Review: Amour (UK Cert 12A)

Winning the Palme d'Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and garnering widespread critical acclaim, Amour is the first film since Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar as well as a Best Foreign Language Oscar. The film's nomination in the top category- and Haneke's nod for Best Director- came as a surprise to some, making this in some ways Haneke's most mainstream movie to date.

Let's clear this up before we begin. Michael Haneke does not make happy films. If you want a night of cozy escapism at the cinema, go elsewhere. You'll find little comfort here. Haneke's films (Funny Games and the US remake, Hidden, The White Ribbon) are often dispassionate and unflinching in their portrayal of the darker side of life and the crueler impulses of humanity. Despite appearances to the contrary, Amour is no different.

Georges Laurent (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and his wife Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) are retired music teachers, both in their eighties. When Anne has a stroke and is paralysed down her right-hand side, Georges decides to care for her himself at home as he doesn't want her to go into a nursing home. What follows is an uncompromising and occasionally harrowing look at a situation few would want to find themselves in.

Haneke's films often show a family's life being disrupted by an outside force- here, it's not two psychopathic young men or sinister videotapes, but the effects of ageing and ill-health. Anne's physical deterioration is intensely portrayed (a sterling job by the make-up artists) and it is a real tour de force performance by Emmanuelle Riva. Early on, just after she returns from hospital, she makes an impassioned plea to Georges, stating that things will just get worse and she doesn't want to put them through it. In that one moment, I could hear tears falling. Going from an erudite cultured woman to little more than a helpless child is a tremendous feat and Riva is well deserving of all the plaudits that she's receiving.

That said, Jean-Louis Trintignant matches her with a performance of intensity and occasional tenderness. A stubborn man determined to do what he thinks is right, it seems remiss that his performance is not being recognised. He has several scenes with Isabelle Huppert who plays their daughter Eva and his mulish determination in the face of Anne's increasing invalidity is breathtaking. Interestingly, Haneke wrote the script specifically for Trintignant. Isabelle Huppert (who has previously worked with Haneke on The Piano Teacher) gives a strong performance; Eva can see that Georges has taken on more than he can handle but is unable to make him change his mind.

Haneke uses an almost Dogme-style of direction here-  long takes, no external soundtrack (save a few classical pieces played on piano or CD)- but crucially he doesn't try to manipulate the audience's feelings towards the characters or Anne's plight. There is a coolness there, a detachment. Haneke's almost standoffish: as if he is saying 'here are the people; make your own judgements, I am not going to guide you'. And I'm sure that for every person who sees Georges' actions in the final part of the film as a deep expression of his love for Anne, there will be someone else who will see it as an act of craven cowardice and selfishness. 

All said, I found it powerful and absorbing and extremely well acted. I walked out of the cinema feeling emotionally drained and wondering what I would do in the same position. Thought-provoking stuff, but not exactly enjoyable.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Tez

The Watchers Film Show Blog Is One Year Old Today!

It's a rather special day for The Watchers - this blog has been running for a year!

Yep, on January 29th 2012, after two months of producing the videocasts for VideoMajic.tv, we decided to 'branch out' into the world of blogging.

In September 2012, after only nine months, we were nominated for a Wales Blog Award for Best Multimedia Blog and we have had pageviews from all over the world- Russia, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Brazil and Ukraine to name but a few.

As of 6pm today, The Watchers Film Show Blog has had a grand total of 13,570 pageviews.

Our five most-read articles are:

Revisiting A Classic: The Star Wars Saga (Part Two, Episodes IV – VI) with 2922 views

Revisiting A Classic: The Star Wars Saga (Part One, Episodes I – III) with 1154 views

What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962) with 1120 views

Alien (1979) with 508 views

Masters Of The Universe (1987) with 507 views 

So a great big thank you to everyone who has stopped by and taken a look at what we do.

Here's to the next year!

The Watchers

(Rhys & Tez)

Review: The Master (UK Cert 15)

I wanted to like The Master; not only like, but enjoy. I've enjoyed some of Paul Thomas Anderson's other films (Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood especially) and it has two actors that I like (Amy Adams and Philip Seymour Hoffman). On paper, it seemed like a cert. The reality is somewhat different.

Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) is a man with a few issues. Demobbed from the Navy after the end of the Second World War, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, he is truly damaged goods: a violent borderline alcoholic who can't hold down a job and has sex on the brain. He stows aboard a ship which is being used by 'The Cause', a pseudoscientific cult led by Lancaster Dodd (Hoffman). Rather than throwing him overboard, Dodd takes Quell under his wing, seeing a chance to redeem him.

Quell is a fundamentally unlikeable character which made it difficult for me to have any empathy towards him or even care about his 'journey'. It didn't help that Phoenix's performance felt a bit hammy in places; the constant slurring and mumbling got annoying as well. As things dragged on, my patience with Phoenix's mugging and mumbling wore out so- by the time of the final meeting between Quell and Dodd, which should have been a real powerhouse (akin to the end of There Will Be Blood)- I couldn't have cared less what happened.

Hoffman is miles better as Dodd, a charismatic orator with a mass following. The Cause seks to use what seems to be past-life regression to deal with present-day issues and Hoffman at least makes the cod philosophy Dodd espouses sound believable. There are two moments where The Cause is challenged; one by a sceptical onlooker at a gathering and the other by a member of The Cause over the use of the word 'imagine' rather than 'recall' (maybe giving credence to Dodd's son's dismissive statement that he's making it up as he goes along). Both times Dodd explodes. There's a dangerous underswell in Dodd which isn't really utilised. In the final scene, Hoffman manages to make 'Slow Boat To China' seem tender and sinister at the same time.

Perhaps the best- and most surprising- performance in the entire film comes from Amy Adams, who plays Dodd's wife Peggy. There are some intriguing hints that she is 'the power behind the throne' and is a staunch supporter of Dodd's ideology almost to the point of fanaticism. She is underused, perhaps, but makes an impact every time she's on screen. It's a performance full of steel and ice, miles away from the family friendly good girl of Enchanted or Julie & Julia.

The 'processing' scenes at the beginning are quite intense and filmed well, but several other 'treatments' (such as Peggy reading sexually explicit prose to Quell, and Dodd asking Quell to walk back and forth between the wall and the window) seemed baffling to me. There was some controversy when the project was first announced that it was inspired directly by Scientology; people with a better grounding in those practices than I could probably point out the deeper similarities, but there does appear to be at least a passing correlation between Scientology and The Cause.

My main issue with The Master comes from the script: in places, it has the turgid, pretentious air that can sometimes come when you have an auteur behind the lens. Plus there's too little that is adequately explained- don't get me wrong, some ambiguity can provoke interest (whilst spoon-feeding the audience can be patronising and unwieldy) but there is such a thing as being too elliptical. There's some surreal imagery which doesn't add anything and Jonny Greenwood's jarring, intrusive and atonal score got to be very irritating.

Sadly, some good performances can't redeem this muddled mess of a film.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Tez

Review: The Last Stand (UK Cert 15)

Arnold Schwarzenegger has returned to our screens in the last few years in The Expendables movies, but in those he appeared in a cameo and as part of the ensemble of action movie legends. Here however Schwarzenegger is most definitely back, back in a starring hero role, in a film that ticks every box for it to be classed as a classic action movie.

The film revolves around a very low key premise – Schwarzenegger is the sheriff of a small town near the Mexican border. It's a sleepy place, the most crime he has to worry about is locals parking in front of the fire hydrant! A major drug cartel baron has escaped from the FBI (led by Forest Whitaker); the baron is making his way for the border in a stolen high speed concept car. Of course, one town is in between him and the border..... Schwarzeneggerville!

The film, like I said, has a very simple premise, which to be honest is a great thing for his return to the genre after a decade in politics. Schwarzenegger was last seen in a starring role in 2003's Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines. Here, he plays a down-to-earth man, a sheriff who has a real sense for his community – but of course he wasn't always a town sheriff and has a specialised past just for this occasion. He plays a man who has retired essentially to this slow paced town. This is an ideal role for an ageing action giant, he delivers one liners with the same gusto he always has and its a joy to see him on the big screen again.

Schwarzenegger is supported by a great mix of a cast. We have, as his deputies, a mix of character actors from all types of genre. Johnny Knoxville plays the town's gun enthusiast nut (not that much acting involved); from Marvel's Thor, we have Jamie Alexander as a strong willed female deputy, who is a crack shot with a rifle. The villains are also played to great ham level: Peter Stormare is great as the Barons second-in-command who terrorises the town to great effect and there's a blink-and-you-miss-him cameo by Alien star Harry Dean Stanton!

The film itself is a fun filled experience, the tension of the incoming confrontation as the drug baron gets ever closer is so well handled and the early skirmishes with his men in the surrounding area of the town help build you to the confrontation at the end of the film. The whole film has a modern western feel and its so great to see Schwarzenegger back to his best – I would recommend this for any action fan. If Arnold Schwarzenegger films are not your cup of tea.... then why go? But if you do love his films then this is a welcome return to the big screen.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Rhys

Review: Zero Dark Thirty (UK Cert 15)

Chronicling the CIA's ten-year manhunt to find Osama Bin Laden, Zero Dark Thirty is a tense, taut thriller by the same writing and directing team behind The Hurt Locker. Director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal had to rewrite their original script when news broke in May 2011 of Bin Laden's death and there have been accusations that they have had improper access to classified information of the raid in which Bin Laden died. Indeed, the film's release was bumped back from October so as not to be used as political propaganda for the 2012 election in America.

The main character, Maya (Jessica Chastain), is allegedly based on a real-life female undercover CIA agent. As a character, Maya remains unknowable, defined entirely by her job and by the hunt for Bin Laden. We know precious little about her life, apart from the fact she was recruited by the CIA straight from high school. Tenacious, brave and dedicated, she remains convinced of the strength of her intelligence even when others doubt it. Evidence of that is her writing the number of days without action on her boss' window which we see creep up and up as the story goes on. The final scene of the film packs an emotional punch and it is to Chastain's credit that this doesn't feel indulgent or sentimental. It's a bravura performance by Chastain throughout; I haven't seen her give a bad performance yet and the chances of her winning the Best Actress Oscar seem incredibly high- it would be well deserved if she did.

Chastain's performance has been garnering much of the attention but the rest of the cast provide equally compelling performances, notably Jason Clarke (last seen in Lawless) as Dan, an agent brought to the edge by the work that he does; Jennifer Ehle as Jennifer, a colleague of Maya's whom she forms a friendship with; Kyle Chandler and Mark Strong are excellent as Maya's bosses, really giving Chastain something to spark off, and the assembled cast of Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt and Taylor Kinney as members of the US Navy SEALs division that carry out the final raid.

A lot has been made of the scenes of torture that are included in the film. In my opinion, it would have been disingenuous in the extreme to not acknowledge that torture was used on suspects. We know it was; to not even mention it would be an arrant weakness. The moral and ethical rights of the use of torture is another argument entirely and it's one I'm not getting into here. From my point of view, the film does not glorify or hold the use of torture up as a good thing; it shows that it happened (in brutal and uncompromising detail) but, crucially, it does not implicitly state that it was because of information gained in torturing captives which led them to the compound.

The raid on the compound in Abbottabad (which makes up the film's final act) is thrilling and tense, even though we know what the outcome will be. The entire film has a grave and slightly grim inevitability to it, as each terrorist attack is shown and the intelligence builds up. It's not an easy watch by any means- the use of real-life telephone calls from the World Trade Center and a devastatingly authentic recreation of the Tavistock Square bus bombing that happened in London in 2005 pack a real gut-punch- and it will provoke fierce debate and make you question your own position on the issues raised. It's a film that has been playing on my mind since I saw it, and I feel it will continue to do so for some time to come.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Tez  

Review: Lincoln (UK Cert 12A)

A biopic of the Sixteenth President of the United States could cover a multitude of subjects, but Steven Spielberg's Lincoln focuses specifically on the President's efforts to get the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution (which outlawed slavery) passed by the House of Representatives. Please note, there is no vampire hunting here.

There is an absolutely towering performance by Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln. Exuding great charisma and a quiet stoic dignity, Lincoln is a softly-spoken man absolutely determined to get the Thirteenth Amendment through. A scene towards the start of the film explains his position clearly: were the Civil War to end before the amendment was passed, any slaves freed by the Emancipation Proclamation may be re-enslaved. Every word is considered, thoughtful, intelligently spoken; it appears Lincoln was a formidable orator and a good storyteller and Day-Lewis rises to these challenges with aplomb. 

The star-studded supporting cast all rise to the challenge set by Day-Lewis and all deliver sterling performances. Whilst the performances of Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln (steely, damaged, devoted) and Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens (wry, determined, forthright) have also been rightly acclaimed during awards season, there are several equally as brilliant performances throughout. David Strathairn is great as Lincoln's Secretary of State William Seward who counsels Lincoln against pushing for the Thirteenth Amendment against the conclusion of the Civil War; similarly Hal Holbrook gives a nice turn as Republican politician Francis Preston Blair who tries to arrange an agreement between the Union and the Confederacy. There are nicely turned performances by James Spader and John Hawkes as two operatives used by Seward (and Lincoln) to procure the necessary votes to get the Amendment through. 

There isn't a great deal of physical action in this film- the opening scene of the battlefield is short and the rest of the action takes place in darkened smoke-filled rooms as the verbal pyrotechnics begin. Screenwriter Tony Kushner crafts a strong, dense web of words for the actors to negotiate. This is a very talky piece, make no mistake, and- at two-and-a-half hours long- your attention span may well get tested. It could almost be a stage-play. But despite that (or maybe because of it), this is an intelligent piece of film-making. Spielberg's direction is, as always, assured and passionate; cinematographer Janusz Kaminski does some of his best work here and (as you would expect) John Williams' score is just sublime.

Despite the fact that you know the ending before you go in (spoiler alert: the Amendment is passed), the final vote of the House is a masterclass of filming as each name is called and asked to vote. It's beautifully done as Mary keeps tally for the votes left needed to win and the Union soldiers on the field receive the scores by telegraph. Meanwhile, the stoic Lincoln sits and waits in the White House.

This is my type of film. Well-written, expertly directed and wonderfully acted, it touches on an important moment of history and doesn't dumb it down. I have a slight niggle with the ending (as I didn't see it necessary for it to end on his assassination) but it's a purely personal matter and doesn't detract from the preceding two and a quarter hours of pure cinematic brilliance.

Rating: 4.75 out of 5

Tez 

Review: Silver Linings Playbook (UK Cert 15)

Adapted from the 2008 novel by Matthew Quick, David O. Russell's follow-up to The Fighter is a combination of romance, comedy and drama which won the People's Choice Award at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival and has been a major presence during this year's awards season. Not an easy watch in places, due to subject matter, but it's full of heart and warmth.

After eight months in a Baltimore mental health institution, Pat Solitano Jr (Bradley Cooper) is released to the care of his parents (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver) in Philadelphia. Pat's recent diagnosis of bipolar disorder following a violent attack on his wife's lover led to his admission. Now he's out and determined to get better so he can get back with his wife. As he tries to find the silver linings, he meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a girl with troubles of her own. Soon a pact is made; Tiffany will deliver a letter to Pat's wife if Pat will take part in a dance competition with her.

Silver Linings Playbook is the first film in over thirty years to garner an Oscar nomination in each of the four acting categories and that's certainly no fluke. All four main actors- Cooper, Lawrence, de Niro, and Weaver- give naturalistic performances. It's very easy sometimes, especially when dealing with issues like mental illness, for the performances to be very showy, for the actor to almost play up to the cameras as they emote. I didn't feel like there was any of that here.

Cooper shows that he can do more than be a pretty face as his determination to get his wife back and his burgeoning friendship with Tiffany show some real acting chops. Lawrence's performance is mesmerising as the unapologetic but equally as messed-up Tiffany; bizarrely, there is an age difference of nearly fifteen years between Cooper and Lawrence but such is the maturity of her performance that it is not noticeable. De Niro is great as the Philadelphia Eagles obsessed Pat Sr, full of supersititons and borderline OCD whilst Weaver is a warm and engaging presence as the rock who holds things together.

There are other great performances by John Ortiz as Pat Jr's friend Ronnie, Anupam Kher as Pat Jr's counsellor Dr Patel and- I'm surprised to even write these words- a lovely turn by Chris Tucker as Danny, Pat's friend from Baltimore. Usually, Tucker has me gritting my teeth as soon as he opens his mouth but here he's more than bearable and actually kind of likeable. 

The portrayal of mental illness is sensitively done but unflinching in their power; they're certainly not sugar-coated or sanitised. Pat Jr's manic episodes are played straight down the line; they're not trivialised or played for laughs which is to the film's credit. Some scenes are difficult to watch, most notably when Pat Jr is looking for his wedding video. The script is decent (Russell adapting Quick's novel himself) with moments of humour subtly weaved in. My only bugbear is the occasional lacklustre direction which lets things down.

You don't need to be a fan of American football to enjoy the film, nor do you need any passion for dancing. Ultimately, it's a touching and occasionally funny film about two damaged souls finding a connection and it's well worth two hours of your time.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Tez

Awards Season 2013: 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. Hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, the Golden Globes are often seen as a precursor to who will win at the Oscars.

Here is the full list of film winners.

Best Motion Picture (Drama): Argo

Best Motion Picture (Musical Or Comedy): Les Miserables

Best Director: Ben Affleck (Argo)

Best Actor (Drama): Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

Best Actor (Musical Or Comedy): Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables)

Best Actress (Drama): Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)

Best Actress (Musical Or Comedy): Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)

Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)

Best Screenplay: Django Unchained

Best Original Score: Life of Pi

Best Original Song: 'Skyfall' (Skyfall)

Best Foreign Language Film: Amour

Best Animated Feature: Brave

Cecil B DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award: Jodie Foster

The acting categories fell pretty much as most critics and pundits expected; Waltz' win here puts him slightly ahead of a distinguished field for Best Supporting Actor, although various critics circles have awarded that prize to several actors during this awards season- there's been no clear runaway winner as there has been in previous years. 

What will be interesting is to see whether the win for Argo enhances its chances for Best Picture. 

Another pretty reliable barometer for Oscars success are the various Guild Awards which are due in the coming month. The Guild Awards are usually voted for by producers, writers, directors etc. who are also a member of the Academy, so their voting patterns can be quite telling as to who picks up the Oscar.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Awards Season 2013: Academy Award Nominations

As announced earlier today, here is a selection of the nominations for this year's Academy Awards:

BEST PICTURE

Amour

Argo

Beasts Of The Southern Wild

Django Unchained

Les Miserables

Life Of Pi

Lincoln

Silver Linings Playbook

Zero Dark Thirty

BEST DIRECTOR

Michael Haneke (Amour)

Ang Lee (Life Of Pi)

David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook)

Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)

Benh Zeitlin (Beasts Of The Southern Wild)

BEST ACTOR

Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook)

Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables)

Joaquin Phoenix (The Master)

Denzel Washington (Flight)

BEST ACTRESS

Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)

Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)

Emmanuelle Riva (Amour)

Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts Of The Southern Wild)

Naomi Watts (The Impossible)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Alan Arkin (Argo)

Robert de Niro (Silver Linings Playbook)

Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master)

Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)

Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amy Adams (The Master)

Sally Field (Lincoln)

Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)

Helen Hunt (The Sessions)

Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook)

I make it 27 out of 34 predictions, which I work out to be 79% successful. Better than last year (where I got 25/34 or 73%). A few surprises on the list, notably Amour for Best Picture and Michael Haneke for Best Director. Congratulations to all nominees, but especially to Emmanuelle Riva and Quvenzhane Wallis; they are (to date) the oldest and youngest Best Actress nominees respectively.

In other categories, Skyfall received five nominations (Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Song for 'Skyfall', Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing), whilst Avengers Assemble gets a nod for Best Visual Effects (along with Prometheus, Snow White And The Huntsman, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Life Of Pi). 

Sadly, The Dark Knight Rises is not nominated for any Academy Award, a slightly egregious oversight if you ask me. But Seth MacFarlane's movie Ted gets a nod for Best Original Song!

A full list of nominees can be found here.

The 85th Annual Academy Awards will take place on Sunday 24 February 2012 with Seth MacFarlane taking up host duties. If his banter with Emma Stone is anything to go by, it's going to be an interesting night. Looking forward to it!

Awards Season 2013: Tez's Official Academy Award Nomination Predictions

On  Tuesday 10th January, at 5:38am PST, in the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Beverly Hills, Emma Stone (The Amazing Spider-Man, Gangster Squad, The Help) and this year's Oscar ceremony host Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, American Dad, Ted) will announce the nominations for the 85th Academy Awards, due to be held on Sunday 24th February. 

Usually, an Oscar-nominated or -winning actor or actress accompanies the current President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to announce the nominations, but they're trying something a little different. Incidentally, this is the first time since 1972 (and only the second time overall) that the Oscar host has been involved in co-announcing the nominations. 

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 on Tuesday.

NB. Just like last year, 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

Argo

Beasts Of The Southern Wild

Django Unchained

Les Miserables

Life Of Pi

Lincoln

The Master

Moonrise Kingdom

Silver Linings Playbook

Zero Dark Thirty

BEST DIRECTOR

Ben Affleck (Argo)

Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty)

Tom Hooper (Les Miserables)

Ang Lee (Life Of Pi)

Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)

BEST ACTOR

Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook)

Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

John Hawkes (The Sessions)

Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables)

Joaquin Phoenix (The Master)

BEST ACTRESS

Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)

Marion Cotillard (Rust And Bone)

Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)

Emmanuelle Riva (Amour)

Naomi Watts (The Impossible)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Alan Arkin (Argo)

Robert de Niro (Silver Linings Playbook)

Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master)

Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)

Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amy Adams (The Master)

Sally Field (Lincoln)

Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)

Helen Hunt (The Sessions)

Nicole Kidman (The Paperboy)

As usual, I think there are some definites, a few maybes and perhaps a couple of WTFs in my predictions.

The Best Director category is wide open with several names vying for the spots- I went with Tom Hooper based on his DGA nomination but we could see Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained), David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook) or Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master) sneaking in. 

Similarly, the acting nominations are quite open- it's entirely possible that Denzel Washington could get nominated for his lead role in Flight (at the expense of either Bradley Cooper, Hugh Jackman or Joaquin Phoenix; I'd say Daniel Day-Lewis is a cast-iron cert). In Best Actress, there's also the chance that Helen Mirren could sneak it for Hitchcock or nine-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis for Beasts Of The Southern Wild. 

I had the most difficulty selecting the Best Supporting categories this year, with several decent performances all getting recognition by critics circles or one of the other major awards. Waltz's castmate in Django Unchained- Leonardo DiCaprio- could get a Best Supporting Actor nomination, but there's always the chance that Matthew McConaughey could sneak in for Magic Mike or even Javier Bardem for Skyfall. On the subject of Skyfall, it could also be a Best Supporting Actress nod for Judi Dench or recognition for fellow Dame Maggie Smith for her fun turn in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. 

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. I'll add the official nominations once they're announced on Tuesday afternoon.

Tez

Awards Season 2013: BAFTA and Razzie Award Nominations

This week's a pretty busy one when it comes to the awards season. The Golden Globes will be announced on Sunday (13th January), whilst the nominations for the Producers' Guild Awards, Director's Guild Awards and Writers' Guild Awards have been announced.

Today saw the nomination announcement of two very different film awards.

Firstly, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) announced their film award nominations. Here are some of their choices:

BEST FILM

Argo

Les Miserables

Life of Pi

Lincoln

Zero Dark Thirty

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

Anna Karenina

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Les Miserables

Seven Psychopaths

Skyfall

LEADING ACTOR

Ben Affleck - Argo

Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook

Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln

Hugh Jackman - Les Miserables

Joaquin Phoenix - The Master

LEADING ACTRESS

Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty

Marion Cotillard - Rust and Bone

Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook

Helen Mirren - Hitchcock

Emmanuelle Riva - Amour

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Alan Arkin - Argo

Javier Bardem - Skyfall

Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Master

Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln

Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amy Adams - The Master

Judi Dench - Skyfall

Sally Field - Lincoln

Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables

Helen Hunt - The Sessions

DIRECTOR

Ben Affleck - Argo

Kathryn Bigelow - Zero Dark Thirty

Michael Haneke - Amour

Ang Lee - Life of Pi

Quentin Tarantino - Django Unchained

A full list can be found here. 

There are some interesting choices here- notably Ben Affleck as Best Actor for Argo (in all other award nomination, he's been up for Best Director), the choice of Michael Haneke for Best Director and Javier Bardem and Judi Dench in the Supporting categories for Skyfall. As you can imagine, there is often a skew towards British films and talent in these nominations (it is the British Academy, after all).

The BAFTA Film Awards will be handed out on Sunday 10th February.

* * *

Today also saw the nominations announced for the Golden Raspberry Awards (a.k.a. Razzies). 

Dishonouring the very worst in cinema in 2012, these nominations seem strangely familiar yet oddly comforting at the same time. The Razzie panel have always taken a fairly extreme dislike to a) Adam Sandler; b) Eddie Murphy; c) The Twilight franchise and d) Nicolas Cage, and this year's been a banner year for all of them.

Worst Picture

Battleship

The Oogieloves in Big Balloon Adventure

That's My Boy

A Thousand Words

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II

Worst Director

Sean Anders - That's My Boy

Peter Berg - Battleship

Bill Condon - The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II

Tyler Perry - Good Deeds / Madea's Witness Protection

John Putch - Atlas Shrugged: Part II

Worst Actress

Katherine Heigl - One for the Money

Milla Jovovich - Resident Evil: Retribution

Tyler Perry - Madea's Witness Protection

Kristen Stewart - The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II / Snow White and the Huntsman

Barbra Streisand - The Guilt Trip

Worst Actor

Nicolas Cage - Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance / Seeking Justice

Eddie Murphy - A Thousand Words

Robert Pattinson - The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II

Tyler Perry - Alex Cross / Good Deeds

Adam Sandler - That's My Boy

Worst Supporting Actress

Jessica Biel - Playing For Keeps / Total Recall

Brooklyn Decker - Battleship / What to Expect When You're Expecting

Ashley Greene - The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II

Jennifer Lopez - What to Expect When You're Expecting

Rihanna - Battleship

Worst Supporting Actor

David Hasselhoff - Pirannha 3-DD

Taylor Lautner - The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II

Liam Neeson - Battleship / Wrath of the Titans

Nick Swardson - That's My Boy

Vanilla Ice - That's My Boy

Worst Screen Ensemble

Battleship

The Oogieloves in Big Balloon Adventure

That's My Boy

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II

Madea's Witness Protection

Worst Screenplay

Atlas Shrugged Part II

Battleship

That's My Boy

A Thousand Words

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II

Worst Remake, Rip-Off, or Sequel

Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance

Pirannha 3-DD

Red Dawn

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II

Madea's Witness Protection

Worst Screen Couple

Any two cast members from Jersey Shore in The Three Stooges

Mackenzie Foy and Taylor Lautner in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II

Tyler Perry and his drag in Madea's Witness Protection

Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg, Leighton Meester, or Susan Sarandon in That's My Boy

It's quite a surprise not to see John Carter or Prometheus on the list as they were both pretty dreadful. Anyway, the Razzies will be handed out on Saturday 23rd February (the day before the Oscars, as is traditional).

* * *

The 85th Academy Award nominations will be announced tomorrow (Thursday 10th January) so it's time for me to get off the fence and work out my Official Oscar Nomination Predictions. I'll post them shortly.

Tez

Programme 26: The Watchers' Review Of 2012

The Watchers Review Of 2012 from The Watchers Film Show on Vimeo.

The Watchers' Review Of 2012 is here!

Filmed in mid-December, we talk about the year in film- what we rated, what we slated and what cinematic delights await us in 2013.

Podcast version to follow shortly.

Enjoy! 

Review: Jack Reacher (UK Cert 12A)

Tom Cruise is a strange entity at the moment within Hollywood, with a strange personal life and films of the last few years not quite hitting the mark. Here you have his latest offering – which is, put simply, a return to form for him.

The film is based on the series of novels by British writer Lee Child. This first film is actually based on the novel One Shot, which is not the first novel in the series! The story is about an expert sniper framed for a killing spree of five innocent people, Jack Reacher comes to the city to investigate when he recognises the accused on a news report – he recognises the man from his past.

The film could have easily been a slick thriller, with a by-the-numbers plot. What we get instead is a surprisingly slick film. The tone of the film reminds me of films like Bullitt or The French Connection: gritty, realistic and a splash of noir. 

Cruise gives a sterling performance as Reacher – a enigma of a man, military trained, an ex Military Police officer, a man who is trained to bring trained killers to justice. The character is a  mix between Sherlock Holmes and Rambo – a very interesting mix. Cruise brings one of his best performances in years to this action thriller and it's brilliant to see him at his best again. 

Cruise is backed up by a great cast: Rosamund Pike brings a surprisingly good turn as the lead female, which is not a typical damsel-in-distress but a highly motivated, intelligent woman who equals Reacher, Richard Jenkins as the DA, David Oyelowo as the investigating Police Officer and Jai Courtney (soon to be seen in Die Hard 5) as a villainous sniper henchman.

All in all, a fun night at the cinema and I would recommend this to anyone who likes an action film that makes them think. 

Rating: 4 out of 5

Rhys  

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from The Watchers!

Hope you had a lovely and relaxing Christmas and saw some great movies.

2013 promises to be an absolutely brilliant year for film (as if we were hard done by in 2012!) with  something for almost everyone: some of the big releases this year include Star Trek: Into Darkness, Iron Man 3, Lincoln, Hitchcock, Zero Dark Thirty, Thor: The Dark World and The Wolverine and many many more besides.

So, fasten your seatbelts... it's gonna be a bumpy night!