When people ask me what makes for a really great performance (and someone did, once) I direct them to two performances. De Niro in Raging Bull and Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood. If you watch those performances you’ll notice something. The performance isn’t about their facial expressions or the words being spoken or even how they’re spoken. It’s the physicality of the performance that sells it. Only time will tell whether this performance has the longevity of those iconic roles but he certainly inhabits Matt King right down to his posture, gate and awkward moccasined run. Furthermore, bare in mind that this is coming from someone who still refers to him as ‘Doug Ross’ in day to day conversation.

If ‘acting is reacting’ then honourable mentions must go out to Clooney’s younger co-stars. Shailene Woodley (Alex) is arguably the best known of the three and she can count herself a little unlucky to have come of age in a highly competitive year for the Best Supporting Actress category. As you expect, the troubled teenage daughter has the broadest range of performance but certainly matches Clooney in a number of difficult scenes. The younger sibling is played by debutant Amara Miller who, after revelling in the role of a potty-mouthed pre-teen also plumbs emotional depths beyond her age towards the films emotional pinnacle. As you might expect there’s a few other familiar faces along the way. Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, and Beau Bridges are all good whilst Robert Forster does enough in two scenes to remind you why he too is an Oscar nominee.

The film itself is expertly paced and although I usually find the excessive use of voice over annoying, it works in relation to the subject matter. Though I couldn’t shake the feeling that the voice over in Up in the Air made the film feel like some kind of dysfunctional self-destruct video, here Clooney’s impassioned inner monologue plays out like the desperate pleas of a husband to his dying wife. It ads an emotional level often lacking from films where the audience is addressed directly and as a result immerses you into the story rather than forming a barrier.

Of course, wherever there is tragedy, there’s scope for excellent comedy and Payne, together with his duo of comedy actors/writers, Jim Rash and Nat Faxon don’t miss a beat. If I cried three times (which of course, I totally didn’t), I belly laughed more. The strength of such an emotionally charged story is that the delivery of comedy is simultaneously funnier and more poignant. For that reason I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that the film could well walk away with Best Film and Best Adapted Screenplay next month. The film is released today and if you feel like your soul could use a bit of a jump start this year, I strongly recommend you take in this picture.

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

So who are the five nominees for 2012?

Chris O’Dowd had a successful 2011 thanks to his role as adorable Officer Nathan Rhodes in the monster hit Bridesmaids. O’Dowd was previously best known for the sitcom The IT Crowd , and for his part in The Boat That Rocked. 2012 looks set to be a big year for the funny man as he will feature in This is 40, the somewhat sequel to Knocked Up as well as another comedy, Friends With Kids. Friends With Kids earned rave reviews at the Toronto Film Festival, and reunites several of the Bridesmaids cast. He ended 2011 with some more good news as he sold a comedy pilot script about a male weight-loss group to US network NBC.

Switching gears, we have Chris Hemsworth who made his name in Thor playing the titular character. Hemsworth showed that he could both play the superhero with his rather impressive physique, and that he could inject some humanity into the part by way of humour. The five minutes that he appears on screen at the start of the most recent Star Trek instalment showed that Hemsworth was one to keep an eye on and Thor proved this. He will be reprising this role in this year’s Avengers as well as playing the hero opposite former Orange Rising Star Award winner Kristen Stewart in Snow White and the Huntsmen.

Tom Hiddleston (who also starred in Thor and will feature in The Avengers ) is another nominee, and he plays Thor’s brother and villain Loki in both films. Not only has Hiddleston had success with this franchise but he is also starred in Midnight in Paris which is getting awards love, and Steven Spielberg’s War Horse which is out this Friday (see him with the bearded one above). Hiddleston will be taking on Shakespeare later this year as he will be playing Hal in Henry IV parts I and II which will air on the BBC as part of the big Shakespeare celebration season.

Adam Deacon is an actor/rapper/writer who has appeared in both Kidulthood and Adulthood. He used this experience towards his writing/directing debut in a lighter, more comedic take on these types of films in Anuvahood. Deacon will star in two more British films this year; in the horror film Countdown and the comedy Outside Bet.

Finally we have Eddie Redmayne who played the ‘my’ in My Week With Marilyn, and whilst it is his co-stars Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh that are getting most of the critical acclaim, Redmayne deserves his place on this list for his performance in this personal tale about one of the biggest movie stars that has ever graced cinema screens. Redmayne will be hitting the small screen with the BBC adaptation of Sebastian Faulks’ Birdsong at the end of the month, and if the promo is anything to go by it will be heartbreakingly brilliant. He has also snagged a part in Tom Hooper’s big screen adaptation of the musical smash Les Misérables alongside Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway.

These five nominees were chosen from an original list of 8 and they have one thing in common; they’re all men. Yep, that’s right. The three female nominees who featured on the longlist are the ones that have not made the cut.  The three actresses; Jennifer Lawrence, Jessica Chastain and Felicity Jones all had a strong body of work this year with Chastain receiving nominations and acclaim for her roles in The Tree of Life, The Help and Take Shelter. Jennifer Lawrence was Oscar nominated last year for Winter’s Bone , and is set to have a huge 2012 playing the lead in the much anticipated book to film adaptation of The Hunger Games. Felicity Jones also has nothing to worry about as she has garnered critical acclaim for her turn in Like Crazy (out January 27), and last night won Best Breakthrough Performance for this film at the National Board of Review Awards (tying with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’s Rooney Mara).

To vote for your Orange Rising Star head here and let us know who you think should win in the comments below.

The BAFTA awards will take place in London on Sunday, February 12.

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.

In this humble writer with a big dicks opinion The King’s Speech was an undeserved victor. The film, while joyous and more than an accomplished piece of film-making, did not exemplify the best of what this little blue planet as to offer. It was ‘the film of the moment’ not ‘a film for the ages’. In my mind that honour goes to The Social Network.

So what is meant by ‘a film of the moment’. A late in the year release, a clean campaign (for Mr. Weinstein anyway) bolstered by that Yank baiting trick of ‘pleasant British folk’ and nary of whiff of controversy (save Christopher Hitchens arguing it’s historically inaccurate) all came together to make The King’s Speech the safe choice. Safe, but inaccurate. Like previous undeserved winners Shakespeare in Love, A Beautiful Mind and the execrable Crash, The King’s Speech timed it’s timid victory to perfection.

The King’s Speech for all its many positives, doesn’t have anything more to offer other than a by-the-numbers ‘triumph over adversity’ flick. The Best Picture (whether or not such a thing can even really exist is open to massive debate) should be a film that stands the test of time. Barely 12 hours after the ceremony it may seem an extraordinary claim to make but, for me, The Social Network has that honour nailed down flat.

When it was first announced that David ‘Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac‘ Fincher was making a movie about Facebook with a role for Justin Timberlake, cineastes checked their calendars to make sure it wasn’t the first of April. A lack of faith that would prove, if not disturbing, at least unnecessary. Just as Fight Club wasn’t a film about people punching each other, The Social Network was never going to be a film about our ability to poke.

Instead it was a film about ambition, about arrogance, about friendship and rivalry. It was about privilege and popularity, elitism and alienation. It threw a mirror onto an entire generation and asked what you thought, offering but not hiding behind it’s own opinion.

There is a theory, created by screenwriter William Goldman, that no actor should ever get an award for playing tricksy, OTT performances. A theory that says playing up is easy, playing down is hard. Let’s call it the ‘No addicts, no disabilities’ club. Of course Oscar would screw up it’s invite to that get together in a second and so again we have a Best Actor in Colin Firth playing (albeit very well) a sympathetic role many others could inhabit leading to the same conclusion, “Good old Bertie, glad he got over that stammer”…

Alternatively Jesse Eisenberg gives a complex performance of a complex character that challenges each and every viewer to put up their own interpretation of who he is. That a real Mark Zuckerberg walks the earth with similar qualities to this creation should not lead you to believe for even one moment that Eisenberg is playing a real life person. His Zuckerberg is a ‘role’ written by Aaron Sorkin, made alive by Jesse’s own ability to infuse him with mannerisms and emotions that support the film.

So onto perhaps the biggest disappointment of the night; Best Direction. If the main role of the director is to turn the screenplay you see in your mind’s eye into a fully breathing realised end result then it’s not only a mistake to not honour Fincher but a breach of what the award claims to be. As meticulous as Fincher is as a director (behind the scenes glimpses of him at work include instructions such as “move the Coke can two inches to the left”), he’s meticulous for a reason. He believes there is a correct shot and won’t stop until he gets it. Frankly Tom Hooper, winner for The King’s Speech seems to damn nice to ask for perfection.

Ultimately Fincher will lose little sleep over this award’s ‘loss’. The world will still turn. A quick glimpse at the Oscar stats of Hitchcock and Kubrick indicate this is not the be all and end all in movie acclaim. Like Scorsese, Fincher’s time will come and he’ll likely be honoured for inferior work. Who knows, a foreign language remake worked for Marty. Fincher’s next; The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

The majority of film fans know in their heart of hearts The Oscars is just a bit of fun, a well put together promo campaign to show off what Hollywood can do, like a child jumping into a pool calling to it’s parents ‘Look at me! Look at me!’. But, as much as we try to claim it isn’t, it is still film history.

Se7en’s John Doe gave us the perfect summation for the best works. Something that will be “be puzzled over and studied and followed… forever”. The library card owning, Yoda wannabe had a point. A place in history, where we can reflect upon its greatness is what truly counts. The Social Network will be there, ‘Best Picture’ or not.

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We Can Love Ourselves.
Winston Churchill once said, “The British nation is unique in this respect. They are the only people who like to be told how bad things are, who like to be told the worst, and like to be told that they are very likely to get much worse in the future.” Not many Brits would argue with the man, least of all because we don’t argue we discuss, but mainly because one of our defining characteristics as a nation is that we romanticise failure to the point of absurdity. So how nice it was to see us pat ourselves on the back at last night’s ceremony by giving every other award to the very British The King’s Speech. Three for acting, two for Best Film and a few more for technical achievements, if we could have nominated it for animation it probably would have won that too.

Common Sense and Logic Aren’t Always Good Things.
By having one of your 5 Best Film nominations be British it also means your Best British Film should be a shoe-in for at the very least the latter category. This year it was. The King’s Speech took the top prize of Best Film so therefore it had to, and did, win the “smaller, less showy” gong of Best Brit Picture. Not so in previous years where the “smaller, less showy films” emerged victorious as, one would assume, better depictions of Britishness. Say what you want about The King’s Speech and it’s excellence, and it is excellent, wouldn’t it have been nice to show a bit more love to Four Lions, Made in Dagenham and Another Year?

Everyone Loves King Colin
If there was one bet your house, dead cert, lock-in last night it was Colin Firth for his portrayal of the stunningly winsome, stuttering King Bertie. A deaf, dumb, blind eskimo who’d never heard of the cinematographe could have told you Mr. Firth was walking home with a statue last night. While the Toy Story 3 prize for Toy Story 3 went to Toy Story 3 (oft repeated Twitter joke) to stifled yawns of expectation, Colin received rapturous applause by all in attendance. The reason. He’s damn loveable, marvellous at what he does and he gives great speech. Expect at least 57 of the morning papers to read ‘Long Live The King’.

BAFTA Cameramen Have a Weird Sense of Humour/Timing.
Away from The King’s Speech the other certainty was Natalie Portman for Black Swan. Unable to attend due to her impending babydom (I’m still getting over this news) her director Darren Aronofsky accepted on her behalf and proceeded to crack jokes about her pregnancy. This led presenter Jonathan Ross to add more gags about ‘getting knocked up’ before the TV crew decided the world at home needed to see 14 year old actress Hailee Steinfeld’s reaction to these witticisms. Odd.

Actors Need Lines.
On Saturday I, quite elegantly, fucked over down my front steps, on the way to see Norwich play Reading, and dislocated my shoulder. True Story. I spent a few hours in A&E in absolute agony before they popped the little bugger back in. Still the pain probably wasn’t as bad as poor Rosamund Pike’s introduction to, of all things, Best Original Screenplay. As the Autocue bollocksed up the lovely actress was left with nothing but an expression of complete panic and an uncaring Dominic Cooper at her side. She fumbled and scrapped through it like a trooper but, ouch that must have hurt. (By the way I am typing this shit one handed with my arm in a sling. I hope you appreciate it. Oh and the people at our fine NHS are wonderful and deserve as much adulation as any of these film stars. They’re just not as pretty.)

Christopher Lee is a bona fide Legend.
At the tender age of 88, Sir Christopher Lee took to the stage, walking stick in hand, and gracefully accepted the Lifetime Achievement award. Thankful that he didn’t “receive the award posthumously” Sir Lee was anything but (surly), gratitude pouring out of his very soul. If you missed it all you really need do is check out the man’s filmography and if you feel so inclined stand at your computer and applaud. He deserves it. Oh and you could give him a nice little wave like Stephen Fry did.

The Social Network Will Win The Best Picture Oscar.
Legendary screenwriter Bill Goldman (Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, among many others) famously opined of Hollywood, “Nobody Knows Anything”. He was, and is, very right about this. I do not know that The Social Network will win the Oscar in a fortnights time but if the BAFTA’s told us anything it’s that when it comes to film awards, patriotism abides. Just as The King’s Speech told us of our failures and successes as a nation so does The Social Network speak to America. As one clever wag put it on twitter the other day; “It’s the Great G@sby”. I suppose we’ll just have to w8 and c.

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As it’s been a while since I’ve geeked out in public and written something entirely speculative and unfounded I thought I’d indulge myself by attempting to answer the question; can the new Spider-man be better than the last?

For want of a better place to start let’s begin by looking at the man behind the curtain, the director.

Marc Webb vs Sam Raimi
Regardless of how you feel about the existing Spider-man trilogy you would have been hard pressed to find a director better suited than Sam Raimi to finally bring the web slinger to the big screen. A lifelong ‘Spidey’ fan, Raimi succeeded where many, including Jim Cameron had failed. Though Sony were tentative about the appointment, Raimi’s back catalogue of pop-schlock pictures like Evil Dead and Darkman, coupled with his handling of the star laden ensemble pick The Gift proved enough to win him the gig. Sony’s faith was repaid by a billion dollar trilogy but unfortunately the mutually beneficial relationship didn’t last as Raimi came to blows with the studio in the early stages of Spider-man 4. Word on the (inter)web was that Raimi’s own fandom, a trait which initially earned him the gig, may have become a thorn in Sony’s side. Rumour has it that the biggest sticking point in the development of the fourth instalment was that of which character would throw down against the wall crawler. Raimi had been lobbying for ‘The Vulture’ since the second film however, Sony were unmoved by the thought of a bald old man with big green wings.
Instead the studio were more interested in pitting Peter Parker against the more extravagant (read more CGI) foe ‘The Lizard’. Whilst it’s understandable that Raimi would want to steer clear of another potential computer generated travesty, Dr Curt Connors had featured in the previous two films so his evolution into full blown nemesis would probably have felt more organic. With time passing and Tobey Maguire not getting any younger Sony’s eventual solution was to cut Raimi loose and order a complete reboot of the franchise.
In Marc Webb, Sony has appointed a director who has openly admitted that he is relatively new to the world of Spider-man.

It’s hard to say whether this is a deliberate reaction by the studio to Raimi’s more personal involvement with the source material. Either way it would appear that the execs have finally got their way with ‘The Lizard’ being all but confirmed as the villain of the piece. Whilst Webb’s connection to the source material may well be in its infancy he will be ably assisted by franchise vet, producer Laura Ziskin. And, let us not forget, Bryan Singer had never even picked up a comic when he signed on to bring X-men to the big screen. All this leads me to the conclusion that despite Raimi’s fan-boy knowledge, Webb’s objectivity may allow him to create a movie which appeals to an even broader audience.

Andrew Garfield vs Tobey Maguire
Tobey Maguire’s portrayal of radioactive super-nerd Peter Parker was, in my opinion, the franchises greatest strength. Maguire had been making a name for himself in acclaimed dramas like The Ice Storm, Wonderboys and The Cider House Rules so to be cast in an adaptation of a comic book seemed, at the time to be an unusual career move. Of course, these days, ‘serious’ actors are falling over themselves to don the spandex. Despite being twenty seven years old when the first movie was released Maguire had no trouble convincing audiences of he was a socially inept teen. Although some found the quaint ‘comic book’ humour of the films jarring in comparison to the more serious, cerebral adaptations (Hulk, Batman Begins), Maguire showed a comedic flair which he pitched perfectly for the role.
Despite his youthful complexion, and Sony’s suggestion that the new franchise would focus on a younger Parker, Andrew Garfield will in fact be a year older than Maguire when the film is released in 2012. Like his predecessor Garfield has also been on the receiving end of rave reviews for his dramatic roles in the likes of Boy A, The Social Network and the forth coming Never Let Me Go. However, the lack of any real comedic roles, coupled with the sombre looking photo seen above may be a clue into the tone of Webb’s vision. Garfield’s gift for the gritty will stand him in good stead should this new trilogy take a turn for the dark but there is no question he has big red and blue shoes to fill. Maguire may prove to have a more astute sense of comic timing but until there’s every possibility Garfield won’t need it.

Emma Stone vs Kirsten Dunst

This category is slightly skewed in the sense that the respective love interests are actually filled by two different characters. Dunst appeared opposite Maguire as quintessential girl next door Mary Jane Watson where as flavour of the month, Emma Stone is cast in the role of Gwen Stacey, a character who cropped up in the third film looking a lot like Bryce Dallas Howard. For me, Kirsten Dunst was the original trilogies weak link; hampered by Raimi’s inability to effectively execute female characters. Stone on the other hand has proven herself to be a popular combination of hubris and humour. Ever expanding roles in the likes of Superbad, Zombieland and Easy A may mean that Gwen Stacey may prove to be a change of tack and hair colour for Stone;

Webb’s work on (500) Days of Summer proves that he may have more insight than Raimi into the female of the species and those of you familiar with Stacey’s comic book arc will no doubt acknowledge that she is a far more interesting prospect than the rather two dimensional girl next door. So whilst it could be said that Emma Stone is in a much more promising position than Dunst ever was her recent performances would suggest that she certainly has the wit and panache to go toe to toe with Garfield’s Parker given the chance. Unlike Dunst, Stone appears perfectly cast for what seems, on paper at least, to be a much better role.

Rhys Ifans vs Willem Defoe

Another advantage that Webb has over Sam Raimi is that the honchos at Sony are almost certainly plotting this as a trilogy. Raimi on the other hand was forced to show his hand early, pitting Spidey against his arch nemesis, The Green Goblin in the first movie. With no casting announcements regarding either a ‘Norman’ or a ‘Harry Osborne’ Potentially, Webb can work towards an epic showdown and avoid peaking too soon. With Rhys Ifans cast as Dr Curt Connors the strong rumour is that Spidey will throw down with one of his more bestial foes ‘The Lizard’.

I know what you’re thinking; doesn’t this mean that Webb has simply bowed to studio pressure, relinquishing the creative control that Sam Raimi fought so hard to keep? Maybe, but then again maybe not. The Lizard would appear to be a logical first villain. As well as their alliterative names, Peter Parker and Curt Connors have lots in common, something which will allow Webb to play with the emotions and from the looks of the first official photo it’s not just Parker’s heart strings, The Lizard will be tugging on. The sheer animal brutality of The Lizard would be ideally suited to a darker, more violent outing and the Jekyll/Hyde nature of Curt Connor’s affliction means there’ll be no need for the troublesome costuming which hindered the first movie and Willem Dafoe’s otherwise decent performance.  

All this leads me to the unavoidable conclusion that there’s a strong possibility the new, as yet untitled, Spider-man reboot has the potential to be even better than the first run of movies. Garfield has his work cut out erasing the memory of Tobey Maguire’s Parker but I can think of no one better suited to the challenge. All these things, coupled with ten years of CGI development stand Marc Webb on the brink of a monster hit providing he can pitch the movie’s tone just right.

The following list is the result of much debate, childish mudslinging & sanctimonious know-it-all rhetoric but thankfully we came to a hard fought compromise via a mutual loathing of Michael Bay.

5. X-Men First Class – ETA June 2011

If, like me, you found yourself watching the X-Men movies, completely unable to suspend your disbelief, constantly asking yourself ‘How?’ and ‘Why?’…those thoughtful people at Marvel Studios have only gone and made a series of ‘Origin’ films which aim to answer those niggling little questions. For example… Why exactly did Hugh Jackman have metal claws and inexplicably long sideburns? and ‘How does having a giant globe-spanning mind reading machine in the basement affect your carbon footprint?’ Not forgetting, of course ”Why were Patrick Stewart and Ian Mckellen always fighting but actually seemed to like each other, you know… deep down?’ It turns out they were once really good mates, but then something happened! Curious? You’d better be! Matthew Vaughn & Jane Goldman, the team behind Kick-Ass and Stardust are currently working on the 1960’s set story that will chart the early days of the X-Men, in particular the seeds of conflict that grow between James Mcavoy’s Professor X and Michael Fassbender’s Magneto. Hey, chances are it can’t be any worse than Wolverine…

4. Sucker Punch – ETA April 2011

No… It has absolutely nothing to do with the five ridiculously beautiful scantily clad women beating up, you name it… Nazis ,samurai, robots…dragons!?. At first glance, its surfing a very fine line between engaging fantasy-drama and all out exploitation flick, so much of the same from the director of Watchmen & 300, Zack Snyder. It was an easy sell, but I’m definitely in.

3. Hanna – ETA April 2011

The good old fashioned morally conflicted protagonist a la, Bourne, Batman & Bond is very much still in fashion and none more so than in the 14 year old schoolgirl that can well…make disposing of a gang of shady government types look about as difficult as eating a Cadburys crème egg whole. Frock-botherer Joe Wright tries his hand at the character driven action flick and from the early evidence…good cast, blink and you’ll miss it kinetic action mixed with Wright’s striking, elegant visual style & a playfully menacing score by the Chemical Brothers. The signs definitely point to something quite promising.

2. We Need To Talk About Kevin – ETA September 2011

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the name Lynne Ramsay or her work you can be forgiven, it has been all of nine years since her last feature Morvern Callar. Winner of numerous a Cannes Jury prize and recipient of the ‘Most Promising Newcomer’ BAFTA award for her debut feature Ratcatcher, Ramsay’s depictions of working class life drew obvious comparisons with the established masters of British social realism but her elegiac visual poetry probably shares more in common with Terence Malick than Mike Leigh or Alan Clarke, although all are counted as influences. The story focuses on the aftermath of a Columbine-esque massacre with the mother of the young killer attempting to deal with the tragedy by reconnecting with the boy’s estranged father. An impressive line-up of talent behind the camera, with Tilda Swinton & John C Reilly leading in front…You will be hearing a lot more about this film in 2011.

1.5. Super 8 – ETA August 2011

The trailer is frustratingly light on plot details, but that’s just the way we like it, yeah? Definitely the most intriguing film of the summer, Abrams & Spielberg teaming up for a good old fashioned extra terrestrial adventure , which JJ claims will pay homage to the vintage Spielberg blockbusters of the 70s/80s. Are we talking Raiders, Close Encounters…E.T? Something tells me it’s probably not going to be the latter… See for yourself!

1. The Muppets – ETA Christmas 2011

Yes, they’re back and putting on a show to save their theatre from closure by those no good suits. Forgetting Sarah Marshall/Get Him to the Greek duo Jason Segel & Nicholas Stoller are behind it all and if that’s not enough reason to at least be curious, you’ve got cameos from just about everyone from Ricky Gervais and Jack Black to Billy Crystal, Jean Claude Van-Damme and… Lady GaGa!? If this isn’t on your must see list this year, seriously what’s wrong with you?!

What say you dear reader? Is 2011 shaping up to be a belter? How about Pirates 4, Cars 2, or something good like Submarine?

Born in Lancashire in 1946 to Roman-Catholic parents, Postlethwaite trained as a teacher before briefly teaching drama in Manchester. He proceeded to train as an actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

Fast-forward 40 years and we are able to stand back and admire a true veteran of stage, film and television. A legend in the Royal Shakespeare Company, Academy Award nominee, BAFTA nominee, and all-around interesting character, Postlethwaite’s extensive career was vast enough to leave a lasting impression on just about everyone he worked with. In his final active year, we were lucky enough to experience his on-screen intensity in two of the year’s best films, Christopher Nolan’s ‘Inception’ and Ben Affleck’s ‘The Town’, respectively. Lest we forget just what a massive part of cinema Postlethwaite has been over the last 20 years.

Alien 3
The Last of the Mohicans
In The Name of the Father (his only Oscar nomination)
The Usual Suspects
Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet
Brassed Off
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Amistad
The Shipping News
The Constant Gardener
Aeon Flux
The Omen (remake)
Solomon Kane
Inception
The Town

Not many actors will ever boast a filmography that conquers so many genres and styles with such swagger and grit. And that’s not even touching on his his televisual credits. On top of his Oscar nomination, Postlethwaite was a 3-time BAFTA nominee for his work on ‘Martin Chuzzlewit’, ‘Lost for Words’ and ‘The Sins’.

Between all of these successes, he was also one of Britain’s most respected thespians having undertaken roles in countless productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company (most memorably perhaps as the title role in ‘Macbeth’ in 1997) and a well respected politcal activist who marched against the war in Iraq as well as openly supporting the Make Poverty History campaign. He was awarded an OBE in 2004 for his services to drama.

We have lost a true heavyweight in these early days of 2011, and in closing I would like to leave you with a few words from the man himself.

“At the end of the day, acting is all about telling lies. We are professional imposters and the audience accept that. We’ve made this deal that we tell you a tale and a pack of lies, but there will be a truth in it. You may enjoy it, or it will disturb you.”

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.