#bryan tyree henry in if beale street could talk

[ourlittlesister2015]

Well. At least we'll always have Lee Kang-sheng's eyes

[freakin-deakin]

If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) Dir. Barry Jenkins Cinematography: James Laxton

[scenesandscreens]

If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

Director - Barry Jenkins, Cinematography - James Laxton

"Love is what brought you here. If you trusted love this far, don't panic now. Trust it all the way."

[blacknerdproblems]

These days, James Baldwin’s writing on American social issues seems especially relevant. This film showcases a tragic love story that serves as a critique of the American judicial system, among other themes. At the 2018 Essense Festival, Jenkins shared the importance of these stories about Black communities, even now, almost 50 years after the book was published. That’s because James Baldwin didn’t mess around. Also, we still need stories like this one.

Rebecca Renee Hess, “ This “If Beale Street Could Talk” Film Trailer Got Me In My Feelings“ http://blacknerdproblems.com/if-beale-street-talk-got-feelings/

[chinchillasorchildren]

Films of 2018: If Beale Street Could Talk (dir. Barry Jenkins)

Grade: A/A-

[popculty]

Popculty’s Picks: Oscar Ballot 2019

Because unlike the Academy, my memory encompasses more than white male-directed movies from the past three months (and I don’t place arbitrary quantitative limitations on great cinema)  ╮ (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.) ╭

Best Picture:

Black Panther

Leave No Trace

Blindspotting

The Favourite

Widows

Disobedience

If Beale Street Could Talk

Annihilation

Best Director:

Debra Granik (Leave No Trace)

Ryan Coogler (Black Panther)

Karyn Kusama (Destroyer)

Bo Burnham (Eighth Grade)

Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite)

Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Steve McQueen (Widows)

Sebastian Lelio (Disobedience)

Paul Feig (A Simple Favor)

Best Actress:

Olivia Colman (The Favourite)

Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade)

Thomasin McKenzie (Leave No Trace)

Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give)

Nicole Kidman (Destroyer)

Helena Howard (Madeline’s Madeline)

Blake Lively (A Simple Favor)

Charlize Theron (Tully)

Best Supporting Actress:

Emma Stone (The Favourite)

Rachel Weisz (The Favorite)

Kristen Stewart (Lizzie)

Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Saoirse Ronan (Mary Queen of Scots)

Best Actor:

Lakeith Stanfield (Sorry to Bother You)

John Cho (Searching)

Daveed Diggs (Blindspotting)

Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)

Joaquin Phoenix (You Were Never Really Here)

Christian Bale (Vice)

Best Supporting Actor:

Alessandro Nivola (Disobedience)

Ed Oxenbould (Wildlife)

Forrest Goodluck (The Miseducation of Cameron Post)

Bryan Tyree Henry (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Phil Lord & Rodney Rothman (Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse)

Ryan Coogler & Joe Robert Cole (Black Panther)

Alex Garland (Annihilation)

Gus Kreiger & Rickerby Hinds (My Name is Myeisha)

Audrey Wells (The Hate U Give)

Desiree Akhavan & Cecilia Frugiuele (The Miseducation of Cameron Post)

Jessica Sharzer (A Simple Favor)

Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Best Original Screenplay:

Deborah Davis & Tony McNamara (The Favourite)

Charlie Brooker (Black Mirror: Bandersnatch)

Diablo Cody (Tully)

Daveed Diggs & Rafael Casal (Blindspotting)

Beau Willimon (Mary Queen of Scots)

Costume Design:

Sandy Powell (The Favourite)

Ruth E. Carter (Black Panther)

Caroline Eselin (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Alexandra Byrne (Mary Queen of Scots)

Production Design:

Pierre Queffelean (Revenge)

Fiona Crombie (The Favourite)

Jeremy Woodward (Thoroughbreds)

Mark Friedburg (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Hannah Beachler (Black Panther)

Best Score:

Nicholas Britell (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury (Annihilation)

Ludwig Goransson (Black Panther)

Daniel Pemberton (Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse)

Best Cinematography:

James Laxton (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Sean Bobbitt (Widows)

Rachel Morrison (Black Panther)

Robbie Ryan (The Favourite)

David Ungaro (A Prayer Before Dawn)

Lyle Vincent (Thoroughbreds)

Rob Hardy (Annihilation)

Best Animated Film:

Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse

Ralph Breaks the Internet

[Not really feelin’ the other categories, sorry.]

[theblipster]

best of 2018.

These are all the best movies, television, music, performances, distractions, inspirations, and reasons to create from the last year. It was a long one and I don’t have to say too much about it for you to remember, so I won’t say anymore. Without further ado, here they are:

MOVIES

Black Panther

Sorry to Bother You / Blindspotting (tie)

Roma

If Beale Street Could Talk

A Star Is Born

Isle of Dogs

BlacKkKlansman

Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Widows

Madeline’s Madeline

Shirkers

The Favourite

First Reformed

Minding the Gap

Hale County This Morning, This Evening

Burning

Annihilation

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Wildlife

TV SHOWS

Atlanta: Robbin’ Season

Killing Eve

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Sharp Objects

Homecoming

The Good Place

The Americans

Salt Fat Acid Heat

Barry

Bodyguard

Big Mouth

The End of the Fucking World

G.L.O.W.

BoJack Horseman

Wild Wild Country

Saturday Night Live

MUSIC - albums

Dirty Computer // Janelle Monaé

Daytona // Pusha T

Saturn // Nao

Con Todo El Mundo // Khruangbin

Be the Cowboy // Mitski

Sweetener // Ariana Grande

Kids See Ghosts // Kids See Ghosts

Everything Is Love // The Carters

Room 25 // Noname

Boarding House Reach // Jack White

2012-2017 // Against All Logic

Everything Is Recorded // Richard Russell

Negro Swan // Blood Orange

Ventriloquism // Meshell Ngedeochello

Veteran // JPEGMAFIA

Lost & Found // Jorja Smith

Honey // Robyn

FM! // Vince Staples

El Mal Querer // Rosalia

Cocoa Sugar // Young Fathers

Black Panther: The Album // Kendrick Lamar (f/various artists)

The Return // Kamaal Williams

Whack World // Tierra Whack

OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES // Sophie

Everything’s Fine // Jean Grae & Quelle Chris

Streams of Thought, Vols. 1 & 2 // Black Thought

Caution // Mariah Carey

Overload // Georgia Anne Muldrow

7 // Beach House

TA13OO // Denzel Curry

MUSIC - songs

Spotify playlist

“This As America” // Childish Gambino

“Make Me Feel” // Janelle Monaé

“If You Know You Know” // Pusha T

“Freee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)” // Kids See Ghosts

“Nice For What” // Drake

“1539 N. Calvert” // JPEGMAFIA

“Potato Salad” // Tyler, the Creator & A$AP Rocky

“Immaterial” // Sophie

“Ace” // Noname (f/Saba & Smino)

“All the Stars” // Kendrick Lamar & SZA

“Space Cowboy” // Kacey Musgraves

“Why Didn’t You Stop Me?” // Mitski

“I Like That” // Janelle Monaé

“Shallow” // Bradley Cooper & Lady Gaga

“Corporation” // Jack White

“Thank U, Next” // Ariana Grande

“Make It Out Alive” // NAO (f/SiR)

“BLACK EFFECT” // The Carters

“We Appreciate Power” // Grimes

“Catch the Loop” // Kammal Williams

“1999” // Charli XCX (f/Troye Sivan)

“MALAMENTE (Cap. 1: Augurio)” // ROSALÍA

“Cute Thing” // Car Seat Headrest

“Dostoyevsky” // Black Thought (f/Rapsody)

“Praise The Lord (Da Shine)” // A$AP Rocky (f/Skepta)

“Wide Awake” // Parquet Courts

“Forever” // CHVRCHES

“Me and Michael” // MGMT

“Anna Wintour” // Azealia Banks

“Bubblin” // Anderson .Paak

“I Like It” // Cardi B (f/Bad Bunny & J Balvin)

“What I Need” // Hayley Kiyoko (f/Kehlani)

“Street Fighter Mas” // Kamasi Washington

“Pet Cemetery” // Tierra Whack

“J’OUVERT” // BROCKHAMPTON

“Honey” // Robyn

“Best Hugs” // DRAM

“Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand” // Leon Bridges

“Everybody Wants To Be Famous” // Superorganism

“February 3rd” // Jorja Smith

“Fast Slow Disco” // St. Vincent

“Nameless, Faceless” // Courtney Barnett

“MOOO!” // Doja Cat

“Art of Doubt” // Metric

“Bad Luck” // Neko Case

“The Man Who Has Everything” // Chance the Rapper

“Cherry” // Rina Sawayama

“Nothing Breaks Like A Heart” // Miley Cyrus & Mark Ronson

“Ghost Town” // Kanye West

“The Distance” // Mariah Carey (f/Ty Dolla $ign)

PERFORMANCES (not in order)

Amandla Stenberg & Russell Hornsby in The Hate U Give

Patricia Clarkson on Sharp Objects

Bryan Tyree Henry on Atlanta, If Beale Street Could Talk & Widows

Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, & Olivia Coleman in The Favourite

Sandra Oh & Jodie Comer on Killing Eve

Daveed Diggs & Rafael Casal in Blindspotting

Lady Gaga in A Star is Born

Bill Hader & Henry Winkler on Barry

D’Arcy Carden on The Good Place

Cecily Strong & Kenan Thompson on Saturday Night Live

Carey Mulligan in Wildlife

Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Keri Russell on The Americans

Helena Howard in Madeline’s Madeline

Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody

[malte1mj-blog]

2018 Matt Movie Awards

Best Picture: Can You Ever Forgive Me? The Favourite If Beale Street Could Talk A Star Is Born Widows HONORABLE MENTION: Eighth Grade, Leave No Trace, Sorry to Bother You, BlacKkKlansman, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Isle of Dogs, Minding the Gap, Hereditary, Burning, Black Panther, Boy Erased, Support the Girls, Roma, Shoplifters, Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Best Director: Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born Marielle Heller, Can You Ever Forgive Me? Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite Steve McQueen, Widows HONORABLE MENTION: Wes Anderson, Isle of Dogs; Ari Aster, Hereditary; Andrew Bujalski, Support the Girls; Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade; Lee Chang-dong, Burning; Ryan Coogler, Black Panther; Alfonso Cuaron, Roma; Joel Edgerton, Boy Erased; Debra Granik, Leave No Trace; Hirokazu Kore-eda, Shoplifters; Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman; Bing Liu, Minding the Gap; Christopher McQuarrie, Mission: Impossible - Fallout; Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey & Rodney Rothman, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse; Boots Riley, Sorry to Bother You

Best Actor: Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born Ben Foster, Leave No Trace Ethan Hawke, First Reformed Lakeith Stanfield, Sorry to Bother You John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman HONORABLE MENTION: Yoo Ah-in, Burning; Christian Bale, Vice; Simon Russell Beale, The Death of Stalin; Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther; Steve Buscemi, The Death of Stalin; Timothee Chalamet, Beautiful Boy; Timothee Chalamet, Hot Summer Nights; Steve Coogan, Stan & Ollie; Bryan Cranston, Isle of Dogs; Willem Dafoe, At Eternity’s Gate; Benicio Del Toro, Sicario: Day of the Soldado; Daveed Diggs, Blindspotting; Lily Franky, Shoplifters; Paul Giamatti, Private Life; Ryan Gosling, First Man; Lucas Hedges, Ben Is Back; Lucas Hedges, Boy Erased; Stephan James, If Beale Street Could Talk; Michael B. Jordan, Creed II; Barry Keoghan, American Animals; John Krasinski, A Quiet Place; Shameik Moore, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse; Evan Peters, American Animals; Joaquin Phoenix, Don’t Worry He Won’t Get Far on Foot; Joaquin Phoenix, The Sisters Brothers; Joaquin Phoenix, You Were Never Really Here; Charlie Plummer, Lean on Pete; Robert Redford, The Old Man & the Gun; John C. Reilly, The Sisters Brothers; John C. Reilly, Stan & Ollie; Nick Robinson, Love Simon

Best Actress: Toni Collette, Hereditary Olivia Colman, The Favourite Viola Davis, Widows Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me? HONORABLE MENTION: Sakura Ando, Shoplifters; Yalitza Aparicio, Roma; Juliette Binoche, Let the Sunshine In; Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns; Emily Blunt, A Quiet Place; Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade; Claire Foy, Unsane; Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Kindergarten Teacher; Kathryn Hahn, Private Life; Regina Hall, Support the Girls; Helena Howard, Madeline’s Madeline; Holly Hunter, Incredibles 2; Lily James, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again; Dakota Johnson, Suspiria; Nicole Kidman, Destroyer; Diane Kruger, In the Fade; Joanna Kulig, Cold War; KiKi Layne, If Beale Street Could Talk; Rachel McAdams, Disobedience; Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie, Leave No Trace; Carey Mulligan, Wildlife; Rosamund Pike, A Private War; Natalie Portman, Vox Lux; Julia Roberts, Ben Is Back; Saoirse Ronan, Mary Queen of Scots; Alia Shawkat, Blaze; Sarah Silverman, Ralph Breaks the Internet; Amandla Stenberg, The Hate U Give; Emma Stone, The Favourite; Charlize Theron, Tully; Daniela Vega, A Fantastic Woman; Rachel Weisz, Disobedience; Constance Wu, Crazy Rich Asians

Best Supporting Actor: Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me? Michael B. Jordan, Black Panther Daniel Kaluuya, Widows Alex Wolff, Hereditary Steven Yeun, Burning HONORABLE MENTION: Riz Ahmed, The Sisters Brothers; Mahershala Ali, Green Book; Jeff Bridges, Bad Times at the El Royale; Steve Buscemi, Lean on Pete; Rafael Casal, Blindspotting; Raul Castillo, We the Animals; Andrew Dice Clay, A Star Is Born; Russell Crowe, Boy Erased; Joel Edgerton, Boy Erased; Sam Elliott, A Star Is Born; Colin Farrell, Widows; Jake Gyllenhaal, The Sisters Brothers; Jake Gyllenhaal, Wildlife; Josh Hamilton, Eighth Grade; Jonah Hill, Don’t Worry He Won’t Get Far on Foot; Russell Hornsby, The Hate U Give; Nicholas Hoult, The Favourite; Oscar Isaac, At Eternity’s Gate; Jake Johnson, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse; Jude Law, Vox Lux; Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Poppins Returns; Liam Neeson, Widows; Tim Blake Nelson, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs; Alessandro Nivola, Disobedience; Michael Palin, The Death of Stalin; Jesse Plemons, Game Night; Tom Waits, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs; Anton Yelchin, Thoroughbreds

Best Supporting Actress: Elizabeth Debicki, Widows Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk Haley Lu Richardson, Support the Girls Tilda Swinton, Suspiria Rachel Weisz, The Favourite HONORABLE MENTION: Awkwafina, Crazy Rich Asians; Kayli Carter, Private Life; Mackenzie Davis, Tully; Marina de Tavira, Roma; Cynthia Erivo, Bad Times at the El Royale; Cynthia Erivo, Widows; Claire Foy, First Man; Danai Gurira, Black Panther; Anne Hathaway, Ocean’s 8; Jeon Jong-seo, Burning; Zoe Kazan, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs; Catherine Keener, Incredibles 2; Nicole Kidman, Boy Erased; Kiki Kirin, Shoplifters; Blake Lively, A Simple Favor; Elisabeth Moss, The Seagull; Andrea Riseborough, The Death of Stalin; Margot Robbie, Mary Queen of Scots; Milly Shapiro, Hereditary; Millicent Simmonds, A Quiet Place; J. Smith-Cameron, Nancy; Sissy Spacek, The Old Man & the Gun; Tessa Thompson, Creed II; Tessa Thompson, Sorry to Bother You; Maura Tierney, Beautiful Boy; Dolly Wells, Can You Ever Forgive Me?; Letitia Wright, Black Panther; Michelle Yeoh, Crazy Rich Asians

Best Original Screenplay: Eighth Grade - Bo Burnham The Favourite - Deborah Davis & Tony McNamara Hereditary - Ari Aster Isle of Dogs - Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola, Kunichi Nomura & Jason Schwartzman Sorry to Bother You - Boots Riley HONORABLE MENTION: American Animals, Bad Times at the El Royale, Blindspotting, Destroyer, A Fantastic Woman, First Reformed, Game Night, In the Fade, Private Life, A Quiet Place, Roma, Shoplifters, Support the Girls, Thoroughbreds, Tully

Best Adapted Screenplay: Can You Ever Forgive Me? - Nicole Holofcener & Jeff Whitty If Beale Street Could Talk - Barry Jenkins Leave No Trace - Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini A Star Is Born - Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters & Eric Roth Widows - Gillian Flynn & Steve McQueen HONORABLE MENTION: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Black Panther, BlacKkKlansman, Boy Erased, Burning, Crazy Rich Asians, Creed II, The Death of Stalin, Disobedience, Don’t Worry He Won’t Get Far on Foot, First Man, The Hate U Give, Incredibles 2, The Kindergarten Teacher, Lean on Pete, Love Simon, Mary Queen of Scots, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Suspiria, We the Animals, Wildlife, You Were Never Really Here

Best Ensemble: Black Panther Crazy Rich Asians If Beale Street Could Talk Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Widows HONORABLE MENTION: American Animals, Avengers: Infinity War, Bad Times at the El Royale, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, BlacKkKlansman, Blockers, Boy Erased, Can You Ever Forgive Me?. Creed II, Deadpool 2, The Death of Stalin, Eighth Grade, The Favourite, First Man, The Front Runner, Game Night, The Hate U Give, Incredibles 2, Isle of Dogs, Lean on Pete, Love Simon, Mary Poppins Returns, Mary Queen of Scots, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Ocean’s 8, Paddington 2, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Roma, The Seagull, Shoplifters, Sorry to Bother You, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, A Star Is Born, Support the Girls, Suspiria, Vice

Best Limited Performance - Male: Harry Belafonte, BlacKkKlansman Philip Ettinger, First Reformed Corey Hawkins, BlacKkKlansman Brian Tyree Henry, If Beale Street Could Talk Jake Ryan, Eighth Grade HONORABLE MENTION: Christopher Abbott, Vox Lux; F. Murray Abraham, Isle of Dogs; Joe Alwyn, Boy Erased; Niels Arestrup, At Eternity’s Gate; Alec Baldwin, BlacKkKlansman; Sterling K. Brown, Black Panther; Reg E. Cathey, Tyrel; Vladimir Consigny, At Eternity’s Gate; Terry Crews, Sorry to Bother You; Gerard Depardieu, Let the Sunshine In; Xavier Dolan, Boy Erased; Dave Franco, If Beale Street Could Talk; Mark Gatiss, The Favourite; Jon Michael Hill, Widows; Gene Jones, The Old Man & the Gun; Diego Luna, If Beale Street Could Talk; Mads Mikkelsen, At Eternity’s Gate; Alfred Molina, The Front Runner; Nick Offerman, Bad Times at the El Royale; D.J. ‘Shangela’ Pierce, A Star Is Born; Stephen Root, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs; Algee Smith, The Hate U Give; Dick Van Dyke, Mary Poppins Returns; Shea Whigham, First Man; Bradley Whitford, Destroyer; Jeffrey Wright, Game Night; David Zaldivar, Ben Is Back

Best Limited Performance - Female: Jane Curtin, Can You Ever Forgive Me? Aunjanue Ellis, If Beale Street Could Talk Lisa Gay Hamilton, Beautiful Boy Teyonah Parris, If Beale Street Could Talk Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again HONORABLE MENTION: Carrie Coon, Widows; Lea DeLaria, Support the Girls; Beth Ditto, Don’t Worry He Won’t Get Far on Foot; Lisa Gay Hamilton, Vice; Celia Imrie, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again; Amy Irving, Unsane; Cherry Jones, Boy Erased; Agata Kulesza, Cold War; Angela Lansbury, Mary Poppins Returns; Chloe Grace Moretz, Suspiria; Mary-Louise Parker, Red Sparrow; Chelsea Peretti, Game Night; Emily Rios, If Beale Street Could Talk; Emmanuelle Seigner, At Eternity’s Gate; Meryl Streep, Mary Poppins Returns; Tilda Swinton, Isle of Dogs; Jacki Weaver, Widows

Breakthrough Performance: Rafael Casal, Blindspotting Cynthia Erivo, Bad Times at the El Royale Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade KiKi Layne, If Beale Street Could Talk Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie, Leave No Trace HONORABLE MENTION: Chante Adams, Roxanne Roxanne; Yalitza Aparicio, Roma; Awkwafina, Crazy Rich Asians; Alexandra Borbely, On Body and Soul; Kayli Carter, Private Life; Noah Centineo, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before; Lana Condor, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before; Ben Dickey, Blaze; Henry Golding, Crazy Rich Asians; Laura Harrier, BlacKkKlansman; Helena Howard, Madeline’s Madeline; Brady Jandreau, The Rider; Jeon Jong-seo, Burning; Tomasz Kot, Cold War; Joanna Kulig, Cold War; May Matsuoka, Shoplifters; Milly Shapiro, Hereditary; Daniela Vega, A Fantastic Woman; Letitia Wright, Black Panther; Jessica Keenan Wynn, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Best Film Editing: American Animals - Nick Fenton, Chris Gill & Julian Hart The Favourite - Yorgos Mavropsaridis Mission: Impossible - Fallout - Eddie Hamilton A Star Is Born - Jay Cassidy Widows - Joe Walker HONORABLE MENTION: Avengers: Infinity War, Bad Times at the El Royale, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Black Panther, BlacKkKlansman, Blindspotting, Boy Erased, Burning, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Creed II, Destroyer, Eighth Grade, A Fantastic Woman, First Man, First Reformed, Game Night, Hereditary, If Beale Street Could Talk, Isle of Dogs, Lean on Pete, Leave No Trace, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Minding the Gap, Private Life, A Quiet Place, Roma, Shirkers, Shoplifters, Sorry to Bother You, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Support the Girls, Three Identical Strangers, You Were Never Really Here

Best Cinematography: The Favourite - Robbie Ryan If Beale Street Could Talk - James Laxton Roma - Alfonso Cuaron A Star Is Born - Matthew Libatique Suspiria - Sayombhu Mukdeeprom HONORABLE MENTION: At Eternity’s Gate, Bad Times at the El Royale, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Black Panther, BlacKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, Burning, Cold War, Eighth Grade, First Man, First Reformed, Hereditary, Lean on Pete, Leave No Trace, Mary Queen of Scots, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, A Private War, A Quiet Place, The Rider, The Sisters Brothers, Widows, You Were Never Really Here

Best Original Score: BlacKkKlansman - Terence Blanchard If Beale Street Could Talk - Nicholas Britell Isle of Dogs - Alexandre Desplat Suspiria - Thom Yorke Widows - Hans Zimmer HONORABLE MENTION: Annihilation, At Eternity’s Gate, Avengers: Infinity War, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Bird Box, Black Panther, Destroyer, Eighth Grade, First Man, The Hate U Give, Incredibles 2, Mary Poppins Returns, Mary Queen of Scots, Mid90s, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, The Old Man & the Gun, Paddington 2, A Quiet Place, Ready Player One, The Sisters Brothers, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Stan & Ollie, We the Animals, You Were Never Really Here

Best Original Song: Boy Erased - “Revelation” - Jon Thor Birgisson & Troye Sivan Mary Poppins Returns - “A Cover Is Not the Book” - Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman A Star Is Born - “Always Remember Us This Way” - Natalie Hemby, Lady Gaga, Hillary Lindsey & Lori McKenna A Star Is Born - “I’ll Never Love Again” - Natalie Hemby, Lady Gaga, Hillary Lindsey & Aaron Raitiere A Star Is Born - “Shallow” - Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando & Andrew Wyatt HONORABLE MENTION: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs - “When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings”; Black Panther - “All the Stars”; Black Panther - “Pray for Me”; Blaze - “Blaze & Sybil’s Lullaby”; Blindspotting - “Not a Game”; Creed II - “Runnin’”; Deadpool 2 - “Ashes”; Dumplin’ - “Girl in the Movies”; Fifty Shades Freed - “Deer in Headlights”; The Hate U Give - “We Won’t Move”; Hearts Beat Loud - “Hearts Beat Loud”; Hearts Beat Loud - “Shut Your Eyes”; Love, Simon - “Alfie’s Song (Not So Typical Love Song)”; Love, Simon - “Love Lies”; Mary Poppins Returns - “The Place Where Lost Things Go”; Mary Poppins Returns - “Trip a Little Light Fantastic”; Outside In - “By Any Means”; Ralph Breaks the Internet - “A Place Called Slaughter Race”; Sorry to Bother You - “OYAHYTT”; Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - “Sunflower”; A Star Is Born - “Hair Body Face”; A Star Is Born - “I Don’t Know What Love Is”; A Star Is Born - “Is That Alright?”; A Star Is Born - “Look What I Found”; A Star Is Born - “Maybe It’s Time”; A Star Is Born - “Why Did You Do That?”; Suspiria - “Suspirium”; Teen Titans Go! to the Movies - “Upbeat Inspirational Song About Life”; Vox Lux - “Hologram (Smoke and Mirrors)”; Vox Lux - “Wrapped Up”; A Wrinkle in Time - “Flower of the Universe”

Best Art Direction: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs - Jess Gonchor & Nancy Haigh Black Panther - Hannah Beachler & Jay Hart Crazy Rich Asians - Andrew Baseman & Nelson Coates The Favourite - Fiona Crombie & Alice Felton First Man - Nathan Crowley & Kathy Lucas HONORABLE MENTION: Avengers: Infinity War, Bad Times at the El Royale, BlacKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, Cold War, Deadpool 2, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Hereditary, If Beale Street Could Talk, Isle of Dogs, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Mary Poppins Returns, Mary Queen of Scots, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Paddington 2, A Quiet Place, Ready Player One, Red Sparrow, Roma, The Sisters Brothers, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Stan & Ollie, A Star Is Born, Suspiria, Widows, Wildlife

Best Costume Design: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs - Mary Zophres Black Panther - Ruth E. Carter The Favourite - Sandy Powell If Beale Street Could Talk - Caroline Eselin Mary Queen of Scots - Alexandra Byrne HONORABLE MENTION: Avengers: Infinity War, Bad Times at the El Royale, BlacKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Cold War, Crazy Rich Asians, Deadpool 2, Dumplin’, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, First Man, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Mary Poppins Returns, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Paddington 2, A Quiet Place, Ready Player One, Red Sparrow, The Seagull, A Simple Favor, The Sisters Brothers, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Stan & Ollie, A Star Is Born, Suspiria, Widows, Wildlife

Best Makeup: Avengers: Infinity War Black Panther The Favourite Mary Queen of Scots Suspiria HONORABLE MENTION: Aquaman, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Creed II, Deadpool 2, Destroyer, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, How to Talk to Girls at Parties, If Beale Street Could Talk, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Mary Poppins Returns, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, A Private War, Stan & Ollie, A Star Is Born, Vice, Vox Lux, A Wrinkle in Time

Best Sound Mixing: Black Panther First Man Mission: Impossible - Fallout A Quiet Place A Star Is Born HONORABLE MENTION: Avengers: Infinity War, Bad Times at the El Royale, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Bird Box, Cold War, Creed II, Deadpool 2, The Favourite, Game Night, Hereditary, If Beale Street Could Talk, Incredibles 2, Isle of Dogs, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Mary Poppins Returns, The Old Man & the Gun, Paddington 2, A Private War, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Ready Player One, Roma, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, The Sisters Brothers, Sorry to Bother You, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Suspiria, Vox Lux, Widows, You Were Never Really Here

Best Sound Editing: Black Panther First Man Mission: Impossible - Fallout A Quiet Place Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse HONORABLE MENTION: Annihilation, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Avengers: Infinity War, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Creed II, Deadpool 2, Incredibles 2, Isle of Dogs, Paddington 2, A Private War, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Ready Player One, Roma, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, The Sisters Brothers, Suspiria, Widows, You Were Never Really Here

Best Visual Effects: Avengers: Infinity War Black Panther Mission: Impossible - Fallout Paddington 2 Ready Player One HONORABLE MENTION: Annihilation, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Aquaman, Deadpool 2, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, First Man, Incredibles 2, Isle of Dogs, Mary Poppins Returns, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Venom

Best Foreign Film: Burning - Lee Chang-dong A Fantastic Woman - Sebastian Lelio In the Fade - Faith Akin Roma - Alfonso Cuaron Shoplifters - Kore-eda Hirokazu HONORABLE MENTION: Cold War, Let the Sunshine In, On Body and Soul

Best Documentary: Love, Gilda - Lisa D’Apolito Minding the Gap - Bing Liu Shirkers - Sandi Tan Three Identical Strangers - Tim Wardle Whitney - Kevin Macdonald HONORABLE MENTION: Free Solo, Generation Wealth, Hale County This Morning This Evening, The King, RBG, Science Fair, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Best Animated Film: Incredibles 2 - Brad Bird Isle of Dogs - Wes Anderson Ralph Breaks the Internet - Phil Johnston & Rich Moore Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - Bob Perischetti, Peter Ramsey & Rodney Rothman Teen Titans Go! to the Movies - Aaron Horvath & Pete Rita Michail HONORABLE MENTION: Early Man Every 2018 Film I've Seen: Ranked

[reviewsbyracine]

I SAW A MOVIE: “If Beale Street Could Talk”

Two years ago, the biggest movies of the Oscar year were Barry Jenkins’s Moonlight and Damien Chazelle’s La La Land, with both infamously “winning” Best Picture at that year’s ceremony. This year, the new movies by Chazelle and Jenkins seem to have been shut out by Oscar voters, with neither movie scoring a Best Picture or Best Director nomination. I found myself underwhelmed by Chazelle’s First Man, so I’m not surprised to see it get so little love from the Academy. However, having seen Jenkins’s new movie If Beale Street Could Talk, I have to say I am shocked to see it receive so little love.

If Beale Street Could Talk is an adaptation of James Baldwin’s 1974 novel of the same name. Having not read the book, I can’t speak on the movie’s strength as an adaptation, but most reviews I’ve seen for the film say it is incredibly faithful.

The movie is, at its core, a love story. Fonny and Tish are two young black people living in New York city. Their plans to move in together and eventually marry are put on hold when Fonny is thrown in prison for a rape he did not (and physically could not have) committed. While he is incarcerated, Tish discovers she is pregnant with his child. Tish’s family rallies to prove Fonny’s innocence against a broken judicial system so the two lovers can be reunited. 

As Fonny and Tish, relative unknowns Stephan James and Kiki Layne are excellent as the two lovebirds torn apart by cruel fate. The story is told through Tish’s perspective, with Layne’s narration speaking volumes of fear, frustration, and desire. Regina King shines as Tish’s mother Sharon. King, one of the few nominations for the film, is a shoo-in for Best Supporting Actress. Bryan Tyree Henry plays a small role as Fonny’s friend Daniel but gives one hell of a powerful monologue as a man recently released from prison. 

The film is gorgeous to look at, thanks to James Laxton’s excellent cinematography. His omission from the Best Cinematography Oscar category is huge. However, I was pleased to see Nicholas Britell’s memorable and haunting score get some much-deserved recognition. 

While If Beale Street Could Talk can be both frustrating and sad to watch, given the ultimately hopeless scenarios, the theme of true love rings true from opening scene to last. The movie moved slowly yet deliberately, taking its time to allow the audience to absorb every expression and detail. While it’s unfortunate that If Beale Street Could Talk is not getting the awards attention it deserves, it is an excellent film nonetheless and deserves to be talked about. 

[metromediaandphotography]

If Beale Street Could Talk

If Beale Street Could Talk

When Barry Jenkins swept all before him to collect a swathe of awards for Moonlight, the success of the film meant that his next venture was always going to be a much anticipated project for which Jenkins would be subjected to intense scrutiny. Of course, it is unlikely Jenkins paid any heed to the expectations of others and he certainly hasn’t ventured into mainstream material with If Beale…

[doomonfilm]

Review : If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

Director Barry Jenkins, after an eight year break following his first film, made major waves when he returned to the scene with Moonlight.  The film’s combination of brilliant acting, storytelling and visual style instantly stood out, and if not for the Hollywood-love fest that was La La Land, it more than likely would have landed him Best Picture at that year’s Oscar’s.  The good news, however, was that Jenkins was not discouraged, and he kept right on working rather than taking another break.  As a result, we have been blessed with the work of art that is If Beale Street Could Talk, based on the James Baldwin novel of the same name.

Tish (Kiki Layne) and Fonny (Stephan James) are lifelong friends on the verge of discovering their burgeoning romance.  As the couple gets closer, they attempt to build a life for themselves, but in 1970s New York City, they find it difficult to find a place to live, mostly due to the color of their skin.  This, in tandem with the constant fear of systematic racism and police brutality, makes their lives difficult, but they do the best that they can to get by.  Just as their relationship begins to really take hold, a pair of monumental events rock their world : Tish finds herself pregnant with Fonny’s baby, and Fonny finds himself imprisoned and falsely accused for the rape of Victoria Rogers (Emily Rios) despite evidence and alibis.  As Tish attempts to help free Fonny, her family steps up to help : Sharon (Regina King) does what any mother would do and attempts to make Tish’s life easier via drastic measures and sacrifices; Joseph (Colman Domingo) combines forces with Frank (Michael Beach), Fonny’s father, to hustle and scrape together any dollar that they can; and Ernestine (Teyonah Paris) comes through in her sisterly role by securing Fonny a lawyer.  Fonny’s mother Alice (Aunjanue Ellis), much like society, seems hell-bent on the couple’s failure due to the nature of their relationship and the pregnancy out of wedlock.  Tish and Fonny, despite these obstacles, make every attempt that they can to let their love triumph.

As modestly as I can state this, If Beale Street Could Talk can easily be considered a masterpiece of a romance film, through and through.  Every element needed to fuel the fires are present and accounted for : a passionate but innocent love, obstacles based in opposing sets of morals and statuses within society, perfect presentation of an imperfect love, and so much more.  The double mountain of preparing to bring a child into the world and attempting to prove the innocence of a man already found guilty is rich for tension, and becomes the perfect foundation for building a story about the lengths we will go to for those that we love and care about.

Even with incredibly strong characters present, true love stands as our protagonist, and the belly of the beast where the system feeds on the disenfranchised is the antagonist.  The displays of unconditional love and acceptance in the film are incredibly moving, proving that we are capable of love even when those we give it to show the worst of themselves or allow themselves to be pulled off track.  Tish and Fonny provide a parallel demonstration of black women and men’s struggles, which are both valid, yet seem to create a bigger divide between their worlds of experience.  The way that Fonny’s imprisonment threatens to take down everyone who cares for him is scarily similar to the way that the system damages and destroys real life families.

Jenkins controls his camera with such respect and presence that it seems to intuitively know the proper distance to place itself for amplification of the mood at any given moment.  The gripping score also has a solid presence, knowing when to swell and make itself noticed, but also having the grace to take a backseat to the power of the image when necessary.  There is not a wasted scene sequence in this film, and a handful of them standout as examples of the highest caliber filmmaking : the love scene, the presentation of characters in regards to Fonny and his ‘crime’, the reunion of Fonny and Daniel, Fonny working on his sculpture... I could go on and on about standout sequences in this film.

Kiki Layne gives a wonderfully dynamic performance, on the one hand being an unconditionally loving rock in a relationship killing situation, while on the other hand controlling a simmering undercurrent and suppressing a view of the world that could easily jade her.  By comparison, Stephan James puts on a display of controlled frustration, often wearing a sweet and tender mask to keep his true feelings on his place in society at bay.  Regina King and Colman Domingo bring a great sense of balance in regards to Tish’s makeup, with King being the source of the honesty and Domingo being the source of the grit for the character.  Teyonah Parris brings levity to the film without undercutting the seriousness or beauty of it.  Bryan Tyree Henry stands out in a brief appearance that makes you not know, upon first viewing, whether to fear him or feel pity for him.  Michael Beach once again proves his stature as one of our best working character actors by bringing his initial scene to a thundering halt, and carrying a brooding sense of shared frustration that gives him an air of desperation, where the times dictate the measures.  Appearances by Ed Skrein, Emily Rios, Aunjanue Ellis, Ebony Obsidian, Dominique Thorne, Finn Wittrock, Diego Luna and Dave Franco also stand out in their key moments.

At this point, it is far too late to be adjusting my best of 2018 list, so I must accept it for what it is.  Know, however, that had I seen this film during its initial release, it would have almost been guaranteed a spot, as it stands up to the quality of films like Roma or You Were Never Really Here with ease. 

[newscultofficial]

Movie Review: Barry Jenkins is as Sensitive and Empathetic as Ever with James Baldwin Adaptation 'If Beale Street Could Talk'

CREDIT: Tatum Mangus/Annapurna Pictures

Starring: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Teyonah Parris, Colman Domingo, Bryan Tyree Henry, Ed Skrein, Emily Rios, Finn Wittrock

Director: Barry Jenkins

Running Time: 117 Minutes

Rating: R for Longtime Friends Becoming Lovers and Their Families Yelling Awful Things at Each Other

Release Date: December 14, 2018 (Limited)

One of the strength of Barry…

[screenandcinema]

Coming Attractions November 2018

As usual, we present monthly previews of new movies being released. These are the movies what will be hitting your local cinemas this month:

November 2nd

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms - Mackenzie Foy, Keira Knightley, Helen Mirren, and Morgan Freeman star this retelling of The Nutcracker Ballet from our friends at Walt Disney. The holidays are starting early this year for those looking for a wintry treat,

Bohemian Rhapsody - Bryan Singer directs* this biopic of Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury. This project has been in production for some time with Sasha Baron Cohen slated to portray Mercury for years until Rami Malek (Mr. Robot) was tapped for the leading role. Reviews so far for Bohemian Rhapsody have been mixed, but fans of music biopics will show up regardless. (*Singer didn’t return to the set last year after Thanksgiving and was subsequently fired with two weeks left of filming. Director Dexter Fletcher ultimately finished the film, but Singer still gets the lone credit)

November 9th 

The Grinch - Almost 18 years to the day after the release of the live-action adaptation starring Jim Carrey and directed by Ron Howard, the grumpy green Grinch created by Dr. Suess is back on the big screen. This time, however, The Grinch is fully animated by Illumination Entertainment (the people behind Minions) and features the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch. I am sure kids will be lined up to watch this 86 minute feature!

The Girl in Spider’s Web: A New Dragon Tattoo Story - Is it a sequel? It is a reboot? Who knows?! But Lisbeth Salander, the girl with the dragon tattoo, is finally back on the big screen with Claire Foy taking over the leading role. Foy becomes the third actress to play Salander, after Rooney Mara in 2011′s adaptation from David Fincher and Noomi Rapace who starred in the Swedish trilogy in 2009.

Overlord - J.J. Abrams produces this upcoming war horror film which follows a team of American soldiers during WWII who uncover secret Nazi experiments. Overlord looks fantastic and got great reviews when it premiered at Fantastic Fest in September. Not to mention I am a sucker for all things Bad Robot. Count me in.

November 16th

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - Two years ago, I was moderately disappointed by Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them the first post-Harry Potter film set in J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World. I will see make my best effort to see The Crimes of Grindelwald in the hopes that it puts the franchise back on track, but I am nowhere near excited for this film as I was for its predecessor in the run-up to its release.

Widows - Steve McQueen directs this heist film written by author-turned-screenwriter Gillian Flynn. The ensemble cast of Widows includes the titular foursome of Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki and Cynthia Erivo in addition to a handful of household names (and should be household names) like Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Jacki Weaver, Carrie Coon, Robert Duvall, and Liam Neeson. Widows got rave reviews when it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and is one film to keep an eye on come awards season.

Instant Family - Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne take in a trio of foster children in this comedy from the director of Daddy’s Home (and Daddy’s Home 2). I can’t say what hijinks ensure when Wahlberg and Byrne welcome these kids to their home, but I can almost guarantee these kids will find themselves adopted by the film’s end.

November 21st

Creed II - The movie this month I am looking forward to the most is none other than the sequel to the 2015 breakout hit Creed. This new Creed film looks to wear many hats, not only it is a sequel to Creed and the eighth film in the complete Rocky series, it also acts as a follow-up to 1985′s Rocky IV with the return of Ivan Drago, again played by Dolph Lundgren. While stars Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, and Sylvester Stallone all return for Creed II, writer/director of the first film, Ryan Coogler does not, due to his commitment to this year’s blockbuster Black Panther. If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Creed, do yourself a favor and watch it over the next few weeks. I for one know I will be revisiting it very soon in anticipation of Creed II.

Ralph Breaks the Internet - I only discovered the 2012 Disney animated film Wreck-It Ralph a few years ago and I greatly enjoyed it. And now in the sequel, Ralph, voiced by John C. Reilly, is leaving the arcade and taking his talents to the internet. Disney appears to be pulling out all the stops in terms of their properties as early trailers show Star Wars, Marvel and Disney characters galore making appearances. The movie almost seems to feel like Disney’s version of Ready Player One. Recently, when it comes to Disney animated films, Pixar seems to be getting all the attention, but Walt Disney Animation Studios has quietly put together a solid streak of great films, looking at their last five films before Ralph Breaks the Internet, you have Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia and Moana. And with Frozen 2 slated for next November, a streak that will continue easily.

Robin Hood - Oh look. Another Robin Hood movie just in time for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, a great cast including Tagon Egerton as Robin Hood, Jamie Foxx as Little John and Ben Mendelsohn as the Sheriff of Nottingham won’t be able to save this terrible-looking adaptation.

Green Book - The Farrelly Brothers have directed 11 films together since 1996, but now Peter Farrelly, the elder brother, is on his own with his first solo directing credit since 1994 with Green Book starring Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali. Green Book is the true story of the relationship between a Jamaican-American musician and a New York bouncer on their tour of the Deep South in the 1960s. Green Book looks both funny and heartwarming and could be one to keep in mind this month.

The Front Runner (Wide) - While Jason Reitman’s new feature, the story of Gary Hart’s 1988 presidential campaign, won’t open wide until the end of the month, it will be opening in limited release on Election Day, November 6th. This is your reminder to vote. VOTE. Also, Hugh Jackman plays Gary Hart and The Front Runner looks great. 

November 30th

If Beale Street Could Talk - Barry Jenkins is back with his first feature film since 2016′s Best Picture winner Moonlight. The film which is based on a 1970s novel of the same name follows a woman trying to free his wrongly convicted husband. If Beale Street Could Talk has been wowing critics at film festivals this fall already and will likely do the same for audiences when it comes out later this month.

Now for a quick look ahead to December, my top picks for next month are Mortal Engines, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, and Aquaman.

-MB-

[chinchillasorchildren]

Best Supporting Actor

Simon Russell Beale - The Death of Stalin

Timothee Chalamet - Beautiful Boy

Richard E. Grant - Can You Ever Forgive Me?**

Josh Hamilton - Eighth Grade

Nicholas Hoult - The Favorite

Steven Yeun - Burning (Runner Up)

Noteworthy: Luka Chikovani - Happy As Lazzaro, Bryan Tyree Henry - If Beale Street Could Talk, Bill Heck - The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Jeremie Renier - Double Lover, Daniel Kaluuya - Widows