The Lady K Academy Film Awards Day 12 - Best Director and Best Film

The last post in the Lady K Academy Film Awards is upon us. And I have saved the best awards for last. Best Director and Best Film. 

So without further delay I announce the winner of the Best Director is 

Martin Scorsese for Hugo

Anyone who read my review of Hugo back in December will know how passionate I was about the direction of the film and how amazing I thought the 3D was. Well I have recently watched Hugo again, on a 3D TV, and let me tell you, it was just as impressive as it was at the cinema. 

For those who missed it, my review had this to say "Hugo is such a charming film, an absolute pleasure from start to finish. The fact that it was directed by Martin Scorsese makes it all the more incredible. Now I'm not saying old Marty is not a good director. I'm sure we all agree that he has made some magnificent films, but these are films like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, more recently Gangs of New York and Shutter Island. He's not exactly known for charming kids films. 

The other impressive thing about the film being directed by Martin Scorsese is that this is the first time he's shot a film in 3D. And I think this might be the most impressive use of 3D I have ever seen. Everything pops, like a feast for your eyes, from the dust in the train station to the people on screen, it's a visual treat. Mr Scorsese hasn't gone down the classic route of having things come out of the screen, instead he's just made everything three dimensional. It's honestly amazing use of 3D. If you see Hugo, and I highly recommend you do, you should see it in 3D."

It's such a shame that I can't show you the 3D in the trailer below. Instead I will just have to urge you, if you missed this at the cinema (and how you could have when my review pleaded with you to see it), if you find that the film has a one off 3D showing at your local cinema, maybe on a kids club or such, go and see it! Or if you have a friend with a 3D TV, rent the 3D Blu Ray version of Hugo, take it round, and marvel in it's brilliant storytelling and eye opening use of 3D. The best use of 3D I have EVER seen.

Finally, I present the award for Best Film, which goes to The Help

The Help was not only my highest rated new film of last year, it was also the film that had the biggest emotional impact on me. The performances were all superb, which I have hopefully demonstrated through my awards for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress both going to artists from The Help. The direction was well informed and considerate towards the subject matter. The script was spot on. And the overall film, which combined all of these elements was a truly wonderful piece of filmmaking.

I think I've said it all but in case you missed this one too, my review had this to say " The Help left me feeling that I'd just watched a really great film. This is an eye opening story told with such emotion, had me laughing and crying in equal measure, which was so well executed by all involved. It seemed a story which was very dear to the hearts of everyone who had a hand in it, from the actors to the writers and director. It was a story told with such attention to detail and a lot of love.

I can't recommend this film highly enough. Harrowing in places, unafraid to show the bad with the good, but a film which ultimately proves that humanity can be gracious and kind. But without the schmaltz. As near perfect as a new film has gotten for me this year."

A well deserved winner. The trailer is just to prove my point.

Runners Up for Best Director:
J.J. Abrams - Super 8
Nicholas Winding Refn - Drive
Tate Taylor - The Help

Runners Up for Best Film:
Hugo
Drive
Super 8

You know the drill, agree or disagree I want to see your thoughts below!

The Lady K Academy Film Awards Day 7 - Most Villainous Villain

Tonight's double bill of awards sort of go hand in hand. You can't really have one without the other. Like two sides to the same coin. Kinda like members of the same family, who are very different. With that expert link out of the way I would like to wish my sister Tracey a very happy 39th Birthday. And reveal the first of tonight's two awards, Best Villain or Most Villainous Villain as I have named this one...

The award goes to Bryce Dallas Howard for her portrayal of 

Hilly Holbrook in The Help.

When I saw The Help last year it instantly became one of my favourite films of the year. I'm pretty sure I told everyone I know to see it and to this day it makes me well up to think of how emotional it made me. In my review I described it as 'a film which ultimately proves that humanity can be gracious and kind. But without the schmaltz.' But there is one thing about The Help that was neither gracious or kind. And that was the character of Hilly Holbrook. Played to perfection by Bryce Dallas Howard. Never before has a character so nasty, so vindictive, so purely evil deserved such a delicious comeuppance as Hilly Holbrook did. I challenge anyone not to cheer when she finally gets what's coming to her. As I couldn't really find any clips that show just how twisted and condescending and back-stabbing Hilly is, I have instead included a brief profile of her character. And again implore anyone who hasn't seen The Help to get it on DVD when it's released on 12th March 2012. 

Runners Up:

Christoph Waltz ~ August in Water For Elephants

Sentinel Prime in Transformers Dark Of The Moon

Which character gets your vote for Most Villainous Villain?

The Help

http://thehelpmovie.com/us/

As previously mentioned in my Crazy, Stupid, Love review, I am a bit of a fan of Emma Stone. In fact, a bit is a bit of an understatement. Ever since I saw her in Easy A I have had a bit of a girl crush on her. And I also think she's one of the most promising actresses to come out of Hollywood in a long time. She's the only reason I'm even considering going to see the Spiderman re-boot. So when I heard about The Help it was a bit of a no-brainer that I would go and see it.

The Help is based on the best selling novel of the same name by Kathryn Stockett and tells the very different story of two women in Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960s. Writer Skeeter (Emma Stone) has dreams much bigger than the small town in which she lives. The problem that she has is convincing the even smaller minds of the town's community, from the editor of the paper she works for, to her best friend and even her own mother, of the problems going on under their noses. Skeeter decides she wants to write a book from the perspective of 'the help', the African American maids who work for white families. Skeeter wants the world to know how they're treated, what they witness on a daily basis and how they're made to feel. The bigger problem is getting 'the help' to talk to her.

The more I looked into The Help, the more I read, the more interviews I watched, the more praise that was heaped on the book and in turn the film, the higher my hopes got. When I eventually saw the film however, it smashed all of that to pieces. It actually left me feeling that I'd just watched a really great film. 

The characters are fantastic, even the ones you hate, you can't help but admire the actors potrayal. And the actors, or rather actresses as this is a predominantly female cast, were faultless. Every single one. I know I already mentioned my girl crush on Emma Stone but she is wonderful. But then so are Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain. And the supporting cast is a dream, from the likes of Allison Janney (who can do no wrong in my eyes, I've loved her for years!) to Sissy Spacek and Mary Steenburgen. Fabulous one and all.

This is an eye opening story told with such emotion, had me laughing and crying in equal measure, which was so well executed by all involved. It seemed a story which was very dear to the hearts of everyone who had a hand in it, from the actors to the writers and director. It was a story told with such attention to detail and a lot of love.

I can't recommend this film highly enough. Harrowing in places, unafraid to show the bad with the good, but a film which ultimately proves that humanity can be gracious and kind. But without the schmaltz. As near perfect as a new film has gotten for me this year. 9.5 out of 10.

Viewing Date - 4th November 2011

UK Release Date - 26th October 2011

Cast Overview:

Emma Stone ~ Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan
Viola Davis ~ Aibileen Clark

Bryce Dallas Howard ~ Hilly Holbrook

Octavia Spencer ~ Minny Jackson

Jessica Chastain ~ Celia Foote

Ahna O'Reilly ~ Elizabeth Leefolt

Allison Janney ~ Charlotte Phelan

Chris Lowell ~ Stuart Whitworth

Cicely Tyson ~ Constantine Bates

Mike Vogel ~ Johnny Foote

Sissy Spacek ~ Mrs. Walters

Mary Steenburgen ~ Elain Stein

Director ~ Tate Taylor

Writer(s) ~ Tate Taylor (Screenplay) and Kathryn Stockett (Novel)