To our special oscars Preview Edition of talking movies. Im tom brook. In todays programme, everything you need to know about the Academy Awards. The big name stars in the running. Would it mean a lot to you to get oscars recognition . Yeah, always. Its fabulous. And the documentaries and Foreign Language films vying for an oscar prize. Im tony. Tony. Will protests over President Trumps policies take centre stage on hollywoods biggest night of the year . This could be the most politicised oscars that we have ever had. Plus, our predictions on who will win the top oscar prizes. All that and more in our special oscars Preview Edition of talking movies. The 89th annual Academy Awards are about to get underway. The big question appears to be how many trophies will la la land take home . This ode to hollywoods golden age of musicals and to hollywood itself has many ardent supporters. It dominates the oscars field, with 14 nominations, matching the record set by All About Eve and titanic. It is pretty strange that we keep running into each other. Maybe it means something . I doubt it. La la land has won the hearts and minds of academy members. It has won virtually every other awards group in the run up to the oscars. Its creator, Damien Chazelle, toiled for six years to bring this finely crafted musical onto the silver screen. It stars emma stone and ryan gosling. It is a genre that i think we all thought was gone the old hollywood musical. I think itjust feels very special that it happened and i think ther audience is connecting with that. You need a computer at nasa . You think women can handle this . The other main nominees are less dreamy than la la land and, in storytelling and casting, display diversity. Last year, the awards were beset by the Oscars Still White protests. This year, there are movies in the running, like moonlight, Hidden Figures and fences, rooted in black experience and with largely black casts. In all, six black actors have been nominated for oscars this year, as well as one of Indian Heritage. But that does not mean lack of diversity is no longer a problem. I think it is great that we have had more black nominees across all of the categories, from acting to cinematography and director. But obviously, Oscars Still White is notjust about black nominees. It is about all different nominees who are not white. We still have a way to go before we can say Oscars Still White is obsolete. How are you doing . Fine. Can you see me . There were surprise snubs and inclusions in the nominations. One of the biggest exclusions was amy adams, the star of arrival. She was widely expected to be a best actress nominee. But at least her movie, a strikingly intelligent Science Fiction film, did get a best picture nomination, amongst others. You wont kill . No, sir. You do realise quite a lot of killing goes on in war . The Surprise Inclusion was mel gibson as best director, for his work on Hacksaw Ridge. Also nominated for best picture, the unexpected nomination for gibson suggests a degree of rehabilitation in hollywood, after his transgressive behaviour of a decade ago. Another issue this year is the possibility of winners and nominees using the podium to express their frustration over President Trump and his policies. This could potentially be the most politicised oscars we have ever had. I think people are both scared and angry at what is happening in our country. I think, for the first time, a vast number of actors feel that perhaps their role as citizens is more important and they will speak out. The protest extends beyond american shores. The iranian director, asghar farhadi, nominated for the salesman has decided not to come to the ceremony because of President Trumps Executive Order on immigration. Many in the industry are expressing their displeasure with the administration. I think were living in a politicised moment, so undoubtedly, with the award shows we have seen over the last two or three weeks, people have things they want to say. And when they have a platform, they are going to say them. What would you say to people who believe the oscars is not the appropriate arena for voicing protest . I think art is inherently political and the oscars is a platform to honour the art. And i think politics goes along with that art. So, i do not think they can be separated. Here in los angeles, the murder trial of fallen American Sports star oj Simpson Simpson more than 20 years ago mesmerised the local population and much of the world. Those events have inspired a film to become a very strong contender in the oscars best Documentary Feature category. That race is our focus now. One day, everyones going to know everything that you have done, man. If nothing else, oj Made In America is a hugely ambitious work. A compilation of a five Part Television series which runs for eight hours. In the media saturated, racially charged trial of more than 20 years ago, oj simpson ago, was tried and then acquitted of murdering his ex wife. The director sees the film telling the story of america through the le ns of the story of america through the lens of oj simpson. Before he became infamous, he had already changed the barriers with regard to how we regarded like athletes and black sports stars. Another documentary examining race is 13th. The 13th amendment abolish slavery, but the point the director is trying to make is that it still exists. There is a criminality cause which has been deliberately exploited for profit. It excludes everyone but black people for a long time. It is goods which are being sold which have been put together by inmates for free. That is sleepily. The documentary i am not your needle as another tackling racial problems with in america. There are days when you wander for your future is in this country. This is very important in this country. There are huge black clouds in front of us. His wisdom is very important. Your position. Fire at sea it is about an italian island which becomes a magnet for refugees from the middle east. Some people accept the influx, others do not. The fifth and final oscar nominated Dog Documentary tells the story of an autistic boy hooligans to communicate with his family through the lines of disney cartoons that he loves. The whole families ended up speaking disney dialogue. It really drew him out of his autism. He will not only to talk but to connect with the world through these animated films. With a Host Of Critical Awards under its belt. Oj Made In America seems to belt. Oj Made In America seems to be the front runner for the best documentary oscar. What happened 20 yea rs documentary oscar. What happened 20 years ago still resonates today. The Academy Award is one of the most sought after trophies in the film industry. It can obviously greatly enhance someones career prospects. Why . The best actor could go to Denzel Washington. He has won twice before. He is nominated this year for his role in fences, which he also directed. It is based on the prize winning plea of the same name. He wrote an absolute masterpiece. It is an honourand he wrote an absolute masterpiece. It is an honour and a privilege to be a pa rt is an honour and a privilege to be a part of it. It was a privilege to act in it on stage and no to be given the chance to interpret it in film. The Best Actor Trophy could also go to casey affleck. He is haunted by his past in Manchester By The Sea. It was very difficult. I felt i learned a lot. I think i got better as both an actor and the performer. I will take them on to the next film i make. Ryan gosling is in the running for his performance in la la land and andrew garfield, the british actor, is also up garfield, the british actor, is also upfora garfield, the british actor, is also up for a nomination for others role as the pacifist in Hacksaw Ridge. For the best actress, emma stone appears to be the favourite for her performance in la la land. It was just this larger than life musical. It incorporates love and dreamers. It incorporates love and dreamers. It encapsulates both of these. In recent times, it has been uncommon for a best actress oscar to go to someone for a best actress oscar to go to someone whos first language is not english. This could happen in the case of elle. I did not have to choose one side of her persona or the other. That is what makes her so worthwhile. Natalie portman, who has won an oscar before, was nominated for her role as jackie kennedy. She plays a wave of the president in a film set in the minutes just after the assassination of her husband in dallas in 1963. Loving centres on the end of the ban on interracial marriages. And finally, meryl streep, who gets a nomination for her role as the opera singer. If she wins a fourth Academy Awards, she will match the record. One of the strongest Oscar Contentions in the foreign film race may be the german picture toni erdmann. Its a father Daughter Relationship drama, in which the Father Figure one often overlooked oscars category, at least by the inward looking american media, is that of best Foreign Language film. All five nominees this year are strong candidates. If cinema is, as the late critic roger ebert put it, an empathy generating machine, foreign films often do the most heavy lifting, allowing movie goers All Over The World to experience lives very different from their own. Of the five films up for a Foreign Language film oscar, tanna, the australian entry, takes place in the most remote location. Its a Romeo And Juliet style story set on a South Pacific island. The cast is made up of locals and the dialogue is in a distinct native language. Sweden is represented in the oscars sweepstakes by a man called ove, the story of a recently widowed, suicidal curmudgeon, who eventually blossoms, partly as a result of the relationship he forms with his newly arrived persian neighbour. In this trump era, it does have a certain appeal in that its about a very conservative older man who initially resents and really does not like his middle eastern neighbours, but then grows to find they are good people. This could be one that People Choose for political reasons as well as sentimental ones. Toni erdmann. Im a consultant and coach. One of the strongest Oscar Contentions in the foreign film race may be the german picture toni erdmann. Its a father Daughter Relationship drama, in which the Father Figure is trying to rescue his daughter from the soulless corporate world she inhabits. Its a very funny film that also serves as a critique of modern corporatism. Although when i make a film i dont say, yeah, i want to be critical about this or that, i dont like tojudge people or things. Another contender is land of mine, which comes from denmark and is set in the aftermath of world war two. A key element in the story is the relationship between a tough danish sergeant and german teens, enlisted to defuse dangerous mines, which have been planted on the danish coast on the danish coast by nazi occupiers. The fifth Foreign Language entry is a film called the salesman, from iran, which observes the relationship of a tehran couple after the wife is attacked. It comes from celebrated iranian film maker asghar farhadi, who sees his film as both drama and social criticism. Translation its a realism drama, so because it has a drama, the audience follows the story and tries to understand what will happen, but at the same time there is another angle because its a family in the society, so it can talk about society as well. Farhadi was planning to go to the oscars, but criticised the trump administrations travel ban, which includes iranians, and has decided not to attend the ceremony. This could give him an edge in a year when the left leaning academy may want to send a message to the president. As oscar nominees, all of these films will benefit from more publicity and increased exposure. Theyll earn more money and their message will be received by a much larger audience than those that failed to make the cut. In this case, it really is an honour just to be nominated. The Best Picture Award is the most coveted oscars trophy of all and this year there are nine films in the running. It seems that la la land is the favourite to win, but there are several other deserving candidates. I remember the last time i saw you. Moonlight, seen as a low budget wonder, one of the most praised films of recent times, has eight nominations. It was put together on a shoestring and shot in just 25 days. It begins in a drug ridden neighbourhood in miami, the story of a young, gay, black man. Yeah, its a Coming Of Age film, for sure, in form, but i also think in its simplest form its a boy becoming a man and finding himself in that process. What are you doing . Yeah, im fine. Arrival, also with eight nominations, is an Alien Invasion movie with a twist. It chronicles what happens to a linguist who learns the aliens language. Through this encounter, being in contact with the aliens, learning their language, this particular language will change her life, basically. I maybe should not say that on camera, because its one of the keys of the movie, but it is really a film about our relationship with nature also, i would say. Ive dreamt about being a doctor, but. With six nominations, Hacksaw Ridge is also up for best picture. Im adopted, im not really indian. Lion has six nominations, too. A feel good real life tale of a Young Australian man of Indian Heritage who uses google earth to find his birth mother in india. It stars dev patel, virtually upstaged in the film by young sunny pawar, who plays the younger version of his character a boy who gets very lost. This is a boy who, you know, was struggling for survival on the streets of india. Hes torn away from his family and the first half of the movie is about him using his instincts to escape danger and predators in this maximum city. What happened to my brother . Manchester by the sea also has six nominations. This story is emotionally powerful and some would say brilliant cinema. Its directed by kenneth lonergan. Other Best Picture Nominees include fences, the adaptation of a Pulitzer Prize winning August Wilson play, and hell or high water, which could be described as a modern western, which is being viewed as two bank robbing brothers robbed robbed by a bank. Ive never seen a mind like the one your daughter has. One of the most liked Best Picture Nominees, with three nominations, is Hidden Figures, the story of three African American women who battled racism and sexism at nasa in the 1960s. Their mathematical calculations played a pivotal role in a manned space programme. Weve got no shot. And back to our best picture frontrunner, la la land. For its film maker, who is very likely to win for best director, its a personal story. Being a young artist trying to make it today and trying to deal with how do you balance dreams with reality . That was the story i wanted to tell, a story that i felt was very suited to a musical and ijust hope it will connect with other people. Youve never seen it . Ive never seen it. Oh, my odds makers predict la la land will take the best picture trophy. If not, the prize will go to moonlight or Manchester By The Sea, but it seems it will be a big night for la la land. Heres to the mess we made. Now, lets look into the Talking Movies Crystal Ball and come up with our predictions on whos going to win the key oscar prizes. Jeff bridges, newcomer lucas hedges, Michael Shannon and dev patel are all in the running for best supporting actor. But it seems the prize will go to mahershala ali, for playing a tender hearted drug dealer in moonlight, mentoring a young, bullied boy. Hey, man, i got you. Hes kind, hes gentle, hee wise, hes loving, but hes also someone who comes from really challenging circumstances and so in some ways he reflects a lot of people that i knew growing up and its why i am attracted to it, why i was so attracted to playing the part. Moving onto best supporting actress, nominees michelle williams, octavia spencer, Nicole Kidman and Naomie Harris all give excellent performances. But its expected that the oscar will almost definitely go viola davis, who portrays the matriarch in fences, playing opposite Denzel Washington in some powerful things. I think August Wilson wrote the perfect script and i think he wrote a role that is absolutely completely in her narrative. Her journey is complete, herjourney cant be any more specific, so all i did was i was courageous enough to just dive into her life. In the major best actor, best actress prizes, expect those to go to Denzel Washington and emma stone. Best director, la la lands Damien Chazelle will be taking that home. Best Foreign Language film could be toni erdmann or the salesman, but more likely to be swedens a man called ove. Best adapted screenplay will be awarded to moonlight and Manchester By The Sea will end up with best original screenplay. Best Documentary Feature, that award will go to oj simpson Made In America. And, finally, we think best picture will go to la la land, with the film as a whole collecting ten statu ettes. Well, that brings our special oscars Preview Edition of talking movies to a close. We hope youve enjoyed the show. Please remember, you can always reach us online and you can find us on facebook too. So, from me and the rest of the talking movies production crew, here in la, its goodbye. But, remember, you can catch me reporting live from the red carpet on oscars night. Now, we can get the latest weather. Could summon. It has been a pretty cloudy day for many of us so far. We do have a lot of that still around in the middle of england in particular. That cloud coming in from the atlantic. Pinging is milder conditions. The football about to kick off in the premier league. A lot cloud of her own, but conditions still mild, at 10 celsius. A lot of rainfor still mild, at 10 celsius. A lot of rain for the north and to the west. The deal should end in a slightly drier note, especially for scotland. Most of the rain around england and wales, that will hang around for much of this evening. Dry weather fire up oil overnight tonight. West of scotla nd fire up oil overnight tonight. West of scotland getting the wet start along with Northern Ireland at the start of tomorrow morning. That wet weather could be enforceable in scotla nd weather could be enforceable in scotland for much of the day. Coming increasingly windy for the west of england and wales. Condition should again be mild for most of us, with temperatures in double figures. Condition should be decent for the final at wembley tomorrow afternoon. More wins hanging around the south east on monday morning. Coming in behind that, some male mild air. But things will begin to get called as we head through next week. Some risk of some frost ice and, as well. This is bbc news. The headlines at 2pm 3pm. The former labour foreign secretary, david miliband, says his party is now at its weakest in 50 years. Jeremy corbyn insists his leadership is not to blame and his deputy says he needs to stay. This is not the time for a leadership election. That issue was settled last year. But we have to do better. We cannot sustain this level of distance from our electorate. Oxfam says it is preparing for a huge influx of civilians fleeing homs Western Mosul as Iraqi Forces Push further into territory held by the Islamic State group. The white house has excluded the bbc, the New York Times and others from a media briefing. The block came just hours after President Trump used a major speech to attack sections of the press. Suicide bombers have attacked two Security Compounds in syrias third city of homs, killing dozens of people