Best Picture
This is a fascinating year to watch because it's been so much in flux. It started off with Parasite winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes, with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood being a well-liked competitor. For a while there it looked like The Irishman was going to play a major threat for multiple awards, but then it fizzled. Joker came and lead the nominations, but never really seemed like a Best Picture winner. Instead, we had 1917 debuting at the end of the season, and well, it's been the frontrunner ever since the Globes. Does that mean it will win? I think so, at the end of the day, but will it sweep? Ah, that's the question. It's a (war) epic, one of which hasn't won since 2003's LotR, and we haven't seen a real sweep since 2008's Slumdog Millionaire. Will this year recall the 90s with its epic sweeps? Or will Parasite get the all-important Screenplay win and eek its way to Best Picture glory? Hmm! I think we'll see 1917 reign supreme and win six Oscars, but this is a very competitive year.
Most Likely: 1917
Could Win: Parasite
Director
The BAFTAs, DGA, CC and Globes all went with Sam Mendes, but his biggest competition is Bong Joon-ho's excellent work on the South Korean smash Parasite.
Will Win: Sam Mendes, 1917
Could Win: Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
Actress
Zellweger has been truly sweeping the season, along with the other three acting frontrunners -- but somehow I feel that she's the weakest of the four. This is one of Judy's only two nominations (missing out on some technical nominations that it seemed it could have made it in for, like costumes), wasn't that big of a hit, and some have accused the performance as being little more than mimicry. Fabulous mimicry. Theron seems to be the threat here with her performance in Bombshell, but I feel it's double-nominee Johansson that could take it here.
Will Win: Renée Zellweger, Judy
Could Win: Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Actor
Phoenix has been a phenomenon this year, and I don't see him losing on Sunday. Driver is probably the dark horse, but it's very unlikely this is going to anyone else other than Phoenix.
Will Win: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Could Win: Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Supporting Actress
If the season's track record is any indication, Dern, a high-standing member of the Academy and well-liked by her peers, will finally get her Oscar. I can see arguments for everyone else (other than Bates, who is is in it for the ride) being an upset, but I'd go with Pugh for the dark horse position.
Will Win: Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Could Win: Florence Pugh, Little Women
Supporting Actor
There's no competition here. It's Pitt all the way. Pesci may be a distant second.
Will Win: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Could Win: Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Original Screenplay
In recent years, it's been the Screenplay categories, not Directing, that have been the forebears of the Best Picture Oscar. We've seen it for Green Book, Moonlight, Spotlight, and Argo, who went without Directing wins to the big one. So it'll be interesting to see who wins these categories earlier in the night, as they will tell us who's probably going home with Best Picture.
In Original Screenplay, it might be Tarantino's third win for his well-liked Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. But that film has a small chance of winning Picture. So it might go Parasite. If Parasite does indeed win here, there's a bigger chance for it to take Picture. 1917 has not been praised for its screenplay, but if it somehow manages to win here, it's going full-sweep. So there's three major possibilities, as far as I can see: Tarantino wins here and 1917 wins Picture; Parasite wins here and goes on for Picture; or Parasite wins here yet loses to the Directorial achievement that is 1917 for Picture. It'll be very interesting to see who wins.
Will Win: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Could Win: Parasite
Adapted Screenplay
Unlike the Original category this year, I don't see any of the nominees being real threats to win Picture. Some have been suggesting that Jojo Rabbit has been screening very well with the Academy, and Jojo Rabbit has been winning in this category lately, with both BAFTA and WGA wins. I think its main competition is Gerwig's Little Women adaptation, which has been thoroughly praised. The other three aren't real players here, but if there's a category this year that could see a surprise, I think it's this one.
Will Win: Jojo Rabbit
Could Win: Little Women
Editing
The flashy achievement of Ford v Ferrari is up against the clever cutting of Parasite. Schoonmaker's editing for The Irishman could be up for consideration if her film wasn't a draggy 209 minutes, so I don't see her winning another Oscar this year. I think it's FvF's to lose, as voters often think that most editing equals best editing, although it really is an exciting film to watch. If Parasite wins here and in Screenplay, watch out for the big prize at the end of the night.
Will Win: Ford v Ferrari
Could Win: Parasite
Cinematography
Deakins, after so many years and amazing films only winning his first Oscar for Blade Runner 2049, will win his second for his rousing achievement in 1917. I think this has been a good year for the category (minus the derivative Scorsese-knockoff of Joker), but I'm comfortable with Deakins being a two-time winner for Cinematography. His competition is probably Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but I think this is one of the easiest categories of the night to predict.
Will Win: 1917
Could Win: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Production Design
Mendes' film is up against Tarantino's here, and I think they'll go with Hollywood, although I'm not entirely comfortable with that decision. Parasite has been in the conversation, too, but I think the work is too subtle to pick up the trophy. If 1917 sweeps, then this will be an easy win for it. In the end, I go with...
Will Win: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Could Win: 1917
Costume Design
Big floofy dresses often win here, even if costume designers often say themselves that period pieces are actually easier to design than more modern films. The favourite to win is thus Little Women, although Hollywood and Jojo Rabbit's designs are equally, if not more, impressive. I'll still go with the BAFTA winner though.
Will Win: Little Women
Could Win: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Makeup and Hairstyling
Big hair? Big winner! I think it's going Bombshell on us this year, although I can see arguments for all five films. I just hope it's not Joker.
Will Win: Bombshell
Could Win: Judy
Original Score
It seems to be first-time nominee Hildur Guðnadóttir's cello based score to be the frontrunner, and even though I didn't like the film particularly, I think this was its best element. The competition is Newman's 1917, which is a big and loud work. If 1917 is sweeping, here's an easy win for it.
Will Win: Joker
Could Win: 1917
Original Song
The odds are working for Elton John to win again for Rocketman, but I've seen some murmurings of "Stand Up" from Harriet being well-received. Smart money is still on Elton.
Will Win: "I'm Gonna Love Me Again", Rocketman
Could Win: "Stand Up", Harriet
Sound Mixing
Given that we have four Best Picture nominees in the category this year, we can't rely on the usual rule that it's the Picture nominee that will win. 1917 has been the most likely to win, but I also think that Ford v Ferrari has a very good shot, as well.
Will Win: 1917
Could Win: Ford v Ferrari
Sound Editing
Will Win: 1917
Could Win: Ford v Ferrari
Visual Effects
Four films have been in the conversation: 1917 for its practical and digital effects, Avengers for being the franchise's first winner, The Irishman for its age-defying effects, and the photo-realism of The Lion King. My guess is that 1917 will have somewhat of a sweep on Sunday, and will pick this one up.
Will Win: 1917
Could Win: Avengers: Endgame
Animated Feature
Toy Story 4 should have been an easy winner, but it's been facing stiff competition from Klaus and Missing Link. I still think Pixar will come out on top, but don't count out these other two.
Will Win: Toy Story 4
Could Win: Klaus
International Film
Parasite seems to be the very easy winner here.
Will Win: Parasite (South Korea)
Could Win: Pain and Glory (Spain)
Documentary Feature
American Factory has established itself as the frontrunner, but I wouldn't count out Honeyland or For Sama, the former being nominated in International as well.
Will Win: American Factory
Could Win: For Sama
Animated Short
I'm hopefully seeing these on Thursday, but Hair Love has been touted as the one to beat here. Also look out for Kitbull or even Sister.
Will Win: Hair Love
Could Win: Sister
Documentary Short
Going with my gut, and for the awesome title.
Will Win: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl)
Could Win: St Louis Superman
Live Action Short
As per usual, I'm at a total loss here -- but experts are picking Brotherhood, so...
Will Win: Brotherhood
Could Win: The Neighbour's Widow
Picture: 1917
Director: Mendes, 1917
Actress: Zellweger, Judy
Actor: Phoenix, Joker
Supporting Actress: Dern, Marriage Story
Supporting Actor: Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Original Screenplay: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Adapted Screenplay: Jojo Rabbit
Editing: Ford v Ferrari
Cinematography: 1917
Production Design: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Costume Design: Little Women
Makeup and Hairstyling: Bombshell
Score: Joker
Song: "I'm Gonna Love Me Again", Rocketman
Sound Mixing: 1917
Sound Editing: 1917
Visual Effects: 1917
Animated Feature: Toy Story 4
Foreign Language: Parasite
Documentary Feature: American Factory
Animated Short: Hair Love
Documentary Short: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl)
Live Action Short: Brotherhood
Tallies
6 - 1917
3 - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
2 - Joker
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Monday, January 13, 2020
Oscar Nominations Reaction 2020
88/109
Not bad! In fact, one of my better years.
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood got 10 nods, meaning it'll escape the backlash for being most nominated film. Sorry, Joker! Definitely should have seen coming the Joker over-performance this morning, which I had only pegged at 6 nominations. Instead, it got 11. Wow.
Surprises? Not many: Lopez missing Supp Actress, Once missing Editing, Apollo 11 missing Doc Feature, Egerton missing Actor and Rocketman generally under-performing.
Best Picture
1. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. The Irishman
3. 1917
4. Parasite
5. Jojo Rabbit
6. Joker
7. Marriage Story
8. Little Women
9. Ford vs Ferrari
9/9
Director
1. Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. Sam Mendes, 1917
3. Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
4. Bong Joon Ho, Parasite
7. Todd Phillips, Joker
4/5
Actress
1. Renee Zellweger, Judy
2. Charlize Theron, Bombshell
3. Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
4. Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
7. Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
4/5
Actor
1. Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
2. Adam Driver, Marriage Story
4. Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
5. Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
10. Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes
4/5
Supporting Actress
1. Laura Dern, Marriage Story
2. Margot Robbie, Bombshell
3. Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
5. Florence Pugh, Little Women
7. Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
4/5
Supporting Actor
1. Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. Al Pacino, The Irishman
3. Joe Pesci, The Irishman
4. Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood
5. Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
5/5
Original Screenplay
1. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. Marriage Story
3. Parasite
4. Knives Out
6. 1917
4/5
Adapted Screenplay
1. The Irishman
2. Jojo Rabbit
3. Little Women
4. The Two Popes
5. Joker
5/5
Editing
2. The Irishman
3. Ford vs Ferrari
4. Parasite
7. Joker
8. Jojo Rabbit
3/5
Cinematography
1. 1917
2. The Irishman
3. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
4. The Lighthouse
5. Joker
5/5
Production Design
1. The Irishman
2. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
3. 1917
5. Jojo Rabbit
6. Parasite
4/5
Costume Design
1. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. Little Women
5. The Irishman
7. Jojo Rabbit
8. Joker
3/5
Makeup and Hairstyling
1. Bombshell
3. Joker
4. Judy
6. 1917
8. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
3/5
Original Score
1. Joker
2. 1917
3. Little Women
5. Marriage Story
6. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
4/5
Original Song
1. "I'm Gonna Love Me Again", Rocketman
2. "Into the Unknown", Frozen II
3. "Stand Up", Harriet
8. "I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away", Toy Story 4
9. "I'm Standing With You", Breakthrough
3/5
Sound Mixing
1. 1917
2. Ford vs Ferrari
5. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
7. Joker
8. Ad Astra
3/5
Sound Editing
1. 1917
2. Ford vs Ferrari
3. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
5. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
7. Joker
4/5
Visual Effects
1. Avengers: Endgame
2. The Lion King
3. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
4. The Irishman
5. 1917
5/5
Animated Feature
1. Toy Story 4
3. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
4. Missing Link
5. I Lost My Body
7. Klaus
4/5
International Feature
1. Parasite (South Korea)
2. Pain and Glory (Spain)
3. Les Misérables (France)
5. Honeyland (North Macedonia)
8. Corpus Christi (Poland)
4/5
Documentary Feature
2. American Factory
3. Honeyland
4. For Sama
5. The Cave
9. The Edge of Democracy
4/5
Tallies
Joker11
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood 10
The Irishman 10
1917 10
Little Women 6
Jojo Rabbit 6
Marriage Story 6
Parasite 6
Ford vs Ferrari 4
Bombshell 3
Star Wars 3
Judy 2
Pain and Glory 2
Two Popes3
Honeyland 2
Harriet 2
Toy Story 4 2
Avengers1
Knives Out1
Rocketman 1
Frozen II 1
The Lion King1
The Lighthouse 1
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World 1
Missing Link 1
Les Misérables 1
I Lost My Body 1
American Factory 1
For Sama 1
The Cave 1
Not bad! In fact, one of my better years.
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood got 10 nods, meaning it'll escape the backlash for being most nominated film. Sorry, Joker! Definitely should have seen coming the Joker over-performance this morning, which I had only pegged at 6 nominations. Instead, it got 11. Wow.
Surprises? Not many: Lopez missing Supp Actress, Once missing Editing, Apollo 11 missing Doc Feature, Egerton missing Actor and Rocketman generally under-performing.
Best Picture
1. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. The Irishman
3. 1917
4. Parasite
5. Jojo Rabbit
6. Joker
7. Marriage Story
8. Little Women
9. Ford vs Ferrari
9/9
Director
1. Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. Sam Mendes, 1917
3. Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
4. Bong Joon Ho, Parasite
7. Todd Phillips, Joker
4/5
Actress
1. Renee Zellweger, Judy
2. Charlize Theron, Bombshell
3. Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
4. Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
7. Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
4/5
Actor
1. Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
2. Adam Driver, Marriage Story
4. Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
5. Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
10. Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes
4/5
Supporting Actress
1. Laura Dern, Marriage Story
2. Margot Robbie, Bombshell
3. Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
5. Florence Pugh, Little Women
7. Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
4/5
Supporting Actor
1. Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. Al Pacino, The Irishman
3. Joe Pesci, The Irishman
4. Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood
5. Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
5/5
Original Screenplay
1. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. Marriage Story
3. Parasite
4. Knives Out
6. 1917
4/5
Adapted Screenplay
1. The Irishman
2. Jojo Rabbit
3. Little Women
4. The Two Popes
5. Joker
5/5
Editing
2. The Irishman
3. Ford vs Ferrari
4. Parasite
7. Joker
8. Jojo Rabbit
3/5
Cinematography
1. 1917
2. The Irishman
3. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
4. The Lighthouse
5. Joker
5/5
Production Design
1. The Irishman
2. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
3. 1917
5. Jojo Rabbit
6. Parasite
4/5
Costume Design
1. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. Little Women
5. The Irishman
7. Jojo Rabbit
8. Joker
3/5
Makeup and Hairstyling
1. Bombshell
3. Joker
4. Judy
6. 1917
8. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
3/5
Original Score
1. Joker
2. 1917
3. Little Women
5. Marriage Story
6. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
4/5
Original Song
1. "I'm Gonna Love Me Again", Rocketman
2. "Into the Unknown", Frozen II
3. "Stand Up", Harriet
8. "I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away", Toy Story 4
9. "I'm Standing With You", Breakthrough
3/5
Sound Mixing
1. 1917
2. Ford vs Ferrari
5. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
7. Joker
8. Ad Astra
3/5
Sound Editing
1. 1917
2. Ford vs Ferrari
3. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
5. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
7. Joker
4/5
Visual Effects
1. Avengers: Endgame
2. The Lion King
3. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
4. The Irishman
5. 1917
5/5
Animated Feature
1. Toy Story 4
3. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
4. Missing Link
5. I Lost My Body
7. Klaus
4/5
International Feature
1. Parasite (South Korea)
2. Pain and Glory (Spain)
3. Les Misérables (France)
5. Honeyland (North Macedonia)
8. Corpus Christi (Poland)
4/5
Documentary Feature
2. American Factory
3. Honeyland
4. For Sama
5. The Cave
9. The Edge of Democracy
4/5
Tallies
Joker11
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood 10
The Irishman 10
1917 10
Little Women 6
Jojo Rabbit 6
Marriage Story 6
Parasite 6
Ford vs Ferrari 4
Bombshell 3
Star Wars 3
Judy 2
Pain and Glory 2
Two Popes3
Honeyland 2
Harriet 2
Toy Story 4 2
Avengers1
Knives Out1
Rocketman 1
Frozen II 1
The Lion King1
The Lighthouse 1
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World 1
Missing Link 1
Les Misérables 1
I Lost My Body 1
American Factory 1
For Sama 1
The Cave 1
Friday, January 10, 2020
Oscar Nominations Predictions 2020
I'm predicting that Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood will lead the pack with 12 nods, followed by The Irishman with 10 and 1917 with 9. Other major players will be Little Women, Jojo Rabbit, Joker, Marriage Story and Parasite. In my tallies at the bottom I'm counting my top ten Picture nominees, but I think it will stop at 8 this year. Sorry, Ford vs Ferrari and Knives Out. This year can be made notable by the fact that there still really isn't a frontrunner, although I suspect that Tarantino will finally get his Director and/or Picture Oscar. 1917 has made a huge surge in recent weeks, and I'm also feeling one for Rocketman, although I don't think it will break into Picture. Despite Disney's campaigning for Avengers: Endgame, I don't think it will pan out. Gee, shucks. Honeyland looks to surprise with being nominated for both International and Documentary features. Neat!
Best Picture
1. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. The Irishman
3. 1917
4. Parasite
5. Jojo Rabbit
6. Joker
7. Marriage Story
8. Little Women
9. Ford vs Ferrari
10. Knives Out
11. The Two Popes
12. The Farewell
13. Bombshell
14. Uncut Gems
15. Rocketman
16. A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood
17. Dolemite is My Name
18. Us
19. Pain and Glory
20. Avengers: Endgame
Director
1. Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. Sam Mendes, 1917
3. Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
4. Bong Joon Ho, Parasite
5. Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit
6. Greta Gerwig, Little Women
7. Todd Phillips, Joker
8. Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
9. Pedro Almodovar, Pain and Glory
10. Lulu Wang, The Farewell
Actress
1. Renee Zellweger, Judy
2. Charlize Theron, Bombshell
3. Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
4. Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
5. Awkwfina, The Farewell
6. Luputa Nyong'o, Us
7. Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
8. Alfre Woodard, Clemency
9. Helen Mirran, The Good Liar
10. Julianne Moore, Gloria Bell
Actor
Maybe the most stacked I've ever seen this category, I can see arguments for all ten of these actors, and even more: Roman Griffin Davis in Jojo Rabbit, George Mackay in 1917...
1. Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
2. Adam Driver, Marriage Story
3. Taron Egerton, Rocketman
4. Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
5. Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
6. Christian Bale, Ford vs Ferrari
7. Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems
8. Robert DeNiro, The Irishman
9. Eddie Murphy, Dolemite is My Name
10. Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes
Supporting Actress
1. Laura Dern, Marriage Story
2. Margot Robbie, Bombshell
3. Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
4. Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
5. Florence Pugh, Little Women
6. Zhao Shuzhen, The Farewell
7. Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
8. Annette Bening, The Report
9. Nicole Kidman, Bombshell
10. Margot Robbie, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
Supporting Actor
1. Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. Al Pacino, The Irishman
3. Joe Pesci, The Irishman
4. Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood
5. Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
6. Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse
7. Jamie Foxx, Just Mercy
8. Song Kang Ho, Parasite
9. Alan Alda, Marriage Story
10. Sterling K Brown, Waves
Original Screenplay
1. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. Marriage Story
3. Parasite
4. Knives Out
5. The Farewell
6. 1917
7. Pain and Glory
8. Booksmart
9. Bombshell
10. Us
Adapted Screenplay
1. The Irishman
2. Jojo Rabbit
3. Little Women
4. The Two Popes
5. Joker
6. A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood
7. Just Mercy
8. Hustlers
9. Toy Story 4
10. The Laundromat
Editing
1. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. The Irishman
3. Ford vs Ferrari
4. Parasite
5. 1917
6. Marriage Story
7. Joker
8. Jojo Rabbit
9. Uncut Gems
10. Knives Out
Cinematography
1. 1917
2. The Irishman
3. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
4. The Lighthouse
5. Joker
6. Ford vs Ferrari
7. Parasite
8. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
9. Ad Astra
10. A Hidden Life
Production Design
1. The Irishman
2. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
3. 1917
4. Little Women
5. Jojo Rabbit
6. Parasite
7. Joker
8. Ad Astra
9. Downton Abbey
10. Ford vs Ferrari
Costume Design
1. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. Little Women
3. Dolemite is My Name
4. Rocketman
5. The Irishman
6. Downton Abbey
7. Jojo Rabbit
8. Joker
9. Judy
10. Knives Out
Makeup and Hairstyling
1. Bombshell
2. Rocketman
3. Joker
4. Judy
5. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
6. 1917
7. Dolemite is My Name
8. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
9. Downton Abbey
10. Little Women
Original Score
1. Joker
2. 1917
3. Little Women
4. Jojo Rabbit
5. Marriage Story
6. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
7. Us
8. Pain and Glory
9. The Farewell
10. Avengers: Endgame
Original Song
1. "I'm Gonna Love Me Again", Rocketman
2. "Into the Unknown", Frozen II
3. "Stand Up", Harriet
4. "Spirit", The Lion King
5. "Glasgow", Wild Rose
6. "A Glass of Soju", Parasite
7. "Speechless", Aladdin
8. "I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away", Toy Story 4
9. "I'm Standing With You", Breakthrough
10. "Catchy Song", The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part
Sound Mixing
I have a hunch that Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood will make it in both sound categories. I've been right before about The King's Speech and Roma with these hunches, so let's see!
1. 1917
2. Ford vs Ferrari
3. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
4. Rocketman
5. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
6. Avengers: Endgame
7. Joker
8. Ad Astra
9. The Irishman
10. Parasite
Sound Editing
1. 1917
2. Ford vs Ferrari
3. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
4. Avengers: Endgame
5. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
6. Ad Astra
7. Joker
8. Rocketman
9. The Irishman
10. Parasite
Visual Effects
1. Avengers: Endgame
2. The Lion King
3. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
4. The Irishman
5. 1917
6. Alita: Battle Angel
7. Gemini Man
8. Captain Marvel
9. Terminator: Dark Fate
10. Cats
Animated Feature
1. Toy Story 4
2. Frozen II
3. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
4. Missing Link
5. I Lost My Body
6. Abominable
7. Klaus
8. Weathering With You
9. The Addams Family
10. The Lion King (Despite it not being submitted, I believe)
International Feature
1. Parasite (South Korea)
2. Pain and Glory (Spain)
3. Les Misérables (France)
4. Atlantics (Senegal)
5. Honeyland (North Macedonia)
6. Beanpole (Russia)
7. The Painted Bird (Czechia)
8. Corpus Christi (Poland)
Documentary Feature
1. Apollo 11
2. American Factory
3. Honeyland
4. For Sama
5. The Cave
6. One Child Nation
7. Knock Down the House
8. The Biggest Little Farm
9. The Edge of Democracy
10. Maiden
Tallies
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood 12
The Irishman 10
1917 9
Little Women 7
Jojo Rabbit 6
Joker 6
Marriage Story 6
Parasite 5
Rocketman 5
Ford vs Ferrari 4
Bombshell 3
Star Wars 3
Avengers 2
Knives Out 2
Judy 2
Pain and Glory 2
The Farewell 2
Two Popes 2
Frozen II 2
The Lion King 2
Honeyland 2
Hustlers 1
The Lighthouse 1
Dolemite is My Name 1
Harriet 1
Wild Rose 1
Toy Story 1
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World 1
Missing Link 1
Les Misérables 1
Atlantics 1
I Lost My Body 1
Apollo 11 1
American Factory 1
For Sama 1
The Cave 1
Best Picture
1. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. The Irishman
3. 1917
4. Parasite
5. Jojo Rabbit
6. Joker
7. Marriage Story
8. Little Women
9. Ford vs Ferrari
10. Knives Out
11. The Two Popes
12. The Farewell
13. Bombshell
14. Uncut Gems
15. Rocketman
16. A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood
17. Dolemite is My Name
18. Us
19. Pain and Glory
20. Avengers: Endgame
Director
1. Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. Sam Mendes, 1917
3. Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
4. Bong Joon Ho, Parasite
5. Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit
6. Greta Gerwig, Little Women
7. Todd Phillips, Joker
8. Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story
9. Pedro Almodovar, Pain and Glory
10. Lulu Wang, The Farewell
Actress
1. Renee Zellweger, Judy
2. Charlize Theron, Bombshell
3. Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
4. Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
5. Awkwfina, The Farewell
6. Luputa Nyong'o, Us
7. Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
8. Alfre Woodard, Clemency
9. Helen Mirran, The Good Liar
10. Julianne Moore, Gloria Bell
Actor
Maybe the most stacked I've ever seen this category, I can see arguments for all ten of these actors, and even more: Roman Griffin Davis in Jojo Rabbit, George Mackay in 1917...
1. Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
2. Adam Driver, Marriage Story
3. Taron Egerton, Rocketman
4. Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
5. Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
6. Christian Bale, Ford vs Ferrari
7. Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems
8. Robert DeNiro, The Irishman
9. Eddie Murphy, Dolemite is My Name
10. Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes
Supporting Actress
1. Laura Dern, Marriage Story
2. Margot Robbie, Bombshell
3. Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
4. Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
5. Florence Pugh, Little Women
6. Zhao Shuzhen, The Farewell
7. Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
8. Annette Bening, The Report
9. Nicole Kidman, Bombshell
10. Margot Robbie, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
Supporting Actor
1. Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. Al Pacino, The Irishman
3. Joe Pesci, The Irishman
4. Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood
5. Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
6. Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse
7. Jamie Foxx, Just Mercy
8. Song Kang Ho, Parasite
9. Alan Alda, Marriage Story
10. Sterling K Brown, Waves
Original Screenplay
1. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. Marriage Story
3. Parasite
4. Knives Out
5. The Farewell
6. 1917
7. Pain and Glory
8. Booksmart
9. Bombshell
10. Us
Adapted Screenplay
1. The Irishman
2. Jojo Rabbit
3. Little Women
4. The Two Popes
5. Joker
6. A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood
7. Just Mercy
8. Hustlers
9. Toy Story 4
10. The Laundromat
Editing
1. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. The Irishman
3. Ford vs Ferrari
4. Parasite
5. 1917
6. Marriage Story
7. Joker
8. Jojo Rabbit
9. Uncut Gems
10. Knives Out
Cinematography
1. 1917
2. The Irishman
3. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
4. The Lighthouse
5. Joker
6. Ford vs Ferrari
7. Parasite
8. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
9. Ad Astra
10. A Hidden Life
Production Design
1. The Irishman
2. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
3. 1917
4. Little Women
5. Jojo Rabbit
6. Parasite
7. Joker
8. Ad Astra
9. Downton Abbey
10. Ford vs Ferrari
Costume Design
1. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
2. Little Women
3. Dolemite is My Name
4. Rocketman
5. The Irishman
6. Downton Abbey
7. Jojo Rabbit
8. Joker
9. Judy
10. Knives Out
Makeup and Hairstyling
1. Bombshell
2. Rocketman
3. Joker
4. Judy
5. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
6. 1917
7. Dolemite is My Name
8. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
9. Downton Abbey
10. Little Women
Original Score
1. Joker
2. 1917
3. Little Women
4. Jojo Rabbit
5. Marriage Story
6. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
7. Us
8. Pain and Glory
9. The Farewell
10. Avengers: Endgame
Original Song
1. "I'm Gonna Love Me Again", Rocketman
2. "Into the Unknown", Frozen II
3. "Stand Up", Harriet
4. "Spirit", The Lion King
5. "Glasgow", Wild Rose
6. "A Glass of Soju", Parasite
7. "Speechless", Aladdin
8. "I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away", Toy Story 4
9. "I'm Standing With You", Breakthrough
10. "Catchy Song", The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part
Sound Mixing
I have a hunch that Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood will make it in both sound categories. I've been right before about The King's Speech and Roma with these hunches, so let's see!
1. 1917
2. Ford vs Ferrari
3. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
4. Rocketman
5. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
6. Avengers: Endgame
7. Joker
8. Ad Astra
9. The Irishman
10. Parasite
Sound Editing
1. 1917
2. Ford vs Ferrari
3. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
4. Avengers: Endgame
5. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
6. Ad Astra
7. Joker
8. Rocketman
9. The Irishman
10. Parasite
Visual Effects
1. Avengers: Endgame
2. The Lion King
3. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
4. The Irishman
5. 1917
6. Alita: Battle Angel
7. Gemini Man
8. Captain Marvel
9. Terminator: Dark Fate
10. Cats
Animated Feature
1. Toy Story 4
2. Frozen II
3. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
4. Missing Link
5. I Lost My Body
6. Abominable
7. Klaus
8. Weathering With You
9. The Addams Family
10. The Lion King (Despite it not being submitted, I believe)
International Feature
1. Parasite (South Korea)
2. Pain and Glory (Spain)
3. Les Misérables (France)
4. Atlantics (Senegal)
5. Honeyland (North Macedonia)
6. Beanpole (Russia)
7. The Painted Bird (Czechia)
8. Corpus Christi (Poland)
Documentary Feature
1. Apollo 11
2. American Factory
3. Honeyland
4. For Sama
5. The Cave
6. One Child Nation
7. Knock Down the House
8. The Biggest Little Farm
9. The Edge of Democracy
10. Maiden
Tallies
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood 12
The Irishman 10
1917 9
Little Women 7
Jojo Rabbit 6
Joker 6
Marriage Story 6
Parasite 5
Rocketman 5
Ford vs Ferrari 4
Bombshell 3
Star Wars 3
Avengers 2
Knives Out 2
Judy 2
Pain and Glory 2
The Farewell 2
Two Popes 2
Frozen II 2
The Lion King 2
Honeyland 2
Hustlers 1
The Lighthouse 1
Dolemite is My Name 1
Harriet 1
Wild Rose 1
Toy Story 1
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World 1
Missing Link 1
Les Misérables 1
Atlantics 1
I Lost My Body 1
Apollo 11 1
American Factory 1
For Sama 1
The Cave 1
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Review: "Cats"
I saw two movies today at the Cartlon Cinema for cheap Tuesday matinees. The first film I saw was Robert Eggers' rather weird and horrific The Lighthouse. The second was also weird and horrific.
It was Cats! The hot mess of an acid trip of a movie!
The near-universal pans have been focusing on the practically non-existent plot and the CGI disaster that are the cats themselves. But there is a strange dichotomy with Hopper's Cats that one must grapple with when trying to review the film. You have the musical upon which the film is based, and you have the cinematic adaptation. Do you tear the film apart because the musical itself is bad? Or is it the filmmaking decisions that make this movie so terrible, so infamously horrible, so quickly?
As I often say -- why not both?
Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical is easy to dismiss as not exactly great theatre, but that's because so many people expect a conventional narrative-driven piece. Cats has no intention of being a plot-driven musical. Instead, it is widely noted for being a song sequence of cats introducing themselves, all while the patriarch cat tries to decide who will be sacrificed-- uh, I mean, who will be chosen to go to the Heaviside Layer, a cat version of heaven. Much dancing and singing ensues. Think of it as a sort of middle-brow pseudo-surrealism, a tripped-out musical fantasia of song and dance that has the dream logic of stream-of-consciousness writing.
The songs, unfortunately, are mostly unremarkable, and go on far too long (how many times does one need to hear the phrase "Jellicle cats"?), but by all accounts, live stage versions of the musical have fantastic dancing and performances. Cats is more of a formalist musical: by forgoing narration, we should be focusing on the more formal aspects of the play: the songs, the music, the dancing, the design.
And this is where the film adaptation goes so massively wrong.
The songs are unmemorable, yes, and the dancing has mostly been chopped up in the editing room. But what about the design? Oh! The design. If we're supposed to marvel at the technological feat of turning the actors into cats, the filmmakers are sorely mistaken. These look like cheap CGI cats with human faces pasted on, a feline uncanny valley. It's not even particularly well-rendered CGI, either. Famously, the producers almost immediately shipped out an "improved" version of the film after early screenings had negative feedback. But I remember seeing the trailers for the film and cringe-laughing, heavily impacted by major schadenfreude. The cats, simply put, look terrible -- and the basic scaling of the actors to their surroundings seems off: aren't cats a bit bigger than this? It's most obvious in the Train Cat's song (I can't be bothered to remember his name, despite it being sung a thousand times), as they stroll along a railway. They look more like the size of squirrels. And speaking of rodents...
There are dancing mice and cockroaches introduced in the Jennyanydots number that re-appear throughout the film, and these babies are pure nightmare fuel. Even worse than the Busby Berkeley-esque showgirl cockroaches are the faces of children slapped on the CGI mice. These mice get thrown around rather violently, but at least they don't get eaten alive by the cats, unlike their insect friends. It's a doozy of a directorial decision.
But there are other decisions by Hooper that made me scratch my head. One annoying tendency in the film is the use of silent breaks for dramatic effect: there are simply too many of them, and they just don't work. If the songs seem to go on forever, the film's use of these moments of silence make it worse. I must also really question the sound mixing of the film, which is often sloppy, possibly because the vocals were supposedly recorded live. More than once I thought I was in Robert Altman territory, with voices overlapping one another in an unpleasant way.
The supposed show-stopping song Memory is slipping fast from mine. It's a snooze, other than cringing at Hudson's over-performance of it. Hooper must've thought that hey!-- sticking the camera in Anne Hathaway's leaking face won her an Oscar, maybe it'll work again. Spoiler: it doesn't. Jennifer Hudson has been accused of over-acting before, but here it's a very valid criticism. Her performance is wretched, and I think it's because of Hooper's direction: "Emote! More emotion! Cry! Warble your voice! Pause unnecessarily during your phrases!" It's awful, my friends, and she deserves better. She's a talented singer, but... oh boy. This sticking the camera in the faces of actors is a Hooperism that sometimes works (The King's Speech) but often doesn't (Les Misérables), and the camerawork in the film is often of the shaky-cam variety. It's old hat now, and never really worked in the first place. Hold your damn camera still!
There's also something else that must be addressed. I'm not sure if it's the fault of Webber or Hooper, but there's a rather unsettling eroticism to Cats. Writhing figures, heavy breathing, a practical cat orgy at the Jellicle Ball fuelled by cat-drugs. It's uncomfortable for what's trying to pass itself off as a family film. It's made worse by the Taylor Swift cat's breasts and her performance as sex kitten. There's also the rampant fat-shaming that's supposed to be comedic, but instead reads as just lazy, obvious humour. James Corden is clearly having a great time, but I must ask why he is when his entire character is just one big fat joke.
And what's up with Idris Elba's Macavity? What a bizarre plot device this is: he's the "Napoleon of Crime" that has magical powers to make the Heaviside Layer nominees disappear to a boat on the Thames. I think it's an idea to introduce some sort of narrative suspense into the film, but it comes off as silly and unnecessary.
Silly and unnecessary. Yup. That about sums up this hot mess.
It was Cats! The hot mess of an acid trip of a movie!
The near-universal pans have been focusing on the practically non-existent plot and the CGI disaster that are the cats themselves. But there is a strange dichotomy with Hopper's Cats that one must grapple with when trying to review the film. You have the musical upon which the film is based, and you have the cinematic adaptation. Do you tear the film apart because the musical itself is bad? Or is it the filmmaking decisions that make this movie so terrible, so infamously horrible, so quickly?
As I often say -- why not both?
Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical is easy to dismiss as not exactly great theatre, but that's because so many people expect a conventional narrative-driven piece. Cats has no intention of being a plot-driven musical. Instead, it is widely noted for being a song sequence of cats introducing themselves, all while the patriarch cat tries to decide who will be sacrificed-- uh, I mean, who will be chosen to go to the Heaviside Layer, a cat version of heaven. Much dancing and singing ensues. Think of it as a sort of middle-brow pseudo-surrealism, a tripped-out musical fantasia of song and dance that has the dream logic of stream-of-consciousness writing.
The songs, unfortunately, are mostly unremarkable, and go on far too long (how many times does one need to hear the phrase "Jellicle cats"?), but by all accounts, live stage versions of the musical have fantastic dancing and performances. Cats is more of a formalist musical: by forgoing narration, we should be focusing on the more formal aspects of the play: the songs, the music, the dancing, the design.
And this is where the film adaptation goes so massively wrong.
The songs are unmemorable, yes, and the dancing has mostly been chopped up in the editing room. But what about the design? Oh! The design. If we're supposed to marvel at the technological feat of turning the actors into cats, the filmmakers are sorely mistaken. These look like cheap CGI cats with human faces pasted on, a feline uncanny valley. It's not even particularly well-rendered CGI, either. Famously, the producers almost immediately shipped out an "improved" version of the film after early screenings had negative feedback. But I remember seeing the trailers for the film and cringe-laughing, heavily impacted by major schadenfreude. The cats, simply put, look terrible -- and the basic scaling of the actors to their surroundings seems off: aren't cats a bit bigger than this? It's most obvious in the Train Cat's song (I can't be bothered to remember his name, despite it being sung a thousand times), as they stroll along a railway. They look more like the size of squirrels. And speaking of rodents...
There are dancing mice and cockroaches introduced in the Jennyanydots number that re-appear throughout the film, and these babies are pure nightmare fuel. Even worse than the Busby Berkeley-esque showgirl cockroaches are the faces of children slapped on the CGI mice. These mice get thrown around rather violently, but at least they don't get eaten alive by the cats, unlike their insect friends. It's a doozy of a directorial decision.
But there are other decisions by Hooper that made me scratch my head. One annoying tendency in the film is the use of silent breaks for dramatic effect: there are simply too many of them, and they just don't work. If the songs seem to go on forever, the film's use of these moments of silence make it worse. I must also really question the sound mixing of the film, which is often sloppy, possibly because the vocals were supposedly recorded live. More than once I thought I was in Robert Altman territory, with voices overlapping one another in an unpleasant way.
The supposed show-stopping song Memory is slipping fast from mine. It's a snooze, other than cringing at Hudson's over-performance of it. Hooper must've thought that hey!-- sticking the camera in Anne Hathaway's leaking face won her an Oscar, maybe it'll work again. Spoiler: it doesn't. Jennifer Hudson has been accused of over-acting before, but here it's a very valid criticism. Her performance is wretched, and I think it's because of Hooper's direction: "Emote! More emotion! Cry! Warble your voice! Pause unnecessarily during your phrases!" It's awful, my friends, and she deserves better. She's a talented singer, but... oh boy. This sticking the camera in the faces of actors is a Hooperism that sometimes works (The King's Speech) but often doesn't (Les Misérables), and the camerawork in the film is often of the shaky-cam variety. It's old hat now, and never really worked in the first place. Hold your damn camera still!
There's also something else that must be addressed. I'm not sure if it's the fault of Webber or Hooper, but there's a rather unsettling eroticism to Cats. Writhing figures, heavy breathing, a practical cat orgy at the Jellicle Ball fuelled by cat-drugs. It's uncomfortable for what's trying to pass itself off as a family film. It's made worse by the Taylor Swift cat's breasts and her performance as sex kitten. There's also the rampant fat-shaming that's supposed to be comedic, but instead reads as just lazy, obvious humour. James Corden is clearly having a great time, but I must ask why he is when his entire character is just one big fat joke.
And what's up with Idris Elba's Macavity? What a bizarre plot device this is: he's the "Napoleon of Crime" that has magical powers to make the Heaviside Layer nominees disappear to a boat on the Thames. I think it's an idea to introduce some sort of narrative suspense into the film, but it comes off as silly and unnecessary.
Silly and unnecessary. Yup. That about sums up this hot mess.
Monday, July 15, 2019
10 More Great Films
I made this list a few years ago, but never posted it. Upon re-examining it, I found that it held up pretty well, if I may say so myself. The films represented span the gamut from Asian arthouse to Classical Hollywood. These are films that I can proudly say are among my favourites, and have stuck with me: their images burned into my memory.
Dimensions of Dialogue
(1982, Jan Švankmajer, Czechoslovakia)
Ballet Mécanique
(1924, Fernand Léger & Dudley Murphy, France/USA)
Mesmerizing Dadaism. Built like a mechanical symphony, complete with musical repetition and a fantastic score that must be heard to be believed -- it includes airplane propellers screaming and programmed pianos doing impossible things. It's short, but incredibly impactful, and those who have an affinity for the more playful side of Dada will find much to rejoice with here.
Mesmerizing Dadaism. Built like a mechanical symphony, complete with musical repetition and a fantastic score that must be heard to be believed -- it includes airplane propellers screaming and programmed pianos doing impossible things. It's short, but incredibly impactful, and those who have an affinity for the more playful side of Dada will find much to rejoice with here.
Berlin: Symphony of a Great City
(1927, Walter Ruttmann, Germany)
The "city symphony" sub-genre of the 1920s was high modernity at its most celebratory. A tribute to a great lost city, this visually spectacular film is strangely exciting, given that it is virtually without dialogue and only has a threadbare narrative structure. Ruttmann was known for creating abstract animated films up to this point, and his knack for rhythmic editing is in full-blown glory here. The film is a brilliant time capsule of Weimar Germany, and a glimpse into a long-lost world.
The "city symphony" sub-genre of the 1920s was high modernity at its most celebratory. A tribute to a great lost city, this visually spectacular film is strangely exciting, given that it is virtually without dialogue and only has a threadbare narrative structure. Ruttmann was known for creating abstract animated films up to this point, and his knack for rhythmic editing is in full-blown glory here. The film is a brilliant time capsule of Weimar Germany, and a glimpse into a long-lost world.
Children of Men
(2005, Alfonso Cuarón, USA)
Cuarón is perhaps our greatest contemporary director, and it is with Children of Men that he truly established himself. The sense of melancholia is thick like a heavy fog, but it's also an unexpectedly gorgeous film: some of the greatest cinematography and set direction I have ever seen is in this film, with its dense fabric of mise-en-scène that draws inspiration from the photojournalism of the mid-2000s. Cuarón has an amazing ability to make me cry, and the scene that guarantees the waterworks from me is the descending of the staircase: hope from within the darkest place.
Cuarón is perhaps our greatest contemporary director, and it is with Children of Men that he truly established himself. The sense of melancholia is thick like a heavy fog, but it's also an unexpectedly gorgeous film: some of the greatest cinematography and set direction I have ever seen is in this film, with its dense fabric of mise-en-scène that draws inspiration from the photojournalism of the mid-2000s. Cuarón has an amazing ability to make me cry, and the scene that guarantees the waterworks from me is the descending of the staircase: hope from within the darkest place.
(1982, Jan Švankmajer, Czechoslovakia)
Švankmajer is a surrealist master, and his animations are always a visual and philosophical treat. Another short, it is a series of wild stop-motion vignettes that are without actual speech, but are ultimately about human dialogue and communication, alternately moving and hilarious. You'll never look at a tube of toothpaste the same way again.
Germany, Pale Mother
(1980, Helma Sanders-Brahms, West Germany)
This harrowing film has never left me, much like Elem Klimov's Come and See. I can still hear the final scene crystal-clear, as a young girl cries for her mother. This feminist autobiography is part of the Young German Cinema movement of West Germany in the 1970s, a generation of filmmakers that tried to make sense out of their parents' actions during WWII. Acclaimed upon its release (though cooly received by German critics, who thought the film sentimental and 'airing dirty laundry') the film spent more than two decades in relative obscurity, until a restoration was released on DVD.
The Horse Thief
(1986, Tian Zhuangzhuang, China)
The 2001: A Space Odessey of Tibetan Buddhism. It's an awe-inspiring work, with Martin Scorsese declaring it the best film he saw in the 1990s. The film has jaw-dropping cinematography, hypnotizing music and soundscapes, and a moving humanist touch. We can see Zhuangzhuang as a filmmaker rebel, out of step with Chinese authorities who wanted to ban the film, his film is probably best seen on a large screen: you'll want to drink in all the details, and get lost in the Himalayas.
This harrowing film has never left me, much like Elem Klimov's Come and See. I can still hear the final scene crystal-clear, as a young girl cries for her mother. This feminist autobiography is part of the Young German Cinema movement of West Germany in the 1970s, a generation of filmmakers that tried to make sense out of their parents' actions during WWII. Acclaimed upon its release (though cooly received by German critics, who thought the film sentimental and 'airing dirty laundry') the film spent more than two decades in relative obscurity, until a restoration was released on DVD.
(1986, Tian Zhuangzhuang, China)
The 2001: A Space Odessey of Tibetan Buddhism. It's an awe-inspiring work, with Martin Scorsese declaring it the best film he saw in the 1990s. The film has jaw-dropping cinematography, hypnotizing music and soundscapes, and a moving humanist touch. We can see Zhuangzhuang as a filmmaker rebel, out of step with Chinese authorities who wanted to ban the film, his film is probably best seen on a large screen: you'll want to drink in all the details, and get lost in the Himalayas.
Late Spring
(1949, Yasujiro Ozu, Japan)
(1949, Yasujiro Ozu, Japan)
Kurosawa may get the lion's share of attention from the West, but Ozu is perhaps the true darling of Western scholars and critics -- and with a work like Late Spring, it is easy to see why. Tokyo Story is his most well-known film, and is certainly also a masterpiece, but I found that I preferred Late Spring, a truly touching portrait of father and daughter. The film also explores such binaries as the traditional and the modern, the rural and the urban, male and female. All of Ozu's tricks are here, including the tatami mat POV, leisurely pacing, and naturalistic performances. Simply beautiful.
The Marriage of Maria Braun
(1979, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, West Germany)
Fassbinder is one of my favourite filmmakers, and with such a prolific list of films it's difficult to say where to begin: so I suggest with this, the story of the epic rise of a ruthless woman who has one sentimental weakness. Fassbinder's sterile melodrama is my second Young German Cinema selection on this list, but it's certainly worthy of mention. Witness one of the great performances of European art house cinema with Hanna Schygulla's embodiment of "the Mata Hari of the economic miracle", but also marvel at Fassbinder's Brechtian approach that still manages to get under your emotional skin.
Fassbinder is one of my favourite filmmakers, and with such a prolific list of films it's difficult to say where to begin: so I suggest with this, the story of the epic rise of a ruthless woman who has one sentimental weakness. Fassbinder's sterile melodrama is my second Young German Cinema selection on this list, but it's certainly worthy of mention. Witness one of the great performances of European art house cinema with Hanna Schygulla's embodiment of "the Mata Hari of the economic miracle", but also marvel at Fassbinder's Brechtian approach that still manages to get under your emotional skin.
Moulin Rouge!
(2001, Baz Lurhmann, USA/Australia)
Baz Luhrmann's hyperkinetic postmodernism was at the right time and place for 16 year old Andrew, who found himself completely enthralled by the maximalism that exploded on screen before him. Taking the jukebox musical to the extreme pathos of Bollywood, Moulin Rouge! is an experience. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll sing along. Best seen with an audience.
The Shop Around the Corner
(1940, Ernst Lubitsch, USA)
And here we have a film that perhaps comes as a surprise: a romantic comedy. If you've seen the remakes You've Got Mail or In the Good Old Summertime, you know the basic plot: two employees at a shop in Hungary loathe each other -- but are unknowingly penpals. Why do I love this film? It's probably because I feel that I really get to know this family of employees, with their little quirks and idiosyncracies. The film is a masterpiece of empathy, and exemplifies the best in Classical Hollywood: a smart script that is efficient yet also leisurely, exceptional acting across the board, and with Lubitsch's famous 'light touch'. Every time it comes on TCM, I can't help but watch it all over again.
And here we have a film that perhaps comes as a surprise: a romantic comedy. If you've seen the remakes You've Got Mail or In the Good Old Summertime, you know the basic plot: two employees at a shop in Hungary loathe each other -- but are unknowingly penpals. Why do I love this film? It's probably because I feel that I really get to know this family of employees, with their little quirks and idiosyncracies. The film is a masterpiece of empathy, and exemplifies the best in Classical Hollywood: a smart script that is efficient yet also leisurely, exceptional acting across the board, and with Lubitsch's famous 'light touch'. Every time it comes on TCM, I can't help but watch it all over again.
And there we have it: another ten great films, each worthy of your time. Maybe a few will become some of your favourites, too.
Thursday, May 9, 2019
Reviving My Blog
Greetings, friends!
Now that I find myself with plenty of time on my hands, it seems like a good opportunity to revive my blog.
Looking at my dashboard, I see there are more than a few dozen unpublished posts, mostly dealing with movies. I shall rework a few of them and publish. They include "10 More Great Films", "Intro to Classical Hollywood", and "Favourite Albums". It's also a good opportunity for me to express some thoughts --mostly academic-- that I never got to write about during my graduate degrees. These will mostly deal with art, (post)modernism and cultural theory. I'm also reworking my website (andrewfalcao.com) to feature some of my writing and music, and I'm looking forward to picking up painting again.
Exciting times!
Now that I find myself with plenty of time on my hands, it seems like a good opportunity to revive my blog.
Looking at my dashboard, I see there are more than a few dozen unpublished posts, mostly dealing with movies. I shall rework a few of them and publish. They include "10 More Great Films", "Intro to Classical Hollywood", and "Favourite Albums". It's also a good opportunity for me to express some thoughts --mostly academic-- that I never got to write about during my graduate degrees. These will mostly deal with art, (post)modernism and cultural theory. I'm also reworking my website (andrewfalcao.com) to feature some of my writing and music, and I'm looking forward to picking up painting again.
Exciting times!
Friday, February 22, 2019
Oscar Predictions 2019
Best Picture
This has been a 'spread-the-wealth' year the kinds I've never seen before. Of the major guilds, each have given their awards to different films: DGA (Roma), PGA (Green Book), SAG (Black Panther), WGA (Eighth Grade and Can You Ever Forgive Me?), ASC (Cold War), ACE (Bohemian Rhapsody and The Favourite). So any way you cut it, history will be made and stats will be broken on Sunday. The BAFTAs went with Roma, the Globes with Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody, the Critics Choice with Roma again -- does this suggest that Roma will be the big winner? But it's a Netflix distributed film, and a foreign language feature: neither have won the Oscar for Best Picture before, even though foreign language flicks have been up for the nomination plenty of times before. I see some people suggesting that Green Book will benefit from Oscar voters' notorious "feel good liberalism", and with it winning the preferential ballot of the PGA, it's not a bad call. But what else would Green Book win? Supporting Actor, yes, and maybe Screenplay. But the nominations didn't really show a passionate showing for Green Book, with it missing the all-important Directing nod. Not that we haven't seen a film losing Picture without one (hello, Argo!), but that was considered a huge snub for a director that was winning precursor awards. Farrelly is no Affleck. So if it isn't Green Book, and Roma seems too risky for you, what wins? A Star is Born is dead in the water, Bohemian Rhapsody and Vice derided by many. Black Panther won the Screen Actors Guild, but it's a superhero movie. So your alternatives are BlacKkKlansman and The Favourite; Lee's film has one zero precursors. At least The Favourite won a BAFTA for Best British Film and the editing guild. Still, all this adds up to nothing as the frontrunner, which is very unusual.
So what am I going with? Roma. It has the passionate voters, will probably do well on the preferential ballot, is probably winning Director, isn't mired with controversy like some other films have been, and is the nominations leader (including two unexpected acting nominees).
Will Win: Roma
Could Win: Green Book
1. Roma
2. Green Book
3. The Favourite
4. BlacKkKlansman
5. Black Panther
6. Bohemian Rhapsody
7. A Star is Born
8. Vice
Director
This seems to be one of the few categories of the night that seem like a sure thing. Cuarón's achievement has been seen by many as undeniable, and he's been sweeping the awards circuit. I suspect his competitors will be far behind.
Will Win: Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Could Win: Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman
Actress
Will Close finally win her Oscar? Many are saying so, but I'm not as confident. Yes, it's a great narrative for her, but it's the film's only nomination and it wasn't exactly a box-office smash. So who is her competitor? I say it's Colman, whose film has been experiencing a bit of a windfall behind it lately. Gaga peaked too soon, and the other two are just in for the ride.
Will Win: Glenn Close, The Wife
Could Win: Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Actor
It's a battle here between Malek and Bale, both of whom have been winning the precursors. It's probably Malek's to lose, however, as the film is carried by his performance and may have been so successful mainly because of him. Vice has been playing it low lately.
Will Win: Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Could Win: Christian Bale, Vice
Supporting Actress
Now, this is a bloody battlefield of a category. I have seen arguments for any of the five to win. The SAG winner, Emily Blunt, isn't even nominated here, and King in turn wasn't nominated for the SAG but has been winning everything else. Is it hers to lose? Adams would benefit from being very overdue, but for this performance? I don't see it happening. Weisz is considered to be the more likely of the two from The Favourite, and I think she's just behind King for the win. Marina de Tavira was a surprise on nominations morning, but she could benefit from being in a beloved film.
Will Win: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Could Win: Rachel Weisz, The Favourite
Supporting Actor
It comes down between Ali and Grant here, with Ali being the more likely as the SAG winner. But is it too soon after his win for Moonlight? If voters think it is, and for a film that has been rather controversial lately, they may actually give it to Grant.
Will Win: Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Could Win: Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Original Screenplay
The WGA didn't clear things up in the screenplay categories, especially here in Original, with Eighth Grade winning there... and not even being nominated for the Oscar. Many predicted that Green Book would have won the WGA, and the fact that it didn't spells trouble for me. Roma is seen more as a directorial achievement, and First Reformed is probably too small to win (even though it did very well with critics). Vice isn't happening. So that leaves the well-liked The Favourite to win.
Will Win: The Favourite
Could Win: Green Book
Adapted Screenplay
Spike Lee is probably finally winning an Oscar for BlacKkKlansman, and it's a pretty deserving win. His competitor is If Beale Street Could Talk, but I don't see Barry Jenkins being a two-time Oscar winner before Lee wins even one. But! Lee lost the WGA to Can You Ever Forgive Me?, so maybe he's not as locked as we think he is.
Will Win: BlacKkKlansman
Could Win: If Beale Street Could Talk
Editing
Now here's an interesting category. Will Vice, with its whizz-bang style of editing, win an Oscar despite the film being rather luke-warmly received? That's what many are predicting... but I'm not buying it. But what does that leave? ACE winners The Favourite or Bohemian Rhapsody? I really don't think it'll be Green Book (why was that even nominated??), but I'm feeling the vibe of BlacKkKlansman. This category is probably my gutsiest move this year. Smart money would be on BoRhap, but you gotta differentiate yourself somehow!
Will Win: BlacKkKlansman
Could Win: Bohemian Rhapsody
Cinematography
Cuarón was his own cinematographer for Roma, which has been sweeping the awards circuit. Where it didn't win was at the ASC, which gave it to Cold War. Does that spell trouble for Cuarón? Somehow, I don't think so.
Will Win: Roma
Could Win: Cold War
Production Design
A Best Picture nominated period piece or Afro-futurism? That's the choice here between The Favourite and Black Panther. I suspect they'll go with the period piece... but don't count out Roma.
Will Win: The Favourite
Could Win: Black Panther
Costume Design
See Production Design.
Will Win: The Favourite
Could Win: Black Panther
Makeup and Hairstyling
Old Age Makeup + Best Actor nomination = Oscar Winner!
Will Win: Vice
Could Win: Mary, Queen of Scots
Original Score
Tough call here. Best Picture nominees tend to do well in this category, but by all accounts Beale Street is gorgeous work. Mary Poppins is probably the big spoiler here, though. But really, after First Man's snub here, it's anyone's guess. Maybe Grammy-winning Black Panther? If so, that's the only category I'm giving it.
Will Win: Black Panther
Could Win: If Beale Street Could Talk
Original Song
Perhaps other than Directing, the only "safe" category of the night. Lady Gaga will win her Oscar.
Will Win: "Shallow", A Star is Born
Could Win: "The Place Where the Lost Things Go", Mary Poppins Returns
Sound Mixing
Smart money is usually on a Best Picture nominee, and that both categories will go to the same film (and often to the Editing winner, too), but I suspect that First Man will do well here. That being said, I think the split will be in Bohemian Rhapsody's favour here. (Yes, that means that I'm splitting Editing/Sound Mixing/Sound Editing to three films.)
Will Win: Bohemian Rhapsody
Could Win: First Man
Sound Editing
Will Win: First Man
Could Win: Bohemian Rhapsody
Visual Effects
Will a small film beat a VFX-heavy blockbuster again this year? My bet is: "yes".
Will Win: First Man
Could Win: Avengers: Infinity War
Animated Feature
Who woulda thunk that another Spider-Man film would be such an awards darling?
Will Win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Could Win: Incredibles 2
Foreign Language
Roma has been doing very, very well this year, and if I'm giving it Best Picture, why wouldn't you give it this category, as well? Unless you're thinking "I want to give Cold War an award, too." Then you would get a split.
Will Win: Roma (Mexico)
Could Win: Cold War (Poland)
Documentary Feature
This seems like a very close race between the thrilling Free Solo and the timely film about the beloved RBG. BAFTA went with Free Solo, so...
Will Win: Free Solo
Could Win: RBG
Animated Short
The delightful, Toronto-set tearjerker Bao looks to be the winner here.
Will Win: Bao
Could Win: Weekends
Documentary Short
Just going with my gut.
Will Win: Period. End of Sentence.
Could Win: Black Sheep
Live Action Short
Been hearing a lot about Marguerite. I haven't seen any of them.
Will Win: Marguerite
Could Win: Skin
Picture: Roma
Director: Cuarón, Roma
Actress: Close, The Wife
Actor: Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Supporting Actress: King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Supporting Actor: Ali, Green Book
Original Screenplay: The Favourite
Adapted Screenplay: BlacKkKlansman
Editing: BlacKkKlansman
Cinematography: Roma
Production Design: The Favourite
Costume Design: The Favourite
Makeup and Hairstyling: Vice
Score: Black Panther
Song: "Shallow", A Star is Born
Sound Mixing: Bohemian Rhapsody
Sound Editing: First Man
Visual Effects: First Man
Animated Feature: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Foreign Language: Roma
Documentary Feature: Free Solo
Animated Short: Bao
Documentary Short: Period. End of Sentence.
Live Action Short: Marguerite
4: Roma
3: The Favourite
2: BlacKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, First Man
This has been a 'spread-the-wealth' year the kinds I've never seen before. Of the major guilds, each have given their awards to different films: DGA (Roma), PGA (Green Book), SAG (Black Panther), WGA (Eighth Grade and Can You Ever Forgive Me?), ASC (Cold War), ACE (Bohemian Rhapsody and The Favourite). So any way you cut it, history will be made and stats will be broken on Sunday. The BAFTAs went with Roma, the Globes with Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody, the Critics Choice with Roma again -- does this suggest that Roma will be the big winner? But it's a Netflix distributed film, and a foreign language feature: neither have won the Oscar for Best Picture before, even though foreign language flicks have been up for the nomination plenty of times before. I see some people suggesting that Green Book will benefit from Oscar voters' notorious "feel good liberalism", and with it winning the preferential ballot of the PGA, it's not a bad call. But what else would Green Book win? Supporting Actor, yes, and maybe Screenplay. But the nominations didn't really show a passionate showing for Green Book, with it missing the all-important Directing nod. Not that we haven't seen a film losing Picture without one (hello, Argo!), but that was considered a huge snub for a director that was winning precursor awards. Farrelly is no Affleck. So if it isn't Green Book, and Roma seems too risky for you, what wins? A Star is Born is dead in the water, Bohemian Rhapsody and Vice derided by many. Black Panther won the Screen Actors Guild, but it's a superhero movie. So your alternatives are BlacKkKlansman and The Favourite; Lee's film has one zero precursors. At least The Favourite won a BAFTA for Best British Film and the editing guild. Still, all this adds up to nothing as the frontrunner, which is very unusual.
So what am I going with? Roma. It has the passionate voters, will probably do well on the preferential ballot, is probably winning Director, isn't mired with controversy like some other films have been, and is the nominations leader (including two unexpected acting nominees).
Will Win: Roma
Could Win: Green Book
1. Roma
2. Green Book
3. The Favourite
4. BlacKkKlansman
5. Black Panther
6. Bohemian Rhapsody
7. A Star is Born
8. Vice
Director
This seems to be one of the few categories of the night that seem like a sure thing. Cuarón's achievement has been seen by many as undeniable, and he's been sweeping the awards circuit. I suspect his competitors will be far behind.
Will Win: Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Could Win: Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman
Actress
Will Close finally win her Oscar? Many are saying so, but I'm not as confident. Yes, it's a great narrative for her, but it's the film's only nomination and it wasn't exactly a box-office smash. So who is her competitor? I say it's Colman, whose film has been experiencing a bit of a windfall behind it lately. Gaga peaked too soon, and the other two are just in for the ride.
Will Win: Glenn Close, The Wife
Could Win: Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Actor
It's a battle here between Malek and Bale, both of whom have been winning the precursors. It's probably Malek's to lose, however, as the film is carried by his performance and may have been so successful mainly because of him. Vice has been playing it low lately.
Will Win: Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Could Win: Christian Bale, Vice
Supporting Actress
Now, this is a bloody battlefield of a category. I have seen arguments for any of the five to win. The SAG winner, Emily Blunt, isn't even nominated here, and King in turn wasn't nominated for the SAG but has been winning everything else. Is it hers to lose? Adams would benefit from being very overdue, but for this performance? I don't see it happening. Weisz is considered to be the more likely of the two from The Favourite, and I think she's just behind King for the win. Marina de Tavira was a surprise on nominations morning, but she could benefit from being in a beloved film.
Will Win: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Could Win: Rachel Weisz, The Favourite
Supporting Actor
It comes down between Ali and Grant here, with Ali being the more likely as the SAG winner. But is it too soon after his win for Moonlight? If voters think it is, and for a film that has been rather controversial lately, they may actually give it to Grant.
Will Win: Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Could Win: Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Original Screenplay
The WGA didn't clear things up in the screenplay categories, especially here in Original, with Eighth Grade winning there... and not even being nominated for the Oscar. Many predicted that Green Book would have won the WGA, and the fact that it didn't spells trouble for me. Roma is seen more as a directorial achievement, and First Reformed is probably too small to win (even though it did very well with critics). Vice isn't happening. So that leaves the well-liked The Favourite to win.
Will Win: The Favourite
Could Win: Green Book
Adapted Screenplay
Spike Lee is probably finally winning an Oscar for BlacKkKlansman, and it's a pretty deserving win. His competitor is If Beale Street Could Talk, but I don't see Barry Jenkins being a two-time Oscar winner before Lee wins even one. But! Lee lost the WGA to Can You Ever Forgive Me?, so maybe he's not as locked as we think he is.
Will Win: BlacKkKlansman
Could Win: If Beale Street Could Talk
Editing
Now here's an interesting category. Will Vice, with its whizz-bang style of editing, win an Oscar despite the film being rather luke-warmly received? That's what many are predicting... but I'm not buying it. But what does that leave? ACE winners The Favourite or Bohemian Rhapsody? I really don't think it'll be Green Book (why was that even nominated??), but I'm feeling the vibe of BlacKkKlansman. This category is probably my gutsiest move this year. Smart money would be on BoRhap, but you gotta differentiate yourself somehow!
Will Win: BlacKkKlansman
Could Win: Bohemian Rhapsody
Cinematography
Cuarón was his own cinematographer for Roma, which has been sweeping the awards circuit. Where it didn't win was at the ASC, which gave it to Cold War. Does that spell trouble for Cuarón? Somehow, I don't think so.
Will Win: Roma
Could Win: Cold War
Production Design
A Best Picture nominated period piece or Afro-futurism? That's the choice here between The Favourite and Black Panther. I suspect they'll go with the period piece... but don't count out Roma.
Will Win: The Favourite
Could Win: Black Panther
Costume Design
See Production Design.
Will Win: The Favourite
Could Win: Black Panther
Makeup and Hairstyling
Old Age Makeup + Best Actor nomination = Oscar Winner!
Will Win: Vice
Could Win: Mary, Queen of Scots
Original Score
Tough call here. Best Picture nominees tend to do well in this category, but by all accounts Beale Street is gorgeous work. Mary Poppins is probably the big spoiler here, though. But really, after First Man's snub here, it's anyone's guess. Maybe Grammy-winning Black Panther? If so, that's the only category I'm giving it.
Will Win: Black Panther
Could Win: If Beale Street Could Talk
Original Song
Perhaps other than Directing, the only "safe" category of the night. Lady Gaga will win her Oscar.
Will Win: "Shallow", A Star is Born
Could Win: "The Place Where the Lost Things Go", Mary Poppins Returns
Sound Mixing
Smart money is usually on a Best Picture nominee, and that both categories will go to the same film (and often to the Editing winner, too), but I suspect that First Man will do well here. That being said, I think the split will be in Bohemian Rhapsody's favour here. (Yes, that means that I'm splitting Editing/Sound Mixing/Sound Editing to three films.)
Will Win: Bohemian Rhapsody
Could Win: First Man
Sound Editing
Will Win: First Man
Could Win: Bohemian Rhapsody
Visual Effects
Will a small film beat a VFX-heavy blockbuster again this year? My bet is: "yes".
Will Win: First Man
Could Win: Avengers: Infinity War
Animated Feature
Who woulda thunk that another Spider-Man film would be such an awards darling?
Will Win: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Could Win: Incredibles 2
Foreign Language
Roma has been doing very, very well this year, and if I'm giving it Best Picture, why wouldn't you give it this category, as well? Unless you're thinking "I want to give Cold War an award, too." Then you would get a split.
Will Win: Roma (Mexico)
Could Win: Cold War (Poland)
Documentary Feature
This seems like a very close race between the thrilling Free Solo and the timely film about the beloved RBG. BAFTA went with Free Solo, so...
Will Win: Free Solo
Could Win: RBG
Animated Short
The delightful, Toronto-set tearjerker Bao looks to be the winner here.
Will Win: Bao
Could Win: Weekends
Documentary Short
Just going with my gut.
Will Win: Period. End of Sentence.
Could Win: Black Sheep
Live Action Short
Been hearing a lot about Marguerite. I haven't seen any of them.
Will Win: Marguerite
Could Win: Skin
Picture: Roma
Director: Cuarón, Roma
Actress: Close, The Wife
Actor: Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Supporting Actress: King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Supporting Actor: Ali, Green Book
Original Screenplay: The Favourite
Adapted Screenplay: BlacKkKlansman
Editing: BlacKkKlansman
Cinematography: Roma
Production Design: The Favourite
Costume Design: The Favourite
Makeup and Hairstyling: Vice
Score: Black Panther
Song: "Shallow", A Star is Born
Sound Mixing: Bohemian Rhapsody
Sound Editing: First Man
Visual Effects: First Man
Animated Feature: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Foreign Language: Roma
Documentary Feature: Free Solo
Animated Short: Bao
Documentary Short: Period. End of Sentence.
Live Action Short: Marguerite
4: Roma
3: The Favourite
2: BlacKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, First Man
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