Best Scene: Failing texts.
Best Scene: Speaking to the judge.
Best Scene: Red shoes.
Best Scene: Duel.
Best Scene: Not quite a confession.
Best Scene: AA speech.
Best Scene: River of death to salvation.
Best Scene: Final game.
Best Scenes: "HARK"/Confession
- Willem Dafoe in The Lighthouse
- Robert Pattinson in The Lighthouse
- Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems
- George MacKay in 1917
- Adam Driver in Marriage Story
- Shia LaBeouf in Honey Boy
- Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
- Robert De Niro in The Irishman
- Aaron Paul in El Camino
- Roman Griffin Davis in Jojo Rabbit - 4.5
- Antonio Banderas in Pain and Glory
- August Diehl in A Hidden Life
- Kelvin Harrison Jr. in Waves
- Daniel Craig in Knives Out
- Matthias Schoenaerts in The Mustang
- Anthony Hopkins in The Two Popes
- Stellan Skarsgard in Hope
- Paul Walter Hauser in Richard Jewell
- Luca Marinelli in Martin Eden
- Peter Mullan in The Vanishing
- Chen Yi-wen in A Sun
- Mel Gibson in Dragged Across Concrete
- Matthew Rhys in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
- Taron Egerton in Rocketman
- Noah Jupe in Honey Boy
- Brad Pitt in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
- Jonathan Pryce in The Two Popes
- Christian Bale in Ford V. Ferrari
- Dean Charles Chapman in 1917
- Jesse Eisenberg in The Art of Self-Defense
- Bartosz Bielenia in Corpus Christi
- Joaquin Phoenix in Joker - 4
- Eddie Murphy in Dolemite is My Name
- Jonathan Majors in The Last Black Man in San Francisco
- Jack Lowden in Fighting With My Family
- Zac Efron in Extremely Wicked, Shocking Evil and Vile
- Sam Rockwell in Richard Jewell
- Willem Dafoe in Togo
- Casey Affleck in Light of My Life
- Shia LaBeouf in The Peanut Butter Falcon
- Wu Chien-ho in A Sun
- Adam Driver in The Report
- Kris Hitchen in Sorry We Missed You
- Ewan McGregor in Doctor Sleep
- Tom Hanks in Toy Story 4
- Kelvin Harrison Jr. in Luce
- Daniel Kaluuya in Queen & Slim
- Edward Norton in Motherless Brooklyn
- Tory Kittles in Dragged Across Concrete - 3.5
- Brad Pitt in Ad Astra
- Michael B. Jordan in Just Mercy
- Matt Damon in Ford V. Ferrari
- Gerard Butler in The Vanishing
- Adam Driver in The Dead Don't Die
- Bill Murray in The Dead Don't Die
- Sam Rockwell in The Best of Enemies
- Zack Gottsagen in The Peanut Butter Falcon
- Louis Ashbourne Serkis in The Kid Who Would Be King
- Andre Holland in High Flying Bird
- Zachary Levi in Shazam
- Connor Swindells in The Vanishing - 3
- Jackson Lee in Better Days
- Tom Holland in Spider-man: Far From Home
- Jason Statham in Hobbs and Shaw
- Dwayne Johnson in Hobbs and Shaw
- Keanu Reeves in John Wick 3
- Asher Angel in Shazam
- Oscar Isaac in Triple Frontier
- Jimmie Fails in The Last Black Man in San Francisco
- Randall Park in Always Be My Maybe
- Justice Smith in Detective Pikachu
- Ryan Reynolds in Detective Pikachu
- Hugh Jackman in Missing Link
- Zack Galifianakis in Missing Link
- Tom Burke in The Souvenir - 2.5
- Kyle Chandler in Godzilla: King of the Monsters
- Ben Affleck in Triple Frontier
- Timothee Chalamet in The King
- Eddie Redmayne in The Aeronauts
- Mena Massoud in Aladdin
- Jay Baruchel in How to Train Your Dragon 3
- Federico Ielapi in Pinocchio
- JD McCrary in The Lion King
- Donald Glover in The Lion King
- Tye Sheridan in The Mountain
- Seth Rogen in Long Shot - 2
- Mark Ruffalo in Dark Waters
317 comments:
1 – 200 of 317 Newer› Newest»Louis: So happy about the tie.
Thoughts on the rest of the lead performances.
Your Female Lead and Supporting Top 20s with ratings and other 4+ honourable mentions.
Hurt
Nicholson
Laydu
Connery
Hoskins (Felicia's Journey)
Have you given your thoughts and rating on Kathy Bates in Richard Jewell already?
MacKay in the top 5? Yes sir. And glad Davis cracked the top 10.
Louis: Can you include Franciosi into the Lead Actress top 20 for now as well.
Tim: yep, he gave her a 3. Here are his thoughts,
She's more than decent in portraying the loving mother role, and also portraying her growing frustrations. She isn't what most would take from the film, I didn't at least. She does her job, particularly in her rather superfluous Oscar scene that could've easily been cut from the film, but she does her job.
Hurt
*Williamson
Laydu
Connery
Hoskins (Felicia's Journey)
I didn’t need The Lighthouse men to be a tie, but I’m fine with it. Also glad to see Chapman’s been bumped up and moved to lead.
Louis: Could you also review Toshiro Mifune in The Bad Sleep Well (You said he could go up) and Al Pacino in Scarecrow (He's in your top 5 for '73). There are others like Mason in Odd Man Out, Sim in An Inspector Calls and Anderson & Newman from 73 but they could wait. The 7 I mentioned are essential.
That there is a lovely top four you got there, Lou.
Avtandil Makharadze, Repentance 84
Sol Kyung-gu, Peppermint Candy 99
José Garcia, The Axe 05
34
Claude Rains, Crime Without Passion
Harry Baur, Les Miserables
Fredric March, Death Takes a Holiday
Takeshi Sakamoto, A Story of Floating Weeds
Robert Donat, The Count of Monte Cristo
W.C. Fields, It's A Gift
Wallace Beery, Viva Villa!
Sam Jaffe, The Scarlet Empress
Edward Everett Horton, The Merry Widow
Charles Laughton, The Barrets Of Wimpole Street
Michel Simon, L'Atalante
Peter Lorre, The Man Who Knew Too Much
Boris Karloff, The House of Rothschild
GM: Peppermint Candy's 2000.
Luke: Your thoughts on The Rise of Skywalker as a missed opportunity?
Also, love that you rate Mark Ruffalo at the bottom for "Dark Waters." After the last decade, I seriously think we all need to come to the realization that he's just not a good actor, and we were all duped because he had indie cred and seems like a nice guy.
Bryan: Thinking about it more, the whole trilogy was a missed opportunity, So many wasted storylines, waste of some very talented performers. The Force Awakens replicated A New Hope a bit too closely, I'll give credit to The Last Jedi for being most of the time, the best shot film of the saga but some of the humour in hindsight has rubbed me the wrong way and there's some decisions regarding Luke that just doesn't fit with his overall character. I wholly understand the filmmakers of The Rise Of Skywalker being backed into a corner but doesn't excuse how much of a disaster they created. Bringing back Palpatine did the overall story no favours at all and diminished Anakin's sacrifice/redemption, however I still love those scenes without having to think about TROS. I could go on but Louis has elaborated my personal feelings well enough as it is.
Psifonian: I'll give him Zodiac and Foxcatcher but I'm not that fussed on him and it does say alot when Disney have yet to give him a Hulk solo film.
Luke: Thanks.
In fairness, the Hulk solo movie rights actually belong to Universal, and Disney's only growing more power-hungry by the minute, so I doubt they'll want to share profits on such a film.
Bryan, Do you think a Hulk solo film with Ruffalo would gross over $900 million.
Calvin Law Thanks a lot.
Louis: I've got nothing to add to what GM gave for 34. Baur's the one I'm really interested in.
Psifonian: Ruffalo is my 2014 supporting win for Foxcatcher so I can't totally agree with you there. I will concede that in the past few years he's been taking roles that play right into his biggest weaknesses as an actor, though.
Psifonian: No, he's a good actor, there's just certain roles he can't play.
Anonymous: I think it could. The characters' more popular and iconic than Ant-Man and those films are doing fine money-wise for themselves.
Louis and everyone: your top 10 scenes of 2019?
Louis, Was Diehl the one 4.5 you really wished you could give a 5 to.
Psifonian: He's a good actor who has gotten carried away in recent years because they bought their own hype (like post-Breaking Bad Bryan Cranston)
Calvin: Could make ten just from Parasite, but I'll spread the love around
Ending - Parasite
The poor family vs the housekeeper fight scene - Parasite
Climax - Parasite
Ending - Uncut Gems
The assassination - The Irishman
The Manson ranch - OUATIH
"Donut hole" - Knives Out
Burial - The Lighthouse
Winslow and the light- The Lighthouse
The old-school duel - El Camino
Robert: Or Jake Gyllenhall, arguably.
Matt: He still has given a few strong performances since Nightcrawler though he hasn't come anywhere near that level again and some of his low points have been extremely disappointing such as Southpaw (Remember thinking at the time it could be his Raging Bull) or Nocturnal Animals.
Now Louis tell me the Overall Rankings of best Supporting and Lead Actress of 2019!
Luke: Sure, but to the original point, he clearly bought into his hype for a bit.
Matt: Of course. :)
Louis: Do you still have time to watch Good Boys, I honestly enjoyed that film quite abit.
Luke:
Hitchen - (The film itself I did not care for where Ken Loach's idea that there can never be even a hint of joy in hardship, or that to get a point across is by piling on so many things on his downtrodden protagonist that it becomes ridiculous. Having said that Hitchen does give a good performance in managing to depict just an average Joe with an effective undercurrent of concerns yet willingness to just to try more than anything. It is an effective turn that manages to bring a humanity to the proceedings even as the strings in Loach's writing here become a little to present and obvious.)
Rockwell - (Not a great film by any measure, however Rockwell does do a fine job here in frankly slowly bringing any substance into his transformation which isn't developed well enough in the film. In fact it is a less remarkable repeat of his Three Billboards work, but here he still does a similar thing more than decently. The moments of the film that do work at all, are because of Rockwell's work that manages to find some character in the film filled with caricatures, of what sounds like a very interesting true story.)
Driver & Murray - (The two of them when they stumble into a sketch comedy scene are enjoyable to watch. I'll admit I kind of hated the film, and I'm all in typically with Jarmusch. This though was just repetitive nothingness that spelled out the same message every other zombie movie does, except somehow doing it with less subtlety. The only times I moderately enjoyed myself is when it seemed like Jarmsuch didn't know what to write and became meta, and let the two of them be funny. Of course even then, I love dry humor, but this film makes a desert look an oasis. I can see the potential within their own work, even as the film itself fumbles along.)
Rogen - (Typical shitck from him, don't care for his shtick.)
Actress:
1. Jessie Buckley - Wild Rose
2. *Aisling Franciosi - The Nightengale*
3. Scarlet Johansson - Marriage Story
4. Felicity Jones - The Aeronauts
5. Ana de Armas - Knives Out
6. Taylor Russell - Waves
7. Saoirse Ronan - Little Women
8. Valerie Pachner - A Hidden Life
9. Lupita Nyong'o - US
10. Awkwafina - The Farewell
11. Samara Weaving - Ready Or Not
12. Mary Kay Place - Diane
13. Florence Pugh - Midsommar
14. Renee Zellweger - Judy
15. Cynthia Erivo - Harriet
16. Anna Pniowsky - Light of My Life
17. Charlize Theron - Long Shot
18. Florence Pugh - Fighting With My Family
19. Charlize Theron - Bombshell
20. Daisy Ridley - Ophelia
And:
Kaitlyn Dever - Booksmart
Naomi Scott - Aladdin
Supporting Actress:
1. Cho Yeo-jeong - Parasite
2. Zhao Shuzhen - The Farewell
3. Scarlet Johansson - Jojo Rabbit
4. Park So-Dam - Parasite
5. Florence Pugh - Little Women
6. Thomasin McKenzie - Jojo Rabbit
7. Octavia Spencer - Luce
8. Julianne Nicholson - Monos
9. Chang Hyae-jin - Parasite
10. Lee Jung-eun - Parasite
11. Idina Menzel - Uncut Gems
12. Julia Butters - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
13. Sonia Braga - Bacurau
14. Rebecca Ferguson - Doctor Sleep
15. Da'Vine Joy Randolph - Dolemite is My Name
16. Laura Dern - Little Women
17. Annie Potts - Toy Story 4
18. Nicole Kidman - Bombshell
19. Karen Gillan - Avengers: Endgame
20. Billie Lourd - Booksmart
And:
Scarlet Johansson - Avengers: Endgame
Meryl Streep - Little Women
Note: The win for supporting actually came down to a 73 supporting actor situation, between Robert Shaw for The Sting and Robert Ryan for the Iceman Cometh. Where my #2 is an actor running away with a great role, compared to my #1 of an actor going above and beyond, with not a bad role, but definitely a limited one. Like Shaw in the Sting, I found every second of Cho to be a gem within itself, in effortless, let wildly entertaining performance, that also never seems out of tone, yet brushes towards absurdity, without going over board, so brilliantly. This in a role that I think could've been potentially easily forgotten in the wrong hands, or even in decent hands, and making instead one of the most memorable impacts within the already extremely memorable film.
Anonymous:
Well I'll say I wish Malick had been less indulgent in many regards, and realized the full potential that was there.
Calvin:
1. Birthday gone wrong - Parasite
2. Final Run - 1917
3. Ending - Parasite
4. Trekking through No Man's Land - 1917
5. Final Bet - Uncut Gems
6. Hark! - The Lighthouse
7. Wayfaring Stranger - 1917
8. Cell phone fight - Parasite
9. Flares - 1917
10. Flood - Parasite
And no disrespect to the films, that aren't 1917 and Parasite, I just adore basically every scene in both films, in fact I regret not including other scenes from both films.
Louis: 11. Ronan Davis Griffin needs fixed.
I'm abit surprised Pugh's 5th.
Ratings and thoughts on Weaving, Theron, Ridley, Nicholson.
Could you also see Her Smell if possible.
Was really hoping Zhao would take this but glad she's runner-up!
Ratings and thoughts on MacKay in Ophelia, Knightley and Fiennes in Official Secrets and Sevigny and Swinton in The Dead Don't Die.
And I'm not sure what my top 10 scenes would be, but the final run in 1917, 'Belt of Faith' in Parasite, and 'Hark' would be my top 3 for sure.
Louis: Where would you rank Wu and Lopez in Hustlers.
Calvin: Dammit, I forgot about the final run in 1917. Just take out the assassination from The Irishman and put that one in for me.
Louis: thoughts on Monos cinematography and score?
I wouldn’t consider The Nightingale a 2018 release, that Milan screening was shown as part of a collaboration between the Venice Film Festival and the city. In 2017 they did the same with The Rider and a couple of months ago with Babyteeth.
Luke:
Eh, also forgot the Portrait of A Lady ladies, Merlant and Haenel would be 13 & 14. Wu would be between Zellweger and Erivo. Lopez #10, hopefully I'm not forgetting someone else. I will get to the other thoughts soon.
Oh and I've seen Her Smell....Vox Lux part deux.
Omar: Thank you. I never once trusted that Milan release.
Louis: Put Ganambarr in Supporting please.
And ratings and thoughts on Moss in Her Smell.
Louis: Outside of Best Actor, I really hope you give The Lighthouse another win, most likely, Makeup & Hairstyling.
Luke:
Weaving - 4.5(She makes the most out of her role, in a film I didn't really love, particularly the supernatural element. Her performance though managed to bring an essential anchor within the concept by firstly giving such an earnest and honest portrayal on the top it. She though only goes further with this in going so much deeper than just a standard pseudo-horror heroin. She certainly excels within that in creating the real sense of dogged determination the character. She even makes the most out of the overly telegraphed lines given to her, however she does her best to make them sing. Even as I felt the film itself was a series of missed opportunities largely, Weaving performance kept me engaged.)
Theron - 4(Prefer her here over her Oscar nominated turn, and does her best to make up of the tired shtick of her co-star. Theron though honestly is quite cued in her to the comic energy of the film, and gives a lively and entertaining performance. This making the most out of her silly moments, or drugged hazed ones where she goes beyond each to give a genuinely enjoyable performance.)
Ridley - 4(A film with promise, that is sadly never really found, and gets bad in many of the additional information, particularly making Cladius a "muhaha" style villain. What does work though is Ridley in the role of the re-written Ophelia as this determined heroin. Ridley is wonderful here again, but she does not just do Rey here by any measure. She rather finds sort of that determination in a more internalized fashion. She also benefits from a striking chemistry with MacKay, that I wish the film had worked, as there are a lot of ideas with potential just unrealized. What Ridley though does do is give a captivating re-write on her own accord, even if sadly isn't in the best film.)
Knightley - 3.5(What's this? A Knightley performance I like? Well that is the case, in a film I'll say perhaps falters due to sticking largely to the truth where a thematic thru line is hard to find when it is scattered through so many characters. Knightley though is good here though in bringing a low key frustration that shows the motivation of the character, without overplaying it. In addition she is effective in portraying an earnest sense of regret for the hardships from her choice. Her emotional scenes later on, are even good as well and avoid that overly calculated quality in her work. Although the role doesn't limit her here, this was a fine turn.)
Fiennes - (Very standard noble lawyer routine, however Fiennes performs it well, however again the legal having a reality based anti-climax does make it so he doesn't get to do too much.)
Sevigny - (Hard to rate as her portrayal of the fear is genuine, however it feels completely out of place in the film, nor does it work as something for the dry duo of Driver and Murray to bounce off of. She seems like she's in a genuine zombie film, which again she's not bad at, but it does play into too much of Jarmusch's "Whatever" mentality with this film. And again, I typically love me some Jarmusch.)
Swinton - 3.5(She gets to have some fun thankfully, and is probably the right performance of wild mania to play off the duo, although that is far too limited. Swinton though has some nice fun with her strange Scottish accent, and always slightly off-putting manner. Her and Diver/Murray suggest the potential of the film, squandered in what appears to be some first-draft product (Not a criticism I like to throw away).)
Nicholson - 4.5(Although I appreciated Monos's technical elements, the film itself was far too repetitive within every character as part of the militia, who were honestly too distant, and shown to be too much of a collective. Having said that though Nicholson is great in the one character we are allowed to get to know in any way, and not because she speaks English. Nicholson grants a real sense of the quiet building anxiety initially of the precaution and her way of playing against her captors by attempting to appear sympathetic at times, while revealing her survival instinct in others. She delivers a real substance within the naturalism so to speak, as to be expected from her with Sissy Spacekesque presence.)
MacKay - (It is a fine Hamlet turn, even if more simplistic as this Hamlet is just a romantic hero here. MacKay though has wonderful chemistry with Ridley, and though also still portrays the emotional distress/obsession that grows and defines the character. Again the film is a missed opportunity, but he does well in sort of his cliffnotes Hamlet.)
Moss - (Hot mess of a performance as a hot mess. This does not excuse being a hot mess of a performance. I mean just look up my thoughts on Portman for Vox Lux.)
Omar:
Thank you for the info.
The score, is as to be expected from Levi, is lurid as ever, and quite daring in creating something in terms of the combination of sounds that we have not heard before. Here in a largely ambient work, however dynamic in this quality, that creates a strange unnerving quality and a certain quaintness.
The cinematography is often incredible in the sheer scope, and some of the images capture. The scale of it is particularly impressive as it is shot with composition and framing of these grand landscape portraits, that really add to the sense of place. This though with the lighting that manages to find a mix of naturalism with a certain overwhelming spiritual quality in how dynamic it is.
Damn, now I feel a little terrible for recommending Her Smell. I actually thought he’d at least like it a bit more than Vox Lux, but I guess not.
However, Knightley getting a 3.5 is a sigh of relief. Glad for that at least.
Louis: Your thoughts on “Breathe” from Her Smell? And thoughts on Stevens and Stoltz? (Nice to see the latter in front of the camera again)
Calvin: Just reading your comment from the previous post, I will post them probably tomorrow, IP Man 4 would be one of those films.
Bryan:
I mean I'll pull back slightly, I appreciated the lack of mass shootings to appear "deep".
Breathe is fingers on the chalk board for me I have to say, as the literal harmonizing of the singing I find unpleasant to the ears, as I do the conventional, repetitive and honestly boring base track that is the instrumentation...yeah so I didn't like it.
Stevens & Stoltz - 3.5(I mean in a way they serve similar roles within the film in being any sort of sense of not insanity. Stevens though portraying a slight discontent, and I was glad to see his performance here in comparison to Lucy in The Sky, where he played a similar role poorly. Here though he offers a fine sort of blunt reality in his work. Stoltz it was indeed nice to see in a general sense, and offers sort of the manager role without going into the easy tropes of such a role. This rather bringing a certain charisma of a guy truly managing his talent, like he is a ringmaster.)
Louis what are your sound and ensemble nominees and your cinematography top ten?
Anonymous:
Sound Mix:
1917
Ad Astra
The Lighthouse
Parasite
Uncut Gems
Sound Editing:
1917
Ad Astra
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
John Wick 3
The Lighthouse
Ensemble:
1917
The Farewell
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Parasite
Cinematography:
My Nominees:
1917
The Lighthouse
Monos
Parasite
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Rest of the Top Ten:
6. Uncut Gems
7. The Last Black Man in San Francisco
8. Ad Astra
9. Little Women
10. The Aeronauts
Guys, are there any performances which Louis didn't get to see that you would recommend for a review.
Louis: Could I have your updated top 25 films, and your updated top 20 male leading performances of the 2010s?
The Lighthouse leads being tied is an apt choice. Also, love MacKay making it into the top 5.
Does anyone know where i can find Louis' thoughts on Ruffalo in Dark Waters?
Louis: Just wanna ask your thoughts on The Invisible Guest. I posted it yesterday on Sandler's review
Charles: They’re in Carlyles review for Ravenous.
Tahmeed:
Films:
1. Drive
2. Silence
3. Mad Max: Fury Road
4. Parasite
5. Blade Runner 2049
6. Birdman
7. Phantom Thread
8. 1917
9. First Man
10. Inside Llewyn Davis
11. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
12. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
13. The Wolf of Wall Street
14. The Hunt
15. I Saw the Devil
16. The Favourite
17. The Social Network
18. Uncut Gems
19. Dunkirk
20. The Lighthouse
21. La La Land
22. The Death of Stalin
23. Tower
24. Whiplash
25. The Irishman
Lead Actor:
1. Joaquin Phoenix in The Master
2. Harry Dean Stanton in Lucky
3. Ryan Gosling in Blade Runner 2049
4. Mads Mikkelsen in The Hunt
5. Willem Dafoe & Robert Pattinson in The Lighthouse
7. Ryan Gosling in First Man
8. Daniel Day-Lewis in Phantom Thread
9. Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems
10. Andrew Garfield in Silence
11. Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler
12. Gary Oldman in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
13. John C. Reilly in The Sisters Brothers
14. Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln
15. Ryan Gosling in Drive
16. Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Master
17. Michael Keaton in Birdman
18. Choi Min-sik in I Saw the Devil
19. Oscar Isaac in Inside Llewyn Davis
20. James McAvoy in Filth
Toan Nguyen:
Didn't have a chance to watch it.
Louis: Aren't Hoffman and Day-Lewis 3rd and 4th for 2012.
Luke:
No I had reordered, again, as I by chance re-watched Lincoln somewhat recently, first time since early 2013, and realized I was taking far too much for granted what Day-Lewis does there, as I'll admit is too often the case with him since he makes it look so easy.
Louis: Your Top 20 Film Performances of 2019?
And here's my favorite film scenes of 2019 for fun (unordered):
Casino Party - The Irishman
HARK! - The Lighthouse
Filming the Western - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Birthday Party - Parasite
Ending - The Last Black Man in San Francisco
The Wedding - The Farewell
Lloyd asks Mr. Rogers About His Family - A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
The Fight - Marriage Story
Last Scene Filming for Dolemite - Dolemite Is My Name
Marta Recalls the Incident - Knives Out
16,000 Men - 1917
Your bottom 15 films for 2019 and the overall decade?
My favorite scenes of 2019 (in no order)
“Art Therapy” in Parasite
The juxtaposition of Beth surviving and dying in Little Women
The pre-will reading fight in Knives Out
Rick crying describing the book he’s reading in OUATIH
Phone call to Jo Hoffa in The Irishman
The Parks cleans up and hide from the Kims in Parasite
Salvador connecting with his old flame in Pain and Glory
“HAAARRRRRK” in The Lighthouse
The awkward interview with Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
The big argument in Marriage Story
As for a top 20 for Best Actor for the decade:
1. Michael Shannon in Take Shelter
2. Joaquin Phoenix in The Master
3. Antonio Banderas in Pain and Glory
4. Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network
5. Oscar Isaac in Inside Llewyn Davis
6. Oscar Isaac in A Most Violent Year
7. Daniel Kaluuya in Get Out
8. Ryan Gosling in Blade Runner 2049
9. David Oyelowo in Selma
10. Ralph Fiennes in The Grand Budapest Hotel
11. Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln
12. John C. Reilly in The Sisters Brothers
13. Ethan Hawke in First Reformed
14. Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave
15. Robert De Niro in The Irishman
16. Robert Pattinson in Good Time
17. Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow
18. Joel Edgerton in Loving
19. Jason Bateman in The Gift
20. Hunter McCracken in The Tree of Life
Saw Birds of Prey. There’s fun to be had and it has good action scenes. Definite step-up from Suicide Squad at least. Nothing too great, but it works.
For missed performances: William Fichtner in Go (1999)
Louis: what is the rest of your top ten 2019 ensembles?
Bryan L: How's Ewan McGregor, he's who I'm most curious about.
Matt: Hhmmm...a bit hard to judge, since he's miscast, and the filmmakers didn't quite *get* Black Mask. At the same time though, I didn't think he was terrible. Maybe a 2.5.
As far as the top 10 scenes of 2019, i too have the same problem as i would love to include more films.
1. Birthday gone wrong - Parasite
2. The Ending - Parasite
3. Cell phone fight - Parasite
4. Final run - 1917
5. Flares - 1917
6. "HARK!" - The Lighthouse
7. Final confrontation - The Lighthouse
8. Howard wins the bet - Uncut Gems
9. Flood - Parasite
10. Ki-woo's "solution" - Parasite
Hong Kong Film award nomination 2019 predictions...for the last time.
Best Director
Derek Tsang – Better Days
Stephen Chow – The New King of Comedy
Ray Leung – Suk Suk
Chow Kwun Wai – Beyond the Dream
Norris Wong – My Prince Edward
It is very unlikely that an acclaimed documentary like Bamboo Theatre and an acclaimed surprise animated film like The Great Detective Sherlock Holmes would receive directing nominations, so this feels like an almost default five, Fagara might make a play here and if it does I would count on either My Prince Edward or Beyond the Dream missing. Derek Tsang won HK Society (SAG awards for Hong Kong) so he is in, Chow is always recognised behind the camera nowadays so he is safe, Leung has been nominated before and for lesser work so an acclaimed piece seems easy to get in.
Best Picture -
Better Days
The New King of Comedy
Suk Suk
Beyond the Dream
Bamboo Theatre
In Best Picture however, as proven by Ten Years winning Best Picture before, HK has no problem nominating documentaries or mockumentaries so I have a hunch that Bamboo Theatre will take that last spot over My Prince Edward or Beyond the Dream, the other 3 seem like locks to me, A big shock that could happen is the first ever animated film nominated for Best Picture in The Great Detective Sherlock Holmes but I don’t think we are quite at that stage yet.
Louis: Your top 5 trailers of 2019.
Best Supporting Actress
Patra Au – Suk Suk
Hee Ching Paw – My Prince Edward
Megan Li - Fagara
Fiona Sit – A Witness Out of the Blue
Yang Zi – Bodies at Rest
Three performances seem safe to me, Patra Au was nominated at the Golden Horse awards and is in a Best Picture contender, so she is likely in, Hee Ching Paw is HK royalty so she should have no problem getting in also for a highly praised film. Megan Li was nominated at HK Society, the film also is getting great reviews, seems like she is lined up for her first nomination, although I am curious if she will be placed in lead or supporting. That leaves two complete shots in the dark, I will choose Fiona Sit who has been nominated numerous times and is in a film where she apparently stands out as a scene stealer. There is always a strange acting nomination that appears out of nowhere from an action/thriller, from my gut I would go with newcomer Yang Zi from the thriller Bodies at Rest which doesn’t seem like it will be a player, but a surprise nomination seems like the kind of thing it would get like when Janice Man got a surprise nomination for Helios in 2015.
Best Supporting Actor
Michael Miu – The White Storm 2
Wang Bioqiang – The New King of Comedy
Phillip Keung – A Witness Out of the Blue
Louis Cheng – A Witness Out of the Blue
Kent Cheng - IP Man 4
Last years Best Supporting Actor was straightforward, this isn’t predictable at all with only my gut instinct to go on as there doesn’t appear to be a favourite to win, all 5 of these could miss or get in. Michael Miu has been long respected as a veteran but has never been nominated before, he has a meaty role in the White Storm sequel and could see him representing the film, the film also did quite well box office/review wise. New King of Comedy got good reviews and is a Best Picture contender, so an acting nomination would make sense for Bioqiang who has been nominated before, HK also do love to nominate martial artists turned actors like Zhang Jin so Wang would fit the bill. A Witness Out of the Blue has a star studded cast with Philip Keung, Louis Cheng, Patrick Tam and Sam Lee all potentially gunning for a nomination, however Keung and Chengs roles seem to be bigger and although Sam Lee was recognised last year, he was in a Best Picture contender which got acting nods everywhere whereas this isn’t, HK clearly isn’t interested in rewarding Tam so more popular nominees like Keung and Cheng make sense. That leaves one which really could go to anyone, IP Man 4 did very well with critics and it also helps that Ip Man 1 and 3 both received Supporting Actor nominations previously so, who gets in? I would either bet on Danny Chan for playing Bruce Lee himself, Kent Cheng in a potential comeback nomination or frequent nominee Gordon Lam for Chasing the Dragon II if it does well.
Is New King of Comedy basically just a remake of Chow’s original film? Because if so that’s weird.
Calvin: I would call it a modern update on the same story, jokes from 1999 updated to 2019 acting jokes essentially.
Best Actress
Cecilla Choi – Beyond the Dream
Dongyu Zhou – Better Days
Stephy Tang – My Prince Edward
Sammi Cheng – Fatal Visit
Sammi Cheng – Fagara
Actress seems fairly straightforward, Cecilla won HK Society so shes in, Dongyu Zhou for Best Picture front runner Better Days and Sammi Cheng for Fatal Visit both were nominated so they should seem safe, Cheng has one problem which is that another film called Fagara received highly positive reviews so the potential for a double nomination or miss is possible, that leaves Stephy Tang for My Prince Edward, she has not been recognised by HK Society or Golden Horse but I do not believe a film that is a Hong Kong best picture contender and screenplay favourite would receive only one supporting nomination. She has also been nominated before while her male co-star has not, another potential spoiler is newcomer Jingwen E for New King of Comedy who has also received nothing so far. Stephen Chow movies usually get at least one acting nomination, but I would bet on her co-star being recognised in a different category.
Best Actor
Tai Bo – Suk Suk
Ben Yuen – Suk Suk
Terence Yau – Beyond the Dream
Jackson Yee – Better Days
Louis Koo – A Witness Out of the Blue
Last year I correctly predicted all 5 Best Actor nominees, this will be trickier. Tai Bo and newcomer Terence Yau both tied at HK Society so they are both likely to get in, Bo has not been nominated since 1984 which helps him with the overdue card. Last years Supporting Actor winner Ben Yuen from Tracey is also likely to join his co-star as he has gotten the relevant precursors and is in another acclaimed LGBTQIA themed drama. The final 2 spots are very tricky and not predictable like last years, it really comes down to 7 people, 2 of them being newcomers and 5 being veterans, Jackson Yee was nominated at HK Society, if nominated he will be the youngest ever Best Actor nominee beating Liu Ye from 2001, the other newcomer is Pak Hon Chu for My Prince Edward, he received a Golden Horse nomination but are HK really going to nominate 3 newcomers (Terence, Jackson and Pak) for Best Actor? I am unconvinced and that is why I think the 5th spot will go to a veteran, HK often prefer veterans to newcomers, there is Donnie Yen who has his final well received role in IP Man 4 but he hasn’t been nominated for an acting award since the first IP Man, Simon Yam is in the awards bait film Little Q but he hasn’t been nominated since his win in 2009, does his stabbing incident that happened last year help him? I am not convinced so I will go for Louis Koo as he is more frequently recognised than the other two for the star studded murder mystery A Witness Out of the Blue. Some others that might shock could be Tony Leung Ka-Fai for Chasing the Dragon 2, Lau Ching Wan for Integrity and Nick Cheung for Bodies at Rest.
Calvin: Suk Suk is the one I really want to see, it looks really well done.
Aidan:
1. Willem Dafoe & Robert Pattinson - The Lighthouse
3. Joe Pesci - The Irishman
4. Al Pacino - The Irishman
5. Adams Sandler - Uncut Gems
6. Jessie Buckley - Wild Rose
7. Song Kang-ho - Parasite
8. Cho Yeo-jeong - Parasite
9. Zhao Shuzhen - The Farewell
10. Aisling Franciosi - The Nightingale
11. Scarlet Johansson - Jojo Rabbit
12. George MacKay - 1917
13. Adam Driver - Marriage Story
14. Scarlet Johansson - Marriage Story
15. Shia LaBeouf - Honey Boy
16. Leonardo DiCaprio - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
17. Choi Woo-shik - Parasite
18. Park So-dam - Parasite
19. Robert De Niro - The Irishman
20. Felicity Jones - The Aeronauts
Razor:
1. Cats
2. *Serenity*
3. Lucy in the Sky
4. The Lion King
5. Rise of Skywalker
6. The Mountain
7. It Chapter 2
8. Midsommar
9. Judy
10. Velvet Buzzsaw
12. Little Joe
13. Late Night
14. The Dead Don't Die (Sorry Jarmusch)
15. Spider-man: Far From Home (The more I think about this one, the less I care for it.)
*Denotes high entertainment value.
Overall:
1. The Snowman
2. Yoga Hosers
3. Dumb and Dumber To
4. Collateral Beauty
5. The Book of Henry
6. Life Itself
7. Men, Women & Children
8. Suicide Squad
9. Cats
10. Gotti
11. Mute
12. Vice
13. Nocturnal Animals
14. After Earth
15. Bright
Took time to really think on those, Snowman cleared it's way to number 1 for me, as it is so many bad things in one package of a film that wasn't even finished.
Luke:
1. Uncut Gems
2. The Ligthouse (Teaser)
3. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Teaser)
4. 1917
5. Avengers: Endgame
Lucas:
6. Uncut Gems
7. Knives Out
8. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
9. Little Women
10. El Camino
Louis: In terms of 2019 are you returning to do 2019 in the alternate years in future if you get what I mean?
RatedRStar:
I was just referring to doing a 5 "cleanup", aka doing reviews for great performances that I missed initially, like Claude Laydu in Diary of a Country Priest.
Louis: Could you do a few re-watches during that lineup.
Anthony Hopkins in The Remains Of The Day
Robert De Niro in Mean Streets
Barry Pepper in Three Burials (To settle on category placement)
Louis: What's your top 11 to 20 movies of 2019?
Kermode’s review of Parasite is up! Brilliant stuff.
RatedRStar: Will check that one out if possible.
Claude Laydu - Diary Of A Country Priest
Nicol Williamson - The Bofors Gun
John Hurt - 1984
Sean Connery - The Offence
Bob Hoskins - Felicia's Journey
I agree with Luke on Pacino and Mifune.
Louis: How would you feel about a 2010s/2020s English remake of I Saw the Devil with Dafoe and Pattinson in the central roles?
Louis: I'm curious, what did 2001 in your opinion needed to leave a bigger impression on you?
Toan Nguyen:
11. Marriage Story
12. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
13. Dolemite is My Name
14. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
15. Avengers: Endgame
16. The Aeronauts
17. The Peanut Butter Falcon
18. Wild Rose
19. Honey Boy
20. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Tahmeed:
I mean still against such a remake, but that would be a great theoretical pairing, with both being quite right for the respective parts.
Anonymous:
I mean plenty of elements of 2001 have left an impression on me to be sure, hence why I nominate Kubrick for director that year even though it isn't in my top ten of the year. 2001 is an interesting film to discuss even on a film criticism level, as I have heard people who praise the film as one of the greatest films ever made, yet still call it boring. Well I fundamentally disagree with the idea that any film can truly be great as a singular experience if one would ever call it boring. The film contains greatness, but is not consistently compelling. For me, this is for a few reasons. One it is paced past gradual, to be laborious, there are takes/sequences, that build an atmosphere then go beyond that. There is to the point it becomes a technical exercise because of that, and as impressive as the technicals are, it doesn't serve the story or the themes by having these moments go on for so long. Side note: I will also vehemently disagree with those who defend it as "films were paced like that back then"...no they weren't. The Heywood Floyd sequence is just inert beyond the docking, which goes into the broader choice of Kubrick to have the humans lifeless in the film. Well the "Kubrick can never do wrong" crowd will tell you that was intentional, and it probably was, it doesn't mean I have to like it. This as it largely removes one's own attachment from witnessing the visuals of different things happening. It isn't by chance that the HAL sequence is the most lauded, because it's where Kubrick allows the sequence to be compelling in a traditional narrative sense, and where there can actually be interesting examination of the themes through a character, the character is HAl mind you, but nonetheless this hold true. All the scenes that people talk about in the film as being impressive, I too find impressive, that's just not all there is to the film.
Louis: Are Jeff Bridges, Hugh Jackman and Guy Pearce in your Lead Actor 21-25.
Very happy that The Lighthouse got wins for Sound Editing and Makeup.
Sad to see Little Women drooped a bit in terms of the acting rankings and losing out on costume (did it drop in esteem or is it just other films and performances having more staying power?), but overjoyed at most of your wins.
Luke:
Yes.
Easy win for Sound Editing by the way, honestly thought it would be hard for any film to beat after hearing the Siren's sound upon first viewing.
Also as great as the sound mixing is for Parasite, 1917 easily takes it for me. Probably the best sound mixing in a war film ever which is quite something.
Calvin:
Not at all, rather greater appreciation for the others. Jojo's costumes in particular, was one where on re-watch I appreciated the level of creativity there beyond just the vibrancy, Rockwell's costume of course, but little touches like Yorki's paper uniform for example.
Calvin:
Agreed, particularly the No Man's Land sequence which is masterclass in how to utilize every element of sound design to amplify visual storytelling.
Louis did you make a video for your winners this year?
Also I saw Corpus Christi. Really liked it, inspired nominee.
Calvin: Your thoughts on the Lead performance.
Bielenia was great, very strong 4.5 for me. Carried the film with an extremely difficult performance and arc to handle, reminded me a bit of a young Tom Courtenay actually. Wears the weight of his life of crime well alongside the pastor act he puts on. Will need to think more about where the film finally takes him but for now I’ll say I think it works.
Anonymous:
Yes, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6BFaVGR-Dw
Louis: Is Mendes not suppose to have multiple noms for 1917 and Skyfall.
Louis, if you happen to love and review Philip Seymour Hoffman's work in Mary & Max, could you review Robby Benson in Beauty and the Beast alongside him.
Calvin:
I now realize my previous comment on 1917 didn't make much sense (hadn't noticed I put the wrong winner on my wins list), but it was always my sound mixing win.
Anonymous:
Maybe.
Louis: Thoughts on Corpus Christi and the cast.
Louis: Thoughts on this scene from Fargo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-XEHwUBubk
Louis: Your top 20 acting moments for Willem Dafoe?
Louis: Your thoughts on Adam Driver's audition for Daniel Plainview in this SNL skit?
https://youtu.be/t7HD2xG92-0
Louis: Your top ten Robert Pattinson acting moments.
Very interesting that the Safdie brothers have 2 Best Director noms from Louis, but only 1 Best Picture
Louis: Do you feel there are actors who have had many roles in which they show greatness in spurts (i.e. Adam Sandler) yet take roles beneath their talent, or even are a bit lazy in their choice of roles? If so, can you name a few?
Bruce Willis and Liam Neeson come to mind for different reasons (one seems almost obnoxious in not putting an effort into whatever he chooses, the other seems to prefer doing easier and less emotionally taxing fare overall while still putting in effort so that's different and it's fair enough).
Louis: Your 5 favourite Kermode reviews of 2019.
My Wins and Top Tens for the Decade
bryansfilmandetcblog.blogspot.com/2020/02/my-wins-and-top-tens-for-2019plus-rest.html
I see you gave Bill Camp 1.5 for Dark Waters. Usually a reliable character actor. What was so bad about his performance?
Houndtang: Check Robert Carlyle's review for Ravenous.
Thoughts on the 'Resistance' trailer starring Jesse Eisenberg.
Luke, If those performances do indeed go up to fives, where do you think they'll rank in their respective years.
Laydu - remains in 5th
Mifune - remains in 5th
Williamson - 4th (I'm hoping O'Toole stays in 3rd)
Connery - 2nd/3rd
Pacino - 6th
Hurt - 4/5th
Hoskins - 2nd
Luke, in your opinion, who do you think is the greatest actor and actress of all-time?
So I went and saw “Birds of Prey” this afternoon, and as a film that I wanted to really like, I ended up enjoying it well enough. It isn’t flawless, though, and the quibbles I have with the writing, direction and editing are what keep me from fully supporting it. For one, the manner in which Yan and Hodson choose to establish each character was slightly grating, personally. The flashbacks were not handled in the best fashion as it ended up taking some of the movie’s momentum away, or in the case of Huntress, literally cutting her big introductory moment short. There’s also a really weird scene involving Quinn dancing with Black Mask, which came right out of nowhere and really just left me baffled as to why it was included. And of course, if you were to look at the premise and statements made by the cast and crew, this movie obviously has a theme it wants to convey. That “agenda”, as your typical internet troll would call it, could possibly determine your response to the film, though for myself, the core idea behind Yan’s vision is something I support. Now one of the more noticeable results of this is there’s basically no male character who isn’t a violent thug, misogynistic scumbag or at least deceptive/antagonistic in some way. Does a movie like this “require” strong male characters? Personally, I don’t believe so because the film is telling QUINN’s story, but it’s food for thought nonetheless.
Putting those reservations aside, however, what we do have is an enjoyable, colourful film in many regards. The fight sequences are particularly strong in their choreography, as every time Quinn’s mallet meets with a bad guy’s knee caps, it’s pretty satisfying. And despite the abundance of it, the slow motion didn’t really get on my nerves like it does in other films, but instead only added to the action. In terms of editing, there are some early scenes that rely a little too much on motion blur, but they are thankfully discarded for the most part. Say for a few questionable decisions, the editing actually serves the story rather well in it’s purposeful meta humour and fast pace. That’s not to discount the splendid camera work and musical choices, either; There are some frames that are frankly beautiful in their composition, and it helps that I like a number of the songs they used as well. So generally speaking, “Birds of Prey” is not what I would call a great comic book film, necessarily, but it is a pretty decent one whose strengths outweigh its flaws.
Robbie - 3.5/4
Winstead - 3.5 (Why didn't they use her more?!)
Smollet Bell - 3/3.5
Perez - 2.5
Wong - 2
Basco - 2.5 (Could go lower)
Messina - 2.5
McGregor - 3.5
Anonymous: That's one question I really don't want to answer, especially when it comes to the men. My personal favourite actress is between either Ullmann, Cotillard or Spacek.
Luke, fair enough. What about the best director of all-time, in your book?
My personal favourite is Martin Scorsese.
What is everyones thoughts on the Razzie nominations?
Pleased they didn't overlook Corden and Wilson.
RatedRStar: Typical dreck from them, in that most of their acting nominations are merely competent actors in less than impressive films, rather then the very worst performances of the year.
Dafoe won Independent Spirit which is nice. :)
Pleased that he got some recognition even though I was adamant he got snubbed in favour of a double review with Pattinson.
Also I watched American Factory and Honeyland today, liked both, would be fine with either winning.
Louis: Your thoughts on Eggers and the Safdies as directors.
Alright not missing any comments, but my computer decided to crash after answering half of them, so I'll get back to it.
Michael:
Just one of several director noms, where they're not necessarily in my top ten for the year.
Anonymous:
Calvin's choices are apt.
Christopher Walken, Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones. Are all far more talented than so many of their roles suggest, however I do think with all three it comes down to what roles they're able to get. This leaving them to do a lot of presence coasting.
Otherwise: Robert Downey Jr. I would imagine he must have a pick of the litter at this point and Dolittle and the Judge is what he chooses? Yes his work as Iron Man is always good, but he's capable of a lot more.
Luke:
1. The Lighthouse
2. Uncut Gems
3. Parasite
4. The Gentlemen
5. Cats
Looks far too generic, despite having a good hook in being about Marcel Marceau (will we get the film Jean-Pierre Melville's exploits next?). Eisenberg doesn't look bad, but I don't think he was ideally cast either.
Calvin:
Great to see Dafoe take a win somewhere, hopefully Sandler follows suit(yes I ever so slightly prefer Pattinson, but I think the win hopefully would encourage to make better script choices in the future).
Incidentally I watched For Sama and The Cave. Both similar given their subject matter, but definitely preferred the former which allowed a broader yet still very personal perspective.
And Zhao Shuzhen takes supporting actress...if only these were the Oscar wins.
Louis: Your ranking of all 20 Oscar nominated performances this year? And also your ranking of all the nominated films this year you've seen?
Zhao and Safdies! Wonderful.
Louis: could you possibly watch these three Animated Film shorts nominated? I always hate leaving them till last but all three are pretty good in their own ways.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNw8V_Fkw28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK3NLUkivT0&t= (no subtitles but I actually think it adds to the atmosphere)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZS5cgybKcI&t=
Luke:
Alright let's try this again, Corpus Christi I liked though I did not love it. I think it works best when it is in the church, as the scenes outside of it, while not bad, were a touch repetitive at times and also occasionally a little too generic.
Bielenia - (He gives a good performance in terms of creating the internalization of the general character who is torn between his vices and virtues. This most literally as we see him engage in Church which are his best scenes with his portrayal that is fascinating in that he manages to be both mocking and earnest in creating the sense of the transformation there. I found him occasionally less captivating outside of those scenes, although certainly still good in portraying the conflict within the character as he struggles within his past.)
Dafoe:
1. "HARK" - The Lighthouse
2. After cutting his ear - At Eternity's Gate
3. Firing Winslow - The Lighthouse
4. Dirt curse - The Lighthouse
5. Asking for the Cross - Last Temptation of Christ
6. In the lighthouse - The Lighthouse
7. How he became a vampire - Shadow of the Vampire
8. Dealing with a pedophile - The Florida Project
9. Speaking on his wife - The Lighthouse
10. Speaking to the priest - At Eternity's Gate
11. "Why's you spill your beans" - The Lighthouse
12. Thanks for not choosing me - The Life Aquatic
13. "Some Day Honey I will" - Wild At Heart
14. Don't kill a sea bird - The Lighthouse
15. Bird talking - The Florida Project
16. Speaking to Paul - The Last Temptation of Christ
17. Gauguin Leaves - At Eternity's Gate
18. Hotel Room - Light Sleeper
19. Proudly Stepping forward - The Life Aquatic
20. Stopping Barnes - Platoon
Tahmeed:
1. Confession - The Lighthouse
2. Lashing out at Wake - The Lighthouse
3. Cop Car - Good Time
4. The light - The Lighthouse
5. "Starting new" - The Lighthouse
6. Lashing out at Ray - Good Time
7. Seeing Winslow - The Lighthouse
8. Something in the water - The Lighthouse
9. Negotiating for bail - Good Time
10. Siren Mania - The Lighthouse
Michael:
They're not the only ones.
Anonymous:
I mean there is always players who do it for the money, however some instances they probably have better excuses than stars, like Christopher Walken, Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones, who do a lot of presence coasting, however many times they're probably cast with that in mind by lazing directors/casting directors.
I'll say Robert Downey Jr., sure he was always good as Stark, but I'm sure he's had better options for his choices to make than The Judge and Dolittle to mix things up.
Luke:
Actually glowing Kermode is typically my favorite from him.
1. Uncut Gems
2. The Lighthouse
3. Parasite
4. Cats
5. The Gentlemen
RatedRStar:
Well I'm glad Corden, Wilson and Hooper got their just due, but lazy as usual. For example, Francesca Hayward really didn't deserve that. Also hilarious that Razzie's the only group that didn't get the memo about the Academy's rushed schedule.
The Farewell for Best Feature!
Louis: Your thoughts on Eggers and the Safdies as directors.
Thoughts on Little Joe and the cast.
Aidan:
1. Joe Pesci - The Irishman
2. Al Pacino - The Irishman
3. Scarlett Johansson - Jojo Rabbit
4. Adam Driver - Marriage Story
5. Scarlett Johansson - Marriage Story
6. Leonardo DiCaprio - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
7. Tom Hanks - A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
8. Saoirse Ronan - Little Women
9. Florence Pugh - Little Women
10. Antonio Banderas - Pain and Glory
11. Anthony Hopkins - The Two Popes
12. Brad Pitt - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
13. Renee Zellweger - Judy
14. Jonathan Pryce - The Two Popes
15. Cynthia Erivo - Harriet
16. Joaquin Phoenix - Joker
17. Charlize Theron - Bombshell
18. Laura Dern - Marriage Story
19. Kathy Bates - Richard Jewell
20. Margot Robbie - Bombshell
Parasite
1917
The Lighthouse
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Little Women
Knives Out
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Avengers: Endgame
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Klaus
Pain and Glory
Ford v. Ferrari
The Two Popes
Rocketman
Toy Story 4
Richard Jewell
Frozen II
Missing Link
I Lost My Body
Corpus Christi
Joker
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Honeyland
Harriet
Bombshell
Judy
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Didn't include the Cave and For Sama.
Luke:
Robert Eggers now has made two feature films and both featuring a strong directorial vision. Both films are immaculately staged in terms of creating a lurid atmosphere that goes to every element to craft a stylistic version of a period. His conviction to detail is noted and in both films you are placed right within the world. Right now he has shown a knack though in utilize his ability for visual style, and visceral sense of place, within the ideas of character. This in that in both The Lighthouse, and The VVitch, despite having so many striking visual sequences, he has the good sense to leave moments to the actors, which I think puts him above many a heavily stylistic director. VVitch I'll say had more pitfalls though I think this relates to his growth as a writer more than a director between the two films, as the strength of directorial vision is there in both, the lighthouse even greater in terms of achievement however. I love though that he grants attention to the overarching visual presentation of the story, along with the story itself, the characters, and the themes. The signs of a great director, who doesn't ignore any element of film making, and look forward to his next vibrant horror piece.
Will get to the Safdies soon.
Little Joe has a potentially interesting concept at its core, but it introduces it, then what happens, that you will expect will happen 10 minutes in, happens for the rest of the film. No other development occur that are interesting, nor does it take our characters to interesting places. It just kind of sits there in "Mood" scenes, you know honestly seeing a lot of these dull Indie films, they attempt to use no score as much of a crutch as one might accuse films with scores as using them. This is as just the idea of silently sitting on a character for extended shots creates depth, it doesn't, and I really am just tired of these derivative unimaginative approaches to directing that should be panned right there with the bombast of a Michael Bay.
Beecham - 3(She's fine in portraying the general state of the character but the character is too static despite the film's conceit. This is in part on her as she does internalize enough of the film's ideas, though she doesn't give a bad performance by any means. It just isn't one that can be captivating within the film's long dull patches.)
Whishaw - 3(I mean he is the best part by virtue of his naturally compelling and captivating presence. I wish he'd get decent role one of these days, this isn't one of them sadly. He's fine with what he has, but nor more than that.)
wow...if you told me a year ago Johansson would make both of Louis' acting ballots, let alone be a double oscar nominee, I'm not sure I would've believed you.
I for one am pleased to see that happen, and hopefully this is but the start of a new, better phase in her career.
Louis: Who are some directors that you'd like to see RDJ work with? It was announced a few years ago that he was going to reunite with Linklater on a film, but there haven't been any updates since.
Excellent Indie Spirit choices nearly across the board. Love to see the Safdies, The Farewell and Sandler win something, after being so sorely snubbed. Also worth watching Safdies double speech, Sandler's "coach" speech, and Dafoe as he becomes Wake for a few seconds.
Luke:
Well the Safides are quickly two of the most promising directors who show why someone like Todd Phillips is a hack. This is as they clearly are influenced by the 70's auteurs as he is, but where he just tries to replicate those ideas directly, they find their own voice while utilizing elements of them. Specifically as directors we see this in their music as such an active part of their films, however even this they fashion in a unique sensibilities in the kinetic style of their film-making. What I love about their work is they know how to do this without becoming "showy", in that they utilize it when it tells the story, but know when to have a silent moment. Again to speak of the trademark of great directors, not letting the tail wag the dog when it comes to style could also be one. This is here in the Safdies as their approach suits their written material, but even then they approach it scene by scene. In both Good Time and Uncut Gems, we have moments of the characters just thinking for a moment, even as the film is barrelling head seemingly, as they do that. They truly embrace a scene in a low key way, of visual storytelling, with the smallest touch can be such a brilliant one from them, even as they overall wield intensity with seemingly such ease, however it is a tapestry of such fantastic use of sound, editing, acting and visuals. Love their ability to honestly seem truly grandiose in terms of the emotion they derive, while doing so in literally such a low budget fashion. A single set so often can be all they need, yet feel so vibrant within that, as every little piece of it can be something, because of how they view it and move around it. Love what I've seen from them so far, and look forward to see what they have next up their sleeves.
Calvin:
Hair Love - (Beautifully animated, sweet, fun and in the end rather poignant. Manages to be a wonderful short, as it really tells you a complete story within its short run time.)
Memorable - (No subtitles no problem, if the French spoken slowly enough, which here it is. Always take to any alternative animation, and here the claymation by the way of Vincent Van Gough is well appreciated. Also impressive way to realize dementia through the animation, particularly the melting "unknowns", and the final scene of a fading painting which is rather heartbreaking. A Powerful bit of work.)
Kitbull - (I'll be honest this is one that could've been expanded, potentially into feature length, though as I loved the time we did have, though I don't think Pixar/Disney would be into anything that even remotely seems similar to The Plague Dogs, which this reminded me of albeit considerably lighter compared to that, but quite a bit darker than recent Pixar/Disney standards. A sweet little tale though made by the animation of two animals that immediately creates a sense of bond, and creates an investment in the struggle even as it is so quickly resolved.)
Anonymous:
Skies the limit, but PTA (he was the original choice for Doc in Inherent Vice, though I'm glad Phoenix played that part), Tarantino (seems perfect for his dialogue) and the Safdies (seems an ideal protagonist for them).
In addition to "Birds of Prey", I also found an online copy of "Bugsy" which I watched for the first time. Frankly, I just don't understand what audiences and critics saw in the film back in 91'; It honestly kind of baffles me reading about all the acclaim, for what is quite bluntly a boring, unremarkable biopic. I just don't get what Levinson was trying to say about Seigel, and by not taking some sort of thematic stand, the picture just gets reduced into a pattern of "Benny did this, then this, then this.." scenes, without much significance or intrigue. Even the technical aspects of the film were pretty standard, and when combined with its inconsistent tone, it just resulted in a pretty routine, underwhelming experience overall. The film does almost nothing to convey the scope of Seigel's life or his impact on American culture, and worse still, it's simply not that fun to watch say for a few random bits of comedy.
Beatty - 2.5 (He's just coasting here on his usual screen presence, and for me, this performance only serves to emphasize Beatty's limits as an actor. Needless to say I never believed him as Bugsy, but more importantly, I never felt he became all that interesting or charismatic in the role. Beatty just fails to latch onto a consistent interpretation of the man, and what we end up getting is a strange, awkward dullness from him. He never fully convinces in portraying either the smugness of Seigel's public persona, or his darker side when dealing with his mob associates. Also, when Beatty does go big its just incredibly overcooked, and really comes off as him "acting" in all capitals instead of this explosive anger of the real man, supposedly. Thinking about it more, while I did feel Beatty had moments of competency - or at least he made an attempt to show more in Seigel - he's still rather ineffective here.)
Kingsley - 2.5 (Ehh, his accent is pretty distracting at times and he never quite feels natural as Lansky. I'll give Kingsley credit, though, in that he does try to find something in Lansky's relationship with Seigel. There's a rough sense of the history they share, but due to the film's uneven focus, it still fails to be all that memorable. If anything, the fact that this was Kingsley's sole oscar nomination from the 90's makes me more frustrated, given his strong performances in "Schindler's List" and "Death and the Maiden".)
Kietel - 2.5 (Well Kietel has spent a lot of his career playing this kind of character. The problem isn't his casting so much as its the film not giving anything to do. He's just asked to deliver the same dialogue over and over, with no real insight into Cohen himself. Again, Kietel does what he can, but he's just horribly limited here.)
My Oscar predictions
Picture: 1917
Director: Mendes
Acting: Phoenix/Zellweger/Pitt/Dern
A. Screenplay: Jojo Rabbit
O. Screenplay: Parasite
Cinematography: 1917
Costume Design: Little Women
Production Design: OUATIH
Film Editing: Parasite
Visual Effects: The Irishman
Makeup & Hairstyling: Bombshell
International Feature: Parasite
Original Song: Rocketman
Original Score: 1917
Sound Editing/Mixing: 1917
Animated Feature: Klaus
Picture: "Parasite" or "1917" (Haven't seen either, but I hear great things about both)
Director: Mendes, though Joon-Ho would be a nice surprise.
Actor: Phoenix (But of course I'd want Driver to win)
Actress: Zellweger (But of course I'd want Johansson or Ronan to win)
S. Actor: Pitt (But of course I'd want one of the "Irishman" duo to win)
S. Actress: Dern (But of course I'd want Pugh to win, though Johansson would be a great surprise since it's catagory "Jojo Rabbit" likely has the best chance in)
Original Screenplay: Tough call - My bets would be on "Parasite", but I wouldn't mind seeing "Knives Out" win, actually.
Adapted Screenplay: Please, for the love of god, "Little Women".
Animated Feature: Umm..."Toy Story 4".
International Film: Umm..."Pain and Glory".
Documentary: Umm..."Honeyland"
Documentary Short: Umm..."Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone"
Live Action Short: Umm..."A Sister"
Animated Short: Umm..."Daughter"
Score: 1917
Song: "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again"
Sound Editing: 1917
Sound Mixing: Ford V Ferrari
Production Design: 1917/Jojo Rabbit
Costume: Little Women/Jojo Rabbit
Film Editing: The Irishman
Visuals: I don't see it happening, but "Endgame" would be an inspired choice. For now, I'll say 1917.
Finished the feature docs, I wouldn't say any of them go above and beyond in expanding the documentary form so to speak, and they're about all on the same level for me (well other than Honeyland, though it is the best shot, but its approach just isn't for me)
American Factory is probably my favorite which is consistently engaging and insightful on the labor related culture clash of a Chinese owned American factory.
Edge of Democracy is good as an emotional piece on the situation in Brazil, but it is frustrating as you wish it would get into a bit more detail on the complex accusations involved within it.
Louis: Are you posting the missed performances lineup tonight/tomorrow.
Louis: I don't mind you taking abit of a break either, you really need it.
I will be getting up early in the morning to watch the Oscars and then ill come back on here and see the reactions lol.
Luke:
I'll be posting it tomorrow, but I won't be jumping right in right away with reviews.
Louis: I'm completely fine with that. :)
I'm seeing Birds Of Prey tomorrow and I'm amazed how poorly it's doing at the box office.
Luke: Don’t look at me, I already saw it :p. But yeah, it’s a shame. I guess everyone thought it was just Suicide Squad Round 2 quality-wise.
Louis: To round out the A24 auteur roster, your thoughts on Ari Aster as a filmmaker? It’s funny how he and Eggers took giant leaps in the opposite directions for their second films. Granted, Aster did make the film he wanted to, I suppose, but maaaannnnnn...
Just woke up from a preparation and prepared to binge the Oscars in an hour.
Bryan and Luke: It is rather surprising, honestly. I mean, there's the fact that "Suicide Squad" proceeded it, and how Harley Quinn doesn't have the same kind of status as other DC characters, so the fan base isn't nearly as strong as it would be for the aforementioned ensemble piece...
...which is still a shame, frankly, since "Birds of Prey" is still a decent little movie, and of course dances circles around Ayer's mess of a film.
Also, I'd like to mention that the next films I'm probably seeing in theatres - all of which I'm genuinely excited for - are "Black Widow", "Wonder Woman 1984" and "A Quiet Place: 2".
Louis: your thoughts on the Lighthouse parody video with Aubrey Plaza and Michael Shannon?
Mitchell: The thing is, Harley Quinn is actually one of DCs most popular female characters. She's been featured and starred in many DC adaptations, and is usually a top choice for cosplay.
In fact, I think the film may have done a little better if it was titled, say, "Harley Quinn and Friends." Either way, it's a shame.
Bryan: Fair enough. I just meant status in that she's a rather "young" character, having been conceived in the 90s, and so she doesn't have quite the same storied history as a Wonder Woman or Batman, for instance.
And yes, a shorter title would've probably helped in marketing. I think everybody who even heard of the film's premise thought of it as the Harley Quinn movie anyways, so its quite of a missed opportunity on their part.
My bets
PICTURE: 1917, never say never to Parasite
DIRECTOR: Sam Mendes
ACTOR: Joaquin Phoenix
ACTRESS: Renée Zellweger
SUPP. ACTOR: Brad Pitt
SUPP. ACTRESS: Laura Dern
ANIMATED FEATURE: I wish I Lost My Body, but could be Toy Story 4
INTERNATIONAL FILM: Parasite absolutty
DOCUMENTARY: American Factory. But as a brazilian i'm rooting for the direction Petra Costa and The Edge of Democracy
DOCUMENTARY SHORT: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl)
LIVE ACTION SHORT: Brotherhood
ANIMATED SHORT: Hair Love
SCORE: Joker
EDITTING: Parasite. If Ford V Ferrari win in my ass
VISUAL EFFECTS: difficulty...The Irishman
COSTUME DESIGN: Little Women
CINEMATOGRAPHY: 1917
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING: Bombshell
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: I wish Parasite, but could be Once Upon Time in Hollywood
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: I wish The Irishman, but could be Jojo Rabbit or Little Women
SONG:"(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again - Rocketman
I'm actually not too surprised Birds of Prey underwhelmed at the box office, as the trailers were still evocative of Suicide Squad, and while substantially better received than that film it got "decent/good not great" reviews, which may not have been enough for some...I mean I myself couldn't quite drum up the motivation to see it right away. Also Warner Bros. probably will now jump to "NO More R-rated films" after stupidly jumping to the conclusion that the R-rating is what made Joker do well. This film probably would've done better with a PG-13.
Bryan:
Okay, well where Eggers and The Safdies showed where they could artfully expand in their 2019 films, while building on their style and themes they began with their previous efforts, Ari Aster suggested he might just be a one trick pony, not a great sign for a sophomore effort. This the worst kind of followup as it makes one second guess any praise for his earlier effort. I'm glad you asked as a "filmmaker" as I will say Midsommar suggested greater flaws with his writing than his direction, not that I loved that either. Aster in some ways has shown to be less of someone expanding from influence and rather using it as a crutch. This as both films seem to be Ari Aster going hmmm what film can I tie in with Don't Look Now this time, this being a family tragedy followed by a horror films both times, makes his efforts look painfully lazy. With Hereditary the conceit was less obvious as the pathway was at least obscured somewhat towards Rosemary's Baby, but with Midsommar it was so obvious it was going to way of Wicker Man that it seemed painfully lazy. Let's move from his poor use of influence though and look at his overarching trends here. As a visual filmmaker he's a fine one, though his indulgence in the gruesome, that in both films he's gone over board with (he even toned it down in Hereditary from his initial choices), moves towards geek show rather than an actual dramatic effect. His approach to horror itself though, beyond that imagery, is the banality of evil, I assume, because he makes his evil people boring, matter of fact, and just this inevitability. This inevitability that creates passive characters that diminishes the horror for me frankly, as you are just watching a cow to slaughter, not a person trying to survive. Again this was less extreme in Hereditary, but Midsommar, made me even second guess how it was used there. This brings to the central idea of his approach of humanity in horror. This idea was better realized in Hereditary in its examination of grief and mental illness as tied to horror. But Aster suggests he has little to say, as he just attached it to grief again, though this time attached to a failing relationship. The worst element, given he made it a shallow relationship, so who cares about the relationship? Midsommar's whole approach in that regard is one of failure as it is all so thin in his choice of unlikable characters. Final note, Hereditary was bereft of humor, fine though I do think complete misery rarely makes a film more impactful, but if his college moron approach in Midsommar is his best bet, maybe stick with just complete misery. Right now his work already seems tired. There is talent there in his work is atmospheric, he has a sense visually, but repeating one's self on their second try seems like a bad sign.
Calvin:
It be a good bit of parody says I, particularly with a nice bit of Shannon intensity for the sake of comedy regarding hosting (he really needs a Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda style role one of these days), and the brief somber reflection for Buck Henry.
This isn't going to be the most enjoyable ceremony because of how predictable most of the categories are. I guess Picture and Score are the engaging ones.
My Predictions:
Picture: 1917
Director: 1917
Acting: Phoenix/Zellweger/Pitt/Dern
Adapted Screenplay: Jojo Rabbit
Original Screenplay: Parasite
Cinematography: 1917
Costume Design: Little Women
Editing: Parasite
Makeup and Hairstyling: Bombshell
Production Design: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Score: Joker(Sadly)
Sound Editing/Mixing: 1917
Visual Effects: Endgame
Animated Feature: Klaus
Documentary Feature: For Sama
International Feature: Parasite
Song: Rocketman
Hello Louis and whoever is reading my comment.
I want to invite you to participate in my award: 2019 Brazinterma International. To participate, just vote via the link below.
VOTE LINK:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeIZCODt_UBw3y5KKtFhdus4R-dU9F_3VcgNSnST_xHtqcQNw/viewform
Louis: I'd have to disagree with you on "Birds of Prey", and its R rating being one of the problems in its reception. If anything, the great success of Logan and the Deadpool movies proves that R Rated superhero films can do quite well nowadays. There is certainly a demand for them by audiences, and perhaps that's in response to the, well, more "sanitized" content of the MCU generally.
It is a bit strange you mention that, though, because the theatre I went to had it rated as "14A". I don't know how different the film rating system is between Canada and the States, but I never wouldn't have expected ours to be more lenient than yours, no offense.
*would've*
Louis: Would it be fair to say that you would’ve liked to see Pughs performance in Midsommar in a well-written horror film instead of a flawed exercise? Kind of like what you told Verne regarding Matt Dillon.
And yeah, it’s funny that the Safdies took a similar approach in their 2019 film, yet it still felt fresh there.
Mitchell:
Well I'll disagree there, as Logan was built upon response to The Wolverine's tameness, Deadpool was built up by a variety of factors to support their R-rating choice, from the sizzle reel, to the raunchy comedy subversion among other things. This was coming from a critical failure, where the criticism was not built upon that film's "tameness". So it probably would've been a better idea to appeal to a larger crowd, particularly since Harley Quinn does have a substantial group of younger fans.
Bryan:
Of course.
There it goes. Congrats Brad.
Pitt takes the win. Least of his category, but still a good performance at least.
Pitt wins. It's what it is.
Loved he shouted out Moh and the stunt team. And lovely speech.
As expected regarding Pitt's speech, and I'm glad he somehow managed not to be repetitive after two other strong speeches.
I do have to wonder how things might've turned out if Pesci cared about winning at all, but you know I love that Pesci showed all other "don't care about winning/awards" types to be more than a bit disingenuous.
Toy Story 4...meh...lamer that they had a chance to mix it up slightly if they had gone for Klaus.
Pixar again I suppose. Not a bad choice but not a great choice either.
Well will grant the category wasn't bursting at the seams anyways, even Weathering With You.
Thats the last time I’m betting an upset for Best Animated Film. *Kicks self*
Hair Love takes animated short, the only short I'll comment on since I saw it, a fine winner.
You know what...I'm happy for Pitt. It's not the most deserved win ever, but its nevertheless a very good performance, that really just came at the right time and in the right film for his career.
Hair love is a great winner though I preferred Memorable slightly.
Memorable would've been my choice as well.
Triple signed on Memorable.
BONG!!!!!! for original screenplay.
YES
Huge upgrade compared to last year.
Such a good speech from both of them
So happy for Bong.
I'm off to bed guys, but I'm praying for a Newman win tonight.
Sorry Robert, Waititi wins.
For the record, I'm cool with it.
That scene they chose for Joker, just goes to show the quality of the script.
Yes Taika! I’m happy for him
Calvin:
Unintentionally hilarious bit highlighting the Joker script.
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