The 73rd British Academy Film Awards were held on the evening of Sunday 2nd February by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) at London's Royal Albert Hall, and hosted by the Irish television and radio presenter, comedian, actor, author, and commentator Graham Norton. At these awards accolades are presented for the best feature-length film and documentaries of any nationality that were screened in British cinemas throughout 2019.And so in case you missed all the news and views from this years BAFTA's, here is the abridged list of the winners, the grinners and the also rans.
* Best FilmAwarded to '1917', beating out 'The Irishman', 'Joker', 'Parasite' and 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'.
* Best Director
Awarded to SAM MENDES for '1917', beating out Martin Scorsese for 'The Irishman', Todd Phillips for 'Joker', Bong Joon-ho for 'Parasite' and Quentin Tarantino for 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'.
* Best Actor in a Leading Role
Awarded to JOAQUIN PHOENIX for 'Joker', beating out Leonardo DiCaprio for 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood', Adam Driver for 'Marriage Story', Aaron Egerton for 'Rocketman' and Jonathan Pryce for 'The Two Popes'.
* Best Actress in a Leading RoleAwarded to RENEE ZELLWEGER for 'Judy', beating out Jessie Buckley for 'Wild Rose', Scarlett Johansson for 'Marriage Story', Saoirse Ronan for 'Little Women' and Charlize Theron for 'Bombshell'.
* Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Awarded to BRAD PITT for 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood', beating out Tom Hanks for 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood', Anthony Hopkins for 'The Two Popes', Al Pacino for 'The Irishman' and Joe Pesci for 'The Irishman'.
Awarded to LAURA DERN for 'Marriage Story', beating out Scarlett Johansson for 'Jojo Rabbit', Florence Pugh for 'Little Women', Margot Robbie for 'Bombshell' and Margot Robbie for 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'.
* Best Original Screenplay
Awarded to BONG JOON-HO for 'Parasite', beating out 'Marriage Story', 'Booksmart', 'Knives Out' and 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'.
* Best Adapted Screenplay Awarded to TAIKA WAITITI for 'Jojo Rabbit', beating out 'Little Women', 'The Two Popes', 'Joker' and 'The Irishman'.
* Outstanding British Film
Awarded to '1917', beating out 'Bait', 'For Sama', 'Rocketman', 'The Two Popes' and 'Sorry We Missed You'.
* Best Film not in the English Language
Awarded to 'PARASITE', beating out 'The Farewell', 'For Sama', 'Pain and Glory' and 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire'.
* Best Cinematography
Awarded to ROGER DEAKINS for '1917', beating out 'The Irishman', 'Joker', 'Ford v. Ferrari' and 'The Lighthouse'.
* Best Production Design
Awarded to '1917', beating out 'The Irishman', 'Jojo Rabbit', 'Joker' and 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'.
* Best Sound
Awarded to '1917', beating out 'Joker', 'Ford v. Ferrari', 'Rocketman' and 'Star Wars : The Rise of Skywalker'.
* Best Special Visual Effects
Awarded to '1917', beating out 'Avengers : Endgame', 'The Irishman', 'The Lion King' and 'Star Wars : The Rise of Skywalker'.
* Best Editing Awarded to 'FORD V FERRARI', beating out 'The Irishman', 'Jojo Rabbit', 'Joker' and 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'.
* Best Casting
Awarded to 'JOKER', beating out 'Marriage Story', 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood', 'The Personal History of David Copperfield' and 'The Two Popes'.
* Best Animated Film
Awarded to 'KLAUS', beating out 'Frozen II', 'A Shaun the Sheep Movie : Farmageddon' and 'Toy Story 4'.
* Best Documentary Film
Awarded to 'FOR SAMA', beating out 'American Factory', 'Apollo 11', 'Diego Maradona' and 'The Great Hack'.
In other awards, presentations were made for Best Costume Design to JACQUELINE DURRAN for 'Little Women'; for Best Make-Up and Hair to VIVIAN BAKER, KAZU HIRO, and ANNE MORGAN for 'Bombshell' and for Best Original Score to HILDUR GUONADOTTIR for 'Joker'.
* The BAFTA Fellowship Award was presented to KATHLEEN KENNEDY, the American film Producer. In 1981, she co-founded the production company Amblin Entertainment with Steven Spielberg and future husband Frank Marshall. She has been the President of Lucasfilm since 2012.
* The BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema was presented to ANDY SERKIS the English Actor, Producer and film Director. He is best known for his performance capture roles comprising motion capture acting, animation and voice work.
For the full low down on all the glitz and glamour, the celebs and the personalities and the comings and goings, you can visit the official website at : http://www.bafta.org
Turning attention then back to this weeks latest new release movies coming to your local Odeon, of which there are seven to choose from, we kick off with a biographical drama film about the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic bombing and how the Security Guard who called it in becomes the prime suspect as the Police hunt down the perpetrator of this act of terror, while he maintains his innocence. We then have a historical drama retelling of a British journalist who travels to the Soviet Union in an attempt to uncover the truth behind Stalin's 'utopian' propaganda machine. Next up is another adaptation of a famed Jane Austen novel from 1815 about a young lady who creates a stir in the local community by acting as a romantic matchmaker. This is followed up by a Scottish film about two teenage likely lads who decide to venture out to a rave party for the first and possibly last time in their otherwise tawdry lives; and then a massively popular video game dating back to the early '90's gets the big screen treatment about a blue anthropomorphic spiny mammal who comes to Earth to escape evil forces that seek to harness his ability to run fast - really fast, like super fast! We then close out the week with a ComRom about a fairly well matched couple who are wondering what constitutes a good second date; and finally a popular long running TV show from the '70's and '80's gets the big screen treatment too but turned this time into a supernatural horror offering as visitors to this island seeking for their fantasises to be fulfilled are in for more than they bargained for.
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 week ahead.
'RICHARD JEWELL' (Rated M) - is an American biographical drama film Directed and Produced by Clint Eastwood (who needs no further introduction), and written for the screen by Billy Ray, and is based on the 1997 Vanity Fair article 'American Nightmare : The Ballad of Richard Jewell' by Marie Brenner. The project was initially announced in February 2014, when Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill teamed up to Produce and star in the film, Paul Greengrass began negotiations to Direct the film with other Directors considered including David O. Russell, before Clint Eastwood was officially attached in early 2019. DiCaprio and Hill did not star in the film, though they remained as Producers. The film saw its World Premier screening at the American Film Institute Fest in late November last year before going on general release Stateside in mid-December. With a production budget of US$45M the film has so far grossed US$36M, 'Richard Jewell' was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the ten best films of the year, and for her performance, Kathy Bates was recognised as the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress, as well as earned nominations at the Academy Awards and Golden Globes.
'MR. JONES' (Rated MA15+) - here this drama film is Directed by the Polish film and television Director Agnieszka Holland and saw its World Premier screening at the February 2019 Berlin International Film Festival where it was selected to compete for the Golden Bear Award. Set in1933, Gareth Jones (James Norton) is an ambitious young journalist who has gained some fame for his interview with Adolf Hitler. Thanks to his connections within the government of Lloyd George (Kenneth Cranham), he is able to get official permission from the United Kingdom to travel to the Soviet Union to uncover the truth behind the Soviet 'utopia' propaganda machine, but then gets a tip that could expose an international conspiracy. As Jones attempts to interview Stalin to find out more about the Soviet Union's economic expansion and its apparently successful five-year development plan, he is restricted to Moscow, but travels unofficially on a life or death journey to Ukraine to uncover the truth behind the painted facade and discovers for himself the 'Holodomor' (a man-made famine in Soviet Ukraine in 1932 and 1933 that killed millions of Ukrainians), that would ultimately inspire George Orwell's seminal book 'Animal Farm'. Also starring Vanessa Kirby, Peter Sarsgaard and Jospeh Mawle. The film has so far garnered generally positive Press.
'EMMA' (Rated PG) - is a comedy drama film Directed by Autumn de Wilde and is based on the 1815 novel of the same name by Jane Austen. In this classic and highly esteemed story that has been adapted for both the big and small screens on numerous occasions in the past, here wealthy, attractive and headstrong young woman named Emma Woodhouse (Anya Taylor-Joy), who stirs up trouble in her Georgian Regency English small town by attempting to be a romantic matchmaker. Also starring Josh O'Connor, Bill Nighy, Johnny Flynn, Mia Goth, Callum Turner, Rupert Graves and Miranda Hart. The film is released in the UK this week too, and in the US from next week.
'BEATS' (Rated MA15+) - this Scottish film is Directed and Co-Written for the screen by Brian Welsh and based on the stage play of the same name by Kieren Hurley. Set in 1994 in Scotland, against the backdrop of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, effectively banning outdoor rave parties across the whole of the UK. Two teenage best friends Johnno (Cristian Ortega) and Spanner (Lorn Macdonald) are going to one such rave party for the first, and quite possibly the last time together, as they risk everything in the hope of enjoying the best night of their otherwise very boring lives. The film was released in the UK in mid-May last year and only now gets a limited showing in Australia.
'SONIC THE HEDGEHOG' (Rated PG) - is an adventure comedy offering based on the Japanese video game franchise published by Sega. The film is Directed by Jeff Fowler in his feature Directorial debut and is intended to be the first in a series of films. The film was originally slated to be released in the US on 8th November 2019, but was delayed until 14th February 2020 after an overwhelmingly negative reaction to the first trailer, which was released on 30th April 2019. Paramount Studios delayed the film in order to redesign Sonic, whose original design drew the most criticism. The new design of Sonic was shown in a new trailer that was released worldwide on 12th November 2019, which was much more favourably received. And so here, Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz), a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog from another world, comes to Earth to escape malevolent forces that seek to harness his power of super-speed. After accidentally causing a massive power outage and hiding out in the town of Green Hills, Montana, Sonic is targeted by the government who then hire the tyrannical roboticist Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) to hunt him down. Meanwhile, ex-SFPD officer recently turned Green Hills Sheriff Tom Wachowski (James Marsden) meets Sonic and decides to help him evade capture and stop Robotnik from using Sonic's powers for world domination. Also starring Tika Sumpter, Adam Pally and Neal McDonough, the film cost US$95M to bring to the big screen.
'A GUIDE TO SECOND DATE SEX' (Rated MA15+) - this American comedy romance is Directed and Written by Rachel Hirons in her feature film debut, and is an adaptation of Hiron’s critically acclaimed play, which played at London’s Soho Theatre and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Here, Laura (Alexandra Roach) and Ryan (George MacKay, seen already this year in '1917' and 'The True History of the Kelly Gang') are perfect for each other, in that they are both big fans of Meryl Streep, have been completely destroyed by previous failed relationships and have no idea what they are supposed to do tonight besides pretending to be completely different to how they've ever been previously in the hope of getting it right this time. How bad can a second date really go, and what is there to lose? Ryan and Laura are about to find out! Also starring Naomi Willow and Michael Socha.
'FANTASY ISLAND' (Rated M) - here this American supernatural horror film puts a different spin on the long running television series which ran for 152 episodes and two TV movies between 1977 and 1984 and which starred Ricardo Montalban as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Herve Villechaize as his assistant Tattoo. Guests were granted so-called 'fantasies' on the island for a price. In this updated rendition, Directed and Co-Written by Jeff Wadlow whose previous film making credits include 2005's 'Cry Wolf', 2008's 'Never Back Down', 2013's 'Kick-Ass 2', and 2018's 'Truth or Dare', the enigmatic Mr. Roarke (Michael Pena) makes the secret dreams of his lucky guests come true at a luxurious but remote tropical island resort. But when the fantasies turn into nightmares, the guests have to solve the island’s mystery in order to escape with their lives. Also starring Maggie Q, Michael Rooker, Lucy Hale, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Ryan Hansen, Austin Stowell and Portia Doubleday, the film cost US$7M to produce, and is released Stateside this week too.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-
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