tocinephile

[tocinephile]

Two books you've never heard of, adapted into films you'll likely never see... at TIFF 2024

It's only a few more sleeps until the official schedule for TIFF 2024 is released on Tuesday, August 13th. Every major and minor film site has reported on all the biggest and best the festival has to offer, run down the celebrities that are coming, the films that will be skipping the festival, and all the gossip and speculation in between. I'm not immune to the celebrity glitz and big name directors, but two films in particular that few people have their eyes on, have piqued my interest.

Last year while perusing a bookstore (I love bookstores!) a novel entitled Winter in Sokcho caught my eye. A thin volume about a young woman and her quiet life in Sokcho, South Korea, near the border of North Korea. The author is a French-Korean woman named Elisa Shua Dusapin, she depicted humble lives and simple interactions with beauty and intricacy.

Fast forward to last month, July 2024, with all its TIFF announcements... I see amongst the list of announced titles Hiver a Sokcho/Winter in Sokcho. My initial reaction included some surprise, I know that everything Korean is having a moment right now ("moment" be damned, I hope it lasts forever!) and Korean cinema is vastly popular. I guess out of all the Korean stories being told, Winter in Sokcho didn't strike me as the most "Korean". It's a story of introspection and contemplation, where one interprets much of the story from what is not said. This is the stuff you're more likely to encounter out of Japanese filmmaking.

Dig a little deeper and it'll come to light that this is the debut feature by a French-Japanese filmmaker named Koya Kamura. I don't want to typecast, but perhaps it makes sense that a Japanese filmmaker has selected this work to adapt to screen. I'm looking forward to seeing this film and what the filmmaker has to say in Q&A. How delightful it would be if the author were to come too!

Much closer to home is Paying for It, a novel by acclaimed graphic novelist Chester Brown, adapted by filmmaker/artist/actress Sook Yin Lee. If you grew up in Canada in the 90's you will undoubtedly remember Sook Yin Lee as the grunge rocker VJ on Much Music, she also took on some unusual roles in a middling Canadian big screen career in the 2000's. Fun fact: she's even played current Toronto Mayor, Olivia Chow, in a 2012 TV biopic of Chow's ex-husband, politician Jack Layton.

Chester Brown is probably still best known for his historical comic series about Louis Riel. Though far from a household name, he's well-known amongst indie comic circles - ie. the entire comic world that doesn't centre around superheroes (I assume you such comics exist) His 2011 graphic novel Paying for It, now gracing the big screen, was an autobiographical tale.

This is where is gets even more interesting, Paying for It is about Brown's decision to give up on romantic love and spend time with prostitutes instead following his real-life break up with Sook Kin Lee in 1996. Now here we are closer to 3 decades into the future, and Lee is adapting her ex's book into a movie! How can you not want to see this??

As mentioned at the top of this post, the official film schedule for TIFF 2024 will be released on Tuesday, August 13th at tiff.net The website also includes information about when single ticket sales will begin for the different levels of membership and general public.

[tocinephile]

Which Ukrainian Documentary to see at Hot Docs 2024

It’s past the halfway mark of Hot Docs 2024 and I’m doing my best to see what I can. As of today (yesterday? What time is it?? lol) I have seen all of the Ukrainian titles and have found Intercepted to be most impactful of the trio.

All three films address civilian life and the impacts of the Russian invasion, with Porcelain War garnering recognition at Sundance. But where Nice Ladies and Porcelain War come from seemingly gentler angles of sport and art, Intercepted makes no bones that it’s here to expose truths and propaganda fed to the Russian soldiers and families at the frontlines of the invasion.

Porcelain War has no remaining screenings, the 2nd screening of Intercepted is today at 2:15pm at the Hot Docs Cinema, and Nice Ladies screens again on May 4th. As such I won't delve too deep into the former, other than to say for a film that begins with art, it supplies images of the fatalities of war and other very in-depth insights into battle. It's the only one of the three films where I did not get to listen to the Q&A so maybe that's what's affecting my opinion of the film because of the three, it's the one I preferred the least.

Nice Ladies began as a very different project, about bodies, aging, and perception, which I think would have been very interesting. It's a window into not only wartime but how it affects people, their families, friendships, and relationships. It's also an eye-opening glimpse into the interactions of this group of ladies and their hardened personalities that are a direct result of having lived in times of occupation.

Intercepted pairs imagery of the Ukraine during invasion (the imagery is not graphic for those who are concerned, largely bombed out buildings, deserted homes, and village roads) with audio clips of intercepted phone conversations between Russian soldiers and their families via cell phone calls. I was struck by the different layers of these conversations, the different and similar beliefs and attitudes, alongside aspects of envy, hatred, and indifference. There are many angles to consider, a single conversation may include racial slurs and a desire to exterminate the Ukrainians, but also an envy towards their westernized way of life, to laments of their own governments and benefits of western goods. It's a sad and alarming realization the harm caused by misinformation in a closed society, to see people brainwashed into believing evils that do not exist.

My biggest takeaways from these two films' Q&As come directly from each filmmaker. Mariia Ponomarova of Nice Ladies mentions how every generation of Ukrainians have experienced either occupation or invasion. Intercepted director Oksana Karpovych's intention was to highlight the imperialist invasions through the decades by Russia, she did so by using conversations that made reference to Chechnya, etc.

Here ends my official write up on these films, for those interested in a personal note:

Aside from my support for the people of Ukraine, and the fact that I was lackadaisical and missed on the opportunity to see many of the films about Ukraine at Hot Docs 2023... as a Russian/Ukrainian language learner I have few opportunities to see films in these languages and so this was an excellent and important opportunity for me. I don't know how much this helped me to discern between the two languages. Certainly I was able to pick out some differences in Porcelain War and Nice Ladies, but Intercepted was meant to showcase the different Russian accents to show the diversity of the source material. Here is where I came to the sad realization that all these different accents (almost dialects if you will) are just another showcase of the different groups still under Russian control. The Ukrainians have found independence and so their language has its own name, how many different peoples across 11 time zones are forced to be grouped as one?

[tocinephile]

Why Documentaries Are More Accessible

I'll be the first to admit I will take a fictitious narrative film over a documentary any day but I don't think the latter deserves its reputation as boring or uninteresting.

Yes, we're having a discussion about documentaries in this post because Toronto's Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival begins tomorrow. It runs April 25-May 5, 2024 at the Ted Rogers Hot Docs Cinema, TIFF Lightbox, and Scotiabank Theatre. Full film into can be found on the Hot Docs Website.

Documentaries, like all films, come in many forms, subjects, and styles. Don't be shocked if you watch one and it's not to your liking. There are advantages to watching docs though, beyond expanding your knowledge.

Documentaries often have a shorter runtime. With the average runtime of a Marvel Movie being upwards of 2.5 hours and everyone voicing concerns for their bladder health every time Martin Scorsese releases a film, it's been my experience that most docs run about 1.5 to 2 hours. That's for a feature length documentary, many docs also come in a medium format with run times closer to 45min to 60min. Think about how many docs you can watch compared to movies. Nevermind whatever 8 episode show you're currently streaming.

2. Reality is often stranger than fiction. Think of the current True Crime fad, and the number of shows that are based on bizarre real events. Every time I think of the events portrayed in Netflix's Inventing Anne my mind is still blown. Well, surprise surprise... the "true" in True Crime makes it a documentary!

3. "Documentary" is not synonymous with "educational", not like that's a bad thing but for those who think of docs as glorified lectures, it's simply not true. Many experimental films, character portraits, bizarre theories, and antics fall under this category and I've seen many a hysterical and/or nonsensical doc.

4. Documentaries expand your thinking. You don't need to know about a subject to go see a doc, you don't need to agree with what's being presented, and you don't need to emerge an expert. Just by opening yourself to a new experience and info and you will come away enriched no matter what. (ie. Have I dozed off during a foreign doc about forestry? Yes! Did I learn a bit about clear cutting and environment impacts before I fell asleep? Yes. Did I realize it was a matter of grave importance? Yes. Did I realize I should maybe think twice before I pick a similar film at a future festival? Hell yes. See... mind expanded.)

I'd like to reiterate I am currently not affiliated with any organizations nor am I member of the press. I don't have any embargo info so I will not post any reviews about Hot Doc films (before a film screens, or really at all... feel free to ask me though) but I think you should see these films:

Born Hungry - which goes beyond pretty food footage and delves into the life of Toronto Chef Sash Simpson's incredible journey

2. Grand Theft Hamlet - which was created entirely within the video game. The concept is both ingenious and absolutely ridiculous.

Outside of documentaries, this is what I have on my watchlist (but realistically I will see none of them anytime soon so no spoilers please)

Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

Challengers (I try my best to catch all of Luca Guadagnino's films)

The Fall Guy

[tocinephile]

Watched, Watching, Want to Watch

While I'm finding Cineplex offerings a bit underwhelming since Dune 2, there's really no shortage of things to see between the every-growing number of streaming services vying for our monthly subscriptions and some of the most prominent film festivals in the city coming up.

TIFF released its May slate of Cinematheque films earlier this week including the "Of Myth and Magic: The Films of Powell and Pressburger" series and "Lee Chang-dong in Three". As usual tech-savvy members (I'm going to guess many of them 25 and Under) snapped up the screenings, but with the organization's revamped system of charging fees for no-show or late ticket returns by members, it's worth checking in the days leading up to the show for returned seats. A friend grumbled to me that TIFF should release their titles in advance of the tickets becoming available, which is actually a good idea in my opinion. Knowing tickets are going to be snapped up, I feel the pressure to grab anything and everything that I can that fated Wednesday every month, whereas if I could read up on these titles ahead of time, then I would just target the films I'm interested in leaving the rest to those that are most keen to see them.

What's right around the corner is Hot Docs, running April 25th-May 5th. Everyone's got their own opinion when it comes to film festivals, whether the film selection is good, how well it's being run, etc. But unless you're much more influential than I, the bottom line is that as a filmgoer you're offered a list of movies with a location, time, and price. Take it or leave it.

Here's a handful of films I'd like to see at this year's Hot Docs festival:

Pelikan Blue

American Cats: The Good, The Bad, and The Cuddly

Le Mans 55: The Unauthorized Investigation

Intercepted

Black Box Diaries

The full list of films can be found on the Hot Docs website

As for "watched" and "watching"... I'll try not to go on too much about things I've seen where others have limited opportunity to watch, but Veselka: The Rainbow at the Corner of the Centre of the World (what a mouthful!) was the last film (documentary) I saw in a theatre about the beloved Ukranian cafe in the East Village of New York City. It's a heartwarming portrait of owners Tom and Jason Birchard, their eatery in the heart of Little Ukraine, and their staff who've been so cruelly affected by the Russian invasion. I went to see the film because of both my support for the Ukraine and my own familiarity with Veselka, which I've been to and passed by countless times during my stays in New York. It is currently playing at the Hot Docs theatre.

Due to poor time management and high levels of distraction, I'm only slowly making by way through Ripley on Netflix. In contrast to Three Body Problem and The Gentlemen, both of which I binged, I've taken it slow with Ripley. I was initially so distracted that I didn't even make the connection that this was a series based on the same story as The Talented Mr Ripley and Purple Noon, both of which I've seen multiple times. I've always been lukewarm to the story but I admit, the stunning black and white cinematography and Andrew Scott are what keeps me tuned in.

[tocinephile]

A quick (re)introduction

Look, I'm not under any delusions that I have any new readers here to introduce myself to, but despite my sparse contributions over the years, I have surpassed 350 posts and perhaps some of you are not very familiar with my background as a writer. So here's a little about me.

I won't bore you with my early aspirations to be a writer and book author specifically, but I remain proud of the horror novellas (a la Fear Street) that I penned in middle school featuring my friends and I as the main characters. High school was also filled with conventional credentials such as Newspaper Editor, Literary Magazine Editor, and Yearbook Committee. I did also write a play during this time, a murder whodunit (yes, I was writing High School Noir since before it was a genre), that went on to be performed and won writing and acting awards at the Ontario Sears Drama Festival.

I studied film in University and despite devoting most of my energy to directing/art direction/sound design, I wrote plays, scripts, short stories, and poems into my 20's. I was an early adoptor of blogging and in addition to sharing an embarrassing amount of my personal life, I peppered my blog posts with many a film critique.

This practice paid off in the last decade where I've been a staff writer/contributor to several film and entertainment websites. My coverage of Hollywood, independent, and foreign films, alongside interviews, profiles, pieces about Canadian film history, and other interest articles have appeared in Iheartmovies.com, Toronto Film Scene, and Canadian Cinematographer Magazine.

They say "if you write, then you're a writer". So while I haven't been the most active in the past few years, I'd like to state that my long (if not illustrious) career as a writer is still unfolding. I hope you'll come back to hear what I have to say.

[tocinephile]

Oscars 2024

Airing an hour earlier than usual on the day following daylight savings... does anyone else feeling like they're hurtling towards the Oscars?

My deep affection for awards season and devotion to this blog doesn't appear to be increasing. Changes to the latter may or may not be coming down the road. Suffice to say I'm here now with my scant award show thoughts.

All in all 2023 was a good year for cinema, save for a couple of major union strikes, and further dilution of Marvel stories. I saw every Best Picture nominee and there wasn't a bad one in the bunch. So I guess it is unfortunate that amongst a well-rounded list, the clear frontrunner is a story about US history and the white male at the centre of it. Also the year that the most beloved film about a female icon... didn't garner Best Actress and Best Director nominations for Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig. That said, I liked Oppenheimer, it was a fine cinematic achievement. Christopher Nolan remains one of my favourite directors and though this film wasn't my favourite amongst his repertoire, it was still an incredible piece of work.

To play favourites, Poor Things was the film I liked most. Additionally I am chuffed that Past Lives is also on the Best Picture list. The Zone of Interest really scarred me. Anatomy of a Fall left me guessing up to the end. Barbie gave me (and the entire world) all the feels. Killers of the Flower Moon didn't test my patience as much as I feared and I took a lot away from it. Maestro was a timely watch for me (I'd just finished listening to a podcast about Leonard Bernstein's life in New York). The Holdovers didn't move me as much as the majority of audiences but it was an intricate piece. American Fiction was refreshing and wholy enjoyable.

With that let's get to my predictions and additional thoughts:

For full list of the nominees: https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2024

Best Picture

Will win: Oppenheimer

Should win: Barbie

Actor in a Leading Role

Will win: Cillian Murphy

Should win: Cillian Murphy

Sidenote: no shade to Colman Domingo, but Rustin turned out to be one of those films that I had higher hopes for, that didn't wind up being very outstanding nor memorable.

Actress in a Leading Role

Will win: Lily Gladstone (but Emma Stone is on my official ballot)

Should win: Emma Stone

I actually had Emma Stone on my Oscar Ballot before Lily Gladstone emerged as the runaway train sweeping many of the award shows this season. There's no doubt she's phenomenal, especially as a newcomer. I thought not enough emphasis was placed on the transformation of Emma's character in Poor Things and how that fell entirely on her to portray. Sandra Huller also seemed like a shoo-in early on giving one of the best performances of the year. Carey Mulligan is my 2nd favourite performance though, I thought her performance was largely overlooked. Also she might have fared better in the Supporting Actress category.

Actor in a Supporting Role

Will win: Robert Downey Jr

Should win: Robert Downey Jr

Actress in a Supporting Role

Will win: Da'Vine Joy Randolph

Should win: Da'Vine Joy Randolph

Animated Feature Film

Will win: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Should win: The Boy and the Heron

(The latter is also the only film I've watched in the category)

Cinematography

Will win: Oppenheimer

Should win: Oppenheimer

Shout out to Killers of the Flower Moon too!

Costume Design

Will win: Poor Things/Barbie (Poor Things is the official pick on my ballot)

Should win: Poor Things... or Barbie

Directing

Will win: Christopher Nolan

Should win: Christopher Nolan

Shout out to Martin Scorsese too!

Documentary Feature

Will win: 20 Days in Mariupol

Should win: 20 Days in Mariupol

I didn't see a single one of the nominated films this year, it's rather shameful. The film I most wanted to see was 20 Days in Mariupol and I admit I passed on a couple of opportunities, shame on me. In fact I just made the decision right now that I'm going to make another charitable donation based on my oscar guesses... I will donate $1 for every correct guess and $3 for every incorrect guess to support the refuges of Ukraine.

Film Editing

Will win: Oppenheimer

Should win: Oppenheimer

I'm only leaning slightly towards Oppenheimer for this category as I actually found the earlier parts of the film made more confusing by the non-linear cuts. By the end the editing clearly differentiates itself from its competitors in this category.

International Feature Film

Will win: The Zone of Interest

Should win: The Zone of Interest

I know this film didn't capture 100% of its audience (what film does aside from Barbie?) but the juxtaposition and sound design stunned and incapacitated me. I don't know that I will ever want to see it again, but it has left its mark.

Make Up and Hairstyling

Will win: Maestro

Should win: Maestro

Music - Original Score

Will win: Oppenheimer

Should win: Oppenheimer

Music - Original Song

Will win: "What Was I Made For?" from Barbie

Should win: "What Was I Made For?" from Barbie

I'm a Billy Eilish fan but the performance I'm most excited for is "I'm Just Ken"!

Production Design

Will win: Poor Things

Should win: Poor Things

I didn't get around to seeing Napoleon, I'm sure it's a strong contender as well but Poor Things is most innovative in my opinion.

Sound

Will win: The Zone of Interest

Should win: The Zone of Interest

This category might just go to Oppenheimer as well though... but I hope not.

Visual Effects

Will win: I have no idea but I hope it's not Godzilla. Not because I don't respect the team that can bring a giant monster to life on screen but I don't want to encourage studios to keep making these movies. (My official pick is Mission Impossible)

Should win: Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

Writing - Adapted Screenplay

Will win: American Fiction

Should win: Damn this is a stacked category, I would back any of these scripts! (the other nominees being: Barbie, Oppenheimer, Poor Things, and The Zone of Interest)

Writing - Original Screenplay

Will win: Anatomy of a Fall

Should win: Past Lives (ok, that's more of a "I want it to win"... but I really think it's 2nd amongst its fellow nominees in this category)

The following categories I wildly guessed at, not having seen most of the titles, so they do not follow the "Will win/Should win" format...

Live Action Short

Best guess: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (which I did watch)

Documentary Short

Best guess: The Last Repair Shop

Animated Short

Best guess: War is Over! Inspired by the music of John and Yoko

I won't be live-tweeting this evening (if you think my interest in awards season and this blog has waned, that's doesn't even compare to X following the Elon Musk takeover!) but I'll endeavor to come back here with an update after the show. If you are part of one of the private Discord channels that I'm a part of, we will be chatting live on that platform. Enjoy the show!

[tocinephile]

Hot Docs 2023 - Coven

As you might be aware, I currently do not review movies professionally nor independently, but I saw my first documentary at the 30th Hot Docs documentary film festival tonight entitled Coven and I have thoughts! Despite past research and study, I do not consider myself any sort of authority on magic nor witchcraft, so if I say something deeply offensive, I invite you to respond but please don’t put a spell on me, I assure you I’ve got enough problems as it is.

Coven is a documentary directed by Rama Rau about the journey of three millennial women as they delve into their past to gain a better understanding of their identities as contemporary witches. There’s no mistaking this film is about witches but I think the more overarching theme is that it’s about three women’s discovery of themselves and how it enhances the witches that they already are.

There’s something very agreeable to Coven the documentary, there is self-discovery, autonomy over oneself, empowerment, history, and connection. Except that there were a number of instances in which I felt disconnected to the film, and I’m still struggling to figure out exactly why. How much of it is from personal experience, how much from the filmmaker, and how much from something else entirely?

It should be stated, I do not actively practice any religion, but I was raised by a Catholic mother. In my teens and into my early 20’s I did a lot of self-study on Wicca and other occult topics. In more recent years I’ve visited the holy land and visited some early Christianity sites. My interest lies in the history and formation of these vastly different religions that are all paganistic at the root of it all. I have an aversion to organized religion that encompasses Catholicism and Wicca equally, but also take great interest in elements of Christianity and witchcraft alike.

[Note: the remainder of this review will include spoilers… insofar that I talk about places they shot in, and personal facts revealed to the audience during Q&A… it’s not like I’m telling you who the murderer is in a whodunit]

Coven features three women including Laura who traces her lineage to multiple witch ancestors, Andra who reconnects with her Romanian heritage and meets with a powerful Romani witch, and Ayo who connects strongly with a Russian mystic from a past life prompting her learn more about her abilities. Their stories are brought together by Rama Rau, who seems to have a genuine interest and affection in their tales, but while she claims to a believer of magic, she does confirm in Q&A that it was part of her upbringing to consult shamans and persons of mystical power, but she herself does not practice magic nor witchcraft.

I’m not saying that Rau doesn’t properly give voice to these women, or that she’s represented witchcraft incorrectly, but what we’re presented with feels more like an outsider looking in rather than a witch seeking genuine representation. It feels like it’s about journey and the power of women first (nothing wrong with this) played out against the background of witchcraft. There are many poignant and moving messages, very personal scenarios, and emotional portrayals, but I can’t help but think a Wiccan for example wouldn’t have taken quite the same approach.

Laura seeks several different channels before delving into her ancestry, including a meeting and initiation into a coven led by a Gardinerian Priestess. While I have vague context into what this title means, Rau makes no attempt at explaining though I'm of the belief that it carries connotations. A later remark by Laura indicates her decision to focus more on self-practice, so I can’t help but wonder whether some of these earlier segments are really necessary.

Other elements that come to mind while on the topic of necessity are Stonehenge and Sighisoara.  The opening shot of the film is of the citadel of Sighisoara, better know as Vlad Tepes’ castle, who is of vampire lore having nothing to do with witches. There is a lovely voiceover citing a myth about the creation of witches from dragon’s blood, but this is a flimsy tie-in at best.

I was also confused by the images of Laura walking through Stonehenge, first I was confused how one gets access to trapse through the site today as it’s forbidden. Fancy camera work perhaps? But that evolved to why she was there at all when her ancestry was tied to Salem, Massachusetts and Scotland. Recall: Stonehenge is in England. One can’t help but feel Rau is placing power and significance on places that have nothing to do with the people in the film and only for their geographical convenience.

It could be said that I’m approaching these stories from my perceived inconsistencies, which explains why I seem to have to least to remark upon regarding Ayo aka Witch Prophet’s story, because I know so little about Caribbean sorcery and voodooism. Her Christian upbringing is completely relatable, and I don’t know if I believe in past lives, but admittedly if reincarnation is real, I feel strongly that I was Russian in a past life as well. Rau met Ayo separately while seeking a women of colour to complete the trio for the documentary.

Whether you have a developed knowledge of witchcraft, or whether you’re able to connect with these women’s tales, there’s no denying Rama Rau’s Coven sparks a ton of discussion. There is one more screening of Coven at Hot Docs on May 5th, 2023 at TIFF Bell Lightbox.

[tocinephile]

If it's not EEAAO night at the Oscars I'm going to riot...

It's Oscar Sunday and while I've found this entire Award Show season rather boring, one can't help but feel a little bit of pride the way Asians have dominated in wins. A year ago who would have thought a multiverse immigrant action comedy drama written by the Daniels with an Southeast Asian led cast would be the favoured film to take Best Picture?? Everything Everywhere All At Once has been a runaway favourite and Best Picture is just one of the many categories where it is a heavy contender tonight.

Let me get off this EEAAO rah-rah train for a second though because as much gushing as there is for the film, I've also heard the honest opinions of some that they don't love this movie. On one hand, it's a multiverse film staring one of the world's greatest (and most underrated) action stars - Michelle Yeoh, a beloved scream queen (and so much more) Jamie Lee Curtis, and Short Round - Ke Huy Quan - all grown up. That just screams entertainment value. However if you've ever had to explain the multiverse to a parent or grandparent you might see where the story falters in universal appeal. But wait! It's also an immigrant story about generational friction, one of its main characters is LGBTQ+, and it's in three languages (English and two dialects of Chinese). It's truly a movie with universal appeal!

That said, I will admit of the Best Picture nominees EEAAO is perhaps only somewhere in my top 4. I've seen 8 of the 10 nominated films (opting to skip Avatar and Women Talking in theatres, I would have watched the latter if I could have streamed it). While not overly enamored by any of the selections, The Fablemans would be my favourite followed by a three-way tie between EEAAO, Top Gun: Maverick, and All Quiet on the Western Front (which I enjoyed a lot more than I expected I would)

Before I get into my picks and general thoughts about the films I have seen, I want to thank Alex from the Dufferin Film Society who is leading the charge on the Oscar Pool that I've participated in for tonight. I've typically been part of a pool headed up by a very enthusiastic colleague at the office but that pool is sadly no more. Thankfully I've been invited to join in this new one even though I'm not sure I could point to Dufferin County on a map. (Sorry Alex)

I would also like to take a moment to mention a big movie enthusiast from Toronto whose absence is felt this year: Harvey Lalonde. Harvey was a mainstay at virtually every Toronto film festival, along with many other arts & cultural events, he's also been a part of Sundance, and Fantasia in Montreal. If you've ever attended a film festival in Toronto, Harvey has likely directed you to your theatre, ripped your tickets, or played some part in your moviegoing experience. He was most often at Bloor Hot Docs, the TIFF Midnight Madness venues most notably Ryerson Theatre, and TIFF Bell Lightbox amongst many other venues. I've volunteered at TIFF and other film festivals since 1999 and Harvey was already a regular when I started. A very sociable man who loved to talk about the festivals happening in the city and the films he'd seen or was excited to see, Harvey always took every opportunity to say hello and chat. Harvey had a stroke in February and passed away shortly after.

I mention Harvey here because our second last conversation was on Facebook messenger during the Golden Globes back in January. As you might be aware, I often tweet during award shows and converse via SMS and IM with friends. While I choose to watch in my home as opposed to gathering with friends (as I did in my 20's) I actually find I do a lot of socializing albeit via my phone, and I cherish all the award show chats I have with my friends. Harvey and I discussed our dislike of the host, which awards we had predicted, and the ceremony in general. I'm going to miss these conversations with him. I'd love to know what he thinks of my 2023 Oscar picks.

As usual I'm going to break it down between who I think "will win", "should win", and "my overall pick"...

BEST PICTURE

All Quiet on the Western Front Avatar: The Way of Water The Banshees of Inisherin Elvis Everything Everywhere All at Once The Fabelmans Tár Top Gun: Maverick Triangle of Sadness Women Talking

Will win: Everything Everywhere All at Once

Should win: Everything Everywhere All at Once

My pick: Everything Everywhere All at Once

As I mentioned The Fabelmans is my favourite amongst the list but it feels old-fashion stodgy Hollywood to give this one to The Fabelmans. A million films like it have won before and Spielberg probably doesn't have any more space left in his home for more awards.

In terms of what I thought of the films themselves, All Quiet on the Western Front surpassed my expectations, The Banshees of Inisherin was interesting but I failed to see its brilliance, Elvis was probably my least favourite Baz Luhrmann film (I never saw Australia), Tar was a feat of filmmaking (that I will likely never sit through again), Top Gun was one of the most enjoyable films I saw in 2022, Triangle of Sadness did not appeal to me (and I've once and for all decided to stop watching Ostlund's films despite everyone's urging).

DIRECTOR

Todd Field, Tár Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans

Will win: Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, EEAAO

Should win: Todd Field, Tar

My pick: Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, EEAAO

Not that I will be the slightest bit upset when the Daniels win! They deserve it but Tar would be nothing without Todd Field's direction (and Cate Blanchett's performance). A part of me also thinks it would be nice to see Spielberg win for the film based on his own life. (I feel like there's in a joke in there about "if you can't direct your own life, what can you direct??"...)

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Austin Butler, Elvis Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin Brendan Fraser, The Whale Paul Mescal, Aftersun Bill Nighy, Living

Will win: Could be either Austin Butler or Brendan Fraser

Should win: Brendan Fraser, The Whale

My pick: Austin Butler, Elvis

I had a friend tell me that he doesn't believe in rewarding an actor for putting on a prosthetic. I mean, he has a point but I actually think that Brendan Fraser could have pulled this one off even without a fat suit. I didn't even like Elvis all that much but I guess Austin Butler's performance was one of the strongest aspects of the film. The category has been divided throughout all the awards, so this could go either way.

Bill Nighy was very good in Living, a film that's worth checking out. It once again reminded me the similarities in attitudes and behaviours between the Japanese and British that just make these adaptations of Japanese source material into Brit production so seamless.

Colin Farrell (and Brendan Gleeson) are also great in their roles, my thoughts on their film aside.

Paul Mescal was fine but Aftersun as a film eluded me, I failed to see what was so special about it. (I will note that I have no relationship with my own father so maybe that's why I don't understand the appeal of the film)

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Cate Blanchett, Tár Ana de Armas, Blonde Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Will win: Michelle Yeoh

Should win: Michelle Yeoh (I guess I wouldn't be sad if Cate Blanchett won either)

My pick: Michelle Yeoh

I've made no secret over the years of my love for Michelle Yeoh, she's a martial arts legend who's demonstrated her skills alongside the best, staring opposite Jacky Chan, Donnie Yen, Jet Li, etc.

Tar had a long running time and was carried by its main character and for that alone Cate Blanchett deserves recognition, but I guess she's had plenty of recognition in the past.

Michelle Williams seems to have a tendency of choosing certain roles, frequently fragile and inwardly troubled, so naturally she's perfect in The Fabelmans.

I made a decision that I wasn't going to watch Blonde because I just don't like Marilyn Munroe, so I won't be weighing in on Ana de Armas thought I typically like her.

I am going to watch To Leslie after I finish up this post.

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Will win: Ke Huy Quan

Should win: Ke Huy Quan

My pick: Ke Huy Quan

I'm really looking forward to seeing Ke Huy Quan become an Oscar winner after so many decades of struggle to just get roles in Hollywood. 100% I'm going to cry when it happens.

(I guess I will also note here that I've not had an opportunity to see Causeway, I missed it at TIFF 2022)

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Hong Chau, The Whale Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Will win: Angela Bassett or Jamie Lee Curtis

Should win: Hong Chau

My pick: Angela Bassett

This was a hard one for me to pick. While I liked Jamie Lee Curtis' performance, Angela Bassett did have a much meatier role in Wakanda Forever. But let's take a moment to recognize that there is not one but TWO Asians nominated in this category (plus a black woman, making the category POC dominated!), which is amazing to me. Hong Chau's performance was the best in my opinion.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The Banshees of Inisherin Everything Everywhere All at Once The Fabelmans Tár Triangle of Sadness

Will win: Everything Everywhere All at Once

Should win: Everything Everywhere All at Once

My pick: Everything Everywhere All at Once

I will hand it to the nominees this year, every screenplay here except for The Fabelmans was indeed original! None of these were conventional stories, that's for sure!

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

All Quiet on the Western Front Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Living Top Gun: Maverick Women Talking

Will win: Women Talking

Should Win: not sure, probably Women Talking

My pick: Women Talking

I chose Women Talking without having seen it, based on the belief that it's a powerful story to put on screen and my faith in Sarah Polley's writing. This was reinforced by a bit of web scouring. But I'm still talking out of my ass :)

I'm also not entirely sure I understand what Top Gun: Maverick was adapted from...?

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

All Quiet on the Western Front Argentina, 1985 Close EO The Quiet Girl

Will win: All Quiet on the Western Front

Should win: All Quiet on the Western Front

My pick: All Quiet on the Western Front

Argentina, 1985 also picked up some awards, I almost put that as my pick but then, quite honestly, I watched the film and changed my mind.

This is one of the rare times when I've seen every foreign film nominee and I didn't connect with Argentina, 1985 nor the Quiet Girl, though I would pick the latter if I had to choose.

All Quiet on the Western Front and Close are my picks, the latter has a very genuine portrayal of youth dealing with grief, I found it particularly moving. As for EO, it has a donkey for a main character, how can that not be endearing? Between EO and the Banshees of Inisherin, it's the year of donkeys in films and I'm all for it.

ANIMATED FEATURE

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio Marcel the Shell With Shoes On Puss in Boots: The Last Wish The Sea Beast Turning Red

Will win: Pinocchio

Should win: not sure... but Turning Red might be nice

My pick: Pinocchio

Look, I liked Pinocchio, it's got del Toro's stamp of slightly darker storytelling and his fantastical imagery, what's not to like? However I only saw it and Turning Red so I'm hardly in a position to judge. I really did like Turning Red though.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

All That Breathes All the Beauty and the Bloodshed Fire of Love A House Made of Splinters Navalny

Will win: maybe Navalny?

Should win: Fire of Love

My pick: Fire of Love

Again, I've seen more than usual within this category this year, having watched every film except All That Breathes. Fire of Love was my favourite but I'm reading that Navalny got the most attention (not surprisingly so given the topic, plus it was a good film)

ORIGINAL SCORE

All Quiet on the Western Front Babylon The Banshees of Inisherin Everything Everywhere All at Once The Fabelmans

Will win: Babylon?

Should win: Babylon

My pick: Babylon

Sadly I didn't love Babylon by a long shot, but Justin Hurwitz can do no wrong!

ORIGINAL SONG

“Applause,” Tell It Like a Woman “Hold My Hand,” Top Gun: Maverick “Lift Me Up,” Black Panther: Wakanda Forever “Naatu Naatu,” RRR “This Is a Life,” Everything Everywhere All at Once

Will win: “Naatu Naatu,” RRR

Should win: “Naatu Naatu,” RRR

My pick: “Naatu Naatu,” RRR

This is another fine example of Asians receiving recognition. I'm loving that Naatu Naatu, which I've only heard snippets of but sounds great in my opinion, is dominating in this category over a bunch of famous singers whose songs are frankly all terrible. I really hope they're not going to perform the ceremony, but at least I'll get a lot of laundry and dishes done during the show if they do.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

All Quiet on the Western Front Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths Elvis Empire of Light Tár

Will win: All Quiet on the Western Front

Should win: All Quiet on the Western Front or Bardo

My pick: All Quiet on the Western Front

I tried very hard to find some redeeming factors in Bardo, I wanted the story to loop around brilliantly somehow and being struck by genius, but overall I was there for the visuals. I missed my chance to see this in theatres and part of me is glad, but also there is regret because seeing it on the big screen would have likely been the most enjoyment I could get out of it.

Empire of Light is also underrated and understated, it's actually a beautiful tale with a elegant nostalgic setting and every bit a love letter to cinema as The Fabelmans was. More people should be seeing this film.

COSTUME DESIGN

Babylon Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Elvis Everything Everywhere All at Once Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Will win: Elvis

Should win: Babylon or Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

My pick: Elvis

I know next to nothing about Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, my bad. Whereas I didn't find the first third of Black Panther that interesting and so would often be looking at the production design and costumes on screen. I have huge issues with Babylon and historical accuracy (no matter what articles have said, there's nothing historically accurate about the wardrobe) but that's not exactly a requirement when it comes to outstanding designs. Just from personal tastes, I prefer Babylon and Wakanda forever over Elvis for costumes, but most web predictions favour it to win Best Costume.

EDITING

The Banshees of Inisherin Elvis Everything Everywhere All at Once Tár Top Gun: Maverick

Will win: Everything Everywhere All at Once

Should win: Everything Everywhere All at Once

My pick: Everything Everywhere All at Once

I guess the point of Bardo is that there are no edits...? Because the decision to not make edits or to purposely make them look seemless seems like an editing decision in itself... but that's fine if no one agrees. EEAAO does have excellent editing, and I guess Baz Luhrmann never makes a badly edited film (him and David Fincher I feel...)

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

All Quiet on the Western Front The Batman Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Elvis The Whale

Will win: Elvis

Should win: probably Elvis

My pick: Elvis

Make up stands out when it's dramatic, or transformative, or recreates something with great historical accuracy... and I guess Elvis does all of the above.

PRODUCTION DESIGN

All Quiet on the Western Front Avatar: The Way of Water Babylon Elvis The Fabelmans

Will win: Elvis? Babylon? All Quiet on the Western Front?

Should win: Babylon... or Elvis

My pick: Babylon

Again my pick of Babylon over Elvis is a matter of personal preference. I'd be rather irritated if Avatar (which should receive a visual effects award for sure but green screen alone isn't production design) or the Fabelmans win.

SOUND

All Quiet on the Western Front Avatar: The Way of Water The Batman Elvis Top Gun: Maverick

Will win: All Quiet on the Western Front

Should win: All Quiet on the Western Front

My pick: All Quiet on the Western Front

I actually heard All Quiet on the Western Front before I ever saw it. True story! I was volunteering at TIFF 2023 during a screening and while situated in the underbelly of the theatre there are speakers which broadcast the sound being heard inside the theatre and so we listened in on a lot of intricate gunfire and explosions and it left an impression!

VISUAL EFFECTS

All Quiet on the Western Front Avatar: The Way of Water The Batman Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Top Gun: Maverick

Will win: Avatar

Should win: Avatar

My Pick: Avatar

I mean, who can actually compete with Avatar here..?

SHORT FILM CATEGORIES

I didn't see a single one of the nominated shorts this year so I guessed (likely very poorly), here's what's on my ballot:

ANIMATED SHORT My Year of Dicks

LIVE-ACTION SHORT Le Pupille DOCUMENTARY SHORT Stranger at the Gate

I will be back with after tonight's ceremonies! Happy Oscar Night!

[tocinephile]

The Morning After - Golden Globes 2023 Edition (and do award shows matter anymore - updated reckonings)

(Yes I do recall when "The Morning After" posts actually came the morning after an awards show, this isn't one of those times. All content composed Jan 11th and editing completed Jan 12th)

After a year of canceled broadcasts and celebrity boycotts amidst controversy regarding diversity and representation, the Golden Globes returned last night for their 80th award show. Perhaps not intentional, but these awards felt slightly subdued compared to past fanfare (or is it just that there weren't many red carpet pre-shows?) They were hosted by comedian Jarrod Carmichael, who was quick to point out why he got the job (he is a black gay artist), however his style of humour lacked the zip typically displayed by award show hosts to keep the show energized.

While I seem to be suffering from a lack of appreciation for Austin Butler's turn as Elvis Presley (he's good, I just didn't connect with the movie overall) there were no major upsets or surprises through the night. I do wonder if Wednesday might do better at the SAGs though, just from actors' appreciation of each other, and later voting cut-off dates. The series did hit Netflix a little late in the year.

Could The Fablemans winning the top prize be the start of a runaway train to the Oscars? If nothing else it would provide a series of always eloquent acceptance speeches from Spielberg that I'm on board for, even if consensus might indicate it's not be his finest work (I quite liked it)

Speaking of acceptance speeches, Ryan Murphy, this year's recipient of the Carol Burnett award for achievement in television, prepared a calculated but important message spotlighting LGBTQ+ trailblazing talents. I say "calculated" only in that Murphy doesn't ever seem to do anything without first weighing out its relevance, importance, and how to best maximize its effect. In this instance I'm glad he's done it.

And lastly, how much gravitas do awards show still hold? Last time you wanted to find out if a film was any good, did you look for a list of nominations and awards? Or did you open your Letterboxd app, or go to Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB? Perhaps an Oscar, but overall I give little consideration to how many Globes a movie has picked up before pressing play.

Enough preamble though, let's look at these winners:

Best Picture, Drama

“Avatar: The Way of Water” (20th Century Studios)

“Elvis” (Warner Bros.)

“The Fabelmans” (Universal Pictures) (WINNER)

“Tár” (Focus Features)

“Top Gun: Maverick” (Paramount Pictures)

The globes have historically been an early indicator of who will take home the Best Picture Oscar, but increasingly inaccurate in recent years. This year's drama list seems primarily composed of crowd pleasers save for Tar (terrific but not nearly as accessible), with no clear frontrunners at this stage.

Best Picture, Musical or Comedy

“Babylon” (Paramount Pictures)

“The Banshees of Inisherin” (Searchlight Pictures) (WINNER)

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” (A24)

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” (Netflix)

“Triangle of Sadness” (Neon)

If the dramas are crowd pleasers than the Musical/Comedy offerings seem rather not-on-my-wavelength. Everything Everywhere and Glass Onion were fun, Babylon was unconvincing, The Banshees of Inisherin original but not mindblowing, and I've resisted seeing Triangle of Sadness (I do plan to watch it soon. I'm in the minority, but I don't find Ruben Ostlund's work very palatable.) Overall Banshees was the outcome I expected.

Best Director, Motion Picture

James Cameron (“Avatar: The Way of Water”)

Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)

Baz Luhrmann (“Elvis”)

Martin McDonagh (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)

Steven Spielberg (“The Fabelmans”) (WINNER)

Spielberg's a master but I would have picked Martin McDonagh or the Daniels for this category. Luhrmann's nomination I have minor objections to, HE could have made the film better... but didn't.

Best Screenplay, Motion Picture

“Tár” (Focus Features) — Todd Field

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” (A24) — Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

“The Banshees of Inisherin” (Searchlight Pictures) — Martin McDonagh (WINNER)

“Women Talking” (MGM/United Artists Releasing) — Sarah Polley

“The Fabelmans” (Universal Pictures) — Steven Spielberg, Tony Kushner

What a wonderfully stacked category! I'd want to read any of these any day.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama

Austin Butler (“Elvis”) (WINNER)

Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”)

Hugh Jackman (“The Son”)

Bill Nighy (“Living”)

Jeremy Pope (“The Inspection”)

It's not that I didn't detect greatness in Austin Butler's performance, but I had found the pacing in Elvis uneven, and I harbour a certain amount of disinterest in Elvis Presley the person. With Brendan Fraser's boycott of the HFPA, it came as no surprise that he didn't win. Jeremy Pope is the underdog here, again I didn't love The Inspection but his portrayal was very compelling.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama

Cate Blanchett (“Tár”) (WINNER)

Olivia Colman (“Empire of Light”) 

Viola Davis (“The Woman King”) 

Ana de Armas (“Blonde”) 

Michelle Williams (“The Fabelmans”)

Tar is not the easiest film to watch, but rewarding if you make it through. I haven't seen The Woman King, and resisted watching Blonde (life is short, I shouldn't have to keep watching films about icons that I don't particularly like lol) Michelle Williams is an obvious choice, Olivia Colman is understated and lovely (just like she is!), but Cate Blanchett is unbeatable.

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

Lesley Manville (“Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris”) 

Margot Robbie (“Babylon”) 

Anya Taylor-Joy (“The Menu”) 

Emma Thompson (“Good Luck to You, Leo Grande”) 

Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) (WINNER)

We all know I would have rioted if Michelle Yeoh hadn't won right? I saw a few remarks online lamenting how Hollywood has reduced her to a comedic actress when she's a powerhouse across all genres and one of the greatest martial arts talents in the business. She is all of these things yes, but as she and other fellow winners mentioned, it's about not getting the opportunities and so for her to finally get a smidge of the recognition she deserves is already a giant step forward. In case anyone needs reminding, Michelle Yeoh was one of the leads in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, of which they won 4)

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

Diego Calva (“Babylon”) 

Daniel Craig (“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”)

Adam Driver (“White Noise”) 

Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) (WINNER)

Ralph Fiennes (“The Menu”) 

Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture

Brendan Gleeson (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) 

Barry Keoghan (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) 

Brad Pitt (“Babylon”)

Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) WINNER

Eddie Redmayne (“The Good Nurse”)

Was there anything more satisfying than seeing Ke Huy Quan win his award and to hear him speak about quitting acting and questioning whether his past success was really the result of for his ability or just luck. It's been such a journey that led him to this win (on the same night as his Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom director Steven Spielberg! Aww...)

Best Supporting Actress, Motion Picture

Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) WINNER

Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) 

Jamie Lee Curtis (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) 

Dolly De Leon (“Triangle of Sadness”)

Carey Mulligan (“She Said”)

Best Television Series, Drama

“Better Call Saul” (AMC) 

“The Crown” (Netflix) 

“House of the Dragon” (HBO) (WINNER)

“Ozark” (Netflix) 

“Severance” (Apple TV+) 

I'm very lacking in my knowledge of the Television nominees but I find it hard to believe anyone would think House of the Dragon was the best of anything. While I enjoyed it fine, a large chunk of it was just fan service and lacked originality.

Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy

“Abbott Elementary” (ABC) (WINNER)

“The Bear” (FX)

“Hacks” (HBO Max)

“Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu) 

“Wednesday” (Netflix) 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Drama

Jeff Bridges (“The Old Man”) 

Kevin Costner (“Yellowstone”) (WINNER)

Diego Luna (“Andor”)

Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”)

Adam Scott (“Severance”)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama

Emma D’Arcy (“House of the Dragon”) 

Laura Linney (“Ozark”) 

Imelda Staunton (“The Crown”)

Hilary Swank (“Alaska Daily”)

Zendaya (“Euphoria”) (WINNER)

I've never seen Eurphoria (in fact I don't know anything about it) but Zendaya is transformative in almost everything she does. She's a star, but I'm still surprised she not an even bigger star.

Best Actress in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy

Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”) (WINNER)

Kaley Cuoco (“The Flight Attendant”) 

Selena Gomez (“Only Murders in the Building”) 

Jenna Ortega (“Wednesday”) 

Jean Smart (“Hacks”) 

Best Actor in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy

Donald Glover (“Atlanta”) 

Bill Hader (“Barry”) 

Steve Martin (“Only Murders in the Building”) 

Martin Short (“Only Murders in the Building”) 

Jeremy Allen White (“The Bear”) (WINNER)

Best Supporting Actor, Television

John Lithgow (“The Old Man”) 

Jonathan Pryce (“The Crown”) 

John Turturro (“Severance”) 

Tyler James Williams (“Abbott Elementary”) WINNER

Henry Winkler (“Barry”)

Best Supporting Actress, Television

Elizabeth Debicki (“The Crown”) 

Hannah Einbinder (“Hacks”) 

Julia Garner (“Ozark”) (WINNER)

Janelle James (“Abbott Elementary”) 

Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Abbott Elementary”)

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

“Black Bird” (Apple TV+) 

“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” (Netflix) 

“The Dropout” (Hulu) 

“Pam & Tommy” (Hulu) 

“The White Lotus” (HBO) (WINNER)

Best Performance by an Actor, Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture made for Television

Taron Egerton (“Black Bird”) 

Colin Firth (“The Staircase”) 

Andrew Garfield (“Under the Banner of Heaven”) 

Evan Peters (“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”) (WINNER)

Sebastian Stan (“Pam & Tommy”) 

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

Jessica Chastain (“George and Tammy”) 

Julia Garner (“Inventing Anna”) 

Lily James (“Pam & Tommy”) 

Julia Roberts (“Gaslit”) 

Amanda Seyfried (“The Dropout”) (WINNER)

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

Jennifer Coolidge (“The White Lotus”) (WINNER)

Claire Danes (“Fleishman Is in Trouble”) 

Daisy Edgar-Jones (“Under the Banner of Heaven”) 

Niecy Nash-Betts (“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”) 

Aubrey Plaza (“The White Lotus”) 

I need to watch The White Lotus, not just for Jennifer Coolidge - though I would listen to her interpret the phone book.

Best Performance by an Actor in Supporting Role, Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture made for Television

F. Murray Abraham (“The White Lotus”) 

Domhnall Gleeson (“The Patient”) 

Paul Walter Hauser (“Black Bird”) (WINNER)

Richard Jenkins (“Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”) 

Seth Rogen (“Pam & Tommy”) 

Best Original Score, Motion Picture

“The Banshees of Inisherin” (Searchlight Pictures) — Carter Burwell

“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” (Netflix) — Alexandre Desplat 

“Women Talking” (MGM/United Artists Releasing) — Hildur Guðnadóttir 

“Babylon” (Paramount Pictures) — Justin Hurwitz (WINNER)

“The Fabelmans” (Universal Pictures) — John Williams  

What a great list of nominees in this category! I think Tar deserves an honourable mention here as well. I'm a big fan of Justin Hurwitz's work (First Man is still my favourite).

Best Picture, Non-English Language

“All Quiet on the Western Front” (Germany) 

“Argentina, 1985” (Argentina) (WINNER)

“Close” (Belgium) 

“Decision to Leave” (South Korea) 

“RRR” (India) 

Well this is embarassing, Argentina, 1985 is the only film on this list I'm not familiar with. Time to educate myself...

Best Original Song, Motion Picture

“Carolina” from “Where the Crawdads Sing” (Sony Pictures) — Taylor Swift 

“Ciao Papa” from “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” (Netflix) — Alexandre Desplat, Roeban Katz, Guillermo del Toro 

“Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick” (Paramount Pictures) — Lady Gaga, BloodPop, Benjamin Rice

“Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (Marvel Studios) — Tems, Ludwig Göransson, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler 

“Naatu Naatu” from “RRR” (Variance Films) — Kala Bhairava, M. M. Keeravani, Rahul Sipligunj (WINNER)

How cool was it that Naatu Naatu (which I've not heard in its entirely but sounds like a fun lively tune) beat out Taylor Swift and others to win this category.

Best Motion Picture, Animated

“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” (Netflix) (WINNER)

“Inu-Oh” (GKIDS) 

“Marcel the Shell With Shoes On” (A24) 

“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” (DreamWorks Animation) 

“Turning Red” (Pixar) 

^^ Turning Red got a nomination :) That's something.

Some upcoming awards show include The Critic's Choice Awards on January 15th, BAFTAs on February 19th, The Screen Actor's Guild Awards airing February 26th, and of course the Oscars on March 12th.

[tocinephile]

The Morning After...2022 Oscars Edition (aka WTF happened??)

Well... for anyone who didn't watch the Oscars last night, you missed a historic show, but in some ways that might also have been for the best too.

First off, can we agree we were all Nicole Kidman last night?

I typically provide a brief summary of the ceremony and then delve right into the winners, but this year only I'm going to separate this into two posts and start with my impressions of the show...

Before the start of the 94th Academy Awards there was much criticism about cutting out 8 awards from the live broadcast that they would then re-insert into the broadcast. What none of us realized was that's exactly what they meant, they took the announcement of the winner and the winner's acceptance speech for each category and played it during the live broadcast. I have no idea what this actually accomplished other than to shave 30 seconds off the winners walking on and off stage, and maybe giving folks longer washroom breaks without seeming rude during the live broadcast?

These awards were hosted by Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes, and Regina Hall, a very obvious but appropriate move by the Academy to give the spotlight to women and women of colour. Their jokes were safe and mercifully brief, save for Regina Hall's male objectification skit ending with her frisking Josh Brolin and Jason Momoa. I know some guys were a little uncomfortable with this, and while I agree it went on too long, the other part of me can't help but think "women have been objectified for several millennia, dudes can endure this for 10 minutes."

On more than one occasion I wondered if there wasn't too much Disney hype, between the performance of the not-nominated "We Don't Talk About Bruno" from Encanto, to a surprise BTS appearance where they talked about their love of Disney/Pixar before offhandedly introducing nominated film King Richard.

Plus there's an extended clip of Wanda Syke's visit to the new Academy museum. I'd like to visit there myself, but they didn't have to cut out 8 awards from the broadcast only to replace it with a thinly-veiled advertisement for their new tourist attraction. Buy commercial time like everyone else!

Then came the slap heard (seen) around the world. Chris Rock took the stage to introduce the Documentary Feature category, kicking it off with his usual funny-in-the-90's-but-now-largely-inappropriate humour. He first made a sexist joke about Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem that neither looked very amused by but feigned neutral looks for. Followed by a comparison of Jada Pinkett Smith's hair to GI Jane, Smith has spoken openly of her alopecia (a medical condition resulting in hair loss) and it is a painful topic for her. While Will Smith initially kept a smiling composure, Jada was not amused and rolled her eyes. Chris Rock continued to drive this joke home at Jada's expense and the next thing we see is Will getting up on stage to slap Chris Rock. Rock, to his credit, took the hit well and kept his calm. All audio was cut out in North American broadcasts at this point while Chris said "wow, Will Smith just slapped the shit out of me" and Will repeated twice "keep my wife's name out of your fucking mouth" Rock acknowledged he would drop the joke, took a few moments to regain composure while some freaked out person behind the scenes quickly re-typed what was on the teleprompter, and Rock proceeded to hand out the best documentary feature award to Questlove's Summer of Soul.

Summer of Soul is a documentary about the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969, made entirely using existing and never seen before footage. It's a project of love, and I don't know if anyone heard a word of Questlove's acceptance speech (I know I didn't) because we were all so distracted by what just happened. I had to rewatch Questlove's emotional acceptance, you can find the video of his speech embedded in this Deadline article.

If you want to hear the arguments for and against Will Smith/Chris Rock, look no further than Twitter. To me it was a series of mis-steps and bad decisions on both their parts. My opinions are reserved for the Academy's decision to proceed as they did. Will is not asked to leave after hitting Chris Rock because it's almost certain he's about to win the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, his first Oscar. He does in fact win, and proceeds to use his acceptance speech to help justify his actions citing that "Love makes you do crazy things". He's just assaulted another man on live TV and they give him an award and all the mic time in the world after two other recipients (International Feature Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Costumer Designer Jenny Beavan) were practically shoo'ed off stage when their acceptance speeches went long. This is then followed by a standing ovation for Will.

There is so much that is wrong here, I don't know where to begin.

Let's state the obvious dangers of Will Smith's statement "Love makes you do crazy things" Every person who has suffered abuse will recognize this statement. The person making the statement needs help so that everyone they "love" doesn't wind up needing help because of them.

Then there's the fact he wasn't asked to leave. If you're in a bar and you hit a man disrespecting your woman, bouncers are going to ask you to leave. It doesn't matter if the dude you decked was a huge douche and everyone agrees, you're out because you threw the first punch. At film festivals, events, and even on public transit there are clear signs indicating zero tolerance for abuse and that includes physical assault. But if you're a millionaire celebrity at the Academy Awards, you can just take go take your seat, receive an award, have your say, and get a standing ovation. *mind blown* I think this also has the potential to set a very dangerous precedent.

If you weren't still too distracted by the time Lady Gaga and Liza Minnelli handed out the award for Best Picture, you will have caught an endearing exchange. After Lady Gaga patiently and gracefully helps Liza through their intro, as they cut away to the clips of the nominees, Gaga leans over to Liza and with their mics still hot, she whispers to Liza "I gotcha" and Liza responds with "I know".

So to recap the evening, we start with an awards show that's looking to streamline from it's running time of 3 hours and 19 minutes last year by not airing 8 of the awards during the live broadcast. They then poorly re-insert these awards shaving off no more than a few minutes, add in an extra musical performance, fan picks from social media, showcase about their museum, and all the time the Leading Actor needs to justify violence on air to wrap with a running time of 3 hours and 42 minutes. Way to shorten a show.

Did I miss any key moments? Would you rather I just have talked fashion? Let me know your thoughts about the 2022 Oscars!

[tocinephile]

Prepping for the Oscars

After nearly forgetting to watch the SAGs last month, I'm determined to be prepared for the Oscars, airing this Sunday, March 27th.

Despite having access to see the films, I will once again mismanage my time and miss out on the opportunity to watch the Oscar Shorts, but in terms of nominated dramatic features across all categories, I have seen most of them. My most lacking category is documentary feature having only seen Flee and Summer of Soul, and I am trying to get in all the Foreign films before the awards ceremony begins on Sunday night.

Every year I participate in low stakes and just for fun Oscar pools, keeping score as the awards are handed out, and as always, sharing my unsolicited (but sometimes well-received) opinions on Twitter. As I alluded to in my previous post, this year I'm going to add a charitable element as well, and I invite anyone who's interested in join in with me.

The Russian invasion on the Ukraine has weighed heavily on my heart over the past month, the Ukraine being one of my favourite vacations and destinations I had most hoped to return to. So amidst the glitz and glamour of the awards, in the comforts and safety of my own home, I'd like to support the Ukrainian Humanitarian Relief efforts of the Canadian Red Cross by donating $1 for every correct prediction I make, and $3 for every incorrect prediction during the 2022 Academy Awards. The is the aforementioned low stakes betting that makes award shows all the more fun for me, why not give it a try for a good cause?

Vanity Fair's website provides a great interactive ballot tool that lets you click to make your selections and includes options to share and print your ballot upon completion. If you're just looking for a printable ballot, Studio DIY has a very pretty ballot that you can use.

As I don't own a printer, I used Vanity Fair's ballot and my (very safe lol) picks are below, you can also scroll down to see my full breakdown and discussions including who I think will win vs who I think should win.

Not showing up on this printed version of my "ballot" for some reason is the International Feature Category, for which I've chosen Drive My Car.

I've already admitted defeat when it comes to the shorts, I made my selections after reading some articles online and went with all the frontrunners...

Animated Short - Robin Robin

Documentary Short - Audible

Live Action Short - The Long Goodbye

Last month the controversial decision was announced that the Academy would be handing out 8 awards pre-ceremony that are usually a part of the live show, these include the three shorts categories above, Editing, Makeup/Hair, Original Score, Sound, and Production Design. These awards will be pre-taped and then worked into the broadcast. I admit, fewer speeches is sometimes a good thing, but should these behind-the-scenes artists be swept under a rug so that celebs can have more screen time? What the articles don't mention is that there are Scientific and Technical awards handed out each year in non-televised ceremonies so those achievements have always gone unseen. Hopefully by inserting pre-taped portions into the broadcast, they will thoughtfully use the screen time to properly showcase the categories and what an important part of the finished product they are.

Production Design is always a strong category to me and they are all strong contenders this year, each with a very distinctive look.

Dune

Nightmare Alley

The Power of the Dog

The Tragedy of Macbeth

West Side Story

There isn't a single film on the list that I feel lacklustre about, I can see reasons why each one should take home the Oscar, but my personal favourite is Nightmare Alley.

Will win: Dune (also my 2nd choice)

Should win: Dune

My Official Pick: Dune

Make Up and Hairstyling is always another fun category to watch the clips of as they announce the nominees, hopefully this will still be showcased.

Coming 2 America

Cruella

Dune

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

House of Gucci

I did not see Coming 2 America yet and I got swayed by some Oscar prediction articles to go with The Eyes of Tammy Faye for my pick. While I do think there's a very good chance Tammy Faye will win, a part of me is really rooting for Cruella or House of Gucci for this one. I think the latter did not do as well in awards season as many would have hoped and it would be nice to see them win an Oscar for something.

Will win: The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Should win: House of Gucci

My Official Pick: The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Sound - speaking of paring down awards, I'm the geek who longs for the days when Sound Mixing and Sound Editing were separate categories.

Belfast

Dune

No Time to Die

The Power of the Dog

West Side Story

My opinion on this one may be skewed because I saw Dune in IMAX at the Cinesphere which has the best sound out of any theatre I've ever been to. Not that I would ever doubt Denis Villeneuve's attention to detail and sound design, but Belfast and The Power of the Dog are no slouches either. And West Side Story is a musical after all.

Will win: West Side Story/Dune

Should win: Dune

My Official Pick: Dune

Original Score

Don’t Look Up

Dune

Encanto

Parallel Mothers

The Power of the Dog

I generally respond to a strong score, (and I haven't seen Encanto) but the only two films I can even remotely remember the music for are Dune and The Power of the Dog. Overall I would have to say it wasn't the year for memorable scores.

Will win: Dune?

Should win: Dune

My Official Pick: Dune

Editing is another category that I find myself very invested in. I appreciate the magic an editor can do to transform a film.

Don’t Look Up

Dune

King Richard

The Power of the Dog

Tick, Tick…Boom!

To be honest I don't really see how King Richard fit into this category, it's in no way a bad film, but even looking over the Best Picture nominees, I think the editing in Licorice Pizza or Belfast stood out more.

I think if Don't Look Up were to win an Oscar, this might be one of the categories where it is a true contender.

Will win: Dune

Should win: Dune (though The Power of the Dog would be deserving of a win as well)

My Official Pick: Dune

Animated Feature

Encanto

Flee

Luca

The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Raya and the Last Dragon

I only realized as I listed these nominees that I didn't identify this as one of the categories I knew little about, but I've only seen Flee out of the nominees. Clearly I do not have any children. However I'm fairly confident that Flee is my favourite, I didn't make a top 10 list for best films in 2021, but if I did, I'm confident Flee would be on it.

Will win: Encanto

Should win: Flee (just kidding? maybe? I guess Encanto)

My Official Pick: Encanto

Documentary Feature

Ascension

Attica

Flee

Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

Writing With Fire

Again I went with the favourite Summer of Soul based on web articles even though I like Flee best. I thought Summer of Soul started out strong and the footage was fantastic, but after a while it was just more of the same with no additional message to impart. I have not seen the other nominees though I'm very interested to see Attica.

Will win: Summer of Soul

Should win: Flee (I'm serious this time)

My Official Pick: Summer of Soul

Costume Design is probably the funnest category of them all.

Cruella

Cyrano

Dune

Nightmare Alley

West Side Story

My pick is Cruella and it is genuinely my favourite amongst the contenders. I do think it has a good shot of winning, though I've read mention of West Side Story as well. Personally I'd take Nightmare Alley over West Side Story. I've also not seen Cyrano yet.

Will win: Cruella

Should win: Cruella

My Official Pick: Cruella

Adapted Screenplay - the writing categories are always toughest to call because I suppose writers think they know best, am I right? ;)

CODA

Drive My Car

Dune

The Lost Daughter

The Power of the Dog

Regardless of whether I enjoyed the story, there is not a bad adaptation here. It should be noted that three of the nominees in this category are women and one of them is likely to win it. A quick scour of the web says that CODA is favoured to win, and considering the film has really picked up momentum during awards season it may well triumph. I picked The Power of the Dog because I think it has a legitimate chance and I do think it was the best written.

Will win: CODA

Should win: The Power of the Dog

My Official Pick: The Power of the Dog

Original Screenplay

Belfast

Don’t Look Up

King Richard

Licorice Pizza

The Worst Person in the World

This is another stacked category. I think King Richard belongs in this category more than Editing, however it's still bottom of the pile for me compared to the other nominees. I don't think The Worst Person in the World has a shot at winning even though I was very impressed with the writing (I have personal reservations with the story but it has nothing to do with the writing and a discussion for another time). Adam McKay has to be one of the strongest screenwriters out there, but so is Sir Kenneth Branagh and P.T. Anderson. Web influence had me placing my bets on Belfast, but Licorice Pizza is my favourite script. I actually enjoy reading scripts/screenplays and would love to read Licorice Pizza sometime. I also think if Licorice Pizza is going to win an Oscar, it will be in this category.

Will win: Belfast/Licorice Pizza

Should win: Licorice Pizza

My Official Pick: Belfast

Original Song

“Be Alive,” King Richard

“Dos Oruguitas,” Encanto

“Down to Joy,” Belfast

“No Time to Die,” No Time to Die

“Somehow You Do,” Four Good Days

I studied music for 10 years and film for 4 years so you'd think I've have more insight on this category but I'm clueless. I went with No Time to Die because I'm a Billie Eilish fan. That's it and that's all.

Will win: No Time to Die

Should win: No Time to Die

My Official Pick: No Time to Die

Visual Effects

Dune

Free Guy

No Time to Die

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Spider-Man: No Way Home

I'm going to be pretty surprised if anyone wins except for Dune.

Will win: Dune

Should win: Dune

My Official Pick: Dune

Cinematography

Dune

Nightmare Alley

The Power of the Dog

The Tragedy of Macbeth

West Side Story

As you might have noticed, I'm backing Dune for all the technical awards because it is a true technical achievement. I'm really hoping it comes out with the most awards of the night despite none of them being in the major categories. Wouldn't that be cool though?

That said, I also wouldn't be surprised if The Power of the Dog took home this one.

Will win: Dune/The Power of the Dog

Should win: Dune

My Official Pick: Dune

International Feature

Drive My Car

Flee

The Hand of God

Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom

The Worst Person in the World

Here is where I get controversial... I didn't particularly like the favoured film Drive My Car from Japan. I have a general dislike for that style of storytelling/editing/pacing and while I have a great deal of respect for the film and was very moved by selected scenes, overall I was not a fan. Go ahead, have at me.

At the time of writing I have not seen The Hand of God nor Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom. I will have remedied this by the time the Oscars air and will return for a more informed discussion.

I've already mentioned my thoughts about Flee and The Worst Person in the World, both strong films and I'm happy to see them nominated. My favourite International Film of the year, Compartment No. 6, did not get a nomination for the Oscars (but it was on the short list), though it was recognized at Cannes sharing the Grand Prix award, and was nominated for a Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award. It is a Finnish/Russian co-production, and given the current state of the world, probably would not have gotten the best reception anyway.

Will win: Drive My Car

Should win: Flee

My Official Pick: Drive My Car

Actress in a Supporting Role

Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter

Ariana DeBose, West Side Story

Judi Dench, Belfast

Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog

Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard

Ariana DeBose has been the favourite and I think her streak will extend to the Oscars. She was excellent in her portrayal of Anita in West Side Story, I guess there's something about that role that brings out Oscar-worthy performances? (Rita Moreno also won an Oscar for portraying Anita in West Side Story (1961))

Anjanue Ellis' character didn't veer out of conventional confines of the average Hollywood production but she was very good. Kirsten Dunst also gave one of her best performances in The Power of the Dog.

I never thought I'd say this, but Dakota Johnston stood out more than Jessie Buckley to me in The Lost Daughter, but that might have something to do with my overall interest in the movie, which I recommend for the performances and direction, but the story overall is lukewarm.

Lastly Judi Dench is always spot on. Enough said.

Will win: Ariana DeBose

Should win: Ariana DeBose

My Official Pick: Ariana DeBose

Actor in a Supporting Role

Ciarán Hinds, Belfast

Troy Kotsur, CODA

Jesse Plemons, The Power of the Dog

J.K. Simmons, Being the Ricardos

Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

When I first read this year's nominees I never thought I'd be backing Troy Kotsur to win this category but it's looking like he's got a good chance and how wonderful that is.

I hope that J.K. Simmons had a lot of fun portraying William Frawley in Being the Ricardos, what an excellent casting choice. His was my favourite performance in the film.

Kodi Smit-McPhee is perhaps my personal favourite out of the performances, though hats off to Jesse Plemons as well.

Ciaran Hinds... also consistently excellent.

Will win: Troy Kotsur

Should win: Troy Kotsur

My Official Pick: Troy Kotsur

Actress in a Leading Role

Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter

Penélope Cruz, Parallel Mothers

Nicole Kidman, Being the Ricardos

Kristen Stewart, Spencer

It's hard to pick a favourite from this list, and the fact that I didn't love so many of these movies but respect the acting is a direct reason for my indecision.

I wanted to like The Eyes of Tammy Faye, aside from Jessica Chastain, Andrew Garfield also gave a strong performance. Ultimately I do agree with preceding awards shows that her performance was the best.

Olivia Colman was my driving reason to see The Lost Daughter. Ultimately Maggie Gyllenhaal really put her stamp on the film with her storytelling and direction, but it's a story that doesn't particularly resonate with me.

Parallel Mothers was my favourite film in the category, Penelope Cruz is always pitch perfect in Almodovar's films, but was she extra perfect in Parallel Mothers? Not really.

As a big fan of I Love Lucy I did a lot of supplementary learning into the life of Lucille Ball, the history of her relationship with Desi, and the hurdles the show faced. I get why Aaron Sorkin presented the story the way that he did, however most people who were interested in watching Being the Ricardos just wanted to see Lucy Ricardo as they knew her on TV. Lucille Ball the person was first an actress and a serious and hardworking person, her onscreen humour and comedic acts were a testament to her acting skills, not because she was naturally boisterous and goofy. So did Nicole nail the portrayal of Lucille Ball the actress, hell yes, will most people realize that? Doubtful.

Then there's Kristen Stewart as Diana Spencer. Again there's this split between the beloved people's princess and her darker private side plagued with emotional duress from the royal family, British tabloids, etc. Plus my general disdain for Kristen Stewart. I walked into the cinema expecting not to like the film but to be impressed with her performance, and that's basically what happened. Over time though I wonder if Stewart didn't make Diana Spencer out to be colder than she really was? This is just my personal speculation but did Kristen Stewart give the performance of her life portraying Diana? No, she did not.

Will win: Jessica Chastain

Should win: Jessica Chastain

My Official Pick: Jessica Chastain

Actor in a Leading Role

Javier Bardem, Being the Ricardos

Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog

Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick…Boom!

Will Smith, King Richard

Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth

Will Smith is the frontrunner here and I fully expect him to win the Oscar.

I'm not a Shakespeare fan but The Tragedy of Macbeth is interesting watch between the production design and performances. Denzel deserves his nomination.

My personal favourite of the category is Benedict Cumberbatch, though I don't feel the character is a big stretch for his acting abilities. Few characters are.

Will win: Will Smith

Should win: Benedict Cumberbatch

My Official Pick: Will Smith

Director

Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza

Kenneth Branagh, Belfast

Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog

Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car

Steven Spielberg, West Side Story

Belfast was the first film I saw from this list, I felt it was a bit of a crowd-pleasing story but had no doubt that Kenneth Branagh would be up for some awards. The writing, cinematography, and directing were the highlights of Belfast.

My personal favourite of the category is Licorice Pizza and P.T. Anderson is such a nuanced filmmaker he rarely disappoints in writing and direction. However if I had to chose, I'd say Licorice Pizza is a greater achievement in writing than direction.

Jane Campion is the true standout in the category, her direction propels The Power of the Dog. I really want to see her win this one.

Will win: Jane Campion

Should win: Jane Campion

My Official Pick: Jane Campion

Best Picture

Belfast

CODA

Don’t Look Up

Drive My Car

Dune

King Richard

Licorice Pizza

Nightmare Alley

The Power of the Dog

West Side Story

It's not every year that I can boast I've seen all the Best Picture nominees, the films of all the major acting categories, Best Director, and the writing categories. I could do an entire post on these films, several in fact, but let's see what I can sum up in one line...

Belfast - feel good big budget production of the year.

CODA - the little film that can't be missed

Don't Look Up - important message muddled by too much story

Drive My Car - just not my style... sorry

Dune - a technical achievement and set up for a potentially great series of films

King Richard - character study and insights into the Williams family

Licorice Pizza - awkward and improbable love story that draws you in

Nightmare Alley - visual delight and homage to Noir

The Power of the Dog - excellence in direction and stunning locations

West Side Story - provided me an interesting history lesson about the changing neighbourhoods of Manhattan (yes, that was my only big takeaway from the film)

Please don't misunderstand, I have the utmost respect for all of these films, you don't get nominated for an Oscar for no reason. This is merely an elevator ride summary.

Will win: The Power of the Dog

Should win: The Power of the Dog/CODA

My Official Pick: The Power of the Dog

(My Personal Favourites: Licorice Pizza & Nightmare Alley!)

What are your predictions and thoughts? You've painstakingly read through mine and I'd love to hear yours! I look forward to trading tweets/texts with many of your tomorrow night during the Oscars live broadcast!

[tocinephile]

I Guess Award Shows Are Still A Thing...?

Shortly after 8pm EST on Sunday, February 27, 2022 it dawned on me there was a little thing called the SAG Awards on and not only had I not felt inclined to find some red carpet coverage, the show had begun and I didn't even know how to watch it here in Canada.

Let's not kid ourselves, me being me, I found an online stream pretty fast and got caught up on the latest fashion news on Twitter while listening to acceptance speeches. In light of the current state of the world, I gave it a few minutes thought and decided not to live tweet in order to make space in the vast expanse of social media for more important messages to get out there. As well I feel the interest in red carpets and award shows has waned over the pandemic, coupled by the Golden Globes' fall from grace.

The 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards was a return to an in-person star-studded gala, but notably lacked a host, although Lin-Manuel Miranda, Daveed Diggs, and Leslie Odom Jr. were there to kick it off and wrap things up. I obviously missed the intro but if I remember correctly it typically starts with actors in the audience doing individual segments ending with "I'm an actor". I'm sure it was good.

At the end of the day, few speeches stuck with me, though I seemed to have missed Troy Kotsur's speech, he was the first deaf actor to earn a nomination and won his category! The Ukraine appeared to be on many people's minds and the outpouring of support was heartwarming. Brian Cox expressed solidarity with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was also an actor/comedian prior to his political career.

As I struggled to concentrate and lose myself in the celebrities and glitz, I realized I may have missed a golden opportunity at some fun and charitable support at the same time. I should have made a list of predictions for these awards, having likely seen a record number of the nominees this year, and donated $2 for every correct prediction and $5 for every incorrect prediction in support of the Ukraine. It's my sincere hope that by the time the Oscars roll around in one month's time that Putin will have self-destructed and his troops long retreated, but if not I will have to make some additional donations this way (and invite everyone to play along).

Let's look at the winners...

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture CODA — Eugenio Derbez, Daniel Durant, Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo (WINNER) Belfast Don’t Look Up House of Gucci King Richard

Seeing CODA take home this award was heartwarming and shows the support that the acting community has for one another. As they read the nominees I thought about all the powerhouse casts and mused "but wouldn't it be nice if CODA won instead?" AND THEY DID!

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) (WINNER) Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter) Lady Gaga (House of Gucci) Jennifer Hudson (Respect) Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos)

I haven't seen Respect, but amongst the rest I liked The Eyes of Tammy Faye the least as a film, but Jessica Chastain the most in terms of performance. If I could make a personal pick though, I'd likely choose Lady Gaga, she was so suited to play Patrizia Reggiani.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Will Smith (King Richard) (WINNER) Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos) Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog) Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick … Boom!) Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth)

I saw every film in this category and I have to say I would've chosen Will Smith last to win. Not because he wasn't good, but because it didn't feel like much of a stretch, and if you argue that it was a subtle performance...I didn't think it was *that* subtle. My personal favourite was Benedict Cumberbatch. I am continually impressed by Andrew Garfield and his range, Javier Bardem rarely disappoints, and Denzel was imposing in portrayal of MacBeth.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) (WINNER) Caitriona Balfe (Belfast) Cate Blanchett (Nightmare Alley) Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog) Ruth Negga (Passing)

I don't know if I have a personal favourite in this category though I do think Caitriona Balfe is underrated in her contributions to Belfast. Ruth Negga was also good, but she needed a better vehicle for her performance. I don't think people underestimate Kirsten Dunst anymore, and Cate Blanchett is obviously a powerhouse. So I guess it's great that Ariana DeBose won.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Troy Kotsur (CODA) (WINNER) Ben Affleck (The Tender Bar) Bradley Cooper (Licorice Pizza) Jared Leto (House of Gucci) Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog)

As I mentioned above, this is a historic nomination and win and recognition couldn't be given to a better film. CODA is not only a vehicle for deaf actors and awareness, but a moving coming of age story that speaks to all audiences, hearing or not.

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture No Time to Die (WINNER) Black Widow Dune The Matrix: Resurrections Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Succession — Nicholas Braun, Juliana Canfield, Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, Dagmara Dominczyk, Peter Friedman, Jihae, Justine Lupe, Matthew Macfadyen, Dasha Nekrasova, Scott Nicholson, David Rasche, Alan Ruck, J. Smith-Cameron, Sarah Snook, Fisher Stevens, Jeremy Strong, Zoë Winters (WINNER) The Handmaid’s Tale The Morning Show Squid Game Yellowstone

I really like Succession. I also pay much less attention to the TV categories and so I was surprised that this was the first time they'd won in the category. Now where can I buy Brian Cox's "F*ck Off" mask?? I need 10!

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game) (WINNER) Brian Cox (Succession) Billy Crudup (The Morning Show) Kieran Culkin (Succession) Jeremy Strong (Succession)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Jung Ho-yeon (Squid Game) (WINNER) Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show) Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale) Sarah Snook (Succession) Reese Witherspoon (The Morning Show)

Admittedly Squid Game wasn't amongst my favourite series this year (that's not to say I didn't binge the whole thing!), however I am continually pleased to see the growing success of Korean film and TV. The stellar content that's crossing the pond in their native language and taking home the top awards in Hollywood - including Best Actor AND Best Actress edging out the entire Roy family , the phenomenal cast of The Morning Show, and Elisabeth Moss (admittedly I don't like her show either) really raises the bar.

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Ted Lasso — Annette Badland, Kola Bokinni, Phil Dunster, Cristo Fernández, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Toheeb Jimoh, Nick Mohammed, Sarah Niles, Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Swift, Juno Temple, Hannah Waddingham (WINNER) The Great Hacks The Kominsky Method Only Murders in the Building

I'm not sure what it is with me and the leading comedies, I'm just not inclined to watch them. I should watch Ted Lasso (sidenote: I've always been a fan of Juno Temple... who wore one of my favourite dresses of the night). I watched the first season of The Great and it felt more like... The O.K.

And not to downplay the remainder of the categories, but I myself, have no additional commentary to add...

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso) (WINNER) Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method) Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso) Steve Martin (Only Murders in the Building) Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series Jean Smart (Hacks) (WINNER) Elle Fanning (The Great) Sandra Oh (The Chair) Juno Temple (Ted Lasso) Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series Michael Keaton (Dopesick) (WINNER) Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus) Oscar Isaac (Scenes From a Marriage) Ewan McGregor (Halston) Evan Peters (Mare of Easttown)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series Kate Winslet (Mare of Easttown) (WINNER) Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus) Cynthia Erivo (Genius: Aretha) Margaret Qualley (Maid) Jean Smart (Mare of Easttown)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series Squid Game (WINNER) Cobra Kai The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Loki Mare of Easttown

One Month until the Oscars, I'll be back with more then!

[tocinephile]

The Morning After... 2021 Oscars Edition

Whether you liked it or hated it, at least last night's Oscars are worth talking about, which is more than I can say for any other award show this season. But there's no way to hate on Glenn Close doing "Da Butt" after telling Daniel Kaluuya he was too young to know Donna Summer trivia, now that's the mark you want to leave on Oscars history!

This year's award began in a beautiful garden party and then moved inside a train station for a cavernous yet intimate small audience feel. Largely live with overseas presenters (including the Brits gathered at BFI) broadcast with a quality signal with pros on site to make sure everyone was unmuted when they should be, and a few pre-recorded segments thrown in.

Hats off to Regina King for her stylish entrance during the classic movie opening credits, give her an award for walking all the way through Union Station in heels no less! Some people missed the comedic opening, but for all the years that those same skits/monologues incited criticisms and yawns, I think it was fine to skip the comedy for one year. Apparently it's also fine to skip the musical performances and film clips when announcing the nominees. Perhaps many will disagree, but I often take bio breaks leave the room during the song performances anyway, coupled with none of the songs making an impression on me this year, it made no difference to me.

Awards were also presented in a different order this year. By the middle of the show I was already seeing commentary about this in my Twitter but I actually thought things were going well until out of nowhere they start announcing the Best Picture nominees and I started to wonder if I'd left the room by mistake during the Best Actor/Actress awards. I haven't found any sources yet that confirm the reason for the change-up, I can only assume they were saving the Best Actor for last so we could all have an emotional cry over the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman. It turned out both the Best Actress and Best Actor awards were a bit of a surprise, we can now reconfirm our trust in PWC that NOBODY knows the winners ahead of time.

The Best Actress category hasn't had a clear frontrunner but I was personally rooting for Andra Day. I thought Viola Davis also had a good shot of winning. While Carey Mulligan's film was my favourite, I was really blown away by Day's performance. Plus I really wanted to see a BIPOC sweep in the acting categories and I think this was the year for the Oscars to do this right. Frances McDormand is always a force, but I think it was in Three Billboards that she outdid herself, and she was awarded for that. In Nomadland, she was merely 'great'.

Then came the final category of the night and we prepared for them to announce the Best Actor. I'm just going to be presumptuous and say most people were expecting Chadwick Boseman to win posthumously, but not only did they announce Anthony Hopkins name, he wasn't even in attendance/available on video conference to make a speech. The biggest night in Hollywood ended with "we accept this award on his behalf. Thank you and goodnight". I really don't think this is what Steven Soderbergh (and Stacey Sher and Jesse Collins) had in mind. I would have to agree that Hopkins really nailed his performance in The Father, and the film in general is quite an achievement (not only in acting, but in writing, editing, and set design) but I think had the producers known what would hapen, they would have stuck with the classic formula and ended things with Nomadland taking Best Picture. Sure, it would have been playing it safe, but hey, ain't nothing wrong with a classic Hollywood ending.

The acting categories were strong as always. I remarked to a friend prior to the awards, out of the films of the Actor nominees I saw Mank first and thought there was no way Gary Oldman could lose, but after seeing the rest of the films, I had changed my opinion to he didn't stand a chance. And of course there were my BIPOC (ok, every time I type this I think there should have been an Indigenous person nominated... Oscars 2022 are you listening??) acting sweep fantasies. If not Boseman, then maybe Riz Ahmed? Or Steven Yuen? To be up there with a statue alongside Youn Yuh Jung and Chloe Zhao cause "#OscarsSoAsian" has a nice ring to it.

Let's look a little closer at the winners by category:

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”)

Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)

Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”) (WINNER)

Gary Oldman (“Mank”)

Steven Yeun (“Minari”)

Since this was the last award, it’s forever remembered as “ruining” the Oscars. While it was not the ending we wanted (maybe it was the ending we deserved? j/k…) it’s important to note Sir Anthony Hopkins didn’t ruin the Oscars, the producers betting an entire award show finale on what they thought was a sure thing is what derailed the evening. What Hopkins did was give a phenomenal performance and subsequently became the oldest actor to be recognized in the category.

I did want Chadwick Boseman to win. I did want a teary emotional finish. I did want a person of colour to win the Oscar. But I also want millions of dollars and the ability to travel around the world right now, so, let’s keep our desires in check.

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)

Andra Day (“The United States v. Billie Holiday”)

Vanessa Kirby (“Pieces of a Woman”)

Frances McDormand (“Nomadland”) (WINNER)

Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”)

Oh how badly did I want Andra Day to win? How amazing did I think Viola Davis was? How much did I love Carey Mulligan’s film? (and sidenote: Does Vanessa Kirby know how to smile? Forget smiling, I don’t think I saw her expression change once during the show last night?) But you gotta respect Frances McDormand who didn’t care if she won, who doesn’t need to explain herself, and advocates for Karaoke Bars at award shows.

Best Picture

“The Father”

“Judas and the Black Messiah”

“Mank”

“Minari”

“Nomadland” (WINNER)

“Promising Young Woman”

“Sound of Metal”

“The Trial of the Chicago 7”

Someone on Twitter rightly pointed out… Best Picture is a good choice to hand out last because there’s always someone there to accept it. I’m all for Nomadland winning this, but wouldn’t it have been awesome if Promising Young Woman took it for the upset of the season?

Best Original Song

“Fight for You,” (“Judas and the Black Messiah”). Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas (WINNER)

“Hear My Voice,” (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”). Music by Daniel Pemberton; Lyric by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite

“Húsavík,” (“Eurovision Song Contest”). Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson

“Io Si (Seen),” (“The Life Ahead”). Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini

“Speak Now,” (“One Night in Miami”). Music and Lyric by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth

Best Original Score

“Da 5 Bloods,” Terence Blanchard

“Mank,” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

“Minari,” Emile Mosseri

“News of the World,” James Newton Howard

“Soul,” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste (WINNER)

I’ll never get used to seeing Trent Reznor as a multiple Oscar Winner/Nominee. (Spoken like a true Gen X-er)

Best Film Editing

“The Father,” Yorgos Lamprinos

“Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao

“Promising Young Woman,” Frédéric Thoraval

“Sound of Metal,” Mikkel E.G. Nielsen (WINNER)

“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Alan Baumgarten

I’d read in some articles that whoever gets Editing also typically wins Sound and vice versa. Is that true? Has it always been true or is that recent? Wasn’t there recognition in Sound Editing and Sound Mixing until recent years? While Sound of Metal immediately stood out to me in Sound (I mean, would it have been truly successful if it didn’t?) I’m still not sure how it’s outstanding for its editing. The Father on the other hand, and even The Trial of the Chicago 7. I’d also like to note that David Fincher films also typically feature great editing, and so my impressions of Mank are correct and reconfirmed by its absence in this category.

Best Cinematography

“Judas and the Black Messiah,” Sean Bobbitt

“Mank,” Erik Messerschmidt (WINNER)

“News of the World,” Dariusz Wolski

“Nomadland,” Joshua James Richards

“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Phedon Papamichael

I’m hearing from both the Oscar Pools I was part of, that I was in the minority for calling this one correctly.

Best Production Design

“The Father.” Production Design: Peter Francis; Set Decoration: Cathy Featherstone

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Production Design: Mark Ricker; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara and Diana Stoughton

“Mank.” Production Design: Donald Graham Burt; Set Decoration: Jan Pascale (WINNER)

“News of the World.” Production Design: David Crank; Set Decoration: Elizabeth Keenan

“Tenet.” Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas

There’s just something about old Hollywood isn’t there? I mean most creative should definitely be The Father, and outstanding is Ma Rainey, but this is Hollywood’s night, not unusual for them to celebrate themselves. For what it’s worth, I loved the Production Design in Mank. Also in all the personal tidbits they tried to share about the nominees, the only one I remember a day later is winner Jan Pascale's dream career trajectory for me... from puppeteer for Mr Rogers to set decorating for David Fincher! Talk about living your best life!

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Maria Bakalova (‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”)

Glenn Close (“Hillbilly Elegy”)

Olivia Colman (“The Father”)

Amanda Seyfried (“Mank”)

Yuh-Jung Youn (“Minari”) (WINNER)

This is going to come off unkind, but I never understood how Maria Bakalova made the cut once we stopped separating out Comedy and Drama categories. What can I say, I just didn’t get the appeal of the Borat sequel (I was lukewarm to first one too truth be told, but at least it was funnier)

Best Visual Effects

“Love and Monsters,” Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt and Brian Cox

“The Midnight Sky,” Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon and David Watkins

“Mulan,” Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury and Steve Ingram

“The One and Only Ivan,” Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones and Santiago Colomo Martinez

“Tenet,” Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher (WINNER)

I haven’t looked too carefully at other smaller awards, but I feel there is a world of technical awards out there that Tenet deserves to win. I wonder if Tenet shouldn’t have gotten some recognition for Sound as well, alongside the sets, stunts, etc etc.

Best Documentary Feature

“Collective,” Alexander Nanau and Bianca Oana

“Crip Camp,” Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht and Sara Bolder

“The Mole Agent,” Maite Alberdi and Marcela Santibáñez

“My Octopus Teacher,” Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed and Craig Foster (WINNER)

“Time,” Garrett Bradley, Lauren Domino and Kellen Quinn

Best Documentary Short Subject

“Colette,” Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard (WINNER)

“A Concerto Is a Conversation,” Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers

“Do Not Split,” Anders Hammer and Charlotte Cook

“Hunger Ward,” Skye Fitzgerald and Michael Scheuerman

“A Love Song for Latasha,” Sophia Nahli Allison and Janice Duncan

Best Animated Feature Film

“Onward” (Pixar)

“Over the Moon” (Netflix)

“A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon” (Netflix)

“Soul” (Pixar) (WINNER)

“Wolfwalkers” (Apple TV Plus/GKIDS)

Best Animated Short Film

“Burrow” (Disney Plus/Pixar)

“Genius Loci” (Kazak Productions)

“If Anything Happens I Love You” (Netflix) (WINNER)

“Opera” (Beasts and Natives Alike)

“Yes-People” (CAOZ hf. Hólamói)

Best Live-Action Short Film

“Feeling Through”

“The Letter Room”

“The Present”

“Two Distant Strangers” (WINNER)

“White Eye”

Best Sound

“Greyhound,” Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders and David Wyman

“Mank,” Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance and Drew Kunin

“News of the World,” Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller and John Pritchett

“Soul,” Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker

“Sound of Metal,” Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh (WINNER)

Best Director

Thomas Vinterberg (“Another Round”)

David Fincher (“Mank”)

Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”)

Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”) (WINNER)

Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”)

This has been said, but it needs to be said again (and again)… Oscar Winner Chloe Zhao is the 2nd woman in the history of the Oscars (which is nearing close to a century) to win in this category and the first woman of Asian descent. Her award announced by last year��s – also Asian – winner Bong Joon Ho. THIS is what I want to be hearing in the news about Asians. Seeing all the side by side photo comparisons of them each posing with their two Oscars is sparking so much joy in my social media feeds.

Best Costume Design

“Emma,” Alexandra Byrne

“Mank,” Trish Summerville

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Ann Roth (WINNER)

“Mulan,” Bina Daigeler

“Pinocchio,” Massimo Cantini Parrini

When you take a step back and consider Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom as a whole, the look of the entire film really does grab you doesn’t it? Well deserved win.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

“Emma,” Marese Langan, Laura Allen, Claudia Stolze

“Hillbilly Elegy,” Eryn Krueger Mekash, Patricia Dehaney, Matthew Mungle

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson (WINNER)

“Mank,” Kimberley Spiteri, Gigi Williams, Colleen LaBaff

“Pinocchio,” Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli, Francesco Pegoretti

I said this in my twitter best... in recent years it’s finally dawned on the Academy to stop simply awarding the period films in these categories. I fully support this, I just need to remember this when I’m making Oscar Pool picks in attempts to win money.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)

Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”) (WINNER)

Leslie Odom Jr. (“One Night in Miami”)

Paul Raci (“Sound of Metal”)

Lakeith Stanfield (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)

I’d like to thank Daniel Kaluuya’s mom and dad for having sex too.

Best International Feature Film

“Another Round” (Denmark) (WINNER)

“Better Days” (Hong Kong)

“Collective” (Romania)

“The Man Who Sold His Skin” (Tunisia)

“Quo Vadis, Aida?” (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Another Round was an early favourite among audiences, I saw it back in the fall myself. I’m almost positive it’s the style of the film and a general lack of enthusiasm I have for cinema of Northern Europe (no offence, there are many exceptions but I don’t really jump out of my seat when I hear there’s a Scandinavian film festival in town) but I wouldn’t rave about this film. It’s decent but I was much more moved by Better Days (which is a Mandarin-spoken film, so I was entirely reliant on the subtitles despite it originating from HK) and much more interested in seeing Quo Vadis, Aida?

Best Adapted Screenplay

“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.” Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena Friedman, Lee Kern; Story by Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Nina Pedrad

“The Father,” Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller (WINNER)

“Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao

“One Night in Miami,” Kemp Powers

“The White Tiger,” Ramin Bahrani

Looking at this list, I’m reminded that Regina King should have gotten a nomination for directing. Good script but her direction brought it to life.

Best Original Screenplay

“Judas and the Black Messiah.” Screenplay by Will Berson, Shaka King; Story by Will Berson, Shaka King, Kenny Lucas, Keith Lucas

“Minari,” Lee Isaac Chung

“Promising Young Woman,” Emerald Fennell (WINNER)

“Sound of Metal.” Screenplay by Darius Marder, Abraham Marder; Story by Darius Marder, Derek Cianfrance

“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Aaron Sorkin

I’m so happy Emerald Fennell won, over Aaron Sorkin, who’s got enough awards he can live without this one despite Trial of the Chicago 7 being some good writing. There’s something to be said about a story so triggering, wracks many with guilt (I know it did that for me, and it better have done the same for many others that I know, because we all know the things we turned a blind eye to growing up in the years that we did. We remember the things that we cannot even bare to talk to each other about now.), and we still can’t help but be in awe and consider it the best damn story of the year.

Also tipping my hat to Minari (which Chef/Restuaranteur/TV celeb David Chang so accurately describes as the real “Marriage Story”) and Judas and the Black Messiah. And the absence of Da 5 Bloods needs to be pointed out, it should’ve been nominated for Screenplay.

Sound of Metal is many things, its performances, technical achievements, and even directing are superior, but script-wise… I liked It’s All Gone Pete Tong (2004) better.

My post-Oscar ramble seems a little longer than usual (I mean, I do have a LOT more time than usual) so I won't recap my tweets of varying relevance and intelligence, you can find them all on my Twitter at https://twitter.com/palindr0me

[tocinephile]

T'was the night before the Oscars...

Here we are again. The final stab at a decent award show ceremony amidst a global pandemic. I'm not getting my hopes up after the Golden Globes and SAG zoom calls, in fact I've read very little about the upcoming ceremonies since they announced they would not be using zoom... and then promptly reversed that decision.

It would seem no matter how late we delay the Oscars, I still find myself the night before the show scrambling to watch all the Best Picture nominees. It also hasn't slipped my mind all the promises I'd made to discuss my top films of 2020 and the things I would not have seen if not for this global catastrophe. Having had a number of conversations with fellow cinephiles, many have also found themselves very unenthused about award season contenders, dramatic pictures or anything with heavier content so to speak, or even movies in general. The struggle to concentrate is real.

I'm going to get right into my list of predictions with the caveats that I have yet to see Sound of Metal, and I have to watch the second half of Judas and the Black Messiah after I hit 'post' here. You will find as we go through, there's lots more I haven't seen.

Best Picture

“The Father”

“Judas and the Black Messiah”

“Mank”

“Minari”

“Nomadland” - Will win

“Promising Young Woman” - Should win (though I liked Nomadland very much as well)

“Sound of Metal”

“The Trial of the Chicago 7”

Best Director

Thomas Vinterberg (“Another Round”)

David Fincher (“Mank”) - excellent director but I actually don't think he left his mark on Mank as much as he did many of his other films, I've questioned previously whether he should have gotten the nomination

Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”)

Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”) - Will win/should win

Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”)

Best Actor in a Leading Role - very strong contenders all around in this category, every one of them (I'm sure I'll have the same reaction about Riz Ahmed) made me say "holy shit" in amazement out loud

Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”)

Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) - Will win/should win

Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”)

Gary Oldman (“Mank”)

Steven Yeun (“Minari”)

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”) - I think if not Andra Day, then Viola will win it

Andra Day (“The United States v. Billie Holiday”) - Will win?/should win

Vanessa Kirby (“Pieces of a Woman”)

Frances McDormand (“Nomadland”)

Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”) - I think he's also got a decent shot in this category

Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”) - Will win/should win

Leslie Odom Jr. (“One Night in Miami”)

Paul Raci (“Sound of Metal”)

Lakeith Stanfield (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Maria Bakalova (‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”) - truth be told I didn't think her performance was so great that she should get an Oscar nomination for it

Glenn Close (“Hillbilly Elegy”)

Olivia Colman (“The Father”) - another potentially unpopular comment... while I think Olivia Colman is one of the best actresses and most delightful people in existence, given her range and talent I don't she particularly excelled in The Father to make it an Oscar-worthy performance.

Amanda Seyfried (“Mank”)

Yuh-jung Youn (“Minari”) - Will win/should win

Best Animated Feature Film - I only saw one film so I have no basis for comparison

“Onward” (Pixar)

“Over the Moon” (Netflix)

“A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon” (Netflix)

“Soul” (Pixar) - will win

“Wolfwalkers” (Apple TV Plus/GKIDS)

Best Adapted Screenplay

“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.” Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena Friedman, Lee Kern; Story by Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Nina Pedrad

“The Father,” Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller - should win...and will win?

“Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao

“One Night in Miami,” Kemp Powers - might also win?

“The White Tiger,” Ramin Bahrani

Best Original Screenplay

“Judas and the Black Messiah.” Screenplay by Will Berson, Shaka King; Story by Will Berson, Shaka King, Kenny Lucas, Keith Lucas

“Minari,” Lee Isaac Chung

“Promising Young Woman,” Emerald Fennell - 50/50 will win/definitely should win tho!

“Sound of Metal.” Screenplay by Darius Marder, Abraham Marder; Story by Darius Marder, Derek Cianfrance

“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Aaron Sorkin - 50/50 will win... I really didn't get onboard this movie, but I will say the script was the best thing about it

Best Original Song - I'm not even going to venture a guess...

“Fight for You,” (“Judas and the Black Messiah”). Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas

“Hear My Voice,” (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”). Music by Daniel Pemberton; Lyric by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite

“Húsavík,” (“Eurovision Song Contest”). Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson

“Io Si (Seen),” (“The Life Ahead”). Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini

“Speak Now,” (“One Night in Miami”). Music and Lyric by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth

Best Original Score - I actually didn't think much of any of the scores in any of the films I've seen in 2020...

“Da 5 Bloods,” Terence Blanchard

“Mank,” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

“Minari,” Emile Mosseri

“News of the World,” James Newton Howard

“Soul,” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste - will win

Best Sound - I suspect it might be Sound of Metal but I haven't watched it yet. I've also not seen Greyhound.

“Greyhound,” Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders and David Wyman

“Mank,” Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance and Drew Kunin

“News of the World,” Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller and John Pritchett

“Soul,” Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker

“Sound of Metal,” Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh

Best Costume Design

“Emma,” Alexandra Byrne - will win

“Mank,” Trish Summerville

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Ann Roth - should win

“Mulan,” Bina Daigeler - should also win

“Pinocchio,” Massimo Cantini Parrini

Best Animated Short Film - I didn't watch a single Oscar-nominated short this year

“Burrow” (Disney Plus/Pixar)

“Genius Loci” (Kazak Productions)

“If Anything Happens I Love You” (Netflix)

“Opera” (Beasts and Natives Alike)

“Yes-People” (CAOZ hf. Hólamói)

Best Live-Action Short Film - I didn't watch a single Oscar-nominated short this year

“Feeling Through”

“The Letter Room”

“The Present”

“Two Distant Strangers”

“White Eye”

Best Cinematography

“Judas and the Black Messiah,” Sean Bobbitt

“Mank,” Erik Messerschmidt - will win/should win

“News of the World,” Dariusz Wolski

“Nomadland,” Joshua James Richards

“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Phedon Papamichael

Best Documentary Feature - I thought I watched a decent number of docs in 2020, but apparently not the right ones because I saw none of these.

“Collective,” Alexander Nanau and Bianca Oana

“Crip Camp,” Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht and Sara Bolder

“The Mole Agent,” Maite Alberdi and Marcela Santibáñez

“My Octopus Teacher,” Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed and Craig Foster

“Time,” Garrett Bradley, Lauren Domino and Kellen Quinn

Best Documentary Short Subject - I didn't watch a single Oscar-nominated short this year

“Colette,” Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard

“A Concerto Is a Conversation,” Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers

“Do Not Split,” Anders Hammer and Charlotte Cook

“Hunger Ward,” Skye Fitzgerald and Michael Scheuerman

“A Love Song for Latasha,” Sophia Nahli Allison and Janice Duncan

Best Film Editing

“The Father,” Yorgos Lamprinos - 50/50 will win/should win

“Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao

“Promising Young Woman,” Frédéric Thoraval

“Sound of Metal,” Mikkel E.G. Nielsen

“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Alan Baumgarten - 50/50 will win

Best International Feature Film

“Another Round” (Denmark) - will win

“Better Days” (Hong Kong) - should win (yes, because I'm biased, plus it's also the only other film aside from Another Round that I've seen in this category and I liked it a lot better, but also, just because it's very fine film)

“Collective” (Romania)

“The Man Who Sold His Skin” (Tunisia)

“Quo Vadis, Aida?”(Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

“Emma,” Marese Langan, Laura Allen, Claudia Stolze - will win

“Hillbilly Elegy,” Eryn Krueger Mekash, Patricia Dehaney, Matthew Mungle

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson - should win

“Mank,” Kimberley Spiteri, Gigi Williams, Colleen LaBaff

“Pinocchio,” Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli, Francesco Pegoretti

Best Production Design

“The Father.” Production Design: Peter Francis; Set Decoration: Cathy Featherstone - I don't think this is the best Production Design but I do think it's underrated what they did and that it should be recognized a different kind of creativity went into designing the sets for this film.

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Production Design: Mark Ricker; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara and Diana Stoughton

“Mank.” Production Design: Donald Graham Burt; Set Decoration: Jan Pascale - will win? I do think the Production Design was spectacular...

“News of the World.” Production Design: David Crank; Set Decoration: Elizabeth Keenan

“Tenet.” Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas - should win

Best Visual Effects

“Love and Monsters,” Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt and Brian Cox

“The Midnight Sky,” Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon and David Watkins

“Mulan,” Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury and Steve Ingram

“The One and Only Ivan,” Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones and Santiago Colomo Martinez

“Tenet,” Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher - will win/should win... like why would it not win??

Ok, I wasn't very decisive in some of those categories and since I'm taking part in an Oscar pool I will have to make some choices and refine my selections before tomorrow. I will share my final Oscar pool pics, do my part bombarding everyone's twitter tomorrow evening, and review after the awards where it all went right/wrong.

[tocinephile]

The Morning After - The 2021 Golden Globes Edition

Welcome to the day after the first Hollywood Zoom Call, um, I mean, Awards Show of the season!

The bi-coastal presenter team of Amy Poehler and Tina Fey brought us the 2021 Golden Globes last night in the form of an elaborately staged Zoom call. Effort was clearly put into the production, which had split screens for the hosts that at times almost seamlessly matched up to look like they were really side by side, a mix of pre-recorded and live intros, with presenters on zoom and in person. But they were not free of the pitfalls that we have all be experiencing for almost a year now, including a rocky start with Daniel Kaluuya's audio being muted as he was trying to give his acceptance speech.

While the more tolerable parts of the evening didn't come until later, after many of my friends had admitted to tuning out of the broadcast, overall I have to admit a day later the whole event all seems rather forgettable now. I did like the focus they placed on first responders and medical professionals who have worked so hard in the past year (and all the years before that). As for the members of the HFPA addressing their lack of black representation , it was right of them to take time in the show to acknowledge their oversight and injustice, but it seemed a little trite having made no real measurable commitments to rectify the situation. And of course, if someone could please send me a gif of Don Cheadle doing the wrap up motion (to Jason Sudeikis to finish up his speech) that would be greatly appreciated. I think we can all use that repeatedly for future award shows and during Q&As at film screenings! (If those ever come back)

Personally (though I doubt I was alone) I felt so detached and uninterested as I turned on the TV to watch the Globes last night. When the nominations came out I'd made a list of films to watch, and then basically did nothing with that list. I have seen some of the less accessible titles including Nomadland, I Care a Lot, and even French Exit, but this was counter-balanced by not having seen some of the stuff that was readily available on the major streaming platforms like Hillbilly Elegy and The Prom. As each category was read out, I displayed little of my usual exuberance, ie. calling out predictions, and having big emotional displays about the winners. Looking over my twitter from last night, I would say my social media was an accurate reflection of what I describe here...

I say that the awards got better towards the end. I mean, 1) don't they always? The biggest awards are handed out last for a reason. 2) I have my good friends to thank sharing reactions and excitement (or there lack of) over Facebook and IMs, it really kept me going. I was pleased to see Nomadland win for Best Director and Best Motion Picture - Drama, both awards accepted by Chloe Zhao sitting at her table in casual clothing, treating this award show like the zoom call that it is.

It was fantastic that three women were nominated in the Best Director category, of the three I'd actually thought Regina King would win. At the time of the awards ceremony, I had not finished watching One Night in Miami, but it struck me how hard it was to bring this content to life, to make it truly pop on screen. She was also directing an almost entirely male cast. King truly had her work cut out for her. Having finished watching the movie since, I stand by initial expectations even though I'm glad Chloe Zhao won instead.

There's been a lot of anti-Asian sentiment the past year, with Anti-Asian Hate Crimes increasing by 1900% in New York City over the last year (and by 717% here in Canada in Vancouver). So I was especially thrilled to see a Chinese woman win a couple of the most prestigious awards of the night, it calls attention to Asians in a different, and much more positive light. It's also worth noting that Nomadland is just about one of the most "American" stories. Watching it back in the fall I'd thought "look at these real Americans...hard-working, self reliant, taking care of each other, they make up the fabric of a good nation..." and you know what, it took a Chinese woman to realize and tell this story, and she did a better job of it than anyone born and raised in the US. Chloe Zhao made America great again, not Donald Trump. Mull over that one.

Normally at this point I'd do a run-down category by category of the winners and my thoughts on each. I don't have anything additional to add, hopefully I will have mustered up more interest by the SAGS. So I'll just leave you with this link to the list of winners.

[tocinephile]

The start of a very confusing award show season?

One of the first things in my life that became obsolete when the pandemic began was my calendar.  Hours melded into months into eons and I think the last place I had to be was my dentist and I cancelled that too. As 2021 began I saw no reason to start keeping track of dates again as just about every major award show has been delayed to later in the year. My thumbs itched the first Sunday of January and I realized it was from lack of tweeting about the Golden Globes. 

Fast forward 26 weeks... wait, what? It’s only been a month? *sigh*... and we finally have some nominations, only now I’m questioning if I watched many of the same things the Hollywood Foreign Press was watching?

If you’re feeling similarly, let’s begin with what I can clarify for you and then we can dissect the rest... 

A List of Nominations and Award Show Dates for 2021:

Feb. 3: Golden Globe Awards nominations announced

Feb. 4: Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations announced

Feb. 7: Critics Choice Awards film nominations announced

Feb. 28: Golden Globe Awards

March 7: Critics Choice Awards

March 14: Grammys ceremony

March 15: Oscar nominations announced

April 4: Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony

April 11: British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards

April 25: Oscars ceremony

We should have a busy spring on Twitter at least.

A number of sites are supplying full lists of the Golden Globe Nominees, I like to refer to Vanity Fair myself.

I’m interested to see in the morning whether the SAG nominations will be similar to the Globes or whether we’ll actually see some nominations for Da 5 Bloods, which I (and pretty much all of the media) had expected would be a frontrunner for awards season.

I won’t embarrass myself by saying ignorant things about movies/shows I have not seen, but scrolling through the nominations this evening, I had these passing thoughts...

Was the Trial of the Chicago 7 much better than I perceived it to be?

Was Ratched much better than I perceived it to be??? (I may not watch The Crown but I don’t question its nomination, the other nominees are great)

Lotta fantastic performances in the Best Actress, Motion Picture - Drama

Michelle Pfeiffer wasn’t particularly outstanding in French Exit...in fact, that entire movie wasn’t particularly outstanding in my opinion

I like that Sacha Baron Cohen got a nomination for Chicago 7 as well, he was the best thing about that movie

Anya Taylor Joy for Queen’s Gambit - YES!  Anya Taylor Joy for Emma - NO

So glad I got to see On the Rocks in theatres... I just love Bill Murray

Best Director is a very interesting category this year, also a stacked one that includes three woman (I love it) My initial reaction (overall but especially in certain categories..) was there there was no love for Tenet at all. This is felt most acutely in categories in which Nolan typically excels. I hope that award shows with more technical categories will show the film some love, but I expected to see some acknowledgement in Directing and Screenplay (it got a nomination for its musical score) However, upon reviewing the nominees in the Best Director category, I wouldn’t know who to boot out... Sorkin would be my personal choice but that’s more a reflection of my personals tastes than his directing abilities.

Films/shows I will need to watch/track down:

The Father

Sound of Metal

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Minari

Let’s see what tomorrow brings!

[tocinephile]

2020 - Two Thumbs Down!

When I think of 2020 I think of a promising movie gone wrong.  Like a big budget, highly anticipated film, with a seasoned director and writing team, and lots of star power attached… but, like, nothing comes together as it should. The plot advances and you think, ok, maybe the 2nd half of this will be better. It’s got to get better! But by the time you realize it’s a complete trainwreck you’re 1 hour and 45 min in and you just want to see how it ends.  Of course, it turns out wholly disappointing, and you’re horrified to learn a follow up film has been green-lighted.  You search for silver linings and hope among this pile of manure some seeds have been sown for a better sequel.  Ultimately you walk out of the theatre relieved it’s over.  You wish you could have your two hours back, but you’re also just so mentally beaten up you want to forget it all and move on.

My friends, on a personal note, I don’t think 2020 was all bad, but, with the exception of the Black Lives Matter movement, I am willing to trade any “good” experience of mine from this year to not have to live through all the bad.  

I’ve been searching for silver linings like they’re the holy grail… kinda like in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, which I did get to experience the real thing on a trip to Petra at the beginning of the year.  That was my only trip this year, movie/film fest-related or otherwise. This lack of travel and the inability to access movie theatres for most of the year have been the two most disrupting events for me.

I will not be compiling a list of top 10 films of 2020 because I did not see 10 films in theatres, I’m lucky I saw 10 new releases outside of the festival circuit (which I’m so grateful pivoted to online streaming platforms).  Instead I’ve decided to highlight some films that I may not have seen had it not been for the global pandemic, and I will also discuss some of the content that I was able to still access (almost) like normal despite Covid. Please look out for these lists in the next little while.

In the meantime, I’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I hope to bump into friends (and be able to give them a big hug) at a movie theatre soon.