Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Day 337: Pottery Lessons

We leave Britain behind now but stay in contemporary times with a love story with a supernatural twist. Jerry Zucker's Ghost starred one of the biggest box office draws of the time, Patrick Swayze star as banker Sam Wheat who becomes the spirit of the title. Although I'd never seen Ghost before, apart from catching bits of on the TV over the years, I was aware of the iconic scene in which Sam put his arms around Demi Moore's Molly while she was attempting to make a pot. This sexy pottery scene has been recreated in many spoofs over the years but was used to great effect here to demonstrate the passion that Sam and Molly had for each other. I was surprised by how little time screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin spent on letting us get to know Sam before he was killed off in a supposed mugging in the street. From there on in, Sam had to watch on as a ghost as he realised that his death wasn't an accident and that somebody he trusted was involved. I felt Rubin's assertion that some ghosts are all around us whilst other souls are sucked up to heaven or down to hell is an interesting theory. But at the same time I wasn't that involved in Ghost until Whoopi Goldberg turned up as initially faux psychic Oda Mae Brown. Goldberg really brought the film to life and was able to utilise her comic sensibilities as well as her more dramatic side in order to make her role convincing. In his scenes opposite Goldberg, Swayze demonstrated that he had brilliant comic timing and the two bounced well off one another. However I was then disappointed when she disappeared again and the film became more of a murder mystery as Sam attempted to investigate his death from beyond the grave. Despite its comic elements, Ghost was primarily a romance with Molly essentially being a woman who was struggling to cope without the man she loved.

In the past couple of posts I've discussed how certain movie couples lacked the chemistry to convince me of their feelings for one another. That's not the case with ghost as Moore and Swayze definitely shared perfect chemistry throughout the course of the film. I felt that it was especially hard for them as they had to make their love story convincing despite the fact that they couldn't communicate for the majority of the film. The aforementioned pottery scene was a particularly memorable example of this love even if it meant that Molly had to work even harder to complete the artwork she'd been working on. This scene also was memorable for its use of The Righteous Brothers' 'Unchained Melody' to the extent that the film re-entered the charts. I can see why Ghost was one of the highest grossing films of the 1990s as I feel that audiences would've been won over by the love story and amused by Goldberg's turn. For me, Goldberg was the highlight of the film and to that extent she certainly deserved the Best Supporting Actress award she won for her role. I was more surprised to learn that the film triumphed in the Best Original Screenplay category as I didn't think the story was particularly strong. The motivation for Sam's murder felt particularly weak and I don't believe that enough time was devoted to the whole money laundering plot. One of the categories that Ghost wasn't even nominated in was Best Visual Effects however I thought this was one of the film's strongest areas. The scenes wear the spirits entered other humans was enough to suggest that Ghost's visual team did all they could to make these apparitions appear convincing. I reckon that if I'd caught Ghost on the TV one night, or watched it in the cinema during its original release, then I'd quite enjoy it as the romantic comedy drama it is. But there's very little in it to suggest that it should be nominated for Best Picture as there's nothing about it that's particularly remarkable but at least I did learn a few valuable pottery lessons.

Next time three films from a man who was one of the biggest box office draws of the early 1990s.

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Days 334-336: Tales from Modern Britain

With the exception of Titanic, the last three posts have looked at how British films did rather well in terms of garnering nominations throughout the 1990s. However the majority of these nominations were given to films set during Elizabethan or Edwardian times with many of them featuring an endless cycle of exquisite costumes and loads of sodding bowing. But there was another type of British film that was gaining momentum in the nineties with a focus on more contemporary issues and a look at the way in which the working class were coping with various problems.

Not that there were many working class characters in our first offering, Mike Newell's Four Weddings and a Funeral. The movie was most famous for launching the international film careers of two prominent personalities one in front of the screen and one behind. Screenwriter Richard Curtis earned an Oscar nod for his original screenplay which was based on the fact that he was suddenly attending a lot of weddings. Curtis' well-observed if overly corny script certainly rung true in places and marked him out as the king of the romantic comedy over the following decade. He would also go on to collaborate with the film's leading male Hugh Grant, who we've already seen do his thing in costume dramas. Four Weddings really saw him utilise his slightly awkward persona which he would utilise in such flops as Nine Months and Mickey Blue Eyes. Whilst I found Grant's turn here incredibly endearing I felt he lacked chemistry with the film's female lead Andie Macdowell. Macdowell's presence in the film was obviously to increase audience interest and include a star that the American audience would've been aware of. However I thought Macdowell didn't handle Curtis' comic dialogue at all well and her line at the end of the film asking if it was still raining was incredibly cringeworthy. Additionally I felt that Curtis' plot device to keep them apart, by having Macdowell's Carrie marry an elderly Scottish politician was fairly absurd. While I agree that Carrie having another beau made sense, I never felt that she and Corin Redgrave were a good match so I wasn't surprised when they'd divorced quite quickly. Meanwhile I felt that Grant's Charlie really should've acted on the fact that Kristin Scott Thomas' Fiona was madly in love with him as she was a lot more interesting.

Indeed the scenes I really enjoyed throughout Four Weddings were those featuring Charlie's friends all of whom had distinct personalities. Simon Callow's Gavin was an absolute joy, lighting up the screen before breaking everybody's hearts when he died at Carrie's wedding. One of the highlights of the film is John Hannah's Matthew delivering a moving eulogy to his late lover which famously included the use of WH Auden's 'Stop All the Clocks'. In fact I felt the inclusion of a gay couple in a major romantic comedy was a groundbreaking move at the time but neither Matthew nor Gavin ever behaved in a clichéd manner. At the same time you believed that they truly loved each other and that's a testament to both Hannah and Callow. James Fleet also got his moment to shine as the foppish Tom whose heart to heart with Charlie following the funeral is another memorable moment. Meanwhile the late Charlotte Coleman's Scarlett was a firecracker whose unusual dress sense and dyed hair still stick in the memory. I feel that the film rings true for anybody whose ever attended a wedding as Curtis explores the monotony of the celebrations as the day goes on. I personally enjoyed the awkward speeches and the dreariness as the post-wedding discos began to wind down. I think I would've preferred more of these well-observed moments as opposed to the more overtly comic sections of the movie most notably the second wedding ceremony being performed by Rowan Atkinson's novice vicar. The film's other notable contribution to pop culture was Wet Wet Wet's cover of 'Love is all Around' which seemed to loiter at the top of the pop charts for what seemed like an eternity. I have a long-running history with Four Weddings, dating back to when I rented it on VHS at the tender age of twelve. I do believe that Carrie and Charlie's drunken fumblings in their hotel room was my first ever on screen sex scene and has probably scarred me for life. Despite not really buying into the central relationship, I still think Four Weddings is a funny and believable look at a tight-knit friendship group who really care deeply about each other. For me the real love story is about Charlie's feelings for his friends rather than his relationship with the dreadful Carrie.

Similarly well-observed, but not as tightly-scripted, was Mike Leigh's excellent Secret and Lies. I have to say I was surprised to see a film from a very British director like Leigh gain so much Oscar buzz. In fact the film ultimately had five Oscar nominations to its name with Leigh being nominated for both his direction and script. Not that there was much scripting to talk of as Leigh only provided his actors with bare-bone accounts of each scene and a description of their characters. I feel that this helped to provide the realism that the film has in droves and why each character feels interestingly recognisable. The main plot of the film concentrates on intelligent optometrist Hortence who, following the death of her adopted mother, tries to find the woman who gave birth to her.After an exhausting search, Hortence discovers that her mother is a white working-class woman with a complicated family life of her own. The woman in question is Cynthia, a harassed factory worker who is struggling for money and has a strained relationship with her daughter Roxanne. Cynthia's relationship with her brother Maurice and his wife Monica is also explored throughout the film which particularly deals with the aspect of class. Whilst Cynthia has stayed in the family home, Maurice's job as a photographer has afforded he and Monica a new house. Cynthia's apparent jealousy of this new purchase adds to the problems she already has with Monica, who she blames for her lack of contact with Maurice. I personally really liked the scene in which Hortense and Cynthia meet for the first time as it feels so raw and genuine. The primary reason for this is that Leigh hadn't informed actress Brenda Blethyn that Hortense was black meaning that Cynthia's reaction was a completely realistic one. Similarly the scene was shot in one take meaning that Blethyn and Marianne Jean-Baptiste had to work their socks off to provide something spectacular. The film itself culminates at a barbecue that Monica and Maurice hold for Roxanne's birthday with Hortense attending under the guise of Cynthia's work colleague. From there the secrets and lies of the title are finally revealed and everybody comes to terms with the new information they've been given.

Of the three films in this post, Secrets and Lies is the only one that I'd never seen before and I'm now wondering why it took me so long to find it in the first place. Leigh's minimal use of scripted dialogue allows the actors to create something naturalistic which is very hard to do in films. The barbecue scenes were particularly realistic from Maurice's manning of the grill to Monica's worries that she won't have enough garden chairs. One of the best recurring sequences of the entire piece is the small segments in which Leigh shows us some of the characters who come into Maurice's studio to have their photo taken. These scenes show all aspects of human life from happy couples and families to a woman who is having photos of her battered face being taken ahead of an impending court case. Andrew Dickson's haunting score perfectly punctuates each scene and contributes to the film's bleaker qualities. It's hard to highlight one member of Leigh's stunning ensemble cast with each of them taking their turn to give winning performances. Brenda Blethyn's jittery turn as the emotionally fraught Cynthia anchors the film beautifully with her use of the word 'sweetheart' having several different meanings. Her performance is perfectly counterbalanced by that of Marianne Jean-Baptiste who presents Hortense as a cool and calm professional woman. Timothy Spall's turn as the reliable Maurice is perfectly realised whilst Phyllis Logan really comes into her own as Monica in the film's final act. Claire Rushbrook is great as the stroppy Roxanne whilst Lee Ross and Elizabeth Berrington shine in smaller roles. Leigh himself deserves praise for perfecting the kitchen sink drama and adding a new element to it in the form of the cultured Hortense. If I have one minor criticism it's that I don't think the scene in which the former owner of Maurice's studio visits him quite works. Apart from that though, Leigh's work is a thing of beauty and I'm happy to say that he's still creating brilliant dramas such as this almost twenty years later.

The final film of this trio combines the working class elements of Secrets and Lies with the comedic charm of Four Weddings and some of its own magic. The Full Monty instantly conjures up certain images in people's heads but I feel that some of you forget that Peter Cattaneo's film is ultimately about a group of unemployed men. This is demonstrated perfectly in the film's opening scene which is taken from a 1970s movie reel entitled 'City on the Move' which looked at Sheffield's thriving steel industry. But, in the late 1990s, the industry had disappeared and the men who used to work there were forced to go on the dole. The characters in The Full Monty have all decided to deal with their new unemployment in different ways even if all these methods ultimately have the same outcome. The film's protagonist Gaz is a happy-go-lucky type who wants to maintain a relationship with his young son despite the boy's mother filing for full custody. His best mate Dave is paranoid that his wife is having an affair and therefore has started to withdraw from life. Meanwhile security guard Lomper tries to commit suicide to get away from a life which is split between looking after his elderly mother and playing in the local brass band. The most compelling character, who deserved more screen time, is Tom Wilkinson's Gerald a man who is yet to tell his wife that he's been made redundant. Gerald is certainly one for keeping up appearances and I think one of The Full Monty's most tragic moments is when the bailiffs start calling round. Writer Simon Beaufoy's script perfectly combines all of these elements with the Gaz's money-making scheme to put on a strip show for the area's local ladies. The scenes featuring the lads training for their stripping debut add some much needed light to proceedings but I feel never overshadow the characters. This use of light and shade is one of The Full Monty's most positive attributes and is one of the reasons that audiences have returned to the comedy drama time and time again.

I do remember watching this film when it first aired on television and by that point it had become a worldwide phenomenon following its Oscar success. In fact the film won an award for Best Musical and Comedy Score, thankfully one Oscar that Titanic wasn't eligible for. Watching it for the first time in years, I didn't realise how quick The Full Monty was and it almost feels a little rushed. Due to the short running time several subplots don't get enough time devoted to them especially the relationship between Lomper and Guy. I felt that both Dave's anxieties about his weight and Gerald's need to get back to work needed to be explored in more depth but both were outshone by Gaz's tale. Not that there's anything wrong with that as Robert Carlyle's breezy performance is a joy as his chemistry with Mark Addy who plays Dave. Young William Snape is excellent as Gaz's son Nathan and clearly portrays a boy who loves his dad despite his many faults. I do feel it's a shame that not one of the cast members were nominated for an Oscar, especially Wilkinson who steals the show as the incredibly proud Gerald. Wilkinson's performance is possibly the most tragic and he is able to convey a man who's devoted all his life to the steel industry. Possibly one of the film's lasting legacies is its use of music most notably Hot Chocolate's 'You Sexy Thing' and Donna Summer's 'Hot Stuff'. Interestingly the iconic 'Hot Stuff' dole queue scene was initially cut from the film as Cattaneo didn't feel it was realistic enough however I believe it represents how much their new passion means to the men. Despite feeling rushed, The Full Monty is an enjoyable film that has a lot to say about the failing industries in the UK and the affect it has on the men who face redundancy. An uplifting look at the many personalities that can find themselves unemployed, The Full Monty is the dictionary definition of a feelgood hit.

Next time we look at another film with an iconic music based scene that certainly got quite a few people into pottery.  

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Days 332-333: Kate's Greats

In the last post we looked at two of Emma Thompson's performances from Best Picture nominees of the early 1990s but unbeknownst to us she was also busy scribbling off screen. That's because, for the best part of five years, Thompson had been adapting Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility after being hired for the project by producer Lindsay Doran. Thompson had initially wanted Natasha and Joely Richardson to play sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood but instead the studio wanted her to play Elinor. This meant having to alter the character's age from nineteen to twenty-seven in order to make Thompson's appearance in the part convincing. Thompson would go on to win her second Academy Award for the screenplay and be nominated for a third Best Actress for her role as Elinor. But it's the actress who played Marianne that we turn our attention to as she forms the basis of this next double bill.

The actress in question is Kate Winslet who was just nineteen when she appeared in Sense and Sensibility and earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination as a result. Winslet's road to the part was a rocky one as she was initially due to audition for the smaller role of Lucy Steele. But when she arrived at the audition she played dumb and read for Marianne, instantly captivating the panel and winning the part. However, her casting in the film was not without criticism primarily from director Ang Lee who felt that her performance in Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures was too over-the-top. In order for her to be convincing in the role, Lee wanted her to act more gracefully so encouraged her to read poetry and learn to play the piano. The result was a scene-stealing performance as the reckless middle Dashwood sister who falls head-over-heels for the dashing John Willoughby. Even in the earlier scenes Winslet excels at conveying quiet disdain for her step-brother's wife Fanny who is basically evicting them from their own home. Winslet easily conveys Marianne's transformation from brash stroppy teenager to a more mature character as she finally falls for the stable Colonel Brandon. Emma Thompson's own performance really tied everything together and I didn't for a minute have a problem with the way that Elinor was substantially aged to suit Thompson. Indeed the fact that Elinor was practically considered a spinster was incorporated into Thompson's script and worked perfectly well in the overall story. As the dreadful Fanny, Harriet Walter gave an incredibly awful turn and triumphed in providing the majority of the film's comedy. Meanwhile Gemma Jones and Emilie François, as Mrs Dashwood and Margaret respectively, shone in their limited screen time. In comparison to their female counterparts, the male actors were a little subdued but that might have something to do with the characters they were playing. Apparently Thompson wrote the role of Edward Ferrars with Hugh Grant in mind but I feel the pair didn't share enough chemistry to convince me of their on screen romance. Similarly, as Col Brandon, Alan Rickman's chemistry with Winslet lacked any spark though he was convincing as an emotionally reserved soldier. Of the male leads, only Greg Wise put in a convincing turn as the dashing Willoughby as he made you understand why Marianne fell for him so much. Interestingly it was actually Thompson who fell for Wise in real life with the pair eventually marrying some years later.

Both Doran and Thompson wanted Sense and Sensibility to have far-reaching appeal and never wanted it to be viewed as just another costume drama. I definitely felt that Sense and Sensibility was more accessible than both Howard's End and The Remains of the Day which at times were a little bit too rigid for their own good. One of the ways the pair achieved their goal was for Thompson to simplify some of the dialogue so the themes would be more relatable for a modern-day audience. Doran's goal was for the film to appeal to lovers of romantic comedy and I feel that Thompson's script for Sense and Sensibility does indeed have those sorts of elements. Another way Doran gained global appeal for the film was in the hiring of South Korean director Ang Lee, who had never heard of Jane Austen prior to his appointment. But, after reading Thompson's script, he realised his previous film The Wedding Banquet had a lot in common with Austen's story. Lee certainly added a lot of elegance to the piece but was able to incorporate some of his own stylistic qualities to the exterior scenes which made Sense and Sensibility feel a lot more open than the stuffier Merchant Ivory pictures. Costume designers, and Merchant Ivory stalwarts, John Bright and Jenny Bevan provided plenty of distinctive outfits for each individual character. Meanwhile composer Patrick Doyle's score provided a suitable accompaniment to a film that felt a lot more contemporary than a lot of other Victorian dramas. Sense and Sensibility was a film I remember watching on VHS both at home and in a Year 9 English Lesson but a the time I don't think I appreciated the quality of the film in the way I do now. Sense and Sensibility ultimately came across as a labour of love for all those involved and was a film that definitely deserved the seven Oscars it was nominated for. Meanwhile Winslet's role in the film saw her become a breakout star and for the first time was a recognisable presence in the film industry.

But Winslet really became a big name after starring in a film that still holds the title of being the largest grossing film of all time and the recipient of eleven Oscars including one for Best Picture. Obviously I'm talking about Titanic and, just like in Sense and Sensibility, Winslet fought hard to get the lead role of Rose. Her tactics included sending several letters and a rose to James Cameron which led to a screen test and an eventual part in this monumental movie. You couldn't grow up in the late 1990s and not know something about Titanic but I have to admit that I've never watched it all the way through. I've caught bits of it on the TV occasionally but I always thought that three hours focusing solely on one movie was too much. I do however remember the commotion that was caused after the BBC revealed that they were going to air Kate Winslet's tame topless scene before the watershed. The scene, in which Rose is painted nude by Leonardo DiCaprio's Jack, is incredibly quick and also is vital to the overall plot. Indeed it is in the discovery of this drawing that the elderly Rose is reunited with the Titanic which is currently being investigated by treasure hunter Brock Lovett. The main story of Titanic is Rose's memories of her time on the ill-fated ship and the brief romance she shared with the commoner Jack Dawson. It was this romance between upper class Rose and lower class Jack that captured the imaginations of the audience. Indeed, I remember some of the girls in my class at school going to see the film two or three times with DiCaprio gaining pin-up status as a result. But I personally never brought into the central romance and as a result the majority of Titanic fell flat for me. Part of the problem for this was the wafer-thin characterisation that was afforded to the central couple but partly both actors were to blame. Winslet showed none of the maturity or discipline of her performance in Sense and Sensibility whilst DiCaprio struggled to hold the film together. Another issue I had was with Cameron's script, particularly the fact that the film shows some of Jack's scenes without Rose even though it's meant to be her narrating it. Thankfully Cameron's script was one of the elements of the film that wasn't included in Titanic's massive haul of nominations.

Despite my reservations about the film's narrative and central performances; there's no denying that Titanic is one of the most ascetically magnificent films of all time. The second half of the film, which focuses on the ship's sinking, was definitely the most compelling and allowed Cameron to demonstrate why the film was the most expensive of all time. Using a combination of scale models, computer imagery and a full-scale replicate of the ship; Cameron's vision for Titanic was more than realised when the project was complete. Every scene of the film looks fantastic from the elegant upper-decks to the rat-infested rooms in which Jack and his friends find themselves. The costumes are realistically recreated and James Horner's haunting score remains one of cinema's most recognisable. While we're on music it would be amiss of me not to mention one of Titanic's most famous attributes, Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will go On'. At the time it was hard to escape the song and there's no denying that it's still one of the most famous film theme tunes. Russell Carpenter's cinematography came alive during the film's second half as he allowed the camera to survey the sinking ship and immersed the audience into the action. The way the camera follows Jack and Rose as they hurtle down the water-logged corridors is simply fantastic as is the manner in which he zooms over the lifeless bodies that have frozen in the cold water. These scenes in particular add to the realism of the film and it was interesting to note that many of the cast members got terribly ill as a result of spending days in the freezing water. Although I wasn't wowed by the central performances some of the supporting cast members brought their characters to life. As the 'unsinkable' Molly Brown, Kathy Bates brought some much needed fun to the film whilst Bernard Hill's facial expressions as the ship's Captain were fantastic. I also enjoyed Victor Garber's turn as the ship's architect and felt his apology to Rose in particular was quite moving. But for me it was Gloria Stuart, as the older version of Rose, who stole the show and I was transfixed by her moving turn at the beginning and end of the film. Ultimately I'm not surprised that Titanic won Best Picture as it is one of the most visually engaging films that you'll ever see. That being said I was never really caught up in the narrative of the film and to me this is a film that's all about the visuals rather than the story itself.

Next time we depart from the fancy costumes of yesteryear and check in on what was going on in Britain during the 1990s.

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Days 330-331: Emma T and Ivory Work Together in Perfect Harmony

Back in the 1980s we witnessed the first success of director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant as their adaptation of Forster's A Room with A View was nominated for Best Picture. Their success continued with two Best Picture nominations in the 1990s, the first of which came via another Forster adaptation in Howard's End

Howard's End also saw Merchant Ivory's first of two collaborations with both Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins. Thompson won her only acting Oscar for her role as Margaret Schlegel, a young woman who currently resides in London with her sister Helen and brother Tibby. The country estate of the title is an abode owned by the Wilcox family with whom the Schlegel sisters have their various dealings with over the course of the film. Their initial interaction comes when Helen rashly agrees to marry the younger Wilcox brother before they both change their mind. But Margaret gets wind of the event and the social faux pas that has been committed inadvertently leads her to befriend the lady of the house, Ruth. With Ruth at death's door and the Schlegel's requiring a new home; she bequeaths Howard's End to her newest friend. But Ruth's husband Henry, played by Hopkins, and the rest of her family tear up her handwritten will and agree not to tell Margaret of his late wife's wishes. However his guilt over this decision ends up with agreeing to find the Shlegels a new abode and in turn he starts to grow fond of Margaret. Meanwhile the sisters take to Leonard Bast, working class gentleman who they view as being intelligent beyond his standing. It's implied that Helen and Leonard are drawn to each other despite the fact that he's married to the quite uncouth Jacky. The Wilcoxes, the Schelgels and the Basts all collide in the film's memorable wedding scene in which revelations are made and families come to blows. The final third of the film really sees Thompson at her best as she realises the importance of those around her and sees her learn the ultimate truth about her place at Howard's End.

There's no denying that Thompson's performance in Howard's End see the actress at her very best. Three years after making her big screen debut, in then husband Kenneth Branagh's version on Henry V, Howard's End really made Thompson a star. She deals well with Forster's snappy dialogue and makes you care about the fact that Margaret missed out on owning the house she truly deserved. Thompson perfectly portrays Margaret's transformation from the free and easy Miss Shlegel to the reserved future Mrs Wilcox. Her body language alone is able to convey a multitude of emotions and at times she's the best thing about the entire film. I feel that Helena Bonham Carter deserves an equal amount of praise for her role as the feisty Helen, who is the one character who speaks her mind regardless if she's in the wrong. Carter has certainly grown a lot since we last saw her in A Room with a View but still maintains that joyful innocence that makes her the perfect actor to appear in these sort of films. Despite his character being detestable for the most part, Anthony Hopkins still lends some gravitas to the role of Henry. Hopkins is particularly great at perfecting the small looks that suggest that he is developing feelings for Margaret. One thing that confused me slightly was the fact that Vanessa Redgrave received a Supporting Actress nomination for her small role as Ruth. Although I found Redgrave captivating, she was only on screen for a matter of minutes and never astounded me in the way that Thompson did. As you would expect, the film looked fantastic with every costume and set feeling utterly convincing. The film won a further two awards; one for the brilliant Art Direction and one for Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's adapted screenplay which was incredibly well-paced from start to end. Despite all of these positives I couldn't help but feel oddly removed from Howard's End and it wasn't a film that I ever warmed to. Thompson's performance aside, there was nothing much that really made the film stand out from all of the other costume dramas around and I felt that Ivory could've made more use out of having the talented Hopkins on board.

Luckily, just one year later, Ivory got his chance to better utilise Hopkins and pair him with Thompson in such a way that the trio would create something special. The film was The Remains of The Day, another literary adaptation this time of the book written by Kazuo Ishiguro, with Jhabvala once again on screenplay duties. The movie centres round Hopkins' Mr Stevens, the loyal butler at Darlington Hall, a building that has just been saved from demolition by a new American owner Mr Lewis. Whilst in the present day Stevens begins a journey to see Darlington Hall's former housekeeper Miss Kenton, the film flashes back to explore their relationship over the years. Through these flashback scenes we quickly learn that Stevens is a loyal butler who never questions his master's orders and always believes in formality. His style somewhat clashes with that of Kenton's to the extent that he can't understand why she's brought a flower in to brighten up his study. They later argue over the extent of duties that Stevens' elderly underbutler father can perform after she notices that he's becoming more forgetful. These scenes culminate in Stevens learning of his father's death during a banquet and we see him continue to serve despite receiving this tragic news. Stevens' lack of outward emotion is a recurring theme of the film with Hopkins excelling at letting the audience know when his character his hurting inside. This is certainly true of Hopkins' relationship with his employer, Lord Darlington who is gradually revealed to be involved in having direct contact with the Nazi party. In the present day we learn that Darlington has recently died after being outed as a Nazi conspirator in The Daily Mail. Stevens lack of opinion on any matter extends to his possible romance with Miss Kenton who is seemingly drawn to her boss. The two share several glances over the years but it's his lack of ability to open up that ultimately sees her marry another man. Their exchanges in the present day are extremely emotional and their parting on a seaside bench is particularly memorable. As the film comes to an end Ivory suggests that Stevens is like a trapped bird who is stuck in Darlington Hall until his dying day.

The Remains of the Day was almost a purely perfect film primarily thanks to the complex performance from Hopkins. Hopkins' performance lets the audience in on Steven's secrets to the extent where we realise he's lying even though the other characters don't. It's his subtle turn in the film that makes the reserved Stevens a character we want to follow despite not being an overly likeable person. Whilst not as emotionally-stunted as Stevens, Emma Thompson still makes us believe that Miss Kenton isn't as open about her feelings as she should be. This is demonstrated when Darlington orders Stevens to fire some refugee maids, an order that Kenton is opposed to but at the same time isn't prepared to wholly stand up for what she believes in. Thompson and Hopkins share a lot more chemistry here than they did in Howard's End which is odd seeing as their characters were a couple in Ivory's previous film. I believe that their chemistry is needed here in order for the audience to will Stevens and Kenton to be together even though we realise that their match is doomed to fail. James Fox provides reliable support as Darlington as he portrays him as a man who wants to do the right thing but is ultimately swayed by stronger forces. Both Christopher Reeve and Hugh Grant are on form as Lewis and Darlington's journalist godson respectively with the latter particularly shining in a scene where Stevens has to explain the facts of life to him. Richard Robbins score perfectly captures the emotional nature of the film whilst once again the art and costume direction are flawless. Unfortunately, The Remains of The Day had the bad luck to come up against Schindler's List at that year's Oscars and therefore didn't win a single one of the eight Oscars it had been nominated for. I feel that it's a real shame that Hopkins in particular didn't win a Best Actor Oscar for what I consider to be his best performance to date.

Next time we see Emma Thompson win her second Oscar as she introduces a new British actress to the public's attention. 

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Days 328-329: The Two Faces of Elizabeth I

Even in the early days of Oscar, the academy loved British films that focused on the Tudor Monarchy. In fact the first ever British film to be nominated for an Oscar was The Private Life of Henry VIII for which Charles Laughton won a Best Actor statuette. At the 1999 Oscars, Henry's daughter Elizabeth featured in two films which focused on different stages of her reign. Although Elizabeth was played by different actors the pair of movies did share a pair of actors who featured prominently throughout. 

The imaginatively named Elizabeth was the first of these two films and saw Cate Blanchett take on the role of the titular Queen. Shekhar Kapur's film was based around Elizabeth's ascent to the throne following her sister Mary's death and her struggles to gain the respect she needed. It didn't help matters that everybody around her was trying to marry her off every five minutes or get her to declare a war on some country or other. It really seemed to me as if Elizabeth would've been better off continuing to dance round that field with Joseph Fiennes' Dudley rather than committing herself to running the country. Obviously things got a bit more complicated when it turned out when Dudley was married and plotting to have her removed from the throne. But the only other alternative was Vincent Cassel's hilariously campy cross-dressing French King who was flanked by an intimidating Eric Cantona. On the performances front, Elizabeth really belonged to Cate Blanchett who became an overnight sensation after appearing in the film. Elizabeth's transformation is the key aspect of Michael Hirst's script and Blanchett deals with this perfectly. She is convincing as the naive exile in the aforementioned dancing scenes but is equally great commanding rooms full of sceptical men. I feel the turning point in the film is Elizabeth's appearance in front of the bishops which Blanchett plays incredibly well, initially seeming nervous before becoming the strong-willed woman we know she will be. Geoffrey Rush puts in a supporting turn as Elizabeth's devious supporter Walsingham who ends up being her biggest ally. Rush is brilliant as he utilises a number of inquisitive facial expressions and tries to get the audience to second guess his actions. Christopher Eccleston's Norfolk is an incredibly brooding villain as he uses his cunning rather than any sort of brutality to get what he wants. The film is give an air of legitimacy via the inclusion of veteran performers such as Richard Attenborough and John Gielgud whilst at the same time introducing some new faces like Daniel Craig and Emily Mortimer. 

It's this use of new faces and exciting visuals that sets Elizabeth out from the standard costume drama. I was personally won over straight away when the incredibly modern title card sequence flashed across the screen. The intrusive camera work in some scenes helped make the audience part of the action and livened up an occasionally dull story. I was surprised that, among the seven Oscar nominations the film received, the innovative editing wasn't even recognised. I felt that several of the film's key sequences relied on some great editing to make them feel important and give Elizabeth the modern twist it deserved. Additionally, the film was unflinching in its depiction of violence, which I feel was another positive attribute to Elizabeth's overall success. From the burning of the protestants at the beginning of the film right up to Norfolk's beheading, Elizabeth set out to show us that life in the Tudor court wasn't all bonnets and balls. Up to this point I feel most of the period dramas have kept the violence and bloodshed behind closed doors but Elizabeth swung those doors wide open. The narrative of the film was well-paced and the two hour runtime perfectly suited the story of a Queen struggling to rule her nation. My main disappointment was that the film didn't pick up as many Oscars as it should have done, only winning the award for Best Make-up. Whilst I felt that the Tudor faces were well realised, Elizabeth was much more than just your standard costume drama. But the reason for its failure at the awards can be attributed to the next film on my list. 

The film was Shakespeare in Love, which won that year's Best Picture and a further six Oscars including one for Judi Dench as Queen Elizabeth I. Dench's role in the film was minimal and therefore some sniped at her Oscar win. I have to admit at the time I was one of them but after seeing the likes of Beatrice Straight and Maureen Stapleton win Best Supporting Actress with minimal screen time I changed my mind. Dench's Elizabeth was definitely a scene-stealer and she portrayed the Queen as somebody who was frustrated by those who stood on ceremony. Dench dealt well with the comic nature of the screenplay and was convincing as the legendary virgin queen. The link between the two performances is the line in which Elizabeth talks about being a woman in a man's profession, something she's had to cope with since her reign began. Dench wasn't the only actress to win an award for the film as Gwynth Paltrow triumphed, playing theatre-fan Viola De Lessops. Viola's romance with Shakespeare during the rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet is the basis of the film which is odd seeing as she poses as a man for large portions of the movie. Gwyenth does put in a lively turn but does nothing to convince me that she should've beaten Blanchett at that year's Oscar ceremony. Geoffrey Rush and Joseph Fiennes do double duty in this entry as they play theatre owner Henslowe and the titular playwright respectively. Fiennes is a perfectly serviceable leading man and shares fine chemistry with Paltrow which helps to make their on-screen romance convincing. Rush meanwhile is the perfect comic foil for the rest of the cast and his harassed Henslowe is the stand-out turn of a great supporting cast. One of my favourite performances in the film came from Tom Wilkinson as Hugh Fennyman, a loan shark who gets enraptured by the theatre after bankrolling Romeo and Juliet. 

I don't personally feel that there's that much wrong with Shakespeare in Love and it's not particularly offensive. Instead it just feels a little unremarkable and too whimsical to ever be taken seriously as a Best Picture contender. Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman's script is a little knowing and overly comic for a film that I feel should be a little bit more serious. That being said I did enjoy some of the little touches; most notably the fact that the rowers are presented like modern-day taxi drivers. I have to admit that I did enjoy the film's final act as the performance of Romeo and Juliet itself was the highlight of the film. But it was the journey to the theatre that was the problem and I found plenty of the film's characters uninteresting or unlikeable. Stoppard and Norman don't appear to have put in a lot of work into making Colin Firth's Wessex a serious enough threat to Viola and Shakespeare's relationship. Even though she ultimately travels to America with him her heart will always be with the romantic playwright. I do feel it's a little mean to constantly cast Firth as the cuckold as he played a similar third wheel as Kristin Scott Thomas' husband in The English Patient. So how did a lightweight comedy costume drama come to be the last film to win Best Picture in the twentieth century? Well that's down to its involvement with Harvey Weinstein's Miramax studios which are notorious for aggressively campaigning for their films to win awards. Weinstein's campaign for Shakespeare in Love's win including holding a party for director John Madden and inviting several of the academy's key voters. He put millions of dollars into securing the film won in as many categories as possible and he was ultimately successful. However, after watching these two films back-to-back, its clear that Shakespeare in Love wasn't even the best Elizabethan film to be released that year. It's just a shame that politics and campaigning can get in the way of the right film winning the Best Picture and I feel that the 1999 ceremony exemplifies that point perfectly. 

Next time we stay with costume drama as we focus on the continued success of Merchant Ivory. 

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Days 326-327: Something for the Kids

Like most people of a certain age, my first cinema experiences were watching Disney films. Thankfully I was lucky to grow up during the so-called Disney renaissance where the company finally got out of the decade-long slump they'd been in. In fact the first film of the renaissance, The Little Mermaid, was the first big-screen Disney film I viewed whilst the second was the first animated feature ever to be nominated for Best Picture.

That film was Beauty and The Beast which was Disney's second only Best Picture nominee, the first being the partly-animated Mary Poppins. I find it strange that not one of Disney's previous animated features was ever nominated for a Best Picture Oscar especially seeing as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released when the academy were honouring twelve or fourteen films a year. The aforementioned renaissance had started after Disney had produced a number of flops such as Oliver and Company and The Black Cauldron. The Little Mermaid was the first film in which Disney enlisted the songwriting talents of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, who both brought back to compose the song score for Beauty and The Beast. Anybody who's seen the film knows that the songs are brilliantly composed and the majority of them are utterly memorable. From the opening strains of the operatic-like 'Belle' to the energetic 'Be Our Guest' every song brings different characters to life and makes the film feel special. I'm personally a fan of 'Something Changed', the song in which Belle realises there may be more to The Beast then claws and growling. But it's the beautifully realised title track that gets me every time and as our titular characters descended the staircase I started to get quite emotional. Oddly the DVD I watched also had a musical sequence that I hadn't seen before in which The Beast's staff sing 'Human Again'. This was apparently cut out of the original film and I feel with good reason as it really spoils the narrative flow.

But it's not just the songs that make Beauty and The Beast so special as it's really one of cinema's most iconic love stories. The story is so simply told over the film's ninety minutes but I feel that it's still resonating with people who watch it today. The script of the film was rewritten to include a cast of colourful characters who would appeal to the younger viewers. In particular the objects that come to life were perfectly fantastic creations and I even remember having a small plastic Cogsworth toy which came with a meal from a certain popular fast food restaurant. The bullish Gaston was the perfect villain of the piece and his exchange with The Beast was one of Disney's most thrilling sequences. The animation of Beauty and The Beast made it feel like one of the studio's earlier pieces when in fact it was one of the first to use newer technology. The French backdrops as well as The Beast's fabulous castle are perfectly captured and every design is incredibly detailed. I do feel that animated features don't get the credit they deserve and that's maybe because their aimed at a younger audience. It's only during the 21st century that Oscar decided to dedicate a category purely for animation and I feel that more films from that genre should be in contention for the main prize. Although others should have come before it, Beauty and The Beast was the perfect candidate to be the first fully-animated Best Picture nominee. Even to this day I can remember having to wait around at the cinema for the next screening as the one we wanted to go to had sold out. The film's popularity is certainly timeless and I'm sure that people who saw it when they were young have now introduced it to their own children.

About three years later I saw my second Best Picture nominee but unfortunately that film didn't have quite the same lasting effect on me. I can't actually remember the first time I saw Babe at the cinema and when I came to watch it again I couldn't recall that much about it. I do know that, prior to watching the film, I'd read Dick King Smith's original source novel The Sheep Pig which was a far superior work to this film adaptation. The biggest attraction of Chris Noonan's film were definitely the visual effects as the movie's pigs and dogs were represented by both real animals and animatronic replicates. The film's brilliant animatronics, which were utilised during Babe's talking animal sequence, were co-produced by the Jim Henson Company and won the film its only Oscar. Andrew Lesnie's cinematography was another highlight of the film as he perfectly differentiated the scenes between the talking animals and their ordinary interactions with Farmer Huggett. As Huggett, James Cromwell shone in a film that was mainly about the animals. Cromwell was perfect as a man of few words who is often hen-pecked by his domineering wife. Cromwell looks every inch the country farmer and has a dignified stance about him which almost demands respect. His delivery of the now famous 'that'll do pig' line bookends the film as he communicates how far his character has come over the course of the film. Cromwell, who earned a Supporting Actor nomination for the film, also contributed to my favourite scene in the film in which he tries to get through to Babe by singing and dancing with him. This change in character was heartwarming and was the only moment where I emotionally connected with the film. Meanwhile Cromwell himself learnt a lot from the film and stopped eating meat after spending so much time on set with real animals.

Whilst the film is full of brilliant visual effects and a great performance from Cromwell, I didn't ever find it particularly engaging. I suppose the children would be won over by the talking animals but, as an adult, there wasn't a lot about the film I liked. The use of title cards to indicate various chapters was a nice touch but I felt that the film didn't need the additional narration by Roscoe Lee Browne. While Cromwell's presence kept the adult characters interesting my attention waned during the scenes which were purely based around the animals. I actually found Babe quite an irritating character and Christine Cavanagh's voice work did nothing to change this perception. The only animals I really warmed to were sheepdogs Rex and Fly primarily due to the great voiceovers provided by Hugo Weaving and Miriam Margolyes. There's no comparison between Beauty and the Beast and Babe when it comes to the best family film as the Disney effort wins hands down. Furthermore I don't feel that Babe really deserved a Best Picture nomination as nothing about it strikes me as incredibly outstanding. If the Academy wanted to nominate a family film with superb visuals then I don't know why they didn't recognise Pixar's first feature film Toy Story. Toy Story has cemented a legacy that Babe never could and appealed to every member of the family rather than just the kids. But then I can't rewrite history and Babe will always be a Best Picture nominee whether I like it or not however my advice would be to read the original story instead. At the end of the day Babe is a decent children's film but there wasn't anything outstanding that made me feel that it deserved its Best Picture nomination.

Next time we travel back to Tudor times and focus on one particular monarch.

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Day 325: When Irish Eyes Aren't Smiling

Throughout the course of these 1990s entries I've been commenting on my awareness of the majority of the films that were nominated for Best Picture throughout the decade. The only thing I really knew about The Crying Game before watching it was the big twist which at the time really made headlines. In fact I even remember it being referenced in at least one episode of The Simpsons and it was brought up during Billy Crystal's opening song at that year's Oscar ceremony. Even though it's over twenty years since The Crying Game was released I still don't want to spoil the surprise for those of you who haven't watched it. What I was surprised about was how little said shock influenced the overall movie and how much the focus was on Stephen Rea's IRA volunteer Fergus rather than Jaye Davidson's hairdresser Dill. In fact Davidson doesn't appear until the second half of the film and instead the first section focuses on Fergus' group of IRA terrorists capturing English soldier Jody. After a member of their group Jude seduces Jody at a fun fair they hold him hostage promising to release him if their demands are met. During that time Jody and Fergus become close as they discuss cricket and learn more about one another. But ultimately it's decided that Jody has to be killed and that Fergus will be the one to do it. Despite running from Fergus, Jody still dies and Fergus heads to London to inform his girlfriend Dill. Fergus is almost instantly drawn to Dill and instead of telling her about his involvement in Jody's death pursues her himself. However once he finds out her aforementioned secret he is shocked and distances himself from her but eventually realises that she's put some sort of spell on him. But when Jude finally catches up with him he realises he'll have to choose between his old life and his new relationship with Dill.

The Crying Game is almost a film that is split into two halves with the scenes in Northern Ireland and those in London feeling incredibly different. I wasn't a massive fan of the Northern Ireland scenes as they were fairly dull and mainly consisted of conversations between Jody and Fergus. It was only when Jody was killed that things started to get interesting and Fergus' trip to London was certainly a surprising one. Ian Wilson's cinematography really captured the vibrant London that Dill and her friends inhabit which is why I think I enjoyed these scenes a lot more. Jaye Davidson's first appearance on screen also makes the film a little more glamorous and her live performance of the film's title track is probably The Crying Game's most iconic scene. Neil Jordan's script deals perfectly with the themes of sexuality as Fergus struggles to comprehend his feelings towards Dill. I felt that Stephen Rea perfectly conveyed these feelings and it was his performance that perfectly brought both parts of the film together. In addition to the focus on sexuality, The Crying Game deals with the racial tension especially when the character of Jody is on screen. I felt that Forest Whitaker put in a memorable turn as the soldier and felt his English accent was utterly convincing. Miranda Richardson also provided great support as the aggressive femme fatale Jude who is able to ensnare Jody in the film's opening scene. The problem I had with The Crying Game as a whole was that it never really grabbed me either narratively or visually. I think I've been spoilt by the last couple of films I've watched which have been visually superb and as a result The Crying Game came off a little short in comparison. That being said it wasn't without its charm as it was an easy to watch film with a number of fine performances and had a lot to say about sexuality and race. Despite initially just getting a UK release, the controversial film was later picked up by production company Miramax and was one of the first movies the group launched in the USA. As a result of Miramax's support, The Crying Game picked up six Oscar nominations and this certainly would be the last example of Harvey Weinstein's production company influencing the academy awards.

Next time I focus on the first two Best Picture nominees that I ever watched at the cinema.

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Days 322-324: A Fiennes Trio of Films

Today Ralph Fiennes is considered one of England's finest actors and it's interesting that his success came quite quickly. After appearances in two TV movies, Fiennes' feature film debut saw him play Heathcliff in a 1992 adaptation of Wuthering Heights. His performance caught the eye of Steven Spielberg who decided he was the perfect person to play the despicable SS Officer Amon Goeth in Schindler's List.

In the film, which later went on to win Best Picture, Fiennes' performance is just one highlight in one of the best movies of all time. The film centres around Liam Neeson's Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who wants to keep the Nazi officers on side as the war begins. Throughout the film, Spielberg present Schindler as somebody who tries to keep everyone happy and who plays the fool in order to manipulate those around him. As Schindler builds a factory in Krakow, he enlists the help of Jewish accountant Itzthak Stern to draw up a list of workers. As the building of Schindler's factory coincides with the Nazis attack on the Polish Jews, Stern tries to save as many people as possible by employing them at the factory. Schindler is initially presented as somebody who doesn't care about the struggle of the Jews and turns a blind eye to Stern's recruitment process. Indeed he views the murder of the workers as a hindrance to productivity rather than a needless loss of human life. The first time we get the impression that Schindler's views are changing is when he witnesses the liquidation of the Polish ghetto. The brilliantly shot sequence features the iconic girl in red scene in which we see a hint of colour in an otherwise black and white film. Schindler's eye is drawn to the girl and it's only when we sees her red coat once again that he realises he must do something. Meanwhile the brutish Goth is won over by Schindler's bribes and agrees to let him build a new factory which is a front to save as many Jews as possible from going to Auschwitz. Compiling his titular list, Schindler's role as a saviour is documented in the final scenes in which the Jews thank him for saving their lives. 

Spielberg wanted Schindler's List to act as a documentary rather than a drama and this is clear in the final scene where the surviving members of Schindler's Jews arrive at his grave alongside the actors who portrayed him in the film. Spielberg clearly sets out to show that Schindler wasn't always a hero and when the film begins he is an unscrupulous charmer who is out for what he can get. His selflessness only manifests later on in the film and it's the brilliant performance from Liam Neeson that captures this perfectly. Neeson excels both in Schindler's early scenes as a charismatic businessman and in the more emotional moments as he breaks down in front of Stern just before the war comes to an end. Fiennes gives a scene-stealing turn as one of cinema's greatest villains as he coldly shoots Jews with no good reason and physically assaults his maid. But through Fiennes' performance we see that Goeth's actions are born out of a jealousy of people such as Schindler who are able to charm their way through life. Goeth's most sympathetic scene is when he tries to woo his maid as Fiennes briefly lets us see his character's more vulnerable side. But he doesn't stay sympathetic for long and by the end of the scene he becomes a monster once again. Praise must also go to Janusz Kamiński who cinematography is spellbinding as he helps Spielberg create the documentary-like feel he desired. John Williams' score is another of the film's triumphs as his Ben Kingsley's supporting turn as the quiet accountant Stern. In fact there are little negatives I can find in an almost perfect film and I think it deserved all the seven Oscars it won. I can't think that any of the other films nominated for Best Picture in that year was worthy of the accolade more than Schindler's List although you'll have to wait for me to make that decision when the decade is at an end. What I can say is that Ralph Fiennes was robbed of the Best Supporting Actor Oscar as he gave an absolutely compelling turn as one of cinema's most loathed characters. 

That being said Fiennes didn't even receive a nomination for his next film appearance which was in Robert Redford's Best Picture nominee Quiz Show. Fiennes role as the intelligent and handsome Charles Van Doren is a million miles away from the brutish Goeth. Instead he plays a man who is won over by the trappings of fame after becoming a contestant on the iconic 1950s quiz show Twenty One. Van Doren is chosen as the new regular competitor on the programme to replace the nervy Herb Stampel whose popularity is waning in the eyes of the public. Right from the start of the film it's made clear that the quiz show is being controlled by the head of the NBC Network and by the programme's sponsor, a supplementary gel called Geritol. As Herb is no longer a ratings draw, Twenty One's producer Dan Enright convinces Herb to lose the next programme to Van Doren. Here it's revealed that the producers have been feeding Herb the answers to the questions and continue to rig the quiz by giving Van Doren questions he knows the answers to. These methods completely go against the way the show is viewed by the American public who believe that Twenty One's question are kept in a bank vault. Soon enough Van Doren becomes adored by the public whilst Herb tries to get revenge by exposing the corruption behind Twenty One. Newly graduated lawyer Dick Goodwin takes it upon himself to investigate the scandal and soon finds it tough to know who to believe. As with the rest of the population, Goodwin is charmed by Van Doren and finds Herb to be a volatile personality. But Goodwin soon finds the evidence he needs and hopes to expose the corruption in both NBC and sponsors Geritol. But Redford's final message is that the corporations themselves never pay and instead it's the little people who suffer. Both Van Doren and Herb lose the public's respect as a result of the scandal whilst Enright and host Jack Benny are soon making their fortunes from television once again. 

I knew very little about Quiz Show before watching it and I think that aided my enjoyment of the film. From the opening credits which play over a stylised version of the 1950s you know you're watching a classy film. Robert Redford's direction isn't incredibly original but he helps capture the fast-talking style of all of his characters and makes you care about the three central protagonists. Indeed this is a film about a trio of men; the impressionable Van Doren, the bland Herb and the ambitious Dick all of whom are corrupted by the quiz show scandal in different ways. As Dick, Rob Morrow is every inch the slick junior lawyer as he attempts to gain notoriety due to his part in uncovering the corruption at NBC. John Turturro is fantastic as Herb, a man who has a little charisma and who is visibly hurt by his rejection from Enright. Turturro especially excels at portraying Herb's volatile nature and how much it hurts him to get a certain question wrong. I personally felt that Ralph Fiennes put in a fine turn here as Van Doren, an intelligent man but somebody who is swallowed up the hype surrounding his Twenty One appearance. Fiennes demonstrates his charisma throughout the piece and his final speech to congress his delivered excellently. Fiennes has brilliant chemistry with Paul Scofield, the only nominated member of the cast, who plays his renowned poet father Mark. Scofield's performance makes up only part of a great supporting cast that includes David Paymer, Christopher McDonald and Martin Scorsese as a Geritol representative. The real star here is Paul Attanasio, who was Oscar-nominated for his fantastically well-paced and snappy adapted screenplay. Attanasio's screenplay launches attacks on well-known brands and lets us know that they don't care who they sacrifice along the way as long as the money keeps coming in. Ultimately Quiz Show is an easy-to-watch film with fine performances and a great screenplay which has an identifiable message behind it. 

After appearing in Kathryn Bigelow's Strange Days in 1995, Fiennes' next film would see him get his only Best Actor Oscar Nomination to date. The film was The English Patient in which Fiennes played a character who, when we first meet him, is horribly disfigured after his plane crashes in Italy. As he won't live very long, French-Canadian nurse Hanna agrees to look after him primarily so she can get over the losses she's suffered recently. The mystery man, known as The English Patient, soon finds his life in danger when Canadian thief Caravaggio starts to take an interest in him. Caravaggio believes the man was directly involved with him being captured and tortured by the Germans so wants to take his revenge. Whilst all of this action takes place in 1944, the rest of The English Patient takes us back to Cairo of the late 1930s in which the mystery man is revealed as a map maker. In addition we learn he is not English but in fact the Hungarian Count László Almásy, who is part of the Royal Geographic Society. Joining The Count's expedition are married couple Geoffrey and Katherine Clifton the latter of whom catches the eye of our protagonist. It's not long before the attraction becomes mutual and the two begin an affair which they find easy to do when Geoffrey spends a lot of time away from his wife. But soon The Count finds himself being jealous of Katherine's interactions with other men and almost becomes abusive towards her. But there's no denying that there is still passion in their relationship and back in the Italian scenes The Count reveals the measures he took to care for the woman he loved. Ultimately The Count's words see both Carravagio and Hanna get what they want as he finally finds peace.

I remember my mum having a copy of The English Patient on VHS at one time and therefore snippets of the film seem familiar. However, as I was quite young I don't think I completely understood the fact that the film went backwards and forwards in time. When the film first began I was incredibly taken with Hanna thanks to Juliette Binoche's Oscar winning turn as the emotionally fraught nurse. Unlike something like The Thin Red Line where I never felt I really knew the characters, Anthony Mingella's adapted screenplay instantly made me warm to Hanna. Therefore it was the scenes set in Italy that I enjoyed more than the ones in the African desert mainly because the characters there were a little harder to like. It was only when Katherine appeared and the affair started that I began to care for The Count as Fiennes was able to portray his love for her brilliantly. It was great seeing Fiennes play the lead rather than take a supporting turn and his performance put me in mind of the classic film stars that we saw in the 1930s and 1940s. Every inch the charming lead, Fiennes made his character seem quite arrogant but also somebody who would do anything for love. Even in the scenes where he was covered in convincing make-up he still made us care for his plight right up to the bitter end. However, I felt that this film really belonged to the women as both of the central actresses really brought the film to life. As I previously mentioned Binoche lit up the screen as Hanna and she conveyed her characters loss as well as her capacity to find love with Sikh bomb disposal expert Kip. Kristen Scott Thomas is one of my favourite actresses and proved her worth here as the elegant Katherine. She and Fiennes also had a winning chemistry which made it easy to believe their love for one another.

The English Patient's other main strength is in its extremely striking visuals and so it's not surprising to learn that the film was showered with Oscars. John Seale's superb cinematography really brought the Tunisian and Italian exterior locations to life. Seale succeeded in taking the film's audience into both the African desert and the Italian countryside which helped to separate the two storylines. In his book, editor Walter Murch claimed that he initially struggled to intercut the two different timelines of the story. But I think he did an excellent job especially in the final scene in which we see both Katherine and Hanna reading the same story aloud. Gabriel Yared's score also adds to the overall feel of the film, particularly during the African scenes. Bringing all these elements together was the late Antony Mingella, who won awards both for his direction and screenplay. Mingella's vision for the film was perfectly realised in a film which I came to really enjoy over the course of the two and half hour runtime. What I liked most about The English Patient was the fact that this was a film set during war time but which focused more on how the fighting prevented the characters from ever truly being loved. Whether it was explosives ending lives or the paranoia that was present on both sides, the war really affected all the film's characters in different ways. However, I wouldn't describe The English Patient as a war film but rather a love story set during the time of war and I found that to be a refreshing change.

Next time we focus on a film that deals with both sexuality and race during a time of conflict. 

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Day 321: Terry's All-Stars

I do feel that when a director has achieved particular acclaim he can get away with most things. Terrence Malick is one such director who was well on his way to being a legend after helming Badlands and Days of Heaven in the 1970s. Malick took a twenty year hiatus following Days of Heaven so when it was announced that he'd be returning to the screen plenty of actors wanted a role in his new film. Luckily he was able to accommodate a fair few big names into The Thin Red Line, a film focusing on the Battle of Mount Austin fought in the Pacific between the Americans and the Japanese. Malick's first cut of the film was supposedly five hours long and obviously had to be cut down substantially to half of that original length. Even then I feel that the copy of The Thin Red Line I watched was overlong and confusing in some regards. One of my main issues was that of the duelling narration between Jim Caviezel's Private Witt and Nick Nolte's Lt. Col. Tall. Witt's story is that of a man who is dissatisfied with army life while Tall is trying to prove himself to his superiors who feel that a man of his advancing years shouldn't still be at war. Because of this Tall makes some risky decisions and it's one of his final choices that has an impact on the team. Events become even more complicated when Malick introduces another story later in the film as Ben Chaplin's Private Bell discovers his wife wants a divorce. The fact that both Caviezel and Chaplin are given voiceovers was rather confusing as at times I couldn't really tell the pair apart. It was only after he nobly died to save his comrades was when I realised that Witt was meant to be the hero of the piece. That alone should tell you that Malick's script was confusing and that some of what was cut from the film may have been important.

Spare a thought then for poor Adrien Brody, who prior to the release of The Thin Red Line had told people that he was the main focus of the film. After watching the film Brody's appearance amounted to nothing more than a five minute cameo towards the conclusion. Brody was understandably upset by the decision and he feels that Malick should have at least have informed of the changes that had been made prior to the film's screening. But at least Brody made into the film which is more than can be said for the likes of Martin Sheen, Micky Rourke, Gary Oldman and Billy Bob Thronton who all had their scenes cut entirely. As there are so many big names floating around it's incredibly hard to single out one or two actors to praise their performances in the film. Nick Nolte probably gives the best turn as the weary Tall and both Sean Penn and John Cusack made good impressions during their extended cameos. Like with most Malick films, the strongest aspect of The Thin Red Line is in its visuals. John Toll's cinematography is outstanding, especially when we follow the soldiers inside the long grass where they hide during their attacks. Toll's point-of-view shots really make you feel part of the action and in a way add to our understanding of what war might have been like for these men. But to me there was almost too much of a focus on arty camerawork and not enough done on character development. I personally wasn't a fan of certain characters reminiscing about their families back home and thought these scenes represented Malick's undisciplined approach to film-making. Hans Zimmer's score really helped the film achieve the emotional tone it was looking for especially when it accompanied The Thin Red Line's battle scenes. But that being said, ultimately I found The Thin Red Line to be a beautifully shot war film that really never compelled me to care about specific character. Rather than changing my views about Malick as a film-maker its simply reinforced them and I've still not be able to see what others do in this supposedly great director.

Next time we look at three films from a respected British actor who appeared in two Best Picture winners during the 1990s.

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Days 318-320: Williams the Conqueror

When his career first started Robin Williams was best known for his role in sitcom Mork and Mindy as well as for his stand-up. Then he appeared in Good Morning Vietnam in which he used his comic skills and mixed them with a more dramatic side. He earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his role in the film and throughout the 1990s would feature in three more best picture nominees. He himself would find luck as well with another two Best Actor nominations and a win in the Best Supporting Actor category, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

In Dead Poets Society, Williams still hasn't completely lost his comic roots but gives his most dramatic turn to date. The film sees him play John Keating, an unorthodox English teacher who shakes things up when he starts to teach at the stuffy Dalton Academy. Set in 1959, Dead Poets Society primarily focuses on a group of boys who Keating takes under his wing and who are all influenced by his words. The society of the title is a group that Keating himself set up when he was at Dalton and which the boys in his class resume upon meeting him. Keating's words about seizing the day speak to one of the boys, Neil, who decides to audition for a local play even though he knows his father wouldn't approve. Neil eventually wins a part but forges his father's signature on a consent form in order to take part. Meanwhile, new classmate Todd is struggling to live in the shadow of his academically gifted brother especially seeing as he's quite slow. Keating takes Todd out of his shell and allows him to express himself more freely. One of the other classmates, Knox, falls in love with a girl who is going out with a much more athletic guy from another school. Despite this Knox wins her over with his poetry and she agrees to go on a date with him. After a film that looks at coming-of-age and finding your way in the world, the final third of Dead Poets Society becomes increasingly dark. But there's a final heartwarming moment that anybody who has seen the film will remember.

I myself had previously seen Dead Poets Society at least once before and remember enjoy it immensely. On second viewing however I found that I didn't always believe in the characters and felt that Tom Schulman's Oscar winning screenplay was inconsistent. There's no denying that Williams' performance is the driving force of the film and definitely showcases that he's a fine dramatic performer. But in the classroom scenes I felt that Williams lapsed into his stand-up persona and goes for laughs over believable humour. Despite his Best Actor nod, I don't really consider Williams to be the star of the show as Keating is only on screen for a limited amount of time. Instead I think that Dead Poets Society is more about Neil, Todd, Knox and the other boys who are trying to find their way in the world. The stories about trying to find your way in the world, exploring your own identity and experiencing love for the first time all have universal appeal for audiences everywhere. Of the young actors, Ethan Hawke really lights up the screen as Todd as he gives a subtle portrayal of somebody who lacks confidence and feels inferior to his over-achieving brother. Hawke is able to convey emotion through facial expressions alone and I think he gives an incredible effort for one so young. Josh Charles puts in a spirited turn as the lovelorn Knox whilst Gale Hansen is full of energy as the rebellious Charlie. I was personally less impressed with Robert Sean Leonard's turn as the conflicted Neil and I didn't believe in him as much as I did the rest of the cast. Dead Poets Society was beautifully shot by John Teale and the period detail of the movie was well realised throughout. However, although I got the same goosebumps during the film's final scene, as a whole I believe that Dead Poets Society isn't as great as I remembered it to be.

Williams toned down his comedy routine completely in Awakenings to play a fairly withdrawn character albeit one who ends up doing miraculous work. In the film Williams plays Dr Malcolm Sayer who, in 1969, discovered that the catatonic patients in the hospital he worked in responded to certain stimulants. Director Penny Marshall is keen to portray Sayer as somebody who doesn't like human contact and he almost turns down the job at the hospital when he realises he'll have to work with patients. Although Sayer's superiors are sceptical of his findings he does have a supporter in Nurse Costello who tries to coax him out of his shell. After conducting a number of experiments, Sayer convinces his bosses to put one of the catatonic patients on a new drug to see if it will lull him out of his current state. The patient in question is Leonard Lowe a man who was just a child when he entered his current state and who has been communicating with Sayer via a Ouija Board. The drug is a success and Leonard eventually regains all his faculties much to the delight of his mother who had been faithfully attending to her son. However Leonard later opposes the fact that he's imprisoned in the hospital and wants to be free to do what he wants. These feelings are intensified when he meets Paula, the daughter of one of the patients, and falls in love. Meanwhile Sayer raises the funds to put all the former catatonic patients on the drug and they all experience similar recoveries to Leonard's. But not all of them are happy about their new awakening and one man in particular feels that he's been cheated by life. In the end it's revealed that the drugs are simply a quick fix and that most of the patients returned to their original state after a short while. Although this revelation his heartbreaking, the experience inspired Sayer to live his life a little bit more.

Of the three films in this post, Awakenings is the only one that I'd never seen before. It's also the only film of the trio that I never really relaxed into as I felt it contained Williams' weakest performance. I just feel that he's too reserved and that quality of Sayer's character makes it hard to care about anything he does. Although Sayer is an admirable character, I think that Williams doesn't make the most of the part and therefore I didn't really connect with the film whenever he was on screen. Despite this being the film in which Williams had the most screen time, it was Robert De Niro who was nominated for his role as Leonard. I think that De Niro's performance in the film demonstrates how much of a versatile actor he can be when given the chance. In comparison to the other film he starred in that year, Goodfellas, his performance as Leonard is a complete revelation. I completely believed in his childlike state and he brilliantly conveyed the innocent nature of Leonard coupled by his new adult feelings. Even in the scenes where we see Leonard in a catatonic state De Niro lights up the screen and gave one of the best performances of his I'd ever seen. Julie Kavner gives an incredibly sweet turn as Nurse Costello and makes you feel that her character could bring some life to the detached Sayer. Steve Zaillian's dramatisation of the film's events allows the supporting characters to really come alive and the majority of the catatonic patients are given their own identity. Zaillian adds enough factual material to make the film interesting while at the same time giving us characters that we care about. I personally found Marshall's direction quite safe and there was nothing visually stunning about Awakenings. At the end of the day Awakenings was a fairly standard tale about an extraordinary event which was completely unremarkable aside from De Niro's memorable turn.

From playing a teacher and then a doctor, Williams combines both to play lecturer and therapist Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting. Although Williams receives top billing he is a definitely a supporting player down to the fact that he won Best Supporting Actor at that year's Oscars. Instead the film is all about Matt Damon's Will Hunting an angry young man with a superior intellect who frequents bars with his best friends including Ben Affleck's Chuckie. The film has become famous for launching the careers of Damon and Affleck, who co-wrote the film's screenplay and won an Oscar for their script. The films story sees Will gain notoriety after serving a particularly hard maths problem at the university where he works as a janitor. One of the professors at the institution agrees to bail him out of prison on assault charges along as he agrees to a number of conditions. Alongside regular lessons with Professor Lambeau, Will is forced into attending therapy with Sean being the only shrink who'll put up with his behaviour. Widower Sean had previously been a classmate of Lambeau's and the pair had fallen out over that time which makes their time with Will all the harder. Sean and Will's budding friendship is one of the film's key strengths as the therapist finally gets the youngster to open up about himself and in turn decides to start living his life again. Alongside this relationship is Will's romance with student Skylar who seemingly grows to love him over time. But Will's self-destructive nature seemingly ruins the relationship when he refuses to tell Skylar that he loves too. The final scenes of Good Will Hunting are a little mawkish but at the same time I can't help but sob every time I see Matt Damon drive off in that car and Elliot Smith playing over the end credits.

As you can probably tell from that statement, I've seen Good Will Hunting countless times before and I feel it's definitely a film that stands up to repeat viewings. The storyline is pretty predictable which probably demonstrates the immaturity of debut screenwriters Affleck and Damon. At the same time Good Will Hunting survives thanks to the well-observed scenes most of which feel true to life. Will and Chuckie's scenes in particular are realistically drawn and the banter between friends Affleck and Damon feels genuine. Similarly the relationship between Sean and Will isn't the same that John Keating had with the boys of Dead Poets Society and instead is a lot harder to take at times. You also believe in the romance between Will and Skylar and I always find their date in the joke shop to be a realistic scenario. Even the more emotional moments are well-handled and I still find Sean's 'it's not your fault' scene to be particularly moving. Though he doesn't appear until the half hour mark, Williams really steals the show as the down-to-Earth yet damaged Sean. His performance here is a brilliant combination of naturalistic humour and a lot of pathos which really helps in the final scenes. Damon leads the film ably and is a charismatic enough presence to make you want to care about Will throughout. Minnie Driver gives Skylar her own personality and makes sure that she's not just playing the stereotypical girlfriend role while Stellan Skarsgard is on fine form as Lambeau. Even Ben Affleck shines however I feel that the role was written specifically with him in mind and I don't think he had to work very hard to perfect the Bostonian accent. The music in the film is beautifully scored by Danny Elfman and the aforementioned original song by Elliot Smith was also Oscar nominated. Good Will Hunting is ultimately a very human film about finding your place in the world and for that reason I think most of us can relate to it.

Next time I look at an all-star war film from a director that I've never been a fan of.

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Day 317: Jack Minds the Cracks

Jack Nicholson is an actor whose career we've followed over several decades during this challenge. This latest entry catches up with him in the late 1990s as he enters his later years playing a cantankerous novelist in As Good as it Gets. The film, in which Nicholson plays the misanthropic Melvin Udall, sees the actor reunite with James L Brooks who he previously worked with on both Terms of Endearment and Broadcast News. Brooks' film explores Melvin's sheltered lifestyle as he tries to cope with OCD and attempts to deal with the world around him. The ironic thing is that Melvin's novels inspire romance in others but he does little to ingratiate himself to those around him. In fact Melvin's strongest relationship is with Carol, a waitress at his favourite diner who is seemingly the only person that will tolerate his madness. Meanwhile Melvin is forced into taking in the dog of his artist neighbour Simon and finds himself bonding with another living thing. When Carol leaves the diner to look after her ill son, Melvin reaches out to her and finds himself with a new friend in the process. The trio then head on a trip which has surprising consequences for all three while Melvin tries not to ruin the fact that he's attempting to turn over a new leaf. What I like about the film is that, though Melvin's OCD is a prevalent theme throughout, we never really feel sympathy for the man. However the disorder is represented perfectly by him skipping over the cracks in the road, a narrative device that plays into the final scene.

As Good as It Gets is currently the last film to have its stars win both the Best Actor and Best Actress Oscars on the same evening. I certainly feel that Jack Nicholson's award is more than deserved as he put in a really complex turn as Melvin. He uses his manic energy well but also comes into his own in the film's more sensitive moments and, despite his antisocial nature, you can't help but find him likeable. Previously best known for her television work, Helen Hunt is equally fantastic as the harassed waitress with the ill son. She gives a tender portrayal of a woman who tries to help those around her and has always put herself last. Nicholson and Hunt are fantastic together and their odd chemistry helps the film move along during its final third. Greg Kinnear, who was also nominated for an Oscar, provides fine support as the gay artist trying to find some meaning in life following a brutal attack. Of the three Brooks films I've watched over the course of this blog, As Good as it Gets is certainly the most accomplished in terms of script. Brooks combines the witty banter of Broadcast News with the sensitivity of Terms of Endearment without making the film ever lapse into sentimentality. Even though I've seen the film at least four or five times before I still laughed at certain moments and had tears in my eyes during others. I will admit that Brooks' film is too long but is better paced than either of the other two movies that I previously mentioned. Hans Zimmer's bouncy score contributes perfectly to the tone of the film and is another soundtrack that I won't be able to get out of my head for a while. Ultimately As Good as it Gets is a satisfying comedy drama about how it's never too late to change and is presented admirably by the film's cast and crew.

Next time we focus on a comedian who changed up his act in order to feature in three Best Picture nominees.

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Days 315-316: Hitting all the Right Notes

Welcome to another post with two films that similarly have little in common but are linked by a number of factors. The most obvious common theme running throughout Shine and The Piano are that both of its protagonists play the titular instrument. However the themes run deeper as both films are set in Australasia, both feature central characters with a disability and both saw their lead performers collect awards at that year's Oscars.
The Piano takes us to New Zealand of the mid-19th century as we see Scottish Ada McGrath and her young daughter Flora travel from Scotland. Ada has been mute since she was a child but has been promised in marriage to frontierman Alisdair Stewart. Early on in Jane Campion's film its established that Ada's piano is the most important thing to her and she uses it to let out her emotions. So it's a bitter blow to Ada when Alisdair decides that the instrument is too heavy to carry and too big for his small house. Eventually Ada's piano is bought by Baines, a man who is sometime in Aisdair's employ and who is seemingly torn between the area's white population and the Maori natives. Baines claims he wants piano lessons but this is later revealed a simple rouse to bribe Ada into giving her piano back. It's made clear that Baines is sexually frustrated and often walks round nude in front of Ada or gets her to pitch her skirt up. Somehow Baines' presence in her life has a positive effect on Ada and she misses him watching her when she finally gets the piano back. The stage is then set for somewhat of a love triangle as Alisdair soon learns of the relationship tht has started between Baines and his wife. Alisdair later takes some very bloody revenge against Ada which I found to be a very shocking yet memorable moment. Eventually Ada is able to decide who she truly wants to be with even though she is forced to loose her piano in the process.

Other than being a film that won a few Oscars, I knew very little about The Piano prior to watching it. I did find it hard to get into the film partly due to the fact that the main character didn't speak however this later became one of The Piano's most positive features. My previous experiences with Jane Campion's work had been incredibly poor as I didn't warm to her 2009 biopic Bright Star or the TV miniseries Top of the Lake. However the artistic direction added to the overall feel of the film with Stuart Dryburgh's cinematography perfectly capturing the Kiwi exteriors and adding to The Piano's period feel. Although we're into the mid-1990s by this point, Jane Campion's nomination for Best Director was the only second time that a woman had received recognition in that category something I find hard to believe. The Piano was a film that featured strong female characters both behind and in front of the camera so I'm glad that Campion won an award for her original screenplay. Holly Hunter's performance as Ada was truly captivating and she managed to communicate her character's feelings beautifully without ever opening her mouth. Although I felt that Hunter should have won Best Actress for her turn in Broadcast News her win for The Piano was more than deserved. The film's third Oscar went to young Anna Paquin who, in her debut performance, more than held her own opposite much more experienced co-stars. Paquin shared great chemistry with Hunter and you could really believe that the pair were mother and daughter. For a child star, Paquin was never annoying and at times was my favourite thing about the film. I was less keen on the male performances with Sam Neill being lumbered with the thankless part of Alisdair and Harvey Keitel struggling to settle on an accent for Baines. One of the film's most memorable attributes was Michael Nyman's haunting score, which was stuck in my head for days after watching The Piano, so I was shocked to learn that he didn't win an Oscar for it. Overall, The Piano was beautifully filmed and included two fantastic performances but still felt a little uneven for me to truly enjoy every minute of it.
As we know by now Oscar loves a biopic and therefore Shine's inclusion in the Best Picture category was a given. Shine is a very straightforward retelling of the life of pianist David Helfgott whose incredible talent was almost wasted due to his mental issues. Part of David's issues were due to his strict upbringing by a father who always felt he knew best and was very sceptical about outside interference. The first example of this is when a music teacher spots David at a competition and offers to train him on the piano. A teenage David is later offered the chance to study music in America but the dream is snatched away by his father. Thanks to his friendship with a local novelist, David soon picks up the courage to confront his father and take a scholarship in London. It's while in London that David's mental state starts to deteriorate as he attempts to learn a difficult piece of music for an upcoming competition. Although David wins the competition the practise drives him insane forcing him into an institution. Shunned by his father, David spends years in an asylum before being rescued by a volunteer who recognises his talents. But she eventually abandons him and leaves him in a hotel where his destructive tendencies appear once again. It's only through his friendship with a restaurant owner, who lets David play the piano there, does he start to rejoin society. David even finds love and makes a comeback at the end of the film.

Interestingly Shine met with controversy over two of the film's main plot points. The first was David's mother's claims that her husband was never abusive towards his children. Shine's director Scott Hicks denies these allegations claiming that he'd had contact with David's siblings who corroborate the film's version of events. Secondly there have been claims that David's comeback performances weren't as brilliant as the film was suggest and that he definitely lost some of his early talent during his later years. Even after learning about these issues, neither really bothered me although I did have other reservations about Shine. Coming into the film, the only thing I really knew about it was the fact that Geoffrey Rush won a Best Actor Oscar for his role in Shine. Because of this I had high expectations about Rush's turn in the film and I'm sad to say they weren't met. Part of the reason for this is that Rush only plays David in the latter stages of Shine and the character is first portrayed by Alex Rafalowicz and then by Noah Taylor. Rush's performance put me in mind of Dustin Hoffman's portrayal in Rain Man as both played characters who have mental health problems. Just like Hoffman, I felt that Rush overdid that aspect of his character a little bit and his performance was a little over-the-top. It did almost seem as if the Academy had honoured the three actors playing the character but given the award to Rush who started and finished the film as David. In fact I personally preferred Taylor's interpretation of the character as a teenager and felt he particularly excelled in showcasing David's descent into madness. Armin Mueller-Stahl was similarly strong as David's overbearing father whilst the scenes depicting David's piano playing were well-shot and choreographed. Ultimately, I was a little disappointed with the film as a whole as it petered out towards the end. While individual elements of it should be applauded, Shine really wasn't as excellent as I thought it would be and I think that's a real shame.

Next time we catch up with a familiar screen star as he reunites with one of his favourite directors

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Days 313-314: Viva Italia!

As we've seen throughout the decades, films not in the English language rarely crop up in the Best Picture line-up. In fact, the last time I reviewed one was Cries and Whispers which was nominated during the early 1970s and was the final non-English language film to feature in the category for over twenty years.

That was until the 1996 ceremony when a little film from Italy caught everybody's eye partly because it was being distributed by the powerful Miramax. Initially known simply by its English name The Postman, Il Postino later took on its original Italian moniker following the release of the atrocious Kevin Costner movie. Set in the early 1950s, Il Postino stars Massimo Troisi as Mario, a bored fisherman who lives on a small Italian island but wants more of a purpose in life. Exiled to the same island, world-renowned poet Pablo Neruda finds himself temporarily stranded for political reasons. These two very different men end up becoming acquaintances when Mario takes on the job of assistant postman with Neruda being his only client. As he begins to see him every day, Mario starts to get wrapped up in Neruda's poetry and tries to understand it more. Neruda gives him lessons on metaphors and later helps him to try and woo attractive waitress Beatrice. Eventually Mario persuades Beatrice to marry him much to the annoyance of her aunt who feels that he won't be able to support her niece. After acting as Mario's best man at his wedding, Neruda gets the call that he'll be able to return to Chile. Despite leaving the island, Neruda's views appear to have influenced Mario who now has strong views on the local political scene. However Mario becomes increasingly despondent that Neruda hasn't been in touch but is later inspired to record sounds of the island for his friend. The final scene of the film sees Neruda return to the island to learn of Mario's death at a political rally and collect the aforementioned recordings. Rather tragically Troisi, who postponed heart surgery to star in Il Postino, died one day after filming had wrapped.

Despite the tragic circumstances surrounding the film, Troisi still left a lasting impression and I feel his performance is one of the standout elements of the film. Troisi has a wide-eyed innocence about him which adds to the role of the initially simple Mario. Additionally Troisi is a brilliant physical actor which helps in the first scenes where Mario tries to woo Beatrice. Troisi is completely believable throughout the film and shares great chemistry with Philippe Noiret as Neruda. Noiret definitely holds his own here as he portrays Neruda as the elder statesman of the film's central relationship. Noiret conveys how Neruda softens as he spends more time with Mario and to me this friendship is at the core of the film. This is why I felt the film lost a lot of momentum after Neruda returned to Chile and left Mario and Beatrice. Whilst I enjoyed the scenes of Mario's tape recordings I don't feel the film quite maintained the level of quality that it had during the Neruda and Mario scenes. The film's cinematography was sumptuous and really captured the beauty of the two Italian islands on which Il Postino was shot. Meanwhile the brilliant score was rewarded with Il Postino's only Oscar of the five it was nominated. I really felt as if Troissi's performance should have won the Best Actor Oscar as to me it is almost faultless. What surprised me was how funny I found the film and it was definitely an enjoyable watch of a movie I'd not seen up to this point. Although it's odd that a foreign film was nominated to begin I can see why this light, entertaining drama appealed to a mainstream audience.

The same can be said for the other Italian film nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, Life is Beautiful, which appeared in the category three years later. While its themes are definitely a lot darker than Il Postino's I feel the performance from director and star Roberto Benigni is  lot broader. Certainly the film's opening thirty minutes, in which Benigni's Guido attempts to woo schoolteacher Flora, sees the star get a little overly manic. Benigni's performance throughout the film sees him channel Hollywood's silent clowns and there's something Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton-esque about his turn in the film. I personally feel that Benigni spends too long building up the Flora and Guido romance and doesn't focus enough on their family life when they become parents to son Joshua. The parts of the film most will remember is when Jewish Guido and his family members are carted off to a concentration camp. Even though she isn't Jewish, Flora sacrifices herself to be close to her husband and son. In the concentration camp scenes Benigni obviously has to tone down Guido's physical comedy routine and I did enjoy the brief moments he portrayed his character's despair. To keep Joshua's spirits up, Guido pretends that they're partaking in a game to win a tank and all of the brutal punishments inflicted on them are only challenges to win points. It's an interesting narrative idea and one that works perfectly providing just the right balance between the horrors of the Holocaust and the innocence of Joshua. The film goes right through to the end of the war as Guido tries to find his princess before the Americans come to free everyone. Anybody who's seen the film knows of the emotional ending but I'm not here to spoil anything for you.

I had watched Life is Beautiful once before, as part of my film studies course, and at the time remember the film received quite an emotional reaction. Indeed I have to admit to still having a tear in my eye when hearing the voiceover by the actor plaing the older version of Joshua. What I hadn't remembered was how long the film took to actually build up to its main scenes at the concentration camp. On the one hand I can completely understand the need for character development but these opening scenes did seem to be a showcase for Benigni's comic mannerisms before the main plot of the film began. I think your enjoyment of Life is Beautiful is solely based on how much you like Benigni's performance and it did take me a while to warm to him. However I think the second half of the film showed him at his best and he delivered a calmer more reserved performance in which he balanced the tone of the story really well. Even though Benigni went on to win the Best Actor award for his role in the film I feel that, of the two, I preferred Troisi's more nuanced turn in The Postman. Praise must also go to Giorgio Cantarini as young Joshua, who captures all of the innocence of a young boy trapped in a world that he doesn't understand. It's in portraying this father and son relationship that Life is Beautiful really succeeds and I think that's why it appealed to a wider audience. Just like with Il Postino, Life is Beautiful was distributed by Miramax, who are known for influencing decisions at the Oscars. Unluckily for Benigni, another of Miramax's horses won the race for the Gold that year but at the same time I think he was satisfied enough with his own individual achievement. While I enjoyed the story of Life is Beautiful, I felt the first half of the film was too long and didn't really add much to my understanding of the characters. Ultimately Life is Beautiful provided an emotional story about a father and son which was told well and had some very realistic qualities throughout.

Next time we focus on two films that really struck a chord with the Academy.