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reelgalsofglasgow-blog · 6 years ago

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The Golden Gals: The Reel Gals Academy Awards

The time has come. The envelopes have been sealed (with the right cards in each - we hope). We’ve been sewn into our best outfits. In lieu of an exuberant opening musical number featuring the ubiquitous James Corden, please enjoy a short clip of the best Oscars moment ever:

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Honestly, if this year’s ceremony doesn’t open with just those fourteen seconds on a loop for a solid seven minutes, we’ll be sorely disappointed.

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We know that all you’ll be thinking about now is that clip and basking in how gloriously weird it is… so maybe take a few minutes, watch that clip another eight or so times just to be sure; grab yourself a cuppa and settle in - because it’s time to announce our own Reel Gals Academy Award winners! The ‘Osc-hers’, if you will.

Ask any professional in TV - and they’ll tell you that the best entertainment always starts not with an idea or any spark of passion… but with a spreadsheet. Spreadsheets are the equivalent of Amino Acid for British TV programmes. Boring, but true. So we put together a spreadsheet listing each category and, depending on how many nominees, numbered them 1-5 (or 1-8 in Best Picture’s case) where 5 = favourite nominee. Then the magic spreadsheet worked out the average for us because damn, we’re not NASA.

With all our votes cast (unfortunately four of the categories had to drop as we just couldn’t get viewing copies in time - sorry Documentaries, Short Docs, Live Action Shorts and Foreign Language films!) our WhatsApp group chock full of planning for hectic last-minute trips to the cinema, trailer breakdowns, Spotify playlists, Adam Driver spam [Sorrrrry ~ Jen] and late night Netflix binges - we’re ready to present our own personal winners of each category - JUST in time for the ceremony itself.

Will we be as off-the-mark as the Academy not putting Emily Blunt up for a Lead Actress nomination for her stellar work in A Quiet Place? Or will it turn out that we are actually a collective of omniscient New Age Mystics, ordained by the gods of Hollywood themselves - imparting our sage wisdom and knowledge of the Future? Who can tell? Not us. (Or can we??)

So, get Red Carpet ready and join us for our 2019 Oscars picks and their close-fought runners-up, as voted for by us!

LEAD ACTOR

1. Christian Bale - Not gonna lie, it’s difficult to completely lavish Bale with praise considering that a major part of the prep in his transformation into the illusive Dick Cheney was “eating a LOT of pies”. If I was paid on the premise of my pie eating abilities, I’m pretty sure I would be up for an award too, just sayin’. Anyway, he does a pretty good damn job of depicting someone that no one really knows a great deal about in the first place, especially viewers outside the UK (I had to google him twice). His flair for delivering an all consuming, intense and seminal performance is as apparent as ever despite the layers of latex and make up to contend with. Particularly during the heart attack scene in which I found myself worryingly questioning how much red meat and cream I’d had in the last month. It worth saying that his performance owes a great deal to the aforementioned hair and makeup team, whose work is nothing short of astonishing. It’s literally the only Christian Bale film in which I’ve never been attracted to Christian Bale, for real. Considering that his last Oscar win was in 2011 for The Fighter, another dramatic, transformative role then he might be in with a chance. The voters have shown time and time again that they award convincing portrayals of famous figures so I reckon It’s a toss up between Malek and Bale this year, although with utmost respect to Malek, I hope it’s the latter. [~Marie]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Viggo Mortensen

3. Rami Malek

LEAD ACTRESS

1. Olivia Colman - So, I always hear “Olivia Colman can do no wrong” and I have to admit that The Favourite is absolutely no exception. I first stumbled across her while heavily invested in Peep Show during my late teens, but it was really in Broadchurch that I fell in love with her as an actor (and while watching her acceptance speech for her recent BAFTA win, I fell in love with her as a person). I know that us Reel Gals were definitely a little divided regarding The Favourite as an overall film, but I don’t think any of us will have any major qualms if she picks up the Oscar this weekend. Her performance and portrayal of Queen Anne more than deserve it, and I stumbled around looking for the perfect phrase to express this embodiment, and her ability to make us empathize with this rather “brutish” historical figure. In the end what sums it up is Colman’s lack of fear to exhibit ‘grotesque charm’ balanced with her open vulnerability in the role of Queen Anne that (along with the other female-lead performances) kept the film afloat for me. [~ Kayleigh]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Yalitza Aparicio

3. Lady Gaga

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

1. Mahershala Ali - Ali, to me is one of those faces (handsome faces) that, when you see, you can't quite put your finger on and when you IMDb search him you find yourself saying “Oh yeah, that's what he's in”, and to me that includes the fact that I forget about his Academy Award winning performance in Moonlight. After Green Book I don't think I'll be forgetting him again and us Gals believe he should be receiving his second Oscar tonight to join his BAFTA and Golden Globe for the performance. His portrayal of Classical and Jazz pianist Dr Don Shirley is the perfect accompaniment and antithesis to the uncouth Tony Lip portrayed by Viggo Mortensen. I don't know enough about Dr Don Shirley to say that Mahershala embodies him, but I don't think that matters as much as the feeling watching his performance gives the viewer. You can feel his frustration with Tony during their road trip, you can feel his loneliness in the hotels at night, you can feel his passion for music and playing the piano, you can feel his anger at how he is treated by the ignorant white southerners purely based on the colour of his skin and you can feel his love in the tear inducing final scene. Any performance that can make me empathise with the emotions of an American male, mid-30s, black, upper-class, talented performer trying to overcome racism and ignorance in the American Deep South in the 60s (and if you hadn't guessed I fit none of those categories), is a powerful performance indeed. Good luck Mahershala! [~Robyn]

JOINT RUNNERS UP:

2. Richard E Grant / Adam Driver

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

1. Regina King - This may well have been the easiest category for me to vote on. (Even though I actually felt that this year showcased a whole lot of strongly-delivered performances, by so many talented women.) Regina King - wow - what a badass lady right there. I thought that the acting from all parties in If Beale Street Could Talk was so incredibly sincere, but especially that of King's. Together with the colour palette, soundtrack and cinematography, I was honestly so moved by the whole film (and am *entirely gutted* that it's been overshadowed by its competitors). I have only one complaint about IBSCT and that is that Regina King should have got more screen time. Everything I've seen King in I've loved and I have to admit that I was just happy to see this nomination, let alone think that her performance in IBSCT was flawless and even although she has some tough competition, that she fully deserves to win the Oscar. If Beale Street Could Talk represents love, passion, strength and power, whilst addressing themes such as race and equality - everything this film stands for, Regina King embodies in herself as a person and channels in her character, Sharon Rivers. It was refreshing to watch King and just believe her, believe in her character and believe in her as woman and a mother. You will forever be one of my heroes Regina, thank-you for sharing your talent. [~Katie]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Rachel Weisz

3. Emma Stone

BEST DIRECTOR

1. Spike Lee - I’m almost pained to admit that my first experience of a Spike Lee film only came about during my 3rd year of studying film at uni (for shame). The module was ‘The Importance of Soundtrack’ and in particular, the inclusion of pop, hip-hop & R&B music to accentuate social commentary and help establish mood, setting and underlying tension that any director worth their salt can’t express through dialogue alone. I remember leaving the tiny Gilmore cinema on a Tuesday afternoon having watched Do the Right Thing and feeling unusually energised, awake and slightly angry - but in a good way. Cut to roughly 7 years later, I’m leaving Cineworld, on my 29th birthday, no less, after a screening of BlacKkKlansman, still vibrating with anger and frustration 5 minutes after the film ended. It’s the most powerful last 10 minutes of a film, but it’s not Spike Lee’s best. Nor do I think it’s the best film of the year (although I’m possibly in the minority of my Reel Gals peers in saying that). However, in light of a barrage of recent injustices in the US - social and political - it cannot be considered anything less than a vital and timely film which (despite its shortcomings) deserves all the Oscar attention it gets. Lee is a complete master in his unique ability to inject comedy and style into a hard-hitting subject matter such as blind, racial hatred. Since next year will mark the 30th year since Lee’s first infamous Oscar snub, I feel like it’s only right that the academy should Do the Right Thing (heh, you see what I did there..?) and honour him for managing to stay angry (or #woke, if you prefer) and keeping us angry - in a good way. [~Marie]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Alfonso Cuarón

3. Yorgos Lanthimos

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - If you were to pause this film on any frame, you could print it and hang it on your wall. Every single frame is a work of art. The Best Animated Feature category was extremely strong this year with the usual gorgeous Pixar and Disney outings that ordinarily would have snatched the title as they have done in previous years. Such is the power and unique brilliance of this film to take on the two Animation behemoths at their best and come out on top. Boasting twice the normal number of animators (177!!) to bring to life Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s vision for Miles Morales’ colourful and diverse world, it utilises a glorious twist of new and old forms of animation as well as ideas from print - halftones, hatching and overprinting as well as inserting comic cells and onomatopoeic graphics (“THWIP!” and “BAGEL!” are particular favourites). Not only have we mixtures of frame-rates for characters within the same frame (Whaaaaat?!) to denote Miles’ initial clumsiness versus the other Spider-People’s practised grace; but we’re treated to mixtures of graphic styles with Manga, Noir and classic American cartoon for each of the Multi-Verse Spiders - which shouldn’t work, but does here so, SO well. It’s easy to understand how 10 seconds of final cut content took an entire year for 177 people to create. Lovely little touches like characters stepping into Noir’s space being affected by his immediate ‘windy’ environment and the hand-drawn overlays and inserted comic style frames make this the most exciting, innovative and beautiful-looking animated film not only of 2018 but we believe also of the last decade. It is a true cinematic experience and one that not only deserves the Oscar, but also deserves recognition for changing the landscape of what’s possible for film animation. Also, not going to lie - a lot of us came out of the film inexplicably attracted to Peter B Parker and wish he was real. We would buy that man as many bagels as he wants, for sure. [~Jen]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Isle of Dogs

3. Ralph Breaks the Internet

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

1. Bao - Pixar shorts. They are great. One of the Reel gooduns is, Bao. It’s kinda silly, it’s a bit weird, but ultimately it does what Pixar does best. It taps into very touching, emotional aspects of the human condition. Bao is a 2018 computer-animated short film written and directed by Domee Shi and produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It was released with Incredibles 2 on June 15, 2018. It’s the shortest film of the shorts-lineup. Focusing on a middle aged mother is a wonderful perspective to choose. The film is about an ageing Chinese-Canadian mother, suffering from empty nest syndrome. She receives a rather unusual second chance at motherhood when she makes a baozi dumpling that comes to life as a boy. The film takes you by surprise at several points, after being lulled into a place of “OK, maybe this human baozi is something I can get on board with”, but it ends on a beautiful note. So, as Danny Devito once put it: “I like it, I love it, I want more of it”. [~ Caroline]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Late Afternoon

3. One Small Step

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

1. BlacKkKlansman - Last year Get Out won the award for best original screenplay for its haunting, hilarious, terrifying, and almost ridiculously scary tale. Some thought this tale of fiction was too simple in its over-the-topness, but the message it wanted to pass was far from it. This year, the equally unbelievable and extremely important story of racism and bigotry comes in an adapted script form based on the true reports of police officer and KKK infiltrator Ron Stallworth. Released as a memoir in 2014 by Stallworth, screenwriters David Rabinowitz and Charlie Wachtel were shocked to find out that no studios even bothered buying the rights to this unbelievable tale and independently adapted the work. It’s not just a brilliant story cause of what happened. It’s not just an amazing comedy cause of the clever dialogue. Its ingenuity, lies on how contemporary this ‘period’ piece reads. From dialogue that feel as if you’re reading the latest Trump supporter’s tweets, to the unbelievable and unapologetic beliefs some have and march for even today. And in case quotes from the Grand Duke of the KKK like ‘I just want to make America great’ didn’t give the film a terrifying enough case of the ‘history is repeating itself’, the brilliant end scene sure does. Thank you for your public service, one day *hopefully* we’ll learn from past mistakes. [~ Lia]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Can You Ever Forgive Me?

3. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

1. Green Book - Well, I can genuinely say that Green Book is one of the most beautifully written and delivered films I have been blessed with watching at the cinema in a long time. Based on a true story, it invites the audience to join a world class African-American pianist and his Italian-American driver from the Bronx, on a concert tour of the Deep South in the 60′s - a difficult storyline, fraught with potential pitfalls, executed in a gentle and respectful way. Named after a legitimate travel guide that listed businesses that would accept African-American custom, Green Book confronts infuriating themes such as racism, segregation, class and sexuality – all of which are still issues today. The story encapsulates the growth of an unlikely partnership between the musician Dr Shirley (Mahershala Ali) and Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen) – quick note to talk about how outstanding, heart-warming and believable their performances were – as with time, the begin to respect, understand and care for each other. [Obviously there are questions about why Green Book would frame a story about racism in the Deep South around a white man’s experience - and have the man of colour take a back seat. Literally. My takeaway from the film was mostly that people aren’t defined by their class as much as they aren’t by their colour - just because Dr Shirley is black does not mean he ought to fall into tired old stereotypes - just because Tony is poor (by comparison) and working class, doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy the ‘perceived spoils of the upper classes’ - classical music or any of the rest of it. Dr Shirley expands Tony’s experience and understanding with regards race - while Tony expands Dr Shirley’s in class. In a post-Brexit and Trump world, where working class people are feeling increasingly marginalised and are partaking in scapegoating of people of colour as a result, perhaps Green Book (however problematic it may still be) presents a message that might get through to those people in today’s political climate? But of course, all of this is my opinion as a lower middle-class white lassie from the UK. ~Jen]

As such, Peter Farrelly, Brian Currie and Nick Vallelonga (notably Tony Lip’s son) presents us with a rather Hollywood (in other words: soft) version of this story, resulting in a mixed response for this film (not from us down at Reel Gals HQ, we loved it), however, he tries to carefully balance out the hard-hitting, dark scenarios that our duo face on the road with the cleverly written dialogue and characterisation running into some really special, incredibly warm moments of character-driven humour.

All in all, I would say Green Book is a cinematically stunning piece of work as well as a story of growth and respect; a feel good film that deserves the Oscar (I'm going to give Roma a quick S/O, as I do believe that it it too would be a worthy winner). I can also say that Farrelly really surprised me after some of the (in my opinion) trash that he’s previously had his name on (Dumb and Dumber, I’m looking at you). You will leave the film feeling warm, with faith in cinema and the inability to stop thinking about how much you want to fold up an entire pizza and eat it like a sandwich – I know I did. [~ Katie]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Roma

3. Vice

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

1. Roma - Rumour has it that the revolution will not be televised, and up until recently, the category for Cinematography was almost relegated to the ad-breaks. Why John Bailey, why? Thankfully, after a public ballyhoo, we will be able to see the award presented via live stream (as well as Editing, Live-Action Short, and Makeup and Hairstyling). So why is Cinematography so vital to us?

Let’s go back forty-eight years for a moment. Director, Norman Jewison once talked about how he created the warm, earthy haze of Fiddler on the Roof (1971) with the director of photography, Oswald Morris. They lined a lens with a pair of brown nylons seen on a woman on set (hello, 1970’s Hollywood!). Though Jewison shrugged this story off as a lucky spur-of-the-moment decision, it was made and carried out to stunning effect. Watch it and see. Almost half-a century later, and cinematography has continued to thrive in ingenuity and style.

The Reel Gals have come together to appreciate Alfonso Cuarón’s, cinematographic mastery in Roma. Originally, Emmanuel Lubezki was set to take on this task, but there was an availability clash. Cuarón took over as well as writing the screenplay and directing the film. Lubezki remained an influence to Cuarón who said in an interview with Variety that Lubezki’s voice was in the back of his mind as he worked.

Roma is a semi-autobiographical take on Cuarón's upbringing in the Colonia Roma neighbourhood of Mexico City. Cuarón said of his stylistic choices:

“I would say it’s the ghost of the present that is visiting the past, without getting involved, just observing, not trying to make a judgment or commentary.”

With this in mind, I can see why he shot it in black and white. Actually, he shot it in colour with the Alexa 65, then paired it back to black-and-white, like a photo-realistic painter. The effect of this is that the film is crisp, and each scene seems almost 3D. When you take the colour away, other senses become heightened. The sounds in Roma, for example, are so much more present. The less you see, the more you fill in with your mind. Strangely, things seem more vivid in black and white.

I recommend this article as it gives much more information about the visual decisions which were made. All I can say at this point is that as viewers, we intuitively respond to what has been crafted for us, and this craft should be celebrated. Alfonso Cuarón has given us an incredible film which (like Fidder) will be talked about by new generations of Reel Gals in another fifty years. [~ Caroline]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Never Look Away

3. A Star is Born / The Favourite

BEST FILM EDITING

1.Vice - Of all of the films shortlisted for the Oscars, one has stood out as being one with as many ideas laid out in the edit as it was in the writing and shooting of the piece. Hank Corwin makes use of syncopation like the greatest of musicians - very frequently going places creatively you would never expect… cuts to black; use of archive; the visuals quite often were at odds with the sound, but in the best possible ways. It is frantic, meta, fourth-wall busting, juxtaposition-filled mania with a persistent overarching feeling of extreme unease and increasing dread - perfectly fitting for Cheney’s journey into Power.[~ Jen]

RUNNERS UP:

2. BlacKkKlansman

3. Bohemian Rhapsody

BEST SOUND MIXING

1. Bohemian Rhapsody - So quickly, for those of you (like myself before casting my votes) who didn't know the difference between Sound Editing and Sound Mixing, Sound Editing is the creation and use of sound effects, Sound Mixing is the overall use of soundtrack including music, dialogue, sound effects, the whole shebang really. Overall, although I thoroughly enjoyed Bohemian Rhapsody, I'm not sure I agree with the amount of award attention this movie is getting. Maybe being a big Queen fan the movie left me feeling like it was mostly a celebration of them as a band and lacked any profound revelation. However what can be truly marvelled at in this movie is the recreation of Freddie Mercury's performances; credit where it's due, Rami Malek did a great job of becoming him on screen; but the reproduction of that incredible voice and Queen’s Greatest Hits is what really makes the film what I would call “The Queen Experience”. After seeing the movie and rediscovering an old love by listening to the soundtrack on repeat I noticed that it included live tracks and demos, and doing a bit of digging I discovered that for the concert scenes they used the real live sound from the concerts being recreated, in fact these sequences were chosen around the choice of recording (although don't quote me on that, my sources are from the internet, could be fake news). Also, to make the Freddie Mercury voice perfect some of the recordings were mixed with Canadian Christian Rock artist Marc Martel whose voice is so similar you can barely tell the difference. All of this attention to detail along with the cinematic surround sound effects means that for millennials like us, unfortunately too young to have seen Freddie perform live ourselves, can feel like we were actually at Live Aid (sorry Adam Lambert, you don't quite cut it). That sounds award worthy to me. [~Robyn]

RUNNERS UP:

2. A Star is Born

3. First Man

BEST SOUND EDITING

1. First Man - As I mentioned above, for those of you who don't know, the Sound Editing category celebrates the creation and use of Sound Effects. There are certain members of the Reel Gals that would disagree with me on my analysis of First Man - I found it boring and too long and to be 90% Ryan Gosling not really acting and mostly just being mopey (and this is coming from someone who loves Ry-Go as much as the next girl). However I can appreciate that creating the illusion of space travel relies heavily on sound effects, on this I cannot fault the film. Any scene that features people in the cockpit of a space rocket or bouncing about the face of the moon (spoiler - Neil Armstrong is the “first man” to take one small step for man and one… blah blah blah you know the rest), is beautifully soundtracked with what I imagine since I have never been to the moon, realistic sound effects. [Like Pavlov’s Dog - if I ever hear that intense rattling from this version of the cockpit of Apollo 11 again, I will take a serious whitey. ~Jen] There are no dodgy Wilhelm Screams during the upsetting cockpit fire scene or Star Trek-like door “wooshes” here. Now maybe if these types of sounds had been included I would have been more entertained, but the sound effects were so realistic and in the moon landing scene almost beautiful. So well done to the sound team for keeping me too firmly in reality with this film. [~Robyn]

RUNNERS UP:

2. A Quiet Place

3. Bohemian Rhapsody

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

1. Mary Poppins Returns - I thought it was impossible to make a new Mary Poppins film and that attempting to remake a classic was just Hollywood proving it had run out of ideas but in the case of Mary Poppins Returns’ production designer John Myhre strikes a fine balance of appealing to the old eyes who watched the original and the fresh new ones experiencing this story for the first time. If you’re the one wearing the nostalgia glasses then each and every set in this film will make you feel like the kid you were all those years ago - from the cobbled streets of the reimagined 1930s London to the whimsical wonder that is the upside down house. This is where Myhre’s talent shines as he pays homage to the old while never quite replicating it. The house of 17 Cherry Tree Lane still looks and feels as if it has been lifted from Emile Kuri’s original designs but feels reimagined, the fingerprints of Michael Banks life as an adult are prevalent in every room - especially in the attic. Taking a trip up there feels like throwing yourself back in time filled with a clutter of old easter eggs that would thrill any fan of the first film - you don’t have to look far to spot the blocks used by Julie Andrews in ‘Spoonful of Sugar’ or the sash worn by Jane’s mum and of course the most notable throwback of all - the kite. In the end, this is a real house for a real man, in real depression who has lived a very real life but then cue Mary Poppins. The drab, brown and grey colour palette across the set bursts into colour as her mere presence turns this gritty reality into a magical fantasy. The mix of fantasy and reality blends seamlessly together so much so that even the expertly recreated scenes like Big Ben’s tower have a flare of magic to them.

I hadn’t realised until the credits started to roll that somewhere along the way I had taken my nostalgia glasses off and started to view this film as its own entity. Through beautifully crafted sets that meld seamlessly into the classic stylings of the animations, meticulous in detail, it captures the spirit of its predecessor but has an identity very much of its own. So, now I am prepared to eat my earlier retort and believe in the words of Mary Poppins herself - “everything is possible, even the impossible.” [~Isla]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Black Panther

3. The Favourite

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

1. Shallow - A Star is Born - I have to admit, I’m rather gutted that All The Stars missed out on our number one spot (thanks Gals) but Shallow undoubtedly is a bit of a banger. “Is there somethin’ else you’re searching for” - Shallow poetically (when I say poetically, I mean pretty darn obviously) offers the audience an insight to both Ali and Jackson’s character growth throughout the film: Ali, looking to get more out of her life than it was offering her and Jackson, his deterioration in light of his dying career (is that a spoiler? Surely not!). Don’t get me wrong, I loved A Star is Born and genuinely think Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper *pauses for Bradley Cooper’s voice* have an undeniable connection, the way they perform together - both in this song and the film as a whole - left me with chills (an opinion shared by fewer than half of the Reel Gals) [I may have hated the film, but that won’t stop me beltin’ this mother out at the karaoke ~ Jen] - Shallow will live on and I am sure will be leaving with Academy award, however in my opinion, it’s not particularly inspiring or lyrically imaginative. Still love you, Gaga. [~ Katie]

RUNNERS UP:

2. All The Stars - Black Panther

3. The Place Where Lost Things Go - Mary Poppins Returns

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

1. BlacKkKlansman by Terence Blanchard - BlacKkKlansman marks the 19th project and 30th year of a Spike Lee/Terence Blanchard partnership and wowzers! Blanchard has composed a score that beautifully enhances the exquisite direction of Lee, capturing a sound that really drives the audience’s emotion throughout the film. Although I found it almost impossible to choose between all the nominations for Best Score, Blanchard has stolen top spot at the Reel Gals’ Academy Awards and to be honest, rightfully so! Terence Blanchard uses “his passion and desire to serve the story” when it comes to anything he composes, which is just one of the reasons he is fully deserved of the Oscar when it comes to the BlacKkKlansman score. He pulls in influences of Hendrix with the electric guitar (which in my opinion really captures Ron Stallworth’s character as a whole) and couples it with the power of brass, a combination that successfully delivers both chilling and comedic moments – alluding to what the audience should be feeling, rather than being on the nose. Terence Blanchard had the responsibility of composing for an unbelievable and haunting TRUE story and respectfully does so, joining Spike Lee in telling the a story of hate from the 70s and leaving the audience with the hard-hitting truths that we still deal with similar hate, even now. [~ Katie]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Mary Poppins Returns by Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman

3. Black Panther by Ludwig Goransson

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIR

1. Vice - Makeup and hair are such a crucial part of building the characters we see on screen - they help the actors embody the person they’re playing (literally!). The outcry when the Academy dared to suggest that they might bump this and other critical categories (Cinematography and Editing to name a couple for gawd’s sake - HOW DO YOU MAKE A FILM WITHOUT THOSE??!) to being hidden in the ad breaks was so vehement - and rightly so. I don’t know how many times I walked past the poster and ad screens for Vice and had next to no recognition at all for any of the main cast. When I eventually read the names under the pictures, I remember very loudly going “WHAT?! WHAAAAAAT?! all the way down the escalator in our local Cineworld (my partner can attest to his embarrassment at my outburst)… Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Amy Adams… and then we have Christian “So Method” Bale.

Some people might argue that his transformation was mostly down to, as Marie suggests in our Lead Actor category, his increased pie intake and his unmatched ability to give himself over completely to the character. But without the design and hard work every day of Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney, he would have just been “Thicc, Evil Christian Bale” - not an almost-indistinguishable-from-the-real-thing embodiment of political monster Dick Cheney.

There is an absolutely excellent article I found in which Cannom talks website Vox through his design and daily process and it’s frankly incredible. < find it here > More incredible still, once he had a cast of Bale’s head (whom he says was wary of the process of SFX makeup and prosthetics as he hadn’t done it before) he only had two weeks to design and build the various ages of Cheney onto Bale’s very differently-shaped head. The quality of the skin (given a sweaty shine by an application of KY Jelly as a final step to the process, hilariously) is impeccable; the build of the silicone to completely change the shape of Bale’s face is grotesquely gorgeous. Across the board this is one of the most impressive examples of practical makeup and hair SFX I’ve ever seen - and in an age of CGId top lips to remove stubborn moustaches and digital de-ageing processes getting more and more advanced, this film proves the practical way is as strong and vital as ever and fully deserving of taking centre stage - on air - at the Oscars. [~Jen]

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

1. Black Panther - I couldn’t possibly pretend to be an expert on costume design or on the numerous African Tribal influences that have given these costumes their heart and soul. But, I can say that while watching Black Panther I was utterly blown away with the attention to detail, combined with the bold bursts of colour and creativity. I also can’t explain my sheer relief and empowerment of watching fierce female characters kick ass without the carbon copy, over sexualized outfit with matching heels. Now I don’t want my first blog post to cause too much of a divide, but I’m definitely referring to my eye roll during Wonder Woman right after I spotted those raised golden beauties... and just for the record, I actually loved Wonder Woman (and I love heels) but it was just so refreshing, and practical, without losing any of the superhero escapism we all long for. The head costume designer Ruth E. Carter absolutely fulfilled all my ‘tribal-warrior-female-fantasy’ dreams (is that a category from RuPaul’s Drag Race?) and I left the cinema envious of her talent. Some of the costumes were literally pieces of wearable art and will no doubt be celebrated as such. [~ Kayleigh]

JOINT RUNNERS UP:

2. The Favourite / Mary Poppins Returns

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

1. Ready Player One - This was one of the most difficult categories to vote for. All five films brought amazing innovations in the art of cinema and definitely deserve to be recognised for them and you know what, Reel Gals will! First Man combined a mixture of diverse sources for its aesthetic; visual effects, special effects, and even archival footage of the NASA launch. Solo gave us the perfect visual effect adaptation of the legend that Star Wars fans everywhere know as the 12 parsecs run. Christopher Robin created a photoreality mixed with shot on location footage so good, that its parody Trainspotting mashup video attests to its VFX perfection. Avengers: Infinity War had two different effects teams (TWO!) building the most realistic performance from Brolin’s onset one and could possibly land Marvel with their first ever effects Oscar. However, Ready Player One, created an entire virtual world that immersed characters and viewers alike by combining effects with animation. Remember The Overlook Hotel part from The Shining in the film? The blood? The scary twins and old lady turned into a zombie? That’s right, hand them that award now and then in true Mean Girls fashion, break it up and share with the rest. You’re all VFX queens. [~Lia]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Avengers: Infinity War

3. First Man

Which leaves us with just one more award to lay out… it’s the big’un. Can you guess what it might be, from our voting habits above?

BEST PICTURE

1. BlacKkKlansman - Winning our Best Picture vote - based on a true story, BlacKkKlansman is a spectacularly timely look at institutional and societal racism and bigotry - holding a mirror up squarely in the face of modern audiences. Set against the backdrop of the Ku Klux Klan’s ‘organised hate’ in 1970’s Colorado, it is equal parts horrifying and hilarious; poignant and relevant. The performances are compelling and perfectly balanced - most notably, the relationship between buddy cops John David Washington’s ‘Ron Stallworth’ and Adam Driver’s ‘Flip Zimmerman’ is nuanced and brimming with mutual respect, both for one another in character and as actors. The two have spectacular comic timing - but they both also boast the finely-honed acting chops to carry the Singularity-strength gravity of the themes presented by Ron Stallworth’s incredible true story. The beautifully-composed shots and off-kilter score compliment Spike Lee’s characteristically brave and politically-biting choices as director, exemplified particularly in the closing scene of his latest Joint, which (after a moment of levity and possibly the biggest laugh of the film) is affecting, desperately sad and deeply terrifying - and will stay with you for a long time. [~ Jen]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Green Book

3. Roma

And that’s that. The audience’s sugar levels are low… The ‘get off the stage’ music has started playing… and the awards organisers are threatening to cut to an ad break. But before they can send the heavies onto the stage to forcibly remove us - it’s NOT OVER YET - *grabs microphone* here are some nominations we would have added:

BEST PICTURE: First Man [Genuinely thought this was a shoe-in! ~Jen]

BEST SONG: Sunflower by Post Malone & Swae Lee for Spider-Verse [Honestly, the entire score for Spider-Verse was spectacular and I'm gutted it didn't get a nomination either, although it was tough enough as it is for best original score, as all nominations are stunning - BUT BEST SONG, where is this nomination? And WHY, GOD WHHHY is ‘I'll Fight’ on there? It genuinely made me want to pull out my eyeballs ~ Katie] [Couldn’t agree more. Ruth Bader Ginsberg deserves more than this old-fashioned early 2000s-style credit-roller ballad. You’re better than this, J-Hud. ~ Jen]

LEAD ACTRESS: Emily Blunt for A Quiet Place

LEAD ACTRESS: Viola Davis for Widows

LEAD ACTOR: John David Washington for BlacKkKlansman [This omission I think has slightly tarnished Driver’s well-deserved nomination for Best Supporting; with a lot of people asking why the ‘white guy is the only one to receive an acting nom from a film about a black man’s struggles with the KKK’. I would suggest that Driver’s character Flip, as DJW’s character Ron states: “Also has skin in the game”, being Jewish - it’s hardly him doing a ‘Scarlet Johansson’, given the point of the story is that he’s Ron’s proxy and crucial to his takedown of the chapter. But then it *is* difficult to argue that the intentions of the Academy were (whether subconsciously or not) entirely well-intentioned on the matter of not including Washington in the nominations. ~ Jen]

LEAD ACTOR: Steve Carell for Beautiful Boy

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Steve Carell (again - what a year he’s had!) for Vice

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Timotheé Chalamet for Beautiful Boy

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Danai Gurira for Black Panther

VISUAL EFFECTS: Welcome to Marwen [This!! ~ Kayleigh]

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Whitney [I would also say the editing of this was fantastic, if it's good enough for the Edinburgh Film Festival then it’s good enough for an Oscar consideration ~Robyn]

And despite the outwardly more-diverse-than-usual (which still isn’t saying much) nominee list this year thanks to an extremely influential #OscarsSoWhite campaign and hopefully the beginnings of a turning of the tide for Hollywood (we hope - it's about bloody time something improved) - it seems the Academy aren’t quite there with equality and representation yet...

BEST DIRECTOR: A woman. Any women, for goodness’ sake. It’s 2019! A nod to Glasgow-born Lynne Ramsay for You Were Never Really Here, Marielle Heller for Can You Ever Forgive Me? and Debra Granik for Leave No Trace. Just in case the Academy didn’t think they had enough choice! [~Marie]

At time of writing, the other main awards events for the year have been and gone - and the differences in nominations and winners laid out by the Oscars, BAFTAs, Globes and Critics’ Choice nominees lists vs the reality of women’s film work in 2018 are still quite stark - specifically in contrast with events like the Independent Spirit Awards - (admittedly films like Green Book and blockbusters etc wouldn’t qualify) - who lavished their awards last night on films like If Beale Street Could Talk; You Were Never Really Here, Leave No Trace and Sorry to Bother You - notably with many of the winners crying out for more female representation in the nominations for Directing and other categories in film in general.

2018 was the strongest year for representation of women in film yet - with places like the BFI Film Festival presenting more female-led films than ever before in its history and how vociferous the support is getting for equal opportunity and recognition - importantly not only from women - in calling out these omissions-by-gender, here’s hoping the Academy will catch on. Eventually.

But until that time… thanks for joining us for our little pre-Oscars ceremony and our first proper blog! Cheers for reading, sharing and any hits of the like button are greatly appreciated… Thank you to the Academy… we’d also like to thank our parents, everyone who believed in us, Adele Dazeem, dogs (all of them) for being excellent...

*Rugby-tackled by security guards and dragged off-stage*

Xx ~ The Reel Gals

(Find us on instagram: reel_gals_of_glasgow | twitter: ReelGalsGlasgow)

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adamrevi3ws · 4 years ago

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Well, tonight is Hollywood’s biggest night. As some of my friends and Letterboxd followers may know, for the past few weeks I’ve been on an Oscar marathon, watching every movie nominated for best picture and a few others in relevant categories. Since reviewing that many movies in such a short time takes a lot of time and effort, I’m going to do something different. Below is my ranking of best picture nominees and my thoughts on why they’re in that place.

1. The Father (but not by much)

The main reason why this is #1 is that I thought it was, without a doubt, the smartest movie of the eight nominees. I completely expected this to be a sad slog with a great (as usual) Anthony Hopkins performance, but no, this is what finally knocked Judas and the Black Messiah off its massive pedestal in my initial rankings. The genius of this film is its concept, a movie about dementia that illustrates exactly what it’s an unreliable narrator feels by putting the watcher in the driver’s seat. It’s the movie equivalent of switching out details of someone’s room when they turn around to mess with them, except the person doing the switching is Anthony Hopkins’ mind. The movie’s (gorgeous) set design constantly changes at a whim, the plot is intentionally incoherent contradicting itself and going back every few minutes, and even the actors themselves change, all to detail the sheer helplessness of its protagonist’s condition. Perfectly complementing this is Hopkins’ performance, seamlessly nailing everything so funny, sad, and frustrating about a relative as they get older. While I doubt it’s actually going to win Best Picture, it sure as hell deserves the awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Production Design. Maybe also a Best Actor for Hopkins, but that category has some worthy contenders.

2. Judas and the Black Messiah

This blurb is going to be a lot shorter since I wrote a long review for it back when I initially watched it. Frankly, there’s very little this movie does wrong. Taking something that could have easily been a biopic and transforming it into a The Departed-style thriller is an ingenious move, and its two leads should have easily been bumped up to Best Actor, but that seems to be the biggest injustice of the 2021 Oscars so far. The massive amount of revelations it brings to the table knock it out of the park, ranging from meditations on the nature of white supremacy and capitalism, ideas on how to organize a beaten-down populace, and frankly a good amount of historical information hidden by the textbooks. This is without a doubt one of the timeliest of the nominees.

3. Sound of Metal

An absolutely heartbreaking tale of recovery (or at least structured in that way), Sound of Metal delivers an absolutely gripping performance from Riz Ahmed as a noise metal drummer dealing with newfound hearing loss. Similar to the Father, the film pushes boundaries to put the audience in its protagonist’s seat, manipulating its soundscape to replicate what Ahmed’s character is feeling as he progresses through his journey to attempted recovery. While I’m sure Chadwick Boseman will (rightfully) win the Best Actor award and I’m going to try to watch Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom before/during the ceremony to see if his performance lives up to the hype, I’m personally rooting for Riz!

4. Nomadland and Minari (tie)

I grouped these two together among other things because they’re quite similar in some ways, both dealing with the pursuit of the American Dream and using absurdly believable dialogue. Nomadland has a far broader scope and ambition, being a near-documentary exploring the lives and motivations of America’s nomadic workforce, while Minari presents a compelling family drama of Korean immigrants trying to start a farm in Arkansas. I think Nomadland, the projected Best Picture Winner does a slightly better job of delivering an overall message and exploring the ideas it introduces, but both bring an equal level of delight and, for better or worse, Americana. While they’re on this ranking because I frankly didn’t like them as much as the top three, I will be having words with The Academy if they don’t hand Youn Yuh-jung the Best Supporting Actress award for the Yi family’s eccentric grandma in Minari.

5. Promising Young Woman

Simultaneously the most and least watchable of the Best Picture nominees, Promising Young Woman is a fascinatingly subversive and…. bubbly…. take on the otherwise harsh and difficult genre of rape-revenge thriller. Its ending and switches in genre and tone over the course of the movie drew skepticism and questions, but almost everyone can agree that the performances of its two leads, Carey Mulligan and internet comedian Bo Burnham, were absolutely phenomenal. I also wouldn’t be mad if it took home the Best Original Screenplay award, although a good amount of its competitors in that field are equally deserving. Promising Young Woman is a movie that tries to be the smartest movie in this year’s eight nominees, and while it doesn’t reach those highs, I think its efforts definitely weren’t’ wasted.

6. Mank

Mank was frankly kind of a disappointment on my end. I think a lot of its ideas in navigating 1930s Hollywood are quite valiant, it falls flat in trying to actually be the story of the making of Citizen Kane, which, in hindsight, I think is kind of a dumb idea for a movie. It doesn’t help that Oldman’s performance as the titular screenwriter is more in the Johnny Depp or Jared Leto school of weird than admiral, and the movie itself can just be… kind of boring. I guess I just wanted to see the 1930s equivalent of Once Upon A Time in Hollywood.

7. Trial of the Chicago 7

Early high school/middle school Adam would have loved Trial of the Chicago 7 if I saw it them because it would be one of my first few “deep” and “historical” movies, but unfortunately, I’ve grown up, and my critical thinking has developed much past that. Watching this after seeing Judas and the Black Messiah, a movie literally set around the same time, was quite jarring. The best way I can describe it is by taking the 1960s counterculture movement and turning it into a Marvel movie, and that isn’t a good thing despite my love for Marvel movies. The tone feels so distasteful and oblivious of the event’s actual stakes or gravity, which does it as a disservice as a historical narrative but also in terms of making it “relevant” to today’s issues. The closest it gets to this are flashbacks to the riot itself, which kind of border on police brutality porn at some points. Another key element of its tone-deaf nature, and overall refusal to have a message, is its politics. It hurts to acknowledge the difference between how Joseph Gordon Levitt’s character in Chicago 7 and Jesse Plemons’ character in Judas and the Black Messiah. Both are heavily complicit weapons of white supremacy in federal law enforcement that thought they were still genuinely helping progressive causes, but Chicago 7 tries SO HARD to emphasize that Gordon Levitt’s character is a good person, to the point of even having one of the most out-there counterculture characters in the movie state this. This movie desperately attempts to reconcile the establishment and anti-establishment it’d even give Hegel a head trip. It’s a shame because, without the political and historical context, it has the bones to be an otherwise entertaining and compelling movie. Sorkin’s combination of annoying debate kid and Joss Whedon flair works perfectly for a courtroom drama, but it just shouldn’t be one with such an important political context. While I think this is a decent movie, it probably wouldn’t deserve the Best Picture award in any other Oscar race, especially this one.

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easyhairstylesbest · 4 years ago

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The Biggest Surprises and Snubs from the 2021 Golden Globe Nominations

In these strange and unprecedented times, it’s comforting to have familiar rituals to fall back on. Though many of our favorite traditions have been curtailed by COVID, from Super Bowl parties to holiday travel, there’s one winter habit that’s completely unchanged this year: getting good and mad at the Golden Globe nominations.

Though awards season is operating on a weird and delayed schedule this year, the ceremonies will still take place, and this morning’s Globe noms marked the official beginning of the circuit. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association came through with a selection of nominees that include plenty of worthy contenders—alongside picks so random (and undeserved!) you can only scratch your head. Here are the biggest surprises and most outrageous snubs from the 2021 nominations.

Snub: I May Destroy You & Michaela Coel

This omission is so egregious that “snub” doesn’t even cover it. Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You was arguably the best show of 2020, a wholly original and dizzyingly bold chronicle of a young woman trying to rebuild her life after a sexual assault. In the era of Peak TV, it’s rare to feel as though you’re watching something genuinely new, and that feeling permeated every frame of this searing, surprising show. Leaving the show out of the Best Drama category is bad enough, but for Coel to miss out on a nomination for either acting or writing is outrageous.

Snub: Jurnee Smollett (Lovecraft Country)

HBO’s Lovecraft Country did earn a nomination for Best Drama Series, but none of its actors were recognized for their work. Jurnee Smollett, whose breakout lead performance as Letitia Lewis anchored the series, is the strangest absence of all, particularly since she was widely tipped for some much-deserved recognition.

Surprise: Emily in Paris

Look, we all hate-binged Emily in Paris, we all enjoyed the memes, we all understand the show’s frothy appeal. But to name it one of the five best dramas of the year is straight batshit.

Snub: The supporting cast of Mrs. America

This shouldn’t really come as a surprise, since nominating the movie star while ignoring everybody else is an extremely Golden Globes move. But FX’s miniseries about conservative firebrand Phyllis Schlafly was stacked from top to bottom with extraordinary, nuanced performances from a largely female cast, including Uzo Aduba as Shirley Chisholm, Rose Byrne as Gloria Steinem, and Margot Martindale as Bella Abzug—all of whom deserved a nod.

Surprise: A welcome spotlight moment for female directors

In the 77-year history of the Golden Globes, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has nominated a grand total of five female directors. In 2018, Natalie Portman memorably called out the ceremony onstage for its lack of female directing nominees. And this year, the HFPA took notice, nominating three women in its Best Director, Motion Picture category. One Night in Miami’s Regina King earned a well-deserved nod, as did Promising Young Woman‘s Emerald Fennell and Nomadland’s Chloé Zhao.

Snub: Black directors and performers in the Best Drama category

It’s baffling how many superb films made by Black directors—and starring Black talent—were omitted from the Best Drama category, despite performances from those films recognized in the acting categories. Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods, Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah, George C. Wolfe’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Regina King’s One Night in Miami (which earned her a Best Director nom) were all absent from Best Drama. All five of the nominated movies focus mostly on white characters.

Snub: Minari

Lee Isaac Chung’s acclaimed drama about a Korean family who move to Arkansas to start a farm in the 1980s has been widely tipped as an awards frontrunner this year. Unsurprisingly, the internet was furious when the Globes placed the film in the Foreign Language category rather than Best Drama. Thanks to a controversial HFPA rule, Minari is ineligible for Best Drama because a majority of its dialogue is in a language other than English—and according to Chung, the movie’s distributor chose to enter it in the Foreign Language category rather than Best Drama. So while this may not meet the technical definition of a snub, it’s still a disappointment.

Surprise: James Corden

Asked to guess which member of The Prom‘s star-studded cast would be nominated for a Globe, most smart pundits (and honestly most regular people) would probably have put their money on Meryl Streep. But instead, it was Corden’s widely panned performance that earned the sole acting nomination for Ryan Murphy’s splashy musical dramedy.

The Nominees

Best Motion Picture – Drama

The Father

Mank

Nomadland

Promising Young Woman

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Hamilton

Music

Palm Springs

The Prom

Best Director, Motion Picture

Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman

David Fincher, Mank

Regina King, One Night in Miami

Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7

Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama

Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday

Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman

Frances McDormand, Nomadland

Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Kate Hudson, Music

Michelle Pfeiffer, French Exit

Rosamund Pike, I Care a Lot

Anya Taylor-Joy, Emma

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy

Olivia Colman, The Father

Jodie Foster, The Mauritanian

Amanda Seyfried, Mank

Helena Zengel, News of the World

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama

Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal

Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Anthony Hopkins, The Father

Gary Oldman, Mank

Tahar Rahim, The Mauritanian

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

James Corden, The Prom

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton

Dev Patel, The Personal History of David Copperfield

Andy Samberg, Palm Springs

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture

Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7

Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah

Jared Leto, The Little Things

Bill Murray, On the Rocks

Leslie Odom Jr., One Night in Miami

Best Screenplay, Motion Picture

Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman

Jack Fincher, Mank

Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7

Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton, The Father

Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

Best Original Score, Motion Picture

Alexandre Desplat, The Midnight Sky

Ludwig Göransson, Tenet

James Newton Howard, News of the World

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Mank

Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste, Soul

Best Original Song, Motion Picture

“Fight for You,” Judas and the Black Messiah

“Hear My Voice,” The Trial of the Chicago 7

“Io Sì (Seen),” The Life Ahead

“Speak Now,” One Night in Miami

“Tigress & Tweed,” The United States vs. Billie Holiday

Best Motion Picture, Animated

The Croods: A New Age

Onward

Over the Moon

Soul

Wolfwalkers

Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language

Another Round

La Llorona

The Life Ahead

Minari

Two of Us

Best Television Series, Drama

The Crown

Lovecraft Country

The Mandalorian

Ozark

Ratched

Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy

Emily in Paris

The Flight Attendant

The Great

Schitt’s Creek

Ted Lasso

Best Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture made for Television

Normal People

The Queen’s Gambit

Small Axe

The Undoing

Unorthodox

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama

Olivia Colman, The Crown

Jodie Comer, Killing Eve

Emma Corrin, The Crown

Laura Linney, Ozark

Sarah Paulson, Ratched

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy

Lily Collins, Emily in Paris

Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant

Elle Fanning, The Great

Jane Levy, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist

Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America

Daisy Edgar-Jones, Normal People

Shira Haas, Unorthodox

Nicole Kidman, The Undoing

Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen’s Gambit

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Supporting Role

Gillian Anderson, The Crown

Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown

Julia Garner, Ozark

Annie Murphy, Schitt’s Creek

Cynthia Nixon, Ratched

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Drama

Jason Bateman, Ozark

Josh O’Connor, The Crown

Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul

Al Pacino, Hunters

Matthew Rhys, Perry Mason

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy

Don Cheadle, Black Monday

Nicholas Hoult, The Great

Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek

Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso

Ramy Youssef, Ramy

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Bryan Cranston, Your Honor

Jeff Daniels, The Comey Rule

Hugh Grant, The Undoing

Ethan Hawke, The Good Lord Bird

Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much is True

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Supporting Role

John Boyega, Small Axe

Brendan Gleeson, The Comey Rule

Daniel Levy, Schitt’s Creek

Jim Parsons, Hollywood

Donald Sutherland, The Undoing

Emma Dibdin Contributor Emma Dibdin writes about television, movies, and podcasts, with coverage including opinion essays, news posts, episodic reviews and in-depth interviews with creatives.

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The Biggest Surprises and Snubs from the 2021 Golden Globe Nominations

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tediousoscars · 5 years ago

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2019

Predict-o-meter: This year: 9/11; Total: 108/134 (83%)

Welcome, welcome one and all to this year’s diatribe concerning all things Oscar.

With one glaring exception (see if you can spot it) this year’s class is solid with some soaring achievements at the top and a lot of really solid work through the middle.

So without further ado, let’s get to it ...

- THE CONTENDERS -

1917. In most war movies the MacGuffin is winning: a skirmish, a battle, a campaign, or, ultimately the war. In “1917” the goal is to call off an attack; to avoid a battle. Most war movies focus on the big picture: strategy, troop movements, etc. “1917” focuses on a single soldier embarking on a single mission for a single day. “1917” is not most war movies. The Germans have executed a strategic retreat and established a new defensive position. A zealous British commander is in hot pursuit, but Command has learned - through the new-fangled technology of aerial photography - that he is charging into a trap. No telegraph lines have yet been laid to the forward position, and radio is not quite a thing yet, so the only way to warn the commander is to send soldiers across no-man’s land, across the previous German line, across the French countryside to deliver the message in person. What follows is a quixotic quest full of constant fear and tension across a landscape made bizarre by the ravages and awful logic of war. It is a saga of commonplace heroism, of a man randomly plucked from obscurity, given an awesome, nigh-impossible task, and rising to the occasion for no other reason than it is his job. The film is expertly paced and while moments of sheer panic are rare, moments of relaxation are nonexistent. Though the time-honored message - war is hell - is definitely there, it is not driven home in the typical, ham-fisted way, and the final scene in which our hero collapses against a tree and gazes out at an idyllic sunlit pasture feels more triumphant than any victory brought about by explosions and bullets.

Jojo Rabbit. I often like to go into these films with no knowledge in order to avoid preconceptions, an approach that was a little jarring in this case, at least at first. In “Jojo Rabbit” director Taika Waititi creates a vivid, slightly out-in-leftfield world that will be familiar to fans of Wes Anderson (particularly “Moonrise Kingdom”). However, Anderson’s Boy Scouts have been replaced (as the vaguely authoritarian and hierarchical children’s organization central to the film) by the Nazi’s Hitler Youth. The opening scenes in which an excited 10yo Johannes "Jojo" Betzler bounces around his room in full Nazi regalia chattering away with his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (“C’mon, now ... Heil me!”), as he prepares for Nazi training camp are downright off-putting at a visceral level. For a second I thought I’d stumbled into an unironic production of “Springtime for Hitler.” But soon enough you realize that you are seeing the world through Jojo’s young eyes, and that he is a sensitive, insecure boy who is desperate for acceptance. Jojo uncritically accepts the worst Nazi propaganda about the Jews to the point that when he actually meets a Jewish girl he asks where her horns are (“They don’t grow in until you are 21,” she coyly replies). What follows is a complex tale of human drama told from a persistently childish (in the best sense of that word) perspective. The fact that it doesn’t just fly apart into an incoherent mess is a testament to Waititi’s skill as a director (WHY was he not nominated?) and a story that starts out uncomfortably off-putting ends up being thought-provoking and heartwarming. This film defies all expectation and should not be missed.

Little Women. A fresh take on a much-beloved classic, “Little Women” follows a family of 4 sisters through late childhood and early adulthood as they struggle with questions of marriage and career through the lens of an 18th-century culture that has quite definite opinions on these matters. The sisters are well cast and have good chemistry. Two of them - Saoirse Ronan as Jo and Florence Pugh as Amy - were nominated for their trouble. Throw in Laura Dern as Marmee and Meryl Streep as the irrepressible Aunt March and you’ve got a powerhouse cast that drives the film forward and keeps things lively. The storytelling is deft throughout, but for my money the best part is at the end when Jo suddenly and inexplicably agrees to marry a minor character from early in the film that she didn’t even seem to like. It all feels very out of character and more than a little deus ex machina, until the coda showing Jo haggling with her publisher over the publication of her book. When he insists that the main female character must be married (or dead, either is fine) by the end of the book, she reluctantly agrees but asks for more money in return. “If I’m going to sell my heroine into marriage for money, I might as well get some of it,” she declares, adding a nice meta twist that makes Jo’s sudden nuptials not only understandable but downright delectable.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood. Director Quentin Tarantino (nominated) returns to a vein he previously mined in 2009’s “Inglorious Basterds”: The alternate-history black comedy. This time out, however, the group upon which he unleashes ahistorical vengeance is not the Nazis, but the Manson Family. Set in 1969 Hollywood in a reality not too far from our own, “Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood” follows Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio in a nominated role) as an aging TV cowboy who flies to Italy to make Spaghetti Westerns in an attempt to salvage his career. His constant companion, stunt double, and manservant is Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt, also nominated), a man of immense talent, but no ambition, who is content to carry Rick’s water as long as it doesn’t interfere with his generally zen lifestyle. What follows is a fascinating character study of the two men as they navigate the politics of Hollywood. Rick, in particular, pursues relevance with the panicked desperation that only middle-aged white men can achieve. But the show is consistently stolen by Pitt’s portrayal of Cliff as some combination of ronin samurai and burnt-out hippy. In every situation Cliff knows exactly what to do and how to do it at the same time that his motivation seems to be little more than, “Well, why not?” It’s breathtaking to watch. The Manson Family, for their part, play a minor, oblique role through most of the film, only to fall victim to Tarantino’s signature cartoonish uber-violence in the film’s climax. Never before has someone being set on fire been this laugh-out-loud funny. “Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood” is like a rollercoaster: don’t over-analyze it, just enjoy the ride. And it is a very enjoyable ride.

Parasite. This is another film I walked into with no foreknowledge and ended up being very pleasantly surprised. “Parasite” is a film from Korea that at its core is about income inequality, but the lens that it uses to examine this phenomenon is unique. “Parasite” follows the Kims, a downtrodden, working-class family of four barely scraping by in the slums of Seoul. Son Ki-Woo is very smart, but can’t afford to attend college like his friend Min-Hyuk, so when Min-Hyuk has a chance to study abroad he asks Ki-Woo to pose as a college student and take over his position tutoring the daughter of the rich Park family. Ki-Woo does so, and through a series of increasingly hilarious hijinks the entire Kim family becomes employed by the Parks in different capacities. The contrast between the capable, sensible, but poor Kims and the clueless but rich Parks is played to maximal comic effect, and you think this is an enjoyable romp and you pretty much know where it’s going. When all of a sudden, in the middle of the second act, the entire film takes a jarring left turn and sends you careening into bizarre, unexplored territory. I won’t spoil it for you, but director Bong Joon Ho richly deserves his nomination for crafting such a compelling story that completely defies expectations.

- THE PRETENDERS -

Ford v Ferrari. This is the true story of how legendary driver and car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) teamed up with the Ford Motor Company to take on Enzo Ferrari and win Le Mans. Central to the effort is the cantankerous Ken Miles (played with verve and gusto by Christian Bale), a British driver and engineer who is obsessed with racing to the exclusion of almost everything else, especially social niceties. When an ambitious, young Lee Iacocca proposes that Ford buy the ailing Ferrari, only to be humiliated by Enzo himself, Henry Ford II (aka “The Deuce”) declares war on Ferrari’s beloved racing team and their dominance at Le Mans. Shelby is recruited as one of a very few Americans to have ever won that race, and he insists on bringing along Miles as one of the few people who share his burning, all-consuming passion for racing. But Ken’s brash, irreverent style conflicts with Ford’s corporate image, and there ensues a protracted battle between Shelby and “the suits.” This is all handled deftly. The interpersonal struggles are well-motivated and feel real, the racing scenes are exciting, and the ultimate, somewhat mixed climax feels very satisfying. Definitely a very good movie, just not a great one.

The Irishman. Pacino. De Niro. Pesci. Keitel. Scorsese. Must be a gangster movie. This time around Scorsese takes on True Crime by studying the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of one-time Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa (played by Al Pacino in a nominated role that is more than a little ironic given Hoffa’s frequent anti-Italian tirades). The titular Irishman is Frank Sheeran (De Niro); a Teamsters driver, turned scam artist, turned Mob enforcer, turned Hoffa confidant and Union Local President. All of the clichéd gangster tropes are here: the steak dinners, the smoke-filled rooms, the bizarre, posturing pseudo-conversations where nothing is actually said, but everybody “gets the message,” the sudden, brutal violence. All of it. And it is all executed expertly, being second nature to this team by this point. But for my money the film really revolves around Sheeran’s daughter, Peggy (played by Lucy Gallina as a child and Anna Paquin as an adult). Even as a child Peggy sees through the bluff and bluster of Mafia “honor” to its brutal core of senseless violence, and she holds her father in distain for it. This particularly rankles Sheeran’s Don and protector Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci, also nominated), whose lifelong efforts to curry favor with Peggy come to naught. And when Peggy takes a shine to Jimmy Hoffa, seeing him as an honorable man helping people live better lives, Russell’s knickers are well and truly twisted. After Hoffa’s disappearance (the film makes no mystery of it, but I won’t spoil it) Peggy and Frank become fully estranged. Towards the end of his life Frank feels compelled to make a furtive attempt at reconciliation, but offers no remorse nor even any understanding of why Peggy stopped talking to him in the first place. The film ends with Sheeran alone and forgotten in a nursing home, being interviewed by some FBI agents still desperately trying to close the Hoffa case. They point out to him that all of his compatriots are dead, running through a roll call of the characters we have been watching for the past two hours. “Who are you protecting?” they ask. Sheeran has no answer, but offers no assistance, for in the end his loyalty was all he ever had.

Joker. Not since 2012’s “Les Misérables” has a movie been as monotonously bleak as “Joker.” Purportedly the origin story of Batman’s nemesis, “Joker” is a Chinese water torture of debasement and degradation. There’s no real theme or plot; just drip drip drip of indignities piled one upon the other. For hours. The titular Joker doesn’t even emerge from the tortured psyche of Arthur Fleck (played by Joaquin Phoenix in a nominated role) until the film’s waning moments, and even then he is literally just a crazy clown with a gun; hardly a suitable foil for the Batman. Phoenix gamely portrays an abused, antisocial misfit, but the skill with which he applies his craft is not put to any greater purpose. There’s no redemption here, or even a moral, just misery piled upon a man who has always been miserable and always will be. Each year there are at least one or two nominations that I cannot understand. With “Joker,” not only do I fail to understand the nomination, I can’t even understand why it was MADE.

Marriage Story. Meet the Barbers, Charlie and Nicole. They are beautiful (looking exactly like Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson - both nominated) and accomplished: he a playwright and director in New York’s theater community, she a star of stage and screen and Charlie’s favorite leading lady. When Nicole is offered a TV pilot shooting in Hollywood she decides to take son Henry with her, but removed from Charlie’s directorial dictates and suffocating ambition she decides to never go back. What follows is a bi-coastal divorce proceeding and custody battle that pits two people against each other who actually like and admire ~90% of the other, but just can’t reconcile the other 10%. The Barbers have different goals and agendas, but no real animus towards each other. However, the only system available to them for moving forward is one designed along ruthless, winner-take-all grounds. This leads to much conflict and soul-searching. Eventually, through introspection and growth, they manage to achieve something approaching a conscious uncoupling without scarring Henry too much in the process.

So which SHOULD win?

There were a lot of very good, enjoyable films in the class, but only 3 that really made you think about film as an art form and its capabilities: “1917,” “Jojo Rabbit,” and “Parasite.” Of these three Jojo Rabbit was both the most thought-provoking and the most straight-up enjoyable. My pick for the best movie of 2019 is: Jojo Rabbit.

But which WILL win?

“1917” appears to be the favorite, with “Parasite” a potential dark horse. I’m going with “1917,” and I can’t quibble too much; it’s a really good film.

And in the other categories ...

Best Actress: Renee Zellweger looks like a lock for her role in “Judy.”

Best Supporting Actress: Laura Dern should win here, not for being the mother of the Little Women, but for being the glamorous, “take no prisoners” Hollywood divorce lawyer in “Marriage Story.”

Best Actor: Joaquin Phoenix should follow in Heath Ledger’s footsteps by winning an Oscar portraying the Joker. While I am loathe to see this depressing trainwreck of a film garner any accolades, I must grudgingly admit that Phoenix gives a powerful performance. Still not worth seeing the film, however.

Best Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt should run away with this category. His performance definitely IS worth seeing “Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood.”

Best Director: Again this is a race between Sam Mendes for “1917” and Bong Joon Ho for “Parasite.” And again “1917” is the clear favorite and “Parasite” is the dark horse. The Academy has taken to splitting Best Picture and Best Director of late, but I’m going to play it safe and choose Mendes.

Best International Feature Film: “Parasite” should earn its richly-deserved Oscar here. As well as ...

Best Original Screenplay: Look for “Parasite” here. It is definitely very original.

Best Adapted Screenplay: Jojo Rabbit. I would have loved to see Waititi nominated - and even win - for directing, but he will have to settle for winning for his writing. Something tells me he’ll be fine.

Best Cinematography: 1917

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Bombshell

That’s it for this year. Until next year, save me an aisle seat

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tocinephile · 5 years ago

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Ada’s Top 20 Films of the 2010′s

2010 seems long ago. It was the year when Netflix, previously a mail order DVD rental operation, launched its streaming service and changed our TV/movie consumption forever. Originally known for old favourites and terrible in-house productions, Netflix and its competitors such as Amazon Studios have gone on to become award season contenders in just a few short years. The functions of film festivals and movie theatres have shifted due to streaming services’ enormous effects. This decade also saw the warp up of some beloved sagas and series on the big screen - from Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy to Harry Potter (more on those later!) Then there was an entire Star Wars Trilogy and end to a saga, which, love or hate it, was something many of us have been literally waiting our whole lives for. Throw in some Marvel at every turn, and an assuring expanse into the exploration of LGBTQ+ subjects, toss out Harvey Weinstein, and I think you have a reasonably accurate summation of film in the 2010′s. Something else close to my heart that unfortunately also fell to the wayside this past decade is Hong Kong cinema. Once famed for slick neo noir style action with an eye-popping blend of gun play and kung fu, the genre has died to a trickle as the Chinese film industry evolves. Without (much) further pre-amble, here is a list of my top 20 films of the 2010′s, chosen based on personal preference, and what I perceive to be cultural/technological/cinematic significance, presented in no definitive order...

The Social Network (2010) I talk about the things that were different at the start of the decade, and Facebook was certainly one of them. Although still a top contender in the social media minefield, at the beginning of the decade Facebook was king. From the cinema perspective, this was also a David Fincher directed, and Aaron Sorkin written film. These credentials aside, the film was additionally recognized for its editing, soundtrack, and transforming Jesse Eisenberg from the “poor man’s Michael Cera” (and what is Michael Cera doing these days again??) to a formidable dramatic talent. Altogether was a way to immortalize Mark Zuckerberg on screen eh? Inception (2010) Brace yourselves, I will tell you now that the 2010′s was the decade of Christopher Nolan for me. I didn’t realize until I compiled this list, that starting with this mind-bending thriller, every film he made this decade is right up there for me. Aside from its story, the stunning visuals, and pacing, Inception was cleverly tied together to give me one of the most unforgettable movie going experiences this decade. The Artist (2011) The best kind of homage here, and reminder that story and performance are what make up a good film. Is this an Art House film? Sure, but the story transcends even words, it’s a celebration, and a love story not just between two characters but to cinema itself.

Hugo (2011)

And speaking of celebration of cinema, does anyone really do it better than Martin Scorsese? In this case, an homage to a forefather of motion picture wrapped in the ultimate feel good family film. Seeing Melies’ films within a film, the automatons, and the blend of history and fantasy, make you believe. When asked to name a good family film, I often name this one. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011) The final film of the series and also my favourite chapter. Deathly Hallows is a good example where the 2-parter turns out to be a good idea rather than a mere cash grab (as in the case Twilight). It set a precedent showcasing the benefits of a longer story format that is enhancing for the story. Also, the Battle of Hogwarts, how do you get enough? Amiright? Super 8 (2011) 2011 was really the year of terrific family films. J.J. Abram’s Super 8 was no exception. It was through Super 8 that I was introduced to Abram’s sense of adventure and wonder through his characters. This was also Steven Spielberg produced adding to its positive attributes. When Abrams made Star Wars: The Force Awakens later in the decade, I was thrilled he was at the helm based on my love for Super 8. Moonrise Kingdom (2012) A different family film by Wes Anderson, and also one of the most endearing love stories told on the big screen this year. His follow up The Grand Budapest Hotel was also a contender for my best of the decade list but ultimately the unconventional young couple in Moonrise Kingdom versus the flagrantly over the top romantic gestures in Grand Budapest helped me make my choice. Still, both are visually spectacular. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Christopher Nolan film #2 and the close out to the best Batman trilogy. While a certain level of campiness has come to be associated with preceding Batman offerings, Nolan and Christian Bale did something different and in turn won over a lot of new audiences for the superhero genre. While you can’t turn these days without bumping into a Marvel, etc. production, I think the quality of superhero films was raised leaps and bounds this decade and much of it in thanks to Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy which began in the decade before. Dallas Buyers Club (2013) Oscar accolades (and Jennifer Garner) aside, Dallas Buyers Club by Canadian filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallee told a important story and told it well. It also brought Vallee’s work to a larger scale audience than any of his previous projects, giving him the attention he so very much deserves. From set design to story to acting, I truly believe this was one of the best films of the decade.

The Theory of Everything (2014) I may be partial to biopics but there’s no denying the venerability of Stephen Hawking, and Stephen Hawking as portrayed by Eddie Redmayne... well, there are no words! Boyhood (2014) When I first began compiling this list, Boyhood was one of the first few films to come to mind. Aside from being directed by one of my favourite filmmakers Richard Linklater (who was also featured in my 2000′s list with Before Sunset - which I argue is still the best of the trilogy) it was also a very ambitious undertaking as a filmmaker. It’s my hope that the significance of Boyhood isn’t diminished in the age of digital aging/de-aging technologies, to do something like this organically is a labour of love. To commit to a project that spends 12 years in production is firstly insanity, but then to have a finished product that ties so seamlessly together in a tale of family, life, and love. Who knows if this will ever be done again? Interstellar (2014) Christopher Nolan film #3. I’m not as into movies about space and time travel as I was as a teenager/young adult, so I’m of the belief that while I still watch a fair amount of them, fewer and fewer truly stand out. When it came to explore this decade’s offerings, Interstellar and First Man were the only two even worth mentioning to me. The latter was more traditionally biopic-ish, though well told, and I maintain has the best soundtrack of 2018. Interstellar on the other hand had other thought-provoking layers (as I have come to expect from Nolan). What We Do in the Shadows (2014) And now for something completely different! What would life be like if Taika Waititi didn't make films? Mankind has been telling stories since the beginning of time so it’s understandingly hard to come up with truly original stories after thousands of years, and yet... Taika Waititi does it! Seriously though , What We Do In the Shadows was the single funniest film I’ve watched this decade. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) If What We Do in the Shadows was the funniest movie of the decade, then Mad Max: Fury Road had to be hands down the most intense, non-stop, adrenaline rush thriller. Again, I watch a lot of this stuff and find myself largely disillusioned or unimpressed with most of what’s out there. Sure, I love the Avengers movies, and I’m always up for gratuitous violence but so few of these films will make me stop everything that I’m doing and stay rooted on the spot for the entire film - which I can recall distinctly is what happened when I put on this film on in early 2016. The Hateful Eight (2015) Westerns aren’t my cup of tea, but it’s common knowledge that Quentin Tarantino certainly is. When it came time to choose a QT film for my list, and we all know that’s exactly how I went about it. Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood was never even a contender, it was between Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight, overall I appreciated the simple (but elaborate!) set up of a cast of questionable characters in a cabin that kept me entranced for near 3 hours just listening to them talk. Straight Outta Compton (2015) Ok, there’s a clear nostalgia factor in play here, but Straight Outta Compton was also straight up good storytelling, coupled with a badass soundtrack. I didn’t give it much thought until later, but there’s also a certain level of accessibility in the storytelling, it was a film that was made for a wide audience without sparking disdain from dedicated members of the rap/hip hop community (not much significant backlash that I'm aware anyway... As someone who’s been devoted to certain subcultures, I can vouch this is entirely a possibility.)

Blue Jay (2016) Who has no idea what film this is? Hint: go watch it on Netflix. In the 2000′s I included Conversations with Other Women in my top 20 list, I feel like Blue Jay is my 2010′s equivalent. Not that I was looking for an equivalent but I have an appreciation for unforgettable stories about the undeniable attraction between two people who have previously had a failed relationship with each other. It's Sarah Paulson and Mark Duplass on screen the entire time, and it's completely engrossing. Not an easy feat, not appreciated by many, but glorious to me. Call Me By Your Name (2017) This is my Ghost World of the 2010′s, not because the content is at all alike, but because it’s the only movie I watched repeatedly, and the only book in history that I’ve read twice in a single month. Some stories just touch you, this one did. Factor in the brilliant performances, the exquisite writing, beautiful settings, music, and every intricacy that together made up the whole film. I only wish I had more pretty words to give it a proper description but I will never come close to what Andre Aciman and James Ivory and Luca Guadagnino put on screen. Dunkirk (2017) Christopher Nolan film #4. Dunkirk was the first film I thought of when I started to make this list. It seemed so obvious. While I said I wasn’t ranking these Top 20 films of the decade, if hard pressed, I would put Dunkirk at the top. Not merely a good historical drama, this was a technical achievement. There’s a lot of articles out there about how a special plane was refitted to house the camera, you can read those online. What I think needs to be mentioned more often is astounding sound mixing and design in Dunkirk. It’s so good, and I’ve been privileged to see it in 70MM and in Imax that I’m hesitant to watch it in my home with my dinky home theatre now. When they update the history of film textbooks, they’d better be adding Dunkirk. The Irishman (2019) Ok, so maybe this isn’t Marty’s best. Maybe it’s a slight rehashing of his best work. (But his best is so good, the rehashing is still miles beyond the rest!) But to me, it’s Martin Scorsese embracing the evolution of storytelling in film, the formats in which it's presented, and how he’s going to adapt it in his favour. What you have here is an excessive piece of work that would likely not ever have been made in the last 50 years due to cost, impracticality, audience appreciation, what have you. However, in an unexpected turn, longer formats have come back into favour, and found a new platform in which to present themselves (ie. streaming servies like Netflix) So here he is, and here is The Irishman. There you have it movie lovers, more or less my top 20 films for the 2010's. Here is an abbreviated recap:

The Social Network - dir. David Fincher (2010)

Inception - dir. Christopher Nolan (2010)

The Artist - dir. Michel Hazanavicius (2011)

Hugo - dir. Martin Scorsese (2011)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - dir. David Yates (2011)

Super 8 - dir. J.J. Abrams (2011)

Moonrise Kingdom - dir. Wes Anderson (2012)

The Dark Knight Rises - dir. Christopher Nolan (2012)

Dallas Buyers Club - dir. Jean-Marc Vallee (2013)

The Theory of Everything - dir. James Marsh (2014)

Boyhood - dir. Richard Linklater (2014)

Interstellar - dir. Christopher Nolan (2014)

What We Do in the Shadows - dir. Taika Waititi (2014)

Mad Max: Fury Road - dir. George Miller (2015)

The Hateful Eight - dir. Quentin Tarantino (2015)

Straight Outta Compton - dir. F. Gary Gray (2015)

Blue Jay - dir. Alex Lehmann (2016)

Call Me By Your Name - dir. Luca Guadagnino (2017)

Dunkirk - dir. Christopher Nolan (2017)

The Irishman - dir. Martin Scorsese (2019)

Just missing the list was The Favourite - dir. Yorgos Lanthimos (2018). I actually miscounted my movies during the first draft of this list and originally had this to say about The Favourite when I'd mistakenly thought it'd made the list:

The Favourite (2018) This is the only film on the list that's not here because of its story. It’s not a bad story, but plot alone wouldn’t put The Favourite amongst my favourites. (Also a part of me has yet to forgive Yorgos Lanthimos for making me endure Dogtooth) What makes The Favourite stand out is that it’s genre-bending, it’s like an absurd period piece for lack of a better description, and it’s awesome. Also the camera work including those panning shots with an extreme wide angle lens combined with the elaborate costume design really makes the film pop visually in a most wonderfully unconventional way.

Other films that didn't wind up making the cut:

The Town (2010)

Last Night (2010)

Rare Exports (Finland 2010)

Django Unchained (2012)

Cloud Atlas (2012)

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Captain Phillips (2013)

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)

The Danish Girl (2015)

Get Out (2017)

The Shape of Water (2017)

The Hate U Give (2018)

And two others I'd like to mention are:

1. Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012), which is an affecting film but admittedly will never be my cup of tea. Doesn't mean it's not great. And,

2. Eden (France 2014) a personal favourite that I had not even considered for one of the 20 best films of the decade, but delightfully it showed up on a Vulture article about the best films of the decade in 47th place (coincidentally the writer's initials are also A.W. and this is what they had to say...)

There you have it, my decade in film summed up. I look forward to sharing many more film experiences and thoughts with you in the years to come. Our annual January challenge "30 Films in 31 Days" commences for another year starting tomorrow, and I hope to be able to follow shortly after with my top films of 2019. Happy movie-going and happy new year!

#best films #top 20 films #best films of the decade #movies of the 2010s

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weekendwarriorblog · 5 years ago

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Welcome to Awards Season Part 3 – The Performances of 2019

Okay, things went a bit haywire with my scheduling on what I hoped to be an ongoing (and weekly) column/series, but to be perfectly honest, I need to focus on paid writing work. I actually had a whole second part of the movies piece that talked about the movies that premiered in the September festival season and in recent months, but it was going very, VERY long, and I just didn’t have time to finish it. It would have been great, as The Godfathers* once sang, “If I Only Had the Time.” (*Look ‘em up on Spotify.. this is a real band and they’re awesome!)

Instead, as you can determine by the title above, I want to talk about some of the actors in this year’s awards races, which has become quite a bit more competitive than it has in years past.

What’s interesting about the Oscar acting race is that there are some really strong precursors like the Golden Globes, Critics Choice and SAG, but they’re all different groups with only SAG having any membership overlap with the Academy. All three groups have announced their nominations with the actual awards being presented over the next few weeks. The first two winners will be announced before the Oscar nominations on Jan 13, and then SAG announces a week later.

Another thing to note is that everyone has a different opinion of what makes a great performance. Some like really emotive performances, others appreciate transformative roles where you no longer recognize the actors, and in some cases, a movie just has such a good script that an actor’s ability to deliver those lines is enough to honor their roles. We have some of all of those below, and this has been an amazing year where we have a number of tough acting categories to fill.

Often, all the voting groups might agree on three or four nominees in each acting category and there’s one or two slots open for others but this year definitely seems to be a lot of possibilities with some categories only have one or two sure-things, which can lead to a lot of surprises when Oscar nominations are announced on Monday morning, January 13.

THE ONE-OFFS

There are a couple movies that are getting a lot of attention for their lead performances, usually title roles, and that’s almost the only thing that’s getting any mention. Two or three of these days may get Oscar nominations, but it’s repeatedly been tough for actors to win in movies not nominated for Best Picture and only one of these three stands a chance in getting more than an acting award.

Joker

Todd Phillips’ take on a Batman villain origin story doesn’t have a ton of agreement on why it’s good or bad, but one thing everyone can agree on is Joaquin Phoenix’s harrowing portrayal of Arthur Fleck, which actually gives the late Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning portrayal of the character in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knighta run for its money. Even though none of the other performances in the movie are getting attention, I totally can see this getting other nominations for screenplay, technical categories and maybe even Best Picture which puts Phoenix in good place as a front runner for lead actor.

Judy

Another brilliant performance that no one can deny is Renee Zellweggerchanneling an older Judy Garland in this biopic that sees the aging singer/actor trying to mount a comeback at a series of London dates. It reminded me a lot of last year’s Stan and Olliebut Zellwegger has never been better in terms of what she puts into transforming into Garland when onstage performing but also creating an incredibly emotional

Rocketman

Another movie that I wish was getting more transaction is this Elton John musical that’s filled with his music but is equally brilliant for Taron Egerton’s performance for the veteran music man, a role that involves him singing all of his own vocals (unlike last year’s Oscar winner Rami Malik in Bohemian Rhapsody) and performing very emotional scenes. I love the movie, and I was glad to see Egerton get both

Dolemite is My Name

The last time Eddie Murphy was seriously a contender in the awards race was for his supporting role in 2006’s Dreamgirls, although he ended up losing the Oscar to Alan Arkin after winning SAG and the Golden Globe. Murphy is going all-out for his portrayal of Rudy Ray Moore in a movie that harks back to James Franco in The Disaster Artista few years back. Murphy already received a Golden Globe nomination in the Musical/Comedy category where his toughest competition may be Taron Egerton, but Murphy’s comeback trail might be paved with a second Golden Globe after six nominations.

Hustlers

The other actor getting almost all the attention for her movie is Jennifer Lopezin this crime-drama set in the world of strip clubs, and she already has enough support that she could be considered one of the frontrunners in the supporting actress category. Still, it’s going to be hard for Oscar voters to take her or the movie too seriously due to the subject matter, so like Murphy, she’s doing a lot of extra-curricular stuff to get her out there (like performing half-time at the Super Bowl), which should guarantee Lopez a well-deserved Oscar nomination.

Jordan Peele’s follow-up to Get Outmay not have gotten as much awards traction, but considering that it came out in March, the support its getting for its star Lupita Nyong’oboth from critics and from early awards voters is refreshing for her performance in what is a straight-up genre film. She did not receive a Golden Globe nomination but her SAG nomination over other favorites (like Awkwafina) makes her a serious contender for a second Oscar nomination. (She won the Oscar for her first nomination in 12 Years a Slave.)

Uncut Gems

After a strong platform release, the Safdie Brothers’ new crime-comedy-thriller (?), starring Adam Sandler, has opened nationwide, and Sandler’s performance is getting a lot of the praise and accolades for the movie, although he wasn’t nominated for a Golden Globe (possibly cause of the film’s confusing genre classification, although Sandler was previously nominated for Punch Drunk Loveyears ago). It did get a Critics Choice nomination as well as an Independent Spirit nomination, but it seems like a tough battle to convert that into an Oscar nod.

Harriet

There’s something to be said about Cynthia Erivo’s performance as Harriet Tubman in an otherwise weak biopic (compared to some of the others this year), but she has already been nominated in all three previous precursors (SAG, Golden Globes, Critics Choice) which puts her in a good place to get one of five nominations. The question is whether she’ll get a nomination on the merits of the movie and her performance or if it’s a response to #OscarsSoWhite and the lack of women of color other than possibly Awkwafina, which would put her up against Lupita.

Just Mercy

Destin Daniel Cretton’s adaptation of this popular novel hasn’t been getting nearly as much critical or awards traction as other movies, but it’s best bet is Jamie Foxxas a prisoner on Death Row, which also got a surprising SAG nomination despite not receiving any other awards. We’ll see if the movie gets any traction now that it’s in limited release. It will only hit theaters nationwide just as the Oscar nomination process is closing.

THE ENSEMBLES

A good problem for a movie to have is to have so many great performances by its cast that it’s hard to just single out one great performance. Sometimes, this means that it’s best best is in the SAG Ensemble category rather than in individual ones, but there are a few where there are clear standouts in an overall great cast.

Parasite

Bong Joon-ho’s class dramedy-thriller has gotten a lot of love and attention from critics over the past year since it debuted at Cannes, and a lot of that is due to its amazing cast. There are great performances by mostly unknown Korean actors, some of whom have been working for decades in Korea but you’d be hard-pressed to get anyone to remember any single name. The one exception may be Song Kang-ho, who is easily the Tom Hanks/Cruise of Korea, having worked with Director Bong since the beginning of his career. Lots of

The Irishman

Martin Scorsese’s latest crime-drama about the Jimmy Hoffa disappearance has an amazing ensemble cast, although like Marriage Storyand others above and below, it’s getting the most attention for three amazing performances. Probably the most attention is being paid to two performances: Joe Pesci in his return to the screen after many years, reuniting with Scorsese, and Al Pacino, who shockingly never worked with Scorsese before, instead being the lynchpin of Francis Ford Coppola’s “Godfather” movies. The irony is that they’re both supporting roles to that of Robert De Niro, who not only plays the main character but also originally found the book and brought the project to Scorsese. De Niro is really good in the movie, better than he’s been in years, but it’s not the sort of transformative or emotional role that often gets attention. The fact that BOTH SAG and the Golden Globes left De Niro off their list might prove that there isn’t nearly as much support for this movie, although it’s likely to get two acting nominations in the supporting category.

Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood

In some ways, Quentin Tarantino’s ninth movie is in the exact same boat as Scorsese’s, because it’s a great ensemble but three performances in particular are getting all the attention.Obviously, Leonardo DiCapriois well liked and well-respected by the Academy to receive as many Oscar nominations as he has (before winning for The Revenant), and he’s doing something very different in Tarantino’s latest, definitely more comical. It’s an interesting counterpoint to the performance by Brad Pitt, who is just so dominant in the film in every scene that it’s hard not to think that putting him into the supporting category might help him win much like Christoph Waltz did for Django Unchainedand George Clooney in Syriana. (Oh, the joys of category fraud!) Margot Robbieis also pretty amazing in the film as Sharon Tate, but it’s not nearly as moving and memorable as her performance in…

Bombshell

The Jay Roach-directed Fox News sex scandal movie was released a few weeks back and has expanded nationwide with not much of a fanfare, but the biggest support it’s received is from SAG, who gave it four nominations including the coveted Ensemble Cast nomination against some of the stronger Best Picture contenders like Irishman, Parasiteand Once Upon a Time. Charlize Theron’s multiple nominations as Megyn Kelly by most of the groups, including Golden Globes, definitely gives her an edge to get into the Oscar nominations, and Robbie’s portrayal of a composite character is also quite compelling. Amazingly, Nicole Kidmanalso received a nomination for her turn as Gretchin Carlson, a much smaller role, but that was from SAG, who has more in common with the Academy than other groups. I’m a little bummed that John Lithgowisn’t getting more attention for his performance as Roger Ailes or Kate McKinnonfor that matter.

Little Women

This might be better off in the one-off category, because so much attention is being foisted on Saoirse Ronan’s second performance in a Greta Gerwig movie that other great performances are mostly being ignored. That is, except for Florence Pugh, who is just as amazing playing Amy in two different periods, both younger and more mature. Frankly, I think Timothée Chalametis also terrific (as he is in The King), as is Chris Cooper and Laura Dern, but people have issues with some of the choices made and the movie might be more impressive for Gerwig’s adaptation than any single performance. The fact that this didn’t get a SAG ensemble nomination in a VERY crowded year is somewhat telling, but Ronan was also left off the list which might mean she may have to watch this year’s Oscars from Ireland.

Waves

I also want to mention Trey Edward Schutt’s latest movie, which has fantastic performances by Kelvin Harrison, Jr, newcomer Taylor Russell, Lucas Hedgesand Sterling K. Brown, the latter giving a fine supporting role. Unfortunately, despite the critical support, this one seems to be getting lost in the shuffle of a busier-than-usual fall awards season. The fact that Brown has yet to receive a nomination means this one is probably D.O.A., but still a fine dramatic film.

MULTIPLE PERFORMANCE FILMS OF NOTE

The next few movies also have great ensemble casts but their focus seems to be even more radar-focused on one or two performances, which may be why none of them received SAG Ensemble nominations.

Marriage Story

Noah Baumbach’s relationship drama might be the only movie this year that has a chance at the extremely elusive ability to be nominated in all four acting categories, something we’ve only seen recently with two of David O. Russell’s movies, Silver Linings Playbookand American Hustle. A lot of attention is being focused on the powerful, emotional performances by Adam Driverand Scarlett Johanssonand rightfully so, but Laura Dernis pretty amazing as the latter’s divorce lawyer, and it’s so wonderful to see Alan Aldaon screen as one of Driver’s kinder lawyers. This might be another case where the screenplay is so good that all the actors are doing their best work, although the lack of a SAG Ensemble nomination (despite those great performances) and Baumbach not receiving a Golden Globe nomination for directing also puts a slight damper. So far, the first three actors have received nominations from every precursor group and that should help get them Oscar nominations, although Dern has the best chances at converting her nomination to an actual Oscar since she doesn’t have as much definite competition.

The Farewell

We then get into the Sundance premieres that I spoke about last time, and Lulu Wang’s personal dramedy about going to China to visit her dying Nana, who was unaware of her condition. The movie has a beautiful performance by Awkwafina, one of last year’s breakout stars. She has already received Golden Globe and Critics Choice nominations but was ignored by SAG in favor of others. That doesn’t mean that she’s completely out of the race and to the actor’s credit, she’s been doing the most in terms of getting out there and talking about the movie/role, which will keep her on people’s minds when filling out their awards ballot. It’s hard not to give equal credit to the Chinese actress, Zhao Shuzhen, for her performance as Nana, although she hasn’t received nearly as much early awards recognition, just a Critics Choice nomination. If you remember, Alfonso Cuaron’s Romagot a supporting actress nomination for a lesser-known Mexican actress, so maybe this film will get similar love. As much as I love this movie, I feel that both actors are starting to become outliers within very crowded categories, but it’s hard to deny what they both bring to Wang’s film.

The Two Popes

One of four Netflix movies that the streaming service is pushing is this drama that features a fantastic script by Anthony McCarten (Darkest Hour) and two amazing performances by Jonathan Pryceand Anthony Hopkins, which certainly deserve accolades. The question is whether the Academy members give much support to the movie over others in a very crowded year. If this movie is able to get a Best Picture nomination or screenplay, one can probably assume that one or both actors will get nominated but it seems like Hopkins has a better chance, just cause Pryce is competing in a much tougher Lead Actor category. Both actors received Golden Globe nominations and Hopkins was nominated for a Critics Choice nod, but neither received SAG nominations, which isn’t great for their Oscar chances.

Clemency

A movie that just got released (today, in fact) after first premiering at Sundance all the way back in January might be in a place where it’s been forgotten by some and not seen by others, which is a shame, since the performances by Alfre Woodard and Aldis Hodgeare two of the year’s best even though the movie is definitely a tougher drama, maybe even than the somewhat similar Just Mercy. Unlike that one, this movie probably won’t even get a wide release, so it will probably get lost in the shuffle.

The Report

Another movie that got a ton of attention out of Sundance but has lost a lot traction since is Scott Z. Burns’ political thriller starring Adam Driverand Annette Bening, the latter as Senator Dianne Feinstein, who oddly is getting more attention than Driver. (It might since Driver is so much better in Marriage Storythat few are paying much heed to his equally great performance in this.) Bening did get a Golden Globe nomination but no SAG OR Critics Choice, so it feels like she may be an outlier in the supporting actress category.

Richard Jewell

An otherwise decent real-life drama that has been mired in politics and other stuff is Clint Eastwood’s new movie about the Atlanta Olympics bombing and the title security guard, as played by Paul Walter Hauser, who helped save lives but then was accused of planting the bomb. Hauser is quite fantastic, as is Kathy Batesas his mother, but only the latter has gotten any awards attention with her Golden Globe nomination.

DECENT PERFORMANCES IN OTHERWISE TOUGHER SELLS

The four movies below are likely to be remembered as the movies that people liked but didn’t get as much attention for their performances as for more technical aspects.

The Lighthouse

Another movie that got quite a bit of critical attention at Cannes ala Parasite but hasn’t been able to convert that into much attention beyond that is Robert Eggers’ second movie that relies so much on the two-hander performances by Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe. Dafoe seemed like a shoe-in to get a fifth Oscar nomination for his role – personally, I thought he was better in Edward Norton’s Motherless Brooklyn– but supporting actor has just become far too competitive in the later months of the year.

Jojo Rabbit

Taiki Waititi’s Nazi satire has many fans – I’m not one of them – but winning the Audience Award at the Toronto Film Festival is one of the precursors for the Academy’s Best Picture category that can’t be ignored. On top of that, Scarlett Johansson (already sitting pretty with her inevitable Marriage Storynomination) was nominated by SAG and the Critics Choice in the supporting category, which shows support for the movie, even though the Golden Globes only nominated her co-star Roman Griffin Davisas filler in the Actor, Musical/Comedy category. (He also could be a frontrunner for the Critics Choice Young Actor/Actress.) The thing is that they might have a tougher time at the Oscars, especially with so many other options in the supporting actress category.

Ford vs. Ferrari

I guess I’m a bigger fan of James Mangold’s racing drama than many of my fellow critics, and yet, many were surprised by the amount of support that Christian Balehas been getting in the earlier side of awards season, most notably with SAG and Golden Globe nominations, yet nada from the Critics Choice (my own group!). That’s really interesting, and it shows continued support and respect for the frequently-nominated Oscar winner, and we’ll have to see if that can translate to another Oscar nomination.

1917

Sam Mendes’ movie is fantastic and is likely to get a lot of Oscar nominations and George MacKay’s performance is one that really should be getting more attention, although it’s likely to get lost in the shuffle of the amazing visuals and action of this very personal war movie.

Honey Boy

Another movie that is definitely getting a little lost in the shuffle is Alma Har’el’s narrative feature debut based on Shia LaBeouf’s screenplay, in which LaBesouf stars as a version of his own abusive Hollywood father. It also has fantastic performances by young Noah Jupe, also great in Ford v Ferrariand Lucas Hedges, but it’s a tougher movie and like Waves, it’s hard to get people to see this when there are so many bigger and stronger movies.

I have more to write about the Oscar race and maybe next time I’ll make some actual predictions… again, time permitting.

#WelcomeToAwardsseason Oscars SAG Performances Movies

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defunctblogtobedeleted · 5 years ago

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12/16/19 9:24am - post emo karaoke, journey of a day alone talking to myself

I fucking love emo karaoke

I love going out and getting compliments and being called pretty. I love my bartender who cuts a few drinks off my tab because I sit outside and smoke cigs and talk with him. I love people who ask if I’m in a band. I got invited to be in this couple’s band last night. Hope something happens with it lol. I love getting girls numbers even though I don’t really plan on hitting them up. I love boys complimenting my hair.

Last night was sweet. I keep not getting a full head to toe picture of my outfit which is annoying, but I have been getting filmed doing my songs every time. Maybe if I put enough on the internet someone will see me and think I deserve to be a singer like justin bieber lmfao. (shrug) I’m vain enough that I love watching myself.

Got to hang with peter and his new gf susie. Hadn’t seen him in forever, that was sweet. Tried to bounce to Ruby afterward to make out with some non binary girl like last time I did emo karaoke but alas it was deader than dead. So I came back to the end of the emo show and ended up getting a ride home from some friends who gave me like 5 bags of milanos. fucking sweet.

I also flirted with the host of the event last night and asked her out and got her number but she’s emotionally unavailable unfortunately. And it seems like she’s very busy. But still gotta shoot that shot lmfao.

This is my attempt to be productive. I’m sitting in bed naked. Well in a robe and slippers. Not watching the end of my anime though I might take a break soon. Trying to do as much productive shit as possible because I finally have a day to myself. It feels kinda nice, tbh. When you’re with someone all the time you don’t have a lot of time to just... sit. Kinda digging this idea of getting some space from jill a little more.

I’m gonna do a dumb arts and crafts project where I want to put some velour or fuzzy material on some socker boppers for bdsm cooldown I don’t know why but it’ll be funny.

Also I’m trying to research if silicone lube or oil based lube is better for long term butt plug wear but it’s hard to find the results I need.

Hm. Research is going well. Not on anything I ought to be looking into like my UXR but in general lol. Maybe I’ll check in later

______

9:58am

fuck I wish I still had that fabri tac. I don’t want to buy a new $10 bottle just for one project that seems excessive. Found a good alternative for pretty cheap though, hopefully that’ll work. Socker boppers project is go lol.

accidentally unplugged my laptop and started working on some flogging skills for a bit. Can’t figure out the hand pattern for florentine though, this calls for some youtube videos.

Also I realized I should totally just ask my gay buddies and pet play buddies at slosh tonight what kind of lube I should try out next. duh. Of course they’ll know better than some dumb website trying to push a product.

Gotta tumble dry some laundry real quick to fold these pants up. laundry is neverending blegh. Maybe I should do this week’s just to get ahead of it before the holidays? meh.

I wonder if I’ll look back on this and be like “wow it’s really neat seeing some nice stream of consciousness writing. I like being able to put myself back in that state of mind and really remember what my life was like” or if I’ll be like “wow this is the pedantic scribblings of a narcissistic bore” lmfao. I guess only time will tell. Maybe I’ll get killed by Trump 2020 neonazis for being a polyamorous pansexual democrat and they’ll go back and read this like it was the diary of anne frank and this will all just be part of the precursor like how they included some of anne’s boy stories. Are diaries really of any literary merit other than documenting something of historical significance? loliunno

hm. I wanted to improve my eye makeup but there’s really not all that much that I found you could do with just eyeliner. I kinda wanna get some pretty eye shadows but I’m not sure if I should do that in person or not. I still wanna look like that pretty trans girl in Euphoria sometime.

Decided I’d throw away these Nori Maki snacks that I have from hawaii still. They were best by like october but they’re like sealed and they’re just rice crackers lol. But mmm seaweed wrapped rice crackers coated in this soy sauce shit? Soy sauce is just one of the best flavors on the planet I think. Does soy sauce compete with like pesto and hoisin as one of my favorite sauces? You don’t really think of it as a contender but yknow when you have some GOOOD soy sauce and it slaps a little bit? Idk how they make it or if they even do make it but they have this stuff in a little container at grand asia market and it tastes so much better than kikkoman. Like it’s richer or something. Yum.

Maybe I’m just hungry lol. Getting the diet back on track is like 50-50. On one hand I took a nice fast day on saturday just ate some nuts and stuff, got some brie and salami to take to work to go for some super light and non-expensive days. But on the other hand last night I got sick of salami and cheese cuz i was drunk and ate a cookout burger and fries. I ordered fries for myself for the first time in months, blegh.

Okay too much nori maki this has gotta go lol kinda makes my stomach feel weird. But good idea for a vehicle for soy sauce flavor lol. I kinda want like... soy sauce gum right now.

Lol that’s enough about soy sauce.

______ 10:25am

Damn. My new cheetah ears came in. but they’re not really cheetah ears. They’ve got that yellow with the dots, but they’re way too long and pointy. Kinda would make for a nice fennec outfit or something I suppose, but definitely not for my kitty needs. I think I might have gone too hard on my 2nd+3rd tail+ears, and now everything is just gonna look shitty in comparison. The curse of balling out is you’ve gotta keep up the lifestyle 😹 But no matter. People call my leopard print cheetah all the time anyway, it looks close enough. Plus snow leopards and cheetahs both have rounded ears anyway. Which is something most people on etsy don’t seem to get lol everyone just makes triangles all the damn time.

So that’s a bust. I’m so happy I can just throw money at stupid shit and not care about it like this. I wonder how crazy I’m gonna go if I DO end up working at google. Me? With ACTUAL amounts of disposable income? OwO Damn maybe I should start actually working. Nahhh not yet.

Gotta play with some magic the gathering shit really quick lmao.

__________

1:27pm

uhhhh I just played a lot of magic the gathering. I got 15 wins so cool? got up to gold? Idk if I have the determination to go all the way to mythic this month. Or any month. I wonder if I’m fundamentally winning less games or if I’m just not as excited? My win rate couldn’t have been THAT sick, could it? I guess there was the streaks of playing RDW and mono green where I would win 7-0 in a half hour. Those were good days lol.

Hrm. I’m gonna procrastinate by moisturizing my hands now. Watching this guy play a cool dimir control deck, I could get behind playing something like that.

I guess it’s like I’m not a pleb for magic anymore, so I don’t feel motivated to unlock the cards. But I’m not rich anymore either, and I can’t just play every single deck I want because I got lazy with it. I gotta just maintain and try to unlock all the cards next set and get ahead of the game again. 👌🏻👌🏻

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thenicedolphin · 6 years ago

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Oscars Analysis With Biting Commentary: 2019 Edition!

We are BACK, with the 7th annual Oscars post from The Nice Dolphin (see links here for 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013), where Matt provides insightful, quality analysis while Alex texts some thoughts from his iPhone about how Lego Movie 2 was robbed of a nomination even though it’s not even eligible this year. As always, Matt is in regular font, and Alex comes in with the BOLD.

You know what? Lego Movie 2 WAS robbed this year! Just like how Lego Movie should’ve been nominated for Best Picture in 2015 and didn’t even get nominated to be in the ghetto of Best Animated Feature. Horseshit. We haven’t even gotten to the first category and I’m already PISSED.

Best Picture: “Black Panther” “BlacKkKlansman” “Bohemian Rhapsody” “The Favourite” “Green Book” “Roma” “A Star Is Born” “Vice”

I’ll start by noting this wasn’t my favorite years for Oscar nominees. The top picks aren’t as good as Get Out or Lady Bird (or Phantom Thread) from last year. Or Moonlight and La La Land the year before. But there are a few great films in here, along with some mediocre picks.

Nice try sneaking La La Land in there -- should’ve at least gone with Argo. I do agree that it’s a weak year. Lady Bird would’ve jobbed out almost all the other movies this year, and it was like the third best movie from last year (behind Get Out and Phantom Thread). Honestly, just go back and read last year’s post.

I’d go to bat for Roma for sure. It’s a great film. It certainly is a masterpiece of visuals and a writer/director getting to tell his personal story. It certainly felt like a movie event to watch it in theaters.

Certainly.

The sound was really creative (surround sound to make the neighborhood and events feel alive). The visuals were beautiful and poignant, as one would expect with Cuaron. He really put all his effort in telling this story, paying homage to his childhood and to the live-in maid who so strongly influenced his upbringing.

Roma starts slow, but it builds, and I became enraptured with it during the second half. Some of the sequences are intense and well worth the previous groundwork. There’s a 10-15 minute sequence (just an estimate) that left me shook and in awe at the filmmaking (the scene starting at the furniture store). Another scene gave such emotional catharsis and helped close the movie really well. Roma also has some fun tangents and moments (I think of everything around New Year’s Eve) that some may find meandering. I dug them.

While Roma was a technical masterpiece, I’m still not sold on it as a story. Literally nothing happens for the first 100 minutes then we get some things that are completely unnerving, including one image that does not feel entirely earned, to put it mildly.

TASTELESS SPOILER ALERT

Cuaron is like “yeah, let’s focus on some dog shit for two hours. Enjoying that? Well, here look at this dead baby for like 15 minutes straight.” Dude was on screen for EONS. Thought he was gunning for a best supporting nom.

SPOILERS OVER

Roma is definitely a loving portrait of Cleo, a personal ode to the women who raised Cuaron, and an astute look into the intersection of economic class and gender in 1970s Mexico, but I can’t tell if those well-made pieces combine to make a truly great movie.

Otherwise, I’m not sure how much I’d want to rewatch this film or revisit it in entirety, but I really admired it and thought it was great. It is the frontrunner, and it would deserve Best Picture.

I’m a little worried that because of its Netflix standing and that weirdness. For example, AMC and Regal didn’t include Roma in their best picture marathons/showcases because it didn’t meet the distribution requirement for those theaters. Does that affect voters too? It seemed to with a few previous prestige Netflix films, but things do seem different now. So let’s talk about the next upset contender right now: Green Book.

Green Book is an interesting movie to me. It’s fairly polarizing because of the way it treats racial issues and the friendship between Viggo Mortensen’s white Italian character (Tony Lip) and Mahershala Ali’s black character (Don Shirley). You may have seen some of the controversies, such as how Shirley’s family wasn’t consulted on the film and disputes some of the representations of Shirley’s relationship with his family (deserving of criticism in my opinion). There has been criticism of director Peter Farrelly’s past on-set antics, or co-writer (son of Tony Lip) Nick Vallelonga’s tweet history (less of an issue to me to criticize the film, but still, not great, Bob).

First and foremost, FOCK this movie. Tony Lip is racist as hell! Like REALLY racist. You can tell it was written by his son, because the movie treats Tony like he’s the perfect man who was just a touch unexposed to other cultures. He never really learned or grew, especially with the whole “You’re not even black!” rant at the end. He just goes from being super racist to not(?) racist because he’s getting paid to hang out with Dr. Shirley for a few weeks.

Green Book has two great leading performances and some wonderful friendship moments. It has some funny Italian moments (is this racist?), and it has some great moments of strength by Don Shirley in rougher times racially. But man… I just can’t get over some of the key aspects of the film.

The film really leans into the dynamic of hey, you’re black, I’m white, we’re different, but hey, we’re not so different! It feels antiquated, and this year, other films handled race relations better while being better stories overall (examples include Sorry to Bother You, Blindspotting, and If Beale Street Could Talk). Green Book’s lack of nuance reminds me of Crash and Driving Miss Daisy. Hell, the movie is called Green Book, and they barely mention it! They should have just called it something else.

I get that little Nicky V. wanted to make a film about what a big man his daddy was, but it really only should’ve been loosely based on the Lip-Shirley friendship, and it could’ve avoided all the embarrassing fallout about Shirley not actually being estranged from the family/culture.

The flipside of this is whether or not Green Book is an entertaining, good movie. And in some ways it is. The friendship is fun. The banter is entertaining. I really liked Wesley Morris’ analysis of this on a podcast with Bill Simmons, who discussed how, when you take aside race and the message, the friendship is well-portrayed and some of the editing and scenes work well.

The first 30 minutes of this movie is some of the worst stuff ever recorded. Not even in terms of movies, but like, anything. It’s just Tony and his family being super racist, him entering into a hot dog eating contest (lmao what) and hacky banter between Tony and Dr. Shirley. Tony having to explain the concept of fried chicken to Dr. Shirley was a low point in a year that featured the existence of 15:17 to Paris. LOOK AT THE BABY CHICKEN LEG SPENCER

But Green Book is trying to talk about race. It’s what the film emphasizes and it’s what the creators of the film emphasized during their awards run. And if you handle that clumsily, it’s hard for me to separate that from my enjoyment of the film. I don’t need to see more stories about white guys thinking black people are deplorable, and then well, you meet a black guy, and he isn’t so bad! That’s not a great story! Ultimately, Green Book is a solid film with some troublesome messaging that weighs it down. And the film isn’t so amazing story/acting wise to overcome those issues. It’s just kinda… vanilla.

I’ll speak more on the leads in later sections, but if it wasn’t for Mahershala Ali’s deeply nuanced portrayal of Don Shirley, this movie would be completely irredeemable. Fortunately, he’s actually given a character with some agency, but everything about him is all done in service of the white man’s story about his “growth” as a person, which is really just him learning to be less of an asshole -- not exactly a hero turn!

Also, how many fucking times did they need to cut back to Tony shrugging in the Orange Bird? Geez, we get it already.

One more point to rant on: the fact that Tony’s son co-wrote the screenplay, and then Don Shirley’s family came out strongly against some of the story points REALLY rubs me the wrong way. Let’s put it this way: if a friend of mine did a story about his friendship with me, emphasizing inaccurately that I didn’t know how to eat Korean BBQ and had initially thought the idea of it was gross, and that I was estranged from my family but considered him and his family to be my family instead??? Dawg… I would haunt you from my grave for that shit.

/quietly deletes “The Nice Dolphin” screenplay

A Star is Born seemed like a heavy contender when it came out. It crushed the box office, critics and audience members seemed to love it, but it seems to have cooled off bigtime v. Roma and Green Book (really??? Green Book???). Well, I loved it, so let me sing its praises.

A Star is Born was good, but not that good. A hugely entertaining first hour followed by some terribly-paced sequences and a weirdly undefined Jack Maine (I didn’t realize how he spelled his name until that concert poster at the end) combine for an enjoyable, but uneven film.

Star is Born coulda gone poorly. Cooper trying to direct/sing/play music, Gaga trying to act, original soundtrack, and remaking an old story. Well, it works. The music is on point, the two lead acting performances are strong. There are some magical moments in this film… the scenes where they meet and flirt, where they write music together, when they perform Shallow… it’s so good! The film is good throughout, and the ending packs a wallop. I really like Star is Born, and I hope it can get more love than its likely Best Song win.

I will admit, I knew the ending before I saw it, so some of the impact was lessened and it also basically ruined that scene with Jack and his counselor. Also it was really late at night and I was pretty cranky, so by the third or fourth scene of her lumbering around the dance studio, I was ready to call it.

Still, Gaga and Cooper have great chemistry, which made the early scenes pop. However, the movie seemed like it didn’t really know what to make of Jack. Was he truly a troubled poet, or just a raging asshole using his art as an excuse for being an awful person? Was he a big country star selling out amphitheaters or a washed up, piss-soaked loser? What the movie was trying to claim as nuance really just came off as equivocation.

I am pleasantly surprised that The Favourite got as much Oscar buzz as it did. Alex can elaborate, but Yorgos is definitely a more out there director, and The Favourite seems to work really well as a pivot for him. It’s a little more mainstream, but not completely. It’s not a sell-out. This movie is still probably too weird and rated R for some people.

As a true Yorgite, I am THRILLED that my man is getting more mainstream love. The Favourite and Black Panther are my two favorite Best Picture nominees this year, despite them basically having no shot at winning.

Even going a bit “mainstream” here (this is the most natural-sounding dialogue in the Yorgos filmography), Yorgos sacrifices nothing about his unique, vicious style. This movie is as nasty, biting, and hilarious as anything else he’s done, and the entire cast (especially the three leads) delivers.

I really liked it. The performances were great, the story was really fun (Mean Girls but in a royal setting, or All About Eve, which I haven’t seen), the camerawork was interesting. I like how unconventional it was in some ways, like the ending just sorta sneaking up on me.

I saw this in a packed theater and I could definitely tell it was a lot of older couples who thought they were in for something along the lines of “The Crown” or “Downton Abbey,” and not heavy lesbian erotica. Also, despite what he says, I don’t consider Matt a true Yorgite, so it’s no surprise he wasn’t ready for that ending. My first thought when them bunnies hit the screen? “Yorgos, you’ve done it again!” A true masterpiece.

People are worked up about Black Panther getting a nomination, and I’m like… have you seen Bohemian Rhapsody or Vice? And you’re mad about Black Panther?

People being mad about the Black Panther getting nominated and Green Book getting legit Best Picture love? If only there was some common thread here...

First, I’ve definitely had friends surprised because for them, Infinity War was better… but I mean, they’re big Marvel fans so IW was a bigger deal to them storywise. Meanwhile, a lot of friends also told me how amazing Black Panther was, how it was their favorite Marvel movie, how it was so much more than a superhero movie, etc. Critics gave it strong reviews deservingly in my opinion, and it crushed the box office because it resonated with a lot of people. Just because it’s not as critically good as Roma and it’s a superhero movie doesn’t mean that it’s only in because it’s about race or that it doesn’t deserve it.

Black Panther absolutely deserved the nomination. Despite Avengers: Infinity War being a more crucial story to the MCU, Black Panther was a better, more cohesive film. IW was basically one long chase/fight scene, which I loved, but it can’t really stand on its own.

Black Panther built an entire world, populated it with fascinating characters with complex motivations, and had some badass action scenes all within the span of like two hours.

Also, come on guys. This is the same show that’s given nominations to… Bohemian Rhapsody. And Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (did anyone actually see that?). The Post, American Sniper, Philomena (does anyone remember that?)... I mean, does a movie only deserve to be nominated because it was about an Oscar-type of topic? I say nominate more of these blockbuster movies (IF they are good). Why did Mission Impossible and Crazy Rich Asians and Game Night not get nominated when Bohemian Rhapsody did? They were better reviewed.

First of all, I take umbrage to you including American Sniper with that trash. Also, Game Night didn’t get nominated because it wasn’t that good (it’s still better than Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody, but you get it). Crazy Rich Asians and Mission Impossible were both fantastic. Actually, here is an incomplete list of movies that are better than Bohemian Rhapsody and Green Book that came out this year, but didn’t get much, if any, Oscar love:

Annihilation Bad Times at the El Royale Crazy Rich Asians Deadpool 2 The Equalizer 2 (didn’t actually see this, but it’s got Denzel) First Reformed Halloween Lego Movie (still) Mission Impossible: Fallout A Quiet Place Searching Sorry to Bother You Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse (got some love, deserved more) Widows

Honestly Teen Titans Go! To The Movies and Venom were better than that trash too.

Anyway, Black Panther rules. It’s got an awesome cast of characters, it represents culture well, Coogler crushes the direction, the story is fun, and the villain is super compelling. People loved the ending scenes of Black Panther. This movie is worthy. Also shoutout to that last scene between Boseman and Jordan. Seriously, so good. Honestly, Black Panther had at least 4 scenes that were just as dramatic AND better-done than BR.

That sounds impressive until you realize that BR had zero well-done scenes. Seriously, every time I think about that movie I hate it more. It’s the opposite of Phantom Thread. It’s the Terrestrial Thread.

Bohemian Rhapsody is probably one of the worst movies to be nominated for Best Picture in recent years. Look, if you like the movie and find it entertaining, that’s totally fine! Just don’t tell me Black Panther didn’t deserve it when it’s better in every technical aspect.

The editing is bad. The story of the movie is a censored version crafted by the living band members of Queen to paint them in the best light. Freddie Mercury is portrayed like more of an immature punk than he deserves, and the other band members seem like the grown-ups. The dramatic scenes are not very good. It’s just fine. The acting is solid. The movie is fun when the band is playing music or making music. But it really drags at parts. A solid B- crowdpleaser. NOT an Oscar movie.

The only time this movie is entertaining is when Queen is playing/making music. Just save yourself the trouble and watch some old concert DVD or whatever. Every “based on a true story” movie is going to take some liberties with the facts, but this is the first movie I can recall that makes the true story MORE boring. This is literally the exact same movie as Straight Outta Compton, except that one was better -- and didn’t even get nominated! Straight Outta Compton is the Lego Movie of musical biopics.

BlacKkKlansman was a powerful movie, though I’ll say it isn’t peak Spike Lee for me. It is really good in moments, and it’s also weaker in stretches. Basically, whenever the main character is infiltrating the KKK or working with his partner, the movie works. The scenes about the civil rights movements are really good, especially a scene where Kwame Ture gives a speech. The movie is slower when it tries to delve into Ron Stallworth’s personal life and romance. The movie is probably 15-20 minutes too long, which would be my main critique. And the ending is a bit polarizing (it worked for me, but I can see the argument against it).

15-20 minutes too long? Sounds like peak Spike to me. Hey-ooooooooooooo!

I really dug BlacKkKlansman, but man the capitalization of the title is infuriating. I agree that it’s a bit scattered (and not in a way that actually serves the story), but overall, I think Spike put together a film that is entertaining, exciting, and sadly all-too-relevant in today’s world. The scenes from recent news at the end might’ve come off a bit clunky to some, but it really brought the message home that in some ways the movie might’ve had a “happy” ending, but in no way is the big picture a positive one.

Vice. Man. I was really looking forward to this one and I was disappointed. It felt like Adam McKay took all his tools from The Big Short and used them to excess. The Big Short was crisp and covered one specific story. Vice tries to cover a lot of years of Cheney’s life without much cohesion. I wish the movie had focused more on the VP years, which were the best parts of the movie and far too short. The Big Short’s narrator was a main character who explained a lot of complicated concepts that related to his character. Vice tried to have a random character with tons of narration, and it was all over the place without really having a reason for being in the movie. McKay also tries a few other ambitious things that don’t work as well when your movie isn’t strong. Basically, the riskier decisions stuck out more poorly. I wanted to dig this movie, but it just wasn’t very well-made, and I’m underwhelmed by its nominations.

I didn’t get around to Vice, but there’s something comforting about knowing that I’ll never see all of the Best Picture nominees. Not that I’ve ever let that stop me from providing commentary before. Besides, after Matt’s SCATHING review, I probably made the right call.

An interesting theme that pervades several of the Best Pic noms this year is the movies being directly at odds with their “true stories” in ways that actively hurt the movies. Green Book, Bohemian Rhapsody, and BlacKkKlansman all suffer from this. Maybe Vice too? Who knows.

Generally, I try to separate the movie from the real events it’s based on. Real life is rarely as entertaining as a Hollywood flick, so I totally get why Die Hard didn’t have a third act of Carl Winslow filling out paperwork. HAVING SAID THAT when the true tale gets twisted into something totally unrecognizable, is it fair to criticize the movie for that? Green Book completely mutated the character of Dr. Don Shirley to fit a narrative of friendship triumphing over racism; Bohemian Rhapsody mischaracterized the relationship between Freddie Mercury and his bandmates to create a non-existent redemption/comeback arc; BlacKkKlansman ignored all the ways Ron Stallworth sabotaged the pro-Black movement in Colorado in service of painting police as the true heroes of equality.

I don’t have all the answers here, but these three examples feel like particularly egregious warpings of reality. However, I want to use this opportunity to praise YORGOS, who took enough from history to give The Favourite some context, but was up front about his editorialization enough to where the historical inaccuracies didn’t matter, and it didn’t feel like watching some ol boolshit.

I wish First Man and If Beale Street Could Talk had gotten in over Vice and Bohemian, or in addition to (since the nominations can go up to 10). Hell, if you had just added these two to make it 10, this crop would look stronger. The follow-ups for the directors of La La Land and Moonlight, neither film was as strong as the previous outings, but both were quality art. First Man sometimes had less impressive action with its use of shaky cam in the cockpit (which made the theater experience dizzying at times), and it mostly lost the mainstream audience because it was less adventurous than movies like The Martian or Interstellar. It also chose to try to portray Armstrong as an ordinary, less romantic type of hero, which may have been to its detriment for entertainment purposes. But I really liked the story of Neil Armstrong and NASA, warts and all. It felt more authentic and well-acted compared to, oh, I dunno, BR. And the moon landing scenes were breathtaking.

Beale Street struggled for me with its back-and-forth narrative, and some characters who I wish had more to do but some of the scenes were so good, and the art of it was beautiful. I also wish foreign films like Cold War and Shoplifters could get some Best Picture love too, but I’ll talk more about them below.

Cinematography: “Cold War,” Lukasz Zal “The Favourite,” Robbie Ryan “Never Look Away,” Caleb Deschanel “Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón “A Star Is Born,” Matthew Libatique

(edit: We put these categories here as a little TND protest for when the Oscars weren’t gonna air them on the regular telecast. But we’ll leave them here still, because these categories rule.)

The presumed favorite appears to be Roma, with Cold War as a potential dark horse. After Cuarón’s go-to cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (three-time consecutive Oscar winner at one point, including for Cuarón’s Gravity) left, he pulled a Thanos and decided to do it himself. Roma’s photography has all the marks of a Lubezki/Cuarón joint. He did well. Some of the shots may be a bit much (as one friend asked, why so many dog poop shots?). But the tracking shots are glorious and usually worked well for art. Following the lizard around on a random day, Cleo running along the street, the shot of the men training, the forest on New Year’s Eve… and of course, the aforementioned furniture store and beach sequences.

I didn’t see Cold War, but it’s fine because Roma will win. Roma does look great, but damn can Cuaron get another trick besides panning ten feet in either direction after the natural conclusion of a scene? Seriously, he does it like every twenty minutes. I guess this is world building? “You see, here’s what’s happening to our characters. And there’s also more stuff happening...slightly to the left.”

I was very curious about Cold War after it got a best director nomination as well. The cinematography was beautiful too. And it also deals in black-and-white like Roma, and with different camera framing (I’m not technical enough to explain that). It had some great shots too, in particular a shot with a mirror that really impressed me. Of note, Cold War beat Roma in the American Society of Cinematographer Awards.

A Star is Born had some good camerawork and cool concert shots.

Great camera framing when the guy pisses himself. You really *feel* the piss.

The Favourite was worthy of a nomination too, using some unique camera angles and fisheye lens shots that could have been distracting but ended up working really well for the movie. I have not seen Never Look Away, but the trailer looked good.

Those long hallway shots in The Favourite were superb. Robbie Ryan is a true Yorgite.

Film Editing: “BlacKkKlansman,” Barry Alexander Brown “Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Ottman “Green Book,” Patrick J. Don Vito “The Favourite,” Yorgos Mavropsaridis “Vice,” Hank Corwin

LOL Bohemian Rhapsody. See the aforementioned link about the bad editing in it. I mean, I guess the montage while they recorded the title track was really fun, but cmon! I also had a lot of fun during some scenes of Venom, and I didn’t see that get a bunch of noms!

Well maybe it should have! Matt made me watch that clip of the first record exec convo from Bohemian Rhapsody, and it’s so bad it wasn’t until like my third viewing when I realized Matt was trying to point out how poorly edited it was. Seriously, I couldn’t even get past the dialogue: “Queen...is for losers” “Well I’m sold!”

Vice seems to be a favorite on Gold Derby. The movie was too all over the place for me, and I guess it would win for the most editing, because there are all sorts of jumping around and montages and random things the film does. Bohemian is the next favorite, so I don’t really care for this year’s winner. Maybe this year it SHOULD be on commercial break. Jk.

I didn’t see Vice, but I agree with Matt that more editing definitely doesn’t equal better editing. I think Billy Walsh would agree that sometimes it’s about the cuts you DON’T make.

I would vote for The Favourite. It’s crisp and efficient. Green Book’s editing is probably a strong suit too, admittedly. BlacKkKlansman could have been shortened some, but the editing during some of the back-and-forths (I think of the KKK meeting versus the black students’ meeting at the end) was really good.

I agree* that all three of these films were well-edited. It’s a shame that apparently they have no chance at actually winning this award.

*I think I’ve already set a record for most times agreeing with Matt in an Oscars post. We’re like one of those old married couples that gradually turn into the same person over the years. Sure it might make for a boring post, but at least we’re RIGHT.

Director: Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman” Pawel Pawlikowski, “Cold War” Yorgos Lanthimos, “The Favourite” Alfonso Cuarón, “Roma” Adam McKay, “Vice”

Cuarón is the presumptive favorite, and he would be very worthy. He shepherded this project to fruition, he told the story he wanted to tell, and he kicked ass. I’ve heard Spike Lee is a possible surprise here, but I’d rather see him get the Screenplay win. As mentioned, BK is not his strongest work for me, and doesn’t quite compare to Do the Right Thing.

Finally Matt says something stupid! Okay because BlacKkKlansman wasn’t as good as one of the greatest films of all time, Spike doesn’t deserve a win here? I’m not even saying he should win, but if he doesn’t, it’s not because he made a better movie in 1989.

Cuaron will probably take home the gold, and it’s well-deserved, as he really put his signature style on every aspect of Roma. It’s obviously an extremely personal project for him, but he never lets it dip too far into “diary” territory, and ultimately allows the audience inside of his perspective instead of forcing us to observe from a distance.

It’s dope that Pawlikowski got nominated sorta out of left field. He really crafted an interesting, powerful story, and it was creative and unique. Yorgos deserves props for his nomination, managing to combine his style with someone else’s script (first time using a script that wasn’t his!). I’m glad Peter Farrelly didn’t get the nod here, but I wish Cooper had gotten it in over McKay. Vice is not that impressive, but I really dug some of the decisions made in Star.

This might come as a surprise, but I’m quite happy Yorgos got nominated and would love for him to get the upset victory over dog dookie Cuaron. Shoutout to both guys for being able to direct the hell out of some nudity though.

Lead Actor: Christian Bale, “Vice” Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born” Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate” Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody” Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book”

My Cooper support continues! I hope he wins, and it sounds like some people want him to be a surprise upset here. I thought he really built this role up and nailed it. This could have gone poorly. He could have sounded like Russell Crowe in Les Mis, his voice could have been weird, and he might not have been so likable on screen. But he was! He really became Jackson Maine and crafted this interesting, romantic, tragic character. I thought he was terrific.

*big sigh*

I agree with Matt again. Cooper was fantastic in playing a could-have-been-thankless role of a guy who does terrible thing after terrible thing, but still needs the audience on his side at the end. His singing was more than serviceable in the movie, as it was mostly done in live concert scenes where him being a little ragged fit the character/moment. Just uhh, don’t pull that shit up on Spotify.

Rami Malek is the frontrunner here, which surprises me. Again, I don’t like the movie, but I also like Malek. But Malek has impressed me much more in projects like Mr. Robot and The Pacific. Here, I feel like he is doing a solid impersonation, but he’s not blowing me away like DDL in Lincoln. I feel like he was also limited by the weak script/story. I wish he had had more powerhouse scenes and dialogue, but he just didn’t.

Oh he didn’t blow you like DDL in Lincoln? That might’ve been the greatest biopic performance of all time. “Malek was good, but his acting wasn’t as good as Spike Lee’s directing in the 80s.”

Not to defend Malek, dude is just up there doin a little bucky beaver impression -- and I like Malek! Shit was limp and lame. IAWM (I agree with Matt) in that the rest of the movie was so bad, Malek was never afforded the opportunity to rise above being a Halloween costume. Still, he did next to nothing, even with scant material.

Bale obviously made an impressive transformation in weight/look for Vice, and I always am a fan. He was pretty good here, and I’d be fine with a win, but it wasn’t his best work.

Viggo was good, but part of the problem of the movie is the fact that Viggo was the lead instead of Mahershala, as the film would have benefited more from being through the lens of Shirley’s view, and not Tony Lip’s.

Yeah, it pisses me off that Viggo (lol never realized how funny of a name that is until I just typed it) is even in this category. Sure he did a fine job playing a racist guy...maybe a little too fine of a job? I’m surprised Liam Neeson wasn’t clamoring for the role of Tony Lip, so he could do a little method acting.

As for Dafoe… I don’t know anyone who saw this film, and I wasn’t hyped enough to go see it. Hell, the idea of a 60+ year old playing a guy who died at 37 was enough to not get me hyped, even if the makers tried to say he would have looked like Van Gogh because of the circumstances of the times.

I obviously didn’t see this movie, but wow that is a hell of a paragraph. Are most people hyped by an old man playing a younger man? Actually, I heard that the producers were worried that Dafoe didn’t look old ENOUGH and were going to CGI in Christopher Plummer. Still though, “circumstances of the times?” I know 2019 seems awful, but this is a helpful reminder that the world use to be a literal hellscape.

I would have liked to see Ethan Hawke here for First Reformed. He carried the movie, he was awesome in it, and it was definitely unlike the normal Hawke performance I’ve seen before.

Matt, put a backhanded compliment warning there, sheesh. Hawke was fantastic in First Reformed and absolutely deserved a nomination ahead of Viggo, Malek, Fat Bale, and Benjamin Button-ass Dafoe.

Gosling here would have been good too. Also would have been cool to see an indie lead, whether Lakeith Stanfield in Sorry to Bother You or John Cho in Searching.

Stanfield and Cho crushed it in their respective roles. Funny story, Cho initially passed on Searching, but the filmmakers basically stole his phone number and hounded him until he agreed to do on the condition that they leave his ass alone afterwards.

Lead Actress: Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma” Glenn Close, “The Wife” Olivia Colman, “The Favourite” Lady Gaga, “A Star Is Born” Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

Glenn Close is supposed to win. It’s apparently a lock. This definitely feels like another career honor, since this is her 7th nomination and she hasn’t won. Close is pretty good. The movie is OK and she has a delicate, graceful, but powerful performance here. I mainly just feel like it was the least memorable role here.

I didn’t see The Wife, but for some reason I’ve got love for Glenn, so I’m happy she’s getting a win.

Colman wasn’t necessarily the lead of the film, and it was really a three-headed monster (apparently Stone’s character has the most screentime), but she was awesome. She nailed this crazy, sad, bigtime character. I’d pull for her, and I think she has a small chance.

Colman might’ve had less screen time than Stone, but as the raunchy queen, she commands the audience’s attention much like she commands love from Stone and Weisz. Everything is in service of the queen and Colman puts every ounce of emotion and feeling into a role tightly balanced between needing fealty and needing love.

Gaga was a contender for a while, and I really liked her and was impressed with her rising to the occasion and taking on this lead role, weaving in her real life story with this fictional character. I think she didn’t always quite hit the acting level of Cooper, but she was close.

Gaga was good for a rookie, but cmon. She basically had like two expressions the entire movie (dumbstruck and covering half her face/sad and covering half her face).

I was really into McCarthy’s performance and thought this was a legit good indie film. Small story, really focusing on her character, and she carries it well! The Wife and this are smaller indie stories, but I was more wowed by McCarthy. She handles a sad sack of a character, self-loathing, mischievous, witty. I think she’s a great actress who sometimes ends up in unfortunate movies. This was a good one.

Shockingly I didn’t see Can You Ever Forgive Me?, but I’m glad McCarthy is getting love. She’s a great actress, but always finds herself in shitty movies.

I’m so glad Yalitza Aparicio got a nomination! She wasn’t quite as strong to me as Colman or McCarthy, but she has to be good for the film to be good, of course, and she is. I think the technical aspects of the movie outshine her performance in some ways, but she deserves merit.

Yalitza’s gotta be straight up laughing at all the love for Lady Gaga. Another first time actress, she actually does a great job in the film instead of just getting points because she has hit single songs. The range of emotions on her face when confronted by the nude ninja alone made her worthy of a nomination.

Who else would I have wanted? Maybe Joanna Kulig for Cold War. She’s a star, and she dances/sings/acts in terrific fashion. Also shoutout to Natalie Portman for Annihilation and Elsie Fisher in Eighth Grade. No one’s gonna remember The Wife in 5 years, but Eighth Grade will stand the test of time.

Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali, “Green Book” Adam Driver, “BlacKkKlansman” Sam Elliott, “A Star Is Born” Richard E. Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” Sam Rockwell, “Vice”

Mahershala is expected to win, and he’s really good as Don Shirley, so I’m cool with it. He is such a magnetic actor, and he carries Shirley well. It’s a pretty different type of character from Juan in Moonlight. Juan’s performance leaned in on charisma, masculinity, and tenderness. Shirley is a character reliant on dignity, sophistication, and inner rage. He nails both. He’s really good. For all the faults I have with the making of Green Book, I do really like Mahershala here. It’s pretty wild that he’s about to get his second Oscar, but hey, good for him!

You mean an actor played two different roles? Wauw.

Mahershala completely carried Green Book and filled Don Shirley with so much nuance, complexity, and integrity that he himself should’ve gotten nominated for Best Picture. He IS the movie. It’s such a shame his character was relegated to the supporting role because there’s so much awesome internal logic to Dr. Shirley that he’s fascinating to watch and Ali does a great job of bringing all of that to the forefront without having to resort to speechifying his thoughts or emotions.

I really like Driver and always like his work. He’s a unique, compelling actor in whatever role he’s in. He has more to do in BK than John David Washington’s main character, and he’s not weighed down by the romance story. There’s something really convincing in any role Driver portrays, whether it’s Kylo Ren, Adam in Girls, or his performance in Silence. I thought his performance was pretty key to the BK story.

Driver definitely brings a fun presence to BlacKkKlansman helping to achieve the delicate tonal balance Spike was looking for. I mean, not as good as the tonal balance JGL brought to Lincoln, but I digress.

Grant was really wonderful and charming, and he really carries the movie along with McCarthy. Elliott doesn’t have a ton of scenes in A Star is Born, but each scene of his was a highlight for me. His relationship with Cooper is key to the film, and I really dug it. I don’t really see why Rockwell had to get a nom here. He’s not too essential to the film, and he does a good W impersonation, but this just pales in comparison to his role last year in Three Billboards.

Ha I only skimmed that last paragraph and just furiously googled “Sam Elliott Three Billboards” because I was confused as fock. Yeah that last conversation between Cooper and Elliott was fantastic, and Elliott is great throughout as the older brother who never got quite as much ass as Jackson Maine.

We couldn’t have thrown a nod here to Michael B. Jordan instead, for his compelling (albeit polarizing) acting job in Black Panther? I also loved Brian Tyree Henry’s character in If Beale Street Could Talk. Similar short screentime to Rockwell, but way more impactful and memorable. Henry’s scenes in Beale Street are some of the best work you’ll see from last year.

Was that acting job really polarizing? We have a term for people who have negative things to say about Black Panther. They’re called...Vallelongas. Brian Tyree Henry is one of my favorite actors, so I have no doubt that he was great in Beale Street. I do want to shout him and Daniel Kaluuya out for their performances in Widows. For a story about four strong women coming together to wreck some shit, Henry and Kaluuya stole the show. And my heart.

Also want to shout out my man Beast! Not saying he should win, but his scene to hilarity ratio in The Favourite was easily 1:1. Everything in The Favourite popped, but his presence made it even poppier.

Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, “Vice” Marina de Tavira, “Roma” Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk” Emma Stone, “The Favourite” Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”

I really like Regina King, and she’s pretty good in Beale Street, but I’m sorta surprised that she became the consensus pick. She doesn’t quite have as memorable a performance for me as Mahershala’s or say, Brian Tyree Henry in the same film. She’s a great actress, but there’s not a ton for her to do, and I didn’t leave that film being like WOW, that character!

Stone and Weisz seem to negate each other, unfortunately. They are both terrific. I didn’t love Stone in La La Land but she’s really fun and vicious here. Weisz is great too and has a lot of fun. I would probably give the edge to Weisz, but I’d strongly praise either performance.

Weisz was amazing as Sarah Churchill. She is definitely the centerpiece of the film, and does a wonderful job providing an axis for all the wild shit that goes down. What really elevates her performance is that she doesn’t fall into the trap of merely being the straight woman (no pun intended, seriously), and still imbues her character with loads of cunning, fire, and personality.

Stone was great as well, and I’ll say I didn’t enjoy her in La La Land either, but that’s mostly because I was watching La La Land at the time.

Amy Adams is awesome in general and good in Vice. Marina de Tavira is really good in Roma, and her nomination was a nice surprise too. Her character as the mother is really pivotal to the story, and I thought she was good at being overall likable even while sometimes being harsh.

De Tavira gives a great performance in a role that would’ve been easy to gloss over if played by another actress. She never allowed herself to become a background character or only appear as Cleo’s boss. Her story is just as dynamic and heart-rending as Cleo’s, and with less attention given to it, only a great performance would give it the weight it needed and de Tavira absolutely delivered.

Original Screenplay: “The Favourite,” Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara “First Reformed,” Paul Schrader “Green Book,” Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly “Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón “Vice,” Adam McKay

The Favourite seems to be… the favourite for this category.

Nice.

It’s a fun, witty script based on historical events (and it seemed to do a decent enough job being similar enough to real life!). Updating a story for the modern times in film format is no easy feat, and I really enjoyed this story.

Like I mentioned earlier, The Favourite does a great job of drawing just enough historical context while still keeping things fresh and honest, without making the story feel bastardized.

This is Paul Schrader’s first nomination, which is pretty crazy when he’s had films like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. First Reformed has a unique, fascinating, compelling premise and story arc. It does remind me a good bit of Taxi Driver in some ways but is its own story too.

Really happy First Reformed got a little love. In a time when we’re getting nothing but remakes and sequels, a truly original story is always welcome.

I don’t want Green Book to win. As mentioned, this shit wasn’t vetted by Shirley’s family, which seems kind of important! And it’s a bit cheesy throughout. Technically speaking, it seems like the directing/editing would be better than the writing here. Vice… that story was so all over the place. McKay’s script for Big Short was way crisper and stronger. Roma is a great film, but I don’t put its screenplay up as strongly as its other technical achievements. Eighth Grade should have been nominated here and been a contender. It won at the Writers Guilds Awards (Bo’s speech is really funny too), and Bo Burnham made a brutally vulnerable, honest story about adolescence and technology.

I usually make a joke here about how movies based on actual events should be in the Adapted Screenplay category (since they’re adapted from real life!), but I guess Nick Vallelonga really took that to heart because he basically removed any shred of reality from Green Book. May as well give Bohemian Rhapsody a nod here too lol

Adapted Screenplay: “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Joel Coen , Ethan Coen “BlacKkKlansman,” Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee “Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty “If Beale Street Could Talk,” Barry Jenkins “A Star Is Born,” Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters

The rules for adapted are always funny. A Star is Born is based on three previous versions, and Buster Scruggs apparently has some adapted short stories but other completely original short stories. Weird. I wouldn’t feel too strongly about Star’s screenplay since I feel like the quality in its update is more in the acting and music, versus the writing. Buster Scruggs was a mixed bag for me, with some awesome and some meh stories.

Bro, which stories were meh? Name names! There wasn’t a bad one in the damn bunch.

BK seems to be in the lead, which would be a cool win for Spike Lee (he previously received an honorary Oscar). Apparently the movie changed a lot, which I imagine was positive for movie action/plot intrigue. I feel like whatever the screenplay did with the romance didn’t really play, but I’m not really sure what else I would push alternatively.

Matt is really hating on the romance angle in BlacKkKlansman. I’ll be honest, I barely remember that aspect of the movie, so the hate is probably warranted.

Beale Street was a worthy effort, but I felt like the narrative was all over the place and wonder if Jenkins could have done a better job conveying the story in movie form. I don’t think it was an easy book to adapt, as I’ve heard with Baldwin fiction, but the product in the end doesn’t measure up to BK. As for Can You Ever Forgive Me?, I thought it was a stellar story, and also apparently people don’t think the original memoir itself was very good, so I guess it gets points for that!

Go ahead and give Jenkins the win to make up for that L* L* L*nd/Moonlight mix up back in 2017.

Best Documentary Feature: “Free Solo,” Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” RaMell Ross ��Minding the Gap,” Bing Liu “Of Fathers and Sons,” Talal Derki “RBG,” Betsy West, Julie Cohen

I’m not a big documentary guy, but they have gotten more popular (Won’t You Be Me Neighbor, Three Identical Strangers, Free Solo, and RBG all were box office documentary hits this year), and I’ve ended up checking a few more out. Won’t You Be My Neighbor was one of the most noted snubs when nominations came out, and it’s a shame it didn’t get nominated. It was beloved and had a notable cultural effect last summer, and I thought it was terrific and charming. I didn’t see Three Identical Strangers yet, but I’ve heard it considered to be a snub too, which Alex can elaborate on.

Shit I had this whole paragraph written up about Mr. Rogers, but Matt just reminded me that it didn’t get nominated. Basically the punchline was that I watched it with my parents and they just clowned Fred the whole time, which I think explains a lot.

Three Identical Strangers was great, but apparently I’m the only person who either didn’t know about the second twist or didn’t think it was that shocking/big of a deal. I gotta say, capitalizing on your 15 minutes of fame by opening a celebrity restaurant in New York City is probably the most 1988 thing ever.

Also, no love for the Pope Francis doc? Guess I’ll see the Academy in hell...as I look down from Heaven!

The betting odds seem split between Free Solo and RBG, with Solo slightly ahead. I am all about Free Solo, and I hope it wins. It’s an incredible, fascinating story. Is this guy insane for making this climb? How do we feel about him with his girlfriend? How do we feel about his girlfriend with him? How do we feel about the documentary crew filming him? Are they enabling him? Deterring him? These are really interesting dynamics throughout the story. It’s helpful that everyone involved in the story is inherently likable, and they are wondering about these same dynamics. Also, although I think most people know the fate of Alex Honnold’s climb before watching, the feat is so extraordinary and ridiculous that you will still be stressed out, nervous, and fascinated watching it.

The climbing footage is awe-inspiring. The filmmakers do a great job explaining the audacity and absurdity of the climb so that the average viewer can understand what’s going on. This is such a good documentary.

RBG the person is awesome, and I’m a big fan. But RBG the documentary is just… good? I feel like voters must have been split between this at Won’t You Be My Neighbor, and it’s hard not to compare the two, since they came out around the same time and are both about revered figures. WYBMN has really good editing and panache, and an inherent charm in talking about Mr. Rodgers’ legacy and his past. RBG feels more by-the-numbers and with less impressive editing and focus. It felt a bit short and all-over-the-place. I could have used more time on her advocacy versus her time exercising or becoming a cultural meme.

WYBMN also benefited from having tons of footage from the TV shows. RBG by comparison doesn’t have as much old footage, and with RBG alive, they do a lot more interviewing her or following her around. It’s an interesting glimpse, but doesn’t work quite as well for me. It’s a good film, and I enjoyed getting more of a look into RBG’s life. But I don’t want it to win.

Minding the Gap is the other film I saw out of this batch, and it had caught my eye after being on a few critics’ best movies lists at the end of 2018. It’s on Hulu, and it definitely wouldn’t become a box office hit. It has an indie vibe for sure, as Bing Liu, a young filmmaker, follows two friends as they grow from teenagers to young adults, along with examining his own life. The film delves deeply into masculinity, physical abuse from childhood, and identity in the Midwest. It really builds and gets stronger and stronger towards the end. There are some deep emotions that this film can evoke in the viewer, and I really felt for the story by the end. Also, a bonus is that the footage of them skateboarding is really beautiful and whimsical.

Best Foreign Language Film: “Capernaum” (Lebanon) “Cold War” (Poland) “Never Look Away” (Germany) “Roma” (Mexico) “Shoplifters” (Japan)

Roma is the clear favorite here. I almost wish that if Roma was definitely getting best picture, they could just retract its nomination here so someone else could win!

Ha that’s actually not a bad idea. These other flicks don’t stand a chance when Roma is going toe-to-toe with the entire field of movies.

I really liked Cold War and Shoplifters. I didn’t get a chance to see Capernaum or Never Look Away. Never Look Away seemed to have mixed reviews, which makes me wish that Burning (South Korea! Steven Yeun!) got the nom instead. While in the lobby post-Cold War, my friend and I saw a bunch of people left Capernaum in tears, so… that seems like it must have been good and sad?

Bro, people were crying because it SUCKED. Jk, I’m sure it’s wonderful. Also, has a foreign language film ever been nominated that wasn’t a totally depressing tearjerker? Do countries besides the U.S. and France make comedies? I know there isn’t much to laugh about in Turkmenistan or wherever, but I’m just asking.

Cold War is by the previous winner of Ida, another excellent black-and-white film. While Ida was smaller scale in time, Cold War spans a romance of two musicians over some years. It similarly tackles the repercussions of WWII and the titled Cold War on Poland. The two main characters are really captivating and dynamic to watch. The music portrayed is super fun. The challenges of the times are fascinating. My one gripe is that the film felt a bit weirdly paced at times, partly because it was covering a multitude of years, and the characters’ decisions were sometimes a bit too dubious for me.

I really dug Shoplifters too. It’s a lovely, beautiful film that ponders what a family is. The characters aren’t conventional good guys, mistakes are made, and these characters try to keep their version of a family together. Sometimes the movie is beautiful and optimistic, sometimes it’s sad and heartbreaking. I also liked how the movie was intentionally confusing about some details, to add to the storytelling aspect.

Animated Feature: “Incredibles 2,” Brad Bird “Isle of Dogs,” Wes Anderson “Mirai,” Mamoru Hosoda “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” Rich Moore, Phil Johnston “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

SPIDER-VERSE. All the way. That movie could have gone poorly. There is definitely a lot of Spider-man content out in the world in recent years, and the movie worked by both leaning into that and truly creating its own story to stand on. Miles Morales was an awesome main character. Peter Parker was a great side character (that was definitely a risk in storytelling). Miles’ family characters were well-portrayed (shoutout Brian Tyree Henry and Mahershala Ali, AGAIN. Those dudes kill it).

Spider-Verse might be my favorite movie of the YEAR. #2 this decade behind Moonlight and all of the X-Men films. Everything about this movie is fantastic. The characters are well-drawn (emotionally and literally), the stories are engaging, and the humor, while appropriate for all ages, doesn’t include any lame juvenile shit (unlike this blog post). Folks (myself) were legit getting emotional in the theater. Looked like a screening of Capernaum in there.

The animation was awesome. It was new and unique, making the movie feel like a comic book come to life. I think the movie had a poor box office opening because of market saturation, but it ended up grossing a respectable amount based on word of mouth and audience reception. Good! Can’t wait to see what’s next.

I’d literally never seen anything like Spider-Verse. The animation was crazy dynamic, constantly shifting between more realistic and more cartoony depending on what the situation called for. Everything about this movie from the animation, to the music, to the voices is completely fresh and inspired.

The Incredibles 2 seemed to take the box office by storm, and by the time I saw it a month or so later, I was a bit let down. The movie is a bit unsatisfying in originality after so many years. It’s still good! I had a lot of fun, and some of the action sequences were pretty exciting. It’s just not as good as Pixar’s best or the first Incredibles.

No desire to see Incredibles 2. Incredibles 1 is massively overrated and all anyone wanted to talk about from part 2 is how hot the mom was. I’m good, homie.

Isle of Dogs was really fun and charming. It was a solid Wes Anderson joint. I do wish it had more agency for some of the Asian characters, and it’s still sorta funny to me that Wes just kinda dropped in with his crew + one Asian writer for the script. But yeah, it was a really fun movie. I haven’t seen Ralph since I hadn’t gotten to the first one yet. Mirai looks like my kind of jam, but I haven’t gotten to it yet. Spiderverse all the way.

Isle of Dogs is racist as hell! Why will no one talk about it??? I feel like I’m going INSANE

Original Song: “All The Stars” from “Black Panther” by Kendrick Lamar, SZA “I’ll Fight” from “RBG” by Diane Warren, Jennifer Hudson “The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns” by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born” by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt and Benjamin Rice “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch

Shallow is such a heavyweight here. That song is the classic from a soundtrack of lots of good songs. It’s perfect for their relationship in the story, and it’s the best scene in the film when she comes onstage to sing it. I hope they crush it live on stage. Get it, Bradley!

Would’ve loved for “Why Did You Do That?” to get an ironic nomination here. Man that song was ass. “Shallow” is a good song and plays an important role in the movie, so I’m not upset at all if it wins, but yo that part where they’re just like “Sha-la-la-la-la-low” is weak as hell. Should’ve ponied up for Jason Isbell to get the late checkout time, maybe he could’ve done something there.

Hot take: “When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings” is a MUCH better song.

Man, the Mary Poppins’ new songs were pretty disappointing. Maybe they should have gotten Lin involved in the writing. The Buster Scruggs song is pretty goofy and funny, and All the Stars is a fun anthem.

All the Stars is a fresh track, I wouldn’t be mad at it pulling an upset.

Original Score: “BlacKkKlansman,” Terence Blanchard “Black Panther,” Ludwig Goransson “If Beale Street Could Talk,” Nicholas Britell “Isle of Dogs,” Alexandre Desplat “Mary Poppins Returns,” Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman

Feels like First Man got snubbed here bigtime. That score was really good, and it seemed like a favorite before nominations came out. I’d root for Brittell’s score. His work was beautiful in this (and in Moonlight), so a win would be cool. I generally like Desplat’s whimsy, but I don’t remember much about the score here. Black Panther’s was cool, though I feel like it was more about the songs on the soundtrack versus Ludwig’s score. Ludwig is the man though. I wouldn’t hate him getting it.

Good point about Black Panther’s strength lying in its songs instead of the soundtrack. Really disappointed in Sicario 2 overall, but especially in its score. Sicario 1 had the hottest score of the year when it dropped, but much like everything else about Sicario 2, it didn’t deliver.

Sound Editing: “Black Panther,” Benjamin A. Burtt, Steve Boeddeker “Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Warhurst “First Man,” Ai-Ling Lee, Mildred Iatrou Morgan “A Quiet Place,” Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl “Roma,” Sergio Diaz, Skip Lievsay

Sound Mixing: “Black Panther” “Bohemian Rhapsody” “First Man” “Roma” “A Star Is Born”

This confuses me every year. Here’s a good article for the differences. Basically, sound editing awards effects (think, creating gunfire/explosion noise for a war/action movie). while sound mixing awards the soundscape/all the sounds mixed together.

So with that in mind… these categories seem to have less predictable winners, and I see that the sound editing leaders are currently First Man and A Quiet Place. I’d give props to First Man here, for doing work with the space exploration. A Quiet Place is interesting since it had to use its sound so effectively and specifically.

How you gonna award A Quiet Place for its SOUND? Smh

As for sound mixing, I really dug watching Roma in theaters. You could hear sounds, birds chirping, and it felt like you were on the street in the neighborhood of Roma.

It’s almost like you can really *hear* the dogshit squishing between the kids’ toes on the pavement.

Now, it appears that Gold Derby leans towards three options: A Star is Born, First Man, or Bohemian Rhapsody. I feel like BR relied a lot on pre-done recordings unrelated to filming, so I’m not sure about that one (though I suppose that’s the point of sound mixing, I dunno… look, I just don’t want it to win -- lmao same bro). A Star is Born had to deal with live music! It’s way more worthy.

Visual Effects: “Avengers: Infinity War” “Christopher Robin” “First Man” “Ready Player One” “Solo: A Star Wars Story”

This is easily Infinity War. Relying on Thanos as a main character meant a ton of work, and if you remember his cameos in Guardians or the Avengers post-credits, you know that he looked better here and much more fully realized. He was a mammoth, a threat, and the visual portrayal was well done. His fight against Hulk, his fight against Doctor Strange, some awesome FX. Having to weave in tons of comic characters was no easy feat too, with Falcon and War Machine fighting in the sky while Groot, Rocket, and Cap are on the ground against those bad guys.

Avengers all the way. Having a lame-looking Thanos would’ve nuked the whole movie (people are STILL talking about Superman’s CGI shave), but they knocked it out of the park. Infinity War had to be a huge undertaking, as it’s a million superheroes pulling out all the stops for like 6 hours. Kinda surprised Black Panther didn’t get any love here for similar reasons.

Ready Player One had a lot of fun effects too. It had to rely a lot on video game storytelling, and the adventure of it was pretty fun and well-done. Solo was fine.

I honestly had to ruminate for like five minutes to remember if I saw Solo or not. I think “fine” is the most accurate possible description of any aspect of Solo.

First Man was quality. I dug their comments on how there is no way they could have faked the moon landing considering how hard it is now to even try to demonstrate that in a fictional film.

That’s what they want you to think, sheeple!!!

Christopher Robin? Wasn’t that bear real?? What are you trying to say???

Realest bear since the one that took Leo’s ass in The Revenant.

Production Design: “Black Panther,” Hannah Beachler “First Man,” Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas “The Favourite,” Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton “Mary Poppins Returns,” John Myhre, Gordon Sim “Roma,” Eugenio Caballero, Bárbara Enrı́quez

Costume Design: “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Mary Zophres “Black Panther,” Ruth E. Carter “The Favourite,” Sandy Powell “Mary Poppins Returns,” Sandy Powell “Mary Queen of Scots,” Alexandra Byrne

Black Panther was sick. Weaving in futuristic elements with African culture. The sets were wild. The costumes were fantastic. The Favourite did a good job doing the royal vibe too. The NASA production that they had to recreate in First Man made it feel really authentic. Same for Roma. Lots of good stuff here.

Agreed on Black Panther for all the reasons Matt mentions, but I think you gotta go with The Favourite here. Those people looked like they STUNK. Just fucking gross all the way around -- and it was PERFECT.

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and Roma had great design as well. As an anthology, Buster Scruggs had the added degree of difficulty of making sure every story appeared distinct enough while maintaining the overall look and feel of the movie.

Makeup and Hair: “Border” “Mary Queen of Scots” “Vice”

I mean, you saw Christian Bale as Dick Cheney. Lock this up.

Clink-clink!

Animated Short: “Animal Behaviour,” Alison Snowden, David Fine “Bao,” Domee Shi “Late Afternoon,” Louise Bagnall “One Small Step,” Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas “Weekends,” Trevor Jimenez

“Weekends” by Trevor Jimenez sounds like a banger of an R&B album.

Best Documentary Short Subject: “Black Sheep,” Ed Perkins “End Game,” Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman “Lifeboat,” Skye Fitzgerald “A Night at the Garden,” Marshall Curry “Period. End of Sentence.,” Rayka Zehtabchi

Best Live Action Short Film: “Detainment,” Vincent Lambe “Fauve,” Jeremy Comte “Marguerite,” Marianne Farley “Mother,” Rodrigo Sorogoyen “Skin,” Guy Nattiv

Bao was a fun, sweet short that had some nice Asian representation… that’s all I got.

I’ll be watching the documentary shorts the night before the Oscars, but wanted to get this post up before then, so if you want my thoughts on those nominees, holla at ya boy.

As for everything else? I probably agree with Matt.

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anticipatingevaporation · 8 years ago

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my attempt at watching the oscar movies: 2017

So for the last couple of years I’ve eagerly watched each Oscar ceremony, all the commentaries, discussions of winners and nominees without actually seeing any of the films.

This year I decided that needed to change, I took it upon myself to watch all the films nominated for Best Picture, Director, Animated Feature and all the acting categories.

I’ve hesitated to watch Oscar movies in the past because I find that the “Oscar-y” movies tend to be very…inaccessible. They are usually slow burners, filled with long shots of just a person staring into the distance and very little plot. For a viewer like me who just isn’t very accustomed to “sophisticated” movies, understanding and appreciating them isn’t easy.

I’m putting all that aside this year and giving the Oscar movies a shot; I’d like to actually have an opinion during the ceremony this year. So here we go! (be prepared, this post is absurdly long) Also note these were written in the order I watched the films, (with the exception of Zootopia) I reviewed each one after I finished watching it.

Manchester By the Sea:

So I had heard about how much of a downer this film was before watching it, but evidently I was not prepared just how sad it was. There’s one sequence in particular that just, I had this awful ugly feeling inside whilst watching it. It was deeply unsettling. And I mean that in the best way possible, whenever a movie can evoke such strong emotions, it’s a great sign. Having said that, I think this movie, as a whole was quite good, but not incredible. I do watch very few movies, so my standards are very high. I found this to be a very good movie, but I don’t think it was breaking any ground. It was well executed, but in my opinion, not Best Picture worthy. (I’m saying this without having seen any of the other nominees, so let’s hope I don’t have to retract this statement) Casey Affleck has been getting tons of love for his performance in this film. I’m not going to comment on the harassment scandal he’s going through because tbh, I’m here to discuss his performance not his personal life. All I am going to say is that if I was going to boycott all the movies starring or made by people who had questionable pasts, I’d be left with very little to watch. I think Affleck did a really good job in this movie (although I was so shocked by how much he sounds like Ben Affleck) I liked how subdued his acting was and how he managed to make me feel bad for his character despite how awkward and cold he is. A good performance, but not necessarily Oscar worthy in my opinion, Michelle Williams also does a good job here, she has one scene in particular that really impressed. But the real highlight of the movie for me was Lucas Hedges, I’m so glad he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor because he has been for the most part left out of the other major awards ceremonies. I’m particularly impressed with his talent considering he’s pretty much my age. His performance felt so real, he seemed to be at such ease behind the camera, it didn’t seem like he was acting, my personal favourite performance in the film. As far as the direction goes, I was at first confused by, but ended up really appreciating the way this story was told- constantly alternating between past and present, often perfectly accentuating the drama, really driving the emotions home. I did find some of the music choices to be a little odd at times and although I didn’t, I can see people having issues with pacing in this film, but overall, a well directed and well acted family drama that is very emotionally impactful.

Also, I totally thought this movie was set in Manchester, ENGLAND, the constant snow did not help, I had to Google it halfway through the movie to clarify. (for those of you who were wondering, there’s a town in Massachusetts USA called Manchester-by-the-Sea, the more you know)

Moonlight:

So I really, really liked this movie. It’s a coming of age story about a boy named Chiron, following his life in three stages, childhood, teenage years and as an adult. The three acts have a different actor playing Chiron and each one was really brilliant. The first two acts in particular, my eyes were glued to the screen. Chiron is one of the most poignant characters put to screen, he wore his heart on his sleeve, and especially in the first two acts, I could see every emotion he felt in his eyes, his body language, his manner of speaking. Chiron just came across so raw, and it just shows the director Barry Jenkins’ and the actors’ immense skill. Movies like this (Oscar type movies with little plot and a real focus on characters) can tend to drag, but I was just so invested in Chiron’s story that I couldn’t get enough of the movie. The pacing was really brilliant, and the use of colour in the film was beautiful. It had a really artful feel to it, as if each shot was well thought out and intricately crafted. I’m not too great at identifying good directing, (I’m working on it) but I think Barry Jenkins did wonderful work here, this movie is very well written, but it could so easily have fallen apart without the correct direction. I still have 3 more contenders to watch, but right now, Jenkins is my favourite to win Best Director.

With regards to performances, I have to applaud Alex Hibbert and Ashton Sanders, portraying Child and Teen Chiron respectively, they gave brilliant performances, I was entranced by their performances. I had a little more trouble with adult Chiron because he was more hardened by his circumstances and therefore more difficult to relate to, but by the end I was captured by Trevante Rhodes’ performance. Mahershala Ali, who has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor was really great, despite his part being small, he was effective. Naomie Harris, nominated for Best Supporting Actress, was also very good here, both giving subtle and impactful performances. I was also glad to see a movie with a total black cast that didn’t resort to clichés. It really captured the feeling of the environment it was set in. And it felt real, the themes were subtly explored, nothing felt over the top, it’s just overall a really great film, definitely deserving of the recognition it’s getting.

(also I really like the poster for the movie, it’s so awesome...can we award that please?)

Hell or High Water:

So this was probably the Best Picture nominee I was looking forward to the

least

. I just didn’t see much appeal in a bunch of white guys in country Texas; I knew the movie was about…banks? Or something, and let’s just say I wasn’t very enthused. I had a feeling Jeff Bridges was going to mumble his way through this movie and I wasn’t going to be very interested at all, I mean Chris Pine is nice to look at, but that wasn’t really enough to excite me for this one. So I figured I’d just get it over with and it would end up being my least favourite of the bunch. And as I watched this movie, I discovered I was right. Hell or High Water is by no means a bad movie; it just didn’t intrigue me at all. The plot didn’t feel innovative and the performances, whilst good, weren’t enough to elevate the material. As expected, Jeff Bridges was mumble-y (I’m glad I downloaded subtitles), there were interesting aspects and I did like the characters, but nothing really blew me away.

But somewhere in the third act, things changed. The movie itself didn’t actually change, but the film subtly turned from drama to thriller. And I was super invested. The performances became top notch; I really cared about all of the characters and found myself on the edge of my seat, and actually gasping when certain events occurred. All three of the leads, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges and Chris Pine, did an excellent job at making me care about their characters, regardless of whether or not they were actually in the right. I was rooting for all of them, and found myself genuinely upset when tragedy struck. Whilst Jeff Bridges started off as a mumbling country guy I couldn’t care less about, by the end, I was engaged in his character, he definitely deserves his Best Supporting Actor nomination, and I think Pine and Foster also deserved some recognition for their work here. What this film really excels in doing is using small slow moments in the first two acts of this film to make us care about these characters, and the best part is, you don’t even realise it’s doing so. I personally found myself a little bored in the earlier parts of the film, but when the plot intensifies at the end, I realised those slow moments were worth it, because the action at the end wasn’t action for the sake of action (which I loathe) every bullet shot had emotion behind it, my eyes were glued to the screen by the end. I found myself thinking, “I’m really glad I saw this movie” as the credits rolled. Which is an achievement considering how little interest I had going in. Is the film Best Picture worthy? Perhaps not, but I’m glad it’s nominated, any film good enough to overcome my stubbornness is a deserving nominee in my eyes.

Hidden Figures:

So I have a weakness for actors of colour, female actors in particular, being a female of colour myself. I was very excited to see this movie, I really like the three main actresses and was interested to see a part of history that has been more or less hidden (aha I’m funny) until now. I mean, when I think of the space race, I think of Neil Armstrong and “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” I do not think of black people at all, let alone black women. So I’m really glad this movie was made, if anything to further educate and enlighten us about the stories less told that need to be heard.

Despite the fact that this film is based on three black women, (a double minority, some would say) I would say this is probably the most accessible of all the nominees. In that the film is very familiar, you’ve seen this kind of movie before, these themes and tropes have been discussed and displayed on many occasion. At times, this movie can come across as clichéd, there are a lot of plot aspects that feel predictable and obvious. This isn’t necessarily a fault in the film, but I think that in trying to widen the appeal of the film, subtlety was lost and the writing became at times heavy-handed. The themes were explicit and at times far too overt. I guess in a Best Picture nominee, I was looking for a little more sophistication, this movie felt a bit too easy, for lack of a better word, there was little to no risk taken, the film more often than not resorted to somewhat overused clichés. The film never ventures into “dark” territory, whilst the situation the characters find themselves in is frustrating, the viewer is never made to feel more than mildly irritated on their behalf. And whilst some may say it’s good thing there are more movies starring black characters that aren’t total downers, I guess I enjoy a little more drama and emotional weight in the movies I watch. Having said that, this is still an entertaining, feel good movie. What I most enjoyed was the performances, these actresses had excellent chemistry together, their group scenes were some of my favourites in the movie. Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer were very good here, but for me the standout was Janelle Monáe, she was my favourite performer of the three. She gives a really brilliant speech about the importance of being first; it was very well done, not over the top at all. As much as I enjoyed Spencer in this film, I do feel perhaps Monáe deserved a Best Supporting Actress nomination. I know it may sound like I’m bashing on this movie, but I enjoyed it for what it was, and I am glad this kind of movie exists and it’s getting awards and box office recognition. It does speak to the power of perseverance and how despite your race, religion or gender, if you are genuinely talented at something, you will be rewarded. Talent speaks louder than anything else, and I love that this film showcased that. It also presented intriguing perspectives on black people through the supporting cast made up of Kevin Conroy, Sheldon Cooper Jim Parsons and Kirsten Dunst. I also loved the small detail that all the white men working in NASA wore identical plain white shirts, so when Taraji P. Henson’s character comes in to work with them, the difference between them is that much more stark. It was a perfect, subtle touch that I felt worth mentioning. Another quick mention for Mahershala Ali, this guy has a talent for making a big impression from the smallest of roles. He didn’t do anything revolutionary here, but the man has a certain charm; I really enjoyed his performance. All in all, this movie doesn’t really break new ground, but it is worth your time, it leaves you feeling extra motivated, with a smile on your face. (I’m actually smiling as I write this… which probably would look super weird if someone saw me…anyways, Hidden Figures!)

Fences:

So word on the street was this film is very hard to get through, due to the fact that it is just a collection of long conversations between people. And considering it has been adapted from a play, that would make sense. However, I was not concerned in the slightest, in fact I was excited. I’ve said it time and again, I choose dialogues over action any day; well written and delivered dialogue is a form of action in my opinion, and my favourite kind for that matter. However, I was not prepared for the sheer volume of dialogue in this film. The movie opens with two characters conversing, and does not let up for a good twenty minutes. There are very few actual pauses between dialogues, it is unrelenting- you can tell this film was adapted from a play. It pretty much is a play, in cinematic form. That being said, when I got used to the fact that this is just how these characters communicate, there is real merit to be found in this film. You do have to pay close attention though, because the dialogues do move very fast, if you aren’t fully focused you will miss important points. But I am delighted that I stuck with this movie, because there were some brilliant moments here. The dialogues and scenarios felt so real, the way these characters conversed reminded me of conversations I had heard and participated in. There’s this grittiness the movie possesses, it doesn’t feel polished and Hollywood-ised, the fact that the film is set almost exclusively in a backyard provides a sense of claustrophobia that just adds to that feeling of realism. Whilst others have commented on the fact that this film feels too much like a play as a detriment to the film, I feel it was a positive; after initial wariness I really enjoyed it. It is difficult to get through and I don’t think has very high replay-ability, but the emotions it evokes are totally worth it. Speaking of reasons to watch this movie, we must discuss the performances. For a film like this, so reliant on dialogues to make it work, good acting is crucial. And both Denzel Washington and Viola Davis do incredible work in this movie. I’ve never seen Washington act before (insert obligatory gasp) but he was so compelling, I could see people I knew in his performance, it was just perfect, I actually found myself rewinding a couple of times to re-watch and marvel at his awesome delivery, totally worthy nominee. And Viola Davis, just….there are no words, give her the Oscar already. She was amazing in this role, I guess some could argue that this movie was a bit “act-y” in that the actors had a lot of long speeches where they raise their voices, therefore implying that the acting in Fences is a little less subtle than other films. I didn’t think that at all, yes Davis and Washington had long speeches and opportunities to “act” in this movie, but none of it felt forced or fake, it was shockingly real. Davis really moved me in this one and if she doesn’t win Best Supporting Actress I will be genuinely annoyed (but who am I kidding, she’s got this one in the bag!) So whilst Fences isn’t the easiest movie to watch, if you are an appreciator of good dialogue and drama and are a patient viewer, I think you’ll find something to appreciate in this film. I don’t think it’s necessarily Best Picture worthy, but it was an experience that stayed with me after the final scene.

Lion:

So this movie ruined me… I was quite emotional during this one. And that is in huge part due to the brilliant, brilliant performance of young Saroo. Sunny Pawar was so great that I couldn’t go two sentences into this review without mentioning him. Throughout entire first act where he pretty much carries the film on his shoulders, he is so captivating that you can’t take your eyes off him. Aside from being awfully cute, he’s an excellent performer, I dare you to watch him and not have your heart wrenched. I knew the basic plot of this movie, a young Indian boy gets lost and ends up being adopted by an Australian couple, as a grown man he ends up using Google Earth to find his family again. But I thought young Saroo would be onscreen for maybe 10 minutes, I did not expect almost half of the film to rely on this 8 year old boy’s performance. It was a move that could have ruined the film, but Pawar is just so compelling that it actually elevates the film and I think is responsible for much of its success. The strength of the first half is what sustains the film through the not as well crafted latter half. Whilst the Saroo’s separation from his family is tragic and filled with dramatic tension, his search for his family is comparatively lacklustre. Now I have been a long time fan of Dev Patel (I actually didn’t love him in Slumdog Millionaire, it was Skins where I grew to adore him) I’ve been following his career for a while now and I couldn’t be happier that he’s nominated for Best Supporting Actor, especially considering how rare it is for actors in his position to get the opportunities he’s getting. And can I just say he looked so good in this movie like…. That hair/beard combo is really working for him ;). Anyways, despite how much of a Dev Patel fan I am and how much I love Rooney Mara and how cute they looked together and Nicole Kidman’s performance, the second act of this film just lacks the focus and strength the first act did. The film slows down and some unnecessary side plots were added that didn’t add to the story overall. The writing could have also been tightened up a little, the material present is enough to make a really gripping emotional drama, and I couldn’t help but feel with a little tightening up and some better writing and dialogues, this film could have been phenomenal. But the film does pick up at the end, I never cry in movies but I found my eyes getting watery. The small clip at the end of the real life person who inspired this film just made it all the more emotional. And the explanation of why the movie is called Lion is just…*clutches heart and sighs*. The film also discusses adoption in a way I haven’t really seen before. It made me think about both the children and the adoptive parents and consider their perspectives in a new light. Patel and Kidman give good performances worthy of their respective Supporting Actor and Actress nominations (however having completed the Supporting Actress category, I’d have to say Nicole Kidman is my least favourite performer in this category). I think they work best when together, you really buy that these two are a family, there is a depth to their interactions; their relationship is very well done.

Is it a perfect movie? No, but I think it’s a really heart-warming, beautiful film, I would recommend you give it a watch, if anything for Pawar’s marvellous work. (also Nawazuddin Siddiqui was in this movie, yay!)

Hacksaw Ridge:

So if I didn’t already love Andrew Garfield before this movie, I’m head over heels for him now. The character he portrays in this film, based on the true story of Desmond Doss, is nothing short of a true hero. And Garfield’s performance is my favourite (so far) of all the Best Actor Nominees; he does a great job of portraying this incredible man without making him feel holier-than-thou or nauseatingly good to the extent where we can’t relate to him. As I said earlier with regards to Casey Affleck, I’m not here to comment on an actor’s (or in this case, director’s) personal life, I’m here to discuss their work. The same goes for Mel Gibson, I’ve read and heard about his past controversies, but I’m putting all that aside in this review. This is my first Mel Gibson film and I have heard they have quite a reputation for being excessively violent and gory. I am not the biggest action fan and I find myself zoning out during long action scenes that don’t have much emotion or drama driving them. The action and violence in this movie is intense and almost to the point of excess in certain instances. But I think it worked well in that it never glorified violence, if anything, it further emphasised Doss’ perspective that war is nothing but the world ripping itself apart and we could well do with someone helping to put it back together. What sets this movie apart from the countless other war movies out there is that it focuses on a man bent on saving lives who refuses to even touch a weapon, so whilst there are many shots of men getting shot down, the truly epic, heroic music in the background shots are the ones showing Doss rushing out to save his injured comrades. Gibson did a good job directing Hacksaw Ridge, one sequence in particular where Doss just stays up all night saving more and more people, it’s incredible to watch and so moving. I’ll also say that whilst the first act of the movie is a bit more romantic whilst the latter acts are heavily action oriented, it never felt too jarring, it just felt like the inevitable progression of the story. And I think quite often viewers end up caring more about one aspect of a film (usually the action) than the personal or romantic plot, I found myself equally interested in both so props to the direction.

Also special mention to Vince Vaughn who does a great job here, delivering a dramatic performance with comedic elements that I really enjoyed. Also Teresa Palmer as Dorothy, Doss’ wife was just so sweet and beautiful and I loved their relationship so much! This is a truly remarkable story that I’m so glad got told, I would never have heard about Desmond Doss if not for this film. Sure the film could be improved upon, the writing I feel could be better, but I think it was still a worthy Best Picture Nominee. It speaks to standing up for what you believe in despite the difficulties you may face. It really touched me, I ended up loving it a lot more than I expected.

Arrival:

So I think it’s safe to say I was cautiously optimistic going into this movie. I am a big fan of films that make you think, in fact, Inception is one of my top 5 favourite films. So I’m not opposed to thought provoking pieces of cinema, however I am not very good with films that just totally confuse me and require much deliberation and theorising to make any sense out of. (The recent TV drama Westworld being a good example, whilst enjoyable, it just messed with my head way too much.) Having heard that Arrival was a mind-boggling sci-fi I was concerned that it would raise too many questions and leave them unanswered, thereby leaving me really frustrated. However, I had only read and heard really good things about the movie, as well as director Dennis Villeneuve’s previous films, and what’s not to like about Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner? So I gave Arrival a shot.

And I’m glad I did, this film is a gorgeous, intriguing and thrilling piece of work. I found myself on the edge of my seat throughout, I didn’t even notice the time fly by as the film progressed and I eagerly tried to put the pieces of the puzzle together. I wouldn’t call myself the biggest sci-fi fan, I appreciate it in small doses, but I can’t say I’ve watched a bunch of alien invasion movies as the subject matter doesn’t really appeal to me. But I simply loved the way the “aliens” were portrayed in this film. I’ve always taken issue with the fact that we simply assume that if aliens were to exist, they would be bipedal, speak English and more or less resemble humans with the exception of perhaps their skin colour. I find that to be irritatingly close-minded and self centred. For that reason I simply adore the approach taken towards the subject matter in this film. The aliens are just that, totally alien they don’t resemble us in any way, be it physical appearance or communication style. It’s just so brilliant to watch Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner’s characters attempt to decipher the aliens’ language. Being a lover of languages and writing myself, it was wonderful to see a movie focus on a linguist of all professions. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a film so centred on the idea of communication before; it’s such an intriguing and important stance to take. Whilst some of the world leaders’ position towards aliens was slightly clichéd, it highlighted the importance of our ability to communicate, both with the unknown and among ourselves. In fact, some of the most thrilling sequences in the film were watching Amy Adams’ character learn more about the language of the aliens. Which is wonderful, considering the amount of alien action flicks we have hurled at us that contain nothing but thoughtless loud explosions. When looking at this film from a visual perspective, it is nothing short of incredible. The one thing I thought throughout the movie was sophisticated, from the cinematography to the sound and editing, this film was very well polished and seamlessly put together. The alien writing looked impeccable, just so clean and crisp. The colours and camera angles were great stuff, very impressive.

Performance-wise, Amy Adams does a brilliant job in this film, I haven’t seen any of the best actress nominees yet but I believe she deserved to be among them, it’s a real shame she wasn’t recognised for her work here, because when you realise how complex the plot of this film is, her performance becomes all the more impressive. Jeremy Renner, who many are labelling as unimportant to the plot of the film, was a welcome addition in my opinion (but I’ve always had a weakness for Hawkeye, so maybe I’m not the greatest judge). Despite how concerned I was regarding the writing and plot of the film going in, I’m pleased to report Arrival was thought provoking in the best kind of way. Whilst the third act reveal is surprising it’s not out of left field. If you listen carefully, it’s actually alluded to from the first line of dialogue in the film. The more I think about Arrival and its twist after it ended, the more I love it, it’s just so clever and makes you want to go back and watch the film all over again. What’s brilliant about the film is that it isn’t so much about aliens as it is about humans, the alien invasion is but a lens used to examine us as a species. It’s more a drama than a sci-fi. The themes can be a little obvious at times but overall, it’s really enjoyable. The writing was very good here- the pieces all fitting together in a rewarding manner. However, of all the wonderful work done in Arrival, I think director Dennis

Villeneuve deserves the most credit; everything works so well because of his masterful work behind the camera. The performances, the editing, cinematography, sound and script all come together perfectly. He is most definitely deserving of his Best Director nomination and I would be glad to see him win. Arrival is a film I would recommend to pretty much anyone, the longer I think about it, the more I love it, it’s definitely one of my favourites among the Best Picture nominees. It’s a fascinating watch that will leave you thoroughly entertained and won’t quickly leave your mind after the end credits.

Nocturnal Animals:

So this movie had the craziest opening credits sequence I’ve ever seen and one of the most unsatisfying endings I’ve ever seen, but what goes on in-between is very intriguing. I have mixed thoughts regarding the film itself, but I won’t be discussing those here as I have (with the exception of one film) moved into my performance phase of reviews. The next few movies are ones that were only nominated in acting categories and therefore I will be focusing on the films’ performances. Nocturnal Animals features an array of actors doing some very fine work. I would recommend watching this film on the merit of the performances alone. Jake Gyllenhaal, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Michael Shannon and Amy Adams all deliver very good performances. Whilst I’ve heard suggestions that Adams should have been nominated for her work in this film, I personally prefer her performance in Arrival, if she were to get a nomination; I think that her work in that film is stronger. I am personally an Aaron Taylor-Johnson fan; ever since his performance as Quicksilver (one of my favourite comic book characters) I’ve had a bit of a crush on him. So it speaks to the strength of his performance in this film that I absolutely loathed him here, his portrayal of this awful guy is just brilliant, he pretty much loses himself in the role, worthy of a nomination in my opinion. Michael Shannon, the only nominee of the bunch, also delivers a very good performance, however my favourite performance of the film is undoubtedly Jake Gyllenhaal, who someone in the Academy must have a grudge against or something…this guy is being repeatedly snubbed! (I haven’t seen Nightcrawler but I’ve heard ravings about Gyllenhaal’s performance for which he wasn’t even nominated!) I think his performance in Nocturnal Animals is definitely worth a nomination. So whilst Shannon is good in this role, I would have given his slot to either Taylor-Johnson or Gyllenhaal who both did magnificent work in this strangely fascinating film.

Loving:

So when the nominations were announced, I don’t think there was one I was happier to see than Ruth Negga for Loving. I love when my unknown TV actors get recognition for their work. After seeing Ruth Negga in Misfits and Preacher and being a fan of hers, I couldn’t be prouder of her nomination for Best Actress. So I might be a little biased, but I truly believe her performance in this film is deserving of the nomination. What I liked about Negga in this film was she didn’t have any loud screaming and crying scenes, which are usually what the Academy looks for in nominations, they want to see “acting”. But Negga is very subdued in this film, she plays a very quiet, shy character however that doesn’t prevent us from seeing and understanding all the emotions she’s going through. So whilst she’s most likely not going to win, I think this nomination is a win for Ruth Negga. I’m so excited to see where her career goes from here.

Florence Foster Jenkins:

So I was expecting nothing going into this movie, after watching the trailer I had zero interest in the subject matter, but as Meryl Streep was nominated for Best Actress, I had to give Florence Foster Jenkins a go. I actually haven’t seen many Meryl Streep films, The Devil Wears Prada is the only one I can remember seeing, so whilst I had heard about her incredible talent as an actress, I had not witnessed it myself. But she is fabulous in this film; the singing sequences in particular are so great to watch. When you think about it, this is not an easy character to play; she can so easily come off as rich, snooty and full of herself. But Streep imbues the character with a likeability and vulnerability that make her difficult not to love. Streep does deliver a performance worthy of a nomination here, but I do perhaps feel that other actresses who have never won before may have benefitted more from the nomination. A special mention to Simon Helberg, who delivers my favourite performance in the film, I’ve never seen The Big Bang Theory but this guy is really charming and a gifted comic, I loved watching him perform.

Jackie:

So the majority of my knowledge regarding the Kennedy assassination comes from Mad Men and subsequent YouTube clips I looked up. I don’t know very much when it comes to American history, so I can’t speak to how accurate Natalie Portman’s portrayal of Jackie Kennedy was. What I can say is, the way she spoke was so irritating. I had a lot of trouble getting into this movie, I wasn’t interested going in and I was somehow less interested as it ended. Portman’s performance was good, but not incredible enough to make me enjoy a film I had little interest in already. She has some moments I enjoyed and at times I could really feel her grief, but overall it wasn’t a career-defining performance for her. As Portman has already won an Oscar it’s unlikely she’ll win again for this film. I guess I wasn’t the target audience for Jackie because I didn’t like it very much. Portman is gorgeous as usual but…the performance doesn’t really stand out for me in a film that didn’t capture my attention.

Elle:

So I actually learnt French in high school, I still speak it now and just went to France for the first time last month. However I don’t watch as many French films as I’d like, which is a real mistake because French films are just so awesome! Elle was a dark, twisted and intriguing film that kept me hooked the whole runtime. I didn’t realise till I re-watched the trailer for it but I’ve seen Isabelle Huppert in Amour back in 2012. She was so brilliant in this film, her character was so complex and morally ambiguous, a joy to watch. I have one nominee left to watch for Best Actress, but I would love for Huppert to win, characters like this don’t come along very often, (or maybe they do in French films, I should really watch more…) her performance was just so great. Being a fan of all things French this movie was right up my alley, Felicitations to Mme. Huppert, you were just so awesome! A Best Actress in my eyes, whether the Academy agrees or not is irrelevant.

Captain Fantastic:

So this was the movie I was least educated about going into, I had no clue as to the premise or plot of Captain Fantastic (apparently it has nothing to do with either Captain America or the Fantastic Four, so there’s that); I hadn’t even heard of Viggo Mortensen before. Suffice to say, I would never have seen this movie had it not been for this Oscar film project I have going. And it’s films like this that make me so glad I decided to do this. Captain Fantastic is a gem. I don’t think enjoyed myself so much whilst watching any of the other films on this list so far. Being bombarded with the same old Hollywood blockbusters, I hardly get a chance to watch offbeat films like this one, and usually when I do, they’re very unappealing and just too strange for my tastes. Captain Fantastic was delightfully unique, providing an intriguing premise I haven’t come across before. There were a couple of clichéd plot points in the latter half, but overall, I loved this movie! Viggo Mortensen delivers a wonderful performance, this role was brilliant stuff and he really grounds the film, providing an emotional centre. I would rank his performance highly among his contemporaries just due to the uniqueness of the role and his excellent handling of it. The numerous child actors were also spectacular. I really really loved this movie, I’m so glad it was nominated and I was therefore given a chance to watch a type of movie I’m not typically accustomed to seeing. And let’s just say, after a certain line in this film, I’ll think twice before using the word “interesting”.

The Red Turtle:

So we’ve officially (again, with the exception of one film) entered the animation phase of reviews. Animated films are probably my favourite genre of film, I grew up on the Disney Classics, as many people did, and many of my favourite films are animated. Like Captain Fantastic, I knew nothing about The Red Turtle before watching it, and like Captain Fantastic, I really liked this film. The Red Turtle is a gorgeous film; each frame is beautiful to look at. I didn’t realise how much I missed hand drawn animation until I saw this movie. Devoid of dialogue, this film is a piece of art. It’s a great contrast to the overstimulating, hyperactive animations that tend to monopolise the market. The Red Turtle shows how much can be said by saying nothing at all; the sound design is also brilliant. The story is a slow burner, but it’s very heartfelt and moving. This film probably isn’t for everyone; it is a bit more “artsy” than your typical animation. But if you’re a fan of the genre, and are a patient viewer, I think you’ll really enjoy this one. The animation alone is worth a watch. And kudos to the Academy for nominating non-flashy movies like this one, a very deserving nominee.

Moana:

So I’m a big Disney fan, I’ve loved their animated films since I was a child, and have followed them pretty much all my life. I was looking forward to Moana back when it was announced, the concept art looked beautiful and the idea sounded great. However, the more I heard about the film, the less enthused I became. By the time the trailer and release came, I had pretty much decided not to go see it. Moana just seemed far too familiar and not too exciting to me. There was nothing unique to draw me in, from the trailer alone I got a sense that I’d seen this film before. Nevertheless, the film was nominated for Best Animated Feature, so I went in with a (semi) open mind, hoping the film would surprise me. Unfortunately, it didn’t, at least not in that respect. Whilst Moana has some impressive elements worth praising, I found it to be a let down overall. We’re all familiar with the Disney Princess formula that has made Disney famous over the decades. Over the last few years, Disney has worked to revolutionise this trope, to add new twists and sneakily alter the formula whilst not veering too far from it. The Princess and the Frog, Tangled and Frozen all found ways to add a new perspective to the Disney Princess brand, and whilst none of these films are perfect, they all impressed me in different ways. Not so with Moana, after the credits rolled, I just felt disappointed with what could have been. Never before has the plot of a Disney film felt so derivative of other films to come before it. We’ve seen all of these plot points before, the sassy grandma, the princess who wants to explore and go out there, the father who keeps her from doing so, the forced third act conflict that separates the two leads. Every single thing that happens was so predictable; I could see it coming a mile away. And usually I don’t have an issue with this. Disney Princess movies, when you think about it, all follow a very similar structure and storyline, but the difference is, they all found a new way to tell an old story, they all added something to the formula. Moana does present certain unique elements, the Polynesian setting for one, however overall it doesn’t really add enough to the genre to set it apart. So whilst the plot was a major let down for me, that’s not to say the film is without merit. The animation is as we have come to expect from Disney, it’s spectacular, the ocean looks beautiful, and the scenery and the character designs are fantastic. Maui and Moana look great; I especially loved Maui’s tattoos and the way they helped progress the plot. Moana’s hair (read my bio, I’m a curly girl) is brilliant, I also liked the fact that she wasn’t a typical, stick figured princess. I really appreciated that this is probably the first princess that we’ve actually seen rule her people. Unlike other princesses who embark on their journeys for more selfish reasons, Moana is doing so not only because she loves adventure and the sea, but because she genuinely wants to help her subjects and save her island. The voice acting, from both the leads was very good. Dwayne Johnson adds a lot of charisma to his role and Auli’I Cravalho has a brilliant voice with a much character and heart, she has a bright future ahead of her. As previously mentioned, the Polynesian culture in this film was wonderful to see, it’s nice to see Disney broadening their horizons and presenting us with new characters of colour without seeming tokenistic. The presentation of this culture is only enhanced by the very good music done by Lin Manuel Miranda. I haven’t heard any of the Hamilton music, but the Moana soundtrack is quite good, the songs are catchy and grow on you, and what is a Disney film without a good soundtrack? The comedy was also good, although there wasn’t enough of it in my opinion.

Perhaps the fact that I’ve been steadily watching a list of offbeat awards contenders over the past few weeks has hardened my heart towards predictable blockbusters, causing me to be overly critical of this film. It’s a harmless time pass children will undoubtedly enjoy, but I personally found it to be passable. And given the setting, the animation and the music, I think Disney could have taken more risks with this film plot-wise, especially considering the fact that they also released Zootopia this year, a brilliant, edgier and altogether (in my opinion) better film. You win some you loose some I guess. So overall, this is an enjoyable film, however considering how imaginative and unique the other films in this category are, I’d be a little disappointed if Moana wins Best Animated Feature, it’s a bit of a boring choice, and I don’t think we should award safeness, I prefer a little edge to my animation.

Kubo and the Two Strings:

So I had heard many good things about this movie, and the production company behind it. Whilst I haven’t seen any other Laika films before this one, I’m very interested to see one now. Kubo and the Two Strings is a film to be applauded. As much as I enjoy and marvel at the beauty of CGI animation, there’s something to be said about stop-motion animation. This film is simply stunning, the animation is some of the best I’ve ever seen, it made each scene that much more enchanting to watch. The animators use stop-motion to their advantage in this film, each sequence is gorgeous. The end credits feature a clip showing the work that goes into creating one of the characters in this film, it just makes you respect and admire this film so much more. Another thing I loved about this film was just how imaginative it was. The world presented here is brimming with creativity and uniqueness, the mythos and lore in this world is also brilliant. The magic and its depiction is marvellous and a sight to behold. The voice work done by Matthew McConaughey and Charlize Theron to name a few is also very good. I also really liked Regina Spektor’s rendition of While My Guitar Gently Weeps, featured in the end credits. My one issue with the film is that at times there are faults with the story itself, especially by the third act. Whilst the setup is great and makes sense, there are lapses in logic towards the end of the film and at times I found myself wondering why things were happening, as they hadn’t been properly explained. If the script had been tweaked and fixed a little in the final act I think we could have a perfect film on our hands. Kubo and the Two Strings is a gorgeous, imaginative and enthralling adventure I adored watching. I would love to see this film win Best Animated Feature if it means we get to see more stop-motion films in the future. They’re definitely worth saving.

Ma Vie De Courgette:

So I used all the Internet skills at my disposal to make sure I caught this film before the Oscars after just missing out on it in cinemas in Switzerland last month. And I can say staying up looking for subtitles for this film was totally worth it, Ma Vie De Courgette cannot be missed- it’s a wonderful experience. After Kubo and the Two Strings, this is another stop-motion film I adored. I actually got the opportunity to see an exhibit dedicated to this film in a museum in Lyon in January; I saw real life models of the characters, storyboards, and some behind the scenes videos. As I said when reviewing Kubo and the Two Strings, there’s a certain level of artistry that can only be achieved with stop-motion animation, it makes the characters look more real, not to mention how impressive it is to think about the amount of effort and work that went into each little moment of the film. Animation aside, this film is a beautiful and moving one. The story is simple and takes its time to progress, but each second is filled with genuine emotion and heart. Each character is well realised and you end up feeling for all of them. The film is subtle and never resorts to clichés, there are plenty of beautiful, well written moments in this film that are emotionally provoking. This film is short, but sweet, a well-written masterpiece I would highly recommend.

Zootopia:

So of all the Oscar films, Zootopia is the only one I saw in cinemas when it released. Unlike Moana, this was a film I was semi-excited for when it was announced, but became very eager to see after seeing the trailer. It’s been almost a year now since I saw the film, so bear with me (aha, animal puns). Despite it being a while ago, I distinctly remember leaving the theatre with a huge grin after Zootopia. The film is a definite favourite of mine; I love movies that are “for children” but manage to convey mature themes that also cater to adults. This movie is wonderfully complex, whilst being evasively simple. The plot isn’t anything too new, but the way it deals with and explores themes that are highly relevant and important is something to be admired. The social message in this film is by no means obvious, it’s there, but you’re not being hit over the head with it. Sure, there are some obvious narrative clichés, the forced third act dilemma that separates the leads, the obvious bait and switch at the end. But none of that really matters to me when the subject matter is just so well thought out and executed. If you want to teach kids social issues in a delicate manner, this is the way to do it. The characters are brilliant, I love Nick Wilde; he’s my kind of guy… or fox I guess. The voice acting is also very good. Another thing I loved in this film was the comedy it’s just wonderful, so many great jokes that are genuinely well thought out, not easy slapstick comedy. This film is a triumph, an intelligent, well thought out piece of work that was far beyond my expectations. After I watched it I literally thought to myself, Best Animated Feature here we come! Any film with a Breaking Bad reference as brilliant as this one deserves an Oscar.

La La Land:

So I purposely left this film till last because if the Golden Globes are any indication, La La Land is going to sweep the Oscars. So I decided to give the other films a chance before I saw the awards juggernaut that is La La Land. This film is pretty much made for me, it has all of the things I love to see in film, it’s almost as if someone read my mind, saw my movie wish list and transferred it to cinema. Musical, check, Romance, check, Subject matter involves movie business, check, two attractive Hollywood leads, check. I was so excited going into this movie, especially considering the amount of good things I’d heard about it and the amount of awards it was picking up. So it really pains me to say that overall, I didn’t love this movie. That’s not to say it’s without merit, far from it, this is a very well made film with numerous elements worth praising. Firstly, the direction by Damien Chazelle, is for me the highlight of this film. It’s clear old Hollywood films, particularly musicals, have inspired him in the making of La La Land. And this film perfectly emulates that tone and style, from the editing, to the camerawork, Chazelle does a brilliant job at capturing the essence of a Hollywood musical and modernizing it to fit our current era. The costumes and use of colour in this film was beautiful to see. The performances, both by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, were very good. Playing a struggling actress, Stone flawlessly captures that heartache that comes with being rejected time and again and having to somehow bounce back and keep trying. The sadness in her eyes is palpable when an audition, once again, goes badly. And her feelings of self-doubt and questioning of her talent are genuine emotions I think anyone can relate to. Gosling is excellent, playing an obsessed piano player who is unable to let go of his dream and simply settle until; he too, has moments of doubt and realizes he may have to do just that. I loved just how passionate he was about Jazz, he brilliantly conveyed his frustration with just being mediocre and letting his talent go to waste. Again, something many of us can relate to. Not to mention Gosling’s incredible work on the Piano, I simply cannot believe he learnt to play like that in a matter of months, I learnt Piano for years and am nowhere near that good.

I also appreciated the comedic moments in this film, both Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are very skilled comedians, so it was great so see their talents utilised here.

The music, by Justin Hurwitz, was also very good, I particularly liked City of Stars, and Ryan Gosling sings quite well for a non-professional, Emma Stone isn’t as good, but she can carry a tune, so I won’t complain too much.

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been obsessed with movies, (I think the fact that I wrote thousands of words that very few people will ever read just to talk about movies should be enough of an indicator as to how much I love films) Like the characters in La La Land, I am a dreamer, being involved in the moviemaking process is, as Stone’s character puts it, a pipe dream of mine. Therefore, there were moments in this film that really touched me; I was fully connected with the characters, understanding exactly how they felt. However, it’s the moments between these moments where the film lost me. With regards to the writing in this film, I was very hot and cold. My real issue is with the development of Mia and Sebastian’s relationship, it just came across as very choppy, as if there were some moments that were missing. I think I needed more time spent on developing their relationship for me to buy it. Whilst Gosling and Stone have good chemistry, too often it felt like events were just happening instead of character motivations causing them to. What somewhat saved the movie for me was the ending, those final 20 minutes or so were at first agitating, but then as I thought about it, truly profound and brilliant. Chazelle does a great job at combining the bright joyful tone of a musical with the true struggle and pain that comes along with following your dreams. When you think about it, if the film had ended any other way, it wouldn’t have felt genuine. So whilst La La Land is very good and deserving of much of the recognition it’s getting, it wasn’t the all time favourite of mine I thought it would be. There are a couple of issues with the writing that just don’t sit well with me. Perhaps I’ll like it more after a re-watch, but for now, I can’t say I love it as much as some of the other Best Picture Nominees. I will say, the title and it’s dual meaning is brilliant and I love it, so there’s that.

So now, I’ll just do a quick summary of each category, with 1. Who I Would Give it To aka WIWGIT and 2. Who Will Probably Take it = WWPTI

Best Picture:

WIWGIT: Arrival or Moonlight. I loved watching Arrival, it was the most enjoyable of the nominees for me. But I recognise that Moonlight is a wonderfully made film that I would be glad to see win.

WWPTI: La La Land

Best Director:

WIWGIT: Barry Jenkins for Moonlight or Dennis Villeneuve for Arrival Pretty much the same as my Best Picture picks, they both did fantastic work WWPTI: Damien Chazelle for La La Land I wouldn’t be too fussed if Chazelle won, he did a great job directing La La Land, and his previous film Whiplash, is one of my favourites, so I’d say he deserves it. I will say, I’d like to see a split between Director and Picture; I hope the same film doesn’t take both. There are enough Oscars to go round!

Best Actor:

WIWGIT: VIggo Mortensen for Captain Fantastic

Such a unique film and performance. As much as I love my boi Andrew Garfield, I’d love to see a performance and film like this recognised

WWPTI: Casey Affleck for Manchester by the Sea. As much traction as Denzel Washington is getting for Fences, he’s already won two Oscars, I’d be very surprised if he won a third.

Best Actress:

WIWGIT: Isabelle Huppert for Elle

For such a strange and edgy role, I would love to see Huppert take home the prize, you just don’t see actresses doing this kind of thing very often

WWPTI: Emma Stone for La La Land

I like Emma Stone, and it’s nice to see young actors given awards, it doesn’t happen too often. No qualms if Stone wins, but it’s a bit of a safer choice, in my opinion.

Best Supporting Actor:

WIWGIT: SUNNY PAWAR IN LION come on guys! Ok but seriously, I really liked Lucas Hedges’ work in Manchester by the Sea, but I think Mahershala Ali’s performance in Moonlight is superior and more deserving, I would like to see him win.

WWPTI: Mahershala Ali in Moonlight I think this is Ali’s year, and he has proven himself beyond his work in Moonlight to be a talented and Oscar-worthy actor.

Best Supporting Actress:

WIWGIT: Viola Davis in Fences She was a powerhouse in this film, and it’s about time she won an Oscar. WWPTI: Viola Davis in Fences If she doesn’t win I will be shocked with a capital S. Don’t make her 0 for 3, Academy.

Best Animated Feature:

WIWGIT: Ma Vie De Courgette

I know this film won’t win but I would

love

for it to. It’s pretty much perfect in my eyes. And I would love to see a smaller studio take home the Animation prize for a change

WWPTI: Zootopia

I have no issues with this, I loved this film and it should and most likely will win.

Congratulations on getting this far, as hard as this was for you to read, it was 10x harder for me to write! (actually that is a lie, I quite enjoy writing…)

That was my attempt at watching the Oscar movies. This was an exhausting fortnight or so, but I’m so glad I did it. I might even do it again next year. I will be eagerly watching (or reading updates on my phone) the ceremony tomorrow to see if my predictions are right or if there are some exciting upsets!

Also quick shout out to @dolores-wyatt I was actually inspired by her to do these type of Oscar Reviews, go check out her blog, it’s great stuff And to my one (and only) fan @requiemforatuesday, thanks for reading everything I put out, I’ll see you at my book signing, you’ll be the only one there but that’s ok

Now, back to my regularly scheduled endless TV shows……

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