All articles by Allan Hunter – Page 54
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Reviews
Half Nelson
Ryan Fleck. US. 2006. 107 minsThe tired cliches of the inspirational teacher/pupil relationship are successfully turned on their head in Half Nelson. This is not the kind of formula crowd-pleaser that invites you to applaud the triumph of the underdog, instead it offers a haunting snapshot of the unlikely friendship ...
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Features
The BAFTAs 2007 - Awards countdown - King and Queen crowned at BAFTAs
The signs may have pointed towards an outburst of flag-waving patriotic fervour at the Orange British Academy Film Awards last Sunday (February 11), but the Baftas failed to conform. Nine ground-breaking nominations for James Bond blockbuster Casino Royale resulted in just one win in the sound category and the compensation ...
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Features
The BAFTAs 2007 - Campaign watch
Both The Queen and The Last King Of Scotland ran expensive, committed campaigns and both reveal the importance of the autumn festival circuit in building towards Bafta success, also a factor for previous winners such as Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Vera Drake (2004).Helen Mirren's best actress prize at Venice in ...
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Reviews
Music and Lyrics
Dir: Marc Lawrence US. 2007. 102mins. After dipping his toe in the murky world of satire with last year's American Dreamz, Hugh Grant retreats to conventional romantic comedy with Music And Lyrics, a bland, undemanding reunion with his Two Weeks Notice (2002) director Marc Lawrence. Grant's blithe spirit and eternal ...
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Features
Bafta Nominations - Home is where the heat is
Oscar-winning Chariots Of Fire screenwriter Colin Welland famously declared: "The British are coming!" At the time, 25 years ago, it sounded more like hollow bravado than an accurate forecast. If the nominations for this year's Orange British Academy Film Awards (Baftas) are any indication, then the cry carries renewed credibility. ...
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News
Homegrown, not Hollywood, talents impress BAFTA voters
The rally cry 'The British are coming' has held true for this year's BAFTA nominees. BAFTA voters have backed British talent to an unprecedented degree this year, ignoring heavyweight American contenders like Bobby, Flags Of Our Fathers and Blood Diamond in favour of homegrown films. Helen Mirren had long been ...
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News
BAFTA builds buzz
The concept of business as usual seems entirely alien to the organisers of the annual BAFTA Awards.
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News
Red Road makes clean sweep of Scottish BAFTAs
Andrea Arnold’s film takes the major honours in Scotland to add to Cannes win.
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News
Red Road makes clean sweep of Scottish BAFTAs
Andrea Arnold’s Red Road has added Best Film at the Lloyds TSB BAFTA Scotland awards to its previous honours, including the Cannes Jury Prize and five BIFA nominations.
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Reviews
Casino Royale
Dir: Martin Campbell. UK. 2006. 147minsBond Is Back. The old promise takes on a freshemphasis in Casino Royale, amuscular, wildly successful attempt to strip the lucrative James Bond franchiseback to basics. Returning to the origins of the series in the first Ian Flemingnovel, Casino Royaledepicts Bond as a rough, reckless ...
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News
Red Road dominates Scottish Bafta nominations
AndreaArnold's Cannes prize-winner Red Roadpredictably dominates the screen nominations for this year's Lloyds TSB BAFTAScotland awards. Thecritically-acclaimed drama of a cctv operator's journey from revenge tosalvation has been nominated in every feature film category including BestPicture, Best Actress (Kate Dickie) and Best Actor (Tony Curran). Andrea Arnoldhas received nominations for ...
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News
Red Road makes clean sweep of Scottish Baftas
Andrea Arnold's Red Road has added Best Film at the Lloyds TSB BAFTA Scotland awards to its previous honours, including the Cannes Jury Prize and five BIFA nominations.The win was universally predicted, as was the film's easy dominance of theevening's other film prizes - Best Actress for Kate Dickie, BestActor ...
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Reviews
After The Wedding (Efter Bryllupet)
Dir: Susanne Bier. Den. 2006.122mins.The desperate conflict between individual actions andcollective responsibility is explored to devastating effect in After The Wedding.The latest feature from director Susanne Bier, it shows a powerful command ofcraft and narrative as it unfolds an emotionally complex and gripping saga ofmoral dilemmas and the way good ...
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Reviews
The Boss Of It All (El Patron)
Dir/scr: Lars Von Trier. Den. 2006. 110mins.After the epic sermonising of Dogville and Manderlay, Lars Von Trier is clearly in the mood for a little fun. Theomniscient narrator of The Boss Of It All even introduces the film as a humble comedylest we have any doubts about what might lie ...
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Reviews
Hula Girls (Hula Garu)
Dir: Lee Sang-il. Jap. 2006. 108minsHula Girls has allthe ingredients for a crowd-pleasing heartwarmer butit sweats and strains to make the recipe work. Despite being based on trueevents it feels entirely formulaic with even the most casual cinemagoer likelyto be one step ahead of every twist and turn in the ...
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Reviews
The Namesake
Dir: Mira Nair. USA. 2006. 122minsMira Nair's best films have shown an optimism aboutlife and an affection for the flaws and failings of her characters, and shebrings a similar sense of compassion to TheNamesake, her adaptation of the novel by Pulitzer prize-winner Jhumpa Lahiri. A sweeping saga ofculture clashes and ...
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Reviews
Cashback
Dir/scr: Sean Ellis. UK. 2006.90mins.A wistful, endearing slip of a romantic comedy, Cashback marks anassured feature debut from writer/director Sean Ellis. An expansion of hisOscar-nominated short, it strains to fill the bigger canvas of a feature butany reservations are balanced by the unusual lyricism of Ellis's approach tothe genre, the ...
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Reviews
El Cantante
Dir: Leon Ichaso. US. 2006. 116mins.The last time JenniferLopez collaborated with the love of her life the result was the toe-curlingembarrassment of Gigli(2003). Now, she has dared to co-produce and co-star with husband Marc Anthonyin a drama inspired by the life of 1970s salsa superstar Hector Lavoe. El Cantante is ...
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Reviews
Bonneville
Dir: Christopher M Rowley. US.2006. 104mins.A slushy salute to female friendship and the greatmysteries of life and death, Bonnevillehas the unmistakable feel of a TV-movie tearjerker. Filled with predictabledevelopments and heart-tugging revelations, it is bereft of surprises anddripping in syrupy sentiment. It has been a long while since an older ...
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