Ready for CAE p 12. Oscars 2011: Film critics' reactions. Extra Listening

The Guardian and Observer film team on the winners and losers at this year's Academy Awards, at which The King's Speech scooped four Oscars

1.       The Oscar for Tom Hooper (best director) was predictable.
2.       This critic was expecting the Cohen brothers to win the Oscar.
3.       The King’s Speech is the typical British film that the Academy tends to favour.
4.       The King’s Speech had difficulty in finding the necessary money to be made.
5.       Xan Brookes argues that a director is to be credited for the performances of the actors.
6.       Colin Firth is about the best thing in the film.
7.       Inception should have got more awards on its technical achievements.
8.        The Social Network deserved more awards than what it got.
9.       The Social Network is a deeper film than it seems.
10.   Natalie Portman's award is not really deserved.

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The Guardian and Observer film team on the winners and losers at this year's Academy Awards, at which The King's Speech scooped four Oscars

1.       The Oscar for Tom Hooper (best director) was predictable.  F
Everything was predictable except for one thing, which is Tom Hooper getting Best Director for The King’s Speech.
2.       This critic was expecting the Cohen brothers to win the Oscar. F
Any of the other nominees would would be pretty disappointed... but the Cohen brothers were the least likely to win. But the others are major film makers...
3.       The King’s Speech is the typical British film that the Academy tends to favour. T
There is something about a British film that the Academy likes, and the King’s Speech has that in it (aprox).
4.       The King’s Speech had no difficulty in finding the necessary money to be made. F
it was turned down for funding... wasn’t seen as a safe be, as a box hit
5.       Xan Brookes argues that a director is to be credited for the performances of the actors.
Well, part of the reason why he performed well is because of direction. It raises the question of what a director does in a movie.
6.       Colin Firth is about the best thing in the film. T
Colin Firth’s superb performance kind of fools people into thinking it is an emotional film
7.       Inception should have got more awards on its technical achievements. T
Inception got a lot of technical awards (although it could have got more.... It has all these visual effects awards, two other technical awards, and of course the cinematography award, because it is a very unusual film
8.        The Social Network did not deserve more awards than what it got. F
it came at the lower end of what it expected and deserved.
9.       The Social Network is a deeper film than it seems. T
It’s about computers, about people writing code... and it’s about these slightly dysfunctional young people... and probably many people didn’t get what The Social Network was about.
10.   Natalie Portman's award is not really deserved. F