I Love That Film: birdman

Showing posts with label birdman. Show all posts

Friday, 17 July 2015

The Revenant Teaser Trailer Reveals Leo Still Not Winning That Oscar

Goddamit I just know that The Revenant isn't going to get Leonardo DiCaprio his long overdue Oscar. Doesn't matter how bloody epic the film looks, somebody in some plain old, possibly very boring biopic is going to come along and snatch it away from him.

To be fair, judging from this teaser, Leo's going to be doing a lot of screaming his lungs out and running and fighting for his life, but this doesn't even look like it's his film.

Firstly he's joined by Tom Hardy, Will Poulter and Domnhall Gleeson so this could be just as much their time to shine as it is little old Leo's.

More importantly, from the look of this footage, this is another chance to see what director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki can come up with together after the wonderfully shot Birdman. You just know we're going to be immersed right in the middle of those stunningly harsh landscapes, as well as the bloodshed and chaos of all that fighting. If anyone is getting Oscars, it will be one of those two.

Even if it doesn't bag Leo Best Actor (and I pray that I'm wrong by the way), it's my most anticipated film of 2016, as I wrote here for The Daily Heckle. I think it looks absolutely brilliant, even if Leo does miss out AGAIN on taking home a golden baldie.

Tuesday, 30 June 2015

Top 10 Films of 2015 So Far

We made it to the half way point! As we move into the final 6 months of the year, I thought I'd take stock of my top 10 films released in the UK in 2015 so far. Even though Amy and Inside Out come out in July, I'm including them here as I was lucky enough to see them in Cannes. Otherwise, all of these were released in January to June in the UK.

As usual, because of my stubborn insistence on going with UK release dates, many of you who read this may consider these films to be 2014 releases, especially all the Oscar contenders. Still, hopefully UK readers will understand our collective pain at getting some of these later than other countries!

Surprisingly, I've actually reviewed all of these for a change so just click the titles to be magically transported to my reviews of these films at Starburst Magazine, Tastic Film, and this very blog.

10. The Theory of Everything

"The Theory of Everything is an inspiring tale of a great mind, perfectly rendered by a powerful and mesmerising performance from Eddie Redmayne."

9. Testament of Youth

"This is an incredibly moving story, driven by a brilliant performance from Vikander and a vital message that still resonates tragically today."

8. Birdman

"Inarritu directs with a visceral mixture of simplicity and complexity. Long takes complement the fluid dialogue, while the drumming score and use of real locations keep things grounded, even as Riggan really starts to lose his mind. Unlike the superhero movies it rails against, Birdman is smart and requires way more than one sitting to fully appreciate its complexity."

7. Whiplash

"Whiplash is a film that strives for perfection and brings out the thrill in low budget, committed and quick filmmaking having been shot in just 18 days. It is a film about the sacrifices required to be the best at something, even if it means cowering in front of a madman and losing the enjoyment in doing what you love."

6. Ex Machina

"Ex Machina is an exciting and often challenging watch. Garland has surrounded himself with an expert team, meaning the film is gorgeous to watch, despite its limited locations. Its look and its sounds are essential to its gripping tale of men and machines. Compelling, claustrophobic, cutting edge and clever, Ex Machina is as smart and satisfying as science fiction gets."

5. Inside Out

"If you’ve ever wondered what’s going on inside someone’s head, Pixar have created a wonderfully inventive answer in Inside Out. Back at the absolute top of their game, Pixar’s latest is fresh, funny and positively bursting with emotions from joy to sadness. Crammed full of ingenuity, it’s a film that has been sprung from the very best minds of Pixar. With its perfect blend of high concept idea with intimate themes, Inside Out is a new peak for the animation studio."

4. Coherence

"Coherence is inconceivably thrilling; a must see if you want your head scrambled by comets and quantum mechanics."

3. Amy

"To even the most hardened of critics, Amy is a heart wrenching reminder of the deceased star’s enormous talent, and an early contender for Best Documentary."

2. Wild Tales

"Wild Tales may not get ten out of ten for all of its six short stories, but with its dazzling direction and audacious storytelling, it is clearly the work of an exciting cinematic genius."

1. Mad Max: Fury Road

"Strap in, say goodbye to your fingernails and prepare for a white knuckle ride of epic proportions. Mad Max Fury Road is everything and more that you could hope for from an action film, and viewers will be left shaken from its incredible levels of vehicular mayhem. Director George Miller may have taken twenty years to get this to the screen but his efforts have paid off with a film that rushes by in a breathless barrage of explosions and insane stunts."

So that's me done. I'd love to know your own top 10s of the year at this point, or what you think of my own list. Drop me a comment if you're feeling conversational, argumentative, or simply depressed and need someone to talk to.

Saturday, 21 February 2015

2015 Oscar Predictions and Oscar Odds on the William Hill Podcast

I was invited back to give my predictions on what might be the big winners at the Oscars in 2015 on the William Hill Oscars Specials Podcast. I was invited on by Lee Phelps from William Hill last year and returned to give my opinions again this year. You can listen to the podcast below:

listen to ‘The Oscars Podcast: Friday February 20th’ on audioBoom

I've got too much riding on the Oscars now so I'm really hoping some of my predictions come true. My biggest bets are for Inarritu to win Best Director for Birdman and Boyhood to win Best Picture. I've also bet on a bunch of the favourites but I'm clearly not going to win much on them. If you want to have a gamble on the Oscars at William Hill, head here. There is loads of categories.

Tuesday, 27 January 2015

Screen Actors Guild Award Winners 2015

Over the weekend, we had the Producer's Guild Awards and the Screen Actor's Guild Awards announce their winners for the past year of film making. At the PGA's, the producers of Birdman, The Lego Movie, TV's Breaking Bad and Fargo won the big prizes while there was a fascinating spread of movies that won at the SGA's. Below I have listed the nominees (for the movie categories) and in bold are the winners. Not one movie had two winners, meaning that The Theory of Everything, Still Alice, Whiplash, Boyhood and Birdman all picked up awards. It's great to see all these films picking up something and it will be very interesting to see if this is repeated at the Oscars.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
STEVE CARELL Foxcatcher
BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH The Imitation Game
JAKE GYLLENHAAL Nightcrawler
MICHAEL KEATON Birdman
EDDIE REDMAYNE The Theory of Everything

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
JENNIFER ANISTON Cake
FELICITY JONES The Theory of Everything
JULIANNE MOORE Still Alice
ROSAMUND PIKE Gone Girl
REESE WITHERSPOON Wild

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
ROBERT DUVALL The Judge
ETHAN HAWKE Boyhood
EDWARD NORTON Birdman
MARK RUFFALO Foxcatcher
J.K. SIMMONS Whiplash

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
PATRICIA ARQUETTE Boyhood
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY The Imitation Game
EMMA STONE Birdman
MERYL STREEP Into the Woods
NAOMI WATTS St Vincent

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
BIRDMAN
BOYHOOD

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

THE IMITATION GAME

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

Birdman Review

Actor Riggan Thomas (Michael Keaton) once played iconic superhero Birdman, helping to usher in the age of comic book movie franchises that (to some) are the plague of modern multiplexes. Now, Riggan is washed up and putting all of his money into a Broadway adaptation of Raymond Carver’s short story ‘What We Talk About When We Talk About Love’. Demonstrating some strangely powerful telekinetic abilities, but struggling with voices in his head and a personal life in tatters, Riggan has days of previews to go before the opening night of his big Broadway comeback. With a new cast member in place, the arrogant and annoying Mike (Edward Norton), and a daughter fresh out of rehab (Emma Stone), Riggan faces challenges to his sanity both on and off the stage.

Birdman is as bonkers as its deluded, self-destructive main character. Don’t go in expecting a straightforward story of a struggling actor with ego issues trying to stage a comeback. Birdman is far more than that. It’s about actors and their issues, about critics and their power, and it’s about families and their complications. This is from the director who gave us 21 Grams and Biutiful so it deals with deep depression, but this time with plenty of harsh laughs to boot. The references to superhero movies come thick and fast at the start; Robert Downey Jr and Jeremy Renner are namechecked, while Keaton, Norton and Stone have all had their turns at superhero franchises in the past. Birdman is as ‘meta’ as films come, from the casting to the script to the fact that the music (which seems non-diegetic) is often being played by a randomly appearing drummer.

The character of Birdman is a constant shadow over Riggan, but he is also undoubtedly the reason for him being in the position he is. Being an adored superhero has had a lasting effect on Riggan, expanding his ego so much that he might be destined for the biggest fall of his career by trying to do something different and daring. Keaton is really put through the wringer by the script that tears apart these actors and their delusions of grandeur, but also explores their deep seated insecurities and desperation to be loved.

Birdman isn’t all about its whip smart dialogue though and Inarritu directs with a visceral mixture of simplicity and complexity. Long takes complement the fluid dialogue, while the drumming score and use of real locations keep things grounded, even as Riggan really starts to lose his mind. Unlike the superhero movies it rails against, Birdman is smart and requires way more than one sitting to fully appreciate its complexity. If only it could beat The Avengers at the box office in 2015.

Watch the trailer:

More recent reviews:

A Most Violent Year

Wild Review

Whiplash Review

Testament of Youth Review

The Theory of Everything Review

Into the Woods Review

American Sniper Review

Unbroken Review

Monday, 19 January 2015

35th LONDON CRITICS' CIRCLE FILM AWARDS WINNERS

FILM OF THE YEAR

Boyhood (Universal)

FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR

Leviathan (Curzon Artificial Eye)

BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR

Under the Skin (StudioCanal)

DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR

Citizenfour (Curzon Artificial Eye)

ACTOR OF THE YEAR

Michael Keaton - Birdman (Fox)

ACTRESS OF THE YEAR

Julianne Moore - Still Alice (Curzon Artificial Eye)

SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR

JK Simmons - Whiplash (Sony)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR

Patricia Arquette - Boyhood (Universal)

BRITISH ACTOR OF THE YEAR

Timothy Spall - Mr Turner (eOne)

BRITISH ACTRESS OF THE YEAR

Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl (Fox) & What We Did on Our Holiday (Lionsgate)

YOUNG BRITISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR

Alex Lawther - The Imitation Game (StudioCanal)

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

Richard Linklater - Boyhood (Universal)

SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR

Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel (Fox)

BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH FILMMAKER

Yann Demange - '71 (StudioCanal)

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Under the Skin - Mica Levi, score (StudioCanal)

DILYS POWELL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FILM

Miranda Richardson

TOP 10 FILMS of 2014

1. Boyhood

2. Birdman

3. Under the Skin

4. Whiplash

5. Mr Turner

6. Leviathan

7. The Grand Budapest Hotel

8. Ida

9. Nightcrawler

10. The Theory of Everything

Thursday, 15 January 2015

Oscar Nominees (Almost) Full List

The Oscar nominees for 2015 are in and here is almost the complete list. I'm sorry I missed some as Chris Pine particularly speaks far too quickly for me to make a note of all of these. I'll also have to update with some names at a later date. For now, please feel free to click any of the titles for my reviews (except those I have either not seen or reviewed yet).

BEST PICTURE

American Sniper

Birdman

Boyhood

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

Selma

The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

BEST DIRECTOR

Birdman Alejandro Inarritu

Boyhood Richard Linklater

Foxcatcher Bennett Miller