Martin Sheen, an Irish citizen, secures best actor nom for his role in "Stella Days." (The Hollywood Reporter)

Martin Sheen Nominated for Irish Academy Film Award

7:57 AM PST 1/10/2012 by Stuart Kemp

David Alexanian/Arc Entertainment

LONDON – Martin Sheen, who played the President of the United States in the TV series The West Wing and is an Irish citizen, finds himself among the nominees for this year’s Irish Film and Television Academy awards.

Sheen is nominated for his turn as Irish priest father Daniel Barry in the Irish movie production Stella Days in the leading actor in a film category.

He faces heavyweight competition from Michael Fassbender (Shame), Brendan Gleeson (The Guard) and Ciaran Hinds (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) in the category.

John Michael McDonagh’s The Guard, Terry McMahon’s Charlie Casanova, Thaddeus O’Sullivan’s Stella Days all secured best film director and best film nomination slots.

Rebecca Day rounds out the best film director nominations but her film The Other Side of Sleep misses out on a best film nomination slot with Albert Nobbs taking up the final berth in that category.
Saoirse Ronan’s outing in Hanna is nominated in the best film actress category, competing for the nod with Aoife Duffin (Behold The Lamb), Antonia Campbell Hughes (The Other Side of Sleep) and Marcella Plunkett (Stella Days).

The Irish Academy’s awards are dished out annually, aiming to celebrate Irish talent in both film and television.

Irish Academy CEO Aine Moriarty said: “Ireland’s economic struggles have been well documented, but against this pressure it’s heartening to see how Ireland’s hard-working creative community continues to punch above its weight and really deliver.”

This year’s awards will be presented in Dublin on Feb. 11 at a ceremony hosted by Simon Delaney.
For a list of nominees, visit www.ifta.ie.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/martin-sheen-nominated-irish-academy-award-stella-days-280137

Oscar-Winner Colin Firth Admits There’s No Rest During Awards Season

Soon to be seen in the upcoming big screen adaptation of TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY (JOHN LeCARRE’S classic 1974 Cold War novel that served to introduce the character of low-key spy George Smiley), Academy Award-winning actor COLIN FIRTH is, once again, in a role that could garner some attention as accolades are handed out this year. A veteran performer probably best known for his Oscar-nominated role as George in designer TOM FORD’S directorial debut, A SINGLE MAN, FIRTH’S Best Actor win for last year’s THE KING’S SPEECH cemented his place in the strange world known as “awards season.”

During our recent interview, the actor reminisced about the whirlwind surrounding his Oscar nominations and admitted that he’s just now been able to wrap his head around it.

 

 

Click here to reach the site and hear the interview with Colin Firth

Movie Review: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Film: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Starring: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy

Those in America will have the benefit of watching this without the shadow of a masterly 1970s adaptation by the BBC clouding their vision. For many in Europe, Alec Guinness (he of Obi-Wan fame) had turned in the definitive portrayal of John Le Carré’s fabled spy creation George Smiley, so much so that even a respected and versatile actor such as Gary Oldman had his work cut out. Oldman has, however, proved a reliable and deserving choice for the part, turning in an outstanding performance worthy of Academy recognition (and all and any other recognition going) in the New Year. It’s still quite flabbergasting to think that Oldman has never been honoured by the Academy. Not that the latter is a bastion of talent recognition (Chicago won a few Oscars after all), but Oldman’s an old-timer at this stage, an esteemed veteran, who deserves to be celebrated on the cinematic world stage for this defining performance.

His portrayal of the withered Smiley is the centre point of a shrewd and complex film that will demand much of your attention but deliver the utmost reward. Its labyrinthine plot may not suit everyone, as even after seeing the film twice and having read the book I must confess certain events don’t always add up for me. Case in point, there’s a scene in which Smiley twigs something pivotal, its significance illustrated by the literal shifting of rail tracks into place on film, but exactly how he comes to this sudden realisation has bypassed me completely three times now. Yet, this is not to imply that it’s impossible to follow. Little details may not always be overtly discernible onscreen, but just as Smiley delves headlong into a web of intrigue and suspicion so the viewer – if they stay on their toes – will follow him as he makes the various connections that flush out the leak.

For those unfamiliar with the book, the story involves retired agent George Smiley being recruited to discover a mole within the Circus (British Intelligence). It’s the 1970s, the Cold War is still an icily everyday presence, and the mole is working for the Soviets. Times are a-changing within the Circus, with more and more ground and prominence being lost to the U.S. intelligence network, and this is unaided by an opening monologue in which an undercover mission involving Jim Prideaux (Mark Strong) goes disastrously wrong. Head honcho Control (John Hurt) had initially sought out Prideaux to unearth the mole, but in the wake of the Budapest mission he is forced out and later dies. It is in the wake of his death that Smiley, who was forcibly retired at the same time, is tasked with weeding out the Soviet plant from Control’s list of suspects – the Tinker, Tailor, Soldier of the title and another dubbed Poorman. These codenames correspond to new head of the Circus Percy Alleline (Toby Jones), his deputy Bill Haydon (Colin Firth), and associates Roy Bland (Ciarán Hinds) and Toby Esterhase (David Dencik) respectively.

The film is directed by Swedish Let the Right One In helmer Tomas Alfredson and his attention to detail is striking. The film succeeds in recreating the drab, murky world of its 70s setting perfectly, the cinematography suitably washed out with everything seemingly filtered through a layer of dust. The tension and paranoia fostered by the Soviet rivalry is palpable, with the colourless palette acting as a dark reminder of the mood that pervaded Britain at the time. In the midst of this shady world, the mostly English cast (Hinds is Northern Irish; Dencik Swedish) are uniformly superb. Alongside the outstanding Oldman, Benedict Cumberbatch – a longstanding veteran of stage and small screen and known to many as TV’s Sherlock – is exquisite as Peter Guillam, head of the ‘Scalphunting’ Division, and Smiley’s aide and legman. He’s the one who gets to sneakily scour old files and smuggle documentation out of the Circus in the more traditional spy thriller vein, though it’s not without a price as one particularly affecting scene illustrates. Dencik and Jones are both gleefully repellent as the sour, smug Machiavellian types while Firth – so oft-noted for playing good guys in bad places – plays delightfully against type as a smirking adulterer. Hinds is underused, Strong is twitchy and haunted, and Tom Hardy makes a brief appearance as Ricky Tarr – a brutish legman whose revelations kick Smiley’s investigation into motion.

The film is not without fault, though these can be attributed to the difficulties of condensing such a complex book. Its pacing is sluggish and the dreariness depicted onscreen may infect the viewers if they do not engage with it. Anyone expecting espionage, chases, and executions should steer clear – glimpses of conflict are limited and even the revelation of the mole himself is something of an anti-climax. This is a thinking man’s piece, as much about Smiley’s resilient character and the private pain of his failed marriage as it is about a double agent. However, if you are open and alert to its charms, it will blow you away in the most understated and beautiful of ways. It’s a sumptuous and largely faithful rendering of a compelling novel, a rare treat for the mind, and a testament to its cast’s skills. It’s sometimes grim, but always gripping, and will get under your skin in a challenging and resolute way rarely seen in modern cinema. A contemporary classic.

SCORE: 10/10
Review written by: Grace Duffy

 

Posted in Features, Movies, Reviews Tags: 2011, colin firth, critique, film review, gary oldman, movie review

 

Under the Gun

30 Cool Movie PIks for the Season

30 cool movie picks for the season

Photo credit: Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” (Jaap Buitendijk)

It's the time of year when big-name directors tackle kiddie fare - Martin Scorsese ("Hugo"), Cameron Crowe ("We Bought a Zoo"), Steven Spielberg ("The Adventures of Tintin"). If you're in the mood for something less PG, though, you have your choice of erotic dramas ("Shame," "A Dangerous Method") and edgy blockbusters ("The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," the next "Sherlock Holmes").

Here are 30 flicks on our radar.

Hugo
Martin Scorsese takes a break from gangsters and cops to direct this children's flick about an orphan boy who inherits a mysterious automaton. Let's see what Scorsese can do with 3-D. (Nov. 23)
The Muppets
Jason Segel and Amy Adams star in this big-screen musical revival of the Muppets, in which Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and company try to save the Muppet Theater from a greedy oil magnate (Chris Cooper). Segel co-wrote the movie. (Nov. 23)
My Week With Marilyn
A lowly production assistant (Eddie Redmayne) has the time of his life when the star of the film he's working on, Marilyn Monroe, grows fond of him. The shining cast (Michelle Williams as Monroe, Kenneth Branagh as Laurence Olivier) is the reason to watch this buoyant - and true - tale. (Nov. 23)
A Dangerous Method
Dialogue is king in this David Cronenberg-directed account of the friendship between Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) and Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender). (Nov. 23)
Rampart
The last time we saw Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster together was in Oren Moverman's affecting "The Messenger." Moverman pairs them up again in "Rampart," about a cop (Harrelson) whose life unravels after he's taped beating a suspect. Playing for one week, then opening wide in January. (Nov. 23)
The Artist
A black-and-white film with almost no dialogue? Seems like a hard sell for modern audiences, yet "The Artist" is a bona fide crowd-pleaser. Jean Dujardin (an Oscar shoo-in) plays a 1920s silent- film actor whose career suffers when talkies take over. (Nov. 25)
Shame
If you've ever wanted a glimpse into the life of a man with a debilitating sex addiction, here's your chance. Michael Fassbender bares all for this intense NC-17 character study. Carey Mulligan co-stars as his younger sister. (Dec. 2)
Coriolanus
Ralph Fiennes directs and stars in this Shakespeare drama about a Roman general (Fiennes) who aspires to political office in Rome and fails. He then joins forces with his enemy (Gerard Butler) to seek vengeance on the city that spurned him. (Dec. 2)
Sleeping Beauty
A cash-strapped college student (Emily Browning) takes an unusual job. One of her duties: getting drugged into slumber and letting male customers ... well, we won't spoil it. (Dec. 2)
The Sitter
A college dropout (Jonah Hill) agrees to babysit his neighbor's bratty kids, then takes them on an R-rated adventure through New York City. Think "Adventures in Babysitting" with profanity and drugs. Directed by David Gordon Green ("Pineapple Express"). (Dec. 9)
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
John le Carre's Cold War spy novel finally makes its way to the big screen. MI6 agent George Smiley (Gary Oldman) tries to track down a mole within the agency. Colin Firth, Toby Jones and Ciaran Hinds all play suspects. (Dec. 9)
Young Adult
"Juno" director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody reunite in this dark comedy about a young-adult novelist (Charlize Theron) who tries to win back her high school boyfriend (Patrick Wilson) - never mind the fact that he's married and about to become a father. (Dec. 9)
We Need to Talk About Kevin
When a teenager (Ezra Miller) commits a high school massacre, his mother (Tilda Swinton) falls apart from the guilt of having raised a bad seed - was it nature or nurture? Helping her cope is her estranged husband (John C. Reilly). (Dec. 9)
W.E.
Madonna tries her hand at directing. Her subject: the scandalous romance between Wallis Simpson (Andrea Riseborough) and King Edward VIII (James D'Arcy), who gave up the British throne in 1938 so that he could marry the American divorcee. (Dec. 9)
New Year's Eve
In the same vein as "Valentine's Day," "New Year's Eve" - also directed by Garry Marshall - weaves in and out of New Yorkers' lives on the last day of the year. The ensemble cast includes Ashton Kutcher, Lea Michele, Halle Berry and Jon Bon Jovi. (Dec. 9)
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law return as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, respectively, and this time they're up against arch- nemesis Professor Moriarty (played by the talented Jared Harris). Guy Ritchie directs again. (Dec. 16)
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Yes, it's another "Mission: Impossible" movie. The twist? It's directed by Brad Bird. If he brings as much emotion to this as he has to his animated movies ("The Iron Giant," "The Incredibles," "Ratatouille"), we're sold. (Dec. 16)
Carnage
Roman Polanski recruited only the best for this entertaining adaptation of the Tony Award-winning play "God of Carnage." Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly, Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz star as Brooklyn parents who clash over a playground incident between their sons. (Dec. 16)
Albert Nobbs
Glenn Close plays the titular character, an odd but endearing employee at an upscale inn in 19th-century Ireland. She's dressed as a man her entire life - and her repressed identity is tragic to behold. Comical moments abound as well. (Dec. 21)
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
David Fincher directs one of the season's biggest and most intense films, adapted from Stieg Larsson's ubiquitous best-selling novel. Rooney Mara ("The Social Network") plays computer hacker Lisbeth Salander, who teams up with a journalist (Daniel Craig) to investigate an unsolved missing-woman case. (Dec. 21)
The Adventures of Tintin
Tintin comes to life in this motion-capture animated flick from Steven Spielberg. The cowlicked boy reporter adventures around the world to solve the mystery of a sunken ship. (Dec. 21)
We Bought a Zoo
A single father (Matt Damon) buys a house in the middle of a zoo, much to the delight of his two children. "We Bought a Zoo" marks Cameron Crowe's first foray into kid-friendly territory, and also stars Scarlett Johansson and Thomas Haden Church. (Dec. 23)
In the Land of Blood and Honey
Angelina Jolie makes her directorial debut with this tale of star-crossed lovers set during the Bosnian War - he's a Serbian soldier, she's a Bosnian captive. (Dec. 23)
Pina
Wim Wenders' 3-D documentary affords a close-up look at the choreography of the late Pina Bausch. The 3-D camera captures the kineticism of Bausch's Tanztheater Wuppertal ensemble - and the inventive set designs. (Dec. 23)
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
A young boy scours New York City for the lock belonging to a key left by his father, who died on 9/11. Adapted from the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer, and starring Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock and James Gandolfini. (Dec. 25)
War Horse
In his second movie of the year (see "Tintin"), Steven Spielberg adapts the play (currently at Lincoln Center) about a horse's journey through World War I. The star is a horse, but the story revolves around the people who cross its path. (Dec. 25)
The Darkest Hour
Nothing like a 3-D alien-invasion movie to celebrate Christmas Day. The extraterrestrials in this case are invisible, and they're sucking up Earth's power supplies. Stars Emile Hirsch and Olivia Thirlby. (Dec. 25)
Pariah
Breakout actress Adepero Oduye stars in this coming-of-age drama about an African-American lesbian teenager living in Fort Greene. She's determined to find a girlfriend, even as her sexual identity remains a secret on the homefront. (Dec. 28)
A Separation
A woman tries to convince her husband to leave Iran with her. When he refuses, she files for divorce - unsuccessfully. What follows is a tense thriller. (Dec. 30)
The Iron Lady
Meryl Streep portrays Margaret Thatcher in this biopic of the U.K's only female prime minister. Did someone say "Oscar"? (Dec. 30)

AM New York

COLIN FIRTH, TOM HARDY, GARY OLDMAN

Tom Hardy, Colin Firth and Gary Oldman in photos from Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Posted by: Kristy Sturdivant

Right on the heels of an international poster for TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY, we get some new photos. Based on the classic spy novel from author John le Carré, TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY focuses on an undercover spy to weasels his way to the top levels of British intelligence, right under their noses. I haven’t actually read the book or watched the previously made BBC mini-series (which starred Alec Guinness), but I have read other books by the author and know that we are in for quite a treat. Word to the wise, if you’re interested in this film and don’t really know too much about the plot, I would restrain from doing any additional research on the story. There are sure to be a lot of surprises in store and it’s nice to be able to go into a film like this with a clean slate.

TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY will be directed by Tomas Alfredson (LET THE RIGHT ONE IN) and stars: Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, John Hurt, Benedict Cumberbatch and Kathy Burke. It opens in theaters on November 19, 2011.

COLIN FIRTH - TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY