Best Scene: Reunion with Anmai.
9. Michael Fassbender in The Killer - Fassbender covertly gives a hilarious portrayal of a man who believes himself to be the perfect assassin but is far from that.
Best Scene: Poor estimate.
8. Sōya Kurokawa in Monster - Kurokawa gives a dynamic portrait of the sides of the young boy we can't understand and slowly granting us that understanding with a real potent empathy.
Best Scene: Playing it away.
7. Charles Melton in May December - Melton seemingly is giving one performance as a man "content" in his existence and brings such a power to the crumbling away of that facade.
Best Scene: Roof.
6. Teo Yoo in Past Lives - Yoo gives a powerful though very subtle portrayal of the deep connections and romantic notions of a man who is separated by his love in more than one way.
Best Scene: Bar.
5. Glenn Howerton in Blackberry - Howerton gives one of the most entertaining performances of the year by going all in portraying a business shark without a hint of shame.
Best Scene: Doing it all in one day.
4. Zac Efron in The Iron Claw - Efron gives a powerful portrayal of relatively simple man bottling up his emotions until they finally pour out.
Best Scene: "I used to be a brother"
3. Andrew Scott in All of Us Strangers - Scott gives a heartbreaking portrayal of a man re-experiencing his grief and the complicated relationship with his parents in a most unusual way.
Best Scene: Talk with dad.
2. Dominic Sessa in The Holdovers - Sessa gives an all time great debut, that avoids all the pitfalls of his role, while thriving in the risks he takes to give an entertaining and very moving performance.
Best Scene: "I was going to say the same thing"
1. Kōji Yakusho in Perfect Days - Yakusho gives a perfect, often silent, performance that just embodies so much of the human experience, despite being also so very specific.
Best Scene: Playing with shadows.
Overall:
- Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer
- Kōji Yakusho in Perfect Days
- Dominic Sessa in The Holdovers
- Andrew Scott in All of Us Strangers
- Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers
- Zac Efron in The Iron Claw
- Glenn Howerton in Blackberry
- Teo Yoo in Past Lives
- Charles Melton in May December
- Sōya Kurokawa in Monster - 5
- Michael Fassbender in The Killer
- Mads Mikkelsen in The Promised Land
- Benoît Magimel in The Taste of Things
- Manolo Solo in Close Your Eyes
- Eita Nagayama in Monster
- Jeffrey Wright in American Fiction
- Jason Clarke in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
- Nicolas Cage in Dream Scenario
- Joaquin Phoenix in Beau is Afraid
- Peter Sarsgaard in Memory
- Byung-hun Lee in Concrete Utopia
- Christopher Abbott in Sanctuary
- Song Kang-ho in Cobweb
- Jussi Vatanen in Fallen Leaves
- Joel Edgerton in Master Gardner
- Tom Blyth in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
- Michael B. Jordan in Creed III - 4.5
- Enzo Vogrincic in Society of The Snow
- Gael Garcia Bernal in Cassandro
- Alberto Ammann in Upon Entry
- Anthony Hopkins in One Life
- Chris Pine in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
- Franz Rogowski in Passages
- Harris Dickinson in Scrapper
- Barry Keoghan in Saltburn
- Christian Friedel in The Zone of Interest
- Michael Caine in The Great Escaper
- Dave Bautista in Knock At the Cabin
- Seydou Sarr in Io Capitano
- Riz Ahmed in Fingernails
- Alexander Skarsgård in Infinity Pool
- Soma Santoki in The Boy and the Heron
- Jay Baruchel in Blackberry
- Deniz Celiloğlu in About Dry Grasses
- Colman Domingo in Rustin
- Thomas Schubert in Afire
- David Jonsson in Rye Lane
- Chris Pratt in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
- Saleh Bakri in The Blue Caftan
- Shameik Moore in Spider-man: Across The Spider-Verse
- Tobias Menzies in You Hurt My Feelings
- Kelvin Harrison Jr. in Chevalier
- Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar
- Paul Dano in Dumb Money
- Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning - 4
- Taron Egerton in Tetris
- Jake Lacy in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
- Johnny Flynn in One Life
- Keanu Reeves in John Wick Chapter 4
- Nicolas Cantu in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
- Brady Noon in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
- Shamon Brown Jr. in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
- Micah Abbey in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
- Mamoudou Athie in Elemental
- Matt Damon in Air
- Michael Fassbender in Next Goal Wins
- Kenneth Branagh in A Haunting in Venice
- Corey Hawkins in The Last Voyage of the Demeter
- Jorma Tommila in Sisu
- Park Seo-joon in Concrete Utopia
- Ralph Fiennes in Ratcatcher
- Timothee Chalamet in Wonka
- Jaime Vadell in El Conde
- John Boyega in They Cloned Tyrone
- Adam Driver in Ferrari - 3.5
- Joaquin Phoenix in Napoleon
- Ryunosuke Kamiki in Godzilla Minus One
- Ethan Hwang in Riceboy Sleeps
- Dohyun Noel Hwang in Riceboy Sleeps
- Zachary Levi in Chicken Run: Rise of the Nuggets
- Denzel Washington in The Equalizer 3
- Joel Edgerton in The Boys in the Boat
- Paul Rudd in Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania
- Ezra Miller in The Flash - 3
- Jason Schwartzman in Asteroid City
- Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
- Vin Diesel in Fast X
- Rupert Friend in The Swan - 2.5
- Leonardo DiCaprio in Killers of the Flower Moon
- Ben Aldridge in Knock At the Cabin
- Michael A. Goorjian in Amerikatsi
- Callum Turner in The Boys in the Boat
- John David Washington in The Creator - 2
- Bradley Cooper in Maestro - 1.5
- Charlie Day in Fool's Paradise
- Ken Jeong in Fool's Paradise - 1
Next: 1945 lead, though will be on break until the Oscars.
182 comments:
Glad we have the exact same top 3.
Louis: Your updated 10 favorite film debuts, and your top ten acting moments of 2023?
Louis: Your top 20s for Lead Actress and Supporting Actress, alongside any 4+ performances in each?
Murphy reigns supreme, but Sessa even outdid my expectations. Yakusho seems like a really close runner-up too.
Love seeing Yakusho so high.
Louis: Could you make that top 25s for Lead Actress and Supporting Actress (Kirby Excepted) with 4+ Honourable mentions.
Lead
Roger Livesey - I Know Where I'm Going!
Errol Flynn - Objective, Burma!
Danny Kaye - Wonder Man
Laird Cregar - Hangover Square
Rex Harrison - Blithe Spirit
Supporting
Boris Karloff - The Body Snatcher
Michael Redgrave - Dead Of Night
Michael Redgrave/Stanley Holloway - The Way To The Stars
George Sanders - The Picture Of Dorian Gray
George Sanders - Hangover Square
Everyone: So now that Pedro Pascal is a SAG winner, what do you think his chances of being reviewed by Louis are (be it an alternate or actual nomination)?
I think the guy is prolific and certainly talented enough to warrant "something", although as right now, it does seem his TV showings are better showcases that his film roles - sort of like Jared Harris.
Louis: Very happy with Murphy and Yakusho at 1 and 2.
Your top 10 tracks of 2023.
Laird Cregar, Hangover Square
Errol Flynn, Objective, Burma!
Boris Karloff, The Body Snatcher
Danny Kaye, Wonder Man
Roger Livesey, 'I Know Where I'm Going'
Dana Andrews, Fallen Angel
Charles Boyer, Confidential Agent
Monty Woolley, Molly and Me
Raymond Rouleau, Falbalas
Mervyn Johns, Pink String and Sealing Wax
Supp
Michael Redgrave, Dead of Night
George Sanders, The Picture of Dorian Gray
James Mason, The Wicked Lady
J. Carrol Naish, The Southerner
Mitchell: Pascal is talented, I am kind of curious how he will make the jump from TV to the big screen in terms of quality roles. Seeing the Breaking Bad cast reunited last night (fitting they got to give it to the Succession ensemble) reminded me of how frustrating Anna Gunn and Aaron Paul's film careers have been.
Tahmeed: Aaron Paul is still working steadily, albeit usually playing some variation of Jesse. Anna Gunn though seems to have fallen off the face of the Earth which is very sad.
Louis, do you still rank the Oscar nominees on that list that has your favorite winners in history for both lead and supporting.
Anonymous: He stopped doing those rankings after 2014 Lead Actor.
Matt: Yah, Gunn's lack of output post "Breaking Bad" has always been strange to me. She had a throwaway role in 2016's "Sully" and...thats basically it. That just seems like a waste, particularly with her emmy win in the final season.
I’m a little surprised to see Leo THAT low.
So Louis, how do you rank Lead and Supporting Actress for the year overall?
Also, animated feature for the year overall?
Louis: Will there be videos of your winners on YouTube?
Your current Oscar predictions for the production design, costumes, and sound categories?
Louis: In the line of Rutger Hauer, Eric Roberts, Tom Conti, Matthew Modine, etc., which 80's character actor would you like to see Nolan work with next?
Matt: William Petersen
Louis: Your top 10 Song Kang Ho and Lee Byung Hun perfomances?
Louis: thoughts on the trailer for Horizon?
Luke, from the remaining recommendations, who do you think could get saved for a review in future.
Louis: Your top 10 performances in Christopher Nolan's films?
Anonymous: Giannini, Volonté and Williamson. I'm looking forward to his Pearl Harbor review.
Louis: Tell from the year 2023 which are your TOP7 best:
- Posters
- Blockbuster
- Great Scenes
What'd you make of the trailer for Sarnoski's A Quiet Place prequel? Curious to see how he might fare with a work-for-hire project.
Will get to all thoughts but starting with the actress rankings:
Lead:
1. Emma Stone - Poor Things
2. Sandra Huller - Anatomy of a Fall
3. Greta Lee - Past Lives
4. Lily Gladstone - Killers of the Flower Moon
5. Alma Poysti - Fallen Leaves
6. Lubna Azabal - The Blue Caftan
7. Leonie Benesch - Teacher's Lounge
8. Eliza Scanlen - The Starling Girl
9. Sakura Ando - Monster
10. Mia McKenna-Bruce - How to Have Sex
11. Jessica Chastain - Memory
12. Lily McInery - Palm Trees and Power Lines
13. Abby Ryder Fortson - Are You There God? It's Me Margaret
14. Marin Ireland - Birth/Rebirth
15. Teyana Taylor - A Thousand And One
16. Choi Seung-yoon - Riceboy Sleeps
17. Thomasin McKenzie - Eileen
18. Glenda Jackson - The Great Escaper
19. Margaret Qualley - Sanctuary
20. Paula Beer - Afire
21. Lily Gladstone - The Unknown Country
22. Natalie Portman - May December
23. Fantasia Barrino - The Color Purple
24. Jessie Buckley - Fingernails
25. Vivian Oparah - Rye Lane
And:
Michelle Williams - Showing Up
Naíma Sentíes - Tomem
Hailee Steinfeld - Spider-man: Across The Spider-Verse
Leah Lewis - Elemental
Judy Reyes - Birth/Rebirth
Bruna Cusi - Upon Entry
Julia Louis-Dreyfus - You Hurt My Feelings
Ayo Edebiri - Bottoms
Park Bo-young - Concrete Utopia
Priya Kansara - Polite Society
Charlotte Campbell - Scrapper
Eve Hewson - Flora and Son
Tia Nomore - Earth Mama
Jodie Comer - The End We Start From
Rachel Sennott - Bottoms
Anaita Wali Zada - Fremont
Margot Robbie - Barbie
Supporting:
1. Mia Goth - Infinity Pool
2. Claire Foy - All of Us Strangers
3. Merve Dizdar - About Dry Grasses
4. Jean Yeo-been - Cobweb
5. Rachel McAdams - Are You There God? It's Me Margaret
6. Marin Ireland - Eileen
7. Sandra Huller - The Zone of interest
8. Tilda Swinton - The Killer
9. Da'Vine Joy Randolph - The Holdovers
10. Jodie Foster - Nyad
11. Julianne Moore - May December
12. Taraji P. Henson - The Color Purple
13. Danielle Brooks - The Color Purple
14. Ana Torrent - Close Your Eyes
15. Amanda Collin - The Promised Land
16. Jessica Harper - Memory
17. Kathryn Hunter - Poor Things
18. Krystal Jung - Cobweb
19. Melina Hagberg - The Promised Land
20. Hanna Schygulla - Poor Things
21. Jang Young-nam - Cobweb
22. Soledad Villamil - Close Your Eyes
23. Vanessa Kirby - Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning
24. Aisling Franciosi - The Last Voyage of the Demeter
25. Pom Klemintoff - Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning
And:
Hong Chau - Showing Up
Stella Gonet - El Conde
Anne Hathaway - Eileen
Kathy Bates - Are You There God? It's Me Margaret
Teyonah Parris - They Cloned Tyrone
Karen Gillan - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Alison Oliver - Saltburn
Viola Davis - The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
Pom Klemintoff - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Phylicia Pearl Mpasi - The Color Purple
Viola Davis - Air
Nimra Bucha - Polite Society
Hayley Atwell - Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning
Halle Bailey - The Color Purple
Goth for that upset victory. Was hoping Klementieff would be higher.
Louis: Who's your lowest 4.5 in Supporting Actress.
And congrats to Lanthimos being your director winner.
Robert: I'm surprised it's Klementieff you said you were hoping would be higher, and not McAdams. PK's screentime was relatively brief and she's not given as much dramatic material as the others. The moment I saw that McAdams was only #5, I thought "Robert's not gonna like that".
Tony: McAdams is still a 5, and I haven’t seen three of the performances he has ahead of her (plus I loved Foy), so I won’t conplain.
I’m just saying that I feel like EVERYONE on the blog outside of me underrated Klementieff. To me it was an immediate punch-in-the-face 5. Her physical acting choices are mesmerizing, and her final scene is a K.O. Like, to me the hallmark of a great supporting performance is how much you do with so little, and she did a SHIT TON.
Also haven't seen Goth, but Lanthimos as your Director win is a fantastic choice. Also love seeing Lee at #3 for Past Lives.
Luke, your top ten films of 2023
Glad to see Murphy come out on top. The Picture/Director split I kind of expected.
Incidentally, anyone who's seen it, is Roberto Benigni lead or supporting in Down By Law?
Matt: Lead.
Louis, What is your lowest 4.5 in Leading Actress.
Louis: In your review of him in The Prince of Tides you mentioned that Nick Nolte would've been better as a character actor instead of a leading man. With that in mind, are there any roles you think he'd have been a good fit for, if his career indeed would've turned out like that?
Robert: PK was very good, don't get me wrong. What keeps me from being higher on her is that I just feel the writing fails her when it comes to selling that final-act pivot. That's when it becomes clear to me she's playing a glorified plot device than a full-fledged character, as much personality as she injects.
Where are people seeing Louis’s director pick? It’s not showing up for me in My Wins or Beat Director.
Michael: It's on his YouTube channel 'Oscareview'.
Luis: If you considered Gladstone in Killers as supporting, what would be her position in your ranking?
Louis: If you considered Gladstone in Killers as supporting, what would be her position in your ranking?
Louis: your thoughts on Quiet Eyes from Past Lives?
Tahmeed:
1. Oppenheimer crossexamine/Strauss outburst - Oppenheimer
2. Dinner in Lisbon - Poor Things
3. Playing with Shadows - Perfect Days
4. You can do this - The Holdovers
5. "Sorry I never came into your room" - All of Us Strangers
6. Town Hall - Oppenheimer
7. Seeing Godwin again - Poor Things
8. The Bar - Past Lives
9. Negative Review - Infinity Pool
10. Saying goodbye to both parents - All of Us Strangers
Will get you that other list soon.
Jonathan Williams:
1. "Kitty Testifies" - Oppenheimer
2. "Osage Oil Boom" - Killers of the Flower Moon
3. "Poor Things" - Poor Things
4. "Found" - Society of the Snow
5. "Ask Me Why" - The Boy and the Heron
6. "Can You Hear the Music" - Oppenheimer
7. "The Wedding" - Killers of the Flower Moon
8. "Reanimation" - Poor Things
9. "Over the River" - Society of the Snow
10. "The King's Parade" - The Boy and the Heron
Tony
Sound: Oppenheimer
Costume/PD: Barbie (though it has shown plenty of weakness and hope I'm wrong. I could also easily see a split between Poor Things for Costumes, Barbie for PD)
Matt:
I concur with Robert's choice of Petersen, I'd also add of course John Lone.
Antony:
Lee:
1. A Bittersweet Life
2. I Saw the Devil
3. JSA
4. The Good, The Bad, The Weird
5. The Man Standing Next
6. Concrete Utopia
7. The Magnificent Seven
8. Age of Shadows
9. Squid Game
10. G.I. Joe Retaliation
Song:
1. Parasite
2. JSA
3. A Taxi Driver
4. The Good the Bad The Weird
5. The Age of Shadows
6. Cobweb
7. Broker
8. Memories of Murder
9. Foul King
10. Thirst
Anonymous:
Horizon certainly looks to have an epic John Fordesque scope with a Mann grit, and Costner's track record with Westerns for me is a miss for Dances, and a decent sized hit with Open Range, and this reminded much more of the latter in terms of the vibe so I'm hopeful. It might not come together in the end but I more or less liked the vibe this was giving off from just this snippet of it.
Although...as much as I can like Costner's acting in the right scenario/role, Abbey Lee's line, seemed like a setup for joke, "I'd just like to have a drink tonight with someone who knows how to act.... you wouldn't happen to know if Daniel Day-Lewis is in this movie".
Marcus:
1. Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
2. Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer
3. Guy Pearce - Memento
4. Matthew McConaughey - Interstellar
5. Christian Bale - The Prestige
6. Robin Williams - Insomnia
7. Robert Downey Jr. - Oppenheimer
8. Gary Oldman - The Dark Knight
9. Hugh Jackman - The Prestige
10. Jason Clarke - Oppenheimer
Tony:
The trailer looks perfectly fine as a thriller, I have to admit though those monsters don't do much for me at this point, frankly they just barely were enough in the first film, and with their weakness known it makes them seem even less impressive. I think the idea of horror related to being silent has more to be mined, but at this point I wish there was a more interesting monster related to the concept.
Louis: Your top 10 scenes of 2023, and your top 20 performances?
Brazinterma:
Poster:
1. Oppenheimer (Trinity reaction)
2. Anatomy of a Fall
3. The Killer (German tourist)
4. Poor Things (small head big body)
5. Past Lives (Subway)
6. Poor Things (Makeup)
7. Zone of Interest (Black Sky)
Blockbusters:
1. Oppenheimer
2. Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
3. John Wick Chapter 4
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
5. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
6. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
7. Creed III
Great Scenes:
1. "I believe we did" - Oppenheimer
2. Birth of Bella Baxter - Poor Things
3. Ending - Close Your Eyes
4. Oil boom - Killers of the Flower Moon
5. Boat Chase - Godzilla Minus One
6. Christmas Party - The Holdovers
7. Bear story - The Killer
8. Rescue - Society of the Snow
9. Diner - All of Us Strangers
10. Escaping the Spider-men: Across the Spider-verse
Anonymous:
Love the blend of instrumentation between a traditional drum kit and supplemented strings creating a unique sound that is particularly rich, and just lovely in the two musical voices that ascend and descend almost at the same time that is just so beautifully, also is kind of like the relationship of the film. Love how the voice then in the middle of these disparate yet wholly together elements, as very much the anchor within the two.
Jonathan:
#3.
Marcus:
1. Emma Stone - Poor Things
2. Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer
3. Kōji Yakusho in Perfect Days
4. Dominic Sessa - All of Us Strangers
5. Andrew Scott - All of Us Strangers
6. Paul Giamatti - The Holdovers
7. Sandra Huller - Anatomy of a Fall
8. Mark Ruffalo - Poor Things
9. Jamie Bell - All of Us Strangers
10. Greta Lee - Past Lives
11. Mia Goth - Infinity Pool
12. Claire Foy - All of Us Strangers
13. Lily Gladstone - Killers of the Flower Moon
14. Robert De Niro - Killers of the Flower Moon
15. Robert Downey Jr. - Oppenheimer
16. Alma Poysti - Fallen Leaves
17. Willem Dafoe - Poor Things
18. Merve Dizdar - About Dry Grasses
19. Zac Efron - The Iron Claw
20. Jean Yeo-been - Cobweb
Louis are you watching season 2 of Tokyo Vice?
Anonymous:
Yes, and I'm enjoying it, though it is getting pretty comical how much better the Japanese actors are than Elgort and especially Keller.
Louis: do you plan on watching Shōgun on FX?
Lucas:
With the reviews it's getting, yes.
Louis: what are your top 10 Ensembles of 2023?
Has The Killer settled in enough for you now to the point that you feel comfortable updating your Fincher ranking?
Louis: Thoughts on the direction of Godzilla Minus One and The Boy and the Heron?
Louis: On your wins page, you have Poor Things as your Adapted Screenplay winner instead of Oppenheimer.
Louis: Have Ana Torrent and Jessica Harper gone up to 4.5s.
Hello Louis and folks!
Let's talk about some 2023 movie translations in non-English speaking countries. The names that were in Brazil were:
Poor Things = Poor Creatures
The Holdovers = The Rejected
Fallen Leaves = Autumn Leaves
John Wick: Chapter 4 = John Wick 4: Baba Yaga
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. = Growing Together
May December = Secrets of a Scandal
Dream Scenario = The Dream Man
Air = Air: The Story Behind the Logo
No Hard Feelings = What Time Will I Pick You Up?
Cocaine Bear = The White Powder Bear
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny = Indiana Jones and the Call of Destiny
Evil Dead Rise = Death of the Demon: The Rise
Strays = Bad for Dogs
Theater Camp = Theater Camp: A Mind-Blowing Summer
Bottoms = Fight Club for Girls
Fingernails = At Your Fingertips
White Men Can’t Jump = White Men Don't Know How to Bury (It kept the same name as the original 1992 film)
Louis: Your #6-#10 for Director in 2023
Louis: On a non-2023 related note, could I have your thoughts on Breaking Bad being pitched as Walter turning from "Mr. Chips into Scarface"? It's something I only really disagreed with upon rewatching the show a few years ago; that it was about a terrible man being allowed to show who he really was due to his circumstances and choices, instead of simply being restrained by them before the cancer diagnosis.
Louis: Aside from Talia al Ghul, how do you think Kagawa would have fared as Harley Quinn?
Lucas:
1. Oppenheimer
2. Poor Things
3. All of Us Strangers
4. The Iron Claw
5. Society of the Snow
6. Cobweb
7. Close Your Eyes
8. Monster
9. Anatomy of a Fall
10. The Promised Land
Anonymous:
The Boy and the Heron is Miyazaki doing what he does, which one can only say that about Miyazaki as some of the animation realizations here would be considered strokes of genius but for Miyazaki it is just the expectation at this point. As take any created element in the fantasy world, again can't praise the Parakeets enough, but every little tidbit in their is fascinating in their own way in these sort of crafted reality twisted to some fantastical extreme, like the Heron itself which is bizarre grotesque creation of the New York cab driver stuffed into a Heron that just seems right despite being so odd. Even the non-fantastical world, has such bits as the group of grannies that are striking in of themselves. And so much of his direction is the richness of that detail, which he always presents in the very specifically almost casual fashion in which he encourages sort of his embrace the world as tangible despite being so strange, by attending detail to the common in the uncommon, such as making sure you see every detail of that food, or just the way an injured bird would act, despite this one going on a monologue in this state instead. His powers though as per usual is the natural combination with the more intense moments whenever he feels like, even within extreme emotion, where of course he always makes that effortless though pivotal use of score. Such in the opening, the discovery of the world and of course the climax. Although with all this there is the choice of the Miyazaki method of storytelling which very much goes at his own pace, his own way, and his own direction. Worth noting that really every Miyazaki film it almost seems to denote a mood, as there are more heavily structured elements in some of his films, where others he takes the loose. This is definitely the latter in his choice, which I think mostly works, though as well as Spirited Away which has a similar approach and I will say maybe making the structure slightly more tight here wouldn't necessarily have been a problem. Particularly, when I will say I still find it strange that the boy who lost his mother barely reacts to interacting with his mother the whole time, even though evidently he knew this the whole time. I still find that odd, but regardless, even when imperfect still plenty of brilliance to be found.
Godzilla Minus One is both the ideal Godzilla film as directed but also not at all directed like a Godzilla film much of the time. The straight drama scenes of post-war Japan are depicted as would be a drama that is just about this period without exception. There's no genre bent to these scenes, Yamazaki rather is presenting them directly as the reality of the scenario, in terms of every aspect, whether it being attention to the acting (though I wish he cultivated *slightly* better performances out of his two leads), the production design, or any element of that work. Yamazaki deeply cares about the characters and the period and it shows in every moment of detail, but also in terms of giving time for the characters to be people. This film would work as just purely a post-war drama without Godzilla needing to show up, it works as such, because we are granted intimacy with the characters and the specific troubled world of Japan they find themselves in. Then as the ideal Godzilla film, he makes Godzilla scary again, which is no small feat. One thing is by creating genuine scale which is through always framing the monster through the ground level perspective, and also showing the collateral damage so specifically, with weight. The radiation breath for example has never been portrayed more powerful, in part the build up, the fact that it creates a nuclear explosion, the sound design, but also the real brutal destruction we see afterwards, Yamazaki gives every moment such rich detail that creates a real horror. On top of that we have such stellar work in crafting such distinct action set pieces, each with a specific story narrative per each sequence that they all have their captivating beginning, middle and end. Creating such captivating work in itself.
Shaggy:
6. David Fincher - The Killer
7. Hayao Miyazaki - The Boy and the Heron
8. J.A. Bayona - Society of the Snow
9. Wim Wenders - Perfect Days
10. Takashi Yamazaki - Godzilla Minus One
Tahmeed:
Well I think as the "elevator pitch" that makes sense, but yes, if you look deeper into the series, really everything Walter doesn't isn't circumstance but willful revelation of who he truly is, and truly was. With some of those key clues within the series, such as his relationship with Gretchen/Gray Matter, that say a lot about the truth of Walter.
8000's:
Again her performance in Red Beard does make one wonder many things, so that seems like another potential choice.
Louis - I see that Miller has been downgraded to a 3. Setting aside the elephant in the room, was there anything in particular about the performance that made you change your mind? I'm assuming you rewatched the film before the ranking.
Incidentally, has The Killer settled in enough for you now to the point that you feel comfortable updating your Fincher ranking?
Louis, how would you've ranked a Supporting Actor lineup that featured De Niro, Downey, Gosling, Melton, and Ruffalo?
Louis: Do you intend to finish off the last remaining recommendations before the oscars.
Tony:
No big revelation, just a performance that waned in my mind.
1. Zodiac
2. Seven
3. The Social Network
4. The Killer
5. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
6. Alien 3
7. Gone Girl
8. Mank
9. The Game
10. Panic Room
11. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
12. Fight Club
Anonymous:
Melton would be above Gosling.
Louis: Your updated top 10 Ryan Gosling perfomances?
Antony:
1. Blade Runner 2049
2. First Man
3. Drive
4. Blue Valentine
5. Barbie
6. La La Land
7. The Nice Guys
8. The Believer
9. The Place Beyond the Pines
10. Half Nelson
Louis: Casting choices for these progressive populists of the 1900s-1920s and 1950s?
Hiram Johnson (Roosevelt's running mate for the Progressive Party in 1912)
William Borah
George W. Norris
Jim Folsom (a very tall dude, supposedly 6'8)
Sid McMath
Claude Pepper
Louis: Your ratings and thoughts on Lukas Haas in Witness, Danny Devito in Tin Men and Anthony Mackie, Frank Langella & Melissa Leo in All The Way.
Louis: If Robert Pattinson was eligible for The Boy And The Heron, where would he be placed in the Supporting ranking.
Louis: What are your ratings for Fincher's films outside of The Killer? If you've posted them before, I couldn't find them.
While I know you're not a fan of either film, what in particular about TCCOBB makes you slightly prefer it to Fight Club?
Louis: Your updated Nolan ranking?
Dune 2 is altogether great, and while it definitely makes use of what was built from the 1st film, it also improves on it in every way, and I wouldn't say it is even just because it already had some of that setup either. Because this half of the story, which frankly I'd say was probably the trickier half, is absolutely captivating, and particularly striking is the way Villeneuve fashions a "hero's" journey that is the expectation while completely and powerfully subverting that expectation to get to the real heart of the story. The way Villeneuve explores the notion of a savior as a profound but also terrifying force is absolutely fascinating. On a script level the balance here is much more refined in terms of giving out essential lore, making you feel how it impacts the characters, and always having another visually stunning and intensely visceral set piece ready to go next. The film completely flew by for me, in a way films of this length typically do not. And while I most certainly did like the first film, this exceeded in every possible way.
Zendaya - 4/4.5
Ferguson - 4
Brolin - 3.5
Butler - 4
Pugh - 3
Bautista - 3
Walken - 3
Seydoux - 3.5
Skarsgard - 3.5
Rampling - 3.5
Bardem - 4
Louis: Thoughts on the cast. Is Zendaya Lead.
Zendaya definitely impressed me the most. Her increasing defiance and heartbreak was kind of the film’s whole emotional core.
As the most negative person on here re: the first Dune, I completely agree with all your thoughts on Dune 2, and the ratings (though I might go higher for Butler and lower for Walken).
It was a bit of a shame to not see Stephen McKinley Henderson appear again, but that said, it would've been hard to fit in the whole Thufir arc given the first film didn't really establish it at all, so cutting it out completely was probably the right call.
Louis: have you considered lowering Keoghan on your Lead ranking here? Honestly the more I think about the performance I'm kind of leaning towards it being terrible.
8000's:
Hiriam Johnson: Macon Blair
William Borah: Jason Clarke
George W. Norris: Samuel West
Jim Folsom: Well I suppose Brad Garrett's your only choice then.
Sid McMath: Jake Lacy
Claude Pepper: Raymond J. Barry
Jonathan:
I'd say I've given my thoughts on Haas and DeVito before at some point. Mackie and Leo I recall being fine, though nothing special. Langella I recall being decent in playing what could've been one note villainous type with a degree of more nuanced gravitas.
Luke:
Probably around #15.
Tony:
I will rate films when I'm covering a year/re-watching on letterboxd but have previously decided against doing so on here.
I find it less actively grating...it also helps that I haven't seen Curious much...and have no intention of changing that.
Tahmeed:
1. The Prestige
2. Oppenheimer
3. Memento
4. The Dark Knight
5. Dunkirk
6. Batman Begins
7. Insomnia
8. Interstellar
9. The Dark Knight Rises
10. Following
11. Tenet
Luke:
Let's wait just a little bit.
Hmmm....leaning towards maybe yes.
Calvin:
As much as I do respect Villeneuve for not being like Ridley Scott with his rather annoying preemptive director's cut tease, I would love to see what Henderson and Tim Blake Nelson were doing in the film via deleted scenes at least.
I'm sure I could consider that, but I'm also just trying to forget that the film exists.
The insistence on not letting us see any of the deleted scenes is a bit frustrating (especially for the first film) but I do get it.
Louis: Would you say you prefer Blanchett's performance to Norton's? I suspected that could be part of the reason.
Louis: Where would Inception rank among Nolan's films, and your updated top 10 directing moments of his?
I agree with Calvin in regards to both Butler and Walken. Butler made clever decisions with his physical and vocal choices that elevated Feyd from just being a brute. Shows that Elvis wasn't a fluke, and also he might just be a very talented mimic overall.
Walken was in cue card mode.
Louis: Your retro directorial choices for Yorgos Lanthimos?
Tony:
I suppose, but then again I definitely prefer Pitt in Fight Club.
Calvin & Robert:
While I agree Walken seemed largely out of it and seemed to have been cast because it's funny to make him Emperor of the Universe (which I agree in a general sense), I didn't mind that much as this was the way the character was written as largely a puppet, but I did like his one scene where he explained why he went after Leto, where I thought Walken woke up improving his performance for me a little bit.
Bryan:
The Devils
Les Diaboliques
Tom Jones
Louis: I found De Vito but still couldn't find Haas.
Louis: Wait, what? But you gave Pitt a 4 and both Blanchett & Norton 4.5's.
Tony: I think he meant that he liked Pitt more in Fight Club than in Benjamin Button
Lucas: Oh, I see.
Louis: Ratings and thoughts on the cast of Love And Anarchy. Category Placement for Melato and if she's a 4.5, where would she be placed in that ranking.
Louis: Are you saving Giannini.
Louis, your thoughts on Love and Anarchy's direction and screenplay.
Louis: Your top 10 favourite interviews (of any format) with an actor/filmmaker conducted since you started this blog.
Louis: Was GoTG 3 your final stop on the Marvel train or are you still going to watch The Marvels?
Louis: Thoughts on this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lOwlrd1C08
Bryan: I think he's going to be more selective from now on when it comes to the MCU. He's mentioned before that he's really fatigued by it.
Louis, what would your ranking be of this year's Supporting Actor nominees at the Golden Globes (Dafoe, De Niro, Downey, Gosling, Melton, Ruffalo) and at the BAFTAs (De Niro, Downey, Elordi, Gosling, Mescal, and Sessa)?
Anonymous:
BAFTAs:
1. Sessa
2. De Niro
3. Downey
4. Gosling
5. Elordi
Golden Globes:
1. Ruffalo
2. De Niro
3. Downey
4. Dafoe
5. Melton
6. Gosling
Stephen:
Eh, pretty much covered my main points it in my review, not every film needs a deep dive.
Tony:
List is tough because I don't catalogue them in my mind. Not exactly an interview but Edgar Wright and Tarantino discussing English films. Stephen Merchant interviewed by Norm McDonald for pure hilarious insanity.
Well, memorable as DVD menus go, though I'll admit Glazer's eccentricity isn't a filmmaker eccentricity I'm the biggest fan of.
Bryan:
Haven't found any motivation to watch it. I'll admit I'm starting to seek out fewer films that it's extremely unlikely I'm going to like, particularly when no one really singles out any worthy element in either, nor is really noted for being bad in a particularly noteworthy way.
Luke:
No.
Giannini - 4.5(It's a very good performance but I guess the rambling way of the film diluted his work a little bit at times, where I feel if there was more of a pressure cooker element to his performance, which there could've been with different editing, it would've gripped me more fully emotionally. Having said that, Giannini certainly transforms himself effectively in this meek state of the man, that is such a strong contrast to his Seven Beauties performance, with his delivery being so modest in such a nearly comical yet still believable way. Fashioning always the state of the man in this sort of expectation for his eventual death with this quietly meek sorrow about him, while naturally revealing the anger in the man at times that paints the motivation for his task. Combining both well in creating the contrasting final scenes of first the man seeming in his happiness with some real quietly moving affection in scenes, against the bloody insanity of his final scenes, where Gianni is a striking ball of random intensity of a man so lost that he just lashes out at everyone and everything in self-destructive madness.)
Melato - 4.5(She'd be my #3, really just aces the role of the completely in her element and power prostitute presenting the woman who very much owns what she does and wields it in her work. She commands every scenes effectively particularly in the way she kind of goes up when Giannini goes down so to speak. Creating the right kind of prompting figure with her own sense of emotional conviction within her performance where we see her make the political moves, bringing the right kind of intensity. While also naturally combining that with moments of real earned empathy where you see her emotions to speak to more positive care towards life, that in fact motivates her want for the killing, creating a balanced portrait of the two sides.)
Polito - 4(Brings just a simply loveliness to her part as the naive prostitute that she plays with a particularly endearing sincerity and even, yes, innocence that works particularly well in creating the similar feelings of hate towards the judgmental that we see from Giannini's character.)
Louis: Did you ever read that infamous Jeremy Strong profile from 2021? That was a weird, funny read.
Speaking of hearing filmmakers' thoughts, what are your favourite audio commentaries, and are you much of a physical media person?
Hi Louis! What are ur thoughts on Bening in Nyad? You didn't include her in your best actress list (nor Mulligan surprisingly), but seemed to enjoy Foster. Thanks! Love your work.
I saw Dune: Part Two last night. Found it to be pretty spectacular the whole way through. Was well worth the 3-year wait.
Letterboxd Review: https://boxd.it/5XOqlv
Cast Ratings:
Timothée Chalamet - 5
Zendaya - 4.5 (could go up)
Rebecca Ferguson - 4
Josh Brolin - 3.5 (could go up)
Austin Butler - 4 (could go up)
Florence Pugh - 3
Dave Bautista - 3
Christopher Walken - 3.5
Leá Seydoux - 3.5
Souheila Yacoub - 3
Stellan Skarsgård - 3.5
Charlotte Rampling - 3.5
Javier Bardem - 4
Hal, he gave them here: https://actoroscar.blogspot.com/2023/10/alternate-best-actor-1958-results.html
Thanks, Tony!
So I finally caught up with "The Holdovers" tonight, and yah...it won me over. It's one of those films that doesn't reinvent the wheel, but simply tries to work within a given structure. I've always thought that's fine so long as the movie works the formula well, which "The Holdovers" certainly does. I just found it funny, poignant and aesthetically wonderful, along with maybe being my favourite Payne film? (will have to ponder that one).
Giamatti - There's always something nice about seeing an actor in a role so tailored to their own presence and ability. That's Giamatti here; he's a great colourful grumpus, but I love how he unpacks the layers of Paul throughout the film and totally, genuinely earns his character arc.
Sessa - Straight up, this is a terrific acting debut, and I NEVER doubted his performance for a second. He just is Angus, and while some actors could've made him insufferable or bland, Sessa is always so natural and accesible in his work.
Randolph - Yah, I can see why she's being singled out here. Wonderful supporting work that is always on point with the tone of any given scene.
Everyone else - Collectively fine. I kind of wish the other students got more screen time BUT I also see Paul and Angus were framed as the film's leading duo.
Louis: Looking at "Blue Cat Blues", do you think that it more or less demonstrates that for all their fighting, Tom and Jerry are truly friends? Or frenemies?
Bryan: Since you've mentioned you're a Nathan for You fan, your thoughts on Finding Frances?
Mitchell: What do you think of Weezer, No Doubt, and Jimmy Eat World?
Tony: I find it to be a wonderful, sort-of atypical send-off for the show, as you still see Fielders’ schemes in play, yet with a more somber meaning to it. He was always genuine in wanting to help businesses, but aiding a Bill Gates impersonator find a past flame unlocked something a bit different.
Louis: If you're watching The Working Class Goes To Heaven today, may I have your ratings and thoughts on the cast.
Louis: Your thoughts on Richard Herd, Ian Abercrombie, Daniel Von Bargen, Patrick Warburton and Steve Hytner in Seinfeld?
I've watched Spaceman. Fine enough, but the subject matter and its presentation method don't feel revolutionary in any way.
Sandler-3.5 (he may get knocked down to 3)
Mulligan-3.5
Dano-4
Nayyar-3
Rossellini-3
Olin-2.5
Louis: Thoughts on 'Battle of Stirling' from Braveheart's score.
Do you guys think the Satellite for Ruffalo will have any impact on the Oscars? For now, the winners of the most interesting categories seem to be obvious (Oppenheimer -- Murphy -- Downey Jr -- Randolph -- Nolan). One exception, fourth time in a row actually, is the leading actress where we have two frontrunners.
Hal: It won't make a difference, the Oscar has been Downey's since the start of awards season. Cool to see Ruffalo get something at least, though.
Luke, last year it was Nolan V Lanthimos, who do you think will be the top contenders for Louis's 2024 Best Director.
Anonymous: I won't go into any other topic about 2024 until after Cannes but I'll say for now that with Bong out of the way, it's likely going to be Villeneuve Vs. Eggers.
The January release date for Mickey7 confuses me a bit: is it getting a straight-up release for January 2025, or is it going limited at the end of this year then expanding wide in January? Haven’t seen anything hinting the latter, but this is Bongs’ follow-up to Parasite we’re talking about.
8000's:
I mean if you can't call someone willing to get run over by a train with you as your friend, who can you call a friend?
Anonymous:
Herd - (A performance that is rather amusing whenever it needs to be, and he wasn't called upon too often to do so within the scheme for the show however was always ready to go when asked. Whether that be his concerned reactions to George's blunt words to Steinbrenner, his suspicious if not detective-like manner to sweaty George, his passionate reinforcement of the idea of going "downtown", and of course his finally standing up to Steinbrenner with his "macho head games". Every time honestly he was called upon to play a slightly different silly note and was funny each and every time.)
Abercrombie - (I mean his whole performance is being posh upon posh, though in a way that often subverted that such as his desire to hold up Woody-pecker. Delivery this rather light regal gravitas that delivered the somewhat limited confines of the role most effectively.)
Von Bargen - (One of the best late additions to the show, with his particularly hilarious way of delivery that managed to hit the right note between sort of direct seriousness and ridiculousness as someone for once perhaps as incompetent as George. Von Bargen plays the role with a sort of randomness that just feels pitch perfect in portraying the character's particularly strange form of pitch perfectness.)
Warburton - (Warburton's again notable in making such a strong impression on the series despite actually not being in it for that long, by just giving a hilarious himbo performance where his timing is as good as anyone's with the sort of blunt delivery he has in playing the squinting seemingly out of it most of the time fool. He never really plays up the comedy, he just is funny and is particularly good in sort of playing within the main cast.)
Hytner - (A really challenging part actually as the annoying guy could simply be the annoying guy, and the first time they did this with a bad comedian in the movie theater episode, I didn't think it worked all that well. Hytner though hits just the right chord in being obnoxious but in a way where he's obnoxious but still funny within that obnoxiousness. Particularly I think it is aided by just how earnest he is in his delivery and manner at all times, there's no force in his performance in playing his annoying qualities, it's just who he is and he makes it work as such.)
Luke:
Melato - 3.5(She's good but it is a pretty limited role, as only really Volonte has a substantial character to actually work with. I liked what she did in terms of portraying just a very realistic frustration towards the growing insanity of his character, but she gets a bit shortchanged by the script.)
Jonathan:
The Battle of Stirling is gorgeous work, just like much of the score, but again a particularly impressive use of Horner by fashioning a modern score though with the use of traditional instrumentation in part. In this case, again successfully using the bagpipes is an achievement in itself, and that is what the score does with the prelude bringing such a powerful contrast between the ominous use of drums against the pipes within them sort of giving you the hearts of the Scots. Before then building up again by bringing the modern instrumentation to intensify the action before leading into the climax presented by the beautiful main melody once again, which is one of the all time great singular themes in film.
Bryan:
That is the important question as a straight up January release is VERY concerning for the quality of the film, whereas January with a December qualifying run would be most promising.
Louis: where would Emily Blunt in Oppenheimer be in your supporting actress ranking, and what seasons of Curb Your Entusiasm have you seen?
Louis: As I asked before, did you ever read that infamous Jeremy Strong profile from 2021? That was a weird, funny read.
Speaking of hearing filmmakers' thoughts, what are your favourite audio commentaries, and are you much of a physical media person?
Louis: Your ranking/tier list of Diane Warren's Oscar nominations? Looking over all of them, the only one that I'd consider deserved is "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now."
Lucas:
I gave a supporting ranking when I ran down the nominees overall with the nominations for the Oscar lineup for supporting actor.
Random episodes before season 8, and most of the episodes after it.
Tony:
I did, and in many ways he IS Kendall it seems, and it is hard to not see perhaps things Brian Cox's way, at least a bit, when hearing about so many of his antics.
Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg - Shaun of the Dead & Hot Fuzz
Edgar Wright & Quentin Tarantino - Hot Fuzz
The cast & Crew - Cannibal the Musical (though not really for quality analysis)
All three extended LOTR from Jackson, Walsh and Boyens
I used to be, do think they are the best way to own a film, however my current habits due to this endeavor lead me to not do as much re-watching, so I'm less intent on collecting currently. Perhaps after I'm done with the bonus rounds I probably will collect more again. Although I will just say as a digression, I do wish we could maybe switch to usb drives or flashcards as the mediums for physical, as they hold just as much storage at this point and don't break so easily as discs.
The loss of the optical CD drive in most laptops (and the headphone jack in most smartphones, but I digress) are probably my two most major grievances with modern technology, and I think that exacerbates all the problems streaming has caused vis-a-vis physical media.
Louis: I meant in the overall ranking because you had given her a 4
Tahmeed:
I'll try...also interesting that her nomination onslaught only became a recent thing...to the point I kind of think the song branch in an attempt to get her a win has made winless more extreme as a weird self-fulfilling prophecy, as the majority of her recent nominations can only be attributed to name checking.
1. "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" - Mannequin
2. "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing" - Armageddon
3. "How Do I Love" - Con Air
4. "There You'll Be" - Pearl Harbor
5. "Till It Happens To You" - The Hunting Ground
6. "I'm Standing With You" - Breakthrough
7. "Io Si" - The Life Ahead
8. "The Fire Inside" - Flamin' Hot
9. "Because You Loved Me" - Up Close & Personal
10. "I'll Fight" - RGB
11. "Grateful" - Beyond the Lights
12. "Must of My Heart" - Music of the Heart
13. "Stand Up For Something" - Marshall
14. "Somehow You Do" - Four Good Days
15. "Applause" - Tell It Like A Woman
And yes her first nomination is by far her best.
Lucas:
The "and" section isn't ranked, she'd be in that though.
Louis: I know you don't give thoughts on non-film songs, but given what your favorite film of all time is...would you say you're a fan of "Rock Me Amadeus"?
Louis: Ratings and thoughts on the cast of Inadmissible Evidence.
Louis: Looks like McKay's next film is gonna be about climate change, again. Whereas Don't Look Up was a metaphor for climate change, this time it's gonna be really about climate change.
Another heavy-handed mess that will hit theaters, even if it does have a pretty important message.
8000S: Given that the source is Jeff Sneider, I'd advise taking it with a grain of salt.
Luke:
Williamson - 4.5(Certainly capable in the role of being able to weaponize the misery of the character through one cutdown after another against one thing in his life after another. He is able to be magnetic in portraying this viciousness in a way that is particularly remarkable for a performance, as it would be very easy to become as tiresome as the material itself is at times, but Williamson always consistently breathes life into it. In some ways I'd say he revisits similar material more successfully in The Reckoning, in portraying this state of self-loathing that attacks everything within himself and the society around him. Where Williamson does bring that venom both externally and internally with a particular ease in creating just this unpleasant, yet captivating in terms of his own work, presence that creates the sense of the vile spirit of the man. Where I would say is a bit lacking is it doesn't exactly go anywhere interesting other than being lustful occasionally and going from one target for his hate to another. Williamson though consistently brings that targeted viciousness to the part effectively even within this very imperfect film.)
Everyone else is fine but they don't have substantial enough roles to make an impact.
Marcus:
Yes.
8000's:
Here's hoping, it's an Oscar flop so I never have to watch it, as I'm honestly done with him at this point, I gave him the benefit of the doubt with both Vice and Don't Look Up, but I'm done with his films unless I hear some unanimous praise that this is the one where he stopped all of his consistently obnoxious choices and terrible writing.
Tony:
Weezer I mainly know from "Say it Ain't So", which is a paced out and a bit laid back, and "Buddy Holly" which is more energetic and lyrically catchy. ("Island in the Sun" and "Hash Pipe" are also tracks I somewhat recognize but nonetheless enjoy).
Same sort of deal with No Doubt via "Don't Speak" and "Just A Girl" (which I first heard in "Captain Marvel", sadly).
Jimmy Eat World I know the least of, with the exception of "The Middle" which is very good.
So to answer your question succinctly, these are three alternative bands I only know from a few songs each, but I do enjoy those few songs.
Also, if Louis' has given them, where might I find his thoughts on Liam Neeson from "Batman Begins" and Eric Roberts from "The Dark Knight"?
I was thinking about those performances in relation to Nolan's films. Neeson I would say is more a good showing than a great showing. Much of that performance's appeal comes from the subversion of his typical presence, which up until then was a good hearted mentor or a heroic character in some way. I do genuinely like the reveal/manor scene, where Neeson's usual gravitas is used rather well. Not gonna lie, though, I would've been interested to see Ken Watanabe's take on Ra's.
As for Eric Roberts, well....it's the most I've liked him from what I've seen. From what I've gathered, he can be a VERY bad ham, so Nolan did well in reigning him in. I think Roberts is just flamboyant enough in the part, and I mean JUST flamboyant enough where any given moment it could've gone sour. Still, the performance he did give is entertainingly smug, but also effective as part of the film's overall tone.
Louis: retro casting choices for Koji Yakusho?
Louis: Your thoughts on the scenes from Persona where Elisabet is listening to the radio, reacting to the violence she's seeing on the television and looking at that photo from WW2.
Some great examples of why Ullmann is so great at communicating with her eyes and face.
1. Oppenheimer
2. Poor Things
3. The Holdovers
4. Perfect Days
5. Past Lives
6. The Boy And The Heron
7. All Of Us Strangers
8. Monster
9. Fallen Leaves
10. The Iron Claw
And though I'm quite doubtful, if Kirkland is higher than a 4, ranking placement for her as well.
Louis, did you finish Boardwalk Empire season 1 or Unforgotten season 1.
Calvin:
Kanbei (which he basically played in 13 Assassins)
Shukichi Somiya
Kiichi Nakajima
8000's:
Each are notable as the closest we see Elisabet speaking for much of the film, and each specifically attached to the idea of media as the form of communication with the world, which is a one way avenue. As we hear her laugh first, entranced by the music, then stand in horror, yet then transfixed equally to the image that is violence, despite not showing it directly. If you want to interpret this the most straightforward way possible, it would be the person broken in a way by the world around as presented to her by the images she is exposed to that represent the world. Or even the innate emotional response to life as one with Alma, who actively seems to communicate back to nothing, against her real emotional self who is reacting to the communication which cannot communicate with.
Luke:
Kirkland - 4(The original Riseborough in terms of the campaign, and perhaps a bit in terms of her performance, which is good but all the hullabaloo for this one performance is a little much. Her accent is a little wonky but it is easy enough to get past it to embrace the better elements of her character. That being this rather blunt seasoned presence she brings that instantly grants you a sense of an actress who has been through the different ringers in life and is now at the point where she's ready to give warm wisdom to those who can respect her but is kind of fed up with anyone who doesn't. She presents this well and is effective in creating the two states of the character and they feel natural in their cohesion as different as they are. Unfortunately the film's weaknesses hold her back as her character eventually falls apart but this is handled in such a surface perfunctory way that it just feels like a lifeless notion in terms of the overall film despite Kirkland's best efforts. She is good here, but she can't quite become great within this material.)
Porizkova - 3(Perfectly serviceable in bringing this naive charm to the part that makes her a pleasant enough presence, though her shift to questionable behavior kind of isn't earned, by her performance or the script leaving the character and her performance feeling undercooked in the end.)
Fields - 2.5(Very forgettable as the intellectual guy and didn't think he had particularly notable chemistry with anyone, nor did I find that he really made any kind of remarkable impact in the overall scheme of the film.)
Louis: Your thoughts on these scenes from Quai des Orfèvres.
"Antoine at the Eden"
"Antoine finds out his kid failed the geometry test"
"Antoine confronts Jenny in her dressing room"
Louis: I'll admit, Jouvet's performance in the movie made me wonder how he would have fared in Vanel's role in Les Diaboliques.
Mitchell - Couldn't find his extended thoughts on Roberts (I just found a mention in passing about how it's one of his better roles) but he discussed Neeson here: https://actoroscar.blogspot.com/2016/11/alternate-best-actor-2005-cillian.html
Roberts is actually my third favorite performance in The Dark Knight tbh. Funny deliveries, a perfectly smug smile, and still enough disgust and dread to ground him.
Finally got to see Dune Part 2 on Tuesday! It was great!
Louis, How would you rank Denis Villeneuve performances and films?
Mine would probably be something like:
1. Amy Adams “Arrival”
2. Ryan Gosling “Bladerunner 2049”
3. Emily Blunt “Sicario”
4. Zendaya “Dune Part 2”
5. Timothée Chalamet “Dune Part 2”
6. Jake Gyllenhaal “Enemy”
7. Benecio Del Toro “Sicario”
8. Rebecca Ferguson “Dune Part 1” (She was great in Part 2 but I give the slight edge to Part 1)
9. Javier Bardem “Dune Part 2”
10. Jason Momoa “Dune Part 1”
11. Ana de Armas “Bladerunner 2049”
12. Oscar Isaac “Dune Part 1”
13. Sylvia Horks “Bladerunner 2049”
14. Jake Gyllenhaal “Prisoners”
15. Austin Butler “Dune Part 2”
16. Hugh Jackman “Prisoners”
17. Timothée Chalamet “Dune Part 1”
18. Dave Bautista “Bladerunner 2049”
19. Josh Brolin “Dune Part 1”
20. Jeremy Renner “Arrival”
Not sure how I’d rank the films yet.
J96: He won't rank the performances from Dune Part 2 just yet, as he's saving Chalamet.
Okay then Louis, what about the Villeneuve films and performances outside of Dune 2?
Robert: Been a hot minute since I've seen the entire film, but I might say....
1) Ledger
2) Oldman
3) Bale (EXCELLENT Bruce Wayne...."good" Batman)
4) Eckhart
5) Caine
6) Roberts
7) Freeman
8) Gyllenhaal
I know I'm missing some players. I do also like Michael Jai White's brief appearence.
Actually, swap Bale and Eckhart....the latter delivers in both "halves" of his performance....
....I'll see myself out.
I'd go Ledger > Oldman > Roberts > Caine > Eckhart > Freeman > Bale > Gyllenhaal.
Robert: Damn...why is Bale so low?
Mitchell: The batvoice doesn’t do it for me, though the last scene is great.
Robert: No disagreements about the voice ("I'm not wearing hockey pads"), but I do think Bale does a pretty strong job with the Wayne half. I particularly like any scene where he has to balance the egotistically playboy everyone sees, with the more genuine Bruce looking up to Harvey or Alfred.
I think Bale is perfectly solid and works well with everyone he shares a scene with, especially Michael Caine (that was just a strange kind of perfection, putting them together). However, I also think he's better in the other two films, which focus on him more directly.
8000's:
For me to give proper detailed thoughts for the film, which I think deserves proper thoughts, I'd have to watch it again since I've only seen it once, which I'd love to do so...just have to find the time.
But yes I think Jouvet would've aced that, though I think you'd suspect he'd know everything already rather than the Columbo precursor we saw from Vanel.
J96:
1. Blade Runner 2049
2. Arrival
3. Dune Part 2
4. Sicario
5. Dune
6. Incendies
7. Prisoners
8. Polytechnique
9. Maelstrom
10. Enemy
Enemy being the only film I dislike on the list. Dune part 2 could move up to #2 with time, I also should give Incendies another go at some point.
Without Considering Dune Part 2 either way:
1. Ryan Gosling - Blade Runner 2049
2. Amy Adams - Arrival
3. Emily Blunt - Sicario
4. Ana de Armas - Blade Runner 2049
5. Sylvia Hoeks - Blade Runner 2049
6. Benicio Del Toro - Sicario
7. Jake Gyllenhaal - Prisoners
8. Lubna Azabal - Incendies
9. Marie-Josee Croze - Maelstrom
10. Josh Brolin - Sicario
Louis: Having seen (and loved) The Battle of Algiers sometime back, could I get your thoughts on the film's direction?
Nice Lists!
RIP Akira Toriyama. Dragon Ball Z was the first animated show I'd ever got into, so this is quite the shock.
Louis: Your favorite single-episode performance by each of the main cast members of Barry?
Ah what the hell, I'll throw my few cents in as well:
1. Ledger
2. Eckhart
3. Oldman
4. Bale
5. Caine
6. Roberts
7. Freeman
8. Gyllenhaal
Louis: Speaking of The Dark Knight, your thoughts on "I just want my phone call" scene and the acting of Ledger and Keith Szarabajka during it?
Louis: If you're watching Our Little Sister and Batman: Under The Red Hood today then ratings and thoughts on the casts.
And what are your category placements for the Our Little Sister ladies and where would you rank them in their respective categories.
Ytrewq: Keith Szarabajka fucking RULES in that scene. (Funnily enough, he’s also doing a silly voice in a game I’m playing right now)
Hey Loui and guys: Your final Oscar predictions for this year?
Picture: Oppenheimer
Director: Christopher Nolan
Actor: Cillian Murphy
Actress: Lily Gladstone
Supporting Actor: Robert Downey Jr.
Supporting Actress: Da'Vine Joy Randolph
Original Screenplay: Anatomy of a Fall
Adapted Screenplay: American Fiction
Animated Feature Film: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
International Feature Film: The Zone of Interest
Documentary Feature: 20 Days in Mariupol
Cinematography: Oppenheimer
Production Design: Barbie
Costume: Barbie
Makeup and Hairstyling: Maestro
Visual Effects: Godzilla Minus One
Editing: Oppenheimer
Sound: Top Oppenheimer
Score: Oppenheimer
Song: "What Was I Made For?" - Barbie
Animated Short Film: Pachyderme
Live Action Short Film: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Documentary Short Film: Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó
Oh, one more question for you:
The Academy finally released the list of presenters. Say who will present the categories of best director and picture?
I believe it will be:
- Rita Moreno in director
- Steven Spielberg in picture
PS: What will Nicolas Cage present?
Louis, your top 10 Tony Leung Chiu-wai's perfomances and top 10 perfomances in Bong Joon Ho movies?
RIP Akira Toriyama.
Louis: Thoughts on this?
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/messi-anatomy-of-a-fall-dog-oscars-academy-awards-1235845408/
Shaggy: The same as yours, honestly (save Animated/Documentary Short Film, which I don't know much about). This has to be the easiest-to-predict ceremony in a while. Best VFX seems pretty wide-open, though. Can I ask why you're predicting Godzilla for that category?
Also, I'm pretty sure Moreno is co-presenting Best Supporting Actress.
Tony: It's more because it's a bet from the heart. I know I might lose, but you know, screw The Creator.
But Quan won't present supporting actress?
Shaggy: It's been announced that past winners will be presenting the acting categories.
https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/oscars-creative-team-press-conference-fab-5-presenters-format-1235625336/
I'm not really particularly excited about this ceremony compared to last year, last year had more unpredictability going into it.
I actually would like to see all the big nominees (aside from Maestro) win an Oscar, so no film loses every award since I've never been a fan of giving a great film 8 or 9 nominations and then they lose every single one, although I think Poor Things will lose everything.
Louis: Rating and thoughts on Jami Gertz in Twister.
Louis: Are there any notable TV shows you've closely followed but have never discussed in-depth on here?
RatedRStar: I'm tired of the Academy's attitude of handing out Oscars to different films. I really miss a film that manages to have an overwhelming victory, winning 8 or more Oscars. Oppenheimer isn't my favorite, but if he manages to accomplish this feat at least it won't be unpleasant.
Tahmeed:
Pontecorvo's direction is a marvel, and no doubt influential on many other films that would attempt to craft history, as such. Which I actually wouldn't say is Pontecorvo's only focus actually, though the sense of place, chaos, crowd and intimate claustrophobic space though gives the film a visceral intensity like films have and a sense of just seeming to witness reality at times with how real all of the grit of the guerrilla war feels. BUT, I'd actually say he isn't beholden to the idea, which I actually think often is a pitfall in some films, where here there is actually very much dramatization though only effectively so in terms of the amplification of what is there. In this instance being such as his use of Morricone's score, and kind of the sense of the machine of war in France's imperialist forces throughout the film. Creating powerfully this sense of intensity, though actually avoiding obvious over the top villainy rather instead showing the brutality that can exist in the just straightforward "duty", and the cold efficiency behind it.
Ytrewq:
Great acting by both actors, as I love how Szarabajka who both gets what the Joker is doing yet is still allowing himself to get played. As he brings this seasoned exasperation with psychopaths, but with the genuine emotional distress in thinking about his murdered friends, before reverting to the tough cop, though experienced with his "I'm going to have to try to enjoy it even more". Meanwhile Ledger, which he does throughout his performance makes a meal out of every line from his mouthing in faux distressed "six" to his verbal stabbing essentially in detailing the way the man's friends died, before having the "let's do this" neck twist as just showing it's just a natural play by the Joker, without almost a meaningless effort by the end of it.
Antony:
Leung:
1. Happy Together
2. Infernal Affairs
3. In the Mood For Love
4. The Longest Night
5. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
6. Hard Boiled
7. Hero
8. Chungking Express
9. The Grand Master
10. Red Cliff
Bong:
1. Kim Hye-ja - Mother
2. Song Kang-ho - Parasite
3. Cho Yeo-jeong - Parasite
4. Park so-Dam - Parasite
5. Tilda Swinton - Snowpiercer
6. Choi Woo-shik - Parasite
7. Tilda Swinton - Okja
8. Song Kang-ho - Memories of Murder
9. Bae Doona - Barking Dogs Never Bite
10. Lee Sung-kyun - Parasite
8000's:
Well to me wasn't the worst performance that year, she's pretty over the top in playing all the over the top "I'm out of my element" moments while being the "big city" type in such a broad fashion, which is obviously the intent, and I guess I don't find her terribly amusing, though not horrible either. And if I recall correctly, I think the one scene where she thoughtfully leaves Paxton's character, she actually brings some emotional nuance, if limited and brief. Not a performance I would defend too much still, but I don't think she's anywhere near horrible.
Marcus:
I'm cool with Messi having a good rest and skipping the big room. Kimmel though can keep his thoughts to himself on Messi, he wishes he had that level of talent.
Louis, your top 10 performances in Kim Jee-Woon and Bong Joon Ho movies ?
Louis, how do you rank Dam Mendes performances and films? Mine would be roughly:
1. George McKay - 1917
2. Paul Newman - Road to Perdition
3. Javier Bardem - Skyfall
4. Jude Law - Road to Perdition
5. Tom Hanks - Road to Perdition
6. Dean-Charles Chapman -1917
7. Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road
8. Tyler Hoechlin - Road to Perdition
9. Daniel Craig - Skyfall
10. Judi Dench - Skyfall
*Sam Mendes
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