The 88th Annual Academy Awards are tonight! It's basically New Year's Eve for me and many others, a sentiment expressed many times by The Film Experience, but also texted to me by friends and said out loud by co-workers.
I've told you what I'd want to win in a perfect world -- let's talk about what I think will win in the actual one.
BEST PICTURE: The Revenant
My personal rankings for the nominees:
1. Spotlight (*****)
2. Brooklyn (*****)
3. The Revenant (****)
4. Mad Max: Fury Road (****)
5. Bridge of Spies (****)
6. The Martian (*** 1/2)
7. The Big Short (***)
8. Room (**)
Complete predictions, and rankings, after the jump...
Showing posts with label 2015. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2015. Show all posts
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Friday, February 19, 2016
Best Picture, Some Surprises: 2015 Hollmann Awards, Day Three
At last -- the final round of Hollmann Awards! Let's get to it!
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
5. Tangerine
Sean Baker/Chris Bergoch
Quotable, dirty, hilarious. A great odyssey spanning Hollywood, with all the characters you really do see on the streets -- the trans prostitutes, the old men with bizarre stories, the Armenian cabbies, the shady guys who hang out at donut shops. It works as a Christmas movie, a buddy film, a drama about the immigrant experience.
Sean Baker/Chris Bergoch
4. The Throne
Jo Chul-hyun/Lee Song-won/Oh Seung-hyun
Takes a much-contested bit of history -- was Prince Sado sentenced to die because he went crazy, or was he the target of a court conspiracy -- and turns it into a story of fathers and sons, of legacies that are expected to endure, of the terrible expectations of royal life and the consequences that come of disappointing those. And, yes, it also addresses the unrest in the Joseon royal court. Sympathetic to all...and honey, with this group, that's not always easy.
3. Girlhood
Céline Sciamma
Surprising developments, subtle layering, and a completely non-judgmental look at these girls and their gangs. Kudos for those few and far between, yet vital and impactful, sequences that establish the patriarchal system that these seemingly independent women have given themselves over to. Props, too, for the gradual way in which our heroine becomes a part of that system, neither "male" nor "female", but someone with her own agency. Complicated, but easy to understand.
2. Grandma
Paul Weitz
Hilarious, biting, intelligent. Avoids dialogue that's too clever -- and when it is, that's part of the joke ("solipsist!"). Not a false note. Sees every side of a conversation, and even if the film is decidedly pro-choice, the argument it makes for one character not supporting that is...well, it's understandable. And human.
1. Spotlight
Tom McCarthy/Josh Singer
Can I just say, it would be so easy for each of these characters to become similar -- journalist, victim, advocate, co-conspirator/part of the problem -- but each person is an individual. That's what this screenplay excels at -- making us appreciate the individuals, putting a face, a name, a personality to the cipher of "abuse victim" or "corrupted clergyman". It even allows us to look at our heroes' shortcomings, as they face their own denial...and their tendency to look at human tragedies as "scoops".
Score, Actress, Best Picture, and more after the jump
Jo Chul-hyun/Lee Song-won/Oh Seung-hyun
Takes a much-contested bit of history -- was Prince Sado sentenced to die because he went crazy, or was he the target of a court conspiracy -- and turns it into a story of fathers and sons, of legacies that are expected to endure, of the terrible expectations of royal life and the consequences that come of disappointing those. And, yes, it also addresses the unrest in the Joseon royal court. Sympathetic to all...and honey, with this group, that's not always easy.
3. Girlhood
Céline Sciamma
Surprising developments, subtle layering, and a completely non-judgmental look at these girls and their gangs. Kudos for those few and far between, yet vital and impactful, sequences that establish the patriarchal system that these seemingly independent women have given themselves over to. Props, too, for the gradual way in which our heroine becomes a part of that system, neither "male" nor "female", but someone with her own agency. Complicated, but easy to understand.
2. Grandma
Paul Weitz
Hilarious, biting, intelligent. Avoids dialogue that's too clever -- and when it is, that's part of the joke ("solipsist!"). Not a false note. Sees every side of a conversation, and even if the film is decidedly pro-choice, the argument it makes for one character not supporting that is...well, it's understandable. And human.
1. Spotlight
Tom McCarthy/Josh Singer
Can I just say, it would be so easy for each of these characters to become similar -- journalist, victim, advocate, co-conspirator/part of the problem -- but each person is an individual. That's what this screenplay excels at -- making us appreciate the individuals, putting a face, a name, a personality to the cipher of "abuse victim" or "corrupted clergyman". It even allows us to look at our heroes' shortcomings, as they face their own denial...and their tendency to look at human tragedies as "scoops".
Score, Actress, Best Picture, and more after the jump
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Dig Them Threads -- and That Sound: 2015 Hollmann Awards, Day Two
It's Day Two of the Hollmann Awards! Yesterday, we saw Mad Max: Fury Road go home with two awards, with Best Picture nominees Tangerine and Spotlight also making their mommas proud. Today: Best Director, Best Actor, and more...starting with Best Ensemble.
(By the way -- if anyone knows the names of the casting director/sound department/makeup department of the Korean films The Beauty Inside/Northern Limit Line/The Throne, do drop me a line so that I may give the credit where it's due)
Victoria Thomas/Cindy Tolan
A great mix of knowns, unknowns, and familiar faces, anchored by the lead trio -- O'Shea Jackson, Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell. In choosing between acting ability or biographical resemblance, the filmmakers score a coup with an ensemble that can be both. And bless Paul Giamatti, who fits right in.
4. Tangerine
Sean Baker/Chris Bergoch
First of all, the chemistry between Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor is perfection, the kind of comic sparring that made iconic films out of It Happened One Night, or anything with Abbott and Costello. But they're joined by a game supporting cast, starting with Mickey O'Hagan as Kiki's "real fish" rival, all the way down to Clu Gulager's cameo as a taxi passenger.
3. The Beauty Inside
Give it props for casting 123 different people and pulling off the conceit that they are, indeed, all one person. Everyone has electric chemistry with Han Hyo-ju, one of the most natural actresses you've ever seen in a fantasy-romance. And a special shout-out to Shin Dong-mi, hilarious as Han's boss.
2. Brooklyn
Fiona Weir
The mark of a great ensemble: you can easily imagine each of these characters living lives outside the movie. Whether it's the girls of the boarding house, Jessica Paré's department store floor manager, or the Irish gossip back home.
1. Spotlight
Kerry Barden/Paul Schnee
A generous ensemble -- like true journalists, the A-List actor -- Ruffalo, McAdams, Keaton -- cede entire scenes over to the character actors making up the witnesses, victims, priests, cops, officials. But it is all about the newsmen (and women) at the center, working as a team...a true ensemble.
Best Costume Design and more, after the jump....
(By the way -- if anyone knows the names of the casting director/sound department/makeup department of the Korean films The Beauty Inside/Northern Limit Line/The Throne, do drop me a line so that I may give the credit where it's due)
BEST ENSEMBLE
5. Straight Outta Compton
A great mix of knowns, unknowns, and familiar faces, anchored by the lead trio -- O'Shea Jackson, Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell. In choosing between acting ability or biographical resemblance, the filmmakers score a coup with an ensemble that can be both. And bless Paul Giamatti, who fits right in.
4. Tangerine
Sean Baker/Chris Bergoch
First of all, the chemistry between Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor is perfection, the kind of comic sparring that made iconic films out of It Happened One Night, or anything with Abbott and Costello. But they're joined by a game supporting cast, starting with Mickey O'Hagan as Kiki's "real fish" rival, all the way down to Clu Gulager's cameo as a taxi passenger.
3. The Beauty Inside
Give it props for casting 123 different people and pulling off the conceit that they are, indeed, all one person. Everyone has electric chemistry with Han Hyo-ju, one of the most natural actresses you've ever seen in a fantasy-romance. And a special shout-out to Shin Dong-mi, hilarious as Han's boss.
2. Brooklyn
Fiona Weir
The mark of a great ensemble: you can easily imagine each of these characters living lives outside the movie. Whether it's the girls of the boarding house, Jessica Paré's department store floor manager, or the Irish gossip back home.
1. Spotlight
Kerry Barden/Paul Schnee
A generous ensemble -- like true journalists, the A-List actor -- Ruffalo, McAdams, Keaton -- cede entire scenes over to the character actors making up the witnesses, victims, priests, cops, officials. But it is all about the newsmen (and women) at the center, working as a team...a true ensemble.
Best Costume Design and more, after the jump....
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
The Men of Spotlight, the Look of Mad Max: 2015 Hollmann Awards, Day One
Here we are! It's February 2016, but we're officially starting the Hollmann Awards of 2015! For the next three days, I'll give you my picks for the best of the year in eighteen different categories.
Today: Makeup, Supporting Actor, Visual Effects, Original Song, Cinematography, and Editing!
Jerry DeCarlo, hair department head
Patricia Regan, makeup department head
Therese's makeup tutorial. Carol's blonde locks and sophisticated lips. Abby's whole thing.
4. The Throne
Prince Sado's progressively sallow skin, sunken eyes, and cracked lips as he slowly starves to death. The wizened white slowly taking over King Jeongjo's beard and hair. The careful hairstyles of the ladies of the court.
3. What We Do in the Shadows
Don Brooker, special makeup effects/prosthetics designer
Roger Murray, makeup effects designer
Dannelle Satherley, hair designer
The vampire ball. The lifeless complexions, spattered with blood. The varying hairstyles and facial hair denoting the location and era of a vampire's "turn." And then there's Petyr.
2. The Revenant
Graham Johnston, makeup department head
Sian Grigg/Duncan Jarman, key makeup and prosthetics for Leonardo DiCaprio
Audrey Doyle, key makeup and prosthetics for Tom Hardy
Adrien Morot, special effects makeup department head
Robert Pandini, hair department head
Kathryn L. Blondell, hair stylist for Leonardo DiCaprio
Hugh's gaping wounds following a bear attack. Fitzgerald's surviving patch from a past scalping attempt. The matted, bloody, snotty, icy beards and untamed hair of the pioneers.
1. Mad Max: Fury Road
Lesley Vanderwalt, makeup/hair designer
Damian Martin, prosthetics supervisor
Elka Wardega, senior prosthetics make artist
Today: Makeup, Supporting Actor, Visual Effects, Original Song, Cinematography, and Editing!
BEST MAKEUP/HAIRSTYLING
5. CarolJerry DeCarlo, hair department head
Patricia Regan, makeup department head
4. The Throne
Prince Sado's progressively sallow skin, sunken eyes, and cracked lips as he slowly starves to death. The wizened white slowly taking over King Jeongjo's beard and hair. The careful hairstyles of the ladies of the court.
3. What We Do in the Shadows
Don Brooker, special makeup effects/prosthetics designer
Roger Murray, makeup effects designer
Dannelle Satherley, hair designer
The vampire ball. The lifeless complexions, spattered with blood. The varying hairstyles and facial hair denoting the location and era of a vampire's "turn." And then there's Petyr.
2. The Revenant
Graham Johnston, makeup department head
Sian Grigg/Duncan Jarman, key makeup and prosthetics for Leonardo DiCaprio
Audrey Doyle, key makeup and prosthetics for Tom Hardy
Adrien Morot, special effects makeup department head
Robert Pandini, hair department head
Kathryn L. Blondell, hair stylist for Leonardo DiCaprio
Hugh's gaping wounds following a bear attack. Fitzgerald's surviving patch from a past scalping attempt. The matted, bloody, snotty, icy beards and untamed hair of the pioneers.
1. Mad Max: Fury Road
Lesley Vanderwalt, makeup/hair designer
Damian Martin, prosthetics supervisor
Elka Wardega, senior prosthetics make artist
Immortan Joe's diseased self and flowing locks. Max's parched lips and sunburnt face. Furiosa's war-like patch of black. The scarred, pale, skeleton-like War Boys. The sand blown features of the Vuvalini.
Best Supporting Actor and more after the jump!
Best Supporting Actor and more after the jump!
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Predicting Tomorrow's Oscar Noms!
Ok, folks. I know I've been unusually mum about this Awards Season (with the exception of a theory that I'm about to place a lot of faith in). But it's to talk the Oscar Nominations. They are tomorrow. That is exciting. It's time to predict things.
I'm not in rooms with industry members who are "buzzing." I've been following the guilds and the Globes, but most of us seem to agree there's a general mix of consensus and confusion. Here, then, is how I think it could go down.
I have no clue with Foreign Film, Animated, Doc, or shorts. Don't ask me.
BEST PICTURE
Anywhere between five and ten nominees. I'm thinking ten.
The Big Short
Brooklyn
Carol
Ex Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight
Steve Jobs
BEST DIRECTOR
The exact DGA lineup.
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
Adam McKay, The Big Short
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Ridley Scott, The Martian
More predictions, after the jump
I'm not in rooms with industry members who are "buzzing." I've been following the guilds and the Globes, but most of us seem to agree there's a general mix of consensus and confusion. Here, then, is how I think it could go down.
I have no clue with Foreign Film, Animated, Doc, or shorts. Don't ask me.
BEST PICTURE
Anywhere between five and ten nominees. I'm thinking ten.
The Big Short
Brooklyn
Carol
Ex Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
The Revenant
Room
Spotlight
Steve Jobs
BEST DIRECTOR
The exact DGA lineup.
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
Adam McKay, The Big Short
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Ridley Scott, The Martian
More predictions, after the jump
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Why Will Smith May Benefit from the Jane Fonda Rule
I am giving my full Oscar predictions tomorrow, but I want to talk about Best Actor right now. Actually, I want to tell you why I'll be predicting Will Smith for Concussion to be among the nominees.
I call it The Jane Fonda Rule.
Jane Fonda, in case you didn't know, is a two-time Oscar winning actress, Academy Member, blogger, and Tweeter. And it's as a blogger and a Tweeter that she has stumped for certain films and performances over the past couple of years.
CHECK IT OUT AFTER THE JUMP.
I call it The Jane Fonda Rule.
CHECK IT OUT AFTER THE JUMP.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
The 2015 Hollmann Awards Nominees!
Finally, the nominees for (if you can believe it) THE TENTH ANNUAL HOLLMANN AWARDS!
Who would have guessed that I had the attention span to not only keep this going, but to also spin it off into the Retro Hollmann Awards? And we just keep growing and growing, baby!
Each category is presented in the order in which I finalized them, eighteen in all.
Who would have guessed that I had the attention span to not only keep this going, but to also spin it off into the Retro Hollmann Awards? And we just keep growing and growing, baby!
Each category is presented in the order in which I finalized them, eighteen in all.
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Chi-Raq - "Pray 4 My City"
music and lyrics by Rico Cox/Robert Amparan/Leroy Griffin, Jr./Nick Cannon
Fifty Shades of Grey - "Earned It"
music and lyrics by The Weeknd/Stephan Moccio/Jason "DeHaela" Quenneville/Ahmad Balshe
Fifty Shades of Grey - "Earned It"
music and lyrics by The Weeknd/Stephan Moccio/Jason "DeHaela" Quenneville/Ahmad Balshe
Fifty Shades of Grey - "Love Me Like You Do"
music and lyrics by Max Martin/Savan Kotecha/Ilya Salmanzadeh/Ali Payami/Tove Lo
Fifty Shades of Grey - "Salted Wound"
music and lyrics by Brian West/Gerald Eaton/Sia Furler/Oliver Kraus
Youth - "Simple Song #3"
music and lyrics by David Lang
BEST SCORE
The 33
James Horner
Carol
Carter Burwell
It Follows
Disasterpeace
Steve Jobs
Daniel Pemberton
The Throne
Bang Jun-seok
BEST SCORE
James Horner
Carol
Carter Burwell
It Follows
Disasterpeace
Steve Jobs
Daniel Pemberton
Bang Jun-seok
Non-music-related categories after the jump!
Monday, January 4, 2016
2015 in Review: The Longlists
Before I announce the nominees for the Hollmann Awards, it's traditional that I provide the long lists: the 15 finalists in each category. It's great fun for Best Picture, because now that you know my Top Ten, you can see the five films that almost made it in! And it also allows you to see the full breadth of films I'm considering, from Carol to Mortdecai.
BEST PICTURE
The Beauty Inside
Best of Enemies
Brooklyn
Carol
Creed
Girlhood
Grandma
Joy
Our Brand is Crisis
Paddington
The Revenant
Spotlight
Steve Jobs
Tangerine
The Throne
Remaining semi-finalists after the jump
Sunday, January 3, 2016
2015 in Review: My Top Ten
Later than most everyone else's, but here it is: my Top Ten of 2015. Presented in alphabetical order -- full rankings to come in the days ahead, what with the Hollmann Awards on their way. For a complete list of the 124 films I saw this year, click here.
Brooklyn
dir: John Crowley
scr: Nick Hornby, from the novel by Colm Tóibín
cin: Yves Bélanger
Perfectly captures the bittersweetness of leaving home and everything you know behind for the first time; on the flip side, also perfectly captures how you don't realize how much you've changed until you return home. Love watching Saoirse Ronan's performance grow from an overwhelmed quiet to a more refined confidence. Indeed, the whole ensemble is engaging, realistic, from the giggly young boarders to gossipy Irish villagers. One of the great endings of the year.
Carol
dir: Todd Haynes
scr: Phyllis Nagy, from the novel The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith
cin: Edward Lachman
Speaking of great endings, the last act of this one was one of the more pulse-pounding experiences I had in a theater this year. From Carol's words to Therese before their dinner's interrupted, all the way to the last shot. Everything before it is great, too. At one point, Therese asks a male would-be suitor, "How many times have you been in love?" This is the movie that perfectly captures that first love, the love that left you clammy-handed but more Yourself than anything before or after.
More stories of women, tales of despair, and fascinating true stories after the jump...
Brooklyn
scr: Nick Hornby, from the novel by Colm Tóibín
cin: Yves Bélanger
Perfectly captures the bittersweetness of leaving home and everything you know behind for the first time; on the flip side, also perfectly captures how you don't realize how much you've changed until you return home. Love watching Saoirse Ronan's performance grow from an overwhelmed quiet to a more refined confidence. Indeed, the whole ensemble is engaging, realistic, from the giggly young boarders to gossipy Irish villagers. One of the great endings of the year.
Carol
dir: Todd Haynes
scr: Phyllis Nagy, from the novel The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith
cin: Edward Lachman
Speaking of great endings, the last act of this one was one of the more pulse-pounding experiences I had in a theater this year. From Carol's words to Therese before their dinner's interrupted, all the way to the last shot. Everything before it is great, too. At one point, Therese asks a male would-be suitor, "How many times have you been in love?" This is the movie that perfectly captures that first love, the love that left you clammy-handed but more Yourself than anything before or after.
More stories of women, tales of despair, and fascinating true stories after the jump...
Friday, January 1, 2016
2015 in Review: The Films
Happy New Year! I have much to celebrate -- of the many films released in 2015, I saw 123 of them. Which sounds impressive to some, small time to others I'm sure -- and know, too, that even after all that, I missed Slow West, Li'l Quinquin, Southpaw, Sisters....
Oh, well. Here's the full list of 2015 releases that I actually saw in 2015. How many have you seen?:
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Oh, well. Here's the full list of 2015 releases that I actually saw in 2015. How many have you seen?:
The 33
45 Years
The Age of Adaline
Aloha
American Ultra
Amy
Ant-Man
The Assassin
The Assassin
Assassination
Beasts of No Nation
The Beauty Inside
Best of Enemies
The Big Short
Black Mass
Blackbird
The Boy Next Door
Bridge of Spies
Brooklyn
Burnt
C'est Si Bon
Carol
Chappie
Chi-Raq
Child 44
Cinderella
Clouds of Sils Maria
The Con Artists
Concussion
Creed
Crimson Peak
The Danish Girl
Dope
The DUFF
The Duke of Burgundy
Effie Gray
The End of the Tour
Everest
Ex Machina
Fantastic Four
Far from the Madding Crowd
Fifty Shades of Grey
The Final Girls
Focus
Forever Young
Freeheld
The Gift
Girlhood
The Good Dinosaur
Grandma
The Hateful Eight
I Smile Back
I'll See You in My Dreams
In the Heart of the Sea
Inside Out
The Intern
Irrational Man
It Follows
Jem and the Holograms
Joy
Jupiter Ascending
Jurassic World
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Krampus
Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter
The Lady in the Van
Learning to Drive
Legend
Lost in the Sun
Love & Mercy
Love the Coopers
Macbeth
Mad Max: Fury Road
Magic Mike XXL
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
The Martian
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Memories of the Sword
Minions
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
Mr. Holmes
Mortdecai
Northern Limit Line
Our Brand is Crisis
Paddington
Pan
The Piper
The Peanuts Movie
Point Break
The Priests
The Revenant
Ricki and the Flash
Room
Saint Laurent
San Andreas
Saving Mr. Wu
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Serena
Set Fire to the Stars
Seventh Son
Shanghai
Sicario
SPECTRE
Spotlight
Spy
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Steve Jobs
Straight Outta Compton
Suffragette
Tangerine
Ted 2
The Throne
Trainwreck
Trash
Trash
Trumbo
Truth
Twenty
Vacation
A Walk in the Woods
Welcome to Me
What Happened, Miss Simone?
What We Do in the Shadows
White God
Woman in Gold
Youth
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
SAG Award Wackiness!
Everybody's calling this morning nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Awards weird. I'm one of them. But let's be clear -- what we really mean is that few of the pre-ordained "front-runners" were included. The nominating committee, the members of which change every year, voted with their hearts, and it took everyone by surprise. For me, the system worked -- even if there are nominations that drive me absolutely crazy.
I'll get to the movies in a bit, but re: television: no Grace and Frankie and no Empire make me very skeptical of this year's committee. That's all I'm gonna say.
Ok. So.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Rooney Mara, Carol
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Helen Mirren, Trumbo
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
I told y'all Mirren was in. Told. Y'all. In fact, I successfully called four of the nominees, missing out on McAdams. Indeed, McAdams placement gave me hope for the rest of her cast, which made the next set of nominees a shocker.
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale, The Big Short
Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Michael Shannon, 99 Homes
Jacob Tremblay, Room
Not a Spotlight to be found, and the nods for Bale and Shannon left me shocked SHOCKED.
ACTOR
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Johnny Depp, Black Mass
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl
Here's the thing. Kristopher Tapley pointed out that, except for The Revenant, all these films screened for SAG before November. And Leo doesn't always get nominated at the SAG Awards. So the fact that they went out of their way to nominate him tells me this really could be his year, though part of me is still holding out for a Fassbender surprise.
ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Helen Mirren, Woman in Gold
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Sarah Silverman, I Smile Back
Sarah Silverman! Good for you, girl! Work that nod into something more! But everyone needs to calm down with the Mirren love. I gave you The Last Station. I put up with Hitchcock. I predicted Trumbo because why not? But I will not stand for Woman in Gold.
ENSEMBLE
Beasts of No Nation
The Big Short
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton
Trumbo
Ooh, they loved Trumbo, didn't they? I was surprised with how much I liked it, though it isn't a movie I think about often. Very very very happy about Spotlight and Straight Outta Compton. But boy does this lineup remind me of 2007 -- remember that? No Country for Old Men won against 3:10 to Yuma, American Gangster, Hairspray and Into the Wild.
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I'll get to the movies in a bit, but re: television: no Grace and Frankie and no Empire make me very skeptical of this year's committee. That's all I'm gonna say.
Ok. So.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Rooney Mara, Carol
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Helen Mirren, Trumbo
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
I told y'all Mirren was in. Told. Y'all. In fact, I successfully called four of the nominees, missing out on McAdams. Indeed, McAdams placement gave me hope for the rest of her cast, which made the next set of nominees a shocker.
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale, The Big Short
Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Michael Shannon, 99 Homes
Jacob Tremblay, Room
Not a Spotlight to be found, and the nods for Bale and Shannon left me shocked SHOCKED.
ACTOR
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Johnny Depp, Black Mass
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl
Here's the thing. Kristopher Tapley pointed out that, except for The Revenant, all these films screened for SAG before November. And Leo doesn't always get nominated at the SAG Awards. So the fact that they went out of their way to nominate him tells me this really could be his year, though part of me is still holding out for a Fassbender surprise.
ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Helen Mirren, Woman in Gold
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Sarah Silverman, I Smile Back
Sarah Silverman! Good for you, girl! Work that nod into something more! But everyone needs to calm down with the Mirren love. I gave you The Last Station. I put up with Hitchcock. I predicted Trumbo because why not? But I will not stand for Woman in Gold.
ENSEMBLE
Beasts of No Nation
The Big Short
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton
Trumbo
Ooh, they loved Trumbo, didn't they? I was surprised with how much I liked it, though it isn't a movie I think about often. Very very very happy about Spotlight and Straight Outta Compton. But boy does this lineup remind me of 2007 -- remember that? No Country for Old Men won against 3:10 to Yuma, American Gangster, Hairspray and Into the Wild.
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Tuesday, December 8, 2015
The Awards So Far
Derelict in my duties, I have been! I haven't talked about the National Board of Review, the New York Critics, or the Los Angeles Critics. I don't remember if I have before, but I definitely keep charts of all three.
Here's what happened:
NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW: Mad Max: Fury Road won Best Picture; The Martian won Best Actor (Matt Damon), Best Director (Ridley Scott), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Drew Goddard). This immediately reminded me of my trip to South Korea, mostly because that's where I saw Mad Max, but also because the friend I was visiting at the time wound up loving The Martian so much, he saw it thrice (at least) in theaters. So that was interesting. Meanwhile, Brie Larson (Room), Sylvester Stallone (Creed), Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight) round out the actors; Quentin Tarantino wins Original Screenplay for The Hateful Eight.
NEW YORK FILM CRITICS CIRCLE: Carol, which I plan to see a second time this week, dominated with four wins, including Film, Director (Todd Haynes), Screenplay (Phyllis Nagy), and Cinematography (Edward Lachman). The big shocker: Michael Keaton winning Actor for Spotlight, an ensemble film full of supporting actors/actresses. Supporting Actor, instead, went to Mark Rylance for Bridge of Spies (deserved); Supporting Actress to Kristen Stewart for Clouds of Sils Maria (the only movie I saw during my one week in New York City, which I visited for the first time a week before South Korea); Actress to Saoirse Ronan for Brooklyn, a dream of a film, a phenomenal performance.
LOS ANGELES FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION: Spotlight may be the best movie of the year -- certainly LAFCA thought so, since, in addition to Screenplay, that's what it won. Then the rest of the categories spread the love: Mad Max: Fury Road's George Miller for Best Director, Steve Jobs' Michael Fassbender for Best Actor, 45 Years' Charlotte Rampling for Best Actress, 99 Homes' Michael Shannon for Best Supporting Actor; Ex Machina's leading lady Alicia Vikander for Best Supporting Actress.
Joe Reid pointed out on Twitter that this is the first time since 1988 all three critics' bodies split in every category. By the way, Oscar awarded Rain Man for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Original Screenplay that year -- total mentions by any of these groups: 0.
In the morning, another group will announce their nominees -- the Screen Actors Guild. My predictions, after the jump.
Here's what happened:
NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW: Mad Max: Fury Road won Best Picture; The Martian won Best Actor (Matt Damon), Best Director (Ridley Scott), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Drew Goddard). This immediately reminded me of my trip to South Korea, mostly because that's where I saw Mad Max, but also because the friend I was visiting at the time wound up loving The Martian so much, he saw it thrice (at least) in theaters. So that was interesting. Meanwhile, Brie Larson (Room), Sylvester Stallone (Creed), Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight) round out the actors; Quentin Tarantino wins Original Screenplay for The Hateful Eight.
NEW YORK FILM CRITICS CIRCLE: Carol, which I plan to see a second time this week, dominated with four wins, including Film, Director (Todd Haynes), Screenplay (Phyllis Nagy), and Cinematography (Edward Lachman). The big shocker: Michael Keaton winning Actor for Spotlight, an ensemble film full of supporting actors/actresses. Supporting Actor, instead, went to Mark Rylance for Bridge of Spies (deserved); Supporting Actress to Kristen Stewart for Clouds of Sils Maria (the only movie I saw during my one week in New York City, which I visited for the first time a week before South Korea); Actress to Saoirse Ronan for Brooklyn, a dream of a film, a phenomenal performance.
LOS ANGELES FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION: Spotlight may be the best movie of the year -- certainly LAFCA thought so, since, in addition to Screenplay, that's what it won. Then the rest of the categories spread the love: Mad Max: Fury Road's George Miller for Best Director, Steve Jobs' Michael Fassbender for Best Actor, 45 Years' Charlotte Rampling for Best Actress, 99 Homes' Michael Shannon for Best Supporting Actor; Ex Machina's leading lady Alicia Vikander for Best Supporting Actress.
Joe Reid pointed out on Twitter that this is the first time since 1988 all three critics' bodies split in every category. By the way, Oscar awarded Rain Man for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Original Screenplay that year -- total mentions by any of these groups: 0.
In the morning, another group will announce their nominees -- the Screen Actors Guild. My predictions, after the jump.
Friday, July 3, 2015
First Half of 2015
I've only seen 38 films so far this year (not counting the retrospective flicks, of course), which is fewer than I had hoped -- though, if recent conversations are any indication, far more than the average. I mean, someone told me the last movie they saw in a theater was Gravity!
These are unranked choices, but they are grouped together in ascending order of affection. Directors and commentary follow each title, except in "Shan't See It Again", a sort-of Hall of Shame -- the guilty are protected in this instance.
Shan't See It Again
AlohaChild 44
The Con Artists
San Andreas
Seventh Son
Woman in Gold
Wish They Were Better
Fifty Shades of Grey (Sam Taylor-Johnson): Dakota Johnson a natural, goofy yet convincingly sexy, with a soundtrack that's on point; but Jamie Dornan is a wasteland, and the finale is ho-hummingly tame
Jupiter Ascending (The Wachowskis): fascinating world-building, but clearly hacked to pieces, and with a wan Mila Kunis at its center
Jurassic World (Colin Trevorrow): great fun as a monsters-run-amok flick (and I consider That Death a huge plus), but script is aggressively regressive re: sexual politics
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (Alfonso Gomez-Rejon): surprisingly unsentimental lead a relief; in fact, most of the ensemble shines and convinces, despite suffocatingly twee conceits and sketchily-written adults
Serena (Susanne Bier): J-Law understated, intense, hypnotic; film should be a slow burn but it's actually a long sit
Guilty Pleasures
The Boy Next Door (Rob Cohen): deliciously scandalous, and it must be said: J.Lo is genuinely phenom in this
Mortdecai (David Koepp): I laughed more than once, love the song "Johanna" that plays over the end credits, and I think everyone should be aware that I am always Team Gwyneth
Positivity after the jump -- or as I like to call it, the Cold Stone Rankings.
Monday, March 9, 2015
25 Films in 2015 I'm Rawther Excited About
Well, it's time for my annual OMG SO EXCITED list of films I'm excited about! This one is coming especially, unfortunately late -- I had it written up and everything, neglected to post it, and now I've had to go and replace two of the films on the original list -- Chappie and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel -- with other flicks.
Sigh...
That's all right. We'll make do. Incidentally, I saw Chappie and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel this weekend, and was a fan of both. Contrary to what I've been reading, I think the last act is actually what made Chappie so fascinating. As for Second Best, I must say it surpasses its own titular ranking -- not to say it's better than the first one (which was nominated, ahem, for three Hollmann Awards), but I certainly think it's equal!
So what else does 2015 have in store for us?
Honorable Mentions: Black Mass, Bridge of Spies, Dope, The Founder (2016?), The Free State of Jones (2016?), Magic Mike XXL, Mr. Holmes, Silence (2016?), Trainwreck
25. Pan
Dir: Joe Wright
Wri: Jason Fuchs
Release: July 24
To play off of an obnoxious hashtag, #InWrightWeTrust. Yes, yes, I admit that I was part of that brigade of hand-wringers shouting "problematic" at the Rooney Mara casting, but I tell you who's got me intrigued: Hugh Jackman. What's going on there?
24. Spotlight
Dir: Thomas McCarthy
Wri: Thomas McCarthy/Joshua Singer
Inspired by the Boston Globe's Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation into the sex abuse scandals of the Catholic Church in Massachusetts. It sells itself.
23. Mad Max: Fury Road
Dir: George Miller
Wri: Brendan McCarthy/George Miller/Nick Lathouris
Release: May 15
Sometimes, it's the pitch. Sometimes it's the cast. Sometimes, it's the mind-blowing trailer. This one is the third option, though you know I love me some Charlize Theron (Hollmann Award Winner for Best Actress, Young Adult). Is it just kooky enough to work? Should I watch the first three Mad Max films?
22. Cinderella
Dir: Kenneth Branagh
Wri: Chris Weitz
Release: March 13
I quite liked Maleficent, and think Kenneth Branagh is becoming quite a solid studio hack -- Thor was great, and even if I don't remember Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, I tell you what I don't remember: hating it. But let's be real: everyone's coming just to see Cate Blanchett be bitchy in gowns.
21. Irrational Man
Dir/Wri: Woody Allen
Release: July 24
The annual Woody Allen Slot.
The top 20...after the jump
Sigh...
That's all right. We'll make do. Incidentally, I saw Chappie and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel this weekend, and was a fan of both. Contrary to what I've been reading, I think the last act is actually what made Chappie so fascinating. As for Second Best, I must say it surpasses its own titular ranking -- not to say it's better than the first one (which was nominated, ahem, for three Hollmann Awards), but I certainly think it's equal!
So what else does 2015 have in store for us?
Honorable Mentions: Black Mass, Bridge of Spies, Dope, The Founder (2016?), The Free State of Jones (2016?), Magic Mike XXL, Mr. Holmes, Silence (2016?), Trainwreck
25. Pan
Wri: Jason Fuchs
Release: July 24
To play off of an obnoxious hashtag, #InWrightWeTrust. Yes, yes, I admit that I was part of that brigade of hand-wringers shouting "problematic" at the Rooney Mara casting, but I tell you who's got me intrigued: Hugh Jackman. What's going on there?
24. Spotlight
Dir: Thomas McCarthy
Wri: Thomas McCarthy/Joshua Singer
Inspired by the Boston Globe's Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation into the sex abuse scandals of the Catholic Church in Massachusetts. It sells itself.
23. Mad Max: Fury Road
Dir: George Miller
Wri: Brendan McCarthy/George Miller/Nick Lathouris
Release: May 15
Sometimes, it's the pitch. Sometimes it's the cast. Sometimes, it's the mind-blowing trailer. This one is the third option, though you know I love me some Charlize Theron (Hollmann Award Winner for Best Actress, Young Adult). Is it just kooky enough to work? Should I watch the first three Mad Max films?
22. Cinderella
Dir: Kenneth Branagh
Wri: Chris Weitz
Release: March 13
I quite liked Maleficent, and think Kenneth Branagh is becoming quite a solid studio hack -- Thor was great, and even if I don't remember Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, I tell you what I don't remember: hating it. But let's be real: everyone's coming just to see Cate Blanchett be bitchy in gowns.
21. Irrational Man
Dir/Wri: Woody Allen
Release: July 24
The annual Woody Allen Slot.
The top 20...after the jump
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