Golden Globes 2020 – What’s Worth Watching

I am going to review the nominations for this year’s Golden Globes that I have seen at least one film in that category. It is fair to only review the films that I have seen, to give an honest opinion. I am going to focus on the film nominations as I have not seen many of the television shows due to them only being available on US TV or streaming services that I am not subscribed to. The films that are highlighted are the winners.

I am going to review the nominations for this year’s Golden Globes that I have seen at least one film in that category. It is fair to only review the films that I have seen, to give an honest opinion. I am going to focus on the film nominations as I have not seen many of the television shows due to them only being available on US TV or streaming services that I am not subscribed to. The films that are highlighted are the winners.

Best Film – Drama

The Irishman – This film reminded me of the Godfather and Goodfellas, classic gangster films. This is not my sort of film but I did enjoy it despite the 3.5 hour run time. The world of the film was created very well and the ageing and de-ageing of the actors was interesting to see.

Marriage Story – A powerful story about an amicable couple dealing with separation and managing parenting whilst living on opposite coasts of the US. I enjoyed this film despite the brushing aside of the husband’s adultery.

The Two Popes – This film depicted a world I have experienced yet seeing it from the point of view of the Popes showed a different side to the religion. Delving into the back stories and seeing them as actual people added amazing depth to the story. Archival footage enhanced the reality of the film.

Best Actress in a Film – Drama

Renée Zellweger – Judy – I saw this film for my birthday last year and Renée’s performance as Judy Garland was outstanding. I loved the Wizard of Oz as a child and seeing what happened to her was emotional. A deserved win.

Scarlett Johansson – Marriage Story – A role that Scarlett hasn’t played for a while, I have recently seen her as Black Widow or in comedies but she was a standout in the film.

Charlize Theron – Bombshell – I recently saw this film and will be doing a separate review on my blog. I thought Charlize’s performance as Megyn Kelly was brilliant. She captured the essence of the character very well.

Best Actor in a Film – Drama

Christian Bale – Ford vs Ferrari (Le Mans ’66) – I loved this film and Christian’s performance as racing legend Ken Miles was captivating and his accent was accurate. He doesn’t normally do this sort of role but I think he should do more like it.

Adam Driver – Marriage Story – Having recently seen Adam in Star Wars, his performance in Marriage Story was a complete 180 degree turn. I thought he was great and opposite Scarlett made a convincing self-centred theatre director.

Jonathan Pryce – The Two Popes – His performance as Pope Francis was inspired and I think his mannerisms and accent were accurate and he made Pope Francis into a 3D character rather than simply the figurehead of the Church.

Best Film – Musical or Comedy

Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood – I don’t think of this film as a musical or comedy and I’m not a big fan of Tarantino. I liked the setting of the film but I thought the ending was too violent in true Tarantino style and Margot Robbie wasn’t utilised enough.

Knives Out – An amazing, detailed murder mystery with top quality acting. This film was one of my top of 2019 and hopefully I will be seeing it again soon. I think this film deserved to win although I don’t think I would call it a comedy either.

Rocketman – Another amazing film depicting the life of Elton John. The songs were amazing as well as the acting. I had no idea of the pain and hardship that Elton went through and I would now call myself an Elton John fan. Bryce Dallas Howard as Elton’s mother was a standout.

Dolemite is My Name – An unusual choice for best film. I saw this recently and after initially dismissing it, I stuck with it and actually really enjoyed it. When Dolemite started to make a film with his friends and some UCLA students is when I started to get into it. I loved that it told Rudy Ray Moore’s true story.

Best Actress in a Film – Musical or Comedy

Ana De Armas – Knives Out – Her role as Harlan Thrombey’s nurse was some of the best acting in the film and I think Ana De Armas is going to be a really big name. I look forward to seeing her win big in the future.

Best Actor in a Film – Musical or Comedy

Taron Egerton – Rocketman – The best performance of his career. Taron and Elton have a very special bond which shines through in Taron’s portrayal of Elton. Their appearance is more similar than I realised when they acted together in the second Kingsman film. I am very glad that Taron won.

Daniel Craig – Knives Out – A role we don’t usually see Daniel play but he brought a real authority and prowess to the detective. It was jolting at first to hear his Southern drawl but I have seen him with this accent in Logan Lucky.

Leonardo DiCaprio – Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood – I would say this was a comeback role for Leo and he did very well. These days he appears to lend his name to only projects he feels passionate about, choosing to focus most of his energies on his environmental work.

Eddie Murphy – Dolemite is My Name – One of the best of his career, Eddie’s performance was dramatic, funny, easy to empathise with and echoes something of his own personality. He portrayed the characters emotional highs and lows very well.

Best Supporting Actor in a Film

Brad Pitt – Once Upon A Time … in Hollywood – Brad’s perfromance was the best of the film in my opinion. His relaxed and jaded character reminded me of Brad at his best. Another comeback role in this film.

Anthony Hopkins – The Two Popes – I have not seen many films where Hopkins plays the lead character. At this stage in his career, he is usually a side character. Seeing him in this role was a change for me and I thought he did well.

Al Pacino – The Irishman – Another comeback role for Al and one that echoes the great roles he has acted in. The ferocity and ruthlessness he brought to Jimmy Hoffa made the gangster come to life.

Joe Pesci – The Irishman – I haven’t seen Joe in many films due to him only having 6 roles in the last 20 years. The films I recognise him from are Home Alone 1 & 2. I thought he was very good as he has not done much acting in over two decades.

Best Score – Film

Marriage Story – I must admit I didn’t take note of the score while watching this film but as the film as a whole was exciting and emotional, the score probably enhanced this.

Best Director

Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood – I am not a big fan of Tarantino as a director but I think he has done well with this film. The world he created in the film echoed the spirit of 60s Hollywood.

Martin Scorsese – The Irishman – Scorsese always directs big spectacles and isn’t afraid of a long run time. His handling of the film was very good and I am not surprised he was nominated.

Best Song – Film

I’m Gonna Love Me Again – Rocketman – This song was sung by Elton John and Taron Egerton. I think it sums up the tone of the film, learning to love yourself and I think it is one of my favourite songs from the film.

Beautiful Ghosts – Cats – Possibly the only good thing about this confusing, mind-altering film, this song written by Taylor Swift and Andrew Lloyd Webber is hauntingly lovely. I don’t think it was featured in the film enough as a character sang perhaps one or two verses.

Into the Unknown – Frozen II – I quite enjoyed this film, a worthy sequel and there were some funny adult innuendos. This song was very powerful and was featured in a key moment of the film.

Spirit – The Lion King – I was not enamoured with this CGI remake of the children’s classic and nodded off a little during the part of the film that Spirit was in. Listening to it again now, I am glad it wasn’t a winner. I am not a big fan of Beyoncé anyway but I don’t think the song was as powerful as the others nominated.

Best Supporting Actress in a Film

Laura Dern – Marriage Story – Laura Dern’s role as Nicole’s lawyer, Nora Fanshaw was one of the best of her career. It is not a role I have seen Laura typically play but I thought she was one of the best characters in the film. Her win was well deserved.

Margot Robbie – Bombshell – In interviews, Margot has said that she is only playing roles that are empowering to women so when I saw her as Kayla, a fictional victim in the Roger Ailes Fox News Scandal, I was perplexed. I then considered how important it is to show this story and that only by showing the scandal, that the story can get out. Her role was very good and her character became more complex as the film progressed.

Best Film – Animated

Frozen II – I saw this with some friends as part of a society I am involved in at university. I wasn’t expecting too much from it as a children’s film but it was actually a fun watch with Kristoff’s boy band song as a personal highlight. The songs from the first film are more catchy but I liked the plot of this one better.

The Lion King – I prefer the original 1994 animation but the CGI in this film was amazing. Very life-like. The director, Jon Favreau included a real shot at the beginning of the sun rise to see if anyone would notice. I think if I watched this film when I am more awake and there isn’t a small child in the same row talking the whole way through, I might enjoy it more.

Toy Story 4 – It is unusual that a third sequel of a film still holds the magic but in this instance it does. The story was perfect for those who have grown up with the franchise and the toys were all still the same. I even shed a tear or two at the end. A worthy nominee.

Best Screenplay – Film

Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood – I didn’t find the screenplay particularly inspiring. The set decoration and costumes to me were the best part of the film and not the script. Margot didn’t really have any lines and nothing has stuck with me. I would say that the other nominees deserved to win more.

The Irishman – A well-written script that provided a good base for the actors. I liked the way it was told as a flashback, cutting to an elderly Robert De Niro telling his life history. Explanations were well told and the language was rich and detailed.

The Two Popes – Wonderfully colourful, revisiting Pope Francis’ past was a clever way to help the audience sympathise with him and I enjoyed the story.

Marriage Story – An emotional roller coaster of a film, showing how divorce can change a family. Arguments were particularly vicious and the way everyone spoke to each other showed the tone of their character. I would say the script was one of the best parts of the film.

Who I think should have won at the Golden Globes 2019

Hello readers,

For my first post of 2019, I’m sharing my personal opinions on who should have won at the Golden Globes this year. There were some unexpected winners and losers for me so I thought I would discuss these and what I thought of some of the films that won. I’m only going to talk about categories in which I have seen at least 3 of the films.

Bohemian Rhapsody – Best Motion Picture – Drama

I was very excited about this film as I am a long time fan of Freddie Mercury and Queen. The film certainly didn’t disappoint and it is one of my favourite films of the year. I found out more about one of my favourite bands and the hardships and joy they experienced in the early days of their success. I’m also really pleased for the cast as they all worked really hard on the film and press tour. I follow them on Instagram and the posts they make featuring each other have really kept the spirit of the film alive.

The category this year had 3 films featuring black actors which is historic in itself as awards ceremonies in Hollywood have been accused of unfair treatment in previous years. The fact that Black Panther, BlacKkKlansman and If Beale Street Could Talk were nominated is a big step towards racial equality. I have seen both Black Panther at the cinema and the Cannes Film Festival in May and BlacKkKlansman at the cinema back in September. Both films were amazing and would have been worthy winners of this award. A Star is Born was one of my best films of the year and it’s one award was disappointing but in this category I think it faced tough competition.

Rami Malek for Bohemian Rhapsody – Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Rami Malek was the perfect Freddie Mercury in this film and got Freddie’s movements and mannerisms down to a T. I loved him as the lead singer of Queen and his performance brought the film to amazing heights. I also admire Malek for his roles in Need for Speed and the Night at the Museum franchise.

Bradley Cooper did an amazing job in A Star is Born as I have mentioned in a previous post and John David Washington as Ron Stallworth was powerful and iconic. Ron Stallworth becomes the first black cop in Colorado Springs and he engineers an infiltration into a branch of the Ku Klux Klan. The film by Spike Lee had a lot of powerful imagery and showed how awful and traumatising racism has been and continues to be. I have not seen At Eternity’s Gate or Boy Erased but Willem Dafoe and Lucas Hedges are both worthy nominees.

Alfonso Cuarón for Roma – Best Director – Motion Picture

I personally did not enjoy this film. It didn’t have enough plot or dialogue to follow to be able to empathise or relate to the characters. It was a pretty film to look at but as a drama it did nothing for me. I was disappointed with this winner and I thought the other nominees were more deserving.

Spike Lee and Bradley Cooper both did great jobs with their films and I would have preferred if one of them had won. I love Bradley Cooper as an actor and to be nominated for his directorial debut is a credit to his talents. Spike Lee knows how to tell a powerful tale and this was evident in BlacKkKlansman. Some of the dialogue and events really stuck with me. I haven’t seen Green Book or Vice so I don’t know how good the directing is.

Justin Hurwitz for First Man – Best Original Score – Motion Picture

The score for First Man really enhanced the breathtaking images of the film. When Neil Armstrong is going into space at the beginning the score helped me feel as though I was in the rocket with him. I think this score and composer are worthy winners in a tough category. Marco Beltrami did an amazing job with A Quiet Place, a film with minimal dialogue but the score creates great tension and suspense. I was on the edge of my seat for most of this film. Alexandre Desplat also did an amazing job with Isle of Dogs; another great film of 2018. Directed by Wes Anderson and told as an animation with Japanese and English dialogue, Isle of Dogs was a lovely story about the love between an owner and their dog. Like the Quiet Place, the score for Isle of Dogs helped enhance the story and build tension.

Black Panther’s score was also award worthy and it’s amazing to see a Marvel film nominated for so many awards at the Globes. Ludwig Göransson did a brilliant job and paired with the soundtrack by Kendrick Lamar, the sound is one of the major factors that has made Black Panther one of the best films in recent years. I have not yet seen Mary Poppins Returns but have heard wonderful things about the film.

Shallow from A Star is Born – Best Original Song – Motion Picture

I think this song really deserved to win. It’s a powerful song and sung by Lady Gaga in the film, it tells the story and feelings of her character, Ally perfectly. Bradley Cooper also sings the song very well but I think it is Lady Gaga that truly owns it. I have listened to on repeat for months and it still moves me and empowers me at the same time. The sheer power of Lady Gaga’s voice singing it in A Star is Born gave me goosebumps the first time I heard it in the film. I’m glad that A Star is Born won in this category.

It did have tough competition though as I think every song in this category was award worthy. All the Stars by Kendrick Lamar and SZA from Black Panther has a great beat that is perfect for the film and Girl in the Movies from Dumplin’ by Dolly Parton is a great theme song for the film. It’s uplifting in the same way as the message in the film. I have just listened to Requiem for A Private War and it was a beautiful song but I haven’t seen the film that it was written for. Revelation from Boy Erased is another powerful song that would have been a worthy winner.

The Americans – Best Television Series – Drama

I haven’t watched the recent seasons of The Americans but I have seen it before and I think it’s a good show but this year there were more worthy winners. I think that Bodyguard or Killing Eve should have won. I enjoyed both these series and think they were great television dramas. Bodyguard about the British Home Secretary having an affair with her personal bodyguard. It seem fairly simple but there is so much more to this drama. Plenty of action and romance and the last episode is one of the most intense pieces of television I have ever seen. Killing Eve had more of a cat and mouse element with Eve who works for MI6 trying to track down a female assassin all over Europe. It was a great female lead drama and the drama was more long played than in Bodyguard. Great plot twists and acting. I haven’t seen Pose or Homecoming but I have heard great things.

Rachel Brosnahan for The Marvelous Mrs Maisel – Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

I think that Rachel Brosnahan is an amazing actress and this is the role that she is born to play. I can’t see anyone else even attempting to play Mrs Maisel. I love this show and have seen both seasons. It is about an upper class Jewish woman in New York City. At the beginning of the show, Mrs Maisel’s husband leaves her for his secretary and to cope she turns to stand up comedy. It is set in the late 1950s when women were not very well received in comedy. The whole cast of the show are amazing and I would highly recommend watching it.

GLOW is an amazing series about female wrestlers in the 1980s and Alison Brie does a great performance as Ruth. I love this show and have seen both series and I cannot wait for the next season. Kristen Bell is also great as Eleanor Shellstrop in the Good Place, a comedy about going to the afterlife. The show while being up to date on pop culture also helps the audience to understand concepts of philosophy and make sense of what happens to us after death. I was really glad that Kristen Bell was nominated. Will & Grace and Murphy Brown are shows that I haven’t seen but have heard good things about.

I would also like to give a special mention to Ben Whishaw who won the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television. His role as Norman Scott in A Very English Scandal was great and he was worthy of the award. I have however not seen any other nominations in his category so it wouldn’t be fair to say he is the best, not having anything to compare it to. I watched all of A Very English Scandal last night and it was such a powerful and almost unbelievable true story. It tells the tale of Norman Scott having a gay affair with powerful politician Jeremy Thorpe in the 1960s and then being targeted for murder by Thorpe. Hugh Grant as Jeremy Thorpe was also great and a role we rarely see him play, the bad guy.

I know I only gave my opinions on a few of the categories but I didn’t feel it was right to judge categories in which I hadn’t seen more than 3 of the nominations.

I hope to write on many new and different topics in 2019.

Keep Watching,

Robyn

LGBT films are becoming more widely accepted among audiences

Hello readers,

Sorry that this is my first post in many weeks. I was on holiday at Easter so I didn’t go to the cinema that much and I have been very busy with finals at university, but I have now finished for the summer.

So let’s begin with a question:

Why are LGBT films becoming more widely accepted among audiences?

Recently, Hollywood and other film industries have been green lighting more LGBT themed films for wider releases. Audiences have wanted them for decades and whilst there have been some great LGBT films in recent years such as Blue is the Warmest Colour, Brokeback Mountain, I feel that in the last couple of years, more films and TV shows have been featuring LGBT characters and I want to explore why.

As Hollywood is the biggest and most widely broadcast film industry, I thought I would start there. In the USA, homosexuality was legalised in 2003 in all 50 states but this did not spark a sudden movement in the big production companies such as Paramount and Universal.

What helped kick-start changes was the legalisation of gay marriage in 2015. Personally, I think that this is what drove the movement forward in the American Film Industry.

Image result for gay marriage legalised usa parade
Legalisation of gay marriage in 2015, USA

There is a higher demand for films featuring these themes as worldwide acceptance is becoming more wide spread. Here are some popular LGBT films:

Carol (2015)

A film about the love between an older and a younger woman in the 1950s. It’s set in Manhattan, New York and as it was illegal for anyone to be gay, the two have a complicated relationship. The film received many awards nominations at the Oscars (six), the Golden Globes (five) and the BAFTAs (nine). It also competed for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Cate Blanchett, who is the President of the Jury for Cannes 2018 starred and her love interest was Rooney Mara, both accomplished actresses. It has a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and other glowing reviews. The film did moderately well at the box office also grossing $12.7 million domestically and $27.6 million worldwide. I think this film shows that audiences want LGBT films and will honour them with awards and great reviews.

Grandma (2015)

This film doesn’t have LGBT issues at its core but instead focuses on the relationship between a teenager and her lesbian grandmother. The girl is pregnant and needs money for an abortion. Her grandma, still grieving the death of her partner, helps her do this. Other relationships portrayed are between the girl and the father of her child, the grandmother and a man she almost married and the girl’s mother. This sweet film portrays being gay as a normal part of life. It was set in modern day so there were no secret relationships here. I have seen this film and really enjoyed it. The titular ‘Grandma’ is played by Lily Tomlin who is amazing in the role.

There have also been some other great LGBT films since then. One of my personal favourites from last year was Call Me By Your Name. I have talked about it many times on this blog so if you have read my other posts, you know of my love for the film.

It is a beautiful tale of two guys, Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet. Even though it only made $16 million in the US Box Office, it had four Oscar nominations including Best Picture. Some audiences feel like it was robbed of nominations for Best Director and Best Supporting Actor and it only won Best Adapted Screenplay – James Ivory, who is, in fact, gay. The fact that this film was even nominated for four Oscars is a step in the right direction for Hollywood becoming more accepting of LGBT themes.

A Fantastic Woman (2017)

The film featuring a trans lead which won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film was a step towards trans equality. Hollywood has become more accepting of homosexuality in recent times but trans equality is only just becoming accepted.

Moonlight (2016)

The tale of two black gay men living in LA which won Best Picture was really the first of its kind. It was a beautifully made film and explored many issues with drug abuse, adolescent violence and grief. It also won two other Oscars and was nominated for eight in total.

Recently I saw Love, Simon which inspired this post as it is the first big studio film with a main character who is gay.

This film played like a typical coming-of-age high school film but with a gay character leading it. It had all the typical plot points of a high school film but with the character of Simon falling for an anonymous guy instead of a girl.

TV series are also becoming more diverse, two of my favourites in particular are listed below:

Brooklyn 99

This comedy show about a Brooklyn cop precinct has a very diverse cast, one of the best on TV today. It features a black gay man as the captain, two Latina detectives, one now a sergeant, another is bi and another black sergeant. There are straight white males and one female but the diversity of this show is wonderful. The cast are all great in their roles and it is one of my favourite shows.

Sense8

This show about 8  people from around the world being telepathically connected features a trans character, a gay Latino guy, a black guy, a black lesbian and two Asian women. The cast are also very good in their roles. The show also features two straight white guys and one straight white woman. It is very good and I would highly recommend a watch. It does feature a lot of nudity though.

I hope you enjoyed this post and my first foray into a different kind of post. I will carry on doing film reviews but I also want to write about topics that matter to me like LGBT rights.

I will be posting an Infinity War review in a couple of weeks as I want to talk spoilers!

Happy Watching,

Robyn 🙂

Award-Nominated Films: A Review

Hello readers,

This post is dedicated to the three award-nominated films I have seen recently. Award season is often a time when the best films come out and this year is no exception. I saw all three of these films at the Ultimate Picture Palace in Oxford. I also volunteer there. If you are ever in Oxford, it is a great little cinema to catch a film. It only has 1 screen but also has a bar (with alcohol!) and plush red seats. There are 2 films on every evening and usually one in the afternoon too. They also show lots of art-house style films, documentaries and ones you may not find in the chain cinemas. Anyway on to the films.

Molly’s Game – Nominated for 1 Oscar, 2 Golden Globes and 1 BAFTA

This film is based on a true story. Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) was an Olympic level skier. She was trying out for the Winter Olympics when she was injured and could never ski again. She moves to Los Angeles and puts off her plan of going to law school for a year. She begins working as a cocktail waitress but soon gets a job with Dean (Jeremy Strong) who then asks her to organise and run his weekly underground poker game. Famous actors, musicians, sports stars and millionaires play the game. After several years, Molly is fired by Dean but retaliates by stealing all his players and setting up Molly’s Game at the Four Seasons in LA. Her buy in is put at $250,000 US dollars a game. Her game gets bigger and bigger, moving to New York and involving members of the Russian mafia.

2 years after playing she is arrested by the FBI and tried for illegal gambling. The film tells her story from her beginnings of being raised by her strict father (Kevin Costner) and being coached to ski and do well academically to running a multi-millionaire dollar company. At the beginning of the film, Molly goes to visit Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba), who becomes her lawyer and her life is then told in flashbacks. The styling of the film is very good and Jessica Chastain is amazing in her role. I could only think of Molly as her. There is a lot of fast narration by Molly in the film but it is not too hard to keep up with.

The bold colours of the film combined with the amazing life story of Molly makes this film a triumph. The film has some sad moments that did make me shed a few tears, especially when Molly sees her dad after being arrested.

This film is a true female empowerment story and how even if you get one dream taken from you, it doesn’t mean you can’t do something else and create your own business. Even though what Molly did was illegal, there is still a story of true courage and determination to be told.

The Oscar this film was nominated for was Best Adapted Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network, Steve Jobs, Moneyball) who also directed the film. It is based on Molly’s autobiography of her life. I think Jessica Chastain should have received nominations for her role and so should Idris Elba for his role as Charlie.

Also starring in Molly’s Game are Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves), Michael Cera (Superbad), Brian d’Arcy James (13 Reasons Why), Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids), Bill Camp (The Night Of), Graham Greene (The Green Mile), Claire Rankin (Taken, 2017), Joe Keery (Stranger Things) and Jeremy Strong(The Big Short).

Overall I rate Molly’s Game 5/5.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – Nominated for 7 Oscars, 6 Golden Globes (Won 2), 9 BAFTAs, 4 SAG Awards (Won 1)

The film centres around the after effects of the raping and murder of Angela Hayes. Her mother, Mildred is fed up with the police department. They haven’t had any leads in 7 months. She then uses 3 Billboards on a small road near her home to ask a question: Why haven’t there been any arrests? Her billboards start to make people take notice and complaints come in for the honesty of the signs. The small town consists of many people on Mildred’s side but the billboards change the atmosphere of Ebbing, Missouri. The film is poignant and honest about the police department of small towns in the US and how in the South, many policemen are more concerned with falsely accusing black people for crimes than finding real criminals.

Frances McDormand as Mildred gives an astonishing performance, and she has been nominated for an Oscar and a BAFTA and won a Golden Globe and SAG Award for her role. Her character is unpredictable, violent, mean, grieving and angry but McDormand gives her a human quality that makes you want her to succeed in finding her daughter’s killer.

Other cast members have also been recognised for their performances, Woody Harrelson who played the Chief of the Ebbing Police Department was nominated for a SAG Award, a BAFTA and an Oscar for his role. Sam Rockwell who plays a violent, racist cop, who later redeems himself, Jason Dixon won a SAG Award and a Golden Globe and was nominated for a BAFTA. He is also up for an Oscar in the same category as Woody Harrelson, Best Supporting Actor. The whole cast also won a SAG Award.

The other Oscars this film has been nominated for are Best Picture, Best Original Score – Carter Burwell, Best Original Screenplay – Martin McDonagh, Best Film Editing – Jon Gregory.

This film was powerful and truthful which I think really resonated in today’s climate of fake news and police brutality being covered up or excused. The painful story of a child being raped and killed has also been told accurately and respectfully.

The cast includes Frances McDormand (Fargo), Woody Harrelson (True Detective), Sam Rockwell (The Way Way Back), Abbie Cornish (Candy), Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone), Lucas Hedges (Manchester By The Sea), Zeljko Ivanek (Seven Psychopaths), Caleb Landry Jones (X-Men: First Class), Clarke Peters (The Wire) and Samara Weaving (The Babysitter).

Overall I give this film 4/5.

Darkest Hour – Nominated for 6 Oscars, 9 BAFTAs, Won 1 Golden Globe and 1 SAG Award.

This film tells the story of Sir Winston Churchill, the man who was reluctantly made prime minister and fought for our country. Churchill has to make a decision between attempting to negotiate peace talks with Hitler, preventing him from invading Britain or to find against the Nazis, despite the odds being against Britain. Churchill is portrayed by Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) in his role of a lifetime. When I was watching Oldman on screen, I forgot that he wasn’t an actor playing Winston Churchill, I thought this is Winston Churchill. Oldman not only looked like Churchill in the realistic prosthetic makeup but he had his voice and mannerisms perfected. Darkest Hour tells an incredible story of British courage in the year 1940 in a time period that only lasted about 2 weeks.

Churchill also shows his human side by bonding with his new secretary, Miss Layton (Lily James) and shows his romantic side with his wife, Clementine (Kristin Scott Thomas). There is also a lovely scene where he rides the Tube and asks ordinary people of London what they want for their country.

This film is very authentic from the scenery in the underground, where it looks just like the 1940s to the hundreds of extras used in the House of Commons dressed like Members of Parliament from the time.

Gary Oldman has been nominated for a Best Actor Oscar, one of six the film has been nominated for. The other nominations are Best Picture; Best Cinematography – Bruno Delbonnel; Best Makeup and Hairstyling – Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, Lucy Sibbick; Best Costume Design – Jacqueline Durran and Best Production Design – Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer. Gary Oldman also won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama, and a SAG Award.

The film’s nine BAFTA nominations are Best Film; Best Leading Actor – Gary Oldman; Best Supporting Actress – Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient); Outstanding British Film of the Year; Original Music – Dario Marianelli; Best Makeup/Hair – David Malinowski, Ivana Primorac, Lucy Sibbick and Kazuhiro Tsuji; Best Cinematography – Bruno Delbonnel; Best Costume Design – Jacqueline Durran and Best Production Design – Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer.

The excellent cast that transport the audience to this time period include Lily James (Cinderella), Ben Mendelsohn (Bloodline), Ronald Pickup (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), Stephen Dillane (The Hours) and Samuel West (Van Helsing).

Clearly this film has done well at the awards and it deserves it. I give the Darkest Hour 5/5.

Other films I have seen recently in the cinema include Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Hostiles.

Happy Watching,

Robyn 🙂