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Entries in Ciarán Hinds (5)

Thursday
Sep152022

TIFF: Florence Pugh in ‘The Wonder’

By Abe Friedtanzer

 

It’s much easier to expose a lie in today’s technology-driven world than it was in past centuries, when something that seemed supernatural or inexplicable might have been taken at face value rather than properly investigated. The Wonder, based on the novel by Room screenwriter Emma Donoghue, centers on an eleven-year-old girl in Ireland who hasn’t eaten in four months yet somehow remains alive and well, and the town committee that brings in an observer with the apparent purpose of verifying some sort of divine intervention rather than unveiling a deception…

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Wednesday
Mar302022

What's next for this season's Oscar-nominated actors? 

We already looked at what's next for 2021's most celebrated directors so let's turn our attention to the actors who received those coveted Oscar nominations. Whatever will they do for encores? Let's start with the winners...

WILL SMITH
Before his long-awaited Oscar win and that unfortunate slap, he'd already completed work on Antoine Fuqua's action film about a runaway slave called Emancipation (due at some point this year) and then Bad Boys 4 thereafter. Because he's a massive star he is attached, as an actor or producer, to another 40+ movies or television projects though obviously most of them won't get made. It's a miracle any projects get made really given how difficult it is for the stars, money, and scheduled to align in Hollywood on anything! People might need a break from Smith after this week of controversy and thinkpieces but they won't get a long one. 

TROY KOTSUR
The true test about whether CODA meant anything to Hollywood beyond a chance to feel proud of themselves  and inclusive while voting for it, is if they actually take deaf talent seriously thereafter. We hope they do...

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Friday
Mar182022

"Introducing" Best Supporting Actor debut roles

by Nathaniel R

Kodi Smit-McPhee in his film debut. Getting a foot rub from his first screen mother, Franka Potente

With just a little over a week until Oscar night, we thought it would be fun to look at the official debuts of all the acting nominees. We previously witnessed baby Kirsten Dunst and a 29 year-old Judi Dench as well as the actresses that haven't been working that long in movies but made quick splashes. Today's Best Supporting Actor honorees have all been in the movies for a good while now. Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit McPhee were professional child actors but Ciarán Hinds, Troy Kotsur, and JK Simmons all got their first movie roles well into adulthood. We'll take them in the chronological order of their debuts to see the very first time they appeared on the big screen...

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Wednesday
Jan192022

Oscar Chart Updates: Supporting Categories

by Nathaniel R

While both Best Actress and Best Actor (recently discussed here and here) appear to have furious volatile competitions for the anxiety-provoking fifth slots, is the same true in the Supporting categories? 

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Sunday
Feb192012

Oscar's Best Live Action Short Nominees. Predictions!

Amir here. We had a look at the Oscar nominated animated shorts the other day. In the same vein, let’s go over the best live action shorts. As with the previous category, I don’t think this group lives up to the standard set in the past - I would vote for Luke Matheny’s God of Love over any of these choices - but that’s a really high bar.

Pentecost is an Irish comedy about a young altar boy who is grounded by his father after a mishap at the church. When the archbishop visits the local church, the boy’s given a second chance and promised that he can watch his favourite soccer team Liverpool play if he doesn’t screw up again. As someone who cares more deeply about soccer than the church, this film should have been exactly my cup of tea, but I can’t help but wonder how it slid into the top five. I sympathize with the childish sentiments of the protagonist and the film’s funny enough for such a small dose, but the filmmakers should probably be happy with their nomination.

"Raju"

Raju is the only nominee on the serious side. It tells the story of a German couple who are in India to pick up the child they have adopted. Things go awry on the busy streets of Kolkata, however, and dark secrets are revealed about the unfortunate circumstance of their decision. Though Raju effortlessly pulls off the tension in the first half and gives a sense of impending disaster early on, its drama feels unearned. The answer to the central ethical question of the film is so obvious that it seems answered immediately after it's posed. Nevertheless, since the film handles a serious issue, and to its credit is very well made, it might be a serious contender.

Speaking of unearned emotions, The Shore, the second Irish-flavoured entry, stars Ciarán Hinds as a man coming back to Ireland after 25 years of living across the pond. Tepid is the word I’d use to describe it. Director Terry George (of Hotel Rwanda fame) tries to make us feel the emotional charge of the reunion between three old friends, but fails to make any of the characters interesting enough to care for. The scenery is gorgeous and the actors do their best with what they’re given, but this film is only worth watching for Ciaran Hinds’ fantastic voice (and accent) giving us the backstory in a monologue.

Time Freak tells the story of a science student who builds a time machine only to remain tangled in a time web that takes him back to the same few minutes in his life. Of the five films, this is the one that feels least like an Oscar film but I wouldn’t count out its chances. The comedy works very well and the audience seemed to love every minute of it. There was a student film feel to it that I personally could not quite overlook but nevertheless, the new take on the old time machine premise was refreshing enough to give this film a fighting chance at the win.

The final entry is Tuba Atlantic, a Norwegian film about the unlikely friendship between a dying man and a teenage girl sent to be his death angel. The unmistakably Scandinavian absurdist comedy gives its characters more depth and meat to chew on than any other film in the race. Technically impressive, comically violent, and unexpectedly poignant, this is far and away the best film in competition. Quirky as it is, I think it’s ultimately a film everyone will connect with.  

Predictions
This category is tougher to predict than the animated ones. The Shore could potentially appeal to the older demographic, but Tuba Atlantic touches on the same themes and it’s different enough to stand out from the bunch. Time Freak might be a surprise winner. They were open to rewarding young hip comedies last year, weren't they? At the end of the day, I think if anyone can crash Tuba’s party, it will be the topical and dramatic Raju.

Will Win: Tuba Atlantic
Could Win:
Raju
Should Win:
Tuba Atlantic