DEAD POET'S SOCIETY
We start with a glorious film that was nominated for best picture in 1989, and one that I have featured on this blog before. The film as a whole is an epically emotive tour de force, but the reason it stood out for me, as it did with so many others, was the magnificent performance of the lovable genius at its heart; the late great Robin Williams. He himself was nominated too, and upon his death in 2014 this is what I said of the film and his outstanding gift of the character of John Keating:-
Dramatic, comedic, lightening, inspirational, heart-warming and heart-breaking. For any who remained unconvinced, Dead Poet's Society convinced the world over what a star Robin Williams was, and what sheer amounts of talent he had to give.
In several senses the film was an ensemble piece, featuring a glittering cast both youthful and more mature. Yet there is no doubt at all that Robin Williams was the effortless and consummate jewel in this highly acclaimed film's crown. As Professor John Keating he inspired a group of repressed school students to aspire to greatness through the use of poetry and literature. A resoundingly simple yet individual concept that made for an astonishingly resonating and unique film. Robin Williams gave us moments of sheer joyous light, as well as dramatic dark, all wonderfully wrapped up in the form of John Keating. To this day, Dead Poet's Society is thought to show off one of his best performances, and I am mightily inclined to agree. Timeless, classic; a wonderful film, and a wonderful performance from Robin Williams.
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FORREST GUMP
"Mama always said: life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."
I could leave it there really. Even if you've never seen this one, you'd know that those words have now become cinematic legend. And those words, in that scene, delivered by that character played by that great great actor sum up the film. 1994's Forrest Gump won no less than six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Tom Hanks.
The tale of a character who was instantly loved by audiences around the world, and how he ran his way through some of the biggest events of the 20th century, and through the trials and tribulations of love and loss are simply and breathtakingly beautiful.
Tom Hanks deserves every bit of praise he received, and is still receiving for Forrest Gump - funny, light-hearted, but also highly emotive and heart-breaking. There is little wrong at all with the story of Forrest Gump. Sure it is a little simplistic, but its tone, themes and raw performance power cannot fail to overpower you. A true cinematic classic.
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CAST AWAY
As if further proof was needed, Tom Hanks continued, and has continued to give stellar performances (and he has continued to receive various awards nominations and successes) year on year. And a few short years after Forrest Gump, he gave us Cast Away in the year 2000, which saw him nominated once more for Best Actor. I saw this one again quite recently on telly, and it is still as masterful and as perfect as it was the first time I saw it.
The sheer power, charisma, and levels of gravitas and acting ability needed to fully capture, contain and stunningly deliver the concept of one man alone on an island (save for a certain friendly volleyball) truly beggars belief. Yet Tom Hanks did it, and he made it look easy.
I say easy; horrific, harrowing, soul-destroying and heart-wrenching is often how he made it look, but anyone can see the sheer levels of class and ability with which he pulls it off. There are many many candidates for films that truly define Tom Hanks' supremely immeasurable talent. Not that I am suggesting such a thing should be attempted mind you!
But...if there was one...and I had to choose...this would be very close to being the Tom Hanks performance for me.
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CHOCOLAT
The year 2000 also gave us Chocolat, which itself received a not-too-shabby five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress for the divine and sublime Juliette Binoche, and Best Supporting Actress for the equally so Dame Judi Dench.
This is unlike any other film I have seen, before or since. The tale of a highly charming, beautiful and beguiling French chocolatier (encapsulated brilliantly by Binoche) who turns a sleepy French rural community upside down.
Witty, playful, indulgent, light, though with a little dark tint, charming, joyful and a little bit sexy; Binoche as Vianne and Chocolat itself work wonders for any audience, and it cannot help to lift the darkest of moods.
What's more the other cast are superb too. Talents like Alfred Molina, Peter Stormare, Ron Cook... oh and Judi Dench and Johnny Depp all weigh in and give dazzling ensemble and individual performances. The performance level really is staggering, as is the level of craft, detail and love that runs through this film frame by frame. Again I would say this is definitely a contender for an all time cinematic classic.
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MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Again a bit of a cheat as this is one I've written about previously, but with three Oscar nominations and one win, the Academy must agree with me:-
This is actually by a clear margin my favourite Woody Allen film. He captures a beautiful story, in a beautiful location, using the talents of a beautifully gifted cast perfectly.
Focusing on struggling writer Gil, played rather unexpectedly but brilliantly by Owen Wilson, who walks the streets of Paris at night and crosses through time to 1920s Paris, where he meets a whole host of legendary artists and writers. This group of remarkable individuals then provide Gil with a whole new list of answers and questions - regarding his life and theirs.
Really though, I don't feel the story needs to be gone into that much - it is sublimely simple - and presented in almost a completely and perhaps alarmingly honest fashion from start to finish - but the results are wonderful to behold. Set in stunning scenery, a stunningly simple concept, accompanied by beautiful music - with a marvelous cast; what more do you want?
As I say Owen Wilson, whom I've always liked but had never had down as one for this type of role, absolutely nailed it - completely honest, very lucid and always with that Texan charm. Opposite him is Rachel McAdams - who I've always enjoyed watching - she is always charming and alluring and always delivers when asked to provide any spectrum of comedy or drama. Here I feel slightly dissapointed as it often came across that, in making her character rather obtrusively and obviously shallow, fickle and aggressive - Allen gave her quite a one-dimensional part to get stuck into. Don't get me wrong, she does it well and still sizzles in almost every scene she is in - its just at times I felt myself feeling annoyed at how flat she was falling as opposed to her interest and plot significance, or lack thereof. I'm afraid I got a similar vibe from Marion Cotillard, who also played opposite Wilson as 1920s belle Adriana. Yes she had a little more depth and mystique, due to the part and the great actress she is, but I do feel again Allen short-changed her a bit. Yes together the dynamic and story of Wilson, McAdams and Cotillard is interesting and is more than enough to hold audiences, but two of those elements did not strike me as being as strong as the other.
The only other slight casting bum note for me was sadly Corey Stoll who portrayed Ernest Hemingway. On the face of it - he was brilliant. Charismatic, dramatic, enigmatic and full of gravitas. But as Allen doesn't seem to have given Cotillard and McAdams enough to do - he seems to have done a bizarre yet skewered repeat with the actor behind Hemingway. He is given quite a lot of screen time but not enough plot device, and there is only so far that his performance can get us before he is (quite literally) blundering around looking for something to do.
Happily however, these are a few flies in a massively glorious ointment, as Owen Wilson is also surrounded with an excellent ensemble - among those feature Michael Sheen who was perfectly pitched as Paul, David Lowe as an inspired T.S. Eliot, Tom Hiddleston and Alison Pill who were stunning as Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald respectively, a surprisingly lovely wide-eyed appearance from Carla Bruni, a hilarious and ludicrously lovely Adrien Brody as Salvador Dali and of course the ever brilliant Kathy Bates as Gertrude Stein.
Truly the ensemble cast is pretty dizzying to behold, and that coupled with pretty perfectly crafted elements across the board make this in my view, an utter masterpiece, certainly worthy of Woody Allen's greatness and certainly worth a watch.
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THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING
Now we move onto the film that took last year's awards season by storm - earning Eddie Redmayne a Best Actor Oscar, among other things, plus a further four nominations connected with this glorious piece of cinema.
Redmayne received such acclaim (and rightly so) for his ingenious, stunningly nuanced and pitch perfect portrayal of the great man that is Professor Stephen Hawking. The film focuses on the theoretical physicist's early life as a Cambridge student, his ascendancy to scientific legend, his tragic decline physically as his motor-neurone disease is diagnosed and worsens, and how all this affects his family, particularly his first wife Jane, played by Felicity Jones.
If the subject matter wasn't fascinating enough, what really carries this film into our hearts and minds again is the sheer weight and power of performance from its lead stars. The delicious, tenacious and superb Felicity Jones as Jane Hawking accompanies the masterful Eddie Redmayne as the equally masterful Hawking superbly; their chemistry is wonderfully tangible. Plus a welcome appearance from the likes of David Thewlis, Emily Watson and Maxine Peake were all very welcome surprises.
I do not dispute all the acclaim this film received, nor am I surprised at all by it - it is a pure cinematic gem that will never fail to bring a tear to your eye and warmth to your heart.
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