The Help was somewhat of a shock winner at the Screen Actors Guild, taking the awards for Outstanding Performance By A Cast In A Motion Picture, Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Leading Role (Viola Davis) and Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Supporting Role (Octavia Spencer).
Christopher Plummer (who must by now be in the market for a trophy cabinet the amount of awards he's picked up this season) of course took the award for Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Supporting Role for Beginners (and to be fair, he was damn good as Hal), while an awards ceremony wouldn't be complete without an appearance from The Artist, with the award for Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Leading Role going to Jean Dujardin.
Catch The Artist at the Guildhall in Oscars week - 24th February - 1st March.
January at The Cinema at Gloucester Guildhall concludes with another 2011 Sundance Film Fest gem in the form of low-fi sci-fi drama Another Earth, the directorial debut from Mike Cahill. Starring William Mapother (Lost) and Brit Marling (a regular collaborator on Cahill's previous projects) the narrative focuses on both the relationship of two people brought together by tragedy and a scientific discovery like no other.
Rhoda is a bright young woman with an interest in astrophysics and big aspirations to explore the cosmos. John, a brilliant classical composer, is at the height of his career with his loving wife about to expect their second child. After a serious accident, the lives of Rhoda and John become irrevocably intertwined not just by the tragic circumstances but more importantly by the inexplicable discovery of a duplicate Earth. Feeling a sense of separation from the world and the selves they thought they once knew, these two outsiders embark on an unlikely yet re-awakening love affair. But when a once in a lifetime opportunity is presented to one of them - to travel to the other Earth and embrace an alternative reality - the question becomes one of which life they will choose.
Developed from an idea of both Cahill's and Marling's as to what it would be like to encounter one's self and produced for only $200,000, this captivating film is a true representation of how an ostensibly sci-fi based story can be presented in the background with no need for flashy special effects, making way for an engrossing drama... and if ever you need a reason to see this film it is certainly for its jaw-dropping ending (no spoilers here). When it premiered at Sundance last year, Variety reported how it was hailed as "one of the more highly-praised picks, as it received both a standing ovation after the screening and a strong word of mouth from buyers and festgoers". The film also made it into the National Board Of Review's Top 10 Independent films of 2011.
Much like last week's Take Shelter this played the multiplexes for a limited engagement and is one American independent film not to be missed.
Check out the trailer below:
Another Earth (12A) runs from Friday 27th January - Thursday 2nd February 2012.
Never mind the BAFTAs and the Golden Globes, this is the one everyone's talking about. And the nominations are as follows (Guildhall shown films or films coming soon to The Cinema in bold)...
Best Supporting Actress Berenice Bejo - The Artist Jessica Chastain - The Help Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs Octavis Spencer - The Help
Best Supporting Actor Kenneth Brannagh - My Week With Marilyn Jonah Hill - Moneyball Nick Nolte - Warrier Christopher Plummer - Beginners Max Von Sydow - Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Best Actress Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs Viola Davis - The Help Rooney Mara - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady Michelle Williams - My Week With Marilyn
Best Actor Damien Beshir - A Better Life George Clooney - The Descendants Jean Dujardin - The Artist Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Brad Pitt - Moneyball
Best Director The Artist The Descendants Hugo Midnight In Paris The Tree of Life
Best Original Screenplay The Artist Midnight In Paris Bridesmaids Margin Call A Separation
Best Adapted Screenplay The Descendants Hugo The Ides of March Moneyball Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Best Foreign Film A Separation Bullhead Footnote In Darkness Monsieur Lazhar
Best Animated Film A Cat In Paris Chico & Rita Puss In Boots Kung Fu Panda 2 Rango
Best Picture War Horse The Artist Moneyball The Descendants The Tree of Life Midnight In Paris The Help Hugo Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Great for us and for you, with the majority of the nominees having appeared on screen at The Cinema at Gloucester Guildhall at some point over the last couple of months, with The Artist, War Horse, The Iron Lady, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close still to come in February and March! What do you think?
Want an insight into the mind of the man behind the biggest film festival in the UK? Well we asked James Mulligan, Director of the Edinburgh Film Festival, what his favourite films of last year were, and he was happy to oblige! So, in no particular order, here they are:
Shame
Hell and Back Again
Bridesmaids
The Deep Blue Sea
Pina 3D
And The Deep Blue Sea did very well at The Cinema at Gloucester Guildhall last week so he's obviously a man of great taste!
And for those not versed in Latin.... Our second film showing at The Cinema this week, which takes the Screen Tea slots on Saturday, Monday and Wednesday, is the Italian comedy-drama We Have A Pope,named after the Latin phrase (Habemus Papam) that is used upon the announcement of a new pope in the Vatican. Directed, co-written by and co-starring the multi talented director, screenwriter, producer and actor Nanni Morretti, the film is set on the eve that a cardinal (Michel Piccoli) is elected, against his own will, as the new pope. With the faithful patiently waiting in St Peter's Square for the conclave's descision, the newly elected pope begins to suffer a panic attack and, with his advisors unable to convince him that he is the right man for the job, they seek the assistance of a renowned psyhciatrist (played by Morretti) to help overcome the pope's fear. The matter is not helped by the fact that he is also an athiest. As the film progresses, the pope begins to realise that the fear of responsibility can not be cured by treatment, but by facing it on his own. Will he have the courage to step onto St. Peter's balcony and present himself to his followers?
Premiering in competition at last year's Cannes Film Festival, this film was a huge success in its home country of Italy, opening second at the box office behind blockbuster animation Rio. Any shortcomings the film may have can be forgiven thanks to Piccoli's performance. Even at the grand age of 85, he embodies a pope riddled with grief, disappointment and and sad-eyed questing, making him immensely watchable.
Check out the trailer below:
We Have A Pope (PG) runs from Saturday 21st January - Wednesday 25th January.
January at The Cinema at Gloucester Guildhall continues with not one but two films this week. The first of these is the award-winning American drama, Take Shelter, written and directed by Sundance Film Fest regular Jeff Nichols (Shotgun Stories) which coincidentally reunites him with the same lead actor Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road).
Set in present day Ohio, Shannon plays Curtis La Forche - husband to wife Samantha (Jessica Chastain - see Guildhall faves The Tree Of Life, The Help and the soon to be released Coriolanus) and father to deaf daughter Hannah (Tova Stewart). With money tight and the difficulties involved with Hannah's healthcare and special needs education, life seems pretty tough, yet Curtis and Samantha love each other very much and their family is a happy one. As the film progresses however, Curtis begins to have terrifying dreams of an approaching apocalyptic storm. Choosing to keep his visions to himself, he decides to channel his anxieties by building a storm shelter in the family's backyard. Obsessed by its need to be constructed, it results in both a strain on his marriage and tension within the community who do not empathise with Curtis' fear as to what the dreams truly signify. In desperation, convinced by the certainty of disaster, Curtis begs Samantha to believe him, ultimately testing the power of their bond against the highest possible stakes.
Boasting a tour-de-force performance from Michael Shannon and an equally stunning turn from Jessica Chastain, this is a truly outstanding film that, through its deliberate subtlety, provides an excellent cocktail of drama, terror and dread. Hailed by many critics as an American independent masterpiece (produced for a mere $5 million), the film also found deserved recognition at Cannes last year where it was awarded the 50th Critics Week Grand Prix.
This film did play the multiplexes when it opened back in November 2011 but only for a limited engagement. If you missed it on its first run, then make sure you don't this week.
Take a look at the trailer below:
Take Shelter (15) runs from Friday 20th January - Thursday 26th January 2012. See website for show times.
If you've been to The Cinema at Gloucester Guildhall at all over the past 6 months, chances are you'll be able to hold a pretty thorough BAFTA conversation, as we've brought you almost half of all the films nominated for the awards.
Out in front is The Artist with a huge 12 nominations, including Best Film, Director, Original Screenplay, Leading Actor and Leading Actress (nothing for the dog though, sadly). Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy follows closely behind with 10 nominations, which include Best Film, Director, Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor for Gary Oldman.
Outstanding British Film favoured My Week With Marilyn, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and We Need To Talk About Kevin, with Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director or Producer giving a welcome nod to Richard Ayoade's Submarine.
Other notable mentions include Potiche for Film Not In The English Language, The Guard for Original Screenplay, and a handful for The Iron Lady and War Horse, which come to the Guildhall in February.
We all knew it was going to happen, but The Artist deservedly picked up the awards for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy), Best Actor (Musical or Comedy) for Jean Dujardin, and Best Original Score at the Golden Globes on Sunday night. You can catch The Artist at the Guildhall from 24th February.
Other notable winners included Meryl Streep, who was awarded Best Actress (Drama) for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady (at the Guildhall from 10th February); Michelle Williams, who picked up Best Actress (Comedy or Musical) for My Week With Marilyn; Christopher Plummer who took Best Supporting Actor for his role in Beginners, and Octavia Spencer, who won Best Supporting Actress for The Help. Our audience will no doubt agree that Woody Allen was a worthy winner of Best Screenplay for Midnight In Paris, one of our most popular films of last year.
Offering an alternative to the many film societies around Gloucestershire, the Gloucester Cinematics Film Club is an informal and friendly group of people with a shared interest in film that meet one evening a month in the Guildhall bar to talk about films they’ve seen (not just at the Guildhall), films they want to see, and the wider film world in general. A bit like a book group, it’s a great place to meet likeminded people and develop your interest in film. As part of Gloucester Cinematics you’ll have the chance to contribute to our new film blog with your opinions and reviews of films showing at the Guildhall. You’ll be the first to know about any special events, like Q&A sessions with film directors or cast members, as well as any film-related workshops and classes we think you might be interested in. If you’re a budding film-maker there may also be the opportunity to show your short film before the main feature one evening, so there are plenty of reasons to get involved! There’s no formal membership system or entry requirements and you don’t have to come to every single meeting – just turn up on the night when you fancy a bit of film-based socialising.
If you’re looking to get more involved in The Cinema itself and have an opinion on the films you think should be shown at the Guildhall then The Cinema Focus Group is definitely for you! Intended more as a working group than a social event, it’s a chance to have your say on each month’s film programme, as well as putting forward your comments and suggestions, and discuss any planned improvements or changes to The Cinema with the team behind it. You don't have to be interested in art house films, or obscure foreign cinema to join in (although if you are that's great too!) - what matters most to us is knowing what real people want from their local independent cinema.About a week before each meeting you'll get an email with a list of the films the team will be discussing for the coming month's programme, so make sure you register your interest with Chloe on chloe.homer@gloucester.gov.uk beforehand.
Both groups are free and will meet monthly. Everyone is welcome, whether you've been a film enthusiast for years or only ever venture to the cinema for the latest blockbuster rom-com. It doesn’t even matter if you’ve never seen a film at the Guildhall in your life (although obviously we’d hope that we could change that)! The first focus group meeting will be on Monday 16th January at 7pm, with the film club following on Wednesday 25th at 8pm.
January at The Cinema at Gloucester Guildhall continues this week with director Terrence Davies' (Of Time And City, Distant Voices, Still Lives) sumptuous take on Terrence Rattigan's 1952 play The Deep Blue Sea.
Marking its second big screen adaptation, it tells the story of Hester Collyer, a woman whose overpowering and obsessive love for two men alienates everyone she holds dear (including them) and ultimately destroys her wellbeing. Taking place over the course of one day in her flat, a day that she has decided to commit suicide (which ultimately ends in failure), her affair and marriage is played back in myriad of short sporadic flashbacks as she recovers. Married to Sir William, a High Court judge, she embarks on a passionate affair with handsome RAF pilot Freddie Page, who is plagued by the the memories of war. As the film progresses, the constraints of Hester's marriage become evident: affectionate yet lacking sexual passion. Leaving her life of luxury behind for a small dingy London flat with Freddie, her sexuality is awakened though Freddie's thrill-seeking recklessness is no substitute for the love and stability her husband gave... but a return to a life without passion would be unthinkable.
The cast includes Rachel Weisz (The Fountain, The Constant Gardner) as Hester, Tom Hiddleston* (Thor) as Freddie and Simon Russell Beale (My Week With Marilyn, which played the Guildhall last week) as Sir William, this is a wonderful film with fantastic performances and stunning, almost hypnotically graceful, cinematography. Whilst it's a shame that it hasn't even made it on to the long list for this years BAFTAs, it is still not to be missed as it has only had limited distribution to certain parts of the world and we, both as Gloucester and Britain, are lucky enough to have secured it. As one of the last films to have received funding from the now abolished UK Film Council, its timing in light of Prime Minister David Cameron's call for a more mainstream British cinema industry couldn't be better. It's films like these that make our film and cinema industry unique; proof that it's not all about blockbusters.
Check out the the trailer below:
The Deep Blue Sea (15) opens on Friday 13th January 2012 and runs until Thursday 19th January 2012. Showing times are on the website.
Don't forget that the cinema's first ever meeting for its new Focus Group is on Monday 16th January 2012 at 7pm. It's your opportunity to have your say on what you would like to see programmed at the cinema and you don't even have to be a cinema enthusiast to take part.
*And on the subject of Tom Hiddleston, he can be next seen both in Steven Spielberg's hotly anticipated War Horse (opens at the Guildhall on 17th February 2012) but also in a new BBC2 adaptation of William Shakespeare's Henry IV/V, which is being partly filmed at Gloucester Cathedral. Casting for extras took place at the Guildhall earlier in the week, with a very impressive turnout and they are shooting from 25th - 27th January.
Hello and a (somewhat belated) Happy New Year to you and all our fellow cinema lovers. I hope you are prepared for what many pundits are calling as the biggest year in movie history because it's safe to say we are. Not only does 2012 see the release of some the most hotly anticipated films in recent memory,this year also sees the official launch of the Guildhall Cinema's monthly Focus Group and Gloucester Cinematicsfilm club. So if you are an avid cinema lover and want to have a say in what we screen or fancy chatting with like-minded people about films then check out the website to find more info on both.
So, with some of the biggest films on the horizon for 2012, January is a chance for you to catch up with some cinematic gems originally released at the tail end of 2011. We kick off the month in style with the Golden Globe nominated My Week With Marilyn- an adaptation of the actual diaries of a young production assistant and his relationship with the insatiable Marilyn Monroe. Set during the summer of 1956, the film focuses on 23-year-old Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) who at the time was determined to make in to the film business. He then found work as a lowly assistant on the Pinewood set of The Prince And The Showgirl, a film that famously united Monroe (Michelle Williams) and Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh). This was also the time that Monroe was on honeymoon with her playwright husband Arthur Miller (Dougray Scott).When Arthur Miller left England, the coast was clear for Colin to introduce Marilyn to some of the pleasures of British life; an idyllic week in which he escorted a Monroe desperate to get away from her routine of Hollywood hangers-on and the pressures of work. This is the story of what happened during that week.With a supporting cast including Emma Watson (of Harry Potter fame) and the marvellous Dame Judi Dench, the undoubted star of the show is of course Michelle Williams who captures both the magnetism and the vulnerability of Marilyn Monroe effortlessly. Her performance has already been dubbed 'award worthy', so much so that she has received nominations from Independent Spirit, London Film Critics and New York Film Critics Circle. Director Simon Curtis has also taken the effort to make the film as authentic as possible by using the very same studio that The Prince And The Showgirl was filmed in.
Poised for success at this year's Golden Globes with nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Kenneth Branagh) and Best Actress (Michelle Williams) don't miss the chance to see what is essentially one of the best performances by a leading lady of 2011.
Check out the trailer below:
My Week With Marilyn (15) runs from Tuesday 3rd - Thursday 12th January 2012.
