The Dunnie Awards 2013 - And The Winners Are...

Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a fantastic end of December, however you celebrated it!

It's the last day of 2013 and to celebrate, I have the golden envelope containing the winners of the Mike Dunn Reviews' First Ever Dunnie Awards!  I can tell you're all very excited to discover the victors, ever since I announced the nominees a few days ago, so I'll get right to it!

First, the winner of Best Screenplay.

Now I could have given the award to any of these films; they all contain witty and intriguing dialogue, fresh and exciting characters, plus more twists and turns than a break-dancing competition at M. Night Shyamalan's house.  However, one screenplay definitely stood out from the rest...

THE WORLD'S END differed greatly from writer/director Edgar Wright and writer/star Simon Pegg's previously instalments in the Cornetto trilogy, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, by having a truly damaged character as their main protagonist. 

This could also be said of James McAvoy's Bruce in Filth, but whereas Bruce is nihilistic and sociopathic, Pegg's Gary King is a likeable yet annoying, washed-up deadbeat, who is simply looking for a way to relive the glory days of his youth, even at the expense of the friendship he shares with his nearest and dearest.  King's relationship with ex-best friend Andy (Nick Frost), his old flame Sam (Rosamund Pike) and the town of Newton Haven as a whole has become self-destructive and rose-tinted, with his obsession with completing the Golden Mile taking all priority.

The deterioration of his character and outlook is only complimented by the destruction of the town around the returning school-friends, as both of their attempts at the Golden Mile follow similar paths and feature hidden harbingers of the plot to follow.  The dialogue is as slick as the cinematography, the balance is sublime and there will always be something new that you notice every time you watch The World's End and that is a true sign of an intricate and carefully-planned screenplay.

Next, to present the award for Best Actress...

I tried to be a little diverse with this category, highlighting actresses who work so effortlessly, their performances might have gone overlooked, such as the increasingly-impressive Andrea Riseborough and Rooney Mara, or those who may have acted incredibly well but were overshadowed by the restrictions of the film genre in which they were starring, such as Jane Levy, who was spectacular in the remake of The Evil Dead but won't be taken seriously due to it's overblown and violent content.


However, this year I cannot give the award to anyone but ...

JUDI DENCH for her performance as the titular Irish mother searching for her long-lost son in Philomena.  Her incredibly subtle and gentle portrayal of the real-life Philomena Lee could have achieved the award simply due to her reminding me of my own Nan and the film influenced me to put my emotions above my logic, but screw it, I adored the character of Philomena.  

Her kind-hearted and almost naive nature is so evident all the way through the film that you can't help but empathise with her and that is completely down to Dench's nuance and warmth.  The true story of how Philomena was treated at the Irish convent is appalling but how she was able to forgive her tormentors is truly amazing, and her explanation is handled terrifically well by Dame Judi.  The portrayal never falls into mimicry or caricature, as Dench keeps the character grounded and realistic.  But what else is expected of this very accomplished actress?  Never count out The Dench.

Moving on now from Best Actress, we have the winner of the Best Actor award...

Earlier this year, I wrote an article about how JAMES MCAVOY is by far one of my favourite actors of this current generation.  His performances in both Filth and Trance have propelled him to the heights of fame, as well as the lofty heights of The Dunnie Award winner's ceremony.  In both these films, McAvoy provides such a range of acting abilities, I was completely bowled over by what this young man from Port Glasgow showed.

Whilst Bruhl and Cumberbatch showed intensity, Pegg showed humour and pathos and Hanks showed natural acting ability, I feel McAvoy showed all of these this year in his two leading performances. 

His natural charisma and charm simply ooze off the screen in both films as he portrays unreliable narrators and provides steady groundwork for both stories to build.  Whilst the audience might not trust his character, you feel comfortable in his ability to entertain, even when acting despicably or dishonestly and that is a rare trait for a leading actor today.  His charm and talent transfix the eye to the screen, despite the vulgarity or confusing actions that he is doing.  With his vast range and inherent likability, Mr. McAvoy is definitely going to win an Academy Award soon, you mark my words!

Now, back to the technical awards, with the award for Best Director...

This has been one of the most difficult decisions to make in the deliberation of The Dunnie Awards.  Whilst Greengrass and Cuaron deserve their nominations due to outstanding direction in both Captain Phillips and Gravity respectively, I feel like I should champion someone who will not get the attention they deserve due to factors such as obscurity, surreal or outlandish topics or just the fact that Gravity and Captain Phillips have been grabbing all the headlines this year and overshadowing the other great feats of direction.

With that in mind, ever since watching Stoker back in March, I have been haunted by the incredible cinematography, beautiful score, impressive performances, terrifying set pieces and was left literally speechless at the end, convinced that I had just witnessed a moving work of art, even if it was one that I didn't fully understand.  I feel that this is fully attributable to the director CHAN-WOOK PARK.

Chan-Wook is a South Korean director, most famous for his 'Vengeance' film trilogy, that includes Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance.  Stoker is his first English-language film and he certainly was able to apply all that he had learnt in Korea to his first American production.

I should wait before announcing the award for Best Film, but since we're already discussing it, I might as well combine the two awards...

STOKER is by far, my favourite film of the year and the winner of this year's Dunnie Award For Best Film.  Very similar to how I felt about Scott Pilgrim vs. The World a few years ago, when someone asks me why, it usually takes me a while to explain.

As I mentioned earlier, I was left speechless as Stoker's credits began to roll across the screen.  Every scene was intricately designed and beautifully constructed, the performances are so subtle and effortless and yet powerful and precise.  I quite openly consider the film on a whole is a masterpiece and a welcome addition to Chan-Wook's already-stellar backlog, even though I know it will not be to everyone's taste.

The storyline is macabre and sometimes morbid, but also sensual and fantastic.  I watched it with my fellow cinema critic and we had two completely different experiences whilst watching it.  I saw a certain vampiric element in the background of the film whereas he saw a simple, but chilling, family thriller, but we were equally bowled over it.

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And that is that for 2013!  Thank you for joining me in celebrating the year that was!  Roll on 2014 and all the cinematic treats that lay before us and I will see you at the second annual Dunnie Awards next year!

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