Tag: Academy Awards
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O.J.: Made in America.
This time last year, I was hooked on HBO’s The People vs. O.J. Simpson, despite initially only tuning in to get a peek at John Travolta’s startling transformation for his role. Only vaguely familiar with the legendary trial, which happened when I was only three or four, I found this re-imagining entertaining and engaging but…
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20th Century Women.
Disgracefully overlooked at this year’s Academy Awards is Mike Mills’ 20th Century Women. It centres around a mother and her son and a set number of individuals who enter their home and lives. Annette Bening’s performance should not be undervalued simply because she is always so consistently outstanding. Every furrow of her brow and each…
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Moonlight.
From its first intoxicating moment, to its last; Moonlight is the sensational underdog of this year’s American award season. Capturing the life and mind-set of a young boy entering adulthood in Miami, Moonlight captures the ugliness of adolescence, the agony of addiction and the frustration of growing up as a young, black, gay man in…
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Lion.
The sight of authentic Indian street confectioneries on a kitchen counter sparks a vital memory for Saroo, a university student who’s grown up in Tasmania, adopted by a loving native couple at the age of five. Now in his early twenties, he’s forgotten the first years of his life in India which resulted in being…
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La La Land.
A mere two years since Damien Chazelle scooped up several Oscars with Whiplash – only his second feature film – the director returns with La La Land, looking set to dominate next month’s award ceremony. Starring Ryan Gosling’s charm and Emma Stone’s charisma, La La Land is set in contemporary Hollywood and follows two frustrated artists who find refuge in one…
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Manchester by the Sea.
Following the death of his brother, a handy man residing in Boston must return to his hometown to oversee arrangements for the funeral, as well as the aftercare of his nephew. Lee is insular and isolated, highlighted through the crisp white snow we see him shovelling in the film’s opening scenes. He is often wrapped…
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Room.
Adapted from the novel by Emma Donoghue, Room is a startling story told predominantly through the eyes of Jack, a five year old who knows nothing of what lies on the other side of the four walls in which him and his mother are confined. Kidnapped seven years earlier, his mother Joy has made the decision…
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Two Days, One Night.
Sandra is a proud, dignified yet broken woman. She hates receiving pity but is forced to rely on the generosity of those she works alongside. Cotillard is an unstoppable actress – even more explosive when making films in her native language. Despite her incomprehensible beauty she gets you to believe she is a minimum wage…
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Still Alice.
It’s been over a month since Julianne Moore walked away with the Best Actress Academy Award for Still Alice; it seems an age ago. Here in the UK we only got to see her winning portrayal of a mother, professor and wife – who is suddenly struck by early onset Alzheimer’s disease – a week ago.…
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Wild.
What has to happen in a person’s life in order for them to feel the need to walk 1000 miles in search of redemption, forgiveness and understanding? In 1995, Cheryl Strayed put herself through this gruelling ordeal in order to repent and recover from the miserable experiences she’d had, and the choices and mistakes she’d…
Hannah McHaffie 