 The Weinstein Company looks to have another impressive slate of films hitting the stateside this upcoming awards season. Naturally, AMPAS voters, as well as Oscar prognosticators, will be looking to them for strong acting contenders. For the past several years, the Weinstein Company has produced at least one acting winner every year dating back to 2008. Just this last year, they managed to get “it” girl Jennifer Lawrence an Oscar for David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook (2012) along with Christoph Waltz nabbing his second Oscar for Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained (2012).
This year, names like Michael B. Jordan, Forest Whitaker, Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and Julia Roberts will be fighting it out for recognition. One film that has many reluctant to place high on predictions lists is Justin Chadwick’s Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom starring Idris Elba and Naomie Harris. Unsure of the hesitation given its pure Oscar-bait aura, perhaps its Morgan Freeman’s recent nomination for his portrayal of Nelson Mandela in Clint Eastwood’s Invictus (2009) or maybe its the only other films in director Chadwick’s resume include The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and The First Grader (2010), two decent but very forgettable pictures. Needless to say, we will still anticipate the upcoming film with a certain amount of reservation and hope that Elba’s portrayal can at the very least, propel him to the super-stardom he clearly deserves.
The first poster is below. Take a look and you decide for yourself if it radiates Mandela in the manner in which you were expecting. Read more on First Poster for ‘Mandela’ Showcases Idris Elba Front and Center!…
Directed By: Justin Chadwick
Written By: William Nicholson
Cast: Idris Elba, Naomie Harris, and Mark Elderkin
Synopsis: There is no official synopsis released for this film yet, but it is based on the book “Long Walk to Freedom” by South African President Nelson Mandela.
Read more on Awards Profile: Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom…
Anytime TWC gets behind a biopic, its worth taking notice (just ask Meryl Streep). Golden Globe® winner Idris Elba will be playing the iconic figure, and Skyfall’s Naomie Harris will be playing his wife. After the jump you can have a look at the official press release for more information on the upcoming film, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.
Read more on Weinstein Company Acquires the Rights to the Nelson Mandela Biopic, ‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’…
 After stumbling somewhat with ‘Quantum of Solace’, the Daniel Craig era of James Bond films has recovered spectacularly with ‘Skyfall’. Better even than ‘Casino Royale’, I’d actually wager that this could very well be the best Bond film ever. A phenomenally effective mix of old and new, this is exactly what I wanted out of 007. Credit is deserved all around for this success story, but chief among them has to be director Sam Mendes. The Oscar winner, along with his frequent DP Roger Deakins, has brought a beautiful visual style to this Bond flick. Armed with a strong screenplay from returning scribes Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, along with newcomer John Logan, Mendes and company have given Craig an adventure that both points the spy in a number of new potential directions as well as honoring the past in a way that the franchise has never really done before. The end result is riveting, and easily one of the most satisfying films in the canon, along with one of the best films of the year too. ‘Skyfall’ opens on Friday and should be a massive success. It certainly deserves to be. The talk about a Best Picture nomination is a bit premature, but there’s no denying that this is a great movie.
Read more on Skyfall (***½)…
Categories: Film Reviews Tags: Ben Wishaw, Berenice Marlohe, Bond Week, Daniel Craig, franchise, James Bond, Javier Bardem, John Logan, judi dench, Naomie Harris, Neal Purvis, Ralph Fiennes, Robert Wade, Rory Kinnear, Sam Mendes, Skyfall
 Since Daniel Craig took on the iconic role of the world’s most famous spy back in 2006 there have been some notable ups and downs. Casino Royale, to my mind at least, is one of the best Bond films of all time. Just as with Pierce Brosnan in GoldenEye, it introduced us to a completely new interpretation of the character, and with a healthy nod to the immortal traditions of the past, updated the franchise for a new decade and a whole new generation of fans. In it Craig had managed to sculpt the most brooding and rough-around-the-edges Bond yet. Following this came Quantum of Solace, which despite being a pretty decent action blockbuster, gets repeatedly slated because it ventured too far from the traditional Bond mould. Director Marc Forster seemed to draw more inspiration from the fast cuts and man-on-the-run pacing of the Bourne saga, than he did from the sophistication and tradition of 007. Read more on Skyfall (***½)…
Categories: Film Reviews Tags: Berenice Marlohe, Bond girl, Bond Week, Casino Royale, Daniel Craig, film review, James Bond, James Bond films, Javier Bardem, judi dench, Naomie Harris, Quantum of Solace, Ralph Fiennes, Roger Deakins, Sam Mendes, Skyfall
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The Weinstein Company looks to have another impressive slate of films hitting the stateside this upcoming awards season. Naturally, AMPAS voters, as well as Oscar prognosticators, will be looking to them for strong acting contenders. For the past several years, the Weinstein Company has produced at least one acting winner every year dating back to 2008. Just this last year, they managed to get “it” girl Jennifer Lawrence an Oscar for David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook (2012) along with Christoph Waltz nabbing his second Oscar for Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained (2012).
