Tag: Olivia Colman

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The Lost Daughter (2021)

One of the big favourites to come out of the 2021 festival season was Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut, The Lost Daughter. The film follows Leda Caruso (Olivia Colman), a college professor who has ventured to Greece in order to finish her current project. Whilst there, she encounters Nina (Dakota Johnson), a young mother who has come to the resort with her large family, who struggles to deal with the pressures of motherhood and what is expected of her in the role of mother and wife. The film is an intricate look into what it means to be a woman and the pressures that society puts on women. As Leda reflects on her own life, which we see in flashbacks with Young Leda (Jessie Buckley) and the decisions she has made over the years, the film’s dynamic shifts between drama and thriller as Leda begins to become more involved in Nina’s life and finds herself in a compromised situation.

The film is directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal in her debut which she also wrote, with the script based on the novel of the same name by Elena Ferrante. From a technical standpoint, this film is beautifully made with captivating direction from Gyllenhaal, while the screenplay unfolds slowly, so we get to see what lies under Leda’s surface. The film starts in the present day as Leda stumbles on the beach at night and lies unconscious at the water edge before going into a flashback and showing the events that have led to this. Gyllenhaal has a brilliant understanding of the character, and the way that she conveys Leda’s struggles adds plenty of intensity that elevates this film into one that feels threatening and uncomfortable at times. As Leda becomes more involved in Nina’s life to the point where it becomes obsessive, she begins to become reflective and contemplates on her life while the current situation spirals out of control.

Olivia Colman is one of the best actresses working at the moment, and The Lost Daughter showcases her range and her ability to lead a character-driven film. Her performance as Leda is not only one of the best performances of the year and guaranteed to get her a slew of award nominations. The character of Leda is brilliantly written, and Colman proves to be fantastic casting. Colman’s Leda is an accumulation of the decisions that we see through the flashback scenes, so her performance feels more rewarding the more we learn about the character. Colman’s performance is nuanced and makes this film as brilliant as it is. We may not understand why Leda does certain things and why she chooses to do them, but it is this unpredictability that makes The Lost Daughter such a gripping film from beginning to end.

The film revolves around Leda and her life leading up to the present day and beautifully merges flashbacks that show her journey and success. Playing Young Leda is Jessie Buckley, another actress who has risen up the ranks in recent years and another example of perfect casting. Young Leda’s life is inundated with chaos as she tries to juggle her studies with caring for her young daughters, Bianca and Martha, meaning that Buckley’s performance is more expressive as we see the physical and mental strain that her life has taken. Leda’s relationship with her young daughters is highly turbulent, and she begins to enjoy the time she gets to spend away from them, eventually leaving them to pursue her academic career. Buckley’s performance complements Colman’s perfectly as they capture Leda’s personality flawlessly in a way that feels seamless.

Dakota Johnson plays Nina in a role that may be small but has a huge impact on the film. Marking a career best for Johnson, Nina is a woman who struggles between living a life that she wants and the one that is expected of her by her family and society at whole. Nina is on holiday with her daughter, Elena, and family, while her husband flits in and out due to work. When Elena goes missing, things become chaotic and Nina begins to doubt her role as a mother. After Leda finds Elena and returns her, Nina becomes indebted to Leda and wants to get to know her, but is kept at arm’s length. When we see Nina, it is usually from Leda’s standpoint as an observer, as we see her struggle to be a good mother and wife. Johnson really excels in her final scene, in which she confronts Leda as the latter admits that she stole Elena’s doll. What Johnson does excellently in the film is put across Nina’s inexperience and her desire to find control of her own life rather than having others control it.

One of the most striking elements of The Lost Daughter is Dickon Hinchliffe’s score, which has a blues sound to it. The opening track “Leda” is a wonderfully dynamic piece that thrusts the audience into the location and escapism of the film. Leda has gone to Greece to finish her work and relax, and this track perfectly accompanies this. What Hinchliffe manages to capture is Leda’s wonderment and the freedom she has, which is then contrasted with quieter pieces that are more drawn out during the flashbacks to capture how Leda is trapped in a life that was expected of her but one that she doesn’t really want. The contrast between musical styles is a great way of portraying the many sides of Leda’s personality, and accompanies her journey perfectly.

The Lost Daughter is a masterclass in subtlety. It doesn’t need to have bells and whistles to show off the craftsmanship of the script and direction, while providing stellar performances all around, especially from Colman. It’s an intricate character study following Leda’s life and the sacrifices she has made to get where she is while also drawing parallels with Nina. The slow pace of the film works beautifully as it goes hand in hand with the vacation aspect. What is really fantastic about The Lost Daughter is that it subtly plays with the thriller tone, without actually exposing any threat, but we feel Leda’s fear. Maggie Gyllenhaal absolutely hit it out of the park with her debut, and it’s exciting to see what she does next.

What did you think of The Lost Daughter? Let me know in the comments below!

The Lost Daughter is available to stream on Netflix now!

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The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

In a year that has seen Disney release three animated films (Encanto, Raya and the Last Dragon and Pixar’s Luca), The Mitchells vs. the Machines is here to help push the boundaries of the animation medium even more. The film follows Katie Mitchell (Abbi Jacobson), an aspiring filmmaker who is about to start film school, her dad Rick (Danny McBride), her mum Linda (Maya Rudolph), younger brother Aaron (Mike Rianda), and pug Monchi (Doug the Pug) and the chronicles how the familial relationships have become strained over time and the events that bring them back together. The titular “Machines” appear when a virtual assistant called PAL (Olivia Colman) is discarded for the next big thing and swears revenge on humanity. There’s a lot going on in The Mitchells vs. the Machines, but the way everything ties together means that the film is never overwhelming.

The film is directed by Mike Rianda who cowrote the screenplay with Jeff Rowe and is based on Rianda’s own personal experiences which he has combined with his childhood obsession with robots. The result is a film that on the surface is bonkers and filled with lots of fantasy and imagination but underneath has a beautiful and relatable story about family and the relationships we form with those around us. The personal connection that Rianda has is clearly there and this is portrayed through the realism of the relationships, especially the one between Katie and Rick as the two begin to find that they share a lot in common and are able to work together. The screenplay is not only innovative as Rianda also incorporates a variety of different mediums into the animation that makes it an explosion of imagination and a joy to watch.

Leading the cast is Abbi Jacobson, who voices Katie Mitchell. Jacobson brings her quirky charm to Katie and the passion that the character has for film. What is evident for Jacobson and the rest of the cast is that they have a lot of love for their characters and are unafraid to push their performances where they need to go. Katie is a brilliant character who has a lot of creativity and imagination and needs the resources to express herself. Not only is Katie resourceful and intelligent, she is also openly gay which is a huge step in animation and family films. The way in which this is brought into the film is subtle yet provides representation that is highly needed in family films.

There is a whole flurry of supporting actors who provide voices for characters you really root for. Playing Katie’s parents are Danny McBride and Maya Rudolph who voice her dad and mum, respectively. Both are great as they provide their signature humour to their roles. McBride is especially great as Rick as he brings through the inner struggle that the character has as he wants to be closer to Katie but can’t find the action or the words to do so and it is wonderful to see their relationship blossom throughout the film.

Olivia Colman has been gaining a lot of attention thanks to her amazing performance in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s film The Lost Daughter, but her supporting vocal turn in The Mitchells vs. the Machines is absolutely hilarious. Colman is immediately identifiable thanks to the sharp wit and charisma, despite voicing a phone and she really makes PAL feel like a huge threat and unstoppable force. It sounds like Colman is having a lot of fun with the role and it makes the film even more enjoyable to watch, while scenes with PAL are brilliant and among the highlights.

The Mitchells vs. the Machines has proven itself to be one of the most innovative animations released in 2021 thanks to its quirky blend of computer animation and live-action clips to create a world that is truly unique and unlike anything we have ever seen before. It manages to be groundbreaking in its execution while remaining gripping and funny throughout, making it the perfect film for all ages.

What did you think of The Mitchells vs. the Machines? Let me know in the comments below!

The Mitchells vs. the Machines is available to stream on Netflix now!

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The Father (2020)

Florian Zeller’s directorial feature debut The Father was undoubtedly subject to a lot of critical and commercial praise and emerged as a favourite among many critic’s Best Film lists going into the Oscars. Starring Anthony Hopkins as Anthony, a father who is suffering with dementia, the film follows his deterioration into memory loss and despair as other characters begin to change actors and the setting begins to change. It is a deeply harrowing film that weaves feelings of thriller into the dramatic elements of the film. With great performances all round, especially from Hopkins and Olivia Colman who plays his daughter, Anne, The Father was a regular mainstay on the awards circuit this year, receiving six Academy Award nominations and winning two with Zeller and Christopher Hampton winning Best Adapted Screenplay and Hopkins receiving the Best Actor gong in a shock win.

Zeller has been a prominent playwright winning many prestigious awards in France. The Father marks his directorial debut and its script is based on his play. What makes the film so effective is how well Zeller’s direction allows the flat to become a character in itself. As we become familiarised with every room and corridor in the flat, we begin to see the changes that Anthony notices to the point where the film plays as a thriller. Although The Father is not a horror in the traditional sense of the genre, there is something deeply horrific and disturbing about watching Anthony’s world and sense of self crumble as everything becomes more distorted and confused. The way that the script is paced and structured allows for this confusion and deterioration to be carried off successfully as scenes appear to overlap and the same dialogue occurs in different flats with different actors playing the same role. The only consistent aspect of the whole film is Hopkins playing Anthony. Everything else from the plot to the characters and the setting is subject to changes to highlight the spiral into confusion.

Hopkins’ win at the Academy Awards this year was one of the most shocking results as it had seemed that the late Chadwick Boseman was the favourite to win for his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. However, the competition in the Best Actor race was incredibly strong and both Hopkins and Boseman gave fantastic performances. Although seeing Boseman win would have been a lovely tribute on what was a life cut tragically short, Hopkins’ achievement in The Father shouldn’t be dismissed or overlooked. There is a reason why Hopkins is often referred to as the best actor working today and it is his ability to truly become the character and his fearless approach. The character of Anthony is extremely confident in himself at the beginning but we see his many layers begin to peel away as his struggles come to light and his concept of time and self begin to dissipate. Hopkins’ ability to shift the mood with the slight change of voice or a minor physical action carries the film and lifts it from being a play performed onscreen to a cinematic experience. It’s testament to Hopkins’ career that his role in The Father is being deemed one of his best considering the calibre of his actor.

In support, we have the extremely lovable Olivia Colman playing Anthony’s daughter, Anne. Colman is always a welcome presence in any film and The Father is no exception. If you’re going to have an actor playing with someone like Anthony Hopkins, you need to make sure they can match his calibre and Colman is one of the best actresses working today and is perfect casting. Coming off her Oscar winning turn in The Favourite, Colman is phenomenal as Anne, the tortured second daughter who lives in the shadow of her deceased sister, Lucy (Imogen Poots) and having to listen to her father talk to people about how Lucy is his favourite daughter. Where Anthony is seemingly happy and content at the start of the film, Anne is the opposite. Having sacrificed the happiness of her life to look after her father, Anne’s partner, Paul receives a job offer in Paris and wants her to join him. This is the perfect opportunity for Anne to begin to live her life and step out of the shadow of her family. Colman received a slew of award nominations including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination which was great to see because she really holds her own and proves to be a stellar screen partner against Hopkins.

Composer Ludovico Einaudi has had a brilliant year as he helped bring life to Chloe Zhao’s beautiful Best Picture winner, Nomadland as well as The Father. It’s incredible how different the scores are and yet are full of Einaudi signatures that help to bring his mark to the film. The score for The Father is gentle and intense at the same time and feels like a perfect mesh between drama and thriller without being over the top or overwhelming the scenes. It’s the subtly that makes the music a perfect undercurrent that propels the scenes forward and brings those confusions to light. The music in the final scene, particularly, is stunning and it is a real shame that Einaudi didn’t receive any nomination for his efforts for either film at the Academy Awards as that would have been well deserved.

What The Father does so well in this cinematic adaptation is its ability to elevate itself from a stage production onscreen thanks to the use of the direction and performances. With a stellar script that bends all of the rules, The Father is not an easy watch by any means but it is by far one of the best films to come out of this awards season. Boasting fantastic performances by Hopkins and Colman, it may not have all of the bells and whistles that come with a lot of big blockbuster films but like Nomadland, The Father thrives in its simplicity and allows the script and characters to help bring the drama to life.

What did you think of The Father? Let me know in the comments below!

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Top 5 Emma Stone Performances

Emma Stone is one of the most exciting young actresses working today. She worked her way up in the ranks of quirky teenage comedies proving her ability to perform in an array of roles in various genres along the way. In such a short career, we have seen her portray a young writer in a segregated community in the 1960s Deep South, the drug-addicted daughter of a washed-up actor and a conniving maid working her way up to win the favour of the Queen of England. Naturally, she has made some mishaps in her career (most notably, her controversial turn in Aloha as a quarter-Chinese, half-Hawaiian woman which she openly regrets) but for the most part, she has grown and matured as a performer. Even her turn in the darkly comedic picture, The Favourite shows a huge improvement from her turns in Superbad and Easy A.

Nominated for 3 Oscars with a win in 2016 for La La Land, Stone’s star shows no sign of dimming any time soon and with her upcoming Cruella de Vil origin story set to hit the screens in 2021, it’s exciting to see what else she will do. She is a star who doesn’t divulge hugely in the celebrity lifestyle and clearly has an ingrained passion for her craft which is refreshing to see. Easy A proved to be her breakthrough into leading roles and what she has achieved within a decade, most people would spend their whole careers dreaming of. What better way to celebrate Stone’s illustrious career than discussing the highlights.

Here are my top 5 Emma Stone performances in chronological order:

Easy A (2010)

Stone’s first leading performance just so happens to be one of the 21st century defining teen comedies. Stone plays Olive Penderghast, a bright and overlooked student who is quick with her wit and yet underwhelmed with her current social standing. During a party, she pretends to have sex with a friend to stop rumours that he is gay and word quickly spreads about “slutty” Olive as she pretends to have sex with guys in her school in exchange for gifts. We see Olive thrust into the spotlight reluctantly and judged by her peers and the teachers at her school. The script is fantastic and the scenes where Olive and hardcore Christian Marianne Bryant (Amanda Bynes) face off are incredible. Olive is a brilliant character because she is so self-aware of the mistakes that she makes and the web of lies that she is trapped within. It is the sincerity that Stone portrays Olive with that really brings that emotion to the surface as she records her side of the situation on the webcam. She doesn’t try to justify what she has done but she uses it to explain why she decided to do what she did. There is also an amazing supporting cast including Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson as Olive’s parents and a welcome cameo from Malcolm McDowell as Principal Gibbons. Even though it is a film aimed for a teenage audience, there is plenty there for an adult audience to enjoy.

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The Help (2011)

This film sees Stone cast against type and venturing into more dramatic roles. The Help is a film mired in controversy due its white saviour narrative disguised in a well-meaning intentions. I do believe that director, Tate Taylor, didn’t realise this when making the film and I do think that the cast do a brilliant job with the script that they’re given. Stone portrays the lead, Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, an aspiring journalist who looks to chronicle the treatment of black maids in Jackson in 1960s Mississippi. Skeeter fits the typical white saviour tropes as her character has been created with hindsight. She is made to be an outsider as she doesn’t fit in with the ideals that are expected from the white community as she yearns to have a career in a “man’s world”. Because she doesn’t fit in with the white community, she finds that this is something she has in common with the black community, specifically the maids who work for her friends and Constantine (Cicely Tyson), the Phelan family’s maid from Skeeter’s childhood. These are definite flaws that are present throughout the film and have been justifiably addressed since the film’s release. I have included Stone’s performance in this list, however, because I think that this performance shows a different side and her ability to lead a large starry cast. The Help was made with a big budget and did extremely well in the box office and critically, receiving nominations in awards season and wins for Octavia Spencer who plays the brilliant Minnie. Stone plays Skeeter interestingly as she is a character who observes and listens to the stories. She steps back and watches the action unfold. A lot of her acting in this film is through expression rather than words which Stone brings in abundance and although the concept of the film is flawed, I think the sincerity that Stone brings to the character shouldn’t be entirely overlooked.

Birdman: or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance (2014)

Anyone who claims that Stone has just struck lucky and isn’t a good actress needs only to watch her performance in Best Picture winner Birdman. The film follows Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton), an actor known for his previous outings as superhero Birdman and his attempt to break into serious acting by directing and starring in an adaptation of Ray Carver’s short story “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” work on Broadway. Stone plays Sam, Riggan’s daughter who has recently come out of rehab and is learning to adjust without drugs. It’s a small role and yet Stone shines bright among the starry cast. The scene in which she has a breakdown after Riggan finds her weed is astonishing and well-deserving of the Oscar nomination that Stone received. This is a role in which see a darker side of Stone where the character of Sam is emotionally exhausted which comes across in Stone’s physicality. Her character drifts and becomes ghostlike such as the dressing room scene in which she fades into the background as Lesley (Naomi Watts) storms in and starts ranting about her to Mike (Edward Norton). In a film that relies on such quick pacing and non-stop movement by its cast and crew as the camera winds its way down the corridors of the theatre, it is Sam that brings it to a halt in her scenes. Her easiness and contemplative nature are reflected in the way the film is structured and her scenes see her fixated in one room rather than moving.

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La La Land (2015)

La La Land showed Stone’s already shining star skyrocket to a global phenomenon as she swept awards season for her role as Mia in Damien Chazelle’s homage to the classical musical. The film follows aspiring starlet Mia who works in a café at a film studio and her chance encounter with aspiring jazz musician, Sebastien (Ryan Gosling) and their subsequent romance. The film is clearly inspired by films such as Les Parapluies des Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) and Casablanca which Chazelle has listed among his favourite films. It’s a beautiful film filled with nostalgia while giving it a 21st twist and innovative direction. Stone is impeccable in her role as an actress playing an actress who is yet to have a big break in Hollywood. We see her fail in auditions initially mainly due to her lack of confidence. Her passion for acting is clear when she talks but she is unable to project that passion for the casting directors. Through the film and the romance with Sebastien, she becomes unguarded and unafraid to be herself. The character is refreshing and begins to experience a new perspective on life. This results in the iconic audition scene, with the song “Audition”, in which Mia sings about an aunt whose freedom inspires her.

The Favourite (2018)

Probably my favourite Emma Stone performance, The Favourite is a brilliant insight into British history from the weird mind of Yorgos Lanthimos. Stone plays Abigail, a young maid whose father gambled her off in a whist. She arrives at Queen Anne’s (Olivia Colman) palace seeking employment and works in the kitchens as a scullery maid until the ruthless and watchful eye of her aristocratic cousin, Sarah, the Duchess of Marlborough (Rachel Weisz). It’s a fantastic love triangle as Sarah and Abigail fight for the Queen’s favour. The film undoubtedly belongs to Colman, who won an Oscar for her troubles but Stone is utterly captivating. She bounces off perfectly to both Colman and Weisz, allowing her cruel nature to bubble beneath the surface. Sarah is known for her loyalty to the crown and her firmness but Abigail keeps her motivations hidden and brings a sweet and innocent exterior. It’s extraordinary seeing Stone play such an evil character with so much charm and charisma that her award nominations were inevitable. This film was my favourite from this year’s awards season and it was such a shame seeing it not receiving the attention that it deserved. It’s so rare seeing three female characters dominating a film with fleshed out personalities that are complex and captivating and that’s exactly what Lanthimos has done. I would love to see another Lanthimos/Stone collaboration on the cards in the future.

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It’s amazing to think that these 5 performances show different sides to Stone and yet there is a 8 year difference between the first and last with three Oscar nominations, including a win in between. I don’t think that Stone is an actress who should be overlooked and I think that she is someone who has even more up her sleeve. I am very excited to see what the future brings for her.

Which Emma Stone performance is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below!

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Women’s Voice In Film

Women in film has become a huge talking point for film development in recent years, partially due to the #metoo movement that outed the abusive patriarchy in film seeing women given less power both in representation and finance. A lot of discussion on the internet (from men mostly) questioning whether there truly is a problem in the first place, do the women deserve the harassment they face and most importantly, do we really need these gender swap remakes? The answers to these questions are simply: yes there is a problem, no a woman never deserves harassment and of course we need as much female representation as possible.

It’s not secret that the days of Golden Hollywood, although seemingly flawless and iconic, foresaw the way women in film were treated by their bosses (producers and directors). From the infamous “casting couch” to the manipulative studio contracts, Hollywood presented itself as a mecca of dreams but proved to be a breaking point of mental illness, drug and alcohol misuse and domestic abuse. This period sees the breakdown of many stars including Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe and Bette Davis just to name a few. It seemed that solace could only be found at the bottom of a whiskey glass.

So what does this issue have to do with Hollywood today?

Well, to begin with, despite the elimination of studio contracts in the 50s due to the collapse of the Hollywood studio structure, it appears that female filmmaking is still viewed as a niche rather than as an equal offering. The fact that we even discuss a film as “female” or celebrate female creators and strong female characters shouldn’t be something we celebrate in the 21st century. Especially considering that we’re at a century of accessible filmmaking that has distributed across the globe. AFter everything that has happened globally regarding women’s issues such as voting rights, reproductive rights, fighting the wage gap, it’s unsurprising that the fight for the female experience through a woman’s perspective has been equally difficult. After all, film is a brilliant and affordable medium to translate issues to a global audience using visuals to gain awareness for issues. Take last year’s Oscar-winning short documentary Period. End of Sentence. that looks at female poverty in India where women are forced to quit school due to periods as they are unablt to afford sanitary products. In terms of fictional feature films, we have seen a resurgence of female driven comedies with Bridesmaids accredited with starting this trend. Other offerings in recent years have reverted back to teenage years with 2019’s Booksmart and 2017’s Lady Bird among the big fish. it’s great to see original stories created by women being given mainstream releases and have subsequently done well in the awards circuit. As well as comedies, we have also seen female-centred dramas such as Todd Haynes’ beautiful and iconic LGBT love story Carol (you can read my review here) starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, which I would argue is the best love film of the century so far. Now these Indie films do incredibly well, but why hasn’t this translated as well into mainstream films? I’ll try to break this down.

It’s known that the majority of people who will go and see an original story created and performed by women is going to be seen by women. That’s all well and good but considering that men are the majority of the cinematic audience statistically, it’s important to get men to see films created and performed by women too. This is for a number of reasons and since the film industry is a business, the most important issue is money. If more men see the films then more money is given to the filmmakers and then more films created by women can be made which would eventually make the idea of the “female film” as old and traditional as the Golden Age of Hollywood. This brings me to the gender swap remakes. If you looked at the highest grossing films in recent years, chances are that they are filled with sequels, reboots, prequels and remakes. Using this information, it is a smart idea that in order to bring a female perspective to a high-grossing film, you must incorporate strong female roles into these films. However, this hasn’t been without a share of complaints from a small portion of the male audience. Take the Marvel and DC Universes for example. Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of the Marvel Universe but I have never heard such negativity from a male audience regarding it’s iconic female characters before. It seems that every other film is released with no issue, Marvel films particularly tend to sell out every initial screening and exceed in both critic and audience circles so when they decided to do a film dedicated to Captain Marvel, this should have been a celebration for a strong female character to join the achievements of its predecessors; however, this sadly wasn’t the case. A portion of the male audience was outraged by Brie Larson’s interpretation of the role as well as her feminist statements. It’s all well and good when the male superheros want to prove their stereotyped masculinity (which is an old school trope that Marvel appear to be fighting as well by bringing vulnerability into the male characters) but when Captain Marvel doesn’t need a man to save the world and more importantly, doesn’t want a man with her to save the world, this is a major issue. It was a role that should have been celebrated but instead, while Endgame was adored for bringing its emotion to the male characters (Iron Man specifically), Captain Marvel is viewed in a negative light because she veers away from the traditional “eye-candy” trope that Golden Hollywood has been feeding the audience with for years. I hope that as these franchises expand and more female characters are incorporated into their respected universes, the male audience that openly despises the likes of Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman may be open to the idea of the strong, independent women without thinking of them as simple love interests or sidekicks rather than the leaders of their own stories. Despite this small male audience who tweet outrageously about the femalecentred films, DC is clearly proud of the overwhelming success of Wonder Woman as they are bringing Patty Jenkins back for the second film (I did actually enjoy Wonder Woman! The first segment featuring the Amazonians is astonishing direction and writing).

I am not writing this article to be negative or bash the male audience because the male audience is important to the plight of female filmmaking as well and it is only a small portion. I think that there has to be an understanding that it is much harder for a woman to get a film made than a man. Once that statement is understood and acknowledged then the discussion of female film becomes a welcome idea and celebrated. But in a world where the Indie films created by women are renowned for their originality, why do we need gender swapped films such as Ghostbusters? Do we actually need them?

As I said at the top of this article… yes, yes we do!

Why do we need them? By remaking films with gender swapped protagonists, it gives the audience a new perspective on a femiliar setting. It’s easy to be angered when a classic like Ghostbusters is given an update with the best female comedians much like the original with men. It’s a brilliant film by itself (it obviously isn’t as good as the original) but I don’t think the intention was to “outdo” the original. I think it was to show that women could be given an ordinary role without the woman part being of any importance. I think that if Ghostbusters was remade with a male cast, there would be the usual complaints of “we don’t need a remake” but the abuse hurled at the stars of the film showed that there is sexist view from this portion of male audience. It seems to not only be that women have “taken” the roles, but that women are put in powerful positions without being the love interest. There is also an argument that representation is important and when given the opportunity to make these remakes, it’s another opportunity to put women in the driving seat which is only a positive.

Some of the films I love such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Frances Ha feature brilliant female characters. Clementine Kruczynski (played fantastically by Kate Winslet) in the former and Greta Gerwig as the quirky titular character in the latter are women who have their flaws and struggles but at the end of the day, are independent and strong. Both films directed by men but show the important of strong female presence in film. Eternal Sunshine’s script won the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award suggesting that there is a demand for these female characters. Another film that is a force of nature is 2016’s Turkish offering, Mustang, about five young sisters who are forced into marriage after wrongly being accused of sexual activity with a group of boys in their class at school. Written and directed by Deniz Gamze Erguven in her directorial debut, Mustang is one of the best films I have ever seen. The film is shown through the eyes of the youngest sister, Lale, giving the audience an innocent glimpse into an oppressive world without explicitly saying so. Much like the message of the film, the writing and directing is subtle with a lot of stillness and peace in moments of chaos. Another brilliant female-led offering is 2018’s The Favourite which was hugely snubbed in the Oscars this year and has not one, not two but THREE stellar leads in the form of Olivia Colman as Queen Anne (who deservedly won an Oscar for her performance) and Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone as the women vying for the queen’s attention. It’s a complex triangle of lust, power and manipulation. This answers the question whether women can carry a film with a resounding YES!

At the end of it all, more needs to be done to finance and distribute mainstream films created by and starring women but this isn’t to say that none exist at all and the offerings we have had in recent years particularly show a huge improvement to the films of the Golden Era. Women have proven time and time again that they can create films that are both critical and commercial (when given the chance) successes.

What are your favourite films created by and/or starring women? Let me know in the comments below?

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91st Academy Awards – Creative Awards (Part 1)

For this segment of my Oscars 2019 roundup, I am looking at the four “big” categories in the creative department – both adapted and original screenplays, director and best picture. I have previously discussed my thoughts on the acting categories here. The screenplay categories are my favourite categories in the whole of awards season and this year provided an array of offerings from industry veterans and newcomers alike but ultimately we saw the veterans win the day.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Blackkklansman was one of my favourite films of this awards circuit. I knew it didn’t really stand a chance against the other Best Picture nominees that appeared to be more popular so seeing this great film recognised for its killer script was a great feat and to see the genius Spike Lee win an Oscar in competition was one of my personal highlights of the ceremony. This truly was his moment and although set in the 70s, the script seemed as though it could have been set this year. The timelessness shows not only his skill as a filmmaker but also breaks the illusion that we live in a society that is “equal” or “more equal” to make ourselves feel better. Spike uses this film as a vehicle to hold the mirror up to society through techniques such as combining footage from the news today with racist propaganda film The Birth of a Nation. The protagonist is the only black policeman in his unit so we get to see how he is treated within the African American community as well as the white men in power.

This script was my pick by far for the adapted screenplay award so I am thrilled that it won.

Best Original Screenplay

This winner was both a surprise and a disappointment in my personal opinion. Peter Farrelly won for the script for Green Book which was a very mixed film for me. My main issue with the film was its script. The story was lifted by the charisma of the actors rather by being lifted by the words they were saying. Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali did a fantastic job of carrying the film but sadly it seemed that they were driving a cardboard car rather than a real one.

My pipedream is to one day win the gong in this category so it tends to be the one I follow the most. My vote would have gone to The Favourite. The humour and depth of all three leads is unlike anything I have seen and to see a film treat three women with such vigour and respect was really refreshing. In my eyes, this was one of the major robs of the night.

Best Director

There was no doubt that Alfonso Cuaron would take the trophy home for Best Director. Whether or not Roma was to everyone’s liking, it cannot be doubted that this was the film Cuaron was born to make and could only be made by him. The vision was truly his as he took over practically every aspect of production including cinematography (which he also won) and co-editing. It’s rare that a film brings a first time actor award attention yet Cuaron created a star in the form of film lead Yalitza Aparicio, a recently graduated teacher who had no plans to enter acting and happened upon the audition by chance. Within the last six Academy Awards, Mexican filmmakers have won this gong with this being Cuaron’s second win in this category. In an industry where diversity still has a way to go, those statistics show good promise for the future of film.

Although Cuaron undoubtedly deserved his win, my personal pick would have been Yorgos Lanthimos for The Favourite but I knew Cuaron would take the gold and I am really happy for Roma’s success. Also, considering Lathimos had been largely left out of the director races for other awards, I was thrilled that he received a director nomination at all.

Best Picture

Now for the big one! We know the eventual winner of the big prize (Best Picture) went to Farrelly’s Green Book which some have viewed as deserving but others have already deemed will go down as one of the biggest mistakes in the Academy’s history. I think it’s too early to see whether it’s one of the biggest mistakes in the Oscars history but I do think it was the wrong choice. Usually this category tends to be a race between two (sometimes three) films but there was an array of films that had a chance this year all for different reasons. Green Book was among these but given that it was being consistently recognised for Mahershala Ali’s performance which I think is a huge bulk of its eventual win in this category, I didn’t think it would actually take it. I do feel strongly that this award should have gone to Roma or The Favourite because these films were experimental and yet had a lot of heart and love in them. I’m not sure I felt the same way about Green Book. As I said above, the script was too bland for my liking but also the context of production put me off. The fact that the film has all white male producers, director and screenwriters is already problematic. How do you make a film about the black American experience without a major black figure of authority behind the camera? I know I speak from a white female perspective but it just seemed so strange to me when you had other films in the mix such as Blackkklansman and Black Panther which proved to be popular with audiences and critics alike. On another note, I really feel that If Beale Street Could Talk should have been included in the nominees and considering films like Bohemian Rhapsody were included, there’s no reason why it was omitted.

I would have loved to see The Favourite or Roma take this award. I felt more of a connection with them. Both were films that stretch the imagination and remind me why I love films so much.

That’s it for this post. My next blog will look at another batch of creative awards including Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary Feature and Best Foreign Film as well as the shorts.

What did you think of the winners and losers in these categories? Do you agree? Let me know in the comments below!

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91st Academy Awards – Acting Awards

So Sunday night was the 91st Academy Awards and as usual, I stayed up for them so suffice to say I am still recovering!

The night was full of expected wins (here’s looking at you “Shallow”) and even more surprises. Given that there is a lot of debate regarding the awards (particularly the Best Picture winner Green Book), I thought I would give my opinion on some of the awards. In this post, I will be discussing the acting awards.

Best Supporting Actress
By this point in awards season, it appeared to be Regina King’s Oscar to lose and she didn’t disappoint, claiming the Best Supporting Actress gong for her nuanced turn in Barry Jenkins’s brilliant adaptation of James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk. It was a performance that allowed King to shine as the matriarch who is determined to fight for justice for her daughter’s partner in jail. It was nice to see this film recognised because it was wrongly snubbed in major categories including Best Picture which had rightly caused a furore on social media.

This category was full of strong competition, particularly from Rachel Weisz’s incredible performance as Lady Sarah in The Favourite. She had won the BAFTA a couple of weeks ago and personally, she would have been my first choice for the award. That being said, it is wonderful seeing King being recognised in film after a long absence from the big screen.

Best Supporting Actor
Much like King, this was Mahershala Ali’s for the taking. Having won the same award two years ago for his stellar turn in Barry Jenkins’s Moonlight, his acting talents are still very much fresh in Hollywood’s mind and he continued his winning streak as the genius Dr Shirley in feel-good piece Green Book. Admittedly, I didn’t really get on with this film as a whole (I will explain more later) but the performance Mahershala gives cannot be ignored nor his win argued. He is brilliant playing the pianist touring the deep south chauffered by Tony, a white New York Italian security guard who proves to be Dr Shirley’s polar opposite performed brilliantly by Viggo Mortensen. Ali brings such an elegance and grace to his performance showcasing the struggle of Dr Shirley.
Having swept every supporting actor award, this was one of the expected wins; however, I can’t not mention Richard E. Grant who has been charming the globe with his enthusiasm this season and bringing a much needed injection of joy that the film industry needs during the politically turbulent backdrop. That being said, Mahershala was my choice to win and he has continued to cement his status as one of the greats.

Best Leading Actor
Like the two previous awards, this gong also had a clear frontrunner in the form of Rami Malek for his performance of Freddie Mercury in the audience favourite Bohemian Rhapsody. I have been a fan of Rami’s since his supporting turn in The Master and knew it was only a matter of time before he achieved even more success which came from his appearances on TV in Mr Robot. His performance as Freddie was clearly no easy feat as the film had a very troubled production due to allegations against director Bryan Singer. I have to be honest, I wasn’t a fan of the film as a whole. I wish I loved it because I am a huge fan of Queen and Malek but the script was poor and pacing was all over the place. I do believe that it is Malek’s performance that carries the whole film and the charisma that made it so enjoyable for audiences.

I do think that while this performance was a huge hit with critics and audiences, there were other performances in the same category that I feel were more deserving. I also feel that we’re going to see Malek in even better roles in the future. Personally, my vote would have gone to Bradley Cooper for his performance as fading country star Jackson Maine in his directorial debut, A Star is Born. Not only is it his best performance to date, it is a turn that proves how timeless the film’s plot is while discussing current themes in the 21st century.

Best Leading Actress
My favourite category of the night (pun intended). The best surprise of the night saw Olivia Colman win for her portrayal of Queen Anne in Yorgos Lanthimos’ phenomenal The Favourite. I can’t even begin to explain how much I enjoyed this film. It was flawless in every way from the script to the make-up and of course, the cast particularly the three leading ladies (Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone). Olivia was my pick for the gong the whole way through awards season. As much as I love Glenn Close, I felt that giving her the award would be more of a celebration of her entire career rather than her performance in The Wife specifically. Of course, Close doesn’t ever put a foot wrong, there’s a reason why she has led such a successful career but this felt that it was more about her previous Oscar losses in the past. What was even better was Colman’s reaction and speech. She was clearly just as shocked as everyone else at her win but she showed exactly why she has captured everyone’s heart. It’s so wonderful to think that “Sophie from Peep Show” has become a Hollywood Leading Lady.

Now as I said, Colman was my choice for this award. She is flawless in every role she takes whether it is a small British sitcom or a big Hollywood film. She brings a nuanced humour that also has a depth to it and makes even the smallest character three dimensional. I am so excited to see what she does next. I am also certain that Glenn’s big Oscar moment will come eventually and it will be for a performance as memorable as Fatal Attraction. I also feel like I should give a shout-out to Melissa McCarthy’s career defining turn in Can You Ever Forgive Me? which showcased McCarthy’s range and allowed her to break out of the comedic trope that she is known for.

That’s it for my acting awards roundup. What did you think of the acting award winners? Let me know in the comments below!

My next blog will look at the original and adapted screenplays, director and Best Picture awards.