24/02/2012 The Review Show

It's that time of year again as the Oscars approach, The Review Show's

the acting awards, will it be a golden statue for the Iron Lady?

Will George Clooney be cheered up by another win? Behind the camera,

it's a Clash Of The Titans, Scorsese, Malick and Woody Allen

all hotly tipped. Will The Artist bag best picture or could

Spielberg's War Horse steel the academy's hearts. What does it

matter in I way? What does it really mean to win an Oscar. Die

secting the art of the silver screen tonight are movie veteran

and Bourne villain, wowing audiences in his performance

Coriolanus, the actor Brian Cox the writer columnist and comedian

Natalie Haynes. Mark Millar, the graphic novelist the creator of

Kick-Ass. And Karen Krizanovich. Good evening. Welcome to The Review

Show's yearly flirtation with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood

albeit from a studio in windy Glasgow. Tonight, in Bryan, Natalie,

Mark and Karen, we have a verityable treasure trove of movie

knowledge. We like to hear what you think. Feel free to e-mail or tweet

us during the show. As we embark on our celluloid dreams we start with

possibly the sexiest categories of them all, best actor and Best

Actress.? The boys corner, two Hollywood heavy weights fight it

out with a trio of French, British and Mexican talent. Oscars regular

George Clooney plays down the looks with his role in The Descendants as

a work aolic lawyer. When his wife goes into a coma secrets haunt the

family. It's 20 years since his Thelma and Louise debut for many

critics it's taken that long for Brad Pitt to mature into what's

described as his best role to date, playing a radical baseball manager

in Moneyball. Their professional ball players. Just be straight with

them. Pete, I've got to let you go. Of course the big noise has the

surprise hit The Artist with Jean Dujardin captivating artists --

audiences, channelling icons as diverse as Valentino and chaplain,

Dujardin plays the older movie veteran whose career goes into

decline with the Advent of the talkies. More surprisingly Mexican

born actor buechbuechbuech beat off competition from Micheal Fassbender

and Ryan Gosling to be nominated as Carlos, a Mexican immigrant worker,

That's not funny. I didn't say that. And last but not least, British

stalwart, Gary Oldman turned in a complex but subtle turn as George

smiley in the classic Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. He's been helping us

Peter. He's been telling us all about his adventures. For Best

Actress, Meryl Streep who's already bagged a BAFTA for her portrayal of

Margaret Thatcher in both her prime and more controversially as she

struggles with dementia. Where? bombings, mummy, today. Michelle

Williams portrayed another female icon, Marilyn Monroe in My Week

With Marilyn, Chris Clarke's account of his brief time with the

troubled star. Larry tells me you are quite superb. Eddie Marsan took

on the challenge of -- Rooney Maria took on the girl with the dragon

tattoo. Viola Davis is persuaded to reveal the service of white

families to an aspiring author. And finally, in Albert Nobbs Glenn

Close plays a woman forced to disguise herself as a man in 19th

century Ireland in order to obtain work. You're not thinking of taking

a wife, are you not? So the smart money says Streep will outstrip the

rest and Jean Dujardin will silence the competition, what does our

panel think? We're honoured to vai member of the academy with us now,

Brian Cox. I want to begin with looking at actresses and one of the

favourites is Meryl Streep, for the range of her performance I suppose

in Iron Lady. I mean, she's phenomenal. She happens to be one

of the greatest actresses ever. It's unquestionable. I used to say,

I met her on occasion, I once said to her, I hated her. I said "I

really hate you. When I was younger I used to hate you. But I didn't

really hate you, I was incredibly jealous of you. You're always so

good." She is. She's rather a remarkable woman, apart from being

a remarkable actress. This is a phenomenal performance. Truly is.

It's in the a very phenomenal film. It's a mental film, but I love

abbey Morgan she's a great writer. Shame was my favourite film in the

last 12 months. It was like the comic strip presents. What about

Meryl Streep herself? She was brilliant. That's the thing that

saves it. I'm almost, I think she must almost feel embarrassed in the

rest of the film, the guy from buffy is Geoffrey Howe and the

weird casting. But it was a master class. Was it more than just

mimicry? Absolutely, yeah. Philida Lloyd is taking a lot of flak about

this film. It is fiction really. It's not documentary. I think

Streep is amazing in it. I don't have animosity towards Margaret

Thatcher. I wasn't here when she was in power. I saw it as pure

performance. I liken it to people who don't like the performance, I

say do you like Bruno Gantz playing Hitler, if you did, you're

basically saying that Margaret Thatcher is worse than Hitler.

have Michelle Williams also playing real life character Marilyn Monroe.

When it's a real-life person that we're talking about, there's a

distance, you don't engage so much in the character, you're thinking

is that really like Marilyn Monroe. Yeah there's always the risk that

it becomes karaoke, what you're doing is admiring a really good

imitation. I think it's a little unfair, certainly unfair to suggest

that of Meryl Streep performance, which is genuinely impressive.

Michelle Williams gets a little closer to the kairk yokey, not just

because she sings an dances. The thing she does really well is walk

that very fine line where Monroe walked where people couldn't work

out if she was really smart or really dumb. I don't think it's a

great film again. But I think she's good in it. And captures the

vulnerability of being an actress. I think she's remarkable. I've

watched this girl over the years. She did a great film with Ryan

Gosling last year called Blue Val inTyne -- Valentine. She's got

better and better. She's lick a young Meryl Streep. She's how

mayoral was 25 years ago. She has a quality of work and depth. She

gives this film, which is quite a slight film, enormous credibility.

It was ironic that she won the best actor in a comedy prize for the

Golden Globe, because actually it's a very deep and rounded performance.

Now with the girl with the dragon tattoo and Rooney Mara she was

playing Lisbeth Salader. It was a terrific film. If you remake a

European film, you're seen as not worthy to see it. If that was in

English, I don't think they'd have that impressed. It seems to have

dignity because of the foreign language. The American ones were

far superior. Viola Davis? I've been following her career every

inch of the way. She's a consummate actress. It's wonderful to see

she's finally got a leading role. And do you think because of the

kind of part that she's playing that's going to appeal to members

of the academy? Yeah, I don't think, I think she is a fantastic actress.

I don't think this is seeing her at her best. She's always wonderful. I

have a problem with this film because of the pace fgt film. It's

far too slow. It's far too self- regarding.S too sentimental. I

think it's a great story, but it needs from the director, it needs

much more gritty and the actors should have been told move it

through more than they did. I don't think it's her best work. Let's

move on to the men now. Brad Pitt in Moneyball? Your face lights up

just Atkins name. My face lighted up from Thelma and Louise. Remember

being a teenager going "Who is he?" He's very good. He's grown up from

the pretty boy of Thelma and Louise and he's pretty good in The Tree Of

Life. But he's unbelievably good in this. I love this, he is a

compulsive chewer in virtually all films. He chews so well in this.

There's like the energy of this character is so much that he has to

with his jaw the whole time. It's compelling. It was an amazing

script by Aaron Sorkin. Does he bring more to it than the lines

have delivered to him? He has a stillness now. He's been in the

indstr I for quite some time. I think he's maturing. I believe he

had producing credits on that, I'm not sure. He eats in all of his

films just to make us hate him. In a way he doesn't need his looks now,

which sounds a bill shallow. think he's happier in his skin.

I've worked with Brad. He's a tremendous individual. He's a

wonderful man. But I so wonderful to see him in this because all of

that is in the movie. The fact he's grown up in the industry and he's

learned how to be an actor, yet he's not, he's no longer a movie

star. He's become a consummate actor. That's what this performance

shows. Moving from somebody who sin credibly well known to a much less

well known actor relatively obscure Ambuccia in a better life. This was

so understated. Yes and incredibly moving portrait of what happens

when you force people to live outside the law and then punish

them for that. He is genuinely a man caught in a situation where he

cannot win. He's an illegal immigrant. He's in Los Angeles. He

has a son who is born in America. His son has the right to stay in

America, but he does not if he is caught. It sounds like, I'm making

it sound tragic from start to finish, but it isn't. It's humane

and beautiful. His relationship with his son is lovely. Does he

stand any chance winning? I think it's just going to belong to The

Artist this year. Economic bad times we like to retreat into the

past. I think The Artist will clean up. What did you think of this?

He's already won the Mexican version of the Oscar. This guy

really doesn't have much to prove. I thought it was an amazingly

balanced really wholesome, beautifully paced, even though it's

quite slow, film. It was like the bicycle thief. I was enthralled.

It's worth seeing. I think some of the good guys were overlooked. The

best performance came from Micheal Fassbender and Ryan Gosling. And

even X-Men, that shouldn't be overlooked. Ryan Gosling had an

amazing film. To be totally overlooked. A film that may have

been overlook sd Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy but not nominee for

best actor. Gary Oldman is up for that. It's great to see Gary. It's

wonderful to see him in his stride. Again I work with him in the mid-

80s in the theatre and I've just watched him go through the

difficulties of this profession. Gary is one of the most courageous

young actors that was, he's not young any more. I always think of

him as young. He really has taken his career and turned it round big

time. This is a remarkable, fine performance. I couldn't help

comparing him with Alec Guinness. did enjoy it. He does channel Alec

Guinness, the glasses, it looks like whoever plays the part has to

have them on. Secretly, I know it's a slow film, I very much enjoyed it

as a slow burner. If you like a faster paced film, may I recommend

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy trying to work out, including Gary Oldman

thinks they have the lead. I think it's six people. I think six men

are walking round going yeah, I'm in the film and I'm the star.

Descendants that's George Clooney. Was he outside his range? I don't

think there say role that's really outside his range. I think he's

quite good. Again, we tend to think, handsome leading guy, he doesn't

have to be that good. It's very interesting, George Clooney is very

good at comedy, as we know from other movies. He's very well

balanced in this. It's a slow burn film. I didn't like it the first

time I saw it. I watched it the second time and liked it better.

I'm a big fan of Alexander Payne. Even a Hawaiian shirt is not

outside his abilities. Or a paunch indeed shockingly. Don't worry if

you think we've forgotten about Jean Dujardin, we will talk about

The Artist later on. If the glamour and good looks mainly reside in

front of the camera, this my pal tonight, directors like to argue

that the real talent resides behind it, just like my producers. So next

up it's the nominees for best This year's nominees for Best

Director include a plethora of Hollywood royals. The first time

nominee is probably the favourite. The Artist is his third feature

film, and momentum has been gathering behind the French

director. The Artist is also hotly tipped for Best Picture. Seldom in

the history of the Academy Awards have both awards been given to

different films. But this could be one of those times, with Martin

Scorsese's nomination for Hugo. He took on and mastered the challenge

of 3D to illustrate his own passion for early cinema. This is

Scorsese's eighth not for the Academy. Hugo has been hailed by

critics as the film Four film lovers. Alexander Payne is also in

the race, receiving his first nomination since 2005. But there is

are very different kind of film from Sideways. The Descendants has

been guessing positive reviews. Also a hit with the critics, Woody

Allen's Midnight In Paris has given him his 7th director Oriel

nomination. But a victory is unlikely, a comedy rarely gets the

top award. Woody Allen is notorious for not showing up at the red

carpet, failing to turn up on three occasions he has won before. If

Terrence Malick wins, he may repeat the trick. He has been recognised

for The Tree Of Life. With the last ballot papers handed in on Tuesday,

will it be Michel Hazanavicius's name which is getting engraved on

the award? Let's begin with Woody Allen, and we have been waiting

long enough, haven't we, for a decent film?! Is this a return to

form? It is a return to some form, it is not Woody Allen at his most

funny. It is a return to an examination of culture, the things

that people love, is the past better than the present? And he

actually answers that one. And also, it takes the audience somewhere the

audience wants to go. It is not hilarious, but I think it is a

return of some sort for Woody Allen. It feels like a 1970s Woody Allen,

but may be almost too much, it is like somebody doing Woody Allen.

But I really like him, I even like the ones that everybody hates.

does make one every year, so... what about this one in terms of

Best Director? What he does beautifully is to fall in love with

the City and make you feel the city is more beautiful than you could

ever have imagined. I'm sure he gets up in the morning and thinks,

I would like to make a beautiful film, which never fulfils his dream,

because he is so critical. Then he thinks, I want to go and play in my

they're tonight. I don't think the awards matter to him very much,

which is why he does not go. I have acted with Woody Allen. Is there

anyone you have not acted with? Anyway... I think Woody Allen has

realised what he wanted to do, but I think this is a bittersweet film,

like Woody Allen having a debate with his younger self. It is like

his own struggle, in a gentle way, with his own nostalgia, his own

sense of where it he is as a film- maker. So, there are these elements

in the film. One film which really does have a huge range of elements

and innovation is bunch of Cseh which's The Tree Of Life. -- bunch

of CEO's The Tree Of Life. This is one of my favourite films of the

year. Not only is it interesting, in the way that it looks at Texas

in the 1950s, but it has dinosaurs. It is a terrific movie, which of

course is notorious for having some people come out -- coming out and

wanting their money back because it was too slow and too long.

certainly polarised the critics. Yes, sorry, I was so bored by it, I

get bored very easily. It was very pretty, which is fine, but I like

the story way more than I like pictures. It had dinosaurs, come

on! Yes, my theory is that he lost the Oscar to Steven Spielberg that

year, and I think, he went, damn you and your Jurassic Park, Steven

Spielberg! The minute an art-house movie has a mother dinosaur weeping

over her baby, I thought, this is brilliant. Did you find the rest of

it just as brilliant? I kind of like how pretentious it is. It was

like God was editing somebody's home movie. Just when you were

thinking, this is too much, he pulled it back, it was touch and go,

but I came out of it satisfied. Thinking about Martin Scorsese's

Hugo a now, he decided to do this one in 3D, was it successful, do

you think? Well, he is a truly great film-maker, no question. I

don't know, and had a problem with Hugo. I did not see it in 3D, I saw

it on a screen, but I think there is an element with all of these

films, a kind of cynicism about, oh, he is going to do this in order to

create that... And I feel with this film that at the end of the day, I

feel that it is not engaged, it is full of wonderful shapes and looks,

but there is something which, indie Terence Malik film, he is still at

the centre of it. I saw this one in 3D, and I thought it was amazing. I

loved the use of the 3D. In two dimensions, I would tend to agree

with you. But there were some wonderful shots which I found

drilling. You know when guys hit a certain age, they just want to win

awards, I felt like that. That's what I loved about Hitchcock, he

did not do that, as he got older. He made films which a 25-year-old

could have made. It just felt like a guy who was playing to the

gallery. I just mean for Spielberg, both War Horse and Hugo, both of

them. I think they both suffer from the same problem. I did like the

render, but exactly as Karen says, I thought it was beautiful in 3D,

but in two dimensions, I did not get the same reaction. But it is

worth bearing in mind, that Martin Scorsese's documentary about the

American humorist which he did... The George Harrison film is

absolutely superb. And finally, Alexander Payne, what about him?

don't think it is his strongest work, I have to say. I liked it

more the second time, but I still cannot get Sideways out of my mind.

Now, what about the big one, Best Picture? It is a controversial line

up this year, with some notable absentees and some questionable

appearances. Until last year, only five films made it to Best Picture

nominee. Now, in the second year of having 10, there's a much wider

range, everything from a 3D children's story to a silent movie.

Oscar watchers will know that films involving loss, race, struggle and

depravity tend to appeal, especially when set in America's

more troubled times. The Help fits that bill, a story about black

maids set during the most turbulent civil rights era in American

history. Then there is that tear- jerker War Horse, set in World War

1. In a similar vein, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close addresses

the aftermath of 9/11. Then there is The Tree Of Life. The Hawaiian

drama of The Descendants also boasts several winning ingredients,

including strong child performances. But then maybe this is the year for

something different. Moneyball is a clever, witty approach to the

perennial film topic of baseball. And Woody Allen's Midnight In Paris

is a whimsical stroll down artistic memory lane. This is a writer, Gil

Pender. Hemingway. Hemingway? liked my book. I loved all your

work. Nostalgia is certainly a big theme among the nominees. The

Artist pays homage to American silent films in early Hollywood. It

has been a runaway success at every awards ceremony this season. So,

should the Academy play it safe this year with all the standards,

or will it uncharacteristically take a more radical option? So,

finally, we come to talk about The Artist. This is a pretty brave

thing to do, a black-and-white, silent film. I got a call from my

brother who said, I have got a pirate copy, it is the worst I have

ever had. Tell me he was kidding me. But am waiting for the 3D version.

I am surprised how much I enjoyed it. I thought it might be fun for

short movie, I did not know if they could sustain it, but they did. It

is charming, and in bad times, it is lovely to go back to the past.

loved this. I know there is a backlash against it, I am lucky

because I saw it last year for reviewing purposes. They are the

most likeable film couple in such a long time. He has a face you just

want to see crack into a smile. And she is beautiful. It is not a

particularly strong year, but if this were to win Best Picture on

Sunday night, it would be my favourite Best Picture for as long

as I can remember. Is there any depth to it? It is entertaining, if

there is any depth, it is the fact that perhaps we want something

which is wholesome entertainment, and we like to see a nice actor who

will work for sausages. But no, I would not say there is any depth.

We all work for sausages, we have to. I don't think you expect depth

from a film like this. There are other films which will do it. This

is wholesome, it is nice, and this film has been promoted for long,

long time. I saw the trailer for it more than a year ago. It has had a

lot of marketing. I think it is more than that, I think it is an

astonishing achievement, to make a silent film in this day and age. I

think the bravery of it is astounding. If you had seen that

script...? I would have given it a lot of consideration. I would have

thought it was an art-house movie. We have all taken it a bit too much

for granted. I think it is a remarkably good film, a film which

has a lot about film, a lot about the state of film, and the kind of

film which we have come to expect, and it reminds us of something

which was really rather special about film. I keep thinking about

singing In the Rain, Gene Kelly, it has got all of that, the dog and

the girl and the story, and the fall from grace and the recovery,

it is wonderful. There is a theory that for a really good film, you

should be able to watch it with the Should we have done that War Horse?

Yeah, here's the thing the narrator of the book is the horse and that

is fine. On screen you lose that. I don't know why, he's psychic. He

can understand what everyone says. Why he could not chat I don't know.

He could just go the Mr Ed route. So that's, it just becomes so eped

soic, because the horse is the focus of the thing, and the horse

is not super exciting to watch and you can hear what it says, it never

compels you. OK it's Devon. Now it's Germany. The war scenes are

great. OK, now it's, now it's a French girl. Now she's gone. You

can't invest in it at all. What you mean the horse is not working for

sausages. You have said how disappointed you are with Steven

Spielberg because it's too sentimental for your taste. I don't

know what it is. Maybe you hit a certain point in your career and

you don't hit the mark as often. I think he's been inconsistent for a

decade-and-a-half. If I was Duncan Jones with Planet Of The Apes or

Vaughn with X-Men, there are so many films overlooked. Shame is one

and Limitless. None of the films I liked were nominated. And a film

that was nominated Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, last week our

panel slated that film, all of them. I'm probably in a minority. I

actually loved this film. I really D I think this is, I mean, I just

don't think people get this film. They, because of 9/11, but 9/11 is

not really what it's about. It's about a little boy's journey. It's

about a boy trying to make sense of something. The little boy suffering

from Asperger's and he's annoying, but he's supposed to be. Then he

becomes extremely moving. It's a wonderful film. I think Stephen

Dolbry is a fantastically good director. I suppose it might appeal

to the academy. I suppose so. They will need a longer wick. He was so

annoying with his tambourine. is what really annoys me, I'm sorry,

this annoys me about the attitude towards this little boy. There are

kids like this and they are like this, who have this obsession,

Asperger's kids... Then it should have the courage to say that. He

says he was tested and it wasn't difintive. It's clearly about that,

clearly. They should man up and say so. No, it's not. That would be

saying we want you to bear this in mind in order to like the film.

bring it up if you don't want me to bear it in mind. Because the

audience has to dot work. That's one of the problems. You're going

to agree to disagree. Another film based ond a very difficult time in

America's history is The Help a best selling book. We have talked

about Viola Davis's performance, but best picture? I wouldn't say so,

no. There are strong performances. I think there's a pace problem with

this. I've read the book and I don't usually like to compare the

two, but it's, it's an important book and I think it's an important

film. I think it's an important film primarily, for me, as a critic,

to see wonderful actresses and actors that don't generally get

that kind of format. More about performances than the film itself?

To be honest, I was drunk when I watched it. I wan out on a night

out, and I came in and watched it, so I don't think I can really

comment. There is a problem with it. It's very slow paced. It's charming

and likeable and everyone in it is brave and nice or properly

villainous and the lines are clearly drawn. It's fine. But it's

kind of a little simplistic. There was a very good set of fake Oscar

posters built and shown on Facebook over the last few weeks and the

spoof caption they gave this was "white people solve racism - you're

welcome black people." That sums up this film too accurately I'm afraid.

Those are our predictions. We take no responsibility for any losses

you may incur at the bookies on Sunday. When the red carpet is

rolled up and the frocks are back in the shops, what difference does

an Oscar make? Still viewed as the summit of movie making success, it

seems the results of winning are, well, variable actually.

For big studios the Oscars are the focus of the entire year. Millions

are poured into well honed promotional campaigns. They get it

right it means big bucks. Warner Brothers, extremely lud and

incredibly close was playing in six theatres on the weekend of release.

Now it's playing in over 2,500. The Weinstein brothers made millions,

lost them and made them again through successfully and sometimes

personally promoting films like The King's Speech and The Artist. Hugo

and My Week With Marilyn also makes the grade this year.

For the smaller indie films you might think an Oscar would make

even more of a difference. This year the benefit of nomination for

art house film Pina is questionable. It's only added a modest $600,000

to its US domestic growth since the 24th January nominations, compared

to a yield just shy of $3.5 million added to The Artist's coffers which

is backed by the Weinsteins. Do smaller companies lack the

distribution power and marketing thrust to break through the glass

ceiling and capitalise on their Oscar success? Well, there's no

hard and fast rule. Crash in 2006, which usurped the favourite

Brokeback Mountain for the best picture award made just over $9

million in its opening weekend. However, following its Oscar wins

that year, it managed high returns grocer short of $1 billion

worldwide. While an Oscar or two might look nice in Clooney cln's

loo, it isn't always the case that an Oscar can lead to better and

bigger job offers for actors and film makers. Linda Blair, more or

less exorcised herself from her own career following her nod for Best

Actress. Roberto Benini has disappeared from public view after

life is beautiful. And Michael Chimino who won best director for

the deer hunter in 1978 never sustained the success of his iconic

film. Oscar does sometimes spot talent early on. Angela Land sbury

was nominated in 1944 for her first film Gas light. If the economic and

career benefits of an Oscar is dubious does the kued os come from

A report disclosed that Oscar voters are nearly 94% kau caution

and nearly 77% male and with a median age of 72. Why then, if

there are a bunch of white middle aged men making predictable choices

dot Oscars continue to grip hod wood? Is it the joy of industry

recognition, the hope they might be one of the lucky ones for whom an

Oscar means a fortune or is it just the glamour of the timeless glitzy

ceremony? Mark, it seems that getting an

Oscar isn't always a game changer. You have Halle Berry following her

Oscar with cat woman, it's a curse as well. There's so many bad career

moves that come after an Oscar, maybe you get stage fright. It is a

game changer in your price. We are talking to a guy who we're going to

have to wait if he wins the Oscar will pay five times the amount if

he didn't win. On one hand it would be great to have an Oscar winner on

the poster. Who is it? I'll tell you upstairs. There's a reason why,

I probably shouldn't speak ahead of Bryan, a lot of these films are not

making a lot of money with the films that they're nominated with.

If you win, it's time to actually pay your mortgage and put your kids

through school. We think that stars make all this money, they don't

always. They don't, that's true. I think the Oscars has become a very

cynical exercise frankly. I think the whole thing is they kind of

squeeze all these films through a tube that comes out usually between

Christmas and January. They try to get all the films out then. A lot

of films fall by the way. A lot of films don't manifest. You don't see

them, especially with the screeners. I get loads of screeners at this

time. I think it's not what it used to be, which used to be the work

over a period of a year. The -- The Artist is ironically, part of that

over the year. As you say it was showed in Illinois way back. It

does mean that you earn more money as an actor. But the studio system

is forcing it. We still love them don't we? We do. It focuses

everyone's attention on film and on a particular kind of film for a

certain period of the year. For the rest of the year you go OK it's art

festivals time, it's Cannes, Berlin or Venice or London. You get a

different kind of film, an interesting film. Yeah, why not

have fun at the Oscars. Loads of people get lots of extra money, not

just actors, caterers and people who park cars. Let's get some of

your predictions. What do you think for best actor and actress? Best

actor will go to Jean Dujardin and I would like it to go to Jean

Dujardin with a tiny bit of Brad Pitt. Best Actress to Meryl Streep.

I would like it to go to oh, God they're all terrible films. I would

like women to get better films next year. Best director, I don't know.

I think it's The Artist all the way. And Jean Dujardin. Meryl. Though I

think Rooney Mara gave an extraordinary performance in the

girl with the dragon tattoo. say the same thing. The Artist will

sweep the board. Meryl Streep is unbeatable. Who can stand against

that? Who would you like to win? think Streep deserves it. I think

it's obvious, but she's great. can be beaten. That's by Viola

Davis. I think it will be a sweep with the The Artist. For the major

categories any way. Jean Dujardin for best actor? Yes, that's right.

It's too novel and delightful and people are too excited about it.

And it's never happening again. I think this is one time. It's the

first silent movie sints 1929 to be We hope you get sent one of those

scripts. Please send me a silent movie. That's us finished with

Oscar for another year. See whether our panel got it gloriously right

or royally wrong on the live Academy Awards broadcast on Sky

movies in the middle of Sunday night. Thanks to my panel, Brian

Cox and Natalie Haynes Mark Millar and Karen Krizanovich. Remember you

can find out more about tonight's show and what's coming up soon on

our website. You can always get in touch by e-mail and Twitter. Next

week, Kirsty's here to discuss a new book from John Lanchester, and

on his 70th birthday, can't believe, that the life and work of Lou Reid.

It's only been two weeks since we last played you the Muppets on The

Review Show, but it went down so well, we thought we'd do it again.

Here a nominee for Best Song, it's Man or Muppet.

# Am I a man or am a Muppet? # If I'm a Muppet, well then I'm a

very manly Muppet # Am I a Muppet... #

I always believe in other people. Sooner or later you've got to

believe in yourself. # If I'm a man that makes me a

Muppet of a man # That's what growing up is, becoming

who you want to be. # Here I go again

# I'm always running out of time # I think I made up my mind #

I don't care what anybody says. I believe in you.