Olivier Awards 2018 Winners

The Olivier Awards 2018 took place on Sunday 8th April with Historical Hip Hop musical Hamilton sweeping a number of categories, having initially secured a record equalling number of nominations. Other big winners on the night included drama The Ferryman and a Best Actor win for Bryan Cranston. Full list of nominees and winners below with winner highlighted in bold.

Best actor in a supporting role in a musical

• Michael Jibson, Hamilton
• Ross Noble, Young Frankenstein
• Jason Pennycooke, Hamilton
• Cleve September, Hamilton

Best actress in a supporting role in a musical

• Sheila Atim, Girl from the North Country
• Tracie Bennett, Follies
• Rachel John, Hamilton
• Lesley Joseph, Young Frankenstein [pictured]

Outstanding achievement in music

• Hamilton
• Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
• Follies
• Girl from the North Country

Best new dance production

• Flight Pattern
• Goat
• Grand Finale
• Tree of Codes

Outstanding achievement in dance

• Francesca Velicu, Le Sacre du Printemps
• Rocio Molina, Fallen From Heaven
• Zenaida Yanowsky, Symphonic Dances

Best entertainment and family

• Dick Whittington
• David Walliams’ Gangsta Granny [pictured]
• Derren Brown: Underground
• Five Guys Named Moe

Best theatre choreographer

• Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton
• Bill Deamer, Follies
• Kate Prince, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
• Randy Skinner, 42nd Street
• Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris

Best musical revival

• Follies
• 42nd Street
• On the Town

Best actor in a musical

• Giles Terera, Hamilton
• Ciaran Hinds, Girl from the North Country
• John McCrea, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie [pictured]
• Jamael Westman, Hamilton

Best actress in a musical

• Shirley Henderson, Girl from the North Country
• Janie Dee, Follies
• Imelda Staunton, Follies
• Josie Walker, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Best revival

• Angels in America
• Hamlet
• Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
• Witness for the Prosecution

Best new comedy

• Labour of Love
• Dry Powder
• Mischief Movie Night
• The Miser

Outstanding achievement in affiliate theatre

• Killology
• The B*easts
• The Red Lion
• The Revlon Girl

Best lighting design

• Howell Binkley, Hamilton
• Paule Constable, Angels in America
• Paule Constable, Follies
• Jan Versweyveld, Network

Best sound design

• Nevin Steinberg, Hamilton
• Tom Gibbons, Hamlet
• Gareth Owen, Bat Out of Hell
• Eric Sleichim, Network

Best costume design

• Vicki Mortimer, Follies
• Hugh Durrant, Dick Whittington
• Roger Kirk, 42nd Street
• Paul Tazewell, Hamilton

Best set design

• Bob Crowley, An American in Paris
• Bunny Christie, Ink
• Rob Howell, The Ferryman
• Vicki Mortimer, Follies

Best actor in a supporting role

• Bertie Carvel, Ink
• John Hodgkinson, The Ferryman
• James McArdle, Angels in America
• Peter Polycarpou, Oslo

Best actress in a supporting role

• Denise Gough for Angels in America
• Brid Brennan for The Ferryman
• Dearbhla Molloy for The Ferryman
• Imogen Poots for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Best new opera production

• Semiramide
• La Boheme
• The Exterminating Angel

Outstanding achievement in opera

• Joyce DiDonato and Daniela Barcellona, Semiramide
• Paul Brown, Iolanthe
• Roderick Williams, The Return Of Ulysses

Best actor

• Bryan Cranston, Network
• Paddy Considine, The Ferryman
• Andrew Garfield, Angels in America
• Andrew Scott, Hamlet

Best actress

• Laura Donnelly, The Ferryman
• Lesley Manville, Long Day’s Journey into Night
• Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill
• Imelda Staunton, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Best director

• Sam Mendes, The Ferryman
• Dominic Cooke, Follies
• Marianne Elliott, Angels in America
• Rupert Goold, Ink
• Thomas Kail, Hamilton

Best new play

• The Ferryman
• Ink
• Network
• Oslo

Best new musical

• Hamilton
• An American in Paris
• Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
• Girl from the North Country
• Young Frankenstein

 

 

 

Virgin TV British Academy Television Awards 2018 Nominations

This morning the full list of official nominations for the Virgin TV British Academy television Awards 2018 were announced in London. The winners will be revealed at the star studded red carpet ceremony on 13th May. Check out the full list below:

COMEDY ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME
MURDER IN SUCCESSVILLE Andy Brereton, Avril Spary, James De Frond, Laurence Rickard – Shiny Button Productions / BBC Three
TASKMASTER Andy Cartwright, Andy Devonshire, Alex Horne – Avalon / Dave
THE LAST LEG Production Team – Open Mike Productions / Channel 4
WOULD I LIE TO YOU? Peter Holmes, Rachel Ablett, Ruth Phillips, Adam Copeland – Zeppotron / BBC One

CURRENT AFFAIRS
RAPED: MY STORY Production Team – Lambent Productions / Channel 5
SYRIA’S DISAPPEARED: THE CASE AGAINST ASSAD (DISPATCHES) Sara Afshar, Nicola Cutcher, Callum Macrae – Afshar Films / Channel 4
UNDERCOVER: BRITAIN’S IMMIGRATION SECRETS (PANORAMA) Karen Wightman, Joe Plomin, Callum Tulley, Gary Beelders – BBC Current Affairs / BBC One
WHITE RIGHT: MEETING THE ENEMY (EXPOSURE) Deeyah Khan, Darin Prindle, Andrew Smith, Melanie Quigley – Fuuse Films / ITV

DRAMA SERIES
LINE OF DUTY Production Team – World Productions / BBC One
PEAKY BLINDERS Production Team – Caryn Mandabach Productions / Tiger Aspect Productions / BBC Two
THE CROWN Production Team – Left Bank Pictures / Netflix
THE END OF THE F###ING WORLD Production Team – Clerkenwell Films / All 4

ENTERTAINMENT PERFORMANCE
ADAM HILLS The Last Leg – Open Mike Productions / Channel 4
GRAHAM NORTON The Graham Norton Show – So Television / BBC One
MICHAEL McINTYRE Michael McIntyre’s Big Show – Hungry McBear / BBC One
SANDI TOKSVIG QI – QI Ltd / Talkback Thames – BBC Two

ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME (i)
ANT & DEC’S SATURDAY NIGHT TAKEAWAY Pete Ogden, Saul Fearnley, Diego Rincon, Andy Milligan – ITV Studios / Mitre Television / ITV
BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT Amelia Brown, Lee McNicholas, Richard Holloway, Charlie Irwin – Thames / Syco / ITV
MICHAEL McINTYRE’S BIG SHOW Dan Baldwin, Claire Horton, Christian Fletcher, Michael McIntyre – Hungry McBear / BBC One
THE VOICE UK Production Team – ITV Studios / Talpa / ITV

FACTUAL SERIES
AMBULANCE Jo Hughes, Bruce Fletcher, Kirsty Cunningham, Simon Ford – Dragonfly / BBC One
CATCHING A KILLER Anna Hall, Jezza Neumann, Erica Gornall, Brian Woods – True Vision / Channel 4
DRUGSLAND Sacha Mirzoeff, Xavier Alford, Bart Corpe, Simon Ford – BBC Studios / BBC Three
HOSPITAL Production Team – Label1 / BBC Two

FEATURES
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW Simon Shaw, Julia Foot, Robert Murphy, Sophie Wogden – BBC Studios / Unscripted Productions / BBC One
CRUISING WITH JANE McDONALD Production Team – Elephant House Studios / Channel 5
NO MORE BOYS AND GIRLS: CAN OUR KIDS GO GENDER FREE? Javid Abdelmoneim, Helen Veale, Jeremy Daldry, Sam Palmer – Outline Productions / BBC Two
THE SECRET LIFE OF THE ZOO Production Team – Blast! Films / Channel 4

FEMALE PERFORMANCE IN A COMEDY PROGRAMME
ANNA MAXWELL MARTIN Motherland – Delightful Industries / Merman / BBC Two
DAISY MAY COOPER This Country – BBC Studios / BBC Three
SHARON HORGAN Catastrophe – Avalon Television / Merman / Birdbath Productions / Channel 4
SIAN GIBSON Peter Kay’s Car Share – Goodnight Vienna Productions / BBC One

INTERNATIONAL
BIG LITTLE LIES Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Bruna Papandrea, Per Saari – HBO / David E. Kelley Productions / Pacific Standard / Blossom Films / Sky Atlantic
FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN Ryan Murphy, Dede Gardner, Tim Minear, Alexis Martin Woodall – Fox 21 Television Studios / BBC Two
THE HANDMAID’S TALE Bruce Miller, Warren Littlefield, Kari Skogland – MGM / Channel 4
THE VIETNAM WAR Ken Burns, Lynn Novick, Geoffrey C. Ward , Sarah Botstein – BBC / Florentine Films / BBC Four

LEADING ACTOR
JACK ROWAN Born to Kill – World Productions / Channel 4
JOE COLE Hang the DJ (Black Mirror) – House of Tomorrow / Netflix
SEAN BEAN Broken – LA Productions / BBC One
TIM PIGOTT-SMITH King Charles III – Drama Republic / BBC Two

LEADING ACTRESS
CLAIRE FOY The Crown – Left Bank Pictures / Netflix
MOLLY WINDSOR Three Girls – BBC Studios / Studio Lambert / BBC One
SINEAD KEENAN Little Boy Blue – ITV Studios / ITV
THANDIE NEWTON Line of Duty – World Productions / BBC One

LIVE EVENT
ITV NEWS ELECTION 2017 LIVE: THE RESULTS Production Team – ITN / ITV
ONE LOVE MANCHESTER Production Team – BBC Studios / SB Projects / BBC One
WILD ALASKA LIVE Adam White, James Morgan, Roger Webb, Vanessa Coates – BBC Studios / BBC Natural History Unit / PBS / BBC One
WORLD WAR ONE REMEMBERED: PASSCHENDAELE Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC Two

MALE PERFORMANCE IN A COMEDY PROGRAMME
ASIM CHAUDHRY People Just Do Nothing – Roughcut TV / BBC Three
ROB BRYDON The Trip to Spain – Revolution Films / Baby Cow Productions / Small Man Productions / Sky Atlantic
SAMSON KAYO Famalam – BBC Studios / BBC Two
TOBY JONES Detectorists – Channel X North / Treasure Trove Productions / Lola Entertainment / BBC Four

MINI-SERIES
HOWARDS END Kenneth Lonergan, Hettie Macdonald, Laura Hastings-Smith, Sophie Gardiner – Playground Entertainment / BBC One
THE MOORSIDE Neil McKay, Paul Whittington, Ken Horn, Jeff Pope – ITV Studios / BBC One
THE STATE Peter Kosminsky, Steve Clark-Hall, Liza Marshall, Kris Thykier – Archery Pictures / Stonehenge Films / Channel 4
THREE GIRLS Nicole Taylor, Philippa Lowthorpe, Susan Hogg, Simon Lewis – BBC Studios / Studio Lambert / BBC One

NEWS COVERAGE
THE BATTLE FOR MOSUL (SKY NEWS) Production Team – Sky News
THE GRENFELL TOWER FIRE (CHANNEL 4 NEWS) Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Jackie Long, Cathy Newman, Ben de Pear – ITN / Channel 4
THE GRENFELL TOWER FIRE (ITV NEWS AT TEN) Production Team – ITN / ITV
THE ROHINGYA CRISIS (SKY NEWS) Production Team – Sky News

REALITY & CONSTRUCTED FACTUAL
CELEBRITY HUNTED Production Team – Shine TV / Channel 4
LOVE ISLAND Production Team – ITV Studios / Motion Content Group / ITV2
OLD PEOPLE’S HOME FOR 4 YEAR OLDS Trish Powell, Murray Boland, Benjamin Leigh, Belle Borgeaud – CPL Productions / Channel 4
THE REAL FULL MONTY Nick Bullen, Kevin Mundye, Daniela Neumann, Will Yapp – Spun Gold TV / ITV

SCRIPTED COMEDY
CATASTROPHE Sharon Horgan, Rob Delaney, Ben Taylor, Jack Bayles – Avalon Television / Merman / Birdbath Productions / Channel 4
CHEWING GUM Production Team – Retort / E4
THIS COUNTRY Daisy May Cooper, Charlie Cooper, Tom George, Simon Mayhew-Archer – BBC Studios / BBC Three
TIMEWASTERS Daniel Lawrence Taylor, Barunka O’Shaughnessy, Josh Cole, George Kane – Big Talk Productions / ITV2

SHORT FORM PROGRAMME
BRITAIN’S FORGOTTEN MEN Production Team – BBC Three / BBC Three
EATING WITH MY EX Production Team – Shotglass Media / BBC Three
MORGANA ROBINSON’S SUMMER Production Team – Merman / Sky Arts
PLS LIKE Production Team – BBC Three / BBC Three

SINGLE DOCUMENTARY 
CHRIS PACKHAM: ASPERGER’S AND ME Charlie Russell, Lizzie Kempton, Tom Barry, Will Grayburn – Raw TV / BBC Two
LOUIS THEROUX, TALKING TO ANOREXIA Louis Theroux, Ellena Wood, Simon McMahon, Peter Dale – BBC Studios / BBC Two
ONE DEADLY WEEKEND IN AMERICA Sanjay Singhal, Ursula Macfarlane, Jon Alwen, Sarah Hunt – Voltage TV Productions / BBC Three
RIO FERDINAND: BEING MUM AND DAD Rio Ferdinand, Grant Best, Matt Smith, Martin Thompson – Only The Best Productions / BBC One

SINGLE DRAMA
AGAINST THE LAW Aysha Rafaele, Scott Bassett, Fergus O’Brien, Brian Fillis – BBC Studios / BBC Two
HANG THE DJ (BLACK MIRROR) Charlie Brooker, Annabel Jones, Tim Van Patten, Nick Pitt – House of Tomorrow / Netflix
KING CHARLES III Mike Bartlett, Greg Brenman, Rupert Goold, Simon Maloney – Drama Republic / BBC Two
MURDERED FOR BEING DIFFERENT Aysha Rafaele, Scott Bassett, Paul Andrew Williams, Nick Leather – BBC Studios / BBC Three

SOAP & CONTINUING DRAMA
CASUALTY Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC One
CORONATION STREET Production Team – ITV Studios / ITV
EMMERDALE Production Team – ITV Studios / ITV
HOLLYOAKS Bryan Kirkwood, Emily Gascoyne, Vikki Tennant, Colette Chard – Lime Pictures / Channel 4

SPECIALIST FACTUAL
BASQUIAT – RAGE TO RICHES David Shulman, Janet Lee – BBC Studios / BBC Two
BLITZ: THE BOMBS THAT CHANGED BRITAIN Production Team – Wall to Wall Media / BBC Two
BLUE PLANET II Production Team – BBC Studios / BBC Natural History Unit / BBC One
ELIZABETH I’S SECRET AGENTS Chris Durlacher, Bernadette Ross, Julian Jones, Claire Guillon – 72 Films / BBC Two

SPORT
ANTHONY JOSHUA v. WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO Adam Smith, Ed Robinson, Sara Chenery, Jennie Blackmore – Sky Sports / Sky Sports Box Office
SIX NATIONS: WALES v. ENGLAND Production Team – BBC Sport / BBC One
THE GRAND NATIONAL Paul McNamara, Richard Willoughby, Amy Lewin, Tony Cahalane – ITV Sport / ITV
UEFA WOMEN’S EURO SEMI-FINAL: ENGLAND V. NETHERLANDS Sunil Patel, Mark Cole, Kay Satterley, Ian Finch – Whisper Films / Channel 4

SUPPORTING ACTOR
ADRIAN DUNBAR Line of Duty – World Productions / BBC One
ANUPAM KHER The Boy with the Topknot – Kudos / Parti Productions / BBC Two
BRÍAN F. O’BYRNE Little Boy Blue – ITV Studios / ITV
JIMMI SIMPSON USS Callister (Black Mirror) – House of Tomorrow / Netflix

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
ANNA FRIEL Broken – LA Productions / BBC One
JULIE HESMONDHALGH Broadchurch – Kudos / Imaginary Friends / Sister Pictures / ITV
LIV HILL Three Girls – BBC Studios / Studio Lambert / BBC One
VANESSA KIRBY The Crown – Left Bank Pictures / Netflix

VIRGIN TV’S MUST-SEE MOMENT
BLUE PLANET II Mother Pilot Whale Grieves – BBC Studios / BBC Natural History Unit / BBC One
DOCTOR WHO The Thirteenth Doctor Revealed – BBC Studios / BBC One
GAME OF THRONES Viserion is Killed by the Night King – HBO Programming / Bighead, Littlehead / Television 360 / Sky Atlantic
LINE OF DUTY Huntley’s Narrow Escape – World Productions / BBC One
LOVE ISLAND Stormzy Makes a Surprise Appearance – ITV Studios / Motion Content Group – ITV
ONE LOVE MANCHESTER Ariana Grande Sings ‘One Last Time’ – BBC Studios / SB Projects / BBC One

Ready Player One Review

The Plot

In the future people escape the grim realities of the real world in the Oasis, a fantastical virtual reality where the only limits are your own imagination. A group of young players set out to solve a series of mysterious challenges left behind by the enigmatic creator of the Oasis, in order to win control of this digital world and keep it out of the hands of an evil corporation determined to exploit it and its inhabitants.

The Good

As the legendary creator of so much iconic pop culture, Steven Spielberg is a director uniquely positioned to turn author Ernest Cline’s novel of retro digital delights into a big screen reality. The film does an astonishingly good job of not only making the Oasis a wildly fun and beautifully realistic digital playground, but also populating it with an endless array of pure pop culture magic.

Ready Player One is a shameless love letter to the movies, comic books and video games that define us. The mash up of beloved characters is a wondrous toy box for Spielberg to play with. Seeing the flying Back to the Future Car racing Akira’s bike through a booby-trapped New York, dodging Jurassic Park’s T-Rex and King Kong, is a dazzling assortment of cinematic delights. It’s impressive just how many familiar content the film manages to cram on screen, whilst also simultaneously telling an entirely original story.

In truth it really has been a while since Spielberg made an unapologetically crowd pleasing science fiction epic on this scale and it’s a triumphant return for the master storyteller. It’s hard to imagine a better nostalgic homecoming than Ready Player One. Spielberg manages to inject healthy portions of genuine emotion into effects laden big screen adventure, crafting the film with his trademark gift for wonder and heart.

Rising star Tye Sheridan graduates from a recent supporting turn in the new X-men franchise to competently play Ready Player One’s leading hero. He manages to deliver plenty of exposition heavy dialogue whilst still giving digital dreamer Parzavel some infectious enthusiasm. Olivia Cooke is even more impressive as mysterious heroine Art3mis, a charismatic digital dream girl who lends the film wry wit and some surprising emotional depth. Likewise, Ben Mendelsohn adds another convincing performance to his growing list of recent villainous turns, playing a ruthless corporate slime ball with just the right mix of greedy smarm and maniacal menace. Meanwhile TJ Miller is on typically scene stealing form as evil digital henchman I-Rok.

Spielberg’s latest muse Mark Rylance delivers typically brilliant work as the digital ghost of reclusive tech billionaire Halliday, the creator of the Oasis and a literal spiritual guide for the young heroes playing his game. His performance channels real life iconic figures such as Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg into precisely the kind of awkward genius that can change and inspire the world despite their own obvious personal flaws.

Though a solid cast are a strong asset for the film, the undeniable star of Spielberg’s digital wonderland is the impressively crafted CGI visuals that fuse nostalgia with inventive fun in virtually every frame. It’s heartfelt crowd pleasing escapism on the most spectacular scale.

The Bad

While every inch of the screen in Ready Player One is frequently bursting with beloved video game and film references, it can at times feel just a little oversaturated. In order to fully appreciate every geeky in joke and familiar character featured you would literally need to freeze frame the action. For every fan favourite that gets their moment of glory there’s another 100 blink and you’ll miss it cameos. Some fans may be a little disappointed to find their personal favourites given a split seconds attention or omitted entirely. It’s simply impossible to cram the entirety of modern pop culture into just one film.

Although it doesn’t majorly spoil the fun, it’s also fair to say that the world of Ready Player One does sometimes suffer from slight gaps in logic and noticeable inconsistencies in how the real world and Oasis effect one another. Not an uncommon flaw for stories built around virtual realities. It’s also a little ironic that a film that exists as the ultimate escapist fantasy also tries at some points to heavy handily warn audiences about the importance of facing up to reality.

The Ugly Truth

In Ready Player One, Steven Spielberg leads audiences on a fun romp through a boundless digital playground, packed to bursting point with our most beloved pop culture. It’s an action and special effects fuelled ride though our collective imaginations that puts our capacity for joyous wonder up against the forces of greed and gloom. It’s a film that neatly encapsulates both our fearful cynicism and our inspired optimism for the future. It also deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible.

Review by Russell Nelson

National Film Awards 2018 Winners

Kingsman the Golden Circle, Get Out, Tom Cruise, Robert Webb, Johnny Harris, Daniel Kaluuya, Alice Lowe, Johnny Harris, Jane Asher lead the winners list at this year’s prestigious 4th annual National Film Awards UK in 2018.

The National Film Academy announced the winners of the 4th annual National Film Awards UK for 2018 following a record 2.4 million movie fans voting across 18 categories to make up the official shortlist.

Kingsman ‘The Golden Circle’ scored two wins, picking up Best British Film and Matthew Vaughn was voted Best Director. Daniel Kaluuya picked up Best Newcomer and Jordan Peele’s Get Out won the award for Best International Film. Johnny Harris was voted Best Breakthrough Performance for Jawbone and the film itself picked up the Best Action category for 2018. Hollywood superstar, Tom Cruise was voted Global Contribution to Motion Picture.

Some of the celebrity presenters included; Sarah Harding (Girls Aloud), Patterson Joseph, Shappi Khorsandi, Ken Livingstone, Anne Widdecombe, Ricky Wilson, The Vamps, Matthew Horne, Vic Reeves, Penny Smith Teddy Sheringham, Daniella Westbrooke, Jayne Seymour, Duncan James and many more

Anna Sher received a Lifetime Achievement Award for several years of supporting actors, actresses and filmmakers through the Anna Scher Theatre. Former celebrities who attended the Anna Scher Theatre school including; Patsy Palmer, Martin Kemp, and Adam Deacon graced the stage to celebrate and honour of Anna Sher who has contributed so much to the industry.

Full List of the National Film Awards UK 2018 winners include;

Best Actress sponsored by Elevatione
Alice Lowe ( Prevenge)

Best Newcomer sponsored by Gigglewater Prosecco
Daniel Kaluuya (Get out)

Best Supporting actress in association with Serenity & Grace
Jane Asher (Brian Pern: A Tribute)

Best Supporting Actor in association with DeChavel Watches
Robert Webb (Back)

Best Drama sponsored by Thomas Henry
A Caribbean Dream

Best TV Drama Series sponsored by Les Georgettes
The Cuckoo’s Calling

Best Thriller sponsored by Avlon
Redwood

Best Foreign Language Film sponsored by Thai Square Restaurant
Mersal (India)

Best Action sponsored by AZ Luxe Cars
Jawbone

Best Independent Film sponsored by CollaGin
Rise of the Footsoldier 3

Best ScreenPlay sponsored by Christopher Courtney
Oliver Veysey (Access All Areas)

Best Documentary sponsored by Instant Print
The Moving Theatre

Best British Film
Kingsman: The Golden Circle

Best Actor in association with DeChavel Watches
Craig Fairbrass (Rise of the Footsoldier 3)

Best Comedy sponsored by Bank Republic
Brian Pern: A Tribute

Best Breakthrough Performance
Johnny Harris (Jawbone)

Best Director sponsored by Clara & Wonderland
Matthew Vaughn (Kingsman, The Golden Circle)

Best International Film sponsored by Invest Nation
Get Out

Global Contribution to Motion Picture
Tom Cruise

Lifetime Achievement Award
Anna Sher

Midnight Sun Review

The Plot

A music loving 17 year old girl lives her life behind protective glass and the safety of night time due to a rare illness that keeps her out of sunlight. When she finally meets a local boy the pair strike up a determined romance.

The Good

Midnight Sun is a well-crafted tale of teen romance, armed with a deeply poignant backdrop and a pair of genuinely charismatic leads. In a very similar fashion to film’s like The Faults In Our Stars or Me Earl and The Dying Girl, this film juxtaposes the magically promise of young love with the cruel tragedy of illness. It’s a powerful contrast that gives the film an instant emotional weight, almost certainly leaving a lasting impact on audiences.

Patrick Schwarzenegger may be the son of the world’s most iconic musclebound action star, but his own handsome charms are gentler and well suited for a romantic leading man. In Midnight Sun he does much to prove that he has talent in his own right that go well beyond having one of Hollywood’s most famous last names. His clean cut all American good looks are a perfect fit for duties as the kind and cute boy next door.

Bella Thorne delivers a terrific star turn as Katie Price, the young girl grappling with her medical limitations and the awkward excitements of first love. It’s refreshing to see her graduate from silly supporting roles in more light hearted teen comedies and fully flex her dramatic muscles of a change. Undeniably beautiful Thorne is also able to carry the full weight of responsibility that comes with handling themes of terminal illness with appropriate sincerity and sadness.

Ultimately the highest compliment for Midnight Sun is that its talented and compatible young stars make it impossible to avoid fully emotionally investing in their adolescent romance, despite audiences being fully aware of how tragic and heart-breaking the consequences may prove to be.

The Bad

Midnight Sun is precisely the kind of bittersweet tear-stained romance that will leave some people reaching for tissues and possibly in need of a good hug. Despite the film’s many excellent qualities, it‘s only fair to warn more sensitive souls that the film may leave them more than a little emotionally shell-shocked. While it’s no doubt laudable for a romantic drama to tackle genuine tragedy it’s obviously an acquired taste that won’t appeal as much to those that are more used to using big screen romance purely as a satisfying cinematic escape from real life.

The Ugly Truth

Midnight Sun is a charming tear stained romance that captures the uniquely precious magic of first love. Bella Thorne and Patrick Schwarzenegger are a pleasingly beautiful young pairing that demonstrate considerable star power together, leading audiences on a memorably bittersweet journey.

Review by Bernadette McIntyre