Podcasts from The Business Of Film

With no cinemas open in the UK, James Cameron-Wilson looks at the news that Netflix is to move into movie-making in a big way, announcing a slate of 70 films featuring some major star names. He reviews one of Netflix's big hopes for awards glory, Pieces of a Woman starring our own Vanessa Kirby as well as One Night in Miami, a fictionalised account of an amazing night in American history. He also looks at the nominations for their awards just announced by the London Film Critics Circle.

James Cameron-Wilson runs us through the last box office chart of 2020 before the cinemas were all closed again. With streaming service still providing plenty of new content, he looks at The Midnight Sky, starring and directed by George Clooney, at Pixar's new hotly-tipped animated feature Soul, at Kirsten Johnson's documentary Dick Johnson Is Dead and at Charlies Brooker's Death to 2020.

Revealing the top grossing films of 2020 in the UK, James Cameron-Wilson looks back at what was an extraordinary year, with cinemas not just struggling to fill their seats but for long periods forbidden even to open their doors. James reveals his favoured films (1917, Portrait of a Lady on Fire & I Am Greta) as well as the top acting performances of the year. Although the Oscars have been pushed back, he assesses who the hot contenders for the coveted statuettes are.

Low-tiered James Cameron-Wilson managed to get to see Wonder Woman 1984, one of the only blockbusters released this year. He also reviews Netflix's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, with Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman tipped for Oscars. He is less enthusiastic about Dreamland with Margot Robbie or Victorian melodrama Gone Away. However, he strongly recommends Nothing To Hide, a hilarious French comedy, which is one of several remakes of a recent Italian film.

James Cameron-Wilson, overjoyed to be back in a cinema again, discusses the boost to the box office just as restrictions in many areas will reverse it. He reviews Netflix's female assassin movie Ava, starring Jessica Chastain. He looks at the Argentinian film Murder Me, Monster on Curzon Home Cinema. And he delights in the exuberance of The Prom, another Netflix title, starring James Corden Meryl Streep.

James Cameron-Wilson looks at the UK box office, shooting up 1,586%, but to a still-pitiful level. He reviews the new Netflix David Fincher film Mank about the making of Citizen Kane, which is already tipped for awards glory. His favourite of the week though is a more modest piece starring Paul Bettany called Uncle Frank. And he looks at the much-admired Australian teen drama Babyteeth, just out on DVD and Blu-Ray.

James Cameron-Wilson looks at the sad UK box office chart with fewer than 30 cinemas open (Home Alone is #1). He looks at new Netflix offering, Yes, God, Yes about a religious, naive young woman in the early days of online chatting. Brandon Cronenberg's Possessor, starring Andrea Riseborough, he found stomach-turning. But he was very taken with gay-themed romcom Happiest Season, starring Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis, which he recommends strongly.

With Welsh cinemas open again, as well as some in Scotland, James Cameron-Wilson looks at the latest dismal box office chart for the UK. He reviews the Russell Crowe thriller Unhinged, now out on DVD and Blu-Ray, having missed some of the film in the cinema through the unexpected absence of advertisements. He also looks at the Oscar-tipped Netflix premiere of Hillbilly Elegy, starring Glenn Close and Amy Adams and directed by Ron Howard, as well as black comedy Arkansas, starring Liam Hemsworth.

James Cameron-Wilson looks at the UK box office (operational only in Scotland) before turning his attention to the Blu-Ray release of The Painted Bird, a much-garlanded Czech film set in World War II. On Netflix, he looks at The Life Ahead, Sophia Loren's first film for 16 years, for which she's already being tipped for an Oscar nomination. And on various platforms, there is the documentary Totally Under Control, about the US response to the Covid pandemic.

With most British cinemas closed, James Cameron-Wilson looks at the box office for Scotland only and the bizarre #1 film. He discusses new animated cinema release Wolfwalkers, tipped as a possible Oscar nominee. With most of us restricted to watching film at home he reviews the British refugee horror film His House on Netflix and Luxor on Curzon Home Cinema with Andrea Riseborough in the lead role.