Not to be confused with his other flick Fool's Gold, Matthew McConaughey is back with crime adventure Gold, a film about looking for gold (unsurprisingly, again). Cheekily based "on a too good to be true story" (it's loosely based on actual events), McConaughey plays modern-day hustler and unlucky businessman Kenny on a hunt for a gold mine in Indonesia. He teams up with an equally unlucky geologist played by Edgar Ramirez, and let's not forget to mention how realistic Mr Mc's character transformations always are!? (He spent 6 months saying yes to all food and living unhealthily, apparently. ) IRL, it was a gold mining scandal but is this also fool's gold?

Ahead of its UK release on 3rd February, Beview was invited to the premiere with the lovely Matthew in attendance. Annoyingly, it was on the same night I was hosting a charity F.R.I.E.N.D.S trivia quiz (soz, Matt) but luckily, reader Liv was on hand to review it and here are her thoughts!

As first movie premiere experiences go, I couldn't have asked for a better event. The screening took place at the Ham Yard Hotel, a delightful location tucked away from the busy Piccadilly Circus. We were welcomed by a chic and buzzing drinks reception and I was most excited by the selection of canapés they had dotting around. There was a lot of time for picture taking and mingling before we made our way into the screening room. We even had the pleasure of listening the lead actor of Gold, Matthew McConaughey, give a short but sweet speech before the movie started. Initially, I didn't know what to expect from Gold, but by the end, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. There was a good balance of humour and drama and Kenny's (McConaughey) unforgettable encounter with the tiger was a particular favourite and had the whole audience chuckling. I did however feel the storyline drag towards the end, but this was quickly revived with a plot twist. Overall, a clever and unexpectedly comedic movie. It was a treat to attend!

Watch the trailer for Gold now:

Behold, the red carpet awaits! Tis the season where I flick through red carpet galleries and dream about fancy frocks and dazzling embellishment... Fashion is art, and I love seeing how people will express themselves next. Take the Screen Actors Guild Awards last night, for example, a classy affair full of gorgeous gowns. Here are two fun themes I spotted on the carpet:

1. Can't decide? #BestOfBothWorlds 

2. The necklace. #MakeAStatement

Aha, the humble statement necklace never goes out of style. The always-classy/forever-girlcrush Amy Adams kept things simple with a black dress by Brandon Maxwell but jazzed up by some serious neck bling. Bryce Dallas-Howard looks a million dollars but her dress cost £247!! It's still not cheap as chips but compared to the $$$$$ price tags of some, this is so refreshing. The tiered necklace complements it well too. Kirsten Dunst probably has one of my favourite outfits of the night - a Dior gown with embellished straps that's wedding worthy...but it's gone from aisle to red carpet with just a necklace. SAG-winner Viola Davis rounds up the necklace squad with a similar design and timeless dress by Vivienne Westwood.

Amy Adams may not have been nominated for an Oscar, but she's always a red carpet winner.

3. My favourites. #TheWildcards

I'm such a fan of this year's outfits so it's hard to pick favourites. We have Ellie Kemper's midnight blue velvet dress, Angela Sarafyan (Westworld) throwing some strong shapes,  Claire Foy in a lovely detailed Valentino number and Teresa Palmer representing Hacksaw Ridge in a powerfully metallic dress that probably weighs a ton but looks great.

The Oscars are nearly here, and followers of this blog will know I'm a big fan of glitzy award ceremonies (and the red carpet frocks)! All the Academy Award nominations are now in, and it's no surprise that the most nods go to La La Land. What's more surprising, however, is the number - 14 - which equals the highest number ever. I doubt it will win in the acting categories, but Hollywood has a lot of love for the film so I'm expecting it to triumph many times throughout the night on 26th February. There's also no #OscarsSoWhite backlash this year, with six amazing black actors being nominated, including Viola Davis in Fences and Naomi Harris in Moonlight. In other categories, I rightly predicted success for Andrew Garfield and director Mel Gibson in Hacksaw Ridge with 6 nominations, the same number as Manchester by the Sea, and Arrival and Manchester By The Sea have nominations in 8 categories apiece.

In the Best Original Song category, all-round-top-guy and now Oscar nominee Lin-Manuel Miranda edges closer to a prestigious Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony holder. How Far I'll Go from Disney's Moana is up against two spine-tingling tracks from La La Land (City of Stars and Audition/The Fools Who Dream), The Empty Chair by Sting, and Justin Timberlake's catchy Can't Stop the Feeling. I have a feeling it'll be a La La Land win for all music categories but we'll see!

And some of the snubs...Loving has just one nomination (Ruth Negga for Best Actress), Amy Adams (Arrival and Nocturnal Animals) has been recognised in loads of awards ceremonies but not here, and Japanese film Your Name had so much hype in 2016 but has not been included for Foreign Language nor Animation. Sully, Silence and Live By Night are also films which appear to have been overlooked.

Here are some of the nominees...

Best picture

Best director

Best cinematography

Best actor

Best actress

Best supporting actor

Best supporting actress

Best score

Best song

Best animated feature

Best original screenplay

Best adapted screenplay

Best film editing

Best visual effects

Mel Gibson is back in the Director's chair for an epic war movie about not fighting. Andrew Garfield delivers a lifetime best performance as real life hero Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector who served in the Second World War without even touching a weapon. It's gory and painfully visual, but underneath it's a moving story about faith and sticking to your values even in the toughest of times.

[EDIT: Hacksaw Ridge has been rightly nominated for 6 Oscars!]

I'll admit I hadn't even seen a single trailer for Hacksaw Ridge so I attended the premiere with few expectations. Reviews kicking about from markets where it has already been released were rave, and I can completely see why. It's an incredible true story about Desmond Doss, a pacifist  who went to war. A committed Seventh-day Adventist Christian and medic, he practised what he preached...and then some. Due to his religious beliefs, he refused to take a life or even bear arms. He found a conscience in a brutal war and the result is one of the most inspiring journeys that ever made it onto the big screen. It's nearly unbelievable...except it's true.

You're probably thinking...how does a pacifist go to war? And why would he even want to? The film dedicates more than an hour exploring the lead-up to combat, answering all those questions whilst making you question your own values and beliefs, and how much you would stick to it even if it meant life or death. It's a story of two halves but within that such a range of different scenes, and emphasis is placed on the first half's stages of training and Doss's upbringing (to the point where I thought, maybe the film doesn't even go to war?). There's a backstory about his childhood and family, involving his alcoholic father played by Hugo Weaving, who quietly scene-steals and deserves all the accolades and nominations for his supporting role. These are scenes that are obviously quieter than the second half's bloody war scenes, but are somehow shout more loudly. The message is reinforced throughout every fibre of this soulful film. If you can forgive a long running time of nearly two-and-a-half hours, you'll sit through the film without even realising it. It was Gibson's intention to immerse you in Doss's experiences as wholly as possible, and this is achieved without question.

You go on a journey from Doss's lifechanging childhood in Virginia, to the sweet carefree boy-meets-girl encounters with Dorothy Schutte (Teresa Palmer), to the tense familial scenes, to humorous and dead-serious training, to court reprimands...and that's all before you even reach the Okinawa battle in Japan. Each scene holds a common thread of Doss and his character, and his character portrayal and depth is one of the best you've seen in recent cinema. A lot of this is down to a wonderful Andrew Garfield and his ability to break your heart and restore it, and earnestly portray a character who gave and gave so much. If he isn't nominated for an Oscar (or win it), it'll be a tremendous mistake.

The production value is also immense. You are transported to Hacksaw Ridge and it's all around you, but be warned as it is bloody and brutal and will be difficult to watch. The editing makes it all the more real; I may not be a war film buff, but I know these battle scenes will have you on the edge of your seat and will probably go down in war film history. Yet this is a film with delicate emotion alongside horrifying killing, so the poignant "one more, one more" moments will still pack a punch.

There are reportedly several differences in the adaptation, leading to my critique that made me ponder over awarding those 5 stars; parts of the true story are waived in favour of The Hollywood Effect. For example, there's a dramatic wedding day,  a movie-style romance and several other scenes that you can appreciate but expect in a big budget production. Plus, the typical patriotic war scenes share the same pitfalls as those in its genre have suffered. Namely, the 'Americanised' depiction of war. Here, the Japanese are painted as the absolute enemy, and even when some are saved by Doss it is a fact merely glossed over. The other element of the Hollywood Effect is the slow-mo exaggeration, and the slightly over-the-top ethereal moments of Garfield. I get the spiritual background, but a few scenes seem like they're trying too hard to mirror Christ.

I'm probably giving Hacksaw Ridge a hard time talking about Hollywood, but it was actually an Australian production, and one of the best things about this is the talented Australian actors. Sam Worthington, who's already made a big name for himself from the likes of Avatar is reliably good as Captain Glover. Then there's Luke Bracey who you may not have heard of, but he's absolutely brilliant as tough guy Smitty. And to shout out names like Ben Mingay, Nathaniel Buzolic, and Damien Thomlinson, who was actually in the army and was injured by an explosion in Afghanistan, resulting in limb amputation. He plays an injured soldier and after the screening, Garfield applauded his bravery at reliving those scenes. The last shout-out goes to a surprisingly amazing Vince Vaughn. I keep picturing him as an eternal funnyman but here he's playing a Serious Scary Sergeant and they could not have cast a better actor.

Above all, this is an inspirational watch. See the skinny kid who was bullied and told to quit the army? Spoiler alert -he only goes and saves 75 lives! Single-handedly! Yep, probably should've mentioned that line at the start but I for one definitely was not expecting that. The way they do that is one of the most incredible scenes I've seen in the cinema for a very long time - it's soo tense too. He did not fit into the stereotypical view of what a soldier should be, but his bravery will astound anyone. It's a jaw-dropping true story, tense as tense can be. There's a lesson to be learned too. As a Christian myself, it challenged my own views on some of the moral decisions he faced and I'll be honest and say I wouldn't have the guts to do what Doss did. Even if you're not religious, it's about knowing your identity, and sticking to your values. And then there's the case of the 75 lives, cos woaaaah. If those scenes don't move you, Gibson couldn't possibly have done any more. Just before the credits roll, you align to real life footage and it puts everything into perspective. Desmond Doss, what a ledge.

Andrew Garfield at the Hacksaw Ridge premiere

Turning up in a casual coat (it was cold, after all), Andrew Garfield spoke (or in his words, "I ramble loads") about his experience making Hacksaw Ridge. Garfield spoke about how Doss transcended everything - even more than what his faith led him to do. He also praised Gibson's directorial style as pure instinct, and editing it together as a masterpiece: "it's not so much intellect, but it's all instinctual".

On Mel Gibson: "When we're acting, it's as much his performance as it is ours."

On the cast: "I fell in love with all the cast", he said, further admiring the young Australian actors on the team.

On Doss's heroism: "It makes me think, what the f---- have I done with my life!?"

On saving those 75 lives: "I know it doesn't compare, but even acting it out it was so difficult. What Doss did, that's physically impossible."

After La La Land swept the board with 7 Golden Globes over the weekend, it's now set to sweep some more this side of the atlantic. It's finally released in the UK this week (hooray!) and it's well-timed with the 11 nominations for the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA). Both starring Amy Adams, Arrival and Nocturnal Animals have 9 nominations each, and Manchester By The Sea (also released this week) has 6.

The ceremony will be hosted on Sunday 12th February. Usually the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs are a strong indication of Oscar success, and now award season has officially kicked off. Here are some of the nominees...

Best Film

• Arrival
• I, Daniel Blake
• La La Land
• Manchester by the Sea
• Moonlight

Outstanding British Film

Sometimes you can spend your weekends going out and having fun, but other times, you realise it's cold, it's January, and all you want to do is snuggle up on the sofa watching telly. This is something for the UK folks, because this weekend we've been treated to so many new TV talent shows. Every time we're promised something original and different, but haven't we seen it all already? That said, these shows are more than a guilty pleasure of mine so I've rounded them up to help you decide which show you'll be watching next weekend.
The judges from BBC's Let it Shine

The Voice UK

With regards to singing competitions, I've now decided that if you can sing well and don't mind the stigma of gaining fast fame through TV shows, you can basically pick and choose your show. Will it be The X Factor (the one with the best track record), Britain's Got Talent (you only need to sing three times to potentially win), or returning The Voice UK or brand new Let it Shine?

The Voice UK returns to on the new channel of ITV, with familiar faces will.i.am and Sir Tom Jones who's back in his rightful chair after being axed by the BBC last year. Newcomers Jennifer Hudson and Gavin Rossdale complete the group of coaches, and Emma Willis is back as a solo host. It hasn't really changed much at all in other ways, bar a slightly bigger stage and the fact that contestants with no prospective coaches have to walk off stage tearfully straightaway. It makes it all a bit harsher, but eliminates the repetitive "I would definitely have turned for you" speeches, which don't really make a difference anyway. In a way, it's good because we won't have the X Factor desperate pleas, audience persuasion and judges changing their minds 10 times. That's how we ended up with Honey G, so 10 minutes in and I'm already Team Voice. Whilst I'm less convinced by Will's chat these days, I am impressed by Jennifer Hudson. There's no doubt her voice is one of the industry's finest right now, and it's nice to see her vibrant personality and meme-worthy facial expressions on British TV. The chemistry between the four is off to a promising start. Talent-wise, there were some very talented auditionees such as Mo Adeniran and Jason Jones, but the fact that The Voice has never actually produced a star with more than 5 minutes of fame always has me questioning the impactfulness of the show. I guess we'll just have to wait and see for Series 6!

Let it Shine

Dance Dance Dance

Too much singing on TV? Fear not, there's that other popular form of talent....dance. It's supposedly ITV's answer to Strictly Come Dancing, with 5 celebs and their BFFs/partners/mate who can dance really well, and they take on famous routines. (Famous people doing famous routines? Hmm sounds a bit like BBC's Let's Dance to me!) The entertaining bit is that they all seem to have been picked because they already *conveniently* have a pretty good level at dance. I may not know who most of them are, but we're not watching novices here. Instead of watching the personal journeys of improvement like Strictly contestants, they all have a common love for dance and I was pretty surprised at the slick moves from Week 1 already. Stars like former Eastenders actor (according to Google) Jonny Labey were outstanding so even if you're not watching for the 'star power', watch it for the Michael Jackson / Justin Timberlake moves. They've also picked out a range of routines, from Backstreet Boys to Madonna to Beyonce, plus there's no public vote and it looks to have all been pre-recorded.

It's never short of entertaining, but the whole concept feels a tiny bit like a trial-and-error thing, with a cringey theme song and 'backstage' area and presenter Will Best telling everyone to go for a group hug every five minutes. The judges, however, have respectable credibility, with ITV opting for lesser known but accomplished experts: Tina Landon (a choreographer who's worked with JLo and Michael Jackson), Timor Steffens (a dancer who's worked with Beyonce and Usher), and Britain's Got Talent star of Diversity Ashley Banjo (who has also been a judge on the axed Sky One Got to Dance). At least Alesha Dixon's presenting, not judging, this time.

Sherlock

2016 was apparently a relatively quiet year for Ed Sheeran (bar his hilarious cameo in Bridget Jones's Baby and a few others) but turns out he's been busy making the sweet sound of his brand new music. We can probably expect the release of ÷ (Divide), his third studio album, sometime in the very near future, starting with Shape of You and Castle on the Hill. They have two very different vibes, showcasing just how versatile Ed is, and are almost guaranteed to hit the top spots of the chart next week. Are they good? Uh - yeah.