Golden Globes 2013
Motion Picture, Drama: Argo
Actor, Motion Picture Drama: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Actress, Motion Picture Drama: Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy: Les Miserables
Actor, Motion Picture Musical or Comedy: Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Director, Motion Picture: Ben Affleck, Argo
Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement: Jodie Foster
Actress, TV Musical or Comedy: Lena Dunham, Girls
Animated Film: Brave
Actress, TV Drama: Claire Danes, Homeland
Foreign Language Film: Amour, from Austria
Actor, TV Musical or Comedy: Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Screenplay, Motion Picture: Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained
Supporting Actress, Motion Picture: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or TV Movie: Ed Harris, Game Change
Actress, Motion Picture Musical or Comedy: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Actor, Miniseries or TV Movie: Kevin Costner, Hatfields & McCoys
Original Song, Motion Picture: Skyfall (music & lyrics by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth), Skyfall
Original Score, Motion Picture: Mychael Danna, Life of Pi
Series, TV Drama: Homeland
TV Series, Musical or Comedy: Girls
Actor, TV Drama: Damian Lewis, Homeland
Actress, Miniseries or TV Movie: Julianne Moore, Game Change
Miniseries or TV Movie: Game Change
Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or TV Movie: Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Supporting Actor, Motion Picture: Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Les Miserables - Review
LES MISERABLES
2013
12A
Starring Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe Anne Hathaway
Directed by Tom Hooper
2013
12A
Starring Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe Anne Hathaway
Directed by Tom Hooper
In 19th-century France, Jean Valjean is paroled but
continuously shadowed by Inspector Javert for a minor crime which saw him
imprisoned for 19 years. When he takes the responsibility for factory worker
Fantine’s daughter on his path to redemption, their lives are changed forever.
Hooper’s
vision of the classic novel is by no means subtle. The opening scene, depicting
hundreds of downtrodden convicts pulling an imposing ship into harbour, sets
the precedent for the film. Les Miserables is an epic film and goes big in
every sense: the performances, the emotion, the set design, the cinematography.
Nevertheless this stirring musical maintains the brutality and the edge that
laces Hugo’s original story and delves into the politics, French history,
religion, justice, romantic and familial love with stunning flair and finesse.
The singing
is handled with such ease, you treat it the same as you would dialogue after a while. The
composition carries meaning that could never be achieved with dialogue alone.
To ask why this Les Miserables film couldn’t have been done without singing
would be like asking why poetry is not prose; it’s not meant to be. Some of the
shots throughout the songs are very tight and claustrophobically close. You can
see the exertion of singing live, it’s unflinching, almost uncomfortably intimate
– but this just enhances what Victor Hugo intended, these people really are
miserable and you shouldn’t turn away from it.
Hooper’s
one-take/on-set singing brings a new level of meaning to the lyrics that are
known and loved already, and it’s tremendously impressive. Anne Hathaway has
spoken of how difficult it is to belt out these theatrical, operatic numbers
while not contorting her face. But you can see the energy the actors are
pouring into the performances and it is truly invigorating. This comes at the
expense of some less polished moments but for the most part, the cast
handle the massive songs with extraordinary skill.
Anne
Hathaway’s Fantine is nothing short of remarkable, I Dreamed A Dream has
definitely been reclaimed from Susan Boyle. This is not the pretty version; it
is full of heart wrenching anger, sadness, hopelessness and resignation. Another
pleasant revelation was the fact that, not only can Eddie Redmayne act
outstandingly well, he has a startling pair of lungs on him. Marius’ rendition of
Empty Chairs at Empty Tables is one of the most emotionally charged moments of
the entire show.
Not all
is so triumphant. Some of the outdoor shots of Paris seem curiously counterfeit
which detracts from the full blown realism of the acting and indoor sets. At times
Crow teeters into rock and roll notes, and the notoriously difficult Bring Him
Home seems ever so slightly strained; but this is nit picking of the highest
order.
Les
Miserables is one of the greatest stories ever told, Hooper and his cast do it
more than justice. When the pivotal moments arrive, they step up to the
challenge with resolute determination to do it proud. It’s full of heart,
clout and the care of hundreds. Les Miserables packs a supreme punch; even the
most die hard fan of the novel or stage show could not disagree with that.
Rating
9.5
Oscar Nominations 2013
Best Supporting Actor:
Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "The Master"
Robert De Niro, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Alan Arkin, "Argo"
Tommy Lee Jones, "Lincoln"
Best Supporting Actress:
Sally Field, "Lincoln"
Anne Hathaway, "Les Miserables"
Jacki Weaver, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Helen Hunt, "The Sessions"
Amy Adams, "The Master"
Best Director:
David O'Russell, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Ang Lee, "Life of Pi"
Steven Spielberg, "Lincoln"
Michael Haneke, "Amour"
Benh Zeitlin, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
Best Actor:
Daniel Day Lewis, "Lincoln"
Denzel Washington, "Flight"
Hugh Jackman, "Les Miserables"
Bradley Cooper, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"
Best Actress:
Naomi Watts, "The Impossible"
Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"
Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Emmanuelle Riva, "Amour"
Quvenzhané Wallis, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
Best Picture:
"Beasts of the Southern Wild"
"Silver Linings Playbook"
"Zero Dark Thirty"
"Lincoln"
"Les Miserables"
"Life of Pi"
"Amour"
"Django Unchained"
"Argo"
This isnt't quite the full list yet, but it's all the main ones!
Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "The Master"
Robert De Niro, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Alan Arkin, "Argo"
Tommy Lee Jones, "Lincoln"
Best Supporting Actress:
Sally Field, "Lincoln"
Anne Hathaway, "Les Miserables"
Jacki Weaver, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Helen Hunt, "The Sessions"
Amy Adams, "The Master"
Best Director:
David O'Russell, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Ang Lee, "Life of Pi"
Steven Spielberg, "Lincoln"
Michael Haneke, "Amour"
Benh Zeitlin, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
Best Actor:
Daniel Day Lewis, "Lincoln"
Denzel Washington, "Flight"
Hugh Jackman, "Les Miserables"
Bradley Cooper, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master"
Best Actress:
Naomi Watts, "The Impossible"
Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"
Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Emmanuelle Riva, "Amour"
Quvenzhané Wallis, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
Best Picture:
"Beasts of the Southern Wild"
"Silver Linings Playbook"
"Zero Dark Thirty"
"Lincoln"
"Les Miserables"
"Life of Pi"
"Amour"
"Django Unchained"
"Argo"
This isnt't quite the full list yet, but it's all the main ones!
BAFTA Noinations Announced Full List 2013
BEST FILM
ARGO – Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck, George Clooney
LES MISÉRABLES – Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward, Cameron Mackintosh
LIFE OF PI – Gil Netter, Ang Lee, David Womark
LINCOLN – Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy
ZERO DARK THIRTY – Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow, Megan Ellison
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
ANNA KARENINA – Joe Wright, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Paul Webster, Tom Stoppard
THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL – John Madden, Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Ol Parker
LES MISÉRABLES – Tom Hooper, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward, Cameron Mackintosh, William Nicholson, Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg, Herbert Kretzmer
SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS – Martin McDonagh, Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin
SKYFALL – Sam Mendes, Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, John Logan
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
BART LAYTON (Director), DIMITRI DOGANIS (Producer)- The Imposter
DAVID MORRIS (Director), JACQUI MORRIS (Director/Producer) – McCullin
DEXTER FLETCHER (Director/Writer), DANNY KING (Writer) – Wild Bill
JAMES BOBIN (Director) – The Muppets
TINA GHARAVI (Director/Writer) – I Am Nasrine
DIRECTOR
AMOUR – Michael Haneke
ARGO – Ben Affleck
DJANGO UNCHAINED – Quentin Tarantino
LIFE OF PI – Ang Lee
ZERO DARK THIRTY – Kathryn Bigelow
DOCUMENTARY
THE IMPOSTER – Bart Layton, Dimitri Doganis
MARLEY – Kevin Macdonald, Steve Bing, Charles Steel
McCULLIN – David Morris, Jacqui Morris
SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN – Malik Bendjelloul, Simon Chinn
WEST OF MEMPHIS – Amy Berg
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
AMOUR – Michael Haneke
DJANGO UNCHAINED – Quentin Tarantino
THE MASTER – Paul Thomas Anderson
MOONRISE KINGDOM – Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola
ZERO DARK THIRTY – Mark Boal
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
ARGO – Chris Terrio
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD – Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin
LIFE OF PI – David Magee
LINCOLN – Tony Kushner
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK – David O. Russell
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
AMOUR – Michael Haneke, Margaret Ménégoz
HEADHUNTERS – Morten Tyldum, Marianne Gray, Asle Vatn
THE HUNT – Thomas Vinterberg, Sisse Graum Jørgensen, Morten Kaufmann
RUST AND BONE – Jacques Audiard, Pascal Caucheteux
UNTOUCHABLE – Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache, Nicolas Duval Adassovsky, Yann Zenou, Laurent Zeitoun
ANIMATED FILM
BRAVE – Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman
FRANKENWEENIE – Tim Burton
PARANORMAN – Sam Fell, Chris Butler
LEADING ACTOR
BEN AFFLECK – Argo
BRADLEY COOPER – Silver Linings Playbook
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS – Lincoln
HUGH JACKMAN – Les Misérables
JOAQUIN PHOENIX – The Master
LEADING ACTRESS
EMMANUELLE RIVA – Amour
HELEN MIRREN – Hitchcock
JENNIFER LAWRENCE – Silver Linings Playbook
JESSICA CHASTAIN – Zero Dark Thirty
MARION COTILLARD – Rust and Bone
SUPPORTING ACTOR
ALAN ARKIN – Argo
CHRISTOPH WALTZ – Django Unchained
JAVIER BARDEM – Skyfall
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN – The Master
TOMMY LEE JONES – Lincoln
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
AMY ADAMS – The Master
ANNE HATHAWAY – Les Misérables
HELEN HUNT – The Sessions
JUDI DENCH – Skyfall
SALLY FIELD – Lincoln
ORIGINAL MUSIC
ANNA KARENINA – Dario Marianelli
ARGO – Alexandre Desplat
LIFE OF PI – Mychael Danna
LINCOLN – John Williams
SKYFALL – Thomas Newman
CINEMATOGRAPHY
ANNA KARENINA – Seamus McGarvey
LES MISÉRABLES – Danny Cohen
LIFE OF PI – Claudio Miranda
LINCOLN – Janusz Kaminski
SKYFALL – Roger Deakins
EDITING
ARGO – William Goldenberg
DJANGO UNCHAINED – Fred Raskin
LIFE OF PI – Tim Squyres
SKYFALL – Stuart Baird
ZERO DARK THIRTY – Dylan Tichenor, William Goldenberg
PRODUCTION DESIGN
ANNA KARENINA – Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
LES MISÉRABLES – Eve Stewart, Anna Lynch-Robinson
LIFE OF PI – David Gropman, Anna Pinnock
LINCOLN – Rick Carter, Jim Erickson
SKYFALL – Dennis Gassner, Anna Pinnock
COSTUME DESIGN
ANNA KARENINA – Jacqueline Durran
GREAT EXPECTATIONS – Beatrix Aruna Pasztor
LES MISÉRABLES – Paco Delgado
LINCOLN – Joanna Johnston
SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN – Colleen Atwood
SOUND
DJANGO UNCHAINED – Mark Ulano, Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti, Wylie Stateman
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY – Tony Johnson, Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges, Michael Semanick, Brent Burge, Chris Ward
LES MISÉRABLES – Simon Hayes, Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson, Jonathan Allen, Lee Walpole, John Warhurst
LIFE OF PI – Drew Kunin, Eugene Gearty, Philip Stockton, Ron Bartlett, D. M. Hemphill
SKYFALL – Stuart Wilson, Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell, Per Hallberg, Karen Baker Landers
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES – Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Peter Bebb, Andrew Lockley
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY – Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, R. Christopher White
LIFE OF PI – Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer
MARVEL AVENGERS ASSEMBLE – Nominees TBC
PROMETHEUS – Richard Stammers, Charley Henley, Trevor Wood, Paul Butterworth
MAKE UP & HAIR
ANNA KARENINA – Ivana Primorac
HITCHCOCK – Julie Hewett, Martin Samuel, Howard Berger
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY – Peter Swords King, Richard Taylor, Rick Findlater
LES MISÉRABLES – Lisa Westcott
LINCOLN – Lois Burwell, Kay Georgiou
SHORT ANIMATION
HERE TO FALL – Kris Kelly, Evelyn McGrath
I’M FINE THANKS – Eamonn O’Neill
THE MAKING OF LONGBIRD – Will Anderson, Ainslie Henderson
SHORT FILM
THE CURSE – Fyzal Boulifa, Gavin Humphries
GOOD NIGHT – Muriel d’Ansembourg, Eva Sigurdardottir
SWIMMER – Lynne Ramsay, Peter Carlton, Diarmid Scrimshaw
TUMULT – Johnny Barrington, Rhianna Andrews
THE VOORMAN PROBLEM – Mark Gill, Baldwin Li
EE RISING STAR AWARD
Find out more about this Award: EE Rising Star Award 2013
Elizabeth Olsen
Andrea Riseborough
Suraj Sharma
Juno Temple
Alicia Vikander
ARGO – Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck, George Clooney
LES MISÉRABLES – Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward, Cameron Mackintosh
LIFE OF PI – Gil Netter, Ang Lee, David Womark
LINCOLN – Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy
ZERO DARK THIRTY – Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow, Megan Ellison
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
ANNA KARENINA – Joe Wright, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Paul Webster, Tom Stoppard
THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL – John Madden, Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Ol Parker
LES MISÉRABLES – Tom Hooper, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward, Cameron Mackintosh, William Nicholson, Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg, Herbert Kretzmer
SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS – Martin McDonagh, Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin
SKYFALL – Sam Mendes, Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, John Logan
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
BART LAYTON (Director), DIMITRI DOGANIS (Producer)- The Imposter
DAVID MORRIS (Director), JACQUI MORRIS (Director/Producer) – McCullin
DEXTER FLETCHER (Director/Writer), DANNY KING (Writer) – Wild Bill
JAMES BOBIN (Director) – The Muppets
TINA GHARAVI (Director/Writer) – I Am Nasrine
DIRECTOR
AMOUR – Michael Haneke
ARGO – Ben Affleck
DJANGO UNCHAINED – Quentin Tarantino
LIFE OF PI – Ang Lee
ZERO DARK THIRTY – Kathryn Bigelow
DOCUMENTARY
THE IMPOSTER – Bart Layton, Dimitri Doganis
MARLEY – Kevin Macdonald, Steve Bing, Charles Steel
McCULLIN – David Morris, Jacqui Morris
SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN – Malik Bendjelloul, Simon Chinn
WEST OF MEMPHIS – Amy Berg
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
AMOUR – Michael Haneke
DJANGO UNCHAINED – Quentin Tarantino
THE MASTER – Paul Thomas Anderson
MOONRISE KINGDOM – Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola
ZERO DARK THIRTY – Mark Boal
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
ARGO – Chris Terrio
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD – Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin
LIFE OF PI – David Magee
LINCOLN – Tony Kushner
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK – David O. Russell
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
AMOUR – Michael Haneke, Margaret Ménégoz
HEADHUNTERS – Morten Tyldum, Marianne Gray, Asle Vatn
THE HUNT – Thomas Vinterberg, Sisse Graum Jørgensen, Morten Kaufmann
RUST AND BONE – Jacques Audiard, Pascal Caucheteux
UNTOUCHABLE – Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache, Nicolas Duval Adassovsky, Yann Zenou, Laurent Zeitoun
ANIMATED FILM
BRAVE – Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman
FRANKENWEENIE – Tim Burton
PARANORMAN – Sam Fell, Chris Butler
LEADING ACTOR
BEN AFFLECK – Argo
BRADLEY COOPER – Silver Linings Playbook
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS – Lincoln
HUGH JACKMAN – Les Misérables
JOAQUIN PHOENIX – The Master
LEADING ACTRESS
EMMANUELLE RIVA – Amour
HELEN MIRREN – Hitchcock
JENNIFER LAWRENCE – Silver Linings Playbook
JESSICA CHASTAIN – Zero Dark Thirty
MARION COTILLARD – Rust and Bone
SUPPORTING ACTOR
ALAN ARKIN – Argo
CHRISTOPH WALTZ – Django Unchained
JAVIER BARDEM – Skyfall
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN – The Master
TOMMY LEE JONES – Lincoln
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
AMY ADAMS – The Master
ANNE HATHAWAY – Les Misérables
HELEN HUNT – The Sessions
JUDI DENCH – Skyfall
SALLY FIELD – Lincoln
ORIGINAL MUSIC
ANNA KARENINA – Dario Marianelli
ARGO – Alexandre Desplat
LIFE OF PI – Mychael Danna
LINCOLN – John Williams
SKYFALL – Thomas Newman
CINEMATOGRAPHY
ANNA KARENINA – Seamus McGarvey
LES MISÉRABLES – Danny Cohen
LIFE OF PI – Claudio Miranda
LINCOLN – Janusz Kaminski
SKYFALL – Roger Deakins
EDITING
ARGO – William Goldenberg
DJANGO UNCHAINED – Fred Raskin
LIFE OF PI – Tim Squyres
SKYFALL – Stuart Baird
ZERO DARK THIRTY – Dylan Tichenor, William Goldenberg
PRODUCTION DESIGN
ANNA KARENINA – Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
LES MISÉRABLES – Eve Stewart, Anna Lynch-Robinson
LIFE OF PI – David Gropman, Anna Pinnock
LINCOLN – Rick Carter, Jim Erickson
SKYFALL – Dennis Gassner, Anna Pinnock
COSTUME DESIGN
ANNA KARENINA – Jacqueline Durran
GREAT EXPECTATIONS – Beatrix Aruna Pasztor
LES MISÉRABLES – Paco Delgado
LINCOLN – Joanna Johnston
SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN – Colleen Atwood
SOUND
DJANGO UNCHAINED – Mark Ulano, Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti, Wylie Stateman
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY – Tony Johnson, Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges, Michael Semanick, Brent Burge, Chris Ward
LES MISÉRABLES – Simon Hayes, Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson, Jonathan Allen, Lee Walpole, John Warhurst
LIFE OF PI – Drew Kunin, Eugene Gearty, Philip Stockton, Ron Bartlett, D. M. Hemphill
SKYFALL – Stuart Wilson, Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell, Per Hallberg, Karen Baker Landers
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES – Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Peter Bebb, Andrew Lockley
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY – Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, R. Christopher White
LIFE OF PI – Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer
MARVEL AVENGERS ASSEMBLE – Nominees TBC
PROMETHEUS – Richard Stammers, Charley Henley, Trevor Wood, Paul Butterworth
MAKE UP & HAIR
ANNA KARENINA – Ivana Primorac
HITCHCOCK – Julie Hewett, Martin Samuel, Howard Berger
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY – Peter Swords King, Richard Taylor, Rick Findlater
LES MISÉRABLES – Lisa Westcott
LINCOLN – Lois Burwell, Kay Georgiou
SHORT ANIMATION
HERE TO FALL – Kris Kelly, Evelyn McGrath
I’M FINE THANKS – Eamonn O’Neill
THE MAKING OF LONGBIRD – Will Anderson, Ainslie Henderson
SHORT FILM
THE CURSE – Fyzal Boulifa, Gavin Humphries
GOOD NIGHT – Muriel d’Ansembourg, Eva Sigurdardottir
SWIMMER – Lynne Ramsay, Peter Carlton, Diarmid Scrimshaw
TUMULT – Johnny Barrington, Rhianna Andrews
THE VOORMAN PROBLEM – Mark Gill, Baldwin Li
EE RISING STAR AWARD
Find out more about this Award: EE Rising Star Award 2013
Elizabeth Olsen
Andrea Riseborough
Suraj Sharma
Juno Temple
Alicia Vikander
Martha Marcy May Marlene - Review
MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE
2012
15
Directed by Sean Durkin
Starring Elizabeth Olsen, Hugh Dancy, John Hawkes
After fleeing an abusive cult, Martha struggles to readjust
to the life she once knew while trying to reconnect with her family in this
psychological drama.
What’s remarkable about this film is that the director’s
vision is so pure and clear, it hasn’t been diluted by 200 different opinions. It's artsy and quiet. There
are so many creative flourishes that are bold and set it apart from so much of
the drivel we sit through. The film is structured with a mixture of flashbacks
and present day sequences which link and flow into each other with undetectable
slight of hand. What’s so brilliant about the flashback structure is the
glorious confusion and tension in the opening scenes when we have no idea what
Martha is fleeing and what has happened to her. There’s a Polanski level of
ambiguity throughout and all the way up to the memorable ending. It’s unclear
whether Martha’s paranoia is legitimate or if it’s all in her mind which makes
the tension that bit worse because it doesn’t matter whether it’s real or not.
Martha Marcy May Marlene is a study into cult life, post traumatic stress,
memory, modern American life and family dynamics – but it doesn’t preach, it
merely chronicles the events in a beautiful way.
Elizabeth Olsen plays Martha (and Marcy May and Marlene)
with extraordinary restraint. The psychosis is constantly bubbling under the
surface, always being held back so that when she finally does explode its all
the more powerful. She has one of those enigmatic faces that doesn’t give
anything away but reveals so much at the same time. She consistently plays that
fine line between ‘she’ll be fine once she’s had time to settle in.’ and ‘get
this poor woman help, she’s losing the plot.’ Perhaps there may be some deep seated acting
talent in the Olsen Twins after all… But in all seriousness, Olsen carries this
film with grace and refinement that is altogether missing in some actresses of her
age.
Beautifully shot with all together nerve wracking performances,
Martha Marcy May Marlene is a must-see recommendation.
Rating 8
Have your say: Did you rate Elizabeth in this film? Also, if you're new to Amateur Reviews, please feel free to become a member of the blog or be sure to return on Friday for our review of the highly anticipated Les Miserables!
Jack Reacher - Review
JACK REACHER
2012
12A
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
Staring Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike and Richard Jenkins
For the past two years it has become tradition that the last
film of the year is a Tom Cruise one. 2011 was sent off with Mission Impossible
4: Ghost Protocol and 2012s NYE film was Jack Reacher. You will be pleased to
know it did not disappoint.
When a random shooting takes place, a serial gunman is
arrested and all fingers point in one direction. But things aren’t perhaps so
clean cut when the sniper issues the demand “Get me Jack Reacher”. Can Reacher
discover the truth before it catches up with him?
For all the naysayers who questioned whether tiny Tom Cruise
was the man to play 6’5 Jack Reacher, size really doesn’t matter in this case.
Cruise portrays Reacher with impressive stature and convincing physicality
combined with just the right amount of charm. It’s hard to deny Cruise’s
gravitas and star quality, he brings sheer entertainment to this film. While he may not embody Lee Child's vision to a T, it's the spirit he captures and has hit the nail on the head.
It’s not always fair to judge a film in comparison to other
films of the genre but by doing this we see where Jack Reacher succeeds where
other action films fall short. The action genre is saturated with lazy movies
that rely on boring fight sequences, gun fights and the obligatory car chases
that go on for too long (shame on you Bourne Legacy!)
And while Jack Reacher does include these elements, it’s
done necessarily and adds to the plot. You will laugh, be on edge, recoil and
be left guessing from start to finish. It’s a classy action movie that’s full
of character and heart.
Rating 7.5
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