WORTH A LOOK?: ****
OUT: Amazon Prime
Our story opens in 1990s Wolverhampton where 16-year-old Johanna Morrigan is an aspiring writer and dreams of escaping her council estate for a life in London.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
OUT now on Netflix
This film is well-timed because in the 65-year history of the Eurovision Song Contest it has been held annually apart from 2020 when Covid-19 caused its cancellation.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
RUNTIME: 105 minutes
OUT: 24/5/2019 (UK certificate 15)
Actress Beanie Feldstein (pictured right above) is actor Jonah Hill’s sister and stars next in the film adaptation of Caitlin Moran’s fine semi-autobiographical novel How To Build A Girl.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
RUNTIME: 121 minutes
OUT: 22/5/2019 (UK certificate 15)
We are living in a golden age of musical biopics being wonderfully realised by Hollywood and the director here, Dexter Fletcher, completed work on last year’s Oscar-winning Bohemian Rhapsody which will inevitably be compared with this.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
RUNTIME: 101 minutes
OUT?: 12/4/19
Lady Gaga won our Best TV/Film Actress monsta for A Star Is Born last year and her performance has been much compared with Jessie Buckley’s in this story of an aspiring country singer from Glasgow.
WORTH A LOOK?: *****
RUN TIME: 132 minutes
WHEN?: Released in the UK 25/1/19
Christian Bale reportedly gained 40 pounds rendering him almost unrecognisable to play former US Vice President Dick Cheney and for us this transformation and quiet, authoritative performance makes him the main rival to Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody) for this year’s Best Actor Oscar.
WORTH A LOOK?: ***
RUN TIME?: 111 minutes
WHEN?: Released in the UK 9/1/19
Colette might not be a name familiar to you but Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette was described shortly before her death in 1954 as ‘the greatest living French writer of fiction’.
WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2
WHEN?: Released UK-wide 01/02/19
The 76th Golden Globes are awarded at the Beverley Hilton, Beverley Hills in California on Sunday (6 January 2019) and this film is shortlisted for 5 (Best Film (Musical or Comedy), Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Screenplay).
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHEN?: Released UK-wide 01/01/19
It’s been an extraordinary year for Oscar-worthy Best Actress performances with Lady Gaga and Glenn Close leading the field – now joined by Olivia Colman who plays Queen Anne here.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
RUN TIME: 1 hour 40 minutes
WHEN?: released 28/9/18 (UK)
It’s very early days to be talking about the 2019 Oscars but the bookmakers have Glenn Close in the runner-up slot for this film behind Lady Gaga in the stellar A Star Is Born.
