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Golden Globes Wrap

 

It shouldn’t come as any surprise to know that there were few surprises at the 2012 Golden Globe Awards.

 

I’m sorry but this always puzzles me.  Given the Hollywood Foreign Press consists of just 90 or so members, how are their choices so easy to predict?  Surely it would only take a few members to think differently from the wider consensus to cause an upset.  Or is their real goal not to honour who they think is best, but rather to position themselves as being the forecaster of the Academy Awards?

 

Here’s a quick list of the major winners:

 

Best Picture, Drama – The Descendants

Best Picture, Musical or Comedy – The Artist

Best Actor, Drama – George Clooney (The Descendants)

Best Actress, Drama – Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)

Best Actor, Musical or Comedy – Jean Dujardin (The Artist)

Best Actress, Musical or Comedy – Michelle Williams (My Week With Marilyn)

Best Supporting Actor – Christopher Plummer (Beginners)

Best Supporting Actress – Octavia Spencer (The Help)

Best Director – Martin Scorsese (Hugo)

Best Screenplay – Woody Allen (Midnight In Paris)

Best Foreign Language Film – A Separation
Best Animated Film – The Adventures Of Tin Tin

 

The only “upset” would appear to have been Martin Scorese’s best director win for Hugo.  Some had predicted it but the majority had sided with The Artist’s Michel Hazanavicius.

 

In terms of my own bets, I’d wagered $200 on Brad Pitt for Moneyball (at $5) and $200 on Viola Davis for The Help (at $3.25).  Both were defeated and I finished with a loss of $400.  I’m not too disappointed given I got good odds but I was confident that Davis would rain on the parade of Meryl Streep.  The Oscar race is still wide open in that category if you ask me.

 

The Artist has done itself no harm and is now on track to win the Academy Award for best picture.  Then again, we said this last year about The Social Network and it’s momentum was stopped once the Guild Awards were announced (and The King’s Speech made it’s charge).  We’ll see.

 

Ricky Gervais was a little disappointing as host.  He wasn’t as provocative as last year and he didn’t appear on stage all that often (aside from the opening monologue).  A few good quotes though…

 

Congratulations to all the nominees and all the winners... I hope you enjoy the goody bags and the champagne and the gold. I hope that took your mind off the recession for a little while.

 

It’s going well, isn’t it? You’re so much better than last year’s audience. They had a right stick up their a***.

 

I mustn’t mention Mel Gibson this year. Not his private life, his politics, his recent films and especially not Jodie Foster’s beaver. I haven’t seen it myself. I’ve spoke to a lot of guys here - they haven’t seen it either, but that doesn’t mean it’s not any good.

 

Tonight you get Britain’s biggest comedian hosting the world’s second biggest award show on America’s third biggest network. Sorry? Fourth? It’s fourth.

 

 

Golden Globes Competition

 

A big thanks to the 76 people who entered my Pick The Golden Globes competition.

 

It was a tight contest with no one getting a perfect score.  We had 6 entrants finish on a score of 5 out of 6.  They were Sam Dagan, Jimmy Orsag, Solo Fogg, Isabelle Laskari, Paul Nelson and Barry Rutherford.

 

It therefore came down the tie-breaker question – the age of the person who presented the award for best picture, drama.  Sam Dagan was spot on with his guess of 69 as that’s the current age of Harrison Ford.  Well done to Sam and I’ll talk to him soon about prizes.

Gary Oldman

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was one of the highlights of the Brisbane International Film Festival (there were two sold out sessions) and now it’s being released in cinemas across Australia.

 

I was lucky enough to secure a telephone interview with star Gary Oldman and he talked us through the filmmaking process.  He also gave us a sneak peak of what we’re in for with The Dark Knight Rises!

 

You can download a 2 minute audio extract of the interview by clicking here.

 

Here’s how the interview went down…

 

Matt:  There’s no doubt in my mind that Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is one of the best of this awards season and I couldn’t be more thrilled to say good morning to the star, Gary Oldman.  Gary, how are you?

 

Gary:  I’m very well, thank you.

 

Matt:  Were you a fan of spy books and movies growing up?

 

Gary:  Well I came to le Carré after the series was televised in 1979 but as a younger boy, I was a fan of James Bond and still am.

 

Matt:  But this is kind of like the reverse James Bond film as we see the life of a spy is a lonely, solitary existence?

 

Gary:  Yes.  Smiley is an anti-James Bond.  There are no martinis, no Aston Martins and it’s not Smiley who is promiscuous and jumping into bed with every girl who comes along but rather it’s his wife.  She’s out there playing the field.

 

Matt:  Do you get the chance to speak to any spies or those that worked for MI6 during the Cold War to get a feel for the era and their profession?

 

Gary:  Yes.  We had access to John le Carré himself as a resource.  He was available to speak to and John was part of MI6.  That said, everything you kind of need to know is in the novel, or I should say the three books which are under the umbrella of the Karla trilogy.  I didn’t have to work much outside of that and the odd conversation with John.

 

Matt:  Your portrayal of the character is a little bit different from Alec Guinness in the television series.  Did John le Carré give you any tips as to how the character should be played?

 

Gary:  Not really.  John gave us his blessing to do what we felt best.  The Guinness portrayal is a little more “school-masterly”, a little more “bookish”.  Guinness was nearly 70 when he played Smiley.  My Smiley is a little more virile and there’s an added cruelty when he needs to turn it on.  He’s a bit prickly.  I think Guinness was a little more huggable than me.

 

Matt:  Do you know if John has seen the final film and what he thinks of it?

 

Gary:  Oh he loved it!  He’d seen several versions of it in the early stages when director Tomas Alfredson was editing and putting it together.  He’s a real champion of the film and is thrilled with it.  We’ve got the old man’s blessing.

 

Matt:  You mentioned the director Tomas Alfredson and I know he described this character, George Smiley, as someone “you immediately forget if you saw him on the street”.  How is it for you playing such an ordinary guy who hardly says a word and maintains the same facial expressions throughout the whole film?

 

Gary:  It was a joy, really.  It was a relief to come into work, sit down in a chair and listen rather than playing someone who expresses himself emotionally in a physical way and bounces off the walls.  It was nice to let all the other people run around and let Tom Hardy to do some of the hard work.

 

Matt:  Did you have a bit of fun with your character’s look and the costume design.  I really liked the combed back hair, the nerdish glasses and the grey suit.

 

Gary:  Yeah.  The initial look of Smiley came from a photograph that Tomas had found of Graham Greene back in the late 1930s, looking rather suave in a mackintosh.  That was a starting point and my greying hair swept back is my little homage to Michael Redgrave.

 

Matt:  I know it’s director Tomas Alfredson’s first crack at an English language film.  What was he like to work with?

 

Gary:  He’s very prepared.  He’s very assured, very confident.  It was unusually quiet and focused on the set.  He’s got a great eye and a great vision.  Above anything else, he was a really decent bloke with a nice sense of humour.

 

I look back on this one with fondness because it was great to reconnect with some of those actors I worked with many, many years ago.  Particularly John Hurt who is superb in the film.  There are lovely performances from everyone really. 

 

Matt:  I know a lot of people talk about the fact you’ve never received an Academy Award nomination and hopefully that’s about to change.  I’m curious to know if that stuff means a lot to you?  The recognition in that regard?

 

Gary:  Let’s put it in this way – at least I’m in the race this year.  I do what I can to promote a movie but I don’t really push myself out there and campaign in that way.  I’ve never coveted an Oscar but I am promoting the film this time and it would be incredibly flattering if I were to receive a nomination.

 

Matt:  Well I hope you do get recognised.  I’d like to finish with one last question about the role you’ve become famous for in the new Batman franchise.  The Dark Knight Rises is going to be one of the biggest releases in 2012.  Can you give us an indication of what we’re in for?

 

Gary:  Of course I am absolutely sworn to secrecy about The Dark Knight Rises but I can say this much – it’s a fantastic story.  I don’t think Christopher Nolan would have made the third one just for the sake of it.  He really wanted to give us a great story to bring the trilogy to a close.  This promises to be a cracker.  A great epic piece.  Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to say any more.

 

Matt:  Well Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is going to give us plenty to talk about over the next few weeks anyway.  So I hope the film a great hit at the box-office here in Australia.  Thank you Gary for talking with us this morning.

 

Gary:  You are very welcome.  Thanks for having me.

 

You can read my review of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by clicking here.

 


The stars have aligned for filmgoers this week.  From recent memory, I can’t recall another week that has 5 cinema releases that could all be described as very good.  The Descendants, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Muppets, Hugo and The Secret World Of Arrietty are well worth seeing – the tricky part will be working out which one to see first!

 

Whilst I love watching great movies, it’s a little frustrating from a reviewer’s perspective.  There are many weeks when I’m struggling to find a film to talk about.  This time, my attention has been split and not all these films will get the promotion that they deserve.

 

I should point out that I finally got a chance to upload my video from the Toronto Film Festival where I spoke with Alexander Payne and George Clooney.  Check it out here...

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRrbjt_EaIE
   


Inspired by an idea from Sydney critic Mathieu Riviera (see here), I’ve decided to put together a list of the best movies of 2011 according to Brisbane-based film critics.

I rounded up those I run into regularly at film previews and asked them to submit their top 10 lists along with a few other details.

To come up with an overall top 10 list, I’m using a simple points system.  It is as follows:
   -
3 points – the top film on each list.
   -
2 points – the films ranked between 2nd and 5th on each list.
   -
1 point – the films ranked between 6th and 10th on each list.

If two films finished on the same score, the film that appeared on the most number of top 10 lists was ranked higher (as an indication of wider approval).

In the end, there was one clear stand out – Drive.  Despite more than 200 films being released in Brisbane cinemas throughout the year, Drive managed to make it on 10 of the 13 lists submitted.  Two critics, Sarah Ward and Rohan Williams, had it as their number one selection.  Garry Williams and Jason Reed also felt Ryan Gosling’s performance was the year’s best.

Taking second and third place were two of the more divisive films of the year – The Tree Of Life and Melancholia.  It’s interesting that all three movies featured prominently at the Cannes Film Festival back in May.  Drive won best director, The Tree Of Life won best film and Melancholia won best actress.

The overall top 10 featured a mix of genres.  It included a hilarious black comedy (The Guard), a sinister Spanish thriller (The Skin I Live In), a fun sci-fi action flick (Super 8), a riveting formula one documentary (Senna) and a disturbing real-life Australian drama (Snowtown).

If you haven’t seen any of these films, put them on your “to do list” for the new year.

On that note, here is the top 10 (well, there are actually 12 given the tie for 9th place) according to Brisbane critics for 2011…


Brisbane Film Critics - Top 10 Of 2011
 
1.
Drive
Ryan Gosling
2.
The Tree Of Life
3.
Melancholia
4.
Another Year
4.
The Guard
6.
The Skin I Live In
7.
Black Swan
8.
Super 8
9.
127 Hours
9.
Certified Copy
9.
Senna
9.
Snowtown

You can view a table of all the votes and final scores by clicking here.

A big thanks to all the critics who were able to contribute.  Hopefully we'll do it again next year!

You can check out information on all the Brisbane critics (along with their choices for the best and worst of 2011) below.





Matthew ToomeyMatthew Toomey
Born in Brisbane, Matt Toomey was introduced to the world of cinema when he landed a job at a video store fresh out of high school in 1995. A few years later, he started his own website and reviewed movies regularly on a community radio station. In 2005, he joined the team at 612ABC and can be heard reviewing the latest releases every Thursday on Brisbane’s highest rated breakfast program with Spencer Howson. He can also be heard nationally every second Sunday at 1:30pm on ABC Digital.
Website:   www.thefilmpie.com
Twitter:     @icestorm77

Top 10 Released Films:1.
Another Year
6.
Albert Nobbs

2.127 Hours
7.
Super 8

3.Senna
8.The Guard

4.The Skin I Live In
9.Rabbit Hole

5.Inside Job
10.
Drive

Top Unreleased Films:1.
Take This Waltz

2.The Descendants

3.50/50

4.The Artist

5.Tyrannosaur

Best Australian Film:Snowtown
Best Animated Film:
The Adventures Of Tintin
Best Documentary:Senna
Best Performance:Lesley Manville (Another Year)
Worst Film:I Don't Know How She Does It
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
Never Say Never
Another Year



Tim MilfullTim Milful
Tim Milfull is a Brisbane-based film critic and film academic who writes for The Independent, one of Australia’s last surviving independent newspapers, and Rave Magazine, Australia’s premier music street press publication. In early 2012, Tim will launch his film blog, drfrootloop.com, and will set to rest four years of agony when he graduates with his PhD in Creative Writing at QUT.
Website:   http://www.theindependent.com.au/tim-milfull.html
Twitter:     @milfull

Top 10 Released Films:1.
Snowtown
6.
The Guard

2.The Hunter
7.
Black Swan

3.Biutiful
8.This Is Not A Film

4.Burning Man 9.The Orator

5.The Skin I Live In 10.
How I Ended This Summer

Top Unreleased Films:1.
Arirang

2.I Wish

3.The Last Circus

4.The Yellow Sea

5.Goodbye

Best Australian Film:Snowtown
Best Animated Film:
Rango
Best Documentary:The Tall Man
Best Performance:Jafar Panahi (This Is Not A Film)
Worst Film:Jack & Jill
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
La Quattro Volte
Snowtown



Sarah WardSarah Ward
Sarah Ward is a freelance film critic, writer and festival devotee. Her written contributions can be found across a range of cinema, culture and festival websites including Arts Hub, Trespass Magazine, At The Cinema, KOFFIA, the Spanish Film Festival, SBS Film’s Social Review and her own site, Play/Pause. In addition, she has worked for a number of entertainment and arts organisations, including her current role at the Brisbane International Film Festival.
Website:   http://www.artshub.com.au     http://www.trespassmag.com
                   http://www.atthecinema.net     http://www.playslashpause.com
Twitter:     @swardplay

Top 10 Released Films:1.
Drive
6.
We Need To Talk About Kevin

2.Melancholia
7.
Take Shelter

3.The Tree Of Life
8.Black Swan

4.Senna9.Midnight In Paris

5.The Skin I Live In 10.
Never Let Me Go

Top Unreleased Films:1.
Hugo

2.Martha Marcy May Marlene

3.The Turin Horse

4.Tyrannosaur

5.A Separation

Best Australian Film:The Hunter
Best Animated Film:
Rango
Best Documentary:Senna
Best Performance:Michael Shannon (Take Shelter)
Worst Film:Battle: Los Angeles
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
The Lincoln Lawyer
Drive



Baz McAlisterBaz McAlister
Born in Northern Ireland and now a resident in sunny Brisbane, Baz McAlister is a freelance writer, columnist and copywriter with articles regularly published in The Courier Mail, The Sunday Mail and mX. He is also an arts writer for Time Off magazine where he reviews films regularly.
Website:   www.couriermail.com.au
Twitter:     @bazmcalister

Top 10 Released Films:1.
True Grit6.
Super 8

2.The Guard
7.
The Trip

3.127 Hours
8.Paul

4.Attack The Block 9.Source Code

5.Drive10.
The Inbetweeners Movie

Best Australian Film:Crawl
Best Animated Film:
Tangled
Best Documentary:Catfish
Best Performance:Brendan Gleeson (The Guard)
Worst Film:Green Hornet
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
Fast Five
True Grit



Des PartridgeDes Patridge
Des Partridge's career began in the 1950s where he wrote essays for The Sunday Mail's children section. He arrived at The Courier Mail a few years later and started writing film reviews on a regular basis in 1973. His first review was The Murder On The Orient Express. Retiring in 2010, Des still gets to the movies on a regular basis and you follow his opinions through his Twitter feed.
Website:   n/a
Twitter:     @DesPartridge

Top 10 Released Films:1.
The Tree Of Life
6.
The Skin I Live In

2.Incendies
7.
Midnight In Paris

3.Snowtown
8.Rabbit Hole

4.Bridesmaids 9.The Conspirator

5.Win Win
10.
Moneyball

Best Australian Film:Snowtown
Best Animated Film:
Arthur Christmas
Best Documentary:Senna
Best Performance:Daniel Henshall (Snowtown) & Brad Pitt (Moneyball, The Tree Of Life)
Worst Film:I Don't Know How She Does It & New Year's Eve
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
Snowtown
The Tree Of Life



Rohan WilliamsRohan Williams
Rohan Williams is the Deputy Editor of Queensland institution Scene Magazine and Editor of Junior Magazine, a monthly A5 glossy.
Website:   http://www.junioronline.com.au     http://www.scenemagazine.com.au
Twitter:     @junior_magazine   @scene_magazine

Top 10 Released Films:1.
Drive
6.
Bridesmaids

2.Thor
7.
Warrior

3.War Horse
8.Moneyball

4.Super 8 9.X-Men: First Class

5.127 Hours 10.
Mission: Impossible 4

Top Unreleased Films:1.
The Muppets

2.Hobo With A Shotgun

3.Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

4.The Fab Five

5.Crawl

Best Australian Film:The Hunter
Best Animated Film:
The Adventures Of Tintin
Best Documentary:The Fab Five
Best Performance:James Franco (127 Hours)
Worst Film:Burke & Hare
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
Fright Night
Drive



David Edwards
David Edwards is the editor and film critic for The Blurb, a website that provides the latest news and reviews for arts entertainment in Australia.
Website:   http://www.theblurb.com.au/
Twitter:     n/a

Top 10 Released Films:1.
Anonymous
6.
Midnight In Paris

2.Black Swan
7.
Drive

3.Melancholia
8.Never Let Me Go

4.The Guard 9.Rabbit Hole

5.The Ides Of March 10.
The Debt

Top Unreleased Films:1.
Freakonomics

Best Australian Film:Red Dog
Best Animated Film:
The Adventures Of Tintin
Best Performance:Bredan Gleeson (The Guard)
Worst Film:The Change Up
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
Horrible Bosses
Anonymous



Michael DaltonMichael Dalton
Michael Dalton is the editor and film critic for the "Screen" section of M/C Reviews.
Website:   http://reviews.media-culture.org.au/
Twitter:     n/a

Top 10 Released Films:1.
The Tree Of Life
6.
Melancholia

2.The Skin I Live In 7.
Another Year

3.The Guard
8.Snowtown

4.Drive9.Warrior

5.Of Gods And Men 10.
Catfish

Top Unreleased Films:1.
I Saw The Devil

2.All Good Things

3.Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

4.Take Shelter

5.I Wish

Best Australian Film:Snowtown
Best Animated Film:
The Adventures Of Tintin
Best Documentary:Cane Toads: The Conquest
Best Performance:Lesley Manville (Another Year)
Worst Film:Red Dog
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
Green Lantern
The Tree Of Life



Garry WilliamsGarry Williams
For the past 19 years, Garry Williams has been the host of the radio program ‘Film Club’ on 4ZZZ-FM which goes to air every Thursday from 6 to 7pm.  He has also written occasional reviews for Rave magazine over the past 16 years.
Website:   n/a
Twitter:     n/a

Top 10 Released Films:1.
13 Assassins6.
Drive

2.The Ides Of March
7.
Another Year

3.Hanna
8.Source Code

4.Black Swan 9.Moneyball

5.Contagion 10.
The Tree Of Life

Top Unreleased Films:1.
Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within

2.A Separation

3.Revenge: A Love Story

4.Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey

5.Comic-Con Episode Four: A Fan's Hope

Best Australian Film:Oranges And Sunshine
Best Animated Film:
Puss In Boots
Best Documentary:Inside Job
Best Performance:Ryan Gosling (Drive)
Worst Film:Wasted On The Young
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
Fast Five
13 Assassins



David FarakerDavid Faraker
David is a full-time student at the University of Queensland working on an Honours thesis about music in contemporary film and television musicals and melodramas. When he’s not procrastinating from this by reading his favourite film critics or listening to soundtracks, he is the editor of the movie review website The 500 Club, as well as a regular contributor. He is also an announcer on 4ZZZ’s (102.1FM) Film Club program every Thursday night from 6pm.
Website:   http://500.the400club.org/
Twitter:     @SindgeonSmythe

Top 10 Released Films:1.
Melancholia
6.
Contagion

2.Another Year
7.
Warrior

3.The Tree Of Life
8.Inside Job

4.Tangled 9.Certified Copy

5.Senna 10.
Project Nim

Top Unreleased Films:1.
Tomboy

2.Weekend

3.Elena

4.The Trouble With St Mary's

5.The Kid With The Bike

Best Australian Film:Mrs Carey's Concert
Best Animated Film:
Tangled
Best Documentary:Senna
Best Performance:Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia)
Worst Film:Wasted On The Young
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
Never Say Never
Melancholia



Alexeem BoyleAlexeem Boyle
Alexeem Boyle is also an announcer on 4ZZZ’s (102.1FM) Film Club program every Thursday night from 6pm and writes regular reviews for the website The 500 Club. She is currently studying film & television at The University of Queensland.
Website:   http://500.the400club.org/
Twitter:     n/a

Top 10 Released Films:1.
The Tree Of Life
6.
Win Win

2.Melancholia
7.
Another Year

3.Certified Copy
8.Beginners

4.Meek's Cutoff 9.We Need To Talk About Kevin

5.Drive10.
Warrior

Top Unreleased Films:1.
Dogtooth

2.Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

3.Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene

4.Take Shelter

5.How To Die In Oregon

Best Australian Film:Mrs Carey's Concert
Best Animated Film:
Tangled
Best Documentary:Tabloid
Best Performance:Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia)
Worst Film:Snowtown
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
Red State
The Tree Of Life



Jason ReedJason Reed
Jason Reed has a passion/obsession for film. He is also a screenwriter and film reviewer for QLD Street Press, The 400 Club (TV) & The 500 Club (Film).
Website:   http://500.the400club.org/
Twitter:     @jprfilm

Top 10 Released Films:1.
Certified Copy
6.
The Guard

2.Melancholia
7.
Attack The Block

3.Drive8.Red State

4.Super 8
9.Submarine

5.Barney's Version
10.
Black Swan

Top Unreleased Films:1.
Tyrannosaur

2.Rabies

3.Take Shelter

4.Martha Marcy May Marlene

Best Australian Film:Mad Bastards
Best Animated Film:
Puss In Boots
Best Documentary:This Is Not A Film
Best Performance:Ryan Gosling (Drive)
Worst Film:Sucker Punch
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
Bridesmaids
Certified Copy



Peter TaggartPeter Taggart
Peter Taggart is a writer and film critic for Rave Magazine, a theatre critic for ArtsHub and sporadically pens short memoirs for his blog, On The Verge of Compassion.
Website:   http://www.petertaggart.com/
Twitter:     @petertaggart

Top 10 Released Films:1.
True Grit
6.
Drive

2.We Need To Talk About Kevin
7.
The Ides Of March

3.Biutiful8.Submarine

4.Bridesmaids 9.Black Swan

5.Midnight In Paris
10.
Another Year

Top Unreleased Films:1.
Higher Ground

Best Australian Film:Snowtown
Best Animated Film:
The Adventures Of Tintin
Best Documentary:Inside Job
Best Performance:Tilda Swinton (We Need To Talk About Kevin)
Worst Film:Big Momma's Boy
Most Surprised To Enjoy:
Moneyball
True Grit