Awards Season 2018: The 90th Academy Awards

All in all, it was a night of no real surprises, but pleasant enough. 

Unlike last year, this year's Oscars ceremony didn't do anything controversial. Hell, even the winners were pretty safe (for the most part- a film about Russian doping at the Olympics winning Best Documentary Feature might be classed as a bit dicey).

Jimmy Kimmel returned as host; although general critical reception was a bit mixed, I enjoyed his performance for the most part, so was glad to see him back. It was kind of the same this year: mostly, he did well, and he acknowledged when things didn't hit. His opening speech made reference to last year's Best Picture farrago, the disgrace of Harvey Weinstein, and the #TimesUp and #MeToo movements (which were mentioned quite a bit, as you'd expect). This year's gimmick was to take a bunch of A-listers over to a nearby cinema to thank the cinema-going public for their continued support (an interesting idea, but one which one of the included montages did with a bit more style and grace). Another interesting idea was- to streamline the show as much as possible- Kimmel was giving away a jetski as a prize for the shortest acceptance speech (won by costume designer Mark Bridges whose acceptance speech was a positively svelte 36 seconds). 

Some of the guest presenters were better than others- there were a couple of lovely introductions by previous Oscar winners Eva Marie Saint and Rita Moreno who presented Best Costume Design and Best Foreign Language Film respectively, and I quite enjoyed the banter between Jennifer Lawrence and Jodie Foster (who was on crutches) suggesting that she'd been crocked by Meryl Streep! 

The musical numbers- for each of the Best Original Song nominees- were very diverse in their performances, with 'Remember Me' from Coco going for a full production number, whilst Sufjan Stevens gave a very different (and much more stripped back) performance for Call Me By Your Name's 'The Mystery Of Love'. My favourite performance, however, came from Keala Settle who gave an absolutely storming rendition of 'This Is Me' from The Greatest Showman. There was also a poignant performance by Eddie Vedder of the late Tom Petty's 'Room At The Top' for the In Memoriam section. 

On to the awards themselves...

So, five out of six is alright. I'm not at all surprised that The Shape Of Water won Best Picture, and it is a worthy winner of the top prize (I did like that Guillermo del Toro checked the envelope before starting his acceptance speech!). All the acting categories fell as expected, with Gary Oldman giving a lovely speech which ended with him asking his 99-year-old mum to put the kettle on, and then Frances McDormand giving a typically no-f's-given speech which brought the crowd in the Dolby Theatre to its feet. Sam Rockwell was the first winner of the evening (as Best Supporting Actor was the first award of the night), and Allison Janney gave a touching, self-deprecating speech which was lovely. 

I was very pleased with The Silent Child's win for Best Live Action Short Film; it's the story of a profoundly deaf child who struggles to communicate. It's a British film, and writer Rachel Shenton used sign language in her acceptance speech. I was also very pleased with James Ivory winning Best Adapted Screenplay; at 89, he is the oldest man to have won a competitive Academy Award. After thirteen non-starts, cinematographer Roger Deakins found fourteen was the charm as he finally clinched an Oscar for his work on Blade Runner 2049. He gave a humble and rather charming acceptance speech. Also, basketball superstar Kobe Bryant can now add an Oscar to his list of accolades, as he won for writing the Best Animated Short Film Dear Basketball. 

The Shape Of Water was the big winner of the night, taking home four Oscars, with Dunkirk taking home three, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Darkest Hour, Coco, and Blade Runner 2049 winning two Oscars apiece. Despite multiple nominations, there was nothing for Lady Bird, Mudbound, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, or Baby Driver. 


Below is the full list of winners at the 90th Academy Awards:

Best Motion Picture of the Year: The Shape Of Water

Best Actor: Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)

Best Actress: Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Best Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Best Supporting Actress: Allison Janney (I, Tonya)

Best Director: Guillermo del Toro (The Shape Of Water)

Best Original Screenplay: Jordan Peele (Get Out)

Best Adapted Screenplay: James Ivory (Call Me By Your Name)

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year: Coco

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year: A Fantastic Woman

Best Cinematography: Blade Runner 2049

Best Editing: Dunkirk

Best Production Design: The Shape Of Water

Best Costume Design: Phantom Thread

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Darkest Hour

Best Original Score: The Shape Of Water

Best Original Song: 'Remember Me' (Coco)

Best Sound Mixing: Dunkirk

Best Sound Editing: Dunkirk

Best Visual Effects: Blade Runner 2049

Best Documentary (Feature): Icarus

Best Documentary (Short Subject): Heaven Is A Traffic Jam On The 405

Best Animated Short Film: Dear Basketball

Best Live Action Short Film: The Silent Child


Congratulations to all winners!

So that's awards season done for another year. Thank you all for your patience and your indulgence. It's time to put awards shenanigans to bed until November. Speaking of putting things to bed, I'm going to put myself to bed. It's 6:15am here in the UK, and I could really do with some sleep. 

Tez

Awards Season 2018: Tez's Official Oscar Predictions

Tonight, the great and good of Hollywood will convene to celebrate the best of film-making in 2016 at the 90th Academy Awards, which will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel for the second time. Hopefully there won't be anything as controversial as the La La Land/Moonlight mix-up (although Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty are returning to hand out Best Picture again!), but given everything that's happened in the intervening year (Weinstein, Spacey, #MeToo and #Time'sUp, not to mention a year of President Trump), I wouldn't bet on it!

It has become a tradition for me to predict the nominations and the winners in the main six categories (the four acting categories, Best Director and Best Picture).  I've done this since 2003 with varying degrees of success. 

So, without further ado, here are my predictions for who will win.

Best Supporting Actress: Allison Janney (I, Tonya)

Allison Janney has been the standout winner of the Best Supporting Actress awards throughout this awards season, with the Golden Globes, Screen Actors' Guild, Critics' Choice, BAFTA, and Independent Spirit Awards all giving her this honour for her brilliant, foul-mouthed performance as Tonya Harding's abusive and pretty loathsome mother LaVona. Never withou a cigarette or an insult on her lips, there's no attempt to soften or ameliorate the character. LaVona's a monster and Janney plays that to the hilt. 

Best Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Another standout winner of this awards season, Rockwell's turn as the dimwatt racist hick police officer Jason Dixon who butts heads with the force of nature that is Mildred Hayes has garnered accolades from most major awards bodies, so I really don't see the Academy giving it to anyone else. It would be very easy for Dixon to be played as a stereotype or as broad, but Rockwell's superb performance lifts him from just being the comic relief. 

Best Actress: Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

21 years after winning the Best Actress Oscar for her role in Fargo, Frances McDormand could well be adding a second one to her collection for her powerhouse performance as grieving mother Mildred Hayes. Mildred is a gift of a character: forthright, angry, upset, guilty, frustrated, determined. McDormand takes the role with both hands and runs with it. An absolutely fantastic performance that should rightfully take home the gold tonight. 

Best Actor: Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)

I think a lot of people think this is a foregone conclusion. Oldman's performance as Winston Churchill is just superlative. Buried beneath some astonishing prosthetics, Oldman goes beyond mimicry to find an authentic and very believable take on Churchill. Whilst the film itself is a little patchy, you cannot deny that Oldman's performance is powerful. 

Best Director: Guillermo del Toro (The Shape Of Water)

Apart from Jordan Peele at the Independent Spirit Awards, all other bodies have given Best Director to Guillermo del Toro and that pattern is more than likely to repeat tonight- and it'll be incredibly well deserved. The world del Toro has created in The Shape Of Water is sublime, he gets strong performances from his entire cast, and the visual aspects of the film are stunning. 

Best Picture: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Now, this is the one I'm torn on. Basically, I'm of the opinion that it is between Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Shape Of Water for the big award. Both films have their merits and both films have taken the Best Picture prizes at various other awards ceremonies. So, I won't be at all surprised if I'm wrong and The Shape Of Water wins (although I'm not sure whether the older generation of Academy voters may find the implication of a woman falling in love with an aquatic creature distasteful). But for me, given the climate that we're currently in- where race and gender equality are firmly in the spotlight- I think the Academy will back Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. 

As for some of the other categories, I think it'll be Phantom Thread for Best Costume Design, Call Me By Your Name for Best Adapted Screenplay, Coco for Best Animated Feature and 'Remember Me' for Best Original Song (although I preferred 'This Is Me' from The Greatest Showman personally). 

I'll be watching live tonight to watch all the action unfold from the Dolby Theatre. I'll do a post tomorrow with my thoughts on the ceremony and a list of all the winners. 

Now for some industrial strength caffeine to help me power through!

Tez

Awards Season 2018: BAFTA Film Awards Winners

Tonight (Sunday 18th February), at the Royal Albert Hall, the 71st British Academy Film Awards were given out in a star-studded ceremony, hosted by the frankly wonderful Joanna Lumley for the first time. 

Julie Walters, Kristin Scott Thomas, Daniel Day-Lewis, Salma Hayek, Lesley Manville, Daniel Kaluuya, Margot Robbie, Gary Oldman, Sam Rockwell, Sally Hawkins, Annette Bening, Willem Dafoe, Timothee Chalamet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Frances McDormand, and Hugh Grant were among some of the stars in attendance to celebrate the best in film.

Here's a full list of BAFTA winners:

Best Film: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Outstanding British Film: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Leading Actor: Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)

Leading Actress: Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Supporting Actress: Allison Janney (I, Tonya)

Director: Guillermo del Toro (The Shape Of Water)

Original Screenplay: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Adapted Screenplay: Call Me By Your Name

Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer: Rungano Nyoni (writer/director), Emily Morgan (producer) (I Am Not A Witch)

Animated Film: Coco

Documentary: I Am Not Your Negro

Film Not In The English Language: The Handmaiden

Cinematography: Blade Runner 2049

Costume Design: Phantom Thread

Editing: Baby Driver

Make Up And Hair: Darkest Hour

Original Music: The Shape Of Water

Production Design: The Shape Of Water

Sound: Dunkirk

Special Visual Effects: Blade Runner 2049

Short Animation: Poles Apart

Short Film: Cowboy Dave

Rising Star: Daniel Kaluuya

Outstanding British Contribution To Cinema: National Film And Television School

BAFTA Fellowship: Ridley Scott


The evening started with a dazzling display by Circe du Soleil, based on The Shape Of Water. Joanna Lumley was great as host, having an easy charm and handling some of the less well constructed links with aplomb. Many speeches referred the Time's Up movement, and many actresses were dressed in black (as at the Golden Globes). Guillermo del Toro's speech was touching, citing his admiration for Mary Shelley, whilst Ridley Scott's fellowship acceptance was also good- talking about the importance of teachers- although Frances McDormand's acceptance speech was probably the highlight of the evening. 

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri was the big winner of the night, taking home five awards, with The Shape Of Water winning three, and Darkest Hour and Blade Runner 2049 with two each. 

Congratulations to all winners!

There's another break now in the awards season calendar- you get about 2 weeks off from all this nonsense- but it leads up to a busy weekend as the Film Independent Spirit Awards and the Golden Raspberry Awards will be handed out on Saturday 3rd March, with the main event- the 90th Academy Awards- a day later on Sunday 4th March. 

Almost there, people. Almost there!

Review: Darkest Hour (UK Cert PG)

The timing of films is a funny business. I've written previously about the phenomenon of 'twin films', where two completely separate films with very similar stories come out very closely after one another. So, there's an interesting coincidence that- approximately six months after the release of Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk (focusing on the evacuation of British soldiers from the titular French beach)- a biopic of the man in charge of ordering that evacuation is now released. 

Written by Anthony McCarten (The Theory Of Everything) and directed by Joe Wright (Pride And Prejudice, Anna Karenina), Darkest Hour tells of the very start of Winston Churchill's premiership and the extraordinary circumstances that the newly-appointed Prime Minister had to deal with.

As the Second World War rages in Europe, and the threat of invasion comes ever closer to the British Isles, Churchill- in the first days of his premiership, having been handed a poisoned chalice by outgoing Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain- must make a difficult decision: whether to negotiate with Hitler, or to stand firm and fight against the Nazi threat. Facing opposition within his own party, and a frosty relationship with the King, Churchill must wrestle with his own conscience and make a decision that could irrevocably alter the path of history...

Gary Oldman gives a towering performance as Churchill. When I initially heard of his casting, I have to admit to a certain amount of scepticism. Oldman's not the first name that would come to mind. However, that scepticism was entirely misplaced. There are moments when he truly disappears inside the character and you forget its him. This is aided by some absolutely stellar facial prosthetics and make-up. Oldman's Churchill is irascible, blunt, forthright and absolutely determined not to negotiate. He nails that slightly odd slurring speech pattern that Churchill had and he gives real fire to some of Churchill's most famous speeches. It's a truly superb performance and all the awards glory he's been getting is richly deserved. 

There are a handful of other noteworthy performances: Stephen Dillane is strong as Lord Halifax, a weaselly little appeaser voraciously opposed to Churchill's stance of non-negotiation; Ronald Pickup gives a nicely dignified and stoic turn as the ousted Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, whilst Ben Mendelsohn is impressive as King George VI whose relationship with Churchill is initially combative but thaws to a mutual respect. As Churchill's wife Clemmie, Kristin Scott Thomas doesn't have much to do but occasionally scold and support him, but she's very good in an underwritten role. 

Visually the film is impressive, if a little bleak (there's very little bright colour throughout). The war rooms look claustrophobic and dark and the shots within the Houses of Parliament are similarly atmospheric. There's nothing here to match the brilliant eight-minute unbroken tracking shot in Atonement which follows Robbie along the beach at Dunkirk, but it all looks authentic to the period. 

My main issue with the film is the script. There are sections that just don't work and stretch credulity to its limit; nowhere is this more obvious than when Churchill, on the brink of capitulating and starting negotiations, takes a trip on the London Underground and meets a cross-section of Londoners... all of whom are opposed to negotiation. This gives Churchill the push he needs to go to the House and deliver the famous 'We will fight on the beaches' speech.  It just doesn't ring true.Similarly, Churchill's new secretary Miss Layton just so happens to have a brother who is fighting in France and who she's worried about.  I know that dramatic license is often taken but this feels like a step too far. 

Ultimately, this is a pretty average by-the-numbers biopic elevated by a truly spectacular central performance.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Tez

Awards Season 2018: Producers' Guild Awards (PGA) Winners and Screen Actors' Guild (SAG) Awards Winners

This is the first of three awards season posts that'll be coming up today, so without further ado, let's get get on with it. We start with a couple of Guild Awards winners. 

PRODUCERS' GUILD AWARDS (PGA) WINNERS

On Saturday 20th January, the Producers' Guild of America announced its winners for the 2018 Producers' Guild Awards. 

The film winners are:

Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures: The Shape Of Water

Documentary Film: Jane

Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures: Coco


This is a major step forward for The Shape Of Water's chances of netting Best Picture at the Oscars, although it's far from a done deal. I'm also not surprised to see Coco win for the Animated Feature. 

SCREEN ACTORS' GUILD (SAG) AWARDS WINNERS

Yesterday (21st January), the Screen Actors' Guild Awards were announced. Here are the film winners:

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: 

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role: 

Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role: 

Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role: 

Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role: 

Allison Janney (I, Tonya)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Film:

Wonder Woman

The usual suspects, all present and correct. 


Later today, the nominations for this year's Razzie Awards will be announced, so look out for them later.

Awards Season 2018: Critics' Choice Movie Award Winners and Directors' Guild Awards (DGA) Nominations

There's a double dose of awards season goodness for you today, so let's get on with it!

* * *

CRITICS' CHOICE MOVIE AWARD WINNERS

Last night (11th January), the Critics' Choice Awards were handed out. Here's a full list of film winners:

Best Picture: The Shape Of Water

Best Actor: Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)

Best Actress: Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Best Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Best Supporting Actress: Allison Janney (I, Tonya)

Best Acting Ensemble: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Director: Guillermo del Toro (The Shape Of Water)

Best Animated Feature: Coco

Best Original Screenplay: Get Out

Best Adapted Screenplay: Call Me By Your Name

Best Comedy: The Big Sick

Best Actor In A Comedy: James Franco (The Disaster Artist)

Best Actress In A Comedy: Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)

Best Action Movie: Wonder Woman

Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie: Get Out

Best Foreign Language Film: In The Fade

Best Score: The Shape Of Water

Best Song: 'Remember Me' (Coco)

Best Production Design: The Shape Of Water

Best Editing: Baby Driver and Dunkirk (tie)

Best Costume Design: Phantom Thread

Best Hair & Makeup: Darkest Hour

Best Visual Effects: War For The Planet Of The Apes

Best Cinematography: Blade Runner 2049

Best Young Actor/Actress: Brooklynn Prince (The Florida Project)


The Shape Of Water was the biggest winner of the evening with four awards, whilst Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri got three. There's a definite pattern emerging with the major category winners...

* * *

DIRECTORS' GUILD OF AMERICA (DGA) AWARDS NOMINATIONS

Yesterday also saw the shortlist for this year's Directors' Guild Awards announced. Here are the nominees in the Feature Film category:

Guillermo del Toro (The Shape Of Water)

Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird)

Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk)

Jordan Peele (Get Out)

An interesting and diverse selection; this is Guillermo del Toro's first DGA nomination (and he's pretty much favourite to win). There's been a bit of surprise to Greta Gerwig and Jordan Peele's nominations- ahead of Steven Spielberg (The Post), Ridley Scott (All The Money In The World) or Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name)- but they've both had previous nominations in other awards bodies, so it's not as if they've come from nowhere. Interestingly, Greta Gerwig is the eighth woman to be nominated for the Feature Film award, whilst Jordan Peele is the fourth man of colour. However, this is the first year that a white American male director has not been nominated. 

The winners will be announced on 3rd February. 

There's now a week's respite from awards seasons stuff; we'll pick back up on 21st January with the Producers' Guild Awards (PGA) winners before a very busy few days leading up to the Oscar nominations on 23rd January. 

Awards Season 2018: Golden Globes Winners

Last night, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) announced the winners of this year's Golden Globe Awards, for both television and film, in a ceremony hosted by Seth Meyers for the first time.

Here is the full list of film winners.

Best Motion Picture (Drama): Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy): Lady Bird

Best Director: Guillermo del Toro (The Shape Of Water)

Best Actor (Drama): Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)

Best Actor (Comedy or Musical): James Franco (The Disaster Artist)

Best Actress (Drama): Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Best Actress (Comedy or Musical): Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)

Best Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Best Supporting Actress: Allison Janney (I, Tonya)

Best Screenplay: Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Best Original Score: Alexandre Desplat (The Shape Of Water)

Best Original Song: 'This Is Me' (The Greatest Showman)

Best Foreign Language Film: In The Fade

Best Animated Feature Film: Coco

Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award: Oprah Winfrey



Seth Meyers' opening monologue was witty, with a couple of potshots at Trump and addressing the multiple Hollywood sexual harrassment scandals with aplomb. In support of the Time's Up movement- to support victims of sexual assault and harrassment- many of the women, and several men, were dressed all in black or wore Time's Up pin badges. Several acceptance speeches highlighted the Time's Up and #MeToo movements whilst Oprah Winfrey (the first black woman to receive the Cecil B. DeMille award) gave an eloquent and passionate speech in which she said 'speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have'.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri took home the most awards, winning four, whilst The Shape Of Water and Lady Bird took two each. 

In the TV awards, star-studded miniseries Big Little Lies was the big winner, also with four awards, with Nicole Kidman, Alexander Skarsgard and Laura Dern lauded for their performances.

Congratulations to all winners!

There's more awards season shenanigans tomorrow (9th January) with the BAFTA Film Awards nominations being announced. 

Awards Season 2018: SAG Awards Nominations

More awards shenanigans with today's announcement of the nominations for the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards. These are for actors voted on by actors (so are usually a pretty good barometer for the Oscar acting awards as there's a lot of crossover between AMPAS and SAG memberships).

Below is a list of film nominations:

Outstanding Performance By A Cast In A Motion Picture

The Big Sick

Get Out

Lady Bird

Mudbound

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Leading Role

Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name)

James Franco (The Disaster Artist)

Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)

Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)

Denzel Washington (Roman J. Israel, Esq.)

Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Leading Role

Judi Dench (Victoria & Abdul)

Sally Hawkins (The Shape Of Water)

Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)

Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)

Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Supporting Role

Steve Carell (Battle Of The Sexes)

Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project)

Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Richard Jenkins (The Shape Of Water)

Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Supporting Role

Mary J. Blige (Mudbound)

Hong Chau (Downsizing)

Holly Hunter (The Big Sick)

Allison Janney (I, Tonya)

Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)

Some interesting choices here - notably Denzel Washington and Judi Dench in the Lead Role categories, and Steve Carell and Woody Harrelson in the Supporting Actor category. Carell received a Golden Globe nod for Best Actor (Musical Or Comedy) so it seems odd that he's been nominated for Supporting Actor here- Bobby Riggs is as much of a main character in Battle Of The Sexes as Billie Jean King is. This is Harrelson's first nomination of this awards season whilst his fellow supporting actor Rockwell gets his fourth. 

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri has four nominations, whilst Lady Bird has three and The Big Sick, Get Out, I, Tonya, Mudbound, and The Shape Of Water have two each. 

Awards season takes a bit of a break over Christmas, thus providing those less inclined with a bit of respite. My next awards season post will be on 5th January which will contain the nominations for both the Writers' Guild of America (WGA) and Producers' Guild of America (PGA) awards.  

Normal service will now be resumed. 

Review: RoboCop (2014)

RoboCop (2014)

OK....and breath!!! Before I point the flaws and there are many, many, many flaws! My mum always told me if you need to find some good in everything in life!

So, the good points. The film has RoboCop in it! The correct theme music is there. The modern effects are spot on. The plot keeps to the original concept, in part.

Right now I can unleash! This film is again a great example of how Hollywood need to grow some balls! The film lacks the power of the original and the power of central character. The film is a remake of satirical SciFi Action classic – so what should there be here. Satirical view on fascist police state run by a large corporation – well no. They failed, the plot does revolve around the idea of Omnicorp trying bring there robotic products onto the streets of America, but this lacks any of the originals clever messages – this version just fails on any satirical level.

The action – well I’m still waiting to see some action in this action movie – the film when it does finally have action, either uses too many shaky camera angles or the speed of the action is so quick you miss the brief escape from the endless boardroom chats.

The scifi element – well that is here, unfortunately what they have focussed on in this reboot, reimaging, remake … piece of crap! Is they have focussed on the Murphy family and that’s how they draw into Murphy's humanity, instead of using an actor who can internilise the frustration from within the suit, we have endless scenes with Mrs Murphy unhappy and RoboCop missing his family!!!! Im going to SCREAMMMMM!!!!!

This film is everything I hate about Hollywood at the moment, why remake just make RoboCop 4! Terribly written, drivel performances from Joel Kinnerman and Abbie Cornish as Mr & Mrs Murphy. Gary Oldman, Micheal Keaton blatantly going through the motions and picking up there paychecks!

If you want to watch RoboBland – please carry on but if you want to watch RoboCop, then watch RoboCop not this watered down, polished up 12A embarrassment of a film – watch the 1987 film that is and always will be ROBOCOP!

In fact don't waste your cash on a cinema ticket, buy this instead: RoboCop Directors Cut 1987

2 out of 5

Rhys