Mark Kermode Reviews BAFTA Film Awards 2014 Nominations
In the immediate aftermath of the announcement of this year’s British Academy Film Awards 2014 nominations leading film critic Mark Kermode offered Red Carpet News his expert assessment of this year’s nominees. Mark shares his analysis of the competitive field across key categories like Best Film, Actor and Actress. The celebrated critic also explains why the BAFTA film awards matter so much and have easily replaced the Golden Globes as the leading indicator of the direction the Oscar Race will take.
Finally Mark looks back at a fantastic year of cinema in 2013 to pick his favorite film of the year, and looks ahead to another glorious year of movie magic in 2014.
Full Video Interview below:
DGA Outstanding Directoral Achievement Nominees
The Directors Guild of America has announced the five nominees for this year’s Outstanding Directorial Achievement Award. Full List below:
Alfonso Cuarón – Gravity
Paul Greengrass – Captain Phillips
Steve McQueen – 12 Years A Slave
David O. Russell – American Hustle
Martin Scorsese – Wolf Of Wall Street
Often seen as a reliable indicator of the Oscar race for Best Director the nominations come as little surprise but without a clear front runner. Though it could be that Steve McQueen has a slight edge given the recent critical hype surrounding 12 Years A Slave and media focus on its meaningful subject matter.
BAFTA Rising Star Nominations
The winner will be announced on Sunday 16th February at the British Academy Film Awards 2014 ceremony, held at the Royal Opera House in London.
Transcendence Johnny Depp Official Trailer
Check out the first official trailer for Transcendence starring Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Morgan Freeman, Kate Mara and Johnny Depp. The high tech thriller sees a team of computer scientists attempting to create artificial intelligence, while a radical anti-technology group fights to prevent derail their work, anxious of a world were computers can transcend the abilities of the human brain.
When an assassination attempt leaves Johnny Depp’s character facing certain death his friends and colleagues ill-advisedly decide to help download his consciousness into a computer. Potentially bringing about exactly the kind of dire technological nightmare those that tried to kill him had warned of.
Full ominous looking trailer below:
Last Vegas Review
The Plot:
Four childhood friends take a break from their daily lives after 60 years of friendship to throw an unlikely bachelor party in Las Vegas for the last among them to finally settle down. Determinedly they set out to prove that senior citizens can be just as wildly irresponsible and adventurous as the young party goers that inevitably surround them.
The Good:
Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Kevin Kline and Morgan Freeman are four astonishing actors who still have considerable screen presence, despite perhaps passing their performing peak. Gathered together for the first time they pool their considerable collective charisma to make material more watchable than it has any real right to be.
Michael Douglas is a world weary ladies’ man, Kevin Kline is a wry pensioner, De Niro is a charmingly cantankerous sour puss and Morgan Freeman is a wise-cracking geriatric fire-cracker. Giving the film unlikely credit, it’s actually perhaps the perfect example of art imitating life.
Mary Steenburgen adds some welcome feminine charm as the easy going Jazz singer who helps keep the misbehaving gang out of too much trouble. Her presence and the resulting love triangle at least add variety by interrupting proceedings with some actual emotions and plot.
The Bad:
As entirely expected, the film boasts a largely uninspired collection of regrettably clichéd jokes about old age. It’s an easy comedic target and the film unashamedly hits it over and over again, with mostly disappointing results. Lazy references to Viagra, early bed times and a complete ignorance of modern culture and technology fail to offer many genuine laughs.
The film offers a half-hearted attempt at adding some poignant subtext about love, friendship and the actual challenges of growing old. However, those occasional moments of melancholy and melodrama sit a little uncomfortably amongst the endless attempt at cheap laughs.
The Ugly Truth:
Last Vegas manages the occasional laugh but mostly falls flat. It’s only really watchable for its unlikely collection of star power. Morgan Freeman possibly steals the show slightly among an aging A-list cast clearly working hard to make something worthwhile out of a fairly forgettable situation.