The Oscars - My Winners

So you should all be aware that last night was the Academy Awards, and the Internet is full of lists of winners, so I'm going to do my own take on it with my own categories! Just for a bit of fun.

Best Photobomb

Well there's really only one winner here! It has to be Benedict Cumberbatch doesn't it, his photobomb of U2 went viral faster than you can say his name!

Best Dancer

Meryl Streep always deserves to win something, so this time should be no different. Her shoulder-shimmy during Pharell Williams' performance of Happy was a definite highlight!

Best Selfie

OK OK this one is obvious, but I just wanted to include it. OF COURSE the winner is Ellen's selfie featuring, well, just about everyone.

Best Reaction to Pizza

Ellen ordering pizzas was pretty funny in itself, but Jennifer Lawrence's reaction was even better. She looked so pleased!

Best Presenter

In this instance I mean award presenter (Ellen would win Best Host every time). The winner is Bill Murray for his mention of his friend Harold Remis which I thought was very heartwarming.

Best Acceptence Speech

This one is tied. Lupita Nyong'o gave a beautiful and eloquent speech, so she definitely deserves this, but also Cate Blanchett deserves it too, for getting her feminist on and telling people that female-lead films aren't a niche market. You tell 'em Cate!

Best Reaction to Winning an Award

This one goes to Steve McQueen, bless him, he was so nervous/happy when 12 Years A Slave won Best Picture he could barely speak, but his jump at the end was brilliant. There's someone who really deserved and appreciated it.

And now the final award....

Best Leonardo DiCaprio

Poor Leo's lack of an Oscar has caused the internet to go crazy. He was up against tough competition this year, and even though his performance in Wolf of Wall Street was absolutely brilliant he lost out to Matthew McConaughey. So here's your own award Leo, just for you!  

Review - The Wolf of Wall Street

Sex. Drugs. Money. If I had to describe Martin Scorsese's new film in three words, they'd be the most obvious. But it is so much more than that. The film tells the story of Jordan Belfort, a stockbroker on Wall Street in the late '80s/early '90s. Belfort is ruthlessly played by Leonardo DiCaprio, a performance I feel would very much deserve the Oscar if he were to win.

The film follows Belfort as he goes from young, naive, first time broker, to discovering the not-so-glamorous world of penny stocks, and then setting up his own firm with the help of Donnie (Jonah Hill). The pair, along with Belfort's friends, set up Stratton Oakmont, in an attempt to target the richest 1% of America. As Stratton gains more money, the debauchery gets more extreme.

The cast cannot be faulted at all, every single member of the main cast gives a brilliant performance. DiCaprio is, of course, the stand out. The way he can go from charming to violent, sober to incredibly high, it builds a lot of dimensions, his character reminded me of Christian Bale's Patrick Bateman (American Psycho) only without the murders, but definitely on that same psychopathic scale. Margot Robbie also gave a brilliant performance as Naomi, Belfort's wife, and as this was her first major Hollywood role I can see a very, very, bright future for her.

The film does not attempt to glamorise Belfort's world, and while I don't know anything about the real Jordan Belfort, it seemed obviously overexaggerated for the purposes of entertainment (the fact he takes so many drugs and is never once seen to have a proper overdose, let alone even a nose bleed at any point, proves it's hardly realistic), but there's nothing wrong with that. It is massively entertaining. It is a long film, at three hours, but it doesn't feel so long, it all works and there weren't points I found myself wondering what time it was.

I would definitely recommend it.

Another Golden Globes Blog

I'm sure by now you've read enough Golden Globes blogs to satisfy your awards cravings until the Oscars! I don't usually watch the Golden Globes, but this year I remembered to look up the repeats so I could actually watch it. I struggle to watch the American awards shows simply because of the time difference, then by the time I wake up the day after I can just read the coverage.

I enjoyed it, though. [If I remember] it's certainly one I will watch again! I thought Tina Fey and Amy Poelher did a great job hosting, some of the actors looked slightly bemused by their antics but others were excellent sports (note: Leonardo DiCaprio for the thumbs up).

This year's nominee list was dominated by three films, 12 Years A Slave, American Hustle, and Gravity. I am sorely disappointed to say I have yet to see any, so I can't pass judgement on who was a worthy winner or not! I was very happy to see Leonardo DiCaprio pick up the award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, I'm seeing The Wolf of Wall Street next week and I am very excited (and I will do a review after). I imagine 12 Years A Slave may dominate the Oscars, they aren't really ones to enjoy a comedy I don't think.

I was also impressed to see Brooklyn Nine-Nine scoop best TV Comedy and Andy Samberg get Best Actor in a TV Comedy. Brooklyn Nine-Nine airs in the UK on Thursday and I was planning on watching anyway but now I'm really looking forward to it. I think that's why I enjoyed The Golden Globes, they celebrate comedy as well as drama.

I won't delve into the fashion side of the awards too much, everyone will have been picked apart already. I did think Jessica Chastain looked amazing though, and also Lupita Nyong'o looked stunning! 

The state of upcoming movies looks brilliant, I want to see Inside Llweyn Davis, and Her a lot too. 

I'm excited about the BAFTAs now, my personal favourite movie awards. I am a sucker for awards season.