Hello one and all to the first, and let’s be honest most probably last, Golden Popcorns Awards; an alternative take on last year at the movies. Shall I start with a Stephen Fry-esque monologue full of dry humour and witty anecdotes about the foibles of the world’s most famous actors and actresses? Or perhaps a Neil Patrick Harris inspired song and dance number? (YouTube his hosting of the Tony’s.) No. Because I am incapable of doing either. Instead, I will take a leaf out of Alan Carr’s book when I say “What a year it’s been” (I know he says ‘week’ but that’s beside the point). Ok, perhaps it wasn’t a stellar year critically and financially, but that doesn’t mean that there weren’t a few gems knocking about, and that’s what today’s blog, sorry, glitzy awards doo, is all about. So let’s get things under way.
(Disclaimers: No, I haven’t seen every film. Yes, I should have seen more. No, this isn’t going to just mimic the awards given at the Oscars. Yes I haven’t givenThe Hobbit a prize… No, I don’t feel guilty)
The Award for Line of the Year…
Chris Pratt as Peter Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy
Whilst giving the renegade team of superheroes a tour around his spaceship, Peter Quill responds to Gamora’s discerning comment of “Your ship is filthy” with the perfectly judged aside “She has no idea. If I had a blacklight, this place would look like a Jackson Pollock painting”. Work it out.
The Award for Funniest Scene…
Simon Bird et al in The Inbetweeners 2
In a film littered with utter verbal filth, it is perhaps fitting that this award goes to a scene where actual filth is the issue. The whole sequence with Will McKenzie trying to evade a, er, well, poo whilst going down the water slideis so ridiculously slapstick, which in itself is hilarious. However credit has to go to directors Damon Beesley and Iain Morris for then cutting the aftermath to resemble a war movie; slo-mos, anguished faces, epic music, you name it, they took a well-worn cliché and moulded it perfectly into a comedic setting. It all creates a very silly, very British scene.
The Award for… Where-Did-That-Come-From Performance of the Year (Female)…
Rosamund Pike as Amy Dunne in Gone Girl
Anyone who has heard me talk about this film will know that I thought it was utterly brilliant. Few films leave you completely speechless/screaming ‘Noooo’ at the screen quite as much as David Fincher’s film and at the centre we have Rosamund Pike. You know Rosamund Pike, the lovely British actress you’ve seen in such comedies as Johnny English 2 or The World’s End? Oh, did I say lovely, I meant the psychotic, vindictive, mentally unstable, (for-want-of-a-better-word) bitch hiding beneath a ‘Butter wouldn’t Melt’ exterior. Pike is Amy, and the film wouldn’t work half as well if she wasn’t as committed – career defining stuff.
The Award for… Where-Did-That-Come-From Performance of the Year (Male)…
Ralph Fiennes as M. Gustave in TheGrand Budapest Hotel
Whether he’s trying murder Harry Potteras Voldemort, shackle Bond as M or kill Jews in Schindler’s List, you always got the impression that Ralph Fiennes was at his most comfortable when his laces are straight. However what Wes Anderson’s kooky comedy does is showwhat a comedic force the man can be, combining both physical and wordy humour to great effect.
The Award for… Best Action
Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier
For some reason, the Cap’t has always had his detractors. Some say he’s too self-righteous, some say he’s simply too boring. However, the Russo’s Winter Soldier is the best single-hero Marvel film in the MCU canon. It’s clever, sharp and much grittier and at the heart of that you’ve got much more visceral fight scenes. Sure, the end of the film requires a fair amount of suspended disbelief, but the bulk of it is much more worldly, and anchored superbly by Chris Evans.
The Award for…. Best Opening Scene
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
A thoroughly impressive sequel starts as it means to go on. The layering of music, introduction of the sound of the weather and slow fade to Caesar’s face all creates an incredibly intense scene that has you transfixed from the get go. The use of mo-cap in this film also runs The Winter Soldier very close in the action stakes, but it’s that opening minute of film that has stuck with me the most.
The Award for… Best Soundtrack
Guardians of the Galaxy
60’s Motown, 70s funk and 80s pop? No contest.
The Award for… the Film That You Thought-Would-Be-Disappointing-But-Was-Actually-Brilliant
I wasn’t so much that I was expecting this sequel to be poor, more so that I didn’t see how it would match its predecessor. How did it manage to do that? Well, it wasn’t afraid to ridicule and parody itself, and was acutely aware about the fate of most comedy sequels – i.e that they’re usually rubbish. More so both Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill were excellent. So when you combine their bromance, the hysterical Ice Cube, sharp scripting and constant gags it’s a wonder why I was ever worried in the first place.
The Award for… Missed Opportunity
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Ok, so it’s not the best award to receive. However when you look at this film on paper it looks very good. Good leading man? Check. Confident, strong willed female co-lead? Check. Tried and tested Director? Check. The problem however, was that it just felt a bit run-of-the-mill. It wasn’t a bad film per se; it just felt at times like it was just going through the motions, using espionage clichés that have been used time and time again. I’d like to see that same cast with a better script, but it doesn’t look like a sequel has been green-lit as of yet.
The Award for… Star of the Year
Chris Pratt
It’s ironic that it’s Star-Lord who takes Star Man this year. Although Guardians was his only major release this year, it was a marked turning point for an actor who hitherto had only been a sitcom star and friend of the lead in RomComs. Things will only go up as well, as this year will definitely bring at least some attention with Jurassic World’s opening and the whispers (which I god damn hope are true) that he may become the lead in an Indiana Jones reboot.
And finally, the Award for…. British Film of the Year
Pride
If you watch this film and don’t reach the credits smiling then you’re a heartless buffoon. It’s quintessentially British from head to toe, in terms of the geography of the story, the cast, the directing and the feel of the film. The cast is like a who’s who of British acting talent; Bill Nighy, Paddy Considine, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West and Andrew Scott to name just a few. Most impressively the balance of the film’s ensemble is nye-on perfect, ranging from the outlandish Faye Marsay as Steph to the incredibly nuanced performance of Nighy. It’s full of tribulations and triumphs yet never short on laughs which makes this film a real achievement in itself.
There we have it. As the celebs leave their seats for a few pints down at ‘Spoons before the after party as Moo Moos we can reflect on some really funny, captivating, thought provoking and nerve shredding films. Hopefully 2015 will achieve that same diversity, if not more.
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