Daniel Day Lewis Page 7

Daniel Day-Lewis could now consider himself to be the greatest actor in the modern era as he became the first person to win three Best Actor Oscars for his role as President Abraham Lincoln in the film Lincoln.

The Brit thespian managed to continue his run of success over awards season, with the Oscar win his 18th award for his portrayal as the 16th US president; a run of success that has included wins at the BAFTAs, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards too. 

The win places Day-Lewis above Marlon Brando, Dustin Hoffman, Tom Hanks and Jack Nicholson - who presented the award for Best Film (won by Argo) alongside First Lady Michelle Obama - as the most successful male in Oscars history. The renowned method actor previously won the award for his roles in My Left Foot in 1990 and for There Will Be Blood in 2008, having being nominated for the award five times in total.

Continue reading: Daniel Day-Lewis Etches Himself Into Oscar Folklore With Historic Third Best Actor Win

There were few curve balls thrown at last night's Academy Awards ceremony, with the early favourites for the top prizes walking away from the show clutching a gold statuette.

Jennifer Lawrence and Christoph Waltz celebrating their Oscars wins

Continue reading: Oscar Winners 2013: Few Surprises As The Favourites Argo, Daniel Day-Lewis And Jennifer Lawrence Take Away Glory

Very few things in life go off without a hitch, and while last night's Oscar was an utter triumph there were a few blunder and trips (literally) along the way. Meryl Streep surprised everyone when it appeared she didn't even need to open the envelope of Best Actor to know Daniel Day-Lewis had won, and Jennifer Lawrence (perhaps amid the shock of her Oscar Win for Best Actress) tripped up the stairs on the way to collect her award. 

Speaking about Streep's blunder, Oscar Director Don Mischer told EW about his surprise as well. "[S]he threw me for a loop!" he exclaimed. "I want to see the envelope opening up as I'm coming out of the film clip. She must have opened it up during the film clip. That kind of threw me. There was a technical hitch right there. I like to cut to these boxes where you see everybody and the winner pops up full. She said the winner before we could ever blow up the box with the winner!" 

Jennifer Lawrence is endearingly earnest in interviews and when it comes to awards shows she can't leave without having done something to talk about. At the Globes this year she said "I beat Meryl!" which everyone misunderstood, and at the SAG awards there was another misunderstanding when it appeared her dress had ripped, where it was in fact part of the design. Tripping up the stairs though, that's something that can't be mistaken. Of that, Mischer said: "I was really happy when we realized she was not hurt and could survive the whole thing, get up there and react. It was quick and painless. Those are the things that happen with live television!"  

Continue reading: The Inevitable Oscar Blunders: Meryl Streep And Jennifer Lawrence Awards Night Mistakes

Anyone who bet against Daniel Day Lewis – you are a bad, bad person. Either that or the guy who hired to fix it didn’t do his job. Anyway, it’s DDL’s night for his turn as Abraham Lincoln. This makes Lewis the first man to win three awards in the Best Actor category.

Collecting the award, Lewis said, “I really don’t know how any of this happened. I do know that I perceived so much more than my fair share of good fortune in my life. And I’m so grateful to the academy for this honor. It’s a strange thing because three years ago, before we decided to do a straight swap, I had actually been committed to play Margaret Thatcher. And Meryl was Steven’s first choice for Lincoln, and I’d like to see that version. Steven didn’t have to persuade me play Lincoln, but had to persuade him that perhaps if I was going to do it, that Lincoln shouldn’t be a musical.” Lincoln is also the favorite to win Best Picture, which will be announced shortly, but that one isn’t as clear-cut as Best Actor. Argo mounted a late surge for the gong, and should it win, no one will begrudge the film’s deserved success.

Continue reading: Oscars 2013: No Surprises As Daniel Day Lewis Takes Best Actor For Lincoln

Yesterday evening (Feb 19) the voting for the 85th Annual Academy Awards came to a close, with over 5,800 movie insiders and members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences casting their vote on the 24 Oscar categories since February 8 until 5 pm PST last night.

This year marked the first time in the 85-year history of the Oscars that Academy members have been able to go online to cast their vote, with the votes heading over to private accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, who tally up the votes and deliver the golden envelopes on February 24. This year also saw another first, in that the two main contenders for Best Picture, Lincoln and Argo, have had up to $10 million spent on them in the past weeks in a bid to push for their place of the top prize.

The Los Angeles Times estimated that Warner Bros., the studio behind Argo, and Walt Disney Co, which is distributing Lincoln, have gone well into eight-figures over the past few weeks as they seek out Oscar glory. Having won the top prize at the BAFTAs, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards, Ben Affleck's Iranian hostage drama is looking like the top contender for the night's big prize, but the film is by no means out of the woods just yet as Lincoln is proving to be a tightly matched contender for the top prize.  And with 12 nominations in total, it's also the film with the most nods from the Academy.

Continue reading: Argo Or Lincoln? Oscar Voting Closes Amidst Multi-Million Spending Campaigns

Academy Award invites who don't end up taking an Oscar home on Sunday evening (February 24, 2013) shouldn't despair, for nobody will be going home empty handed! Los Angeles-based marketing firm Distinctive Assets will once again be handing out its annual $45,000 'Everyone Wins At The Oscars Nominee Gift Bag' to all the 'losers,' according to Reuters.

Among the items in the lavish gift bags are HOLIDAYS TO AUSTRALIA, HAWAII and MEXICO, personal training sessions, condoms, a bottle of tequila, exclusive tennis shoes, appointments for injectable fillers, portion controlled dinnerware, an under-the-counter water filtration system, acupuncture and aromatherapy sessions, a one week stay at a fitness and weight loss retreat and a one-year membership to London Heathrow Airport's private VIP service. The company is not endorsed by the Academy though has been creating consolation goodie bags for 11 years, delivered directly to the losing nominees through agents and publicists. The alternate gift bags have gained enhanced publicity in recent years, after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences stopped its practice of giving luxury baskets to presenters and performers in 2007 after it came under close scrutiny from U.S. tax authorities. Celebrities who receive gifts and free tips at awards shows are expected to declare them to the Inland Revenue Service as income. 

The Academy Awards will be handed out at a ceremony in Hollywood on Sunday. Daniel Day-Lewis, Jennifer Lawrence and Ben Affleck's Argo are expected to win the major prizes - though the losers probably won't feel too bad, either.

As has been speculated time and time again over the past month, the one sure bet at the Oscars on Sunday (February 24, 2014) is that Daniel Day-Lewis will take home the award for Best Actor for his career best performance as U.S. President Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed biopic. The legendary British actor is yet to be beaten at any of the major Hollywood awards ceremonies and his success will continue at the Nokia Theatre this weekend.

Daniel Day-Lewis Will Be Celebrating Come The Oscars On Sunday

Continue reading: Accurate Or Not, 'Lincoln' Will Win At Least One Oscar On Sunday

It was all looking so promising for Steven Spielberg's Lincoln. According to the bookmakers, everything was in the historical epic's favor to pick up the 'big four' on Oscar night. Spielberg would win Best Director, Daniel Day-Lewis will land Best Actor, Sally Field might even win Best Actress, and the movie will almost certainly win Best Picture. The big-budget movie scored strong reviews from critics, though somehow, Ben Affleck's Argo team have snatched the major awards away from its grasp.

Today would have been Abraham Lincoln's 204th birthday - a milestone that Warner Brothers probably assumed would be celebrated with Spielberg and co white-washing the Oscars. Not so. Instead, the Associated Press honored it by noting how "nap-worthy," the late President's recent biopic is.  

"Yes, I fell asleep," confessed the 54-year-old marketing executive in Long Beach, Calif. "I only have two clear memories of the movie: a bunch of old white guys sitting around talking and Sally Field in a perpetual state of angst," goes one of the passages in the piece, before the writer adds, "The soliloquies started. That was something I didn't know about Lincoln, his tendency to give long-winded speeches at inappropriate times. The elderly lady next to me fell asleep and started snoring softly and before I knew it, I was nodding off, too."

Continue reading: Lincoln's Oscar Chances All But Disappear After 'Nap Worthy' Article

Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln may have headed into the Baftas as a forerunner, with ten nominations last night but it didn’t exactly sweep the board, when it came to the actual dishing out of awards. In fact, if it wasn’t for Daniel Day Lewis winning Best Actor, Lincoln would have walked away empty-handed. Daniel Day Lewis has won the same Bafta award twice previously; in 2003 for his role in Gangs of New York and again in 2008 for There Will Be Blood. It seems the five year cycle is working out just perfectly for Day Lewis, who once again walked away with the gong last night for his portrayal of the US president Abraham Lincoln.

In reference to his method acting approach to the roles he takes on, Daniel Day Lewis joked, in his speech, that he had prepared for winning the award last night by staying in character “as myself for the past 55 years.” He continued, “Every time I rise from a chair it spontaneously unleashes a soundtrack of thunderous applause, with a few boos and some drunken hecklers.” The 55 year-old actor went on to express his gratitude to BAFTA for recognizing the work that had gone into Lincoln.

It was Ben Affleck’s movie Argo that ended up with an armful of awards last night (four, to be precise). George Clooney, who produced the movie, was full of praise for Affleck (who was controversially snubbed in the Oscars’ Best Director category), saying “You are remarkable at what you do. You're smart and you know what you want, but more importantly you love what you're doing.”  

Continue reading: After Five Years, Daniel Day-Lewis Lands Another BAFTA

With Dame Shirley Bassey confirmed to perform at The 2013 Oscars, alongside fellow songstresses Adele and Barra Streisand, it looks as though we can expect some powerful performances at the Academy Awards come February 24th. 

Having conducted for the 79th and 83rd Oscars, this will be the first time Bassey has performed at the Oscars, and it's been a long time coming. The well-respected composer and arranger has worked for clients like fellow performer Streisand as well as Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Buble, Mariah Carey and the late Whitney Houston. Craig Zadan - who is producing the ceremony alongside Neil Meron - says, "We are thrilled to welcome the legendary Dame Shirley Bassey to our Oscar show. Her association with film music is world renowned and we are proud that she will be making her first Oscar appearance on our telecast." The pair refused to divulge any information about her performance, but considering the Academy is set to honour James Bond's 50th anniversary, we can't see anything but her Bond themes to Goldfinger and Moonraker being performed.

Of course, the real attention will be for the on-screen talent set to be recognised for their feats in 2012. Ben Affleck's excellent Argo - which he starred in as well as directing - has recently overtaken Lincoln as favourite for best picture, while Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day Lewis remain favourites to pick up the Best Director and Best Actor in a Lead Role nods respectively.

Continue reading: Dame Shirley Bassey At The Oscars Alongside Adele And Barbra Streisand

Most of the British talent on show at the BAFTAs on Sunday will have to sit firmly in their seats and watch one American in particular pick up a slew of awards in London. Daniel Day-Lewis will take the award for Best Actor for his sterling performance in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, though Ben Affleck will be the name on everyone's lips following the ceremony at the Royal Opera House, Convent Garden.

Argo - a drama directed by and starring Affleck - is likely to take Best Picture at the British ceremony, with the 40-year-old the big favourite to win for his directorial work too. The movie, about the rescue of American hostages from Iran in 1979, has beaten Lincoln to just about every award in America, establishing itself as the massive favourite to win Best Picture at the Oscars on February 24, 2013. Argo has seven BAFTA nominations in total and although Lincoln, Les Miserables, Life of Pi and Zero Dark Thirty also contest the major prizes, it's likely to be Affleck's tense drama that comes up trumps. 

British star Daniel Day-Lewis was hailed as "the world's greatest actor," by Time magazine last year and is the safe bet to add to his trophy cabinet on Sunday. Should he scoop the same prize at the Academy Awards, it would be his third Oscar for Best Actor, an unprecedented feat in the world of Hollywood. There could be wins for the Oscar-snubbed James Bond movie Skyfall, nominated in eight categories including Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench), and Best Supporting Actor (Javier Bardem), though the bookmakers predict the film will miss out on the Outstanding British Film prize to Les Miserables, starring Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe. 

Continue reading: Daniel Day-Lewis Is British BAFTAs Hope, But It's Ben Affleck's Year

Lincoln is looking like the hotest cinema ticket in town in the run up to the Oscars, but one eagle eyed congressman has pointed out a few glaring errors that to him makes the Civil War epic far from a forgone award-winning conclusion.

According to a Yahoo News report, Connecticut's Democratic congressman Joe Courtney went to see Steven Spielberg's hugely acclaimed presidential biopic when he noticed something that few else have spotted. In a scene where two Congressmen from his state voted against the 13th Amendment, Courtney says that as far as he knows this is a moment in history that had never happened, because Connecticut was a firm believer in Lincoln and his politics.

With the nagging feeling in his head that said he was right, Courtney researched the scene when he got home and all but confirmed what he believed to be true. So dissatisfied with Spielberg's error, the congressman then sent a letter to the director outlining his disbelief towards the mistake. The letter reads: "How could congressmen from Connecticut — a state that supported President Lincoln and lost thousands of her sons fighting against slavery on the Union side of the Civil War — have been on the wrong side of history?"

Continue reading: Connecticut Congressman Bemoans Lincoln's 'Factual Flaws'

Should the bookmakers shut down the market for Best Picture at the Oscars? At the turn of the year, Steven Spielberg's historical-epic Lincoln was the odds-on favorite to win the prestigious prize - its lead star Daniel Day-Lewis has always been the frontrunner to win Best Actor. Those odds strengthened when Ben Affleck was snubbed entirely by the Academy for the award of Best Director.

Then a strange thing started happening. Ben Affleck began winning every directorial award. Argo began winning every Best Picture award. Golden Globes and SAG's began to pile up and Affleck won the top film honour for the Director's Guild of America on Saturday (February 2, 2013).  Pretty much every DGA recipient has gone on to claim the major prize at Hollywood's biggest night. 

Still think Lincoln is going to win Best Picture? Then please, go ahead and help yourself to generous odds of 5/1 with the bookmakers, who are offering pathetically short prices on Ben Affleck getting up on-stage on February 24, 2013. It seems Affleck's Oscar snub has not hurt his Iranian-hostage movie and may have won it several votes as the plucky underdog. "I don't think that this makes me a real director, but I think it means I'm on my way," said Affleck following his win at the weekend. 

Continue reading: Has Ben Affleck's 'Argo' Already Won The Oscar For Best Picture?

Argo - the true story of the rescue of US diplomats stranded in Tehran after the 1979 Islamic revolution - has edged out Lincoln to become the odds on favourite for the highly coveted Best Picture award at The Oscars. And this is despite Ben Affleck missing out on a Best Director nomination.  

Argo picked up a couple of big Globes - Best Director and Best Motion Picture - and then followed that up by winning big at the SAG awards, picking up best cast ensemble. On Saturday, Argo won the Producers Guild award, beating Lincoln, Les Miserables and Silver Linings Playbook to the gong, setting the scene for a previously unexpected win at the Oscars. 

"There was absolutely no way I thought we would win this award," the film's director and star, Ben Affleck, told reporters backstage after the SAG win.  Asked about his movie's Oscar chances, Affleck said he was not in the business of "handicapping or trying to divine what's going to happen down the road".

Continue reading: Argo Overtakes Lincoln As The Oscar Favorite For Best Picture

Jennifer Lawrence with her trophy for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor

Whilst Jennifer Lawrence was grinning ear to ear, having taken the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor for her role in Silver Linings Playbook, the Oscars continued to look daft as Ben Affleck's Argo romped off with yet another award, in the industry's continuing apparent two-fingered salute to the Academy.  

Continue reading: SAG Award Film Winners Assemble! Big Victories For Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lawrence And Anne Hathaway (Pictures)

A Proud Ben Affleck At The SAG Awards

The Iranian hostage drama Argo won the top prize at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards on Saturday evening (January 27, 2013), with Ben Affleck telling the audience, “There was absolutely no way I thought we would win this award.” The critically acclaimed movie – starring Affleck, Alan Arkin, John Goodman and others – has picked up a slew of prizes during awards’ season, making Ben Affleck’s omission from the Best Director category at the Oscars all the more confusing.

The complete list of winners at the SAG’s made for familiar reading, with Argo winning the top prize and Daniel Day-Lewis and Jennifer Lawrence picking up lead acting honors for Lincoln and Silver Linings Playbook respectively. Despite Argo’s success, the bookmakers remain convinced that it will be Steven Spielberg’s historical epic that will pick up the Best Picture at the Oscars, with the director almost certain to pick up Best Director in the absence of Affleck. “I don't know what's going to happen, nothing may happen, but it's a wonderful opportunity to be on the ride,” said the Argo filmmaker when quizzed on his movie’s Oscar chances.

Continue reading: SAG Awards: Argo’s Success Continues To Make Academy Look Red Faced

We won't know who'll walk away with the top prizes on offer at this year's Screen Actors Guild until Sunday (Jan 27), but there are a few people who might know already as the deadline for the final ballots for this years awards ceremony is today.

At noon (PT) the members of SAG will have their final say in who wins what at the 19th annual awards show at the weekend and it really is anyone's race to take home the top prizes (except for Best Actor, because Daniel Day-Lewis does not lose these awards).

Feel-good Brit-hit The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is the surprise entrant to the Best Picture Category, facing stiff competition from Lincoln, Argo, Les Miserables and Silver Linings Playbook. Meanwhile, Day-Lewis is against Denzel Washington (Flight), Hugh Jackman (Les Mis), Bradley Cooper (SLP) and Oscar-snub John Hawkes (The Sessions), whilst the Actress section looks a little more familiar, with Jessica Chastin (Zero Dark Thirty), Helen Mirren (Hitchcock), Jennifer Lawrence (SLP), Marion Cotillard (Rust and Bone) and Naomi Watts (The Impossible) are battling it out for the top acting prize.

Continue reading: Final Ballots For Screen Actors Guild Awards In Today

Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence battle over Best Actress, Denzel Washington and Daniel Day-Lewis meet over Best Actor And Anne Hathaway favorite for Best Supporting Actress. While Iceman (James Franco, Winona Ryder) and Mud (Matthew McConnaughey and Reese Witherspoon) Trailers Hit The Web.

It's awards season for the film industry, so it's no coincidence that most stories this week centre on actors and filmmakers who are up for a variety of statuettes. Last Sunday's Golden Globes are increasingly seen as a little more than a promotional opportunity for hopeful Oscar nominees, and since they have winners in both drama and musical/comedy categories, they can spread the love around more than other groups. Unlike most years, there is no movie poised to sweep the Oscars this year.

Although Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty is gaining on her, Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook is the front-runner for Best Actress. Facing a huge crowd of fans, she stopped to sign autographs and pose for photos on her way to David Letterman's show this week.

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: Oscar Predictions For Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Denzel Washington, Daniel Day-Lewis And Anne Hathaway While Iceman And Mud Trailers Hit The Web

With the nominations for 2013's Academy Awards being revealed today, all the fields are open in the four major categories as there seems to be no real, clear cut contenders for the top prizes.

Lincoln has taken the brunt of the nominations, with twelve nominations in total, so it looks as though Steven Spielberg's historical epic might be favourite for some of the top awards too- Daniel Day-Lewis, Steven Spielberg and the film itself looking odds on favourite with Oddschecker.com. But still, are things really as clear cut as they seem? Maybe not, with the odds aside, the close(ish) ones at that, nothing really seems that clear really.

Avatar was the odds on winner back in 2010, but it was the former Mrs James Cameron, Katherine Bigelow, to see her film sweep the awards. Day-Lewis in particular has some competition in his field, with Cannes winner Joaquin Phoenix and first time nominees Bradley Cooper and Hugh Jackman biting at his heels. Both Argo and Zero Dark Thirty look as though they could take the top award of the night from under the president's nose, but with no Ben Affleck, it does look as though Ang Lee may be Spielberg's only competition to top director gong.

Continue reading: Odds Are On For No One As Oscars Look To Be Close

The Oscars 2013 nominations are in! As expected, Daniel Day Lewis is named amongst the list for Best Lead Actor, but surprise nominations for Bradley Cooper and Joaquin Phoenix shuffle the deck nicely. 

It all happened so fast: months of speculation, buzz-talk and predictions for 10 minutes of average jokes from Seth McFarlane and Emma Stone. But here they are, the Oscar 2013 nominations are in, so now at least the predictions will be slightly more accurate.

Before we go on, here are the Best Lead Actor nominees in full.

Continue reading: Oscars 2013 Nominations: Best Lead Actor Category Sees Daniel Day-Lewis, Denzel Washington, Hugh Jackman, Bradley Cooper & Joaquin Phoenix In Contention

With Christopher Nolan categorically insisting that he won't helm another entry into the already finished Batman trilogy, minds are wondering as to what his next project will be.

According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, his next venture could be a leap into time travel with Interstellar. Like Looper and Inception before it, the plot is thought to be an incredibly complex one, as is based on scientific theories developed by Kip Thorne, a theoretical physicist, gravitational physicist and astrophysicist at Caltech. The deal has been allegedly negotiated for months now, and like the plot, is also very complex. Back in November (2012), Nolan insisted that he has no intention of making another Batman movie. He said at the time (via NME): "For me, The Dark Knight Rises is specifically and definitely the end of the Batman story as I wanted to tell it, and the open-ended nature of the film is simply a very important thematic idea that we wanted to get into the movie, which is that Batman is a symbol."

Spielberg was mooted to be involved in the project, but this latest revelation questions his involvement in the film. He'll be turning his head towards the Oscar Nominations announcement, which, barring a huge surprise, will see Lincoln nominated for best picture, himself up for best director, and his lead, Daniel Day Lewis in the running for best male lead. 

Continue reading: Christoper Nolan's New Movie, Interstellar?

Daniel Day Lewis going to have to get a bigger trophy cabinet once the 2013 movie awards season is out of the way but he very nearly ruined his own chances of gaining all of the plaudits that he’s landed for his role in Lincoln, when he wrote Steven Spielberg a letter turning down the role. Spielberg read the letter out to those in attendance at the New York Film Critics Circle awards on Monday.

The note reads almost like a Dear John letter, with Lewis explaining to Spielberg that whilst he couldn’t quite put his finger on why he wouldn’t take the role on at that time, it simply didn’t feel right for him. “I can’t account for how at any given moment I feel the need to explore life as opposed to another,” he told the director “but I do know that I can only do this work if I feel almost as if there is no choice; that a subject coincides inexplicably with a very personal need and a very specific moment in time.” The end of the note was particularly moving, as he says to Spielberg “I do hope this makes sense Steven, I’m glad you’re making the film, I wish you the strength for it, and I send both my very best wishes and my sincere gratitude to you for having considered me.”

Such was Spielberg’s determination to get Daniel Day Lewis in the lead role of Abraham Lincoln, that he tried another two re-writes of the script, before calling on Tony Kushner (Angels in America) to do the same. Finally, Daniel Day Lewis was won over. 

Continue reading: Lincoln? Thanks But No Thanks - Daniel Day Lewis Originally Rejected Steven Spielberg By Letter

Daniel Day-Lewis Is The Huge Favourite To Win The BAFTA For Best Actor

Steven Spielberg's civil war drama Lincoln leads this year's BAFTA nominations with 10 nods, including best film and best actor, for its lead star Daniel Day-Lewis. Surprisingly, director Steven Spielberg missed out on a nomination for his work behind the camera, though Sally Field scored a nomination for Best Actress. Speaking to the BBC's Lizo Mzimba at the announcement, film critic Mark Kermode said: "As far as Lincoln was concerned, all the attention was on Daniel Day-Lewis.Whatever anybody thinks about the film - and the critics have been somewhat divided, everybody thought his performance was captivating and completely believable."

Continue reading: Bookmakers Predict Bountiful BAFTAS For Lincoln And Daniel Day-Lewis

Judi Dench has finally found BAFTA recognition for her role as M in the James Bond movies. This year, the latest Bond movie, directed by British director Sam Mendes has received no fewer than eight nominations, in a year when at last, the 50 year old Bond franchise looks as though it could be in the running for an Oscar.

Dench’s appearance in Skyfall marked the last time that the veteran actress would play the role of M in the James Bond movies and finally, she has been recognised by the BAFTAs for her contribution to the world famous franchise, with a Best Supporting Actress nomination. Skyfall has also received nods for Outstanding British Film, Cinematography, Best Supporting Actor (for Javier Bardem), Editing Original Music, Production Design and Sound. No nod for Daniel Craig, though, the star of the movie.

Amanda Berry, chief executive of BAFTA, said “The public have really taken the film to their hearts, they went to see it in their droves internationally," the Telegraph reports. “Javier Bardem was the most amazing baddie so it's great to see him nominated too… Judi Dench was first nominated in 1966 as outstanding newcomer. She's never been nominated as M before, and it felt like her role was bigger this time. It was also her last performance. I just think it was a terrific film, really well made, with an outstanding cast.” Skyfall was just pipped to the post in terms of the number of nominations it received, by the movie Lincoln, starring Daniel Day Lewis.

Paving the way for a Foreign Language Film nod at The Oscars, Amour dominated the National Society of Film Critics awards, grabbing Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress for 85-year-old Emmanuelle Riva.

Amour is a 2012 French-language drama film written and directed by Haneke, starring Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva and Isabelle Huppert. An honest,  unflinching look at the power and endurance of love, Amour is a sad, mournful film; beautifully shot and tenderly acted. Fully deserving of the accolades gleaned so far.

Here are the other winners, and runners up (or losers, if you want to be churlish)

Continue reading: National Society Of Film Critics Enamoured With Amour, Daniel Day Lewis Takes Best Actor For Lincoln

The Golden Globes are one of the biggest film and television awards in the world. Winning an award from them will almost always top the C.V.s of anyone involved in film. 2012 has been one of the best years in film for a long time, with many films being deemed 'instant classics'. Although, of course, that's said every year, with just a quick glance at the calibre of performances, narrative and cinematography this year it's easy to see why it's being said.

2012's nominations were revealed today with few surprises. The favourites during speculation included Argo, Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty and The Master, and they haven't failed to impress in the Globes' nominations. Lincoln's set to be a big winner with seven nominations, while Argo has 5 nominations, Zero Dark Thirty has 4 and The Master has 3. All four, except The Master, are also in the running for Best Motion Picture, competing alongside Ang Lee's Life of Pi and Quentin Tarantino's re-envisioning of a slave narrative, Django Unchained. 

Tarantino's film received 5 nominations, which included two in the category for Best Supporting Performance by an Actor, for Christoph Waltz and Leonardo Dicaprio, which proves to us that it's more than worth the watch. Best Director nominations mirrors the Best Motion Picture, and include Ben Affleck (Argo), Stephen Spielberg (Lincoln), Ang Lee (Life of Pi), Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty) and Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained), which is no surprise really. 

Continue reading: The Golden Globes Nominations, No Surprises For A Great Year Of Film

You know that film awards season’s getting going when the Critics Choice Awards announce their nominees, and this year they’ve made history by nominating Steven Spielberg’s biopic Lincoln for 13 awards – the most ever received by a film from the Critics Choice panel.

The next few days are where things get really interesting for any potential Oscar nominees, with the Critics Choice, The Golden Globes and the Screen Actors’ Guild all announcing the candidates for their own awards in quick succession. Traditionally, these three showcases have been good indicators as to whose going to feature at the prestigious Academy event – which means good news for Lincoln. Previously, Black Swan had taken the most nominations at the Critics Choice, with 12 back in 2011. The Critics Choice Movie Awards are decided on by the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) with some 270 radio and online critics getting in on the voting. The winners of the categories will be announced on January 10, 2013 in Santa Monica, California.

Though Lincoln came out top of the nominee pile, there were others scooping up some acclaim too; Les Miserables – which had its premiere New York premiere earlier in the week – took a mighty 11 nods whilst Silver Linings Playbook wasn’t far behind on 10. Of the actors, it was Silver Linings’ Jennifer Lawrence who led the way with four nominations having appeared in that and The Hunger Games earlier in the year. Her Silver Linings Playbook co-star Bradley Cooper led the male nominees with three.

Mooted by many to be an Oscar favourite, Steven Spielberg's political biopic, Lincoln, has broken records by being nominated for 13 Broadcast Film Critics Assn.'s Critics' Choice Movie Award nominations, The L.A Times reports.

Among the 13 nominations were best film, best director for Steven Spielberg, best actor for Daniel Day-Lewis, best supporting actress for Sally Field, best supporting actor for Tommy Lee Jones and best acting ensemble. The 18th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards will be handed out Jan. 10 - the same day that the Academy Award nominations are announced - and so represents one of the most exciting days of the year for film lovers. Fellow nominees in the most fiercly contested category - that of best film - are, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, The Master, Moonrise Kingdom, Silver Linings Playbook and Zero Dark Thirty. 

Competing with Spielberg for best director are Ben Affleck for Argo, Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty, Tom Hooper for Les Miserables, Ang Lee for Life of Pi and David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook. The cinematic reimagining of the musical, Les Miserables is the second most recognised entry with 11 nominations, while the quirky romantic comedy Silver Linings Playbook scored 10, despite a mixed critical response.

Continue reading: Lincoln Makes Strong Oscar Statement With Unprecedented 13 Broadcast Film Critic's Choice Movie Award Nominations

Kathryn Bigelow's drama Zero Dark Thirty about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden was always going to be a big success critically. Her film The Hurt Locker in 2008 proved her film making skill, and that she was able to treat the delicate situation between American and the Middle East with tact. With this new American military story and it's political inclinations it's no surprise really that it has won the Film of the Year 2012 by the National Board of Review in the USA, reports Yahoo.

Not only did the film pick up the best film award, but Kathryn Bigelow was awarded Best Director, while Best Actress went to Zero Dark Thirty's Jessica Chastain. The award for Best Actor went to Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings Playbook. Snapping up three of the most coveted prizes in the awards is no mean feat, and is a distinct nod towards what to expect from future nominations, but not necessarily about future wins. It's rare for all three awards to give the same awards to one film. Not since the 2008/9 awards has one movie won Best Film across the board, and that was Slumdog Millionaire.

One film that was surprisingly not a big winner with the NBR was this year's Steven Spielberg movie Lincoln, starring Daniel Day Lewis, although it did appear in the list of their ten top films, which also included: Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Looper, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Promised Land and Silver Linings Playbook. 

Awards season got into full swing in New York last night (December 3, 2012), with the NY Film Critics Circle ceremony rewarding the best movies and performances of the year. Though the Golden Globes is considered a key barometer for the Oscars, it's been the New York awards' show that has correctly predicted the Academy Awards winners in recent years. For example, it named The Artist as Best Picture before it had stepped up its Oscars campaign in 2011, it rewarded Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady and crowned The Hurt Locker before it beat Avatar to the biggest prize of them all.

So what do Monday's results tell us about the Oscars race? Well, firstly, that Les Miserables might be in trouble after not picking up a single award. Musical movies have never found much success at the critics' awards, though Anne Hathaway was tipped to win Best Supporting Actress - it went to Lincoln's Sally Field instead. Daniel Day-Lewis won Best Actor, as he's expected to do at the Oscars, while Matthew Mcconaughey usurped the Best Supporting Actor award from The Master's Philip Seymour Hoffman. Another shock was Rachel Weisz's win in the Best Actress category, despite pretty much everyone in the industry predicting that Jennifer Lawrence will win the Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook. The biggest surprise of the evening was reserved for the top award - Best Picture - which went to Zero Dark Thirty. Forget Argo and Lincoln, because it was Kathryn Bigelow's drama about the hunt for Osama bin Laden that took the prize. The film currently holds a perfect score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Screen Crush writing, "This look at world's biggest manhunt may be the best manhunt movie ever made."

The result has affected the bookmakers' interpretation on the race for the Best Picture Oscar, slashing Zero Dark Thirty's odds to 14/1. Ben Affleck's Argo remains the favorite at 2/1. 

Continue reading: The New York Critics Predict The Oscars? Then Kathryn Bigelow Can Start Celebrating

David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook - a stunning dark comedy starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper - appears to have hijacked the Oscars race. Russell was tipped for a golden statuette with The Fighter, though missed out on the directing prize to Tom Hooper (The Kings Speech). His latest movie has certainly thrown a spanner into the works for the greatest film prize of them all, so we've compiled an Oscars cheat sheet for Best Picture in 2013. So read on, before cleverly dropping the information into conversations with your friends.

Who's the frontrunner?

There's still a handful of likely Oscar contenders to be released, though the eight or ten movies most strongly tipped to get nominated for Best Picture are now in place. The list is headed by two movies: Ben Affleck's thriller Argo and Steven Spielberg's historical drama Lincoln. The bookmakers cannot choose between the two, but most give the former's movie the edge as recent history suggests this type of film is likely to please the younger looking Academy. The Hurt Locker famously usurped Avatar in 2009, and Affleck's slick movie has much in common with Kathryn Bigelow's classic Iraq War film. As mentioned, both films are pretty much neck-and-neck in the betting, though Argo is generally available at 3/1 while Spielberg's epic is around 4/1.

Continue reading: Silver Linings Playbook? Argo? Lincoln? Your Oscars Cheat Sheet For Best Picture!

Read anything on Sacha Gervasi's new movie Hitchcock, starring Sir Anthony Hopkins as the legendary Hollywood director, and you'll probably come across the phrases "Oscars buzz" and "Oscar tipped." The movie has enjoyed decent reviews from critics, though the press seem to have it nailed on for a nomination. It may well not be that straight forward.

History suggests that Hitchcock is the type of the movie the Academy will reward and with Hopkins and Dame Helen Mirren in the lead roles, it certainly boasts an appealing cast. However, the concluding months of 2012 have thrown up several serious contenders for the golden statuettes and Hitchcock may well be the movie to make way. Hopkins - who won Best Actor for Silence of the Lambs - has already decided to stop playing "nauseating games" with the Academy in order to win an Oscar and told Entertainment Weekly that he was too busy making films to launch a serious awards' season campaign for Hitchcock. "People go out of their way to flatter the nominating body [the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences] and I think it's kind of disgusting. Having to be nice to people and to be charming and flirting with them. That's always been against my nature", he added.

So what do the bookmakers think of Hitchcock's chances?

Continue reading: Is Sacha Gervasi's 'Hitchcock' Really Generating Oscars Buzz?

They may be potential Oscar rivals, but that doesn't mean that Daniel Day-Lewis and Bradley Cooper don't respect each others work as Cooper admitted that the double Oscar winner told him that he is a fan of the hit comedy The Hangover, which Cooper stars in, and as it happens Cooper is quite the Day-Lewis fan himself.

Cooper was speaking with Metro when he mentioned that he bumped into the Brit actor during a telethon for Haiti when Day-Lewis told him: "oh, I loved The Hangover." 

Cooper wasn't quite so reserved in his praise however, describing him as "the greatest" and admitting that during the meeting Cooper told him "how much I loved him." Get a room guys.

Continue reading: Daniel Day-Lewis A Fan Of The Hangover, Says Bradley Cooper

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 debuted with massive global ticket sales of $341 million, proving the franchise is most certainly ending on a high. The vampire movie - starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart - earned an estimated $141 million in the United States and Canada over the weekend, reports Reuters.

News that the total ranked as the eighth biggest domestic debut of all time will no doubt please executives at Summit Entertainment, though bosses will already be drawing up plans to further a franchise that is clearly still running on full power. Breaking Dawn Part 2 rang up sales of $199.6 million from Thursday to Sunday at theaters in 61 countries for a total worldwide taking of $341 million. The previous Twilight movies had pulled in a combined $2.5 billion at the global box office over a four year run. Unsurprisingly, the Twilight movie eclipsed all rivals over the weekend, including last week's No.1, Skyfall. The James Bond movie finished in second place with $41.5 million in North America, though it has easily become the highest grossing Bond movie to date, with a global total of $669 million. Sony Pictures will be pushing for Sam Mendes to return as director for the next 007 movie, which appears more likely to happen by the day.

Steven Spielberg's historical drama Lincoln expanded from a limited opening a week ago to take third place with $21 million. Though Twilight and Skyfall have dominated the box-office, Spielberg and his lead star Daniel Day-Lewis may be the ones walking away with the top honors come awards' season. 

Continue reading: Twilight Breaking Dawn Ends Skyfall's Box Office Domination

As the Life of Pi reviews roll in, it's become clear that this is a movie to take seriously, but that's far from the attitude that lead character Suraj Sharma adopted when he tagged along with his brother for the audition.

Asked by The New York Daily news if he'd always wanted to act, Sharma's response was "No," which seems funny considering he's the lead in a possible Oscar winning movie. "It was my brother who wanted to audition for the role and I went along with him," he explained. "I'd told him 'I'll come if you buy me a Subway salad afterwards.' Next thing I know, I am in an Ang Lee movie! I was a school-going kid, literally, obnoxiously normal. I was in that stage when you don't know what you want to do with your life. With this film, I went through something life-changing." They say there's no such thing as a free lunch, but this complimentary meal seems to have lead to an acting career for the young man. 

Given the cinematic clout of its director, and the politically emotive subject matter after Obama's re-election, Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, starring Daniel Day Lewis as Abraham, is sure to prevail come February, when the Academy Awards take place. Ang Lee's Life of Pi is sure to provide some stiff competition, though. 

If you're like us, then a trip to the cinema is the best way to spend the weekend. And if you, like us, saw Skyfall last weekend, then you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd caught the movie highlight of the year already. Wrong! You've got a tough choice between Anna Karenina, Silver Linings Playbook, the full release of Lincoln, and Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 - the final film in the franchise - and we're here to help you out with that tough choice. 

Unless you were lucky enough to catch Lincoln last weekend on its limited release, this is the time to see it. Daniel Day-Lewis stars impressively as Abraham Lincoln, as Steven Spielberg auteurs the story of the 16th President of The United States, and his fight with congress to push through the emancipation of the slaves. Drenched in the sweet nectar of Oscar buzz, Lincoln is a film that demands attention, and with excellent reviews so far, it looks certain to top the U.S Box Office come Monday. Check out the trailer below.

Continue reading: Hot Tickets! This Weekend's US Movie Releases: Anna Karenina, Silver Linings Playbook, Lincoln And Twilight

As Steven Spielberg's political epic Lincoln enjoys its full U.S release today (Friday, Nov 16), we've decided to round up all the reviews so you can make the trickiest of all the choices: what to see this weekend at the cinema.

The film sees Daniel Day Lewis star as Abraham Lincoln; America's 16th president, and the man instrumental in pushing through legislation to emancipate the slaves. "The phenomenal Daniel Day-Lewis plays Lincoln with immersive, indelible power in Spielberg's brilliant, brawling epic," says Rolling Stone, while over at The New Yorker they were equally doting, saying, "The true tussle of the movie, however, is between the Spielberg who, like a cinematic Sandburg, is drawn aloft toward legend and the Spielberg who is tugged down by Kushner's intricate screenplay toward documentary grit." The Los Angeles Times gave the film 4/5 stars, and wrote, "There is nothing bravura or overly emotional about Spielberg's direction here, but the impeccable filmmaking is no less impressive for being quiet and to the point."

Overall, Lincoln is 'certified fresh' by Rotten Tomatoes, which is nice milestone for any film to receive, considering the site compiles review scores to give an overall picture of the critical response. U.K cinema are also treated to a piece of film artistry this weekend, as Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master finally makes its way across the pond. They'll have to wait until January 25th for Lincoln, though. 

Daniel Day-Lewis was reluctant to play his role, and Sally Field almost didn’t get hers! It seems that getting the cast together for Lincoln wasn’t an easy thing to do. It’s already been widely reported that Day-Lewis was initially reluctant to play the role of 16^th American President Abraham Lincoln, such was its gravitas; for Field though the problem was slightly different – she was potentially too old to play Lincoln’s wife Mary Todd.

USA Today reports that Field was initially broached to play the first lady when Liam Neeson was attached to appear as Lincoln; the pair are of similar age. However, Day-Lewis is some 10 years younger than the actress, whilst Field is also 15 years older than Todd was at the time. Her fears were reportedly confirmed after Day-Lewis got the main role and Spielberg told her he couldn’t see her playing Todd. She insisted on a test but still didn’t get the part.

However Spielberg wasn’t sure about his decision and set up a meeting between her and Day-Lewis, where it all clicked into place. "He came and walked across the room and he was totally my darling, Mr. Lincoln," says Field. "And I stood and gave him my hand. I said, 'Mr. Lincoln — '" The rest was history, as they say.

Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln has certainly attracted the sort of attention that usually precedes pretty successful awards seasons. Gladiator, The Kings Speech, The Departed; just a couple of the big budget, big name movies to sweep the Oscars having courted high praise from critics towards the end of the year.

Lincoln – a biopic of America’s 16^th President played with aplomb by Daniel Day Lewis – appears to be Spielberg’s finest film in years, but is that good? In a blog on The Huffington Post, David Edmund Moody pulled out the M-word. Yep, the M-word. Calling Lincoln a “modern masterpiece,” though somewhat patronisingly warning, “…this film is not for the masses. It is too rich and complex, the pace too leisurely, the dialogue too intricate and subtle, to reach the audience it deserves. Time will tell whether it deserves a place next to City Lights and Citizen Kane.” Still, it’s good to known that Spielberg is coming up with something packing a little more substance than say Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull or even the tame War Horse. A.O Scott of the New York Times heaped praise on the movie and Spielberg’s direction, writing, “To say that this is among the finest films ever made about American politics may be to congratulate it for clearing a fairly low bar,” while Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times wrote, “There is nothing bravura or overly emotional about Spielberg's direction here, but the impeccable filmmaking is no less impressive for being quiet and to the point.” Much of the praise is firmly directed in Day-Lewis’ direction – a superb actor known for choosing his roles wisely. Reports suggest he was reluctant to sign on to the epic tale, though his performance has left bookmakers all but paying out on him landing the Oscar for Best Actor in February 2012. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone said, “The phenomenal Daniel Day-Lewis plays Lincoln with immersive, indelible power in Spielberg's brilliant, brawling epic.”

Continue reading: Is Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln Really A Modern Masterpiece?

Daniel Day Lewis is one of the most accomplished actors in the game, but even he initially found himself reluctant at taking on the gigantic task of playing one of the USA’s greatest ever Presidents. Day-Lewis stars in Lincoln as the 16^th leader of America, but said it took some coercion from the project’s director Steven Spielberg to get him to play the role.

“I don't think I ever did know that it was the right choice, but I ran out of excuses, at a certain point” the actor told Collider at his eventual decision to take the part. "Steven put the idea in front of me and it was not that I didn't take it seriously, from the word go, but it seemed inconceivable to me that I could be the person to help him do this thing that he wished to do” the Oscar winner added."Least of all did I want to be responsible for irrevocably staining the reputation of the greatest President this country's ever known. It was not just in a self-serving way, but quite literally it seemed to me a very difficult thing to try to tell this story in such a way that it could live. I just really felt that I wasn't the person to do that."

Yet it was Day-Lewis involvement that was crucial to Spielberg – in the same interview he even admitted he wouldn’t have made the film without him. "I didn't say this to anybody” said the director, “but if he had finally and ultimately said no, I would never have made the movie. It just wouldn't have been in my life, anymore. It'd be gone."

The new biopic of America's 16th President, Lincoln, has been almost universally applauded by critics, with the Presidential drama hoping to take the praise and run when it is released in cinemas worldwide.

Steven Spielberg sits behind the camera for this historic epic, with multi-Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln. The insightful drama focuses on honest Abe's tumultuous final few months in office, tracking the end of the American Civil War, and thus the abolition of slavery, up to his assassination by John Wilkes Booth. 

The film already holds a 92% 'fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics across the board applauding Spielberg's direction, the gripping screenplay and a 10/10 performance from all of the cast, especially Day-Lewis. The two-time Oscar winner is already favourite to take home his third statuette in February, although he does face stiff competition already from Hollywood's finest.

Continue reading: Lincoln Review Round-Up: Critics Give Lincoln Their Vote

After a questionable run of movies, including War Horse, The Adventures of TinTin and Indiana Jones, it's difficult to remember Steven Spielberg's last great movie. Certainly Munich was an excellent piece of filmmaking, though did it stand up to the Oscar winner's previous efforts? Perhaps not.

Anyway, it looks as though his latest movie, Lincoln, will be considered amongst Spielberg's finest. The drama focuses on the 16th President of the United States of America and his tumultuous final few months in office. The great Republican - played here by the superb Daniel Day Lewis - attempts to end the Civil War, unite the country and abolish slavery. Reaction has been almost unanimously positive, with even the most discerning of critics bowing before Spielberg for this one. Claudia Puig of USA Today wrote, "Its title notwithstanding, Lincoln is an absorbing, intellectual look at the political machinations involved in abolishing slavery, not an exhaustive biopic about Honest Abe." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone magazine heaped praise on the quality of the acting, "The phenomenal Daniel Day-Lewis plays Lincoln with immersive, indelible power in Spielberg's brilliant, brawling epic," he wrote. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times argued that Spielberg had merely let the gripping story tell itself, "There is nothing bravura or overly emotional about Spielberg's direction here, but the impeccable filmmaking is no less impressive for being quiet and to the point," he wrote. 

The movie clearly boasts the type of narrative that wins Oscars, lots of them. The Kings Speech, Schindler's List, Braveheart, Gladiator, all winners of Best Picture, all epic-style  historical dramas. In any other year, Lincoln would probably win Best Picture, though Ben Affleck appears to have crashed the party somewhat. His drama Argo (another historical movie) is the bookies favorite at 2/1 for Best Picture, with Lincoln languishing behind at 3/1. Argo holds a 95 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Lincoln 93 per cent. On the other hand, Daniel Day Lewis is currently available at odds of 4/6 to win Best Actor, which he will win. So go and put your £6 on now, and you'll get £4 back, plus your stake, on February 24, 2013. Guaranteed. 

Continue reading: Spielberg Wins Plaudits For Lincoln, But Argo Remains Frontrunner For Oscar

With the drama and devastation that befell the East Coast of America, with the arrival of Hurricane Sandy last week, US movie fans seem to have opted for the feel-good factor with their box office choices. Wreck It Ralph currently sits atop the US Box Office chart but the generation-spanning animation should prepare to be ousted this week, with the release of two major players: Skyfall and Lincoln.

Skyfall has already been hailed as the best Bond movie ever. Directed by Sam Mendes, Skyfall marks the 50th anniversary of Bond movies and has already proved to be a box office sensation in the UK and Europe. There’s a question mark hanging over how much longer Daniel Craig will play Bond, which is only adding to the sense of urgency in getting to the movie theaters to check out Skyfall.

Watch the Skyfall trailer

Continue reading: Hot Tickets! This Weekend's US Movie Releases: Skyfall, Lincoln, In Their Skin, Nature Calls

Steven Spielberg's forthcoming epic, Lincoln, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as the Republican President, hits cinemas on November 9, 2012, with plenty of Oscars buzz surrounding its release. However, the legendary filmmaker insists the timing of the movie was unintentional and that it has nothing to do with current politics.

American voters will head out to vote for either Barack Obama or Mitt Romney on Tuesday (November 6, 2012), though Spielberg said the film was ready to go into production years ago. Speaking at the film's junket, the director was quoted by E! Online as saying "We were ready to make it in the Bush administration. People say, 'Oh, you made it because what's happening in politics today! It has nothing to do with the current politics. It has nothing to do with holding a mirror up to the way we conduct our business on Capitol Hill today. This was meant to be a Lincoln portrait, if you will. I think anytime is the right time for a really compelling story." It's a fair point, especially in terms of awards' season, when big budget political biopics are pretty much guaranteed to score somewhere along the line. Take last year's fairly poor The Iron Lady. Critics hated it, Meryl Streep won an Oscar.

Daniel Day Lewis is the current odds' on favorite to win Best Actor for a third time, though critics lauded Lincoln as Spielberg's finest work in years, meaning there could be plenty more gongs heading Abe's way come February.

Continue reading: Spielberg Maintains Lincoln Has Nothing To Do With Barack Obama Or Mitt Romney

Daniel Day Lewis has been widely reported to be one of the most dedicated method actors in the business. According to the New York Times, while filming for Gangs of New York, he didn't break from character during breaks, instead stood glaring at Leonardo Dicaprio, his character's enemy within the film. In My Left Foot, while playing a paraplegic man with cerebral palsy, he never got out of his wheel chair while on set and insisted on the crew feeding him, as his character wouldn't have been able to feed himself. 

While working on Lincoln, Lewis employed the same techniques - never breaking out of the role. He adopted an entirely different voice, higher pitched than his own, to voice Lincoln. On finding the right voice, he said "That to me was a genuine breakthrough". Steven Spielberg, who directed the film, has spoken about Lewis's dedication to the role. "You didn't go up to him and say, 'Hey, did you see the Pirates game last night?'" He said, "It was important for him to retain the attitude, if you like, and the dialect he had created. So we would sit there and joke, for example, about the Vicksburg campaign." 

"Without sounding unhinged, I know I'm not Abraham Lincoln. I'm aware of that." He said, but "some part of me can allow myself to believe for a period for time without questioning, and that's the trick. Maybe it's a terrible revelation about myself that one does feel able to do that." Undoubtedly this kind of dedication to any role can't fail to make it great. With 2 Academy Awards under his belt, and countless other accolades, there is no doubt that Lincoln is going to be a great film. The Lincoln biopic is out on November 16th 2012. 

The bookmakers have Joaquin Phoenix as the second favorite to win the Oscar for Best Actor in February for his stunning turn as a drifter in John Paul Anderson's 'The Master.' Though there may be a problem: he doesn't want it.