Tag Archives: The Iron Lady

Movie Review: The Help

THE HELP – One of the biggest and most celebrated films of 2011, The Help tackled a very sensitive societal issue but has given it a very refreshing and clever approach. In terms of the actual genre, it sits between drama and comedy but either way, this film is full of heart. It is brave and powerful. And just like one of the lines used in this film, it is full of courage – courage to tell what is right. I like how this motion picture gave me a chance to see the real drama behind this ‘black vs white’ subject.

More than the amazing and poignant storyline that this film has to offer, The Help boasts a fantastic ensemble – all equally brilliant and fascinating in their respective roles. Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer lead a spectacular line-up of award-winning performances. I can see now why Viola, despite her stunning portrayal of Aibileen, did not win the Oscars Best Actress as this is a film of various stories – not just hers. Whilst Davis’ performance is worth of every nomination she got, it wasn’t as strong as Meryl Streep’s solid acting in The Iron Lady. Still kudos to Davis for giving what could be classified as one of the bests last year. Viola may not have won the Academy Award for the lead actress category but her good friend Octavia Spencer definitely raised the roof and swept all the Best Supporting Actress awards – well deserved by the way. Spencer’s acting was so natural, it’ll hit you like a bullet – intense but relaxed. It’s strong and emotional – I actually thought that if she competed for Best Actress, she’d have greater chances. What I couldn’t understand is the fact that most award-giving bodies have ignored Emma Stone’s performance which, in my opinion, was one of the core points of this film. She was like the light of the movie and the force that held it together. Same with Jessica Chastain who was very good, you’d hate her (at least her character) so much. I believe that’s The Help’s strongest element – the acting. Whilst you cannot fault the screenplay and the production value, the acting was exemplary and brings the film to a lot more excellent level. If I am to choose one best scene it was the revelation as to what happened with Constantine. It was a very precious moment and I think that scene alone, easily, deserves the SAG Best Picture award they’ve won.

We need more films like The Help – not only that it is brave and bold in terms of telling the real story behind the issues we didn’t believe to be that bad but also a fantastic venue to showcase amazing talents like the actors and actresses in this film. Very few masterpieces stands out nowadays because of pure genius acting and this is what Hollywood cinema should be all about. No thrills, no frills, no exaggerations, no effects – amazing!

8.5/10

Posted by princeofallmedia. Categories: Movie Reviews. Tags: Emma Stone, Jessica Chastain, Meryl Streep, Octavia Spencer, SAG Best Picture, The Help, The Iron Lady, Viola Davis. Leave a comment

Feb. ’12

Prince of all Media Awards 2011: And the winners are….

Few hours before the Academy Awards, I think there’s no other perfect time to unveil the Prince of all Media’s choice for 2011′s best of the best. I’ll be looking at 4 main divisions and will be selecting the winner from a list of the very best from their respective fields. Fashion, TV, Movie and Music… 6 major recognitions for each division – and with no further ado, here are your winners:

FASHION

Most fashionable male celebrity:

This is a really tough category as a number male celebrities of 2011 stepped up their game and conquered the glam with their amazing fashion sense.

Bubbling up: George Michael, Olly Murs and Harry Styles

Runner-up: Ryan Gosling

Winner: HENRY CAVILL

Most fashionable female celebrity:

This is pretty exciting as a lot of female stars, as expected, hit 2011 with their unique fashion statements. But only one, in my opinion, graced the scene with such elegance and beauty – truly unparalleled!

Bubbling up: Nikki Minaj, Beyonce Knowles and Cheryl Cole

Runner-up: Kate Middleton

Winner: VICTORIA BECKHAM

Victoria Beckham poses backstage at the Victoria Beckham Dresses Spring 2011 presentation during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at on September 12, 2010 in New York City.

Most fashionable celebrity couple:

This is a no-brainer… Let’s go straight to the winner!

(ok)

Bubbling up: Beyonce & Jay-Z, Justin & Selena and Brad & Angelina

Runner-up: Kate & William

Winner: POSH & BECKS

Most ‘glamorous’ TV show of the year:

It doesn’t have to be a ‘fashion fix’ show to win this category. A soap opera, a variety show and even a reality show could win this as long as FASHION and STYLE is written all over it.

Bubbling up: X-Factor USA, How To Look Good Naked and The Royal Wedding

Runner-up: Gok’s Fashion Fix

Winner: THE ONLY WAY IS ESSEX

Most fashionably weird celebrity of the year:

Love this! Although everyone thinks Gaga should win this, well you might be up for some sort of surprise…

Bubbling up: Rihanna, Nikki Minaj and Misha B

Runner-up: Kitty Brucknell

Winner: LADY GAGA and PEREZ HILTON

And last but not the least… the Ultimate Fashionista of the year:

Four gorgeous ladies and one fashion hunk… who will take home the crown?!

Bubbling up: Ryan Gosling, Lady Gaga and Nikki Minaj

Runner-up: Victoria Beckham

Winner: KATE MIDDLETON

Well done Kate!

Next stop… TV

Most controversial TV show of the year:

The usual winner for this category might not be able to get the award this year…. well, just maybe!

Bubbling up: Big Brother, The Only Way is Essex and X-Factor USA

Runner-up: The Royal Wedding

Winner: X-FACTOR UK

Most popular Reality TV star of the year:

A group, two ladies, two hunkies…. who will grab the spotlight?!

Bubbling up: Amy Childs, Dougie Poynter and Little Mix

Runner-up: Fatima Whitbread

Winner: MARK WRIGHT

Viola vs Meryl: The race will come to an end soon!

The biggest and closest race in this year’s Academy Awards is about to end in no longer than 24 hours…

Will it be Viola Davis’ night and turn to win the gold statuette or will the Iron Lady herself, Meryl Streep, claim her overdue Oscar victory?

The online community is divided in terms of who they back to win. I, myself is torn between the two magnificent performances. As I have raised in my earlier Oscar predictions, I think Meryl Streep should win but I wouldn’t mind Viola beating the former as her portrayal in The Help was incredible too.

After spending some time looking through various online predictions, here are a few commentaries as to why Meryl or Viola should win the Oscars;

TEAM VIOLA

1. Viola Davis won the SAG Award
Meryl Streep may have beaten Viola Davis for the Golden Globe, but the star-struck journalists who make up the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. (the ones who nominated “The Tourist” for Best Picture, lest we forget) have no say at the Oscars.

SAG, on the other hand, is decided by industry actors, many of whom are also Academy members, and their picks tend to be more reliable predictors of the Academy’s taste. In the Oscar race ten years ago, there was a similar result: veteran Sissy Spacek won the Golden Globe for “In the Bedroom,” but Halle Berry won SAG for “Monster’s Ball,” and it was Berry who ended up winning the Oscar.

2. Nobody really liked “The Iron Lady”
The general consensus is that Streep is excellent, but “The Iron Lady” is far from it. In fact, it’s hard to make a case for Streep without the caveat that she greatly outclasses the film she’s in. You could say the same about Marion Cotillard a few years ago in ‘La Vie en Rose,’ but even that film’ssomewhat mixed reviews were better than ‘The Iron Lady’s.’ To rally behind Streep, voters will have to selectively ignore the movie she’s in.

This is a problem that has plagued Streep for a number of years. She used to be nominated for films with broad support – including Best Picture winners “The Deer Hunter,” “Kramer vs. Kramer,” and “Out of Africa” – but now her films all seem to revolve around her performances in them, without much affection going to the films themselves.

Of her 10 most recent Oscar nominations, none of the films were nominated for Picture or Director, and only two were nominated for writing (“Adaptation” and “Doubt”). In four of those films, she was the only nomination (“A Cry in the Dark,” “The Bridges of Madison County,” “One True Thing,” and “Julie & Julia”). The Academy clearly loves Meryl Streep, but they’re not particularly fond of Meryl Streep movies anymore.

It’s worth noting that, of the four actors who have won three or more Oscars (Katharine Hepburn,Jack Nicholson, Ingrid Bergman, and Walter Brennan), none of them won their third for a film without at least a writing nomination. Nicholson’s third win (“As Good as It Gets”) and Hepburn’s third and fourth wins (“The Lion in Winter” and “On Golden Pond”) were for Best Picture nominees.

3. Even Meryl seems to be rooting for Viola Davis
The ever-gracious Streep, who appeared with Davis in “Doubt,” gave a Golden Globe acceptance speech in which she lauded the great performances by women from 2011, even those who were mostly ignored during the awards season, like Mia Wasikowska in “Jane Eyre” and Adepero Oduye in “Pariah.” But she made special mention of Davis, ending her speech by saying, “I love you Viola – you’re my girl.”

In Entertainment Weekly’s “Entertainers of the Year” issue, Streep went even further, saying, “It’s [Davis's] seeming reluctance to draw attention to herself that draws us in and pulls us close. It’s her interest in the quiet, the patient ones; and it’s her respect, the great respect she pays to those who bear unbearable burdens without a sound, that makes us lean in and listen and unable to turn away. Her modesty is her majesty.”

Davis couldn’t ask for a better Oscar campaign manager than her Oscar rival.

4. Meryl’s overdue status is overestimated
Streep, with the most acting nominations in Oscar history but not a single victory in almost 30 years, is considered overdue a third trophy, and that narrative – The “It’s about time” award – is a powerful one, helping Martin Scorsese(“The Departed”), Jeff Bridges (“Crazy Heart”), and Kate Winslet (“The Reader”) finally win Oscars. But none of them had won before, giving the Academy greater incentive to vote for them.

But even when the overdue nominee has never won, it’s not a foolproof path to Oscar. Consider: Lauren Bacall (“The Mirror Has Two Faces”) lost Best Supporting Actress toJuliette Binoche (“The English Patient”) in 1996, and just last year Annette Bening (“The Kids Are All Right”) lost Best Actress to Natalie Portman (“Black Swan”). Peter O’Toole has never won a competitive Oscar, and he lost his most recent nomination (his eighth, for “Venus”) to first-time nominee Forest Whitaker.

The overdue factor is also complicated by the presence of Glenn Close in the category this year. Close has now been nominated six times without winning, and she’s unlikely to prevail this year, so a voter looking at his ballot might wonder, “If Meryl’s due, what does that make Glenn?”

Most importantly, there’s one Oscar factor that trumps the “overdue” narrative …

5. Viola’s win would be historic
When Halle Berry won Best Actress for “Monster’s Ball,” she was the first – and to date only – black woman ever to do so. In her acceptance speech, she said tearfully, “This moment is so much bigger than me.” Oscar likes those kinds of moments. In 2009, against all odds, the grim, low-grossing indie war drama “The Hurt Locker” won Best Picture, due in no small part to the fact that it gave the Academy the opportunity to honor a woman (Kathryn Bigelow) as Best Director for the first time.

When Viola Davis won at the SAG Awards, a sense of impending history was in the air; she gave a stirring acceptance speech in which she thanked acting legend and “The Help” co-star Cicely Tysonfor inspiring her. Davis is the second black actress ever to receive multiple Oscar nominations, and she would be only the second to win Best Actress. If she and Best Supporting Actress nomineeOctavia Spencer both win, it’ll be the first time two black actors win for the same film and the first time two black women win acting prizes in the same year (giving voters the chance to check their racial and gender progressiveness boxes). It helps that their film is all about racial inequality, a Best Picture nominee, a box office hit, and a zeitgeist-tapping drama about the haves and have-nots.

TEAM MERYL

1. She plays a real-life person

This can’t be overstated. Since the earliest days of Oscar, when George Arliss won for “Disraeli,” Charles Laughtonwon for “The Private Life of Henry VIII” and Paul Muni won for “The Story of Louis Pasteur,” the Academy has shown a tendency to reward actors for playing historical figures.

In the past 12 years, an astounding 14 of the 24 lead acting awards have gone to actors who played real people: Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech,” Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side,” Sean Penn in “Milk,” Marion Cotillard in “La Vie en Rose,” Forest Whitaker in “The Last King of Scotland,”Helen Mirren in “The Queen,” Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Capote,” Reese Withersoon in “Walk the Line,” Jamie Foxx in “Ray,” Charlize Theron in “Monster,” Adrien Brody in “The Pianist,” Nicole Kidman in “The Hours,”Julia Roberts in “Erin Brockovich” and Hilary Swank in “Boys Don’t Cry.”

Streep has the added benefit in that she plays a widely known figure, and that we see the character age significantly onscreen.

2. Hers is the most dramatic performance in the category
I’ve always argued that Oscar voters go for the showy over the subtle, most recently when I insisted that Marion Cotillard’s flashy work in “La Vie en Rose” would prevail over Julie Christie’s quieter turn in “Away From Her.”

Other recent examples include Natalie Portman in “Black Swan” over Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right,” Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Capote” over Heath Ledger in “Brokeback Mountain,” Reese Witherspoon in “Walk the Line” over Felicity Huffman in “Transamerica,” Sean Penn in “Mystic River” over Bill Murray in “Lost in Translation” and Halle Berry in “Monster’s Ball” overSissy Spacek in “In the Bedroom.”

Viola Davis is superb in “The Help,” but the performance has relatively few of the classic “Oscar scenes” which make for a win. Meanwhile, virtually every line from Streep in “The Iron Lady” seems custom-made for the Best Actress montage.

3. She’s due for her third Oscar
We’ll never see the numbers, but most pundits would probably guess that Streep came extremely close to winning for both 2009’s “Julie and Julia” and 2008’s “Doubt.” While Helen Mirren likely won by a landslide for 2006’s “The Queen,” Streep might have finished second for “The Devil Wears Prada.”

Sentiment would finally appear to be on her side this year, after almost 30 years of consistent Oscar losses. This is only the second nomination for Davis and her first leading role, and “The Help” is not a starring vehicle for her the way that “The Iron Lady” is for Streep. Davis is 16 years younger and many voters will feel that she’ll have plenty of chances for the Oscar in the future.

4. She won the Golden Globe
I never thought that I would say this but could the Globe actually be the best indicator of success in the Best Actress race? Believe it or not, the last time an actress won the lead Oscar without having taken a Golden Globe first was 10 years ago, when Sissy Spacek won for “In the Bedroom” over eventual Oscar winner Halle Berry in “Monster’s Ball.” (Much of that can be explained by Spacek winning both the New York and Los Angeles Film Critics awards for her big comeback.)

I suspect that some are reading too much into the SAG win by Davis; “The Help” had simply been seen by far more Guild members than “The Iron Lady.” Hilary Swank in “Boys Don’t Cry,” Nicole Kidman in “The Hours” and Marion Cotillard in “La Vie en Rose” all stumbled at SAG after winning Globes, but still rebounded on Oscar night. Streep can do the same.

5. She isn’t hurt by “The Help”
It’s true that being in a Best Picture contender improves an acting nominee’s chances. It’s probably made the difference in several close races, like Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side” over Streep in “Julie in Julia,” Sean Penn in “Milk” over Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler,” Kate Winslet in “The Reader” over Streep in “Doubt,” Russell Crowe in “Gladiator” over both Tom Hanks in “Cast Away” and Ed Harris in “Pollock,” and Kevin Spacey in “American Beauty” over Denzel Washington in “The Hurricane.”

But keep in mind that “The Help” earned just four nominations, and zero outside of the picture and acting categories. Even “The Iron Lady” scored for Best Makeup. That suggests that “The Help” doesn’t have the type of broad support in the Academy which might sweep Davis to victory. And as I explained earlier, Davis doesn’t carry the film the way that a traditional starring role does. WithOctavia Spencer looking like a sure thing for Best Supporting Actress, voters may think that’s enough help for “The Help.” One out of four isn’t bad.

There you go, you decide people! Or better yet, let’s wait till that envelope reveals our winner

Posted by princeofallmedia. Categories: That's Entertainment. Tags: Best Actress Oscars, gold statuette, Meryl Streep, oscar predictions, Oscar predictions 2012, The Help, The Iron Lady, Viola Davis. Leave a comment

Feb. ’12

Meryl and her BAFTA Cinderella moment…

She won the Golden Globe and now the BAFTA… Is she ready for the Oscars?

Posted by princeofallmedia. Categories: That's Entertainment. Tags: BAFTA Best Actress, Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady, Viola Davis. Leave a comment

Feb. ’12

Oscars 2012: Prince of all Media’s winners are…

At last! I’ve come to that point where my mind and heart have agreed who to win this year’s Academy Awards. As always, the Best Actor and Best Actress categories are the toughest to choose from. I’ve seen majority of the nominated films and performances and done my bit to research on the others so I guess I am in a position to weigh things up and lay down my cards…

First stop, Best Supporting Actor:

This category, although there are five actors nominated, is a 2-man battle… shall I say a strict 2-man battle. I’ve seen 4 of the 5 splendid performances and I think the media and critics will agree with me if I say it’s a toss between Christopher Plummer and Jonah Hill. Now, we’re down to which performance has actually captivated the heart of the academy. Based on their respective roles, Plummer’s character is more interesting and dramatic in that sense, however, Hill’s portrayal in Moneyball was a revelation. Who deserves the award more? The late-bloomer or the man who has more to show…

The Prince of all Media’s choice is…. CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER!

Then of course Jonah Hill is my second choice. I’d like to see Kenneth Branagh in that top spot too though I don’t think he will snatch the Oscars this year. As for Max Von Sydow…. next category please.

Best Supporting Actress:

This is so cool! I’ve seen all five performances and I kinda like each one of them. I have my very personal favourite and I also have my eyes on someone who, so far, has swept the awards for this category. Unlike the Best Supporting Actor category, this lot is more like a 3-woman race. Jessica Chastain is so pretty that you can easily fall for her performance despite it being a so-so acting in general. Berenice Bejo, on the other hand, won my heart with her timeless beauty and expressive eyes as Pippa Miller in The Artist but that doesn’t mean she can reign supreme in this year’s awards night especially under the threat of The Help’s Octavia Spencer who, in my opinion, should have been nominated as Best Actress instead as she shared the spotlight with Viola Davis in the said film. Enough blah-blah-blah…

Prince of all Media’s choice is… OCTAVIA SPENCER!

I’d love to see Berenice to win it but I highly doubt that because Octavia is just a sure winner this year. Possible upset? I think they all deserve to win so no one could surprise us.

Best Director/Best Picture:

It’s always a question whether the Best Picture and Best Director winner should always come from the same film. This year, I think that is safe to say. All 9 nominated films were created by 9 brilliant directors. The seniors; Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese gave us their remarkable masterpieces whilst newbie Michel Hazanavicius dared to present us something different. I was surprised not to see George Clooney in this category for Ides of March as I thought it wasn’t too bad for a non-director to come up with such quality of a film. As for the nominated movies, there are only two films which I think will go head-to-head – that doesn’t mean though the other nine are crap. Is it the film that tackles the ups and downs of being a father or the film that challenges the viewers by presenting a magnificent story minus the words?!

Prince of all Media’s choices for Best Director and Best Picture are… MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS & THE ARTIST!

I believe The Artist has pretty much secured its win but Michel’s victory is still uncertain, Martin could easily snatch that statuette away from him should the Academy decide to pay tribute to him as one of the Hollywood’s living legends.

Best Actor:

Will it be George? Will it be Brad? Will it be Jean? The awards season started with Brad Pitt as the ultimate choice for this category but his best pal, George Clooney entered the picture and even won the Golden Globe award. People started thinking its going to be George and Brad for this race but here we go again, another contender came into the race and is now the frontrunner, after his SAG victory… Jean Dujardin for The Artist. I’ve seen all three performances, in fact, all five nominees for this category. George’s acting is so good that you actually forget it was George Clooney. Brad’s performance on the other hand is one of the best I’ve seen from him although the character and the role is not that big to push him on top of the stage. And finally, Jean is just as amazing as the film. The Artist would have been a massive flop if not for Jean’s outstanding performance. My personal favourite is also who I think will win the Oscars so I guess I’m in a good place for this one.

Prince of all Media’s choice is… JEAN DUJARDIN!

George, of course, is my second choice followed by poor old Brad

And finally, the most exciting category of the night… Best Actress:

First and foremost, let me just say that the Academy should’ve chosen Tilda Swinton instead of Glenn Close as the former was just brilliant in the weird film called ‘We Need To Talk About Kevin’ unlike Glenn Close, I mean, who is Glenn Close?! I’m happy anyway that they’ve recognized Rooney Mara’s acting in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (I have a review coming up for that film). Her performance was infectious and effortless and although I think she could win the award, the race for Best Actress is down to just two; the legendary and unparalleled Meryl Streep vs the incredible Viola Davis. Both actresses have proven their amazing talents in acting. They even had a showdown of brilliance in the film Doubt few years ago. The media’s opinion on this category is mixed. Meryl started off at the high and secured the Oscars by beating Viola in the Golden Globe while Viola has won the SAG and has posed a tough competition. Both performances showcased their strengths as an actress. I’d like to see both of them to win but that is impossible. I think I will have to base my judgement on who gave the most convincing acting and who gave justice to their role. It is very difficult. I’d like to see _______ to win but I think _________ will win! I’ll keep it that way.

Prince of all Media’s choice (based on giving justice to the role) is… MERYL STREEP!

I won’t be surprised though if Viola wins it. I’d like Rooney and Michelle too… Glenn Close? Who the hell is Glenn Close?!

There you go, last year, I predicted 4/6 so it wasn’t that good… I’m hoping my predictions will be much better this year (fingers crossed)

Posted by princeofallmedia. Categories: That's Entertainment. Tags: Berenice Bejo, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer, Gary Oldman, George Cooney, Glenn Close, Jean DuJardin, Jessica Chastain, Jonah Hill, Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, michel hazanavicius, Michelle Williams, Moneyball, Octavia Spencer, Oscars 2012, Rooney Mara, Steven Spielberg, The Artist, The Descendants, The Help, The Iron Lady, Tilda Swinton, Viola Davis, We Need To Talk About Kevin. Leave a comment

Jan. ’12

Oscar nominees are out… Let the battle begin!

Best Picture
“The Artist”
“The Descendants”
“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”
“Hugo”
“Midnight in Paris”
“The Help”
“Moneyball”
“War Horse”
“The Tree of Life”

Best Actor
Demian Bichir, “A Better Life”
George Clooney, “The Descendants”
Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”
Gary Oldman, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”

Best Actress
Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs”
Viola Davis, “The Help”
Rooney Mara, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”
Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”

Best Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, “My Week With Marilyn”
Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”
Nick Nolte, “Warrior”
Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”
Max Von Sydow, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

Best Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo, “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain, “The Help”
Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”
Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs”
Octavia Spencer, “The Help”

Best Director
Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Terrence Malick, “The Tree of Life”
Alexander Payne, “The Descendants”
Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”

Best Original Screenplay
Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
JC Chandor, “Margin Call”
Asghar Farhadi, “A Separation”
Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, “Bridesmaids”

Best Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxton, Jim Rash, “The Descendants”
John Logan, “Hugo”
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, “The Ides of March”
Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian, “Moneyball”
Bridget O’Connor, Peter Straughn, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”

Best Animated Feature
“A Cat In Paris”
“Chico & Rita”
“Kung Fu Panda 2″
“Puss in Boots”
“Rango”

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Bullhead (Belgium)
Footnote (Israel)
In Darkness (Poland)
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
A Separation (Iran)

Original Score
“The Adventures of Tintin,” John Williams
“The Artist,” Ludovic Bource
“Hugo,” Howard Shore
“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” Alberto Iglesias
“War Horse,” John Williams

Best Original Song
“Man or Muppet,” The Muppets; Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
“Real in Rio,” Rio; Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown, Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Best Achievement in Art Direction
“The Artist”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″
“Hugo”
“Midnight in Paris”
“War Horse”

Best Achievement in Cinematography
“The Artist”
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
“Hugo”
“The Tree of Life”
“War Horse”

Best Achievement in Costume Design
“Anonymous”
“The Artist”
“Hugo”
“Jane Eyre”
“W.E.”

Best Documentary Feature
“Hell and Back Again”
“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front”
“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory”
“Pina”
“Undefeated”

Best Documentary Short Subject
“The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement?”
“God Is the Bigger Elvis”
“Incident in New Baghdad”
“Saving Face”
“The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom”

Best Achievement in Film Editing
“The Artist”
“The Descendants”
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
“Hugo”
“Moneyball”

Best Achievement in Makeup
“Albert Nobbs”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″
“The Iron Lady”

Best Animated Short Film
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Best Live Action Short Film
“Pentecost”
“Raju”
“The Shore”
“Time Freak”
“Tuba Atlantic”

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
“Drive”
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
“Hugo”
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
“War Horse”

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
“Hugo”
“Moneyball”
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
“War Horse”

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″
“Hugo”
“Real Steel”
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”

It is going to be a good battle especially for the Best Picture category. Please watch this space for my fearless forecast!

Posted by princeofallmedia. Categories: That's Entertainment. Tags: Albert Nobbs, Berenic Bejo, Berenice Bejo, best foreign language film, Brad Pitt, demian bichir, George Clooney, Hugo, janet mcteer, Jean DuJardin, Meryl Streep, Michelle Williams, Moneyball, Octavia Spencer, Oscars 2012, Real Steel, Rooney Mara, The Artist, The Descendants, The Help, The Iron Lady, tinker tailor soldier spy, Viola Davis, War Horse. Leave a comment

Jan. ’12

Movie Review: The Iron Lady

THE IRON LADY – After the phenomenal success of British biopics like The Last King of Scotland, The Queen and The King’s Speech comes another emotional and melodramatic chef-d’oeuvre that will certainly set standards in contemporary cinema. The Iron Lady featuring the award-winning Hollywood jewel, Meryl Streep, tackles the ups and downs of Britain’s only female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. Could this be that one film that’ll give Meryl Streep the Academy Award following her sequential nominations (but no wins) in the last decade?

My expectations of the film were similar to what I have seen from The Queen and The King’s Speech: meaty and insightful conversations, natural and flawless performances from the lead stars, profligate but accurate production design and lots of British flavours in it. I was right. That was probably the only criticism I can give this film. The flow of the entire picture is quite predictable as it blatantly followed the footsteps of the earlier biopics. I was expecting more humour and conviviality considering that Phyllida Lloyd spearheaded the direction department. In a way, the predictability factor paved way for Meryl Streep’s exceptional, dazzling and genuine portrayal of the character. The film was all about Meryl’s astounding performance and not the story. The plot became an embellishment of Streep’s effortless acting. It wasn’t her most brilliant piece but with Meryl Streep, it’s all about the consistency, the rapport with the viewing public, the natural emotions her eyes are conveying. On that note, Streep is definitely on her way to claim 2012 Oscar’s Best Actress award.

The emphasis in Thatcher’s current condition also gave the film an invigorating tang. It’s like watching a fictitious piece with real-life characters. It is sweet, uplifting and emotional. Will I watch the film again? I am not completely sure. If I am to watch it again though it will be because of Meryl Streep’s acting and not because of the whole film. I’d recommend it to those who are into biopics and British history. A perfect vehicle as well for those who knew someone who’s suffering with Dementia. Definitely a must-see and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Meryl’s Oscars victory this year.

8/10

Posted by princeofallmedia. Categories: Movie Reviews. Tags: actress award, astounding performance, Best Actress, contemporary cinema, dementia, Margaret Thatcher, Meryl Streep, natural emotions, Oscars 2012, phyllida lloyd, The Iron Lady, The Queen, ups and downs. 1 Comment

Jan. ’12

BAFTA Nominations 2012

The awards season has officially began and this time, BAFTA is ready to hand in their trophies to the best of the best last year.

Best Film

The Artist

The Descendants

Drive

The Help

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Leading actor

Brad Pitt – Moneyball

Gary Oldman – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

George Clooney – The Descendants

Jean Dujardin – The Artist

Michael Fassbender – Shame

Leading actress

Berenice Bejo – The Artist

Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady

Michelle Williams – My Week With Marilyn

Tilda Swinton – We Need To Talk About Kevin

Viola Davis – The Help

Supporting actor

Christopher Plummer – Beginners

Jim Broadbent – The Iron Lady

Jonah Hill – Moneyball

Kenneth Branagh – My Week With Marilyn

Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Ides Of March

Supporting actress

Carey Mulligan – Drive

Jessica Chastain – The Help

Judi Dench – My Week With Marilyn

Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids

Octavia Spencer – The Help

Outstanding British Film

My Week With Marilyn

Senna

Shame

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

We Need To Talk About Kevin

Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer

Attack The Block – Joe Cornish (director/writer)

Black Pond – Will Sharpe (director/writer), Tom Kingsley (director), Sarah Brocklehurst (producer)

Coriolanus – Ralph Fiennes (director)

Submarine – Richard Ayoade (director/writer)

Tyrannosaur – Paddy Considine (director), Diarmid Scrimshaw (producer)

Foreign language film

Incendies

Pina

Potiche

A Separation

The Skin I Live In

Director

The Artist – Michel Hazanavicius

Drive – Nicolas Winding Refn

Hugo – Martin Scorsese

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Tomas Alfredson

We Need To Talk About Kevin – Lynne Ramsay

Documentary

George Harrison: Living In The Material World

Project Nim

Senna

Animated film

The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn

Arthur Christmas

Rango

Original screenplay

The Artist – Michel Hazanavicius

Bridesmaids – Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig

The Guard – John Michael McDonagh

The Iron Lady – Abi Morgan

Midnight In Paris – Woody Allen

Adapted screenplay

The Descendants – Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash

The Help – Tate Taylor

The Ides Of March – George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon

Moneyball – Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Bridget O’Connor, Peter Straughan

Original music

The Artist

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Hugo

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

War Horse

Cinematography

The Artist

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Hugo

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

War Horse

Editing

The Artist

Drive

Hugo

Senna

Tinker Tailor Solider Spy

Production design

The Artist

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Hugo

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

War Horse

Costume design

The Artist

Hugo

Jane Eyre

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Make up & hair

The Artist

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Hugo

The Iron Lady

My Week With Marilyn

Sound

The Artist

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Hugo

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

War Horse

Special visual effects

The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Hugo

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

War Horse

Short animation

Abuelas

Bobby Yeah

A Morning Stroll

Short film

Chalk

Mwansa The Great

Only Sound Remains

Pitch Black Heist

Two And Two

The Orange Wednesdays Rising Star Award (previously announced, and voted by the public)

Adam Deacon

Chris Hemsworth

Chris O’Dowd

Eddie Redmayne

Tom Hiddleston

Posted by princeofallmedia. Categories: That's Entertainment. Tags: Adam Deacon, BAFTA 2012, Berenice Bejo, Carey Mulligan, Drive, George Clooney, Judi Dench, Meryl Streep, Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn, Octavia Spencer, Ryan Gosling, The Artist, The Help, The Iron Lady, Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Viola Davis, We Need To Talk About Kevin. Leave a comment

Jan. ’12

Golden Globe 2012 Quotable Quotes

Oh dear! Golden Globe awards night won’t be the same without the usual banters, jokes and punchlines from our favourite celebrities not to mention Ricky Gervais’ return in the hosting throne this year.

Here are some to keep you all smiling on a Tuesday morning

Ricky Gervais:

“Tonight, you get Britain’s biggest comedian, hosting the second biggest awards show, on America’s third biggest network … I’m just kidding. It’s the fourth.”

“The Golden Globes are just like the Oscars without all that esteem. The Golden Globes are to the Oscars what Kim Kardashian is to Kate Middleton. Bit louder, bit trashier, bit drunker, and more easily bought. Allegedly. Nothing’s been proved.”

“Who needs the Oscars? Not me, and not Eddie Murphy. He walked out on em, and good for him. But when the man who said yes to Norbit, says no, you know you’re in trouble.”

“Bit of trivia: Eddie Murphy and Adam Sandler, between them, played all the parts in The Help.”

“I’m not to libel anyone; and I mustn’t mention Mel Gibsonthis year – not his private life, his politics, his recent films, and especially not Jodie Foster‘s Beaver. I haven’t seen it myself, I’ve spoken to a lot of guys here, they haven’t seen it either. But that doesn’t mean it’s not any good.”

“Boardwalk Empire, I love that show, it’s great. It’s about a load of immigrants who came to America about 100 years ago and got involved in bribery and corruption and they worked their way up into high society … but enough about the Hollywood Foreign Press.”

“I want to ask you a question. And be honest. Are you on recreational drugs? I’m joking, that’s not the question. And we all know the answer. Have you seen ‘The Tourist’ yet?” (to Johnny Depp)

“Our next presenter is the queen of pop … I’ll give you some clues, she always vogue, she’s a material girl, and she’s just like a virgin” [coughs].

Steven Spielberg:

“I would like to thank two studios that really proved the adage that Peter and I could make the telephone book if we wanted to.”

Madonna:

“If I’m still a virgin, Ricky, why don’t you come over here and do something about it.”

Meryl Streep:

“I just want thank my agent, and God: Harvey Weinstein. The punisher. Old Testament, I guess.”

Posted by princeofallmedia. Categories: That's Entertainment. Tags: Eddie Murphy, Golden Globe 2012, Jodie Foster, Johnny Depp, Kate Middleton, Madonna, Mel Gibson, Meryl Streep, Norbit, Oscars, Ricky Gervais, Steven Spielberg, The Iron Lady. Leave a comment

Jan. ’12

Meryl Streep is Golden Globe 2012′s Best Actress!

Here is the complete list of winners for the 69th Golden Globe Awards:

MOTION PICTURES

Motion Picture, Drama:

The Descendants

Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical:
The Artist

Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama:
George Clooney, The Descendants

Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama:
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy:
Jean DuJardin, The Artist

Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy:
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture:
Octavia Spencer, The Help

Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture:
Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Director:
Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Screenplay, Motion Picture:
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

Foreign Language Film:
A Separation, Iran

Animated Feature Film:
The Adventures of Tintin

Original Score, Motion Picture:
The Artist, Ludovic Bource

Original Song, Motion Picture:
“Masterpiece,” Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry; W.E.

TELEVISION

TV Series, Drama:
Homeland

TV Series, Comedy:
Modern Family

TV Movie or Miniseries:
Downton Abbey

Actor in a TV Series, Drama:
Kelsey Grammer, Boss

Actress in a TV Series, Drama:
Claire Danes, Homeland

Actor, TV Series Comedy:
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

Actress in a TV Series, Comedy:
Laura Dern, Enlightened

Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie:
Idris Elba, Luther

Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie:
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie:
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story

Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or TV Movie:
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

CECILE B. DEMILLE AWARD:
Morgan Freeman

Posted by princeofallmedia. Categories: That's Entertainment. Tags: director martin scorsese, George Clooney, Golden Globe 2012, golden globe awards, Idris Elba, Jean DuJardin, Jessica Lange, Kate Winslet, Laura Dern, Matt Leblanc, Meryl Streep, Michelle Williams, Octavia Spencer, The Artist, The Descendants, The Iron Lady, Viola Davis. Leave a comment

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Movie Review: The Iron Lady

BAFTA Nominations 2012

Golden Globe 2012 Quotable Quotes

Meryl Streep is Golden Globe 2012′s Best Actress!

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