OSCARS 2014

I have my live stream sorted, snacks are all bought - including a big bottle of energy drink to help me last until 5am UK time... In other words, I am Oscars ready!!

As fate would have it this is the first time I have actually been able to stay up and watch the ceremony live and, despite knowing I will end up getting angry at some of the choices, I am really excited for it!

My big one for the night is Jared Leto - Barkhad Abdi, I love you but I do really think this one belongs to the fabulous Rayon. But the fact that you have that BAFTA makes me feel a little bit guilty for saying that. So fingers crossed for Jared, i'm rooting for you!!

Here are my two ballots, the first (yellow) is who I think will be taking home the statues tonight - admittedly I got a little carried away with Gravity towards the end but shh - and the second (pink) is who I WANT to win.

Fingers crossed my pink choices will be victorious (although I truly believe hell will freeze over before we see Leo get recognition).

I will no doubt be tweeting along to the event so follow me here and see you on the flipside!

Love,

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Me on The Wolf of Wall Street red carpet

The Wolf of Wall Street was without a doubt my most anticipated film of 2014, and as a life-long fan of Leonardo DiCaprio you can only imagine how thrilled I was to attend the London premiere for the film last night! Although unfortunately director Martin Scorsese wasn't in attendance at the premiere, nor did my luck extend to actually meeting the God that is Leonardo DiCaprio, I had a brilliant time and couldn't believe that one of the biggest stars on the planet, one of my idols, was stood just a mere two feet away from me.

On top of all of the excitement of the night, I am pleased to say that The Wolf Of Wall Street lived up to my expectations and then some as Scorsese and DiCaprio united for the fifth time to make yet another cinematic masterpiece.

Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio), The Wolf of Wall Street documents Belfort's corrupt rise to a multi-millionaire stockbroker who lives a life of sex, drugs and excess. By 1998 the FBI are on Belfort's case with suspicions of security fraud and money laundering, which leads the film to a climactic and unpredictable conclusion.

Leo & Margot introducing the film at the premiere

At three-hours long, The Wolf of Wall Street managed to hold the same high-quality throughout with powerhouse performances, great direction and an intense and entertaining narrative, all cleverly matched with comedic undertones that made the 180 minute run time fly by. Every scene is fast-paced and exhilarating to watch and the audience are not given the opportunity to get bored or lose interest in the story as just when you think that it might be starting to die down, Scorsese throws in another curveball; be it an unexpected scene of DiCaprio writhing around on the floor, off his face on drugs, or a sudden party with booming music and such extravagance and shenanigans it would put Gatsby to shame. 

All in all, the film is a steady flow of entertainment and shock tactics as Scorsese steps out of his comfort zone to make a film almost incomparable to his other major crime movies through the heavy use of black comedy and glossy cinematography; making The Wolf of Wall Street shiny and artificial-looking, miles away from Scorsese's usual gritty thrillers but appropriately reminiscent of Belfort's lifestyle. 

Leonardo DiCaprio gives another winning performance

Unsurprisingly, Leonardo DiCaprio gives yet another show-stopping performance as the corrupt, anti-hero Jordan Belfort and proves that over years in the industry he hasn't lost his sense of humour as he delivers some brilliantly hilarious scenes, which you can just tell were performed with good banter and Leo's tongue firmly in his cheek. DiCaprio's voiceover carries the film as it keeps the audience up to speed with what is going on and even though you may know absolutely nothing about stocks or Wall Street, the voiceover cleverly tells you just enough for you to understand the criminal activity that is making them so rich, without being patronizing or taking up too much time.

Despite DiCaprio's powerhouse performance, the relatively humble supporting cast held their own and were just as fascinating to watch as the leading man. Shunning the possibility of fading into the background against a Hollywood superstar, Margot Robbie, who played Belfort's long-suffering wife Naomi, Jonah Hill, playing Belfort's best friend Donnie, and the rest of Belfort's various friends, foes and accomplices helped bring The Wolf of Wall Street to another level of entertainment. The entire cast had a great connection which showed through their on-screen rapport as the expletive-ridden dialogue bounced between the characters as though they weren't actors portraying a character but old friends for whom the conversation came naturally and realistically.

My only criticism of The Wolf of Wall Street comes with the film's very final moments. The few scenes prior are a pulse-pounding mix of violent, domestic disputes, suspenseful 'will-he-won't-he' interrogations and a wicked turn of events which all feels like it is leading up to a mind-blowing climax that in fact turns out to be a little bit underwhelming. Being based on a true story leaves Scorsese relatively powerless when it comes to how Jordan Belfort's story ends, however, the ending felt a little bit sudden and left me wanting more. A want that was only intensified when the film's credits started rolling without any of your closed-caption summaries of what became of Belfort and the rest of the characters that are typical (and expected) of film's that are based on true life stories.

All in all, The Wolf of Wall Street is an exciting, entertaining and exhilarating watch. A three-hour action-fest that is full of excessive lifestyles, great performances and big laughs, ensuring that Scorsese and DiCaprio are back exactly where they belong: firmly at the top of the game.

★★★★✯

The Wolf of Wall Street is out nationwide from 17th January!

Stay tuned for reviews and follow me on twitter if you fancy it!

Related Article: The 5 Oscars Leonardo DiCaprio Should Have Won By Now

Love,

I may not have met Leo, but here is me walking past him on the BBC News!

The 5 Oscars Leonardo DiCaprio Should Have Won By Now

One of many Internet memes

Leonardo DiCaprio is one of this generation's most respectable actors. Having worked in Hollywood since he was a teenager, he made himself a household name after playing Jack Dawson in the 1997 blockbuster Titanic.

However, after nearly 25 years in the industry where he has played everybody from King Louis XIV to Jay Gatsby, from the mentally ill to a teen heartthrob, from a drug addict to President Hoover... DiCaprio is yet to get his hands on a prestigious Oscar.

As the unofficial eighth wonder of the world, DiCaprio's struggle for his talent to be acknowledged by the Academy has become somewhat of a novelty over time, with many a hilarious meme being made to document his strife.

With the 86th Academy Awards looming, I take a look back at the five Oscars Leonardo DiCaprio should have won by now.

(Warning: Some of the clips may contain spoilers!)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: as Arnie Grape in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
Yes, DiCaprio's Oscar's Award Cabinet should have received it's first addition in 1994. That is twenty years ago! Leonardo DiCaprio's performance as Gilbert Grape's mentally handicapped brother was astounding, with many originally believing that the young actor genuinely had a mental disability. Although DiCaprio was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, forming the film's sole nomination at the Oscars, he lost out to Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive - thus beginning a long and unjust relationship between Leonardo DiCaprio and the Academy.


                                       

BEST ACTOR: as Jim Carroll in The Basketball Diaries (1995)Fast-forward a mere two years and once again DiCaprio has given another Oscar-worthy performance. This time in The Basketball Diaries, a true life story of Jim Carroll, an unbeatable High School basketball star who falls into the harrowing world of drug addiction. Aged just nineteen, DiCaprio gives a powerful and hard-hitting performance in his first major lead. Unbelievably, the brilliant film was snubbed by the Oscars in it's entirety and didn't receive a single nomination. Nicolas Cage won the Best Actor award for his role in Leaving Las Vegas but I maintain that DiCaprio's performance in The Basketball Diaries was better than that of Cage and all the other nominee's performances put together. (Too much?)

 BEST ACTOR: as Howard Hughes in The Aviator (2004)

I am being ruthless here because if I were in charge of dishing out the Oscars I would have given old Leo one for every film he has ever made, however, it is undeniable that he should have won Best Actor for his portrayal of Howard Hughes in the Martin Scorsese biopic The Aviator. Howard Hughes suffered terribly with OCD and DiCaprio gives a sensitive albeit brutally realistic performance displaying these signs - initially starting with minor things, such as the size of his peas, and ultimately leading to the above scene. The film itself won five Oscars, but sadly none of them went to Leo, who was at the very least nominated for the coveted Oscar but lost out to Jamie Foxx for his performance in Ray Charles. Booooo!

BEST ACTOR: as Danny Archer in Blood Diamond (2006)

Ah, in this alternate reality DiCaprio's awards cabinet would be straining under the weight of all those Oscars by now! Two years after The Aviator he took on the role of a corrupt diamond smuggler Danny Archer, but most importantly he took on the notoriously difficult South African accent and won! The accent was the only thing he won though as yet again Leo's efforts got him nominated in the 79th Academy Awards but.... Well, you know how it goes by now. Forest Whitaker took home the golden statuette for his role in The Last King of Scotland, which is a good film but come on, poor Leo just can't catch a break!

 BEST ACTOR: as Frank Wheeler in Revolutionary Road (2008)
Last but certainly not least on the list is the outstanding reunion of Leo & Kate in this emotional, high-tension drama Revolutionary Road. The two actors carry the film with ease in this fairly simple story of a young couple who are coming to terms with their personal problems whilst raising two children. The beauty of this film is that nothing spectacular happens in the actual story - there are no explosions or fancy effects, there aren't massive twists and turns - it is just the very organic and raw story of a couple who have fallen out of love with each other and Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio's performances, as demonstrated above, are stronger than ever. Revolutionary Road was nominated for three Oscars in total, but surprise surprise Leo was snubbed and didn't even receive a Best Actor nomination (the award for which went to Sean Penn in Milk). Winslet was also snubbed and was equally deserving for Academy recognition for her role as April Wheeler, but as she actually won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in The Reader this same year, I guess we can't be too picky!


So there we have it: five great films.
Five great performances.
One great actor
and zero Oscars.

And now, with Leonardo Dicaprio's newest film The Wolf of Wall Street due for release later this month, there are whispers that perhaps 2014 will be his year; could his 35th film be ~the one~?

Well... It is nice to hope but let's be frank, with his track record and all of the phenomenal performances that have already been snubbed it looks like our Leo  might not ever get his hands on one of those prestigious gold statues, but don't worry Leo - you will always be an Oscar winner to me </3

Love,

10 Films To Look Forward To In 2014

After all the great films 2013 brought us it is time to take a peek into the future to see what big-screen beauties the next 12 months have in store. Here are the 10 films that I am most looking forward to:

1. The Railway Man
Release Date: January 10th

You have probably already seen this film being heavily advertised as it just misses the 2013 releases boat. It is unlikely there will be a dry eye in the house as this true story of a World War 2 Victim who sets out to find the people responsible for his torture is played out on the big screen. With Colin Firth as the star you just know that The Railway Man will ooze sophisticated talent with emotional performances.

2. 12 Years a Slave
Release Date: January 10th
January 2014 just looks doomed to be an upsetting month film-wise with another highly anticipated true life story, which is already expected to clean up at the Oscars in March. Following the likes of Django Unchained, 12 Years a Slave is the first film to explore slavery in America from the slave's point of view, promising a sensitive and unforgettable story of the fight many African-Americans faced for both survival and freedom during this period.

3. The Wolf of Wall Street
Release Date: January 17th
Leonardo Dicaprio is back on the big screen in the form of this three-hour reunion between himself and Martin Scorsese. Another true-life story, The Wolf of Wall Street is set to be the big one of 2014, an entertaining (We've all seen the clip of Dicaprio's questionable dancing!) tale of crime and corruption that has had buzz around it for over a year already. Three hours is a long time to keep an audience entertained, but if any duo could get away with it it's Leo & Scorsese.

4. The Book Thief
Release Date: February 26th
An adaptation of Markus Zusak's bestselling book of the same name, The Book Thief tells the heart-wrenching story of Liesel, a young girl living with a foster family during Nazi Germany. This film has everything you could ask for and the faultless cast and beautiful narrative is sure to make The Book Thief the dark horse of 2014. Trust me when I say that this is not one you will want to miss!

5. A Long Way Down
Release Date: March 7th
Nick Hornby, author of Hugh Grant classic About A Boy, is having another of his brilliant books adapted for the big screen. A Long Way Down follows Hornby's typical themes of wit, heart and honesty in the story of four suicidal people who form a surrogate family after meeting on New Years Eve. The relatively humble cast of mostly unknowns is irrelevant and I have faith that this film will end up in the same league as About A Boy in no time.

6. The Inbetweeners Movie 2
Release Date: August 2014
Find me one person who isn't excited for the Jay, Will, Neil and Simon reunion ! Having first made their name in the popular Channel 4 TV series, The Inbetweeners were the focus of a surprisingly successful feature film back in 2011. The plot of the second film is still under wraps, all we know is that some of it is set in Australia... No matter what, i'm sure it will be hilarious!

7. Noah
This is no doubt going to be the biggest epic of 2014. Russell Crowe and Emma Watson lead the star-studded cast in the belated interpretation of the Biblical character Noah (as in Noah's ark). No matter what, this is sure to be at the very least visually stunning but as Russell Crowe's first major role since Javert in Les Mis, we can all look forward to the fact that at least he won't be singing!

8. Maleficent
I'll admit that I was much more excited for Disney's rendition  of Sleeping Beauty from the villain's perspective before I saw the full trailer released a few weeks back. Angelina Jolie is as hauntingly beautiful as I had imagined in the role of the evil Maleficent but it was Elle Fanning's absolutely atrocious attempt at an English accent that took my excitement levels down a few notches. I am sure it will still be an incredible watch but if somebody's accent is so bad that it can be annoying in a minute-long trailer, what chance does a 135 minute film have? Either way, I'm excited to give it a go!

9. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
Release Date: 21st November
Uh-oh, will the third installment of The Hunger Games trilogy be a total misrepresentation  à la film number one? Or a total work of genius as seen in film number two? Well, with original director Gary Ross completely out of the picture for Mockingjay my bets (and hopes) are on the latter! Inconspicuously split into two parts, Mockingjay is the final book of the trilogy and I can't really see how splitting the story into two films will work. Following in the footsteps of  the Harry Potter and Twilight series, and no doubt in order to make some extra dolla from the relatively short franchise, this two-part finale will be the make or break of the film. Can they really drag it out without adding a lot of irrelevant fluff to the story? We will have to wait and see.

10. Madame Bovary
The 21st century film adaptation of Gustav Flaubert's most famous book has been the bane of my film-life. Originally billed for 2013 release I quickly read the book to prepare myself, release has now been moved to 2014 but other than the one production still released (above) there has been little news on how it is going. Mia Wasikowska stars as Emma, the beautiful and unfaithful wife of a small-town doctor, but it is the supporting roles that have me most excited. One of my favourite actors, Ezra Miller, is set to make a long-awaited return to film as Leon Dupuis and lovable Paul Giamatti is on board as Monsieur Homais. The question is by no means whether or not Madame Bovary will be a great film, the cast and narrative alone already tells me yes, it is more a question of when will it ever be released?? So keep your fingers crossed for 2014 and yes, I know that it will be worth the wait!

And there we have it, my top 10 films for 2014 which only prove what a great year 2014 is already shaping up to be! And on top of the above, I am sure we will find many other hidden gems along the way.

Stay tuned for reviews on these films and then some and follow me on twitter if you fancy it :)

Love,

THE GREAT GATSBY

I am going to start this review of by saying something controversial: I read the book The Great Gatsby and if i am being totally honest... I didn't love it.

No, wait, come back! I promise I have stuff to say that you might agree with and won't strike your literary soul with horror the way my opening statement did. I just didn't realise when i first picked up the book that ultimately, The Great Gatsby is a love story. The tale of unrequited love and, well, a pretty great man who throws some pretty great parties whilst being in love. Other than love and parties not a lot really happens and even though it is a pretty short book, it dragged.

Now, onto the film. Despite not loving the book i was super excited to see the film... The excitement came around the time the words Baz Luhrmann were uttered in the same sentence as it and was even more intensified when Leonardo Dicaprio and Carey Mulligan were announced to play Gatsby and Daisy. An element of doubt set in when Tobey Maguire (seriously, what?) was cast as Nick but all in all, despite the bad reviews i was hearing, i was excited. 

To start with, as i expected, the film is visually stunning. The luxury, picturesque buildings, the extravagant parties and the beautiful 1920s fashion... Aesthetically i was in love. The beauty of the scenes combined with Luhrmann's trademark directing technique made it a joy to look at and i think even if i hated everything else about it, the pure beauty of the film would have been enough to make me enjoy it at least a little bit. Luhrmann is one of my favourite directors and this is because i love the fast-paced, carnivalesque nature of his films. I think any other director even thinking about making Gatsby into a film is, quite frankly, unacceptable. If anybody was going to bring those fantastical parties to life it was Baz and he delivered 110%.

Carey Mulligan is beautiful as Daisy

Onto the casting. Carey Mulligan has been a firm favourite of mine since i saw her in An Education four years ago. She is simply beautiful and such an elegant, graceful woman in every role i have seen her in and she floated into Daisy's shoes in a similarly elegant manner and with such amazing beauty that shone through the screen. However, in the book i found Daisy to be quite a one-dimensional character. I had absolutely no feeling or emotion towards her and i am sad to say that this translates into the film as well. I don't think it is by any means a reflection of Mulligan or Luhrmann; they did everything right but, for me, Daisy just isn't a character i can bring myself to care about. There just isn't enough there for me to relate to as she doesn't really have a lot of dialogue and we are told very little about her life, aside from her relationship with Gatsby. I think Daisy's transparant character is more a reflection of the expecations of women at the time of Fitzgerald's writing above anything else. Saying this, the scene where Daisy is preparing to marry and the string of pearls breaks as she is screaming did bring a lump to my throat when watching. Carey Mulligan might not have been able to breathe life into a lifeless character but everything that she did do was beautifully acted and for that, i can not fault her.

Tobey Maguire's comical facial expressions introduced us all to a new Nick Carraway

Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway... Where to start? I can't even begin to tell you how shocked i was when Maguire was announced to play the character who ultimately carries the novel. The story may be about Gatsby but in every sense of the word it is Nick who is the protagonist so casting somebody who had pretty much disappeared since his last big film almost a decade ago did not seem a wise choice for me. Tobey Maguire is Spiderman. To me and to many other people this is all he is known as... Could he really carry the film adaptation of one of the biggest literary classics to exist? As soon as the film started, i was wary. He was definitely not how i imagined Nick to be when reading the book, he was just too awkward - too much of a wallflower, i know Nick is the one who observes the whole story but he doesn't just blend into the background the way that Maguire did. As well as this new awkward personality that Maguire introduced to Nick, it was distracting that he seems to only be able to do facial expressions that border on comical, it is difficult to take him seriously. His facial reactions and the way he responds to other characters almost seemed like a caricature but i have to say, after about half an hour this grew on me. The small essence of slapstick comedy that Tobey Maguire embossed into every facial expression eventually worked for me and i will be completely honest and say that they only worked because of Baz Luhrmann's directing technique. The whole film was very bizarre, very carnivalesque, very caricature and once the parties and the fast-paced nature of these scenes got into the swing of it Maguire's silly face blended in naturally with the rest of the carry-on around him after initally sticking out like a sore thumb. Similarly to Luhrmann's other great films like Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet, a lot of the shots were sudden close-ups of the character's faces and although Maguire definitely does not portray the Nick Carraway in the book, which i can see would annoy fans, he does portray an acceptable and watchable Nick Carraway. I did need time to get used to him but in hindsight i think he was a good, not great, choice.

Leonardo Dicaprio: A truly great Gatsby

Oh Gatsby... As with most people my age i have been a huge fan of Leonardo Dicaprio for as long as i can remember, he was one of my first 'favourite actors' having watched The Basketball Diaries at a young age and even then i remember thinking how astounding he was at acting - my love of him is not just down to his sexy good looks. Therefore i could not have chosen anybody else to play the iconic literary character of Jay Gatsby. He did say 'Old Sport' a hell of a lot but all in all he made a pretty great Gatsby (i didn't even mean to make that lame little pun there but i am leaving it in because it's true) He has the charisma, the depth, the look of Gatsby. He was so close to how i pictured him to be when reading the book and i actually connected with film Gatsby a LOT more than i did with book Gatsby. Something about the sad, painful look in his eyes and the hidden anguish he portrayed so well. In the book i was somewhat unaffected by the ending but in the film i was edging towards tears. It just broke my heart to see Gatsby fall apart the way that he does and personally i truly believe that Dicaprio brought Gatsby to life in ways that the book could not. My ultimate favourite scene in the film is when Gatsby is throwing all of his shirts over the stairs; he just looks so happy, so carefree - Dicaprio's entire face transforms, he had the youthful, fresh, innocent look that he did in his early days. It looked like a genuine transition of emotion, not just your bog-standard actor putting across that emotion, you can see that Dicaprio really did feel it and it is little things like that that make the film and fully engross you into the storyline and lives of the characters.

On top of this, there are many other pro-points to the film: The on-screen chemistry between Leonardo Dicaprio and Carey Mulligan was out of this world. They really looked like they were in love with eachother and the relationship between Daisy and Gatsby was enchanting, even if Daisy as a character was not. The supporting cast was amazing and i couldn't fault anything about any of them and very little of the main narrative was changed in the transition from book to film, which is a rare feat nowadays and must have made fans of the book pretty happy. There genuinely were a whole lot of plus points to this movie but the biggest negative was that i found it around about half an hour too long. There was a section in the middle where it all just seemed to drag and the audience had already understood the pain and anguish at unrequited love but Luhrmann seemed keen to reinforce that as much as possible... And this was too many times for my liking. As i said, the book is pretty short and i had already wondered how they would make it into a feature length film at all, let alone a two and a half hour one. However, similarly to Les Miserables, the prolonged middle section of the film was more than made up for by the incredible ending. The last fifteen minutes had me hooked and the very, very last scene - though really predictable - sent shivers down my spine.

As i wasn't a huge fan of the book i will actually congratulate The Great Gatsby for, in my opinion, being a film that is actually slightly better than the book. Other than cutting down some of that middle section i couldn't think of anything more they could have done in order to improve it. And my love for Baz Luhrmann may be slightly responsible for this but i like to think it is a film that will be enjoyed by most!

All in all i award The Great Gatsby with ★★★★☆

Stay tuned for more reviews and follow me on twitter if you fancy it :)

Love,