OWFILM WORLD CUP Round 1: England vs. Belgium
Voting has now ended on our first match, and it was the dominant outcome we expected;
U.S.A. (The Godfather) 90% defeating Greece (Never on a Sunday) 10%.
First Round of OWFilm World Cup
And now its time for England to begin their campaign in their quest to be crowned the Obsessed With Film World Cup Winners of 2010. Whereas the United States were given a light warm up encounter within their First Round match, the competition in this face off is likely to be more fierce. Whilst England have the wit and charm of Bond on their side they are competing against an internationally acclaimed film which has won countless awards on the European circuit. Should be a great encounter - COME ON ENGLAND! Vote now for which film you want to see advance to the next round. Remember you are voting for YOUR OPINION on which film you prefer. Tale of the reel is after the jump... Goldfinger (1964) OSCAR COUNT: (1), IMDB (7.9), RT (96%), Empire Top 500 (#116th) Oscars Best Sound Editing With its Aston Martins, stiff language and dry carry on humour Goldfinger is a quintessentially English film. It is also features a countless amount of comically absurd lines and set-pieces which are often very cringe-worthy and which give the impression at times that the film is just always chasing after the next gag. That being said, the movie runs at a breathneck pace throughout, is terrifically entertaining and has an irresistible dramatic energy which absorbs you fully into the films whacky arena. To the films credit the action sequences are very well presented with a fantastic score that makes a true art form out of maximising the tension and excitement on screen. And even the films dated and sillier moments still remain as likeable as the charming protagonist himself. Often regarded as the film which helped to transform the Bond Movies into their own genre. Goldfinger has a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes and was voted 79th in Channel 4s countdown of the 100 Greatest Films Ever Made. INTERESTING FACT: All the shots featuring Sean Connery in America were actually filmed in Pinewood Studios. LEnfant (1995) OSCAR COUNT (0) IMDB: 7.4 RT: 86% EMPIRE TOP 500: Not listed L'Enfant was the Winner of the 1995 Palme DOr at the Cannes Film Festival (though oddly not even nominated for a Best Foreign Language Oscar) In his five star review of Lenfant Peter Bradshaw writing for the Guardian, describes the film as an example of how cinema has the power to convince, to move and to compel with the fewest possible material resources. This would appear to be a fair assessment of a film which pulls of that rare cinematic treat wherein a film is able to pull on the heartstrings without being over the top and sentimental. Its a perfect balancing act which very few other films can boast about and LEnfant truly succeeds in presenting a gritty, layered drama whilst also abiding by more classical cinematic conventions. The performances are wonderfully authentic and the emotion and empathy is strong and layered in practically every scene. INTERESTING FACT: Jimmys character is played by forty different babies (unlucky sharing that paycheck.) WRITERS VERDICT: I hate to betray my home country on only the first day of competition but my personal nod here has to go to LEnfant. Goldfinger is a sheer form of entertainment which is a fantastic watch if you happen to stumble upon it late night on television. Unlike the Belgian opposition however, it is not a film which really stays with you and neither does it have any lasting dramatic power.