Sunday, March 10, 2024

Oscars Aftermath

Updates 3/10 in bold. 

18/23. Not great, not the worst. 23/23 with spoilers. Super thrilled I called animated, costume, and doc short. On the other end: animated short and Emma Stone pulling a complete Anne Hathaway. 

Given that I've been covering two jobs since October, I'm not really on top  of the race, but here we go. Past years: 2022: 16 (yikes), 2021: 20, 2020: 17, 2019: 19 (Bong!), 2018: 20, 2017: 15 (Moonlight!), 2016: 17, 2015: 21, 2014: 20, 2013: 18, 2012: 17, 2011: 17, 2010: 17, 2009: 20/21?

Best Picture
American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall - spoiler
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer - will win, did win
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

Best Director
Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest)
Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things)
Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer) - will win, did win
Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall) - spoiler
Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon)

Best Actress
Annette Bening (Nyad)
Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon) - will win
Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall)
Carey Mulligan (Maestro)
Emma Stone (Poor Things) - spoiler, did win BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Best Actor
Bradley Cooper (Maestro)
Colman Domingo (Rustin)
Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers) - spoiler
Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) - will win, did win
Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction)

Best Supporting Actor
Sterling K. Brown (American Fiction)
Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Robert Downey, Jr. (Oppenheimer) - will win, did win
Ryan Gosling (Barbie) - spoiler
Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things)

Best Supporting Actress
Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer) - spoiler
Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple)
America Ferrera (Barbie)
Jodie Foster (Nyad)
Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers) - will win, did win

Best International Feature Film
Io Capitano (Matteo Garrone, Italy)
Society of the Snow (J.A. Bayona, Spain) - Spoiler
The Teachers’ Lounge (İlker Çatak, Germany)
The Zone of Interest (Jonathan Glazer, United Kingdom) - will win, did win
Perfect Days (Wim Wenders, Japan)

Best Cinematography
Ed Lachman (El Conde)
Matthew Libatique (Maestro)
Rodrigo Prieto (Killers of the Flower Moon) - spoiler
Robbie Ryan (Poor Things)
Hoyte van Hoytema (Oppenheimer) - will win, did win

Best Adapted Screenplay
Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig (Barbie)
Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest)
Cord Jefferson (American Fiction) - will win, did win
Tony McNamara (Poor Things) - spoiler
Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)

Best Original Screenplay
Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik (May December)
Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer (Maestro)
Arthur Harari and Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall) - will win, did win
David Hemingson (The Holdovers)
Celine Song (Past Lives) - spoiler

Best Animated Feature
The Boy and the Heron - will win, did win
Elemental
Nimona
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Spoiler

Best Visual Effects
The Creator; Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts and Neil Corbould - Spoiler
Godzilla Minus One; Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima  - will win, did win
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3; Theo Bialek, Stephanie Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot & Guy Williams
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One; Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland and Neil Corbould
Napoleon; Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet, Simone Coco and Neil Corbould

Best Editing
Jennifer Lame (Oppenheimer) - will win, did win
Yorgos Mavropsaridis (Poor Things)
Thelma Schoonmaker (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Laurent Sénéchal (Anatomy of a Fall) - spoiler
Kevin Tent (The Holdovers)

Best Production Design
Ruth De Jong and Claire Kaufman (Oppenheimer)
Jack Fisk and Adam Willis (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer (Barbie) - will win
Elli Griff and Arthur Max (Napoleon)
Shona Heath, Szusza Mihalek, and James Price (Poor Things) - Spoiler, did win

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Luisa Abel, Jason Hamer, Jaime Leigh McIntosh, and Ahou Mofid (Oppenheimer)
Mark Coulier, Nadia Stacey, and Josh Weston (Poor Things) - Spoiler, did win
Kay Georgiou, Sian Grigg, Kazu Hiro, and Lori McCoy-Bell (Maestro) - will win
Karen Hartley and Suzi Battersby (Golda)
Ana López-Puigcerver, Belén López-Puigcerver, David Martí, and Montse Ribé (Society of the Snow)

Best Costume Design
Jacqueline Durran (Barbie) - spoiler
Ellen Mirojnick (Oppenheimer)
Holly Waddington (Poor Things) - Will win, Should win, did win
Jacqueline West (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Janty Yates and David Crossman (Napoleon)

Best Sound
The Creator; Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic
Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One; Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor
The Zone of Interest; Johnnie Burn and Tarn Willers - spoiler, did win
Oppenheimer; Willie Burton, Richard King, Kevin O’Connell, and Gary A. Rizzo - will win
Maestro; Richard King, Steve Morrow, Tom Ozanich, Jason Ruder, and Dean Zupancic

Best Documentary Feature
Bobi Wine: The People’s President
The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters - spoiler
To Kill a Tiger
20 Days in Mariupol - will win, did win

Best Original Song
It Never Went Away— Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson (American Symphony) - spoiler
What Was I Made For?— Billie Eilish and Finneas (Barbie) - will win, did win
Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People—The Osage Tribe (Killers of the Flower Moon)
I’m Just Ken— Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (Barbie)
The Fire Inside— Diane Warren (Flamin’ Hot)

Best Original Score
Jerskin Fendrix (Poor Things) - spoiler
Ludwig Göransson (Oppenheimer) - will win, did win
Laura Karpman (American Fiction)
Robbie Robertson (Killers of the Flower Moon)
John Williams (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny)

Best Documentary Short Subject
The ABCs of Book Banning - spoiler
The Barber of Little Rock
Island in Between
The Last Repair Shop  - will win, did win
Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó

Best Live Action Short
The After 
Invincible 
Knight of Fortune 
Red, White and Blue - spoiler
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - will win, did win

Best Animated Short
Letter to a Pig - will win
Ninety-Five Senses
Our Uniform
Pachyderme
War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko - spoiler, did win

So I think the best pic nominees shake out like this:
American Fiction - adapted screenplay
Anatomy of a Fall - original screenplay
Barbie - production design, song
The Holdovers - supporting actress
Killers of the Flower Moon - actress boooooooo
Maestro - makeup
Oppenheimer - picture, director, actor, supporting actor, cinematography, editing, sound, score
Past Lives - *sniffles*
Poor Things - costume, production design, actress, makeup
The Zone of Interest - foreign, sound


All that said, I don't accept the legitimacy of this year's Oscars since All of Us Strangers was skunked, so:





Oscar Predictions

Given that I've been covering two jobs since October, I'm not really on top  of the race, but here we go. Past years: 2022: 16 (yikes), 2021: 20, 2020: 17, 2019: 19 (Bong!), 2018: 20, 2017: 15 (Moonlight!), 2016: 17, 2015: 21, 2014: 20, 2013: 18, 2012: 17, 2011: 17, 2010: 17, 2009: 20/21?

I am once again entering the ESPN contest, which has some BONKERS predictions going on*, beat the crowd, plus I somehow got invited to a private pool that has, uhhhh, some industry folks/critics/fanatics. I'm not sure how that happened. I'm picking against the odds on 4/5 categories (depending on who you look at.) My boldest pick is going BAFTA for Boy with the Heron. I just think people will go lifetime achievement (but I certainly wouldn't be sad if spiderverse won. I REALLY wanted it to come back to the Metreon imax.) And (for most contests) I'm swapping the Barbie/Poor Things Costume/Production Design picks. Plus the doc and animated shorts. We shall see. 

*I mean, To Kill a Tiger for doc? Invincible for live action short? Really? Then again, stranger things have happened...

Also - I usually put "should win" in here, but I still have to see 4 of the best picture nominees (again - covering two roles since Oct...), so I am mostly not doing them. My plan is to try to catch up this week and pick my top films next weekend. (But again - we'll see. I have to work late at least one night this week.)

Best Picture
American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall - spoiler
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer - will win
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest

If Oppenheimer doesn't win, I'll eat my fedora. 



Best Director
Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest)
Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things)
Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer) - will win
Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall) - spoiler
Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon)

Best Actress
Annette Bening (Nyad)
Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon) - will win
Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall)
Carey Mulligan (Maestro)
Emma Stone (Poor Things) - spoiler

This is the only acting race that is up in the air. Emma won the BAFTA and CCA, Lily won the drama GG and SAG. Both actors and European are large voting blocs. But I think that the Academy voters will go for the historical significance of the win. And I loved Lily SO much in Certain Women I'm pulling for her. 



Best Actor
Bradley Cooper (Maestro)
Colman Domingo (Rustin)
Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers) - spoiler
Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) - will win
Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction)

Best Supporting Actor
Sterling K. Brown (American Fiction)
Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Robert Downey, Jr. (Oppenheimer) - will win
Ryan Gosling (Barbie) - spoiler
Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things)

Best Supporting Actress
Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer) - spoiler
Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple)
America Ferrera (Barbie)
Jodie Foster (Nyad)
Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers) - will win

Best International Feature Film
Io Capitano (Matteo Garrone, Italy)
Society of the Snow (J.A. Bayona, Spain) - Spoiler
The Teachers’ Lounge (İlker Çatak, Germany)
The Zone of Interest (Jonathan Glazer, United Kingdom) - will win
Perfect Days (Wim Wenders, Japan)

I'm going with Zone, since it's up for best picture (Anatomy won more precursors, but was ineligible.) I still can't believe Teacher's Lounge got in over Fallen Leaves, Taste of Things, or 20 days. 

Best Cinematography
Ed Lachman (El Conde)
Matthew Libatique (Maestro)
Rodrigo Prieto (Killers of the Flower Moon) - spoiler
Robbie Ryan (Poor Things)
Hoyte van Hoytema (Oppenheimer) - will win

Best Adapted Screenplay
Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig (Barbie)
Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest)
Cord Jefferson (American Fiction) - will win
Tony McNamara (Poor Things) - spoiler
Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)

I think this is where American Fiction gets its oscar. 

Best Original Screenplay
Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik (May December)
Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer (Maestro)
Arthur Harari and Justine Triet (Anatomy of a Fall) - will win
David Hemingson (The Holdovers)
Celine Song (Past Lives) - spoiler

I think this is where Anatomy gets its oscar. Sadly, this is where Past Lives had its best shot. (I think Holdovers is also a strong spoiler here)

Best Animated Feature
The Boy and the Heron - will win
Elemental
Nimona
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Spoiler

The money is on Spider-verse (PGA, CCA, ACE, NBR), which I think in many ways is the better film, but I think voters will give it to Miyazaki for his career. (Heron won the BAFTA & GG)



Best Visual Effects
The Creator; Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts and Neil Corbould - Spoiler
Godzilla Minus One; Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima  - will win
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3; Theo Bialek, Stephanie Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot & Guy Williams
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One; Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland and Neil Corbould
Napoleon; Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet, Simone Coco and Neil Corbould

The Creator won the VES, the BAFTA and CCA went to non-nominated films. But I think Godzilla has the name recognition and they've done a great job with the narrative on the director/vfx and akubrick comparisons. 

Best Editing
Jennifer Lame (Oppenheimer) - will win
Yorgos Mavropsaridis (Poor Things)
Thelma Schoonmaker (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Laurent Sénéchal (Anatomy of a Fall) - spoiler
Kevin Tent (The Holdovers)

Best Production Design
Ruth De Jong and Claire Kaufman (Oppenheimer)
Jack Fisk and Adam Willis (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer (Barbie) - will win
Elli Griff and Arthur Max (Napoleon)
Shona Heath, Szusza Mihalek, and James Price (Poor Things) - Spoiler

So Barbie, interestingly, didn't win the guild award, Poor Things did (along with Oppenheimer and Saltburn). But I think voters will go for the actual built dream house. 

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Luisa Abel, Jason Hamer, Jaime Leigh McIntosh, and Ahou Mofid (Oppenheimer)
Mark Coulier, Nadia Stacey, and Josh Weston (Poor Things) - Spoiler
Kay Georgiou, Sian Grigg, Kazu Hiro, and Lori McCoy-Bell (Maestro) - will win
Karen Hartley and Suzi Battersby (Golda)
Ana López-Puigcerver, Belén López-Puigcerver, David Martí, and Montse Ribé (Society of the Snow)

I nearly put Poor Things, which won the BAFTA, but I do think Maestro (which won the guild) and Kazu Hiro will take it.

Best Costume Design
Jacqueline Durran (Barbie) - spoiler
Ellen Mirojnick (Oppenheimer)
Holly Waddington (Poor Things) - Will win, Should win
Jacqueline West (Killers of the Flower Moon)
Janty Yates and David Crossman (Napoleon)

This could easily go Barbie. They both won guild awards (along with Saltburn), Barbie won the CCA, Poor Things the BAFTA. Weirdly, I have Poor Things down as a spoiler in many categories, but this might be my only prediction for a win. 

(Look. I liked Jacqueline Durran's costumes for Peterloo, and Haley's dresses in Cyrano, and the green dress will always be perhaps the most iconic. But Little Women was recent.)



Best Sound
The Creator; Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic
Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One; Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor
The Zone of Interest; Johnnie Burn and Tarn Willers - spoiler
Oppenheimer; Willie Burton, Richard King, Kevin O’Connell, and Gary A. Rizzo - will win
Maestro; Richard King, Steve Morrow, Tom Ozanich, Jason Ruder, and Dean Zupancic

Big boom.

(Zone won the BAFTA and Maestro one of the MPSEs. Oppenheimer won the other two MPSEs and the CAS.) 

Best Documentary Feature
Bobi Wine: The People’s President
The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters - spoiler
To Kill a Tiger
20 Days in Mariupol - will win

Won the BAFTA, was the only nominee also up for a PGA, I think voters will go for the subject matter and story. 

Best Original Song
It Never Went Away— Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson (American Symphony) - spoiler
What Was I Made For?— Billie Eilish and Finneas (Barbie) - will win
Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People—The Osage Tribe (Killers of the Flower Moon)
I’m Just Ken— Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (Barbie)
The Fire Inside— Diane Warren (Flamin’ Hot)

Billie won the GG and the guild, Ken won the CCA. (Also HOW GOOD was the choice of Bury a Friend for the new True Detective?) (Are either of Billie's oscar songs my favorites of hers? Not so much, but she's great and I'm happy for her to win.)
HOWEVER, since American Symphony won a lot of precursors, but didn't make the nom, and Jon Batiste is beloved by voters, I am picking him for the spoiler, in case Barbie splits its own votes. 

Best Original Score
Jerskin Fendrix (Poor Things) - spoiler
Ludwig Göransson (Oppenheimer) - will win
Laura Karpman (American Fiction)
Robbie Robertson (Killers of the Flower Moon)
John Williams (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny)

Oppenheimer won the BAFTA, CCA and GG. 

Best Documentary Short Subject
The ABCs of Book Banning - spoiler
The Barber of Little Rock
Island in Between
The Last Repair Shop  - will win
Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó

Book banning is the hot political issue, but Last Replair shop was up for more precursors, so I'm bucking the pundits. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Best Live Action Short
The After 
Invincible 
Knight of Fortune 
Red, White and Blue - spoiler
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - will win

I mean, it's great. I could see voters going with the relevant abortion story though. 

Best Animated Short
Letter to a Pig - will win
Ninety-Five Senses
Our Uniform
Pachyderme
War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko - spoiler

War is Over seems awful, and I can't believe it's leading in the odds, but maybe academy voters would go for something that trite and call it 'talking about the middle east'? I've only seen Letter to a Pig, but short of the week also liked Pachyderme and Our Uniform, and Ross reports that he thinks Pachyderme is the best of the bunch. 

(Also - I did think Letter to a Pig was well done, and I wonder how the holocaust films will do in voting.)

So I think the best pic nominees shake out like this:
American Fiction - adapted screenplay
Anatomy of a Fall - original screenplay
Barbie - production design, song
The Holdovers - supporting actress
Killers of the Flower Moon - actress
Maestro - makeup
Oppenheimer - picture, director, actor, supporting actor, cinematography, editing, sound, score
Past Lives - *sniffles*
Poor Things - costume
The Zone of Interest - foreign



Wednesday, January 24, 2024

2023 Oscar nom predictions

I CANNOT BELIEVE I MISSED THAT TODAY WAS OSCAR NOM DAY. That's the way my month has been. *sigh*

So I have been spoiled on 3 things: 2 adapted screenplay noms, 1 supporting actor snub (?), and one best picture nom, but it was Oppenheimer, so that hardly counts. So I'm going to quickly make my predictions and then see if I was right. 

Last year was my best ever year. This year, let's try not to do worse than 2021. If I do terribly, I'm blaming it on doing these at midnight in the middle of a very stressful week. 

2022 (91/120; 114/120), 2021 (79/120; 108/120), 2020 (84/118; 110/118), 2019 (88/124; 113/124), 2018 (91/121; 113/121), 2017 (90/122; 118/122).

[Ed: update with correct answers in bold. Anything missed in italics
Totals: 82/120 - not my worst!
107/120 with spoilers - but yeah - oof. Officially my worst year there. WHAT was going on in documentary??
Perfect categories - 4: PICTURE. YEAH I DID. Actor. Original Screenplay. Costume. 
Missed - 13: Ryan Gosling (I thought I had seen that he was snubbed, so I didn't count him. c'est la vie.) Teachers' Lounge for foreign. Holdovers for editing. Creator for Sound. Bobi Wine, Eternal Memory & To Kill a Tiger - Doc. Island in Between - short Doc. Red White and Blue - live short. Ninety five senses - animated short. Wahzhazhe for song. American Fiction & Indiana Jones for score. 
Maybe more color commentary once I've slept.] 

Picture
Assuming 10 (I have reasons, but I'm too tired to type them all out):
Oppenheimer
Killers
Holdovers
Anatomy of a Fall
Zone of Interest
Poor Things
American Fiction
Barbie
Past Lives
Maestro

Spoilers
Saltburn
Color Purple
All of Us Strangers
May December

[Updated color commentary 1/24: I am really sad All of Us and May December didn't make it in over Barbie and Maestro. I also guessed Oppenheimer would be up for 13 nom (got 13), Poor Things 12 (got 11 - swapped supporting actor (spoiler), I guessed VFX), Killers 12 (got 10, I guessed makeup, sound, screenplay, and it got song, which I ended up NOT putting as a poiler), Barbie 10 (got 8 - I guessed director/actress/score/sound, thought Ryan was out on supporting, missed supporting actress (spoiler)), Maestro 7 (7), Zone 5 (5 but I guessed supporting actress and editing, and it got director and screenplay - both spoilers for me), American Fiction 4 (5 - got score, which was totally unexpected for me. Gotta go listen to that now.), Anatomy 4/5 (5 missed director (listed as spoiler)), Holdovers 5 (5 - guessed director, it got editing out of nowhere!), and Past Lives 2 (2 Really wish it had made it into song!)

Also - All of Us Strangers getting skunked? WTF. It's not a huge shocker when some of the best films are left out, but this one had a real shot. At least it's up for 6 (shoulda been 7) BAFTAs and 3 Indies.]

Editing
Oppenheimer (BAFTA, won CCA)
Killers (BAFTA, CCA)
Poor Things (BAFTA, CCA)
Anatomy of a Fall (BAFTA, LAFC)
Zone of Interest (BAFTA)

Holdovers. Interesting! No precursors. Even more excited to see it now.

Spoilers
Barbie (CCA)
Maestro (CCA)
Air (CCA)
All of Us Strangers (BritIndie, LAFC runner up)
Rotting in the Sun (Indie) (I mean, not really. But tickled to throw it in)

Director
Christopher Nolan (all of them)
Alexander Payne (DGA, CCA, BAFTA)
Greta Gerwig (DGA, CCA)
Martin Scorsese (DGA, CCA)
Yorgos Lanthimos (DGA, CCA)

Spoilers
Bradley Cooper (CCA, BAFTA)
Jonathan Glazer (BAFTA)
Andrew Haigh (BAFTA) (PLEASE)
Justine Triet (BAFTA)
Celine Song (DGA deb, GG, Indie)

Sorry, Todd Haynes. :(

[1/24: Really delighted Jonathan and Justine made it in, although given the Holdovers strong showing, I'm a little surprised. I am sad about Andrew Haigh.]

Actress
Lily Gladstone (SAG, CCA, GG, NFSC)
Emma Stone (SAG, BAFTA, CCA, GG)
Carey Mulligan (SAG, BAFTA, CCA, GG)
Margot Robbie (SAG, BAFTA, CCA, GG)
Sandra Huller (Anatomy) (BAFTA, CCA, GG, NSFC)

Spoilers
Annette Benning (SAG)
Fantasia Barrino (BAFTA)
Greta Lee (CCA, GG)
Cailee Spaeny (GG, gotham)
Natalie Portman (GG, Indie)

[1/24: Yeah - I'm good with this. Emma Stone better calm the fuck down with her campaigning. She's risking pulling an Anne Hathaway.]

Actor
Cillian Murphy (SAG)
Colman Domingo (SAG)
Bradley Cooper (SAG)
Paul Giamatti (SAG)
Jeffrey Wright (SAG)

(Look - I'll always over-weight the SAG noms, because actors are the largest branch)

Spoilers
Andrew Scott (BritIndie, LAFC, Indie, Gotham, NSFC, GG)
Barry Keoghan (GG, BAFTA)
Teo Yoo (BAFTA, indie)
Leo (CCA, GG)
Franz Rogowski (gotham, Indie, NYFC)

[1/24: BOOOOO No Andrew Scott. 😭]

Supporting Actress
Da'Vine Joy Randolph (everything)
Emily Blunt (SAG, BAFTA, CCA, GG)
Danielle Brooks (SAG, BAFTA, CCA, GG)
Jodie Foster (SAG, CCA, GG)
Sandra Huller (Zone) (BAFTA)

Spoilers
Penelope Cruz (SAG)
Claire Foy (BAFTA)
Rosamund Pike (BAFTA)
Julianne Moore (CCA, GG)
America Ferrera (CCA)

[1/24: I mean - I like America fine, but not for this. And I really would have liked Sandra to be up for the double. Luckily, Da'Vine seems to be sweeping.]

Supporting Actor
So I'm pretty sure I saw Ryan Gosling didn't get a nom. So counting him out:
Robert De Niro  (SAG)
Robert Downey Jr  (SAG)
Sterling K. Brown  (SAG)
Willem Dafoe  (SAG)
Charles Melton (NSFC, CCA, GG, gotham)

Ryan Gosling
Aha - the article title I saw was 'reacts to barbie snub' but he was talking about director/actress. Oops

Spoilers
Dominic Sessa (BAFTA)
Jacob Elordi (BAFTA)
Mark Ruffalo (CCA, GG)
Paul Mescal (BAFTA)
Glenn Howerton (gotham, indie)

[1/24: https://i.gifer.com/6us.gif]

Screenplay - O
Anatomy of a Fall (GG, gotham, bafta)
May December (NSFC, CCA)
Past Lives (BAFTA, CCA, GG)
Holdovers (BAFTA, CCA, Indie)
Maestro (BAFTA, CCA)

Spoilers
Air (CCA)
Asteroid City

But no really. No other original screenplay has been nominated for a thing. 

[1/24: Well at least May December wasn't skunked.]

Screenplay - A
Okay - so I know Barbie got nominated here (after campaigning for original and then getting slotted into adapted. So other 4:
American Fiction (scripter)
Killers (scripter)
Oppenheimer (scripter)
Poor Things (scripter)

Spoilers
All of Us Strangers (CCA/BAFTA)
Are You There God? (CCA)
Zone of Interest (BAFTA)
Origin (scripter)
Spiderverse

[I mean - Barbie being nominated for that unholy mess isn't surprising, given how hard they've been campaigning. But yikes.]

Foreign
Society of the Snow (GG, BAFTA, CCA)
Zone of Interest (GG, BAFTA, CCA, NSFC Runner up, Indie)
Fallen Leaves (GG, NSFC)
20 Days in Mariupol (BAFTA)
Taste of Things (CCA)

Teachers' Lounge

The fuck?

Spoilers
Perfect Days (CCA)
Io Capitano (GG)
Godland (Indie)
Totem (Indie, LAFC Runner up)
Promised Land (Mads)

[1/24 so, so surprised by this. Really can't figure out why foreign and documentary went so unexpectedly.]

Animated
Boy and the Heron
Spiderverse
Elemental
TMNT
I really hope Nimona here

Spoilers
Super Mario Bros
Chicken Run
Robot Dreams
Suzume
Wish

Doc
American Symphony (PGA, BAFTA, 6 CCA, DocNY shortlist)
Beyond Utopia (PGA, BAFTA, 4 CCA)
20 Days in Mariupol (PGA BAFTA, NSFC runner up, 5 CCA, Doc NY shortlist)
Still (BAFTA, won CCA)
Mother of All Lies (PGA, DocNY, IDA, Indie)

Bobi Wine: The People's President (won the IDA, DocNY shortlist)
Eternal Memory (2 CCA, DocNY shortlist, won IDA editing)
To Kill a Tiger (literally not a single precursor.)

WOW. What in the left field happened here?

Spoilers
Disappearance of Shere Hite (PGA)
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (PGA)
Squaring the Circle (PGA)
Kokomo City (NSFC runner up)
Four Daughters (Gotham)

Cinematography
Killers (guild, NSFC, BAFTA, CCA, LAFC Runner up)
Poor Things (guild, BAFTA, CCA, LAFC)
Maestro (guild, BAFTA, CCA)
Oppenheimer (guild, BAFTA, NSFC Runner up, NYFC, Won CCA)
Zone of Interest (BAFTA, NSFC Runner up)

Spoilers
Barbie (CCA, LAFC Runner up)
Saltburn (CCA)
El Conde (guild)
Holdovers (Indie)
All of Us Strangers (BritIndie)

[1/24: Whoo! Left field freaky guild nom!]

Costume
Barbie (guild, won CCA, BAFTA)
Killers (guild, CCA, BAFTA)
Napoleon (guild, CCA, BAFTA)
Poor Things  (guild, CCA, BAFTA)
Oppenheimer (guild, BAFTA)

Spoilers
Color Purple (CCA)
Wonka (CCA)
Maestro (guild)
Saltburn (guild)
Priscilla

[1/24: Obviously, according to ye olde youtubes, it wasn't a great year for period costumes.]

Makeup
Poor Things (guild, CCA, BAFTA)
Oppenheimer (guild, CCA, BAFTA)
Maestro ((guild, CCA, BAFTA)
Killers (BAFTA)
Napoleon (BAFTA)

Spoilers
Society of the Snow
Golda (guild)
Ferrari

Production Design
Poor Things (ADG, CCA, LAFC runner up, BAFTA)
Barbie (ADG, Won CCA, LAFC, BAFTA)
Killers (ADG, CCA, BAFTA)
Oppenheimer (ADG, CCA, BAFTA)
Saltburn (ADG, CCA)

Spoilers
Asteroid City (ADG, CCA)
Zone of Interest (BAFTA)
Maestro (ADG)
Napoleon (ADG)
Wonka (ADG)

VFX
The Creator (BAFTA, CCA, VES)
Guardians (BAFTA, CCA, VES)
Mission Impossible (BAFTA, CCA)
Poor Things (BAFTA, CCA)
Spiderverse (VES, CCA)

Spoilers
Indiana Jones (VES)
Society of the Snow (VES)
Napoleon (VES)
Godzilla Minus One

Score
Oppenheimer (BAFTA, CCA, GG)
Killers  (BAFTA, CCA, GG)
Poor Things  (BAFTA, CCA, GG)
Spider verse  (BAFTA, CCA, GG)
Barbie (CCA, LAFC runner up)

American Fiction So surprised. Not a single precursor.
Indiana Jones. Really? I mean, I get the John Williams love, but okay.

Spoilers
Zone of Interest (LAFC, GG)
Boy and the Heron (GG)
Saltburn (BAFTA)
Society of the Snow (CCA)
American Symphony

Song
I'm Just Ken - Barbie (GG, CCA)
Road to Freedom - Rustin (GG, CCA)
What Was I Made For - Barbie (GG, CCA)
Am I Dreaming - Spiderverse (I am WILLING IT INTO EXISTENCE)
It Never Went Away - American Symphony (I just can't believe they'd nominate 3 barbie songs, & Jon Batiste is popular)

Wahzhazhe - Killers. Aww man. I thought about putting that in spoilers. 

Spoilers
Dance the Night - Barbie (GG, CCA)
Dear Alien - Asteroid City
The Fire Inside - Flamin' Hot (obligatory Diane Warren blackmail spot)
Quiet Eyes - Past Lives
Can't Catch Me Now - Hunger Games

[1/24: Kinda sad Olivia didn't topple Diane Warren.]

Sound
Ferrari (MPSE, CAS, BAFTA)
Maestro  (MPSE, CAS, BAFTA)
Oppenheimer  (MPSE, CAS, BAFTA)
Barbie (MPSE, CAS)
Killers of the Flower Moon (MPSE, CAS)

Creator

Spoilers
Zone of Interest (BAFTA)
Killer (MPSE - foley)
Napoleon (MPSE - adr & foley)
Mission Impossible (BAFTA)

[1/24, I like these swaps. Creator is pretty surprising.]

Short Doc
Last Repair Shop
Nai Nai & Wai Po
Between Earth & Sky
Black Girls Play
Deciding Vote

Island in Between

Spoilers
Barber of Little Rock
Camp Courage
ABCs of Book Banning
Last Song from Kabul
Bear

Short Live
Invisible Border
Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
The After
Yellow
Good Boy

Red, White and Blue

Spoilers
the One Note Man
Knight of Fortune
An Avocado Pit
Dead Cat
Invincible

[1/24: Man - thought about putting that as a spoiler just for the title. Some interesting thoughts on the shorts over here and here.]

Short Animated
Wild Summon
A Kind of Testament
Letter to a Pig
Once Upon a Studio
War is Over!

Ninety-five senses

Spoilers
Our Uniform
Pachyderme
Humo
Dog Apartment
27

[1/24: Letter to a Pig is the only one from the shortlist I've seen so far, and I thought it was great, so glad to see it got in.]

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

2023 Mixes

Better late than never?

Past mixes: 20082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021, 2022

Since I was behind on putting these together, I didn't take a ton of time on perfecting them. C'est la vie. 

Disc 1
1. Blame Brett - The Beaches. Love this album.
2. Dilemma - Green Day. Hey! Best new Green Day song in ages. 
3. Los Ageless - St. Vincent. I don't know how I missed this one before. 
4. Am I Dreaming - A$AP Rocky, Roisee, Metro Boomin. I'm personally rooting for this for best song. (Well - or maybe Sharon Van Etten, since I love her? But I only just heard her Past Lives song. Maybe one for next year's mixes)
5. Black Cloud - POSTDATA. My most listened to song this year? I dig the Girl Walk video. 

7. American Teenager - Ethel Cain. I listened to SO MUCH Ethel Cain this year. Let's kick it off with her most accessible song
9. Teenage Kicks - The Undertones. I don't remember why this came back on my radar in August. Buzzcocks?
10. Obstacle 1 - Interpol. Okay - a real throw back, but I saw them live for the first time this year and it was GREAT.

14. $20 - boygenius. I didn't LOVE the record the way I had hoped to, but I liked a couple of the songs.
17. Paint the Town Red - Doja Cat

22. The Next Episode ft. Snoop Dogg - Dr. Dre. This one was definitely buzzcocks.

Disc 2 - Yet again, the ladies are pissed
1. Vampire - Olivia Rodrigo. I mean. What a thrilling single to kick off her new album. 

6. labour - Paris Paloma. My third most-listened to song this year. 

Saturday, January 13, 2024

52 Films by Women - 2023

Time to clear out my tracker for 2024 (7/10 films I'm seeing at Sundance are directed by women!)

2022 here (12/50). 2021 here (20/36; although it should have been 21/37 because I forgot to include Yael Farber's Maccers (because the INEXORABLY STUPID MODS AT TMDB removed it [Ed: it's back as of now! My 3,000th film!] and I missed out Shepherd's Song, which was a lovely short, but one tied to my day job so I didn't review it). 2020 here (23/4), 2019 here (15/25), 2018 here (22/20).

27/18. Hey! A personal best. And several favorites from the last two years (and at least a couple for 2023.)

I also re-watched Alice Guy-Blaché's Cabbage Patch Fairy at the Musee D'Orsay, Shannon Murphy's Babyteeth (Mendo! Essie Davis! Eliza Scanlen!), Véréna Paravel & Lucien Castaing-Taylor's brilliant Leviathan, Autumn de Wilde's delightful Emma, 

Features


Eight Mountains (2022, Charlotte Vandermeersch & Felix van Groeningen) 4.5 stars, but probably should have been 5. My second favorite of 2022, but I keep second guessing that and swapping back and forth with TÁR. Just unbelievably epic while telling an intimate story. Staggering, beautiful, I just can't get over how they were able to show the scope and sweep of those lives so well. 

Aftersun (2022, Charlotte Wells) 4.5 (5th favorite of 2022) This was one where it was SO hyped that I thought it was going to be like Minari or CMBYN where I liked it fine when I finally saw it but didn't LOVE love it, and then I saw it and I loved it. 

Past Lives (2023, Celine Song). 4.5 stars. My favorite so far (albeit with a lot to catch up on before the Oscars.) Felt it in my bones. Didn't know John Magaro was in it, and he comes into what is ostensibly a two-hander and just spins the film on its axis. 

Palm Trees and Power Lines (2022, Jamie Dack). 4.5 stars. (7th favorite of 2022). After winning the US directing prize at Sundance, I was surprised when this basically didn't get released until a tiny release about a year later. I can only assume due to the subject matter. But I think it was handled so sensitively and the actors worked so well and that ending. Fuck.

I'm Your Man (2021, Maria Schrader) 4.5 stars (10th favorite of 2021). Alex has smart things to say about this one!

Alias Grace (2017, Mary Harron) 4.5 stars. This had been on my to-see list since it came out, and I wanted to see a couple of Mary Harron things on my watchlist before seeing her in person (although this was all I ended up managing). But that's okay because this is brilliant. Loved it through and through. 

The Souvenir Part II (2021, Joanna Hogg). 4 stars (5th favorite of 2021). I didn't love it quite as much as the Souvenir, but it's immediately more engaging and wrestles with the thorny meta-ness of the story in incredibly thrilling ways. 

Bergman Island (2021; Mia Hansen-Løve). 4 stars (6th favorite of 2021). This was a slow burn for me (I wonder if I would have liked the start more if I knew Bergman more.) But the ensemble is fabulous, and I really loved the ending and everything Mia Wasikowska did in this. I feel like it's been a minute since she had a project worthy of her talents and this one reminded me why she's one of my absolute favorite actresses.

Fancy Dance (2023, Erica Termblay). 4 stars. I really liked this! And what with Lily Gladstone having a banner year it is BONKERS to me that this hasn't been released! What is the story there??

The Starling Girl (2023, Laurel Parmet). 4 stars. Look - do you know exactly where this is going? Yes. Is Eliza Scanlen one of my favorite actresses and I'd watch her in just about anything? Yes. Did I spend a not insignificant amount of time going, 'wow. Lewis Pullman looks so much like Bill Pullm... wait a minute."

Bottoms (2023, Emma Seligman) 4 stars. Look - it made me laugh a lot and it's weird. 

Snow and the Bear (2022, Selcen Ergun). One of three films I got to see at SFIFF last year (! see below), and the type that really illustrates what (used to) be great about that fest. This was a small Turkish film, I'm sure I would never have otherwise heard of or had a chance to see it, and I've thought about it often this year. Really great lead and supporting actor. 

Slow (2023, Marija Kavtaradzė). 3.5 stars. Really beautiful film about a relationship between a dancer and sign language interpreter, intimacy, and asexuality. Really great physical performances and chemistry.

Theater Camp (2023, Molly Gordon & Nick Lieberman). 3.5 stars. Look - if you went to an arts camp as a child, you've already seen this. Everyone else: this is not for you.

Polite Society (2023, Nida Manzoor). 3.5 stars. Brunch! Brunch! Brunch! Brunch!

Scrapper (2023, Charlotte Regan). 3 stars. I wanted to like this more. You know where it's going, the actors are good. It just didn't fully grab me for whatever reason. It won at least one award at the brit indies. 

When it Melts (2023, Veerle Baetens). 3 stars. Bleak film about childhood trauma. 

Sometime I Think About Dying (2023, Rachel Lambert). 3 stars. Also bleak, but very much its own vision. 

Good Luck to You Leo Grande (2022, Sophie Hyde). 3 stars. I was hoping for more from this. It was fine. The actors are charming, but the script was very tropey. 

Mae Martin: SAP. (2023, Abbi Jacobson). Look - probably cheating, but here we are. I like some bits of this (the cemetery of imaginary kids), but it finishes really oddly. I feel like I should see Feel Good, but I also feel like I keep trying to like Mae more than I do (sorry, S15 of TM).

Silent Night (2021, Camille Griffin). 2.5 stars. Was it exceedingly obvious where this was going from the get go? Yup. I wish it had gone further, or spun in a different way. It's a fun premise.

Catherine Called Birdy (2022, Lena Dunham). 2.5 stars. Just not for me, although there were a few things I liked (Andrew Scott.) I still need to see Sharp Stick, though.

Dalíland (2022, Mary Harron.) Oy vey. This was all over the place. Also, a note about the screening: I was so excited to see her at the SF Film Fest, and then the HVAC system wasn't working at all, so the CO2 levels in the theater for this film were over 4,000. Most times I have been on a plane they were 1600-2200. I mean, wtf. Ben Kingsley and Barbara Sukowa are good, but the focus on the assistant as the lead is so misguided (or needed a better actor) and the flashbacks with Ezra Miller (yikes) didn't work and yeah. Just a mess. 

Titane (2021; Julia Ducournau) 2.5 stars. Just like with Raw, I wanted to like this! It opens with one of my all time favorite songs! I like Vincent Lindon and Agathe Rousselle was very watchable! But jesus - this seemed so confused as to any type of viewpoint. Or point. 

Barbie (2023; Greta Gerwig) 2 stars. Look - I liked Lady Bird? Make more like that Greta. (I liked some of what Micarah had to say about it, especially about needing to pick a plot.)

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022, Halina Reijn) 2 stars. Nothing that wasn't in the trailer other than Lee Pace being entertainingly sleazy. 

Bad Behaviour (2023, Alice Englert) 1.5 stars. Any article about nepo-babies could just be a link to this film. 

Shorts


Haulout (2022, Evgenia Arbugaeva & Maxim Arbugaev). 5 stars. One of the most brilliant shorts I've ever seen. Devastated it didn't win the Oscar. 

Nuisance Bear (2022, Gabriela Osia Vanden & Jack Weisman). 5 stars. A perfect companion piece to Haulout (both are New Yorker shorts). Oscar-shortlisted and VERY sad it wasn't nominated. 

Le Pupille (2022, Alice Rohrwacher). 4.5 stars. Love, love, loved this. Devastated it didn't win the oscar. 

My Year of Dicks (2022, Sara Gunnarsdóttir). 4 stars. Loved this. Devastated, etc.

Aftertaste (2020, Chloe Wicks). 4 stars. Jessica Brown Findlay & Joe Dempsie & she's a vampire. 

The Flying Sailor (2022, Amanda Forbis & Wendy Tilby). 3.5 stars. Oscar nominee!

Ivalu (2023, Anders Walter & Pipaluk K. Jørgensen.) 3.5 stars. I understand those who didn't like it because the plot was obvious, but the little girl worked for me. And the landscapes are gorgeous. 

Embraced (2018, Justine Vuylsteker). 3.5 stars. Pinscreen animation

The Elephant Whispereres (2022, Kartiki Gonsalves). 3.5 stars. This should so be my type of thing, but you see the two brilliant films at the top and then this wins, and then I am sad at the world. 

Drummies (2022, Jessie Zinn). 3 stars. Drum majorettes in South Africa. 

Outside (Emily Murnane) 3 stars. I may have been the only person to see this?? It's not rated on LB. Anyways - cute short about covid, a long-distance relationship (ish) and isolation/agoraphobia. It's here

Night of the Living Dread (2021, Ida Melum). 3 stars. Animated film about insomnia/past selves.

While We Wait (2022, Kamilla Alnes) 3 stars. Dark comedy that thinks its cleverer than it is about periods.

The Club (2020, Lisa Steen) 2.5 stars. 2 friends run into each other at a sex club. 

My Double Life (2018, Marieke Blaauw, Joris Oprins, Job Roggeveen). Animated film about masculinity. 

My Shepherd (Lucy McKendrick) 2.5 stars. A young religious couple seeks out a secret abortion.The Soloists (2021, 5 directors). 2.5 stars. Animated film about singing sisters.

Belieiving is Seeing (2023, Sophie Black). 2.5 stars. Short about tic disorders and TikTok. 

Steakhouse (2021, Špela Čadež) 2 stars. Animated film about abuse. Oscar shortlisted and not for me.

Saturday, November 25, 2023

JWD Award winners - 2021 & 2022

Continuing to be... very... late.... on... these... 

But getting it done before anything for 2023. And combining both in one post, because why not?

Best films of 2021 here, Best films of 2022 here

2021 JWD Awards
Best Film:
Power of the Dog
Tick Tick Boom
Worst Person in the World
Green Knight
Souvenir pt 2
Bergman Island
Spencer
Flee
Passing
Luzzu


Best Popcorn Flick:
CODA
Licorice Pizza
Matrix Resurrections
I'm Your Man
Sparks Brothers
In the Heights
Zola
French Dispatch

Film I'm Most Looking Forward To That I Missed:
Oh god so many
Drive My Car
The Rescue
Petite Maman
Riders of Justice
Red Rocket
Pig
Moffie
Cow
Lost Daughter
Bitterbrush
Card Counter (especially since I just learned it uses William Tell's Overture)
Quiet Part pt 2

Best Debut Film:
Passing
Shiva Baby (I have somehow included Shiva Baby on both my 2020 and 2021 lists??? What is time in the pandemic?? (I think it's because NBR, the Indie Spirits, and Sight & Sound have all listed it as a 2021 film, but I saw it in 2020. But I forgot to put it up for best debut and poster, so here I go in 2021. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)  
Censor
Wild Indian
Nine Days
Tick Tick Boom
Luzzu
Land

Best Actress:
Tessa Thompson - Passing
Katherine Waterson - The World to Come
Kristen Stewart - Spencer
Honor Swinton Byrne - Souvenir pt 2
Renate Reinsve - Worst Person in the World
Taylour Paige - Zola
Vicky Krieps - Bergman Island
Maren Eggert - I'm Your Man
Michelle Pfeiffer - French Exit

Best Actor:
Benedict Cumberbatch - Power of the Dog
Andrew Garfield - Tick Tick Boom
Dev Patel - Green Knight
Michael Greyeyes - Wild Indian
Demián Bichir - Land
Peter Dinklage - Cyrano


Best Supporting Actress:
Mia Wasikowska - Bergman Island
Ruth Negga - Passing
Vanessa Kirby - the World to Come
Caitíona Balfe - Belfast
Kirsten Dunst - Power of the Dog
Marlee Matlin - CODA
Tilda - Souvenir pt 2
Riley Keough - Zola
Ariana DeBose - West Side Story
Valerie Mahaffey - French Exit

Best Supporting Actor:
Troy Kotsur - CODA
Kodi Smit-McPhee - Power of the Dog
Jesse Plemons - Power of the Dog
Anders Danielsen Lie - Worst Person in the World
Andre Holland - Passing
Casey Affleck - the World to Come
Colman Domingo - Zola
Mike Faist - West Side Story
Anders Danielsen Lie - Bergman Island
Tim Roth - Bergman Island
Richard Ayoade - Souvenir pt 2

Best Ensemble:
Power of the Dog
Passing
Bergman Island
Worst Person in the World
Souvenir pt 2
Licorice Pizza
Zola
In the Heights
World to Come
Hmmm... tricky to say Harder They Fall at this point, but for Idris, Zazie, Regina, Delroy & Lakeith (among others), let's still include it...