2019 Oscars Predictions Results

Results and Live Journal

I’m watching with the partner, so some Red Carpet fluff- interesting watching Trevor Noah remove the power and authority from a sycophant when he was being interviewed. Just hate to let YOU go, after you tried to let me go… Great stuff.

No host hey? So we start with…?
Queen. Minus their incendiary frontman, it’s easy to see why Christian Bale is so unmoved. Still, used to be an awesome band.

Movies are great montage (“Look Bumblebee!”). THIS is why the Oscars are too long.

Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler. I was thinking those 3 ladies could function as de facto hosts- before they ran an extended bit about how they’re NOT hosting, but if they WERE hosting, it would look like THIS… Maybe the Academy will realize how badly they screwed up and have them next year.

Best Supporting Actress

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

Well deserved, she was amazing.
No jetski competition, so back to long rambling speeches.

Best Documentary

Free Solo

Hale Country This Morning, This Evening
Minding the Gap
Of Fathers and Sons
RBG

Guess it’s not as important as Acting awards, so played off the stage. There’s 5 people up there!

Tom Morello sighting! “you sold out man!” I guess Vice would be the most appropriate thing to speak for.

Best Make Up

Göran Lundström and Pamela Goldammer, Border
Jenny Shircore, Marc Pilcher, and Jessica Brooks, Mary Queen of Scots
Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney, Vice

Greg’s won 4 times and this is how awkward you are at speeches?!?! Worst of the night.

Best Costume Design

I guess we’re honouring the Favourite even if it doesn’t win?!?!?!? McCarthy is such a gifted comedian…

Mary Zophres, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Ruth Carter, Black Panther
Sandy Powell, The Favourite
Sandy Powell, Mary Poppins Returns
Alexandra Byrne, Mary Queen of Scots

Wow, the Oscars did it! They voted for something progressive!

Best Production Design

Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart, Black Panther
Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton, The Favourite
Nathan Crowley and Kathy Lucas, First Man
John Myhre and Gordon Sim, Mary Poppins Returns
Eugenio Caballero and Bárbara Enríquez, Roma

Gob smacked. Some serious precedents being set here.

Best Cinematography

Lukasz Zal, Cold War
Robbie Ryan, The Favourite
Caleb Deschanel, Never Look Away
Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Matthew Libatique, A Star Is Born

Can I finally comment how remarkable it is that a director is winning the award for cinematography? You go boy.

Best Sound Editing

Benjamin A. Burtt and Steve Boeddeker, Black Panther
John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone, Bohemian Rhapsody
Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou Morgan, First Man
Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl, A Quiet Place
Sergio Díaz and Skip Lievsay, Roma

Still feel that it should have gone to the more technically proficient First Man, but you know, musical biopic and all…
Yikes, not my night…

Best Sound Mixing

Steve Boeddeker, Brandon Proctor and Peter Devlin, Black Panther
Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali, Bohemian Rhapsody
Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Ai-Ling Lee and Mary H. Ellis, First Man
Skip Lievsay, Craig Henighan and José Antonio García, Roma

Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic, Jason Ruder and Steve Morrow, A Star Is Born

Best Foreign Film

Capernaum
Cold War
Never Look Away
Roma
Shoplifters

Will this impact the sway of Best Picture? And will we be sick of Alfonso by the end of the night?
“There are no waves, there is only the ocean.” Like he’s an artist or something.

Film Editing

Barry Alexander Brown, BlacKKKlansman
John Ottman, Bohemian Rhapsody
Yorgos Mavropsaridis, The Favourite
Patrick J. Don Vito, Green Book
Hank Corwin, Vice

Why does the Academy think Rhapsody is Dunkirk? What an abomination.

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Adam Driver, BlacKKKlansman
Sam Elliot, A Star Is Born
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Sam Rockwell, Vice

Amazing he has 2 Oscars this quick. Remember him in Predators???

Best Animated Film

Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Mirai
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse

Most entertaining Marvel film of the year…

Michael Myers and Dana Carvey aren’t, in my opinion, old. But they are when they act like they’re younger selves.
Is it Queen Night???

Best Animated Short

Animal Behaviour
Bao
Late Afternoon
One Small Step
Weekends

Good speech about nerds not hiding behind their art- tell your story.

Best Documentary Short

Black Sheep
End Game
Lifeboat
A Night at The Garden
Period. End of Sentence.

That is an impassioned speech.

Best Visual Effects

Dan DeLeeuw, Kelly Port, Russell Earl and Dan Sudick, Avengers: Infinity War
Christopher Lawrence, Michael Eames, Theo Jones, and Chris Corbould, Christopher Robin
Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles, and J.D. Schwalm, First Man
Roger Guyett, Grady Cofer, Matthew E. Butler, and David Shirk, Ready Player One
Rob Bredow, Patrick Tubach, Neal Scanlan, and Dominic Tuohy, Solo: A Star Wars Story

That’s more like it!

Most electrifying thing of the night- Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga more electrifying than any of the other performances. So intimate, and based off of no historical true story. Is that the lesson? That the energy that was put into that story could have been more rewarded in the form of Oscars if it was based off actual historical figures? In the meantime we can watch the internet burn with speculation about these 2 hooking up.

Best Short

Detainment
Fauve
Margeurite
Mother
Skin

Original Screenplay

Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, The Favourite
Paul Schrader, First Reformed
Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, and Peter Farrelly, Green Book

Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Adam McKay, Vice

Terrible. Terrible. This also greatly increases the chances of it winning Best Picture now. Bad. Not good. Bad.

Best Adapted Screenplay

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

First time’s a charm for the extremely overdue Spike: Connect with your ancestors if you want power, be on the right side of history. Bonus points for uttering, “Don’t start the mother effing clock!”

Best Score

Ludwig Goransson, Black Panther
Terence Blanchard, BlacKKKlansman

Nicholas Britell, If Beale Street Could Talk
Alexandre Desplat, Isle of Dogs

Marc Shaiman, Mary Poppins Returns

More groundbreaking. Sad that Beale Street didn’t win.

Best Original Song

“All the Stars”, Black Panther
“I’ll Fight”, RBG
“The Place Where Lost Things Go”, Mary Poppins
“Shallow”, A Star Is Born
“When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings”, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Most inevitable award of the night. Did you not see the live performance?

The show is really starting to drag at this point. Is it possible they can keep it at, or under(!) 3 hours?

Best Actor

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

1 for 1 in his movie career, not bad! Makes me want to go watch Mr. Robot.
…”Made a film about a gay man, an immigrant”… Did you? The film is sanitized to the point where you can’t tell. Don’t want to take away from the performance.

Not fond of how they had 1 award for that segment, way to guarantee the event runs over 3 hours.

Best Actress

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

Wow! Upset territory. Glad The Favourite won something.

Nice speech, very out there and humble.

Best Director

Spike Lee, BlacKKKlansman
Pawel Pawlikowski, Cold War
Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite
Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Adam McKay, Vice

Yay! That’s 3 wins for that bugger. He deserves it. However… is this how the Academy splits the vote for Best Picture? “I’m scared of Netflix”…

Best Picture

Black Panther
BlacKKKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Green Book
Roma
A Star Is Born
Vice

Ouch. Just ouch. This will date poorly. Notice the lecture about equality, similar to the perversion that is 2005’s Crash.  Also- notice the lack of thanks to Paul Shirley’s family, while Tony’s is up on the stage. Forget the back seat- they’re in the trunk.
Is this worse than LAST year’s movie about fish fucking? Going with yes, as that was technically accomplished at least. Look, it’s my 7^th ranked favourite of the 8 film lineup, so it’s tough to take. There’s always next year.

15/24
Tied for my worst of all time. Yes, the Oscars can be unpredictable. But they’re also guilty of embarrassing themselves.

Oscar Predictions- 2019

It's that time of year again! It should be an interesting show, with all of the bad publicity the Academy has generated for itself. Last year I scored a 19/24 on my guesses, but this year I suspect will be a more modest result. Without further adieu...

Best Picture:

Black Panther
BlacKKKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Green Book
Roma
A Star Is Born
Vice

This is a really tricky one. Yes, Roma’s my favourite of the field. But I’m going with it because it’s got the critical love, an absence of controversy, and a remarkably strong push by Netflix. Its also won at the Director’s Guild Awards and the BAFTA’s. Why wouldn’t it win? Green Book has remained remarkably resilient despite controversy, is Oscar bait that traditional voters gravitate to, and it has won at the Golden Globes and the Producer’s Guild. There’s also the theory that the film industry is scared of Netflix, and would therefore want to punish Roma. After that, who knows? The preferential balloting system and field of 8 films makes for potential chaos. Don’t rule out The Favourite, BlacKKKlansman, or even Black Panther! 

Best Actor:

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

Malek seems a lock, but Christian Bale would be the most likely upset…

Best Actress:

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

Potential upset is likely Colman for her greatness.

Best Supporting Actor:

Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Adam Driver, BlacKKKlansman
Sam Elliot, A Star Is Born
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Sam Rockwell, Vice

Not a baffling pick, but I would have preferred Adam Driver for his work in Klansman.

Best Supporting Actress:

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

Sublime stuff, but watch for Weisz sneaking from behind.

Best Animated:

Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Mirai
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse

Lock, highly deserving.

Best Cinematography:

Lukasz Zal, Cold War
Robbie Ryan, The Favourite
Caleb Deschanel, Never Look Away
Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Matthew Libatique, A Star Is Born

Sublime stuff, but watch for Cold War to upset.

Best Costume Design:

Mary Zophres, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Ruth Carter, Black Panther
Sandy Powell, The Favourite
Sandy Powell, Mary Poppins Returns
Alexandra Byrne, Mary Queen of Scots

I really struggled with this one. The Favourite is your typical choice, but will the Academy all of a sudden resemble something progressive and give it to Black Panther?

Best Director:

Spike Lee, BlacKKKlansman
Pawel Pawlikowski, Cold War
Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite
Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Adam McKay, Vice

Cuaron feels like a lock- but will the Academy give a lifetime achievement win to Spike Lee, who’s never been nominated in his frigging career?

Best Documentary:

Free Solo

Hale Country This Morning, This Evening
Minding the Gap
Of Fathers and Sons
RBG

Best Documentary Short:
Black Sheep
End Game
Lifeboat
A Night at The Garden
Period. End of Sentence.

Best Editing:

Barry Alexander Brown, BlacKKKlansman
John Ottman, Bohemian Rhapsody
Yorgos Mavropsaridis, The Favourite
Patrick J. Don Vito, Green Book
Hank Corwin, Vice

Best Foreign Film:

Capernaum
Cold War
Never Look Away
Roma
Shoplifters

Redundant? Would be a good way to cop out of the Best Picture category…

Best Makeup/Hairstyling:
Göran Lundström and Pamela Goldammer, Border
Jenny Shircore, Marc Pilcher, and Jessica Brooks, Mary Queen of Scots
Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney, Vice

Best Music:
Ludwig Goransson, Black Panther
Terence Blanchard, BlacKKKlansman

Nicholas Britell, If Beale Street Could Talk
Alexandre Desplat, Isle of Dogs

Marc Shaiman, Mary Poppins Returns


Best Original Song:
“All the Stars”, Black Panther
“I’ll Fight”, RBG
“The Place Where Lost Things Go”, Mary Poppins
“Shallow”, A Star Is Born
“When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings”, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Bizarre how this is the only thing it will win.

Best Production Design:
Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart, Black Panther
Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton, The Favourite
Nathan Crowley and Kathy Lucas, First Man
John Myhre and Gordon Sim, Mary Poppins Returns
Eugenio Caballero and Bárbara Enríquez, Roma

See Best Costume above- traditional choice or progressive one for Black Panther?

Best Animated Short Film:
Animal Behaviour
Bao
Late Afternoon
One Small Step
Weekends

Best Short Film:

Detainment
Fauve
Margeurite
Mother
Skin


Best Sound Editing:

Benjamin A. Burtt and Steve Boeddeker, Black Panther
John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone, Bohemian Rhapsody
Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou Morgan, First Man
Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl, A Quiet Place
Sergio Díaz and Skip Lievsay, Roma

I call it this year’s Dunkirk.

Best Sound Mixing:
Steve Boeddeker, Brandon Proctor and Peter Devlin, Black Panther
Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali, Bohemian Rhapsody
Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, Ai-Ling Lee and Mary H. Ellis, First Man
Skip Lievsay, Craig Henighan and José Antonio García, Roma

Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic, Jason Ruder and Steve Morrow, A Star Is Born

Best Visual Effects:

Dan DeLeeuw, Kelly Port, Russell Earl and Dan Sudick, Avengers: Infinity War
Christopher Lawrence, Michael Eames, Theo Jones, and Chris Corbould, Christopher Robin
Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles, and J.D. Schwalm, First Man
Roger Guyett, Grady Cofer, Matthew E. Butler, and David Shirk, Ready Player One
Rob Bredow, Patrick Tubach, Neal Scanlan, and Dominic Tuohy, Solo: A Star Wars Story

Another tough one. Infinity War has a strong shot- except the Academy typically ignores superduper blockbusters…

Best Adapted Screenplay:

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

Best Original Screenplay:
Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, The Favourite
Paul Schrader, First Reformed
Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, and Peter Farrelly, Green Book

Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Adam McKay, Vice

If Green Book wins, that really strengthens its chances for Best Picture. Oy vey. Feel free to give it to Paul Schrader’s First Reformed.

Good luck everybody!

Tully

2018’s Tully, directed by Jason Reitman.

Starring Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Ron Livingston, Mark Duplass, Asher Miles Fallica, Lia Frankland, Gameela Wright, and Elaine Tan.

What is it about?

Tully is set around a family living in present day New York state. Father, Drew (Ron Livingston), and Mother, Marlo (Charlize Theron), and their 2 children. Marlo is pregnant with their 3^rd child, and even before the birth, is not happy with her life. After the baby comes, in a state of exhaustion, Marlo takes her brother Craig (Mark Duplass)’s advice to employ a night nannie named Tully, who takes care of the baby while Marlo sleeps at night. Tully (Mackenzie Davis) is a genuine firecracker, who has a real passion for child minding, and her authentic presence galvanizes Marlo into some profound realizations.

Why is it worth seeing?

Director Jason Reitman has a somewhat uneven filmography, lending itself a new mystery for potential viewers each time he comes out with a new film based around homey Americana scenes with acoustic folk in the background: is it good Jason, or bad Jason? Fortunately, Tully falls more into the former category than the latter. With the help of screenwriter Diablo Cody, Reitman creates something that is closer in spirit to late 90’s David Fincher, than Juno. The how is the fascinating part, but along the way some crucial aspects of mental health, particularly of the post partum variety, are missed.

First hand experiencers and mental health professionals will likely take issue with the way that Tully treats the subject of mental health, with its resulting causes perhaps more embellished and dramatic than is the standard- but it’s debatable if it is productive to fault the movie for embellishing/obscuring them for dramatic sakes. Less forgivable, is the gloss applied for recommendations, once the mental health diagnosis is confirmed. It’s practically a moral victory for that segment of the population that believes rats in B.F. Skinner’s mazes would be happier if they would just choose to stop being electrocuted- a fix that could be made by adding a little more run time to work through the complications of said subject matter. Also at times grating- Writer Cody’s penchant for trying so hard to write quirkily. How else to explain a character exclaiming, “I’m like Saudi Arabia, I have an energy surplus”.

As in Young Adult, Charlize Theron returns as the screen dominant protagonist, who’s character has complexities and quirks that make it difficult to fit in with the rest of society, with its mothers who bake for the school class and have the time and energy to wear make up. While not as acerbic (and immature!) as her Adult character, Theron’s Marlo is a real person with bite, and Theron’s willingness to work through acting and looking like a Monster at times is refreshing for such a Hollywood gal. She ably holds the whole exercise together.


While not a textbook explanation of mental health challenges/solutions, and at times trying too hard to be hipper than cool, Tully’s charms are its sense of person in Theron’s character, some of the year’s best scenes of dreamy water scenarios, and a realization that is too indulgent to spoil. We all are our best selves, even if it takes that special someone to realize it.

Rating:

3.5/5

Trailer: Click Here.

Burning

2018’s Burning, directed by Chang Dong-Lee.

Starring Ah-in Yoo, Steven Yeun, Jong-seo Jun, Hye-ra Ban, Mi-Kyung Cha, Bong-ryeon Lee, Seong-kun Mun, and Soo-Kyung Kim.

What is it about?

Set in present day Paju, South Korea, underemployed college graduate Jong-su (Ah-in Yoo) runs into old classmate Hae-mi (Jong-seo Jun). They hit it off, and she goes to Africa on a trip while he looks after her apartment and cat. When she returns, she has a mysterious friend in tow- the gracefully affluent Ben (Steven Yeun), who’s presence creates a sea change in their relationship. When Hae-mi goes missing,  Jong-su, struggling with employment and having a bankrupt father on trial for assaulting the police, has to investigate where Hae-mi has gone, and what it is about Ben that is so unnerving.

Why is it worth seeing?

Based off of the short story, Barn Burning by Haruki Murakami, Burning is a tribute to ambiguous obsession (amongst other topics). Its mysterious ways are thick with confusion, always right in front of us but refusing to be identified or quantified. It’s a real trick how a movie with so few characters can be so complex.


Burning reminds me most of that Fight Club line about the memory of a woman is like the sore on your mouth that you can’t get rid of because you can’t stop flicking it with your tongue. After initially thinking that I didn’t see the appeal, I couldn’t stop thinking about its journey, its fog-like meaning clinging to my brain like velcro. Like all great things, Burning could also be about a great deal of other things: a current generation’s shiftlessness, the impossibility of love, a comment on artistic struggle, a metaphor on class warfare- or nothing at all. It is a tribute to the power of manipulation, where things have become far too objective by the end. The plot is simple, but where we go is not.

Its protagonist, Jong-su, is typically so non verbal about his thoughts, it's like Casey Affleck’s character in Manchester By the Sea if he became a detective. Jong-su is uneasy in social situations, thick with young adult energy that he cannot figure out how to harness. Really, he’s the antithesis to Ben- whom is slick, wealthy, and could not be more vaguely condescending… or popular. The 2 of them merge together to ebb and flow while we try to figure out which is what- can we settle on the term ebbow? Together they pine for Hae-mi, who’s history remains more mysterious than originally thought.

Unfairly deprived of a Best Foreign Film Oscar nomination, Burning is memorable stuff, where there’s nowhere to go but forwards, downwards, anywhere, for reasons that are unclear. Even by the end, where the results are ultra clear, we still don’t know for sure. In the best way possible, it’s a lot like life that way.

Rating:

4/5

Trailer: Click Here.

Vice (2018)

2018’s Vice, written and directed by Adam McKay.

Starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Sam Rockwell, Steve Carrell, Alison Pill, Eddie Marsan, Shea Whigham, Tyler Perry, and Jesse Plemons.

Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director (Adam McKay), Best Actor (Christian Bale), Best Supporting Actress (Amy Adams), Best Supporting Actor (Sam Rockwell), Best Editing (Hank Corwin), Best Makeup/Hair (Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney), and Best Original Screenplay (Adam McKay).

What is it about?

Vice tells the story of the 43^rd presidency of the United States’ Vice President, Richard “Dick” Cheney (played by Christian Bale). Throughout, we see how Dick and his wife, Lynn Cheney (played by Amy Adams), come to power in the White House and the circumstances surrounding his ascendency to become possibly the most powerful man for the better part of the first decade of the 2000’s. 

Why is it worth seeing?

Vice feels like the movie writer/director McKay has been building towards his whole career. While he was cutting his teeth making successful Hollywood comedies (Anchorman, Talladega Nights, and Step Brothers), the 43^rd POTUS and his shadowy vice president were creating plenty of chicanery fodder for political documentaries and comedians alike. McKay first indicated there was a political dissident hiding behind his jester status in the end credits of 2010’s The Other Guys, where he displayed a sharp eye for explaining how the economic collapse of 2008 was created willingly by a well connected group of billionaire A-holes with the complicity of the political system. It was a promising start to him trying out material detailing true life events through a sharp eye for humour.  

McKay is first and foremost a comedic director- besides the resume, even his more “serious” works such as The Big Short and Vice are told with a joker’s grin- “Just look at what these maniacs are getting away with!” For the uninitiated, despite being a Senator at one point, Cheney was more of a corporate guy at his firm, Halliburton, who once sworn in as Vice President was rumoured to have more of a hand in the country’s response to 9/11 and the subsequent invasion of Iraq than the president himself (amongst the usual resume of republican grandstanding and hypocrisy)- for what were (illegal) business reasons. Revealing (somewhat) of the backstory of Cheney (and his wife, Lynn Cheney), McKay fills us in how it all came to be (again, somewhat).

Therein lies the rub. Is it possible to make a decent (pseudo) biopic about a man who is so unlikable? Cheney was a family man (which can be refreshing for a party of hypocrites), so nepotism ahoy, but other than that he doesn’t seem to be that favourable. Certainly McKay doesn’t want to paint him in that nuanced of light, unlike say Oliver Stone’s depiction of King George II in 2008’s W. It makes sense- Cheney is an A-hole. But it doesn’t always make for captivating viewing. With that said, the film becomes an expose on how some of the new millennium’s most awful things came to pass. For political junkies, little will be learned that they didn’t already know. But for those who had no idea, this is a great starting point.


Tasked with portraying Cheney, Christian Bale (and the make up team) do an admirable job, in a performance that is as inspired by Satan as it is as close to- all whispers, snarls, and steely intimidation. Also solid is Sam Rockwell, who’s W is half lost, half confidently brash. However, wasted, is the likes of Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney (not another thankless Superman role!), and Steve Carrell’s Donald Rumsfield is especially baffling- certainly the renowned war hawk who spouted nonsense about “known unknowns” didn’t feel the need to act like a 40 year old virgin?

Shrouded in secrets and deception, we’ll never know what really happened during W’s reign. Bush and Cheney’s mockery of the presidency, constitution, and political process ensure that. McKay’s collages of scenes can come across as more distracting than impactful, but at least we know- due to suffering multiple coronary attacks, Cheney definitely had a heart.

Rating:

3.5/5

Trailer: Click Here.

Green Book

2018’s Green Book, directed by Peter Farrelly.

Starring Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini, Hudson Galloway, Gavin Lyle Foley, Rodolfo Vallelonga, Louis Venere, and Frank Vallelonga.

Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Actor (Viggo Mortensen), Best Supporting Actor (Mahershala Ali), Best Original Screenplay (Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, and Peter Farrelly), and Best Editing (Patrick J. Don Vito).

What is it about?

In 1962 New York City, Italian American Frank Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen) finds himself unemployed after a nightclub lays him off. Needing to support his family, Frank is hired by eccentric jazz musician, Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) as a driver and bodyguard for a tour of the American South. With both men having their misconceptions of each other, it sets the stage for genuine learning to take place as they come to an understanding of each other.

Why is it worth seeing?

Green Book has a classical “Oscar Bait” feeling to it. A period piece set in more innocent times (at least they appear that way to those struck by nostalgic inertia), where a couple of disparate characters with differing beliefs go on a journey together and have realizations about each other they couldn’t have possibly had otherwise. Like the 62’ Cadillac Sedan DeVille they pilot, it’s a pretty smooth ride. Even ignoring the controversy surrounding the film- perhaps too smooth?

Green Book was co-written by Nick Vallelonga, the son of Mortensen’s protagonist, Frank Vallelonga. That may explain the saint-like depiction of the character, and how it paves over whatever rough edges he may have had. We may never know what he was really like- but this ain’t it, if we listen to Don Shirley’s family tell the story. Either way, in ways not reflective of actual human growth but instead in screenplay slip ups, his character’s actions are baffling, in that he has his #woke transformation before the pair even hit the road. That was fast!

Look, you don’t need me to tell you that racism is ugly. But does this film know that its also alive and well today? Fellow Best Picture nominee Black KKKlansman (itself a period piece set in the 70’s) understands this- hence the clip of America’s present day Charlottetown streets tearing themselves apart during a black rally (And don’t forget the scathing, Sorry to Bother You). I’m not sure Green Book gets this. Sure, it features a scene where a white character explains to a black man why he should eat fried chicken- but does it explain how standing up against what’s wrong leads to negative consequences? That’s how systemic racism works kids.

Lectures aside, Mortensen and Ali carry the film as best they can. While it would have been nice to have Linda Cardellini do more than fret about in the kitchen (yet another thankless wife/mother role for her), their work is solid as they glide down the highway into the South. With Mortensen’s character able to slide through anything (like he’s a White Saviour), Ali brings a real sense of alienation to his character’s quirks amongst an unprogressive landscape. It’s Driving Mrs Rainman? Like I said, it’s all very smooth, and carries a message that certainly beats hate. Like Bohemian Rhapsody, it’s another Best Picture nominee biopic that features neutered material that might not even be true. Faggetaboutit.

Rating:

3/5

Trailer: Click Here.

The Favourite

2018’s The Favourite, directed by Yargos Lanthimos.

Starring Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Olivia Colman, Nicholas Hoult, Joe Alwyn, Emma Delves, Faye Daveney, Mark Gatiss, and James Smith.

Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director (Yargos Lanthimos), Best Original Screenplay (Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara), Best Actress (Olivia Colman), Best Supporting Actress (Emma Stone), Best Supporting Actress (Rachel Weisz), Best Cinematography (Robbie Ryan), Best Costume Design (Sandy Powell), Best Editing (Yorgos Mavropsaridis), and Best Production Design (Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton).

What is it about?

The Favourite is based in England, around the period of 1708. Queen Anne (played by Olivia Colman), presides over England, Scotland, and Ireland, while embroiled in war with France. The Queen’s mental and physical health are in question, with her preferring to observe rabbit races and have affairs in secret rather than run her kingdom. Running the kingdom for her, is the Duchess of Marlborough, Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz), who manipulates Anne to gain political favour while comforting her in the bedroom. Churchill’s destitute cousin, Abigail Hill (played by Emma Stone), returns to England after her father lost their family’s fortune and gave away Abigail’s hand in marriage to a German over a card game. Abigail seeks to regain her family’s good name, and realizes that it might be possible with the queen susceptible to manipulation. Will she be able to climb the ranks of a rigid class society?

Why is it worth seeing?

Director Yargos Lanthimos has always had a keen eye for satire, turning a deadpan eye on the various aspects of society over topics like relationships, household paternity, and sheltering children. The results have often tinged as close to the horror genre as they do comedy, and his arthouse eccentricities have kept him in somewhat elite company, safe from mainstream acceptance. The Favourite brings back more of the same sensibilities, but armed with a true story (based on true to life characters and circumstances), Lanthimos produces his most accessible work to date- without losing any of the acerbic bite.

Screenwriters Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara’s sharp focus on the 18^th century Victorian ruling class, presents a monarchy state as much at war with itself as with the French, populated by squabbling elites in Tory wigs and a hypocritical class structure where the vast majority of people can lose everything for reasons as innocuous as your parents’ actions in card games. Once freed of such burdens like income and status, one is eligible to sleep on the floor of the servant’s hall, for a shot at regaining status amongst the elite. Indeed, as Emma Stone’s character penetrates the base of the privilege pyramid, it’s striking how the people at the bottom are depicted as being as much dog eat dog, as the people are at the top.

As always, Lanthimos is able to coax top performances from his cast, with highlights including Nichoas Hoult’s cruel dandyfop, the unpredictable equal parts hysterical but calculated Olivia Colman’s queen, Rachel Weisz’ deceptive baroness, and in particular, Emma Stone’s desperate and underhanded servant. It all makes for captivating viewing, as the genteel characters peel back society’s golden layer to reveal something resembling rotten fruit- that everybody is fighting over.

Lanthimos (and cinematographer Robbie Ryan) film with natural lighting and fish eye lenses, magnifying the grubby isolation and loneliness of being at the top of the class pyramid, in conditions that the poor would have killed for- but still opulently ignorant of genuine cleanliness, hygiene, and warmth. The results are a society whose values and traditions are akin to that of an Emperor not wearing clothes.

As a feel good exercise, The Favourite won’t be for everyone. They’re missing out on a quality production and historical artifact who’s archetypes serve as a scathing comment on the inflated hypocrisy of the ruling class- and the determination and chicanery required to penetrate above it. It certainly was for me- yet again Lanthimos’ works have made me belly laugh at times, while marveling at his oddly confident technique. It’s 1 of the year’s best.

Rating:

4.5/5

Trailer: Click Here.

Ralph Breaks the Internet

2018’s Ralph Wrecks the Internet, directed by Phil Johnston and Rich Moore.

Starring John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Sarah Silverman, Gal Gadot, Taraji P. Henson, Jack McBrayer, Jan Lynch, Alan Tudyk, Alfred Molina, Ed O’Neill, and Sean Giambrone.

Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Film.

What is it about?

Former video game villain Ralph (John C. Reilly) and his best friend Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) have an issue when the arcade game Vanellope’s world is based on is damaged. Needing to raise funds to pay for replacement parts, she and Ralph journey into the internet. Exploring new worlds and modes of commerce, their friendship is tested as Ralph’s occasional overbearing ways threaten to wreck everything. Will things return to normal with the 2 of them able to return to their respective worlds?

Why is it worth seeing?

2012’s Wreck It Ralph featured the irrepressible voice talents of John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman joyously bouncing through a brightly coloured made up world of video game environments. When not crashing through walls at a break neck pace, lessons were learnt and family fun was had. The sequel brings back the same energetic characters and has similar vibes, but its environment and ambitions fall cynically flat.


It’s difficult to make major motion pictures these days, as they cost a lot of money- unless you’re Disney. Despite being the owner of tens of billions of dollars worth of franchise content disguised as cash printing machines, apparently there was some difficulty keeping the lights on. It’s probably the best way to explain why the foreground is so choked with references to corporations as destinations.

Not satisfied with appealing to their fellow billionaire cohorts, at one point our titular hero goes to a place that is difficult to not call Disneyworld. No, it’s not Disneyworld literally- that’s in Orlando, Florida. It’s more like Disney Universe, where every single character from every Disney owned universe (but also other ones) make an appearance. It’s very distracting. Not since Ready Player One has nostalgia not felt like it used to- and original content been so desperately needed.

After adjusting my Che Guevara beret, it’s difficult to remember the movie at this point- awash in a sea of corporate “suggestion”, one returns to our hero’s journey. Lessons are again learnt, and there is an inspired sequence of the humble home base of a click bait’s character. But the energy is dampened from the original, and it’s not as fun to watch Ralph wreck things. If you're looking for a culprit, maybe it was Disney that broke the internet…

Rating:

2.5/5

Trailer: Click Here.

Bohemian Rhapsody

2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody, directed by Bryan Singer/Dexter Fletcher.

Starring Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Joe Mazzello, Ben Hardy, Aidan Gillen, Allen Leech, Tom Hollander, Aaron McCusker, and Mike Myers.

Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Actor (Rami Malek), Film Editing (John Ottman), Sound Editing (John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone), and Sound Mixing (Paul Massey, Tim Cavagin and John Casali).

What is it about?

Bohemian Rhapsody is the biopic of the rock band, Queen. Fronted by their flamboyant and wildly talented singer, Freddy Mercury (Rami Malek), the film showcases the band from their genesis in 1970’s England until the group’s performance at 1985’s Live Aid. Mercury’s self destructive genius threatens to alienate him from his band members: guitarist, Brian May (Gwilym Lee), bassist, John Deacon (Joe Mazzello), and drummer, Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy). His lack of faithfulness could also be an issue for his partner, Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton). With the benefit of historical hindsight, will Mercury be able to finish his story with his usual characteristic aplomb?

Why is it worth seeing?

Bohemian Rhapsody’s highlights include a scary good performance from Rami Malek as the incomparable singer Mercury, and has the benefit of going first into the Queen cinematic sweepstakes. Otherwise it offers little else in terms of establishing a connection to Mercury and the band’s background, and even less for furthering the genre.


Unable to explain Mercury’s motivations for what caused him to be such an eccentric and dynamite personality, we’re left to be swept along into a very familiar ride. I wonder: just why was Mercury angry at his family? What kind of cultural and racial tension came about as the son of immigrants who don’t seem that interested in Mercury’s extracurricular activities? Do these people exist outside of the family home? We see a familiar story arc that has been done to death, but when the credits roll still don’t understand where the pain and anguish that informs all great art, comes from.

With the train firmly established on a track with a mysterious starting point, it’s a fine place to be if it’s so intimately beside Rami Malek. Speaking out of false teeth and strutting through every inch of the screen like his life depends upon it, it’s a charismatic portrayal of the middle point of an interesting life. Consistent and believable, we wish we could go as deep into the depths the story as Malek is willing to go into his character.

Original director Bryan Singer (who finished the majority of the film before resigning amongst claims of sexual scandal) brings a very non musical presence to the film, in terms of portraying the wonder of the ebullient creative process. It could learn a lot from this year’s A Star is Born, or even the background fanboy chaos of Almost Famous. It’s a shame Singer can’t bring the same level of inspiration that he brought to mutant superheroes (Xmen, Xmen: United) what feels like forever ago now. It’s similar to Mike Myers’ cameo here as a music executive who doesn’t believe in the band- cute, but it fails to register.

There’s nothing wrong with paying tribute to a legendary rock band, but even in the spirit of semi-fictionalized biography, the end credits featuring the band performing live shouldn’t be the highlight of the movie. Possessing a great performance by Malek but failing to make much of an impression beyond the fact the band rocks, Rhapsody can’t make a supersonic person out of us.

Rating:

3/5

Trailer: Click Here.