Phil's Pointless Film Blog

Oscars 2025

2025-03-02T23:35:00.005+00:00

As I sit to write this, the Red Carpet has begun in LA so if you were thinking you might try to catch up on the Oscar nominees this year, then you are probably too late, even to fit in Wallace & Gromit. Never fear, reader. It's taken some doing, some asking around, some cinema trips, and some VOD purchases but I've seen all 50 nominees so you don't have to. Headline is, generally, not a bad year. The worst film here is bad, but above that, most things are watchable. So here we go:

Shorts

Best Live Action Short

There's a lot to appreciate here, five solid shorts (not always a given). I'm Not a Robot is conceptionally fun, but runs out of steam, Anuja is fine but straightforward (though, with Netflix's backing), the other three are all pretty good. Bit of a coin flip which way it will go, but for me, the anxiety produced in A Lien just edges out The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent with The Last Ranger sitting in the middle.

My Pick: A Lien

My Prediction: Anuja

Best Animated Short

Lots of pretty things here - normally my favourite below the line category. A weaker year. Wander to Wonder is easily the best of the bunch, though the animation of In the Shadow of the Cypress is stunning. Beautiful Men will remain with me; an odd little journey into the insecurities of men.

My Pick: Wander to Wonder

My Prediction: Wander to Wonder

Best Documentary Short

Another strong category, exploring interesting themes. Death by Numbers and I am Ready, Warden deal with similar themes of justice and guilt in different ways - this may split their votes. Incident is provocative - and probably the best of the bunch in one sense. But it may deter pro-cop voters and those who think simply putting CCTV footage together is not really movie-making. The Only Girl in the Orchestra is fine but safe (also Netflix backed). Instruments of a Beating Heart stole my heart and is adorable.

My Pick: Instruments of a Beating Heart

My Prediction: The Only Girl in the Orchestra

Instrument of a Beating Heart

Smaller Awards

Best original song

El Mal (Emilia Pérez) will win even though Mi Camino may be the better song. Neither are very good. Sing Sing's Like a Bird is the best. Forget the others, don't bother watching them.

My Pick: Like a Bird (Sing Sing)

My Prediction: El Mal (Emilia Pérez)

Best original score

Sometimes, the most memorable score is the most memorable for a reason. The Brutalist's score compliments its epic and brutal proportions. As nice as Conclave and particularly The Wild Robot's scores are, this is The Brutalist's to lose.

My Pick: The Brutalist

My Prediction: The Brutalist

Best cinematography

Expect the technical awards to go to one of the epics: The Brutalist or Dune: Part Two. Cinematography will go to the former. Nosferatu was striking but samey, Maria was beautiful but boring. Emilia Pérez looked like it was shot on a potato.

My Pick: The Brutalist

My Prediction: The Brutalist

Best visual effects

See above. This time, Dune takes the gong. None of the Monkey Movies manage that magic.

My Pick: Dune: Part Two

My Prediction: Dune: Part Two

Dune: Part Two

Best sound

Almost always goes to the year's most impressive action/ sci-fi. This year, one is nominated for Best Picture.

My Pick: Dune: Part Two

My Prediction: Dune: Part Two

Best costume design

In my mind, design awards are between the world-building of Oz in Wicked or the capturing of the visually arresting style of the Vatican in Conclave. Wicked manages to be more impressive.

My Pick: Wicked

My Prediction: Wicked

Best production design

See above, though Dune: Part Two's world building is also worth recognising here.
I, however, completely believed Conclave happened in the Vatican - astonishing sets.

My Pick: Conclave

My Prediction: Wicked

Best make-up and hairstyling

It would be a pity if this is its only win of the night, but this is surely The Substance's best chance of grabbing a gong. As a body-horror, make-up is not just essential but is itself a character in the film. Similar can be said of (part of) A Different Man, a real highlight of this year's nominees.

My Pick: The Substance

My Prediction: The Substance

The Substance

Best film editing

This is a precursor to the big Big Picture award, so the race is between the three big contenders, The Brutalist, Anora, and Conclave. Will people split their votes across some categories so all their favourites will take some away? If so, Conclave might take it here.

My Pick: The Brutalist

My Prediction: Conclave

Bigger Awards

Best international feature

This is a ridiculous two-horse race. I'm Still Here should win this lying down but for some reason Emilia Pérez is still in the running. It shouldn't be. It's bad. Putting aside its controversial treatment of Mexican and trans cultures and its lead's racist tweets, the film is bad on other levels. It sounds bad, looks bad, and has a bad plot. The Seed of the Sacred Fig is a far superior and braver movie and should be in second place with the other two in third and fourth.

My Pick: The Seed of the Sacred Fig

My Prediction: I'm Still Here

Best animated feature

Pixar's reign is over. Inside Out 2 is the least creative here - though by no means a bad film. Interestingly, both Flow and The Wild Robot have snuck into multiple categories which suggests they might have the edge over their competition (if so, RIP Wallace & Gromit), but The Wild Robot is the best of the bunch.

My Pick: The Wild Robot

My Prediction: The Wild Robot

The Wild Robot

Best documentary feature

A really interesting year for documentaries. Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat is the most creatively interesting documentary, but likely too dense for most. Sugarcane and Porcelain War deal with important topics but not with any great ingenuity. Black Box Diaries and No Other Land are both important documentaries dealing with real and current issues in powerful and hands-on ways, but No Other Land, especially in light of the escalation in conflict in Gaza since its filming, hits in a shocking way. It feels like the clear winner, but the US' pro-Israel position may cause issues.

My Pick: No Other Land

My Prediction: No Other Land

Best adapted screenplay

Nickel Boys, Sing Sing, and Conclave are all brilliant. Conclave is more popular and will take it, especially as a dialogue heavy semi-political thriller. It's almost all screenplay, baby. My personal pick keeps flicking between all three.

My Pick: Sing Sing

My Prediction: Conclave

Conclave

Best original screenplay

What a great category. Probably my favourite every year and these are five great films. A Real Pain has had surprise success elsewhere and if that continues, here would not feel out of place. If people think Anora is going to snag Actress, Director, and Picture, they may give Eisenberg an award here. Plus, his speeches have been great, so no complaints here.

My Pick: Anora

My Prediction: A Real Pain (ooooooh this may be my only hot take!)

Best actor

Possibly the strongest acting nominees in a long time. All worthy winners. I don't care for musical biopic imitations, so my vote would go to either Brody or Fiennes, likely the latter, preferring the subtle doubt of Father Lawrence, to the big personality of László. But the Oscars have often gone with the musical biopic so maybe there is a cat among the pigeons?

My Pick: Ralph Fiennes

My Prediction: Adrien Brody

Best actress

Moore legacy Oscar, or young up-and-comer Madison. It is a close race and both have their precursor awards (Moore with SAG and Globes, Madison took the BAFTA). This is a coin flip. Don't forget Torres who is brilliant in I'm Still Here and grounds that film in reality. On a different year, it would be hers but sadly not this year.

My Pick: Demi Moore

My Prediction: Demi Moore

Best supporting actress

It's crazy to me that Emilia Pérez has 13 nominations, and even crazier to me that this is almost an uncompetitive award with Saldaña running away with it. Grande, who hasn't really had a look in, disappears into Glinda and performs with every ounce of her being. Presumably the comedy element is overlooked. Truly neither are actually support acts, but co-leads, so neither should be here. I do think it is category fraud and is robbing the other three of their chance at an award - three actual, and brilliant, supporting performances.

My Pick: Ariana Grande

My Prediction: Zoe Saldaña

Best supporting actor

I thought Jeremy Strong was brilliant in The Apprentice. Culkin was also great but 1) a co-lead and 2) very similar to Roman from Succession. Yura Borisov gives a more subtle performance in Anora and, despite good performances, Pearce and Norton fade out in this race. Culkin will take it, and it couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

My Pick: Jeremy Strong

My Prediction: Kieran Culkin

The Brutalist

Best director

Fargeat made the most exciting film here, a truly visionary product. The Substance oozes style and every shot is immaculate. Corbet has directed a popular three and a half hour epic. Baker had total control over, or rather to create, absolute chaos. Three great choices. But Corbet's achievement is monumental. Mangold who? Audiard made a bad film. What are we doing?

My Pick: Brady Corbet (but man am I nearly saying Coralie Fargeat)

My Prediction: Brady Corbet

Best picture

Man what a tricky, constantly changing choice. This would be my preferential ballot, in which number 1 is pretty fixed for its ambition and scale, as well as success. Clearly, I value ambition and creativity. Nickel Boys, a minimal nominee, shot entirely in POV was an utter joy. Well worth a watch. The top five here could easily be rearranged.

1) The Brutalist

2) The Substance

3) Nickel Boys

4) Anora

5) Conclave

6) Dune: Part Two

7) I'm Still Here

8) Wicked

9) A Complete Unknown

10) Emilia Pérez

My Prediction: Anora

The Oscars 2024 in a Nutshell

2024-03-10T22:09:00.004+00:00

Here we go. With an hour left before the ceremony kicks off, I have watched all 53 nominees so you don't have to. Headlines: There's a lot of good stuff here and very little to dislike. You can find my full rankings here.

SHORT FILMS

Friends, I won't lie to you. The short categories are absolute chaos every year. The worst two are current top choices to win. I post the below with little to no confidence (Short ranks here).

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Letter to a Pig has the most interesting animation (of the good options - Our Uniform has more interesting animation, but the film feels only a moment long). Ninety-Five Senses is the best story and most enjoyable. War is Over! is terrible but has some bizarre mass appeal because of its warm, fuzzy approach to how we end war (just be nicer! It's so easy!).

Will Win: War is Over!

Should Win: Ninety-Five Senses

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

I'm convinced The After is a joke that got out of hand and Red White and Blue (which may still win...) tries to hard to be shocking to win an argument rather than engage fully in the debate. The other three are great, but Henry Sugar is in a different league. It is a visual delight from beginning to end with great performances throughout. It goes to show what a veteran of Hollywood can bring to shortform storytelling.

Will Win: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Should Win: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM

The ABCs of Book Burning states facts with no reasons and expects you to be outraged. This is lazy film making and its nomination is an outrage. Island in Between is a little bit nothing. Nai Nai and Wai Po is an absolute joy and The Barber of Little Rock gives exposure to a great cause. For me, however, the warmth, love, and commitment shown in The Last Repair Shop captures the importance of access to the arts. It feels like it actually says something and that, if nothing else, should be commended.

Will Win: The ABCs of Book Burning

Should Win: The Last Repair Shop

FEATURE LENGTH FILMS

COSTUME DESIGN

Okay, so time for a bit of Poor Things love. The costumes were so good and totally unique. Barbie could upset here, but in essence there was a lot of 'recreating' of existing costumes - they are just a lot smaller normally...
Will Win: Barbie
Should Win: Poor Things

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

A category that often contains a stinking film, and this year is no exception with my least favourite, Golda. Mirren's make-up is impressive, but no more so than Cooper in Maestro and less so than Dafoe in Poor Things. Society of the Snow is impressive due to how integrated across the whole film it is. Not one cast member or moment stands out but everything feels real throughout. I imagine many will be persuaded by one of the more obvious and flashy choices, and boy is Dafoe's make-up great, so I'm not upset with a Poor Things win.

Will Win: Poor Things

Should Win: Society of the Snow

PRODUCTION DESIGN

A two horse race between the two 'world-building' films here, Barbie and Poor Things. For the latter, that world is the whole film and therefore drips from every scene. In the former, the world is half the film and often based on existing intellectual property. Yes it brings it to life, but the originality of Poor Things should win out here.

Will Win: Barbie

Should Win: Poor Things

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Poor Things is in the discussion here (but why isn't Lo Capitano?!) but I think it is too funky for the mass appeal needed to win. Maestro has a lot of great cinematography but it is also disjointed and unsure quite what it is doing. At the other end of the scale, Oppenheimer is a technical marvel. Glorious looking at all times, which is quite the feat when you consider how much of it is spent in small rooms as men discuss nuclear warfare.

Will Win: Oppenheimer

Should Win: Oppenheimer

SOUND

Are we really going to discuss this? Oppenheimer, being the technical masterpiece it is, could snag this, but this should be Zone of Interest's; a film that develops its narrative power through the use of sound. It makes the audience complicit in atrocities by exposing them to the noise of horror whilst they enjoy the beauty and peace the other side of the wall. This feels like what this award is for.

Will Win: The Zone of Interest

Should Win: The Zone of Interest

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

In my study, I've enjoyed the American Fiction jazz score but i cant say i noticed its impact during the film (unlike some of the animated options - Spider-Man, The Boy and the Heron, and Robot Dreams). Indy's score is... well... Indiana Jones. It does not deserve to be nominated in 2024. The other three are great scores. Poor Things and Killers really set the tone for the world they create an atmosphere for, but Oppenheimer's score does a lot of the heavy lifting for a weighty film. Atoms collide and worlds are destroyed as the swelling sound of Göransson envelops the viewer, making them less of a watcher and as much a hearer, an experiencer.

Will Win: Oppenheimer

Should Win: Oppenheimer

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

Can I be frank? I think Original Song is a dull category. More than half the time they're credit songs which offer little to the film (unless we're talking Bond themes which can set the tone) and if a credit song beats out something that actually added narrative weight to a film, it feels unjust (well, to me at least). The Barbie songs are narrative songs and deserve to win. Of the two, What Was I Made For was the better song even if I'm Just Ken is more fun.

Will Win: What Was I Made For

Should Win: What Was I Made For

VISUAL EFFECTS

This is a really tough one. I loved Godzilla. It was one of my top films of the nominees and it had incredible visual effects done on a shoe-string budget. On the other hand, The Creator also did masses with very little and it looks incredible. There's so much CGI, used so well and so creatively to build the world, that it cannot be ignored. I'm glad I don't actually have to cast my vote.

Will Win: The Creator

Should Win: Can I call for a tie? Fine... The Creator

FILM EDITING

I'm no editor and great editing is unseen but a big part of editing must be the pacing. To make a dialogue heavy three-hour epic is feat barely attempted and should not be attempted without an editor who can make those three-hours fly by. Both Killers of the Flower Moon and Oppenheimer achieve this, but Oppenheimer deserves the attention it is getting here. Totally thrilling stuff from beginning to end.

Will Win: Oppenheimer

Should Win: Oppenheimer

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

In my mind, this is a less obvious category. Oppenheimer is a dialogue heavy epic. Poor Things and Barbie have hilarious and meaningful moments (though what was performance, what was script?). Zone of Interest feels like a real wild card, but American Fiction has been dominating the precursors and... I get it. I really enjoyed American Fiction, it's wit and charm, even though its one of the weaker Best Picture nominees. But if it is going to win something, this feels like the one.

Will Win: American Fiction

Should Win: American Fiction

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

A much stronger writing category (well, maybe not you, Maestro) - these are some of my favourites of the year. I adored Holdovers and Past Lives and I'd have no trouble picking either of them. I think Past Lives is the stronger entry and, shockingly, this may be the only place it could win something. But, sadly, I think it will be beaten by Anatomy of a Fall which boasts its clever screenplay as its greatest strength. It spans multiple languages, multiple timelines, it balances its revealing of information to keep the ambiguity of guilt at boiling point constantly. A worthy winner if Past Lives must be toppled.

Will Win: Anatomy of a Fall

Should Win: Past Lives

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

How many times will we say this: this is a strong category. All are a look into something bleak whether corrupt authorities, dementia, war, or the influence or extremism. Four Daughters is the most creative, Bobi Wine is the one with the widest appeal, 20 Days is the most shocking and also uniquely captures the first days of war. That life-risking commitment to documentary feels worthy of the prize.

Will Win: 20 Days in Mariupol

Should Win: 20 Days in Mariupol

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

These are five great films and if there was somehow a five way tie, i would be happy. In any other year, I think Society of the Snow would take this but Zone of Interest is up for Best Picture, and rightly so. Smart money is then on it to follow every other international best picture nominee and win, but man its sad to think that Teacher's Lounge and Lo Capitano may fly under the radar for many if they go away winless, unlike Society and Perfect Days which have Netflix and Mubi backing them, respectively.

Will Win: The Zone of Interest

Should Win: The Zone of Interest

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Strong category this year (not you Elemental). Exciting to see art styles that are not copying Pixar out-doing Pixar. Nimona was fine and the other three are great. Unfortunately, whilst it may get the gong, Spiderman lacked a 3rd act and that is a major flaw for me (especially as it was so good otherwise). Robot Dreams is totally charming and I love it but there is something uniquely special about The Boy and the Heron. Will it be too weird to take it? Not long to find out.

Will Win: Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse

Should Win: The Boy and The Heron

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

This is a strong category. Gosling and Ruffalo are laugh-out-loud hilarious and De Niro is severely sinister but Brown and RDJ are much more multifaceted, layered, and nuanced. RDJ nabs it - his performance is better, more central, weightier.

Will Win: Robert Downey Jr

Should Win: Robert Downey Jr

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Okay, if there is a done deal on Oscars night, this feels like it. Nyad does not deserve awards contention, even if Foster is the best thing about it, and Ferrera is lucky to be here too. Blunt is a brilliant but a little used piece in a much bigger film. Brooks is the highlight in an already enjoyable musical. But, come on, Mary is the heart and soul of The Holdovers and Da'Vine Joy Randolph brings her to life beautifully. There should be no questions here.

Will Win: Da'Vine Joy Randolph

Should Win: Da'Vine Joy Randolph

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Domingo feels slightly like he is making up numbers here, Cooper was fine, and as good as Wright is, this is a two horse race. My heart belongs to Giamatti, who gives the best performance of his career in one of my favourite movies of the year, but my brain belongs to Murphy. He is the smart choice, brilliantly carrying a three-hour cinematic epic on his shoulders. The award should go to Cillian Murphy on that basis, but don't call it an upset if Giamatti snags it - call it a joy!

Will Win: Cillian Murphy

Should Win: Paul Giamatti

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

People are saying Emma Stone has this in the bag but... I'm not so sure. It's big and dramatic and over-the-top. It is definitely the 'most' acting and, with the amount of nudity, deeply personal and vulnerable too as an actor. But Lily Gladstone is the anchor of Killers of the Flower Moon. She is far more nuanced and I'm not sure anyone else would have been able to have had the same effect on the film that she did. Is Stone great? Maybe, but i can imagine someone else playing Bella, even, dare I say, better? Look, I thought Poor Things was fine, but not the masterpiece that others seem to think. Maybe I'm just being negatively reactionary, but it would be amazing to see Gladstone get this. Hang on, what if Stone and Gladstone split the votes and somehow Hüller comes out on top? You know what? Anatomy of a Fall was great. You go Sandra Hüller. Listen, I'll be fine as long as Annette Bening doesn't win because Nyad was naff.

Will Win: Lily Gladstone

Should Win: Lily Gladstone

DIRECTING

All of these would be such great winners (and none of them deserve pushing out to make way for Gerwig). Scorsese is brilliant but doing something that feels less fresh than his fellow nominees. This feels like it should come down to The Zone of Interest or Oppenheimer

Anatomy of a Fall is a great courtroom drama; it follows that formula pretty well. Poor Things is probably too out-there (and its biggest criticisms can almost all be levelled at the director - excessiveness summing up a lot of that). But Zone does something extraordinary with its mundanity and natural performances, whilst Oppenheimer achieves what should seemingly be impossible. I've narrowed this to two films, but be real. Doing the impossible is always more impressive.

Will Win: Christopher Nolan

Should Win: Christopher Nolan

BEST PICTURE

You've heard me say a lot about all these films already. You could probably guess my ranking based on what's been said. But here's some final thoughts. Past Lives and The Holdovers are my favourites. I will revisit them both soon, followed by Anatomy of a Fall and Oppenheimer. But there is something I can't shake about Oppenheimer. Everything about it on paper should be a snooze-fest but it is astonishing. It has done so much for the industry and is one of the most definitive film makers of the generation at his very best.

Will Win: Oppenheimer

Should Win: Oppenheimer

Tenet

2020-09-14T12:16:00.003+01:00

Christopher Nolan is known for for headscratchers. He takes pride in using a blockbuster formula to dream a little bigger, darling. It is no surprise then that his latest is his headscratch-iest. Playing with elements that he has built his career on - time mechanics, huge set pieces, the spectacle of cinema - Nolan has again produced something unique, something truly original. But does originality equate to quality? This is Tenet.

Tenet is, for all intents and purpose, an espionage thriller. Its comparison to a Bond film has not been understated, and it is a fair likeness. But where Bond has fancy gizmos and gadgets, Tenet has fancy time mechanics which opens the door for all sorts of creativity and breathtaking visuals never before seen in cinema. It's no doubt that Tenet is a spectacle piece, an audio-visual experience made to appeal to its audience on a sensory level and then, secondly, to their intellect. There's been cries that it's complexity for the sake of complexity, a vehicle for Nolan to display his superior intellect, but that is a severe misread of the film. Are the ideas on display here complicated - yes. But more importantly they serve the story, or rather, the experience. Any sort of time discrepancy has to be complicated - there are paradoxes galore - and the film makes clear that understanding all the detail is a wasted effort. This is not because Nolan is clever and the audience isn't, but because to focus on the detail detracts from the big picture event; it takes you away from the experience

That being said, the criticism isn't unwarranted. The screenplay is too dense and the sound mixing too score-heavy (as good as the score is) so it feels like the audience are constantly missing something because they can't keep up with the quick dialogue or can't hear it in the first instance. If these concepts and conversations aren't important, then they need to go. Tenet either needs an extra half an hour to build on these themes, or it needs to chop them. It's clear that the edit has forced the issue, but perhaps this could've been solved earlier with a tighter handle on the screenplay. It's not a confusing plot, but it is unnecessarily overloaded. One sailing scene, for instance, seems almost entirely superfluous aside from the fact that one minor incident in it drives what follows. In an already tightly squeezed narrative this scene (and really this scene is the only major offender) feels like a waste of precious time.

As already mentioned, Tenet is designed to be an experience yet still begs its audience to stay switched on and focused throughout, rewarding those who do but harshly casting aside those who don't. It can be frustrating, being unclear on what exactly is happening, but Nolan wants the audience to work and persevere. If he is guilty of something, it's for challenging the notion that blockbusters are easy-watches; films where you can disengage and just sit back, passively absorbing content that is designed appeal to all. No one claims Tarkovsky made bad films because you have to work to understand them, yet this is a criticism leveled at Tenet. Do not mistake me here, Tarkovsky and Nolan are very different filmmakers, but it should be clear that complexity or working your audience is not inherently a negative trait. It may be divisive, but not entirely detrimental.

The complicated ideas on display here are primarily a vehicle for the breathtaking visuals and action set-pieces. Nolan and his team know how to shoot action. The hand-to-hand combat is visceral and hard-hitting, with the punches being felt through the screen - a kitchen brawl makes creative use of a cheese grater which would even make Gordon Ramsey wince - and the large scale set-pieces are astonishing. Making full use of the time mechanics on display (see temporal pincer movements and cars flipping backwards), Nolan stretches the possibility of cinematic action, typically using practical effects wherever possible to ground the chaos in reality. We may be tempted to ask 'how?', Nolan encourages instead to utter 'wow!'.

This isn't Nolan's best movie, mainly for the reasons already discussed, but it is a demonstration of what could be possible in cinema. Bolstered by great performances from a suave John David Washington, an energetic and enigmatic Robert Pattinson, and a brilliant Elizabeth Debicki (whose Kat, however, is under-developed and under-utilised here. She's not alone, but most notable. Another fault of a brutal edit and a tight screenplay). It's charming, it's witty, and it's visually stunning. Challenging the norm set out by countless Marvel productions and other copycat blockbusters, Tenet is a breathtaking piece of cinema that will push people and prove divisive. But who would want to be safe when you can be sensational.

Oscars 2020: Predictions

2020-02-09T23:40:00.002+00:00

Last year, I called the Oscar ballot 'so-so'. Mediocre movies triumphed on the biggest stage in the film world with Green Book taking home Best Picture and Rami Malek being awarded Best Actor for Bohemian Rhapsody. It was an odd year and there was an air of apathy over the whole Academy Awards. This year, however, it's a breath of fresh air to have a close run in the Best Picture department between two (or three) excellent films and other brilliant films falling close behind. But you can read all of my thoughts on the big award here or everything else here. You're here to hear who I think should win and will win. Well then, let's go:

Shorts:

Best Animated Short

This category is stacked this year. Hair Love and Kitbull seem to have the traction, and they're both nice, but the animation style is nothing special. Daughter, Sister, and Memorable are all creatively superior but with that comes a lack of accessibility. Memorable is the best here by a long shot, but It won't win. Give this to the slightly more meaningful Hair Love over the nice but basic Kitbull.

Will Win: Hair Love

Should Win: Memorable

Best Live Action Short

Another strong year in this category. There's lighter films and darker films. Nefta Football Club is a bit nothing but fun. Saria and Brotherhood are powerful dramas but hard to watch. A Sister is a compelling little short, well acted and well shot, but The Neighbour's Window manages to hold all of these aspects in tension, telling the most complete story in a rear-window-esque style with a nice twist ending.

Will Win: The Neighbour's Window
Should Win: The Neighbour's Window

Best Documentary Short

Documentary short is a wonderfully diverse category. We have looks back on the past in the haunting In The Absence, the power of dance in Walk Run Cha-Cha, the exploration of the bizarre resignation syndrome in Life Overtakes Me, the battle being fought by Bruce Franks jr. to pass a critical bill, and the fascinating insight into warzone education in Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone. It's almost impossible, therefore, to rank them easily because they're so different. But Learning to Skateboard and In The Absence are more insightful than the others, bringing something important to the forefront of media. My preference falls to In The Absence but Learning to Skateboard explores something completely new, exciting, and positive. It ticks all the boxes.

Will Win: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone
Should Win: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone

Technical Categories:

Best Cinematography

There's not that needs saying here. This is 1917's award to lose. It's visually stunning and the cinematography is all of that.

Will Win: 1917

Should Win: 1917

Best Costume Design

In previous years, period films do well here and Little Women fits that bill and more. It's beautiful in all aspects including it's costumes. It's not just that they're period, it's that every single one, from the ball gowns to the warm winter coats, are stunning. The other nostalgia grabs (OUATIH, The Irishman) might make a punt here but otherwise this is set.

Will Win: Little Women

Should Win: Little Women

Best Make-up and Hairstyling

This may be a trend this year, but this is another one that seems set. For anything to topple Bombshell would, ironically, be a bit of a bombshell.

Will Win: Bombshell

Should Win: Bombshell

Best Production Design

Finally a close race. Once upon a time in Hollywood and 1917 are neck and neck here. One for nostalgia, one for war. Both winners here. I didn't see Hollywood in the '60s but the reality of the representation in OUATIH seems to be giving it sway. So for that reason, I'm going for 1917. I can't imagine the nostalgia is going to appeal to everyone, but 1917 should grip us all.

Will Win: 1917

Should Win: 1917

Best Visual Effects

Last year, I argued strongly for Avengers which was beautiful whilst not seeing much in eventual winner First Man. This year, I've changed my mind; I see the brilliance of 1917. Or more accurately, I don't see it. 1917 is filled with thousands of VFX shots and yet, they're imperceptible and effective. I stand by Endgame for the same reasons as last year, but can't give it. It may pip the post as a honorary award (to award the last 10 years of the MCU), but I doubt it. The Lion King is stunning but sucks, same for Star Wars. The Irishman's weakest point was it's VFX, no matter how revolutionary.

Will Win: 1917

Should Win: 1917

Best Film Editing

Like many others, I loved Ford v Ferrari especially for its race sequences. That is all editing, baby. It's not going to get love anywhere else so people might, when looking at their ballots which lack any FvF, drop it some love. That being said, Parasite is tightly edited and relies so heavily on it's pacing that it should be acknowledged as the best edited film of the year. The experts are split, I couldn't call it. But for reasons above, I say:

Will Win: Ford v Ferrari

Should Win: Parasite

Best Sound Editing

War. Guns. Action. This is 1917's to win. No doubt.

Will Win: 1917

Should Win: 1917

Best Sound Mixing

War. Guns. Action. This is 1917's to win. No doubt.

Will Win: 1917

Should Win: 1917

Music:

Best Original Song

For me, this is the weakest category in the whole of the awards. Not just for weaker films, but also for a lack of memorable songs. There's no Happy, no Let It Go, no Remember Me and so on. But the best is Rocketman's original Elton John number.

Will Win: I'm Gonna Love Me Again (Rocketman)
Should Win: I'm Gonna Love Me Again (Rocketman)

Best Original Score

This should be 1917's. Newman's score was a strong component of the film and was faultless. Joker's score is also excellent and with 1917 set to be the big winner tonight, I'd imagine Joker to walk away with awards for it's two strongest elements - the performance and the score.

Will Win: Joker

Should Win: 1917

Writing:

Best Adapted Screenplay

People loved Jojo Rabbit and it won't win anything else. It's screenplay and this would be a deserving award to give it, however Little Women took something old, something well known, and made it new and fresh. That's almost all in the screenplay. I'm stuck between the two. I loved both; Little Women was the better film but Jojo has more effective moments delivered by an intelligent screenplay. Some people may vote against the Nazi-for-comedy stuff though...

Will Win: Jojo Rabbit

Should Win: Jojo Rabbit

Best Original Screenplay

This has to be Parasite. None of the others come close, as much as I'd love to see Knives Out or Marriage Story get some love. Booksmart should be here also and 1917 can be dropped.

Will Win: Parasite

Should Win: Parasite

Fringe Films:

Best Animated Feature

Another weaker category. I Lost My Body is great, as is Toy Story 4 but the latter may fall short due to over-Pixarisation (look it up). Klaus and Missing Link both do something different stylistically but are unimpressive narratively. It's getting late and your call is as good as mine here.

Will Win: Toy Story 4

Should win: I Lost My Body

Best Documentary Feature

From a weak category to one of the strongest. All of the documentaries are contenders here. American Factory is amazing and getting a lot of love, as is The Cave. Personally, my vote goes to For Sama, which I thought was the most eye-opening of the nominees, though not an easy watch which might take away it's winning value. This time, I'm going with my gut.

Will Win: For Sama

Should Win: For Sama

Best Foreign Language Film

If Parasite doesn't win, I will admit I don't understand anything.

Will Win: Parasite

Should Win: Parasite

The Big Five:

Best Supporting Actor

No one else has even got a look in this season, and rightly so. But only because Willem Dafoe has been robbed across the board.

Will Win: Brad Pitt (OUATIH)

Should win:~~Willem Dafoe (The Lighthouse)~~ Brad Pitt (OUATIH)

Best Supporting Actress

As above, no one will uproot Laura Dern's momentum, but I'm on the side of Scarlett Johansson in Jojo Rabbit. I'm also on the side of booting Kathy Bates for Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers. A much tighter category than its male counterpart but still, here's to Laura.

Will Win: Laura Dern (Marriage Story)

Should Win: Scarlett Johansson (Jojo Rabbit)

Best Actress

It's hard not to see the brilliance of Renee Zellweger's performance as Judy Garland. I also love Scarlett Johansson in Marriage Story and would not object to her having a double win but it won't happen

Will Win: Renee Zellweger (Judy)

Should Win: Renee Zellweger (Judy)

Best Actor

Again, nothing changing here. Expect Joaquin Phoenix to win with no competition and deliver another speech about some important topic. I am in love with Adam Driver in Marriage Story and think it was the best performance of the year. It was nuanced, it was correctly explosive, it was painful and powerful. In other words, it was Joaquin Phoenix's Joker performance but subdued and superior.

Will Win: Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
Should Win: Adam Driver (Marriage Story)

Best Director

On any other year, this would be Bong Joon Ho's award hands down. He made an astonishingly good film like nothing else here. But Sam Mendes made 1917 which is more than a film. It's an experience. A technical marvel. A miracle. That is all down to Sam Mendes and his work. Either would be worthy recipients but:

Will Win: Sam Mendes (1917)

Should Win: Sam Mendes (1917)

Best Picture

The big one, and for the first time in years, it is genuinely exciting. Any of these films could win. It's been amazing to follow. From a five horse race (OUATIH, The Irishman, Parasite, Joker, 1917) to a three horse race (OUATIH, Parasite, 1917) to really a two horse race (Parasite, 1917). OUATIH still has an outside chance, especially under the preferential system, but 1917 and Parasite would both be worthy winners for different reasons. Parasite is the best film. 1917 is the best production.

Will Win: 1917

Should Win: Parasite

Oscars 2020: All Nominated Features - Ranked

2020-02-09T21:55:00.000+00:00

A simple post really. I've become disenchanted with a five star ranking system. There's no room for nuance. How can I tell you that Knives Out is way ahead if Joker but still a step behind Marriage Story with five stars? I can't! So here: a full ranking of all 38 nominated features. If you want my feelings on shorts, see my predictions post.

Breakthrough
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Harriet
Richard Jewell
The Lion King
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Frozen II
Judy
Missing Link
The Edge of Democracy
Rocketman
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Ad Astra
Klaus
The Cave
Honeyland
Toy Story 4
Avengers: Endgame
American Factory
I Lost My Body
Bombshell
Joker
Les Misérables
For Sama
The Two Popes
Pain and Glory
Corpus Christi
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Knives Out
Jojo Rabbit
The Lighthouse
Little Women
Marriage Story
1917
Parasite

What can I say? This film had me gripped from the get go. I loved it. I adored it. There's been nothing better all year. Could it pull it off and win? Only time will tell but it would be amazing if it did. It's rare enough for the best film to actually win, but an international feature? It would be a dream come true.

Oscars 2020: Best Picture

2020-02-09T21:24:00.001+00:00

1917

1917 is a marvel. The construction and production are a clear labour of love and dedication to the craft of film-making. Simply put, 1917 is a unique cinematic experience. It’s immersive, compelling, never yielding or giving room to breathe. Jumping from astonishing set piece to set piece, Sam Mendes has achieved something truly special with 1917 and it’s unlikely we’ll see anything even remotely similar anytime soon. If you can, see it on a big screen; it's unmissable.

Ford v Ferrari (a.k.a. Le Mans 66)

Ford v Ferrari may not contain any groundbreaking story telling and it may be predictable (or so you might seem), littered with caricatures and cliches but whatever it does, by golly does it do it well. It’s roaring fun anchored around two solid central performances in Matt Damon and Christian Bale. It races along (sorry) with unapologetic pace and delivers everything you might want in a film. It's funny, emotive, suspenseful, easy-to-watch and a treat for the eyes at the same time. The race sequences alone are worth the ticket price. If nothing else, Ford v Ferrari is an excellently edited, effective piece of cinema. Besides, sometimes it's nice to know who the good guys and bad guys are in a best picture race that is smacked in shades of grey.

The Irishman

The master of mobster movies is back at 77 years of age with another epic piece of film-making. The Irishman is an unrepentant reminder that death comes for all and tears apart the toxic masculinity that fuels the underworld of crime and the upper world of politics. It also reminds us how closely tied those worlds are. With incredible performances from some of the greats - De Niro, Pesci, Capone - and some character defining de-aging, The Irishman is truly a tour de force of cinema (streaming?). It is overlong, sometimes confusing - requiring some knowledge of American politics and history - and the revolutionary de-aging is occasionally distracting but don't be fooled - this film packs a mighty punch.

Jojo Rabbit

Once you settle with the slightly off accents, Jojo Rabbit really takes off. Some have complained it's not meaningful enough, or isn't critical enough of the Nazi regime. But this is not that film and that's okay; in fact, Jojo Rabbit expects the audience to have an understanding of the atrocities committed by both sides as they create the implicit threats for all weighing down on the characters. But we are seeing Jojo's perspective. Jojo is ignorant of the Nazi's evil (an ignorance that leads to one of the films most effective moments) and so it's not central to the film. We, the audience, are aware so it need not spell it out. In the meantime, it tells a touching story of human connection overcoming the worst evils imaginable. Yes it's funny, but the comedy is (mostly) used to then highlight the danger, fear, and evil that exists. And it delivers both the comedy and the tragedy in buckets. It's great.

Joker

To take a comic book icon and redefine him in an age of the dominant Marvel Cinematic Universe is a risky business. To be successful is an achievement in itself. To be as good as Joker is almost unbelievable. Now, understand, Joker is not a masterpiece. It's not particularly special. But it is a good film. It tries to hinge too much of its narrative on underdeveloped social issues (absent fathers, depression, underfunded social care) but leaves them hanging in a misleading way. But is beautifully shot, the score is glorious, and the performance from Joaquin Phoenix is spell-binding. It's no King of Comedy or Taxi Driver, two close comparisons, but it holds its own.

Little Women

Director Greta Gerwig can do no wrong. Lady Bird, her debut in 2017, was one of the best films of the last ten years, and now she is adapting a book that’s already had seven film adaptations, several TV adaptations, and even an anime adaptation. It's fair to say there are no better hands to deal with such a task. With a great ensemble cast, Gerwig breathes fresh, exciting life into a classic piece of fiction. Using multiple timelines running alongside one another, the narrative ploughs along, never dragging and never dropping. It’s not only a beautiful piece of cinema, but a triumphant one in every single regard. It's pretty close to flawless, and that's saying something.

Marriage Story

Unlike many films on this list, Marriage Story seems unimpressive on the surface but its simplicity allows it to shine. Chocked full of great, career best performances from Driver, Johansson and cast, Marriage Story is effectively emotive and heartbreaking, bringing the pain of even the nicest divorces to the surface, letting it boil over into anguish, hatred, and resentment. But where Noah Baumbach really makes his mark is in the lines that are crossed. The words said that can never be taken back, the actions that can never be undone, the regret that can never be overcome. It’s in these moments, in how they’re handled, that Marriage Story demonstrates its emotional weight. It’s perfectly crafted, beautifully acted, and flawless in every way. It’s understated and straight forward and shows that you can do simple things really well and boy howdy does this do it well.

Once upon a time... in Hollywood

Quentin Tarantino's latest film is classic Tarantino, though not in the way we might expect. It is born out of pop-culture, dripping in nostalgia, and slowly taking us through a fairy tale version of Hollywood. Despite clocking in at nearly 2 hours 40, it doesn't feel like a chore to get through, which is a great testament to what's on show here. There's no major set-pieces (like, say, Inglorious Basterds), until the end. It just kind of floats through events, but the drifting is all purposeful and leads to a heart-stopping, adrenaline pumped climax. It is great filmmaking with great performances. It's not Tarantino at his best, but it is him at his most relaxed.

Parasite

Parasite is a unique piece of cinema, refusing to be confined to any single genre and carving its own, previously untrodden path onto the filmic landscape. It dances from Hitchcockian thriller, to black comedy, to heist movie with no effort under the careful guidance of Bong Joon Ho. He delicately weaves his tapestry with precision, not wasting a shot or a cut or a word, holding in tension a damning condemnation of capitalism whilst trying (and succeeding) to be entertaining. It's a masterpiece, plain and simple; it's in a league of its own and is something special.

Oscars 2020: In Summary

2020-02-09T10:30:00.000+00:00

So there were 53 total nominees at the Oscars this year, 38 features and 15 shorts. I've seen all 53 in case you're unable to. So here's a quick summary of all the feature nominees, excluding the Best Picture nominees which have their own space here (coming soon). But, before tonight, here we go in alphabetical order:

Ad Astra

Ad Astra

It may look like the next 2001: A Space Odyssey but it's not. It tries explore the depths of not just space, but also human nature. Sometimes, it pulls it off and Pitt's performance is excellent, but it struggles tonally and with pace. That being said, it is beautifully shot with some striking lighting, possibly unrivalled this year. Combined, though, with some clunky exposition, and you have something that is aware of its potential, ambitious to reach its potential, but unable to do so.

American Factory

As documentaries go, American Factory is eye-opening. It explores the culture clash of an American-Chinese factory, the discrimination involved in unwanted unionisation, the painful success of the heartless regime and is always engaging, and exciting even.

Avengers: Endgame

Endgame is an odd film. It's first act is disjointed, sloppy, and slow, but the second half is an unrivalled triumph with only minor speedbumps. It's unlikely that any other film will replicate the success of Endgame, especially considering the magnitude of what it had to do. It needs a sharper edit, cutting out all selfie jokes and fortnight references whilst also making it's social comments more authentic rather than clunkily shoe-horning them in. But don't let that take away from how breathtaking the climax of ten years' worth of cinema is.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Tom Hanks would seem to be an ideal choice to play Mr Rodgers, and you're not wrong - he's as close as we'll get. But no-one can be Mr Rodgers, really. There is something special about him (see Would you be my Neighbour, a 2018 documentary on him) and that is what comes through here more than anything. Hanks is really telling the true story of a brilliant man rather than acting as him. He challenged the status quo, was counter cultural, and here we see his ability to truly reach people. It's touching, if a little basic.

Bombshell

Great performances and a horrid truth. Timely, widely acknowledged, and yet still deeply shocking; the reality of what happened behind those closed doors is not dealt with lightly. Director Jay Roach knows how to make his audience uncomfortable and does so to unsettling effect, to put us in the shoes of the victims - or as near as we can get from the comfort of distance - but it makes the point. This is serious, this is painful, this is real, this is wrong.

Corpus Christi

Breakthrough

There is nothing enjoyable about the first 20 minutes of Breakthrough. In fact, and I know this sounds bad, it only gets going when a kid almost tragically dies. The characters, at the start, are all unlikeable. And sure, Christians recognise that all people are flawed and broken - it's not shying away from that - but cinematically we need to connect. We should care when John falls through the ice... but we don't. Still, it recovers and moves on. The characters improve and the film starts to raise some good questions, bad sadly never attempts to tackle them.

The Cave

Syrian war documentaries are no stranger to the Oscars. There's two this year, both focusing on the work of hospitals at the centre of the conflict. The Cave is an uneasy watch, but it doesn't portray a world devoid of hope. We see the small joys, the celebrations, the laughs and jokes that happen in a literal hole in the earth. It's hard not to be moved.

Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi is the joy of the Oscar season. A small Polish film that we might never have heard of if not for its nomination. But it's excellent and deserving of its place alongside the big-dogs like Parasite. It's engaging from the off and it never relieves the tension. It explores the hypocrisy of the good faithful villagers from the perspective of a bad faithful criminal and it does it masterfully.

The Edge of Democracy

If, like this humble author, you have no idea of the political situation in Brazil, this is the documentary to watch, regardless of whether you find the topic dull. The outworkings of greed and corruption permeate the political landscape, with everyone listed as either the saviour or the devil. In the world we live in today, it's a reminder of why binary politics can be so damaging, but also that democracy is fragile and cannot be given without thought to the powerful and the greedy.

For Sama

With a specific focus on children in the war, presented as a letter to the director's daughter Sama, For Sama is a breathtaking documentary that will have you on the edge of your seat. It's worth saying, there is little to enjoy when watching For Sama. But you're not here to have fun War is dark. It is horrific. Any joy is fought tooth and nail for, whilst grief is given freely. If you can bear it, it's a truly eye-opening film. If you're like me, you'll hug your loved ones slightly tighter after watching it.

Knives Out

Frozen II

Overall an improvement on its predecessor, but its music is lacking, which was easily the strongest part of the previous installment. Visually, it's in a new league from the bleary blues of Frozen but it is still falls into too many sequel traps, never quite feeling fresh or new.

Harriet

Rushed, sloppy, and, for the most part, ineffective at creating any sort of feeling for the central characters. It rattles along whilst never building any tension or really giving any sort of commentary. It feels pointless; it never really solidifies Harriet as a great woman as she never really get shown to do very much, which in turn defeats the point of the film.

Honeyland

The most cinematic of documentaries this year. A commentary on natural resources, the exploitation of them, and of relationships. It's heart-warming and heart-breaking; moving and meaningful. It doesn't do a lot, but what it does it does very well. Who would've thought a film about bee-keeping could be quite so powerful?

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Suffering from third-film stagnation, How to Train your Dragon 3 just doesn't really work. There's a lot going on but nothing convincingly. It's slightly contrived and somehow, the background characters from the earlier films have found their way to more central roles and have brought their grating personalities and strange traits with them. Visually, it is stunning, but narratively, it's flat which is a real shame.

I Lost My Body

Superb animation, a beautiful and heartfelt story, and a dismembered hand trying to find its way home. It's genuinely exciting when the hand has to take on huge opponents like rats or pigeons and never pretends to be family friendly due to its medium. This has scary moments, loving moments, painful moments, and many more. Its narrative is well paced leading to a hugely satisfying end, even if not a totally happy one.

Judy

Judy is one astonishing performance and little else. It's a watchable, even enjoyable film, but there's no real creative flair, which is a missed opportunity, especially with the concert scenes where it felt all too copy-and-paste, all too samey, with one exception at the end. However, instead of ending there, on a high, they retreat back to cheap sentimentality without the real cause to do so. It's fine, but go elsewhere for something good.

The Lighthouse

Klaus

Klaus is beautifully animated and the voice acting is a treat. It's a Christmas film through and through, reinventing the Santa Claus' mythos in a gentle, endearing way. There's no great magic, no great technology, just a man who loves toys and children, as well as the greedy-come-kind postman who helps him realise his true calling. J.K. Simmons proves what he can do with just his voice in an enjoyable little tale. Is it predictable, mostly, but in such a fun way.

Knives Out

Possibly the most fun you can have with a murder mystery. There's a sense that everyone on camera here is having the best time of their lives, especially Daniel Craig. His southern detective is the crowning jewel of an already excellent film. It takes all of what you know about whodunnits and freshens it up whilst keeping everything you love. Simply a joy.

Les Misérables

Not the musical stage spectacular or the Tom Hooper adaptation of 2012, this is a more brutal, modern, real look at the neighbourhood that once inspired Victor Hugo. There's crime abundant and the police force are no strangers to it, and even are a bit too warm to it. The tensions reach breaking point and there's a manic attempt to claw back dignity and respect leading to a heart-racing finale. With some great performances and an intelligent screenplay, Les Misérables is a French triumph.

The Lighthouse

A simply stunning piece of art. Robert Pattinson has never been better; Willem Dafoe has never been better; modern black and white has never been better; 1.19:1 aspect ratio has never been better. This descent into madness is a marvel; we share in the characters insanity. Are they insane, are we? What's happening? We always know and don't know. There's something incredibly striking and unique about that paradoxical position, making us Schrodinger's audience, always on the precipice of understanding, yet never further way. Hark Triton, hark!

The Lion King

There's something soulless about The Lion King. The realism of the animation takes away the opportunity for creativity. As captivating and beautiful as it is, The Lion King is nothing original (obviously, as a near shot-for-shot remake), and nothing entertaining. The colour pallette, facial expressions, and therefore the joy are all restricted by the commitment to being a 'live action' remake. It's sad, and will leave you begging for something wholly new and unique.

Pain and Glory

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

An unnecessary sequel to a somewhat unnecessary film. Angelina Jolie turns up, but it can't be said that anybody else does. There's no tenison, no real stakes. The baddies are 'hidden' but it's clear to the audience from the get-go who's the evil one, making it seem painful that the characters can't see it to. As with a lot of the lower rated films this year, it works hard visually, understanding its medium. Those iron air mines against the blue sky are marvellous.

Missing Link

A lot of fun, if not a bit twee. The stop motion animation is a treat and deserves many accolades, but it's not as good as it was in Kubo and the Two Strings which was excellent. Somehow, at only 93 minutes, it still feels quite long, but still silly family fun.

Pain and Glory

This is a pretty film. The colours explode from the scene making it a joy to watch regardless of anything else. There's beauty in the narrative too; a suffering artist struggling to find his creative juices whilst having to dredge up and work through old conflicts. Plus heroin. Good fun, warm, and Antonio Banderas has never been better.

Richard Jewell

This is a film about a 'true American hero', as director Clint Eastwood puts it, but it's a pity they made the hero so unlikeable. We're introduced to him abusing his power over students, being over keen about the police force, and quite openly having the runs. It's trying to set up the conflict for later, but all it really does is disengage the audience to the point where instead of screaming at the FBI to look elsewhere, you're hoping they do find some dirt on Richard.

The Two Popes

Rocketman

Rocketman, in one sense has been cheated. It's a league ahead of last year's Bohemian Rhapsody and yet has next to none of the recognition. It is superior in all respects, not least in its lead performance, and it's just unfair. That being said, for the most part, it's a formulaic musical biopic with some good adjustments. It's full of unrealised promise, but a lot of fun nonetheless.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

If you can ignore the fact that it doesn't really make any sense - which may be a tall ask - and that it's at least 30 minutes too long - which is a tall ask if you forget to go to the toilet - then you can start to enjoy the final instalment of the Skywalker saga. There's a lot of problems - a lot - but it's still got stunning visual effects, great performances, and some spellbinding action, even if it feels like going round the houses to get there.

Toy Story 4

Whilst a fourth instalment of the much loved animated series seemed entirely unnecessary - and in many senses it was - it refused to be irrelevant. It wasn't a simple cash-grab, continuing to deal with real issues whilst introducing new characters and solidifying the old. Is it the weakest in the series? Yes. Is it still a great film? Yes.

The Two Popes

Genuinely funny and moving as it considers questions bigger than ourselves. Anchored by two brilliantly touching performances - Hopkins and Pryce. Together, they bring humility and humanity to the Vatican leaders in a film that boasts strong storytelling and a tight script, never losing its warmth amongst its existential explorations and search for God's true will.

The Top Ten of The Last Ten

2019-12-17T22:19:00.001+00:00

10 - The Social Network (2010)

The protagonist of Fincher's Facebook film may have lost some of our respect over recent years, following criticism of his involvement with Cambridge Analytica and attitudes to ads, but whilst Mark Zuckerberg has fallen, The Social Network has soared. Its razor-sharp dialogue, powerful editing, and compelling acting never presents its characters as anything but flawed and broken trying to make it in a world that only cares about popularity. It's still a highly entertaining, and culturally damning, portrayal of the power of social media and the overwhelming desire to be liked. It could be argued that it is more meaningful now than ever.

9 - The Hurt Locker (2009)

Really, The Hurt Locker is what started everything for me. Not my love for films, that was well established, but my love for all things Oscars. The Hurt Locker was one of those rare films that took my breath away like nothing had done before. So why the love for the Oscars? In my mind, Avatar was going to win Best Picture; it was a two horse race. But Hurt Locker won. That was exciting - to see this superb piece of cinema topple the $2 billion behemoth. And every year there's a competition, a battle with a winner to predict. But that's not why The Hurt Locker is so high on this list. Yes it holds a special place in my heart, but it is also a gosh-darn great movie.

8 - Up In The Air (2009)

Some films get better the more you watch them, some get worse. My master's thesis focused on airports in American Cinema (fun, right?)*, looking at 2004's The Terminal and 2009's Up in the Air. I liked both films when starting but now I'd be happy to never see a single frame of The Terminal again. Up in the Air, however, got better with every viewing, despite excruciating analysis. Now that's the sign of a good film. A beautifully crafted movie with George Clooney's Ryan as a living embodiment of airport life - busy, impressive, free, but ultimately empty, devoid of any solid, concrete relationships, revelling only in temporary connections. It's as warm as it is heartbreaking, and much more grounded than its title lets on.

*Full title: Representation of the Airport in American Film: Exploring Marc Augé's Non-Place, its Effect on Relationships, and the Concept of Home in The Terminal and Up in the Air

7 - Django Unchained (2012)

Slavery may not seem like a natural topic for Tarantino, the wise-cracking, violence-loving, history-warping filmmaker that he is. In fact, slavery should surely be treated with the upmost sincerity? I mean, look at 12 Years a Slave - they won Best Picture with their very serious (and very good) representation of one of the darkest times in American History. But with Django, an organic pairing emerges. Tarantino does not treat slavery lightly, but never does he let his audience dwell in sorrow. While this is a victorious story, it still shows all the gruesome realities of slavery and doesn't hide the ugliness of revenge. Is it stylised, yes. Is it often tongue-in-cheek, yes. But does it ever downplay the suffering of those who were enslaved or make light of their plight? No. It could very easily be a disaster, but in Tarantino's hands, it is a major success.

6 - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

It's tempting to assign Birdman's success to a gimmick: the single long take in which the film is shot. And whilst it's stylistic properties are worth all the merit they're given, Birdman is so much more than clever camera work. As well as being the highest Best Picture winner on this list, it's a stunning piece of visual artistry and outstanding strong telling, contained within the parameters set by the single wandering viewpoint. It's immersive and subversive, funny and miserable, stacked with world-class performances and complimented by a strong rewatch value. Well, how could Birdman not make the top ten?

5 - The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

At three hours long, The Wolf of Wall Street is easily the longest film to break the top ten, but unlike other similar-length films, particularly those released around Oscar season, it never drags. It portrays the exhilarating appeal of Belfort's lifestyle, regardless of its condemnable morality, whilst not shying away from the ugly, crushing devastation that it brings. It is bold, brutal, breathtaking, and boasts a career-best performance from Leonardo DiCaprio (don't @ me). The picture it paints may be shades of moral and ethical grey, but grey has never dazzled so brightly.

4 - Black Swan (2010)

What happens when you combine the high art of ballet with spine-tingling unease and paranoid suspense of a horror film? The answer: you get one of the best films of the last ten years; an unnervingly dark dive into the human psyche as it pursues perfection. Black Swan is as scary as it is steamy, whilst never being insincere and we, as the viewer, share in Nina's swan dive into madness, experiencing every second of it through her as our unreliable guide with Aronofsky's directing perfectly positioning his audience to constantly surprise, scare, and shock us. As far as films go, this one is on pointe (sorry).

3 - Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

There's no other film on this list quite like Mad Max: Fury Road. Firstly, it's a sequel. Not only that, it's a reboot-sequel. And not only that, but it's a reboot-sequel set in dystopian wasteland, ruled by a cult of radioactively decaying, kamikazing mad-men that drive spikey sand-buggies and swing flamethrower-guitar players from ropes whilst chasing the few females left in their world. Not your typical Oscar bait, but simply brilliant. A visual masterpiece, a joyous thrill-ride, an overwhelmingly unique piece of cinema; Fury Road is all these things and more. But what does Fury Road have that few others on this list have? Fun. It takes it's fun seriously, and as a result it is seriously fun. Whilst other films may make us well up or pull on our heartstrings, Fury Road begs us to watch again and again and again. It says 'hey, hop in. Enjoy the drive', and we can't not. It's just too good.

2 - The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Auter is not a word thrown around much these days, and probably for good reason. Do many directors today really have a distinguishable style, something immediately recognisable? A few names spring to mind, but none more so than Wes Anderson; his style is uniquely crafted and The Grand Budapest Hotel is the jewel in his crown. A ridiculously comic, character driven caper featuring a dream cast, a non-linear narrative (complete with complementary aspect ratios) and signature cinematography. It is a meticulously detailed cinematic experience which never sacrifices its entertainment value or its beauty. In fact, it truly encompasses all that the medium of film has to offer in order to tell a fantastic and phenomenally funny story.

1 - Whiplash (2014)

It's not often I finish a film and want to re-watch it immediately, but that's what happened with Whiplash. I was rewatching it the very next day after thinking about it all night. Almost five years since its release, and I'm still thinking about it all the time. It is a reminder that films don't have to be box-office behemoths filled with cherished intellectual property to be brilliant, but great performances, a sharp edit, a contained narrative, and only personal stakes can do the job fine. Damien Chazelle has become a regular at the Oscars (with La La Land and First Man in the last few years) but not because his films are 'Oscar-bait', but because they are good films without appealing to the conventions of a typical winner. And sure, he hasn't gone home with a Best Picture gong yet but his best film to date gets the absolute privilege of sitting at the top of this completely pointless list, on this completely pointless blog with an author who will fight tooth and nail for it to stay there.

Ranking 10 Years of Best Picture Nominees

2019-12-17T22:12:00.001+00:00

So for the last ten years, since the Academy moved to ten spots for Best Picture nominations, I've committed to watching every Best Picture nominee. That's 89 films. Some of which I've seen many times since, some I've not watched again, and a couple I wished I'd never watched. The winners by year have been bolded and I've included some occasional thoughts. Do let me know your thoughts too! What should be higher, lower or am I spot on?

So here we go, with all objectivity out the window and only subjectivity left, this is Phil's rankings of the last ten years of Best Picture nominees:

89. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)

Taking a proud spot at the bottom of this crucial list, the only film nominated for Best Picture in the last ten years that I thought was simply bad. It was distasteful, badly made, and had an irritating lead (though Max von Sydow is a glimmer of excellence in an otherwise poor film). It stands at 46% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is about half of what most nominees get (for reference, the next 'worst' film is The Blind Side at 66%, a whopping 20% clear). I'm with Andrea Peyser who called it 'Extremely, incredibly exploitive' in her review. The handling of a subject such as the devestating effects of 9/11 deserves better, more thoughtful treatment and, less importantly, the Oscars deserve better films.

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
The Kids Are All Right (2010)
Lion (2016)
The Post (2017)
The Blind Side (2009)
American Sniper (2014)
Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Moneyball (2011)
War Horse (2011)
American Hustle (2013)
Hidden Figures (2016)
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
Selma (2014)
Hugo (2011)
Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Les Misérables (2012)
The Theory of Everything (2014)
The Imitation Game (2014)
Phantom Thread (2017)
Her (2013)
Hell or High Water (2016)

67. Green Book (2018)

The lowest ranking of the Best Picture winners. This is not a bad film but it is forgettable (see also Argo at 62), and that is where it's success came from. A safe commentary on racism that appealed to everyone but dazzled no one. It falls at the better end of mostly forgettable films (see numbers 88-68) which suggests, whilst still one of the better films of the year, it's not going to survive in cinematic memory like those just a few further up the list.

The Fighter (2010)
Philomena (2013)
Winter's Bone (2010)
Life of Pi (2012)
Argo (2012)
Precious (2009)
Vice (2018)
A Serious Man (2009)
The Help (2011)
Room (2015)

56. Avatar (2009)

Despite being pipped to the post for Oscar glory by small-budget The Hurt Locker, Avatar has left its mark on cinema history, developing groundbreaking technology, and taking more money in its box office than any film that came before it. Only in uniting 11 years worth of superhero films in the MCU's Avengers: Endgame has anyone even come close to beating that record, and they only managed it with a re-release. Before that, the record was held by Avatar director, James Cameron with Titanic. Was Avatar the best movie of the last ten years? Evidently not. But it was one of the most spectacular cinematic experiences I've had (and I saw it three times in the cinema). It's worth taking a moment to remember the magic that it brought to the big screen, particularly in a world of CGI lions singing Hakuna Matata and endless streams of superheroes.

127 Hours (2010)
Boyhood (2014)
Lincoln (2012)
Black Panther (2018)
An Education (2009)
The Martian (2015)
Darkest Hour (2017)

48. The Tree of Life (2011)

Of all the films on this list, why would I pull out The Tree of Life for a brief comment? It falls somewhere around the middle of this list (despite my own five-star review) and it's not a film we talk about a lot. But it is, and I say this reservedly, the best looking, most beautiful film on the list. Terrence Malik guides us, in a dream-like state, through an exploration of life - its purposes, its meanings and its relationships, not just with one another, but with the world we live in. It's safe to say, there's no other film like it on this list.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Dunkirk (2017)
The Big Short (2015)
Roma (2018)
Up (2009)
The Revenant (2015)
The Descendants (2011)
Midnight in Paris (2011)
Bridge of Spies (2015)
BlacKkKlansman (2018)
The Shape of Water (2017)
Spotlight (2015)
The King's Speech (2010)
Gravity (2013)
True Grit (2010)

32. Amour (2012)

One of two films on this list that have actually made it into my academic study* (the other falls at number 8), Amour is a beautiful and painful film about love and life. It may be one you haven't seen - thus me highlighting it here - and if that's the case, you should correct that. Six years after the previous foreign-language film made it to the Best Picture race (Babel - 2006) and six years before last year's Roma, Amour was tragically under appreciated. It was a small, heartbreaking movie that wrongly passed under many radars. J'adore Amour.

*Full title: The Shocking Nature of Violence in Films; Film Violence, Aesthetics and Context: An In-Depth Analysis of Audience Reception of Representations of Violence

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Arrival (2016)
A Star Is Born (2018)
Captain Phillips (2013)
Nebraska (2013)
12 Years a Slave (2013)
Moonlight (2016)
The Favourite (2018)
Fences (2016)
Manchester by the Sea (2016)
Toy Story 3 (2010)
The Artist (2011)
District 9 (2009)

18. Inception (2010)

Christopher Nolan's boggling masterpiece left everything spinning back in 2010: tops, corridors, and our minds. Its stunning set pieces, action paced plot, and ensemble cast have solidified their place in cinematic history. Who can forget the first time they saw Paris fold in on itself, or how they felt after the corridor fight sequence, or the tension in that final shot; did it wobble? Will it fall?! We may never know but what we do know is this was something unique, hugely creative, with jaw-dropping visuals, from one of the best, most influential directors of the current age.

Get Out (2017)
Inglorious Basterds (2009)
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
Lady Bird (2017)
Brooklyn (2015)
La La Land (2016)

11. Call Me by Your Name (2017)

Just falling shy of the top ten is a beautiful piece of cinema. Gentle, loving film-making; the type of film-making we just don't see much of these days. Director Luca Guadagnino lets his camera wander in a day-dream-like manner through the stunning landscapes of rural Italy, watching his characters as they go about exploring relationships, sexuality, faith and much more. They're not in a rush, and neither is the viewer, allowing the audience time to understand Oliver and Elio as they begin to understand one another. We're not just a witness to their relationship, but participants in it, feeling what they feel, experiencing what they experience. It makes the long shot over the credits of Elio all the more heartfelt and real. Pitch perfect performances combined with a genuine artist behind the camera - this is fine fine film-making and a true rarity.

Well then - only ten left to go. Click here for the top ten!

1001 Movies - An American in Paris

2019-05-14T20:35:00.001+01:00

In 2009, Hugh Jackman proclaimed 'The musical is back!' as he performed with the stars of hit musicals High School Musical 3 and Mumma Mia! at the 81st Academy Awards. It's hard to argue with him; since then The Greatest Showman, Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins Returns, and even the modern retelling of the classic Les Miserables have all hit the top ten highest grossing musicals, have become cultural hits and have led to more musical magic being slated in the coming years. But none of those films performed as well critically. Despite great songs, they lacked something: a pulse. Life. A beating heart in and amongst their big name leads, flashy productions, and Oscar nominated numbers. Vincente Minnelli's 1951 classic An American in Paris had that so who could ask for anything more?

Of course, it's rare to find a film with quite as much as heart as An American in Paris. It's an emotional roller-coaster with joy and sadness, love and loneliness, paints and pains. The story of struggling artists that struggle equally in love. Their poetic minds fantasising about what love is, how love should be, and who to love. And the heart of the film is not one that beats, but rather taps as a gleaming Gene Kelly and a solid supporting cast explore the passionate rhythm of art and humanity through song and dance, tip-tapping their toes through some of the most enjoyable musical numbers ever committed to screen. To sum it up in the language of the film: S'wonderful, s'marvellous!

Its vibrant pastel palette protrudes from the screen, engulfing the audience in its radiancing warmth and joy, the picture it paints paying homage to the art it so obviously admires. This is most explicitly and exceptionally clear in its final astonishing dance sequence which leaves the audience gasping and breathless, before throwing them back into reality, just as Gene Kelly's Jerry is at the film's end. There's something undeniably special about the construction, presentation, and execution of every element of An American Paris from the contagious dancing, to the heart warming singing, to the gut punching finish. Is it Kelly's raw charisma and talent? Is it Gershwin's moving music? Is it that jaw-dropping ballet climax? Whatever it is, it's got a pulse; it's got rhythm.

Despite its obvious, major influence on later acclaimed films (see Best Picture ~~winner~~ nominee La La Land) as well as less critically adored musicals, one thing is clear: they just don't make them like this anymore.

Oscar Predictions 2019

2019-02-24T23:29:00.000+00:00

In a so-so year for awards, was there anything astounding? With the distinctly average Bohemian Rhapsody having a chance to win Best Picture and Best Actor (awards that could easily belong to the non-nominated First Reformed), there's an odd feeling over the Oscars this year. A hostless show, awards added and withdrawn, removed from the broadcast and reinstated, and a bland voting ballot characterise the year. With only hours to go, here are my musings on who will win and who should.

Shorts:

Best Animated Short

The best animated short of the year was Lost & Found which was snubbed. So then it's a toss-up between the cutesy Bao and the more daring Weekends. The others were a bit more predictable or just trash (Animal Behaviour). It's a bit of a guess but in a world dominated by Pixar, this is Bao's to lose.

Will Win: Bao

Should Win: Lost & Found Weekends

Best Live Action Short

Live actions shorts this year have got an unfair (in my opinion) bad press. Regardless, no one has had anything bad to say about Mother and it'd be a shame to see anything less beat it to the prize, but it may have been too shocking and upsetting to win voters over. Detainment has suffered too much controversy to be awarded whilst Skin proved divisive and Fauvre too unsettling. Marguerite, however, is appealing to all. A short, emotive little drama. Easy, safe, and effective.

Will Win: Marguerite
Should Win: Mother

Best Documentary Short
This year's shorts are a bit all over the place. Some say very little but are impactful (Night at the Garden) and some feel too familiar, showing the same old problems again (Lifeboat, End Game). Black Sheep is an interesting insight into a black teen in a town that doesn't accept him, but Period. End of Sentence feels like the most original and insightful documentary. Exploring a stigma and following those trying to overcome it, Period gets into its subject matter more than its competitors.

Will Win: Period. End of Sentence
Should Win: Period. End of Sentence

Technical Categories:

Best Cinematography

Full disclosure: I've not seen Never Look Away so I cannot comment on that.

Simply put, this seems to be Roma's award to lose. It could be close with Cold War in similar black and white, or The Favourite with its fish-eye lens isolating its characters, highlighting their lonlieness, but it'd be unlikely to see anything topple the Mexican Masterpiece.

Will Win: Roma

Should Win: Darkest Hour

Best Costume Design

Historically, period pieces do extremely will in costume design. So The Favourite is the best pick here. That being said, recreating and exaggerating a style is one thing, but creating a nation's tribal-wear is a whole different matter. The Favourite is the safe bet. Black Panther is the right bet.

Will Win: The Favourite

Should Win: Black Panther

Best Make-up and Hairstyling

Vice is similar to Darkest Hour last year. The performance was 50% makeup and as such, it has to take this award. Though Border and Mary Queen of Scots were excellent competitors in this category too, they just can't edge out the Best Picture contender.

Will Win: Vice

Should Win: Vice

Best Production Design

World building in Production Design often fall into the same categories as costume. That being said, The Favourite is so detailed, so precisely designed that it deserves this one over Black Panther which, like much of the film, felt limited by its Marvel overtones.

Will Win: The Favourite

Should Win: The Favourite

Best Visual Effects

This award belongs to Ready Player One, a world built on passionately designed visual effects. It may fall to the might of The Avengers which was also impressive, but Ready Player One felt real, it felt varied. It didn't feel like too much or like inconsistent like The Avengers but will the Academy recognise that? A fringe option is First Man, but it feels undeserved next to the two technical marvels it is up against.

Will Win: Avengers: Infinity War

Should Win: Ready Player One

Best Film Editing

Most of all, I'm praying this doesn't go to the painfully edited Bohemian Rhapsody. This feels like Vice's award. If nothing else, Vice was well paced, well pieced together, and that is where most of its success was found. Similar to makeup, Vice was made, literally and figuratively, by its editing.

Will Win: Vice

Should Win: Vice

Best Sound Editing

As always, the sound predictions are all over the place. As its (sadly) sole nomination, A Quiet Place may get this as a well deserved compensation. Considering it was one of the best films of the year and its narrative was based on sound, it seems like a sure bet. But other, more 'soundy' films could interject. Films like (shudder) Bohemian Rhapsody or (shrug) First Man. Both worthy, but the sound editing is not nearly as impactful as A Quiet Place. First Man may nip it for its space sequences but it is ultimately hard to say.

Will Win: A Quiet Place

Should Win: A Quiet Place

Best Sound Mixing

Music equals a good chance here. Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star is Born both stand a chance but the Freddie Mercury biopic is coming out on top in the polls. But Bohemian Rhapsody didn't make me feel a Queen live performance. Just listen (not watch) to the real Live Aid performance and feel the tingles. A Star is Born created that in its live shows.

Will Win: Bohemian Rhapsody

Should Win: Anything but Bohemian Rhapsody A Star is Born

Music:

Best Original Song

One word: Shallows. Tingles, every time.

Will Win: 'Shallows' from A Star is Born

Should Win: 'Shallows' from A Star is Born

Best Original Score

This should be Beale Street's for the taking. It's a beautiful score and I don't want to indulge anything else winning

Will Win: If Beale Street Could Talk

Should Win: If Beale Street Could Talk

Writing:

Best Adapted Screenplay

Tough tough call here. Beale Street and Can You Ever Forgive Me? are good options here as they were shuffled out from the Best Picture contest and this often works as a compensation prize. But Blackkklansman is also a strong contender with Best Picture backing, though not looking likely to win there. It'd be a shame to not see Can You Ever Forgive Me? take home some gold and this would be its category to do so, but it looks to be edged out.

Will Win: Blackklansman

Should Win: Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Best Original Screenplay

The screenplays this year are so tightly contested. More than anything, it's nice to see things not nominated for Best Picture to succeed here and First Reformed should be the pick here. And it's a toss-up. GoldDerby's experts pin this as The Favourite's to win. The Oscarcast's formula gives it to First Reformed (similar split in adapted screenplay). When maths and experts disagree it's hard to decide, but I'm going to side with humans. Bo Burnham was robbed.

Will Win: The Favourite

Should Win: Eight Grade First Reformed

Fringe Films:

Best Animated Feature

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Versewas snubbed for best picture. It's dominated everything so far and rightly so. There's a fear that Incredibles 2 may sneak out of nowhere with Pixar's power.

Will Win: Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

Should win: Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

Best Documentary Feature

A strange category this year after two frontrunners didn't make the nominees (Will You Be My Neighbour? and Three Identical Strangers), but a thrilling category nonetheless. Minding The Gap and Free Solo are the front runners and whilst the former is more compelling in its story, the latter is technically and visually overwhelming. It is a triumph of documentary filmmaking even if it's not quite as moving as Minding the Gap.

Will Win: Free Solo

Should Win: Free Solo

Best Foreign Language Film

As before, Never Look Away is unseen.

Despite Shoplifters and Cold War being brilliant, when a Foreign Language film is also up for Best Picture it seems unfair to even have a Foreign Film category at all. Roma has this in the bag and it would bizarre (and brilliant) if anything else took it.

Will Win: Roma

Should Win: Roma

The Big Five:

Best Supporting Actor

Sadly dominated by the underwhelming and mostly forgettable Green Book, Mahershala Ali seems a shoe-in. But I would love to see Richard E. Grant prevail here. His performance in Can You Ever Forgive Me? was astonishing. A real performance from a great man that deserves recognition.

Will Win: Mahershala Ali (Green Book)

Should win: Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)

Best Supporting Actress

The biggest race of the night. This could go to the wire between Regina King and Rachel Weisz, but Amy Adams and Emma Stone are not far behind. With The Favourite's momentum, I think Weisz may have the edge here but my adoration for Beale Street gives me a soft spot for Regina King's outstanding performance and the critics at GoldDerby seem to be backing her too.

Will Win: Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Should Win: Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)

Best Actress

Glenn Close. Should be Olivia Coleman or (if it were up to me) Mellissa McCarthy who both give performances of a lifetime (particularly McCarthy). Close will get it as a 'right person-wrong film' award whilst McCarthy and Coleman will be back another day. Shouldn't be how it works, but there you go.

Will Win: Glenn Close (The Wife)

Should Win: Mellissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)

Best Actor

Bradley Cooper and Willem Dafoe are brilliant. They won't win because they didn't impersonate someone that can have clips played side-by-side with their real-life counter part. Rami Malek is the top choice here for his performance as Freddie Mercury but it's undeserved (especially as Malek is a brilliant actor who deserves it for a better performance in years to come). Bale is great, but he's working with material better than his performance, but at least he becomes Cheney, unlike Malek with Mercury. Ethan Hawke was robbed.

Will Win: Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody)

Should Win: Ethan Hawke (First Reformed) Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born)

Best Director

Alfonso Cuaron deserves this and earned this. Roma is a beautiful piece of art and only Pawlikowski came close to doing something similar.

Will Win: Alfonso Cuaron (Roma)

Should Win: Alfonso Cuaron (Roma)

Best Picture

A mostly so-so year. It's between Roma and Green Book. Both are good and the Academy may go for the safe, American Green Book but this should be Roma's. Roma is breathtaking, bold, and beautiful. It's everything we want from cinema. Somehow classic and modern at the same time and entirely captivating. Green Book is emotive and fun, but ultimately forgettable. If voters are voting immediately after watching Green Book it may win. A week later and Roma has it.

Don't forget, the Best Picture votes are different and voters choose a top five in order. In each round a film is eliminated so Green Book may come through due to being a lot of voters second choice. All that being said, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was robbed.

Will Win: Roma

Should Win: Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse A Star is Born

Best Picture 2019: Part II

2019-02-24T21:33:00.001+00:00

Green Book

Racism is bad, buddy road movies are good, and few show that better than Green Book. In many senses, it's too formulaic and adheres to too many stereotypical scenarios and characters but the chemistry onscreen is electric. Mortensen and Ali are both on brilliant form and it is the way they work together that really lends Green Book its success.

Green Book manages to be powerful in the issues it portrays but also funny and heartwarming. That may seem like it would undermine the severity of racism but it actually emphasises the contrast in the way successful African Americans were (and are) treated. The film has been riddled with some scandals - some more scandalous than others - but that shouldn't detract you from the fact that this is a good, mostly well crafted, film. That being said, its biggest weakness is not anything that happens on screen, but rather that none of that is hugely memorable. There's nothing bold here and it causes Green Book to slowly fade into a cinematic mist of similarly well-intentioned but safe film-making.

Roma

A cinematic love letter, in part to Cuarón's home country of Mexico, and in part to the language of film making. An emotive, powerful piece of cinema that never drifts through life, but purposefully captures the unfolding events of a young maid's life.

Roma has everything one could ask for (except colour, I suppose). Its shot in beautifully crisp black and white (rivalled only by this year's Cold War), holding its gaze and refusing to cut away. The camera pans with characters as they navigate relationships with one another, balancing employment and class. Cuarón isn't afraid to let things sit for a moment, allowing the audience to fully absorb everything in front of them. Similarly, he introduces details that seem small or insignificant and grows them into a full and powerful climax without the need for constant action, CGI magic, or big names to make it captivating. This love letter is written to ask its lover, the viewers, to come home and remember what made them fall in love with cinema to begin with.

The Favourite

What happens when you take a director known for a film about single people being turned into animals and have them direct a period piece about a 1700s queen and the ladies in her court? You get The Favourite; a daring and dizzying display of regal ridiculousness captured with whip pans and a fish-eye lens.

The Favourite boasts stunning performance from its three leading ladies, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, and Olivia Coleman. They are all devilish and controlling but also weak at times which opens up opportunities for power struggles to emerge, and these struggles are the backbone of the narrative. This is a weird world of duck and lobster racing, of sapphic love-making, and of rotten fruit throwing Torys but its absurdity never feels out of place or unneeded. This is the world Lanthimos has created in order to tell this story, this foul-mouthed reality is not so different from our own and it is the best reality to tell this story.

Blackklansman

Blacksploitation films may have faded out of popular culture (and probably for good reasons) but if there were one man to play with the genre, it would be Spike Lee. The veteran director is back with a fun recreation of a completely bizarre police case.

The concept alone, a black man infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan, seems ridiculous but there is a reality here Lee wants to present. From the moment the screen flicks into life, you can feel Lee's purposeful hand guiding the viewer, using cinema as a point of focus. Scenes from Gone With The Wind and Birth of a Nation grace the screen before anything happens, putting the slave-driving South (particularly that glorified in celluloid) in the audience's mind immediately. The rest of the story is fun, dramatic, and well performed but don't let the light tone and historic setting fool you. Lee closes as purposefully as he opens, jumping forward to the present and showing the viewer cars ploughing through crowds of black protestors, reminding us that racism is not dead and in fact, racism still kills.

Animated Shorts

2019-02-21T10:30:00.002+00:00

Bao

Pixar's obligatory nomination in the short category is arguably one of their weaker. It ticks a lot of boxes, is pertinent to a particular culture, and is poetic in some of it's storytelling, but it's a little confusing and underwhelming. It's cute, but the emotional core of it just doesn't quite hit home.

Animal Behaviour

The weakest of the nominated shorts (and of those shortlisted, in all honesty). It's a mildly entertaining skit with animals seeking therapy for their animalistic behaviour (haha), but the entire first half is too safe. The jokes are too obvious and the dialogue is strained. It picks up in its second half, but it's still too simplistic with it's real focus only appearing at the very end - too late.

Late Afternoon

A moving little short about how precious our memories really are, especially when the mind starts failing. Its abstract animation drifts through loose memories in swirls of colour, diving into a cup of tea and out into happier days gone by. Its gloriously animated and powerfully emotive.

One Small Step

Simple stories are sometimes the best, and One Small Step is no exception. Beautifully animated and brilliantly paced. It builds you up, knocks you down, but like its protagonist, you get right on back up and keep going. It will tug at your heartstrings and may even send chills down your spine. It may be simple, but it's proof that you don't need dialogue to say something great.

Weekends

The boldest of the shorts. It's daring in its animation, examining the difficulties of a child spreading their lives across their parents separate homes. through dreamlike (read: nightmare) sequences that embody the fear and isolation the kid feels. It feels like the freshest, most original of the shorts that has the most unique voice. It may seem a little jarring, but it's compelling.

Special Mention

My ultimate 'snub' this year was the astonishing Lost & Found. A stunning seven minute stop motion animation that you can watch now on Youtube. It was on the shortlist for the Oscar nomination, but failed to make the final five. It is a powerful, emotive story, and despite not a single word, it builds suspense like that of a Hitchcock film. It will tug on a loose thread from your heart and make it unravel. Brilliantly produced, beautifully shot; this was an oversight by the Academy and it's a shame that the short won't get the recognition it deserves.

Best Pictures 2019: Part I

2019-02-18T22:33:00.001+00:00

A Star is Born

A dazzling directorial debut from Bradley Cooper, breathing new life into a classic Hollywood narrative. As the fourth re-imagination of of the same story, there's a danger of being stale and tired, falling victim to over-used tropes and clichés. Cooper, however, fearlessly presses on like a veteran and creates one of the year's biggest and boldest hits.

A Star is Born requires one thing to succeed: a real star. Fortunately, it has two. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper are astonishing, with Cooper particularly turning in the performance of his life and Gaga's mesmerising voice will blow you away; the leads make this story real. There's an overwhelming feeling of truth hidden behind the artifice of cinema, helped in no small part by having a pop star reenact the climb to fame with dialogue that feels pulled directly from Gaga's backstory. It's a beautifully shot, masterful piece of work, that seamlessly overcomes its weaknesses such as pacing in its third act. Like the songs it contains, the film hardly misses a note. It's enthralling, moving, and musically outstanding.

Black Panther

Marvel films dominate today's cinematic landscape and appear in, and regularly on top of, lists of the best movies of the year. Whether you believe they're that good or not, no one can deny their cultural impact and certainly not that of Black Panther. The eighteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe caused a worldwide stir at the beginning of 2018 when it was released and those ripples are still apparent now, a year on. It's clear to see why; in a cinematic universe, and more widely a cinematic landscape, featuring predominately white male heroes, the lack of representation for people of colour in cinema's biggest franchise was painfully apparent.

But Black Panther is not just a check box for the MCU's diversity quota; it's a political commentary, a thrill ride of power struggles, and one of the MCU's best movies. In many practical elements, it is flawless. Its production design and costume design are inspired, drawing inspiration from African tribal wear - the image of which contrasts with the valuable knowledge and resources the Wakandans have to offer. It feels more timely, more pertinent today than Marvel's other films, but even its visually impressive and strong design, fresh take on the superhero genre, and brilliant performances can't save it from feeling too neat, too restrained by the bigger picture that the MCU has in sight. With a bit more freedom, it's exciting to imagine what Black Panther could have been.

Bohemian Rhapsody

The controversies surrounding new allegations of sexual misconduct by director Bryan Singer may be an external factor affecting how (and if) one watches Bohemian Rhapsody but on on it's own merits, it still struggles. It's not a bad film, but it's not great. It's all spectacle and no depth and it feels like a cheap imitation of a creative genius. It's not just air-brushing to compress the narrative, it's unnecessarily manipulating Mercury's life to evoke an emotional response and tell a more compelling story. But it feels dishonest; Mercury was a legend, so why adjust key aspects of his life? In order to tell a 'better' story?

And despite being an entertaining romp through Queen's greatest hits, it's often emotively flat. The supporting cast are one dimensional at best which elevates a brilliant performance by Rami Malek by contrast. But there's no character development beyond Mercury, which is strained anyway and mostly hinges on a literal descent into a gay underworld. Maybe there was something worse here, salvaged into something watchable and mostly enjoyable by veteran editor John Ottman, but it's not inventive, innovative, and inspiring like its subject. And really, isn't that what Freddie deserves?

Vice

Featuring a powerhouse politician embodied in a powerhouse performance by Christian Bale, Vice tells the story of Dick Cheney; his subtle rise to a position of power and how he wielded that power. Adam McKay’s energetic follow up to The Big Short is angled in a way designed to make Thanos look like a puppy dog. It’s partisan and biased but it’s completely compelling film making, playing with narrative story structures and using its cinematic medium to full effect. There’s a restaurant scene where the menu offers tasty travesties from the invasion of Iraq, a false ending, archival footage, a Shakespearean soliloquy, and much more. It’s a storytelling marvel.

That being said, it sometimes rushes and sometimes drags and occasionally becomes confusing as we jump between self-aware meta-scenes, safari footage, and the main narrative. There’s a lot to digest which will no doubt require multiple viewings and it’s exciting enough to not make that a chore. It's funny, which only highlights the severity of its subject matter. It's a well aimed satire and, for the most part, it hits its mark dead on.

Oscars 2019: Part II

2019-02-17T22:12:00.001+00:00

Free Solo

You may think someone climbing El Capitan without ropes would be the most compelling aspect of Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin's documentary but it is the climber rather than the climb that makes Free Solo what it is. Alex Honnold is risking life and limb when he solos, so what makes him attempt the insane? Looking closely at both Honnold and those closest to him, we get a glimpse into the mind of a major thrill seeker and it is exhilarating. By the time we get to the climb, you’ve already sweat a bucket and bitten all your nails off.

It’s a fascinating journey of one man trying to do the impossible and we’re along with him for all the very literal, and all too terrifying, highs and lows. It only really scratches the surface of man vs nature and why someone may want to do this, but it's beautifully shot, somewhat disturbing, and all-together captivating.

If Beale Street Could Talk

Barry Jenkins follows his best picture winning Moonlight with another close-up of life in the black community. He carefully dissects the institutional racism inherit in America, without ever abandoning the love story at the centre of his film. His camera paints poetry with a delicate and deliberate colour palette, capturing and commanding the eye. It glides through scenes like a dream, showing the joy and optimism amongst the pain and the suffering. Beale Street simply doesn’t need to talk when it looks this good.

Powerful performances ground Jenkins’ transcendent style, bringing human heart with strong but flawed characters. The chemistry and tensions on-screen are palpable, drawing the audience into the scene, seating them in the middle of the crossfire and forcing them into the conversation. Occasionally it may drag when indulging its vision too much, but it’s forgivable; ultimately, it’s powerful and emotive film making.

Christopher Robin

For many of us, Winnie the Pooh played a big part in our childhoods but none as big as the part he played in the childhood of his pal Christopher Robin. Also like many of us, Christopher grew up and forgot Pooh, filling his time with other things - work and family - until they reach breaking point with one another. It is at this crisis point that Pooh reappears to help his old friend once again.

It's a charming film, though very familiar. The plot is ancient, though typically Disney, with some CGI Pooh Bears and Tiggers thrown in, and a goofily archetypal antagonist in Christopher's boss (Mark Gatiss) for good measure. And despite it's somewhat dark and dismal start for an excellent Ewan McGregor's Christopher, the film drips with joy and love for its source material. Pooh, who gets vastly more screen-time than the other critters of Hundred Acre Wood, is a delight, helped in no small part by Jim Cummings returning to voice the beloved bear. At it's worst, Christopher Robin is too plain and simple. At it's best, it's fun; plain and simple.

Mirai

The true cosmic magic of family, the connections that transcend time, are on full display in Hosoda's Mirai. It's an adventure that plays with linear narrative storytelling, the best method to capture the jealousies, insecurities, need for love, and imagination of a young child whose space is invaded by a newborn sibling.

It's a touching exploration into memory and family, investigating the invisible links that hold the fabric of our lives together but it can be clunky at times. Mirai struggles to maintain its tempo, often too neatly tying up threads before they're suddenly unravelled again for the next mystical encounter. If nothing else, it's a refreshing reminder that animation is still alive and well if not flourishing, without feeling the need to adhere to the formats presented by the big western studios.

Oscars 2019: Part I

2019-02-13T19:25:00.000+00:00

A Quiet Place

Alfred Hitchcock has long been deemed the 'King of Suspense' and many have tried to topple him from his throne. With so many worthy suiters, who would ever have thought that Jim from The Office would be one of those vying for the crown, but John Krasinski is more than a sitcom goofball. Director, writer, producer, and star - Krasinski takes 90 minutes and makes them unrelenting and unforgiving.

Featuring stunning performances from Krasinski, Blunt, Simmonds, and Jupe - a.k.a. the whole cast - a near immaculate screen-play, and sound-design to die for, A Quiet Place is a breakthrough for a promising young director. Also, it grabs the award for the best opening in years; if you're not gripped by it, then film-watching may not be for you.

Ready Player One

Steven Spielberg, one of history's most defining and versatile directors, is no stranger to the Oscars. He's won a couple, directed a couple of actors to win them, and been nominated for a couple of handfuls more. Whilst his eyes are normally on bigger prizes than Best Visual Effects, Ready Player One is a fun return to family magic for the veteran director. Set in a desolate future where a virtual reality system, Oasis, consumes everyone's times and lives, people (or rather their avatars) compete within the game to find the late creator's keys which open the doors to his enormous fortune.

Jumping in and out of its magnificent digital landscape, Ready Player One is a feast for the eyes. Almost immediately we're in the midst of a chaotic and reckless race; long lingering shots of computer generated mayhem dominate the screen and it is glorious. The narrative, whilst at times is contrived, is timely - grounded in the digital age - and littered with pop culture references. Occasionally this is the film's greatest strength (a particular scene should not be 'Overlooked'), but it may make the film irrelevant in five years time. For now though, it's a treat to be enjoyed today.

Ralph Breaks the Internet

Ralph Breaks the Internet is, to put it generously, a confused follow up to a great original. It doesn’t seem to know who it is appealing to; do the kids care about ebay’s bidding process, for example. It’s jokes about memes or YouTube videos being all about babies and cats are not satirical, but outdated. If there is a commentary about culture’s obsession with the internet, it’s lost amongst the backdrop of corporate identities and Disney’s intellectual properties. The film has no problem being explicit (it’s presentation of Ralph’s insecurities are like being slapped with a wet fish) but it never really approaches its subject matter with any sort of commentary or, more worryingly for a family film, any joy. At two hours in length, it’s overlong, underwhelming, and misguided.

RBG

Telling the story of a great woman does not a great documentary make. A good, if not simple, documentary that tells a great and important story, however, that may do. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the notorious RBG, is one of the most inspiring women in the United States and her story is one that people should know. That's where RBG comes in. It's a well structured, well presented documentary that fulfils its aims and its supreme subject's bubbling personality and fiery determination make for good watching.

Mary Poppins Returns

2019-01-15T21:54:00.003+00:00

With franchises and sequels taking over the cinematic landscape and being green lit before their predecessor has even left the cinema, it’s a breath of fresh air to have a sequel that waited for its time. Whilst author P. L. Travers dismissed the original Mary Poppins, there’s no denying it is a classic, a family favourite, and was revolutionary in its day for combining animation and live action. It was begging for a sequel, as were its producers. But for over 50 years, despite plenty of efforts nothing came... until now.

Mary Poppins Returns is set 25 years after its original, featuring Jane and Michael Banks as adults in the midst of a family crisis and the bank wanting to repossess the Banks' family home. Michael, whose wife has recently passed away, has three children that he needs to look out for and no money with which to do it, but he has some shares in the bank which would pay off his debt. If only he knew where his father left them. With the Banks children, and their children, in trouble, Mary swoops in on a breeze and cryptically promised to stay until the door opens.

We’re swiftly returned to the magical landscape of the original Poppins: talking umbrellas, bigger-on-the-inside carpets bags, animated adventures, but with lamplighters taking the place of the original chimney sweeps. However, herein lies the problem. In retreading the path walked by the original, Returns builds expectations without delivering. There are set-ups without conclusion, familiarly dodgy cockney accents, unnecessary romantic subplots, and perhaps most damningly, homage to the original without the heart.

The film’s nostalgia overload feels less like a tribute to the old film (though there are small but excellent moments that do this) and more like a cardboard cut out of its former self, looking the part but lacking depth. Mary is less a mystical magical nanny, wanting to help the Banks family overcome their problems and more superhuman ready to overcome their problems for them in a rushed climax that almost makes a lot of what came before feel unneeded.

But it’s not all bad, hardly so. The film is headed up with a sharp, practically-perfect performance by Emily Blunt. It’s a different interpretation than Andrew’s original nanny but not a lesser. Blunt is sterner but naughtier, with a mocking sense of humour stemming from a genuine care for the children. She easily holds the film together with a charisma and charm to die for. With her are a superb supporting cast, particularly Ben Whishaw's barley-holding-it-together Michael, but also Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Colin Firth, Lin-Manual Miranda (cockney accent notwithstanding) and an all too short appearance by the great Dick Van Dyke.

And there is a solid story here too, somewhere beneath the loosely intertwined and forgettable songs. A touching tale of family, of growing up, of joy and love. If Mary Poppins Returns main goal was to make you smile and feel happy, it succeeds even if some elements are lacking. There are a couple of scenes that could have been left on the cutting room floor (an underwater non-adventure and a rushed topsy turvy sequence), but otherwise there's nothing too harmful here, but rather harmless fun. There's some stunning set pieces, genuine laughs, and a sense that this film was made with love. Some who love the original will be let down by an attempt to recreate the magic rather than make it anew, whilst others will be joyful that there's still magic in Hollywood at all.

1001 Movies - The Devils (Les Diaboliques)

2018-11-06T20:08:00.000+00:00

When the name of a film can be translated as 'The Devils' or 'The Fiends', you may think you’ll be dealing with a clear embodiment of evil but that’s not what Les Diaboliques offers. The film may be shot in black and white but the characters and narrative are anything but.

For example, we may be in support of the wife that teams up with her husband’s mistress to put a permanent end to his abusive and adulterous ways, even if the method is murder. Sure murder is wrong, but so are unrepentant patterns of abusive behaviour. At what point do two wrongs make a right? That is the first question begged of the audience. To what extent can we support this crime? We are sucked into a place of sympathy for the female leads, putting us on their side, so as their sadness becomes sinister, we are taken along for the ride.

It’s an ingenious ploy; the audience become culpable, a co-conspirator and supporter of the murderous act so when the body vanishes, we share the anxiety of our cinematic sisters in crime. For the rest of the film we’re stuck in a paranoid frenzy, pointing fingers in all manner of directions, piecing together an ever expanding puzzle to convince ourselves that Michel has not risen from the dead. But the shadows in the hall and faces in windows tell a different story as does Michel’s freshly dry cleaned jacket.

It’s a masterclass of suspenseful story telling. It lures the viewer into a murder plot, a tale of vengeful women, and then slaps them into the middle of a psychological thriller. Director Henri-Georges Clouzot feeds crumbs of information to his audience, teasing their hunger for answers but starving them of the full truth, at least until the film climaxes with a shocking final scene when all is revealed. It rewards the viewer for sticking it out, but it is a nervous job doing so. The uncomfortable uncertainty installs a quiet panic, feeding on a desperation for resolution, and as the tension builds, so do our apprehensions. Simply put, it’s a thrilling, perfectly timed and executed adrenaline ride.

A film that inspired Hitchcock’s Psycho, but certainly not a lesser film by any means. Les Diaboliques is daring, bold, and brave. A French phenomenon filled with fear, just like a good horror should be.

1001 Movies - Woodstock

2018-10-22T19:00:00.000+01:00

3 Days of Peace and Music. That’s how the now notorious Woodstock festival was advertised and its legacy has lived on as a defining part of the 'hippy' movement; it even lent its name to a whole generation. But it also caused a state of emergency to be issued by the local county. Military airforce transport was recruited to ferry people in and out. There had to be notifications from the main stage about bad acid going around and the schedule was so badly delayed, The Who played at 5 am and Jimi Hendrix played the morning after the festival was due to finish.

Woodstock is a documentary that follows the festival from its hopeful beginning to the wet, muddy, and worn out end with every naked, tripping, loving moment in between. From building the stage to serious warnings about it collapsing on the festival goers. From the optimism of the fresh faced youngsters turning up for the festivities, to those in the medical tent, searching for the ones they love. There’s joy and there’s sadness. Pain and hope. There’s no real narrative, no dominant message or active voice, just a camera drifting through the peace loving chaos that was Woodstock.

It’s a testament to how narratively gripping life can be when pushed to the extreme; when, in essence, you voluntarily create a third world country within wealthy America for the purpose of celebrating peace and love through music. 400,000 people descend on New York which naturally brings with it health issues, social conflict with surrounding areas, and huge practical obstacles for everyone, from the festival organisers up to the government, to have to cope with and we get to watch selected highlights of these unique dramas. Intersperse this with some performances from legendary musicians, and you have three hours of utterly breathtaking film making.

As the morning sun gently shines down on Jimi Hendrix playing his psychedelic, ground breaking, era defining version of Star spangled Banner, you realise you’ve witnessed something historic. This was an event that defined a generation and, like the now diminished crowd on screen, you’re emotionally drained; you’re amazed that this incredibly ambitious event, plagued by almost every challenge known to mankind, came to fruition. More than that, the documentary demonstrates unprecedented foresight and intuition. Released a year after the festival, it captured something powerful on film - something inimitable, a once in a lifetime event. It had its fingers on America’s pulse and sensed the magnitude of what was coming and fought to ensure it was documented.

We talk about capturing the current zeitgeist in good documentaries but none have done it more successfully and, arguably, more powerfully than Woodstock. Woodstock the festival was legendary but fleeting, Woodstock the film: unforgettable.

TRAILER

1001 Movies - Downfall (Der Untergang)

2018-10-17T08:49:00.002+01:00

The largest loss of human life in modern history can almost be directly attributed to one man. A man that instructed the killing of Jewish people by the thousands and started a war with such devestating consequences, we still feel them today. Adolf Hitler was guilty of atrocious crimes against humanity yet was, without doubt, one of the pioneers of political celebrity. He understood the power of the filmed image and even produced astonishing, well crafted, films to push his agenda. How fitting, then, that the medium of film is also one that weakens him and his memory.

Whilst many may only know it for it's famously parodied bunker scene, in full, Downfall portrays an unsettling balance, a likely truth that we would rather not believe. It draws out Hitler the monster but also, even more so, Hitler the man. A man that was kind to his secretaries and loved his dog. A man that suffered from several health issues, physically and mentally. A man that felt the stinging arrow of a friend's betrayal penetrate the vulnerability of his emotional armour. All this to remind us of the horror that it was not, in fact, a monster that thought Jewish people were a plague on the face of the Earth, but a man.

It takes a truly brilliant screenplay to portray Adolf Hitler sympathetically, but that's what we have here. We hear him discuss his plans for the new Berlin, a hub of culture and art, and its not the embodiment of evil that we've come to think of when we think of the Nazi party leader. He's gentle and kind, frail and ill. But he's also madly paranoid, quick to anger, unrepentant in his treatment of those that disappoint him and proud of his headway in the annihilation of the Jewish race. Bruno Ganz plays the Führer constantly on the edge of this kind fragility and mania to make him unpredictable, adding menace to his meltdowns but also a softness in his quieter moments.

It's a delicate balance and one that's needed. The audience need to care for Hitler to keep them in the story, they have to be emotionally involved with his titular downfall, but also distant enough that they're not saddened by it. At the end of it all, Hitler's death is human and deserved. There's no superhuman death matching the superhuman evil, just a bundled up body in a blanket (note - something that the Harry Potter books nailed with Voldemort's death and the films completely missed. A helpful point to see why the slumped body is so effective in the narrative of Downfall) and that's it. After all he seemed to be, after the devastation he instigated, after the hatred he fuelled, here he is: a lifeless lump doused in gasoline to be burned by his final remaining followers.

Do not be mistaken when I describe the treatment as sympathetic - there is nothing here to suggest Hitler and his cohort are redeemable. The mass suicides, family deaths, child soldiers, and violent anti-semitism are all presented here as brutal reality and there's no pretence that the war produced anything positive. But we have to see the humanity of the great dictator to be reminded of the painful truth that it wasn't a supernatural evil that inflicted these terrible events on man, but man itself.

TRAILER:

A New Mission

2018-09-26T10:38:00.001+01:00

Back in 2010, I bought a book. It was a big book and I had no real purpose for buying such a large book, but there was a check list in the first few pages that I was desperate to put a pen to. I remember sitting on a sailing boat, pen in hand ticking as many boxes as I could but shortly became demoralised at how few that actually was. Disappointed, the book ended up on a shelf collecting dust. However, when I moved house last summer, it was rediscovered and much to my wife's frustration, a new mission came with it.

That book was, of course, '1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die', the check list of all of the movies it contained which defeated me back in 2010 still bearing my few ticks and looking hauntingly incomplete. The book is frivolously and unnecessarily updated with a new edition every year with films being removed and added to the list, and as such, has actually hosted closer to 1200 films if we count all additions and removals.

That is a lot of films to watch. In fact, if you had all of the films and watched one a day, it would take you close to three and a half years to get through them all. That being said, many have tried and then help one another in trying to complete the list. Me? I took the list of all films that have ever been on the list (the full 1211 at time of writing) and put them in a spreadsheet. A few colour coded rules later and my checklist has been upgraded from some sad pen marks in a book to a system that is mobile, pretty and, as basic as it is, keeps track of where films can be watched.

While I want to complete the list, I'm not in any rush to work through it. I'm currently at 26% complete at 319 films, but some are harder to locate than others. But why tell you all of this? I'm planning to write something short about films of note, the ones that you may not have seen or even heard of, and hopefully encourage you to expand your cinematic horizon without having to work through 1200 films. I've made a page here where you can see anything I have already reviewed from the list and these new posts.

The first post is coming soon, but in the meantime, happy film watching!

Oscar Predictions

2018-03-04T22:37:00.003+00:00

I normally don't do this as I don't lock my predictions in until the red carpet but for the first time ever, I am publishing my predictions for the Oscars. But more than that - as telling you who I think will win doesn't really tell you what you should be watching - I will also tell you who I think should win, with reasoning, so you can make informed decisions yourself on what to go see next. So without further ado, we'll start at the smaller categories and work up to the biggies.

Shorts:

The shorts are probably the most difficult three categories to predict this year and we're going to spend a bit of time on them as they're often under valued but here we go:

Best Animated Short

Predictions here are pretty mixed between Kobe Bryant's Dear Basketball and toad-tastic Garden Party. One is a hand-drawn love letter to the glory of professional sports, one is a beautifully animated slow-burn mystery filled with frogs. The Hollywood Reporter's brutally honest voters found Dear Basketball to be narcissistic whilst the unconventional story-telling of Garden Party and the realism of its animation be worthy of the prize.

Lou was a typical feel-good Pixar short but ultimately too predictable whilst Revolting Rhymes nicely brought classic children's literature to life but the under appreciated stop-motion stand out of the bunch was Negative Space. An impressively animated short poem about a man's relationship with his father with beautiful imagery brought to life in the animation. It's what the animated genre is created to do.

Will Win: Garden Party

Should Win: Negative Space

Best Live Action Short

This year's shorts include a psychiatrist's worst nightmare, a retelling of one of America's most brutal lynchings, a true story of a bus attacked by terrorists, a deaf child's struggle to communicate, and a potential school shooter. The last two in that list, DeKalb Elementary and The Silent Child respectively, are the front runners in this category. The only other one in some contention is The Eleven O'Clock which involves one psychiatrist treating a patient who thinks he is a psychiatrist, but it's unclear who is the doctor and who is the patient.

Despite being a lot of fun and possibly the best performed of the nominees, The Eleven O'Clock will likely lose out to either the very politically timely DeKalb Elementary or The Silent Child. Frankly, as the former doesn't really offer much in the way of commentary on gun control, just passively watches the situation play out, the edge has to be given to The Silent Child which is not only tells the most effective story, but also portrays a powerful message (and even more powerful without subtitles though these are available to understand the signing).

Will Win: DeKalb Elementary
Should Win: The Silent Child

Best Documentary Short

The documentary short subjects are a point of contestation this year. Sad films tend to succeed in this category so Edith + Eddie and Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405 have the best shot at taking home a statue but the former is clunky and is too narrow in its sights. It doesn't offer a grander narrative and too much information is portrayed in title cards.

Traffic Stop is an important story of police attitudes towards the black community but the elements here just don't work. There are so many stories that could make this point more clearly and poignantly but their subjects, tragically, are no longer alive to offer commentary. Traffic Stop feels watered down by necessity but to hit hard, it needs to be bolder.

The real winners here are Heroin(e), which stands a slim chance of coming out top and Knife Skills which doesn't. The former shows female first responders to heroin overdoses going about their daily business as well as the drug courts that support those suffering from addictions. The latter follows ex-convicts on their journey to graduate from a culinary masterclass and run a restaurant. These are stories of hope, of support for the ill-treated and the suffering and they should be rewarded as such.

Will Win: Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405
Should Win: Heroin(e)

Technical Categories:

Best Cinematography

There are five beautifully shot films nominated here. Dunkirk captured the immensity of the situation out at war, whilst Darkest Hour captured the isolation, intimacy, and conflict. Anyone who tells you that Darkest Hour puts too much reliance on men talking is simply wrong. That being said, this battle comes between The Shape of Water and Blade Runner - Mudbound will likely not get much notice not least because of it's release via Netflix which older voters are likely to disregard as not 'real cinema'.

Blade Runner 2049 captured a new world in strong greys and strong colours a like. Arguably, that's more difficult than beautifully capturing the world that already exists which pushes aside The Shape of Water but it's still a close call. All in all, for me, Darkest Hour used its camera most in its story telling, but Blade Runner 2049 most effectively in world building.

Will Win: Blade Runner 2049
Should Win: Darkest Hour

Best Costume Design

There's little discussion to be had. It would be nigh on insulting to not reward Phantom Thread with this award. It's a film about glamorous dresses; the dresses are a character in this film and like any good casting, the dresses are spot on.

Will Win: Phantom Thread
Should Win: Phantom Thread

Best Make-up and Hairstyling

Much like the dresses in Phantom Thread, the make up is integral in Darkest Hour. There's just no way it can't win despite the good work in Wonder.

Will Win: Darkest Hour
Should Win: Darkest Hour

Best Production Design

Production design is physical world building. Beauty and the Beast had the advantage that they could copy what was done before (though they did it very well). Similarly, Blade Runner 2049 draws inspiration from its predecessor but builds on it, making it its own. The Academy loves a period piece, so Dunkirk and Darkest Hour stand a chance but this also gives an advantage to Cold War-set The Shape of Water, which has an added bonus of mysticism and fantasy, combining the period with a whole new world.

Will Win: The Shape of Water
Should Win: The Shape of Water

Best Visual Effects

This is an award that is rightly due to the apes and how it could go any other way would be a mockery. Though that being said, it has happened before (remember when The Iron Lady beat out Harry Potter in the make-up category?) and Guardians of the Galaxy could sneak in to take the prize. Both films take place in an almost entirely technically generated world, but War for the Planet of the Apes was 1) a better film and 2) had a motion capture lead who managed a performance worthy of an acting nomination.

Will Win: War for the Planet of the Apes
Should Win: War for the Planet of the Apes

Best Film Editing

Film editing is famously a tell for Best Picture, but with only three shared nominations here, there's a bit more room for guessing. Some found Dunkirk's timelines confusing, some found it revolutionary which gives it a very good shot. I, Tonya, The Shape of Water, and Three Billboards were all great but weren't screaming something special. Baby Driver however was made by its editing. It was perfectly crafted and edited to the millisecond with layer after layer of visual and audio information. It's a tough one to call.

Will Win: Dunkirk
Should Win: Baby Driver

Best Sound Editing

The Academy voters are famous for not knowing the difference between sound editing and sound mixing so there's a huge possibility the two awards could go to the film that 'sounds coolest' but most know that editing is about making sounds so action heavy films tend to win this category. Considering how sensory it was Dunkirk seems a shoo in here, and rightly so. Sound was integral to the film and most of them were produced off set.

Will Win: Dunkirk
Should Win: Dunkirk

Best Sound Mixing

This is a more tricky one. For the reasons stated above, Dunkirk could take home the gold for mixing as well because the visceral environment the film creates is precisely layered and played with for maximum impact. However, Baby Driver is a film designed around its soundscape. Every second in the film is timed to a beat and Edgar Wright's passion project should be recognised for that. The Academy may be of the same thinking and if they vote as per my predictions, they may vote Baby Driver here as a consolation prize if nothing else.

Will Win: Dunkirk
Should Win: Baby Driver

Music:

Best Original Song

It's easy to write off the songs that don't play a huge part in their films so three of the nominees can be eliminated. That leaves us with 'Remember Me' from Coco and 'This is Me' from The Greatest Showman. Honestly its too close to call clearly. One has become a mainstream anthem, but the other is more integral to its story - you can't have Coco without 'Remember Me'. I think for that reason it will have to go to Coco.

Will Win: 'Remember Me' from Coco
Should Win: 'Remember Me' from Coco

Best Original Score

There are big names on this ballot. Hans Zimmer, John Williams and Carter Burwell but the film where the score's presence was most actively felt was The Shape of Water. The Cold War fantasy world was strengthened endlessly by Alexandre Desplat's score and whilst all the other nominees helped develop their worlds, none were so influential as Desplat.

Will Win: The Shape of Water
Should Win: The Shape of Water

Writing:

Best Adapted Screenplay

In a category that could be Sorkin's for the taking on a normal day, Molly's Game was simply too wordy to compete with the slow brilliance of the likes of Call Me By Your Name or the noir adaptation of a superhero movie in Logan. The Disaster Artist should also not go without praise as the surprise stand out of the Oscar season, a season where rib-tickling comedy doesn't often get a look-in. That being said, one of the five is nominated for Best Picture.

Will Win: Call Me By Your Name
Should Win: Call Me By Your Name

Best Original Screenplay

Four Best Picture Nominees here and a rom-com that most people caught on Amazon Prime. Unfortunately for The Big Sick and Lady Bird (which were excellent) this is a year of revolutionary horrors, love stories, and billboard messages. Narrowing the top three down will come, probably, to the one that has failed to gain any other awards - often the case for the screen play award.

Will Win: Get Out
Should Win: Lady Bird

Fringe Films:

Best Animated Feature

When two nominations in a category are just barely okay (see Ferdinand and The Boss Baby), one is recognised more for its medium (Loving Vincent), and one is too sad for the animated medium (The Breadwinner), it makes predicting the winner easy. Coco was not just the best of the bunch though, it was a magical journey into a new world and was full of heart, family, comedy, death, life, music. Boy, those boys at Pixar still know what they're doing.

Will Win: Coco
Should win: Coco
Best Documentary Feature

This category often has a couple of great movies and a few others. This year is no different. Last Men in Aleppo, Strong Island, and Abacus: Small Enough to Jail all do well, but offer nothing ground breaking. Some talking heads here, some statistics there. Whereas Faces Places, is an uplifting road trip movie about art and the stories behind the people on display. It's intimate and moving. On the other side of the coin, Icarus, easily the better film, is a thrill ride and the most exciting thing to happen to documentary film making in years. Will the Academy reward art or storytelling? Your bet is as good as mine here.

Will Win: Faces Places
Should Win: Icarus

Best Foreign Language Film

Okay so full disclosure. At the point of writing, I am part way through The Insult so I cannot make an 100% fair decision here. But that being said, On Body and Soul and Loveless will not win; the former is too odd and the latter too Russian for the older American Academy members. The Square is an engaging commentary on the art community but asks too much of its audience. A Fantastic Woman is a league above these. A brutal and harsh reminder of the discrimination and hatred that still exists in our society so that someone can't even mourn for the loved ones they've lost. A hard watch, but a powerful one.

Will Win: A Fantastic Woman
Should Win: A Fantastic Woman

The Big Five:

Best Supporting Actor

This race has been dominated throughout the award season and whilst some people have predicted an upset in the form of Willem Dafoe, this is Sam Rockwell's year and well deserved. Though Richard Jenkins is a dark horse here. All three would be worthy winners but I can't see anyone knocking Rockwell from his podium

Will Win: Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards)
Should win: Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards)

Best Supporting Actress

Like Rockwell, Janney has dominated this season but in the supporting actress, I forsee a more likely upset and rightly so. Laurie Metcalf was astonishing in Lady Bird and brough the film to life. People love a bad guy (Janney) but they also love an under-dog. So could that win it?

Will Win: Allison Janney (I, Tonya)
Should Win: Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)

Best Actress

All the acting awards this year have been dominated and I don't see this changing that trend either. Frances McDormand portrayed rage with pain and hurt. The real Mildred was buried under the layers of anger and that is hard to do. The silent Sally Hawkins could rock the boat, but otherwise, this is McDormand's year (again).

Will Win: Frances McDormand (Three Billboards)
Should Win: Frances McDormand (Three Billboards)

Best Actor

Here we go again. Despite great performances all round, Gary Oldman was incredible. A transformative, powerful, heartfelt, and funny performance. This isn't mimicry (as the critics of Oldman's performance were keen to point out) as it is not close enough to the real Churchill. This is an artistic recreation and it is wonderful.

Will Win: Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)
Should Win: Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour)

Best Director

One film about war, one about coming of age, one satirical horror, one about a dressmaker, and one a bout a mute lady falling in love with a giant fish. On premise alone, the Best Director race is sorted.

Will Win: Guillermo Del Toro (The Shape of Water)
Should Win: Guillermo Del Toro (The Shape of Water)

Best Picture

The big one. Despite the big awards being spread out over several films, any of the nominees would be worthy winners. All have big pros and big cons. But lets think like the Academy. The Shape of Water is a love story, check. It's nostalgic and patriotic, check. It has a classic Hollywood musical number and tap dancing, check. It's innovative and new, check. It's a good vs bad story. It's amazing. Simply put, it has to be this year's winner as it's the least flawed in many senses. It's the safe option. If it's not a voter's first choice, it will surely be in the top three and those votes will add up.

That being said I can't get Call Me By Your Name off of my mind. It was a beautiful film with incredible performance and it was the only film of the nominees that really took my breath away. I feel it will be overlooked tonight but this blogger will not forget it. I could go into great, objective or subjective detail on why this was a great movie and why it should win but I won't be heartbroken when it doesn't.

Will Win: The Shape of Water
Should Win: Call Me By Your Name

Best Picture: Part II

2018-03-03T22:46:00.001+00:00

The Post

Three-time Oscar winner (and seventeen-time Oscar loser, technically) Meryl Streep takes on the challenge of publishing a news story. What sounds like a relatively unexciting premise turns out to be a relatively unexciting film. Despite Tom Hanks by Streep's side giving it his best shot, he's unable to make the film what it could be.

What the film could be is a great newsroom melodrama, landing somewhere between All The President's Men and Spotlight but in reality falling short of both of them. It is well trodden ground and nothing new is added in The Post except some great characterisations from the likes of Hanks and Odenkirk.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Imagine a world painted in grey. That is the world that Martin McDonagh has consistently portrayed in his films (In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths) and is most fully realised in Three Billboards. Ultimately a story of revenge but how far is too far in the search for justice? That is the question posed by McDonagh here and it is a difficult pill to swallow.

Blurring the lines by removing the 'good' from the 'good guys' and adding humanity and pain to the anger and resentment, and in many senses ignorance, McDonagh brings something darkly unique to his film. Despite being side-splittingly funny, Three Billboards is a hard watch. It's narrative is grounded in the unspeakable - rape, brutal murder, suicide, cancer - but few films about these issues could be so entertaining without making light of its subject matter. There's no tidy resolutions here, but then again, when are there in life?

Lady Bird

Growing up is something that everyone has to face, whether they'd like to or not, so the having that reflected in film is something we can all relate to and none do it better than Greta Gerwig with Lady Bird.

The complexity of relationships and reputations in teenage years is hard to grasp on film, not just for the young protagonist, but also for their families. Set against the backdrop of Christian doctrines and American poverty, the conflicts are all the more real, all the more touching. The film boasts outstanding performances by Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf who make the film what it is, the mother daughter relationship/ conflict being central to the narrative (and in a more subtle sense, the name of the film). It's hard to be heartfelt and heartwarming but this does just that and makes it seem effortless.

Darkest Hour

Whilst its easy to write a biopic of Winston Churchill off as pure 'Oscar Bait' (and many have - or at least described it as such - more on this another day), that would be to overlook the feat that is Darkest Hour. Gary Oldman's performance is the selling point here, which isn't wrong, but it is a pity.

What's being overlooked here is a powerful visual story teller in Joe Wright. As darkness descends over Britain, darkness surrounds Churchill on screen. Wright is not fearful of negative space claustrophobic space, an under-rated quality in an age of mega-Marvel cinematic universes, and despite the darkness, he creates something that is often funny, engaging, and moving. Is it cliched, yes. Is it predictably structured, yes. But most importantly, does it still manage to be innovative and fresh. The answer is still yes.

The Shape of Water

The Oscars are no stranger to an all out romance film, but they don't normally involve swamp men. Guillermo del Toro creates something sinister yet beautiful in his lagoon-loving monster and builds a world around him that emphasises that. Michael Shannon, the testosterone fuelled patriot, presents the sinister whilst Sally Hawkins, the mute monster lover, is the beautiful.

There are clear senses of right and wrong on display here; it is an ultimately moral film. It's easy to get your teeth into - which is certainly helpful considering the absurdity of the central romance - which only goes to demonstrate how brilliantly talented del Toro is in crafting the bizarre. It feels nostalgic, but not familiar. It deals with the difficult, but is never difficult to watch. It's about as unique as you can get and it never seems to take itself too serious - Octavia Spencer - an African-American in the sixties - and Richard Jenkins - a gay man in the sixties - providing some much needed heart and comic relief. This is film-making at its finest.

Best Picture: Part I

2018-03-02T21:55:00.001+00:00

Dunkirk

Visionary director and innovative story-teller, Christopher Nolan tackles the tale of one of Britain's most dangerous challenges during the Second World War: the evacuation of Dunkirk. The story is told in three temporalities with three areas of battle - we spend a week on land, a day on the sea, and an hour in the sky. The stories, interwoven into one another, capture the struggle and determination of both the British public and armed forces.

Nolan is at his visceral best. Every bomb hit you, water pouring into a claustrophobic space engulfs you. This is sensory film making as it should be. Delicately balancing his timelines to maximum effect, Nolan manages to tell three powerfully engaging stories which are all as gripping and nerve wracking as one another. A master class in war films.

Phantom Thread

Daniel Day-Lewis' 'retiring' film, Phantom Thread tells the story of a man, a dress maker, though more importantly, he's a perpetual bachelor, allowing women to float through his life and inspire him on a breeze before they drift away again. But falling for one of them disrupts his whole life.

Beautifully shot and wonderfully crafted, Paul Thomas Anderson's latest struggles at times to be fully engaging. Grounded by solid performances by the whole cast, notably Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread is, in essence, a film about the consuming world of fashion and an eccentric designer but his quirks often rub the wrong way, making it difficult to support the central figure and his reluctant pursuit of romance. It works as proof that making a technically brilliant film does not necessarily make a brilliant film.

Get Out

Take a the sense of unease you get in any good horror movie. Combine it with overtones of the racial oppression that haunts suburban, southern USA. What you get is Jordan Peele's phenomenal Get Out, a striking racial satire with Daniel Kaluuya anchoring the film with a star-making leading turn.

The important social issues presented in Get Out are the reason satire exists - to hold a mirror up to society and highlight its blemishes - and Peele focuses his quiet anger on making the audience feel uncomfortable before unleashing it in loud, brutal fashion. Get Out is bold. Get Out is brave. But most of all, Get Out is terrifying. The question that remains is whether it is the film that is scary, or the darker reality it is portraying?

Call Me by Your Name

Beautiful, relaxed, loving film-making. This is what is on display in Call Me by your Name, the unconventional and forbidden character driven love story set in the countryside of Italy. The camera floats around the leads passively, simply observing something, allowing characters and relationships to evolve in its view.

Featuring strong performances from its leads but also from the minor characters (particularly Michael Stuhlbarg, who was robbed of a Best Supporting Actor nomination), Call Me by your Name is arguably the most rounded, well crafted film at the Oscars this year. It succeeds on every single level, not to mention Luca Guadagnino's immense control over combining all these elements. This is film making at its very best, its most powerful, its most emotive. And the the long takes are to die for.

Oscars 2018: Part I

2018-02-03T22:49:00.001+00:00

Beauty and the Beast

The live action re-telling of one of Disney’s biggest and most successful animations that occasionally dips its toe into original thought but otherwise clings passionately to its 1991 predecessor. And a little too much.

The issue with remaking a classic almost shot for shot is it all feels too familiar - we’ve seen this done better before. That’s the problem here. The nostalgic enjoyment of the original is overshadowed by the creepy realism of the living objects and the layers of auto tune slathered over certain numbers. The aim here is to recreate something magical but in doing so, the film loses its own magic. It feels like that passion is for imitating rather than creating, and as such it’s noticeably the lesser beast. It’s adequate; everything is done fine, but why settle for fine when Disney proved how well the story could be told 26 years ago.

Strong Island

Director Yance Ford retells the circumstances surrounding his brother's murder and tries to get answers for why his killer walked free. Intermingled in the story are interviews with family and friends whose calm, quiet anger and hurt are the heart of this documentary.

A more haunting, personal, and pained perspective on the institutional racism in the US and its justice system than last year's 13th or OJ: Made in America but not quite as captivating or as powerful.

Kong: Skull Island

At the close of the Vietnam war, a team of scientists, explorers, and soldiers go on an exhibition to the elusive and uncharted Skull Island. A standard mapping mission with a sinister ulterior motive that goes wrong immediately when they disturb the king of the island: Kong.

Kong: Skull Island is a Vietnam film without the Vietnam. Visually, the inspirations from the likes of Platoon and Apocalypse Now are clear but the enemy are replaced with the unknown inhabitants of Skull Island. The film suffers from clunky dialogue and underdeveloped characters and relationships but succeeds in being a heap of fun. Considering the big names involved (Larson, Jackson, Hiddleston, Goodman), the film feels like it lacks depth in its human performers (which the exception of Jackson and John C. Reilly) whilst their computer generated counterparts dazzle. It’s a film on the brink of brilliance so it’s a pity that it falls short on some major points (developed characters, particularly female, being the most needed element).

The Boss Baby

Obviously babies come from a company called Baby Corp that is run by businessman babies - we all know that - but in The Boss Baby, Puppy Corp, their business competitor, is about to release a new puppy that will be so adorable, no one will ever want a baby again thus putting Baby Corp out of business.

The Boss Baby is a charming family film with enough 'adult' jokes about memos and meetings to keep the parents entertained. That being said, it walks a path well trodden; whilst the premise is original and entertaining, the story is lacking innovation. It's silly fun but Dreamworks still has a way to go to match the constant standards of Pixar.

Phil's Pointless Film Blog

Oscars 2025

Shorts

Best Live Action Short

Best Animated Short

Smaller Awards

Best original score

Best cinematography

Best visual effects

Best sound

Best costume design

Best production design

Best make-up and hairstyling

Best film editing

Bigger Awards

Best international feature

Best animated feature

Best documentary feature

Best adapted screenplay

Best original screenplay

Best actor

Best actress

Best supporting actress

Best supporting actor

Best director

Best picture

The Oscars 2024 in a Nutshell

SHORT FILMS

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM

FEATURE LENGTH FILMS

COSTUME DESIGN

Okay, so time for a bit of Poor Things love. The costumes were so good and totally unique. Barbie could upset here, but in essence there was a lot of 'recreating' of existing costumes - they are just a lot smaller normally...Will Win: BarbieShould Win: Poor Things

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

PRODUCTION DESIGN

CINEMATOGRAPHY

SOUND

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

VISUAL EFFECTS

FILM EDITING

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

DIRECTING

BEST PICTURE

Tenet

Oscars 2020: Predictions

Oscars 2020: All Nominated Features - Ranked

Oscars 2020: Best Picture

Oscars 2020: In Summary

The Top Ten of The Last Ten

10 - The Social Network (2010)

9 - The Hurt Locker (2009)

8 - Up In The Air (2009)

7 - Django Unchained (2012)

6 - Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

5 - The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

4 - Black Swan (2010)

3 - Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

2 - The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

1 - Whiplash (2014)

Ranking 10 Years of Best Picture Nominees

89. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)

67. Green Book (2018)

56. Avatar (2009)

48. The Tree of Life (2011)

32. Amour (2012)

18. Inception (2010)

11. Call Me by Your Name (2017)

1001 Movies - An American in Paris

Oscar Predictions 2019

Best Picture 2019: Part II

Okay, so time for a bit of Poor Things love. The costumes were so good and totally unique. Barbie could upset here, but in essence there was a lot of 'recreating' of existing costumes - they are just a lot smaller normally...
Will Win: Barbie
Should Win: Poor Things