Were the identities of the presenters of Best Actor & Actress at the SAGs yesterday a tell?

I got three out of five on my SAG predictions, which isn't very good. I should have predicted Denzel, given SAG have never awarded him, and they must have been keen to set that right. However, I am delighted I got that wrong, because I don't want to see Creepy Affleck run away with the award.

Given Brie Larson's rightly frosty response at the Golden Globes when she had to read Affleck's name out and hand him the trophy, I was wondering if the mere fact that she even bothered to show up at the SAGs to honour her presenting duties (as with the Golden Globes and Oscars, last year's winner of Best Actress presents the award to Best Actor) was a slight giveaway as to the recipient of the award. I'm guessing that she didn't want to show up, knowing she'd probably have to present to The Perv, but then SAG told her that she needn't worry, because it wasn't going to The Perv, but a talented, humble, amazing actor instead, and thus, Brie showed up after all?

Leonardo DiCaprio's capital in Hollywood is higher than Brie Larson's, so he can afford to Bye Felicia these events if all he's doing is reading out the name of someone and handing them a blue statue. SAG's interesting choice for his replacement, his Wolf of Wall Street co-star Jonah Hill, also got me thinking if JH knew in advance who the winner was.

(Speaking of Jonah and SAG, remember when he took the SAG minimum wage of $60,000 for WoWS, just so he could work with Marty? I also love how he deputised for Leo at the SAGs like Donnie was Jordan's de facto stand-in in the film XD)

Jonah Hill starred opposite Emma Stone in her first film role, Superbad, where she played the object of his affections, and their reunion yesterday when he announced her name was totally adorable. He looked ecstatic for her, and the way he screamed 'Emma Stone La La Land' when he read it out was freaking adorable!

Find you someone who looks at you the way Jonah Hill looks at Emma Stone 😻

Even though I will never stop being salty about the yellowface thing, even I have to admit Emma Stone gave it her all in La La Land, and, acting-wise, at least, it was an irresistibly charming performance. She was by far the best thing about LLL, and never in her wildest dreams could prissy Emma Watson have given that performance. There were moments when I got lost in Stone’s massive eyes, Bambi's in size and sea-green in colour and her rendition of 'Audition (Here's to the Fools Who Dream)' was spectacular. Much worse performances have won the Best Actress Oscar (hi Jennifer Lawrence), so I've made my peace with her winning.

I'm pretty pleased with the SAG results yesterday, three of the four film acting awards going to people of colour is incredible!

2017 Golden Globe Winners!!

:: Best motion picture (drama) - Moonlight
:: Best motion picture - (musical or comedy) - La La Land
:: Best performance by an actor in a motion picture - Casey Affleck - Manchester By The Sea 
:: Best performance by an actress in a motion picture - Isabelle Huppert - Elle
:: Best performance by an actor in a motion picture - (musical or comedy) -Ryan Gosling - La La Land 
: Best performance by an actress in a motion picture - (musical or comedy) -Emma Stone - La La Land 
:: Best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a motion picture - Aaron Taylor-Johnson - Nocturnal Animals 
:: Best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a motion picture - Viola Davis - Fences
:: Best director - Damien Chazelle - La La Land 
:: Best original screenplay - La La Land 
:: Best motion picture - foreign language - Elle - France 
:: Best motion picture - animated - Zootopia
:: Best original song - City Of Stars - La La Land
:: Best original score - La La Land

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Seven out of seven is an unprecedented sweep for La La Land, so they must be buzzing. The majority of the wins were not unexpected, bar, perhaps, in Screenplay, where I would have thought a 'talkier' film such as Manchester by the Sea would have won. A musical winning Best Screenplay at the Golden Globes is pretty unheard of. The fact that La La Land won Screenplay and Director acts as a barometer that this was by far the most loved film by the 90 or so voters in the HPFA.

One of the two biggest surprises in the acting categories was Aaron Taylor-Johnson winning for Nocturnal Animals. He bloody deserved it tho; I was on a knife edge every time he was on screen. It's unusual; most other awards bodies have awarded/nominated his Nocturnal Animals co-star Michael Shannon instead of Taylor-Johnson, for his more internal performance, but in this case, I much preferred the showier turn from ATJ. He probably won't get an Oscar nomination, so I'm ecstatic he got recognised at the Golden Globes.

The other acting shock was Isabelle Huppert winning Best Actress in a Drama for 'rape revenge comedy' Elle. Huppert has been sweeping the Critics awards, but I would have thought with the film's dicey subject matter, as well as the fact that Portman has been in Hollywood since she was a child and the HPFA love honouring celebrities, they would have awarded her. More than happy to be proved wrong!! 

I hope this Golden Globe win gives IsabElle the momentum to get an Oscar nomination and even win the thing; I have confused feelings towards the frontrunner Emma Stone, who, despite being very pretty and charming, did play a half-Asian in Aloha, something I simply can't overlook given how hard it is for my Asian sisters to find acting work. It's funny; that yellow-facing Felicia dedicated her Best Actress in a Comedy win to 'anyone who's ever had the door slammed in their face' regarding failed auditions. What about the Asian actresses who had the doors slammed in their face as a result of you accepting a white-washed role, Emma? #JustWondering

One thing that's hampering Isabelle Huppert's campaign is that, annoyingly, due to Elle being released over here in March, it isn't eligible at the BAFTAs. If she'd got a BAFTA nomination, she probably would have won, because we tend to be more receptive to European fare than the Americans are (we correctly awarded Emmanuelle Riva back in 2013 for her amazing performance in Amour, was one of the catalysts for pushing Riva's Oscar campaign almost all the way), thus raising her profile even more. BAFTA nominations come out tomorrow, and Huppert could still get a nomination for Things to Come, so that's something.

Moonlight got a standing ovation when it won Best Drama, showing that whilst La La Land may be the favourite of the HPFA, the audience had a different favourite. Although I haven't yet seen it, I'm already a fan given its subject matter, and wish for it to do well all Awards season. Also delighted for Viola Davis although I've not yet seen Fences. And yay Zootopia! My third favourite film of the year so far, tremendous fun, film references aplenty and featuring one foxy lead.

I got 9 out of 14 correct in my predictions which is pretty good for me!

I didn't watch the ceremony but have seen a couple of clips and Tom Hiddleston accepting his win for The Night Manager is the most White Saviour thing I've seen for a while. Naomie Harris side-eyeing him during the speech encapsulates my thoughts to his narcissistic speech perfectly. 

Finally, the tradition at the Golden Globes is that winner of Best Actress Drama last year has to present the award to recipient of Best Actor Drama this year. This meant that Brie Larson, an advocate for Victims of Sexual Assult, had to present the award to Casey Affleck, as she'll probably have to do at the Oscars as well. Apparently she could barely veil her disgust (Affleck is riddled with accusations of groping a woman whilst she was asleep), refusing to so much as pat him when he came up to accept his award. Attagirl.

Clever Girl (and Thirsty Girl).

The ultimate date movie Gone Girl is on Netflix, which allows me to pore over every shot and admire the precision with which David Fincher bought the novel to life. A touch I particularly liked was displaying Amy's undergraduate and Masters certificates:

Like the scheming eponymous lead, I also hold an undergraduate and a Masters degree. Unlike Amy Wexford Elliot Dunne, however, they're from institutions slightly less distinguished than Harvard and Yale.

All that being said, if my brother succeeds in graduating from Cambridge, then gets his MSc from Oxford or an American Ivy League, then he can consider himself as decorated as Amy!

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I saw The Light Between Oceans yesterday. I thought it was absolutely bloody awful (Light Between Oceans? More like SHITE between Oceans), bloated, over-sentimental, and various characters' actions didn't seem consistent with their personality that they'd exhibited previously. It was even worse than The Place Beyond the Pines, if that's possible.

Although Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander both gave strong, affecting performances as the parents who are blighted with miscarriage upon miscarriage, I'm starting to find Alicia Vikander's continual thirst for Oscar glory a little trying. You just won one girl, calm down a bit!

This frustrates me because there's no doubt that Vikander is a great actress (loved her work as the alluring robot Ava in Ex Machina), but I feel her talents would be put to better use if she didn't try so hard. That she won the Oscar this year for her work in The Danish Girl, a film which encompasses the Trifecta of Awards Thirst: Eddie Redcarpet, director Tom Hooper and Alicia, illustrates that begging for awards can reap its desired effect.

Personally, I'm not averse to an actor campaigning relentlessly if I thought they deserved the gold (#YouDoYou), which is why I'm a lot more forgiving to Anne Hathaway for working the awards circuit, hard, in 2013, because she slayed as Fantine.

But it's just a shame Alicia had to win and in doing so, stealing Rooney Mara's Oscar for such a brazenly awards-orientated role of the put-upon supportive wife, as opposed to her more intelligent and restrained performances in Ex Machina or The Man from U.N.C.L.E, performances that were far more engaging and allowed her natural grace to shine, rather than sobbing incessantly, which was all she did in The Danish Girl. I like my Oscar-winning acting turns to come with a bit more nuance.

I do like Alicia (when I saw her first in 2012's Anna Karenina I described her as 'a very pretty Swedish actress'), and those big brown eyes of hers were just made for emoting. And despite The Light Between Oceans craving awards, it probably won't receive them, as the film has (rightly) been received with muted reception in the US, so graciously, I won't have to resent her more during this year's Oscar season.

But with another Oscar-begging title out next year, Tulip Fever, I'm afraid I'm going to have to brand Alicia Vikander the female Eddie Redmayne in terms of serially appearing in awards-bait. Eddie Redmayne has a less-than-flattering monicker 'Eddie Redcarpet', given in reference to how he played a disabled character and a transgender character, back to back, in order to receive an Oscar win and a nomination, respectively. Alicia Vikander is approaching this level of strategic film choices, and thus, I have no choice but to dub her, Felicia Vikander.

Side note: Alicia wasn't the only one guilty of being a little too keen to win her Oscar this year, as Leonardo DiCaprio and Brie Larson were campaigning endlessly, to the point where it also turned me off Brie (I thought Saoirse Ronan should have won for her majestic performance in Brooklyn). Between those three, they made 2016 the desperate Oscar campaign I'd ever had the misfortune of witnessing. (I love you Leo, but was The Revenant a cold shoot by any chance? You hadn't mentioned).

These three's Oscar thirst was further accentuated when compared to the behaviour of Brit Mark Rylance, winner of Best Supporting Actor, who did zero campaigning, and didn't even show up to BAFTA, the movie award body of his homeland, to accept his gong, because he was acting on Broadway at the time.

So, whilst thirst paid off in Leo, Alicia and Brie's cases, it's encouraging to see that some actors don't feel the need to try so hard, and were happy to let their acting do the talking.

2016 BAFTA predictions.

I never get these right, and if my predictions come true, I'm going to be a very unhappy bunny tonight. But here goes.

Film: The Revenant [sigh] (alternate: Carol. It's Valentines Day. Please, god, make this happen)
Director: Iñárritu, The Revenant (alternate: Scott, The Martian)
Actor: DiCaprio, The Revenant (alternate: Thirsty Redcarpet, The Danish Girl)
Actress: Luminous Sersh, Brooklyn (alternate: Brie Larson, Room)
Supporting Actor: Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation (alternate: Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies)
Supporting Actress: Rooney Mara, Carol allow me these delusions goddamnit (alternate: Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs)

British Film: Ex Machina (alternate: 45 Years)
Original Screenplay: Inside Out (alternate: Spotlight)
Adapted Screenplay: Steve Jobs (alternate: The Big Shit)
Outstanding Debut: Alex Garland (alternate: Stephen Fingleton)
Documentary: Amy (alternate: Sherpa)
Animated film: Inside Out (no alternate necessary)
Film not in the English Language: Wild Tales (alternate: Force Majeure)
Music: Sicario (alternate: Hateful Eight)
Cinematography: The Revenant (alternate: Sicario) Carol should walk this fricking category
Editing: Mad Max Fury Road (alternate: The Big Shit #ByeFelicia)
Production Design: Star Wars (alternate: Mad Max Fury Road)
Costume: Carol (alternate: Cinderella Sandy Powell dressing up Cate Blanchett for the motherfudding win!)
Make up and Hair: The Revenant (alternate: Carol)
Sound: Mad Max Fury Road (alternate: The Force Awakens)
VFX: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (alternate: MMFR)

Basically, I expect  a lot of The Revenant cleaning up where Carol should be winning, aka Mad Bung Fury Road. But I've already resigned myself to this, and if Saoirse Ronan can pick up a gong for her lovely work in Brooklyn, I won't be totally pressed. Especially as Handsome Domhnall's presenting!

I turned predicting the BAFTAs into a wee competition with my brother:

it will be a tad awkward if he beats me, given I pay a lot more attention to film awards than he does!

*says a little prayer* It's Valentines Day today. Please, please, please, can the movie gods award the beautiful, precise, nuanced romance that is Carol above the subtletly-free, brazen awards hungry The Revenant? Ta.

2016 Golden Globe predictions.

I'd planned on doing more blogging during this movie awards season, but I am the worst procrastinator in the world. I've actually done a decent job this year keeping afloat of seeing all Best Picture contenders, so there's still time (quick FYI: I'm championing Carol this year). Once the Oscar nominations get announced, I'll try my darndest to analyse each category like I did once upon a time. But for now, Golden Globe predictions for the awards tonight!

Picture – Spotlight
Director – Todd Haynes (a girl can dream!)
Picture, Comedy – The Martian
Screenplay – Spotlight
Actor, Drama – Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Actor, Musical/Comedy – Matt Damon, The Martian 
Actress, Drama – Brie Larson, Room 
Actress, Musical/Comedy – Maggie Smith, The Lady in the Van
Supporting Actress – Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina (or Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs. Difficult to call as AV is a double-nominee and they may not want her to leave empty-handed).
Supporting Actor – Sylvester Stallone, Creed 
Animated- Inside Out
Score – Carol
Song – See You Again

These are all fairly standard predictions, bar Haynes for director. But he deserves to win; much of the beauty of Carol was thanks to his direction, and I'm praying the star f_ckers at the Golden Globes recognise that!