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Sunday, December 18, 2011

HOLLYWOOD SPY'S SPOTLIGHT ON OSCAR SEASON FILMS: "FLOWERS OF WAR" WITH CHRISTIAN BALE AND "ALBERT NOBBS" WITH GLENN CLOSE

The season of Golden Globes, Oscars and other movie awards is just ahead of us, bringing us many great dramas with terrific performances, and today you can check out a spotlight on two
of the films which might score big at these ceremonies.

THE FLOWERS OF WAR
A movie adaptation of Geling Yan's book 13 FLOWERS OF NANJING, China's candidate for 2012 Oscars THE FLOWERS OF WAR is set in 1937, when Nanking stands at the forefront of a war between China and Japan. As the invading Japanese Imperial Army overruns China’s capital city, desperate civilians seek refuge behind the nominally protective walls of a western cathedral. Here, John Miller (CHRISTIAN BALE), an American trapped amidst the chaos of battle and the ensuing occupation takes shelter, joined
by a group of innocent schoolgirls and thirteen courtesans, equally determined to escape the horrors taking place outside the church walls. Struggling to survive the violence and persecution wrought
by the Japanese army, it is an act of heroism which eventually leads the seemingly disparate group to fight back, risking their lives for the sake of everyone. Through treacherous surroundings and facing unimaginable evil, THE FLOWERS OF WAR, inspired by true life events, manages to tell a genuine story of hope, love and sacrifice. With nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, fate always has a way of bringing the most unlikely heroes together.
 FLOWERS TIDBITS
The film is currently in US cinemas! With the budget of $90 million it is one of China's most expensive films ever. It is directed by famous genius Zhang Yimou best known for his amazing epics HERO, HOUSE OF  FLYING DAGGERS and my personal favourite CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER. It took 164 days, 18 hours a day, to shoot this epic.

ALBERT NOBBS
One of the films which amazed us all with Glenn Close's stunning transformation, is certainly ALBERT NOBBS which might bring the great actress an Oscar she has never, believe it or not,
gotten so far (she was nominated five times, though)! Hitting cinemas next January, this period drama will have legendary Glenn Close in the role of a woman passing as a man in order to work and survive in 19th century Ireland. Some thirty years after donning men's clothing, she finds herself trapped in a prison of her own making. Quite a stunning cast also includes young Aaron Johnson, the new count Vronski in ANNA KARENINA, amazing Maria Doyle Kennedy, whose magnificent portrayal of queen Catherine of Aragon in THE TUDORS we still remember, and two ultra talented Irish thespians Brendan Gleeson and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
ALBERT NOBBS TIDBITS
The film hits cinemas January 27th. It is interesting that the first two actors to be offered the role in the film were Amanda Seyfried and Orlando Bloom, but after they've backed out, the roles were given to much weaker Aaron Johnson and extremely cold Mia Wasikowska.

20 comments:

  1. I will probably check out Flowers of War, but i don't have any interest in Albert Nobbs

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  2. ahahah, Debs, I knew I should expect that from you :PP

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  3. @Dirty
    FLOWERS should be really powerful, I have faith in the director and in our Chinese brothers and sisters!

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  4. Nobbs looks meh and Flowers does look decent but we shall see. Most Oscar stuff are stick up their bum type movie anyway, but every now and then there are a few good ones.

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  5. The Flowers vid doesn't show. It has a message saying that the owners acct has been closed due to multiple copyright infringements. But just based on your writ-up it looks great. I didn't know Glenn Close hadn't won an Oscar. Very wrong, that. I'm gonna be hard on the Nob film. They better have the history right and they better have the accents right or it'll piss me off. I'm hoping they do it right though, that would be grand.

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  6. Two really intriguing films. I'm looking forward to them both. Glenn Close has always kind of bothered me (not sure why), but I do think it's a shame she hasn't won an Oscar yet. This film will probably do it for her.

    Love you holiday outfit too. :)

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  7. I saw the trailer of Flowers of War it looks really cool I think this will probably be one Christian Bale's best movies.

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  8. Hi Dez these films sounds so good,I love Albert Nobbs trailer:)

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  9. I'm with Gloria...I bet Albert Nobbs will be fabulous! Have a great day, Dez!

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  10. Albert does look so intriguing. Can't wait until it comes out.

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  11. Both of these films looks absolutely stunning. I am definitely putting them high on my must see list. Awesome spotlight, my darling. :)

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  12. @Pat
    yep, Oscars are most often given to undeserving people, and undeserving films, hope this year we will see some justice at least in the acting categories

    @Anne
    I've changed the video in the meantime :) I'm also preparing a poll on actors who shockingly never got an Oscar, you will be shocked with the names in it

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  13. @Luanne
    you, know, I know what you mean :) There is something a bit irritating about her, not sure what, but she managed to win me over with her two outstanding, mindblowing roles - as Jeremy Irons sister in HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS, next to Meryl Streep, and above all with her role in LION IN WINTER mini series with Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, a project you would, more than other, adore, since it's a marvelous, probably the best ever, epic drama set in the life of King Henry 2

    @Tamezis
    it is quite possible :)

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  14. @Gloria
    glad you liked it, Gloria, it seems like such an original story and I'm sure it will be very interesting to watch especially with the cast and Glenn in the lead role

    @Lizzy
    thanks Lizzy, hope you Christmas baking is going on nicely, I'll be happy to lend you a hand if you send a jet to come and pick me up :)

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  15. @Clarissa
    glad you liked it, Clarissa!

    @Melsy
    and they are perfect for this season, aren't they? :)

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  16. i seems the movies carry a lot of irony in it the name makes it sound so.

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  17. Ow wow!!! I can't wait to see Flowers of wars!! awesome trailer. I should start writing my most anticipated movies of 2012 soon....this will be one of them.

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  18. FLOWERS OF WAR have already been released in USA, but I don't know when will they hit cinemas in your part of the world :)

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