By Cara Sulieman

BAFTA award winning director Kevin MacDonald has started filming his next Holywood epic in the north of Scotland – and are searching for locals to help star as extras.

The Eagle of the Ninth is based on a children’s book about the defeat of the Roman army in Scotland in 140 AD.

Big names such as Jamie Bell and Donald Sutherland star in the movie, which will also be filmed in Hungary.

MacDonald is teaming up with scriptwriter Jeremy Brock for the project after their success with the 2006 hit The Last King of Scotland which saw Forest Whitaker win best actor at the Oscars.

Television series

But now they are appealing for extras to star alongside Channing Tatum of G.I Joe fame and the other stars as they film scenes near Ullapool next month.

The book – which has the same name as the film – was written by Rosemary Sutcliff and published in 1954.

First in a series of books, it has since become a classic and was made into a television series by the BBC in 1977.

It tells the story of Marcus Aquila, a young centurion who comes to Scotland from Rome to solve the mystery of the disappearance of the Ninth Legion of the Roman Empire.

Macphail Centre

Produces by Film4 it is set to hit screens in 2010.

Tessa Ross, the head of Film4, said: “We’re incredibly excited to be working again with the wonderful Kevin Macdonald and his brilliant collaborators on this great project.”

The producers still need extras who are either men aged 16 – 45 or women aged 16 – 25 for the filming in October.

Casting for the roles will take place in the Macphail Centre in Ullapool tomorrow (SAT).

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

Last night, I simultaneously watched The Last King of Scotland and An Officer and a Gentleman.

I have a bad habit of watching one movie, if it’s on television, and another when the first movie goes on commercial. Both of these were on television (it was a good night for cable tv).

Last King is a phenomenal movie, if the Oscar the main actor won from it is anything to go by. I liked McAvoy too, but I’m always a fan of anyone who can play Tumnus with dignity (and he wasn’t too shabby in Wanted or Becoming Jane either). I left off at the point where they were torturing McAvoy, but I am so interested in the possible historical aspects of the movie that I will be watching it again. I think it highlighted Uganda in the same way that Hotel Rwanda did for Rwanda.

But, I haven’t seen Rwanda, so I could be wrong about that.

An Officer and a Gentleman was on my list, though, so I paid special attention to it. First, I would like to say that it’s the only movie that I’ve seen where Gere does not have gray hair. I was intrigued by that for about the first twenty minutes. I was kind of disappointed by the movie up until the last 45 minutes or so.

I am a HUGE 80s movie fan (oh, Breakfast Club, Breakfast Club, where for art thou, Breakfast Club?) and I did enjoy this movie. The ending, for all the sappy readers out there, was well worth it, but it had enough little twists and even a bit of foreshadowing that made it worthwhile. I’m not sure how accurate it is to how Navy basic works, but it was definitely interesting to see that aspect of it.

Don’t get me wrong, I am tired of basic training/army movies like everyone else, but a good one, one that seems to strike a terrifying chord of truth, still gets me. The drill sargeant in the movie, for awhile, reminded me of Major Payne, and that was disturbing, but he eventually fleshed out as a character (well, just a little).

Here’s my advice: if you don’t like a good 80s movie, don’t even try. But, if you are a secret sucker for happy endings and all things 80s, like me, then this movie is a good choice.

I think this is a movie I’m going to watch with my mom pretty soon.

Giles Foden lived in Uganda during the Idi Amin years, he went to live there after I had left. He wrote ‘The Last King of Scotland’ <a href=”book“> on which the award winning<a href=”film“> by the same name is based. It is a widely held belief that the doctor, Idi Amin’s personal physician, Nicholas Garrigan, is based on a real life character, usually Bob Astles. I have even read that the character is a composite of three real life characters, and it has been considered that 2 of ‘the carriers’ (the men carrying Idi Amin in the famous sedan chair image) may have been the others (my father included). The truth is, I think, that three main characters in the film are based on the three main characters in the book. You see film is not that close to the book!

There was no connection whatsoever between the character Nicholas Garrigan and my father in either the film or the book as indicated in one of the film reviews on Amazon:

‘I only learned after the fact that James McAvoy’s character is entirely fictional. This is a shame because the film might have made a superb primer to the history, culture and personality of the region had The Last King Of Scotland shown life in Amin’s government from the perspective from someone who had actually been there’

However, contrary to the above reviewer’s opinion, I do think that if you want to get an insight about how it actually felt to live in Uganda during that time, then the film and book really are good for that. The fear I felt watching the film was really like the fear I felt living in Uganda at that time.

Other reviews I have read of the film also support this view (see below).

As far as possible I would like to make this site factual, there is far too much sensationalism and exaggeration around Idi Amin and his killing machine. The truth and the facts are bad enough, no enhancement is necessary. The reason why I mention Giles Foden’s book and the film are purely for you to have an understanding of the ‘atmosphere’ of fear which existed at that time and what the country was like. As some of the reviews I have read have recognised:

‘this film has great scenery and characters and accurately depicts the clothes, buildings and vehicles of the time and place it is set’ and the film ‘brings 1970s Uganda to pulsating life, perfectly recreating that tumultuous era’.

I plan to write about the ‘experience’ of living in and being raised in Uganda before, during and in the aftermath of Idi Amin’s era over the next few years, using the oral histories of friends, family and acquaintances.

Henry Kyemba was a Minister in Amin’s government. He wrote an account <a href=”the book“>’A State of Blood’ based on his memories of the years 1972 – 1977. He fled Uganda before my father went missing, and there is no account from him on my fathers death. He notes that ‘The history of Uganda will be an oral one’ and that his book is ‘only a begining’. During the course of my research I will also contact Henry Kyemba, however I recommend his book to those of you who would wish to read a more factual account of the Amin era. If you read this book you will certainly come to understand that no embellishment or  sensationalism could make the bare facts more horrifying. As with the shocking truth about the holocaust, the truth about Idi Amin’s Killing Machine is, in its nakedness, far more frightening than fantasy. It the stuff of nightmares, and worse than what most normal people would be capable of imagining.

Henry Kyemba’s book  is out of print, there are only second hand editions available for sale (at over £50). You would be better requesting this book through your local library (ISBN: 0-441-78524-4). Isn’t it amazing how one can buy, new, the fiction (The last King of Scotland) for £4.99, yet the truth is almost unaffordable!

I have to also say, most importantly, that this was Uganda then. I have been back several times over the past few years, and Uganda is once again, the wonderful home land I missed so much for nearly 30 years. I actually feel safer there than in Bradford where I have worked during the last decade, before my illness in 2007.

I am sorry if the HTML links spoil this page’s appearance, but it is with very kind permission of WordPress that I am able to include these links to help my readers to easily find information I refer to. I am a new user of HTML and website/blog building and I am self-taught, so maybe in the future my skills will improve.

79th Annual Academy Awards-I took this photo.  I like it. It’s from my private collection.It’s one of my favorite candids.Copyright Carrie Kravetz

So I was looking at my blog posts and realized I hadn’t pasted a couple from Word….really dumb. So here goes:

So I wrote this after our discussion in class about the relationship between violence and sound. We were comparing the hook scene with Dr. Garrigan with the scene where the doctor who saved him was shot in the head as well as with the dismembered remains of Kay. The hook scene was a very drawn out torture scene where we are experiencing in some way Nicholas’s pain. The fat that Garrigan does not scream at all during the scene makes the viewer cringe even more because we are experiencing the pain for him. I feel that if they had Garrigan screaming, the scene would not have been as powerful: it would have been a typical violent scene. We did not need the audio in this case: the visual was gruesome enough.

If we look at the head shot scene, there was nothing that signaled to us what was going to happen. The doctor could have easily been let go or beaten up badly. The whole aspect of the scene that made people jump out of their seats, as compared to Garrigan’s gruesome torture, was the fact that we did not know he was going to be shot. I know I definitely jumped and gasped a little, but I eventually got over it. However, Garrigan’s torture sene was hard for me to get over, and the second time we saw it in class, I could not even watch it. 

The scene where Garrigan goes to see Kay’s body: we feel different here only because the scene is bulding up to something we are not prepared for. I feel that the viewer knew something was coming, but what? We knew she was in the hospital but I don’t think we knew she was going to be brutally torn apart and displayed as an example (at least I didn’t realize it). Compared to the hook scene: one we are taken through a drawn out torture scene and the other we are taken through a drawn-out pre-torture scene, making it more gruesome.

I just saw a movie, called the last king of scotland…its got nothing to do with scotland..its abt the situation in uganda..u know ppl getting killed by the military regime etc.. anyways.. i dont know why im writing a post, but everytime i watch a movie like that.. i cant seem to sleep.. its like there is just constant bloodshed in some part of africa as i type.. i saw blood diamond, i saw lord of war, i saw hotel rwanda, i read abt darfur, abt seirra leone, abt somalia , abt ethopia.libya, zimbabwe.now uganda..last time i checked there were armed pirates off the coast of africa.. the following is the latest.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/04/19/pirate.attack.foiled/
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gwSsNCM8hp3SaL1y08XKZKHFKJOAD97LMK8G0

for the last few years ive been reading, watching, hearing…but, what am i supposed to do? just make a blog out of my opinions? . some south african whitey tossed a black man in a lion’s cage.. :-O

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7574362.stm

interesting read isnt it? yea, ill probably quote it in some drunk conversation with my friends…is that what im supposed to do? the frustrating thing is, that while we are bound with work, college etc , i cant seem to think how i can do ANYTHING to help.. im stumped.. so i just do what i usually do, write in my bloody diary..or at best make a blogpost.. u know one of my friends believes that i have a serious issue ..that i cant come to terms with reality.. he is probably right.. if i was wired like most other people are it wud be so much better, u know ignorance is bliss.. atleast i wudnt be sitting up all night writing random things and mailing it to random people…saves so much energy.. i hate myself for having these righteous fits.. and to be completely honest with you guys i hate myself for actually giving a shit.. i mean, some people accept the world as it is (god knows i wish to be amongst those lot)..but even if i trick myself into believing “this is how it is”…i cant sleep. u know everyone has a weakness, and i guess mine is that i have hope. just a random rant..with no aim … just saying all i have to , and passing it on.. adios

P.S.: Sorry about the punctuation and all.

        “Och, I’m looking for the Idi Amin tartan, please.”  (Market day, western Uganda)

It is said that lazy foreign correspondents gauge a country’s mood by chatting with taxi drivers. Given that taxi drivers spend almost as much time chatting with locals as bartenders and barbers, their feelings probably are somewhat of a barometer of a nation’s opinions and it’s an easy trap in which to fall.

I must confess that I’ve probably learned more about world affairs from taxi drivers than from CNN Bureau Chiefs. An Eritrean driver in Toronto taught me all about that country’s brutal independence struggle against Ethiopia, while an Iranian in Melbourne related what it was like to be a westernised bank manager in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution. But as fascinating as those conversations were, probably the single most memorable of all came in Uganda.

Kampala’s international airport is located on the shores of Lake Victoria in nearby Entebbe. To any student of history, Entebbe is synonymous with a 1976 act of terrorism when a hijacked Air France Airbus was directed there after sympathetic Ugandan dictator Idi Amin Dada promised safety to its Palestinian and German hijackers. After several days during which all non-Jewish hostages were released, Israel launched a daring commando raid and safely rescued almost all the hostages.

It was early morning when my aircraft swept in over the impossibly blue lake. I strolled into a new terminal building but as my taxi drove away, we passed the old building now overgrown, falling apart and still pockmarked by the raid’s bullets. When my head swivelled to get a better look, the cabbie noticed my interest.

“Over there is the plane,” he said, his eyes making contact with mine in the rear-view mirror. The Air France livery was sun-bleached to nothing, and the aircraft had been picked-apart to remove anything of use or value. The area around it was overgrown with weeds and grass but it seemingly sat as an unintended monument to one of the world’s most famous acts of terrorism…and to an infamous Ugandan dictator.

Even before Giles Foden’s novel and Oscar-winning movie “The Last King of Scotland”, Idi Amin’s name was synonymous with a blood-thirsty – if slightly buffoonish – dictator. Amin rose to power in a coup in 1971 and soon reaped a reign of terror that included human rights abuses, political repression, murder and war. Amnesty International estimated he was responsible for as many as 500,000 Ugandan deaths while former colleagues claimed he indulged in cannibalism. By the time of his death in exile in Saudi Arabia in 2003, Amin’s place in history as one of the world’s most feared tyrants was complete.

My driver tutted as we drove past.

“I wish we had him now,” he muttered quietly.

“Amin?” I asked, trying not to let my incredulity show at his confessed support for a man that most of the world still considers a monster.

“Yes, Amin” he said. “We wouldn’t have the problems that we’ve got now. There was law and order here. People had jobs. We were powerful. Now we have terrorists in the north and AIDS everywhere. It wouldn’t have happened under Amin.”

For once I was at a loss for words and quietly stared at the passing scenery. Perhaps a tabloid journalist would have reported that Uganda “longs for return of strong man”, but during the following weeks I spent in the East African country, his was the lone voice of support I heard.

Most likely, he was not alone but just like the London taxi driver who believed that Milli Vanilli were musical geniuses who were framed, he was certainly in the minority.

Photo and post by: Simon Vaughan © 2009

The Last King of Scotland is intense.  Forest Whitaker gives an amazing and convincing portrayal of the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, which earned him an Academy Award.  It has a culpable tension that attracts, educates, and entertains, but it has irregular pacing that is jumpy and erratic, especially in the middle.  This film is an inspired attempt to introduce the reality of Amin’s reign to new audiences, and even if you are not interested in the political/historical content, this performance is worth of your time.  (4/5)

In perusing the Vanity Fair Africa issue for class, I couldnt help but notice a little irregularity with Kate Moss with regards to her skin color. I sat back, N i wondered, N i wondered. Y the fuck is she hella black. I feel confident when I assume all those who noted the BlackFacededness of Ms Moss where at least slightly offended. I know I was. Pretty offended indeed.
But when is blackface not offensive. Moreover, I find myself still slightly offended by Forest Whitaker being in BlackFace in order to properly portray Idi Amin in Last King of Scotland. But, at the same time, im not nearly as offended as I was with Moss and I do understand y he needed to do that in order to play the role. This leaves me with a problematic. A question. When can BlackFace be devoid of the connotations and history of BlackFace?

We have seen this one, and understood the beauty in his acting and his portrayal of Amin. But can u seperate that from his untrue skincolor.

But were you thinking about this at the time?
I mean I could tell the whole time that his complexion was faulty. In fact, it made me look at all the other characters in the movie and judge his “blackness” again all the other skin tones. It took away a good deal, for me, from my ability to understand Whitaker as Amin.

Versus this.

What do other ppl think?

on a lighter note, do you find him offensive as a Klingon?

Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) & Sarah Merritt (Gillian Anderson)

Sarah Merritt: I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but–

Nicholas Garrigan: Yeah?

Sarah: You seem an unlikely candidate for this kind of work.

Nicholas: Why? Because I don’t wear socks and sandals?

Sarah: Touche.

Nicholas: I still want to make a difference, you know.

Sarah: Really?

Nicholas: Yes, really. A bit of fun too though, a bit of adventure, something different.

Sarah: That’s a lot of things.

Nicholas: Is it?

It seems that Nicholas Garrigan is the prime example of the African Adventurer described in the first chapter of Ruth Mayer’s Artificial Africas (26). He loses control when he first becomes Idi Amin’s (played by Forest Whitaker) physician, but as the trick translator he is able to gain it back when he returns home to Europe. We see evidence of his trickster nature in the way that he first secures Amin’s trust by relieving him of gas that the leader thought was fatal poisoning. This is akin to what Mayer describes as the conflation of technology and magic- Garrigan’s basic training is marveled at by Amin (Mayer, 29). Moreover, the illicit relationship with Amin’s wife, Kay, played by Kerry Washington, is another trick played upon Amin, the representative African.

As Amin gains control, Garrigan loses it, but his escape is his ultimate trick- though in this he was aided by Dr. Junju played by David Oyelowo. At the end, Garrigan is represented as a hero- the only one who can report to the rest of the world what is going on in Uganda, for this is a task for which Ugandans are not capable as implied by Dr. Junju. “Go home. Tell the truth about Amin. They will believe you. You are a white man.”

We mentioned in class that James McAvoy is not George Clooney; he is not the super star. Why would Kay, played by Kerry Washington, risk everything for him? Why would Amin choose this average Scotsman to be in his inner circle? I wonder if this means that in Africa Garrigan was special enough? Was he charismatic enough, for Africa anyway?

Like katrina12 said in her post,

“Alphabetical Africa” communicates the power of  those who represent or create representation for a people-group or a place.”

I was thinking about this part of the second chapter N in Alphabetical Africa (p 117)

“Every inch the diplomat, he addresses his end…He knows Africans are easily moved by an emotional appeal…French Consul, after all, is a master at conveying his distress by lifting an eyebrow…”

In The Last King of Scotland, the most striking thing in this movie for me was Amin’s power over people through his speech. It did not matter that what he was saying was not true or just.  The way he said it convinced the listeners to think as he would like them to. For example, in the press conference scene, I couldn’t help but smile as Amin spoke. The way he used language, linking Europe’s disdain for him to the apartheid, the way he inserted humour at the right points in his speech, almost made me believe that  what he was saying (that Uganda was in perfect order, that the people “were driving big cars and eating beef”)  was true, despite what I had been shown in the movie. I couldn’t help but draw a parallel between that paragraph and Idi Amin’s press conference. In the book, that scene is even more peculiar: the French consul is able to communicate the same message to the people despite the loss of a common language (and dictionary as the book puts it). Idi Amin successfully secures public opinion for himself (albeit for a short time) through his power to communicate his views to the relevant people. Amin is a “successful” dictator because he indeed dictates to people: what they should feel about his country in relation to others (in the press conference), the decisions they should make (in making Garrigan stay).

I find that communication and the power to communicate are very striking, because of the close link between communication and representation. The power to communicate effectively, and thus give a specific representation of oneself, ultimately gives one power, as Idi Amin proved (in the movie, and in real life).

Today, on my first day back home from university, I ventured to the local shopping centre, in search of suitable gifts for my mother. As per usual, my travels took me to HMV where, having found two appropriate DVDs (Brief Encounter, The Last King Of Scotland), I had a scout around the rapidly dwindling music section, in search of some CDs. Predictably, I didn’t find what I was looking for, but it did stir in me the desire to list the next batch of new albums that I’m looking forward to gaining possession of – hopefully by fully legal means, in this new era of Spotify et al!

• The Decemberists – The Hazards Of Love. As I write this, I’m listening to the band performing this album, in its entirety, at SXSW, on a specially prepared NPR Podcast, and it sounds intriguing, ambitious and enthralling.
• The Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz! Reviews for this seem to remark upon the band’s current flirting with slower, more electronic songs. For me, it’s the latest opportunity to hear an example of Dave Sitek’s mind-bending production methods.
• Doves – Kingdom Of Rust. Right now, I have a fixation with the album-opener, Jetstream, which sounds like Krautrock crossed with Vangelis. This album could be absolutely tremendous, marking a change of fortunes for the three-piece in the same vein as the good luck that befell Elbow, last year.
• Dan Deacon – Bromst. Having devoted half an hour to the recent Pitchfork.tv documentary about the making of this album, it sounds like a suspiciously important work, pushing Deacon’s compositional skills into a new arena of production values and live, organic orchestration.
• Art Brut – Art Brut vs. Satan. I’ve never really got into Art Brut, believing them to be yet another punky British band like all the others that I despise. But the curiously admiring reviews their albums have received may persuade me to check out their third long-player in greater detail.
• Sonic Youth – The Eternal. New Sonic Youth albums are never going to re-invent the wheel in the same manner as Daydream Nation, but the chances are that it’ll be a cohesive, engaging collection of songs that add further credence to my unerring belief in their brilliance and importance.

A new paper by Partnership Africa Canada, a nonprofit organization, titled Zimbabwe, Diamonds and the Wrong Side of History provides deep insight into the diamond industry in Zimbabwe.

In reading the article, I was very much reminded of images from The Last King of Scotland, which I watched only recently. The most shocking thing about the movie is that the bloodshed in Africa in the 1970’s is still going on today. Though the leadership may be different, the root causes of violence remain the same. Read the report to learn about the devasting impact of the Mugabe regime.

The government of Zimbabwe has taken control of the mines in order to control the wealth of the country. In 2008, national exports from platinum and diamonds amounted to more than $500 million and this figure is rising. Platinum is the largest export of the country. The jewelry industry plays an important role in the stability of Zimbabwe.

“Zimbabwe is in a humanitarian crisis as a result of a political crisis.” – Human Rights Watch report

IMDB:  Last King of Scotland

“Based on the events of the brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin’s regime as seen by his personal physician during the 1970s “

Although the events are factual regarding Idi Amin’s life, the physician is a fictitious character.

I am not a historian, but I can tell you that this drama was gripping and the acting was well done.  I am a huge fan of Forest Whitaker and movies like this is just the reason why.  To play such a brutal man with such vigor must have been hard on Whitaker.  I cannot imagine how exhausting it must have been.

I am not familiar with the work of James McAvoy who played the part of physician Dr. Garrigan.  However, I believe I will be picking up other movies of his just to compare.  He had a believable presence.  While watching him I was as nervous as he was.

Per Wiki:  The Last King of Scotland

Historical accuracy

While the character of Idi Amin and the events surrounding him in the movie are mostly factual, Garrigan is a fictional character. His story is loosely based on events in the life of English-born Bob Astles. Like the novel on which it is based, the film mixes fiction with real events in Ugandan history to give an impression of Amin and Uganda under his authoritarian rule. While the basic events of Amin’s life are followed, the film often departs from actual history in the details of particular events.

In real life and in the book, Kay Amin was made pregnant by her lover Dr. Mbalu Mukasa, not by Astles (or Garrigan.) She died during a botched abortion operation by Mukasa, who subsequently committed suicide. Kay’s body was mutilated on Amin’s orders, in the manner shown in the film. Amin never had a son named Campbell.

The film condenses the time frame of events. For example, Amin expelled the Indians and South Asians in 1972. The airplane hijacking took place in 1976. In the film they appear to occur closer in time.

Despite the wording of the film’s coda, three hostages died during Operation Entebbe. The film makers may have chosen to state that the Israeli Special Forces team “liberated all but one of the hostages” because they recovered the bodies of the airport casualties. The body of a fourth hostage, 75-year-old Dora Bloch, who was killed later by Ugandan army officers at a hospital.

Many of the Ugandan landmarks seen in the movie did not exist in the 1970s.

Great movie.  Watch it and tell me what you think.

Ciao.

Q. Why did the Belgian chicken cross the road? A. Because there's fuck-all else to do in Bruges

What an incredible year my colleagues at Film4 have had since Last King of Scotland picked up an Oscar (and two BAFTAs). Last night at the Golden Globes of the 14 movie awards 6 went to Film4 productions:

• BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA 
Slumdog Millionaire
• BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
 Colin Farrell, In Bruges
• BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
 Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
• BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
 Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
• BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE 
Slumdog Millionaire
• BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE 
Slumdog Millionaire

Add to that movies like Hunger which already has picked up a shedload of silverware (20 so far including the Camera d’Or at Cannes, which I acknowledge is not technically silverware) and Garage, a landmark in Irish cinema. Irish and Waiting Around has been something of a theme this year (Garage, Hunger, In Bruges). And let’s not forget A Complete History of My Sexual Failures made by Chris Waitt, an alumnus of 4Talent.

Film4 may not be huge but they’re perfectly formed, add a great deal to the UK film industry and – like Channel 4 as a whole – punch well above their weight. “Our organization is small, but we have a lot of opportunities for aggressive expansion.”

…which brings us neatly from a great night to a Dark Knight: I have to agree with Maggie Gyllenhall’s analysis of Heath Ledger’s win in the Best Supporting Actor category: “Our movie I think is great, but I think he elevated it to a completely different place.” Without a doubt, performance of the year.

Why so serious?

UPDATE 15.i.09 08:15

BAFTA nominations just announced. Film4 picked up 3 of the 5 nominations for Outstanding British Film (In Bruges, Slumdog Millionaire, Hunger); Slumdog got most nominations (equal with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button); and, of course, Slumdog is up there for Best Film and Best Director.

Good to see Kate Winslet pitted against herself in Best Actress category – you can see the speech already: “I’m so sorry, Anne, Meryl, Kristin, …oh god, who’s the other one? Me!”

Now THAT speech, it bears some anaylsis… “I’m so sorry [unconvincing (for such an experienced actress) self-deprecation] Anne, Meryl, Kristin, …oh god, who’s the other one? [what a bitch, eh? sub-text: I know full well who the other sexiest one is] Angelina! this is… ok… now, forgive me …gather [sub-text: I've been to drama school]. Is this really happening? OK, erm… I’m going to try and do this on the cuff, ok [so OFF the cuff I get the phrase wrong] – Thank you so much. Thank you so much! [sub-text: I really do need a good script-writer, I've nothing substantial to say myself] Oh god! {applause} Please wrap up, you have no idea how I’m not wrapping up! [sub-text: stop clapping, I need to wrestle control back, I'm not fucking finished!] Ok, gather…”

UPDATE 17.i.09

I’ve just gotten round to watching the end of The Reader. Having given Kate Winslet a hard time above, I have to confess it is an excellent performance, well worthy of awards. But the film itself has left me with nagging doubts, two in particular. Most of the UK critics praised it highly but I noticed two exceptions, strangely enough by two people I went to school with. Pete Bradshaw of The Guardian expressed strong doubts (from memory, the review I read on the way back from Ireland after the new year gave it one star). Mark Kermode subsequently spoke of his reservations on the weekly film review show he does with Simon Mayo on BBC Radio 5.

The implication of the film – in the trial of Hanna Schmidz – is that she left Siemens to join the SS because she had been offered a promotion which would have exposed her illiteracy. The same happened to her at the tram company after the war – she runs away when a promotion to office work is offered. What is this saying? The film comes to (and this is no easy feat) create a degree of sympathy for Hanna, a guard at Auschwitz for the SS. Is it saying because she was illiterate, disadvantaged, perhaps a touch simple it explains her role in the war? That reminds me of an experience I had in Austria in the 80s.

I was on a scholarship studying the artist Egon Schiele (to whom my attention had first been drawn by David Bowie on the radio). I went to the small village on the outskirts of Vienna to find his studio. I knew it had been up a small lane but had difficulty finding it. I asked an old man I met on the street and first he hushed me, indicating that the name Egon Schiele was still a dirty word in the village 70 odd years after his ‘artistic’ behaviour had scandalised the place. Then he brought me into a bar, bought me a white wine and launched into an apology (in the sense of ‘explanation’) for Austria’s take up of Nazism. We were poor, hungry, illiterate…

It didn’t wash then and it doesn’t in the film either. The other thing I didn’t buy was that the daughter who had been in Auschwitz as a child with her mother would keep a memento (Hanna’s tin) of a concentration camp guard, least of all by a photo of her murdered family. There’s something being underestimated there.

Now I’m not sure what comes from the David Hare screenplay and what from Bernard Schlink’s source novel (Der Vorleser) but the tin and the flight to the SS from the Siemens promotion both give me the impression that Schlink (or Hare, but I suspect the former) was letting Germany off the hook too easily – ignorance is no excuse and forgiveness doesn’t come that easy.

For all that, it’s still a very well made and compelling movie. Ralph Fiennes’ performance is on a par with Kate Winslet. Ironically the one time I met and spoke to him, in the bar at the Almeida in Islington, he had just played the fiendish Amon Goeth in Schindler’s List. David Kross who plays Fiennes’ character, Michael Berg, when young is also excellent. The film was part-shot by my old boss Roger Deakins (who shared the gig with fellow Brit Chris Menges) and it certainly looks great too. Well worth watching but there’s something dubious to be read between the lines.

Update 22.i.09:

This lunchtime this year’s Oscar nominations have been announced and Channel 4’s Film4 has received 12 (yes, 12!) nominations:

Slumdog Millionaire

· Cinematography

· Directing

· Film editing

· Original score

· Original song – “Jai Ho”

· Original song – “O Saya”

· Best picture

· Sound editing

· Sound mixing

· Adapted screenplay

In Bruges

· Original screenplay

Happy-Go-Lucky

· Original screenplay

IMDb. Wikipedia. Fox Searchlight.

This 2007 film is about a Scottish doctor who goes to Ugandan and gets wrapped up with dictator Idi Amin.

Forest Whitaker won the Oscar for this film for playing the charming but paranoid Amin and the award was well deserved. Really great acting and a really colorful character. General Amin is a real historical figure but the movie takes dramatic license of course.

Here’s a picture of the real General Idi Amin with OG bling:

Dude was a hoot and a holler I tell you what.

The tone of the film starts out with caring humanitarianism, transitions to freewheeling 70s partying and builds tension through to the violent climax. The film is about power, excess, paranoia and betrayal.

Content rating: 7.5/10

Style rating: 5/10

Now before you go, “Wow she really knows how to live on a Saturday!” I must say I do occasionally enjoy being a loner, and that’s what I did on Saturday. After digging around the fridge and realizing I had the makings of a delicious Naan pizza (I’m totally obsessed with garlic Naan), which could of also been eaten raw! Yum!, I settled down to watch the uplifting movie Last King of Scotland.

Too much of a good time perhaps?

I cranked my TV up to an astounding 25 on the volume scale to drown out all the Bellingham socialites drunkenly jaywalking, slamming on their car breaks to miss them, thinly veiled shouts of violence and last call tomfoolery, however it did not shield me from the flashing lights of law enforcement, or so I thought was law enforcement…

Within a second I paused my movie and leapt to the window expecting to see the cops taser a belligerent fool (I’ve seen that happen from my bedroom window, already on Railroad). Nope, it’s a fire truck and ambulance outside of the Royal. Oh Royal, you and your ceaseless weekend entertainment. So after 15 minutes of taking pictures of this mess, they wheel the person out on stretcher. Besides whatever happened to this person I’m sure it didn’t help to be surrounded by drunken people, which had crowded around the block, so I snap a few more pictures. A hell of a mess indeed.

Makes me wish I was sitting in the window sipping on a glass of wine AND snapping pictures.

Stay classy Railroad and Holly, stay classy.

Yes, I really know how to have a Saturday night. 

And, yes, Last King of Scotland is a great (although disturbing) movie.

So it’s summer time and for those who rather stay in air-conditioned homes, here are some reading suggestions. They are not new so chances are you might have already read them, that’s why I’m listing out books that are good for re-reading. If you haven’t read them, you should. If you have, you would most likely agree on the fact that they are those who worth the time to be re-read.

Poppy Shakespeare by Clare Allan: You are probably wondering; “Wait, isn’t that a movie shown on Channel 4 starring Anna Maxwell Martin (Doctor Who, Becoming Jane) and Naomie Harris (28 Days Later, Pirates of the Caribbean, Miami Vice) from the producers of The Last King of Scotland ? Yes, and if you liked this laid-back fun TV movie directed by Benjamin Ross, chances are you are going to like the original more-in-depth novel. As the Guardian put it; “Catch-22 meets One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest…an electrifying debut…surreal, raucous, infuriating and very funny.”

Author preferred text version of American Gods by Neil Gaiman: I don’t think I need to say much about this one. It’s good, it’s grand and you’ve probably read it. Winner of the HUGO, NEBULA, BRAM STOKER, SFX and LOCUS awards, has written this novel of large themes with rich imagination. If you fell in loved with the novel, you might want to try the author’s preferred text. This version of American Gods is about twelve thousand words longer than the on that won all the awards, and it’s the version of which Gaiman is the most proud. Indulge yourself with this untrimmed version of American Gods this summer with a glass of long island iced tea!