Tag: Academy Awards
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Whiplash.
Blood, sweat and tears are ever present in Damien Chazelle’s raucous drama about a painstaking search for genius. The innovative camera movements and invasive shots allow us to experience the anguish of every drum beat and each cymbal clash – making Whiplash the most satisfying movie I’ve seen in months. Nominated for five Academy Awards,…
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The Theory of Everything.
It’s the combination of disability, biography, physical transformation and British pride that makes me nervous about films like The Theory of Everything. More often than not, a film possessing roughly this mixture of ingredients appears at this time of year. It’s no surprise that this is the formula for award season success. Only four years…
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Edinburgh: February.
My most recent month in the cobbled city has been incredibly busy. I currently find myself trudging home at 4am as Sunday mornings dawn and I finish another painful Saturday night bar shift. This is agonising at times but worth it to fund my studies; something I have written in these diary entries repeatedly and…
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The Armstrong Lie.
When I was thirteen years old a craze took over my school. In a matter of weeks the most popular accessory to be wearing was a ‘Livestrong’ band. Every other person at my school had a bright yellow band around one of their wrists. For my generation, this is remembered as more of a trend…
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Dallas Buyers Club.
David France’s How to Survive a Plague was a documentary all about the power of activism which helped destroy the death sentence that came hand in hand with the diagnosis of AIDS. The film studies the protests and passion of a group of inspiring individuals who fought with governments and establishments in order to demand drugs and…
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Her.
Visually, Spike Jonze’s futuristic romantic new feature film, Her, is breathtaking. Crisp and bright, Her is bathed in pastel tints and the warm glows of a not so distant future. The film’s aesthetic remains consistently refreshing from the opening detailed close up of actor Joaquin Phoenix’s face to the closing images of a city, lit up and buzzing with…
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Inside Llewyn Davis.
Doesn’t everybody know a version of Llewyn Davis? Set in 1961, Inside Llewyn Davis shows us one week in the life of a struggling folk musician. Llewyn has certainly been dealt some blows from the world. With his performance partner having recently jumped to his death from what one character claims to be “the wrong bridge”, we…
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Edinburgh: January.
After a 6 week trip back home over the Christmas break I am finally back in Edinburgh. My time at home was a busy but relaxing one. Despite working as many hours as possible behind a bar and stressfully submitting my essays I also spend some wonderful quality time with my family, friends and partner.…
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The Success of the Biographics.
What is it that America loves so much about true stories on film? Why is it that, from 2000-2012, 9 of the 13 winners of the ‘Best Actress Academy Award’ have been for portrayals of real people. From serial killers to royalty, we have watched 9 different actresses receive this award for their portrayal of…
Hannah McHaffie 