'The Girl On The Train' Review

I haven't been blogging for a while but I am ready to get back into it. Starting with a review of a film that I recently saw in the cinema.

'The Girl On The Train' caught my eye recently with the trailer, and made me want to go see it. I haven't read the book so I didn't really know what to expect, and this review can only be based on the movie alone.

'The Girl On The Train' is a thriller about a hard-drinking woman, Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt), who takes the same train every day in New York, and this train passes by her old house, where she once lived with her husband, who now lives there with his new wife and their child. Rachel becomes obsessed with another couple who live a few houses down, and creates her own imaginary world for them, until one day she discovers something shocking, which fills Rachel with rage. The next day she wakes up, hungover, with no recollection to what happened the night before, but shortly finds out that the wife in her dream couple has gone missing, and Rachel knows that she must find out what has happened to her, and what actually happened to herself on that night.

The film's story is a gripping one, and at times had me on the edge of my seat, no doubt thanks to Emily Blunt's fantastic performance as the leading character, but I must say there were moments where I did find the movie a little dull. I found some of the other actors performances not as convincing as Blunts, which made some scenes lose the drama of the storyline.

I don't think the screenplay was great, I felt like the film was a bit choppy, and could be hard to follow what was actually happening within the story. There are many twists and turns along the way, and none of which are really given enough time for you to connect with the relevant characters. I usually am a fan of a gripping thriller with story twists which leave you thinking, but I must admit this one did come across a little sloppy, I do think that this has to be the directors & screenwriters fault, along with the uninterested cast.

The film is not all bad though, as I mentioned before Emily Blunt puts in a stellar performance here, and completely steals every single scene. She portrays the character of Rachel brilliantly, she makes you feel every emotion, and relate to her, something that unfortunately her fellow actors could not do. I am a big fan of Emily, and I do feel like this is one of her best performances, it's just a shame that her cast-mates could not give the film the same dedication.

I do think that the story itself is interesting, and this could've been a huge breakout film of 2016, but due to poor execution of this Paula Hawkins novel it will not be, and I am not interested I am however now intrigued to read the book.

I rate this film a 4 out of 10. Overall, I am disappointed with this film, as I thought that the trailer was great. The direction and screenplay did not do the novel justice, but Emily Blunt's performance did, she is the reason that this film does not get a worse rating from me.

5 People You Didn't Know Had Oscars

Last week I wrote about 5 people who you might not believe had never won an Oscar, despite their amazing careers within the film industry, you can see this blog HERE.

This week I thought I would show the opposite, and talk about people who have won an Oscar but have been forgotten about.

5 - Cuba Gooding Jr.

Before his days of appearing in movies aimed at younger audiences such as 'Snow Dogs', and well before his latest outstanding performance as O.J. Simpson in the new series 'The People Vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story', Cuba Gooding Jr. was performing in highly rated Oscar worthy films, such as 'Boyz In The Hood' and 'As Good As It Gets', but it was his performance as Rod Tidwell in the film 'Jerry Maguire' that won him the award. In 1997 Cuba beat the likes of William H. Macy (Fargo), and Edward Norton (Primal Fear), to win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. 

"Show me the money" is one of the most quoted movie phrases of all time, was first uttered by Gooding Jr. in the movie, and it could be that scene alone that won him the award. Cuba plays a wide receiver playing for the Arizona Cardinals, who is signed to sports agent Jerry Maguire, throughout the film you see their relationship develop from a professional one to a friendship. Cuba puts in a performance unlike any of his others in this film, and is fantastic throughout, completely deserving of winning his only Oscar. 

4 - Lionel Richie 

Lionel Richie is a musical legend, from his time as part of The Commodores releasing songs such as 'Easy', to his solo career releasing classic songs such as 'Hello' and 'All Night Long', he has had a long and successful career, but many people forget that he is also a Oscar winner, making his career just that little bit more impressive. 

In 1986 Richie won the Oscar for Best Original Song, for his song 'Say You, Say Me', which was within the film 'White Nights'. Something that might be even more surprising to know is that Richie was actually nominated for two Oscars that year, as he wrote lyrics alongside Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton for the song 'Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)', which was in the film 'The Colour Purple'. Richie was also nominated before this, in 1982 for the 'Endless Love'. 

3 - Anna Paquin

Well before her days playing Sookie Stackhouse on the hit show 'True Blood', Anna Paquin won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She was eleven years old, and it was her first ever acting role. She completely captivated audiences for her performance in 'The Piano', and took over the 1994 Oscars by beating big stars such as Holly Hunter, Winona Ryder and Emma Thompson to the award, making her the second youngest actor ever to win an Academy Award, after Tatum O'Neal (Paper Moon). 

Paquin plays a role well above her years in this role, her character moves to New Zealand with her mother (who is mute), and the young girl serves as her mum's interpreter. Her performance is great for someone older than eleven, but it is made just that little more impressive because of the young age. She captured all the emotions of her character, but also had to capture the characteristics of the mother, as she is always interpreting for her within the movie. 

2 - Cher

Cher has had a long, successful and controversial career, spanning over five decades. She is known mostly for her music career, starting as part of the duo Sonny & Cher, gaining huge popularity after the release of the song 'I Got You Babe', and then going on to have an extremely successful solo career, releasing big charting songs such as 'Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down', 'Believe' and 'If I Could Turn Back Time'. 

Despite her huge success many people don't know that Cher is actually a really really good actress, which she has shown in films such as 'Mermaids' and 'Silkwood', but still many people didn't take her seriously as an actress, that was until she walked away with the 1988 Leading Actress award for her spectacular performance in 'Moonstruck'. She was not even lucky to win, she was fully deserving of the prestigious award, as shown by the actresses she was up against (Holly Hunter, Glenn Close and Meryl Streep). 

1 - Eminem

When you think about the Oscars Eminem is not someone you think about at all, but he has won one. He didn't turn up to the ceremony as he thought he had no chance at winning, this turned out to be a mistake as the rapper along with two other co-writers won the award for Best Original Song at the 2003 Oscars, for the song 'Lose Yourself'. 

In the film '8 Mile' Eminem plays a young rapper struggling to make it big, and just struggling in all aspects of his life, it is a film that is semi based on Eminem's life. The song 'Lose Yourself' is a crucial part to the film, and has had much success outside of it, it still was not expected to win the Oscar though, as quite often rap music gets shunned by the academy, but the song is so powerful and inspiring it beat the odds and strolled to the award on the night. 

Other People You May Not Know Have An Oscar

Nicolas Cage - Leading Actor ('Leaving Las Vegas')

Bruce Springsteen - Original Song (Streets Of Philadelphia from 'Philadelphia')

Phil Collins - Original Song (You'll Be In My Heart from 'Tarzan') 

5 People You Won't Believe Have Never Won An Oscar

With Leonardo DiCaprio finally winning his first Oscar this year for 'The Revenant', after being nominated four times previously. I thought that I should make you aware of some people who have still never won one, despite being extremely deserving of the prestigious award.

5 - Ridley Scott 

'Alien', 'Blade Runner', 'Thelma & Louise', 'Gladiator', 'Black Hawk Down', 'American Gangster' and 'The Martian', these are just some of the films that Ridley Scott has blessed us with. These seven films have a collected total of nine Oscar wins, but Scott has never been on the receiving end of any of them. 'The Martian' was nominated for seven Oscars this year, including Best Film and Best Leading Actor, but there was no Best Director nomination for Ridley, despite not getting a nod this year Scott has been nominated three times previously.

Ridley Scott has helped to provide us with visually stunning movies, but has not received the recognition that he most definitely deserves. It is crazy to think that someone with his back catalogue of amazing mesmerising films hasn't yet won the top award, but with him still going as a director with block busters such as 'The Martian', there is still a chance that this 78 year old man can still get one.

4 - Amy Adams

Amy Adams is an actress who has been consistent with brilliant performances throughout her career, and she has the five Academy Award nominations to prove it. Adams usually plays the supporting role in films, as she always provides a perfect accompaniment to the lead role, with her versatile acting ability. She has however received one Leading Actress nomination in 2014, for her performance in 'American Hustle', acting alongside the likes of Jennifer Lawrence and Christian Bale. Sadly Adams had some seriously tough competition for a performance that could've swept the award on another year. Three time Oscar winner Meryl Streep, one time winner Judi Dench, one time winner Sandra Bullock were nominated, and the award went to two time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett for 'Blue Jasmine'.   

Despite not winning the big award as of yet, you have to believe that a woman with the talent that Amy Adams has is bound to get the award at some point. In the meantime you can see her in the much antis anticipated 'Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice' film.

3 - Alfred Hitchcock

It is a great shame that the legendary director Alfred Hitchcock did not receive an Oscar before his passing in 1980, despite his five nominations. Perhaps one of the most famous scenes ever to hit the cinema screens, the shower scene in 'Psycho' will forever be ingrained in some of our minds, and the rest of the film will be too. Hitchcock went to great lengths to provide us with some of the greatest films from the 50's and 60's, he took risks that no other director would at the time, such as killing off the films  most well known actress in 'Psycho', something that wasn't done those days and shocked audiences around the world. That was always Hitchcock's aim, to shock moviegoers. 

Unfortunately Alfred Hitchcock will now never win an Oscar, but his films will live on, as they are some of the most gripping films you will ever watch. 

2 - Gary Oldman 

From playing Sirius Black in the 'Harry Potter' film franchise to Commissioner Gordon in Christopher Nolan's 'Batman' trilogy, Gary Oldman has been in some of the most successful films ever. It's almost unbelievable that Oldman has only received one Oscar nomination (Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy) despite acting in 85 titles since his career beginning in the 80's. 

Oldman has played a range of different characters, from over-the-top antagonists to down-to-earth heroic roles, and Oldman seems to be able to just switch between the two effortlessly, leaving you guessing at what he will be acting as next. When you watch him on screen you're not thinking that it is Gary Oldman playing another part, you are always convinced that it is someone completely different. he always manages to bring his character to life. With such a talent like that I can't believe he hasn't won an Oscar, or at least been nominated more than once, but there is still time for him, especially if he keeps choosing the perfect roles for himself.

1 - Glenn Close

Glenn Close has received an astonishing six Oscar nominations, and with the quality of her performances it is ridiculous that she hasn't won one of them. Some people may know her as the woman who brought the nightmarish character of Cruella De Vil to life in the 1996 live action version of '101 Dalmatians', but she has done so much more than this, and provided so many memorable performances over the years. Close has this amazing ability to transform into her character, taking complete control of it, and becoming the person she is portraying. No film displays this better than her performance in 'Albert Nobbs'. She is unrecognisable as this character, and maybe would've won any other year, but she happened to be against Meryl Streep playing Margaret Thatcher in 'The Iron Lady'.

I believe that Glenn Close is one of the best living actresses at the moment, and it is only a matter of time until she receives her much deserved Academy Award.

Other People You Won't Believe Have Not Won An Oscar 

Peter O'Toole

Brad Pitt

Christopher Nolan

Annette Bening

Johnny Depp

Helena Bonham Carter

Joaquin Phoenix

Mark Ruffalo

Keep an eye out for next week's post - '5 People You Didn't Know Had Won Oscars'

Underrated Film - 'Cake'

This is my second instalment of the underrated films series, where I am reviewing films that I believe are underrated within the film industry.

You can find my first underrated film review - HERE

This review is of a 2014 drama starring Jennifer Aniston called 'Cake'.

'Cake' has been a film that I have avoided since it's 2014 release, as I, like many others, didn't believe Jennifer Aniston was suitable for such a serious role, that was even after she was nominated for a Golden Globe for the performance. I think that Aniston is a terrific lighthearted actress, she is great in comedies and romance flicks, but I have never been convinced that she could capture an audience with her acting, that was until I finally gave in and watched 'Cake'. 

'Cake' is the story of Claire (Aniston), who becomes fascinated with the suicide of a woman from her chronic pain support group, while also tackling memories of her own personal tragedy. This film builds up slowly, as you learn more about Claire, as the storyline continues you see just how amazing Aniston's performance really is. Claire is a character that has many layers to her, that are shown gradually throughout the course of the movie. She is a harsh woman with a dry sense of humour, who closes herself away from the world, but it is only once you learn what she has been through, and what pain she is still going through, that you see she is fragile, and closes herself off for a reason. I believe that Aniston captures each part of this character perfectly, only giving a little bit of weakness away at a time. 

As Claire learns more of the woman's suicide, so do we. Nina, played by Anna Kendrick, had just as many levels to her as Claire does, her story is a sad one, that makes us all look to our own lives. Kendrick plays the part perfectly, she delivers Nina's sweet personality, alongside the darker side, that has been enhanced during her struggle with chronic pain. We learn she has a husband (Sam Worthington), who develops a poignant relationship with Claire, as they both try to heal each others wounds.

There are many good supporting performances within this film, but the best one I believe comes from Claire's maid/cook/carer Silvana, played by Adriana Barraza. Silvana brings out the softer side to Aniston's character. Barraza perfectly accompanies Aniston, as she gives her the space to develop the character within various scenes, and displays Silvana's empathy brilliant. 

I recommend this film to any drama film fan, and anyone who is a fan of Jennifer Aniston. This film has all the elements to grip you to the screen, and Jennifer Aniston was extremely unlucky not to receive an Oscar nod for this fantastic performance. If you're not a fan of Aniston's acting, then I still recommend 'Cake', because you will walk away pleasantly surprised by just how much range she really has as an actress, she's not just Rachel from 'Friends'. 

Underrated Film Series Begins

I am going to start reviewing some films from the past that I believe are underrated, to the point that some of you may not of heard of them. I want to get people aware of these films, so that they can go view them and see what they think. Not every film I choose to review will be your cup of tea, but hopefully one or two of them get added to your list of favourite movies.

I am starting my underrated film review series with a gripping drama starring Jessica Lange, so any fans of that particular genre or any Jessica Lange fans... pay attention.

'Frances'

Before she gained a new wave of fans after taking on the lead role in the highly rated TV series 'American Horror Story', Jessica Lange was the star of many amazing movies from her Supporting Actress Oscar winning performance in 'Tootsie' during the 80's and her Leading Actress Oscar winning performance in 'Blue Sky' during the 90's. None of these performances however quite match up to her mesmerising display of actress Frances Farmer in the biopic movie 'Frances'.

It's no secret that Jessica Lange is a fantastic actress, she can display a range of characters with ease, as she has shown in 'American Horror Story', where one season she is an evil witch whose health is slowly deteriorating, and then in the next she's the head of a freak show stood on stage singing David Bowie's 'Life On Mars' in a German accent (CLICK HERE - to view). She makes it look so effortless, to ditch one character and move onto the next immediately, she is up there as one of the greatest actresses around but sadly many people are not aware of her greatest ever performance.

In the film directed by Graeme Clifford, Lange takes on the biopic role of Frances Farmer, an American actress who became famous in the 1930's, after staring in films such as 'Come And Get It'. Farmer became successful because of her looks, and was cast in roles which revolved around this, she became tired of doing the same thing, she wanted to be known for her acting ability. This is when she started to rebel against Hollywood, and started acting in theatres. Farmer is probably most well known for her professional and personal downfall, and the events which took place after, this is what the film 'Frances' focuses on.

The film centres around Farmer's involuntary commitment to a mental hospital, where she was mistreated. This film is difficult to watch at times because of this sequence, but Jessica Lange's performance grips you to the screen. You can't look away for fear of missing one facial expression, or one gesture which completely covers how the character is feeling in that moment, that is the power of Lange's performance in this film. She portrays Farmer's breakdown impeccably, almost as if you were watching Frances herself. This film is emotionally tiring, by the end you don't know how to feel, I just found myself staring at the screen as the credits played on, thinking about what happened.

Any other year and Jessica Lange would've been walking away with the Leading Actress award at the Oscar's ceremony, but unfortunately for her she was up against Meryl Streep's best ever performance in 'Sophie's Choice'.

I highly recommend this film to any fans of dramatic cinema, Oscar films or general Jessica Lange fans, as it will definitely fit in with everything you want. This film has been underrated in awards and in the media, but I believe that the solid acting as well as the gripping story deserve more.

The End Of 2016's Award Season

The Academy Awards took place on Sunday night, marking the end of 2016's film award season, and what a great finale it was. Chris Rock did a great job with his opening monologue, he brought up the issue of diversity without seeming angry, he kept the mood light. However I believe that was enough to get the message across to the audience, I don't think that he needed to carry on throughout the whole awards with the same jokes.

In my last post I predicted the winners for each category, and I ended up getting 15 out of 19 correct. Here is a review for how the Oscars ceremony went compared to my predictions.

The 'Big Four'

At every oscars there are the awards known as 'the big four', which are Best Film, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Director, this year there was one shock within these four awards.

'Spotlight' walked away with the big prize (Best Film), this was a shock because Alejandro González Iñárritu won Best Director for 'The Revenant'. Usually Best Director and Best Film go hand-in-hand with each other, but this year each category was so open that this did not happen, and 'Spotlight' ended up with a much deserved Oscar, which was the second of the night, as the film also won Best Original Screenplay.

Brie Larson (Room) won Best Leading Actress, which is something that I predicted. This was a difficult category to call, but Larson's performance in this small indie film is amazing and definitely deserved the prestigious award.

Finally Leo has won his long awaited Oscar, and everyone is overjoyed. Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant) has been nominated for five Oscars, his first coming in 1994 for 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape'. Since then the world has been waiting for Leo to win one, after coming close on a couple of occasions, Leo got his much deserved Award at this year's ceremony. He made the moment count by mentioning climate change in his speech, trying to get across his views on the subject matter, and make a difference.

The Real Winners Of The Night

'Mad Max: Fury Road' won six awards on the night out of a possible ten. These awards were:

Best Costume Design 

Best Film Editing

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Best Production Design

Best Sound Editing

Best Sound Mixing

Many people were shocked to see this film even nominated, as it was released in the summer and not in January (which is when most Oscar nominated films come out), also it's not the usual type of film that gets nominated for Best Film and Best Directing. 'Mad Max' proved the doubters wrong though, by walking away with more awards than any other film at the ceremony. It was unfortunate that George Miller didn't win for Best Director, but at least his wife, Margaret Sixel, made sure that there's an Oscar going into their home so they can remember the big night, after she won for Best Film Editing.

Being a big fan of the film myself, I predicted the film to receive a lot of the background awards, and was very happy that I was correct.

The Shock Wins

Both awards for supporting roles provided shocks at this year's ceremony, Sylvester Stallone (Creed) and Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs) looked a shoe-in for the two Oscars, but neither won on the night.

27 year old Alicia Vikander won Best Supporting Actress on the night for her performance in 'The Danish Girl', which despite her not being favourite for the award, was fully deserved as she is the one that really held that film together, and complimented Eddie Redmayne's character perfectly.

Best Supporting Actor went to 56 year old English actor Mark Rylance for his role in the Steven Spielberg movie 'Bridge Of Spies'. This was the biggest shock of the night as everyone was completely expecting Stallone to win, I believed that the right man won however as the acting performance by Rylance is incredible, and showed more range than the other actors in this category.


This years Oscars was thoroughly entertaining. This could be because no award had a completely set in stone winner, so the ceremony was open for shocks, and that is exactly what happened.
It is sad to see the curtain close on 2016's film award season, but it's exciting to see what next year will bring, as there will be a shake-up with how the nominees are chosen.

To see the full winners list - CLICK HERE

Oscar Predictions 2016

It's finally here, the Academy Awards 2016 are this Sunday.

Every year I I have a competition with my dad where we predict who's going to win on the night. This year because I have started this blog I thought I would do a short post telling you all my predictions, this also gives others the chance to get involved.

Feel free to comment your predictions for this year's awards.

Without further announcement, here are my predictions:

Best Picture - The Revenant

Best Actor In A Leading Role - Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)

Best Actress In A Leading Role - Brie Larson (Room)

Best Actor In A Supporting Role - Mark Rylance (Bridge Of Spies)

Best Actress In A Supporting Role - Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs)

Best Director - Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (The Revenant)

Best Foreign Language Film - Son Of Saul (Hungary)

Best Documentary Feature - Amy

Animated Feature Film - Inside Out

Best Original Screenplay - Spotlight

Best Adapted Screenplay - Room

Cinematography - The Revenant

Visual Effects - Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens

Film Editing - Mad Max: Fury Road

Costume Design - Mad Max: Fury Road

Make Up and Hairstyling - Mad Max: Fury Road

Sound Editing - Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Original Score - The Hateful Eight

Best Original Song - Writing's On The Wall (Spectre)

To see the full list of nominees - CLICK HERE

Is This The Best 'Superhero' Movie Ever?

I was highly anticipating the 'Deadpool' film for months leading up to its release. I went to see it on the Friday of it's opening weekend, and it definitely did not disappoint. Here is my short review of the film, which contains no spoilers for those of you that are yet to experience the movie. 

'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' was the first showing of Ryan Reynolds as fictional antihero Deadpool, and it was disappointing to say the least for any fans of the character. Reynolds knew this and has been pushing for a film dedicated to the character ever since, and it has finally arrived to the big screens. This film displays much more similarities to the comic book characteristics compared to the previous one.

'Deadpool' is breaking many box-office opening weekend records, and deservedly so, as it is a fantastic movie. It's a Marvel film, but is not aimed at the usual franchise's audience. It has an older target market than the likes of films such as 'Avengers Assemble'. 'Deadpool' has been given a 15 age restriction rating, which probably would've come from all of the extremely dirty jokes, never mind the violence and sex scenes.

This film deserves all the hype that it has been getting. For a superhero film it is extremely funny, I couldn't help but laugh out loud the whole way through, and the same goes for the rest of the audience in the cinema that day. As well as having big-belly laughs, the film has some great fighting scenes, in fact it opens with one that straight away gives you an idea of just how good the film is going to be, and of course with Deadpool being Deadpool even the fighting sequences are full of humour.

It's not just the main character that makes this film so good, the supporting cast definitely holds their own, and provides just as many memorable moments throughout the film. Especially fictional mutant character Negasonic Teenage Warhead, who is reluctant to help fellow X-Men character Colossus convince Deadpool to join them. She has the usual teenage verbal comebacks throughout the movie, which is a recurring joke that did not get old. In her most memorable scene she is seen on her phone tweeting before getting involved in any of the action.

The storyline of this film is very strong for a Marvel film, it does not have all the typically used themes. At parts the film even makes you feel a little emotional, but quickly gets back to it's quirky humour, and to Deadpool breaking the fourth-wall. There are times when you can see yourself in Wade's (Deadpool)  shoes, you can imagine how you would react in his situation, the depth of his character really comes through during the course of the film, this is another way in which the film is so good.

I rate this film a very high 8 out of 10, I strongly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the Deadpool character in Marvel comics. I also recommend it to any Marvel film franchise fans, but be warned it is not typical to the others, and definitely is not suitable for kids. The film has a lot of extremely funny references to X-Men, in particular Wolverine, also there are references to DC character Green Lantern, a character which Ryan Reynolds played, that like his earlier Deadpool display, was pretty poor. Overall this film was even better than I expected, and I thought very highly of it before stepping foot in the cinema. In my opinion it's the best 'superhero' movie out there, despite Deadpool being a antihero, I believe the film deserves to be rated along the likes of Superman and Avengers. If you're yet to see it, I recommend you go and experience the film as soon as possible, you won't regret it.

What Does The BAFTA Results Mean For The Oscars?

On Valentine's Day many were off with their significant other, I however spent my night watching this year's BAFTAs. The BAFTAs are the last award show before the big one, the Oscars, during each award season. It is the last indicator for who may win during this years Academy Awards.

Usually if the film/actor/actress has won at the BAFTAs and the Golden Globes they are a certainty for the prestigious final award, however this is not always the case as proven in 2002. Halle Berry lost out on the Globe and was not even nominated for a BAFTA but ended up walking away with the Leading Actress Oscar (Monster's Ball).

The winners of the 'Big Four' awards (Best Film, Leading Actor, Leading Actress, Best Director) at this years ceremony didn't provide any shocks, with 'The Revenant' walking away with three of them, but what does this mean for the Oscars?

Best Film

Of course 'The Revenant' walked away with this award this year, it is by far the biggest Oscar nominated film of the year, getting rave reviews left, right and centre. 'The Revenant' also won at this year's Golden Globe Awards, however lost out at the Critic's Choice Awards, the film 'Spotlight' walked away with that one, which is another movie that comes highly recommended this year, with a stellar cast and a captivating storyline.

This years awards are swaying towards 'The Revenant', despite there being a lot of tough competition, I believe that this film will be winning the big award on the 28th Feb. 

Best Actor

This is another award that 'The Revenant' has been dominating, with Leonardo DiCaprio walking away  with the Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critic's Choice and SAG award. It seems like he is a shoo-in for the Oscar.

Everyone is routing for Leo, since he is yet to win an Oscar despite being nominated 5 times so far. Luckily for all those people backing him it is looking like he will be finally getting his win.

Best Actress

This by far has been my favourite award to keep an eye on this year, as it is a difficult one to call. In my mind there are two frontrunners: Jennifer Lawrence for 'Joy' and Brie Larson for 'Room'. Both these young ladies won at the Globes, but since then Larson has been dominating, beating Lawrence at the Critic's Choice, also winning the BAFTA and SAG awards, both of which Lawrence was not nominated for. 

This is definitely a hard one to call, despite Lawrence being a favourite amongst the academy, at the moment I am leaning toward Brie Larson. She has put in a magnificent performance in 'Room' and deserves all the accolades coming her way.

Best Director

This is yet another award dominated by 'The Revenant'. Alejandro G. Iñárritu has created a visually stunning movie and people have stood up and noticed. Iñárritu won both the Globe and BAFTA, but lost out to George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road) at the Critic's Choice Awards.

Alejandro G. Iñárritu walked away with the Best Director award last year for 'Birdman', which he also helped write the screenplay for. I believe that despite George Miller being a strong competitor with his equally as visually striking film Mad Max: Fury Road, Iñárritu will be victorious this year, winning the award back-to-back. 

There is some idea to who will be walking away with the Oscar, but still anything can happen in the film industry, so there is a strong possibility for some shocks on the night, which is what makes the award show so great and legendary.

To see the rest of the BAFTA winners - click here

To see the full list of Oscar nominations - click here

Top 3 Leading Actor Winning Performances

Carrying on the countdown to this years Academy Awards, this is my second 'Top 3' blog post. This is my top 3 performances in the Leading Actor category.

Feel free to comment saying who your top 3 would be.

3 - Anthony Hopkins in 'The Silence Of The Lambs'

At a little over 16 minutes screen time, this is one of the shortest performances ever to win the Leading Actor award. This portrayal of Dr. Hannibal Lecter is as harrowing as they come, and despite having the short screen time, Hopkins provides an unforgettable performance which steals the show. Improvising a couple of the films key scenes, such as the disturbing hissing sound made after telling a story of eating one of his victims, Hopkins brought this character to life, and added to an already thrilling movie, no one else could've possibly played this part as well, and frightening as him.

'The Silence Of The Lambs' swept the 1992 Oscars, winning all of the 'big four' awards (Best Film, Best Leading Actor, Best Leading Actress and Best Director).

2 - Jack Nicholson in 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' 

At the 1976 ceremony, Nicholson finally won his first Oscar, after being nominated four times previously. Nicholson has been in some great films over the years, and put in some spectacular performances, such as his thrilling part in 'The Shining', but it is his role in this moving movie that is his best ever. Nicholson showed the world just how fine of an actor he is, portraying each emotion of his character flawlessly, and making you route for him despite being a criminal. It's a difficult character to portray to an audience but Nicholson seems to do it effortlessly, there is no way that this film could've been so successful with someone else in the role, Jack Nicholson provides us with many eccentric moments in the movie, but also disheartening ones, and he switches between the two perfectly. 

'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' was another film that won all of the 'big four' awards at the Oscars.

1 - Robert De Niro in 'Raging Bull'

Robert De Niro is one of the finest actors to ever grace the big screen. Since winning his first Oscar in 1975 for his role in 'The Godfather: Part II' he has gone on to provide us with stunning performances in films such as 'Taxi Driver', 'The Deer Hunter' and 'Goodfellas', but none have been quite as stunning as 'Raging Bull'.

In this biopic about the life of boxer Jake LaMotta, De Niro completely captured the essence of the film, his portrayal of LaMotta's downward spiral is absolutely mesmerising. De Niro showed his passion for the role by gaining 4 stone in weight to fully get the LaMotta look, this helped the portrayal greatly, as when you watch this fantastic film you forget that it's De Niro acting and believe that it is LaMotta on the screen. De Niro's fighting scenes are like watching a professional boxer in the ring, but it's the scenes outside of the ring that are the most breathtaking, the aggression that De Niro shows in these scenes are jaw dropping, he portrays each element of LaMotta's character with ease and all you can do is just sit in silence and watch.

Here are some Honourable Mentions, performances which almost made the top 3

Sean Penn in 'Mystic River'
Colin Firth in 'The King's Speech'
Matthew McConaughey in 'Dallas Buyers Club'
Daniel Day-Lewis in 'There Will Be Blood'
Ben Kingsley in 'Gandhi'

Please comment if you believe someone deserved to be on this list.

Also let me know who would be your top 3.

Top 3 Leading Actress Winning Performances

As the Academy Awards are at the end of this month. I thought I would do a few 'Top 3' posts, of previous winners within various Oscar categories.
I am starting with my top 3 performances in the Leading Actress category, as this years nominations have proven to be difficult to choose a stand out winner.

Feel free to comment saying who your top 3 would be.

3 - Marion Cotillard in 'La Vie en Rose'

Before Marion Cotillard was in blockbuster films such as 'Inception' and 'The Dark Knight Rises' she won the 2008 Leading Actress Oscar for her brilliant portrayal of the legendary French singer Edith Piaf. Many people knew Edith Piaf as the singer of the extremely famous song 'Non, je ne regret rein' (Click Here To Listen), but Cotillard brought her tragic life to the big screen, and she did impeccably. Cotillard proved that she is an amazing actress with this performance, watching the biopic you truly believe it is really Edith Piaf on the screen throughout the course of the film.

For those people who don't enjoy watching foreign language films you should still see it, you become so immersed in the film, and in Cotillard's breathtaking performance that the language doesn't matter.

2 - Hilary Swank in 'Boys Don't Cry'

In Hilary Swank's first Leading Actress winning role she portrays the true story of female born Teena Brandon who adopts his male identity of Brandon Teena and moves to Nebraska to find himself. This is an extremely powerful and moving film but is also very distressing, this is due to Swank's amazing performance. She displays the emotions of Brandon so well that all you can do is empathise with all he went through. There are a few tough scenes to watch in this movie, Swank makes them seem so realistic that you forget that she is an actress performing and believe that she is actually living that life.

This was Swank's first ever Oscar nomination and win, she went on to get her second nomination and win five years later in 2005 for another stunning performance as Maggie Fitzgerald in 'Million Dollar Baby'.

1 - Meryl Streep in 'Sophie's Choice' 

This is one of the finest performances ever in the history of film, by a male or female. Meryl had won one Supporting Actress Oscar before this role (Kramer vs. Kramer, 1980), and had been nominated once for Leading Actress previously (The French Lieutenant's Woman, 1982), but this performance is the one that made everyone recognise just how talented this woman is. Meryl puts on a flawless Polish accent as she plays a survivor of Nazi concentration camps, with a big choice to make. Streep's performance will leave you speechless with tears in your eyes, there is one scene in particular when Meryl goes to scream but nothing comes out of her mouth, just silence, and that scene alone is some of the best acting you will ever see in your life.

There was very tough competition for the Leading actress award in 1983, with Jessica Lange putting in an absolutely mesmerising performance in the biopic 'Frances', which any other year would've earned her the Oscar, but Meryl Streep was just faultless in her performance and could've beaten anybody.

Here are some Honourable Mentions, performances which almost made the top 3

Charlize Theron in Monster

Jodie Foster in The Accused

Kathy Bates in Misery

Frances McDormand in Fargo

Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby

Please comment if you believe someone deserved to be on this list.

Also let me know who would be your top 3.

Is Boycotting The Oscars Necessary?

Recently there has been some controversy surrounding the Academy Awards and the lack of diversity within the nominations. It began when Jada Pinkett Smith addressed the situation after her husband Will Smith was not nominated for his performance in 'Concussion'. She then continues to say that she and her husband will not be attending this years ceremony or watching it. But is there really something wrong with the Academy? And should people be boycotting the Oscars over this issue?

You cannot deny the fact that there is a lack of diversity in this years nominations, but does this come down to racism? Or just the fact that people such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Christian Bale and Kate Winslet put in great performances in their films? Don't forget that just two years ago the film '12 Years A Slave' picked up nine Academy Award nominations, and walked away with three on the night, including Best Film and Best Actress In A Supporting Role (Lupita Nyong'o).

In previous years there have been many diverse sets of nominations, including two years in which Will Smith himself was nominated. In 2002 Smith was nominated for his performance in 'Ali', but he lost out on the Leading Actor award to Denzel Washington (Training Day), who had won one Oscar previously to this. 2002 is the same year in which Halle Berry walked away with the Leading Actress award for her role in 'Monster's Ball'. In 2006 Smith was nominated a second time for his performance in the film ' The Pursuit Of Happyness', but lost out again but this time to Forest Whitaker (The Last King Of Scotland). 2006 is the same year that Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls) and Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond) were in contention for Best Actor In A Supporting Role, and the same year that Jennifer Hudson walked away with the Oscar for Best Actress In A Supporting Role for her stunning performance in 'Dreamgirls'.

Despite having diverse sets on nominations in the past, this year has been very different. The big shock was Idris Elba not receiving a Supporting Actor nomination for his brilliant performance in 'Beasts Of No Nation'. There is definitely a lack of diversity within the Academy Award board of governors, with the majority being older white males, despite the President being Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who has come out herself saying she was disappointed with the lack of diversity within this years nominees, but also made a valid point, that this issue should not take away from those performances in which were nominated. Boone has mentioned that there will be a shake up within the governors, so there is a diverse group of people.

Even if the board of governors were different this year, there would not be too much difference within the nominations, other than maybe Idris Elba being nominated. This is because films such as 'Straight Outta Compton' were great, but the acting was not up to scratch with movies like 'The Revenant', mainly because the actors lack experience, in a year or two after doing a few more films the young actors in this movie may be in contention for awards. Even movie legend Michael Caine has gone on the record to say it took him years to get a nomination. He was 34 by the time he received his first Oscar nomination, and 54 when he won his first Academy Award for 'Hannah And Her Sisters' (1987).

I believe that Jada Pinkett Smith had every right to speak up about this issue, and maybe has a valid point, due to the lack of diversity within the board of governors, but I do not think that this makes boycotting the Oscars necessary. It's been shown that the Oscars do not always lack in diversity, it just so happens that this year the governors believed that the actors/actresses nominated put in better performances than others who were in contention. Despite this I do believe that there should be a mix up within the governors, so that there are some younger people in there, and they are planning to do just that, so now all we can do is enjoy this years awards, and see how these changes affect next year's ceremony.