Thank you to everyone who reads Oscar Glutton, comments, likes, shares, chats with me about the movies or just thinks about them. This is such a fun ride for me every year and I'm tickled that so many are willing to take it with me.
I DID achieve Oscar greatness this year by watching 53 of the 54 films nominated. I did NOT achieve Oscar perfection. ONE movie eluded me; Corpus Christi will not be available until the end of the month. It's not my fault, reader, I did the best I could!
There are movies I never would have watched that I am so glad I did; Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Honeyland, For Sama. There are movies that I was right about not wanting to see: Breakthrough, Maleficant, Richard Jewel. There are movies that didn't get nominated that I still need to go watch; The Farewell, Hustlers, Dolemite is My Name, Portrait of a Lady on Fire.
My personal top twelve (why's it gotta be ten?) of the year looks something like this:
Parasite
Jojo Rabbit
Harriet
Booksmart
Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Marriage Story
Knives Out
Frozen II
Captain Marvel
Little Women
Ready or Not
Doctor Sleep
I'll list my Oscar picks and my favorites, in that order.
Best Picture: 1917, Parasite
Director: Sam Mendes, Bong Joon Ho
Actor: Joaquin and Joaquin
Actress: Renee Zellweger, Cynthia Erivo
Supporting 1: Brad Pitt, Joe Pesci
Supporting 2: Laura Dern, Scarlett Johansson
Original Screenplay: Parasite, Parasite
Adapted Screenplay: Joker, Jojo Rabbit
International Feature: Parasite, Parasite
Animated Feature: Missing Link, Missing Link?
Documentary Feature: Honeyland, Honeyland
Score: Joker, 1917
Song: Rocketman, Harriet
Cinematography: 1917, 1917
Costume: Joker, Jojo Rabbit
Editing: Ford V Ferrari, Parasite
Make Up: Joker, Bombshell
Production Design: OUATH, Parasite
Sound Editing: Ford V Ferrari, OUATH
Sound Mixing: Ford V Ferrari, OUATH
Visual Effects: 1917, 1917
Animated Short: Hair Love, Hair Love
Live Action Short: Saria, Nefta Football Club
Documentary Short: Learning to Skateboard in a War Zone (if you're a girl) X 2
Everyone is getting ready for the show! Celebrities have started starving themselves and getting expensive beauty treatments. Also, a lot of
celebrities are passing away this week; is it weird that I keep feeling
worried for the person trying to finalize the memorial package for the
Oscar broadcast? And sad for their families, too, sure.
I've got my Prosecco chilling and my couch warming (the cat is on that task)! I hope you all enjoy a totally gratuitous evening of Hollywood celebrating itself! Thanks again! See you next year!
Saturday, February 8, 2020
Shorts Weather!
ANIMATED SHORTS
I went with friends and between the three of us, someone slept through each of these. Somehow four of the shorts seemed to have the same sad, slow, piano soundtrack. How is that possible?
Dcera - This one was almost my favorite. It had an interesting perspective on making bids for a loved one's attention and how getting turned down causes damage and distance while meeting that bid creates connection and warmth. Even so, the story telling didn't completely make sense and resolve in a satisfactory way for me.
Hair Love - This is a lovely piece that feels good, is great story-telling and pleasing animation. Without traditional dialog, this tells of a father/daughter bonding and the ways we push out of our comfort zone in order to be there for those we love.
Kitbull - This one was completely adorable! A little kitty and a neglected Pitbull become friends. It's Pixar and cute! Yay!
Memorable -This one dealt with alzheimers and had a cool animation style. It also had a very sad piano soundtrack that lulled me right to sleep. Ooops.
Sister - This was a moving piece about the enforcement of single child families in China. The animation style was beautiful; the whole thing was motion stop animation done in wool in tones of gray. The narration was difficult for me. I'm not sure how much was lost in translation but it felt clunky and overstated.
LIVE ACTION SHORTS
I asked for one ticket and the guy said, "One adult?" I said, "Did you just ask if I'm an adult?" We laughed and moved on. Moments later I realized he wasn't asking If I'm a child, because clearly not. He was trying to determine if I am a SENIOR!!!! Ugh. Whatever, fine. Just give me the discount.
Brotherhood - This was about snap judgments and not giving people time and space to share their difficult stories. I liked the director's shot choices. The ending felt weak.
Nefta Football Club - This was a great story of paths crossing in unexpected ways. This had humor, which is sorely missing from most of the short films. Also, I'm a big fan of movies where a drug mule is, in fact, a mule!
A Neighbor's Window - A poignant example of the-grass-is-always-greener and a reminder to stay present to your own reality, warts and all, rather than let moments slip due to envy. Good acting and production value.
Saria - Apparently, Guatamalan orphanages are their own circle of hell! This was based on true events and acted by actual children from an orphanage, so that's pretty impressive. This is an important story to share and yet I cannot get myself to call it my favorite.
A Sister - A 911 dispatch operator is a hero when she realizes a caller cannot speak openly and manages to shepherd her to safety. This was very moving to me. I think society tends to think it should be very easy for female victims of violence to speak up and get help. I appreciate a story that can demonstrate the precarious position some victims find themselves in and the nuanced approach that may need to be taken in order to extract them from a terrifying situation.
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
I was a little bit late for the screening because the Engineer dude drawing up plans for our remodel was late for his appointment. Also, someone took my hat during the show, I guess? I had it when I went in but not after, so that's a little creepy.
In the Absence - Devastating account of a ferry that sank in Korea, claiming the lives of over a hundred students, among others. Incompetence, apathy and faulty equipment combine in a tragic way. The timeline style for the first half is very effective.
Learning to Skateboard in a war Zone (if you're a girl) - A really joyous look at girls in Afghanistan going to school for reading, writing, math, life skills and skateboarding. It imparts a very fragile hope that things can change for the better. It is shot well and edited dynamically.
Life Overtakes Me - This one unveils a brand new medical problem for refugee children called Resignation Syndrome where they basically lose hope and slip into a coma. What the hell, humans? We need to do better. Stylistically, it was dry.
St. Louis Superman - A battle rapper and state legislator fights against gun violence after losing his brother. A beautiful story of caring for your community and being a force for change. The story telling was a bit looser and less cohesive.
Walk Run Cha Cha - A couple experiences their love through dance. The style was different; I'm not sure if I thought it worked well or not, but I appreciated the effort. It ends with a beautiful dance sequence.
I went with friends and between the three of us, someone slept through each of these. Somehow four of the shorts seemed to have the same sad, slow, piano soundtrack. How is that possible?
Dcera - This one was almost my favorite. It had an interesting perspective on making bids for a loved one's attention and how getting turned down causes damage and distance while meeting that bid creates connection and warmth. Even so, the story telling didn't completely make sense and resolve in a satisfactory way for me.
Hair Love - This is a lovely piece that feels good, is great story-telling and pleasing animation. Without traditional dialog, this tells of a father/daughter bonding and the ways we push out of our comfort zone in order to be there for those we love.
Kitbull - This one was completely adorable! A little kitty and a neglected Pitbull become friends. It's Pixar and cute! Yay!
Memorable -This one dealt with alzheimers and had a cool animation style. It also had a very sad piano soundtrack that lulled me right to sleep. Ooops.
Sister - This was a moving piece about the enforcement of single child families in China. The animation style was beautiful; the whole thing was motion stop animation done in wool in tones of gray. The narration was difficult for me. I'm not sure how much was lost in translation but it felt clunky and overstated.
LIVE ACTION SHORTS
I asked for one ticket and the guy said, "One adult?" I said, "Did you just ask if I'm an adult?" We laughed and moved on. Moments later I realized he wasn't asking If I'm a child, because clearly not. He was trying to determine if I am a SENIOR!!!! Ugh. Whatever, fine. Just give me the discount.
Brotherhood - This was about snap judgments and not giving people time and space to share their difficult stories. I liked the director's shot choices. The ending felt weak.
Nefta Football Club - This was a great story of paths crossing in unexpected ways. This had humor, which is sorely missing from most of the short films. Also, I'm a big fan of movies where a drug mule is, in fact, a mule!
A Neighbor's Window - A poignant example of the-grass-is-always-greener and a reminder to stay present to your own reality, warts and all, rather than let moments slip due to envy. Good acting and production value.
Saria - Apparently, Guatamalan orphanages are their own circle of hell! This was based on true events and acted by actual children from an orphanage, so that's pretty impressive. This is an important story to share and yet I cannot get myself to call it my favorite.
A Sister - A 911 dispatch operator is a hero when she realizes a caller cannot speak openly and manages to shepherd her to safety. This was very moving to me. I think society tends to think it should be very easy for female victims of violence to speak up and get help. I appreciate a story that can demonstrate the precarious position some victims find themselves in and the nuanced approach that may need to be taken in order to extract them from a terrifying situation.
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
I was a little bit late for the screening because the Engineer dude drawing up plans for our remodel was late for his appointment. Also, someone took my hat during the show, I guess? I had it when I went in but not after, so that's a little creepy.
In the Absence - Devastating account of a ferry that sank in Korea, claiming the lives of over a hundred students, among others. Incompetence, apathy and faulty equipment combine in a tragic way. The timeline style for the first half is very effective.
Learning to Skateboard in a war Zone (if you're a girl) - A really joyous look at girls in Afghanistan going to school for reading, writing, math, life skills and skateboarding. It imparts a very fragile hope that things can change for the better. It is shot well and edited dynamically.
Life Overtakes Me - This one unveils a brand new medical problem for refugee children called Resignation Syndrome where they basically lose hope and slip into a coma. What the hell, humans? We need to do better. Stylistically, it was dry.
St. Louis Superman - A battle rapper and state legislator fights against gun violence after losing his brother. A beautiful story of caring for your community and being a force for change. The story telling was a bit looser and less cohesive.
Walk Run Cha Cha - A couple experiences their love through dance. The style was different; I'm not sure if I thought it worked well or not, but I appreciated the effort. It ends with a beautiful dance sequence.
Friday, February 7, 2020
Connecting Success With Abuse...my takeaway from this year's movies
I've been gorging myself on all of
these Oscar nominations and as I watch them so quickly and in such
rapid succession that connections begin to form in my mind. I've seen
movies such as Rocketman, Judy, Bombshell, Two Popes, Parasite,
Ford V. Ferrari, and Harriet and I'm starting to see no distance
between success and abuse.
This all started as I watched the
Golden Globes. I was happy to see Elton John and Bernie Taupin win a
Golden Globe for their song-writing efforts on Rocketman and
listen to them talk about their collaboration of over 50 years. I
said to my good friend, M, “How lucky for them to have sustained a
friendship and work collaboration of such a long time! How do you
suppose that was even possible?” And she replied to me, “I think
Bernie Taupin just didn't like himself enough to say no to the
abuse.”
My brain blew up. Not at all the answer
I expected! (Don't you love a friend who can shake up your whole
thought process like that? Thanks, M!) Of course, I have no idea if
there is any truth to that answer and I don't even care to research
it to find out. For all I know, after rehab Elton John did a
remarkable job of making amends with Bernie and everything is truly
peachy between them. I mean, that's definitely what my admittedly
romantic brain wants to be the case.
But her incisive comment got me
thinking. What happens to the people who like themselves too much to
put up with the abuse? Because let's be honest, Hollywood, is a
system pretty much based on abuse. Ricky Gervais hinted at as much in
one of his controversial jokes that same evening. He said something
about Harvey Weinstein that made the whole room groan with
disapproval and then he said, “What? You all worked with him! I
didn't.” And he's right! Anyone who has been in Oscar contention
over the past 20 years or so has probably worked with or tried to
work with Weinstein. Not every single one of them knew what he was up
to, but we now know that many of them did, either by direct
experience or rumor. I'm not suggesting, like the joke may have
implied, that everyone at the Golden Globes is at fault or complicit.
Many have gotten lucky along the way and skirted the very worst that
the system has to offer. But the system of abuse in Hollywood is
widespread and long established and it requires a lot of people to
play their part. Many are willing to do just that because of the
desire for and promise of SUCCESS.
Harvey Weinstein thrived as an abuser
by being successful enough that people were willing to stay silent
for him, or look the other way, or simply assume that he was in the
right and then not bother themselves about it any further. There are
only so many roads to success in Hollywood and for a while a major
highway went through Weinstein. If you wanted to stay in that game,
you might find yourself needing to accept the abuse.
The movie about Judy Garland proved
that it's nothing new. Judy couldn't have been a starker
example of a studio using abusive language, practices and
pharmaceutical addiction to control the life of a child that they saw
as an asset. She could not enjoy her “successful”career, nor
could the studio enjoy the success of her pictures without entering
into that contract of systemic abuse. Sadly, she was never able to
recover from those beginnings and establish solid control over her
own life.
It's not just a Hollywood problem.
Bombshell showed me the same truth about Roger Ailes at Fox
News. The road to conservative news ran straight through Roger Ailes
and it took a lot of silence by a lot of people to keep his system
in place. What would have happened to Meghan Kelly if she had spoken
up about Roger Ailes immediately? She would have never moved up the
news ladder and been able to claim success as her reward for both her
talent and her silence. She felt comfortable being silenced because
she assumed the best about Roger Ailes for as long as she was able to
do so. Other women were trampled under his system of blackmailing and
humiliating women who wanted to work for the most successful
conservative news outlet on the planet.
Two Popes demonstrated that the
Catholic Church valued its own “success” in terms of how many
followers they had. That number was more important than honestly
helping victimized children and led to a tragic system of forgiving
and enabling countless abusers in order to not compromise the success
of the church.
In the movie Parasite, we see a
couple blinded by their own success. Because they assume that their
status makes them inherently better than everyone else, they are
unable to see what is going on, quite literally, right beneath them.
Anyone who wants to work for them is forced to lie about their own
success and status to be seen as worthy. The servants must engage in
a hidden cut throat world of abuse, lying, grifting and stealing just
to try and survive. They need the good opinions of the successful,
clean and beautiful family, even as that family judges them as
lesser, expendable and even at times, downright disgusting.
Early in Ford V. Ferrari, there
is a scene where Henry Ford, Jr. bellows at all of his employees,
even on the factory line, that anyone who doesn't come up with an
idea to make the company more successful will be fired. He is grumpy
and bombastic and my only thought was that I would walk out and never
come back. I'm not wasting my time working for some egomaniac that
thinks he can yell at me because of his problems! Of course, many of
those people needed those jobs, and so you learn to stay silent and
be yelled at form time to time. Or, if you really want to rise to the
top in the corporate environment, you find a way to pass along the
abuse to others, like one character does in the movie.
Harriet tells the story of the
brave and amazing Harriet Tubman who fought hard to free people from
the original example of a perfect success-by-means-of-abuse system.
Slavery requires a group in power to dehumanize another group in
order to degrade them, abuse them and profit from their pain. Our
nation couldn't let go of it based on the argument that success would
be impossible without it; that our country would crumble. It makes me
wonder if the problem is that our nation was founded on this system.
We built our whole understanding of society on that premise and never
truly took the time to heal ourselves from that mindset. Maybe that
explains why this system of achieving success through abuse is still
prevalent in entertainment, news, churches, corporations, etc.
I have worked as an assistant editor in
Hollywood. I remember being told by the entire crew at a mix stage
that Michael Bay required that no one look him in the eye. My thought
was, “Forget that guy! I won't work with people like that!” As it
turns out, I didn't. I never rose to success. I started a family and
worked on tiny independent projects from time to time. However, even at my
level, when I lose a collaboration with someone, it stings. There are
just not that many opportunities for moms juggling career and family.
It's hard not to convince yourself to hold on to every possible
collaboration, even when it makes you uncomfortable. It's hard not to
keep yourself quiet in order to keep a job, to keep hustling.
The whole culture of success sort of seems to demand your discomfort, your buy in, your "pay your dues" grit to crawl through the muck for the carrot on the other side. Because for every Roger Ailes, there is also a Kayla who accepts the system and permits the abuse. Let me be clear, I don't mean to victim blame Kayla. I don't know what I would have done faced with the choice to gain entrance into a studio editing job if I only showed my panties to one old perv. It's a terrible position to be put in and there's no right answer in that moment. But the efficiency of this system that equates success with abuse is that if you buy in, even a little, you begin to like yourself a little less. And once that happens, you no longer have the strength left in you to demand better.
The whole culture of success sort of seems to demand your discomfort, your buy in, your "pay your dues" grit to crawl through the muck for the carrot on the other side. Because for every Roger Ailes, there is also a Kayla who accepts the system and permits the abuse. Let me be clear, I don't mean to victim blame Kayla. I don't know what I would have done faced with the choice to gain entrance into a studio editing job if I only showed my panties to one old perv. It's a terrible position to be put in and there's no right answer in that moment. But the efficiency of this system that equates success with abuse is that if you buy in, even a little, you begin to like yourself a little less. And once that happens, you no longer have the strength left in you to demand better.
So here I am, film lover, movie
blogger, Academy Awards enthusiast. I can't wait to watch every film
and then tune in every year to see the best of the best gather for
their accolades. The Oscar winner, in some ways, is the very pinnacle
for success in the industry. But when I tune in this year, it's going
to look a little different to me. Instead of only seeing who IS in
that room, I'm now also going to be seeing who is NOT in the room.
I'm going to be raising a toast to all the people who were talented
and fierce and visionary and motivated but who somewhere along the
way had to face a difficult choice and liked themselves too much to
accept the abuse.
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Richard Jewel, To Watch or Not to Watch?
Movie: Richard Jewel
Nominated for: Actress in a Supporting Role
How I watched: Under Protest, at gunpoint, with an attitude
When I fell asleep: Early and often!
When it had me: For the brief moment I pictured Richard Jewel as a Chris Farley character
When it lost me: in development, in the writing, in pre-production and during the trailer
What I have to say: Ugh! I have this huge feud with Clint Eastwood and he doesn't even know about it. We've been fighting since Unforgiven, which I hated and everyone else loved. He made one amazing movie in Mystic River and then screwed it up with a weird tacked on scene at the end. He's cranky and old and should stop making movies about him having threesomes with younger women (see The Mule, or do what I'm doing and AVOID that one too!)
When I saw the trailer for Richard Jewel, I got a queasy feeling in my stomach. The line about how the FBI and the media are the two most powerful entities in America and they conspire to destroy people with fake news felt way too on the nose for me. I did not want to watch a Trump propaganda film. Then I read about how he made up the part about the female reporter sleeping with dudes in order to get a story and how she is dead now so she can't refute his unfounded plot point but every one of her former colleagues has said that it is patently untrue and I felt even less like I wanted to see it. I actually decided to boycott it and then accidentally found someone with a screener so I could watch it for free. In the end, my rampant completionism won out and I decided to watch it.
So we turned it on and I promptly fell asleep. My body kept my original agreement and set me free from an onerous task.
Before and in between my napping, I got the feeling that it wasn't really shoving an agenda in my face as much as it felt like in the trailer. It wasn't awful, it also didn't look any better than average. Kathy Bates, who is nominated, is good because she is always good. I've also seen her in much better roles.
As always, I'd like to apologize to any Clint Eastwood fans who may read this. I'm glad there is someone making movies you like even though I don't personally find joy in them. Please, go in peace!
Nominated for: Actress in a Supporting Role
How I watched: Under Protest, at gunpoint, with an attitude
When I fell asleep: Early and often!
When it had me: For the brief moment I pictured Richard Jewel as a Chris Farley character
When it lost me: in development, in the writing, in pre-production and during the trailer
What I have to say: Ugh! I have this huge feud with Clint Eastwood and he doesn't even know about it. We've been fighting since Unforgiven, which I hated and everyone else loved. He made one amazing movie in Mystic River and then screwed it up with a weird tacked on scene at the end. He's cranky and old and should stop making movies about him having threesomes with younger women (see The Mule, or do what I'm doing and AVOID that one too!)
When I saw the trailer for Richard Jewel, I got a queasy feeling in my stomach. The line about how the FBI and the media are the two most powerful entities in America and they conspire to destroy people with fake news felt way too on the nose for me. I did not want to watch a Trump propaganda film. Then I read about how he made up the part about the female reporter sleeping with dudes in order to get a story and how she is dead now so she can't refute his unfounded plot point but every one of her former colleagues has said that it is patently untrue and I felt even less like I wanted to see it. I actually decided to boycott it and then accidentally found someone with a screener so I could watch it for free. In the end, my rampant completionism won out and I decided to watch it.
So we turned it on and I promptly fell asleep. My body kept my original agreement and set me free from an onerous task.
Before and in between my napping, I got the feeling that it wasn't really shoving an agenda in my face as much as it felt like in the trailer. It wasn't awful, it also didn't look any better than average. Kathy Bates, who is nominated, is good because she is always good. I've also seen her in much better roles.
As always, I'd like to apologize to any Clint Eastwood fans who may read this. I'm glad there is someone making movies you like even though I don't personally find joy in them. Please, go in peace!
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Miscellaneous Films
Movie: Maleficent 2
Nominated for: Make Up & Hairstyling
How I watched: At the second run theatre
When I fell asleep: Nope
When it had me: Did it?
When it lost me: Maleficent 1
What I have to say: While I'm all for telling the story from the villain's perspective, these movies just haven't worked for me. My kids love the character of the raven, Diaval, and I agree he is the best. For a movie that started as animated and then became live action, it fails to evolve as you might hope. The characters retain a cartoon-ish hold on stubbornness and naivete. The story introduces new characters and whole societies without much thought for logic or believability. I wish these movies were better.
Movie: The Lion King
Nominated for: Visual Effects
How I watched: Disney+
When I fell asleep: I drank two cups of tea! So, no.
When it had me: Donald Glover!
When it lost me:Re-animated rather than live action?
What I have to say: They are making all of these "Live Action" Disney remakes but this one is really just animated differently, which I never understood the need for. The Lion King, OG, was a fantastic film and we did not really need a new version where the characters show less expression. But, whateves. I still like this movie, because it's the same movie. Can You Feel the Love Tonight with Donald Glover and Beyonce was awesome, actually. In fact, I think I prefer the Donald Glover casting overall (Sorry, Matthew). And the animation didn't annoy me which is a big deal, because "talking animals" is one of my least favorite genres. Anyway, have you seen the Mulan trailer? That one looks gooooood.
Movie: Breakthrough
Nominated for: Original Song, "I'm Standing With You"
How I watched: DVR
When I fell asleep: I wish!
When it had me: Dr. Kent!
When it lost me: In the development phase
What I have to say: This film is about a kid who fell through the ice and died but then came back and was fine because of prayers. Since I'm not Christian, there is really no way for me to connect to the story. My favorite part was when the doctor spoke to himself out loud in the ER, "Think, Kent, think!" He was trying to remember how to save a life, it was hilarious. I just couldn't find my way into this film. This is why I keep threatening to stop watching the category for Original Song.
Nominated for: Make Up & Hairstyling
How I watched: At the second run theatre
When I fell asleep: Nope
When it had me: Did it?
When it lost me: Maleficent 1
What I have to say: While I'm all for telling the story from the villain's perspective, these movies just haven't worked for me. My kids love the character of the raven, Diaval, and I agree he is the best. For a movie that started as animated and then became live action, it fails to evolve as you might hope. The characters retain a cartoon-ish hold on stubbornness and naivete. The story introduces new characters and whole societies without much thought for logic or believability. I wish these movies were better.
Movie: The Lion King
Nominated for: Visual Effects
How I watched: Disney+
When I fell asleep: I drank two cups of tea! So, no.
When it had me: Donald Glover!
When it lost me:Re-animated rather than live action?
What I have to say: They are making all of these "Live Action" Disney remakes but this one is really just animated differently, which I never understood the need for. The Lion King, OG, was a fantastic film and we did not really need a new version where the characters show less expression. But, whateves. I still like this movie, because it's the same movie. Can You Feel the Love Tonight with Donald Glover and Beyonce was awesome, actually. In fact, I think I prefer the Donald Glover casting overall (Sorry, Matthew). And the animation didn't annoy me which is a big deal, because "talking animals" is one of my least favorite genres. Anyway, have you seen the Mulan trailer? That one looks gooooood.
Movie: Breakthrough
Nominated for: Original Song, "I'm Standing With You"
How I watched: DVR
When I fell asleep: I wish!
When it had me: Dr. Kent!
When it lost me: In the development phase
What I have to say: This film is about a kid who fell through the ice and died but then came back and was fine because of prayers. Since I'm not Christian, there is really no way for me to connect to the story. My favorite part was when the doctor spoke to himself out loud in the ER, "Think, Kent, think!" He was trying to remember how to save a life, it was hilarious. I just couldn't find my way into this film. This is why I keep threatening to stop watching the category for Original Song.
Sunday, February 2, 2020
Two Docs and A Foreign FIlm
Movie: The Edge of Democracy
Nominated for: Documentary Feature
How I watched: Netflix
When I fell asleep: Definitely dosing
When it had me: Never
When it lost me: Narrator's Voice
What I have to say: The narration was so difficult for me. It was a soft, female monotone. Her even, contemplative voice was meant to convey the solemn seriousness of the crumbling of democracy in Brazil. I just found it kind of hypnotic. Even as I tried to follow the story, I would just start zoning out. I had to stop and restart the movie three times, which didn't help me keep track of the large cast of characters and their political allegiances. I should have been fascinated and attentive as it seems the story of Brazil is very similar to the political wrestling happening here in America and in other parts of the world. Right wing resurgence, a return to a culture of exclusion rather inclusion, corruption of government financing, and power increasingly decided by oil companies. It was a timely piece and the film maker had extraordinary access but overall it could not hold my interest.
Movie: For Sama
Nominated for: Documentary Feature
How I watched: Prime
When I fell asleep: No, too traumatized
When it had me: Right away
When it lost me: It didn't
What I have to say: This movie was essentially the same as The Cave. It also dealt with a hospital trying to stay open and help people during the siege on Aleppo. However, this one was a little more expansive and personal which helped me to understand the bigger picture even better. We follow a woman through her college days in Aleppo through the beginning of the revolution as she evolves into a wife and mother in the midst of brutal war. Following a family that just wants all the same things that my family wants made everything more relatable and more tragic at the same time. I have great respect for this film maker and the way they told their story.
Movie: Les Miserables
Nominated for: International Feature
How I watched: Laemmle Theatre
When I fell asleep: Nah
When it had me: Gypsy Circus Gang Fight
When it lost me: The ending
What I have to say: Well, I totally thought this was a remake of the musical and it is not! I never read up on the films because I like to be surprised and that was a surprise! It's actually about police violence and how it's a very complicated issue that's not easy to solve. The film was thoughtful and attempted to cover all sides of the issue with roughly equal compassion and depth. Everyone is trying to do their best to survive in a system that isn't allowing for much human dignity or reflection. I could identify with the plight of the main character, a new addition to the police force who was trying to navigate these issues thoughtfully even as they exploded around him in violent fashion. Unfortunately, the film makers didn't figure out how to fix all of these problems (ha!) and so the end of the movie was very abrupt and unsatisfying.
Nominated for: Documentary Feature
How I watched: Netflix
When I fell asleep: Definitely dosing
When it had me: Never
When it lost me: Narrator's Voice
What I have to say: The narration was so difficult for me. It was a soft, female monotone. Her even, contemplative voice was meant to convey the solemn seriousness of the crumbling of democracy in Brazil. I just found it kind of hypnotic. Even as I tried to follow the story, I would just start zoning out. I had to stop and restart the movie three times, which didn't help me keep track of the large cast of characters and their political allegiances. I should have been fascinated and attentive as it seems the story of Brazil is very similar to the political wrestling happening here in America and in other parts of the world. Right wing resurgence, a return to a culture of exclusion rather inclusion, corruption of government financing, and power increasingly decided by oil companies. It was a timely piece and the film maker had extraordinary access but overall it could not hold my interest.
Movie: For Sama
Nominated for: Documentary Feature
How I watched: Prime
When I fell asleep: No, too traumatized
When it had me: Right away
When it lost me: It didn't
What I have to say: This movie was essentially the same as The Cave. It also dealt with a hospital trying to stay open and help people during the siege on Aleppo. However, this one was a little more expansive and personal which helped me to understand the bigger picture even better. We follow a woman through her college days in Aleppo through the beginning of the revolution as she evolves into a wife and mother in the midst of brutal war. Following a family that just wants all the same things that my family wants made everything more relatable and more tragic at the same time. I have great respect for this film maker and the way they told their story.
Movie: Les Miserables
Nominated for: International Feature
How I watched: Laemmle Theatre
When I fell asleep: Nah
When it had me: Gypsy Circus Gang Fight
When it lost me: The ending
What I have to say: Well, I totally thought this was a remake of the musical and it is not! I never read up on the films because I like to be surprised and that was a surprise! It's actually about police violence and how it's a very complicated issue that's not easy to solve. The film was thoughtful and attempted to cover all sides of the issue with roughly equal compassion and depth. Everyone is trying to do their best to survive in a system that isn't allowing for much human dignity or reflection. I could identify with the plight of the main character, a new addition to the police force who was trying to navigate these issues thoughtfully even as they exploded around him in violent fashion. Unfortunately, the film makers didn't figure out how to fix all of these problems (ha!) and so the end of the movie was very abrupt and unsatisfying.
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