Wednesday 9 October 2019

Alternate Best Supporting Actor 2001: Ian Holm in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Ian Holm did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Bilbo Baggins in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

Ian Holm's role in the original LOTR trilogy is technically an essential, though in a way minor role as technically the hero of the previous book to the trilogy. That of The Hobbit where Bilbo was front and center the whole time, despite what overblown adaptations will tell you. Ian Holm then has an interesting role here in that he really must tell you a story you haven't seen within his own work as Bilbo, at least when the film originally came out, well really we still didn't see it. Ian Holm was the protagonist of the previous story, in fact it seems just the right for the role of any lead hobbit, and it is no surprise that he had in fact played Frodo (here played by Elijah Wood) in the 1981 radio adaptation. Holm's casting in itself was something that was just right from the very outset. Of course even the best casting can occasionally disappoint, however that is most certainly not the case here. The richness of Holm's work really is evident from his early narration explaining the nature of hobbits in general. Holm delivers the words with real texture of appreciation and warmth in explaining the quaint life of the denizens of the Shire. This sentimentality though nicely balanced with an equally sincere irascibility as initially mistakes Gandalf (Ian McKellen) for another "well wisher" for Biblo's birthday party that essentially opens the film, as brushes off Gandalf befitting an elder man who doesn't like to suffer fools. Holm's initial work has this sort of wonderful balance between the bitter and the sweet.

This is as we see a rather endearing sense of joy in his greetings and interactions to the old friend of Gandalf. This giving a sense of their old adventure even though we don't see it beyond glimpse. This being even more evident as he regales the children with his conflict with some trolls that Holm illuminates with a proper zest of living the dreams of the youth. In this though Holm effectively realizes shades of darkness, and not just a slight grumpiness to unwelcome "friends". This in the moment of reflecting upon his age, even though he doesn't look it, Holm evokes both a melancholy of age but also a painful weight upon his existence. That weight of course being the one ring of power he has been using on and off since his journey in The Hobbit. This becoming more evident when Bilbo decides to leave the Shire to "retire", thought not before one final confrontation as Gandalf insists Bilbo leave the ring behind. Holm is fantastic in the scene and very much indicates towards the eventually much praised work of Andy Serkis as Gollum, the previous twisted owner of the ring by the ring. Holm is terrific in portraying this fixation, that is obviously weaker than it what we eventually see in Gollum, yet conveys well the obsession as an addiction. This in portraying his accusations towards Gandalf as a vicious irrational reaction of the moment. When snapped from this by Gandalf, Holm delivers such an honest moment of clarity in his poignant delivery of Bilbo plea for forgiveness. His greatest moment in the introductory section of the film though is actually a silent one, as he manages to leave the ring on the ground and walk out the door away from it. Holm brings for a moment this fierce frustration and angry in his face, before this moment of purging it himself to almost looking to his future. Holm makes it such natural moment, and essentially creates this humanity to this fantastical concept of the lure of the one ring. Holm makes a proper impression helping to establish the world of the film, but through textured character. His Bilbo not only grants sight of what the ring means, but we also get sense of who he is and really the nature of hobbits. There is also Bilbo's return later in the film, when Frodo and his group find refuge in the Elvish valley of Rivendell. There Bilbo finally seems his age, and there is a brief but special moment between he and Elijah Wood. There in just a brief reaction from Holm you see both a sense of acceptance, though not without a twinge of somberness in Holm's eyes, of his old age. We are also granted just the utmost tenderness in his reunion with Frodo evoking if for a few seconds the sense of the relationship of a surrogate father to his adopted son. Holm's final scene in the film coming shortly there after as he prepares Frodo for his adventure. A similar scene to his confrontation with Gandalf, though technically the most extreme moment of temptation is handled by a puppet, nonetheless Holm's expression of regret towards Frodo is heartbreaking as he conveys the intensity of this burden he's place upon his beloved nephew. Holm's character here is but a minor role in the scheme of the epic, yet alluding the strength of the film, he still leaves a striking impression.

80 comments:

Matt Mustin said...

I agree, very strong work. McKellen is still my favorite in the cast, though.

Robert MacFarlane said...

After rewatching it a month ago (got to see all of the extended editions in the theater over the course of three weeks, and man that will be a highlight of my year), he not only stood out to me but became my 2001 win as well. He has so much to balance in such short time. The bumbling warmth of his old self, the crankiness and weariness of his current self, the madness of the ring, his love for his nephew, and by the end his shame and guilt. It’s beautiful, heartwrenching performance from one of our finest. I’m not even second guessing myself with giving him my win.

Anonymous said...

I think Ian Mckellen finally wins in this blog!

Mckellen > Sean Bean

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Any rating changes. Has either Bean or McKellen gone up.

Lucas Saavedra said...

Louis: how would you rank the best performances from the LOTR an The Hobbit trilogies?
And what are your top 20 Ian Holm acting moments?

Mitchell Murray said...

Great performance. He really makes an impression despite the small amount of screen time he has, and that final scene with Wood is truly powerful.

It's funny..because I had watched the LOTR trilogy before hand, when I first watched Alien I joked about how I could never see Bilbo the same way again. Really, though, the fact that those two performances are so radically different - and yet equally memorable in there own way - is a testament to Holm's terrific range.

Anonymous said...

Louis: Your thoughts on a 2010s Open Range with Josh Brolin in Costner's role and Sam Elliott in Duvall's role?

Bryan L. said...

Anonymous: Brolin would be a good fit for that role, I reckon. And perhaps Mangold for director, Diane Lane for Sue, and Keith Carradine for Denton.

Mitchell Murray said...

I'd be absolutely down for Brolin, Lane, Carradine and Mangold. As for Elliott, well - I love the guy, but Duvall was already the perfect casting choice for the film.

Calvin Law said...

Louis: could I have your thoughts on this scene from The Remains of the Day - https://youtu.be/eV5FdpvNMQE

Anonymous said...

Louis:

Your director and cast for a 90’s and 2000’s version of Joker?

Bryan L. said...

Anonymous: I would’ve liked to see what Jim Carrey would’ve done with the title role in the 2000s.

And for the 90s, how about Robin Williams?

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Could I have your throughts on the direction of Giant, and your thoughts on the screenplay of 12 Angry Men.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Just finished watching El Camino. Will need some time to ruminate on my exact ratings and thoughts for the cast, but I'll definitely say that I enjoyed it a lot. Paul is as good as expected.

Calvin Law said...

Same with Tahmeed, I do think it started stronger than it ended but overall I did dig it. Won't give ratings and thoughts yet because even just listing some of the people who appeared would be fairly spoiler-ish.

Emi Grant said...

So...guys, I hadn't watched Breaking Bad prior to hearing of El Camino (I just don't watch TV shows, really, but I was familiar with the love for the series) and I've been on an intense game of playing catch-up throughout this last week before watching the film.

I'm on season 5, episode 3 currently. Should I finish this season before watching El Camino?

Calvin Law said...

Emi: YES. Definitely finish it first.

Emi Grant said...

Calvin: Got it. Thanks.

Álex Marqués said...

RIP Robert Forster

Matt Mustin said...

RIP Robert Forster.

Emi Grant said...

R.I.P. Robert Forster

Calvin Law said...

RIP Robert Forster. Legend.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

RIP Robert Forster.

Luke Higham said...

RIP Robert Forster

Bryan L. said...

RIP Robert Forster

RatedRStar said...

RIP Robert Forster

Anonymous said...

R.I.P. Robert Forster. Great character actor.

Louis: Rating and thoughts on Debbie Harry, Sonja Smits, Jack Creley, Peter Dvorsky and Reiner Schwarz in Videodrome.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: If you've seen El Camino, could I have your overall thoughts on it, and your ratings for the cast?

Mitchell Murray said...

Rest in peace, Robert Forster. You will be missed.

Calvin Law said...

A Hidden Life is for the most part a technical achievement, despite a few Malick indulgences with the editing throughout which occasionally delves into his ‘nature documentary’ bag of tricks. The cinematography and in particular the heartrending score by James Newton Howard are all beautifully done. I will say though that the highlight of the film is Malick at his most subdued when he lets the acting do the job and when he hones in on the central inner conflict and the understated romance at its centre. This is where the film really thrives, and even most of the indulgences pay off alongside it. So overall even though I had certain reservations it definitely worked for me on the whole and is definitely one of my favourites of the year.

Diehl - 5
Pachner - 5
Rest of the cast is a collective 3, no one really stands out but everyone is uniformly good.

Luke Higham said...

Calvin: I'm so glad you ended up loving the two main performances.

Calvin Law said...

Luke: Same. It'll be interesting to see what Louis makes of them since they are technically a bit 'limited' by Malick's perspective but thinking more about it, I think this constraint actually gives their performances a particular power.

Seeing A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood tomorrow and also managed to nab tickets to the Live Gala Preview of The Irishman, which has me very excited.

Louis Morgan said...

Saw El Camino, one of my favorite films of the year. This is even though it comes down to being really just a very good episode of Breaking Bad. Not one of the best episodes, but a very good episode which given we're talking about Breaking Bad is great by most TV standards, though this is technically a film. The closure for Jesse stuff is all absolutely fantastic, and felt just right for the character. It didn't weaken the finale at all, it honestly strengthened it for me. The weakest aspect probably were the *present* villains, who still served their purpose anyways. Really just an additional feather in the cap of the GOAT series, and for me one of the best films of the year.

Saving Paul.

Baker - 3.5
Jones - 3
MacArthur & Shepherd - 3
Hankin - 3

And for spoilers in order of appearance:

? - 3
? - 4
?(◞ ‸ ◟) - 4
? - 3
? - 3

Luke:

Let me wait on that for the sake of suspense.

Lucas:

Refer to the response to Luke.

Anonymous:

Great pairing.

Calvin:

Yeah, I'm not sure why Hopkins is a 3.5 for that. That is easily my favorite scene from the film though in realizing the nature of the specific repression in heartbreaking and such difficult detail. This making even the slightest share of the personal being so horribly painful. Performed beautifully by both with Thompson being so desperately open, and Hopkins being so desperately within himself.

Anonymous:

Joker 1990's directed by Paul Schrader:

Arthur Fleck: Willem Dafoe
Murray Franklin: Jack Lemmon
Penny Fleck: Diane Ladd

Joker 2000's directed by David Fincher:

Arthur Fleck: Robert Downey Jr.
Murray Franklin: Alan Arkin
Penny Fleck: Mia Farrow

Tahmeed:

Will do but give me some time.











RIP Robert Forster

Robert MacFarlane said...

Loved El Camino, and I can’t wait for you to review Paul.

Robert MacFarlane said...

Louis: What do you think of this scene from Addams Family Values? https://youtu.be/jQ7RB3fQAA0

Calvin Law said...

Same I can’t wait for Paul’s review. Only getting better more I think about it.

Calvin Law said...

Also horray to a potential upgrade for Hopkins.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Now that I've thought about it, Paul is probably my lead actor win for the year so far. He was fantastic in every single scene.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Your thoughts on the diner flashback scene in El Camino?

Anonymous said...

Louis: Apparently Kubrick wanted Bill McKinney (the mountain man from Deliverance) to play Hartman in Full Metal Jacket, but decided to back out because he was scared of McKinney. I think we can all agree that R. Lee Ermey was perfect for the part and that no one could have topped him in that role.

Calvin Law said...

A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood is lovely. Very light and doesn’t go too heavy but I actually really liked the approach, and is just such a wonderful watch. Also I am glad to see that Hanks is not category fraud at all, he is very much supporting to Rhys.

Rhys - 4
Hanks - 5
Cooper - 3.5
Watson - 3
Plunkett - 3
Colantoni - 3

Anonymous said...

Louis: It appears that Cronenberg is going to write and direct a Netflix adaptation of his novel Consumed. It seems that the opinions on the novel are mixed, but hopefully he can fix whatever problems his novel had in the mini-series and hope he has at least one good mini-series in him.

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Thoughts on the Doolittle trailer?

Calvin Law said...

Loved The Irishman. Like Wolf of Wall Street and Silence Scorsese uses a very pronounced denouement which I'll need to think more about but otherwise it was exceptional on nearly every level, and the VFX was not distracting at all. I loved the depiction of the central relationships and the performances that served to amplify them. And that's not to mention the as is to be expected now phenomenal editing job, the use of dark humour, and the surprising humanity it finds in these gangsters while in no way glorifying their work. Loved it.

De Niro - 5
Pacino - 5 (though I feel it will be divisive)
Pesci - 5
Cannavale - 3
Keitel - 3
Graham - 4
Narducci - 3
Lombardozzi - 3.5
Paquin - 2.5
Maniscalco - 3
Romano - 3.5
Plemons - 2.5 (but really more of an N/A)
Basraba - 3
Huston - 3

Calvin Law said...

Also Pacino is unquestionably supporting, even more so than Hanks.

Louis Morgan said...

Tahmeed:

Giant's direction by George Stevens is fascinating, and a major expansion as a filmmaker. This is as Stevens offers a different west than seen in any other film seen before this one, even than his own Shane, through offering a then modern perspective on it. It is still grand, but also more tangible in the way he shoots it. Equally notable is his consistency in offering the same deftness in crafting within that an intimacy of the interactions between the characters. I'd say one of the most remarkable factors is Stevens doesn't doubly emphasize the moments of examining the racial dynamics. He lets the script speak, and avoids forcing melodrama. Steven's work though changes with the years as he too pulls the narrative into interiors as the characters move towards the then current year. It is also just an example of great specific vibrant direction. The two most notable examples of this being Jett finding the oil and the final fight. The first capturing the sight of it through having Jett be part of it right down to confronting in oil and the use of music in the latter being just brilliant.

12 Angry Men's screenplay I feel one should take a moment to look first at the screenplay as opposed to the teleplay it is adapted from, which only has some fairly minor addition. Good addition however that do feel as though they flesh out the scenario in some small character beats more than anything. There as an adaptation, quite remarkable. Now looking at the overall product, including most of it which was the teleplay. I'll grant first the central conceit of the jury acting more like lawyers in court, which works, and is an avenue for a captivating drama. Each of the 12 jurors is well drawn, well 12's a little weak, but otherwise each is realized in their somewhat narrow yet effective ways. It alludes to a greater complexity nicely with the majority of them and not just turning them into archetypes even if they might be fulfilling an archetypal role in the room. For example, having the certain underlying motivations for 3 turns him into more than just a villain. Their interactions then are compelling in each moment with potent dialogue built around deconstructing the case. This latter part I'll say is the one point that keeps me from loving the film, and the screenplay as much as so many do. Some of the beats in the deconstruction are clever, but two always sour me a bit. This being doubting the two eyewitnesses because they were old people who must have wanted attention. Not only is this weak logic, it also throws out the seemingly intended theme of not judging the book by its cover of the suspect. Those two points consistently bug me, but otherwise it is still a taut and remarkable piece of creating drama purely through a conversation, while managing to wrangle 12 different characters.

Loved the flashback as it didn't overplay the moment. In that it felt genuine to where those two characters were, not making it like some excessive reflection of a potential future, but really just how the two would've spoken on the subject at that time.

Robert:

Anonymous:

Agreed, Ermey was perfect.

Anonymous:

I mean Cronenberg's film record is flagging at the moment, maybe a mini-series will bring the best out of him again. So I'll keep my eye on it.

Robert:

I love it honestly, and sadly it's the only real major scene for Julia in the sequel. But hey at least we get some proper insanity from him here with his obtuse declarations on high, with such a hilarious contrast with Nathan Lane downplaying the scene (well for Nathan Lane standards) as the Sergeant who just isn't having it.

Bryan:

Well it's directed by Stephen Gaghan, who I find to be a terrible director so my expectations were low. This did not change those expectations even if Downey could end up doing an impressive accent again.

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Speaking of Gaghan, who would you have chosen to direct Syriana instead? The elements for an intriguing film all seem to be there, but Gaghan just seemed to call it a day behind the camera, if that.

Louis Morgan said...

Bryan:

I'd say Soderbergh (which is almost comical coming from me but true based on Traffic), Clooney and Michael Mann would've done a far better job with his script.

Tahmeed Chowdhury said...

Louis: Have you seen Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India yet? If you haven't, please do make sure to check it out before you finish 2001 Supporting.

Emi Grant said...

Just caught up with El Camino. It's truly the cherry on top of a fantastic series. Had minor nitpicks with it, but really, really liked it. Loved Paul's performance as well.

RatedRStar said...

I do like how pretty much all of the acting contenders that everyone has seen has been good so far, no bad ones from what I have heard on the blog.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: If Bean or McKellen are going up, could you do some re-edits with their reviews, particularly in the latter's case.

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Your cast and director for an American version of Parasite? (Which I loved and felt that it was masterfully directed)

I think John C. Reilly could be a good shout for Song Kang-Hos' equivalent.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: Any updated Oscar predictions and have you seen any other 2019 releases recently.

Luke Higham said...

Bryan: Your ratings for the cast.

Bryan L. said...

Luke: The same as Louis, plus a 4.5 for Song Kang-Ho and a strong 4 for Choi Woo-Sik. It's more of a director's film to me, in the best of ways.

However, never sleep on the power of rewatches...

Louis Morgan said...

Tahmeed:

It's on the docket.

Bryan:

American Parasite (although I think an English version would be more ideal) directed by Damian Chazelle:

Poor Father: John C. Reilly
Poor Son: Kodi Smit-McPhee
Poor Mother: Lil Taylor
Poor Daughter: Mae Whitman
Rich Father: Colin Hanks
Rich Mother: Kirsten Dunst
Husband: Jason Butler Harner
Wife: Emily Lloyd

Luke:

Well to mix it up, maybe try to predict just the winners:

Best Picture: Uhhh....Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. This is a year where I don't think a clear winner will emerge right away, or perhaps till the end like last year. Each film in the running has something against it whether it be onslaught of think pieces (Hollywood, Jojo Rabbit), Netflix bias (Marriage Story, The Irishman), lateness (1917), Foreign language (Parasite) or just perhaps perceived as too "small" (The Farewell) or too "slight" (Ford v Ferrari, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood).

Director: Martin Scorsese - The Irishman (I'm starting to get more confidence for this one, as Scorsese is easy to argue as deserving of a second win, and I could easily see a split again. The winner lately is usually the biggest perceived "feat" in terms of scale of story, and technical elements. That favors Scorsese with an outside shot for Mendes if 1917 delivers, however Scorsese #2 or Mendes #2, I think that Favors Scorsese.)

Actress: Renee Zellweger - Judy (Harriet is sounding more and more like an also ran. Zellweger doesn't seem like a likely number 2 Oscar, but hey was Hilary Swank? She has the type of role that wins, the reviews, the cherry on top element (singing), the comeback story. I could also see her film, unfortunately, making it into best picture. Johannson seems the best alternate contender, however I wouldn't even second guess Zellwerger honestly if she didn't already have an Oscar. Sometimes that doesn't matter though.)

Actor: Jonathan Pryce - The Two Popes (Still trying to keep with my early call, that still seems very possible. As again, historical figure that many like, "overdue" actor, and praised performance. Hey even a McCarten script is a good thing when it comes to winning Oscars obviously. I can see Adam Driver as the alternate though, especially since Netflix will probably eventually choose to favor one in their campaigning. Driver has the slightly less Oscary role, but if the critics favor him, I can see having the push to winning the whole thing. Aka if Pryce loses one televised award, other than critics choice, I'd say Driver probably has it.)

Louis Morgan said...

Supporting Actress: Laura Dern - Marriage Story (Sure why not, though Annette Bening is another sure why not as the alternate. Shuzhen Zhou hopefully will at least be a nominee, but hey maybe if her film over performs she can over perform herself. Unknowns can win if the push is there. I do think Dern is probably in the best position however at the moment.)

Supporting Actor: Al Pacino - The Irishman (Historical Figure, and he's Al Pacino. Previous Oscar winner sure, but I think again it is easy to argue to give him a second. In fact it would be best for Netflix to point out that Brad Pitt already has an Oscar as hard as possible, therefore making it who gets a second first. It helps Pacino that the majority of contenders here are previous Oscar winners with only Willem Dafoe, Sterling K. Brown and Alan Alda being non-winners even really being bandied about in the conversation at the moment. Pesci complicates things only slightly, as I could easily see him more as Harrelson to Rockwell, and in no way getting in the way of Pacino winning.)

Adapted Screenplay: The Irishman (It already seems like it is between it and Jojo Rabbit. I'd favor the film with probably less improvisation and a grander scale, though I wouldn't count out Waititi here.)

Original Screenplay: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Well they do like Tarantino the most here, so it's possible, especially if I'm gonna predict it in picture. Otherwise he's going against two very personal stories (Marriage Story, The Farewell) and maybe the foreign contender in Parasite, probably.)

Cinematography: 1917 (Deakins's second win, also for the "one shot" like Lubezki? Sounds quite possible and quite fitting.)

Costumes: Little Women (Sure why not. Actually likely going to be atypical set of nominees in terms of the types of costumes there.)

Editing: Ford V Ferrari (Type of winner they like here. Tarantino's films have not been nominated here since Menke passed away (No Hollywood), and very long films don't win here as of late (No Irishman). There need some over "action" flashiness typically, so this seems likely. Loved to see Parasite contend here however and it could if it really is a player otherwise.)

Production Design: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (The degree of detail, and the degree of focus on it in the film could grant it the win here.)

Sounds: 1917(If it makes it into best picture, probably case closed)

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Cast and director for an English version?

Calvin Law said...

Mentioned in a conversation once with someone about how Brad Pitt has an Oscar from Twelve Years a Slave. Confused at their odd reaction for a bit before realising - 'Oh, no. Not for acting, for producing!" Sigh of relief.

Bryan: I'd say Paddy Considine would be a great choice as Poor Father.

Louis Morgan said...

Bryan:

Parasite English version directed by Armando Iannucci:

Poor Father: Paddy Considine
Poor Son: Taron Egerton
Poor Mother: Olivia Colman
Poor Daughter: Bel Powley
Rich Father: James D'Arcy
Rich Mother: Hayley Atwell
Husband: Tom Hollander
Wife: Shirley Henderson

Louis Morgan said...

Calvin:

Evidently we agree on English poor father.

Calvin Law said...

And I'm rooting for Pacino all the way even though I really liked Pitt, and loved Hanks. Dafoe is my favourite of the contenders I've seen so far but he is category fraud so I'll stick to my principles I think.

Anonymous said...

Has everyone been enjoying this year abit more than last.

Calvin Law said...

Louis: In many ways, Paddy Considine is kind of the Song Kang-ho of English indie cinema - the everyman with a touch of something indescribably special. I could easily see them in each others' roles.

Calvin Law said...

Anonymous: It's been picking up as of late and the awards contenders actually seem to be a stronger bunch than last year's.

Luke Higham said...

Personal opinions aside, Dafoe, Pattinson, Paul and Phoenix are definite fives.

Bryan L. said...

Louis: Those choices for the UK poor family are great. Do you think Poulter could work as the Poor Son also? He kind of played the part in Wild Bill.

Also, do you think the anti-Netflix bias could hurt Johansson? I think they could push The Irishman more than Marriage Story, since I also don’t see them awarding Netflix THAT many wins.

Calvin Law said...

I think Johansson’s case will be strengthened if she’s campaigned in Jojo Rabbit too for Supporting, could result in a Jamie Foxx scenario.

Luke Higham said...

Louis: This maybe a really tough question to answer but are there any actors you could see playing Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger in a 2010s Sorcerer's Stone onwards.

Omar Franini said...

Calvin: i agree with everything you wrote about A Hidden Life. I think the movie could have been shorter, but the repetitive nature of some scenes from the second half still added something to the performances of the main actors. I loved the contrast between the subtle/internalised Diehl and the more emotional and vulnerable work from Pachner.

My top 10:
1. The Lighthouse
2. Parasite
3. Ema
4. Waiting for the Barbarians
5. A Hidden Life
6. Bacurau
7. Portrait de la Jeune Fille en Feu
8. Martin Eden
9. J’Accuse
10. A Herdade

As for a British/Irish Parasite i was thinking;
Poor father: Brendan Gleeson
Poor mother: Fiona Shaw
Poor son: Jack Reynor
Poor daughter: Jessie Buckley
Rich father: Tom Hiddleston
Rich mother: Rosamund Pike
Husband: Tom Hardy
Wife: Olivia Colman



Louis Morgan said...

Bryan:

Yes, though I do think Egerton's naturally goofier presence is more fitting to what is needed for the poor son.

I think the anti-Netflix bias is only a major concern for picture, as evidenced by Roma's success last year. It over performed in nominations and won everywhere it was expected to win, except when there was a preferential ballot. One can vote against in tally voting if there is an obvious non-Netflix alternate, which helps Zellweger, but still I think it is more damaging with the preferential where they can rank the netflix films low, only because they are Netflix films.

Luke:

No, not really I'm afraid.

Calvin Law said...

Omar: I really, really wanted to catch Portrait de la Jeune Fille en Feu, Bacurau, and especially Ema at the festival, but it just clashed with my schedule (and Portrait was really popular - I'm so surprised France isn't submitting it as their Foreign Film submission, and I particularly regret it now that I see it isn't coming out till February!)

My current top 10 after this weekend's viewings is,

1. Parasite (5)
2. The Irishman
3. The Lighthouse (4.5)
4. Avengers: Endgame
5. A Hidden Life
6. The Farewell
7. El Camino
8. The Personal History of David Copperfield
9. A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood (4)
10. Rocketman

Calvin Law said...

Louis: Might I also suggest a Sam Claflin cameo as Rich Friend.

Louis Morgan said...

Calvin:

Perfect.

Bryan L. said...

And for the American version, maybe Alex Wolff as the rich friend?

Calvin Law said...

Louis: your thoughts on the Chekhov’s pie eating contest scene from Breaking Bad.

Louis Morgan said...

Bryan:

Sure.

Calvin:

One of the most hilarious bits from the entirety of the show, and quite frankly worthy of a great comedy. One of best aspects of the show being how it managed bring humor so naturally into such a dark show. The whole scenario though is wonderfully great from the "logic" of Spock's eating ability, Chehkov's brilliant scheming even if it falls to an over "eager" Scotty. Also this animated realization of it needs more views: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mspnqBFq76s

Calvin Law said...

Louis: I honestly think that’s one of the funniest scenes in any television show, period, and thanks for that animated version. El Camino reminded me of how much I love Skinny Pete and Badger.

Lucas Saavedra said...

The animated version was made by Matt Czap from Vulture https://www.vulture.com/2013/08/breaking-bad-badger-star-trek-story-animated.html