OSCARS 2014: WHO WAS THE BEST DIRECTOR?

One more for the cheap seats in the back! In our last post before the 2014 Academy Awards, we want to take a look at who the favourites are for one of the most prestigious awards in the industry!

 

“Best Director”

 

 

 

David O. Russell – American Hustle: Missing out on this award last year for Silver Linings Playbook has meant that David O. Russell has come back with a vengeance. Scooping nominations for all four Acting categories, as well as technical praise, American Hustle always looked set to dominate this awards season. Upsets in previous awards shows may have stunted their progress, but this is still a heavy contender. Having said this, it seems unlikely that he will take the prize away from Cuaron this year.

Alfonso Cuaron – Gravity: Head and shoulders above the other contenders is Alfonso Cuaron. While Sandra Bullock will most likely be edged out by other nominees in the “Best Actress’ category, Cuaron’s management not just of her performance but of the cinematography, sound and editing will ensure he is duly rewarded. The only thing that can really hurt Cuaron here is the early release of the movie: this is one of the oldest nominated films in 2014. Having said this, Cuaron sees to have all bases covered: the DVD release of Gravity is perfectly timed to ensure maximum exposure.

Alexander Payne – Nebraska: Payne employed a black and white setting for his film, ensuring that cheaper cameras did not disturb the quality of the shots. His Oscars campaign has been strong, but under the radar meaning this could be a film that is easily forgotten. Further, performances from veterans Bruce Dern and June Squibb seemed self managed, limiting Payne’s ability to actually stand out as a Director.

Steve McQueen – 12 Years A Slave: If anyone is going to upset Cuaron this year, it will be Steve McQueen. The praise for 12 Years A Slave has been heard the world over, becoming famous for being an uncomfortable masterpiece. McQueen employed techniques such as long shots to really drive home his point, making his presence in the film felt. When watching it, there is no mistaking that this is a McQueen film, which really brands his involvement. He could win this, but it still seems unlikely.

Martin Scorcese – The Wolf Of Wall Street: This could truly be a difficult one for Scorcese to nab. Criticised as glorifying a fraudulent rock and roll lifestyle, many people initially shunned ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’. Indeed, the Academy could see voting for Scorcese as encouraging this lifestyle, however the film has really picked up momentum lately and is quickly gaining ground. It seems that both DiCaprio and Scorcese are outsiders to be recognised for this project, but the film itself could prove to be a major upset come ceremony time.

 

It Should Be… Alfonso Cuaron – Gravity

It Will Be… Alfonso Cuaron – Gravity

OSCARS 2014: WHO WAS THE BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR?

Part three of our five-part Oscar Predictions series sees us review some of the best supporting actors of the last year. One of the most talented categories of this year, it will definitely be hard to pick, but we will do our best! Have you got an opinion? Let us know in the comments!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips: A first time actor, Abdi is the first Somali in history to be nominated for an Academy Award. This alone is a pretty impressive feat. With a BAFTA under his belt in this category and especially given the Academy’s tendency to favor the newbie, this puts Abdi in with a good shot. However, seasoned professionals such as Jared Leto and Bradley Cooper have scooped more awards and critics favor this year which could mean losing out this time.

Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club: Famously losing 30 pounds to play an AIDs infected transgender is certainly both risque and committed enough to put Leto as the front-runner for this year. He won the SAG Award and Golden Globe for this role as well as a plethora of other gongs and his performance has been hailed as one of the best of all time. One would be crazy to think that Leto is anything other than the favorite. Having said this, missing out on even a nomination for the BAFTA could damage his momentum.

Bradley Cooper- American Hustle: If there was an Academy Award for tightest curled locks, then Cooper would be a shoe in. His performance in the award-winning American Hustle has garnered quite a bit of attention despite the film being so highly criticized. Nominated last year for Silver Lining’s Playbook, one might think that now is Cooper’s time to win, however in such tight competition it seems unlikely that this unevenly received performance will be the one to nab the statue.

Michael Fassbender – 12 Years A Slave: In a film that has rallied such attention and support, Michael Fassbender has been almost famously overlooked. Praise for Lupita Nyong’O and Chiwetel Ejifor have completely overshadowed Fassbender’s supporting role. This is a great example of a very strong ensemble cast who are separated by the fact that breakout performances make the Hollywood Veterans look disappointing. Further to this, Fassbender has taken on a role that is inherently unlikable and is never redeemed: that itself is a tough stigma to crack.

Jonah Hill – The Wolf of Wall Street: Hill became famous in this role after admitting that he worked for a low fee of just $6,000 because of his overwhelming desire to work with Martin Scorsese. Truly committed to the part, Hill tried to convince Producers to let him eat a live goldfish to add more of a sense of realism. Though Hill provided moments of sheer hilarity and added an undeniable chemistry to the Wolf of Wall St cast as a whole, this movie is and always will be Leonardo DiCaprio: If any award is given to WOWS this year it will go to him.

It Should Be… Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips

It Will Be… Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club

NEXT POST: Best Actress

FILM REVIEW: ‘THE WOLF OF WALL STREET’ (2013)

“The Wolf Of Wall Street”

Written by: Terence Winter (Adapted from the book ‘The Wolf Of Wall Street’ by Jordan Belfort)

Directed by: Martin Scorsese

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie

Story: Based on the autobiographical novel by Jordan Belfort, ‘The Wolf Of Wall Street’ profiles his rise to fame and fortune as a stockbroker, and his subsequent downfall involving corruption, fraud, and crime

There are two words needed when one begins to review ‘The Wolf Of Wall Street’:

Scorsese. DiCaprio.

Both are famous from previous works such as ‘The Departed’, there is almost a stigma attached to the works of this pair. When entering the theatre, you know that you are going to see something that could make you laugh, cry, and think for days on end.

Having come across Jordan Belfort a few years ago amongst sales training seminars, I personally was familiar with his story. I read ‘The Wolf Of Wall Street’ in all it’s glory long before venturing to the cinema, and I can only imagine the look on Terence Winter’s face when Scorsese handed him this novel and said, ‘I want you to make this into a screenplay, and spare no detail’.  And this is exactly what Winter did.

The screenplay itself is phenomenal: it captures the very essence of the book and when put on screen eludes something almost like a drug: the lives of these characters is so attainable, yet so poisonous: an audience is tempted and almost lured into this world that is so convincingly created, yet they know that it cannot lead to any good. The only thing missing from the screenplay has received a huge amount of backlash. Throughout the whole novel we get the distinct impression that Belfort is not proud of himself: he is very remorseful when telling his story. Indeed, Scorsese has come under fire for apparently ‘glorifying’ this life of sex, drugs, and stock fraud. Wiping out this sense of guilt does not do any favours and might be the only thing missing.

Having said this, DiCaprio is nothing short of mesmerising in this role and it appears that this was the part he was born to play. We laugh with him; tense when he tenses; and hang on to every facial spasm as if it is the end of his days. For a film that plays for three hours, this is essential and an integral part of the story. DiCaprio’s diversity is well on show, as he is both happy and distraught at the drop of a hat.

Comic relief comes in the form of Jonah Hill, who plays Belfort’s partner in crime Donnie Azoff. Hill truly does pull out all the stops to create his stupid yet sincerely likeable character: he even creates a sense that was missing from the book: that Donnie really is Belfort’s support system and lifeline through much of their ordeal. Rumour has it Hill was even arguing with film crew to let him actually eat a goldfish to make the scene the most realistic. There is no doubt that this work will put Jonah Hill in a different league of Hollywood actor altogether.

As much as word limits might hold us back, we simply cannot discuss this film without mentioning Margot Robbie. An Australian actress and a relative unknown, Robbie masters everything to do with this part, from the accent to the demeanour, and even the look and feel of Naomi Lapaglia. She is feisty, good hearted, and an intoxicating ‘sex kitten’, which serves exactly the purpose of her in Belfort’s life: she is his anchor, but also his biggest weakness. Robbie’s stellar contributions to the most emotional and consequential scenes in this film could not be replaced.

Scorsese is on fine form and has spared no expense here. When watching a Scorsese film, one gets the feeling that everything that can be controlled has been: the lighting, audio, cinematography… All of these end up completely inessential to the story, however they make watching a three hour film all the more enjoyable.

Scorsese possesses a rare gift in a filmmaker in his ability to create an entirely different universe for his audience to enjoy. When we are watching Belfort and his merry group of men parade around New York City, we do not make that connection to real life. We cannot process that this was actually New York City, and these things actually happened. We are, for that brief time, drawn into Scorsese’s world of free living and we daren’t look back. When we do come to it makes the film all the more enjoyable to try and believe that these things, the people, and the actions were in fact real. Majority of the audience will spare little afterthought for the negative consequences of this story: they will be drawn to love the simplicity of the human characters that we are offered.

‘The Wolf Of Wall Street’ is a must see for anyone with burning ambition to be something in life, or anyone who knows someone exactly like that. We are all a little bit of Jordan Belfort.

Rating: 4.5/5

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*Photo Credit: imdb.com