2013 Golden Globe Nominees and Winners

Best Motion Picture, Drama
Argo
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty

Best Motion Picture, Comedy
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Miserables
Moonrise Kingdom
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Silver Linings Playbook

Best Director, Motion Picture
Ben Affleck, Argo
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Richard Gere, Arbitrage
John Hawkes, The Sessions
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
Emily Blunt, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Judi Dench, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Maggie Smith, Quartet
Meryl Streep, Hope Springs

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone
Helen Mirren, Hitchcock
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Amy Adams, The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Alan Arkin, Argo
Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

Best Foreign Language Film
Amour (Austria)
A Royal Affair (Denmark)
The Intouchables (France)
Kon-Tiki (Norway/U.K./Denmark)
Rust and Bone (France)

Best TV Series, Comedy
The Big Bang Theory
Episodes
Girls
Modern Family
Smash

Best TV Series, Drama
Breaking Bad
Boardwalk Empire
Downton Abbey
Homeland
The Newsroom

Best TV Movie or Miniseries
Game Change
The Girl
Hatfields and McCoys
The Hour
Political Animals

Best Performance by an Actress in a TV series, Drama
Connie Britton, Nashville
Glenn Close, Damages
Claire Danes, Homeland
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series, Drama
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Damian Lewis, Homeland

Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series, Comedy
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Lena Dunham, Girls
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series, Comedy
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Louis CK, Louie
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie
Kevin Costner, Hatfields and McCoys
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock
Woody Harrleson, Game Change
Toby Jones, The Girl
Clive Owen, Hemingway and Gellhorn

Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie
Nicole Kidman, Hemingway and Gellhorn
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Sienna Miller, The Girl
Julianne Moore, Game Change
Sigourney Weaver, Political Animals

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or TV Movie
Hayden Panettiere, Nashville
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Sarah Paulson, Game Change
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or TV Movie
Max Greenfield, New Girl
Ed Harris, Game Change
Danny Huston, Magic City
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Best Animated Film
Brave
Frankenweenie
Hotel Transylvania
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-It Ralph

Best Screenplay for a Motion Picture
Zero Dark Thirty (Mark Boal)
Lincoln (Tony Kushner)
Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell)
Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino)
Argo (Chris Terrio)

Best Score for a Motion Picture
Life of Pi (Mychael Danna)
Argo (Alexandre Desplat)
Anna Karenina (Dario Marianelli)
Cloud Atlas (Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil)
Lincoln (John Williams)

Best Original Song, Motion Picture
"For You" - Act of Valor
"Not Running Anymore" - Stand Up Guys
"Safe & Sound" - The Hunger Games
"Skyfall" - Skyfall
"Suddenly" - Les Miserables

Kiwi Film Review: Argo

IMDB: 8.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Roger Ebert: 4/4
What The Flick: 9.3/10

Stars: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Victor Garber
Directed By: Ben Affleck
Written By: Chris Terrio

Release Date: 12 October 2012
Described by IMDB as: "In 1979, the American embassy in Iran was invaded by Iranian revolutionaries and several Americans are taken hostage. However, six manage to escape to the official residence of the Canadian Ambassador and the CIA is eventually ordered to get them out of the country. With few options, exfiltration expert Tony Mendez devises a daring plan: to create a phony Canadian film project looking to shoot in Iran and smuggle the Americans out as its production crew. With the help of some trusted Hollywood contacts, Mendez creates the ruse and proceeds to Iran as its associate producer. However, time is running out with the Iranian security forces closing in on the truth while both his charges and the White House have grave doubts about the operation themselves."


Well, lets be real. Ben Affleck lucked out on the timing of this movies release. After the whole Libya, Benghazi, protests killing an American diplomat last month, this fits perfect for this film. Way more people are going to be interested in this film because of this, which is definitely good, because its a really interesting part of history.

Despite the fact that I knew how this film was going to end, because it is based on a true story, it really didn't take away from the stress and thrill of the film. There were so many times when you really didn't know how it was going to turn out for them(even though you really did). Especially at the end, you were really quite terrified for them.

I liked that they explained some of the history of the relationship between America and Iran in the beginning to set up the story, I liked that when they really didn't hold back on the truth of it, that the blame for the situation was really based on the mistake of America in taking in an awful dictator for protection, rather then him getting justice at the hands of his people.  I'm not for vigilante justice, but in some cases, like this, dictators diserve whatever the people plan to give them. I think this film showed some good for Jimmy Carter, since so many people have negative feelings for him. I also really liked his "cameo" at the end during the credits. When I heard his voice coming over the speakers I was pretty excited. I also think its important to remember the incredible risk the Canadian Diplomat  took by letting these six people stay in his house.

Thusfar, Ben Affleck has had an incredible writing/directing career. I mean, if his acting portfolio wasn't enough, he has Good Will Hunting, Gone Baby Gone, The Town, and now Argo under his belt for writing and directing. All of these films have above a 7.5 rating on IMDB and above a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. Argo will definitely be fitting in nicely with this line up. I will be shocked it Ben Affleck doesn't get an oscar nod for both directing and acting in this film. Although, his acting mostly understated, and he really doesn't have a whole lot of speaking, you still get the intensity in his performance.

I absolutely LOVED Alan Arkin and John Goodman in this film. They were hilarious, and their chemistry and friendship was amazing. They played an important role in the mission, and the film. They were also involved in one of the most thrilling and anxious parts of the film. Bryan Crasnton was also great in this film, but sort of an asshole who almost completely screws everything up. 
So, what do I think of this film? I loved it. I always enjoyed the story when I learned about it school, so to see it in film was pretty great. I think its amazing that everyone involved were forced to keep what really happened a secret, when they could have taken full credit and been treated as heroes. I think its very important that the people responsible for saving these 6 men and women's lives. They show pictures of everyone involved in the mission during the credits, and man, did they cast well. All of the 6 refugees were spot on in casting, amazing really.

I'm going to give this film a 9.5/10, such a great film, and I think just about anyone would enjoy it. Even if you aren't into films about history, or that take place during different times, there is enough thrill and heart in this film to keep anyone interested. 

Kiwi Film Review: Shakespeare In Love

IMDB: 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Roger Ebert: 4/4 Stars


Release Date: 25 December 1998

Stars: Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Geofrey Rush, Colin Firth, Ben Affleck, Judi Dench
Written By: Marc Norman, Tom Stoppard,
Directed By: John Madden

Described my IMDB as "Romantic comedy set in London in the late 16th century: Young playwright William Shakespeare struggles with his latest work "Romeo and Ethel the Pirate's Daughter". A great fan of Shakespeare's plays is young, wealthy Viola who is about to be married to the cold-hearted Lord Wessex, but constantly dreams of becoming an actress. Women were not allowed to act on stage at that time (female roles were played by men, too), but dressed up as a boy, Viola successfully auditions for the part of Romeo. Soon she and William are caught in a forbidden romance that provides rich inspiration for his play."


I'd like to start this review by saying how ashamed I am that I have not seen this film until tonight. It has definitely cemented itself into my favorites list. The romance, the tragedy, the passion. Its quite interesting to see William Shakespeare himself in a film. Its such a great story that you truely want it to be a true story, but alas, it is not. It would've given so much more life to the story and understanding of Shakespeare. Unfortunately we'll never truly know what the truth about the full life of Shakespeare(at least I think we won't, I'm sure some people know). I've always loved Shakespeare, who hasn't really, and I've always been curious about him. I guess because of all of those rumours that he was gay, but also because you really just want to know what kind of man could write the beautiful words that he wrote.


As for the film itself, so well done. A comedy and almost a tragedy itself, the list of actors is something to see. A brilliant cast, so the level of acting isn't exactly a surprise. The costumes were brilliant. I really need to look up a picture of Queen Elizabeth because in just about every film I've seen of her, she is portray pretty hideously, this film included. As much as I love Judi Dench, this isn't her most beautiful role, but she played it great. Before I go any further, I suppose I should mention the staggering 13 Academy Award nominations and 7 Academy Award wins including Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and Best Picture at the 1999 Oscars. Amazing! The writing was brilliant as well, I suppose they got a lot of support from Shakespeare's work itself, but still a great job. The love story between Viola(Paltrow) and Shakespeare(Fiennes) is so wonderful and sweet, but also so sad, and a perfect inspiration for Romeo & Juliet. Perfect for a story like this.

I give this film a 8.5/10. A solid film. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys a true love story. Unfortunately not enough males enjoy the passion of Shakespeare these days. Sad indeed.