Why F1 the Movie should win the best picture Oscar

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It may not be in pole position, but Brad Pitt and director Joseph Kosinski’s sleek, technically inventive ode to motor racing definitely qualifies for the Academy podium Could, should, would F1 the Movie win the best picture Oscar? Well, we have to be realistic here: F1 is currently a massive outsider, at 200-1 along with The Secret Agent , which has no chance either but for very different reasons. It’s not hard to see why: this is a swaggeringly mainstream film, where tech and branding dwarf the human input, with the film itself acting as a front-end battering ram for a sports organisation desperate to break into the promised land of the US auto racing circuit. (I mean it’s right there in the title.) So even the most reactionary, conservative Academy voter is going to find it hard to mark F1 with their tick. So no, I don’t think it could win. That’s not to say F1 doesn’t have quite a bit going for it. The Oscars, as we know, have historically had a problem with so-called “popular” ...
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Actor Michele Austin: ‘Mike Leigh has a wicked sense of humour’

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The co-star of Leigh’s latest film, Hard Truths, on ​h​er bond with the director, portraying mental health issues and ​why she’s loving the awards circuit

Born in London, Michele Austin trained at Rose Bruford College before beginning a wide-ranging career on television, film and stage. She was Yvonne Hemmingway in The Bill for three years from 2003, and more recently starred opposite Ben Whishaw as straight-talking midwife Tracy in This Is Going to Hurt on BBC One. On stage, most recently Austin appeared in Jamie Lloyd’s production of Cyrano and in his revival of Lucy Prebble’s The Effect at the National Theatre. She has worked with director Mike Leigh five times, most notably in 1996’s Palme d’Or-winning Secrets and Lies, and has now been nominated for several awards for her role as Chantelle, the loving sister of Marianne Jean-Baptiste’s character Pansy in Leigh’s latest film, Hard Truths. She is married to Nick Stafford, who adapted War Horse for the stage. They have two children.

When did you first work with Mike Leigh?
It was my second or third job in a play called It’s A Great Big Shame at Stratford East. Luckily for me, because I was fresh out of drama school, I didn’t know how important he was. He asked me to do something, and it seemed to me quite simple. A lot of people mess up when they meet him because they want to do something impressive. He’s very clear: don’t do anything interesting. I met Marianne at the same time. We played sisters then too. After that I played her friend in Secrets and Lies and we’ve remained friends. To do Hard Truths 30 years on has been so special.

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