The 2015 awards season kicks off today with the Golden Globes, hosted for the third and final time by the hilarious comedy duo Tina Fey (30 Rock) and Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation). While the rest of us are dealing the consequences of over indulging over the summer break, half of Hollywood has been on a strict diet in order to make sure they look their best on the red carpet over the coming months. As an Academy Awards fan, I’ll be watching very closely to see who goes home with a Globe, the competition is fierce!
Here are a few of my highlights for the week:
The 2015 awards season kicks off today with the Golden Globes, hosted for the third and final time by the hilarious comedy duo Tina Fey (30 Rock) and Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation). While the rest of us are dealing the consequences of over indulging over the summer break, half of Hollywood has been on a strict diet in order to make sure they look their best on the red carpet over the coming months. As an Academy Awards fan, I’ll be watching very closely to see who goes home with a Globe, the competition is fierce!
Here are a few of my highlights for the week:
The Railway Man
Starring: Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman & Stellan Skarsgard
Directed by: Jonathan Teplitzky
Screening: Saturday 17th January, 8.30pm
Based on Eric Lomax’s bests selling memoir, The Railway Man is both harrowing and uplifting as it reminds us of the redeeming power of love and forgiveness. Lomax was a British solider captured by the Japanese in Singapore during WW2. Forced to work on the Thai/Burma railway and tortured by his captors, Eric, like so many other servicemen, never recovered from his experiences in the war. Years later as his marriage to Patti (Kidman) begins to unravel, Eric realises he must return to Thailand and face his tormentor. Well acted and handsomely shot, director Teplitzky’s film captures the horror of Eric’s experiences while avoiding the temptation to become too overly emotional.
Siddharth
Starring: Rajesh Tailang & Tannishtha Chatterjee
Directed by: Richie Mehta
Screening: Rialto World, Monday 12th January, 8.30pm
This film just broke my heart. Directed and co- written Richie Mehta (Amal) it tells the story of a poor Indian father’s desperate quest to find his son, Siddharth, who as gone missing after being sent away to work at a factory. With no money and not even a photograph of his child, we follow Mehendra as he trawls Punjab and Mumbai in the hope of finding his son. All this is played out without melodrama and without sentiment - the story is such a moving one, there’s no need for director Mehta to resort to emotionally manipulating us. Rajesh Tailang is excellent as Siddharth’s father, and through him we experience so much more than just a story of a man looking for his lost child. The film looks at the value of the life of a child from various perspectives within Indian culture and society. It’s a harrowing film, but definitely worth the heartbreak.
Mr. Morgan’s Last Love
Starring: Michael Caine, Clemence Poesy and Gillian Anderson
Directed by: Sandra Nettelbeck
Screening: Rialto British, Sunday 18th January, 8.30pm
This slow paced feature is based on Françoise Dorner's novel La Douceur Assassine and is directed by German director Sandra Nettelbeck. It stars the fabulous Michael Caine as an American retiree living in Paris and mourning the death of his wife. The film was released in 2013, and is aimed at those who enjoyed the mature themes discusses in films such as Amour, Still Mine and Away from Her. Michael Caine’s American accent regularly slips but he’s a joy to watch and is surrounded by solid performances from his co-stars. Unfortunately it’s a little long-winded, but at least it’s not entirely predictable – there’s just enough volatility in these characters to keep you interested.