Daniel Day Lewis Page 4

Daniel Day-Lewis is joining the presenters’ lineup at the coming Oscars. The 56-year-old actor has been announced to present an award, among other Hollywood big-timers like Jennifer Lawrence, who have already had a few moments of Oscar glory. While it hasn’t been announced officially, the overall hunch online is that DDL will present the Best Actor award this year, having won it himself three times in the past – for My Left Foot in 1990, There Will Be Blood in 2008 and again last year for his performance in Lincoln.

DDL and the Oscars go way back.

This year, the nominees’ list is packed with talent and with each nominee having won a couple of Best Actor awards at various shows, the competition is unpredictable. Most recently, Chiwetel Ejiofor, who is nominated for his role as Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave, won the BAFTA for Best Actor, placing him as the frontrunner for the Oscar this year. On the other hand, the Golden Globe, which is typically considered a solid indication of the Academy’s leanings, went to Matthew McConaughey for his role in Dallas Buyers Club.

Continue reading: Daniel Day-Lewis To Present An Oscar, But Who Is Most Likely To Win It?

British novelist William Boyd launched the latest James Bond novel at London's Dorchester Hotel on Wednesday (September 25, 2013). The book, called Solo, sees a 45-year-old Bond travel to worn-torn Africa in the late 1960s.

William Boyd Arriving At The Dorchester Hotel For The 'Solo' Press Conference

Boyd is the latest novelist to write a new Bond book since the death of its creator Ian Fleming in 1964 and follows the likes of Kingsley Amis and Sebastian Faulks.

Continue reading: 'Solo' Author William Boyd Touts Daniel Day-Lewis For James Bond

It used to be that British actors were traditionally cast by Hollywood filmmakers as villains; in endless kids' Disney flicks we'd hear exaggeratedly posh English voices coming out of the most evil of witches ('Snow White'), scary giant octopuses ('The Little Mermaid') and murderous lions ('The Lion King'), and even the creators of some of the biggest blockbusters such as 'Die Hard' and 'The Silence Of The Lambs' scoured the UK for the perfect sinister accent.

However, now the Brits are playing the good guys with a surge of overseas talent showcasing their well-practised foreign accents over the past few years - even one of the most American flicks of 2012, Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln' cast London born Daniel Day-Lewis as the iconic US President. Here are our four biggest British stars that have been making their mark in Hollywood with seminal roles over the past and coming months.

Continue reading: Brits Take The Lead! 2013 Sees America Ship In Overseas Talent

TV Geeks everywhere will have something to look forward to, as Martin Scorsese is teaming up with Miramax to bring Gangs of New York to the small screen.

The series will be based on the eponymous 2002 big screen drama, which was directed by Scorsese and starred Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo Dicaprio, and Cameron Diaz. From the initial report, there’s a lot to get excited about. Set in the late 1800s, the TV show will explore the period far beyond the scope of the original film. It will focus not only of gangs in New York, but also Chicago, New Orleans and other cities around the US.

"This time and era of America's history and heritage is rich with characters and stories that we could not fully explore in a two-hour film," Scorsese explains his decision, quoted by Entertainment Weekly. “A television series allows us the time and creative freedom to bring this colorful world, and all the implications it had and still does on our society, to life.”

Continue reading: Martin Scorsese To Create A New Show, Based On His Own 'Gangs Of New York'

A Family Guy: Forget Ricky Gervais - who managed to insult MOST people during his stint as Golden Globes host - because Seth Macfarlane just about offended everyone at the Oscars on Sunday. Women, Jews, Mel Gibson, George Clooney and Prometheus were among those feeling the full force of the comedian's quips. He says he'll never host again.

A Silver Lining: It sort of seemed as though the world was against Jennifer Lawrence winning Best Actress at the Oscars. Many plumped for the underdog Emmauelle Riva, while others favoured Jessica Chastain - nevertheless, the Silver Linings Playbook was head over heels with her win - literally.

Continue reading: A Week In News: Seth Divides Oscars Viewers, Jennifer Lawrence Wins Big And It's Goodbye To Affleck's Beard

After Daniel Day-Lewis picked up his third Oscar for Best Actor on Sunday (February 24, 2013) hundreds of articles on the 'Lincoln' star dubbed him the world's greatest actor. The 55-year-old is clearly amongst the most gifted performers on the planet, though Day-Lewis himself batted away such suggestions at the Vanity Fair party following the Academy Awards.

"It's daft isn't it?" the actor told The Daily Telegraph, "Sean (Penn) had to go through all this a few years ago. It changes all the time." Most critics cite either Day-Lewis or Penn as the world's greatest living actor, though such opinions appear to lie firmly with Oscar nominations and wins. So rare are the British star's movie appearances that it seems folly to suggest nobody on the planet is doing better work. Asked where the future will take him, the actor admitted he has "no plans" to make another movie at the moment. "I can't think of anyone [characters] right now because I need to lie down for a couple of years. It's really hard to imagine doing anything after this." The difficulty in reaching him suggests it may remain that way for some time. "The thing is I forgot my phone tonight, and I'm sure my mates in the UK will have been phoning," he added. 

Day-Lewis' previously won Best Actor for My Left Foot in 1990 and There Will Be Blood in 2008. His win for Steven Spielberg's Lincoln sees him supersede Marlon Brando, Gary Cooper, Spencer Tracy, Frederic March, Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman, Tom Hanks and Sean Penn. The latter two actors are likely to feature at Oscars ceremonies in the future, while Nicholson and Hoffman are by no means beyond winning again.

Continue reading: "Don't Be Daft," Daniel Day-Lewis Laughs Off 'World's Greatest Actor' Tag

If there’s anything worse that winning just one Oscar after your film was nominated for five, it's winning Best Sound Editing, and if there’s anything more embarrassing that that, it’s winning Best Sound Editing in a rare tied award with Skyfall.

Zero Dark Thirty’s failure at the 85th Academy Awards can be attributed, at least in part, to a trio of US senators, who, on December 19 last year, complained that the film was “grossly inaccurate” for implying torture played a part in tracking down the al-Qa’ida leader. The controversy surrounding the political implications of her film, led director Kathryn Bigelow to write a piece in the Los Angeles Times. “Those of us who work in the arts know that depiction is not endorsement. If it was, no artist would be able to paint inhumane practices, no author could write about them, and no filmmaker could delve into the thorny subjects of our time.”

Continue reading: Zero Dark Thirty Wins Only One Oscar Through Rare Tied Award

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

Today marks the day of the Oscars 2013 Nominations announcement. The Oscars, of course, are voted for by the great and the good of the movie world. If the American public had their say, though, we could tell you right now who would be walking away with those gold statuettes, because Reuters and Ipsos have conducted a very useful poll, telling us just that.

According to the online poll, the US public would like to see Lincoln and Les Miserables do well at the awards ceremony and would be happy if either one of those walked away with the Best Picture gong (of course, we all know it’s going to be Lincoln, right?). Anne Hathaway and Daniel Day Lewis were also favourites in the Best Actress / Actor stakes and The Hobbit, Life of Pi and Django Unchained were also popular choices amongst US citizens. It’s worth noting though that around 52 per cent of the 951 people voting in the poll had not seen any of the 24 films on the Ipsos list so it’s probably not the best indicator of what’s going to happen on awards night.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be streaming the Oscars nominations live today at 8:30am ET / 5:30am PT / 1:30pm GMT. 

Continue reading: Ipsos Poll Reveals Americans' Pick For Oscars 2013. Lincoln And Les Miserables Are Public Favorites

As awards season kicks off, today with the BAFTA nominations and tomorrow with the Golden Globe award ceremony, actors, actresses, directors and producers everywhere will be biting their nails and praying for a win from at least one of the big three coming up, the aforementioned two, of the Oscars, nominations for which will also be released tomorrow. 

There are very few surprises in the BAFTA nominations as this year has some clear stand-out offerings to the trade, and as announced by Alice Eve and Jeremy Irvine, here's the low down on the biggest prizes. 

Nominations for best film are the big five: Argo, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty. Despite BAFTA being a British institution, there's not a British film in sight (except Les Mis, but the majority of leads aren't from the fair isle). Luckily, however, there's a whole separate award for Brits. In that list, the contenders are Anna Karenina, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (that was 2012? it seems so long ago), Les Miserables, Seven Psychopaths and a much deserved Skyfall. 

Continue reading: British Awards Season Begins With The Unsurprising Nominations At The Baftas

Wrong Direction: It's been a rough week for Harry Styles and Taylor Swift, the pair going their separate ways after a brief relationship. Of course, it's great news for ambitious fans of both stars who reckon they're in with a chance! 

Star-Studded Wedding: It's congratulations to Star Wars creator George Lucas and his long-time girlfriend Mellody Hobson, who have announced they are to marry. No date or location has been set, though it could be a pretty big few years for the veteran filmmaker, what with the revival of a certain movie franchise.

Continue reading: A Week In News: Styles Splits, George Puts A Ring On It And Kim And Kanye Buy Big

It was 'coming' for months; teasing us with enigmatic trailers, laced with a disconcertingly mistimed drum. It was the next big thing. With a directing CV representing no mistakes, this was going to be Paul Thomas Anderson's official entry into the pantheon of the greats.

And it still might be, but, as many are predicting, not via an instant hit of Oscar-narcotics. The 2013 Academy awards will recognise great films, no doubt, but it's likely The Master will be lucky to walk away with one.

So why is a film - which has been at the top or near the top of many critic's end of year lists - destined to 'underachieve' come Sunday, February 24th, only to spend years accumulating a cult status of its own? Here are three perfectly ridiculous reasons why not.

Continue reading: Three Reasons Why The Master Won't Dominate The Oscars

Les Miserables has become the favourite to win Best Picture at the Oscars after being nominated for four prizes at the Golden Globes - a key barometer for the Academy Awards. Lead stars Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway received acting nods, Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil are shortlisted for their song 'Suddenly', while the movie itself is shortlisted for Best Motion Picture (Comedy and Musical).

Largely shot at Pinewood studios, Tom Hooper's Les Miserables cost around £38 million and featured the actors singing every song live on set. Speaking to the BBC after the Golden Globe nominations were announced, The Kings Speech director said, "I'm just pleased for the whole team who made Les Miserables. Making a musical is an intensively collaborative type of film-making, because it requires such an army of people. An army who aren't there on a conventional movie. The singing teachers who helped the cast, through to the onset pianists who played in the live duets with the singers." Though musicals and comedies are often ignored by the Academy, Les Miserables has been installed as the 9/4 favourite to snatch the Best Picture Oscar away from the hands of Ben Affleck and Steven Spielberg in February. Hugh Jackman is now the third favourite to win Best Actor, though it would a huge shock should Daniel Day-Lewis not win the award for his turn as Abraham Lincoln. Anne Hathaway is favoured for an Oscar nomination, though the bookmakers still firmly believe Jennifer Lawrence will win Best Actress for Silver Linings Playbook.

Les Miserables hits theaters in the U.S on Christmas Day, with a UK release following on January 11, 2013. 

To win a Screen Actors Guild Award is one of the most prestigious accolades an actor or actress can receive in their career. 2012 has given us some fantastic films, so the competition is even more fierce. We can all speculate but what do the bookies have to say? Paddy Power have compiled their odds, and here they are.

Daniel Day-Lewis is leading the pack for the coveted prize of Best Actor, with odds of 4/11. Having received almost unanimously positive reviews for his performance in Lincoln, this is no real surprise. He's beating competition of Flight's Denzel Washington at 4/1, Hugh Jackman in Les Miserables, at 6/1, The Sessions' John Hawkes at 7/1, and dragging a little way behind with 14/1 is Bradley Cooper for his role in Silver Linings Playbook. 

Silver Linings Playbook is doing considerably better for the prize for Best Actress, as Jennifer Lawrence is the favourite to win it for her role in the film, with pretty good odds of 8/15. Jennifer Chastain, who has also been praised very highly for her role in Zero Dark Thirty is the second favourite with odds of 7/4. Marion Cotillard has odds of 8/1 for her role in Rust and Bone, which is the film's only recognition in the nominations. Helen Mirren in Hitchcock has 14/1 odds, and Naomi Watts is bringing up the rear for her role in The Impossible. 

Continue reading: Jennifer Lawrence And Daniel Day-Lewis Are Odds-On Favourites For SAG Awards

The Golden Globes have just announced their nominees for their forthcoming awards shows. Alongside the recently announced Screen Actors Guild and Critics Choice Awards, the Globes are generally believed to be a good indicator as to whose going to fare well at the all-important Oscar Awards next year.

In keeping with those other recent nominations, Lincoln is once again leading the way with seven nomination, including a best actor nod for its star Daniel Day-Lewis. Surely the Oscar is already his. A lot of other usual suspects also feature heavily, including Django Unchained, Argo, Zero Dark Thirty and Les Miserables. Rust And Bone will be disappointed to miss out on the best picture category, whilst Richard Gere makes a perhaps surprise appearance in the best actor category. 

We'll just get down to it and give you the full list, as reported by Yahoo.

Continue reading: Golden Globe Awards Nominees Announced! - The Full List Here

In the run-up to the Oscars, the movie industry pays special attention to the smaller awards nominations, for indicators as to what to expect at the big event. So far, it’s looking good for Lincoln, the new Steven Spielberg biopic about President Abraham Lincoln. With the title role played by Daniel Day Lewis and a supporting cast featuring Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon Levitt and James Spader, there has been an ‘Oscars-buzz’ around this movie for some time now. And that buzz just got a little more deafening with the release of the Screen Actors’ Guild Awards nominations.

Unsurprisingly, Daniel Day Lewis is up for best actor, reports Los Angeles Times, with Sally Field getting the nod for best supporting actress and best supporting actor for Tommy Lee Jones. Lincoln is joined by Silver Linings Playbook (starring Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro and Jennifer Lawrence) and Les Miserables, which gets a tips for best ensemble, with Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman leading the cast, there.

Dame Maggie Smith is the real star of this year’s announcement, though, landing more nominations than any other actor. She’s been acknowledged not only for her cinematic appearance in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel but also for her small screen work on Downton Abbey, the British series that has really made waves in the USA. 

Continue reading: That Oscars Buzz Just Got Louder – Lincoln Leads Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominations

Our hero: Daniel Day-Lewis

They should start naming the Oscar award for best actor the 'Daniel Day-Lewis award' such is the superiority of his talent over even the very finest of his peers. The evergreen 55 year-old just seems to get better with age, as proved by his latest performance in the Steven Spielberg biopic Lincoln, where he managed to pull off the formidable task of giving a worthy representation of one of the greatest American leaders in history.

Continue reading: In Praise Of: Lincoln's Daniel Day-Lewis

The final instalment of the 'Twilight Saga', 'Breaking Dawn Part 2', starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson has topped the US box office for the second weekend in a row during the Thanksgiving holiday.

The teen vampire flick brought in a massive $64 million from November 21st to 25th adding to the $163 million already grossed by the popular movie in the States. It certainly helped the box office break their Thanksgiving takings record with an estimated $290 million beating their previous record from 2009 of $273 million over the course of the American holiday. 

Coming in second place at the box office was the most successful James Bond movie so far, 'Skyfall', which brought in $51 million over the weekend totalling $221.7 million altogether for the US. The immense success of the film has made 007 star Daniel Craig the highest earning British actor after signing a £31 million contract to appear in two further Bond films.

Continue reading: 'Breaking Dawn Part 2' Tops US Box Office For A Second Week

A big weekend for the U.S Box Office saw the much anticipated premiere of Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 - the final instalment of the franchise - win the weekend at a canter.

Coming at over three times its nearest rival, Skyfall, which managed $41,500,000 in its second week, Twilight amassed a staggering $141,300,000 on its opening weekend. Having already enjoyed a limited release previously, Steven Spielberg's political epic Lincoln managed $21,000,000 in first full weekend, while Disney's Wreck it Ralph claimed the #4 spot with $18,312,000 - an impressive feat for its third week. Flight, starring Denzel Washington as a pilot with alcohol problems and also in its third week rounds off the top 5 $8,615,000. Fighting for Oscars honours with both Lincoln and possibly Flight will be Ben Affleck's Argo, which can't muster the same kind of commercial clout as it's biggest rivals. In on its 6th week, Argo holds 6th place. Astonishingly maintaining a presence in the top 10 is Taken 2. The Liam Neeson thriller, despite being critically panned has been a fair success, with $2,100,000 this weekend, and a cumulative net of  $134.6M.

The rest of the top 10 looks like this: Pitch Perfect takes 8th in its 8th week, the disappointing Here Comes The Boom takes 9th spot with $1,200,000, and finally, Cloud Atlas clings on at #10 with a puny $900,000 in its 4th week. 

The limited release seemed to go down a storm with fans, and with the full release of Lincoln in the US this week, it’s time for a recap of the final reviews that have come in for what looks like is going to be a huge contender for many of the Oscars on offer next Spring.

You’ll be well aware that Lincoln focuses on the 16^th American President Abraham Lincoln during the period when he abolished slavery. Daniel Day-Lewis is the man playing the bearded leader, Sally Field is wife Mary Todd. The pairing has been a smash success in the eyes of the critics – as has just about everything else about the film.

"Lincoln is the work of a different director, one truly fascinated by why his subjects do what they do, one who invests each moment with the artistry he has often reserved for setpieces” chirruped The Village Voice earlier this week. “Daniel Day-Lewis plays Lincoln as a true mid-westerner, a wry, twinkle-eyed statesman that understood how conviction and likeability could affect the hearts of men. This man has no equal as an actor” said MovieWeb, whilst Orlando Weekly commented “[A] handsome and discriminating historical drama.”

Continue reading: Final Reviews In: Lincoln Set To Be A Smash Success

There was always going to be some sect of America that would shriek with horror when the news that Steven Spielberg had chosen British actor Daniel Day-Lewis to play beloved US President Abraham Lincoln, and with the new film about the final days of the former President's life about to hit US cinemas those cries have been reignited once more.

Never mind the fact that one of Hollywood's most competent directors was working with one of the most celebrated and successful actors of all time, that still hasn't silenced opposition towards the two time Oscar winner and his depiction of Honest Abe. However, since the film was given it's first screenings, the one thing that US audiences have found to complain about more than Day-Lewis' nationality is his voice - with both audiences and critics commenting that the tone adopted by the actor comes nothing close to what they had in mind for one of their country's most revered orators.

A review in Time magazine, which overall gave a glowing reception to the film and Day-Lewis' performance, commented that his voice in the film is “thin" and "reedy," while one report from CBS News said his tone was “scratchy and not what audiences had come to expect."

Continue reading: Daniel Day-Lewis And Steven Spielberg Come Under-fire For Abraham Lincoln Portrayal

Daniel Craig and wife Rachel Weisz shared a rare moment of public intimacy at the 2012 Britannia Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Wednesday evening (November 8, 2012). The British couple were attending the BBC America sponsored event, at which Craig picked up the award for British Artist of the Year.

After being announced the winner, Craig leaned in and kissed his wife before making his way onto the stage as she applauded. The Skyfall actor mimicked his 007 persona by opting for a simple black tuxedo, while Weisz opted for a black ensemble. After picking up his gong, Craig was congratulated by director Stephen Spielberg and Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis, who also took home an award for his turn in Lincoln. The evening turned out to be a very Bond affair, with actresses Berenice Marlohe and Naomie Harris both in attendance, as well as director Sam Mendes. Goldeneye actor Alan Cumming hosted the event in a striking looking red suit.

Though amongst the world's most famous movie stars, Craig and Weisz have managed to keep their relationship largely private. She broke off her engagement to director Darren Aronofsky in 2010 before marrying Craig in June 2011. 

Continue reading: Spy Who Loved Me: Daniel Craig Kisses Rachel Weisz At BAFTA Britannia Awards

A busy month for movies has seen some big hitters, but perhaps none as big as Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, which tells the tale of America’s 16^th president’s struggle to push through the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, permanently abolishing slavery. We’ve taken a look at some Lincoln reviews for you.

Early indications, as not all the top reviews are in, suggest that Daniel Day Lewis’ turn as Abraham Lincoln might bag him an Oscar come 2013. “Lincoln looks amazing, sounds amazing, and has enough talent to make it an exhilarating learning experience,” say Hollywood.com. And another Hollywood, this time the Reporter, tend to agree: “An absorbing, densely packed, sometimes funny telling of the 16th president's masterful effort in manipulating the passage of the 13th amendment,” they write. Variety also loved the film, but acknowledged that their might be the odd historical inaccuracy. “Though historians will surely find room to quibble,” they wrote, “every choice Day-Lewis makes lends dignity and gravitas to America's most revered figure”. The Guardian took the opportunity to make a small dig at contemporary politicians, in light of the impending American election, quipping, “If only modern American politics were remotely as entertaining.” Finally Boxoffice.com, said Lincoln was “A fascinating, savvy look at the inner-workings of the political process and how things in the White House get - or don't get – done.”

Continue reading: At The Movies: Lincoln Review Roundup

Denzel Washington’s latest film, Flight, has garnered much praise already – and for all the right reasons too – with Washington already tipped for Oscar glory for his staring role.

The film itself, directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by John Gatins, tells the story of an airline pilot who saves a flight from crashing, however the post-flight investigation into the plane’s malfunctions reveals some worrying revelations. Washington stars as said pilot, Whip Whitaker, who on top of being a veteran of his trade is also a serious alcoholic. The film also stars Bruce Greenwood as the character Charlie Anderson.

Whilst still a newcomer to the box office, critics look as though they can’t get enough of Washington and his performance, and betting sites have already placed the double-Oscar winner among the top contenders to achieve Oscar glory at next years ceremony. 

Continue reading: Denzel Washington Set For Oscar Success With ‘Flight’?

There is a relation between George Clooney and Abraham Lincoln; according to Ancestry.com, Clooney is the half-first cousin five times removed from Lincoln, the 16th president, Reuters reports.

When they say "half", then mean that two of their ancestors were half-siblings - Lincoln's mother Nancy Hanks was the half-sister of Clooney's 4th great-grandmother Mary Ann Sparrow. As historical figures go, Clooney has got to be pretty happy with the news. Considered to be one of the most important men in the history of America, and certainly remembered as its finest president, Abraham Lincoln led the country through the Civil War and is credited with the abolition of slavery, which officially became law in 1865 after his assassination. Clooney, whilst predominantly known for his fine acting talents, has also trodden down the political path once or twice, but not with quite the same authority and consequence. A major Hollywood backer of President Barack Obama - he hosted a Democratic Party fundraiser at his Los Angeles home in March that raised $15 million for the party.

One can't help the feeling that Ancestry.com knew about this link for a little while, but waited for the week in which Lincon - the upcoming Steven Spielberg film, which stars Daniel Day Lewis as the title role - is released. You can catch Lincoln on limited release on November, 9, with the general release happening on the 16th.

Continue reading: Is George Clooney Related To Abraham Lincoln?

So that's where his political integrity comes from! George Clooney, the Oscar winning actor and noted Democrat, is a distant cousin of Abraham Lincoln, considered the greatest president in the history of the United States. According to Ancestry.com, The Descendants star is the half-cousin five times removed from Lincoln.

The genealogy website explains the connection in detail, noting that "half" means two of their ancestors were half siblings. Lincoln's mother Nancy Hanks was the half-sister of Clooney's 4th great-grandmother Mary Ann Sparrow. Hanks and Sparrow shared the same mother, Lucy, who was Lincoln's maternal grandmother. Clooney has long been associated with political activism and recently hosted a Democratic Party fundraiser at his Los Angeles home, raising $15 million for President Barack Obama's re-election campaign. He was arrested in Washington this year during a protest at the Sudanese Embassy.

Lincoln, a Republican, led his country through the Civil War and is credited with abolishing slavery, which became law following his death in 1865. He is the subject of Steven Spielberg's new biopic, which is likely to win Daniel Day Lewis yet another Oscar. Ahead of the movie's release, ancestry.com is offering free access to more than 20,000 documents showcasing Lincoln's life. 

Continue reading: George Clooney Confirmed As Distant Cousin Of Abraham Lincoln

Daniel Day Lewis has donated papers from the archive of his poet father Cecil to Oxford University's Bodleian Libraries. The never seen before papers includes a letter from WH Auden, criticising one of Cecil's poems, and the final stanza of 'The Newborn' written to mark the birth of Oscar winner Daniel.

According to BBC News, the collection will be celebrated with a day of special events on 30 October, 2012. Daniel and sister Tamasin said they were "thrilled" with the archive's new home, "If the manuscripts had ended up outside the country it would have saddened us all as a family as the poets who became papa's lifelong friends and peers all met up at Oxford as undergraduates," they said in a joint statement. Cecil Day-Lewis is one of the most notable Anglo-Irish poets of recent times. He studied classics at Oxford before being elected professor of poetry at the university in 1951 and Poet Laureate in 1968. The archive also contains correspondence with Sir Kingsley Amis, Sir John Betjeman and Sir Stephen Spender.

Daniel Day Lewis, who has made only six films since 1997, is the bookmakers' favourite to win Best Actor at the Oscars for his turn in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln biopic. He has won the award on two separate occasions, for My Left Foot and There Will Be Blood. 

Continue reading: Daniel Day Lewis Donates Poet Father's Papers To Oxford University

Steven Spielberg has finally arrived at the awards season party with 'Lincoln', a movie about the 16th President of the United States of America, touted as his best film in years. Though 2011's 'War Horse' was set up to be land the director an Oscar's gold-rush, it disappointed critics and in the end seemed a million miles away from the rich offerings of Alexander Payne's The Descendants and, of course, Michel Hazanavicius' The Artist.

Now, the 65-year-old appears to have assembled a talented cast to compliment Tony Kushner's useful script. Last year, fans of Daniel Day Lewis were left stunned as photographs of the actor displaying an incredible likeness for the great politician emerged online. It appears that his portrayal of Lincoln goes far beyond aesthetics though, and critics were lining up to praise the actor following the movie's premiere at the New York Film Festival this week. Reactions began hitting the web shortly after the movie had screened, with Clayton Davis of Awards Circuit gushing, "Daniel Day-Lewis effortlessly envelopes Abraham Lincoln with charm and resolve. It's a magnetic turn that not only inspires the human spirit but provides an immense amount of laughter." ComingSoon's Edward Douglas talked up Lincoln's Oscars chances, calling it "Spielberg's best movie in years," before adding, "Lincoln should be good for 12 Oscar nominations and 4 easy wins."

Lincoln has firmly established itself as a frontrunner for the Best Picture prize at next year's Academy Awards, though it's closely rival - Ben Affleck's Argo - has also received positive reviews in New York this week. However, if Daniel Day Lewis doesn't win Best Actor then we'll eat our top hat.