Talking Movies Season 24, Episode 11: Review of 2023

Awards Lookahead Special

On the eve of this year's Oscar nominations announcement, Talking Movies speculates on the likely contenders in an awards lookahead special. Many of the big names in contention, from Kristen Stewart to Benedict Cumberbatch, will appear in the show. Maggie Gyllenhaal will be discussing her directorial debut The Lost Daughter, starring Olivia Colman, which is thought to be a film that could earn Oscar nominations. The programme also reports on whether the Academy will, once again, end up giving all its best picture nominations to little-seen movies, imperiling the Oscars telecast which has been in a ratings free fall.

23 min

Berlin Film Festival Special

Talking Movies reports from the Berlin Film Festival where in February a lively slate of films was unveiled despite the city being in the midst of an Omicron wave.

23 min

Oscars Preview Special

Talking Movies reports from Los Angeles previewing the Oscars ceremony. The team will be hearing from top contenders, including Power of the Dog director, Jane Campion.

23 min

The Changing Face of Hollywood

Tom discusses his memory of the Oscars ceremony over the last four decades, recalling some of the highlights as well as assessing how Hollywood and the movie industry have changed during that time. From the growth of the MeToo movement, to a radical rethink on diversity and inclusion, Hollywood has recently undergone a period of rapid social change. Talking Movies talks to key industry players and examines how this change is impacting the film business today and forcing it to reassess the way it makes films for new and changing audiences. From visiting a landmark exhibition exploring the visual culture of Black cinema at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, to speaking to one of Hollywood's first intimacy coordinators, examines how the landscape of Hollywood is evolving and asks what is next for the movie industry in terms of greater gender, inclusivity and diversity.

Cannes Film Festival Special

Talking Movies reports from the Cannes Film Festival as it marks its seventy-fifth anniversary. It is being seen as a year when Cannes may finally return to normal, after the pandemic forced the cancellation of the festival in 2020 and led to its postponement in 2021. The team looks back at highlights from the world's most famous film festival and talks to some of the stars with films in the 2022 line-up. The programme covers the opening night film Final Cut from director Michel Hazanavicius, whose 2011 silent film tribute The Artist won several Oscars. There is a special report on Tom Cruise, who is in Cannes to promote Top Gun: Maverick. The Hollywood star is being feted with a special festival tribute to his 40-year career. Several Ukrainian film-makers are also attending the festival. Talking Movies looks at some of their films, which have a special urgency given the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

23 min

Tribeca Special

Talking Movies reports from the Tribeca Festival in New York with extensive coverage including interviews with co-founder Robert De Niro and megastar Jennifer Lopez who's featured in Halftime, the opening night film. Also Emma Thompson sits down with Talking Movies' Emma Jones to discuss Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, shown at the festival, which explores an older woman's sexuality. 1960s folk song icon Judy Collins discusses the Tribeca film Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song which examines Cohen's internationally known hymn "Hallelujah". The team also reports on a new documentary in which May Pang, John Lennon's former personal assistant, details how her romantic involvement with the former Beatle was much more substantial than many have thought.

23 min

Blockbuster Season Review

A look at Barbie's phenomenal success and Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. Away from cinemas, Tom Brook meets a striking actor to find out what she hopes the strike will achieve.

22 min

Film Festival Special

Emma Jones journeys to Venice for the world's oldest film festival while Tom Brook looks at the biggest offerings from the influential Telluride Film Festival in Colorado.

Martin Scorsese Special

Martin Scorsese, one of America's greatest living filmmakers, talks to Talking Movies' Tom Brook on the eve of the release of his latest epic, Killers of the Flower Moon.

New York Film Festival Special

Talking Movies reports on the New York Film Festival, with a look at the opening night movie 'May December' from director Todd Haynes and Sofia Coppola's new picture 'Priscilla'.