Watched the new Liam Neeson movie – Kinsey - which has been heavily acclaimed for his performance as the famous sex author…Alfred Kinsey.
Its a super performance, Liam Neeson is ultimately very convincing as we see his life from a young professor studying beetles right through to the age where he released his revolutionary study of sexuality. The reason I have reservations is down to they almost disregarded the strange sexual attitudes that he and his team had…there was one scene where the recognised the destruction of one his teams marriage because they were all at it with each other! A pretty good movie, but watch out for the granny having sex, and the 10 second orgasm man…
The 77th Annual Academy award nominations are out – and its a pretty strong field. Aviator, Closer, Ray and Million Dollar Baby seem to lead the way…I’m looking forward to this years Oscars, should be a strong contest. My predictions…
- Best Actor – Jamie Foxx
- Best Actress – Kate Winslet
- Best Supporting Actor – Clive Owen (one for the British Movies!)
- Best Supporting Actress – Sophie Okenedo
- Best Movie – The Aviator
There….thats my sealed envelope.
I could really get used to Robert De Niro playing comedy roles – and he revives the Jack Burns role really well in ‘Meet the Fockers’ – the next installment in the Ben Stiller vehicle. In fact De Niro is not the only great actor in this one, as the script introduces Gaylord Fockers (Stiller) parents played by Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streisand. 
Its the first meeting between the two sets of parents as they get ready for the wedding of their children…throw a baby relation into the mix and the small fact that Gaylords parents are fairly ‘non-conformist’, living on a Florida Island – with Streisand working as a sex-therapist – you can imagine the situations the follow. Its no classic, but diverting enough for a couple of hours of laughs.
because I successfully predicted the twist at the end of The Village. Another good movie written and directed by M Night Shymalan. 
Nice cast in this – Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver and someone I hadn’t seen before…Bryce Dallas Howard. Its a typically dark Shyamalan tale, about a old american town trying to deal with the bad stuff that lives in the woods. As would be expected of a town that had removed itself from the rest of society, some strange habits have developed and the community has given itself some strange values. As with all Shyamalan movies – theres a twist, and its clever…but I did grasp it halfway through. I enjoyed this…should definately be checked out.
Last night I watched the film that seems to be the only british made challenger for film awards this year – Closer - starring Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts and Clive Owen (who is in now way outclassed by the hollywood biggies).
Its a pretty cool movie – describing two extremely destructive relationships as they collide, I’m not going to give anything away – this is so brutally realistic, and just when you think its happy ever after…it isn’t. Jude Law is excellent, playing a failed writer with real depth….Julia Roberts and Natalie Portman both ooze sexuality – but for me it was Clive Owen who really delivered the goods…brutal, sadistic and every inch the cad. Seems the Golden Globe judges agree – he won the Best Supporting Actor award last night (and Portman the best supporting actress) – richly deserved. Superb film, definately worth watching.
Tomorrow morning, 9.30, Heathrow to Moscow…next entry, from Stupino!
I am convinced i just watched the winner of this years Best Actor Oscar…and I know the competition is really stiff from The Aviator (below), but Jamie Foxx playing Ray Charles in ‘Ray‘, is amazing…a real study of the jazz legend.
The movie traces the singers life, from childhood in Northern Florida, through to the hey day of his career, spanning 40 years, and the globe. Jamie Foxx (who we saw recently in Collateral) is amazing – recreating the singers mannerisms, expressions and voice – its a superb rendition. I love this from start to finish – possibly it could be 20 minutes longer than necessary, some sharper editing may have made it tighter – but the music more than carries you along. They don’t shirk the necessary scenes of drug abuse, racism and the sometimes brutal way he treated lovers and friends – but once again a musical genius leads a tortured life. They got it right for this movie…highly recommended.
Wow, what a film…I just watched The Aviator – which is up for about a million Golden Globes this year – and I wouldn’t be surprised if it wins a few and goes on to dominate the Oscars. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio – and is a real treat for his fans, as he plays Howard Hughes in this biopic of the wartime industrialist who dreamed of conquering the skies.
It tracks him from his film making days, through to his time as owner of Trans-World Airlines, and his subsequent run ins with both the US government, and mental illness. This film really is superb, some gripping action sequences and a great script, along with brilliant co-stars. Cate Blanchett plays Katharine Hepburn, Kate Beckinsale shows up as Ava Gardner and Alan Alda plays Senator Brewster – there are roles for Jude Law, Ian Holm and Brent Spiner – even Gwen Stefani puts in an appearance. I can’t overstate how much I enjoyed this – if it wins a shelf full of Oscars, they will be well deserved. Excellent!
could have been just as good a title for Friday Night Lights – the film I just watched. It stars Billy Bob Thornton as an American Football coach in the depressed town of Odessa, Texas – leading the Panthers football team through a formative season of high school football.
Its not like Any Given Sunday, which focuses on the glossy, glamorous side of American Football – its way more about the hard knocks that you get in high school and college football, where promising careers can be ended in one tackle. For me, what I remember most is the expectations of the town – parents, teachers, coaches, officials all expected so much of these boys. Sixteen or seventeen years old, they carried the vicarious hopes and dreams of a whole town on their shoulders, and very nearly paid the price along the way. Billy Bob Thornton is excellent – the only really well known star in this one – he doesn’t dominate the film. Its really well directed, with a good combination of action and the kind of camera work that shows you exactly what it feels like to be in the middle of the focus of this small Texas town. Excellent stuff – even if you don’t like football.
I’m late to the party with this one – but last night I watched Big Fish, starring Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney and a bunch of other people. Directed by Tim Burton it’s a feel-good story about Edward Bloom (McGregor & Finney), who lives his life telling stories all the time – not lies really, but ‘exaggerations’.
Eventually Finney finds himself dying, and his son tries to reconcile himself against the stories he has been told. The ending is stunning, and I’m not going to blow it for you, but this is worth an evening of anyones time.
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