Awards Season 2017: Directors' Guild Awards Winners

Just a quick awards season update as the Directors' Guild Awards (DGAs) were handed out yesterday (Saturday 4th February). The film winners are:

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Films: Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Feature Film Director: Garth Davis (Lion)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Miniseries: Steven Zaillian (The Night Of: The Beach)

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary: Ezra Edelman (O.J.: Made In America)

I have to say, it's no surprise to see Damien Chazelle win. La La Land is a technically impressive piece of film-making and he truly deserves this award. I feel certain he'll win the Best Director Oscar as well (the DGA awards are usually a good bellwether). O.J.: Made In America is also nominated for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar (clocking in at an impressive 7hrs 47mins, to date the longest film to be nominated for any competitive Oscar), so that bodes well for that. 

The next award season update will be next Sunday (12th February) when the BAFTA Film Awards will be handed out. 

Review: Denial (UK Cert 12A)

Released in the UK on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Denial seems a scarily prescient film (especially given our current political era of post-truth and alternative facts). 

It is the story of the libel action taken by British historian and Holocaust denier David Irving (Timothy Spall) in 2000 against American professor Deborah Lipstadt (Rachel Weisz) and her publisher, claiming that Lipstadt's assertion that Irving had deliberately manipulated historical fact to prove the Holocaust didn't happen has defamed him. Irving brings the action at the High Court in London and, under the vagaries of the British judicial system, it is down to Lipstadt's legal team to prove their case.

It's an undeniably powerful film, incredibly well made, well written (by playwright David Hare) and well acted across the board.

Weisz is great as the fiery Lipstadt, her brash Americanisms rubbing up against the more genteel British legal team. Initially furious that neither she nor any survivors of Auschwitz are being called to testify, she soon realises that she has to, in her words, hand her conscience over and trust they will do the right thing. Timothy Spall's performance as Irving is similarly remarkable, making an abhorrent character almost charming. There's something oddly reptilian about his performance as Irving conducts his own legal case, trying to trip up the experts. I very much doubt the real Irving is as oddly likeable.

Tom Wilkinson gives an air of dignified gravitas to his role as Richard Rampton QC (presenting Lipstadt's case to the court). The scene where he gets to cross-examine Irving is a particular highpoint. There's also a lovely turn by Andrew Scott as the charismatic solicitor Anthony Julius who helps to prepare Lipstadt's case.

Hare used the verbatim court transcripts for the trial scenes, so whatever is said by the characters in court was actually said during the real trial. It gives a sense of real authenticity. There's also a short but very moving section of the film which takes place at Auschwitz (and was actually filmed there too) where the legal team go to undertake research and there's a clash between Rampton and Lipstadt which Wilkinson and Weisz play to the absolute hilt.

I found the film fascinating, occasionally infuriating, incredibly moving and just superb. I wanted more of it. It's the kind of story that could do well as a TV mini-series. As it is, though, a tremendous piece of British filmmaking. 

Rating: 4 out of 5

Tez

Review: Lion (UK Cert PG)

Biopics are pretty much catnip to the awards organisations, so it's not been any surprise that Lion has been up for loads of awards. 

It's the very moving true story of Saroo Brierley, a young man who- as a boy- got separated from his family in rural India, found himself alone in Calcutta and put in an orphanage, before eventually being adopted by an Australian couple. As he grew up, Saroo always wondered about his birth family and eventuall started using Google Earth to try and track his biological family down. 

I will happily admit to a few tears along the way, such is the power of the story. I never felt blatantly emotionally manipulated by the film, which is a credit to Luke Davies' script (adapted from Saroo's memoir) and to the amazing performances by the talented ensemble cast.

I am always a bit wary about films which have child actors as a main part of the story, in case the child comes across as annoying, too cutesy, too saccharine or an old soul in a young body (which can be irritating). However, Lion has a real star in the making in Sunny Pawar, the young actor who plays Saroo as a child. Your heart absolutely breaks for him as he's left alone in a huge, noisy city with people who speak a language he can't understand. The film also adeptly shows the dangers that street children can face (from being abducted or chased by the police); there isn't any kind of sugar-coating to make Saroo's estrangement palatable. The other main child actor Abhishek Bharate, who plays Saroo's biological older brother Guddu, is also very strong and the two young actors have a real believable rapport.

I am a huge fan of Nicole Kidman and have been for over 20 years (I kind of fell in love with her a bit when I first saw Batman Forever) but her performance here as Sue Brierley, Saroo's adoptive mother, is one of her strongest performances to date. There's one particular scene- a conversation between Sue and the adult Saroo, where they talk about adopting children rather than having their own- which was the first time I cried during the film. It's a warm, loving performance which helps to form the emotional backbone of the film and she's equally matched by David Wenham as her husband John. 

As the adult Saroo, struggling with the weight of his past and determined to find the truth, Dev Patel is also strong. Conflicted between what he sees as a privileged upbringing, miles away from his own home, Patel's performance is honest and authentic. As Saroo's girlfriend Lucy, Rooney Mara adds yet another accomplished performance to her filmography. Supportive of Saroo's quest, even at the cost of their relationship, Lucy is there as the parts of the story start to come together. 

This is director Garth Davis' feature film debut (having directed television, documentary and short films before). It's a quietly assured debut which saw a surprise nomination by the Directors' Guild of America earlier this month. Whilst I can't describe the film as 'feel-good' (there's a real current of bittersweetness that runs through the film, even at the end), it's uplifting and it's emotional. Go see it, but make sure you bring a tissue or two.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Tez

Awards Season 2017: Producers' Guild Awards Winners and Screen Actors' Guild Awards Winners

A double whammy of awards season stuff today, so with very little ado, let's crack on with it.

PRODUCERS' GUILD AWARDS (PGA) WINNERS

On Saturday 28th January, the Producers' Guild of America announced its winners for the 2017 Producers' Guild Awards. 

The film winners are:

Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures: La La Land

Documentary Film: O.J.: Made In America

Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures: Zootopia

No real surprise with either La La Land or Zootopia's wins as they've been the stand-out winners in their respective fields all throughout the awards season. All three films have been nominated in their respective categories for the Oscars so surely this doesn't do their chances of winning any harm. 

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SCREEN ACTORS' GUILD (SAG) AWARDS WINNERS

Yesterday (29th January), the Screen Actors' Guild Awards were announced. Here are the film winners:

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: 

Hidden Figures

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role: 

Denzel Washington (Fences)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role: 

Emma Stone (La La Land)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role: 

Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role: 

Viola Davis (Fences)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Film:

Hacksaw Ridge

Interesting to see that the SAG voters went for Emma Stone and Denzel Washington over Natalie Portman and Casey Affleck, but it's always good to shake things up a little bit lest it all gets a bit predictable. No surprises with Ali and Davis' wins, which must bode well for the Oscars. 

Next up in awards season will be the Directors' Guild Awards which are announced on February 4th.

Review: Hacksaw Ridge (UK Cert 15)

After a decade since his last stint as director (for the bloody Mayan action-adventure Apocalypto), Mel Gibson makes a triumphant return to the Hollywood fold with Hacksaw Ridge, a mature and unflinching war drama which tells the extraordinary true story of Desmond T. Doss. Doss served as an Army Medic during the Second World War but, due to his religious beliefs (he was a staunch Seventh-Day Adventist), he never carried a rifle and never killed anyone. Instead, he saved over 75 wounded soldiers from Hacksaw Ridge (part of the Battle of Okinawa) and became the first conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor. 

I'll be honest with you. I didn't expect to like, enjoy and respect this film as much as I did. Whatever you may think of Mel Gibson's past indiscretions (for want of a better word), this is a remarkable film.

It's led from the front by a charismatic and powerful performance by Andrew Garfield as Doss. Garfield has the acting chops and personality to carry a film (see The Amazing Spider-Man films if you want proof of that) but here he's simply superb, embodying Doss' unwavering belief without it ever becoming polemical or one-note. Doss had a real struggle with the Army to be allowed to serve without carrying firearms, which the film shows, and you feel for him every step of the way. Garfield has real chemistry with Teresa Palmer (who plays Doss' girlfriend and later wife Dorothy) which adds an extra dimension to the character. Garfield has been winning award nominations left, right and centre and it's truly deserved. 

Hugo Weaving puts in a great supporting turn as Doss' war-scarred hard-drinking father Tom, who survived the First World War whilst his friends didn't, and returns to town with survivor's guilt and a burning dislike of the military. His disappointment when both sons enlist is palpable but he eventually supports Desmond's decision. Rachel Griffiths has less to do as Doss' mother Bertha but is instrumental in instilling faith into him and is more supportive of his decision. Palmer's performance as Dorothy is quite lovely too; she's not just there as window-dressing, she's a strong and independent woman and a character in her own right.

When Doss gets into the Army, a whole raft of new characters come in but it's to the film's credit that- even if some of them are only broadly sketched out- all the men in the platoon have discernible characters. Vince Vaughn is particularly good as platoon Sergeant Howell, and he gets some good laughs as well as some dramatic moments. Of the platoon men, it's Luke Bracey who gets the most character development as Smitty Ryker, who doesn't believe in Doss' outlook, calling him a coward, yet eventually respecting the man for it. 

Gibson's films have never shied away from showing harrowing and gory violence and Hacksaw Ridge is no different. Once the film shifts to the theatre of war, it's all out as bombs, bullets, blood and body parts start flying around. It never feels gratuitous, never feels exploitative but absolutely in keeping. War is hell and it would be a massive disservice not to show it as such. At times, it's not an easy watch but it's undeniably powerful.

At a running time of 2hrs 20m, it's a long film but the story justifies it. You need to see Doss' early life and his courtship with Dorothy and the travails he went through to be allowed to serve in the Army before seeing him in the hell on Earth that was Hacksaw Ridge. There doesn't feel a part that's indulgent or padding.

The film ends with archive footage of the real Doss, talking about his time in the war and his dedication to helping save lives rather than taking them is truly moving and inspirational. The man was a bona fide hero, even more so for never carrying a gun, and the film is a very fitting tribute to him.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Tez

The Watchers Film Show Blog is 5 today!

The Watchers Film Show Blog is 5 today!

We have had nearly 82,000 page views in the 5 years we've been running which is incredibly humbling (especially since the last two years haven't had as many posts as before; you can blame us making thirteen episodes of a web series for that!).

We've had page views from all around the world: from the United States, Russia, France, Germany, Thailand, Bulgaria, Austria, Ukraine, China, Turkey and Poland to name but a few.

A massive, huge thank you to everyone who has supported the blog over the last five years- we're really immensely grateful to everyone who's read, watched or listened to what we do. 

Thanks again,

The Watchers

(Rhys, Matt and Tez)

Sir John Hurt (1940-2017)

We at the Watchers are very sad to report the death of acting legend Sir John Hurt, who has passed away at the age of 77. 

In a career spanning six decades, Hurt had an amazingly diverse filmography, taking in sci-fi, horror, fantasy, drama and comedy, all done with style. His deep rich voice was distinctive and instantly recognisable.  

Born in 1940 in Chesterfield, Hurt was originally encouraged by his parents to become an art teacher, so he enrolled at Grimsby Art School and later won a scholarship to study at St Martin's School of Art in London. In 1960, he won a scholarship to RADA and studied there for two years, making his film debut in 1962 as Phil Corbett in The Wild And The Willing. In 1966, he had his first major film role, playing Richard Rich in A Man For All Seasons opposite Paul Scofield and Wendy Hiller. In 1971, he played the ill-fated Timothy Evans in 10 Rillington Place to great acclaim and was nominated for his first BAFTA film award for the role.

In 1975, Hurt took the role of the flamboyant writer Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant, a television adaptation of Crisp's autobiography. In a career as vast as Hurt's, this is one role he is best known for although was initially warned against taking such a controversial role saying it might end his career. In fact, nothing could have been further from the truth. He won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Actor for his role and reprised his role in 2009 for An Englishman In New York, chronicling Crisp's later years.

After a spectacular turn as the Roman emperor Caligula in the TV mini-series I, Claudius, Hurt then went on to star in Alan Parker's 1978 film Midnight Express as an English heroin addict incarcerated in a Turkish jail. He won a BAFTA Film Award and a Golden Globe for his supporting turn and also gained his first Oscar nomination (for Best Supporting Actor), although he lost to Christopher Walken (for The Deer Hunter). Also in 1978, he provided the voice of Aragorn for an animated version of The Lord Of The Rings and the voice of Hazel for the animated version of Watership Down. 

In 1979, he was part of one of the most iconic and shocking moments in cinema history: the chest-burster scene in Alien.There appears to be some truth in the urban legend that only he and the crew knew what was going to happen- apparently the cast were informed that the alien would appear but not how much blood there would be or where it would go (Veronica Cartwright's reaction is for real). Hurt parodied the scene several years later in Spaceballs.

In 1980, he was nominated for his second Oscar (this time for Best Actor) for his lead role in The Elephant Man, playing the deformed John Merrick. He won his second BAFTA Film Award and was also nominated for the Golden Globe for this role (although lost out on the Oscar to Robert De Niro for Raging Bull). The detailed make-up took between seven to eight hours to apply and two to remove, meaning Hurt would often arrive on set at 5am and not leave until midnight. After his first day in the make-up, he allegedly called his wife at the time, saying, "I think they finally managed to make me hate acting."

He also played The Fool to Laurence Olivier's King Lear and played a brilliant Winston Smith in Michael Radford's adaptation of 1984. He provided the voice of the Horned King in The Black Cauldron, played The Storyteller in Jim Henson's series of the same name and finished off the Eighties by playing Stephen Ward in Scandal, the film about the Profumo Affair. Throughout the 1990s, he appeared in films as diverse as The Field, Rob Roy, King Ralph, Love And Death On Long Island, Even Cowgirls Get The Blues and Contact.

In 2001, Hurt appeared as wand-maker Mr Ollivander in Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone (and would go on to reprise his role in both Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows films). He also appeared as Professor Bruttenholm in both Hellboy films. He appeared in thrillers The Skeleton Key and The Oxford Murders, narrated Lars Von Trier's Dogville and Manderlay and put in a towering performance as Chancellor Adam Sutler in the rather brilliant V For Vendetta.

In 2008, Hurt provided the voice of The Great Dragon for the television series Merlin which ran for five series and then put in a ferocious turn as the foul-mouthed Old Man Peanut in crime thriller 44 Inch Chest, a film which truly has to be seen to be believed. He was also the lead in the chilling Whistle And I'll Come To You (based on the M.R. James short story) then appeared in Melancholia and as Control in the 2011 version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. He also appeared as Christopher Marlowe in Jim Jarmusch's vampire drama Only Lovers Left Alive.

In 2013, Hurt surprised a lot of people by taking a role in Doctor Who. The surprise was made even more by the reveal that he would be playing... The Doctor! To cover Christopher Eccleston's refusal to appear in the fiftieth anniversary special, a new character was created- a regeneration of the Doctor which he doesn't speak about, known only as The War Doctor- which was played by Hurt. As a grizzled veteran of the Time War, determined to say 'no more', he is superb as a world-weary old soldier. Hurt has reprised his role as the War Doctor for several audio stories by Big Finish. 

One of his last film roles was in Jackie, as the Priest who counsels the former First Lady through her grief. At the time of his passing, he has several projects still in production, including playing Neville Chamberlain opposite Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour.

In 2012, Hurt was awarded a BAFTA for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema and was knighted in 2015 for his services to drama. 

A brilliant actor who will be much missed. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.

Rhys, Matt & Tez
The Watchers