Continuing with the coverage of awards season, Sunday 27th January saw the 25th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards honouring the best achievements in film and television performances for 2018, staged at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. Awarded to the finest big screen and small screen acting talent as nominated by the finest big screen and small screen acting talent, these awards have a special significance considering that those nominated are done so by their acclaimed industry peers. Hosted this year by Megan Mullally (she of Karen Walker fame on 'Will & Grace'), this years winners and grinners who walked away with the gong, and those that didn't, are given below :-
* Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role : won by REMI MALEK for his role as Freddie Mercury in 'Bohemian Rhapsody', beating out Christian Bale for 'Vice', Bradley Cooper for 'A Star Is Born', Viggo Mortensen for 'Green Book' and John David Washington for 'BlacKkKlansman'.
* Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role : won by GLENN CLOSE for her role as Joan Castleman in 'The Wife', beating out Lady Gaga for 'A Star Is Born', Olivia Colman for 'The Favourite', Melissa McCarthy for 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?' and Emily Blunt for 'Mary Poppins Returns'.
* Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role : won by MAHERSHALA ALI for his role as Don Shirley in 'Green Book', beating out Timothée Chalamet for 'Beautiful Boy', Adam Driver for 'BlacKkKlansman', Sam Elliott for 'A Star Is Born' and Richard E. Grant for 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?'
* Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role : won by EMILY BLUNT for her role as Evelyn Abbott in 'A Quite Place', beating out Amy Adams for 'Vice', Margot Robbie for 'Mary Queen of Scots', Emma Stone for 'The Favourite' and Rachel Weisz for 'The Favourite'.
* Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture : won by Angela Bassett, Chadwick Boseman, Sterling K. Brown, Winston Duke, Martin Freeman, Danai Gurira, Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Forest Whitaker, and Letitia Wright for their individual roles in 'Black Panther', beating out 'BlacKkKlansman', 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'Crazy Rich Asians' and 'A Star Is Born'.
* Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture : won by 'BLACK PANTHER' beating out 'Ant-Man and the Wasp', 'Avengers: Infinity War', 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' and 'Mission: Impossible – Fallout'.
* The Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to ALAN ALDA.
This week then we have seven latest release movies to tempt you out to your local Odeon during the week ahead. We start with a the frozen environs of the Rockies and one mans quest for revenge against those that killed this teenage son; then we turn to a biographical drama charting the early life and groundbreaking female equality times of one of America's Supreme Court Justice's; and then we have another biographical drama offering charting the life and times of a teenager in 1980's Detroit as he becomes the youngest FBI informant and drug dealing kingpin. Next up we have a horror thriller about six hapless strangers thrown together to play a game of escape or die in a series of situations put together by an unknown antagonist; before turning to an Australian drama about a man out of prison, his dead brother, a new crime boss on the scene and white supremacists and the impact of all of this on a local community. These are followed up by a biographical documentary about a world renowned Greek Opera singer and her lasting impact that still resonates to this day; before wrapping up the week with an acclaimed Lebanese drama film about a young lad who takes his mother and father to court for giving him the life he did not choose.
Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the seven latest release new movies as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the coming week.
'COLD PURSUIT' (Rated MA15+) - here we have an American action thriller Directed by Norwegian film maker Hans Petter Moland whose previous Directorial credits include 'Zero Kelvin', 'Aberdeen', 'The Beautiful Country' and 2014's 'In Order of Disappearance' - which marked his fourth film with Stellan Skarsgard. And so in 2019 for an English speaking audience, we have a sort of remake of 'In Order of Disappearance', his own film from five years ago and based on the script penned by Danish Writer, Illustrator and Screenwriter Kim Fupz Aakeson. The film is released in the US this week too, and in the UK on the 22nd of this month.
'ON THE BASIS OF SEX' (Rated M) - this American biographical legal drama film is Directed by Mimi Leder who previous feature film credits include 'The Peacemaker', 'Deep Impact', 'Pay It Forward' and 'Thick as Thieves' in addition to her impressive portfolio of television credits going back to 1987 up to the present day. This film recounts the story of the early life and early court cases of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Felicity Jones) and who was the subject of a documentary feature film released last year titled 'RBG'. Ginsburg turns 86 years of age in March this year. This film however, charts her first year at Harvard Law School up to the early '70's and her struggles for equal rights and her early court cases which helped her shape her historic career that ultimately led to her nomination and appointment as a US Supreme Court Associate Justice. The film saw its World Premier screening at the American Film Institute Fest in early November and its wider release in the US at Christmas. Off the back of a US$20M Production Budget the film has so far recouped US$24M, has generated generally favourable Reviews and also stars Armie Hammer as RBG's husband Martin D. Ginsburg, Justin Theroux, Kathy Bates, Sam Waterston, Cailee Spaeny and Jack Reynor.
'WHITE BOY RICK' (Rated MA15+) - here we have an American biographical true crime drama film Directed by the Brit Yann Demange in only his second feature film outing after 2014's highly acclaimed ''71'. The film Premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in late August last year, went on release in the US in mid-September, cost US$29M to produce, has so far recovered approaching US$26M and has received generally positive Press so far. Set in 1980's Detroit at the height of the crack epidemic and the War on Drugs, this film is based on the true story of blue-collar father, Richard Wershe Snr. (Matthew McConaughey) and his fourteen year old son, Richard 'Rick' Wershe Jr. aka White Boy Rick (Richie Merritt), who became an undercover police informant and later a racketeer and drug dealer and kingpin before he was abandoned by his handlers and sentenced to life in prison in 1987 for possessing more than 8kgs of cocaine. He was paroled in 2017 after nearly thirty years behind bars as a non-violent drug dealer. This is that story of the FBI's youngest ever informant. Also starring Bruce Dern, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Piper Laurie, Eddie Marsan and Brian Tyree Henry.
'ESCAPE ROOM' (Rated MA15+) - this American thriller is Directed by Adam Robitel who is no stranger to the horror genre, and here he offers us a twist on the physical adventure game in which players solve a series of puzzles and riddles using clues, hints, and strategies to complete the objectives at hand. Players are given a set time limit to unveil the secret plot which is hidden within the rooms. This turn of events sees six adventurous strangers, Zoey (Taylor Davis), Ben (Logan Miller), Amanda (Deborah Ann Woll), Mike (Tyler Labine), Jason (Jay Ellis), and Danny (Nik Dodani) travel to a mysterious building to experience the escape room - a game where players compete to solve a series of puzzles to win $10,000. What starts out as seemingly innocent fun soon turns into a living nightmare as the four men and two women discover each room is an elaborate trap that's part of a sadistic game of life or death. The film cost US$9M, went on general release in the US early last month and has so far taken US$98M at the Box Office and received mixed or average Reviews.
'THE COMBINATION : REDEMPTION' (Rated MA15+) - this film is the sequel to 2009's Australian drama 'The Combination' and is Directed and stars David Field, and was Written and stars George Basha, both in two pivotal roles, with Basha reprising his role as Lebanese Australian former prison inmate John Morkos. Set some six years after the events of the first film, John Morkos remains haunted by the events that led to the death of his brother. As John begins to rebuild his life, he finds time spent in the boxing ring at his local gym to be just the therapy he needs. Meanwhile, a ruthless new crime boss Nas (Johnny Nasser) seeks to expand his empire, and the formation of a radical group of white supremacists threatens to shatter the social fabric of the local community. As the gym becomes a focal point of these gathering forces, and the threat to the community begins to escalate, John must come to terms with his past, make the right decisions, and take a stand against seemingly overwhelming odds.
'MARIA BY CALLAS' (Rated PG) - Directed by Tom Volf, this French Documentary film is about the life and career of the American born Greek opera singer who lived from December 1923 until September 1977. Described as one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century, her influence has endured over the years so much so that in 2006 it was written of her that 'Nearly thirty years after her death, she's still the definition of the diva as artist—and still one of classical music's best-selling vocalists'. Utilising previously unseen interviews, letters, and performances to tell her story through home movies, family photographs, private letters and unpublished memoirs the film reveals the essence of an extraordinary woman who rose from humble beginnings in New York City to become a glamorous international superstar. The film Premiered at the Rome Film Festival way back in November 2017, was released in France in December 2017, in the US in November 2018, and only now does it get a limited showing in Australia. The film has garnered much critical praise and has so far taken US$1.25M at the Box Office.
'CAPERNAUM' (Rated M) - this Lebanese drama film is Written and Directed by Nadine Labaki and had its world Premier screening at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival where it was in competition for the Palme d'Or where it took out the Jury Prize, following a fifteen minute standing ovation. The film is also up for the Best Foreign Language Film at the upcoming Academy Awards amongst its total haul of 21 award wins so far and a further 22 nominations. The story largely plays out in a courtroom where twelve year old Syrian refugee lad Zain (Zain Al Rafeea), is brought before the presiding Judge. When asked the question 'why are you attacking your parents in court?', Zain answers 'For giving me life!' The film retraces the incredible journey of this child in search of his identity and who rebels against the life that was imposed on him. Nadine Labaki described the concept for the film thus 'At the end of the day, those children are really paying a very high price for our conflicts, and our wars, and our systems, and our stupid decisions, and governments. I felt the need to talk about the problem, and I was thinking, if those children could talk, or could express themselves, what would they say? What would they tell us, this society that ignores them?' Zain's performance has been highly praised although he was not an Actor at the time rather a twelve year old illiterate refugee, and all other performances in the film, aside from a small bit part by the Writer/Director, were non-professionals.With seven new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.
-Steve, at Odeon Online-
No comments:
Post a Comment
Odeon Online - please let me know your thoughts?