January 16, 2023 - 09:57 GMT James King New year, new movies! There are some major awards favourites on at the cinema right now as well as plenty to enjoy on the small screen at home. Happy viewing!Olivia Colman stars in this gently powerful drama set on the south coast of England in the early 80s, playing Hilary - one of the employees at independent cinema The Empire. When the much younger Stephen joins the staff, the fragile Hilary finds her life changed forever.
Think Gordon Ramsey is a tough taskmaster in the kitchen? Wait until you meet Julian Slowik , a celebrated chef whose restaurant on a remote island is on every serious foodie’s To Do List. People like Tyler , a young man whose spent big money booking a table for him and his date Margot , only to discover that Julian’s culinary perfectionism might be hiding a dark side.
Secondly, a film production hires the mansion as a location for a movie, so those who aren’t across the channel now have to deal with technicians and actors wandering around their beloved building. Whilst no-one would this call edge-of-your-seat stuff, the costumes, the scenery and the simple escapism of it all makes Downton 2 a very easy and breezy to watch. And even though there are twenty or so characters in this, it’s still Dame Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley who absolutely owns the screen.
One of the most honest and funny films of last year sees Emma Thompson as Nancy, a sixty something teacher who’s nervous and insecure about her love life following the death of her husband. Enter Leo - a charming, dashing male escort who she hired to help her come out of her shell. An incredibly moving and often very funny story of a woman search for intimacy with a pitch perfect turn from Emma Thompson, making even the most awkward moments absolutely mesmerising.