Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Days 451-452: Teenage Trauma

Throughout the last five years it appears as if Oscar has focused on films with young female protagonists who feel like strong role models for the modern generation. Although they experience numerous hardships along the way, the majority of them end up succeeding in life with some lessons learned by the time the end credits roll. This is certainly true of two Best Picture nominees from the 2010 ceremony with teenage girl protagonists who go on personal journeys. Although the characters and films are very different, both girls struggle with growing pains and by the end of the film have a better idea of who they are. The films also featured lead performances from two relative newcomers who both were nominated for their roles in the respective films and in my opinion both deserved the award more than that year's eventual winner Sandra Bullock.

The first of these two newcomers was Carey Mulligan who absolutely dazzled in her role as sixteen-year-old schoolgirl Jenny in An Education. Jenny starts the film as quite a well-behaved young lady who lives quite a grey life in the suburbs alongside her strict father and quiet mother. Despite living on the outskirts of London, Jenny experiences very little outside of attending school concerts and translating Latin texts. That's until she meets the suave married man David who introduces her to an exciting world of art auctions, greyhound races and dinners in jazz bars. Once focused on getting to Oxford University, Jenny discovers that there's a world out there that she hadn't been aware of before. However, as the film progresses we learn more about David's dodgy dealings and later discover the truth about his home life. An Education is based on the experiences of journalist Lynne Ramsay who experienced a similar affair in the 1960s. However when I read her work it seemed that she'd grown bored of the David character and was instead drawn to his friends Danny and Helen. Nick Hornby's script does reflect this as Danny and Helen do seem a lot more interesting than the one-dimensional David. Danny feels slightly more dangerous whilst ditzy airhead Helen is a wonderful creation as she is the complete antithesis of Jenny but seems to delight in having a new playmate. One issue with Hornby's script appears to be a problem with how exactly to end it. After Jenny has an emotional downfall she finally picks herself up again however her request for help from a former teacher feels a little contrived. However, I can forgive Hornby these sins as altogether An Education benefited from a having a well-paced story which balanced comedy and drama very well.

However, An Education's main draw was Mulligan's central turn as she brought Jenny to life in a fantastic way. Mulligan's fantastically expressive face told you all you needed to know about how Jenny was feeling and let you see just how much her character was enjoying her new life. At the same time she brilliantly conveyed all of Jenny's fears and her wish to grow old before her time. Mulligan benefited from a fantastic cast most notably Alfred Molina as her stick-in-the-mud dad who was constantly complaining about how much money she was costing him. Molina's character's transformation when David came on the scene was marvellously done by the actor and I feel the moment between he and Mulligan towards the film's end was very touching. Rosamund Pike breathed life into Helen making her feel more sympathetic than your typical movie bimbo. Elsewhere fine support was provided by Emma Thompson as Jenny's headteacher and by Olivia Williams as her straight-laced teacher. If there was one weak link in the cast then I'd have to say it was Peter Sarsgaard primarily as he couldn't maintain his British accent throughout the film. Although Sarsgaard got across David's insecurities I'm not quite sure why an American had to play the role over an Englishman. The period setting was also enhanced thanks to Paul Englishby's soundtrack which hinted at the dawn of the swinging sixties. Indeed An Education was well-designed throughout and ably directed by Lone Scherfig. Although nominated in several categories at that year's Oscars, An Education failed to triumph in any of them; however Mulligan did pick up a BAFTA for her tremendous performance. Ultimately An Education is a well-made coming-of-age story that's easy to watch and features one of the best star-making turns in recent history.

However, while Mulligan did have to convey some emotional issues during an education, it was nothing compared to the hardship that Gabourey Sidibe portrayed during her turn as the titular overweight teenager in Precious. As a character, Precious has suffered basically every setback imaginable from living with an abusive mother to having been made pregnant on two separate occasions by her rapist father. Precious' mother Mary is an ogre of a woman and physically and mentally abuses her daughter whilst in addition lies about the occupants of her house in order to keep her welfare cheque. Things change for Precious when she enrols in an alternative school and finally finds a maternal figure in Ms. Blue Rain who teaches a small group of girls. Precious' classmates become a sort of makeshift family and through time she grows in both intelligence and confidence. Following the birth of her son Abdul, Precious finally stands up to her mother and is aided by Ms. Rain in finding somewhere else to stay. However, there are more knockbacks for Precious when she discovers that she is HIV positive due to the fact that her father also had the disease. What I liked about Precious was, even though it was heavy-going, it was still an easy watch. Director Lee Daniels intersperses Precious' many tough situations with fantasy sequences she invents to block out the pain. At just over ninety minutes long, Precious never outstays its welcome and the plot, which is based on the story 'Push' by Sapphire, is well-paced. More than anything else I fully sympathised with Precious and wanted her to leave the abusive landscape behind her and find a new life for her and her children.

I think part of the reason I sympathised with the character of Precious so much is due to the fantastic turn by Sidibe. Unlike Mulligan, Sidibe had never acted before and got her role in the film following an open casting call. I think the fact that this is Sidibe's first on-screen role adds to the realism of the film and helps to contribute to the innocence of the character. As Precious often has to silently react to what's going on around her, I feel that Sidibe's body language told more of the story than most of the dialogue did. Additionally I found that she was equally comfortable in the fantasy sequences in which she was tasked with being a lot more animated than she was in the main body of the film. As Precious' abusive mother Mary, Mo'Nique won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar that year. Primarily a comic actress, Mo'Nique surprised a lot of people by being totally convincing as the despicable chain-smoking beast who tortures her daughter for events beyond her control. I felt that Mo'Nique proved her worth in the final scene in which her character is required to explain her actions in regards to her daughter's wellbeing. Precious also has a fine supporting cast including Paula Patton who was gave a warm performance as the kindly teacher who takes the troubled teenager under her wing. Another surprising turn came from the usually glamorous singer Mariah Carey who stripped back her look to play no-nonsense social worker Ms. Weiss. Whilst the social worker role was initially intended for Helen Mirren, I felt that Carey added some bite to the part and when I first watched the film I didn't even realise who was playing Ms. Weiss. It's fair to say that Precious isn't exactly a feel-good film however it does have a positive message and I found it surprisingly easy to watch. Whilst visually the film is nothing special, the performances from Mo'Nique and especially Sidibe are the reason that Precious is well worth a watch.

Next time two more films with young female protagonists who have to deal with various issues whilst living in the wilderness.

Matt's Big Oscar Challenge Days 348-349: Daniel and Jim go for gold

Over the course of this blog we've seen many actors and actresses who've won multiple awards for their performances. Currently Katherine Hepburn holds the most acting Oscars with four awards in her possession but the male actor who has the most wins in the Lead Actor category is a more surprising choice. The actor in question is Daniel Day-Lewis, an English actor who we first saw in the 1980s giving a comedic turn in A Room With a View. At the beginning of the 1990s we saw Day-Lewis break out as a big name and establish his reputation as a method actor. Two of Day-Lewis' three Lead Actor nominations throughout the decade came through collaborations with Irish director Jim Sheridan the first of which was My Left Foot.

The film tells the story of Christy Brown, a young man who was born paralysed and could only use his left foot to communicate. The opening scenes of the film take place at a charity gala where Christy is placed in a holding room with a nurse who begins reading his autobiography. It's this autobiography that the film is adapted from and the flashbacks represent various pieces from the book. The first part of Christy's story deals with his attempts to get noticed by his family most of whom see him as nothing more than a worthless cripple. The only person who really seems to care about him is his mother and therefore she's delighted when he spells out her name with chalk, using only his left foot to do so. From there Christy develops a love of painting and becomes a well-regarded artist in the community, even opening his own exhibition. But Christy's main ambition in life appears to be finding somebody who loves him in more than just a platonic manner. The first example of this is when a local girl rejects a painting he created for her as a symbol of his love. Christy's next meaningful relationship is with Dr. Eileen Cole, who helps improve his speech but who later breaks his heart when she reveals she's in love with somebody else. Buoyed on by this rejection Christy uses his left foot to type out his autobiography which then sends the film full circle as nurse Mary Carr has the book in her hands. The final sequence is rather sweet as Christy, who has been in a holding room with Mary for the film's duration, asks her out which she finally agrees to. After a number of depressing moments, Sheridan ends the film on a high by revealing that Christy and Mary were later married.

Depicting characters with physical deficiencies is a sure fire way to get nominated for or even win an Oscar. What Day-Lewis brought to the role of Christy was an element of believability and also the feel that this man wasn't perfect just because he was crippled. Day-Lewis' method acting extended to the fact that during filming he'd demand to be carried around in his wheelchair constantly. This allowed the actor to experience the embarrassments the character faced on a daily basis as crew members had to aid him across any number of electrical wires. Ironically the actor had to use his right foot for all of Christy's paintings so a lot of the film was shot with special mirrors an effect that I didn't notice at all. But Day-Lewis' performance was one of many positive features that made My Left Foot so compelling. Brenda Fricker was absolutely astounding as Christy's mother and for her tender portrayal of a loving matriarch she was awarded that year's Best Supporting Actress award. Shane Connaughton and Sheridan's screenplay brilliantly dilutes Christy's autobiography into a well-paced story which covers all the major plot points successfully. Sheridan's direction really focuses on the Brown household who are all crammed into a small abode but are happy nonetheless. For a biographical film, I found My Left Foot to be visually arresting especially when Sheridan was focusing on Christy's artwork. Whilst My Left Foot isn't a particularly grand film what it does do is tell the story of an underdog in a way that is compelling but never patronising. I'm glad that the film picked up two acting awards and feel that it probably should have won Best Picture as well.

In the four years till they'd work together again, Day-Lewis was nominated for another Oscar for his part in Last of the Mohicans whilst Jim Sheridan directed The Field. Actor and director would then reconvene for In the Name of the Father, in which Day-Lewis would play the wrongly convicted Gerry Conlon who was thought to be a member of the IRA. Conlon, along with three others, went on to be known as 'The Guildford Four' as they were thought to be responsible for the Guildford Pub Bombings of 1974. Just like My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father is based on an autobiographical story by the lead character who never claims to be perfect. Conlon is a petty thief who, in the midst of the hostilities in Northern Ireland, journeys to London to be part of a free love commune. But he, along with three friends, are wrongly implicated in a bombing that happened nearby and are essentially tortured by the police until they confess. Along with the Guildford Four, seven members of Gerry's family are arrested as a supposed terror network and all are eventually convicted. Part courtroom drama and part prison film I found In the Name of the Father to primarily be a story about the love between a father and son. Although Gerry occasionally berates his dad Giuseppe, their relationship improves as they share time in prison together. As Giuseppe's health deteriorates, he calls in a campaign lawyer in an attempt to get an appeal. The lawyer Gareth Peirce is a feisty woman who finds herself bombarded by protocol and red tape until she finally discovers the truth to due to a mistake at the police station. Although it had a somewhat happy ending, In the Name of the Father was a frustrating watch at times as we knew from the start that Gerry and his friends were innocent.

Sheridan is unflinching in his depiction of the brutality inflicted on Gerry by the police and these scenes probably stuck with me the most. The editing and cinematography during these scenes is fantastic and really adds to the character's sense of disorientation. In the Name of the Father wasn't a film that I ever felt comfortable watching and instead it made me incredibly angry. Although I knew snippets of the story, watching it in this much detail was really tough. Day-Lewis demonstrates his range throughout the film as Gerry goes from happy-go-lucky thief to riotous prisoner and finally to vindicated victim. The actor constantly lets us know what his character is feeling and as the film progresses you feel even more sympathy for him. Even though Day-Lewis is excellent as always, I felt the best performance in the film came from Pete Postlethwaite as Giuseppe. Postlethwaite portrays Giuseppe as a traditional man who is found guilty purely because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The actor gives a subtle portrayal of a loving father and his descent into illness is just heartbreaking to watch. The always reliable Emma Thompson is great when she's given a chance to shine as the campaigning Mrs Peirce. In fact I would've like to have seen more from Thompson as her majority of screen time is her in a car listening to Gerry's story on her stereo. The tape recording that Gerry makes for Gareth is a great narrative device and stops the dreaded expositional voiceover from grating too much. Once again Sheridan and Day-Lewis prove they make a fine team as In the Name of the Father was nominated for a mighty seven Oscars even if it didn't win a single one.

Sheridan and Day-Lewis would go on to work together one more time however The Boxer didn't prove as fruitful as their first two outings together. Sheridan would go on to have a prolific career directing the semi-autobiographical In America as well as the 50 Cent movie Get Rich or Die Tryin'. Meanwhile Day-Lewis continued to perfect his method acting and as previously mentioned would go on to break an Oscar record, but more on that in the next decade.

Next time we witness multiple murders committed against a snowy backdrop. 

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.