Projection Room: The Smit Awards 2017
Turn on the new sound gear, pour another cup of the good old Earl Grey (in the interests of fairness, other teas are available), and recline as far as you can handle- it’s time for the annual mockery of the awards system that I do to close the year off. 2017 has been HUGE. With a lot of leather becoming the norm at the local multiplex, an incredible selection of big screen experiences across the board, and of course, one of the biggest slates ever seen for several years, from the topical blend of genres in Get Out, to the long awaited sequels like Blade Runner 2049, and even a few independent gems thrown in for good measure. As we always do at this time of year, it’s time to honour the best (and worst) of cinema over the last 12 months. So let’s ruddy do this.
Before we begin…
Time for the usual rules and regulations of these elusive honours. There are none, except for the main Film of the Year- that has to have been screened on a British cinema screen between January 1st and December 23rd, and the important bit: if it was nominated for any of the major Hollywood awards back in February, it’s of no interest here. So, here we go, and be warned, there are potential spoilers ahead.
DIRECTION
Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
1 hour, 46 minutes. For a war film. Well played Mr Nolan. While it may not be up to the same standard as his seminal works, Dunkirk just felt right clocking in at under 2 hours, both from a critical and a practical standpoint- more screenings, more sellouts (yes, it sold out my local cinema’s biggest screen several times in the midst of refurbishments), and when you account for the sheer scale of the film (as he says himself, a British story that can only be told on a Hollywood budget), you can understand why he is rightly regarded as one of the finest storytellers around.
PERFORMANCES
Leading Role
ACTOR: Ryan Gosling, Blade Runner 2049
Well, what a year he’s had. First, he went to La La Land, and nailed it. Then, he became agent K. And he nailed it again. This man is in the middle of a career resurgence, over the last 18 months he has become one of the most bankable leads in Hollywood right now- and there’s a very good reason why: Ryan Gosling is just able to perfect any sort of film he does.
Honourable Mention: CJ de Mooi, The Renata Road
And it’s the first of many mentions for the most popular review of 2017- de Mooi’s work on this film is nothing short of spectacular. Appearing in pretty much every scene in the film (his acting debut in a feature film too), he is that engrossed in the character of the Stranger that even his subtle facial expressions have hints as to where the plot is heading- a rare feat for any film regardless of its budget. Hopefully we’ll be seeing more of his work on the big screen soon- because he is an absolute natural on it already.
ACTRESS: Emma Stone, Battle of the Sexes
It’s two from two for last year’s La La Land leads, as Emma Stone once again proves that she can do any role with ease. Putting her alongside Steve Carell in a film about the 1976 tennis match pitting Billie Jean King against Bobby Riggs was a bold move, but once again, she nails it. Oscar competition for this category is quite a hotly contended competition this year, but the reigning winner still has a good shot with this film.
Supporting Role
ACTOR: Mark Hamill, Brigsby Bear
A criminally overlooked film, with the added bonus that it has Luke Skywalker himself putting in some outstanding work- to say why would spoil the film (it is really advised that you go in not knowing anything), but I can definitely say that I preferred him in this over The Last Jedi. Controversial? Yes. But once you’ve seen him in this very unique, one of a kind film, you can understand why.
ACTRESS: Dafne Keen, Logan
Introducing a character like Laura to the X-Men universe is a difficult task- but having her nail it in her first film is even more difficult. What Keen brought to the role back in March was nothing short of astounding, as she was able to play off the strengths of Hugh Jackman (in his final outing as Wolverine) in a way that made her the real star of the film in that emotional final act. There’s all sorts of theories about her future in the X-Men films, so we will have to wait and see what Fox- sorry, it’s Disney now- have up their sleeves.
Ensemble Cast
The Renata Road
Ah, The Renata Road. A film that simply wouldn’t have been possible without some incredible talents to make the characters feel real. I met a lot of the team behind it at its premiere in January, off-screen they are really lovely, but once you put them in front of a camera, they just create magic. With a fantastic lead in CJ de Mooi, some incredible supporting work from Ed Theakston, Rebekah Bowman, John Sharp and the whole cast, this is a film that is the epitome of an ensemble piece.
SCREENPLAYS
Original
Alan Mockler, Chris Worthington and Greg Saxton: The Renata Road
These 3 are absolute geniuses. Taking a short film from 2011 to a full feature is tough, but what they did was nothing short of extraordinary. Every aspect of the film has clues about future plot events, and with their script, the film’s ending just feels brutal- a true psychological enigma that has to be experienced with an audience just to see how they react to THAT moment. And no, I won’t be revealing what THAT moment is.
Adapted
Scott Neustadter and Michael H Weber, The Disaster Artist
A film about the worst film ever made. That’s a very tough sell, but with the script on this one, audiences who haven’t seen The Room have been able to understand the story of Tommy Wiseau, and that’s a hell of a feat. With the humour on point, and a story that’s super refined, the adaptation of Greg Sestero’s book is spot on, and considering the fact that I ventured outside of the hallowed ground of the 7 screen cinema I call my home to see this, I’m proud to give a very niche film some praise.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roger Deakins, Blade Runner 2049
There is simply no arguing about this one. The man’s not won an Oscar for his long career behind the camera, and the aesthetic of his work on Blade Runner 2049 should easily give him the praise he deserves- as it looks incredible on the big screen. Bold, daring, full of colour, and just incredibly designed for 4K, it fits in with the original film of 30 years ago perfectly.
VISUAL EFFECTS
War for the Planet of the Apes
Because, well, just look at that. Photorealism is becoming a more prevalent thing nowadays, and with the work Andy Serkis has done for perfomance capture over the last few years, this could be where the ‘uncanny valley’ dies. Everything felt believable with the new Apes film, and that takes a lot of doing.
MUSIC
Original Score
Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch, Blade Runner 2049
It’s a herculean task to try and make a score that honours the work of Vangelis for the new Blade Runner film- but my word, having Hans Zimmer return to his synth-based roots for this film was incredible. Hearing it on newly installed sound equipment (post-refurb for those of you in the know) made it feel big, especially when it started to shake my recliner due to those lower bass notes. The legend is back in his element- and following Dunkirk with this (working alongside collaborator Ben Wallfisch, who’s also had a great year too, scoring films like IT amongst others) makes it all seem worthwhile.
Soundtrack
Tied with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Baby Driver
Everyone is cashing in on the soundtrack brigade this year. I couldn’t pick these two apart- sure, Awesome Mix Vol. 2 isn’t as strong as the original, but I have had both of these albums on repeat when it comes to review days- that says it all really.
WTF MOMENT OF THE YEAR
Tom Cruise’s scream, The Mummy
I was so tempted to put all of this film down for this award. But I resisted the urge. The film was absolutely awful, we all know that, but when this moment happened, well, me and a few of my cinema colleagues were baffled by this poor use of ADR. At least we’re getting a new Mission Impossible next year…
INDEPENDENT GEM
Honouring the best in homegrown independent cinema
THE RENATA ROAD
‘this is an absolutely great piece of indie filmmaking’
A film so good that it creates a brand new award. It’s been a great year for the indies, with this, Brigsby Bear, the short films I seen at MANIFF (which I fully intend to cover once again this March), and the more Hollywood-esque entries, but this is on another level. I’ve spoken about this film a lot, so I’ll keep it brief. 2 hours 5 minutes. £17,000 budget. An outstanding combination of top director, an electric debut role for CJ de Mooi, and some of the best talent from right here in the North West. You’ll have to read on a little further to see if it takes Film of the Year, but still, this is what indie cinema is all about.
TURKEY OF THE YEAR
Awarded to the film that disappoints audiences and critics alike
THE EMOJI MOVIE
‘What this film is, is something devoid of any narrative, but a good snapshot of what society has come to.’
Well, this is an award that has been set in stone since August. There’s been a lot of mediocrity, from Baywatch, to even Justice League (surprisingly), but nothing comes close to the film about the iPhone’s best friends- emojis. This film has quite rightly become a joke amongst the film industry, and what I see as the embodiment of what’s wrong with the human race nowadays. It’s terrible, and why it did so well stuns me. I actually refuse to buy this film on Blu-ray, something which speaks volumes about how bad we’re talking. Sony Animation’s next project after this is the new Peter Rabbit film… how they’ve managed to keep the rights for it following this vitriol is shocking.
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
Paddington 2
I absolutely adored this film- playing to the strengths of the 2014 original and taking them to new heights, Paddington 2 has been just bang on the money from the moment the first trailer came out. The fact that it’s done so well makes me rather proud. It’s been playing to strong audiences every week (the box office numbers don’t lie), and the added bonus that people of all age groups are loving it is enough of a reason to bestow the highest honour I can give for a large budget British production.
THEJACKSMIT.COM FILM OF THE YEAR 2017
Tied with DUNKIRK and THE RENATA ROAD
It was a two horse race this year. I couldn’t pick these two films apart, but after much deliberation with my team, and the fact that one of these films hasn’t secured distribution rights as of yet (film distribution people- get on that please!), I couldn’t give my biggest honour to a film that only a select few have seen- so I decided to give it to both Dunkirk and The Renata Road, showcasing the best of what both Hollywood and the independent scene has to offer.
With Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan really put all of his skills to great use, creating a film that really put the sense into sensory overload- at a tight 1 hour 46 minutes, this was a brutal film in terms of emotion, especially with a good chunk of the film using IMAX cameras to add to the immersion, and if the incoming awards nominations are anything to go by, this could be a big year for the man who helmed what is arguably the better series of Batman films.
But with Renata Road, well, I don’t think I really need to say much more about Ed Greenberg’s debut feature. The performances were sublime, the plot was on point, and nearly 11 months on from the first viewing, I am still discussing that ending with fellow insiders who attended the January screening in Lytham, and the April screening that just happened to take place in screen 2 of the local cinema (just days before their long awaited refurbishment kicked off). Backers of the film who haven’t seen it yet, well, you have an incredible 2 hours to look forward to, and I have a very good feeling that more people will get to witness this incredible piece of work soon.
And that officially brings to a close the crazy, refurbishment dominated 2017. For the last week, I’ve been having a much needed rest, but on Friday, the reviews return with The Greatest Showman and potentially Molly’s Game- strap yourselves in everyone. The ‘Road to Leicester Square’, and the 5th year of film related craziness here on TheJackSmit.com begins right now.
BORING LEGAL STUFF
All stills from The Renata Road © 2017 Beyond the Bar Ltd. All rights reserved
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