Can you hear that? It’s the sound of film stars the world over biting their nails in anticipation: that’s right, it’s Oscar nominations time.
The stars in the running for this year’s awards were announced on 24th January, with George Clooney and Meryl Streep hotly tipped to walk away with a coveted gold statue, and War Horse and The Artist are some of the forerunning films.
The spotlight might be on Hollywood at the moment, but London has its fair share of on-screen accolades too, with some of the city’s most recognisable landmarks and buildings taking a starring role in many an Academy award-winning film.
The Bourne Ultimatum
London’s busiest train stations have long been a draw for directors searching for the perfect film location, and 2007’s action flick The Bourne Ultimatum was no exception. The third instalment of the Bourne series featured both Charing Cross and Waterloo stations, where the concourses became a battleground between Bourne (Matt Damon) and the CIA. The film scooped awards for Best Film Editing, Sound Mixing and Sound Editing, but if there was a Best Train Station category, it probably would have got that too.
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Nominated for Best Picture in 1995, the London locations of note for this wedding and funeral-filled rom-com are – unsurprisingly – churches. Wedding number two between Bernard and Lydia proceeds without a hitch at the Royal Naval College Chapel in Greenwich, while the scene of Charles’ (Hugh Grant) failed wedding was filmed at St Bartholomew the Great in Smithfield EC1 – or “St Julians” as it’s known in the film. St Bart’s is no stranger to on-screen stardom, having also appeared in Shakespeare in Love and Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, too.
The Dark Knight
London’s iconic Battersea Power Station was the focus of an explosive scene when Batman came to town for The Dark Knight in 2008, a film that Heath Ledger received a posthumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor the following year. The film’s large scale special effects caused a stir with South London residents when a huge explosion was staged at the power plant, and the disused interior was transformed into a burnt out warehouse. The building’s distinctive towers can also be seen in other films such as Children of Men and Guy Richie’s RocknRolla.
Bridget Jones’s Diary
South London was also the location for much of 2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary starring Renée Zellweger, who was nominated for Best Actress following the film’s success. Fans of the romantic comedy might recognise the Globe pub on Bedale Street in Borough as the location for Bridget’s flat, and many scenes saw Bridget strolling through neighbouring Borough Market. The Globe is a fully functioning, typical London tavern, and a great place for film fans to stop off and experience a taste of real London on their tour of the sites.