Time

Movie: Time
Nominated for: Documentary Feature
How I watched: Prime
When I fell asleep: Nope
When it had me: Fox Rich is charismatic and compelling
When it lost me: Sometimes I had questions
What I have to say: 

I got up at 7am on the weekend to watch this one. My family sleeps in but I haven't been doing that lately so maybe this is my new prime time viewing slot! Then, I intended to watch The United States Vs. Billie Holiday but I didn't have the sign in for Hulu (does this happen to anyone else? There's too many things to know all the passwords!) So I pivoted to Prime to watch Time.

This is a documentary about a family growing up while their husband/father is incarcerated. A young mother and father commit a serious crime and separate their family for over 20 years. It is one specific look at our broken justice system, yes, but maybe even more than that it highlights our broken philosophy about the world.

What stood out to me were a few quotes of Fox's. She said she believed in the American Dream, that she could do anything. She said her biggest fear was failure. She said when their business was failing they became desperate and desperate people do desperate things. And she said after their crime, she had to apologize to all of the people her decision affected because she had thought that she was an island.

They drill this into us here in America; the rugged individualism, the personal responsibility is the only factor, the belief that if you have success, you got there alone and if you failed it's because you weren't worthy. Every person is an island. That kind of thinking is creating so much pain. It leads to desperate people getting incarcerated because they didn't feel like there was a community to fall back on. It leads to mass shooters who are also an island, because once you have personally had enough, there's nothing left to do but go out in a blaze of glory.

What if we felt as if we were an inherent part of a truly interconnected community? Would we feel less isolation? Desperation? Could we fail more graciously with love and support? Could we succeed more graciously as part of a network of humanity? Would we weigh our decisions more critically if we understood that our actions affect other human beings whose lives also have weight and substance? 

This movie is inspiring me to some radical re-imagining of how the future could look different without this damned rugged individualism hanging over our heads every day in this country. I'll call that a win for Garret Bradley, the director of Time.

Hillbilly Elegy

 Movie: Hillbilly Elegy
Nominated for: Actress in a Supporting Role, Make Up & Hairstyling
How I watched: Netflix
When I fell asleep: I didn't
When it had me: I was never completely IN
When it lost me: I was never completely OUT
What I have to say:

I had a complicated response to this movie. 

Let's start with the good. Hillbilly Elegy addresses generational trauma. I think this needs to be right at the top of the list of what we are examining and acknowledging in our society. If you are living in generational trauma, you can't reach your greatest potential, because you don't ever feel safe. Even worse, if you are living in unexamined generational trauma, you can easily get into a mindset where you believe no one else deserves to feel safe either.

Glenn Close's character (Mamaw) got pregnant at age 13 and ran away to get married and start a life. That life included a LOT of abuse and violence in their marriage. Her daughter, Amy Adams (Bev) was raised in a completely unsafe home and despite being a very smart child (salutatorian) she never experienced safety within herself which led to her not believing in herself enough to make strong choices for the betterment of her life. Consequently, she begins raising children while struggling with drug addiction and a string of boyfriends in whom she seeks (and never finds) the safety she desperately craves. Her son (JD) sees her mistakes and seeks a better life for himself but might lose it all because he must keep interrupting his own life in order to come to his mother's rescue.

Our society tends to value personal responsibility to the point where we would blame Bev for her "choices", ignoring the fact that she had the deck stacked against her from the start. Or we would blame JD for prioritizing his "loser" mother over his future. We expect each person born to begin life with the same blank slate, ignoring that some people are born into a family that already needs so much healing. No one offers them healing, they just have to claw and scratch for it. Some will find it; many will not.

I'm glad this movie addresses this with compassion and shows us how especially difficult it is for the family member who decides to break the cycle of trauma and try to begin a new way of living.

Now the less than good. This movie has a tone problem. One scene where a grown man panics over which fork to use at a dinner feels over dramatized and almost silly. Another scene, where Bev roller skates through the ICU is downright hilarious, but unintentionally. At times, it rolls along quite smoothly, and at other times it feels like a TV movie of the week. I'm guessing this is why only Glenn Close and her make up team are in the mix. (To be fair, you end up finding out that Glenn Close looked exactly like the real Mamaw!)

Soul

Movie: Soul
Nominated for: Animated Feature Film
How I watched: Disney +
When I fell asleep: Nope
When it had me: When they showed people "in the zone"
When it lost me: I don't recall that it did
What I have to say: 

I actually did NOT want to see this movie. I was SO afraid it would be devastatingly sad. I knew it had to do with death and during the year of our pandemic, I just didn't want to think about it. But everyone said it was great so I watched it.

And it WAS great! It turned out it was less about death than it was defining passion, discovering purpose and living fearlessly as yourself. I can't complain about any of that. Also? A cat! I love cats. When they first showed someone "in the zone" through their music, I thought, "Yes! I've been there in meditation." Later they showed people getting to that space through their own meditations or other methods and I was kind of floored. Like, how did they nail that? I guess it's actually universal? Mind blown.

I haven't seen all the nominees in this category yet but I can't imagine anything else winning it yet. These movies from Pixar are just so perfect in tone and flawless in their story telling. It's always a pleasure.

Pieces of a Woman

Movie: Pieces of a Woman
Nominated for: Actress in a Leading Role
How I watched: Netflix
When I fell asleep: No
When it had me: Did it, though?
When it lost me: Oh boy.
What I have to say: 

I didn't love this movie. In lieu of a review, I wrote my reactions as I watched, so it's full of spoilers. Do with it what you will!

My real time reactions to the viewing:

I said I would not watch this film unless I absolutely needed to. BUT, demolition is beginning on my house right now and I need a distraction! I know this is a movie about a woman's childbirth going horribly wrong and I am weary of emotional manipulation. There is a certain distance I prefer from emotionally wrecking material and not all film makers choose to respect that distance. Some make me feel like they are dragging me through the mud in unkind ways and I choose to pass on those films whenever possible.

So let's get started. Day 1:

-First off, Shia Labeouf? Oh no! This seems like a bad omen.

-Oh, ok. We are beginning right at the start of the home birth contractions. Am I actually going to have to watch an entire birth? I'd really rather not.

-Why is nothing set up for the planned home birth? She just sunk to the floor next to the fireplace for a pelvic exam. Is this how they do it? When did they last mop? I am so uncomfortable!

-Doula can't make it; they are stuck with the assistant to the doula. I already know this is going to go bad, can we skip ahead?

-Do you get in the bathtub at home after your water breaks? It's not clear any of this is accurate. Also? These people don't seem to know that much about birth for choosing to do this at home.

-Wait! Everything is fine! And.....no it isn't.

-Ok, at this point I made it to the Opening Title and my kids finished zoom school so I get a reprieve from this movie! Whew!

Day 2: 

-I watched 20 more minutes of the film. I am going along kicking and screaming. Their lives are all torn up by losing the baby. Yes, of course. Why am I watching, Kornel? I don't want to simply watch a family fall apart form this loss. Will you elevate this experience in some way? Consider me a hostile viewer. It's not worth it to me if you only want to make me feel pain.

Day 3: 

-Alright, the woman seems to be trying to re-identify herself within the world and she can't do it by being around the people who knew her before (her husband and mother) because they are too busy telling her who she should be. The man is coping through revenge on the midwife, substance abuse and his genitalia. He gets real rape-y with his wife presumably because she isn't doing enough to process his emotions for him. Ugh. She might be aware that he is using again but seems like she wants him to handle that because she has a lot of her own stuff to work through. Then the guy turns his needs to their lawyer in the trial, who happens to be his wife's cousin. This guy was going to be a terrible dad anyway; if there is any silver lining it's that she is free of any shackles to him from here on out. Let's hope I finish this movie in my next sitting.

Day 4: 

-The movie got interesting today with a scene between mother and daughter. The mom who has been trying to control her daughter's reaction to the loss of the baby finally lets fly with her own story. How her own mother struggled to keep her alive as an infant in the midst of a holocaust. Basically, bringing children into the world is a brutal and often traumatic business and it always falls to women to handle the crises and the aftermath. It's not that the father of the baby isn't grieving, but there is so much more burden on a mother by design. That scene was interesting. Also, I think the whole point of this film is that life is better without Shia LaBeouf.

The United States Vs. Billie Holiday

Movie: The United States Vs. Billie Holiday
Nominated for: Actress in a Leading Role
How I watched: Hulu
When I fell asleep: No
When it had me: Whenever Billie's greatest hits were on
When it lost me: Lots
What I have to say: 

First off: a disclaimer. This film suffered the consequences of my fractured life. I watched it in four different chunks over a couple of weeks; not exactly optimal viewing.

I liked the music. I've been a fan of Billie Holiday since college. There's a quality about her music that cuts through and just evokes a sad serenity in you when she is singing, even when it feels like the silliest of songs. The movie made me see what that quality was; a bare and stripped down soul. That woman was traumatized her entire life; abused, assaulted, devalued, imprisoned, dehumanized, harassed, used and harmed by too many people to count. When she sang, whatever she sang, you somehow heard all that pain along side the tiny little piece of her soul that she saved for herself. I'm glad the movie helped me to understand her better, and it was also torture watching it all happen.

The movie struggled to find a rhythm, to find a style, to find itself. Andra Day was great in this film and I learned a lot about her life but it otherwise felt very clumsy. 

Side note: I was surprised to see Simone Sheffield as one of the Executive Producers on the film. She Produced on the very first movie I worked on when I moved to L.A. and she was one of the most viciously abusive people I ever came into contact with in Hollywood. I sure hope for everyone involved that she got nicer over the years!

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

 Movie: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Nominated for: Actor in a Leading Role, Actress in a Leading Role
How I watched: Netflix
When I fell asleep: I didn't
When it had me: When Chadwick Boseman was onscreen
When it lost me: All other times
What I have to say:  

Some theatre just doesn't really translate to the screen. Like Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis were both amazing. I feel like it was more of a vehicle for Chadwick, but maybe I just viewed it that way because I was feeling the whole time that he would probably get a posthumous Oscar for this role. Which would be deserved and feel both satisfying and super sad. Otherwise the pacing between scenes felt off. The movie only offers small bits of plot stitched together with music. That could work, but didn't for me this time.

Borat Subsequent MovieFilm or Borat: Gift of Pornographic Monkey to Vice Premiere Mikhael Pence to Make Benefit Recently Diminished Nation of Kazakhstan

Movie: Borat Subsequent MovieFilm or Borat: Gift of Pornographic Monkey to Vice Premiere Mikhael Pence to Make Benefit Recently Diminished Nation of Kazakhstan
Nominated for: Actress in a Supporting Role, Adapted Screenplay
How I watched: Amazon Prime
When I fell asleep: Nah.
When it had me: In some isolated moments
When it lost me: A lot. Over and over. All the time.
What I have to say:

This movie is so problematic for me. 

First off, I watched it because I heard all the fuss about Giuliani being caught in an inappropriate moment. I wanted to know what was really going on there. It wasn't world changing. I long ago decided Giuliani was gross and dangerous, so his questionable encounter with a fake reporter was to be expected. 

Sacha Baron Cohen has said that he wanted to release this movie to expose truths about Trump followers before the election. But my problems with the ethics behind his film making would leave me feeling that this film is not the best resource for deciding on your vote for president.

It is never clear to me who in the film is in on the joke and who is not. It is hard for me to believe that all the real people presented on screen bought into his story about being from Kazahkstan. Since they never tell us what people know and what they don't, it feels very unfair to me. I can't be sure who is displaying stupidity, who is showing they are mean-spirited and unkind, and who is just trying their best to play along with some crazy, eccentric dude?

If you have decided that racists are idiots and deserve to be tricked and made fun of, I'm totally fine with that, but there is also a scene in a synagogue where Borat sits with two elderly Jewish women and says all the horribly antisemitic things he can. I don't know who that is making fun of? I don't know if they were in on it or just politely horrified. The whole thing feels sketchy and disingenuous and makes me uncomfortable.

This film is nominated for Adapted Screenplay. My first question is: how does one even qualify this as a screenplay? It is a series of  improvised tricks and sketches. Much of what they capture is designed to be unscripted and surprising, similar to making a documentary. My second question is: how does it qualify as adapted? I found out the answer to this one. The Academy considers all sequels to be material that was "adapted" from the original. Ok, that's fair.

What's not fair is that a film like Midnight Sky did not get an Adapted Screenplay nomination because Borat happened. Ugh. I'm over this movie.

One Night in Miami

Movie: One Night in Miami
Nominated for: Actor in a Supporting Role, Original Song, Adapted Screenplay
How I watched: Amazon
When I fell asleep: I think I had a couple of minor dozes
When it had me: Leslie Odom, Jr. singing!
When it lost me: It's all conversation, so much talking
What I have to say: 

Trying to embody larger than life real history makers is always a struggle. I kind of hate biopics because sometimes the focus is more on looking the part that communicating something meaningful. Also, real life doesn't always translate into a solid standalone 90 minute to 2 hour story so it usually just feels clunky to me.

However, this film is a kind of 'what if' scenario that avoids having to adhere strictly to events in a certain order. And these performances were truly brilliant. Eli Goree as Muhammed Ali was amazing. He showed us enough of the showman persona of the man to make us believe the accuracy of his quieter moments, too. Admittedly, I was stunned watching the film, wondering how they got Sam Cooke's voice to come out of Leslie Odom Jr. It looked so real and convincing! Well, that's because it was actually Leslie Odom Jr. singing which makes me so delighted and amazed I can't even tell you! Go watch Leslie Odom Jr. sing Change is Gonna Come from the end of this film. There should be a special Oscar for that performance alone (and I guess there might be).

Historical figures become caricatures; their whole identity as humans boiled down to a single speech or quote or mythical story. It was so refreshing to see these humans in a movie where they are given room to breath. They have doubts, they have senses of humor, they have tempers and close connections. It feels like a luxury to see them 'living' with such fullness.

The real power of the movie for me, comes from witnessing a variety of powerful black Americans who take different actions and have multiple responses to the racist world around them. We see the activism and fight, the personal development, the community building and none of it is depicted as wrong. The characters may argue passionately for one approach or another but we are left feeling that there is no single answer that wins the day and that maybe it really is best to have everyone working toward justice and equality in the way that best suits them as individuals. Allow different ways of making change rather than judge them and pit them against one another. That's beautiful.

This movie originated as a stage play. The upside is a scene that is so sharp and so stark and stunning as the depiction, early in the film, of Jim Brown going to visit an old coach (wow, is it a slap in the face!) The downside is that this film has no action and little movement. It is ALL talking. The talking is great, riveting, important, but damn, movies really benefit from more showing and less telling. Even a movie as good as this.

Sound of Metal

Movie: Sound of Metal
Nominated for: Best Picture, Actor in a Supporting Role, Original Screenplay, Actor in a Leading Role, Achievement in Sound, Film Editing
How I watched: Amazon Prime
When I fell asleep: My eyes closed a couple of times, but I fought it
When it had me: Pretty much from the start
When it lost me: I'm not sure
What I have to say: 

I don't know that I love this title for the film? It sounds cool but does it tell us much? I'm not sure. And it doesn't matter. This is a solid film about a musician's journey into deafness. The film makers do such a good job of immersing you in his experience that you cannot help but ask yourself what you would do, how you would react and whether you would be able to cope. I consider that the good kind of uncomfortable for a movie goer. 

It also raises larger questions about how we deal with change. Is it better to try to adapt yourself to fit the life you had already been living and continue to reach for the future you once envisioned? Or does it make more sense in the face of huge change to adapt your entire life and future to fit your new set of circumstances? Sometimes there isn't a choice, but often it's a matter of mindset. Even when we face smaller changes, do we recognize that the old dreams and goals no longer fit the person we have become? Or do we doggedly pursue our old notions of success or happiness even when they no longer make sense? I do love a film that makes me ask these kinds of questions.

The acting was great. I love that they hired many deaf actors; how often do their agents call them? The sound design was particularly smart and integral to the story telling.

Mank

Movie: Mank
Nominated for: Best Picture, Actress in a Supporting Role, Actor in a Leading Role, Director, Production Design, Cinematography, Costume Design, Achievement in Sound, Original Score, Make Up & Hairstyling
How I watched: Netflix
When I fell asleep: About 20 minutes in. I had to restart.
When it had me: It was never gripping.
When it lost me: It was never impossible to watch.
What I have to say: 

I started the movie and then stopped it. I fell asleep, true, but I also started to realize that this movie was very linked to Citizen Kane. So I decided to re-watch that classic before watching this one. It turns out Citizen Kane still fails to hold my attenntion. It has very cool camera tricks, lens usage and optical artistry but as a compelling story, it just doesn't grab me. That said, I think re-watching helped me to appreciate Mank.

My response to Mank is similar to my feelings for Citizen Kane. It is lighter on the cool camera effects and stronger on story overall. I would think Fincher would have wanted to evoke some of those really iconic shots from the older film, but apparently not. It jumps all over the place in time, with many flashbacks within flashbacks. They are mostly easy enough to follow. Gary Oldman is great in this. The movie winds its way through the political, creative, interpersonal and ethical challenges of Hollywood at the time. In the end, I'm not sure it reaches the dramatic crescendo I might have wished for.

It feels like such a safe and boring bet. A movie about an older beloved classic movie, evoking Hollywood's golden age of glamour and shot in black and white. It's as if Dr. Frankenstein is trying to cobble together the perfect pieces of an Academy Award winning film but somehow it still doesn't feel truly alive.

On the bright side, I am looking forward to the dramatization of Justin Fincher, screenwriter, and his challenges while writing Mank!

Nomdaland

Movie: Nomadland
Nominated for:  Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Actress in a Leading Role, Director, Cinematography, Film Editing
How I watched: Hulu
When I fell asleep: Watched during the day, so no.
When it had me: Trying to understand the lifestyle drew me in instantly
When it lost me: It did not
What I have to say:

Here's a movie that is such a different animal compared to most Hollywood film making and I'm thrilled that it is the favorite for the Best Picture this year. Nomadland feels part narrative, part documentary, part plot-driven and part poetry. It is an immensely emotional, compassionate, patient and thoughtful study of a Nomadic style of retirement (or living, in general) that is probably pretty foreign to most of us.

I experienced it as gentle, subtle invitation to be with people in an intimate setting and witness their joy and vulnerability. I felt it challenge my own perceptions and force me to think more deeply about people who choose to live unconventionally. I found myself questioning American capitalism and the choices it forces people to make; either join the system and spend all of your life's energy in working for someone else's aims, or struggle to live unsupported on the outside, but live always for yourself.

Because it was such a quiet sort of film, I was left feeling like maybe this lacks the punch of a Best Picture Film. But I actually don't think that is a fair assessment; it's just how The Academy has my brain trained. I'd be happy to see this film win.

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Movie: The Trial of the Chicago 7
Nominated for: Best Picture, Actor in a Supporting Role, Original Song, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Film Editing
How I watched: Netflix
When I fell asleep: I didn't
When it had me: Early on
When it lost me: Sometimes I just had to stop and shake my head because Sorkin is SOOO Sorkin
What I have to say: 

I very much enjoyed this film! Sorkin has made great strides in his directing skill since his debut of Molly's Game. This movie feels like a force with a pace that kind of grabs you and pulls you along through what feels like it should be a completely unbelievable set of events in our history.

He manages to build in a kind of mystery to the story that unfolds gradually over the course of the trial and then solve that mystery through a detailed look at language and a demonstration that big moments turn on small specifics. It is SO SORKIN that I was both exasperated and delighted, leaning more heavily toward delighted.

The casting is great, showcasing this disparate and passionate group of characters that converged on the DNC in Chicago. The title tells us this is a court room drama, which I love but it can be tricky to get stuck in the same room for so much of the film. Sorkin does an excellent job of breaking that up with flashbacks and time out of court. 

I learned things, I enjoyed the story and I felt satisfied by the wrapping up of this re-telling of true events. Additionally, we get to reflect on the divisive nature of politics, the ugly pervasiveness of racism and the mechanics of how a riot gets started. All of which are extremely relevant in our current landscape. It's a very solid film.

Promising Young Woman

Movie: Promising Young Woman
Nominated for: Best Picture, Original Screenplay, Actress in a Leading Role, Director, Film Editing
How I watched: DirecTV (Pandemic On-Demand style where the film is in theatres AND you can watch at home for $20)
When I fell asleep: No way
When it had me: The trailer
When it lost me: Never
What I have to say:  

I will always remember when I saw the trailer for Promising Young Woman in the theatre. It was January of 2020 and I was alone at the movies that day, watching some potential nominee for the Oscar Glutton Blog. When I realized the movie was about a woman speaking out about sexual assault AND getting some level of revenge, I gasped out loud in the theatre. And then came my nervous laughter. I sat up straighter in my seat, I started sweating. I was scandalized! You see, I believe in my bones that WOMEN ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TALK ABOUT IT.

I felt a thrill that Emerald Fennell, the writer and director, had somehow broken the rules and made a whole movie that talked about it. ALL of it. I felt like she would get in trouble for making this movie and I felt like I would get in trouble for watching this movie but I knew so deeply in my soul that I had never wanted to see a movie more.

Imagine my shock one year later when this movie earns six nominations from the Academy! Maybe she won't get in trouble for this? Maybe we can talk about this stuff after all?

I finally got to watch this movie and I loved every little thing about it. I loved that there was a measure of humor and irony, because this mire is impossible to talk about without people tuning out from discomfort. I loved that it was a thriller because, in my experience, nothing makes men more afraid than women talking about this. I loved the production design that juxtaposes a light, bright feminine aesthetic with the underlying battle so many women fight every day. I loved Carey Mulligan's performance; she has created a hero that I have never seen before but I always needed. I loved the smart and nuanced brand of revenge that Cassy, the main character, exacts. But most of all, I love that Emerald Fennell talks about ALL of it.

Emerald Fennell talks first and foremost about the nice guys. The nice guys that scoop up Cassy and take her home so she will be “safe”. Cassy has a weekly ritual of appearing too drunk to take care of herself in a public setting and waiting to see who will take advantage. Within the realm of the movie she discovers, unfortunately, that every week someone is willing to help her out by volunteering to be her assaulter. These men are very vocal about how nice they are; seemingly proud of their role. These nice men think they are saviors for taking a woman home and somewhere along the way decide that they will take advantage of her. Are they good guys for making sure she will only be assaulted by one guy, instead of many? Are they good guys because, although they don't have “consent”, they aren't intending to cause her physical harm? Are they just too drunk to view her as a human being? I'm not sure.

I love that Cassy doesn't try to talk to the nice men. She shows them rather than tells them. She demonstrates for them, with herself as a clear-headed witness, what they are doing and how their actions do not match with their “nice guy” self image. She uses fear as a motivator to change behavior. She creates a culture where the men in her area have actually heard of her and talk amongst themselves and warn other men about the psycho that tries to entrap men. It is a brilliant strategy because if you get enough men to fear for themselves, then it doesn't matter if you have changed their minds about issues of women, sex and consent! To Cassy, the safety of women matters more than the comfort of men. Yeah, girl. I'm with you there.

Emerald Fennell sure makes it look like there are actually NO nice guys. I think there are "nice guys" but I don't think being nice is really enough. No one is all good or all bad and every one of us was raised in a misogynistic patriarchy that has historically allowed men a lot of free reign with women's bodies. None of us magically knows the right way of things. If we were raised to believe no one who knows you or cares about you can be a rapist, or that only sluts get themselves into those situations, well then, that's all we know. If men are told by society and peers that women are the gatekeepers of their pleasure and must be tricked into giving it over to them, then they will spend their entire lives trying to game that system; some in not so nice ways. Being nice doesn't mean you are immune to the ills of our larger society; it just means that you operate well within those confines.

And what about women? Women will tell you they don't want to get in the middle of a he said/she said. Women will say maybe you need to use words that are less disturbing or triggering for men. Women will shrug at you as if to say, “Join the club. It happens all the time.” Yes, Emerald Fennell holds up the mirror for them too, demonstrating that we suddenly feel different about it when it happens to us directly or to someone we hold dear; when we can no longer look the other way and count ourselves lucky.

Emerald Fennell talks about men's fear. The rapist in the film tells Cassy, “You don't understand. It's a man's worst fear to be accused of something like that.” He says it unironically, knowing the price paid by his victim! A man, knowing that a woman has faced something much more difficult than an accusation, still needs his fear centered. Because men have historically not faced any consequences for their non-consensual exploits, when there is even the threat of consequences, they explode in a rage. Does anyone else remember the veins bulging out of Brett Kavanaugh's forehead? Is that just me?

Even the most caring of guys in this film are unwilling to prioritize women's safety above men's fear because it has been demonstrated their entire lives that it just doesn't work that way. Cassy just keeps pushing to find out how hard men will go to escape their consequences.

This movie was smartly made and well done and likely to be my favorite film this year.

You can read further for my thoughts on the ending if you want. But maybe go watch it first?

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The most heart breaking and brilliant scene in the movie for me comes after the Doctor-Rapist-Good Guy character must kill Cassy to preserve the life he has built for himself. His friend comes to him and repeatedly tells him, “This is NOT your fault. We are going to get through this.” Someone is there to support him and help him and assure him that this event will not be allowed to ruin his life. That friend even crawls over the dead body of a woman in order to reassure his friend. It's very touching and emotional. It is everything a victim of sexual assault should be told, complete with hugs, tears and fervent determination. It is a perfect script for a different circumstance.

My husband was disturbed and saddened that Cassy died for her cause in this movie and I was unfazed. I expected it. “Of course she had to die. We all know women can't speak up like that!” I realized it speaks to my own experience of our society that it makes sense to me that a woman would pay the price for such bravery. But maybe things can change. Maybe I can say some things. Maybe Emerald Fennell can show us some things. Maybe she can be celebrated for her story-telling and vision. It's a maybe that I am so ready for.

And the Nominees for 2020 (and a little beyond) Are...

Happy Monday, all! 

The nominations for the weirdest Oscars in recent history have dropped. THESE are the nominations for the year of our pandemic, 2020. The year that Los Angeles had all movie theatres closed for almost ten full months. The year we shifted to in-home movie premieres and zoom-call awards shows.

What's different about this year?

    -Relaxed rules on movies needing to be released in theatres

    -Extended deadlines for qualifying and nominations

    -Later announcement of nominees and later Oscar Awards Presentation (April 25)

The biggest news is that I did NOT get nominated for editing The Last Laugh (the horror film, not the comedy), which was released last year and has been airing in the coveted 3am slot on Showtime! I really thought this was my year because our movie did not need a theatrical release to qualify. But, as they say, it is an honor just to be considered to be nominated. And since I considered it, I think I am the real winner this year.

Again, the complete list of nominations can be found here. (I linked it twice! I'm so excited!)

There are two women nominated in the directing category this year! That's a first. There's also Steven Yeun, the first Asian American actor nominated in the Leading Actor category and Riz Ahmed, the first Muslim man nominated in the same category.

I also want to say that in prepping for these nominations I have watched the following films: One Night in Miami, Judas and the Black Messiah, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Da 5 Bloods, The United States Vs. Billie Holiday and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. That line up felt like the most kick ass film class themed around Black Stories in American history! Wow! I am grateful for this line up of films and how they all seemed to play off of one another in terms of context and theme. With all of that quality and compassionate story telling, I am blown away that it's a slate of films from a single year. If that film "class" is all that came out of 2020, I'd be happy.

So where am I in terms of watching all of these movies?

I've seen 6 of the 8 Best Picture nominees, which covers a lot of ground in the other categories. I've got access to quite a few others, some for the low, low price of $19.99! Why does that feel so exorbitant? I mean, I know I'd buy tea and popcorn and end up spending that much at the theatre but it feels like a lot to spend at home where I am way more likely to get distracted by kids or construction or sleeping.

(REALIZATION!: I just figured out that one of the reasons I like movies is that it gives me a place to go where I won't be interrupted for two hours!!!! This makes sense. Gods, do I miss it! How's everyone doing? Are you ok?)

Anyway, I'm guessing I won't see the Short Subjects without the Laemmle Theatre to be my support mechanism. I was worried about the International Film Category as well, but this article helps track down as many films as possible. This will definitely be my least successful year as far as completing the challenge of watching every single film in every single category.

Let me give a nod to the weirdest nominations:

1. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm or if we use the full title, Borat: Gift of Pornographic Monkey to Vice Premiere Mikhael Pence to Make Benefit Recently Diminished Nation of Kazakhstan got two nominations! Two of them! It is nominated for Adapted Screenplay and Supporting Actress. Whatever you think of the film, or of this style of film making, the Academy generally ignores comedies. Lots of great comedic performances have been passed right over, so why are we bothering with this film right now? There were no other films to nominate in these categories? Sigh.

2. Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is nominated for the Original Song Husavik. Again, comedy. Again, longer than average title. But this category always has the potential for super weird outlier films, so I'm less aggrieved.

3. A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmaggedon is nominated for best animated feature. Ok, I'm just picking on the long titles now. No judgment on the film but it amuses me to watch a film subtitled Farmageddon.

Let me end this opening post with my movie graveyard. Here lie the films I watched based on my best guesses that did not, in fact, receive nominations. Some are regretted, some are not:

Dick Johnson is Dead

The Way I See it

I Care a Lot

Malcolm & Marie

First Cow 

Wonder Woman: 1984

The Invisible Man

TIME TO GET REVIEWING! Watch all the movies with me! Or read along! Or pick and choose! Do you need the nominations again? Here they are: nominations!

 

Ok, 2020, what's it going to be?

My first big problem with the Oscars of 2021 is that it is based on the films of that already infamous year, 2021-minus-one.

So, what is the Oscar Glutton blog going to be this year? What am I going to do? What is the Academy going to do? All I can be sure of is that I do NOT know what to expect.

What do we know so far? Nominations announced March 15, 2021. Oscar Awards are on April 25, 2021.

I'm studying lists of predicted nominees, preparing to pre-watch my eyes out. And I'm counting my challenges as they pile up, as follows:

-Coronavirus: closing theatres, disturbing release schedules, weighing on my mind

-Planned construction on my home, leaving me fewer rooms in which to screen movies

-Too many streaming platforms for me to cover

-No Laemmle Theatre to nurture and support me every step of the way

-Only 41 days between nominations and the ceremony

-I'm in the LAST group to be vaccinated, so I've got to do this thing in isolation

-Political unrest is VERY distracting for me

However, the whole purpose of the Oscar Glutton Goal is to challenge. So, I'm just going to dive in and see what happens. Join me as I joyfully try and fail!

Judas and the Black Messiah

 Movie: Judas and the Black Messiah
Nominated for: Best Picture, Actor in a Supporting Role (twice), Original Song, Original Screenplay, Cinematography
How I watched: Hulu
When I fell asleep: barely
When it had me: When Fred Hampton was building the "Rainbow Coalition"!
When it lost me: Nah.
What I have to say: We started this film pretty late. Now that the kids are (basically both) teenagers, they never go to bed. I'm trying to involve them in more of the potential nominee screenings but it's not always easy to find a good fit. Anyway, I was tired and my eyes closed a couple of times but that's on me, not the film. 

I connected with this story more than I did the film making. I am so glad these stories are being told and I hope lots of people are watching. I only recently learned this bit of history; how the U.S. Government would track and kill black leaders in order to preserve white supremacy. These stories remain shocking for white people like me who have existed inside privilege and removed from a lot of truth about our society. What struck me most is that Fred Hampton Jr. is roughly my age. And his father was killed by the government who were afraid he was getting too powerful. Even so, seemingly normal people will argue that racism is a thing of the distant past.

Daniel Kaluuya, Lakieth Stanfield and Dominique Fishback were all excellent. Kaluuya and Stanfield are both nominated as Supporting Actors. It feels strange to me that Kaluuya wasn't the Leadning Actor? Do they measure time on screen? Or how do they decide? 

The story is heartbreaking on so many levels. The music stood out for me twice, in a way that I didn't connect to it. But I also think it makes sense for the music to make me uncomfortable. The editing was really invisible in a way that makes me think it was a lot of work. Overall it was a really strong film with an important message.