Oscar Nominations 2018 - The Shocks, snubs and the facts!

When Andy Serkis and Tiffany Haddish read out the Oscar nominations last week there were largely very little in the way of surprises in what most critics were already predicting would be the nominees.
But similar to every Academy Award season there is undoubted shocks and omissions that like every thing movie related spark great debate among us. So what were this years surprise additions and shocking snubs and does 2018 hold it's won quality wise alongside previous years nominees? For the real film nerd what are the unusual facts about this years nominees. What records have been broken? What firsts have occurred?

The following are a list of shocks, snubs and interesting facts about this years Oscar nominations:

• The Shape of Water leads the way on nominations with 13, 5 more than it's nearest rival and just one away from equalling the record of 14!
• Netflix Original Mudbound is a record breaker on three fronts. Mary J.Blige is the first person to be nominated for Best Original Song and Best Supporting Actress. She is also the actor to be nominated for a film directed by a woman of colour. Rachel Morrison is also the first woman to be nominated for cinematography.
• Great Gerwig is only the fifth woman to be nominated for Best Director.
• Logan is the first film based on a comic book to get nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.
• Call Me By Your Name has both the oldest Academy Award nominee ever in 89 year old screenwriter James Ivory and youngest ever Actor in Timothee Chamalet at age 22.
• Meryl Streep is again the most nominated actress come Oscar time with 21 nominations - beating her own record of 20.
• Notable shocks from the nominations would be the inclusion of the average Boss Baby in the Best Animated feature and The Greatest Showman not being involved in the Best Costume Design discussion. The inclusion of horror film Get Out as well as it's director Jordan Peele will surprise a lot of people but it is without doubt worth it's place on the podium and is  a refreshing change from some rather dour features that have been nominated in years gone by.
• There were a number of noticeable snubs also with films like The Big Sick, The Florida Project and The Phantom Thread failing to earn as many nominations as these great films deserved. Martin McDonagh lost out on the Best Director nomination despite the success of Three Billboards Outside Epping Missouri and James Franco will not get the chance to repeat his Golden Globe success with an Oscar as he was not involved in the nominations this time around. Tom Hanks, Armie Hammer and Michael Stuhlbarg can all count themselves unlucky for not being nominated and the excellent Holly Hunter in the Big Sick must be wondering what she has to do to earn another nomination!

Overall though there is a lot to celebrate among this years nominations and hopefully coming March 3rd the Oscars will end up in the right hands!

For a full list of nominees visit http://oscar.go.com/nominees

Tralee Omniplex Tuesday Treat - What movie deserves your €6 this week?

There are three new releases for your consideration for this weeks Tuesday Treat at Tralee Omniplex. A star studded war drama, a fun family film and an exhausted trilogy coming to a well deserved end! Lots of great features still on show also this week  and all for the giveaway price of just €6!

12 Strong
Nicholai Fuglsig's directorial debut based on the best selling book Horse Soldiers is a thrilling war drama of sorts that whilst may have honourable intentions and an all stellar cast to execute it's plot, it has also been accused of lacking depth and has divided audiences and critics down the middle.

Early Man
After a long absence Nick Park returns to the directors chair in this wonderful family film set in caveman times. The voices of Eddie Redmayne and Tom Hiddleston are added to the mix and whilst it may not hit the previous heights struck by this genius of animation it is undoubtedly a pretty fun way to spend a few hours!

The Maze Runner: The Death Cure
A franchise that has already ran out of steam even before the final film in this weary trilogy, this Wes Ball directed offering is one for the purists only who are looking for the long awaited ending of what could have been a much better series given the promise shown in the first film of the series. With plenty of quality on show this month, this maybe on to avoid!

Review: The Darkest Hour: Oldman's finest hour the highlight of this crowd pleasing historical drama.

The role of Winston Churchill is one that has been quite popular among actors down through the years, most recently with John Lithgow in The Crown and Brian Cox in Churchill performing admirably as this famous historical figure but Gary Oldman's performance as the British Prime Minister in Joe Wright WWII drama is one for the ages and one that will surely land this exceptional actor a deserved Academy Award for the role.
This thrilling and inspiring true story begins at the brink of World War II as, within days of becoming Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill must face one of his most turbulent and era defining trials: exploring a negotiated peace treaty with Nazi Germany, or make a principled stance to fight for the liberty and freedom of a nation under fire. As the unstoppable Nazi forces march across Western Europe and the threat of invasion is inevitable, Churchill must withstand his darkest hour and rally a nation on the road to change the course of world history.
Director Joe Wright is no stranger to movies set during the World War with Atonement among his back catalogue, setting the scene for this wartime drama was always going to be in a safe pair of hands and the mood and tone of this troubled time is captured perfectly throughout.
What raises this feature to a higher level than it's contemporaries in this area is the remarkable lead performance of the highly talented Gary Oldman. Depicting Churchill's brashness, stubbornness, humanity and devilish sense of humour quite brilliantly Oldman also brings the  Prime Minister's now infamous rousing speeches to life with a vigour and energy unparallelled by any previous actors in a performance that must surely land him a maiden Oscar win.
He has strong backing also in the form of Ben Mendelsohn, Kristin Scott Thomas and Lily James who add commendable backing in their respective supporting roles but this is undoubtedly the Gary Oldman show.
On the whole, this is crowd pleasing, well made (with the exception of a somewhat forced tube station scene) wartime drama that enjoys greater success due to the charismatic performance of it's leading actor. Recommended
✷✷✷1/2

Gabriel Byrne to be Honoured in Dublin at the IFTA Awards

The Irish Film & Television Academy has announced that Gabriel Byrne with receive the prestigious Irish Academy’s - Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding achievement across both film and television at this years IFTA Awards.
The President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins will officially present the Award at the Ceremony (which will broadcast on RTE One) which takes place on Thursday 15th February in Dublin, on behalf of the Academy, the entire Irish film industry and Gabriel’s community of peers and friends.

Responding to the news Gabriel Byrne said: “I am deeply honoured to be receiving this Award from the Irish Academy and it means a lot to me to receive it in my home town of Dublin.”

Born in  1950 Byrne began his acting career began in the Focus Theatre before he joined London's Royal Court Theatre in 1979. Byrne's screen debut came in the Irish soap opera The Riordans and the spin-off show Bracken.

He has appeared in over 75 feature films, including Excalibur (1981), Miller's Crossing (1990), The Usual Suspects (1995), Stigmata (1999), End of Days (1999) and The 33 (2015). Byrne has also produced several films, including the Academy Award–nominated In the Name of the Father (1993).

One of Byrne's most identifiable roles is that of Dr. Paul Weston in the HBO drama In Treatment (2008–2011), for which he won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for two Emmy Awards and two Satellite Awards.

He has always been a superb ambassador for Ireland and a consistent and talented actor to boot!

Here are a look at 5 memorable Gabriel Byrne performances:

5. Friedrich Bhaer (Little Women) - As expected, the female stars – Dunst, Danes, Sarandon, Ryder – got most of the attention, but Byrne was solidly sweet as the German professor who charms Jo.
4. Stewart (Jinabyne) - Director Ray Lawrence’s follow up to Lantana revolves around the discovery of a body in a remote river. Byrne owns the film as the man haunted by a subsequent bad choice.
3. Tom Reagan (Millers Crossing) - A Coen brothers classic, Byrne is front and centre as the right-hand man of big-city Irish mob boss Leo and doesn't disappoint.
2. Donald (Lies We Tell) - A firm favourite at last years Kerry Film Festival and due to be released this February this Mitu Misra directed feature sees Byrne once again steal the show in a central performance filled with heart, subtely and charm.
1. Dean Keaton (The Usual Suspects) - This plot rug pulling classic sees Byrne as one of the lead characters in a film that is on many viewers top 10 lists with the Dublin man in top form throughout!

Tralee Omniplex Tuesday Treat - What movie deserves your €6 this week?

There are three new releases for your consideration for this weeks Tuesday Treat at Tralee Omniplex. A heavily fancied award feature from a master movie maker, another animated gem from the wonderful world of Pixar and Liam Neeson doing what Liam Neeson does best in another action thriller from the Ballymena native. Plenty of choice this week  and all for the giveaway price of just €6!

The Commuter
Liam Neeson is back in a familiar role directed again by Jaume Collet-Serra who took the reigns previously on another Takenesque Neeson vehicle (Run All Night) so I guess it's pretty obvious as to what audiences can expect from this one. Might be a nice break from all the award teasers currently on show and a chance to give the brain a well earned rest! Also available in Maxx.

Coco
Pixar's latest animated creation boasts some spectacular visuals and deserves kudos for dealing with difficult subject matter in their own unique family friendly way. A recent Golden Globe winner that will do nothing to harm Pixar's tremendous back catalogue. A wonderful family film! Read my full review here

The Post
A film based on the true story of a cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country's first female newspaper publisher and a hard-driving editor to join an unprecedented battle between journalist and government, that is directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks surely makes this award material and the must see film of the week!

This weeks Top Movies on the Telly

The Way Way Back - (Film Four  Monday 22nd January 18:55)
Written and directed by Jim Nash and Nat Faxon this charming coming of age story works mainly due it's sharp script and some excellent performances from it's all stellar cast. Well worth a look!

Touch of Evil - (Film Four  Tuesday 23rd January 12:55)
Innovative, gripping and for it's time a visual masterpiece, this classic and dark thriller  directed and starring Orson Welles has rightly gone down in the movie annals as a bona fide classic and one to be enjoyed over and over again!

Man on Fire - (Film Four Wednesday 24th January 23:05)
Tony Scott directed feature with Denzel Washington in top form in a revenge thriller that is not lacking in violence or action and includes a strong supporting cast in the shape of Christopher Walken and Dakota Fanning. Recommended!

Review - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri - McDonagh's Masterclass is a Must See!

London Irish director's third feature Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri sees the film maker return to the promise shown with In Bruges after the disappointment that was his second film Seven Psychopaths.
This black comedy crime film deals with a mother who, when the police in her town fail to find a suspect in her daughter's murder, purchases three billboards to call public attention to the unsolved crime, splitting the community in the process.
Director, producer and writer of the film McDonagh was inspired to write the movie after seeing billboards about an unsolved crime while travelling through South USA stating "the rage that put a bunch of billboards like that up was palpable and stayed with me" which lead to the creation of a fictional scenario around such a situation.
McDonagh wrote the parts of the mother and Officer Dixon with Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell specifically in mind and both return the director's faith in spades. Rockwell (a criminally underrated actor in his own right) has become a McDonagh regular and is excellent here as racist cop Dixon, a role that will surely see him add more awards to his recent Golden Globe success.
McDormand is simply a tour de force in her role with an energy and drive that you'll find it difficult to see matched on the big screen this year and aside of her recent Globe success more accolades are bound to follow.
The film itself is a tonal rubix cube, switching from a dark comedy to drama to crime thriller - sometimes all within one scene! The audience are kept guessing, laughing and shifting uncomfortably in their seats until the final shot and whereas the language may be colourful at times (as all McDonagh productions tend to be) the script is superb with some lines instantly quotable lines throughout!
There is more of a hint of the Coen Brothers at play here and fans of those maverick movie makers as well as McDonagh's previous work will not be disappointed.
It is, however, a film that should be savoured by all cinema goers as Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri is a early year cinematic gem that is bound to please critics and audiences alike. A masterpiece!
✸✸✸✸1/2

What movies to watch this weekend?

In the Cinema:

The Post
Three giants of the film industry in Stephen Spielberg, Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks combine in this much fancied and award generating piece of work that continues the high standard of movies on show in cinemas this month. Surely a must see!




Streaming: 

Good Time (Netflix)
Directed by Benny and Joshua Safdie this latest Robert Pattinnson vehicle earned rave reviews on it's initial release as this invigorating crime drama hits all the right notes visually and is helped in no small part to a solid performance from it's lead actor.





On Telly

Calvary (RTE 2 Saturday 20th January 21:15)
Not to be upstaged by his brother here is another chance to see this exceptional movie written and directed by John Michael McDonagh and featuring a stunning central performance from Brendan Gleeson in this highly intense and compassionate, as well as at times extremely funny feature which rightly received high critical acclaim on it's initial release.

Review - Coco - Visually stunning and entertaining tale that have become the norm for Pixar studios!

Despite his family's generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz . Desperate to prove his talent and  following a mysterious chain of events Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.
A Disney/Pixar production with Lee Unrich (Toy Story 3) in the director's chair Coco was a film that showed promise from the outset.
Combining a visually stunning canvas (the underworld is one of Pixars astounding spectacles to date) to a tale rich in folklore and custom along with can be tricky subject matter for a family film in themes life and death, was always going to be a difficult task but as we have come to expect from any Pixar production these days, they deliver emphatically with this latest offering showing the originality and imagination that are contained throughout so much of Pixar's back catalogue.
Firstly, the film looks amazing, with the colourful animation playing a starring role in the films core message. The narrative too, glides along at a comfortable pace with plenty of laughs along the way for all the family to enjoy.
The strong moral and emotional message that entertains both young and old is prominent here also with more than a trace of Pixar's 2015 big hit Inside Out in the way that these delicate life lessons are delivered.
Critical acclaim has already been achieved with this film recently winning the Golden Globe for Best Animation and don't be surprised if that's not the end of the silverware before the season ends.
Following on from a year of family friendly box office success in Ireland, where family films made up 60% of the top 10 grossing box office, 2018 has begun quite strongly again with this latest fantastical offering hopefully the signs of things to come.
Overall, Coco is a visually and emotionally rich and highly entertaining family friendly tale that will bring a smile to all both young and old. Highly recommended!
✷✷✷✷

Family films lead the way in the Irish Box Office for 2017

2017 was a record-breaking year for family films at the Irish Box Office. There were six family films in the box office top ten, that’s twice as many as last year and more than ever before. It was also the first year a family film took the top spot since Despicable Me was the highest grossing film of 2013.

According to Wide Eye Media, family movies accounted for 30% of all box office receipts with beauty, beasts, babies, bears, baddies, Batman and Buster Moon among the biggest attractions.

Eoin Wrixon, CEO of Wide Eye Media states “In an era of personal devices and multi-screening, cinema remains one of the few remaining shared experiences that parents and children can enjoy together with no distractions. The incredible performance of the family genre at the ROI Box Office in 2017 demonstrates again how essential and personal cinema is to us. It is one of our first forms of entertainment and one we return to again and again. Even as adults, a trip to the cinema never loses its magic.”

Here are some other interesting facts about our cinema going habits throughout 2017:

• Only 4 films in the top 10 weren’t family movies - Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Dunkirk, It and Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 2. 
• 7 of the top 10 were sequels, remakes or part of an existing franchise, the other three being Dunkirk, Boss Baby and Sing.
• Horror films also enjoyed a resurgence throughout 2017 with It, Split and Get Out all grabbing the critics as well as huge audiences and It making it to 7th place in the top 10. This was  also the first time a horror has entered the top 10 since horror comedy Scary Movie took 7th place in 2000. 
• Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 2 was Ireland’s favourite action film 
• Star Wars: The Last Jedi was the most-seen sci-fi movie incredible considering it was only released during mid December giving some indication of the large figures that went to see it!
• Daddy’s Home 2 was the biggest comedy of the year 
• Dunkirk was the No. 1 drama. 
• La La Land was the most successful musical as well as the most popular romance. 
• Cardboard Gangsters, which was filmed and set in Darndale in Dublin, was the top Irish film.

Tralee Omniplex Tuesday Treat - What movie deserves your €6 this week?

There are three new releases for your consideration for this weeks Tuesday Treat at Tralee Omniplex. Two heavily fancied award features and the fourth installment in what is a jaded horror franchise as  well as lots of high quality productions still available at Tralee Omniplex and all for the giveaway price of just €6!

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri
Martin McDonagh's third feature has already enjoyed awards success at the Golden Globes and will still be a film on everyone's mind come the end of the year. A masterful piece of work filled with incredible acting performances make this a must see movie.

The Darkest Hour
Golden globe winning Gary Oldman is simply superb in the WWII feature from director Joe Wright in yet another solid cinema release this month. Expect more awards to follow for the outstanding Oldman as Winston Churchill in this historical feature. Recommended!

Insidious: The Last Key
A fourth installment of an over worn horror franchise has rather unsurprisingly received cold reviews in a film that is probably for strict fans of the series and genre only. May not be this weeks best choice!

This weeks Top Movies on the Telly

Django Unchained - (RTE 2  Monday 15th January 21:00)
Another Tarantino pick for my movies of the week but it's hard to ignore this superb feature as the iconic director masters yet another genre in a film that brought Oscar glory once more to Christopher Waltz as well as one for Best Original Screenplay at the 2013 Academy Awards.

12 Years A Slave - (More4  Tuesday 16th January 21:00)
Unflinching, brutal yet brilliant look at American Slavery from director Steve McQueen that includes some memorable performances from the likes of Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong'O. Essential viewing!

The Running Man - (TCM Wednesday 17th January 23:05)
Simply a cult classic that deserves repeated viewing if only for nostalgic reasons. This Paul Michael Glazer directed sci-fi feature of a Stephen King written tale sees Arnold Schwarzenegger in rare form. For further details on the iconic film read my piece here

What movies to watch this weekend?

In the Cinema:

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
This multi Golden Globe winning feature from Martin McDonagh is an outstanding piece of work that's bound to see more awards glory come it's way and will still be a film that will resonate with audiences by the end of 2018. A must see!




Streaming: 

Spotlight (Netflix)
Academy Award Best Picture Winner of 2015, an all star ensemble gather to tell the riveting true story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe investigation that would  rock the city and cause a crisis in the Catholic Church. Written and directed by Tom McCarthy this film is worthy of repeated viewing.



On Telly

Inglourious Basterds (RTE 2 Saturday 13th January 21:00)
A somewhat underrated film in the back catalogue of the genius that is Quentin Tarantino, this war feature is as expected violent, sharp and as always unique. A well deserved Oscar followed for Christopher Waltz as Tarantino proves that he can master any genre in this WWII tale. Excellent!

5 great movies to look out for this January

Ah January! It may be cold outside with evenings short and everyone full of the misery of returning to daily life after the joys of Christmas but all is not lost! This month sees the resurgence of quality film in our movie theaters, when CGI takes a back seat to real talented movie makers, screenwriters and actors as Award season looms. Without further ado here are a selection of just some of the great films making their way to a cinema near you this month:

5. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 
Simply one of the best films you'll see this year, this Golden Globe weeping feature has more than a feel of the Coen brothers about it and Martin McDonagh with the help of some incredible performances from his cast, most notably Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell proving what an incredible talent he is.

4. The Darkest Hour
A film that will surely feature strongly on the various award nominees lists in the coming months, this dramatic depiction of a famous time in world history features a career high performance from the always brilliant Gary Oldman in the very dependable hands of director Joe Wright. Not to be missed!

3.Coco
Pixar's latest animated creation boasts some spectacular visuals and deserves kudos for dealing with difficult subject matter in their own unique family friendly way. A recent Golden Globe winner that will do nothing to harm Pixar's tremendous back catalogue. A wonderful family film!

2. The Post
A film based on the true story of a cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country's first female newspaper publisher and a hard-driving editor to join an unprecedented battle between journalist and government, that is directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks...need I go on??

1. Last Flag Flying
The latest feature from director Richard Linklater flips from raw drama to moments of refreshing humour thanks in no small part to an all star cast that includes Bryan Cranston, Steve Carrell and Laurence Fishburne and earned rave reviews on it's US release last year. Recommended!

Review: All the Money in the World - A terrific tense thriller worth your undivided attention

Veteran director Ridley Scott's latest offering All the Money in the World is a film that has gained notoriety on it's release for the eleventh hour replacing of Kevin Spacey with Christopher Plummer but  aside from the scandal that surrounded it's production it is in it's own right an absorbing thriller with some masterful performances contained throughout.
This true life feature follows the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) and the desperate attempt by his mother Gail (Michelle Williams) to convince his famous billionaire grandfather (Christopher Plummer) to pay the ransom. When Getty Sr. refuses to pay the much needed ransom, Gail battles to persuade the billionaire as her son's captors become increasingly violent and brutal. With her son's life hanging in the balance, Gail and Getty's advisor (Mark Wahlberg) become unlikely allies in the race against time to save her son and ultimately reveal the true and lasting value of love over money.
All the Money in the World is a film that thrives on the energy, zest and talent of two contempories both in their eighties yet showing an appetite for their craft that is timeless.
Director Scott proves once again that he is the master of the big budget production whilst simultaneously giving such a magnificent visual spectacle the heart, respect and moral message this story so richly deserves. The tension created by this skillful director is unparallelled in anything I've experienced in recent times at the cinema and this truly is edge of the seat fare right up to the last shot.
Christopher Plummer also delivers a performance well worthy of his Golden Globe nomination and  steals every scene he is in adding so much to the role he had inherited.
The supporting cast which includes Mark Wahlberg, Romain Duris and Charlie Plummer (no relation) all acquit themselves quite well and add to this heart stopping and captivating film but the pick of the supporting bunch is undoubtedly Michelle Williams who after last years masterful display in Manchester by the Sea delivers emphatically again as distraught mother Gail in a role that must surely gain recognition come awards season.
Quite simply, All the Money in the World is a film that combines stunning visuals, nerve wracking tension, some excellent acting performances tightly wrapped in a strong moral message. Overall not a bad way to spend the 133 minute in what is shaping up to be great month for cinema releases.
✸✸✸✸