood Foreign Press Association can breathe a sigh of relief regarding the success of the Golden Globes Award Show. With the many of the titans of films and television along side epic host Ricky Gervais the 69^th annual show was a success. Ricky delivered a very funny opening monologue; he was definitely on form though definitely more restrained than last year. It was nice to see him back even if the reigns had been pulled in.

 

Out of the winners Mr. Clooney had a good night winning Best Actor. He involved in three nominations; starring in two titles and directing one of them himself, the odds were always in his favour. The “Iron Lady” Meryl Streep picked up her award for Best Actress, not a surprise regarding the response she got from critics in this role. I was rather hoping that Viola Davis (The Help) would have won instead; her amazing performance was truly worthy of such an accolade. Something tells me she may be lucky in the up coming Oscars. Justice was restored in the form of co star of Davis Octavia Spencer winning Best Supporting Actress.  The Artist swooped in and took two for the mantle piece, Best Comedy and Best Actor in a Comedy.

 

Overall I think it was fairly balanced it was nice to see A Separation win Best Foreign Language Film (Iran), I mentioned this as a film to watch out for on the Rabbit’s Film blog and it is nice to see the recognition it deserves. I was surprised not to see Puss In Boots in the animation section it would not have beaten Tintin but it was better than the other nominees! One notable loser was Madonna… yes I am aware she won an award for Best Original Song, her epic loss was at her comeback at Gervais. Though verbally it was good her delivery was stiffer than Seth Rogan when he was standing next to Kate Beckinsale, unlucky Madge.

 

 

Next for the Oscars! A few predictions:

 

Best picture: The Descendants

Best Actor: George Clooney, The Descendants

Best Actress: Viola Davis, The Help

Best Supporting Actor: Nick Nolte, Warrior

Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help
 

 

 

The Rabbit Film Awards

 Best

Best Actor: Tom Hardy Just about receiving the recognition he deserves. After playing the best character of Inception last year he has championed roles in Warrior, This Means War and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy in 2011. He is also set to star as Bane in The Dark Knight; should be epic.

Best Actress: Emma Stone Entertaining, charming and believable; definitely one to watch in the future…also she was in every bloody film out in this year.

Best Film: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy an epic combination of monumental performances. James Bond it is not but a real portrayal of the espionage world.one of the most absorbing films you will ever see.

Best Agent: Emma Stone’s…seriously she was in everything.

Best Foreign Film: Biutiful powerful, complex and breaks convention in all the best ways possible. A thinking man’s film; think anti-Twilight.

Best Film No One Saw: The Beaver Jody Foster directs Mel Gibson in the perfect role for him playing a downtrodden, alcoholic and depressed businessman. The film is amazing and totally believable; this angry anti-Semite is lucky to have friends like Ms Foster to keep the booze money coming in.

Worst

Worst Actor:  Taylor Launter (Abduction) in this film he had to keep his shirt on and he wasn’t a CGI wolf; which means people of all kinds had to pay attention to his acting…bad move wolfboy.

Worst Actress: January Jones (X Men) apparently January took the fact her character can turn into solid diamond as a cue to impersonate a lifeless rock for two and a half hours.

Worst Film: Adventures of Sam Witwicky aka Transformers 3 Michael Bay defecates CGI all over a constantly screaming  Shia LaBeouf…That’s the whole film. If you haven’t seen the film I have just saved two hours of your life. Please take two of those minutes I have saved you and shit in a box and send it to Michael Bay to return the favour.

Biggest Career Fail: Natalie Portman after Black Swan she chooses to do Your Highness, No Strings Attached, Thor and The Other Woman…mmm this boys and girls is what a cinematic prostitute looks like.

Biggest Mouth: Mat Damon made comments regarding Obama’s term in office; his response was “Matt Damon says he’s disappointed with my performance. Well, Matt, I have seen Adjustment Bureau so, right back at ya buddy!” Owned. Presidential style.

Most Overpaid Actor/Actress: Drew Barrymore she is not the highest paid but her films perform so badly she offers the same value as Italian investment bonds.

Most Consistent Donator of Faecal Matter: Adam Sandler in the past I occasionally found him funny; now I can feel my brain cells actively committing suicide just to avoid thinking about him.

Biggest waste of Time: 3D who would have thought that expensive headache inducing glasses would not be a good idea? For some it may have been worth it if the results were not as one dimensional as Danny Dyers’ acting.

War Horse Review Exclusive

 

Words by Yazen-Al-Salman

 

“War Horse” is a kind-hearted epic that is mainly about nostalgia. Steven Spielberg uses his entire artistic armory to bring us an adult film for all ages. It’s a big, bold, emotional movie about war and growing up. Spielberg homages his idols, the likes of John Ford and Akira Kurosawa, to tell a story without the shackles of modern cynism.

 

Jeremy Irvine, a great find, stars as Albert, a young boy living in a farm in Devon. His father buys a plow horse and the horse (named Joey) and Albert form a special bond. Later, though, Joey is bought by the Army and taken the to the battlefields of World War 1 in France. There, circumstances get Joey under different masters, including German soldiers, and French farmers.

 

In trying to homage Ford, Spielberg becomes Ford. Every character in this film is clearly seen and expertly cast. It reminded me of Ford’s great film “The Searchers”. Both movies have characters that talk and act in a certain way; they all have a personality. Spielberg uses them to look at the kind of people that lived at the time. WW1 was mainly fought by farmers and rural people. Spielberg sees their kindness and close relationship with land and beast. And sees them so well. All the people Joey meets on his Journey come from this background. The film does not plainly say it, but hints at it. This a film of great impact and perception.

Revolutionary Road Exclusive Review

Words by Naomi Jeffreys

In 2008 Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio starred in Sam Mendes’ film, Revolutionary Road which was based on the 1961 novel of the same name. This was the first time that Winslet and DiCaprio had been on screen together since their break out film Titanic, a gift for any die-hard fan.  The film excels in every area, mise-en-scene, lighting, costume and especially music. As a viewer I was captivated and every scene was a delight to watch.

So what’s the film about? A young couple living in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s struggle to come to terms with their personal problems while trying to raise their two children. If you want to see a film with two actors on top form, then Revolutionary Road is your best bet.

Winslet and DiCaprio are able to communicate to an audience – ‘suburbia’ in all its twisted wonders. It is clear from the beginning of the film that the couple aren’t happy but are trying to conform to the society about them. The actors portray the Wheelers, April and Frank – a seemingly beautiful, professional perfect couple with two children. But, when both characters commit adultery, with no thought of how their partner might react, the audience is stunned.

Mendes was able to bring out the best in Winslet and DiCaprio, he was working with two phenomenally successful actors the top of their game and boy does it show. When April and Frank argue, the physical intensity of loathing is evident and the audience feels genuinely captivated. Mendes is able to create an atmosphere, a moment in the film where both characters have reached a point in their marriage where they are stuck in suburbia, and any dreams of moving to Paris are a lost dream. It’s a harsh reality. In Frank’s words, a “Hopeless emptiness”.

Perhaps these atmosphere moments are aided by Thomas Newman, the composer. He is perhaps best known for his melodious, lyrical soundtrack in Finding Nemo and The Green Mile just to name a couple of the films he has composed. The soundtrack is like another character and is faded in and out of scenes of high intensity. The music is calm, melodious which is contrasted to the madness within the Wheeler household.

But Mendes’ film is full of ironies, the couple’s close friend and realtor, Helen Givings (Kathy Bates, who was also in Titanic) suggests her mentally ill son – John Givings Jr around for dinner, so he can meet the perfect Wheeler couple. Ironically, John appears to be the only sane man in the film. He makes observations on April and Frank: “You want to play house you got to have a job. You want to play nice house, very sweet house, you got to have a job you don’t like.” The mutterings of a madman are true when it comes to Frank and April, a ‘perfect’ couple in societies eyes, but behind the curtain, the couple is in turmoil.

Mendes’ film is all about conforming to what society expects of us. Society expects us to marry, have two children, find a nice home in suburbia and have a decent job. Even in modern day society this is true, although, women have a stronger say in their career and aren’t as dependent upon their husbands to provide for them.

April and Frank feel like real characters, in a real situation – something which audiences across the world can relate to.  Also, there is a stillness to the film, maybe because the film spans a long summer in the Wheeler household. Dibs should go to the lighting and location department as I could really feel the heat dripping from April and Frank. And, perhaps maybe the hot summer represents the fiery relationship which these characters have, or April’s eagerness to escape the monotony of suburbia.

On the film’s release, it was met with positive reviews from critics. It earned a worldwide total of $74.6 million it also appeared on many critics top ten lists of the best films of 2008, Roger Ebert, a revered American critic amongst them. If I haven’t convinced you yet, then you’re a lost cause. But if you like top quality films, with great acting, wonderful music and stunning cinemaphotography. Then see this.