Awards Season 2025: The 97th Academy Awards

So there we have it, folks. The 97th Academy Awards have been handed out and there were a nice couple of surprises along the way. 

After a fantastic opening number by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo- incorporating music from the various cinematic iterations of The Wizard Of Oz- Conan O'Brien's opening monologue was a little bit hit-and-miss (he was definitely very nervous) but there were a couple of nice little zingers- I did like the comment about the amount of swearing in Anora linking to the Emilia Pérez controversy. The Adam Sandler skit and "I Won't Waste Your Time" bits weren't great, but weren't massively egregious (Seth MacFarlane's ill-conceived "We Saw Your Boobs" song was much worse). He got a couple of nice one-liners in as the night went on, getting one of the biggest reactions to his crack about Anora featuring an American standing up to a powerful Russian. I liked him bringing on members of the LA fire department for a well-deserved standing ovation, but didn't feel it was necessary for him to get them to read out some "jokes". All said, though, once he settled in to the gig, he was a perfectly serviceable host. I certainly wouldn't object if he was hired to host again. 

Aside from the host, how was the rest of the show? Like most Oscar telecasts, there were some good bits and some not-so-good bits. Morgan Freeman's heartfelt tribute to co-star and friend Gene Hackman before the moving "In Memoriam" (done to the mournful strains of "Lacrimosa" from Mozart's Requiem) was rather beautiful; the very uplifting tribute to Quincy Jones (featuring Queen Latifah singing "Ease On Down The Road" from The Wiz) was also very well done. A surprise tribute to the Bond franchise felt a little superfluous, although there was a slightly tenuous link in that former Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson had been honoured at the Governors' Awards in November. It still wasn't great though with a medley of Bond themes being slightly mangled by well-meaning but not-particularly-strong singers. There was also no performances of the Best Original Song nominees which felt odd; however, the show was running to around three-and-three-quarter-hours as it was, so having all five nominees performed would have pushed the show to four. 

How some of the awards were announced was interesting; they had previously announced the return of the "Fab 5" presenters- where former winners pay tribute to the current nominees; this had previously been done for the acting categories- but extended this to the Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design categories instead for this year (presumably to save someone the embarrassment of praising Karla Sofía Gascón after the fiasco over her tweets). It was also tweaked by having members of the respective casts to pay tribute to the nominees, which I thought worked. They also had Robert Downey Jr. and Da'Vine Joy Randolph give short testimonials to the Best Supporting Actor and Actress nominees rather than show a clip of their performances (although didn't do the same for Cillian Murphy and Emma Stone, presumably for the reason given above).  

On to my predictions. Well, 4 out of 6 ain't bad. I slightly underestimated how much love there was going to be in the Academy for Anora. 

So where were the surprises? Firstly, Flow winning Best Animated Feature over The Wild Robot (although I'd have dearly loved to have seen Wallace And Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl win). Then I'm Still Here winning Best International Feature (I did think that would have gone to Emilia Pérez). And I will say it was a surprise- but not an unwelcome one- for Mikey Madison to win Best Actress. I was pleased that Conclave took home the Best Adapted Screenplay award; I'd have liked to have seen it take home more, personally, as it has been my favourite film that I've seen in this awards season. 

There were several nice acceptance speeches. As a creative and a cinephile, I particularly enjoyed Sean Baker's plea for filmmakers to focus on cinema releases for films (to keep the moviegoing experience alive) as well as his co-producer Samantha Quan's advice to make the stories you want to make and follow your heart. It was also refreshing to hear both Sean Baker and Mikey Madison pay tribute to the sex worker community (as Anora is about a sex worker). Perhaps the most overtly political moment came with the acceptance speech by the makers of the Best Documentary Feature winner No Other Land which explicitly deals with the issues of Palestinians being forcibly removed from their homes by Israel, although there was a lot of mentions in other speeches about how music and art can help bridge divisions and bring people together in these interesting times of ours without anyone really mentioning anyone by name. Although Daryl Hannah did start her introduction to the award she was presenting with "Slava Ukraini"!

This ceremony saw quite a few "firsts" - Flow is the first film from Latvia to be nominated for (and win) an Oscar; Zoe Saldaña is the first actress of Dominican descent to win an Oscar; Paul Tazewell becomes the first Black male winner of the Best Costume Design award, and I'm Still Here is the first Brazilian film to win the Best International Feature award (although it was the fifth film to be nominated). Sean Baker also becomes the first person to win four Oscars in one night for his work on Anora. 

 

Anora was the big winner of the evening, taking home five Oscars (and it was nominated for six, only losing Best Supporting Actor). In second place was The Brutalist, with three. It's then a three-way tie for third, with Emilia Pérez, Wicked and Dune: Part Two winning two apiece. 

Despite multiple nominations, A Complete Unknown, Nosferatu, Sing Sing, The Wild Robot, Nickel Boys, and The Apprentice all walked away empty-handed. 

Below is the full list of winners at the 97th Academy Awards:

Best Motion Picture of the Year: Anora

Best Actor: Adrien Brody (The Brutalist)

Best Actress: Mikey Madison (Anora)

Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain)

Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez)

Best Director: Sean Baker (Anora)

Best Original Screenplay: Sean Baker (Anora)

Best Adapted Screenplay: Peter Straughan (Conclave)

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year: Flow

Best International Feature Film of the Year: I'm Still Here

Best Cinematography: The Brutalist

Best Film Editing: Anora

Best Production Design: Wicked

Best Costume Design: Wicked

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: The Substance

Best Original Score: The Brutalist

Best Original Song: "El Mal" (Emilia Pérez)

Best Sound: Dune: Part Two

Best Visual Effects: Dune: Part Two

Best Documentary (Feature): No Other Land

Best Documentary (Short Subject): The Only Girl In The Orchestra

Best Animated Short Film: In The Shadow Of The Cypress

Best Live Action Short Film: I'm Not A Robot

Congratulations to all winners! And with that, the curtain has now come down on this year's awards season. Thank you for your indulgence; I hope it's been a nice little distraction for you all. Same time next year?

Awards Season 2025: Tez's Official Oscar Predictions

So, it's Hollywood's Biggest Night - the 97th Academy Awards. Conan O'Brien will be taking up hositing duties for the first time; I was surprised that it was his first Oscars gig as he's the kind of person you would have thought would have done it before. Hopefully he'll be more Jimmy Kimmel and less David Letterman. It's only a few hours until we find out!

As regular readers will know, 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. Last year, I got 5 out of 6, picking Lily Gladstone for Best Actress instead of Emma Stone. Will I do as well this year?

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

Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez)

The supporting categories re where I am the most confident, mostly because both have been consistent. Across all major Supporting Actress categories, the runaway winner has been Zoe Saldaña for her role in Jacques Audiard's musical comedy crime drama Emilia Pérez. For her performance as Rita, the lawyer who helps drug lord Manitas with his plan to disappear and transition into the titular Emilia, she's won the Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics' Choice, and SAG Award and will almost certainly be adding the Oscar to her impressive haul tonight. Despite the controversy surrounding the film (caused by leading lady Karla Sofía Gascón's previous tweets), Saldaña has remain unscathed and has remained dignified in her discussion of the controversy. Despite Emilia Pérez leading the field with a whopping 13 nominations, I think Saldaña is probably going to be the film's highest-profile win (although a Best International Picture win could also be potentially on the cards). 

Best Supporting Actor:  Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain)

Like Saldaña, Culkin has been the runaway winner in the Best Supporting Actor categories (including the Independent Spirits' gender-neutral Best Supporting Performance category) for his impressive turn in Jesse Eisenberg's beautifully observed comedy-drama A Real Pain. Culkin steals every scene he's in as the troubled but charismatic Benji, on a tour of Poland with his tightly-wound cousin David. The power of his performance is undeniable. It'll be a major upset if Culkin isn't the winner this evening. 

Best Actress: Demi Moore (The Substance)

With no disrespect to any of the other nominees, the Best Actress race has been between Demi Moore and Mikey Madison, and frankly either name could be read out tonight. But I think Demi Moore will be taking home the Oscar. She's majorly impressive as fading star Elisabeth Sparkle in Coralie Fargeat's gloriously grotesque Grand Guignol body horror, conveying so much of the character's inner angst and turmoil with very little dialogue. Plus, I also think that Moore has a lot of good will in Hollywood, and a lot of people who would want to reward her for this third-act renaissance in her career (much like they did with Brendan Fraser for The Whale). The only thing that may go against her is the Academy's notorious snobbishness about genre films (and horror in particular). But I think they'll be making an exception here tonight. That said, Mikey Madison wouldn't be an undeserving winner for her bravura turn in Anora. 

Best Actor: Adrien Brody (The Brutalist)

Personally, I would love to see Ralph Fiennes win for his superb turn in Conclave but I don't think that's going to happen. With the exception of the SAG Awards (who threw a lovely little curveball by naming Timothée Chalamet as Best Actor), Brody has been the major winner of Best Actor categories. I personally found The Brutalist a slog to watch, a bit too sterile and hard-going (and, full disclosure, I didn't actually finish the three-and-a-half-hour magnum opus) but Brody's performance as architect László Tóth was strong. So I think he stands the best chance of getting a second Oscar to help balance out the mantelpiece. 

Best Director: Brady Corbet (The Brutalist)

This is another one where it could come down to two different names, which are Brady Corbet and Sean Baker. Looking on a purely technical level, on what each filmmaker has done to achieve their vision for their respective films, I think it's more likely that the Academy will go for Corbet (despite the DGA plumping for Baker). By filming in VistaVision and also having to create a radically different era (similar to what Christopher Nolan did in Oppenheimer), I think Corbet will take home the gold tonight. But don't be surprised if Sean Baker gets called up to the stage instead. 

Best Picture: Anora

So if I'm picking Corbet for Best Director, why do I think Anora will Best Picture? Well, I'm not sure and- to be honest- The Brutalist would be a more "traditional" Best Picture choice. It's a Big Weighty Film(TM) but I'm wondering if it's just a touch too glacial and austere (not to mention long; it's got an intermission FFS) to have captured the hearts of the Academy at large. However, if I'm honest, I'm simply playing the numbers game. Anora won at the Independent Spirit Awards, the Critics Choice, and- crucially- the PGA. Now I know the PGA is never a 100% accurate barometer but the tide has shifted to Anora as awards season has continued. It's a contemporary, funny, ferociously foul-mouthed comedy-drama about the whirlwind (but ultimately doomed) romance between a brassy exotic dancer and the feckless son of a Russian oligarch. It's got heart, a lot of laughs, and some great performances. It'd be a worthy winner, albeit a slightly different one. 

So there are my predictions. What do you think?

For the second year, ITV and ITVX will be broadcasting the telecast in the UK, starting at 10:30PM GMT with the ceremony due to start at midnight. I'll be watching. Will you? 

I'll let you know my thoughts on the ceremony as soon as I can once it finishes.

Awards Season 2025: Golden Globes Winners

Happy New Year to you all! Hopefully the festive season has been fun, relaxing and stress-free for you all, and 2025 has started off on the right foot. 

Last night (Sunday 5th January 2025), the winners of the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards, for both television and film. were announced, in a ceremony hosted by Nikki Glaser, who was the first solo female host in Golden Globes history. It was broadcast on CBS in the US. 

Here is the full list of film winners.

Best Motion Picture (Drama): The Brutalist

Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy): Emilia Pérez

Best Director: Brady Corbet (The Brutalist)

Best Actor (Drama): Adrien Brody (The Brutalist)

Best Actor (Comedy or Musical): Sebastian Stan (A Different Man)

Best Actress (Drama): Fernanda Torres (I'm Still Here)

Best Actress (Comedy or Musical): Demi Moore (The Substance)

Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain)

Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez)

Best Screenplay: Peter Straughan (Conclave)

Best Original Score: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (Challengers)

Best Original Song: "El Mal" (Emilia Pérez)

Best Foreign Language Film: Emilia Pérez

Best Animated Feature Film: Flow

Cinematic And Box Office Achievement: Wicked

Cecil B. DeMille Award: Viola Davis

Emilia Pérez was the big winner of the night with four Golden Globes; the only other film to win multiple awards was The Brutalist, taking home three. Despite multiple nominations, Anora, The Wild Robot, A Complete Unknown, Gladiator II, and Dune: Part Two all went away with nothing.

After last year's host, Jo Koy, got roundly panned for his MCing stint, critical opinion has been much kinder to Nikki Glaser who made for an engaging and funny host. However, I think the best part of the evening was Demi Moore's powerful and touching acceptance speech where she explained that, despite being in the movie business for 45 years, she was described by a producer in the 1990s as "a 'popcorn' actress... I made that mean that this wasn't something that I was allowed to have, that I could do movies that were successful, that made a lot of money, but that I couldn't be acknowledged." I have a feeling that the Golden Globe for The Substance is only the first in several acknowledgements she will get for this daring and ever-so-slightly-fucked-up movie.  

There were a couple of surprises in the winners this year, particularly Flow, a Latvian film featuring no dialogue, beating Inside Out 2 and The Wild Robot for the Best Animated Feature award, and Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres taking the Best Actress (Drama) award ahead of Hollywood heavyweights like Nicole Kidman, Tilda Swinton and Kate Winslet for her performance in Walter Salles' political drama I'm Still Here. 

I was pleased to see the Best Screenplay award go to Conclave, as I thoroughly enjoyed that movie.

Up next for awards season, we get a 2-4-1 on Wednesday (8th January) with the announcement of not only the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards nominations, but also the Directors Guild Award (DGA) nominees. 

Review: Avengers: Infinity War (UK Cert 12A)

SPOILER WARNING! This review discusses and/or mentions a few important plot points. If you would prefer not to have these spoiled, please stop reading now and come back once you've seen the film.

An epic cinematic event that's ten years in the making, Avengers: Infinity War pits the Earth's (and the galaxy's) greatest heroes against the Mad Titan Thanos who is in search of the six Infinity Gems which will give him power over all creation.  

Whilst #ThanosDemandsYourSilence (and for several very good reasons), there are some points about the film that can't really be discussed without spoilers. So, if you didn't notice the bold, italiced and underlined warning at the start of the article, here's your last chance to turn back. 

...

Still with us? OK. 

So directors Anthony and Joe Russo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War) ramp things up to eleven with the action sequences: the battles are epic, befitting a film of this magnitude. Screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (Thor: The Dark World) deserve massive praise for delivering such a tightly-plotted, well-balanced script. Make no mistake, this film is packed. With over 30 main characters spanning the universe (literally and metaphorically), so much plate-spinning going on, it's a testament that no character feels short-changed or shoe-horned in. Every character on screen has a purpose: they're not just there for the 'hey guys, remember this one?' (which could easily have happened). There are a couple of notable omissions, but these are explained well. Each character also has their moment, which is also good. The humour of characters like Rocket, Thor, and Drax is there and is allowed to flow naturally, which is great. These moments of levity are needed as the drama- and there's a lot of it- unfolds. And not just drama- tragedy, too. 

In the first ten minutes of the film, two main characters are killed off, brutally, with no mercy. Thanos and the Black Order aren't messing around. There is a real sense of jeopardy in the film: no character is truly safe, and as things progress, the death toll starts to rise. And you care. You care about who lives and who dies. Marvel have taken the time to build these characters up, over multiple films spanning the last decade, so you have that emotional bond. There were more than a few gasps and sniffles as one particular character died. I even had a lump in my throat. 

If I were to discuss the performances, frankly, we'd be here until Avengers 4 came out. All performances across the board are great- some of the actors have been playing these roles for 10 years, so they know the characters inside out; others, such as Chadwick Boseman and Tom Holland, have only played them for a short time, but they have struck upon the essence of their characters straight away-  but there is one performance that I do want to highlight in particular: Josh Brolin. 

Thanos is dangerously close to being the best villain MCU have put out. That's been a major criticism of the Marvel movies: the villains have sometimes just been caricatures or archetypes. The last few films have shown villains with nuance and with an understandable motive (Killmonger in Black Panther, for instance). Thanos continues that trend: his desire for balance- given what he saw on Titan- is understandable, although taken to extremis by the idea of being able to get rid of 50% of the population of the galaxy with a snap of his gauntleted fingers. He's not just mad; there's a recognisable (albeit twisted) logic to his plan. And whilst you don't sympathise or agree with him, you can at least see where he's coming from. This is paired by some absolutely sterling CG work (not just on Thanos but on all of the Black Order) and a dignified, stoic performance by Josh Brolin.  

Honestly, I could discuss and dissect the film for hours. This is a truly brilliant film. See it. See it again. See it on a big screen. It's just superb. 

Rating: 5 out of 5

Tez

Review: Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2 (UK Cert 12A)

Guardians Of The Galaxy was a massive pleasant surprise for me when it came out in the summer of 2014. I knew very little about the background to the characters, so went in with very few expectations. It was my film of the year for 2014, and it did big business at the box-office. So it makes sense that they'd be back for another movie
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On the run from the Sovereigns after stealing some batteries they pledged to protect, the Guardians find themself under attack. However, help arrives in the shape of Ego, a benevolent protector... and Star-Lord's father. As Star-Lord gets to know his long-lost old man, the other Guardians have their own issues to deal with- ranging from sibling rivalry to regaining honour- whilst keeping an eye out for the Sovereign threat.

The returning cast all slip back into their characters effortlessly, so it's time to focus on the new characters coming in. Elizabeth Debicki lays on the icy hauteur beautifully as Sovereign priestess Ayesha, whilst Kurt Russell steals almost every scene he's in as Ego. Pom Klementieff is a lovely addition as Ego's companion Mantis, an empath who has the same very literal outlook on life as Drax (and who forms a lovely duo with Dave Bautista). Sylvester Stallone's role as Stakar Ogord, a Ravager who has a run-in with Yondu (Michael Rooker, rarely better), hints at something bigger to come- and, knowing there will be a Volume 3 coming at some point, lays the groundwork nicely.

Visually it's a real feast for the eyes and deserves to be seen on the biggest screen you can find (I saw it on a SuperScreen which was well worth it). From icy plains to lush verdant planets, the golden glow of the Sovereigns to Nebula's chrome and blue make-up, everything looks fantastic. The action set pieces are all done really well too, even if the opening one is a bit of a cheat. You'll know why when you see it.

Just like the first film, the soundtrack is an integral part of the movie. Starting out with 'Mr Blue Sky' by ELO and taking in tracks by Fleetwood Mac, Glen Campbell, George Harrison, and Sam Cooke (among others), it's eclectic and absolutely rocking.

The film is full of great little moments too. I don't want to get too spoilery, but look out for these three things which made me smile immensely: 'trash panda', a very surprising cameo, and the adorable Baby Groot's struggle with which button to press (part of which is teased in the trailer). Also, there are five- yes, five- mid- and post-credits scenes, so stick around for them. All bar one are just standalone little jokes, which will raise a smile- but one does also hint at a future enemy for the Guardians to face.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2 isn't a lazy cash-in sequel; it isn't just 'more of the same as the first one'. Writer-director James Gunn has created a cheeky, raucous romp with an unexpected heart. It gets a little bloated, especially during the second act (with all storylines competing for time) but it can be forgiven for that as the surrounding material is so good. Another triumph for MCU. Bring on Spider-Man: Homecoming!

Rating: 5 out of 5

Tez

Review: Star Trek Beyond (UK Cert 12A)

It's a banner year for the Star Trek franchise as it celebrates 50 years since the original TV show started airing. So how better to commemorate this than to release another Star Trek movie?

The crew of the Enterprise are well into their five-year mission, but Captain James T. Kirk is starting to feel a little disillusioned and is thinking of moving on. When they dock on Starbase Yorktown, an unknown alien ship in distress hails the base. Their crew has been taken to a nearby planet by the villainous Krall and the Enterprise is the only ship that can make it through an unstable nebula to help rescue them. But things are never quite what they seem and the planet- and Krall- are more dangerous than the crew could imagine...

Written by Simon Pegg (also reprising the role of Scotty and therefore giving himself a bigger part) and Doug Jung (who cameos as Sulu's husband Ben- more of that later) and directed by Justin Lin (the Fast and Furious franchise), Star Trek Beyond is big, bombastic and a lot of fun. It makes for very easy watching.

Lin is very much at home with the action sequences- including a very stylish distraction involving Kirk and a vintage motorcycle- although there's an over-reliance on shakycam which is annoying and, yet again, a major Hollywood blockbuster skimps on the lighting budget to its detriment with some scenes (noticeably one fight scene between Jaylah and Krall's minion Manas) almost bordering on the unwatchable. One thing to Lin's credit, however- there's minimal lens flare. A few lighting and camera issues aside, the visual effects are- as you would expect- superb with the reveal and exploration of Starbase Yorktown particularly stunning.

Performance-wise, it's all pretty solid. The main returning cast all fit back into their roles well (although having Scotty call Jaylah 'lassie' every few minutes got annoying really quickly). They know these characters well by now so there's no questions there. What the script does, which is interesting, is play around with the usual dynamics by splitting the Enterprise team and pairing disparate characters up. Pairing Bones and Spock up is inspired and both Karl Urban and Zachary Quinto seem to be enjoying their odd-couple bickering. Idris Elba makes for an imposing villain in Krall- even if the back-story felt a little rushed and bolted on. There's a really impressive performance by Sofia Boutella as the alien Jaylah who helps the crew out on the planet.

Some people may be wondering what I made of the decision to make Sulu gay (a decision which dismayed original Sulu actor George Takei). To be honest, whilst I probably would have preferred them to create a new character, I wasn't massively bothered by it. The scene between Ben and Sulu was played very nicely- it's a bit of a blink-and-you-miss-it moment to be fair- and it wasn't really mentioned again, although Ben does appear again at the end. It certainly wasn't sensationalised or felt lurid or done just for shock value. I can appreciate that it sometimes feels like tokenism but you can create a LGBT character and not let their sexuality be their only defining feature; for me, it's the difference between having a gay character (where it is) and a character that is gay (where it isn't).

The film pays a touching tribute not only to the late Leonard Nimoy- whose death is directly addressed and provides one of the more poignant scenes between Spock and Kirk- but also to the original crew of the Enterprise who started the journey off half a century ago. It also pays tribute in the end credits to Anton Yelchin, the Chekhov actor who passed away earlier this year. I couldn't help but feel a little pang of sadness every time the excitable Russian navigator appeared on screen. He has left a big hole in the Star Trek family.

I went to this film to be entertained, to turn my brain off for a few hours and just let the sci-fi silliness wash over me. Whilst it delivers that in spades, don't be surprised if you feel a little emotional throughout it too.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Tez

Out of the Furnace (Cert: 15)

Every year, around the awards season, a film gets released with the kind of A-list actors normally reeled off if you were at the pub and were asked the question, “What cast would you have in your film?” With the exception of Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, it’s unlikely you will see a film in 2014 with as much acting clout as Out of the Furnace. Writer/director Scott Cooper’s follow-up to his Oscar winning debut, Crazy Heart, is another character study set in the back-roads of America, Cooper once again focusing on people who are out-of-place in the country that is supposed to be their home.

Out of the Furnace has a top-rate cast that struggles to fit all of the names on the film’s poster: Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson, Willem Dafoe, Forest Whitaker and Zoe Saldana – all on fine form. Most critics have been praising Bale and Affleck, and deservedly so, as brothers both struggling to make ends meet, frustrated with the lives they are forced to live, but taking out their anger in different ways. Bale, famous for pushing the envelope in films such as The Machinist and The Fighter gives a toned-down, understated performance as Russell Baze, speaking softly and permanently exhausted. Affleck, on the other hand, as Rodney, is the other extreme, his rage constantly threatening to rise to the surface; he is uptight and always anxious.

Special mention has to go to Woody Harrelson, who has built a career on playing villains and anti-heroes with all-sorts going on inside their heads, but with Out of the Furnace he gives one of his very best performances as small-time drug dealer Harlan DeGroat. The film opens by introducing our antagonist, and for almost a minute Harrelson is silent, just sitting there, staring. This is an uncomfortable scene to watch, DeGroat bringing to mind a spring trap getting tighter and tighter. We know he is going to do something to the poor woman sat in his car; you’re just waiting for it to happen. DeGroat thinks he is untouchable, king of his own little empire, but he is more white trash than Don Corleone.

Saldana, while not getting much in the way of screen time, stands head-and-shoulders with the rest of the cast, being given the film’s most moving scene as she tells former boyfriend Bale that she is pregnant with Forest Whitaker’s child, the two of them reflecting on what they could have had if life had turned out differently. It is an honest, gentle scene, admirably played down by both actors.

The problem with Out of the Furnace is Cooper’s script. It’s hard to say what the film is about as the narrative goes in one direction before wildly swerving off somewhere else. Bale is sent to prison for drink driving, his girlfriend Saldana leaving him. Affleck has been chewed up and spit out by the U.S. army, living in limbo and wondering what to do with the rest of his life, descending into the dingy world of bare knuckle fighting. This is followed by the second half, where Bale takes the law into his own hands and wages a one man war against Harrelson. The film feels like a series of sub-plots rather than one narrative that sees its protagonists change in some way. It’s a respectable two hours, but very rarely do you feel engaged with the two lead actors. This should be a weighty, emotionally draining watch, but because Out of the Furnace takes so long to become a vigilante film, trying its hand at different narratives and not spending enough time on any of them, it is nowhere near as sharp or elaborate as Cooper intended.

Out of the Furnace is an angry film, focusing on those living below the poverty line, left behind by the rest of America. Everything that Cooper highlights, small industrial towns lined with boarded up streets, where the only hope is to leave for somewhere else, is all valid, but Out of the Furnace’s message feels more like a murmur than a blood spitting rant. Cooper’s latest is worth seeing for the performances alone but, due to a muddled script, is nowhere near as gristly or heartfelt as it deserves to be.

3 out of 5

Matt

Comic Book Movie Round-Up #4: Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians Of The Galaxy

In the last of our comic book movie round-ups (for now, at least), we have all the info on a double-bill of Marvel movies, both of them from Phase 2. So first up...

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Director: Joe and Anthony Russo
Writer: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Provisional Release Date: April 4 2014

What We Know:

Writers Markus and McFeely confirmed before the release of Captain America: The First Avenger that they were working on a sequel to the film.

The title of the Captain America sequel was announced at Comic-Con in July 2012.

Whilst there is no official synopsis yet, it is understood that the film will be a 'political thriller' mostly set in the modern day with elements taken from Ed Brubaker's Winter Soldier comic-book storyline, which sees Captain America's friend Bucky Barnes return from the dead as a brainwashed Russian assassin. As Steve Rogers adjusts to the modern world, he must team up with the Black Widow to deal with a powerful yet covert threat in Washington DC.

Who's In?:

There are a lot of returning characters within this film and several major additions.

Chris Evans will reprise his role as Steve Rogers/Captain America. Evans revealed he signed a six-picture deal with Marvel Studios to play the character.

Sebastian Stan will also reprise his role as Bucky Barnes, the 'Winter Soldier' of the subtitle. 

Scarlett Johansson will play Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow for the third time (after appearances in Iron Man 2 and The Avengers) whilst Samuel L. Jackson returns for his sixth outing as Nick Fury. Cobie Smulders and Max Hernandez will appear as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Maria Hill and Jasper Sitwell respectively, reprising their roles from The Avengers.

Hayley Atwell, who played Peggy Carter, will appear in the sequel (it is expected that these will be mostly via flashbacks) and will also appear in a short film detailing what happened to her character after the events of The First Avenger. 

Toby Jones will also reprise his role as Dr. Armin Zola from the first film, as will Dominic Cooper who played the young Howard Stark. 

Garry Shandling will appear as Senator Stern, the character he played in Iron Man 2.

As for new characters, Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker, Gangster Squad) will be playing The Falcon, an ally of Captain America.

Frank Grillo will play the role of Crossbones, one of the movie's villains, and Georges St-Pierre will play another villain named Georges Batroc

Emily VanCamp has been cast as a character only known as 'Agent 13'

Robert Redford has been cast as Alexander Pierce, a senior agent within S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury's superior. Alan Dale, Chin Han, Bernard White and Jenny Agutter will play a team who will support Pierce, with Agutter once again playing a member of the World Security Council (as she did in The Avengers).

Anything Else?

Directors George Nolfi (The Adjustment Bureau) and F. Gary Gray (Law Abiding Citizen) were considered for the film before the Russo brothers were chosen.

Anna Kendrick, Imogen Poots and Felicity Jones were all linked to an unspecified role, as were Jessica Brown Findlay, Emilia Clarke, Teresa Palmer and Alison Brie. It is thought this role would have been Sharon Carter, Peggy's niece and Captain America's new love interest. It is uncertain whether this character will appear in the film.

Hugo Weaving announced that reprising his role as Red Skull was 'not something [he] would want to do again' despite having signed a multi-picture deal. Weaving stated "I did sign up for a number of pictures and I suppose, contractually, I would be obliged to, if they forced me to, but they wouldn't want to force someone to do it, if they didn't want to."

Production officially began on April 1, filming in Los Angeles with this initial picture officially released by Marvel Studios:

Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Max Hernandez were seen filming an action sequence in Los Angeles:

Filming also took place in Washington DC on May 13 2013, with filming done at the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge and the National Mall. Filming started in Cleveland, Ohio on May 17 and is scheduled to last until mid-June.

As part of the Phase Two preview, Marvel released several pieces of concept art for the film:

Captain America vs The Winter Soldier

Concept art for The Falcon

And a picture of Sebastian Stan in full 'Winter Soldier' gear has been released:

The short featuring Hayley Atwell as Peggy will be shown at the San Diego Comic-Con in July 2013.

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So that's the lowdown on Captain America: The Winter Soldier. So now, here's what we know about the penultimate film in Marvel's Phase Two (which will then lead into The Avengers 2):

Guardians Of The Galaxy

Director: James Gunn
Writer: James Gunn, Chris McCoy and Nicole Perlman
Provisional Release Date: August 1 2014

What We Know:

The project was announced at Comic-Con in July 2012, along with the Ant-Man film and the sequel titles to Thor and Captain America.

There are several characters who fall under the banner of Guardians Of The Galaxy but so far the characters Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax The Destroyer, Groot and Rocket Raccoon are confirmed to appear in the film.

From l-r: Drax The Destroyer, Groot, Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon and Gamora

One potential plot that was revealed in August 2012, stated that the film was about 'a US pilot who ends up in space in the middle of a universal conflict and goes on the run with futuristic ex-cons who have something everyone wants', which suggests that the character Major Victory would be involved. This has not been confirmed as yet.

James Gunn was officially confirmed as the director in September 2012. Directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden were rumoured to be in the running but ruled themselves out. Yes Man director Peyton Reed was apparently a back-up choice.

Who's In?:

Chris Pratt (Moneyball, Zero Dark Thirty) will play the lead role of Star-Lord, also known as Peter Quill. He is a gunslinging space-ranger, a joker but also a hero.

WWE star Dave Bautista will play Drax The Destroyer who is a human who was rescued from death and resurrected as a green-skinned berserker with a mission to kill. 

Michael Rooker is playing Yondu, a game hunter of a primitive tribe native to Centauri IV and one of the four founding heroes.

Star Trek actress Zoe Saldana will play Gamora, a green-skinned humanoid and last survivor of her race, trained to be The Most Dangerous Woman In The Universe by Thanos.

Lee Pace has been cast as an as-yet-unnamed villain, who could be an alien Kree warrior named Ronan The Accuser or as The Collector.

British actor Enzo Cilenti has been cast but there is no confirmation about who he will be playing. Similarly, British actress Ophelia Lovibond has been cast, rumoured to be playing a servant of The Collector although this has yet to be confirmed.

John C. Reilly will play the role of Rhomann Dey, a human agent who deals directly between the Guardians and Earth, reporting to S.H.I.E.L.D. about their movements. Hugh Laurie, Alan Rickman and Ken Watanabe have been linked with a separate character who plays Dey's peer.

Glenn Close is attached to play a senior figure in Nova Corps, an intergalactic police force with military origins. Close's character is reported to be a counterpart to Nick Fury.

Former Doctor Who actress Karen Gillan has been cast as one of the film's major villains.

Oscar-winning actor Benicio del Toro has been cast to appear in the film, with the option of further appearances. It is expected that he will play a lead character but, as with much to do with this film, a lot has yet to be confirmed.

Anything Else?

Joel Edgerton, Garrett Hedlund, Jack Huston, James Marsden, Lee Pace, Eddie Redmayne, Jim Sturgess, Zachary Levi, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Rosenbaum, John Krasinski, Wes Bentley, Cam Gigandet and Sullivan Stapleton were all reported to be auditioning for the role of Star-Lord.

Actors Isaiah Mustafa, Brian Patrick Wade and Jason Momoa were said to be in the running for the role of Drax The Destroyer before Bautista was cast.

It was reported that Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler were being lined up for roles (possibly as the voices of Rocket Raccoon or Groot), but Carrey has quashed the rumours and nothing more has been said about Sandler's involvement.

The villain Thanos, glimpsed briefly at the end of The Avengers, will be appearing in Guardians Of The Galaxy (as well as The Avengers 2) but it is uncertain whether he will be a major antagonist or not.

As part of their Phase Two preview, several pieces of concept art have been released for the film:

Production has already started with shooting scheduled to start sometime in June 2013.