The Outcast - Sadie Jones

All the signs about The Outcast were good. Mariella raved about it on The Book Show, Richard & Judy had selected it as one of their Summer Reads, and, as if that wasn't enough, Sadie Jones had just been handed the Costa First Novel award for it.

I was convinced I was going to love it, and then I started reading it and then I thought I hated it and wouldn't be able to get past the first chapter and then I got over the fact that she used 'and then' all the time, and then I finished it in three sittings.

I hope it's not damning it with faint praise when I say that it was alright. It was 440 perfectly readable pages about a traumatised young man living in stifling post-war suburbia: but I think the reviewers might have been getting a bit high over-excited when they started calling it the new Atonement.

Academy Awards 2009

Well, what a night it was. I twittered intermittently throughout and - for the first time ever - managed to stay awake until they had handed out the last award. Usually I watch the red carpet on E! and then listen to the ceremony on the radio in bed, but this year I watched the whole thing on Sky. And how glad I am that I did.

The Highlights

Kate Winslet winning Best Actress (of course!)
Slumdog Millionaire sweeping the board
The musical numbers
Hugh Jackman
Jennifer Aniston keeping it together in front of Brange. Was sure she was going to cry at one point, or at least take her shoe off and throw it at Angelina.
'DON'T fall in love with me.'

The Lowlights

Stephanie Beacham in the Sky studio. She was a complete miser and seemed to think she was the authority on the subject - was willing Marc Dolan or Danny Wallace to point out that she is now working on Coronation Street. I doubt she will be back next year.

Seth Rogen and James Franco falling about laughing when the latter failed to pronounce Spielzeugland correctly. A lot of bloggers have said that they think this was the funniest moment of the night, but it wasn't: it was just unprofessional.

Best Dressed
Tina Fey


















For ages I thought Kate Winslet had nabbed it, but Tina just looked better.

(pic courtesy of Perez Hilton)

Worst Dressed
Beyonce












She usually gets it so right which is why this fish-tail flock frock just doesn't cut it. And where was her jewellery? (Ordinally Whoppi Goldberg would have won.)

BAFTA Predictions 2009

The Film BAFTAs are tomorrow and so, in time-honoured tradition, I shall have a stab at guessing who will be the big winners on the night.

(*) = Who/what I think will win.
(&) = Who/what I want to/think should win.

Best Film

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon (&)
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire (*)

Outstanding British Film

Hunger
In Bruges
Mamma Mia!
Man on Wire
Slumdog Millionaire (&) (*)

Director

Clint Eastwood [Changeling]
David Fincher [The Curious Case of Benjamin Button] (*)
Ron Howard [Frost/Nixon]
Stephen Daldry [The Reader] (&)
Danny Boyle [Slumdog Millionaire]

Original Screenplay

Burn After Reading
Changeling
I've Loved You So Long
In Bruges
Milk (&) (*)

Adapted Screenplay

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (*)
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road (&)
Slumdog Millionaire

Leading Actor

Frank Langella
Dev Patel (&)
Sean Penn
Brad Pitt
Micky Rourke (*)

Leading Actress

Angelina Jolie
Kristen Scott Thomas
Meryl Streep
Kate Winslet [Revolutionary Road] (&)
Kate Winset [The Reader](*)

Supporting Actor

Robert Downey Jr.
Brendan Gleeson (&)
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Heath Ledger (*)
Brad Pitt

Supporting Actress

Amy Adams
Penelope Cruz
Frieda Pinto
Tilda Swinton (*) (&)
Marisa Tomei

Orange Rising Star Award

Michael Cera
Noel Clarke
Michael Fassbender
Rebecca Hall (&) (*)
Toby Kebbell

**********UPDATE: WHO DID WIN IN BOLD.**********