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Interview With Tom Hooper, Director Of The King's Speech
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- Written by Matthew Toomey
I published my best and worst list for 2010 in last week’s blog as I’ve got something special to finish off the year.
The pick of the Boxing Day releases in Australia this year is The King’s Speech. It’s a fantastic movie about King George VI who overcame a stuttering problem thanks to the help of an unorthodox Australian speech therapist named Lionel Logue.
The King’s Speech topped the list of nominations at the Golden Globe Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards last week. It’s in line for several Academy Award nominations and Colin Firth is a very warm favourite for the best actor Oscar (which is great news).
I was lucky enough to speak with the director of the film, Tom Hooper, while was recently in Australia at the Sydney premiere.
You can download an abbreviated podcast of the interview (which runs for about 10 minute) in my special podcast section. Just click here.
Here then, is what Tom Hooper had to say…
Matt: I believe you have an Australian connection in that your mother was Australian. Is that right?
Tom: Yeah, my mother is Australian. She’s from Adelaide, like Lionel Logue. So I’m half-Australian, half-English and I’ve got both passports. I’ve been coming here regularly since I was 6 years old and we actually have a family house in South Australia.
The thing that drew me to this story was that for a long time, I’ve wanted to find a film or a story that deals with my anglo-Australian heritage and that very particular relationship that the Aussies have with the English. This seemed like the perfect vehicle for that. What could be a better study of that relationship than the Australian speech therapist who effectively saved the King of England from his dreadful stammer.
Matt: Well you’ve got two of our finest actors on board – Geoffrey Rush and Guy Pearce. Geoffrey Rush is the actor who plays Lionel Logue. How did you get him? How did you get this script under his nose?
Tom: The story has almost become a legend. This film started as an unproduced play that a tiny theatre in north London was trying to produce. They had an assistant who was Australian who happened to have once delivered a package to Geoffrey Rush. So they dropped off this play script in a brown paper envelope on Geoffrey’s Melbourne doorstep with an unsolicited note saying “Dear Mr Rush, you don’t know us but would you do our play?”
Most actors in that scenario would probably throw it in the bin but Geoffrey read it and rang his agent in Hollywood to say that he wouldn’t do it as a play but he’d love to do it as a movie. So Geoffrey was in right from the beginning, saw it as a film right from the beginning and he became an executive producer of the movie, such was his passion and commitment to getting it made.
Matt: We’ll have all screenwriters using that strategy now I think?
Tom: (laughs) I know, I know. We all occasionally get shoved an envelope with an unsolicited script. Now, I live in paranoia that it’s going to be the next King’s Speech and that I should read it after all.
Matt: When I saw the movie I thought it was based on a book but I now know it’s an original screenplay from David Seidler…
Tom: David actually had a severe stammer as a child and he used to listen to King George VI on the radio during the second World War and think well, if the King of England can cope then maybe there’s hope for me. So King George VI was David’s boyhood hero and when he became a writer, he dreamed of writing about the King.
I think he made his first attempt as a student and it was only after he wrote Tucker (in 1988) for Francis Ford Coppola that he then turned to this passion project. He tracked down Valentine Logue, who is the son of Lionel living in London and Valentine said that you’ll need to get permission from the Palace first. David wrote to the Queen Mother who wrote back saying “please, not in my lifetime as the memory of these events is still too painful.” So David waited… not realising that the Queen Mother was going to live until she was 101.
Matt: Are there other people that you could speak with who had a really strong knowledge of King George and Lionel Logue?
Tom: The real stroke of luck we had was that 9 weeks before the shoot, my production design team tracked down the grandson of Lionel Logue who was living in London, 10 minutes from where I live. In his attic was a hand written diary account of Lionel Logue’s relationship with the King of England as well as load of papers and the original medical report cards describing the King’s flabby tummy and weak diaphragm.
It was a treasure trove of information and we set about furiously rewriting the script to ensure we made the most of it. A couple of the best lines in the movie were written by King George VI and Lionel Logue. For example, there’s a big speech that the King makes and Lionel turns to him at the end and says “you still stammered on the letter w”. And the King says “well I had to throw in a few so they knew it was me.”
Matt: (laughs) And that’s actually in the diaries?
Tom: Yeah. Geoffrey said that it’s a line worthy of Groucho Marx it’s so hilarious. In the audience at the premiere last night in Sydney it received a great roar of laughter.
Matt: Geoffrey Rush brings a bit of comedy to the film with his unusual method and odd sense of humour. Was the real Lionel Logue like that?
Tom: Yeah. Amongst his papers were reams of jokes which he collected. From that and from some of the conversations he transcribed, we know he understood the power of humour to relax people. I as a director know that too. Often on set during a stressful day, someone cracks a joke and it makes the crew relax and more importantly, make the actors relax before a big moment.
I understand the power of humour to overcome people’s stress and for Lionel, this was a key part of his therapy. It’s not something we put in the film to chase a gag. We also know from the diaries that the King was pretty witty. It’s made the film very funny and one of the surprises for people who hear this film pitched is how funny it actually is.
Matt: It was certainly a surprise for me – another reason why I loved it so much. Let’s talk about the casting. We’ve got Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter. When you’re casting these people do you have to think about whether they bear any resemblance to the real people or is it something that you can leave in the hands of the make up artists?
Tom: Oh no, I agonised about that. In fact, I hesitated casting Colin Firth because he’s a big, strapping lad of 6’2” and the real King was small, slight and kind of frail looking. Colin has quite a broad face and the King has a narrow face. In the end, I felt that personality was more significant and that there was a strong spiritual connection between Colin and the King. The King is nice to his core, he’s a humble man, he’s a gentle man and that’s what Colin Firth is. He’s nice to the core of his being and there’s not a maligned bone in Colin’s body. He’s got tremendous humility, he’s very gentle and he’s got a great moral compass. I felt his gentleness was more important because the character connection between the two people was more important that the physical connection.
The physical side we were able to work on however. I worked on Colin’s body language so that when he sits in a chair he kind of shrinks into it and it makes him look smaller. I shot him in ways sometimes where there’s lots of head room in the frame so he feels overpowered, diminutive in the shot. Luckily it was not like playing Winston Churchill where everyone knows exactly what he looks like. The younger generation would have to look King George up which gives us a little freedom.
As for Helena Bonham Carter, I think she was a very good match for the Queen Mother. She doesn’t look exactly like her but she has a wonderful spirit which so captures the real Queen Mother.
Actually, one of the actors who looked most like the real person was Guy Pearce playing Edward VIII. Guy has that real Windsor look with a narrow face. He’s got that charisma that Edward VIII had. It’s a tough call if you cast Colin Firth as the shy, less attractive, less charismatic brother, who on earth do you cast to be more good looking and more charismatic? Guy Pearce is one of the few actors in the world who fit the bill and could also nail this extraordinary 1930s English accent.
Matt: You just touched on the setting in the 1930s. Was that easy to recreate with the advent of cars, radios, gramophones? Was it a lot to pull off?
Tom: I live in London and I last filmed at home in 2003 directing Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect. Since then, I’ve had to recreate London abroad. I’ve recreated London in Vilnius, Lithuania, in Richmond, Virginia, in Cape Town, South Africa, and in Budapest, Hungary. I finally got to recreate London in London for The King’s Speech and it really works. It’s a lot simpler than recreating it somewhere abroad.
The truth is that we used a lot of locations. We only needed one set and much of old London still exists.
Matt: Do you know if the Queen or anyone else within the monarchy has had a chance to see the film?
Tom: Not to my knowledge. We still don’t know if the Queen has watched The Queen and if she has, what she thought. The reality is that I may never know if the Queen will watch this film but I hope she does and I hope she sees that it’s a very nice portrait of her father.
Matt: I noticed there were a few scenes where the King was interacting with his young daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret. Was that to give people a bit of context?
Tom: Yeah. After all, the current Queen is in the film and this is a film about the Queen’s father so it’s terribly important that people have that context and understand how close this history was. It’s only because King George VI passed away so incredibly young at the age of 57 from smoking related illnesses that he didn’t reach into our time more. Of course, the Queen Mother only passed away recently and she is beloved and known by many more people because of her extraordinary longevity.
Matt: I’m a big Oscar buff and I know there’s always this hype around this time of the year. People have been talking about The King’s Speech ever since it won at the Toronto Film Festival. Does winning awards and maybe going to the Oscars excite you or do you try not to get caught up in all of that?
Tom: It’s impossible not to get caught up in what people are saying. Since the Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals we’ve had this great response. Playing in Sydney for the first time last night was a real thrill and again, it seems to have gone down extremely well.
I just keep focused on the things that have already happened. I’m so thrilled that we won the audience award at Toronto. Out of the 400 films that showed there, this was the public’s vote of their favourite movie and we were honoured to get it. So I think there’s a lot to be pleased about without evening looking ahead.
Matt: I’ll finish up by saying it’s the end of the year and there are many top 10 lists floating about. I’d love to know from your perspective, with your great director eye, what are some of the other films that you really enjoyed during 2010?
Tom: Oh, gosh. I liked Darren Aronofsky’s film, Black Swan. I liked David Fincher’s film, The Social Network. I haven’t seen the new Coen brothers film, True Grit.
I’m a little bit behind to be honest. I’ve got all the screeners sitting at home so Christmas is going to be a film festival for me catching up on all these movies.
Matt: I can understand you’re very busy at the moment promoting your own film?
Tom: Yes. Sadly, watching films and promoting films doesn’t seem to go hand in hand.
Matt: Well it is a fantastic movie. I think it is one of the year’s best and you can put that quote on the film’s poster if you want. It’s out here on Boxing Day and Tom Hooper, thanks very much for joining us this morning.
Tom: An absolute pleasure. It’s been great to talk to you.
Honouring The Top & Bottom 10 Movies Of 2010
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- Written by Matthew Toomey
Not including film festivals, I’ve only seen 191 films in 2010. That may sound like a lot but it’s way down on previous years. The total was 235 last year. As per my database, it’s the smallest number of releases we’ve seen in Brisbane since 2002.
The field is a little thinner but there’s always room to find a top 10 and bottom 10 for the year. It’s one of my favourite tasks. It’s just a neat way of encapsulating the year of cinema. Such lists are also fun to debate too. I like looking at other critics to see which films they ranked highly.
Before I get to the class of 2010, I should quickly reflect on those films which have topped my list over the past 15 years. It’s hard to believe that I’ve been doing this so long. It seems like only yesterday that I was raving about Romeo & Juliet. On that note, here we go…
1996 – Romeo & Juliet (runners up: Leaving Las Vegas and Fargo)
1997 – Titanic (runners up: The Ice Storm and The People Vs. Larry Flynt)
1998 – The Sweet Hereafter (runners up: Saving Private Ryan and Mulan)
1999 – Being John Malkovich (runners up: Gods & Monsters and Election)
2000 – Billy Elliot (runners up: Magnolia and American Beauty)
2001 – Requiem For A Dream (runners up: Traffic and The Fellowship Of The Ring)
2002 – Mulholland Drive (runners up: Ghost World and Gosford Park)
2003 – Chicago (runners up: The Quiet American and Spellbound)
2004 – Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (runners up: Elephant and 21 Grams)
2005 – Million Dollar Baby (runners up: Sideways and Good Night & Good Luck).
2006 – Capote (runners up: United 93 and The Departed)
2007 – The Lives Of Others (runners up: No Country For Old Men and Zodiac)
2008 – Juno (runners up: Persepolis and There Will Be Blood)
2009 – The Wrestler (runners up: Avatar and Revolutionary Road)
You can view all of my past top and bottom 10 lists by clicking here.
Worst Films Of 2010
Let’s get rid of the bad stuff first. We’ll call this a “venting” exercise for me. It’s healthy to get it off my chest…
10. The Last Airbender was terrible. It's about a young boy who has the power to control air. He will use it as a weapon to defeat an army of "firebenders" who threaten to take over the world. This story is poorly told. It's hard to work out what's going on. Further, the dialogue is laughable. The only positive would be James Newton Howard's film score.
9. The Spy Next Door was a boring family flick starring Jackie Chan as a CIA agent trying to catch bad guys (who all seem to have Russian accents). He has to keep all this a secret though from his girlfriend and her three kids. The stunts were lame (so obvious they're not hitting each other) and the storyline has a "seen it all before" feel. Not my thing.
8. Cop Out
7. South Solitary may well be the most boring Australian film ever made. Set in the 1920s, it's about a middle aged woman who goes with her uncle to a small island to help run the lighthouse. Sound appealing? Nothing happens in this movie and I suspect no one is going to see it.
6. Charlie St. Cloud was awful. Zac Efron has potential as an actor but this was horrendous. I didn't feel a single emotion (well, maybe relief on leaving the cinema) during its 99 minutes. I've heard the book is worth a read but it definitely doesn't translate onto the big screen.
5. Heartbreakers was a ludicrous romantic comedy about a French guy who gets paid to seduce women so that they’re break up with their dodgy boyfriends. Two friends help him gather info on his poor victims. I hated the leading characters and this doesn’t have a single shred of believability.
4. Resident Evil: Afterlife was must see viewing... as it meant that I only needed for find 9 more films for my worst of the year list.
3. Vampires Suck well, um, sucked! If you think that joke is lame, wait until you see this pathetic excuse for a movie. You have been warned.
2. The Bounty Hunter
1. Sex & The City 2 was, without a doubt, the worst film of the year. Was there a plot? I couldn't have cared less for these superficial women and their petty problems. It's such a burden having to fly economy instead of first class. Don't forget about the troubles that come with owning two beautiful apartments in New York City. Boo hoo!
Best Films Of 2010
It terms of my top 10, those just missing out (but still getting a certificate of commendation) are Machete, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Hurt Locker, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Winter’s Bone, Toy Story 3, How To Train Your Dragon, Animal Kingdom, Winter’s Bone, Food Inc and Precious. They were all great films and I wanted to make sure they received some recognition.
For my last show on 612ABC, we went through this list (with one small change) and took feedback from callers. It was nice to see a lot of love for Inception. You can download the podcast by clicking here.
On that note, my top 10 films of 2010 are…
10. The Secret In Their Eyes is an Argentinean film which won the Oscar for best foreign language movie. The story of a justice agent trying to solve a long-running case about a murdered woman. With believable twists and some fantastic conversations, this is a must-see for anyone who enjoys a good crime thriller.
9. The King’s Speech is about King George VI and how he overcame a stuttering problem to help unite Great Britain during World War II. This interesting story is brought to the life thanks for the great performances of Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. Excellent stuff.
8. I Am Love
7. Up In The Air and moving, this is one of the year's best. Plenty to think about.
6. The Stoning Of Soraya M is the powerful true story of an Iranian woman who was stoned to death in 1986 after being falsely accused of adultery. It brutally highlights the oppression of women in Iran. Shohreh Aghdashloo gives an incredible performance. The film finished 3rd in the audience vote at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival (behind Slumdog Millionaire).
5. Scott Pilgrim Vs The World is a fantastic comedy about a young guy who, to win the heart of a girl, must defeat her 7 evil exes. This is cute, funny and creative. Director Edgar Wright (Shaun Of The Dead) has pulled off a big ask - crafting an original rom-com. Michael Cera is perfect in the lead role. Plenty of legitimate laugh out loud moments. I loved this.
4. A Single Man
3. The Social Network has been hyped as one of the best films of the year... and I can't help but agree. It's fantastic. I enjoyed learning how Facebook was created but much more interesting is the way in which Mark Zuckerberg is portrayed. Is he a sociopath or is he just misunderstood? Much to think about.
2. Crazy Heart is the story of an alcoholic country 'n' western singer trying to revive his sagging career. A young woman then enters his life, offering a chance at a fresh start. With a brilliant performance by Jeff Bridges, this is a wonderfully told drama with a superb soundtrack.
1. Inception is the most intelligent action film you will ever see. How can I describe the complex storyline? I won't even try. Words do it no justice. This is a film which can only be experienced... multiple times! Writer-director Christopher Nolan has created a remarkable fantasy world. Incredible story, incredible visuals, incredible score.
I hope you find a few films on the above top 10 list worth checking out over the Christmas break. As I always say though, the only thing more fun that agreeing about a movie… is disagreeing. I’m always up for a healthy debate. Name the time and place. :)
Hits & Misses At The 2010 Box-Office
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- Written by Matthew Toomey
The film year is coming to an end and in a few weeks I’ll publish my list of the top 10 and bottom 10 films of the year. If you’re really keen, you can hear me speak about them on 612ABC with Spencer Howson this Thursday morning 6:50am. We’re still the highest rated breakfast show in Brisbane (note: shameless plug).
We’ve all got different opinions when it comes to movies and no two lists of favourites will ever be the same. Part of the fun of top 10 lists is that they generate debate and discussion.
This week, I thought I’d look back at which films were the big winners and losers at the box-office in the United States. This statistics are often a guide as to what the public felt about these movies as a whole. A film may be critically loved but if it doesn’t pull in dollars from the public, then it isn’t a good sign. Let’s get to it…
WINNERS
Toy Story 3
If you’re asked about the highest grossing film of 2010, then the answer is Toy Story 3. This franchise has been huge. The original Toy Story was the highest grossing film of 1995 and the sequel was the 3rd highest of 1999. It may have been more than 10 years since that last film but it didn’t stop the public turning up in masses. It finished with $415m for the year. If you want to take into account international ticket sales, it clocked it at just over $1 billion. Does anyone dare bet that they won’t make another one?
Alice In Wonderland
I didn’t think much of it but Alice In Wonderland was the second highest grossing film of the year with a take of $334m. It’s easily Tim Burton’s most successful movie. Also unusual is that the film came out back in March – traditionally a quiet time at the cinema. I’m sure a lot of people were attracted by the 3D (with all the hype post Avatar) which contributed to its additional ticket sales.
Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2 was the highest grossing film for the year which wasn’t shot in 3D. That’s worth noting because the ticket prices aren’t as high. It opened the run of summer blockbusters and finished with a solid $312m. That’s just a dash under what the original took in back in 2008. It’s just more proof that Robert Downey Jr is as popular as ever.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
I have to call this film a success based on the fact it grossed $300m. It showed a lot more stamina than I thought it would. Twilight: New Moon opened with a ridiculous $142m over the Thankgiving Day long weekend in 2009 but could only end up with $296m. Twilight: Eclipse opened with a much smaller $83m but managed to surpass the total of its predecessor. With the last book to be split into two films (Harry Potter style), this series is set to make a lot, lot, lot more money.
Inception
It’s my favourite film of the year so far and I’m glad to see post a healthy total of $292m given there were many people who didn’t like it. I’m sure it benefited from those who saw it multiple times in an attempt to try to understand it.
Despicable Me
It had an odd premise but Despicable Me was perhaps the surprise animation success of the year. It cost just $69m and took in $249m. That’s not a bad return on investment. In comparison, Shrek 4 made $238m on a $150m budget and How To Train Your Dragon made $217m on a $165m budget.
The Karate Kid
I’m not often a fan of remakes but I really enjoyed this new version of The Karate Kid. It seems many others did as well. It finished with $176m at the box-office. With a rumoured budget of around $35-$40m, that’s an excellent result. Also impressive is that it doesn’t feature a big name star (with all due respect to Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith).
Jackass 3D
At a cost of around $20m, Jackass 3D has pulled in around $117m at the box-office. That’s pretty amazing when you consider their last film made just $18m.
LOSERS
Jonah Hex
We weren’t “treated” to it here in Brisbane but Jonah Hex (starring Josh Brolin, John Malkovich and Megan Fox) cost a reported $47m but could only manage a meagre $10m at the box-office. It’s even worse when you consider that it opened on 2,825 screens. I’d hate to see the per screen average.
Extraordinary Measures
Another film we missed here in Australia was Extraordinary Measures with Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford. Both of these guys could use a hit but it certainly didn’t come from this flick. At a cost of just over $30m, it only pulled it $11m from the paying public. To make matters worse, both actors featured in other underperforming films. Furry Vengeance (with Fraser) and Morning Glory (with Ford) both failed to recover their costs within the United States.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Nicolas Cage. He can be so good (Leaving Las Vegas) and yet he can be so bad (Ghost Rider). This one fell into the later category. The budget was $150m and the take was a dismal $63m.
The A-Team
Television remakes don’t always work. The A-Team is proof of that. It cost a hefty $110m but it’s total local take was just $77m. The good news (since I didn’t like the film) is that there won’t be a sequel.
Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time
This also looks like being another one film series. The attraction of Jake Gyllenhaal wasn’t enough to get bums on seats. At a ridiculous cost of $200m, it took in a meagre $90m.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
It pains me to include Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World on this list. It’s one of my top 10 films of the year but with a $60m budget and a gross in the United States of just $31m, I think I was in the minority with my love. Sad to see.
The Wolfman
How did this film cost $150m to make? I have no idea but that’s what the Internet Movie Database is telling me. It had very few fans and the $61m box-office reflects that. Not a good one for Universal.
Robin Hood
Australia’s leading actors struggled to find their feet in 2010. Robin Hood (starring Russell Crowe) could only pull in $105m on a budget of $200m. Just as poor was Mel Gibson in Edge Of Darkness (budget of $60m, gross of $43m). Perhaps Hugh Jackman did the right thing by laying low – he released no films in 2010.
Knight & Day
Once upon a time, if you put Tom Cruise in a movie, it was a guaranteed winner. It’s kind of like Will Smith and Robert Downey Jr are today. Times have changed however. Knight & Day made only $76m against a cost of $117m. Where will Mr Cruise go from here?
It’s worth pointing out that the profitability of some films can’t necessarily be judged from their box-office. It’s often a good indicator but there are some films which might do a little better than expected overseas or on video. Without a neat profit & loss statement sitting in front of me for each film, it’s hard to know for sure what return the investors got on their money.
I should also note that the above costs are usually for the film only – they don’t include marketing costs and studio overheads. When you look at the size of those budgets, it makes you realise just how expensive some films are.
Saddle Up! The 2010 Awards Season Is About To Begin
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- Written by Matthew Toomey
The festivals have been held. The screeners have been sent. The advertisements have been printed. The critics have reviewed. The bloggers have speculated. The 2010 awards season is about to begin.
This Friday morning (Brisbane time), the National Board of Review in the United States will announce their winners. It will set off a chain of critics awards (Los Angeles and New York being the most significant) which will then lead into the Golden Globes and the many guild awards. By January 25, the field will have been thinned and the Oscar nominations will be revealed. We then wait until February 27 to find out who takes home the precious gold statue.
If you’re looking to hear what’s going on during the Oscars race, the sites I check most regularly is Awards Daily - http://www.awardsdaily.com. Also great is the Awards Tracker at the Los Angeles Times - http://entertainment.latimes.com/awards/.
Each year, I throw my own thoughts into the ring with my pre-season thoughts. Of the 10 films I predicted last year, 6 went on to earn a best picture nomination at the Oscars. It can be tricky speculating so early in the game (especially as I haven’t seen many of the films) but I’ll do my best.
Before I get to my thoughts, here’s a look at the films which are currently in contention for one of the coveted 10 slots in the best picture race. It’s interesting in that many of these films have already been released. Usually, a flood of “Oscar quality” releases come through at the end of the year – but that doesn’t look to be the case this time.
Here are the contenders already released in Australia (with my grading in brackets)…
The Social Network (A), Inception (A+), Toy Story 3 (A-), The Kids Are All Right (B), Winter’s Bone (A-), The Town (A-).
The films which we can look forward to over the next few months are (with a blurb from the IMBD). I’ve listed them in their order of release…
The King’s Speech
Release Date In Australia: 26 December 2010
Director: Tom Hooper
Starring: Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Geoffrey Rush
Plot Overview Per IMDB: The story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it..
Black Swan
Release Date In Australia: 13 January 2011
Director: Darren Aronofsky (The Wrester, Requiem For A Dream)
Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Vassel
Plot Overview Per IMDB: A thriller that zeros in on the relationship between a veteran ballet dancer and a rival.
True Grit
Release Date In Australia: 20 January 2011
Director: Ethan & Joel Coen (No Country For Old Men, Fargo)
Starring: Matt Damon, Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Hailee Steinfeld
Plot Overview Per IMDB: A tough U.S. Marshal helps a stubborn young woman track down her father's murderer.
The Fighter
Release Date In Australia: 26 January 2011
Director: David O. Russell (Three Kings)
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo
Plot Overview Per IMDB: A look at the early years of boxer "Irish" Micky Ward and his brother who helped train him before going pro in the mid 1980s.
Another Year
Release Date In Australia: 26 January 2011
Director: Mike Leigh (Secrets & Lies, Topsy-Turvy)
Starring: Jim Broadbent, Ruth Sheen, Lesley Manville
Plot Overview Per IMDB: A married couple who have managed to remain blissfully happy into their autumn years, are surrounded over the course of the four seasons of one average year by friends...
127 Hours
Release Date In Australia: 10 February 2011
Director: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Starring: James Franco, Amber Tamblyn, Kate Mara
Plot Overview Per IMDB: A mountain climber becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive.
The Way Back
Release Date In Australia: 3 March 2011
Director: Peter Weir (The Truman Show, Master & Commander)
Starring: Colin Farrell, Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris
Plot Overview Per IMDB: A fact-based story centered on soldiers who escaped from a Siberian gulag in 1940.
As you can seen, it’s not a very long list.
Given that I’ve had the chance to see around 50% of the contenders, my picks for the best picture category are:
The Social Network, The King’s Speech, Inception, Black Swan, Toy Story 3, The Fighter, True Grit, 127 Hours, The Kids Are All Right and Another Year.
As for the winner? I’m going with The King’s Speech at this point in time. It won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival and that’s too hard for me to ignore (as much as I admired Inception and The Social Network). I can’t wait to see it.
I haven’t analysed the acting races in a lot of detail but here’s the word on the street…
Best Actor
Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) is a much loved actor and this appears to be his year. I can see the only dangers coming from youngsters – James Franco (127 Hours) or Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network).
Best Actress
This is shaping up as a two horse race – the overdue Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right) and the always amazing Natalie Portman (Black Swan). The list of outsiders is headed by Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) and Lesley Manville (Another Year).
Best Supporting Actor
This race is wide open. Christian Bale is getting huge raves for The Fighter and seems to have frontrunner status. It’s hard to believe that he’s never received an Oscar nom before. On his tale are Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech) and Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right). I’m hoping that Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) also makes the cut.
Best Supporting Actress
It would be great to see Aussie Jackier Weaver (Animal Kingdom) make the list and I think she’s a better than 50/50 chance thanks to a strong marketing campaign. All she needs are a few critics awards. I can’t find any clear leader in this category but getting raves are Melissa Leo (The Fighter) and Sissy Spacek (Get Low). Maybe Weaver could do it after all?
I’ll be sure to keep you all posted on the Oscars race as soon as they’ve jumped from the barriers.