It’s hard to fathom that Roman Polanski has been making films for 50 years now. His early output was a revelation, making a name for himself with a unique brand of taut claustrophobic thrillers (See Knife in the Water/Repulsion). Seething with a palpable sense of anxiety, Polanski pushed his subjects to psychological breaking point with the enclosed surroundings amplifying the tension to almost unbearable levels. In short, they were bad places to be, especially if you happened to advocate bourgeois values. Downton Abbey, had it been made in 1960′s Poland probably would have had the entire cast holed up, soiled knickers and all, in the study with wolves roaming the corridors. It was in its mockery of the Bourgeoisie that European cinema was in its element. While never overtly political, Polanski revelled in using them as fodder. Even through visions of the American dream in Rosemary’s Baby & Chinatown, widely considered all-time greats, many of the hallmarks of his previous work shine through.

However, since that 1960′s/1970′s golden period; whether making conspiracy movies with Harrison Ford, big budget pirate adventures or dodgy horror flicks, his output has ranged from the strange to the down right awful, picking up a best director Oscar for The Pianist along the way. He seemed out of sorts for such a long time. So it was a surprise to hear that Polanski was seemingly revisiting his roots with an ensemble character study in Carnage.

If walking into the experience blind, you could look at the ingredients; a Polanski film, based on a play called ‘God of Carnage’, with the single apartment setting playing host to an all-out bourgeois smack down. You would be forgiven for expecting a world of pain, and upon seeing the film you wouldn’t be far off, except that you’re going to laugh. A lot. In fact, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more satisfying comedy all year.

Set over the course of a single afternoon, in the aftermath of a playground scuffle between two 11 year-old school boys, the Cowans (Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz) visit the Longstreets (Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly) to discuss the problem between their respective sons. What begins as a straightforward social courtesy develops into polite finger pointing and before long, prejudices slip out, the veneer of civilized discussion fritters away, and that’s when things well and truly kick off. A barking dog, a bottle of whiskey, a ringing cell phone, some not-so tasty left overs; all at some point seem to conspire, almost supernaturally to pour gas onto the fire.

Not unlike Luis Bunuel’s 1962 masterpiece The Exterminating Angel the Cowans find that they’re bound to the apartment, except this time not by a mysterious unspoken force, but by invitation of the Longstreets. Neither able to let it drop. This is something Polanski could have possibly made 30 years ago. Like Repulsion, the downtown Brooklyn apartment is a black hole. The irresistible pull of psychosis replaced with one of egocentric stupidity. Even the opening scene, in the context of a Polanski film (a static shot from behind the trees), showing a peripheral conflict in the scope of a wide shot encompassing both the playground and the Hudson river could be viewed with a more sinister connotation if it weren’t for the Alexandre Desplat score which appears straight out of a feel-good 80’s comedy.

Despite the films origins as a stage-play being entrenched in its DNA, this is a dynamic film that is unflinching in its moments of tension whilst allowing for larger than life, eccentric performances from its cast. Huge credit of course has to go to the screenplay which reduces the concerns of adults in modern society to schoolyard triviality. Considering the setting is restricted mostly to one room, the pacing is perfect. With a simple symmetry to the composure of the shots, movement between rooms is expressed with a roaming handheld camera style familiar within Polanski’s early work.

Waltz and Reilly are in their anarchic element as the sneering egotistical attorney and the blue collar blunt tool. It is Foster though, as the anthropological writer; the sanctimonious, emotional ticking-time bomb, and Winslet as the elitist, emotionally sterile investment broker who, playing against type, really let everything hang out and provide the film’s funniest moments. Their group breakdown is a gleeful crescendo of farce and political incorrectness. And as none of the characters have much in the way of redeemable personality traits, all four collectively make up the ultimate toss-pot. You enjoy their descent into hysteria like watching animals on a wildlife documentary or ironically small children in a playground.

I have to admit my first thought as the credits rolled, ‘I can think of a handful of situations in my adult life, which I would look back on with a much greater fondness if they went a little more like that’. One interpretation is that Carnage is a comedy for anyone who has had to bite their tongue. It is also Roman Polanski in his element; society eating itself under the stress of its own vanity.

A very funny film, with excellent performances all round.

First up this week is Nicholas Winding Refn’s 70’s throwback Drive.


For a man whose name sounds very much like a font, Winding Refn is fast grinding out a rep as one of the most promising directors of the moment. Drive, which sees man of the moment Ryan Gosling channelling the likes of McQueen and Eastwood, is unlikely to derail the Dane’s upward trajectory. Despite a top notch cast which also boasts Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston and Albert Brooks, it’s the style of the film which sets it apart from similar pictures. Set in the seedy, neon, Hollywood underbelly, ‘Driver’ as he is simply known is a man out of time; figuratively speaking only. A stoic protagonist with an unyielding moral compass, Gosling traverses between heartfelt tenderness and unspeakable brutality. Both are filmed bravely; Winding Refn knowing exactly when to cut away and when to linger. Though not one of the most prolific award season nominees, Drive is picking up the odd nomination here and there and everyone of them is deserved.

In contrast Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is arguably one of the most over hyped films of last year. That’s not to say it’s without merit. On the contrary, it was an expertly crafted film in almost every way. Gary Oldman is certainly an outsider for a Best Actor Oscar and there is some great support work from hot properties like Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch. Like Drive, Tinker Tailor comes to us courtesy of another Scandinavian director, Tomas Alfredson. Like his contemporaries, Alfredson is a master craftsman when it comes to ‘show, don’t tell’. There’s certainly no unnecessary monologuing in the film which affords you the opportunity to really take in the expertly recreated cold war setting. The film’s weakness however, lies in it’s complicated, in places convoluted story. As is often the case with adaptations, the density of the original novel is simply not transferrable to the screen. Often at times, key plot points are sacrificed in favour of a more palatable running time and unfortunately in this case, it felt like key elements of John Le Carre’s seminal story were lost on the cutting room floor. With that in mind, home entertainment may in fact be the film’s saving grace. Repeat viewings coupled with the supporting features may just be enough to clear the fog.

In the barrage of mindless, plotless ensemble rom-com flicks that seem to be the trend of the moment, everyone was glad to see a date movie that might avoid the same trappings. Crazy Stupid Love was off to a flyer even before it was released with one of the most likeable cast lists ever put together. With Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling all starring, it’s no wonder that the movie went down well with both genders, and although not exactly a classic, it does have a lot going for it. At the centre of the story is a Hitch type story where Gosling’s suave womaniser coaches a post-separation Steve Carell in the art of seduction. Carell and Stone are as good as ever, but the real revelation is Gosling as a comedian. If we didn’t already hate him enough the triple threat proves that he’s got the comedy chops to rival the best of them, even picking up a Golden Globe nomination in the Comedy/Musical acting category. Releasing two weeks before Valentine’s Day is no doubt a savy move by Warner Bros. who are no doubt banking on its ‘snuggle up on the sofa’ factor to shift shed loads of copies.

In terms of re-releases, it’s a good week with three classics getting the Blu-ray treatment. First up is the multi-Oscar winning Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Whilst personally I’m sceptical as to how much difference Blu-ray makes to a nigh on fifty year old movie, the epic scale of a Joseph Mankiewicz movie might just warrant the upgrade.

Also released is James Cameron’s Aliens.

With Prometheus looming ominously on the horizon like an abandoned interstellar transporter of mysterious origin, chances are that interest in the original quadrilogy is likely to peak over the next few months. There’s every likelihood the four movies will be all over TV as well, but probably not in the quality of a nice, crisp Blu-ray. This will prove a decent investment, especially if there’s that annoying guy in your office who won’t shut up about how Avatar is the greatest science fiction movie ever made. You can lend him Aliens and prove to him that Avatar isn’t even the greatest science fiction movie James Cameron has ever made.

It’s a quieter week for TV releases this week. The only real release is the first batch of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes. Rather than housing an entire series the Blu-ray contains the pilot episode along with two other classic episodes so not really one for the casual Trekkies (or Trekkers, as they prefer to be called).

Special mention must go to the release of season asix of The Office (US). Although to the best of my knowledge the series is not getting a Blu-ray release (makes sense when you think about it), season six is arguably where the series peaked.

With a cast most movie producers would kill for (Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Ed Helms, Ellie Kemper and Kathy Bates) the sixth series brings with it closure to one of the love stories of the decade, and en route Steve Carell falls into a Koi Pond. If you’re yet to discover the wonders of The Office, then go back to the beginning (by which I mean season 2, episode 1). For those of you Dunder Mifflin devotees, this might just prove to be the last Office box set you choose to take home.

In conclusion, my recommendation for the week is clearly Drive. Having gotten up early on pay day to pre-order the very reasonably priced Blu-ray, it’d be hypocritical of me to suggest anything else. Yes, there’s no denying the ‘classic’ status of James Cameron’s Aliens however, the savvy consumers should know that you can find the complete quadrilogy online for less than a fiver more than the stand alone release.

Of course, fifty percent of that last paragraph was bull shit but I promise that what follows will be a combination of facts and personal opinions that will hopefully allow you to optomise your spending in this period of economic crisis. As you might expect, the weeks directly following the festive period tend to be a little thin on the ground regarding big releases but there is at least, this coming week, a vast cocktail of titles coming your way.


The two biggest releases this week are two comedies that enjoyed mixed receptions at last year’s box office. First up is 30 Minutes or Less. Ruben Fleischer’s follow up to Zombieland should have been a smash. Danny McBride is fast becoming a household name, and Jesse Eisenberg was the geek of choice following his Academy Award nomination for The Social Network last year. Unfortunately, the film failed to live up to expectations and lukewarm early reviews killed it off in well under thirty minutes. Second, we have The Change Up; the body swap comedy which sees Jason Bateman’s family man swap lives with womaniser Ryan Reynolds. Despite its strong cast (Olivia Wilde and Alan Arkin also star) the ‘writers of The Hangover’ failed to sprinkle their box office magic over this one. The film itself is bland and formulaic and if it were not for two leads would have very little going for it.

Of course, it’s not just comedies that are trying to replicate the success of The Hangover. Hostel 3, which was spared the embarrassment of a comprehensive theatrical release follows an almost identical set up as the 2009 comedy but finds its four hapless protagonists at the mercy of some nefarious Las Vegan’s even more sadistic than Ken Jeong. If you’re interested in that, you might also be interested in the release of schlock horror, Shark Night 3D. I’d probably excuse you purchasing this if you are the proud owner of a 3D TV but failing that, there’s really no excuse for wasting your hard earned dollar on a film where cartoon sharks terrorise a group of bikini clad, inexplicably deficient University students.

In contrast it’s a strong week for British TV releases. Both Misfits and Merlin release their latest series (three and four respectively) this week but both are usurped in terms of anticipation by the release of the impressive second series of BBC’s Sherlock.

With audio commentaries for all three episodes and a featurette entitled ‘Sherlock Uncovered’ the likelihood is that this may well be the biggest seller of the week.

The previous releases getting the Blu-ray treatment this week are certainly also worth a look. The film that saw Denzel Washington pick up his third Oscar nomination, Malcolm X , is released this week, whilst the lesser known Roger Dodger also gets an upgrade. Another title looking to capitalise on Jesse Eisenberg’s newly earned celebrity, Roger Dodger stars The Social Network star as a young teenager sent to stay with his ad exec uncle Roger (Think a late-Nineties Don Draper). With the grossly underrated Campbell Scott (soon to be seen in The Amazing Spiderman) Roger Dodger is not necessarily going to test the limits of your HD TV but as a performance driven film, it’s certainly a cut above most of the other fodder churned out this week.

Although I have only a limited selection of concert DVDs (I don’t really see the point in most of them), I’d no doubt get in serious trouble if I fail to mention this week’s releases. As well as Doors: Mr Mojo Risin’, a documentary about the making of The Doors final album Monday also sees the release of Radiohead: Live from the Basement. A straight up live performance of album The King of Limbs, this particular music Blu-ray is probably only a must have item for those unnaturally obsessed with the Thom Yorke as it’s pretty much vanilla.

With all these factors taken into consideration I have reached a split conclusion. My recommendation for this week would be two fold. Firstly, go and rent Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia.

Let’s face it, you may not find it in your local Blockbuster so you might be better off checking in out of your local library. The film is visually and aurally stunning and whilst it may not burn into you a desire for many repeat viewings it’s worth checking out at least once in the highest definition. Once you’ve watched Melancholia in all its glory go out and buy Rodger Dodger. It may not have the scope and scale of Von Trier’s film but it also doesn’t have Kirsten Dunst in it.

The summer big noises speak for themselves;
Early glimpses of The Dark Knight Rises and Ridley Scott’s return to the Alien universe with Prometheus in IMAX & 3D respectively, look certain to be the years most complete cinematic experiences.
Elsewhere, you have a bumper fix of Marvel comic book action as the superhero equivalent of The Breakfast Club finally arrives in the form of The Avengers ,as well as a reboot of the oh so profitable Spider-Man franchise. Autumn/Winter will bring us Sam Mendes’ contribution to the Bond series in Skyfall, Peter Jackson’s return to Middle Earth in The Hobbit, ‘Tarantino does a western’ in Django Unchained and Baz Luhrmann’s intriguing 3D take on The Great Gatsby. There is plenty more to be excited about in 2012, but here are my ones to watch in the coming year:

5. Mama

Andres Muschietti’s 2008 short film Mama, was a nerve shredding 3 minute crescendo of gilt edged tension. In the tradition of the great recent Spanish-language horror hits (The Orphanage, Devils Backbone, Julia’s Eyes), two young sisters, home alone, decide to leave when they hear something making a noise downstairs. A masterful exercise in suspense, it must have impressed someone as it is currently being expanded into a full length feature, with Muschietti again directing from a script he co-wrote with Luther creator Neil Cross, under the guidance of Guillermo Del Toro. The very in-demand Jessica Chastain & Game of Thrones’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldu will play the couple who take in their two young nieces who after years of being missing, are discovered living alone in a forest…assuming they were actually alone. Likely to be 2012’s scariest …

4. Gravity

I have to admit, when I heard the premise for Alfonso Cuaron’s long awaited follow-up to Children of Men, the idea of Sandra Bullock being sent up into orbit with nothing but the Hubble space telescope to hold on to, seems a fair & proportionate punishment for that 2 year period of cinematic gastroenteritis that incorporated Premonition, The Proposal, All About Steve & The Blind Side…but not such an easy sell for a film, with its entire success resting on Bullock’s one woman show (a la Silent Running/Moon).

But this has long been a labour of love for its director, with Cuaron also writing, editing and producing the picture with Harry Potter mastermind David Heyman and with the help of superlative cinematographer Emmanuel Lubeski, who did some great work on the scarily-near dystopian Britain of Children of Men. If they get this right and Bullock gives the performance of her career, it will no doubt be one of the year’s best.

3. Cogan’s Trade

It feels like its been far too long since we were treated to the breathtaking Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford but fear not… director Andrew Dominik and star Brad Pitt are back again with this Boston gangster thriller following Pitt’s titular mob enforcer who is given a license to kill after a gunpoint heist on a mafia protected high stakes poker game. Amongst those with whom Cogan will be having a ‘quiet word’ are Richard Jenkins, James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta, Monsters star Scoot Mcnairy and Ben Mendelsohn who stole the show as the dangerous Uncle Pope in Animal Kingdom. Expect a dialogue heavy gritty urban noir, like The Departed …but without the good guys.

2. Wettest County

…most exciting reunion of the year? Anyone who saw John Hillcoat & Nick Cave’s work on The Proposition will know what to expect. A gritty, poetic examination of the brutal morality that exists in the harsh pre-colonial Australia, it was a strikingly fresh take on the Western, with a brilliant original screenplay by Nick Cave.
This prohibition era crime-epic is based on Matt Bondurant’s semi-biographical novel of his family’s operations in 1920’s Virginia. The story follows the three Bondurant brothers (Tom Hardy, Shia LeBeof & Jason Clarke) as they navigate an illegal alcohol bootlegging operation through the great depression as well as trying to avoid the unwanted attention of police deputy Charley Rakes (Guy Pearce). An excellent supporting cast comes in the form of Gary Oldman, Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain & Noah Taylor. Along with most of the original creative team behind The Proposition, another Nick Cave/Warren Ellis score and master editor Dylan Tichenor (Magnolia, Assassination of Jesse James and There Will Be Blood) putting the whole thing together, this has all the hallmarks of a big contender for the upcoming festival season & can hopefully be Hillcoat’s Godfather.
Imagine John Ford’s The Grapes of Wrath…but heavy on the wrath…

1. Seven Psychopaths

To pick a most anticipated film above all others in a year this strong is surely impossible, you would say? But then you think back to any number of instantly quotable moments from 2008’s In Bruges and naturally get rather giddy at the thought of a follow up.
Seven Psychopaths is playwright Martin Mcdonagh’s second full length feature and reunites him with In Bruges star Colin Farrell, who plays a screenwriter, struggling to finish his latest project ‘Seven Psychopaths’ when he is unwittingly roped into an ill-advised dog napping venture by low life buddies Sam Rockwell & Christopher Walken. Unfortunately they find themselves in hot water when they abduct the prize pooch of local gangster Woody Harrelson. Abbie Cornish, Olga Kurylenko & the one and only Tom Waits fill out the cast. Expect laughs, violence & misfortune in abundance

Many of you will be aware that this February sees the 84th Academy Awards, and the French star of The Artist could be the 30th nominee from international waters. Let me clarify, we all know how much the Academy love a good old bit of Brit costume drama so for the purpose of this article I have focused strictly on those performers born outside of the English speaking community.

Interestingly enough the first man to receive the award for ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role’ was a German named Emil Jannings. Given the award in 1927 Jannings won for his performance in two pictures, The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh. Unfortunately Jannings went on to star in numerous Nazi Propaganda films and became buddy buddy with some of the higher ranking Nazis.

Since Jannings’ inaugural victory only six other International actors have won in the Lead category, the most recent being nearly fifteen years ago. The 1930s was a good decade for the Europeans in particular, Paul Muni who picked up a total of five nominations (29, 32, 35, 36 and 37). Winning at the third attempt, Muni became the second International actor to win the gold. Despite being of Austro-Hungarian origin Muni won for his portrayal of French Microbiologist Louis Pasteur. Here’s some trivia for all you geeks out there; Both Muni and Al Pacino have played Tony in Scarface and both have been nominated for five Lead Actor Oscars but only emerged victorious on one occasion.

Like the thirties, there was only one International winner in the forties with Hungarian, Paul Lucas taking home the award in 1943 for Watch On the Rhine for which he also won the first ever Golden Globe.

Things picked up a little in the fifties with José Ferrer, better known to George Clooney as Uncle Jose, picking up the award in 1950. He went on to receive another nomination the following year before Yul Brynner famously won in 1956 for The King and I.

The Sixties brought only another three nominations although Maximilian Schell did win in 1961 for his performance in Judgement in Nuremberg.
Like his fellow sixties nominee Marcelo Mastroianni (nominated in 1962), Schell collected another nomination in the 1970s. In 1971 Chaim Topol was nominated for Fiddler on the Roof followed by Schell in ’75, Giancarlo Giannini in 76 (Seven Beauties) and Mastroianni again in ’77. Despite the nominations the decade was entirely dominated by Americans with legends like Hoffman, Nicholson and Brando all emerging victorious.

The Eighties continued to be barren for the Internationals only picking up another two nominations. In 1987 Mastroianni picked up a third nomination, in a third decade but was once again beaten by an American. (He was beaten by Gregory Peck, Richard Dreyfus and Michael Douglas respectively). The following year Legendary Sweed, Max Von Sydow picked up his only Oscar nomination but was pipped to the post by Dustin Hoffman’s second win in under ten years.

Things picked up slightly in the Nineties with three nominations. Unlike José Ferrer 34 years earlier Gérard Depardieu failed to take home the gong for the title role in Cyrano de Bergerac and it wasn’t until 1998 when the thirty seven year wait for another international winner ended. Writer/director/actor Roberto Benigni pulled off one of the biggest shocks in Oscar history when he defeated Academy favourite Tom Hanks, British Thesp Sir Ian McKellen and bright young thing Ed Norton to the statue for his heart grinding role in La Vita é Bella.

Since Benigni’s historic win, only Javier Bardem has picked up any nominations. Despite nominations in the lead category in both 2001 and 2010 Bardem has only tasted success in the Best Supporting category where he took home the gold for his terrifying role in No Country For Old Men. 

It’s undoubtedly going to be tough for Jean Dujardin to break this years ‘A-list’ strangle hold however, if come February, the Frenchman is in the mix it would bode well for his chances. To find himself amongst such esteemed company is achievement enough but should he be nominated would imply some weighty support amongst Academy voters. Though it would be thoroughly deserved should he win, it’ll still be a shock to rival Benigni’s thirteen years ago. Unfortunately, as nice as it would be to see another international victor, my money’s on Clooney.

Lincoln
Director: Steven Spielberg
Release Date: December
You know what they say, you wait ages for an independant movie about the effects of an encroaching planetary body and then two come along at once (Melancholia/Another Earth). It’s the same story in 2012, as four months after Vampire Hunter, The Great Emancipator gets another big screen outing. This time however, there’ll be fewer vampires and more award nominations I’d imagine. With Spielberg returning to live action it’s no wonder the film has attracted a cast to shit yourself over. If early set photos are anything to go by Daniel Day Lewis looks to be an uncanny fit for the lead and he’s backed up by an ensemble boasting Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon Levitt, John Hawkes, Sally Field and Walton Goggins. With a December release date you can bet your sweet ass that this will be on everyone’s ballot slips come the 2013 Academy Awards (to be hosted by Cat Deeley).

Expect – An intense theatre set climax.

The Cabin in the Woods
Director: Drew Goddard
Release Date: April
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the Cabin in the Woods is just another film about a cabin in some woods (I fell into that trap myself). However, the bat shit crazy trailer suggests that Joss Whedon is up to his old ‘subverting established genre conventions’ tricks again. With Whedon busy assembling The Avengers the reigns lie in the hands of writer turned director Drew Goddard.
Instead of the typical cast of teen-soap knife fodder, the pair have assembled a surprising cast boasting the likes of Chris Hemsworth, Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford. Despite having two lengthy delays (one as result of 3D conversion, one due to financial issues) the film is set for an April release and whilst it might possibly have benefited from a Halloween release 3D horror seems to pull people in so this may well live or die by its word of mouth.

Expect – The unexpected.

Gangster Squad
Director: Ruben Fliescher
Release Date: November
Zombieland, hit. 30 Seconds or Less, miss. If the cast of Gangster squad isn’t enough to guarantee Ruben Fleischer a return to form I don’t know what is. Man of the moment Ryan Gosling is reunited with co-star Emma Stone (as is Fleischer). They’re backed up by the likes of Josh Brolin, Sean Penn and Nick Nolte in a tail of the LAPD and the Mob. Although it’s pitched as a ‘Crime Drama’ don’t expect Public Enemies. Gosling has proven this year that his dramatic chops transfer more than adequately to the realm of comedy and in The Help Emma Stone proved she’s not just pretty eyes and pratfalls.

Expect – Cinema screens packed with swooning ladies

Cloud Atlas
Director: The Wachowski Brothers
Release Date: October
It’s been three years since Speed Racer stalled at the box office (see what I did there). In that time Andy and Lana, better known as the Wachowski Brothers, have been working their butts off to get an adaptation of British author David Mitchell’s (not that one) novel Cloud Atlas. Though the production is shrouded in mystery the book itself was part of Richard and Judy’s infamous book club so you’d be forgiven for thinking this an unlikely adaptation for the Wachowskis. However, when you consider that the novel consists of six segments, all of which jump around both temporally and geographically, you start to see what attracted them to the project. Luminaries Tom Hanks and Susan Sarandon lead a cast which also features none other than Agent Smith himself, Hugo Weaving. It’s hard to predict what audience this will be targeting but there’s no doubt that if nothing else, the film will be visually groundbreaking.

Expect – Two inferior sequels that nobody asks for.

To make the task arbitrarily easier I have also discounted those movies decorated by the Academy earlier on in the year. Using my dog eared collection of ticket stubs I whittled the list down to fifteen movies then to ten, then to three, then finally to one.  The ticket that remained read simply ‘Submarine’.

Released way back in March, Richard Ayoade’s directorial debut seamlessly transported La Nouvelle Vague to Swansea via Wes Anderson’s middle America. A refreshing ‘Indie’ jaunt in a Brit-flick market saturated by shanks, shivs and all round rich person porn, Ayoade’s picture is hipster almost to a fault. Making extensive use of colour filters and lengthy ‘Super 8’ instrumental inserts Submarine is the light to the shade of the equally impressive Tyrannosaur.

Whilst Ayoade deservedly reaped plaudits for his impressive transition behind the camera, the real value here comes from the characterisation. The wonderfully realised characters crafted in Joe Dunthorne’s original novel thankfully survive the transition to 1986, a land of top loaders and Polaroid cameras. In Oliver Tate (Craig Roberts) Submarine has a precocious leading man to rival anything Hollywood has spewed out in recent years. Tate is a pubescent philosopher, shackled to the Earth by the mundanity of teenage life. The flames of his self indulgent ponderings are fuelled by a burgeoning romance with bullying enthusiast Jordana (The excellent Yasmin Paige) and the arrival of new age, ninja guru Graham (Paddy Considine). More often than not, a ‘flagitious’ character who plots the assassination of his girlfriends dog my not translate well from page to screen however, Tate’s inter-textual narration harbours a redemptive quality which might otherwise have been lacking. The resultant product is a narrator of wit and whimsy, his internal struggle played out through external action.   

N.B. It’s at this point that I’ve reminded myself just how much I love this film and have had to get up and put on the special edition Blu-Ray (complete with art cards).

Ayoades decision to transport the narrative back to the eighties pays off with the national nostalgia for the time period held up by the personal nostalgia we all harbor, for those long forgotten first loves. The romance between Oliver and Jordana might be fleeting but in Oliver’s mind it’s as epic as any cinematic romance of old. For that reason alone Ayoade’s visual stylings are just as aplicable at a Swansea bus stop as they might be at the top of the Empire State Building.

If I’m honest, there wasn’t a lot to choose between this film and a couple of others, however, I wanted to write about Submarine for four reasons.

 1) It contains the line of the year; “Thanks for living up a fuckin’ hill”.

2) Paddy Considine sports a mullet like you’ve never seen.

3) Alex Turner’s soundtrack is both hip and heartfelt in equal measure.

4) More people need to watch this film.

And quite frankly we couldn’t be back for a better year. 2012 may not provide the culmination of all human history but if it did, and as long as the big movies of the year live up to expectation, it wouldn’t be a bad way to go. Prometheus, The Amazing Spider-man, The Hobbit, The Avengers, The Dark Knight and that’s just the multiplex nomming blockbusters.

Elsewhere we’ll have new Coens (Gambit), new Pixar (Brave), Cameron Crowe’s latest (We Bought A Zoo), hopefully some more Charlie Kaufman and a film based on an internet meme about a time-travelling nutjob. If that’s a success then it won’t be long before Missing Missy makes the bigscreen. To start the year you also get The Muppets. Which I’ve seen and can confirm is as heart-tuggingly lovely as a furry, felt aorta massage.

But right now, It’s all about one thing…Batman! Enjoy the latest trailer below. Just don’t think about the half a year you have to survive before you get to see the damn thing.

As the deeply irritating, helium voiced muppets, The Bee Gees sang “It’s only words, and words are all I have, to take your heart away.” Whilst the end result of The King’s Speech is that he managed to get the words over his tongue, ultimately if he was just dictating a recipe for a cracking Toad in the Hole the film wouldn’t be worth a damn. Those words helped scared British residents feel a little less so.

As celluloid speeches go, however, it’s not quite up there with these humdingers. And no, there is no Braveheart.

#5 Compulsion (1959)
A few words won’t do to make this list. It has to be a full on, minute clocking up, waterfall of words. Unsurprisingly then we’ll find a few of these in the courtroom, one of very few places that you’re allowed to gabb on without being drowned out by an orchestra, put off by a yawn or simply somebody telling you to SHUTTHEHELLUP. The first courtroom stirrer is from the little seen, but still very classic, Compulsion. Knowing that the charges he has to defend are completely unbeatable, after all the bastards did it, Clarence Darrow gives the best argument against capital punishment ever.

#4 LOTR: Return of the King (2003)
For those angry that Braveheart isn’t here, you can see from the below that it’s not a case of “oooh look at me I hate popular films”. Instead it’s simply a preference, Mel didn’t get me going as much as the figure of Aragorn riding in front of the remainders of the Fellowhip laying his heart on the line. The fact that Viggo is almost welling up as the words come out gets me every time. By the time ‘For Frodo’ comes out, a little later, I’m a blubbering mess. If only that was the true end of the film…

#3 Good Night and Good Luck (2005)

Don’t get me wrong there is some great stuff on the telebox. Stargazing, for instance, (Brain Cox and Dara O’Briain looking at stars? Fuckin A!), Newsnight, The Only Way is Essex, but goddamn if it wouldn’t be nice if every now and again we harked back to the days of 1950′s tele. Imagine Jon Snow lighting up and monologuing about the budget cuts. On second thoughts, maybe it’s best to leave it in the past.

#2 Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939)

Jimmy Stewart could have a million and one speeches in this list. His drunken tale of how he met Harvey in Harvey, calling Mr. Potter out in It’s A Wonderful Life, bringing law to the wild west in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Just chinwagging with himself carries half of Rear Window but, in what is a slightly topical inclusion, it’s the filibuster of Washington that makes the grade. After the appalling use of the political tactic to halt bills including ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and the recent ‘First Responders’ debate in America (thankfully both won), here’s Jimmy, showing how it should be done.

#1 To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)

Gregory Peck could have defended Nazis at Nuremburg and many would have been let off with a tap on the wrist. Maybe it’s his voice, maybe it’s the way he carries himself or maybe, just maybe it’s the way he logically puts forward his case. Logically and lyrically. The presentation of reason at a time when reason was scarce.

Anybody want to argue. See me below but I expect all arguments to last at least 10 minutes with a structure inherent within, a structure worthy of Anish Kapoor.

Following the first few critics’ associations pitching in with their end-of-year awards, today brings the first real signs of spring. The Golden Globe nominations were announced this morning and let me tell you, there were some truly shocking inclusions as well as some pleasantly surprising (but half-expected) ones. Sitting comfortably? The Thisfilmison Road To The Oscars begins now…

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

BLACK SWAN
THE FIGHTER
INCEPTION
THE KING’S SPEECH
THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Four out of these five were no-brainers. ‘The Social Network’ has been cleaning up at the critics’ awards so far so will be regarded as the front runner by a whisker, but only because ‘The King’s Speech’ is yet to receive it’s general release. Early reviewers have been nothing short of astounded with Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush’s performances being hailed as ‘magnificent’, so expect a heavily contested race come January.

At the same time, both ‘Inception’ and ‘Black Swan’ would be worthy winners, thus proving just how strong a year it has been for dramas on both major and independent fronts. My only concern is with the inclusion of David O. Russell’s highly anticipated ‘The Fighter’. No doubt, it will feature career performances from both Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale, but whether or not it should be there over ‘True Grit’ is surely debatable. From the look of things, The Coens have really pulled one out of the bag with their reimagining of the adventures of Rooster Cogburn. With a surplus of talent, an undoubtedly masterful screenplay and cinematography of epic proportions, how it was overlooked in favour of a Boston-based family drama is at this point questionable. I have every confidence in this film, don’t get me wrong, but Wahlberg (though I like him) is an extremely one dimensional actor who only really shines when he’s portraying a hometown hardass. Additionally, ‘The Fighter’ was penned by a combination of writers whose credits include ’8 Mile’, ‘The Mod Squad’ and (wait for it) ‘Air Bud’. Oh you know, that basketball playing golden retriever? How that beats out a Coen Brothers masterclass is beyond me but hey, I haven’t personally seen either of these films yet so who am I to judge?

WINNER: THE SOCIAL NETWORK
ALT: THE KING’S SPEECH
MY PICK: THE SOCIAL NETWORK

BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

ALICE IN WONDERLAND
BURLESQUE
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
RED
THE TOURIST

Where to start? The fact that ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘The Tourist’ have been nominated for anything is truly astounding. The only explanation I can find is that journalists just cannot get enough of Johnny Depp, but we’ll get to that later. Let’s be straight though, neither of these travesties have got even the most remote shot at picking up this particular prize. Neither does ‘Red’, charming as it was. Unfortunately, these nominations highlight just how scarce quality comedy is these days. Like the Drama category before it, this is a two horse race. ‘The Kids Are Alright’ and ‘Burlesque’ will be locking horns in January for sure.

WINNER: THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
ALT: BURLESQUE
MY PICK: THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE – DRAMA

JESSE EISENBERG – THE SOCIAL NETWORK
COLIN FIRTH – THE KING’S SPEECH
JAMES FRANCO – 127 HOURS
RYAN GOSLING – BLUE VALENTINE
MARK WAHLBERG – THE FIGHTER

Showtime! Could this race possibly be tighter than last years? In the end, Jeff Bridges had the whole academy behind him, but at this point in the year it was anyone’s statuette. I could literally see any one of these five astonishing performances walking away a winner. While I’d love for Ryan Gosling to be in with a shot, I think there has been a bit too much controversy and not enough buzz surrounding ‘Blue Valentine’ for him to be a serious contender. I think you can probably also count out Jesse Eisenberg who was predictably superb as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in ‘The Social Network’. Why disregard the leading man in the year’s best film spitting lines from the year’s best screenplay you ask? Well, it’s simple. Colin Firth (by some divine miracle) has somehow managed to top his performance in ‘A Single Man’ with the turn of his career in ‘The King’s Speech’. Despite the strength of all five nominated performances, if there is a front runner it’s Firth. By the time the Oscars roll around, we may see a late surge from James Franco who is always a threat or even (god forbid) Mark Wahlberg if the Academy deems him this year’s ‘Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side’. I’m fairly certain though that our Colin’s time has finally come.

WINNER: COLIN FIRTH – THE KING’S SPEECH
ALT: JAMES FRANCO – 127 HOURS
MY PICK: COLIN FIRTH – THE KING’S SPEECH

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS – DRAMA

HALLE BERRY – FRANKIE AND ALICE
NICOLE KIDMAN – RABBIT HOLE
JENNIFER LAWRENCE – WINTER’S BONE
NATALIE PORTMAN – BLACK SWAN
MICHELLE WILLIAMS – BLUE VALENTINE

Lovely to see Michelle Williams getting some recognition. She is a beautiful, elegant actress who deserves acclaim from all angles. I’m even going to go as far as suggesting that she may be a strong outsider in this category. The competition here isn’t quite as fierce as in the men’s, but there sure are some incredible performances.

Firstly, I think we can safely remove Halle Berry from the picture. She’s already an award winner for one, and from the early reviews of ‘Frankie and Alice’, it is a poor film that serves simply as a statue-vehicle for Berry. A great performance is no good if the film is guff, and you can take that to the bank. Similarly, I won’t discount Nicole Kidman just yet, but ‘Rabbit Hole’ may end up being just a little too depressing to win over voters.

Now that it’s narrowed to three, things start to get interesting. If we’re talking numbers then Natalie Portman is your odds on favourite, but she could easily be upset by Williams or (especially) Jennifer Lawrence. Sure, she is young and a total newcomer, but the buzz around ‘Winter’s Bone’ and more specifically Lawrence’s performance hasn’t subsided since it’s release in September. Don’t be surprised if this 19 year-old unknown ends up snatching away Portman’s proverbial golden carrot.

WINNER: NATALIE PORTMAN – BLACK SWAN
ALT: JENNIFER LAWRENCE – WINTER’S BONE
MY PICK: MICHELLE WILLIAMS – BLUE VALENTINE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

JOHNNY DEPP – ALICE IN WONDERLAND
JOHNNY DEPP – THE TOURIST
PAUL GIAMATTI – BARNEY’S VERSION
JAKE GYLLENHAAL – LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS
KEVIN SPACEY – CASINO JACK

This category is entirely absurd. Johnny Depp shouldn’t even be nominated once, let alone twice. The only person who should ever be nominated twice is Aunt Meryl because she’s special. So, for Johnny ‘Officially the Greatest Actor on the Planet’ Depp to swoop in, do a deuce and leave empty handed seems a little pointless and a waste of two prestigious slots. But then, that begs the question, who else would you nominate? Jim Broadbent in ‘Another Year’? Mark Ruffalo in ‘The Kids Are Alright’? ‘Fraid not. They would probably fall into supporting role territory. Maybe at a push the HFPA could have thrown Robert Downey Jr a bone for ‘Due Date’. Even that ridiculous scenario would mean ONE nomination for Depp.

Alas, we are stuck with three serious contenders. And do you want to know why? It’s because over the last 12 months or so there has been an unexplainable lack of decent comedies. What did this year offer? Due Date? Cop Out? Gulliver’s Travels? Little Fockers? Without a strong couple of Apatow offerings every year, the genre is bound to suffer (saying that, even the mighty Judd has fallen off the pace). It’s almost as if mainstream comedy peaked with ‘The Hangover’ and all of a sudden the funniest movies are entirely animated. Then before you know it, you’re filling leading actor categories with two substandard performances by the same person just to make the numbers up!

Back to the race, and it’s anyone’s game. At first I thought Giamatti would be a lock, but I think Gyllenhaal may just pip him to the post this time. Or maybe Kevin Spacey will make a surprise return to the podium? What do I know? All anyone cares about are the nominees for Drama anyway, as they will be the five nominated for the big O.

WINNER: PAUL GIAMATTI – BARNEY’S VERSION
ALT: JAKE GYLLENHAAL – LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS
MY PICK: JAKE GYLLENHAAL – LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

ANNETTE BENNING – THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
ANNE HATHAWAY – LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS
ANGELINA JOLIE – THE TOURIST
JULIANNE MOORE – THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
EMMA STONE – EASY A

This race is a tad more open (and interesting). Instantly, we can disregard Angelina Jolie. Not a hope in hell considering how atrocious a film ‘The Tourist’ turned out to be. Any of the other four could be taking home this prize though. I doubt it will be Anne Hathaway based purely on what I’ve seen of her in ‘Love and Other Drugs’ clips, but she is a media darling so don’t be shocked if her name gets called. A more likely scenario is a friendly battle between the stars of ‘The Kids Are Alright’ (who even shared a naughty scene) that is thwarted at the last minute by Emma Stone in a shock upset that earns her her first Oscar nomination. I like the sound of that.

WINNER: ANNETTE BENNING – THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
ALT: EMMA STONE – EASY A
MY PICK: ANNETTE BENNING – THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

CHRISTIAN BALE – THE FIGHTER
MICHAEL DOUGLAS – WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS
ANDREW GARFIELD – THE SOCIAL NETWORK
JEREMY RENNER – THE TOWN
GEOFFREY RUSH – THE KING’S SPEECH

This is more like it! Yet another scorching race in the supporting actor category that poses many, many questions. There is certainly no Christoph Waltz or Heath Ledger type shenanigans this year. Some may say it’s between Christian Bale and Geoffrey Rush, but I’m not so sure. Bale has been due some sort of critical recognition since ‘American Psycho’, and Geoffey Rush, well, it’s Geoffrey Rush. Personally though, I think both Andrew Garfield and Jeremy Renner will end up attracting a lot of votes which will make this category one to watch. Both were exceptional in their respective films, and Hollywood loves to acknowledge the men of the moment. The HFPA could end up holding Bale’s infamous rant against him, and likewise feel that Geoffrey Rush has already had his moment of glory. The chances of that happening are slim, but I wouldn’t put it past them. My money is on Bale, but my heart is with Garfield.

WINNER: CHRISTIAN BALE – THE FIGHTER
ALT: GEOFFREY RUSH – THE KING’S SPEECH
MY PICK: ANDREW GARFIELD – THE SOCIAL NETWORK

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

AMY ADAMS – THE FIGHTER
HELENA BONHAM CARTER – THE KING’S SPEECH
MILA KUNIS – BLACK SWAN
MELISSA LEO – THE FIGHTER
JACKI WEAVER – ANIMAL KINGDOM

Another interesting battle here with some first time nominees and overdue heavyweights thrown into the mix. ‘The Fighter’ has been a relative latecomer to awards season, so we will probably be seeing either Amy Adams or Melissa Leo wearing this particular crown. Adams has been entirely consistent for years now, and Leo could have won Oscars for ‘Frozen River’ and/or ’21 Grams’, so this prediction couples those facts with the insane amount of buzz their film has drummed up over the last month or so. Bonham Carter’s performance will end up being trumped by those of Firth and Rush, while Mila Kunis was always going to be playing second best to the majestic Natalie Portman. That just leaves Jacki Weaver who will pose the only real threat as an ‘out of nowhere’ dark horse whose film ‘Animal Kingdom’ was a Sundance favourite earlier this year.

WINNER: MELISSA LEO – THE FIGHTER
ALT: AMY ADAMS – THE FIGHTER
MY PICK: AMY ADAMS – THE FIGHTER

BEST DIRECTOR

DARREN ARONOFSKY – BLACK SWAN
DAVID FINCHER – THE SOCIAL NETWORK
TOM HOOPER – THE KING’S SPEECH
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN – INCEPTION
DAVID O. RUSSELL – THE FIGHTER

The award for direction has always been my favourite alongside the screenplay gongs. It always tends to be the most competitive, year after year. This year is no exception. The likelihood is that David Fincher will finally scoop some gold this year as his efforts with ‘The Social Network’ were nothing short of flawless. Either that or he’ll be overlooked again but for good reason. The good reason that Christopher Nolan deserves to win this award. Not necessarily because ‘Inception’ was a better film than ‘The Social Network’, but because the direction simply had more scope. Overall, it was even more impressive that Fincher’s dialogue laden masterclass. Having had the chance to see how Nolan created the ‘world of the dream’, I can only side with Nolan throughout awards season. The man is a total visionary. After missing out on even being nominated for ‘The Dark Knight’, he took a few years off from his glorious Batman franchise and created an entirely original film the likes of which may never be seen again, and that needs to be recognised.

That’s not to say though that the leading pair won’t face a hefty challenge from their competitors. Tom Hooper gets better with every film he makes, and with the reviews ‘The King’s Speech’ has been getting he could end up surprising us all. The same could be said for Darren Aronofsky who is the original arthouse heavyweight. However, his trademark bleakness may just about write him off. As for Russell, what can I say? I like the guy’s films through and through, but even with the buzz of the moment on his side I don’t think he or his film will be strong enough to overthrow Fincher or Nolan. In fact, I will go as far as saying I don’t feel like he should have been nominated. Really, the fifth slot probably should have gone to Danny Boyle for ’127 Hours’.

WINNER: DAVID FINCHER – THE SOCIAL NETWORK
ALT: CHRISTOPHER NOLAN – INCEPTION
MY PICK: CHRISTOPHER NOLAN – INCEPTION

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE

127 HOURS – DANNY BOYLE, SIMON BEAUFOY
INCEPTION – CHRISTOPHER NOLAN
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT – STUART BLUMBERG, LISA CHOLODENKO
THE KING’S SPEECH – DAVID SEIDLER
THE SOCIAL NETWORK – AARON SORKIN

What makes the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay so intriguing is the fact that there are only five nominees to cover the dramatic, the comedic or musical, the adapted and the original. What that definitely means is that whoever wins this category will win an Oscar in the spring. Aaron Sorkin is a complete lock in my opinion, for the adapted screenplay Oscar anyway. In retrospect, we all thought the same about Jason Reitman and ‘Up In The Air’ last year and look what happened. Whether or not he will beat Christopher Nolan on this occasion though is hard to call simply because the two screenplays don’t really belong in the same category. Elsewhere, Sorkin is sweeping the adapted awards while Nolan is picking them up left, right and centre in the original bracket. It’s only the Globes that slams them all together making this category the most tightly contested race of the whole ceremony.

WINNER: AARON SORKIN – THE SOCIAL NETWORK
ALT: CHRISTOPHER NOLAN – INCEPTION
MY PICK: AARON SORKIN – THE SOCIAL NETWORK

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE

Nothing to report.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE

127 HOURS – A.R. RAHMAN
ALICE IN WONDERLAND – DANNY ELFMAN
INCEPTION – HANS ZIMMER
THE KING’S SPEECH – ALEXANDRE DESPLAT
THE SOCIAL NETWORK – TRENT REZNOR, ATTICUS ROSS

Another hotly contested showdown between ‘Inception’ and ‘The Social Network’ here. I am in love with both of these scores and honestly cannot choose between the two. Hans Zimmer created a true character in the form of music when he wrote the ‘Inception’ score. It defines intensity, hope and imagination for all 148 minutes of the film and leaves you feeling breathless afterwards. His use of volume is what’s most striking, varying it throughout whilst maintaining intensity levels even in the smallest of moments. It was also refreshing to hear Zimmer coupling his traditional style with electronic sampling as well as the guitar tones of The Smiths’ Johnny Marr. It gave the score individuality the likes of which have never been experienced by Zimmer making this particular piece of work his best and most likely to scoop awards for the legendary veteran.

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, you have Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ new age score for ‘The Social Network’. Like with ‘Inception’, I bought the score as soon as I had heard it in full for the first time simply because it is so listenable. If you haven’t heard it, it is like no score you have ever heard before. Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails influence is more than evident, and he sounds more darkly cinematic than ever. In places, the sound is deeply raw and organic. In the blink of an eye though, you can be thrust into the heaviest end of electronic madness and industrial psychosis. Forget that it’s intellectually brilliant, it works! Like a rug and a room, it really ties the movie together. Using powerful crescendos and diminuendos (in almost the exact same way that Zimmer did), the score surges the film forward from the opening scene creating an edge of your seat vibe that you wouldn’t normally think possible for what is essentially a courtroom thriller. Breathtaking, really.

I wish I was able to pick one, but I honestly can’t. Two (well, three) men enter, one man leaves. Either one is fine by me.

WINNER: HANS ZIMMER – INCEPTION
ALT: TRENT REZNOR, ATTICUS ROSS – THE SOCIAL NETWORK
MY PICK: either or

BEST ANIMATED FILM

DESPICABLE ME
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
THE ILLUSIONIST
TANGLED
TOY STORY 3

If there was ever a solid bet, this is it. And that goes for Oscar night too. ‘Toy Story 3′ was the best reviewed film of 2010. It really is that simple. The competition is classy, but no one will come close. Pixar rule once again. It’s almost a shame considering that any other year, you would be looking at a tight fight between ‘Despicable Me’, ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ and ‘The Illusionist’. All three are absolutely fantastic films, they just chose the wrong year to release.

WINNER: TOY STORY 3
ALT: n/a
MY PICK: TOY STORY 3

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

BIUTIFUL – MEXICO/SPAIN
THE CONCERT – FRANCE
THE EDGE – RUSSIA
I AM LOVE – ITALY
IN A BETTER WORLD – DENMARK

Finally, a lovely little category that I have been becoming more and more intrigued by over the last few years. It’s great to see foreign language films at the forefront of film making and not cast aside because of the language barrier. It’s true that subtitles put a lot of people off, but if they don’t bother you then you will find the world’s finest storytelling in foreign cinema. This year may not be as strong as 2009, but there are certainly a couple of gems here. ‘Biutiful’ has to be the favourite though. It was received well at Cannes with Javier Bardem collecting the award for best actor, and with the director of ‘Amores Perros’, ’21 Grams’ and ‘Babel’ at the helm, it’s going to be hard to beat. ‘I Am Love’ is attracting a lot of late attention if only for an astounding lead performance from Tilda Swinton, so we may end up with a sort of ‘Une Prophete’/'The White Ribbon’ situation on our hands. Realistically though, ‘Biutiful’ has been top trumps since it’s Cannes premiere so I would fully expect it to walk away a winner both at the Globes and at the Academy Awards.

WINNER: BIUTIFUL
ALT: I AM LOVE
MY PICK: BIUTIFUL

In closing, 2009 was always going to be a hard year to top, but a few powerhouse directors and even more legendary performances have just about managed it. With no ‘Avatar’ to moan about, it’s a far more positive and open race all around. We can expect to see some shocks and surprises as well as some dues being paid. Names will be made for themselves and unjustices will be had. But hey, that’s awards season for you.