21st Jan2023

BAFTA Nominations 2023 (Film)

by timbaros

aftersun-2022-paul-mescal-seaThe German war film All Quiet on the Western Front has emerged as the frontrunner after the announcement of this year’s BAFTA nominations. Its tally of 14 nominations is the most for any film since The King’s Speech in 2011.

The Banshees of Inisherin and Everything Everywhere All at Once both have 10 nominations, with Elvis on nine and Tár on five.

Charlotte Wells’ directorial debut Aftersun, which was backed by the BFI Film Fund awarding National Lottery money, has picked up four nominations, including for outstanding British film, Wells for outstanding debut and Paul Mescal for best actor. Other films with four nominations are The Batman, Top Gun: Maverick, The Whale and Good Luck to You, Leo Grande.

Best film

All Quiet on the Western Front – Malte Grunert
The Banshees of Inisherin – Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Martin McDonagh
Elvis – Gail Berman, Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Patrick McCormick, Schuyler Weiss
Everything Everywhere All at Once – Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, Jonathan Wang
Tár – Todd Field, Scott Lambert, Alexandra Milchan

Outstanding British film

Aftersun – Charlotte Wells, producer(s) tbc
The Banshees of Inisherin – Martin McDonagh, Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin
Brian and Charles – Jim Archer, Rupert Majendie, David Earl, Chris Hayward
Empire of Light – Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande – Sophie Hyde, Debbie Gray, Adrian Politowski, Katy Brand
Living – Oliver Hermanus, Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley, Kazuo Ishiguro
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical – Matthew Warchus, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jon Finn, Luke Kelly, Dennis Kelly
See How They Run – Tom George, Gina Carter, Damian Jones, Mark Chappell
The Swimmers – Sally El Hosaini, producer(s) tbc, Jack Thorne
The Wonder – Sebastián Lelio, Ed Guiney, Juliette Howell, Andrew Lowe, Tessa Ross, Alice Birch, Emma Donoghue

Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer

Aftersun – Charlotte Wells (writer/director)
Blue Jean – Georgia Oakley (writer/director), Hélène Sifre (producer)
Electric Malady – Marie Lidén (director)
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande – Katy Brand (writer)
Rebellion – Maia Kenworthy (director)

Film not in the English language

All Quiet on the Western Front – Edward Berger, Malte Grunert
Argentina, 1985 – Santiago Mitre, producer(s) tbc
Corsage – Marie Kreutzer
Decision to Leave – Park Chan-wook, Ko Dae-seok
The Quiet Girl – Colm Bairéad, Cleona Ní Chrualaoí

Documentary

All That Breathes – Shaunak Sen, Teddy Leifer, Aman Mann
All The Beauty and the Bloodshed – Laura Poitras, Howard Gertler, Nan Goldin, Yoni Golijov, John Lyons
Fire of Love – Sara Dosa, Shane Boris, Ina Fichman
Moonage Daydream – Brett Morgan
Navalny – Daniel Roher, Diane Becker, Shane Boris, Melanie Miller, Odessa Rae

Animated film

Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio – Guillermo Del Toro, Mark Gustafson, Gary Ungar, Alex Bulkley
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On – Dean Fleisher Camp, Andrew Goldman, Elisabeth Holm, Caroline Kaplan, Paul Mezey
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish – Joel Crawford, Mark Swift
Turning Red – Domee Shi, Lindsey Collins

Director

All Quiet on the Western Front – Edward Berger
The Banshees of Inisherin – Martin McDonagh
Decision to Leave – Park Chan-Wook
Everything Everywhere All at Once – Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
Tár – Todd Field
The Woman King – Gina Prince-Bythewood

Original screenplay

The Banshees of Inisherin – Martin McDonagh
Everything Everywhere All At Once – Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
The Fabelmans – Tony Kushner, Steven Spielberg
Tár – Todd Field
Triangle of Sadness – Ruben Östlund

Adapted screenplay

All Quiet on the Western Front – Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, Ian Stokell
Living – Kazuo Ishiguro
The Quiet Girl – Colm Bairéad
She Said – Rebecca Lenkiewicz
The Whale – Samuel D. Hunter

Leading actress

Cate Blanchett – Tár
Viola Davis – The Woman King
Danielle Deadwyler – Till
Ana De Armas – Blonde
Emma Thompson – Good Luck To You, Leo Grande
Michelle Yeoh – Everything Everywhere All at Once

Leading actor

Austin Butler – Elvis
Colin Farrell – The Banshees Of Inisherin
Brendan Fraser – The Whale
Daryl McCormack – Good Luck To You, Leo Grande
Paul Mescal – Aftersun
Bill Nighy – Living

Supporting actress

Angela Bassett – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Hong Chau – The Whale
Kerry Condon – The Banshees of Inisherin
Dolly De Leon – Triangle of Sadness
Jamie Lee Curtis – Everything Everywhere All At Once
Carey Mulligan – She Said

Supporting actor

Brendan Gleeson – The Banshees Of Inisherin
Barry Keoghan – The Banshees Of Inisherin
Ke Huy Quan – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Eddie Redmayne – The Good Nurse
Albrecht Schuch – All Quiet on the Western Front
Micheal Ward – Empire of Light

Original score

All Quiet on the Western Front – Volker Bertelmann
Babylon – Justin Hurwitz
The Banshees of Inisherin – Carter Burwell
Everything Everywhere All at Once – Son Lux
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio – Alexandre Desplat

Casting

Aftersun – Lucy Pardee
All Quiet on the Western Front – Simone Bär
Elvis – Nikki Barrett, Denise Chamian
Everything Everywhere All at Once – Sarah Halley Finn
Triangle of Sadness – Pauline Hansson

Cinematography

All Quiet on the Western Front – James Friend
The Batman – Greig Fraser
Elvis – Mandy Walker
Empire of Light – Roger Deakins
Top Gun: Maverick – Claudio Miranda

Editing

All Quiet on the Western Front – Sven Budelmann
The Banshees of Inisherin – Mikkel E. G. Nielsen
Elvis – Jonathan Redmond, Matt Villa
Everything Everywhere All at Once – Paul Rogers
Top Gun: Maverick – Eddie Hamilton

Production design

All Quiet on the Western Front – Christian M. Goldbreck, Ernestine Hipper
Babylon – Florencia Martin, Anthony Carlino
The Batman – James Chinlund, Lee Sandales
Elvis – Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy, Bev Dunn
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio – Curt Enderle, Guy Davis

Costume design

All Quiet on the Western Front – Lisy Christl
Amsterdam – J.R. Hawbaker, Albert Wolsky
Babylon – Mary Zophres
Elvis – Catherine Martin
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris – Jenny Beavan

Make Up and Hair

All Quiet on the Western Front – Heike Merker
The Batman – Naomi Donne, Mike Marino, Zoe Tahir
Elvis – Jason Baird, Mark Coulier, Louise Coulston, Shane Thomas
Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical – Naomi Donne, Barrie Gower, Sharon Martin
The Whale – Anne Marie Bradley, Judy Chin, Adrien Morot

Sound

All Quiet on the Western Front – Lars Ginzsel, Frank Kruse, Viktor Prášil, Markus Stemler
Avatar: The Way of Water – Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges, Julian Howarth, Gary Summers, Gwendoyln Yates Whittle
Elvis – Michael Keller, David Lee, Andy Nelson, Wayne Pashley
Tár – Deb Adair, Stephen Griffiths, Andy Shelley, Steve Single, Roland Winke
Top Gun: Maverick – Chris Burdon, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Mark Taylor, Mark Weingarten

Special visual effects

All Quiet on the Western Front – Markus Frank, Kamil Jafar, Viktor Müller, Frank Petzoid
Avatar: The Way of Water – Richard Baneham, Daniel Barrett, Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon
The Batman – Russell Earl, Dan Lemmon, Anders Langlands, Dominic Tuohy
Everything Everywhere All At Once – Benjamin Brewer, Ethan Feldbau, Jonathan Kombrinck, Zak Stoltz
Top Gun: Maverick – Seth Hill, Scott R. Fisher, Bryan Litson, Ryan Tudhope

British short animation

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse – Peter Baynton, Charlie Mackesy, Cara Speller, Hannah Minghella
Middle Watch – John Stevenson, Aiesha Penwarden, Giles Healy
Your Mountain Is Waiting – Hannah Jacobs, Zoe Muslim, Harriet Gillian

British short film

The Ballad of Olive Morris – Alex Kayode-Kay
Bazigaga Jo – Ingabire Moys, Stephanie Charmail
Bus Girl – Jessica Henwick, Louise Palmkvist Hansen
A Drifting Up – Jacob Lee
An Irish Goodbye – Tom Berkeley, Ross White

EE Rising Star Award

Aimee Lou Wood
Daryl McCormack
Emma Mackey
Naomi Ackie
Sheila Atim

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21st Jan2023

Babylon (Film)

by timbaros
Image 21-01-2023 at 13.45-1Be aware that this film is over three hours long. But at a local screening of the film last month, I didn’t go to the bathroom once, didn’t get bored once, and didn’t look at my watch once (though after two hours I did get a glimpse of the watch of the person in the row below me). ‘Babylon’ is not a boring film. From beginning to end it will hold your attention with the story about the debauchery and desperation of wannabe actors in Hollywood in the 1920’s.
Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie) and Manny Torres (Diego Calva) are hungry to be famous, with Nellie having the looks (and curves) to get ahead, quicker and easier, while Manny has the brains to get ahead.
The opening shots in the film introduce both their characters in a large mansion on the outskirts of Hollywood where anything and everything is happening: people dancing, coupling, intertwined with each other, drugs, half dressed and some not dressed at all, drinking, one large elephant – it’s a bacchanalia of excess. It’s a lot to take in and immediately hooks you into the film.
Nellie and Manny have two very different journeys on their paths. Nellie, who was spotted at the party, is plucked to star in a film, and nails it, while at the same time meets washed up actor Jack Lord (a fabulous Brad Pitt who seems to find roles that match his looks and skills – he is getting better and better with age). Nellie soon has her dreams come true and is chosen and contracted to star in a string of films.
Meanwhile, Manny carries a torch for Nellie, and she knows that, but his fantasy to be with her never really comes to fruition. While Nellie makes all the wrong decisions in her career, and meets all the wrong people to boot, and at the same time Jack’s career seems to be fading, while Manny starts  becoming disillusioned with it all. Such is life in Hollywood, the ups and the downs and the downs.
Damien Chazelle, who brought us ‘La La Land’ in 2018, copies it’s formula in this film that, as mentioned above, is never dull and never boring. And while it’s not the best of films, it is definitely entertaining, and isn’t that what Hollywood is all about?
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21st Jan2023

Jack (Film)

by timbaros
41351373-9a66-4dc8-aa04-b3c9140caa77Jack is not the name of the main character in this movie, his name is Charlie (played by a boyish Luke Rollason). Charlies has named his penis Jack, so this film is all about that. And Jack pretty much runs Charlies’ life. Jack is the brains of the operation, he and Charlie have been friends from birth, obviously. When Charlie meets Barbie Le Fleur (Angela Sant’Albano), a very pretty Canadian transfer student, Jack will do everything in his power to guide Charlie in his quest to enchant his dream girl. With the help of an odd group of friends; Charlie will use his brain to get the girl of his dreams, and Jack will not take no for an answer. 
Jack is exactly like an episode of ’The In-betweeners’ but stretched out to 90 minutes, and doesn’t quite match the expectations you want it to. But it’s cute and funny, and while some of the jokes misfire horrendously, it’s light and entertaining, and the actors give it their most with what they have been given to work with, which is not much.  
Director Pelayo De Lario has the thankless task of being the voice of Jack. 
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21st Jan2023

Elvis (Film)

by timbaros

rev-1-ELVIS-0074r_High_Res_JPEGA description of the new film ‘Elvis’ can be summed up in two words – it’s fantastic, and Austin Butlers performance can be described as mesmerising. 
Butler becomes Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmanns newly-released film on the trials and tribulations in the life of the king of rock who died at the young age of 42 in 1977.

Told through the eyes of Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks in a performance that is a bit distracting from the main larger than life character) who micro-managed every bit of Presley’s career, right down to not allowing him to travel internationally (Parker emigrated illegally to the United States at the age of 20.) But while the film begins and ends with Parker, it’s really all about Austin – I mean Presley.

It’s really hard to distinguish Austin from Presley because Austin looks like, sounds like, and acts like Presley, it’s actually like Presley himself is starring in his own movie. And the scenes of Elvis on stage in Las Vegas will send chills down your spine as Austin nails down all of Elvis’s movements, right down to his swivelling hips (which was too racy for American television at that time that he was filmed above the waist).

We get to see Elvis’s close relationship with his mother Gladys(Helen Thomson), and his father (a one-note performance by Richard Roxburgh), to when he went into the army where in a television moment he got his hair cut, to meeting 16-year old Priscilla (Olivia DeJonge) – whom he went on to marry in 1967. Then we are treated to his Las Vegas years which are the highlight of the film where you’ll get goosebumps watching Butler swivel on stage – it’s almost too much for the heart to take.

Luhrmann throws us for a loop in his direction as one might be expecting a Moulon Rouge fantasy style musical but ‘Elvis’ is pure biographical and it’s showcase is Butler. While Hanks has star billing but might be playing a bit too over the top , Butlers performance is just about perfect – and literally a star is born where he is a shoo-in come awards season. 
And while the film is not 100% perfect, it’s a great tribute to Elvis.
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