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Analysis,

My recommendations for the 18th Jameson Empire Awards - Vote Now! Skyfall is leading nominations All the nominees & Best Actor Infographic

If like me you disagreed with some of the winning choices for the EE BAFTTAs and the Oscars here is your chance to go some of the way to setting the record straight with the fan vote driven 18th Jameson Empire Awards  So head over to www.empireonline.com/awards2013 to vote for your choice of the best talent for this year.

Sam Mendes’ Skyfall, recently crowned the biggest-ever UK box-office hit, leads the pack with six nominations for the Jameson Empire Awards 2013, it is announced today.

Joss Whedon’s Marvel Avengers Assemble and Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey follow closely behind with five nominations apiece, while British indie hit Sightseers keeps pace with Hollywood with four nominations.

Now in its 18th year, the Jameson Empire Awards has come of age and is firmly established in the ‘Awards Season’ calendar as an antidote to more formal, industry-voted awards. The Jameson Empire Awards are voted for entirely by the cinemagoing public, who have been voting in their thousands for their favourite films and performances of the past year. The public can now vote on the final shortlisted nominees and acknowledge films that may have missed out at other awards ceremonies. Film fans across the globe can vote at: www.empireonline.com/awards2013

Skyfall tops off its huge box-office success, in James Bond’s 50th anniversary year, with nominations across six categories: Best Thriller, Best British Film, Best Director, Jameson Best Actor (Daniel Craig), Best Actress presented by Citroën (Dame Judi Dench), and Best Film presented by Sky Movies.

Marvel Avengers Assemble and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey go head-to-head in five categories: Best Science-Fiction/Fantasy (with strong competition from Looper, Prometheus and Dredd 3D), The Art Of 3D presented by RealD (up against Life Of Pi, Dredd 3D and Prometheus), Best Director and Best Film. Lead actors Robert Downey Jr. and Martin Freeman will fight it out in the Jameson Best Actor category against Daniel Craig, plus Oscar-winners Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln) and Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained).


Sightseers picks up four nominations: one each for lead actors and co-writers Steve Oram and Alice Lowe in the Best Male Newcomer presented by Entertainment Tonight and Best Female Newcomer categories, plus nods for Best British Film and Best Horror presented by Café de Paris. Also competing for Best Horror are Sinister, The Woman In Black, Dark Shadows and The Cabin In The Woods.

The Jameson Empire Awards also recognises emerging talent. Best Male Newcomer includes two nominations for Life Of Pi, with Suraj Sharma and Rafe Spall up against Domhnall Gleeson (Anna Karenina), Steve Oram (Sightseers) and Tom Holland (The Impossible). Best Female Newcomer has Sightseers’ Alice Lowe joined by Alicia Vikander (Anna Karenina), Samantha Barks (Les Misérables), Holliday Grainger (Great Expectations) and Quvenzhané Wallis, the youngest-ever Best Actress Oscar nominee, for Beasts Of The Southern Wild.

Best Actress presented by Citroën sees Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lawrence nominated for performances in different films from those for which they won their Oscars: Hathaway for her role in The Dark Knight Rises and Lawrence for The Hunger Games. They will compete against Dame Judi Dench (Skyfall), Golden Globe-winner Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) and Naomi Watts (The Impossible).

Best Thriller sees the might of Golden Globe-, BAFTA- and Oscar-winner Argo take on Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty, plus popular foreign-language hits Jo Nesbo’s Headhunters and The Raid. Best Comedy presented by Magic 105.4 will be hard-fought, with the multi-award-winning Silver Linings Playbook competing with Ted, Moonrise Kingdom, 21 Jump Street and The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists!.

The best of the UK’s film talent will vie for the coveted title of Best British Film, with Skyfall up against Les Misérables, Sightseers, Dredd 3D and The Woman In Black.

Five of the biggest directors in the world will compete for the prize of Best Director and Best Film presented by Sky Movies, with Sam Mendes (Skyfall) taking on Joss Whedon (Marvel Avengers Assemble), Peter Jackson (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey), Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Rises) and Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained).
THE JAMESON EMPIRE AWARDS 2013 NOMINATIONS

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    Best Male Newcomer presented by Entertainment Tonight

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- Rafe Spall (Life Of Pi)
- Steve Oram (Sightseers)

My Recommendation: Tricky category as some of the actors had considerably more screen time, meatier roles to get their teeth into as well as roles in very entertaining films. But all things considered and even though I suspect may be the underdog in his Anna Karenina role - Domhnall Gleeson subtle brilliance shone in Anna Karenina


Best Male Newcomer:  Domhnall Gleeson

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    Best Female Newcomer

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    - Alice Lowe (Sightseers)

Best Female Newcomer: Undoubtedly* Alicia Vikander
*I haven't seen Great Expectations.

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    Best Comedy presented by Magic 105.4

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    - 21 Jump Street
    - Moonrise Kingdom
    - The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists!
    - Silver Linings Playbook
    - Ted

21 Jump Street	Moonrise Kingdom	Pirates! In An Adventure	Silver Linings	Ted

My Recommendation: Both 21 Jump Street and Moonrise Kingodm were brilliant for completely different reasons 21 Jump Street as a piece of throw away hilarity was consistently funny but Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom was a more rounded and heartfelt film I'm unsure if comedy is the right category for it but it was all kinds of awesome - Moonrise Kingdom


Best Comedy Moonrise Kingdom 

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    Best Science-Fiction/Fantasy

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    - Dredd 3D
    - Looper
    - Marvel Avengers Assemble
    - Prometheus
    - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Dredd 3D	Looper	Avengers	Prometheus	The Hobbit

My Recommendation: Possibly my most favourite category of the year and with the exception of two of the films (Dredd 3D was fun but too flawed and didn't bring the innovation required of a character like Dredd, the other was a huge pile of polished turd from someone who knows better and is a prime example of cynical cash grabbing film making) all should be recognised and could win but as I had little expectation and it completely blew me away - Joss Whedon's Marvel Avengers Assemble was the most fun, entertaining and biggest spectacle film in the category.


Best Science-Fiction/Fantasy: Marvel Avengers Assemble

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    Best Thriller

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    - Argo
    - Jo Nesbo’s Headhunters
    - Skyfall
    - The Raid
    - Zero Dark Thirty

Argo	Headhunters	Skyfall	The Raid	Zero Dark Thirty

My Recommendation: Another tough category; I absolutely loved Jo Nesbo’s Headhunters, Skyfall and The Raid and possibly they would all win in genre categories more suited to their type of film like;

Jameson 2013 Best Darkly Delicious Comic Action Film Winner: Jo Nesbo’s Headhunters

Jameson 2013 Best Balls Out Kick Ass Action Film Of The Year Winner: The Raid

But it comes down to Sam Mendes's Skyfall which was the best and most beautiful looking Bond film in ages but despite Ben Affleck grimacing his way through a lead role Argo was a superb piece of film making and the worthy winner of the title BEST THRILLER of the year.


Best Thriller: Argo

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    Best Horror presented by Café de Paris

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    - Dark Shadows
    - Sightseers
    - Sinister
    - The Cabin In The Woods
    - The Woman In Black

Dark Shadows	Sightseers	Sinister	Cabin In The Woods	Woman In Black

My Recommendation: Another category with a clear winner for me. I am stoked to see Tim Burton's Dark Shadows nominated it is his best film in years both inventive and entertaining it probably won't make anywhere near the same money as his recent hits but it's certainly more entertaining.  Sightseers was a great take on the serial killer genre and although it is pretty horrific I don't know if this is the category for it given its competition. Joss Whedon's The Cabin In The Woods was a great update on the genre and a humorously brought some finality to the cabin in the woods sub genre.

Sinister was all kinds of scary with darkly satisfying performances and scares but couldn't quite match up to The Woman In Black which was as creepy as hell and maintained a sense of dread throughout its runtime due to dark atmosphere and genuinely scary frights.


Best Horror: The Woman In Black

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    The Art Of 3D presented by RealD

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    - Dredd 3D
    - Life Of Pi
    - Marvel Avengers Assemble
    - Prometheus
    - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Dredd 3D	Life of Pi	Avengers	Prometheus	The Hobbit

My Recommendation: Dredd 3D had some great 3D set pieces and stunning visuals but was let down by other elements, Life Of Pi was breathtakingly beautiful but without the benefit of the books insight lacked heart, Marvel Avengers Assemble was the most entertaining film of the year and the 3D was a value add I saw it in both 2D & 3D and loved the 3D as a separate element of the overall film.

I didn't see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 3D but would expect that Peter Jackson would bring the same level of detail to the 3D that he brings to his film making as a rule.

I hated Prometheus, it is such a poorly conceived film that like a black hole it sucks the goodness of everything else around it into nothingness. It has no redeeming qualities apart from its stunning cinematography and I have to say that both the visual aesthetics and the 3D were spellbinding and far ahead of others in the category.


The Art Of 3D: Prometheus

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    Best British Film

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    - Dredd 3D
    - Les Misérables
    - Sightseers
    - Skyfall
    - The Woman In Black

Dredd 3D	Les Misérables	Sightseers	Skyfall	The Woman In Black

My Recommendation: This should be cut and dry with Skyfall coming in on top but Tom Hooper's Les Misérables was absolutely brilliant. I have never been able to sit through a live or screened performance of Les Misérables (and I have watched at least 4 film versions) until Tom Hooper's Les Misérables I was enthralled and stunned the whole way through that opening boat yard scene blew my mind. Russell Crowe has been getting flack for his singing but in context of the story and film I thought he did the role justice and then some. Anne Hathaway would have probably stolen the show had it not been for Hugh Jackman pulling a renaissance man and lifting the film from a musical play to a dramatic, thrilling and tense piece. But Skyfall is a brilliantly conceived film using the strengths of Bond's 50 year film legacy to make compelling viewing. And if you read the Establishing Shot you know I have long anticipated Bond achieving this level of greatness.


Best British Film: Skyfall

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    Best Director

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    - Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Rises)
    - Joss Whedon (Marvel Avengers Assemble)
    - Peter Jackson (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)
    - Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained)
    - Sam Mendes (Skyfall)

Christopher Nolan	Joss Whedon	Peter Jackson	Quentin Tarantino	Sam Mendes

My Recommendation: Another tough category, it's a shame Tom Hooper is not nominated here as Les Misérables was an incredible achievement mostly due to the direction. I really enjoyed Quentin Tarantino's pop tastic Django Unchained more than Inglourious Basterds in fact it is a far superior film in many respects and the fact that Tarantino wrote the original story as well as directed the film should be acknowledged. But the amount of work that must have gone into making the mostly CG Marvel Avengers Assemble and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey into entertaining and compelling films must have been considerable.

Sam Mendes took a tired cliche ridden 50 year old franchise and kick started it (again) while using its past to its benefit.

It has come down to Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained,  Sam Mendes for Skyfall or Joss Whedon for Marvel Avengers Assemble. Skyfall was entertaining, gorgeous and classy but Marvel Avengers Assemble was bubblegum gum for the eyes, magnificent in scope, fun and had HULK. Whedon also took an unfilmable plot and turned it into a compelling and witty tale that had you suspending belief for 143 Minutes.


Best Director Joss Whedon for Marvel Avengers Assemble

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    Jameson Best Actor

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    - Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)
    - Daniel Craig (Skyfall)
    - Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)
    - Martin Freeman (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)
    - Robert Downey Jr. (Marvel Avengers Assemble)

Christoph Waltz	Daniel Craig	Daniel Day-Lewis	Martin Freeman	Robert Downey Jr.

My Recommendation: It is unlikely that James Bond will ever be nominated in this category again and I am drawn to Daniel Craig by some misguided loyalty. Daniel Day-Lewis brings substance and depth to Lincoln. Robert Downey Jr. was as entertaining as he always is in Marvel Avengers Assemble. Martin Freeman was grand as Bilbo in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey but let's face it Christoph Waltz in  Django Unchained is unbeatable for entertainment value. Tarantino seems to have tailor made the character and dialogue to Waltz  who lifts it magnificently.

Jameson Best Actor Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained

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    Best Actress presented by Citroën

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    - Anne Hathaway (The Dark Knight Rises)
    - Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games)
    - Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)
    - Dame Judi Dench (Skyfall)
    - Naomi Watts (The Impossible)

Anne Hathaway	Jennifer Lawrence	Jessica Chastain	Dame Judi Dench	Naomi Watts

My Recommendation: Some tough choices for actresses playing tough roles. I don't agree with some of the choices made here. As much as I didn't like the flawed The Impossible. The script seemingly not allowing the characters much in the way of depth but of all the performances in the category Naomi Watts certainly brought depth and emotion to her role as Maria.


Best Actress Naomi Watts for The Impossible

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    Best Film presented by Sky Movies

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    - Django Unchained
    - Marvel Avengers Assemble
    - Skyfall
    - The Dark Knight Rises
    - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Django Unchained	Avengers Assemble	Skyfall	Dark Knight Rises	The Hobbit

My Recommendation: As with the elements that make the best Director the elements that make a Best Film are closely aligned. The best film of the year for me was Amour, with Skyfall coming in 6th and Avengers Assemble 11th. Using that rating system Skyfall should be the best film of the year but the amount of fun and entertainment created by Marvel Avengers Assemble way back in April cannot be denied and I am going to say that of the choices above that -----



Best Film Marvel Avengers Assemble 

Empire is now the biggest movie brand in the world, with Empire magazine outselling all other movie magazines internationally by an average of two to one. With its bespoke editions in the US, Australia, Russia, Portugal and Italy, as well as Empire Online’s global readership of 2.8 million, the brand’s reach extends to over five million movie fans across the planet, making Empire the go-to brand for film fans and filmmakers across the world.

Each year, the Jameson Empire Awards attract some of the biggest names in Hollywood, with last year’s guests including: Gary Oldman, Danny DeVito, Bérénice Marlohe, James McAvoy, Tom Hiddleston and Michael Fassbender. Previous years’ guests have included: Tim Burton, Russell Crowe, Daniel Radcliffe, Keira Knightley, Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Sigourney Weaver, Emma Watson, Tony Curtis, Quentin Tarantino, Kate Winslet and Dustin Hoffman. Because the Awards are voted for by the public, they honour an eclectic mix of films, from big-budget blockbusters to independent cinema. Previous winners have included: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows — Part 2, Thor, Kill List, The Inbetweeners Movie, Avatar, Inception, Four Lions and In The Loop.

Previous Awards hosts have included: BBC6 Music’s Lauren Laverne and Empire’s own Chris Hewitt, and comedians Dara O Briain, Bill Bailey and Rob Brydon.

The Establishing Shot: MY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE 18TH JAMESON EMPIRE AWARDS - VOTE NOW! SKYFALL IS LEADING NOMINATIONS ALL THE NOMINEES & BEST ACTOR INFOGRAPHIC

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