Review: Coco (UK Cert PG)

Pixar have taken audiences into space, beneath the sea, and into the mind of a little girl. Where next? Well, in Coco, they take us into the Land Of The Dead. 

Set in Mexico, an aspiring young musician named Miguel wants to follow in the footsteps of his idol Ernesto de la Cruz. However, his family have a baffling but deep-rooted ban on music. On Dia de Muertos (the Day of The Dead), Miguel defies his family... and ends up in the Land Of The Dead. He has until sunrise to get back to the land of the living or be lost forever. Teaming up with a lovably dopey dog called Dante and a charming trickster named Hector Rivera, Miguel must travel through to find an ancestor to give their blessing. However, in his search, he learns some long-buried truths about his family history.

It really should go without saying, but the film looks amazing. The real-world scenes in Mexico look almost photorealistic in places, whilst the bright and technicoloured Land Of The Dead is an absolutely sumptuous feast for the eyes. There's some very funny sight gags involving some of the skeletons, and there's a lot of interesting facts given about Mexican culture in general (such as the alebrije) and the festival of Dia de Muertos in particular (such as the memorial picture altars known as ofrendas).  

Michael Giacchino's score uses traditional mariachi themes to help evoke the Mexican atmosphere, whilst the stand-out song is 'Remember Me' (written by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who won an Oscar for 'Let It Go' from Frozen). 'Remember Me' is used several times throughout Coco- as a major celebratory set-piece, as a love song, and as a poignant reminder of the past. 

The voice cast is really good, with young actor Anthony Gonzalez taking the main role of Miguel. Gael Garcia Bernal is strong as the charming Hector, determined to get back to the land of the living by any means necessary (even dressing up as Frida Kahlo!), whilst Benjamin Bratt adds a level of suave slickness as Ernesto. Alanna Ubach is great as the cantankerous Mama Imelda, Miguel's ancestor on the other side, whilst there's a lovely turn by Edward James Olmos as a spirit on the cusp of being forgotten, which provides one of the film's most moving moments. 

Whilst the film may look bright, there's a darkness to it that mightn't be suitable for the very young. When you discover the truth about Miguel's family, things take a pretty dark turn (which I personally loved, and which made me almost gasp). The one thing the film didn't make me do, however, was cry; Pixar have a habit of being able to get me right in the feels (the end of Toy Story 3, and the first ten minutes of Up, for example). But I didn't have that kind of connection to Coco. 

That isn't to take away from the frankly amazing work done by an amazingly talented team who work painstakingly to bring this world to life. A definite highlight in the Pixar filmography.

Rating: 4 outof 5

Tez

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

Review: Phantom Thread (UK Cert 15)

Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Day-Lewis reunite after There Will Be Blood for period drama Phantom Thread. 

In 1950s London, Reynolds Woodcock is a dressmaker extraordinaire, clothing countesses and foreign royalty in elegant gowns. When he meets Alma, a waitress at a local hotel, he falls for her, with Alma becoming his inspiration and eventually his lover. However, he finds that his routine is disrupted by the presence of this young woman in his house. He tries to mould Alma into his ideal, but Alma is not the pliant and compliant little mouse he thinks she is. An interesting power struggle ensues, where it's not entirely certain who has the upper hand...

Reynolds could quite easily have been a caricature, a fastidious little fusspot, but in the hands of a master like Daniel Day-Lewis, he becomes a much more complex character. Whilst his obsession with Alma and his desire to make her what he wants to be is occasionally uncomfortable, thankfully it never gets into Christian Grey territory (also because there's an equal amount of power play happening between the two characters; it's not all one-sided). There's a lot of humour to Day-Lewis' performance, and seeing this very exacting men gettiing rattled by the changes in his routine is amusing. If this is Day-Lewis' final film (as he has said it is), it's a strong performance to go out on.

Vicky Krieps (Hanna, A Most Wanted Man) is a revelation as Alma. Originally a clumsy, gauche young woman, she soon grows into a much more rounded figure; it's Alma who (in one of the film's funniest scenes) demands the return of a dress from a client who has disgraced herself. Similarly towards the end of the film, it's Alma's scheme that takes central stage. There's also a powerful argument between Reynolds and Alma, after Alma has made him a surprise dinner, in which she shows that she's not that quiet little girl any more. Even when the film takes a strange turn at the end, her performance remains magnetic. 

I'll be honest, I was surprised to see Lesley Manville's name included in the Best Supporting Actress Oscar nominees; her inclusion at the BAFTAs wasn't so much of a surprise as she is a British actress and BAFTA do tend to favour home talent. Having now seen the film, I can confirm that my surprise was completely unfounded. She is superb as Reynolds' sister, business partner, and confidante Cyril. Ready with a waspish comment and fiercely protective of Reynolds, Cyril almost acts as his handler, ensuring that he can work undisturbed. There's also an intriguing ambiguity over Cyril's feelings towards Alma; after an uncomfortable first encounter, the relationship mellows somewhat to Cyril admitting she's 'fond' of her. Is there more to it than that? It's never explicitly stated which adds an interesting view to the character. 

As you can imagine in a film about dressmaking and fashion, the costume design of the film is absolutely ravishing, for which designer Mark Bridges is to be commended. There's also some interesting sound design going on, where simple acts such as pouring a glass or water or buttering toast takes on an almost excruciating meaning. 

My main issue with the film comes in the last five minutes, and yet again, it's another example of the ending undermining all the good work done before it. Reynolds' actions towards the end of the film just don't ring right with the character that's been set up before; I understand that characters change (and should) but it feels like a step too far. I may have misjudged or misread the ending, but to me, it just didn't work. A shame, because up to that point, I'd found myself quite enchanted by the film.

Phantom Thread is worth seeing for its sublime costumes and a trio of superlative performances, but perhaps don't pull at the threads too much lest the whole thing fall apart.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Tez

Review: Get Out (UK Cert 15)

Meeting your girlfriend's family for the first time is nerve-wracking enough, but for Chris Washington, it literally becomes a matter of life and death. Welcomed warmly (maybe a bit too warmly) by Rose's liberal parents, the truth behind Chris' visit soon becomes apparent- and he's forced into a desperate battle for survival... 

Released in 2017, I missed Get Out during its cinema release, but it's now available on DVD/BluRay, so I've been able to catch up with it, and I'm glad that I have. I'm not a massive horror fan, as I've said before, but I thoroughly enjoyed the film (as did Matt, who spoke highly of it in our Review Of The Year). It's not a horror in the traditional sense; it's much more of a thriller in the style of something like Rosemary's Baby or the 1970s version of The Stepford Wives. There's the occasional jump-scare but they're few and far between. The final 20 minutes or so do descend into typical 'horror movie' final act tropes (with Chris as the Final Girl) but, such is the skill that's gone before in making Chris a sympathetic character, you're really behind him and you want him to escape. 

Londoner Daniel Kaluuya absolutely nails the American accent and plays Chris with a wonderful balance of nervousness and steel. Becoming slowly exasperated by everyone's niceness (which he attributes to political correctness), he soon finds out there's a much more sinister plot brewing beneath the bonhomie. You could write a whole thesis on the racial politics and representations in the film; Chris is asked several times to comment on 'the Black Experience' (as if he's some kind of spokesman) and there's a sly reference to the fetishisation of black men as sexual objects which comes out of left-field. It's an impressive central performance which has been rightly lauded throughout this awards season.

This is the first thing I've seen Allison Williams in (I haven't ever seen Girls), but she is superb as Rose. Even after the twist is revealed, there's still a magnetism to her performance which is utterly beguiling- you can understand why Chris has fallen in love with her. Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener play Rose's parents Dean and Missy as almost caricaturistally liberal (a common refrain is they would have voted for Obama for a third term if they could) but there's a definite hint of menace beneath both performances- Keener's in particular- which makes for a nicely ambiguous set-up at the beginning. Caleb Landry Jones is good as Rose's unpredictable brother Jeremy, a more ostensible threat than anything else going on at the house. 

Betty Gabriel deserves a mention for her role as housekeeper Georgina- in a pivotal scene which suggests all may not be as it seems in the Armitage household, Georgina becomes confused, starts to cry and then laugh uncontrollably all in the space of a few seconds- it's one of the most uncomfortable but powerful moments in the film. You can literally see every emotion play across Gabriel's face. It's astounding. Finally, Lil Rel Howery provides the majority of the laughs as Chris' fast-talking TSA friend Rod, providing welcome moments of levity amidst the encroaching tension. 

There's some interesting visual quirks to the film- the sequences in The Sunken Place are really trippy but nicely realised- as well as a good use of sound design; the sound of a silver spoon stirring a cup of tea might well take on a different meaning after seeing Get Out. Jordan Peele's direction is slick and his screenplay a nice balance of funny and scary. 

Get Out is a real hybrid- a blend of social commentary, family drama, comedy, horror, and even some high-concept sci-fi all mixed together to create something that starts out as Guess Who's Coming To Dinner and ends up as more of a Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Even if horror isn't really your thing, give Get Out a go. It's a fine piece of film-making. 

Rating: 5 out of 5

Tez

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

Review: The Shape Of Water (UK Cert 15)

Garnering an impressive 13 Oscar nominations and numerous other awards, Guillermo del Toro's The Shape Of Water is a dark fairytale suffused with romance and menace. 

Elisa Esposito is a mute young woman who works as a cleaner at a secret research facility. One day, a new 'asset'- an amphibious humanoid- is brought to the facility and is subjected to brutal testing. Elisa starts to form a bond with the creature which sets the stage for a daring rescue attempt as Elisa and her friends must free the creature before it is vivisected. 

All of Guillermo del Toro's films are a bit weird (which might be a bit of an understatement). He utilises the tropes of horror and fantasy to create a mad nexus of styles within the stories he tells. The Shape Of Water is no exception to that. At its core, the film asks you to accept a romantic relationship between a woman and an amphibian. If you can't get behind this, then frankly this isn't the film for you. 

I was surprised at how explicit the film was; I wasn't expecting the level of nudity and sex that the film contains, and there's several instances of quite graphic violence which are shocking, and a few instances of body horror which are decidedly queasy. There's also a truly bizarre song-and-dance routine towards the end of the film which evokes the Fred Astaire-Cyd Charisse dance numbers- albeit with the amphibian man in Astaire's place. That said, by the time that happens in the film, there's been so much other weird stuff that's gone on that you really just go with it. 

Sally Hawkins is a revelation as Elisa, even more so because she doesn't speak- she uses ASL (American Sign Language) and she's either subtitled or another character interprets for her. You see every emotion pass across her face- anguish, rage, happiness- and her plea to her friend Giles to help her rescue the creature is one of the most powerful scenes of the film. It's a very different role from some of Hawkins' other film appearances, so if you've only ever seen her as Mrs Brown in the Paddington films, you might be in for a bit of a surprise.

Richard Jenkins (The Cabin In The Woods, The Visitor) plays Giles, Elisa's neighbour and friend, and provides a lovely counterpoint to Hawkins. An artist who works from home and shares Elisa's love for classic movies, he's also a gay man at a time when acceptance was in short supply- and a scene where he is brutally shot down by someone he fancies is heartbreaking. It's a warm and very endearing performance. Octavia Spencer shines in her supporting role as Zelda, Elisa's co-worker. She provides a lot of the humour- she's a no-nonsense woman who's quick with her opinion- which is a nice contrast to Elisa's silence. But she's also fiercely protective of Elisa and- even though she isn't initially involved in the rescue attempt- she stands by her friend.

There's also a nice supporting turn by Michael Stuhlbarg, as scientist Dr. Robert Hoffstetler, who arrives at the facility with the creature and wants to keep it alive- but for his own reasons. It's a fascinating performance and there's a neat twist to the character which is revealed fairly early on but which helps to inform later actions. Creature maestro Doug Jones (Pan's Labyrith, Hellboy) plays the amphibian man and he's brilliant, moving sinuously and emoting beneath the prosthetic make-up (which is just superb). 

But what's a fairytale without a monster in the dark to scare us? And, boy, does Michael Shannon deliver on this in spades. He plays the sadistic Franklin, a security agent brought in to oversee the creature. He's a thoroughly unlikeable character- arrogant, racist, sexist, predatory, and absolutely convinced of his own superiority. There's a perverse thrill in seeing him outwitted, especially by the very people he's denigrated. A sinister and intense performance. 

It's a beautiful-looking film, from the crammed cosiness of Giles' flat to the barely-used cinema beneath it and the spaces within the research facility. Alexandre Desplat's sublime score is otherworldly and ethereal and really fits the narrative well, and there's a good use of period music (such as 'I Know Why (And So Do You)' and 'You'll Never Know') to evoke the mood. 

I enjoyed The Shape Of Water and I liked it. It was just a bit much to take in on the first viewing. I think I need to see it again; now the surprises of the film are known to me, I think I'll enjoy it more. I can see why the awards bodies have embraced it, too.  

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Tez

The Shape Of Water is on general release from February 14 2018

Awards Season 2018: Academy Award Nominations

As announced by Tiffany Haddish (Girls Trip, Meet The Spartans) and Andy Serkis (The Lord Of The Rings, Black Panther) earlier today, here is a selection of the nominations for the 90th Academy Awards.

BEST PICTURE

Call Me By Your Name

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Get Out

Lady Bird

Phantom Thread

The Post

The Shape Of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

BEST DIRECTOR

Paul Thomas Anderson (Phantom Thread)

Guillermo del Toro (The Shape Of Water)

Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird)

Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk)

Jordan Peele (Get Out)

BEST ACTOR

Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name)

Daniel Day-Lewis (Phantom Thread)

Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)

Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)

Denzel Washington (Roman J. Israel, Esq.)

BEST ACTRESS

Sally Hawkins (The Shape Of Water)

Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)

Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)

Meryl Streep (The Post)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project)

Woody Harrelson (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Richard Jenkins (The Shape Of Water)

Christopher Plummer (All The Money In The World) 

Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Mary J. Blige (Mudbound)

Allison Janney (I, Tonya)

Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread)

Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)

Octavia Spencer (The Shape Of Water)

A full list of nominees can be found here.

So, by my reckoning, that makes 29 out of 34 (85%)

The Academy's love for Phantom Thread has tripped me up - Day-Lewis' nod for Best Actor was virtually guaranteed, but the Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress nods were a surprise (although Lesley Manville is a superb actress so I'm really chuffed to see her nominated). Denzel Washington's nod was also a surprise, although he has been nominated for a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for this performance. 

Meryl Streep gets her 21st- yes, twenty-first, nomination - breaking her own record (which she set last year with Florence Foster Jenkins). There were four nods for Star Wars: The Last Jedi but nothing for Wonder Woman, Thor: Ragnarok, Spider-Man: Homecoming or Justice League. 

The Shape Of Water leads the field with a massive 13 nominations, Dunkirk has eight, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri has 7.

There's a bit of a break from the awards seasons shenanigans now, as the next major awards event will be the Directors' Guild (DGA) Awards on 3rd February, followed by the Writers' Guild (WGA) Awards on 11th February and then the BAFTA Film Awards a week later on 18th February. 

Huge congratulations to all nominees!

Awards Season 2018: Tez's Official Academy Award Nomination Predictions

Tomorrow (23rd January), the nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced.

This year, there'll be a mix of live presentations from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, with pre-taped category introductions, which will only be featured in the first half of the announcement (which generally covers technical awards, such as cinematography, make-up and hairstyling, costume design, and visual effects). 

As has been my practice for the last few years, I like to try and predict who will be nominated (this is done for Best Picture, Best Director and the four acting awards). Below is my list of who I think will be named tomorrow.

NB. Since the 2010 ceremony, the Academy rules state that there could be anywhere between five and ten Best Picture nominees. I have selected ten films. If the total number of films nominated is less than ten, but one of the movies selected is named in my list of ten, I will count it as a successful prediction.

BEST PICTURE

The Big Sick

Call Me By Your Name

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Get Out

I, Tonya

Lady Bird

The Post

The Shape Of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

BEST DIRECTOR

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)

BEST ACTOR

Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name)

Daniel Day-Lewis (Phantom Thread)

James Franco (The Disaster Artist)

Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)

Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)

BEST ACTRESS

Sally Hawkins (The Shape Of Water)

Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)

Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)

Meryl Streep (The Post)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project)

Armie Hammer (Call Me By Your Name)

Richard Jenkins (The Shape Of Water)

Christopher Plummer (All The Money In The World) 

Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Mary J. Blige (Mudbound)

Hong Chau (Downsizing)

Allison Janney (I, Tonya)

Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)

Octavia Spencer (The Shape Of Water)

Usually a score of 15 is adequate, but given the fact that there could be anywhere between 5 and 10 Best Picture awards, I'ill be happy with a prediction of 18 or higher. Last year, amazingly, I got 32 out of 34. I'm not expecting such a high mark this time round. 

There could be potential 'upsets' in many categories. I went with the five DGA nominees, but you could easily see one or more of Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name), Steven Spielberg (The Post) or Ridley Scott (All The Money In The World) in Best Director in place of one or more of the names above. 

Whilst Best Actor is fairly solid, there could be a surprise nomination for Tom Hanks for The Post; given recent allegations, Franco could well lose his nomination if that does happen.  

I could have picked a number of actresses to fill the fifth slot for Best Actress (Hawkins, McDormand, Robbie and Ronan have been a solid core of nominees throughout). Jessica Chastain (Molly's Game), Judi Dench (Victoria & Abdul) and Annette Bening (Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool) have all given superb performances. In the end, though, the Academy does love Meryl Streep (and she is particularly good in The Post).

For Best Supporting Actor, there could be a surprise nod for Woody Harrelson for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri or (which sadly seems very unlikely) Michael Stuhlbarg for Call Me By Your Name.

Holly Hunter's supporting performance in The Big Sick has also drawn a lot of awards love, so she could easily be nominated. I wouldn't like to say which of the three from Blige, Chau or Spencer wouldn't then make the cut. Janney and Metcalf have been consistent nominees throughout so it's virtually guaranteed to see them mentioned. 

So what do you reckon? Am I on the right track or barking up the wrong tree? If you were a member of the Academy, who would you vote for?

I'll update the blog with my thoughts on the official nominees tomorrow afternoon. 

For Your Consideration: Possible Contenders For Awards Season 2018

It's that time of year again, folks.

Yes, awards season is imminently upon us again. The annual hoopla of self-indulgent congratulations that spans the winter months will soon begin. This year, awards season is extended by a week so will culminate with the 90th Academy Awards on Sunday 4th March 2018. This is to avoid any clashes with the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. So you can blame/thank the IOC for this.

If you like this sort of thing, welcome and strap yourself in for a lot (and I do mean a lot) of awards coverage. If you don't, then... apologies but keep your head down and it'll be over quicker than you think.

So, as is now usual, I've had a furtle through the major film festivals of the year and here are a few films you may well see mentioned a lot over the next couple of months. 

Martin McDonagh's latest film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival, so that could well feature. Frances McDormand has been greatly praised for her performance as a grieving mother demanding answers over the death of her daughter, so she could well get a Best Actress nod. There could be also be Best Supporting Actor nominations for Woody Harrelson, who plays the town sheriff, and Sam Rockwell as the town deputy. 

Sofia Coppola took the Best Director prize at Cannes for The Beguiled, a Southern gothic drama starring Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Colin Farrell. When a wounded Union soldier arrives at Miss Martha Farnsworth's Seminary For Young Ladies, the staff and students all take an interest in this man. Taking him in so he can recover from his injuries, soon the women begin to compete for the soldier's favour, which sets the scene for tragedy. Potential Best Picture and Best Director nods; given a very wide open field for acting nominations this year, I'd be surprised if any of the cast get nominated (although Kidman and Dunst are the most likely candidates if they do). 

Guillermo del Toro's dark fairytale The Shape Of Water won the Golden Lion at this year's Venice Film Festival, so it could feature highly as well. Set in the 1960s, Elisa, a mute young woman (Sally Hawkins) who works in a high-security government laboratory, finds a secret classified experiment and the two of them start to fall in love. Hawkins has had a lot of praise for her role, so she could be nominated for Best Actress, whilst Octavia Spencer could get a third Best Supporting Actress nod for her role as Elisa's co-worker. 

Mudbound, a period drama directed by Dee Rees, could feature too. It's the story of two Second World War veterans who return to work on a farm in rural Mississippi and have to adjust to life back home. Already praised for its ensemble cast and the supporting performance by an unrecognisable Mary J. Blige, this could do very well during awards season.

Luca Guadagnino's luscious 1980s coming-of-age drama Call Me By Your Name has been praised highly, so it may well feature. Timothee Chalamet could well be up for Best Actor for his central role as the precocious Elio, whilst there could be Supporting Actor nods for Armie Hammer (as Elio's paramour Oliver) and Michael Stuhlbarg (as Elio's father).  

Dunkirk may finally be the film that gets Christopher Nolan a Best Director nod from the Academy. It's a technically accomplished film, so it should get a raft of technical awards (editing, cinematography, sound). It may well get a Best Picture nod as well. In terms of any acting awards, the only actor who really stands out is Mark Rylance, so there's a potential Best Supporting Actor nod for him there, but I think it's unlikely. 

Aaron Sorkin's directorial debut Molly's Game could see Jessica Chastain get a Best Actress nod for her central role as Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker games for a decade before being arrested by the FBI. There could also be a Supporting Actor nod for Idris Elba who plays Molly's lawyer Charlie Jaffey.

Steven Spielberg. Tom Hanks. Meryl Streep. A biopic of the journalists from the New York Times and the Washington Post who declassified 'The Pentagon Papers' (relating to the Vietnam War) which showed that the Johnson Administration systematically lied about the war- not just to the public, but to Congress as well. The Post has pretty much got Oscar-bait written all the way through it like a stick of Blackpool rock. Streep may well get her 21st Oscar nod as Kay Graham (the first female newspaper publisher) whilst Hanks could well get nominated for his role as Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee. 

Paul Thomas Anderson is a director whose work is admired within the Academy, so his latest film- Phantom Thread- might get some attention this awards season, not least because it is reputed to be Daniel Day-Lewis' last film before he retires from acting. He may well get a Best Actor nod for his central role as a dressmaker who falls for a younger woman. Anderson may get a Best Director nod and the film could be up for Best Picture. 

Another director whose work is popular with members of the Academy is Alexander Payne (The Descendants, Nebraska). His latest film Downsizing is a satire about a man who realises he would have a better life if he were to shrink himself- it would help save the planet and they could afford a better quality of life at the same time. Payne could get a Best Director nod, whilst Matt Damon could get recognised in the Best Actor category.

Saoirse Ronan could well get another Best Actress nod for her role in Lady Bird, written and directed by Greta Gerwig. Ronan plays Christine McPherson (nicknamed Lady Bird), a young woman who goes to live in Northern California for a year. Laurie Metcalf has also been getting good reviews for her role as Christine's mum so a Best Supporting Actress nod might not be out of the question either. 

Battle Of The Sexes should feature heavily. A biopic about the 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, it's directed by Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton (previous Best Director nominees for Little Miss Sunshine), written by Simon Beaufoy (who won an Oscar for the screenplay for Slumdog Millionaire) and stars Emma Stone and Steve Carell as King and Riggs respectively. This year's Best Actress winner for La La Land, Stone could see another Best Actress nomination, whilst Carell could get a Best Actor nod. 

This year has seen big-screen remakes of two previous Oscar contenders, so it may not be a surprise to see either Beauty And The Beast and/or Murder On The Orient Express mentioned. The 1991 version of Beauty And The Beast was the first animated feature to be nominated for Best Picture, whilst it won two Oscars (both for its music). I can see it getting technical awards- the costume and production design are sublime. As for Murder On The Orient Express, it'll be hoping to replicate the success of the 1974 original with a slew of nods, which included Best Cinematography and Best Adapted Screenplay. 

Biopics are basically awards catnip, so I expect to see at least some of the following films recognised.

- I, Tonya: A potential Best Actress nod for Margot Robbie as infamous ice-skater Tonya Harding, with a possible Best Supporting Actress nomination for Alison Janney as her overbearing mother

- The Greatest Showman: A second Best Actor nod could be in the offing for Hugh Jackman as circus impresario P.T. Barnum

- Victoria & Abdul: Judi Dench may get a Best Actress nomination for her role as the elderly Queen Victoria in Stephen Frears' respectful biopic.

- Darkest Hour: Gary Oldman seems likely to get a second Best Actor nomination for his portrayal of Winston Churchill.

- Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool: Annette Bening may be recognised for her lead role as Oscar-winning actress Gloria Grahame and there may be supporting nods for Jamie Bell (as Grahame's lover Peter) and Julie Walters (as Peter's mum)


The timetable for the major awards in 2018 is as follows:

Film Independent Spirit Awards
Nominations announced: 21st November 2017
Awards ceremony: 3rd March 2018

Critics' Choice Awards
Nominations announced: 6th December 2017
Awards ceremony: 11th January 2018 

Golden Globes
Nominations announced: 11th December 2017
Awards ceremony: 7th January 2018 (hosted by Seth Meyers)

Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards
Nominations announced: 13th December 2017
Awards ceremony: 21st January 2017

Writers' Guild Of America (WGA) Award
Nominations announced: 4th January 2018
Awards ceremony: 11th February 2018

Producers' Guild Of America (PGA) Award
Nominations announced: 5th January 2018
Awards ceremony: 20th January 2018

BAFTA Film Awards
Nominations announced: 9th January 2018
Awards ceremony: 18th February 2018

Directors' Guild Of America (DGA) Award
Nominations announced: 11th January 2018
Awards ceremony: 3rd February 2018

Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzies)
Nominations announced: 22nd January 2018
Awards ceremony: 3rd March 2018

Academy Awards (Oscars)
Nominations announced: 23rd January 2018
Awards ceremony: 4th March 2018 (hosted by Jimmy Kimmel)


It all kicks off tomorrow- as is tradition- with the Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations. So, get your spreadsheets ready (or is that just me?) and let's get on with it!