The Toronto Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival have come to an end, what are the popular films in this year's awards season?
Reported by Maggie Ma los Angeles
The Venice and Toronto Film Festivals in September each year are considered the beginning of film awards season, and the films that stand out from this time will continue their campaign until the Oscars next March. Unlike last year, Zhao Ting's "No Man's Land" won multiple film festival jackpots all the way, this year's season does not seem to have a very prominent leader, but many women's films have been well received, and many excellent works are directed by female directors.
Renowned British director Kenneth Branagh's autobiographical work Belfast ultimately won the Toronto Film Festival's top award: the Audience Choice Award. The French film L'évènement, which explores unintended pregnancies and abortions for women, won the Venice Film Festival's top prize: the Golden Lion. Usually, winning these two awards also means that at least you will be nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture, and the possibility of winning is also very high.
Belfast showcases the impact of history and family on his upbringing through the director's childhood memories
Kenneth Branagh is actually an actress who starred in the Harry Potter series and was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for My Week with Marilyn. He has been directing films in recent years to gain fan-pop favor with the star-studded classic remake of "Murder on the Orient Express," which he directed, and "Massacre of the Nile, which he directed, is set to be released next year.
This time, "Belfast" directed by him is based on his own childhood experience, which can be called an autobiography, and uses black and white pictures to show the sense of the times, restoring the real face of the post-war turbulent period in the late 1960s. The male protagonist is a boy who grew up in Belfast, England, although life is difficult and the country is in chaos, his parents and grandparents are very loving and optimistic, still bringing a lot of loving memories to this little boy. Although the film is black and white, because of the deep feelings between the characters and their enthusiasm for life, it conveys warmth and love from beginning to end, reflecting the preciousness of family affection in the cold social background. It is also because the story is told through the perspective of children, full of childlike fun.
Jamie Dornan, the male protagonist of "Fifty Shades of Grey", starred in the film as a witty and lively father of the child, and the grandmother lines starring veteran movie star Judi Dench were full of cold humor and added a lot to the film.
"Belfast" received 87% media support on Rotten Tomatoes and will be released in North America on November 12, with the release of Focus Company.
"Happening" and "Titanium" use intuitive visual language to present the pain of women after accidental pregnancy
Unlike the general films that discuss abortion, the French film "Happening" uses cold, intuitive pictures to present the abortion process to the audience's eyes, and many shots are dazzling and difficult to look at directly. Perhaps only in this way can most people really appreciate how much pain an unintended pregnancy can cause for a young, unprepared mother.
The film takes place in the 1960s, when Annie, a schoolgirl, accidentally becomes pregnant after an encounter with a boy, but there is no advanced medical technology and legal conditions to allow her to have an abortion. She looked everywhere for help, but the child's father, doctor, and friend looked at her coldly. She suffered both physical and mental trauma for this. The film focuses on showing the various physical pains that girls suffer, and at the same time, the vicious words of the people around her and the contempt for her are even more chilling, which is a very sad movie to watch.
Coincidentally, titane, the film that won the highest palm award at this year's Cannes Film Festival, also tells the story of a young girl who accidentally became pregnant. It's just that as a horror film, the heroine in this film is still a murderous maniac, and because of the bullying of men, she is full of hatred for the world, until she is adopted by a kind firefighter captain, and she feels real affection. However, the tone of this film is weird, with science fiction elements, full of bloody violence, more heavy mouth, not necessarily suitable for all audience tastes.
Both films have both focused on women who have accidental pregnancies, and have also created a social environment full of malice and danger, not only hoping to promote the legality of abortion, but also warning girls themselves to pay attention to protecting themselves and avoid falling into this predicament. And the directors of both films are also women.
"Happening" received 100% praise on Rotten Tomatoes and has not yet been finalized in North America; "Titanium" received 93% media recommendation and will be released on October 1.
Benedict Cumberbatch and Kristen Stewart became movie stars and movie queens
In addition to the wonderful female performances in "Happening", the American actress Kristen Stewart, who became popular with "Twilight", also received post-film calls this year. Her role as the late British Princess Diana in the new film "Spencer" has attracted a lot of attention and her acting skills have also been affirmed.
The film tells the story of Sandringham Manor during the Christmas holidays in the 1990s, diana, after a long period of repression and bondage, made up her mind: her marriage to Prince Charles will not end well, and she must leave the royal family to be expected to regain her life. The film tells the story of her inner psychological changes over the three days of that weekend.
The film was screened at both the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals. Among the many movies with a sad tone, although this film is also depicting the pain and suffering of a person, there is no shortage of gorgeous palaces, delicacies and beautiful clothes, and it is still the most eye-catching film of this year's awards season. Stewart also accurately imitates Princess Dai's expression and accent, highlighting how she is like a captive bird, struggling with repression and pain for a long time, and rebellious psychology due to the desire for freedom.
Spencer received 93 percent media views and was released in North America on November 5.
British film star Benedict Cumberbatch, who became famous for starring As Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Marvel, is back in the spot this year's awards season. His starring role in "The Power of the Dog" won the Best Director Award at the Venice Film Festival, and Benny's performance was praised by critics. The film also won third place in the audience vote at the Toronto Film Festival.
Benedict Cumberbatch starred in the film as a rancher named Phil Burbank. He gives people the feeling of being strong, domineering, and having a bad temper, which makes the people around him respect and fear. When his brother brought home his new wife and her son, Phil tortured them in every way, and the reason behind this was shocking.
Benny's character is ostensibly a macho in people's eyes, but in fact, he has long suppressed the homosexual tendencies in his heart and forced himself to conform to the "masculinity" in the eyes of the world, but eventually becomes a person who does not know how to express love and is full of hatred in his heart. The film is actually satirizing the toxicity of "masculinity" and attacking the negative effects of the world's repeatedly emphasized male aesthetic standards.
Although the story is a male perspective, the director is Jane Campion, a female director from New Zealand, who once directed "Bright Star", which was shortlisted for the Cannes Palme d'Or. Benedict Cumberbatch still volunteered to work with her. Although he is recognized as a good actor, Benny has failed many times before and has always failed to choose the right project, and this time "Canine Power" is likely to bring him an Oscar nomination. At present, the film has a media recommendation of 91%, and it will be released in North America on November 17. Source: American News Express (http://www.usnewsexpress.com) All rights reserved Reprint is strictly prohibited.