Family v Family: Oscars Story

For the 10th year, I have some family members joining me to rank the Best Picture nominees. I'm pleased to welcome my mother-in law Barb (for the 10th year!) along with my brother Jason, sister Sarah and brother-in-law Tyler (for the 9th year!)  My dad Kevin didn't have time to complete write-ups but was able to send in his rankings.

While there were certainly some glaring omissions in the Oscars this year, this still seems like one of the better crops of Best Picture nominees, with genuine love for many movies on this list. As you can see, Parasite was a clear winner, with a clear 2, 3, 4 as well. I’m sick of being heartbroken on Oscar night, so I can’t quite believe the Academy will agree with us.

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Rank	Movie	Ben	Barb	Kevin	Sarah	Tyler	Jason	Average
1	Parasite	1	1	3	1	1	1	1.33
2	Once Upon...	3	3	1	3	4	2	2.67
3	Little Women	2	4	2	2	3	7	3.33
4	Marriage Story	4	5	5	4	6	5	4.83
5 (tie)	Jojo Rabbit	6	7	6	5	2	8	5.67
5 (tie)	1917	7	9	4	6	5	3	5.67
7	Joker	8	2	7	8	8	4	6.17
8	The Irishman	5	8	8	7	7	6	6.83
9	Ford v Ferrari	9	6	9	9	9	9	8.50

There were some clear favorites and some tight races in the main categories, as well as one tie (Supporting Actor).  

Actress

Saoirse Ronan, Little Women: Ben, Sarah, Tyler, Jason

Renee Zellwegger, Judy: Barb

Actor

Joaquin Phoenix, Joker: Barb, Tyler, Jason

Adam Driver, Marriage Story: Ben, Sarah

Supporting Actress

Florence Pugh, Little Women: Ben, Sarah, Tyler

Scarlett Johannson, Jojo Rabbit: Barb

Laura Dern, Marriage Story: Jason

Supporting Actor

Joe Pesci, The Irishman: Ben, Tyler

Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood: Barb, Jason

Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: Sarah

Director

Bong Joon Ho, Parasite: Ben, Barb, Sarah, Tyler

Sam Mendes, 1917: Jason

Original Screenplay

Han Jan-Win and Bong Joon-Ho, Parasite: Ben, Barb, Sarah, Tyler

Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood: Jason

Adapted Screenplay

Greta Gerwig, Little Women: Ben, Barb, Sarah

Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit: Tyler

Steve Zallian, The Irishman: Jason

Ben

1. Parasite: An unbelievably entertaining movie that’s also a spot-on metaphor for our current world.  It’s a movie that takes vertical class structures literally and has enormous fun with the metaphors. Very funny, very thrilling and eventually very moving. The ensemble cast is pitch-perfect, and the design of the Park’s home is a character in and of themselves. This is a true modern classic, destined for the all-time lists.  In a year when almost all of our other nominees are focused on the past, this is the most vital and relevant movie of 2019.

2. Little Women: A perfect match of director, actors, and source material. Greta Gerwig is a warm, humane director who clearly creates an emotionally rich environment for actors to do their best work. After Lady Bird and this, she’s quickly become one of my favorite directors. While staying faithful enough to the source material, Gerwig’s dual timelines and highlighting of the feminist values frame the action so that every moment feels fresh, as if the memories and emotions bouncing off of one another.  An incredible ensemble cast, from roles large (Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh) to small (Chris Cooper).  

3. Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood: (Spoiler Warning). I saw this opening day and had little idea what to expect, other than that it involved some actors and the Manson murders. I enjoyed watching the bittersweet elegy to Hollywood suffused with a sense of swirling dread. What turns out, as most of you probably know, is that this is the third (after Inglorious Bastards and Django Unchained) in Tarantino’s revisionist history trilogy.  Having the director play with the tension and then allow Sharon Tate and her friends to survive is a brilliant move. It allows us to feel happy, yet also brings us to the realization that our relief isn’t real, just a mood brought on by the illusion of cinema.  I haven’t even gotten to the three central performances: DiCaprio hilarious and poignant as a fading actor, Pitt mysterious and magnetic as a stuntman, and Margot Robbie, filled with the joy of living.  Is it perfect? Not quite. While it's not surprising, I do wish Tarantino filmed his big violent scene with a less comedic tone.  But it’s filled with incredible scenes and true Hollywood magic. It’s bounced around in my head a lot since I’ve seen it, and it may just be my favorite Tarantino movie.

4. Marriage Story: It’s rare we get a movie that’s simultaneously this funny and this sad.  Adam Driver and Scarlett Johannson are incredible as the central couple, and they’re surrounded by a top-notch supporting cast, particularly the three very different divorce lawyers played by Laura Dern, Alan Alda, and Ray Liotta. While perhaps a bit more focused on Charlie (Driver), the movie does a brilliant job of giving us each character’s perspective. This is also a movie of brilliant individual scenes: the opening, the first Laura Dern scene, the serving of the divorce papers, ordering lunch in the midst of a negotiation, and Charlie’s Sondheim song.

5. The Irishman: Yup, this is the 3 ½ hour one, but I had absolutely no problem with the runtime.  It’s another mobster movie from Scorsese, but one with a very different tone than Goodfellas.  As always a filmmaker with theological concerns, Scorsese expertly portrays the guilt and rot that come with living a life full of sin. It’s a really good movie for 2 hours, and a great one for 1 ½ hours.  Pacino was just a tad broad for my taste, but Pesci and De NIro (who definitely deserved a Best Actor nomination) are doing some of the best work of their careers.  

6. Jojo Rabbit: When I heard about Taika Waititi’s Hitler satire, which sounded like a mash-up of Wes Anderson and Life is Beautiful, I wasn’t sure it would work for me, yet I came away impressed and charmed. There were a few moments in the middle where the tone felt a bit off to me, but the funny moments are very funny, and the poignant moments are very poignant. What sells the whole thing and creates real emotional investment are the great performances by Scarlett Johannson, Thomasin McKenzie, and Roman Griffin Davis.

7. 1917: I originally thought I’d put this one or two spots higher. I was really engrossed while watching it, and it truly is a stunning feat of cinematography.  What I realized, though, is that even though I only saw this movie a few weeks ago, it hasn’t really stuck with me. Whereas I was tremendously moved and impressed by the interlocking time structure of Dunkirk, and immediately wanted to watch it again, this feels more “one and done” to me.  A good movie, to be sure, but not an all-timer or one that deserves to win Best Picture.

8. Joker: A VERY SERIOUS origin story about Joker. Can’t we have at least a little bit of fun in a comic book movie? The crafts of this movie, especially the production design and score, are quite strong.  Joaquin Phoenix is perhaps my favorite modern actor, and he gives his all to this performance. Unfortunately, these elements are all stuck in a fairly ridiculous script ripped off from the far superior Scorsese movies Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy.  Whereas those movies invited the viewers into a critical point of view with their protagonists, this movie doesn’t really go beyond having the viewer feel bad for Arthur and blame the whole thing on “society.”

9. Ford v Ferrari: Meh. I can’t really muster much energy to write about this. It’s an hour shorter than The Irishman, yet felt twice as long.  Christian Bale and Tracy Letts are charismatic and the movie is well-made, yet I couldn’t really care about the stakes of this movie.  Dozens of movies would have made more interesting choices in the best picture lineup. Much less problematic than Joker, but I’m putting it lower because I was more bored.

Director: Bong Joon Ho, Parasite

Actor: Adam Driver, Marriage Story

Actress: Saorsie Ronan, Little Women

Supporting Actor: Joe Pesci, The Irishman

Supporting Actress: Florence Pugh, Little Women

O. Screenplay: Han Jan-Win and Bong Joon-Ho, Parasite

Adapted Screenplay: Greta Gerwig, Little Women

Barb

I'm so looking forward to another trip to D.C. to enjoy the Oscars with Ben, Emily, and Elisa. I'm really excited to see Elisa's picks this year.

Movies:

1. Parasite: Loved this. Such a unique film and intricate plot that you're never quite sure where it's going to take you. A story of the haves and the have-nots. A poor Korean family is given a unique opportunity when their son is asked to tutor the daughter of the wealthy Park family. Layer by layer they begin to infiltrate the Parks. Just about the time you think you know where this is heading it takes a monumental turn. It becomes more terrifying by the minute. Although not sure what is going to happen next, you have a pretty good idea this is not going to end well.

2. Joker: Not what I was expecting. The dark descent of a damaged and broken man. Fueled by isolation and bullying he slips further and further out of control. His maniacal laughter was chilling. I don't think I would have liked this as much if not for the amazing performance of Joaquin Phoenix. He scared the hell out of me. I think he is a shoo-in for best actor.

3.Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood: Why did I like this so much? I think part of it is that this is a period of time I remember so vividly. 1969. Hollywood, hippies and, of course, the Manson Family. Actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), relevant in the 1950s, finds himself in a Hollywood that is almost unrecognizable. Brad Pitt as his laid back stunt double and best friend is a perfect fit.

4. Little Women: I truly enjoyed Greta Gerwig's fresh and more contemporary adaptation of Little Women. Saoirse Ronan was perfectly cast as the feisty Jo March. This may be one of those movies that would well be worth seeing twice to really appreciate it. The many adaptations, all uniquely their own, makes me want to go back and read the book again.

5. Marriage Story: The sad, albeit much too common, unraveling of a marriage.

What starts out rather amicably goes downhill fast once the lawyers get involved. Outstanding performances by both Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver. I know people just loved Laura Dern as the cutthroat divorce lawyer, but she was just too over the top for me.

6. Ford v Ferrari: I liked this more than I thought I would. I, of course, knew nothing about the Ford/Ferrari feud. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the racing scenes. What really made this movie  was how well Matt Damon and Christian Bale worked together.

7. Jojo Rabbit: An interesting story about a young boy forced to face his prejudices and fears in Nazi Germany. The idea of having Hitler as his imaginary friend while his mother hides a Jewish girl in her home results in JoJo having to question all his previous beliefs. Another outstanding performance by Scarlett Johansson. She's had a busy year. I especially liked the JoJo/Yorki dynamic. Although taking very different paths, their friendship never wavered.

8. The Irishman: A powerful cast, by a truly great director. De Niro, Pacino and Pesci all shine in a story about a Mafia hitman and his involvement with the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. My only complaint, and a complaint I have with many movies, was it was way too long. Others disagree. Luckily this was available on Netflix so we could break it down into three nights.

9. 1917: Had this not been nominated, I probably would never have seen it. The story of two young men sent on what seems to be an impossible mission during World War 1. Two straight hours of watching these men crawl through the mud, over dead bodies and body parts, dodging minefields and rats with danger around every corner. That's about it. I know there was a lot of buzz about Mendes using a single-shot approach, but this was probably lost on me.

Director: Bong Joon Ho, Parasite.

Actress: Renee Zellwegger, Judy

Supporting Actress: Scarlett Johansson, JoJo Rabbit

Actor: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt, Once Upon A Time... in Hollywood.

Original Screenplay: Han Jan-Win and Bong Joon-Ho, Parasite

Adapted Screenplay: Greta Gerwig, Little Women.

Sarah

1. Parasite: I love movies that play with tone and style to keep you on your toes, and Parasite does this perfectly!  Extremely original with breathtaking twists and turns, dark humor, and morally ambiguous situations and characters- I’ve never seen anything like it and can’t wait to watch it again.

2. Little Women: If pretty much anyone but Greta Gerwig was doing a reboot of Little Women I would’ve been skeptical, but she was absolutely the right person for the task.  She captured what was already great from the book and previous adaptations of the classic story of the March women, while giving the characters extra complexity (especially Amy and Marmee) and feminist perspectives that felt very modern without being anachronistic.  Beautiful, inspiring, and gave me a pretty consistent stream of tears for the whole 2 hours.

3. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood:  I consider myself a pretty big Tarantino fan in general, and except for maybe Kill Bill this may be my new favorite.  I really appreciated the more restrained use of the classic graphic but cartoonish Tarantino violence as one more technique in a director’s toolbox rather than the main event and as a result, the characters were a lot more fleshed out and interesting (except for Sharon Tate- I would’ve liked her character to get more than the surface level treatment).  The scene on Spahn Ranch  (and Lena Dunham appearance!) had me chuckling for hours after. 

4.  Marriage Story: One of the things I most appreciated in this year’s nominees (or at least my top 5) as a whole was the overall lack of heavy handedness on some really tough topics.  Life and humans contain multitudes, and what I loved about Marriage Story was the portrayal of the humor and daily life that continues in the midst of trauma and heartbreak.  Loved the main and supporting actors.

5. JoJo Rabbit:  Certainly an odd and daring concept, I can understand why some people might not like it, but this movie really worked for me.  Compellingly combining bright Wes Anderson-esque aesthetics with arguably the heaviest of subject matters on the nominee list, JoJo Rabbit felt very..human.  Side note, can we get a sequel that is all about the life of JoJo’s friend Yorki?  

6. 1917:  It seems a little weird to call a war movie gorgeous, but 1917 was visually and technically stunning, while also doing something new with the war genre; to follow 2 young men minute by minute through the alternating tedium and the devastation of war.  At the end when Schofield finishes his mission but suffers great loss along the way and many men still die, it reminds the viewer of the moral challenges of war and the impact on the individual.  While I appreciated a lot about the movie, it wasn’t quite as high on my list because the characters felt a little flat.

7. The Irishman:  For the first part of the movie, I thought it was fairly enjoyable but a little cliched and not quite sure why it was made other than because, well, its Scorsese and he could and people would watch.  But after the Jimmy Hoffa character entered the scene, the movie became much more compelling in the explorations of loyalty, duty, and relationships.  Main critique- it needed more editing for some of the parts that dragged, (Just because you can make it that long and audiences will still watch it doesn’t mean you should) and the lack of development of the female characters, especially Anna Paquin- I get that her silent stares at her father spoke volumes, but that still doesn’t explain to me why she had barely any dialogue.

8. Joker:  What a movie.  My main complaint is that the movie felt really self-important and into making a “big point”...but what was the point it was trying to make?  That ignoring outcasts leads to violence and we’re all to blame?  That feels unsettlingly familiar to the cries after mass school shootings for other students to just be nicer to each other to prevent violence.  This felt especially..for lack of a better term...icky because almost all the women who ignored or let Arthur down were  women of color (his social workers, his neighbor, the mother on the bus….) 

Aside from some concerning messages, my other critiques were with the logic of the script- Arthur’s extremely cathartic moment on live TV didn’t feel real to his character or thought processes in the rest of the movie at all, and it was often confusing what was real and what was his delusion- which maybe was the point but it felt more like a sloppy script issue than planned out well.

So why wasn’t it lower on my list?  Because it was still a damn entertaining and compelling movie, and Joaquin’s performance and true physical and mental embodiment of the character was very magnetic.    

9. Ford V. Ferrari: As I was debating my last 2 slots on the list, I ended up with Ford vs. Ferrari as last, not because it was necessarily a worse movie than Joker, but because it just didn’t feel innovative- it seemed more like a movie that came out 20 years ago (except for the car racing scenes- I appreciate that they were technically difficult to make, but could’ve been cut down by about 30 minutes).  I thought the performances were pretty good in particular by Christian Bale, but some of the supporting characters felt lazy, in particular Lee Beebe who felt like a villain from a Disney channel movie who ends up losing a drag race to a puppy or a plucky 13-year-old girl.

Director: Bong Joon Ho- Parasite

Adapted Screenplay: Greta Gerwig- Little Women

Original Screenplay: Han Jin-Wan and Bong Joon Ho- Parasite

Supporting Actor: Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Actor: Adam Driver, Marriage Story

Actress: Saorsie Ronan, Little Women

Supporting Actress: Florence Pugh, Little Women

Tyler

1. Parasite:  This was a strong year for best pictures, and I think it is because the Academy this year was recognizing the daring and surprising oddballs- the films representing singular visions deftly transferred to film. The biggest of these successes was Parasite, a movie I knew nothing about going in to except that it was in Korean. As the intensity ramps up naturally throughout the film, what I thought I was watching was changing beneath my feet. I thought I was watching a well-made slice of life documentary-style story about a loving family required to grift to get by (a la Shoplifters). Then I thought I was watching a tightly-plotted tense thriller film, which slowly morphed into a horror film before becoming a witty social commentary. It takes a strong director to leave you on the edge or your seat because you know anything can happen, but keep it grounded just enough to keep you caring. Usually with foreign language films I don’t know how to feel about the acting and dialogue since so much gets lost in translation, but in this case the characters all felt full of distinct personality, the acting and storyline allowing everything to just crackle on screen.  

2. Jojo Rabbit: Talk about a risk and a singular vision! The premise of this movie alone is off-putting and strange, but it works so well on every level. This is a coming-of-age tale about a boy and a coming-of-age tale about our world, suffering through a great generations-defining ordeal, all at the same time. Youth and immaturity operate on simple stories, and while this can allow for moral clarity and the passion for radical change, it can be easily manipulated. Fascism requires that immaturity (or “purity”) of thought, and centering this story on a Hitler Youth is brilliant. In totalitarianism, loyalty to the party is the most valuable trait while knowledge of the world is dangerous, so the party creates circles of access in a hierarchical structure to insulate the devout from reality and those operating in reality from the true intentions of the devout. The little boys are the only people in the film who actually believe the party line. The Gestapo responsible for hunting down Jews know they aren’t really like the fairy tales, the disgraced soldier running the youth program knows the chance of German victory has disappeared. His mother “does what she can”, including helping her son grow and mature with kindness so that he can give up the uniform on his own accord. The little boys are the perfect party members, assured they are the good guys because they cannot yet understand the world. I only started thinking about this Hannah Arendt side of the film afterwards, because during the movie I was too busy laughing my ass off. Yes, Life is Beautiful used comedy in the concentration camp to add levity and ultimately even more pathos, but this movie is an actual comedy, often feeling like Wes Anderson and Mel Brooks teamed up to make a spoof of The Tin Drum. The farce reaches its peaks with the director playing imaginary Hitler. These parts are hilarious but also work brilliantly to show the changing perspective of our young protagonist as things progress. Reminiscent of the Great Dictator, these scenes play Naziism for the clown it is. The film makes clear that understanding, caring, and truth are the true antidote to these violent and immature movements, and that matter now more than ever.

3. Little Women: Being forced to work within many rules and constraints can often lead to creativity, and the task that Greta set for herself this time around was full of rules and constraints. It is essentially a requirement with source material as beloved as this that it has to stay true in plot and attitude. This film is able to do that while also making many smart changes to make the story snappy, fun, relevant, and worthy of another adaptation. The book also follows a long time window, showing many big changes for half a dozen characters. The film is able to cover so much without feeling rushed, giving each character their deserved arc (except Beth who doesn’t really do much in the book either). Ladybird was a personal story in that it was semi-autobiographical, but I’m sure that Greta has a strong affinity for a story about endlessly creative women attempting to navigate the rules and restrictions and burdens placed on them. Expanding the Jo vs. the publisher parts to become the central framing device was a wonderful way to extract this fundamental and still incredibly relevant point about the roles we all play in society. 

4. Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood: I’ve been a Tarantino fan for many years, and I loved this movie both for being so specifically Tarantino and also for elevating his own work and making something full of so much surprise and unpredictability. When I first heard he was going to do a movie about the Manson murders, I was incredibly skeptical, even more when they started advertising the actor who would be playing Manson. The actual story is so brutal that even a straightforward film about it would be really hard, but I was not expecting it to continue his fantasy historical re-writes in line with inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained. I also loved that the advertising focus on the Manson actor was just a cinematic redirect, reclaiming the screen time and narratives for the victims and giving them in film what was taken from them in reality. Tarantino knows what we expect from him, and this film plays with those expectations brilliantly to lead to many genuinely funny and cathartic surprises. The production, acting and screenplay are great. Even though my favorite scenes (Brad’s investigating Spahn ranch and Leo’s book discussion with his young co-star) don’t feature Brad and Leo together, they have good chemistry that keeps the movie buzzing along. 

5. 1917: I generally find war movies to be interesting, but overrated because of their technical difficulties. Knowing about the pseudo-single shot effect, I was expecting something technically awesome, and it certainly delivered on that, but I didn’t expect such a bold re-framing of our war narratives. Most of the war films I find interesting come out of the Vietnam era, when American media finally realized (or were allowed to show) that war is not as glamorous as the propaganda machine pretends. In many of those films, the exploration of evil was central, ranging from “some men on both sides are evil” to “war makes all men evil” to “evil is necessary for the good to exit”. This film shows a lot of misery, but no evil. There are a lot of corpses, but no villains. The stakes for the heroes are incredibly high (stopping an attack for means certain death for many men), but also incredibly futile. Following just a few men through a long journey worked really well, especially with the “single cut”, personalizing the journey while also keeping the characters just generic enough to be a stand-in for anyone. As the journey continues, it gets stranger and stranger, and for me it started to take on a Homeric quality; a long journey of good and bad fortune, with a destination but no destiny, at the whim of amoral gods with no real care for the fates of mortals. 

6. Marriage Story: Baumbach has made great character portrait films before, this time he gives us an honest and sad and beautiful portrait of two people and the world around them. The ending of a relationship is really only sad if there was something great there to begin with, and Marriage Story makes it clear these characters really were, and are, in love. NY-to-LA is a long distance but not that hard of a one to travel, and these two are so far apart while still being so close. They are individuals though with ambitions and fears that can’t be summed up with simply “east coast vs west coast” dichotomy that they feel they must inhabit. There are many moments like this throughout, where the characters behave not as they want to, which could lead to reconciliation, but as they feel they are supposed to, which only leads to more distance. The lawyer scenes are great and heartbreaking; they are the experts in nastiness pushing the couple away from each other and from their own true feelings. Divorce is a cliche and a statistic for everyone except the people in it, and the truth and complexity in this film illustrate that beautifully. 

7. The Irishman: Before watching, and even a while after it started, I was afraid this movie was going to a Martin Scorces-directed pastiche of Martin Scorsese’s mafia movies. Instead, it is a director confident in craft at telling a fun and ruthless mafia story that breezes by even at its outrageous runtime. He grounds the movie in that comfort zone but then tries something bold- bringing real character and real heart into it. Even though he’s using the outlandish (and widely discredited as a “true story”) mafia tall tales from one hitman’s memoirs, his fiction on top of a fiction on top of a truth does still find that truth and let it bloom. It is a film about friendship, loyalty, betrayal, and revenge amongst people attempting to maximize their power while ultimately having to sacrifice all their humanity to the institutions that rule over them.

8. Joker: This movie was certainly a risk and an interesting vision to attempt to meld this classic villain into a 70s film, but I just don’t think it worked. I thought the Nolan dark Batman trilogy was successful at its goal of making superhero movies by adding in some gritty reality, but it doesn’t seem to work so well in the reverse. On the campy 60s Adam West Batman, one of the running gags was that he would always have the perfect item on his utility belt for very specific situations. It feels like the writers were pulling out convenient coincidences from their utility belts to get this story to work, like the nonsense way that Arthur ends up on DeNiro’s late-night show. Telling movies with unreliable storytellers is a complicated game to play. I love when it is done well, but I think in this case, the unreliability of the narrator is used to hide massive plot holes and add complexity that isn’t there. Joaquin is great in this movie, and it is filled with cool, tense, visually iconic scenes referencing the great films of the 70s throughout, I just wish it added up to something more. 

9. Ford V Ferrari: This was a very well-produced, well-acted, well-directed movie. I found it surprisingly enjoyable but I felt it was just too long. The racing was neat for a while, but it wasn’t interesting enough to hold the amount of time it had. I did really enjoy the character arc of Christian Bale’s racer in this film. I get bored with the cocky male destroyed by his ego story these days, but in this film Bale flies (I mean races) close to the sun but guides himself back to earth before his wings (I mean brakes) melt off, which I found incredibly refreshing. This is the best movie of the year that feels like it was made by a committee instead of a person/small group of people with a vision. It’s not bad, but in a year of more interesting stories by more interesting storytellers that puts this one at the bottom. 

Director: Bong Joon Ho, Parasite

Actor: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Actress: Saoirse Ronan, Little Women

Supporting Actor: Joe Pesci, The Irishman

Supporting Actress: Florence Pugh, Little Women

O. Screenplay: Han Jan-Win and Bong Joon-Ho, Parasite

Adapted Screenplay: Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit

Jason

I think 2020 might be the hardest year I’ve ever had in rating the best picture nominees. What a memorable and original year in film! I truly loved all but one film on this list and they feel very interchangeable in terms of rankings.

1. Parasite: Such a perfect combination of fun, darkness, and surprises coupled with something really profound to say. We need more completely original movies like Parasite!

2. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood: I love Tarantino and this might be one of his best. It’s such a cool film with perfect casting and a badass ending that turns history on its head.

3. 1917: A true masterpiece of a war movie and destined to be mentioned with Saving Private Ryan (robbed at the Oscars) and Apocalypse Now as one of the greatest. It’s not only a technical marvel but a well-paced and intimate look at the horrors of WW1.

4. Joker: Heath Ledger’s Joker is one of my all-time favorite acting roles and I love that Joaquin made something new with it. I appreciate creating a new origin story from a well-known character and taking an in-depth look into the descent of madness.

5. Marriage Story: I love films about everyday people! This movie has brilliant turns by all of the major actors and a well flowing script that keeps the pace in a subject that could have felt like it was dragging.

6. The Irishman: I’m a huge Scorcese fan and it’s hard not to like The Irishman, as it plays out as an homage to the great director. Brilliant acting, typical Scorcese style, and a phenomenal cast of the usual actors make 3.5 hours fly by.

7. Little Women: I’m an outlier with Little Women as I’ve never read the book nor have I ever seen any of the other versions of the film. This version is well directed and a beautifully acting adaptation and I really enjoyed it.

8. Jojo Rabbit: A fun and at the same time a heartbreaking film about childhood, parenting, and love in times of terrible horror and tragedy. 

9. Ford v Ferrari: A well done and technically superb film, but for me, not in the same league as the other eight. I’m admittedly not a car racing or car person, perhaps it’s would have been more interesting if I was.

Director: Sam Mendes, 1917

Actor: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Actress: Saorsie Ronan, Little Women

Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

Supporting Actress: Laura Dern, Marriage Story

O. Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

Adapted Screenplay: Steve Zallian, The Irishman

Winner Predictions

Picture
Ford v Ferrari
Parasite
The Irishman
Marriage Story
Will Win

Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
1917
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

Will Win: 1917
Could Win: Parasite
Should Win: Parasite
Should have been here: The Farewell

I'm going head over heart this year and predicting 1917, but there is a real chance that Parasite becomes the first foreign-language film to win.

Director
Bong Joon Ho (Parasite)
Sam Mendes (1917)
Todd Phillips (Joker)
Martin Scorsese (The Irishman)
Quentin Tarantino (OUATIH)

Will Win: Mendes
Could Win: Joon Ho
Should Win: Joon Ho
Should have been here: Greta Gerwig, Little Women

Actor
Antonio Banderas, Pain & Glory
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes
Will Win: Phoenix
Could Win: Driver
Should Win: Driver (or Banderas)
Should have been here: Robert De Niro, The Irishman

For the first time in many years, a great Best Actor category. Probably my favorite actor is going to win, so I won't complain it's for a movie I don't really like.

Actress
Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Renee Zellwegger, Judy

Will Win: Zellwegger
Could Win: Johansson
Should Win: Ronan
Should have been here: Lupita N'yongo, Us

Supporting Actor
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

Will Win: Pitt
Could Win: Pesci
Should Win: Pesci
Should have been here: Song Kang Ho, Parasite

While Pitt is my second or third choice, he'll make a terrific winner.

Supporting Actress
Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
Florence Pugh, Little Women
Margot Robbie, Bombshell

Will Win: Dern
Could Win: Johansson
Should Win: Pugh
Should have been here: Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers

While I'm still getting over the snubs for J Lo and Zhao Shuzen (The Farewell), it will be really cool to see Dern win.

Original Screenplay
Knives Out
Marriage Story
1917
Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood
Parasite

Will Win: Parasite
Could Win: Once Upon a Time
Should Win: Parasite
Should have been here: The Farewell

Adapted Screenplay
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
The Two Popes

Will Win: Jojo Rabbit
Could Win: Little Women
Should Win: Little Women
Should have been here: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Animated
Will Win: Toy Story 4
Could Win: Klaus
Should Win: Toy Story 4

Cinematography
Will Win: 1917
Could Win: Joker
Should Win: 1917

Costume Design
Will Win: Little Women
Could Win: Jojo Rabbit
Should Win: Little Women

Documentary
Will Win: American Factory
Could Win: For Sama

Documentary Short
Will Win: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone
Could Win: St. Louis Superman

Film Editing
Will Win: Parasite
Could Win: Ford v Ferrari
Should Win: Parasite

International Feature
Will Win: Parasite
Could Win: Pain and Glory

Makeup
Will Win: Bombshell
Could Win: 1917

Original Score
Will Win: Joker
Could Win: 1917
Should Win: 1917

Original Song
Will Win: I'm Gonna Love Me Again
Could Win: Stand Up

Production Design
Will Win: Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood
Could Win: 1917
Should Win: Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

Animated Short
Will Win: Hair Love
Could Win: Kitbull

Live Action Short
Will Win: The Neighbors' Window
Could Win: Nefta Football Club

Sound Editing/Sound Mixing
Will Win: 1917 
Could Win: Ford v Ferrari

Visual Effects
Will Win: 1917
Could Win: The Lion King

Nomination Predictions

Update: 39/44 of the major noms. 89%! Perhaps a record for me?


My Predictions for tomorrow (in order of likelihood):

Picture
Once Upon a Time in HW
Parasite
The Irishman
1917
Marriage Story
Joker
Jojo Rabbit
Little Women
Ford v Ferrari

Possibilities:
The Farewell
Knives Out
Uncut Gems
The Two Popes
Bombshell
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Pain and Glory

Update: 9/9!  A pretty predictable year.

Director
Quentin Tarantino (OUATIH)
Bong Joon Ho (Parasite)
Sam Mendes (1917)
Martin Scorsese (The Irishman)
Greta Gerwig (Little Women)

Possibilities:
Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit)
Todd Phillips (Joker)
Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie (Uncut Gems)
Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story)
Pedro Almodovar (Pain and Glory)
Lulu Wang (The Farewell)
Celine Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire)
James Mangold (Ford v Ferrari)

Update: 4/5. Sadly, Gerwig missed out for Phillips.

Actress
Renee Zellwegger (Judy)
Scarlett Johannson (Marriage Story)
Charlize Theron (Bombshell)
Saorsie Ronan (Little Women)
Cynthia Erivo (Harriet)

Possibilites:
Lupita Nyongo (Us)
Awkwafina (The Farewell)
Alfre Woodard (Clemency)

Update: 5/5, although I'm not happy about it! 

Actor (A bloodbath!)
Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
Adam Driver (Marriage Story)
Leonardo DiCaprio (OUATIH)
Taron Egerton (Rocketman)
Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory)

Possibilities:
Christian Bale (Ford v. Ferrari)
Robert de Niro (The Irishman)
Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems)
Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes)
Eddie Murphy (Dolemite is My Name)
George Mackay (1917)

Update: 4/5. They went with Pryce over Egerton

Supporting Actress
Laura Dern (Marriage Story)
Jennifer Lopez (Hustlers)
Margot Robbie (Bombshell)
Florence Pugh (Little Women)
Scarlett Johannson (Jojo Rabbit)

Possibilities:
Zhao Shuzen (The Farewell)
Margot Robbie (OUATIH)
Annette Bening (The Report)
Kathy Bates (Richard Jewell)
Nicole Kidman (Bomshell)
Lee Jung Eun (Parasite)

4/5: A shocking snub of Lopez for Bates.

Supporting Actor
Brad Pitt (OUATIH)
Joe Pesci (The Irishman)
Al Pacino (The Irishman)
Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood)
Song Kang Ho (Parasite)

Possibilities:
Anthony Hopkins (The Two Popes)
Alan Alda (Marriage Story)
Jamie Foxx (Just Mercy)
Willem Defoe (The Lighthouse)

Update: 4/5. Hopkins over Kang Ho.

Adapted Screenplay
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Little Women
Joker
The Two Popes

Possibilities:
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Hustlers
Just Mercy

Update: 5/5. Nailed it as many folks did.

Original Screenplay
OUATIH
Marriage Story
Parasite
Knives Out
The Farewell

Possibilities:
1917
Booksmart
Pain and Glory
Bombshell
Uncut Gems

Update: 4/5. 1917 over The Farewell (sadly).

2018 Catch-Up

My blogging has obviously become infrequent, so I'm posting here mostly for history's sake.  The gap in time has also given me lots of time to reevaluate my choices!

Overall, tons of movies I really really liked, but few that will make my best of decade list.

My Top 10 of 2018

1. Leave No Trace
2. If Beale Street Could Talk
3. Roma
4. Private Life
5. Widows
6. First Reformed
7. Minding the Gap
8. The Favourite
9. Eighth Grade
10. Cold War

Runners-Up:  Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Hereditary, Jane in 5 Acts, Paddington 2, Sorry to Bother You, A Star is Born, Shoplifters, Support the Girls, Tully, Wildlife

Matches with Oscar: Just 2 in my top 10 (Roma and The Favourite) and 1 in runners-up (A Star is Born)

Actress
Toni Colette, Hereditary
Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Kathryn Hahn, Private Life
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Charlize Theron, Tully

Winner: Colman
Runner-Up: Colette

Actor
Bradley Cooper, A Star is  Born
Ben Foster, Leave No Trace
Paul Giamatti, Private Life
Ethan Hawke, First Reformed
Stephen James, If Beale Street Could Talk

Winner: Foster
Runner-Up: Hawke

Supporting Actress
Kayli Carter, Private Life
Elizabeth Debicki, Widows
Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Rachel  Weisz, The Favourite
Michelle Yeoh, Crazy Rich Asians

Winner: King
Runner-Up: Weisz

Supporting Actor
Hugh Grant, Paddington 2
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Michael B. Jordan, Black Panther
Alex Wolff, Hereditary
Steven Yuan, Burning

Winner: Richard E. Grant
Runner-Up: Hugh Grant

Best Picture? Ask your family!

Welcome to the 9th annual family Oscar blog. We’re a little lighter than usual this year, with full participation from my siblings Jason and Sarah and my brother-in-law Tyler, as well as some thoughts from my mother-in-law Barb, who didn’t make it to all the movies this year.

This year saw a fair bit of consensus, with all of us having the same 3 movies in our bottom 3. Our consensus Best Picture goes to...

Roma!




I’m crossing my fingers and hope the Academy agrees.

Here are our compiled rankings for those of us who saw all 8:

	Ben	Sarah	Tyler	Jason	AVG
Roma	1	1	1	4	1.75
A Star is Born	3	2	3	3	2.75
The Favourite	2	5	4	2	3.25
Black Panther	4	3	2	5	3.5
BlacKkKlansman	5	4	5	1	3.75
Green Book	6	6	6	6	6
Vice	7	7	8	7	7.25
Bohemian Rhapsody	8	8	7	8	7.75

For the directing, acting, and screenplay winners, here is where our votes would go:

Director
Alfonso Cuaron, Roma: Ben, Sarah, Tyler
Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman: Jason, Barb




Actress
Lady Gaga, A Star is Born: Jason, Barb
Yalitza Aparicio, Roma: Tyler
Glenn Close, The Wife: Sarah
Olivia Colman, The Favourite: Ben



Actor
Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born: Ben, Sarah, Tyler
Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody: Barb, Jason




Supporting Actress

Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk: Ben, Sarah, Barb
Amy Adams, Vice: Jason
Rachel Weisz, The Favourite: Tyler



Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali, Green Book: Sarah, Tyler, Jason
Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman: Barb
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?: Ben



Original Screenplay
First Reformed: Ben, Sarah, Tyler
The Favourite: Jason
Green Book: Barb




Adapted Screenplay
If Beale Street Could Talk: Ben, Sarah, Tyler
BlacKkKlansman: Jason
A Star is Born: Barb




Now to our individual thoughts:
Ben

2018 was a great year for movies. 2018 was not, alas, a great year for the Oscar Best Picture lineup. As opposed to last year, when many of my absolute favorites (Lady Bird, Phantom Thread, Get Out, Dunkirk, Call Me By Your Name) all received Best Picture nominations, this movie’s lineup includes one movie I love, a few I like quite a bit, and several I’m mixed-to-negative on.

If it were up to me, I’d keep Roma and replace the other 7 with this list:

-Eighth Grade
-First Reformed
-If Beale Street Could Talk
-Leave No Trace
-Minding the Gap
-Private Life
-Widows

But, that’s not how it worked, right? Here are my rankings of the movies the Academy did decide to nominate.

1. Roma
When describing his movie, director Alfonso Cuaron (one of my absolute favorite directors) said, “I wanted the camera to be like a ghost of the present visiting the past, objectively without getting involved, just observing, not trying to make judgment or commentary, that everything there would be the commentary itself.” In his highly personal tribute to his own nanny, Cuaron shows us Cleo, a woman whose days are filled with tasks, often mundane but occasionally momentous. Some have found this movie slow, but for me, its episodic and meditative structure builds to something incredible. Every image is a work of art, and I think this is a movie that will be remembered as a true classic.

2. The Favourite
Speaking of directors I love, here’s Greek provocateur Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth, The Lobster) with a… costume drama? No worries, though. While this might have some Masterpiece Theater trappings, it’s filled with a wicked sense of humor, the wittiest dialogue of the year, three amazing performances, and a hauntingly provocative ending. It’s one I definitely want to watch again, and I have a hunch I’ll probably like it even more the second time. My one caveat is the cinematography. While I loved pieces of it, I found the fish-eye lenses distracting.

3. A Star is Born
What possessed Bradley Cooper to make his directorial debut the fourth version of a classic Hollywood story already told so many times? Who knows, but I’m glad he did, as my constant playing of the soundtrack can attest. The first 45 minutes or so of this movie, as Ally and Jackson meet, connect, and form a musical and romantic partnership, is perhaps the best first half of any movie this year. After that, things get a little bit more conventional and less gripping, but it’s still a highly entertaining and emotionally affecting movie. Lady Gaga is great, and Bradley Cooper is even better, burrowing into his role with incredible depth. I’m frankly flabbergasted he’s on a course to lose the Oscar to Rami Malek.

4. Black Panther
To be honest, superhero movies usually exhaust and disappoint me. But… Black Panther is really good! A good superhero movie needs psychological depth, and this movie has ideas and stakes behind everything. Micahel B. Jordan’s Killmonger is no cardboard villain, but a character with real emotions and motivations. This movie is also a thrilling showcase of Black Excellence in every sense of the word, from the acting to the costumes (Oscar for Ruth E. Carter please!) to the direction by Ryan Coogler. The only reason it’s not a bit higher is it still falls into certain tropes (namely an overly long final action sequence), that often keep me from 100% love of superhero movies.

5. BlacKkKlansman
While by no means my least favorite movie in the lineup, this was probably my biggest disappointment of this year’s nominees. I’m a pretty big Spike Lee fan, and I was hoping for a major comeback and triumph for him. Many have found this movie to be just that but honestly, I felt this movie was a bit of a mess. The story is fascinating, and the actors are quite strong, but the movie seems to constantly be switching between tones, from jokiness to tragedy to didacticism. Even the ending using real-life footage, while undeniably powerful, strikes me as a bit of a cheat and an easy way to score emotional points. That said, there are several moments that show what Spike is capable of when he's firing on all cylinders, especially the Kwame Ture speech showcasing the faces of the African-American college students. To be fair, I also watched this when I was a bit tired, so I may owe it another shot.

6. Green Book
I watched this movie on a couch during the afternoon of a snow day, which was probably the right way to see it. It feels a lot like a movie from 30 years ago, both in its inoffensive style and its pat racial politics. It was mostly entertaining and pleasant enough to watch, but not a movie I’ll ever come back to. The script is very broad and surface-level, as is Viggo Mortensen’s performance as Tony Lip. Mahershala Ali’s performance belongs in a better movie, as he is able to bring depth and unspoken backstory to his performance as pianist Don Shirley. It’s also the kind of movie where, when you read the true story afterward, you’re a little annoyed at many of the historical inaccuracies made in order to make its point about simple friendship overcoming systemic racism.

7. Vice
I really liked director Adam McKay’s 2013 movie The Big Short because it used an irreverent, breezy style to illuminate the financial crisis, something I definitely needed to understand better. I learned a lot, but I was also entertained. Vice uses a very similar style, but to look at the life of Dick Cheney. Why did I respond so differently then? I think because this movie relies mostly on conjecture, and McKay seems to be throwing everything at the wall to prove why Dick Cheney is the source of our country’s downfall. I have no problem throwing dirt at Cheney the war criminal, but this movie didn’t illuminate anything new about him to me, and also didn’t have a clear take on WHY he took the actions he did. That said, I think Christian Bale is a great actor does the very best he can with what he’s given, and there are a few genuine laughs in the movie.

8. Bohemian Rhapsody
Is this a mediocre VH1 Behind the Music special, or a Best Picture nominee? OK, I'll admit I also enjoyed the moments of hearing Queen’s music, especially the last 15 minutes with the Live Aid concert, but everything else about this movie ranges from mediocre (Rami Malek’s SNL-level impersonation relying mostly on the teeth) to pretty awful (the script which conforms to every biopic stereotype, the incoherent editing). I know this was a megahit, and people really like Queen, but this literally might be one of the worst Best Picture nominees of all time.

Director: Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Actor: Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born (By a mile!)
Actress: Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Supporting Actor: Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Supporting Actress: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Original Screenplay: First Reformed
Adapted Screenplay: If Beale Street Could Talk


Jason

This year is the toughest year that I can remember to put together my rankings. I've got a clear number one, four films that I loved that I could easily swap around and a bottom three.

1. BlacKkKlansman
Spike Lee nailed the tone, the pacing and spot on casting for my favorite film of the year. This movie is so much fun and I'm definitely checking it out again. I loved how current events got tied into the very ending of the film.

2. The Favourite
Unbelievable performances and one of sharpest written movies I've ever seen made watching this film a blast. I didn't know anything about this historical story and was pleasantly surprised to find out that much of what is portrayed in the film is accurate.

3. A Star Is Born
I've admittedly never seen any other version of this movie, so I didn't know what to expect. I really enjoyed the film and thought Gaga and Cooper gave performances of a lifetime. It's a bummer that Cooper wasn't recognized for directing, the concerts scenes are stunning.

4. Roma
A beautiful story that is obviously very personal to the director. Between the performances, the tight script and complete feeling of realism, I very much appreciate this film. My bet is that it wins Best Picture and would be well deserved if it does.

5. Black Panther
Black Panther was awesome, my second favorite superhero movie after the gold standard, "The Dark Knight". The action pieces were amazing, the acting was spot on (Killmonger!) and the underlying social messages hit the mark. I haven't seen this one since it came out last year in the theater and I'm excited to catch it again.

6. Green Book
I had a good time watching this movie and it certainly has a good message. I didn't know anything about Dr. Shirley and I liked getting to learn about who he was. The movie felt pretty contrived at times and a bit to "feel-good" for me.

7. Vice
Bale, Adams and Rockwell were spectacular and I'm glad the academy gave them their dues with the respective nominations. This movie was well done but had quite a few editing choices that I felt didn't work well. I'm also ranking Vice here because I can't say that I "enjoyed" watching this film because of the subject matter.

8. Bohemian Rhapsody
I love Queen and Malek's performance is legendary. Other than that, Bohemian Rhapsody was filled with cliches, oversimplified plot devices and in my opinion, just not a very well done movie.

Director: Spike Lee
Actor: Rami Malek
Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali
Actress: Lady Gaga (I didn't see The Wife, so I can't comment on the defacto favorite performance in this category)
Supporting Actress: Amy Adams
Adapted Screenplay: BlackKkKlansman
Original Screenplay: The Favourite


Sarah

1. Roma
All the other films nominated this year fell a little short for me, except for Roma which is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time. At times, it reminded me of one of my very favorites, ‘Boyhood” in its quiet portrayals of day to day moments and how they make up a life, and then it took that concept to another level by intersplicing those moments seamlessly with larger societal movements and moments without losing the intimacy of how it really feels to live through them. Subtle, beautiful performances and breathtaking cinematography made this a clear number one for me.

2. A Star is Born
I’m all about the modern revival of the Hollywood musical- more of this please! Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper both gave amazing performances. I also really loved Sam Elliot’s quiet, stoic performance as Bobby. The movie felt very realistic in its portrayal of the devastation of addiction and suicide.. I did feel the first half of the movie was much stronger than the second which fell a bit more into cliches, and I really did not like Ally’s final song which was a shame to be so dentist office-y after so many other beautiful numbers.

3. Black Panther
Comic book movies aren’t usually my favorites as I find them a little long and too many action scenes without enough character development, but Black Panther is up there for me, along with Spiderman as one of the best. The core conflict and Killmonger’s motivations for his actions lead to a lot of thought-provoking questions about the history of Africans and African Americans and don’t offer simple answers.
Also- how breathtaking were those costumes and cinematography during the fight scenes at the waterfall?

4. Black KkKlansman
What I liked: Spike Lee did a great job at keeping this movie moving, and maintaining dramatic tension spliced with humor. I still cannot get over the fact that this was a true story! The performances were solid (Topher Grace especially was an eerily convincing David Duke!). What I didn’t: I was expecting (especially from Spike Lee) a more complex portrayal of institutional racism (such as within the police department)- I think that most people who would be watching this movie (I think we all know Trump and Richard Spencer didn’t line up for opening night!) already get that that the KKK is bad, and I think there was a missed opportunity to go a little deeper and look at more insidious forms of racism. Also, I would’ve liked to know more about Ron’s motivations as a character.

5. The Favourite
On an objective level, the Favourite was a real achievement- the acting was excellent, the pacing and absurdist humor creative, and the editing sharp and new. For some reason though, I just didn’t like the Favourite as much as Lanthimos’ “The Lobster” and I haven’t quite been able to put my finger on why. I think part of it has to do with all the characters being so unlikeable, which isn’t always something that bothers me but left me feeling a little cold and kept it from being higher on my list.

6. Green Book
I ended up liking Green Book more than I thought I would- I wasn’t looking forward to seeing it, but was pleasantly surprised. Performances by Mortenson and Ali were strong and I appreciated this portrayal of how proximity and relationship building can lead to changes in behaviors and prejudices. From rom everything I’ve read, Tony’s changes in character really did change after his time with Shirley. The controversy surrounding the accuracy of the movie is complicated and problematic and that keeps it from being higher on my list. There were also some scenes that really watered it down, like the scene where Tony is driving through the snow and gets pulled over by the police officer with the fear they will be profiled again, and then, surprise- its a nice cop in the north who is just there to help!

7. Vice
Well, I can’t say it was boring, but I don’t think Vice was a very good movie. I thought the pacing was overall pretty good and Christian Bale gave a strong performance, but there were too many things I didn’t like about it to put it higher on my list. Maybe I’m more of a stickler than most, but one of the first things I do when I see a true story is check out “History vs. Hollywood” to see how it holds up. I understand the ambition of the project and the disclaimer in the beginning of the film that a lot of the truth surrounding the Cheneys is shrouded in secrecy and lies, so the filmmakers claimed they did the best they could. That being said, I was really frustrated by allegations in the film that had no basis in fact. There are enough terrible things about Dick Cheney that would make good cinema without making things up (for example- no evidence that Lynn’s mom was murdered, Cheney’s role in the Fairness doctrine was overblown, etc)
In this era of fake news (I understand it's not claiming to be “news” but it's still a narrative) and polarization, I am afraid that just adds fuel to the fire. Also, I was really annoyed at how pretty much every female in the movie, whether a major character or an extra (with the exception of Mary Cheney), was portrayed as either evil or vapid and clueless.

8. Bohemian Rhapsody
So, the musical performances (in particular the Live Aid concert) and costumes were fun, but I’m really scratching my head that not only was it nominated for best picture but did so well at the Golden Globes. The script and editing were disorganized and there were a lot of really cheesy scenes.

Actor: Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born
Actress: Glenn Close, The Wife
Director: Alejandro Cuaron, Roma
Supporting actress: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Supporting actor: Mahershela Ali, Green Book
Adapted screenplay: If Beale Street Could Talk
Original screenplay: First Reformed (side note, I’m really sad this movie didn’t get more recognition in other categories, especially actor!)

Tyler

1. Roma
Cuaron is retelling a very personal origin story. Like another memoir film on this list, the creator is only a child barely present in the story, which instead focuses on the people who raised him. In this case that includes his family, but is most importantly the nanny, who Roma is centered around. Like another memoir film on this list, individual lives intersect in expected and unexpected ways with a turbulent world. Cuaron’s approach doesn’t pretend to have easy answers to questions of race, class, politics, and belonging, but seeks exploration and honesty. This film is visually and thematically full of beauty and ugliness in a way that few films seem to achieve. This film does one particular thing in a way I’ve never seen before- most of the film is incredibly subtle; the “action” is often completely mundane and banal but the subtext is engrossing, which put me into a certain frame of mind, focusing on the little details much like we focus on the little details of our own lives. The story of this woman and this family don’t exist in a bubble however, and there a few amazing moments in this film where that subtlety is punctured by big events of the outside world. Combined they create a beautiful and truthful, though not simple, story.

2. Black Panther
I’ve seen and enjoy most of the Marvel movies. The humor is silly, the action scenes are formulaic, but at their best these movies attempt to be the popular morality tales for our time. Black Panther squarely fits in there but is propelled head and shoulders above the rest by substance and style. The style part is obvious; the combination of American hip-hop with African roots and Afrofuturism already puts this movie above the more bland worlds of many superheroes. Most of these films are about good vs. evil, but at its heart this is a tale of differing opinions, about means not ends. Spiderman may own the tagline “with great power comes great responsibility”, but this movie takes that theme to a new level. This isn’t about putting on a mask to stop muggers in an alley, this is about how to deal with inequality and oppression in a globalized world. What does someone with privilege owe the rest of the world? And to who does one owe it? Wakanda is full of distinct brightly-colored tribes, but the question of “who is your tribe” is central. Killmonger is the greatest MCU villain because he is barely a villain, and this very realistic and balanced difference of opinions is incredibly compelling and offers no easy answers.

3. A Star Is Born
The first half of this film is a really well done love story- the actors chemistry just works and the career storylines don’t get in the way. If the love story part of this move didn’t work, then the tragic downfall part would certainly not work either. There were a lot of films over the past few years exploring the concept of being in love with one’s “creation” (Her, Phantom Thread, mother!, etc) and what it means when that creation has autonomy and changes in ways you didn’t except, and I think this is a wonderful addition to the genre. There are a number of ways to understand exactly what Cooper is in love with, GaGa herself or the GaGa he can create and control, and however you feel about their relationship greatly colors in the end how you feel about the love story section of the film. That kind of ambiguity is an amazing achievement for a film that seems so straightforward on the surface.

4. The Favourite
While many of the characters in this story are powerful and worldly people involved in affairs of international impact, the royal court feels like an incredibly small, isolated, and insular world. Everything from the fisheye surveillance shots to the way they show the passing of time added to this sense that the royal court was really a beautiful prison (although I don’t know how common trap shooting is during yard time in most prisons). The film uses this small world like a pressure cooker to examine the wackiest and most mundane of power dynamics. I never did know exactly how to feel about the relationship between the queen and Rachel Weiz, and as a result never know exactly how to feel about the plot. I think that’s exactly where this film wants me to land.

5. BlacKkKlansman
In a lot of ways, this movie’s racial politics weren’t all that different from Green Book. In the Trump era, old fashioned blunt prideful racism has made a resurgence. The thing is, it’s not revolutionary, subversive, or even interesting to point out that the Klan then is still around in much the same way, just with their man in charge. The “let’s remember what real racists look like” theme gets old fast. What I found most interesting in this one is that the two characters at the center are both navigating two identities, which land on spectrums of privilege in different places. While “White Ron Stallworth” (Adam Driver) can generally pass as White, his heritage wouldn’t be considered acceptable to the institutions he has to infiltrate, and he denies Ron’s prodding into any personal connection to the case as a member of one of the hated groups. The real Ron is living in two worlds as well, one as a Black man becoming introduced to a world of activism he had previously avoided, and his world as a police officer where he is (begrudgingly) accepted as security for David Duke himself. The movie was a fun watch, although the plot holes covered up with zany coincidences were a little too much for a semi-comedy that otherwise tries to achieve a balance of realism.

6. Green Book
As a memoir piece, a son recreating a personal story of his mother’s that was told to him as family legend, this movie works pretty well. The story is told through a long series of distinct little vignettes, each a little too perfect and clean but each signifying something meaningful. Don Shirly being introduced to fried chicken, Don Shirly being introduced to the radio, and the variety of scenarios contrived to let us see exactly one of each particular type of racist one might encounter in this country. This feels like someone recreating a narrative from a jumble of anecdotes told to them over time, and watching it in that lense, not that this is a recreation of history but a recreation of a memory, it works pretty. Not all art has to follow the same rules, and what is acceptable in a memoir about your parents can become a problem when characterizing other real people, and especially when commenting on racial history. Those oversimplified anecdotes about Blackness, racism, and class become problematic when they create a fiction about how clean and simple these issues are, and how easy redemption and change can come. The part I did really like about this movie was the ample opportunities for both characters to navigate their positions on spectrums of privilege.

7. Bohemian Rhapsody
The end result made more sense to me when I found out that the surviving members of Queen had final approval on the film for the legal requirements to license the music. This bargain plays out clearly in what ended up on the screen- the music-related parts were the highlight and the Freddy personal story was the drag, told through cliches and boring melodrama, which from my understanding is very antithetical to the real person. The ending was riveting as a musical experience, in fact all the music scenes were entertaining. The scenes with the record label execs were fun, relying heavily on dramatic irony (Mike Myers saying no teenagers would ever head bang to their opera song). This is only funny if you are aware of fandom around Queen, and I think the film as a whole works on this level. It has been wildly successful because it is made for fans. This film is a lot like Queen the band in that way; critics be damned, this is about fun, belonging, catharsis, and rocking out.

8. Vice
I didn’t know going into this if the focus would be retelling recent history (like The Big Short) or a semi-historical character study about an individual rising to power (like Citizen Kane or The Social Network), and I think the biggest problem was the filmmakers didn’t either.
Filled with some great moments, it never really came together. For a movie about a man who deceived the public into a massive war in order to line his pockets and those of his friends, who knowingly put an undercover agent’s life in danger to settle a personal score,
the biggest condemnation this movie could muster was that he was just a yes man obsessed with being near power. A movie like this either needs either retell an objective history (it didn’t), explore this man as an archetype of humanity (it didn’t), or at least present a clear thesis. Instead we got a muddled movie with no real point. The film ends with a monologue that essentially boils down to, “I did it all because someone had to, you needed me to, and I did it.” I think this was a lazy attempt to try to turn the criticism away from Cheney and the apparatuses that allow people like him to get away with it, and instead put the onus on us, the viewer, that we are both responsible for, and should be grateful for, humble civil servants like Cheney. I think that could be an interesting idea, but in no way was that explored in the preceding two hours. This tacked on redirection of liability fails miserably and leaves the entire film even more hollow.

Director: Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Actor: Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born
Actress: Yalitza Aparicio, Roma
Supporting Actor: Mahershla Ali, Green Book
Supporting Actress: Rachel Weisz, The Favourite
Original Screenplay: First Reformed
Adapted Screenplay: If Beale Street Could Talk


Barb

For a variety of reasons, I did not see all the nominated movies this year. I would, however, like to weigh in on the movies I did see. What struck me about this year’s nominees is there is no La La Land. This year’s nominees involve deception, addiction, betrayal, racism, homophobia, AIDS, suicide etc. Like I said, no La La Land.

1. A Star is Born
Fading musician mentor’s unknown who rises to stardom while fading musician falls deeper and deeper into depression and substance abuse. Sound familiar? I loved this movie! I thought GaGa gave a remarkable performance in her first acting role. And who knew Bradley Cooper could sing? I have to admit, I liked Ally (GaGa) much more in the first half of the movie before she was all tarted up. Loved the music and hope Shallow wins best original song.

2. BlacKkKlansman
Based on the true story of Ron Stallworth, a Black police officer who infiltrated the
Ku Klux Klan in the early 70’s. Spike Lee does a flawless job tying the past to the present. Footage used in the movie, especially that of Charlottesville, is particularly powerful. John David Washington gave a brilliant performance as Stallworth, as did Adam Driver as his somewhat reluctant partner. At times so tense and frightening, Washington’s frequent over-the-top scenes provided some much needed comic relief.

3. Bohemian Rhapsody
Unknown musician rises to rock stardom, crashes and burns, gets a second chance, rises to stardom and then dies. Sound familiar? A pretty predictable story. I think I liked this movie so much because it conjured up such fond memories of ‘80’s music. I remember the Live Aid Concert vividly. Rami Malek was a very believable Freddie Mercury. I loved the music, especially the performance at Live Aid. I actually rewound and watched the last 20 minutes a second time.

4. Green Book
I’m embarrassed to say, I didn’t know what a ‘Green Book’ was. I have since learned that it is a segregation guide book for African American motorists that alerted them to where they could eat, sleep etc. in the South.
Green Book is based on the true story of Dr. Don Shirley and his unlikely friendship with Tony ‘Lip’ Vallelonga. Dr. Shirley, a highly educated, classically trained African American pianist is about to begin a concert tour in the Deep South in 1962. Due to a rash of violence against African Americans, Dr. Shirley hires Tony Lip, a brash Italian American ex-bouncer to be his driver and protecter. I liked how their long journey unfolded. Forced to band together while facing danger and racism in the South, we see their mutual respect and friendship slowly develop. Outstanding performances by both Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali.

ACTOR: Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Adam Driver, Blackkklansman
ACTRESS: Lady Gaga, A Star is Born
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
DIRECTOR: Spike Lee, Blackkklansman
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Green Book
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: A Star is Born