“Bond 24” – Holding our breath for the next 007 feature

James Bond fans are always grasping on to any rumour that surfaces about the movie franchise, especially when it comes to the next release in the 007 series. This time around, it’s no different as we all await the next Bond release in 2015 which has just started to generate talk and speculation about the plot and, more intriguingly, who will star in it.

   Any 007 release is exciting; it becomes an event for the entire world to reminisce over the Bond collection. Since 1962, there have been 23 Bond films released and in 2015 we’re set to see the next one aptly dubbed “Bond 24”. Producers of the Bond film franchise were aiming at a new Bond flick every two years but when “Bond 24” releases in November 2015, it will have been 3 years since the last release in 2012 which was “Skyfall”. But these spectacular films have always proven to be worth the wait.

Daniel Craig will be returning to star in the 007 instalment, playing James Bond for the fourth time. His “Skyfall” stars are also rumoured to join him again, with Naomie Harris as Miss Moneypenny, Ben Whishaw as Q and (POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT!) remarkable Ralph Fiennes, who was fantastic in Wes Anderson’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel” this year, as the new M. “Skyfall” director, Sam Mendes, is also geared up to direct. This certainly whets our appetite.

But that’s not all. “12 Years a Slave” star Chiwetel Ejiofor is being sought to play the Bond villain. After he garnered much praise and critical acclaim for the multi Oscar-winning film, he has caught the attention of many filmmakers. The producers' decision to target Ejiofor is said to have been motivated by the winning recruitment of Oscar-winner Javier Bardem to play Silva, the villain of “Skyfall”. If Ejiofor’s performance in Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave” is anything to go by, we know that he has the ability to step up to the role of even a villain.

Filming on “Bond 24” is soon to be underway after Craig and his significant other, Academy Award-winning actress Rachel Weisz, have just performed on Broadway. “Skyfall” was the most successful James Bond movie so far, breaking the $1 billion mark at the box office, which means it will be even more demanding to top that with the next film. But with a clever release date set for November 2015, wisely avoiding the crazy summer period as well as “Star Wars” Month; who knows the heights that “Bond 24” could scale to.

Lupita Nyong’o – Now everyone knows her name

The world has always had an appreciation and fascination with the striking features and exoticness of beauties with African roots. Supermodels Iman, Oluchi Onweagba, Liya Kebede and Alek Wek are some of the ethnic stunners who have made a name for themselves in Hollywood. And now its Lupita Nyong’o’s turn, who is already on her way to becoming a household name.

The 31-year-old actress born in Mexico City with Kenyan roots comes from an artistic background. She has starred in many minor theatre productions as well as having been on production teams for music videos and films. Lupita’s breakthrough role came in 2013, just before she graduated from Yale School of Drama with a Masters Degree, with her role in Steve McQueen’s multi Oscar-winner, “12 Years a Slave”, for which she also won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Since her Oscar win, the world has been raving about Lupita, her beauty, her talent, and her fashion sense. Images of her have been spread across the Web like wildfire and she’s also being rumoured to appear in a lead role in the next Star Wars release. There have even been rumours that she’s also dating her “12 Years a Slave” co-star Michael Fassbender, who was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. In Hollywood, the buzz of the rumour mill is equivalent to one having arrived as a star. So Lupita has definitely arrived.

Lupita Nyong’o is everything that Hollywood loves in a success story – a simple, hardworking but stunningly beautiful girl getting her big break and leaving the world dazzled. Even her life reads somewhat like a movie script and now everyone knows the name of this star.

The 2014 Academy Awards – The triumphs and the utter disappointments

After weeks, and even months, of premonitions and predictions – and many, many hopes – about who the takers will be at this year’s Oscars, the results are finally out after the ceremony took place last night, Sunday 2 March, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. There were a few obvious winners but there were also one or two surprises that have no doubt left many cinema-goers extremely perturbed.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment was Leonardo DiCaprio not winning the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in The Wolf of Wall Street. He had the weight of the world’s hopes on his shoulders and we all thought that his gripping and astute performance – one of the many in his career – would finally earn him that award. But unfortunately, it wasn’t Leonardo’s time yet.

12 Years a Slave winning the Oscar for Best Picture has made history. Director Steve McQueen has become the first black director to get the top film honours in 86 years of Oscar history. This film was a firm favourite and definitely deserves the honour. And space thriller Gravity, starring Sandra Bullock, from Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron, racked up five Oscars for technical achievements like visual effects and cinematography as well as Best Direction.

These were some of the main highlights of the awards function:

Best Picture – 12 Years a Slave

Best Actor in a Leading Role – Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Actress in a Leading Role – Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)

Best Animated Feature – Frozen (Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, Peter Del Vecho)

Best Cinematography – Gravity (Emmanuel Lubezki)

Best Costume Design – The Great Gatsby (Catherine Martin)

Best Directing – Gravity (Alfonso Cuaron)

Best Documentary Feature – 20 Feet from Stardom (Morgan Neville, Gil Friesen, Caitrin Rogers)

Best Adapted Screenplay – 12 Years a Slave (John Ridley)

Best Original Screenplay – Her (Spike Jonze)

It’s been a great and significant year at the movies. And hopefully next year will be as good, or even better. And hopefully, Leonardo gets that Oscar that the world is waiting for to be his too.

12 Years a Slave – A story you almost can’t believe is true

In 1841, Solomon Northup – a husband, father, violinist and a free black man living in upstate New York – is abducted and sold into slavery. On what he thinks is a music opportunity, he is drugged and thus dissolved into the world of slavery. His life, from one of freedom, becomes ruled by whoever is his master at the time. In this pre-Civil War America, Solomon finds himself desperately trying to grasp onto whatever semblance of dignity he can before being released after 12 long, brutal years.

The film, based on the first scholarly edition of the real Solomon Northup’s memoir – which gives it an incredible amount of accuracy and truth – stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon, who has also been nominated at this year’s Academy Awards for Best Actor. This will either be the best role of his career, since “Othello” in 2008, or will set him up for more work that allows for his brilliant skills. The film also stars Michael Fassbender (best known for his role as Magneto in “X-Men: First Class”, Paul Giamatti (his role in “Cinderella Man” being one of his most known), and Brad Pitt.

This is the third feature directed by Steve McQueen and written by John Ridley. The film is also one of the main contenders at this year’s Oscars, receiving nine nominations in all; including Best Picture, Best Director (Steve McQueen), Best Actor (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Best Supporting Actor (Michael Fassbender) and Best Supporting Actress (Lupita Nyong'o).

The film was shot on location in New Orleans, Louisiana with some locations being in close vicinity with the actual places that Solomon was kept as a slave. “12 Years a Slave” is being called an essential film in historic cinema for its storytelling of a gruelling and painful journey of a man who withstood all odds to get back his freedom. It might not be the easiest film to sit through, but it’s definitely worth it.