Jessica Chastain backs strikes as she closes political Venice fest

VENICE, Italy -- Oscar-winner Jessica Chastain came to the Venice Film Festival Friday with a provocative new film, "Memory", and an impassioned message in support of the Hollywood strikes by actors and writers.

Chastain said she was "incredibly nervous" about attending the festival amid the weeks-long strikes over pay and concerns over the use of AI, which have brought Hollywood to a standstill.

But actors were too often told "to be quiet in order to protect future working opportunities", she said.

"That is the environment that has allowed workplace abuse to go unchecked for many decades and it's also the environment that has saddled members of my union with unfair contracts," said Chastain, wearing a T-shirt supporting the unions.

Several stars have been forced to skip Venice due to the strike, but Chastain's new film, "Memory" was made outside the Hollywood studio system and so received an exemption from unions to allow promotional work.

In her first role since winning an Oscar for "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" two years ago, Chastain plays a recovering alcoholic who falls for a man with dementia (Peter Sarsgaard).

Variety said the film by Mexican director Michel Franco featured "unforgettable performances", while The Hollywood Reporter praised the film as a "laser-like drama about trauma and connection".

- Biopics trend -

Despite the lack of A-listers, the festival has seen some instant Oscar frontrunners and hard-hitting political dramas at its 80th edition, which concludes Saturday.

Highlights from the 23 entries competing for the top prize Golden Lion include "Poor Things", a feminist reworking of Frankenstein which made Emma Stone a shoo-in for award nominations with her hilarious and shockingly explicit turn as a sex-hungry reanimated corpse.

So are Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan for their roles as conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia in Cooper's elegant biopic, "Maestro".

Biopics were a thing this year: from Michael Mann's long-awaited take on racing car impresario Enzo Ferrari starring Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz, to Sofia Coppola's lauded "Priscilla" about the wife of Elvis Presley.

- Migrant tales -

The jury, led by writer-director Damien Chazelle ("La La Land") and including Jane Campion and last year's Golden Lion winner Laura Poitras -- all three Oscar winners -- may be swayed by more political entries.

Critics have been impressed by two powerful migrant dramas.

"Io Capitano" tells the epic and brutally powerful story of a Senegalese teenager crossing Africa to reach Europe, with newcomer Seydou Sarr wowing audiences in the central role.

And "Green Border" offered a harrowing account of refugees trapped between Belarus and Poland during a real-life crisis on the EU border in 2021.

The jury might wish to reward one of the odder entries, "El Conde" by Chile's Pablo Larrain, which reimagines Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet as a blood-sucking vampire.

At the more arthouse end of the spectrum was Bertrand Bonello's "The Beast", starring Lea Seydoux, a surreal era-jumping love story with touches of David Lynch that got strong reviews.

The strong competition line-up helped distract from the controversy around the inclusion of Roman Polanski in the out-of-competition section.

As a convicted sex offender, the 90-year-old director was already struggling to find distribution in the US and other countries for his slapstick comedy "The Palace". The disastrous reviews at Venice will not have helped.

Currently holding a resounding zero percent on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it was variously described as a "laughless debacle" and "soul-throttlingly crap" by critics.

Another director who has been effectively blacklisted in the US, Woody Allen, had a better time with his 50th film (and first in French), "Coup de Chance", which was widely considered his best in at least a decade.

Agence France-Presse

Mum and Malaysia celebrate Michelle Yeoh's Oscar win

KUALA LUMPUR – "Malaysia boleh!" cried Michelle Yeoh's mother in a video chat with her daughter minutes after her historic Oscars win was announced -- citing a popular slogan that loosely translates into "Malaysia can do it!"

"I'm very happy... I'm proud of my daughter. She is very hardworking," Janet Yeoh told reporters after her daughter became the first Asian woman to win the Academy Award for best actress.

"I'll call her to come back (to Malaysia) and celebrate very soon. Next month is my birthday."

She and other relatives and friends of Yeoh's were gathered at a live screening of the awards ceremony at a Kuala Lumpur cinema, where there were loud cheers, embraces and tears of joy the second the announcement was made.

"It was such a jaw-dropping moment," Yeoh's niece Vicki said. 

"I was speechless, I cried. Everything was, it happened so quickly. We are so happy that she won, that our auntie won...

"We kept telling her: 'You will win... You're going to stand on stage with the golden man," she said, referring to the Oscar statuette.

'Pride of Asia' 

The 60-year-old Malaysian actress won the award for her role in the sci-fi film "Everything Everywhere All at Once," beating Cate Blanchett who had long been favorite to win a third Oscar for "Tar."

"Everything Everywhere" follows a Chinese immigrant laundromat owner locked in battle with an inter-dimensional supervillain -- who happens to be her own daughter.

Emily Ng, a Yeoh fan, said: "She is the pride not just for Malaysia, but she is the pride of Asia as well."

The former Bond girl was born to Malaysian-Chinese parents in 1962 in the city of Ipoh, 200 kilometers north of Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur.

She embraced dance as a child and specialized in ballet, which she studied in England.

On a vacation while visiting family, her mother entered her in the Miss Malaysia contest without consulting her. 

"I agreed to go to shut her up," Yeoh, who went on to win the beauty pageant, told a talk show.

A back injury made her give up her dancing career, but by the mid-1980s, she was using the body control she had learned in ballet to appear in action films alongside the likes of Jackie Chan.

Yeoh was awarded the title of "Tan Sri" by the Malaysian king in 2013, one of the country's highest honorifics bestowed upon civilians.

Meanwhile in Hong Kong, where Yeoh worked for a decade before becoming a Hollywood star, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung congratulated Yeoh, calling her a "shining star with impressive achievements."

"This is a testimony to the strong potential of Hong Kong's talents and film industry," he said.

Agence France-Presse

DiCaprio calls 'Don't Look Up' a 'unique gift' to climate change fight

LOS ANGELES — Leonardo DiCaprio calls his new movie "Don't Look Up" a gift.

Not because he got to work with a cast that includes Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep, Timothee Chalamet and Jonah Hill, to name just a few, but because the film captures the perils of climate change, while also making people laugh.

"I think we all looked at this as an incredibly unique gift," said DiCaprio, one of Hollywood's most vocal campaigners on the environment.

"We'd been wanting to get the message out there about the climate crisis, and Adam (McKay) really cracked the code with creating this narrative," he said.

Released in movie theaters on Friday and on Netflix on Dec. 24, "Don't Look Up Now" takes a satirical look at how the media and politicians treat climate issues. The plot sees two lowly astronomers (played by DiCaprio and Lawrence) trying to warn a world that doesn't seem to care about a huge comet on course to destroy the Earth in six months time.

DiCaprio said he'd been looking to do a film about the climate crisis for a while but finding the right approach had proved difficult, until now.

"You either do some existential journey through a person’s lifetime, or you make it a catastrophe movie where New York freezes over,” DiCaprio said.

Streep plays an egotistical U.S. president, with Hill as her fawning son and chief adviser. Blanchett and Tyler Perry play breezy TV news anchors, Chalamet is a teen drop-out and Mark Rylance plays a bizarre tech billionaire with his own agenda.

Director Adam McKay said that while people may view the movie as taking a political stance "the big trick is that we want you to laugh."

"At its root, it's a comedy," he said.

DiCaprio said he was drawn to the film because he wanted to support scientists.

"I wanted to tip my hat to people who devote their lives to this issue, who know what they're talking about, and try to give them a little bit of a voice," he said.

The Oscar-winning actor called himself a "Debbie Downer" on the progress of efforts to address the climate crisis, but he added: "Hopefully films like this ... start to create different conversations, and more people talking about it will push the private sector and the powers that be to make massive changes."

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant and Lisa Richwine; Editing by Stephen Coates)

-reuters-

Irrfan Khan, Indian actor in 'Life of Pi', dies after battling cancer

MUMBAI - Irrfan Khan, an Indian actor who brought a modern sensibility to recent hit films and had roles in Hollywood movies such as "Life of Pi" and "The Namesake," died on Wednesday, aged 54.

The death, after a prolonged battle with cancer, was confirmed by a spokesman who said Khan was surrounded by family at the time.

"He fought the many battles that came with it," the spokesman said in a statement, referring to the diagnosis of Khan's rare cancer in 2018.

Khan was among the first Indian actors to make a consistent mark in Western cinema, following in the footsteps of crossover pioneers such as Saeed Jaffrey, Roshan Seth and Om Puri.

Born Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan in the western desert state of Rajasthan, in a family with no ties to cinema, the actor recalled in interviews that as children, he and his siblings were not allowed to watch movies.

The only exception was when a visiting uncle took them to the theater.

"An incredible talent," said Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, among the tributes on Twitter that followed Khan's death. "A gracious colleague. A prolific contributor to the world of cinema... left us too soon creating a huge vacuum."

Another well-known director, Karan Johar, said, "Thank you for raising the bar as an artist... Thank you for enriching our cinema... We will miss you terribly, Irrfan." 

-reuters-

Universal Pictures will make movies available at home and in theaters on the same day

(Reuters) - Universal Pictures, a division of Comcast Corp-owned NBCUniversal, will make its movies available at home on the same day they are released in theaters worldwide, beginning with the DreamWorks Animation film “Trolls World Tour” - which opens in the United States on April 10.

The decision, announced by NBCUniversal on Monday, is a response to changing consumer behavior as the coronavirus spreads. It upends the traditional practice of keeping a movie exclusively in theaters for what is typically a 90-day window before releasing it on other platforms.

NBCUniversal will “continue to evaluate the environment as conditions evolve,” the company said in a statement, adding it will revisit the strategy when the current situation changes.

On Sunday night, the mayors of New York and Los Angeles ordered movie theaters in their respective cities to close in response to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.

NBCUniversal said that by Friday, recently released films including “The Hunt,” “The Invisible Man” and “Emma” will be available from sister companies Sky and Comcast and on a variety of on-demand services. The suggested price will be $19.99 in the United States for a 48-hour rental, and the equivalent price elsewhere.

“Rather than delaying these films or releasing them into a challenged distribution landscape, we wanted to provide an option for people to view these titles in the home that is both accessible and affordable,” said NBCUniversal Chief Executive Officer Jeff Shell in a statement.

Between this past Friday and Sunday, North American movie box office sales hit their lowest levels in over two decades, according to Comscore, as viewers stayed home and theaters capped their seating capacity to create more space between moviegoers.

Reporting by Helen Coster in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis

'Mulan' goes on, Bond waits as Hollywood tracks virus spread

LOS ANGELES -- Walt Disney Co. held a red carpet premiere for its action epic "Mulan" on Monday, pushing ahead with the movie's rollout even though the coronavirus spread will keep the film out of China, the second-largest film market, indefinitely.

At the moment, film studios have decided the show must go on at movie theaters in most of the world. The major exception is James Bond thriller "No Time to Die," which producers moved to November from April.

Studio executives are closely watching the spread of the coronavirus and the upcoming film calendar. Summer blockbuster season is scheduled to kick off May 1 with Disney's Marvel adventure "Black Widow," followed by a new "Fast and Furious" spectacle from Comcast Corp.'s Universal Pictures, a "Top Gun" sequel from ViacomCBS Inc.'s Paramount Pictures, and other big-budget action flicks.

If the coronavirus keeps people at home or shuts more theaters, it would threaten box office receipts during Hollywood's most lucrative season. Movie theaters are closed across China and Italy and in part of France.

The situation puts movie studios in "uncharted waters," said Jeff Goldstein, president of domestic distribution at AT&T Inc's Warner Bros. studio.

Warner Bros. has not delayed any film openings, Goldstein said, "but we have an open mind. We will have to look at everything and see how it unfolds."

The National Association of Theatre Owners said moviegoing remained healthy in most areas and cinemas will remain open "in line with local conditions."

This past weekend, ticket sales in the United States and Canada, the world's biggest box office market, rose 1.2 percent from a week earlier to $100.7 million, according to measurement firm Comscore.

"Right now, I haven't seen any discernible impact at the (U.S. and Canadian) box office," said Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

"Mulan," a $200-million live-action remake of Disney's animated classic, has been expected to rank as one of the company's biggest hits of the year.

The movie was tailored to appeal especially to the Chinese market. The story centers around a Chinese heroine, features an all-Asian cast, and was filmed partly in China. The central character is played by Yifei Liu, a film and TV actress well known in China.

It is unclear when Chinese movie theaters will re-open. The movie is set to debut in the United States on March 27.

"My heart goes out to everybody in China and around the world that is affected," "Mulan" director Niki Caro said on the red carpet on Monday. "When we do have the opportunity to bring this movie back home to China, it's going to be the most wonderful celebration."

"Mulan" was made for "a global audience," producer Chris Bender said at the premiere. "We want everybody to see it."

Dergarabedian said "Mulan" will be an important test of moviegoing amid the coronavirus outbreak. "This is a situation that is changing day by day," he said.

In the meantime, studios are moving ahead. On Monday, Disney released a new trailer for "Black Widow" starring Scarlett Johansson as the popular Avengers character. The trailer said the movie's release date remained May 1.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

'Sonic' booms to top of N.America box office

LOS ANGELES - Defying expectations, Paramount's new adventure comedy "Sonic the Hedgehog" took in $57 million this weekend to leap to the top of the North American box office, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.

That figure, based on a Friday-through-Sunday estimate, is expected to grow to $68 million when Monday's Presidents Day holiday in the US is included, proving an exception to the rule that films based on video games rarely excel at the box office.

An early trailer for the film had bombed, Variety reported, prompting the studio to redesign the title character. The result: a Sonic boom. 

Far back in second place was last week's leader, Warner Bros superhero film "Birds of Prey," at $17.1 million for the three-day weekend ($19.5 million for four days). Margot Robbie stars as former Joker girlfriend Harley Quinn.

In third was another new release, Sony's horror film "Fantasy Island," at $12.4 million ($14 million). Michael Pena and Maggie Q star in the remake of a 1970s TV show, which has drawn some vicious reviews ("a tide of numbing stupidity," said CNN).

Another new film, Universal's romantic drama "The Photograph," opened in fourth place, at $12.3 million ($14 million). It stars Lakeith Stanfield and Issa Rae.

And in fifth, after weeks at or near the top, was Sony's action comedy "Bad Boys for Life," with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as wise-cracking detectives. It took in an estimated $11.3 million ($12.8 million).

Rounding out the top 10 were:

"1917" ($8.1 million for three days; $9.4 million for four)

"Jumanji: The Next Level" ($5.7 million; $7 million)

"Parasite" ($5.5 million; $6.7 million)

"Dolittle" ($5.1 million; $6.3 million)

"Downhill" ($4.7 million; $5.2 million)

bbk/jm

Agence France-Presse

What the Bongslide says about the Academy. Times critics on the Oscars.

The morning after the Oscars and the historic best picture win for Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite,” the first South Korean film to take that prize in 92 years of competition, we asked Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott, our co-chief film critics, and Wesley Morris, a critic at large, to discuss their reactions and what it means, if anything, for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, specifically, and Hollywood in general. Here’s what they said.

MANOHLA DARGIS: Well, that was fun, and delightfully unexpected. I spent much of last night steeling myself to be disappointed, fully expecting that this morning we’d be sighing over the American weakness for British accents (“1917”), parsing the triumph of nihilism (“Joker”) and sighing over a cute Holocaust movie (“Jojo Rabbit”). What I didn’t expect is that a brilliantly directed South Korean story of haves and have-nots would conquer the academy — except of course its members belong to their own profoundly, unfairly hierarchical world, so perhaps game recognizes game?


The success of “Parasite” makes me wonder if the best picture win for a middlebrow nothing like “Green Book” last year was more anomalous than it seemed — that it represented more of a last gasp than a serious retrenchment. In the last decade, the academy has reliably frustrated us, but it’s also embraced new American visionaries like Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight”) and original filmmakers from abroad, including the Three Amigos, as they call themselves (Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro G. Iñárritu). The love in the room last night for Bong Joon Ho was palpable, which was exciting and also makes me hope it will bring a lasting shift in how the white mainstream regards Asian film artists.

A.O. SCOTT: Last night’s Bongslide — best director, original screenplay, international feature and best picture — is one of those things that seems impossible until it happens, when it suddenly looks inevitable. It’s also the kind of contingent occurrence that instantly takes on enormous significance.

A predictable night at the Dolby Theater, with a reasonably lively no-host show, turned historic in its final act, partly because it recovered and extended Hollywood’s history of internationalism. Back in its classical era, American movies built their glamour with the labor of émigré artists from fascist Europe. Over the past decade, the directing category has been at the vanguard of cosmopolitanism (though in the rear guard when it comes to gender equality): Cuarón and Iñárritu each won twice; del Toro, Ang Lee and Michel Hazanavicius have also won.

Of course the triumph of “Parasite” goes beyond those precedents, but in other ways it’s an almost ideal Oscar movie. Admired by critics and adored by audiences. A box office hit all over the world. A wonderfully entertaining movie that tackles serious issues. It was fitting that Bong accepted his directing Oscar from Spike Lee and quoted Martin Scorsese in his acceptance speech, because, like them, he embodied the ideal of the filmmaker as popular artist, with equal emphasis on both of those words.

WESLEY MORRIS: You guys — the Bongslide! I’m still giddy. It makes no sense. It makes all the sense in the world. It makes no sense. Manohla, you just reminded me why I love the Oscars as a process. The winners are the result of passion, politics and math — and despite there being no surprises among the acting nominees — there really should be no predicting what the process does. Never mind that the problem with the modern process (the season, as it’s called) is that it makes the movies, their makers and stars seem processed. “Oscar movie” is practically a genre now, one that undermines good movies and politicizes innocent ones. Manohla, don’t kill me, but I like “1917,” despite its romanticization of war and its glancing backward. It’s just too well made to shrug off. But there was something about its seeming to be the academy’s preferred movie that didn’t thrill me because … it also reeks of Oscar. And I think what’s happened in the last 10 years, even with something like “12 Years a Slave” winning best picture — a rough, imaginative American movie, directed by an Englishman — is that there’s a real churning about what else an Oscar movie can be.

The real question is, what does it mean for the movies going forward? For American movies, in particular? Are there executives who’ll see this and not only want to produce more original scripts but will also want to market those movies and really stand behind them, to stand by people like Jordan Peele, Greta Gerwig, Trey Edward Shults and Ari Aster. Not to make Oscar movies but new, original movies at all.

DARGIS: I don’t have much faith that a “Parasite” win will have a significant impact on the American movie industry, which at the major studio level remains dedicated to recycling formulas, as all those Disney ads last night reminded us. The best we can hope for in the wake of “Parasite,” I think, is some kind of cultural shift in the kinds of movies that are taken seriously, including by the mainstream media. Every year there’s one foreign-language movie that seems to break through — last year it was Netflix’s “Roma” — but there’s a whole wonderful world of exciting cinema to discover, from Asia to Africa and beyond.

So, while I’m thrilled for Bong, the other most deeply moving thing about its multiple wins is that a movie with subtitles won two of the highest honors from the academy, a body that at least this morning looks nearly radical when compared to the industry’s corporate leadership. The academy has been busily diversifying its ranks, and that effort paid off in meaningful ways. Notably, these folks clearly don’t mind reading subtitles, though it’s worth noting that apparently Neon, which distributed “Parasite” in the States, didn’t send out screeners until later in the awards race, which was smart. It tried to get voters to watch “Parasite” in theaters, where it could keep you delightfully captive (unlike at home, where it was too easy to turn off “The Irishman”).

SCOTT: Maybe it’s the Bong hangover, but on this morning after, when I was fully expecting to endorse Wesley’s thoughts of breaking up with the academy and propose that we all sleep in next year, I’m thinking that “Parasite” may actually have rescued the Oscars, or at least thrown the ceremonies a lifeline.

Part of the identity crisis that has afflicted the awards in recent years is the sense that they serve too many incompatible constituencies. An industry that likes continuity and tradition, a global audience that wants a big spectacle, younger voters interested in aesthetic risk and social awareness, a domestic public that somehow both hates politics and insists on politicizing everything. The broadcasts of recent years have exposed some of the contradictions between Hollywood’s universalist aspirations and its parochial realities.

How can the show continue to attract a global audience? By focusing on the big-budget, IP-driven franchise movies that are Hollywood’s leading global export? That has been an obvious, dreary answer for quite some time, but “Parasite” suggests a different one. There’s a whole world of movies out there — exciting, surprising, popular movies — that deserve audiences and accolades in America.

MORRIS: You’re both pointing out two possible outcomes in the wake of “Parasite.” First that the enormous skepticism (within the industry and in the average living room) of the Netflix way alters the company’s relationship to movies. They’ll still make them, of course, because we want them (Martin Scorsese’s and Tyler Perry’s). But, frankly, I’m tired of the jokes about “The Irishman” as a TV show, even the funny ones (like Chris Rock’s during the ceremony). That was supposed to be the appeal of “1917,” too — it’s a theatrical experience. Fewer people saw “The Irishman” the old way but maybe in a theater more people took it seriously. “Joker” felt like it was treated with far more reverence. (Going into Sunday night, it led the nomination field.) Or maybe it’s just a matter of “Roma” and “The Irishman” being bellwethers of an experience that certain people resent right now but that won’t be so exasperating to future movie audiences. Either way, we’re deep in the creases of an industrial pivot.

Second, Tony, you’re right. This win does feel like a lifeline. And, obviously, a turning apart from the milestones of Ang Lee and the Three Amigos. I was thinking last night about all the movies made by great directors who once would have stood no chance at the Oscars. Great, non-American filmmakers who make big, challenging movies that used to represent a major artery of the North American cinematic circulatory system. Does this win reinstate those moviegoing and movie-distribution priorities?

Bong Joon Ho operates in an increasingly less unique class. Like the Mexicans, he’s a regionalist, an internationalist and an entertainer. He does as much quoting as Quentin Tarantino and can take big, polemical ideas and do so many funny and suspenseful and strange and audacious things with them. I left his hit “Snowpiercer” convinced that that would be the movie that took him to the Oscars. (This is why you don’t take predictions from me.) But that was a grand, conceptual production with a multinational cast and Bong’s reliably downbeat worries about capitalism, ecology and human nature. I’m happy it’s “Parasite” the academy noticed in such a major way. It’s “Snowpiercer” writ smaller, intimately. He wasn’t aiming to conquer the planet with this one. He was listening to himself, thinking out loud. And we all heard him.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Breaking the subtitle barrier: S.Koreans celebrate historic Oscar wins of 'Parasite'

SEOUL -- South Korean social media erupted in celebration on Monday after the dark comedy "Parasite" became the first non-English language movie to win the Best Picture award, already having netted three other Oscars in a historic first for the country.

Director Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" vaulted over what he once called the "one-inch tall barrier of subtitles" to capture international attention like no previous South Korean movie.

Bong's win for Best Original Screenplay was the first Oscar for South Korea's large film industry.

But as the night continued, the film also came out on top of increasingly prestigious categories, including International Feature Film award, Best Director for Bong, and the top award, Best Picture.

"I'm ready to drink tonight," Bong joked, after thanking the cast and staff during his acceptance speech for the International Feature Film award.

Executive producer Kwak Sin-ae said she was "speechless" after the film won Best Picture.

"Parasite" had also snagged nominations for best production design and best film editing, and had already collected several other international film awards.

A satirical take on the vast gap between the rich and poor in South Korea, the movie came as South Korea grapples with the divide between "dirt spoons" -- those born to low-income families who have all but given up on social mobility -- and "gold spoons," as those from better-off families are known.

LANGUAGE BARRIERS FALLING

Although South Korea's film industry is one of the largest in the world, the Korean-language "Parasite" made unprecedented waves in international markets.

After the nominations were announced in January, Bong said he saw it as a sign that language is no longer a stumbling block for global success.

"I was so proud as a Korean to hear that a South Korean film defeated so many famous foreign films," said Chung Su-yoon, a Seoul resident who watched "Parasite" just two hours before the Oscars.

Pop culture critic Kim Hern-sik said the deeper messages of "Parasite" allowed it to resonate with people around the world.

"Just like BTS had a popular appeal by casting the problems the youth go through everywhere in the world, 'Parasite' gained global understanding by demonstrating the issue of the gap between the rich and poor," Kim said, referring to the K-pop group that has found wide success in the United States and around the world despite Korean-language lyrics.

One clip making the rounds on South Korean social media mocked a reporter who asked Bong why he shot the film in Korean.

"She should've asked Scorsese or Tarantino why they shot their own movies in English," one commenter said, referencing other directors who were nominated.

Another popular clip on South Korean social media was a slow-motion shot of the cast enjoying the night on the red carpet, cheering the stars and wishing them the best of luck.

U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris tweeted, "we are doing a watch party at the embassy eating jjapaguri," referring to the noodle dish the rich family enjoys in the movie.

'HISTORIC MOMENT'

The movie's distributor, CJ ENM, said it was a "historic moment" that will go down in Korean film history.

"Over the past year, we have realized that the status of Korean films has dramatically increased thanks to 'Parasite,'" the company said in a statement.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the film's cast and crew helped instil "pride and courage in our people as we come together to weather difficulties."

"I am very pleased to see a Korean film shoulder to shoulder with those of other countries," he added.

Hashtags Parasite and DirectorBongJoonho were the most trending on Twitter South Korea, while the movie name was the most searched on the local Naver web portal after the victories.

Some South Koreans called the win a "national celebration."

"Global audiences will watch the movie and say that 'South Korea can also do it,'" said Kim Chan-dong, a pastor who watched "Parasite" on its second day in theaters. "The movie frankly portrayed the story of people in hardships, arousing deep sympathy from people."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Pamela Anderson and new husband split after just 12 days

LOS ANGELES - Former "Baywatch" star Pamela Anderson and movie mogul Jon Peters have called it quits just 12 days after tying the knot.

The actress and animal rights activist wed "Batman" producer Peters on January 20 at a ceremony in Malibu reportedly attended by her 2 sons and his 3 daughters and ex-wife.

But there was apparently trouble in paradise as Anderson abruptly flew to her native Canada on Saturday morning, The Hollywood Reporter said, just days after posting a photo of herself and Peters on her Instagram account.

"I have been moved by the warm reception to Jon's and my union," Anderson, 52, said in a statement to US media. 

"We would be very grateful for your support as we take some time apart to re-evaluate what we want from life and from one another."

The pair had each been married 4 times prior.

Anderson said in her statement that the wedding had never been formalized and the pair had decided to step back while mulling their next move.

She was previously married to rockers Tommy Lee and Kid Rock. She twice wed professional poker player Rick Salomon. 

More recently she dated French soccer star Adil Rami, with whom she lived in France.

Peters, 74, a former hair stylist, rose to Hollywood prominence after a high-profile romance with Barbra Streisand, going on to produce her 1976 version of "A Star Is Born." 

He subsequently oversaw the Tim Burton "Batman" films in the 1980s and 1990s, and brought another DC comic books icon back to the screen in 2006's "Superman Returns."

He was co-chairman of Columbia Pictures for a stint in the 1990s.

Peters reportedly first met Anderson at the Playboy Mansion in the 1980s, and proposed to her shortly after.

"There are beautiful girls everywhere. I could have my pick, but -- for 35 years -- I've only wanted Pamela," he told THR when the pair tied the knot in January.

Agence France-Presse 

Netflix review: Adam Sandler is serious and screwed in 'Uncut Gems'

Howie Ratner perilously juggled his gems dealing business with his addiction to high-stakes gambling, for which he has incurred a huge debts for various creditors. It reached a point when he would take out a loan to place a bet usually on the outcome of NBA basketball games, and used his winnings to pay off another debt in a vicious circle.

One day, he was able to get his hand on a piece of rock from Ethiopia which contained a huge lode of opal, which he had committed for a gems auction. When basketball superstar Kevin Garnett desperately wanted to own the opal for its perceived energy, Ratner thought this was his way out of his most major debts from ruthless loan sharks. 

I first heard about "Uncut Gems" when its lead actor Adam Sandler won the best actor award from the National Board of Review early last month. That was really big surprising news for me. Not only because Sandler is not exactly noted for his dramatic acting chops, but even his comedy acting had taken quite a bad rap in recent years. Now here, he actually won best actor in a year dominated by Joaquin Phoenix's "Joker" and that is truly incredible. (I felt bad that Sandler was snubbed for an Oscar nomination for this performance as this would probably be his closest brush with it.) 

Sandler's Howie was not a likable guy. He was loud and sleazy in speech and fashion. He split his time with his legal wife Dinah (Idina Menzel) and his employee girlfriend Julia (Julia Fox). He was street-smart to a fault, always trying to sweet talk his way out of the tight fixes he found himself caught in because of his risky activities. 

As the film went along, things do get out of hand, and that reflected on Sandler's increasingly panicked vocal inflections and erratic behavior. Sandler still had some of his known joker in Howie, but the stress here was definitely real and palpable. 

Aside from the inherent suspense of Howie's dangerously chaotic obsessions, director/co-writer brothers Josh and Benny Safdie also gave this project a lot of esoteric touches. The opening shot was that of an extreme closeup of the patterns within a gemstone which segued to an endoscopic view of a colon, which went around vice versa at the end. 

Another innovative feature was its most unusual musical soundtrack, which used psychedelic tunes seemingly totally unconnected to the action onscreen. It was distractingly bizarre at first, but later that music becomes a mesmerizing aspect. 

Noisy, shouty and profane, this is not for everybody. However, I was betting this could have been an Oscar nominee for best picture, but too bad it did not make the final list. 

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Chinese movie to premiere online as virus closes cinemas

BEIJING -- Chinese movie fans can catch the premier of much-anticipated new comedy this holiday weekend under a 630 million yuan ($91.25 million) deal to issue the film over the internet, as fears of a deadly new virus keep audiences away from cinemas.

The Hong Kong-listed Huanxi Media Group announced on Friday an agreement with Beijing Bytedance Network to show its new movie "Lost in Russia" on Bytedance's online platforms.

Bytedance, which owns the popular TikTok video-sharing app and the news app Jinri Toutiao, said given the efforts to reduce the risks of big gatherings, it had secured the deal to let fans watch "Lost in Russia" for free on its apps.

"The film will keep the appointment to meet everyone on Jan. 25, but the meeting point has changed to your cellphone and television, instead of the cinema," the company said in a statement posted on Jinri Toutiao.

Huanxi Media's share price rose as much as 30 percent after the agreement was announced.

Neither ByteDance nor Huanxi responded to requests for comment on their agreement.

China has stepped efforts to contain the coronavirus, which has killed 25 people and infected more than 800, with public transport suspended in 10 cities and public gatherings discouraged across the country.

The week-long Lunar New Year holiday usually sees audiences flock to cinemas with distributors taking advantage of the crowds to launch films but the premieres of at least 7 movies, including "Lost in Russia," postponed. 

($1 = 6.9040 Chinese yuan renminbi)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Taylor Swift, Olivia Colman lead diverse Sundance 2020 lineup

PARK CITY, Utah -- Women directors and stars will be at the forefront of this year's Sundance Film Festival starting on Thursday, at a time when a lack of diversity among nominees has been the focus of the Hollywood awards season.

Women directed 44% of the 118 feature-length films to be previewed at the 10-day festival in the ski resort town of Park City, Utah. Minorities have directed 34%, and directors identifying as LGBTQ 15%.

Last year, women directed 40% of the official selection at Sundance.

At the upcoming Academy Awards on Feb. 9, no female directors are up for an Oscar, and stories by or about men dominate the Best Picture lineup.

"It's part of a trend at Sundance," said Brent Lang, executive editor for film and media at movie trade magazine Variety.

"Over the last decade the festival's put a real premium on providing a platform for female filmmakers, for under-represented filmmakers of all stripes, and I think this is a continuation of that effort."


Kicking off Sundance, the biggest U.S. showcase for independent cinema, will be director and Emmy winner Lana Wilson with her Netflix documentary, "Taylor Swift: Miss Americana," which the streaming service says promises a "raw and emotionally revealing look" at the pop star.

RECORD SUBMISSIONS

Organizers of the festival founded by actor Robert Redford say they received a record-breaking 15,100 submissions this year.

Angelina Jolie stars in the children's movie "Come Away," which explores the stories of Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland; Olivia Colman plays a daughter trying to look after her elderly parent in "The Father," and Carey Mulligan is a woman who seeks revenge after a tragic event in "Promising Young Woman."

Elisabeth Moss plays horror author Shirley Jackson in "Shirley," Ethan Hawke plays Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla in "Tesla," and Benedict Cumberbatch is a spy during the Cold War in "Ironbark."


Across the documentary categories, Ron Howard’s "Rebuilding Paradise" shows the wildfires in California that destroyed the town of Paradise in 2018; "Be Water" explores the life of Bruce Lee; and the 4-part Hulu series "Hillary" centers on former Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Meanwhile, streaming platforms hope to use Sundance to generate buzz around their offerings.

Along with the opening film, Netflix titles include "Crip Camp," a documentary about a camp for disabled teenagers from Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground Productions.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Movie review: More madness and murder in 'The Grudge' reboot

The original "Grudge" movie was the 2002 Japanese horror movie "Ju-On" by Takashi Shimizu. It originated a story about how when someone dies in the grip of a powerful rage, a curse is born. This curse possessed the house where this death occurred and would corrupt anybody who made the mistake of entering that place. It introduced us to the vengeful ghosts of Kayako, a Japanese woman with long hair covering her face, and her son Toshio, a little boy with wide open black eyes.

This film got an American remake in 2004, also directed by Takashi Shimizu, involving Americans who moved into the house in Tokyo where the curse originated. There had been several subpar sequels in both Japan and the US over the years, culminating in a cheesy crossover featuring the two foremost long-haired lady ghosts of Japanese cinema, Sadako (of "The Ring) and Kayako (of "The Grudge").

The US decided to reboot the 2004 film again this year, bringing the curse to the USA. Like the original movie, the film would jump back and forth in time from 2004 to 2006 to tell the story of four families upon whom the curse had descended. It all started when an American caregiver who worked in the original Tokyo house where the curse began went back home to her home in suburban Pennsylvania. Since then, everyone who went into their cursed address of 44 Reyburn Drive would see ghastly visions which led to madness and murder.


The whole atmosphere is dark and eerie as would be expected from the horror film like this. The musical score and shocking sound effects all contributed to this. Director Nicolas Pesce certainly knew how to build up the suspense for a jump scare, though some may be predictable. He did not shirk from showing disturbing, gory or bloody images of all sorts, not just limited to long-haired ladies in white this time around. I cannot say that all the scares worked as Pesce planned, but at least they did keep audiences at the edge of their scenes.

There was no Sarah Michelle Gellar in this reboot, but there are familiar faces like John Cho (as a real estate agent), Jackie Weaver (as an assisted suicide counselor) and Andrea Riseborough (as a harrassed cop). But, of course, the best (or in this case, the most disgusting) scene of all belonged to none other than American horror film superstar, Lyn Shaye. As the demented Faith Matheson, she had her back turned while working at the kitchen counter with a chopping knife. I will give you three guesses what she was chopping. That scene alone was worth the price of admission for me.

This review was originally published in the author's blog, "Fred Said."

Kobe Bryant provides valuable assist to Michael B. Jordan movie ‘Just Mercy’

HOLLYWOOD – “Just Mercy” is billed as an inspiring drama featuring a real-life hero who gave hope to the hopeless and those facing racism and corruption.

Based on the true story of lawyer and activist Bryan Stevenson who fought for those who had been wrongfully convicted, the movie shows the severe injustices suffered by African-Americans accused of crimes they did not commit.

Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant is a fan of the movie and he showed his support to the Warner Bros. drama at a recent community screening in Los Angeles.

“What Bryan had to go through and the amount of perseverance in the face of true fear, true danger. It’s not like, you know, the fear of missing a game winning shot and then you lose the game... It's dealing with real-life consequences,” Bryant said.

“To be able to have that amount of courage, that amount of determination, that amount of focus to persevere through tremendous odds, you're going to leave this theater feeling inspired,” he added.

Actor Michael B. Jordan plays Stevenson.

When asked for advice to someone facing corruption or racial bias, Jordan said: “That's tough. One advice I would give is to never lose hope. It's something that Bryan always says, that hopelessness is the enemy of justice. You gotta have hope. You gotta hope that something's going to happen that you haven't seen before.”

Meanwhile, Jamie Foxx plays Walter McMillian, who was sentenced to die in 1987 despite a lack of evidence.

Karan Kendrick plays his wife, and “Captain Marvel” actress Brie Larson reunited with director Destin Daniel Cretton to complete the ensemble cast of the inspiring drama.

Foxx received a SAG Awards best actor nomination for his portrayal of McMillian, who faced extreme racism and corruption in Alabama.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

'Joker' leads Oscar nominations with 11

Dark comic book story “Joker” led nominations on Monday for the Oscars, with 11 nods, including best picture.

The Warner Bros film will compete for the top prize with race car drama “Ford v Ferrari,” Netflix gangster movie “The Irishman,” Nazi satire “Jojo Rabbit,” classic novel “Little Women,” domestic drama “Marriage Story,” World War One film “1917,” nostalgic “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” and South Korean movie “Parasite.”

“The Irishman,” “1917” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” got 10 nods each.

The Oscars, the highest awards in the movie industry, will be handed out at a ceremony in Hollywood on Feb. 9.

Here is the full list of nominees:

Best Picture
“Ford v Ferrari” (Disney/Fox)
“The Irishman” (Netflix)
“Jojo Rabbit” (Fox Searchlight)
“Joker” (Warner Bros.)
“Little Women” (Sony)
“Marriage Story” (Netflix)
“1917” (Universal)
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (Sony)
“Parasite” (Neon)

Best Director
Martin Scorsese (“The Irishman”)
Todd Phillips (“Joker”)
Sam Mendes (“1917”)
Quentin Tarantino (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)
Bong Joon Ho (“Parasite”)

Best Actor
Antonio Banderas (“Pain and Glory”)
Leonardo DiCaprio (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)
Adam Driver (“Marriage Story”)
Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker”)
Jonathan Pryce (“The Two Popes”

Best Actress
Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”)
Scarlett Johansson (“Marriage Story”)
Saorise Ronan (“Little Women”)
Charlize Theron (“Bombshell”)
Renee Zellweger (“Judy”)

Supporting Actor
Tom Hanks (“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”)
Anthony Hopkins (“The Two Popes”)
Al Pacino (“The Irishman”)
Joe Pesci (“The Irishman”)
Brad Pitt (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)

Supporting Actress
Kathy Bates, “Richard Jewell”
Laura Dern (“Marriage Story”)
Scarlett Johansson (“Jojo Rabbit”)
Florence Pugh (“Little Women”)
Margot Robbie (“Bombshell”)

Adapted Screenplay
Taika Waititi (“Jojo Rabbit”)
Steve Zaillian (“The Irishman”)
Anthony McCarten (“The Two Popes”)
Greta Gerwig (“Little Women”)
Todd Phillips and Scott Silver (“Joker”)

Best Original Screenplay
Rian Johnson (“Knives Out”)
Noah Baumbach (“Marriage Story”)
Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns (“1917”)
Quentin Tarantino (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)
Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won (“Parasite”)

Animated Feature
“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World””
“I Lost My Body”
“Klaus”
“Missing Link”
“Toy Story 4”

International Feature Film
“Corpus Christi”
“Honeyland”
“Les Miserables”
“Pain and Glory”
“Parasite”

Best Documentary
“American Factory”
“The Cave”
“Edge of Democracy”
“For Sama”
“Honeyland”

Best Cinematography
“The Irishman”
“Joker”
“The Lighthouse”
“1917”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

Best Costume Design
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker”
“Little Women”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

Film Editing
“Ford vs. Ferrari”
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker”
“Parasite”

Makeup and Hairstyling
“Bombshell”
“Joker”
“Judy”
“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”
“1917”

Original Score
“Joker”
“Little Women”
“Marriage Story”
“1917”
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”

Original Song
I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away,” “Toy Story 4”
“I’m Gonna Love Me Again,” “Rocketman”
“I’m Standing With You,” “Breakthrough”
“Into the Unknown,” “Frozen 2”
“Stand Up,” “Harriet”

Production Design
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“1917”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“Parasite”

Sound Editing
“Ford v Ferrari”
“Joker”
“1917”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’

Sound Mixing
“Ad Astra”
“Ford vs. Ferrari”
“Joker”
“1917”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

Visual Effects
“Avengers: Endgame”
“The Irishman”
“The Lion King”
“1917”
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”

Documentary (Short Subject)
“In the Absence”
“Learning to Skateboard in a War Zone If You’re a Girl”
“Life Overtakes Me”
“St. Louis Superman”
“Walk Run Cha-Cha”

Short Film (Animated)
“Daughter”
“Hair Love”
“Kitbull”
“Memorable”
“Sister”

Short Film (Live Action)
“Brotherhood”
“Nefta Football Club”
“The Neighbor’s Window”
“Saria”
“A Sister”

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Meet Bong Joon-ho, South Korea's biting film satirist

SEOUL -- South Korea's Bong Joon-ho is an acclaimed filmmaker known for dark and genre-hopping thrillers, and his Golden Globe-winning "Parasite" -- a vicious satire about the widening gap between rich and poor -- features all of his trademarks.

With a series of critical and commercial hits behind him, Bong is one of South Korea's best-known faces, claiming multiple prizes at home and making inroads into Hollywood -- a rarity for an Asian auteur filmmaker.

The movie's Golden Globe win for best foreign language film is the first award for a Korean in any category at the gala, and comes after the 100th anniversary of Korean cinema in 2019.

"Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films," the 50-year-old Bong said through a translator as he accepted the award at the gala in Beverly Hills. "I think we use only just one language -- the cinema."

"Parasite" also took the Palme d'Or at Cannes last year, and this latest accolade will intensify the Oscar buzz it has been generating as awards season heats up.

Once likened by Quentin Tarantino to "Steven Spielberg in his prime," Bong was among the first wave of South Korean filmmakers to blossom after the country's full democratisation in the late 1980s, which opened the door for a cultural renaissance.

His "Memories of Murder" -- a 2003 feature film based on real-life serial killings that rattled the nation in the 1980s -- was seen as a metaphor for the repressive society of military rule. 

Bong's 2006 monster blockbuster "The Host" portrayed an incompetent government left helpless in the wake of a disaster. In 2014, parallels were drawn between the film and the Seoul ferry sinking that killed 300, mostly schoolchildren.

"Mother" -- a 2009 thriller about the overprotective mother of a mentally disabled boy suspected of murder -- was also a huge success.

His 2013 film "Snowpiercer" depicted a dystopian future in which the last humans on Earth -- who survived a failed attempt to stop global warming -- travel endlessly on a train separated by class, and the lower class revolts.

Tilda Swinton, who was in "Snowpiercer," also starred in Bong's Netflix-produced 2017 sci-fi action-adventure "Okja" about a country girl trying to save a genetically-engineered beast from a greedy multinational firm.

It missed out on a Cannes prize but raised debates about factory farming and animal exploitation. 

"Bong's films come at seminal moments for the Korean film industry," Jason Bechervaise, a professor at Korea Soongsil Cyber University, told AFP. 

The unprecedented worldwide acclaim for his latest work, he said, was driven by the fact that "there's a great deal of political rage out there exacerbated by a tangible sense of widening social equality, and 'Parasite' feeds into this very effectively."

Bong was born in Seoul to an elite artistic family -- his maternal grandfather was a renowned novelist while his late father and all of his siblings are university professors in fields including fashion and fine art -- and studied sociology at the South's prestigious Yonsei University.

He reportedly took part in street protests as a student at Yonsei during the country's pro-democracy movement in the 1980s, and once told an interviewer he had been arrested for using petrol bombs.

He has also candidly spoken about dealing with severe anxiety while being a celebrated filmmaker, in a country where mental health has long been a taboo topic.

Throughout his career, he has often tackled dark and difficult subjects, including violent crime, systematic oppression and the climate crisis. 

"Resolution is not something Bong might expect to gain from any of the films he makes, but that doesn't stop him from using them to exorcise the modern anxieties that plague him," wrote Jen Yamato of the Los Angeles Times.

"Deliciously entertaining genre blenders, his stories tend toward cutting, witty and ultimately humane social critique, twisty puzzle boxes that reflect our world back to us."

Pierce Conran, a Seoul-based film critic and producer, described Bong as a "socially minded and consummate artist," and said his deft skill as an entertainer -- combined with his other qualities -- has given him a unique ability to connect with global audiences.

His Golden Globe win stands as a "significant breakthrough for a foreign film in Hollywood's awards season," he told AFP, adding it would help to establish Bong as "one of the all-time greats of cinema."

Agence France-Presse

'1917', 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' win top Golden Globes

BEVERLY HILLS --  World War I movie "1917" and "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," set in 1960s Tinseltown, won the top movie prizes at the Golden Globes on Sunday on a night packed with upsets and hot-button issues at the start of Hollywood's awards season.

"1917" was named best drama and took best director, beating presumed front-runners "The Irishman" and "Marriage Story," both from Netflix Inc. The nostalgic "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" from Sony Pictures won for best comedy/ musical, and had the biggest Golden Globe haul, with three awards.

Martin Scorsese's high-profile and costly gangster epic for Netflix went home empty-handed on a disappointing night for the streaming service that could affect its Oscar chances in February.

Netflix took home just one Golden Globe in the movie race, for Laura Dern's supporting role as a ruthless divorce lawyer in "Marriage Story."

Apple Inc.'s new Apple TV+ streaming service, in its first award show, failed to make good on any of its three nominations for "The Morning Show."

British director Sam Mendes was named best director for his immersive "1917" from Universal Pictures, a dark horse with no big names that arrived in U.S. movie theaters only 10 days ago.

"That is a big surprise," said a stunned Mendes. "I really hope this means people will turn up and see it."

Joaquin Phoenix, who played a terrifying "Joker," and Renee Zellweger, who portrayed Judy Garland in "Judy," took the drama movie actor honors. Taron Egerton ("Rocketman") and Awkwafina ("The Farewell") were first-time winners in the comedy/musical field.

"We all know there is no ... competition between us," Phoenix told his fellow nominees, praising their "beautiful, mesmerizing work."

Tarantino won for the screenplay of his love letter to the industry, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," while Brad Pitt was a popular winner for playing a laid-back stunt double in the film.

"I wanted to bring my mom," quipped Pitt. "But any women I stand next to, they say I am dating."

GERVAIS GETS WICKED

British comedian and actor Ricky Gervais, hosting the awards ceremony for a fifth time, threw caution to the wind with expletives and jabs about the dominance of streaming platforms, diversity and Hollywood's sexual misconduct scandal, which drew mostly nervous laughter in the room of A-list celebrities.

Gervais noted that the room was packed with entertainment executives. "They are all terrified of Ronan Farrow. He's coming for you," he said, referring to the American journalist whose reports helped uncover the sexual misconduct scandal that has swept Hollywood over the past two years.

Gervais was not the only celebrity at the boozy dinner to get political.

Michelle Williams, winning limited TV series actress for "Fosse/Verdon," gave an impassioned speech about reproductive rights and encouraged women to vote.

She said she had built a career of her choosing and "wouldn't have been able to do this without employing a woman's right to choose. To choose when to have my children and with whom."

Others, including absent winner Russell Crowe, for television series "The Loudest Voice," spoke of the devastating bushfires in Australia and the dangers of global warming.

Patricia Arquette, winning for limited TV series "The Act," expressed fears over heightened tension in the Middle East following the U.S. killing of Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani.

In the television races, HBO's media dynasty show "Succession" and Amazon Studio's quirky British comedy "Fleabag" were the big winners.

British talent took multiple prizes. In addition to Mendes, they included "Succession" and "Fleabag" stars Brian Cox and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Olivia Colman for "The Crown," "Rocketman" actor Taron Egerton, and music duo Elton John and Bernie Taupin for original song "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again."

source: news.abs-cbn.com