7 Greatest Performances: Christian Bale

Christian Bale is quite possibly one of the greatest British actors of all time. Causing chaos at the Golden Globes when some people didn’t realise that he is Welsh! I found that very amusing but also confirmation that he is therefore a truly outstanding actor! He has been nominated four times for an Oscar-winning for his supporting role in The Fighter.

He is very well-known for his serious method acting and really becoming the character. This has resulted in serious weight loss and weight gain over the years to achieve a totally different look. Not forgetting his working out to become Batman for Christopher Nolan!

He is certainly one of my favourite actors and here are my choices for his 7 Greatest performances . . . (So far) . . .

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7 Boxing Films to Watch on Boxing Day

Here in the UK the 26th December is known as Boxing Day. This is obviously a good time to get those Boxing films on and be part of the day! I’ve tried to pick different types of boxing films and cheated when it came to Rocky as I have just put it in as the series as it could have taken up a few places on the list of seven films!

The films all seem to have a similar theme for the main character who is done on their luck and nothing in life seems to go their way. Leaving them with only one thing left to fight for, the right to box. It must be the nature of the sport which makes the themes of them very similar.

What is your favourite boxing film?

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Top 10 – Best Films of 2010

The 10 films I found the best from the year 2010. I think overall it has been a pretty good year for film, so I probably could have had more than 10 on this list! I have managed to see 41 films from the year 2010, so picked my 10 best from those!

A couple of the films which have made the list managed to surprise me as I might not have been expecting very much from them before watching them.

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Oscars 2011 – Winners

The winners of the 2011 Academy Awards. The only big shock had to be Tom Hooper picking up the Best Direction Oscar for The King’s Speech ahead of big favorite David Fincher for The Social Network.

Best Picture: The King’s Speech
Best Director: Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
Best Actor: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
Best Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Best Original Song: We Belong Together, Toy Story 3
Best Editing: The Social Network
Best Visual Effects: Inception
Best Documentary: Inside Job
Best Live Action Short Film: God of Love
Best Documentary Short Subject: Strangers No More
Best Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland
Best Makeup: The Wolfman
Best Sound Editing: Inception
Best Sound Mixing: Inception
Best Original Score: The Social Network
Best Foreign Language Film: In A Better World
Best Original Screenplay: The King’s Speech
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network
Best Animated Feature Film: Toy Story 3
Best Animated Short Film: The Lost Thing
Best Cinematography: Inception
Best Art Direction: Alice in Wonderland

Oscars 2011 – Live Blog

Live updates with my thoughts on the 2011 Oscars!

  • Well I made the decision to watch E! for the red carpet coverage, which I have no idea if it was a good thing or a bad thing. Ready for the Oscar ceremony to start on Sky Movies.
  • Alec Baldwin included in the opening scenes with James Franco and Anne Hathaway. Appearing in all the best picture nominees. Brilliant start!
  • Ahhh Morgan Freeman making a little appearance too!
  • Very clever editing Franco and Hathaway into the films!
  • Hugh Jackman looked like he wanted to be back on the stage!
  • Getting the parents and grandparents involved. Very funny! Especially Franco’s grandmother saying Marky Mark! Mark Wahlberg, love it!
  • A look back at ‘Gone with the Wind’ the ultimate classic ❤
  • Tom Hanks presenting ART DIRECTION – WINNER – Alice in Wonderland
  • CINEMATOGRAPHY – WINNER – Inception
  • Credit given to Christopher Nolan!
  • Awww Kirk Douglas! Standing ovation for him. He’s just incredible for his age. Very funny with both Franco and Hathaway. Struggling to speak bless him!
  • BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – WINNER – MELISSA LEO for The Fighter
  • Now for a very over the top speech . . . Or maybe not, she actually sounds very nervous. Just dropped the f-word too.
  • Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis presenting. Timberlake claiming to be Banksy!
  • BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM – WINNER – THE LOST THING
  • BEST ANIMATED FEATURE – WINNER – Toy Story 3
  • Hathaway talking about the very first Academy Awards
  • Presenters Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem . . . wearing old school white tux’s.
  • BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY – WINNER – The Social Network – Aaron Sorkin
  • BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – WINNER – The King’s Speech – David Seidler
  • Oldest person to win that award, he hopes its broken quickly and often.
  • Hathaway performing musical number, directed at Hugh Jackman . . . Using ‘On My Own’ from Les Mis. Franco comes on in a very pink dress. Charlie Sheen joke!
  • Helen Mirren and Russell Brand presenting
  • BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM – WINNER – IN A BETTER WORLD (DENMARK)
  • Reese Witherspoon presenting. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – WINNER  – CHRISTIAN BALE for The Fighter
  • He actually sounds rather nervous with his speech, Dicky Eklund is there too 🙂 Very emotional in his speech, especially towards his wife and daughter.
  • Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman presenting . . . Aussie rules!
  • BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – WINNER – THE SOCIAL NETWORK
  • SOUND MIXING – WINNER – INCEPTION
  • SOUND EDITING – WINNER – INCEPTION

Oscars 2011: 10 out of 10 for Best Pictures

I have managed to achieve what would seem impossible and watch all ten of the best picture nominations before the Oscar ceremony. Usually this is not possible due to UK release date. But this year a lot of the films seem to have been earlier than usual in the Oscar race. With the help of LOVEFiLM for a couple of Blu Ray’s to make sure I achieved the goal of seeing each film before the ceremony. I am still no further forward in being able to predict the winner the Academy will choose. I mean we know they have made some mistakes in the past.

This is the second year in row which has seen 1o films being nominated for Best Picture. Which allows a few films into the category which would not make the final 5 in the old format. I guess this is just a way to make some films more well-known. Or for the more seen films to receive a nomination. Who can really tell . . . but does that mean they have a better chance of winning? Probably not.

The ten films which have been nominated this year all bring something very different to the Oscar stage. I have to say out of them the ones I have enjoyed the most have to be Black Swan and Inception, with True Grit and The King’s Speech following them.

Black Swan and Inception both had very similar impacts on me as I was still thinking about them days after seeing them at the cinema. They really get into your head and stick in there too. Make you really think about the film, and keep you trying to figure out how you perceive them.

127 Hours (Review)

Stuck between a rock and a hard place. A man must keep himself alive by any means possible after having his arm trapped by a bolder.

Black Swan (Review)

A Ballet dancer trying to take on the difficult role in Swan Lake, whilst trying to deal with her life at the same time.

The Fighter (Review)

The rise of Micky Ward as a boxer, looking into his family life and relationships with his brother, mother and girlfriend.
Inception (Review – not yet written)

A very interesting look into what could happen if you could plant ideas or take them away, by entering someone’s dream.
The Kids are All Right (Review)

A look into how the family dynamics differ in a same sex marriage with children.
The King’s Speech (Review)

A look into how King George VI overcame his speech problems after his older brother abdicated the thrown.
The Social Network (Review)

A look back at how Facebook came into being during Zuckerberg’s time at Harvard and the lawsuits which followed.
Toy Story 3 (Review)

We go on another adventure with our favorite toys, when Andy is now leaving for college.
True Grit (Review)

A remake of the classic John Wayne film, but with the Coen Brothers edge on it. Brilliant story of retribution.

Winter’s Bone (Review)

A young woman trying to find out what exactly happened to her father, leads her into very dangerous territory.

 

WHO DO YOU WANT TO WIN?

Oscars 2011 – Best Actor in a Supporting Role

One last look at the actors and the roles they were nominated for best supporting! I guess I am Team Bale for this one!

Christian Bale as Dicky Eklund in “The Fighter”

The has-been who believes that he is making his boxing comeback, while attempting to help his younger brother train and do something he never did. Become champion, whilst battling with drug addiction which has taken over his life. We see him fight his demons and eventually help his brother out. Larger than life and totally crazy, brilliant performance from Bale.

John Hawkes as Teardrop in “Winter’s Bone”

A very haunting performance in a very haunting film. At times very difficult to watch but Hawkes put in a very good performance, eventually helping out his niece.

Jeremy Renner as James Coughlin in “The Town”

Missed seeing this film, so cannot comment on the performance.

Mark Ruffalo as Paul in “The Kids Are All Right”

I have to admit that when I found out Ruffalo was nominated for an Oscar I was very shocked as seeing his previous performances didn’t think it would be something he would ever achieve. But in this he does put in a very honest performance as Paul, managing to make us feel sorry for him when we really shouldn’t.

Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Louge in “The King’s Speech”

Rush gives a fantastic performance and helps Firth bring out his character. They have fantastic chemistry and bring out the very best in each other. If anyone is a threat to Bale I really think it’s Rush!

Oscars 2011 – Best Actress in a Supporting Role

One last look at the five actresses up for the supporting role Oscar! I am Team Steinfeld for this one!

Amy Adams as Charlene Fleming in “The Fighter”

Tough talking girlfriend of boxer Mickey who is not afraid to stand up to his mother or sisters. Is very much behind Mickey is his fight to really make it as a boxer. The Academy seem to like Adams who has a few nominations to her name now.

Helena Bonham Carter as Queen Elizabeth in “The King’s Speech”

A very good solid performance from Bonham Carter as Queen Elizabeth who is the rock to King George VI and really helps her husband when he becomes King, and must deliver the important speeches at a very difficult time for England.

Melissa Leo as Alice Ward in “The Fighter”

Melissa Leo has been picking awards up left, right and center for her role as Alice Ward in the Fighter. Being the pushy manager and of course mother to Mickey and Dicky. Not taking no for an answer from anyone, including her husband. She has been the front runner for this award from the start.

Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross in “True Grit”

Incredible performance from the 14 year old in such a good film. She owns the film and should never been in the supporting role category after leading the film the way she did. But apparently the studio figured this the best approach! I really do hope that she picks this Oscar up tonight, fantastic performance.

Jacki Weaver as Janine Cody in “Animal Kingdom”

This film has not come out at my cinema yet. Therefore I cannot comment on the performance.

The Fighter (2010) Review

Boxer “Irish” Micky Ward’s (Wahlberg) unlikely road to the world light welterweight title. His Rocky-like rise was shepherded by half-brother Dicky (Bale), a boxer-turned-trainer who rebounded in life after nearly being KO’d by drugs and crime.

Continue reading “The Fighter (2010) Review”

London Film Critics’ Circle Awards 2011

The London Film Critics’ Circle have seemed to wait until last to have their awards given out. It is kept very British with some awards just being for a Brits performance. Which in my opinion is fair enough really as gives us the chance to honour those who may not quite be up for the Oscar. (Just yet of course). This still did not stop the King reigning the best actor award again as Colin rightly picked that up at these awards too!

Continue reading “London Film Critics’ Circle Awards 2011”

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