2023 Martini Shot

The Gluttony is over! I watched everything except for one animated short and one documentary short. I'm counting it as completion.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is still my favorite. Woman King was robbed of several well deserved nominations.  

My awards would be: 

I'd give EEAAO Best Picture, Director, Screenplay and Editing.

I would give acting awards to Colin Ferrell, Cate Blanchett, Ke Huy Quan and Hong Chau.

All Quiet on the Western Front, I would give International Feature, Cinematography, Visual Effects, Make up, Production Design and Sound.

Costumes would be Black Panther. Adapted Screenplay would be Glass Onion. And Documentary would go to Fire of Love.

Shorts winners would be Stranger at the Gate, The Flying Sailor and An Irish Goodbye. 

I don't even know which film I'd give Original Score to, but Naatu Naatu would win Original Song. In fact, I can't wait to see them perform that one live!

I can't wait to sit on my couch and snark at all of the entertainers who are more successful than me! Enjoy the show, everyone!

Everthing Everywhere All at Once

Movie: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Nominated for: Best Picture,

How I watched: Regal, way back in February?

When I fell asleep: Not possible

When it had me: I don't remember the moment, only the endorphins

When it lost me: I did have to think about explaining butt plugs to my kids, but, no.

What systems does it challenge: Generational Trauma, All systems that keep us from healing from anxiety and depression

Content Warning: Self Harm, Hot Dog Fingers

How do I say what I feel about this movie? I guess the easy thing to say is it made me feel seen. More than anything, I felt understood. If you told me that someone was going to make a movie that dealt with mid life crisis, spiritual awakening, anxiety, depression, ADHD, unresolved parent issues and the multi-verse, I would laugh at that bizarre and foolish over reach. But here it is! Here is that movie.

Somehow it does it with comedy, an explosion of visuals, and seriously freakish imagination. After I saw it I told my family I could not imagine that another movie would supplant it as my best of the year and so far none has. 

And yet, many people are feeling very grumbly about this movie. It is a lot to take in and it is MESSY! I think this film is like surfing, some people caught the wave and it was exhilarating, some got left behind and just felt underwhelmed and others caught for a second but then wiped out and feel angry about it.

About halfway through this movie I started weeping openly and kind of kept it up through the remainder. It was like, someone else sees that life is a mess and it's not what we wanted and we're not who we thought and yet we are all of that and more if we can only see it and it's all so fragile and special and people are hurting and ALL we should care about is healing the hurts and because multiple things are true you are both winning and losing and as long as you still live you contain multitudes and isn't life crazy? Whoo. It was validating! Maybe that's what I am trying to say?

Anyway, I loved it because it achieved transcendence. I really hope it wins. It seems to have dominated in every way, so will the Academy fall in line or try to be different?

House Made of Splinters

Movie: House Made of Splinters

Nominated for: Best Documentary Film

How I watched: Prime

When I fell asleep: I didn't

When it had me: Poor babies!

When it lost me: Tuning out from sadness

What systems does it challenge: War

Content Warning: Alcoholism, self harm

This was a very hard to watch doc. It's all about a shelter for kids in eastern Ukraine where everyone has lost their jobs since the war started. So many kids are all alone because their parents have fallen to alcoholism and in many cases abuse.

The worst part is seeing how the kids are traumatized and so likely to grow up to live the same upsetting lives as their parents. Dreadful. This was not my favorite watch.

Live Action Short Films

Here are the Live Action Short Films

IVALU (Denmark) - 

An Inuit child is left to deal with her grief after her sister disappears. There are deeper strains of abuse and trauma to unravel as well. It's basically a love letter to one has sacrificed for another. There's also a raven, who I loved! B

NIGHT RIDE (Norway) - 

A woman with dwarfism accidentally "steals" a trolley. Then she has to decide to stand up to bullies in order to come to the aide of a trans person. I enjoyed the humor and the solidarity. B+

LE PUPILLE (Italy) - 

Orphans at Christmas time grapple with their souls and their holiday desires. This film has a ton of quirk; speedy footage, close ups on eyes, a song that feels sort of under-rehearsed. It feels like a fable and warms your heart cockles. B+

THE RED SUITCASE (Luxembourg) - 

A Muslim woman arrives at the airport to meet her new husband. Except she doesn't want a new husband so instead she makes a run for it. I definitely felt the suspense of her trying to get out of that airport, but the story felt like it lacked some more layered details. B-

AN IRISH GOODBYE (Ireland) - 

Two brothers must say a final good bye to their mother and decide what comes next. The way they celebrate their mom and interact is pretty hilarious and tells another heart-warming tale. A

Documentary Short Films

Here are the Documentary Short Films.

 

THE ELEPHANT WHISPERERS (Netflix) - This is nature photography at its finest. Two people take over the care of an orphaned baby elephant, they have such a strong connection to the animals. They put bells on elephants, just like cats! Elephant washing is on my bucket list, by the way. What an interesting way to organize a life; no time clock, just living among elephants. It's sweet that the couple that works so closely together develop a significant connection to each other as well. Beautiful film! A

HAULOUT (YouTube) - This one had the most beautiful cinematography of a marine biologist who spends more than 40 days on a freezing beach so he can track the migration of walruses. So many walruses! Some truly jaw dropping shots. A

 

HOW DO YOU MEASURE A YEAR? - A Father tracks his child's growth over time by taking yearly videos. I only saw the trailer.

 

THE MARTHA MITCHELL EFFECT  (Netflix) - Martha Mitchell was wife to John Mitchell, Nixon's Attorney General. She epitomized the notion of a woman bein "too much" in D.C. At first they celebrated her as a zany novelty but then they took her prisoner after Watergate when they tried to neutralize her. Nixon blamed her for the entire Watergate scandal. A

STRANGER AT THE GATE  (YouTube) - What a riveting and amazing story! This feels like the winner. There was a lot of tension surrounding how this story was going to play out. Terrifying AND hopeful is a pretty good combo. A+

Animated Short Films

THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX, AND THE HORSE - This has a Winnie the Pooh vibe. A little boy talks to a variety of wise and kind animals. It just manages to be far more boring about it. If I had a toddler I would make it a ritual for the kid to watch this everyday before nap time to try an help convince them to be a good person. B-

 

THE FLYING SAILOR- I think animated shorts are at their best when they try to show us something we can't see in conventional ways. This film attempts to make visual the experience of being in en explosion, and while flying through the air, dying, seeing your memories, reversing, coming back into your body and surviving. Lots of cool methods and styles are employed to communicate this instantaneous story. A+

 

ICE MERCHANTS - A very well thought out metaphor. Grief is a cold and desolate place you must survive and it feels like jumping off of a cliff every day. But eventually you begin to build a safety net for yourself. A

MY YEAR OF DICKS - A hilariously awkward tale of a horny teenage girl trying to "lose her virginity" in the 90s. I wonder what stories of first intimacies will be like for Gen Z. Very different from this, I think. B

 

AN OSTRICH TOLD ME THE WORLD IS FAKE AND I THINK I BELIEVE IT -  This looks like a very funny stop motion story about discovering you are living in a simulation. I only saw the trailer.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Movie: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Nominated for: Best Animated Film

How I watched: Prime

When I fell asleep: I didn't

When it had me: A handful of characters

When it lost me: Intermittently

What systems does it challenge: I can't quite put it into words.

Content Warning: I would so no, but so much murder in a kids film!

I remember being fairly annoyed with Puss as a character. He's really narcissistic and says his own name: ALL. THE. TIME. So I wasn't looking forward to this one.

My kids liked the animation style. I got into this film more when I realized the new dog character is basically Gen Z who has been introduced to try and help the Gen X characters of Puss and Kitty to heal their damn traumas. John Mulaney made a funny bad guy and I would swear he wrote a couple of his own lines; they just sounded like him.

I'm glad they prioritized vulnerability and self care in this installment. Even so, the redemption felt a little corny to me. But my kids enjoyed this movie, so that's a good thing.

The Quiet Girl

Movie: The Quiet Girl

Nominated for: Best International Feature

How I watched: AMC

When I fell asleep: I did not

When it had me: A quiet sad child of the 1970s

When it lost me: I don't think it did

What systems does it challenge: I'm going to reach for religion, though it is not direct

Content Warning: loss of a child

Based on: Foster by Claire Keegan

The Quiet Girl is about a shy, sad, thoughtful child with three older siblings and two younger siblings and poor, overwhelmed parents. The child is beleaguered and doesn't feel wanted in her own family. Her parents send her to live with relatives to save money on feeding her and time on looking after her.

What follows is a blossoming that we should desire for every child: relaxing and opening up in an environment where you feel cared for, valued, respected and even loved.

I couldn't help but identify with the little brunette child with long straight hair who felt very unsure about the adults in her world. I responded well to the slow, quiet and cautious bonding that takes place between the kid and her new foster parents. None of it was big and monumental, but it felt deeply significant, nonetheless.

This was a nice warm story that was only about 90 minutes long. I heartily approve!

Tar

Movie: Tar

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Directing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing

How I watched: Prime

When I fell asleep: nope

When it had me: Cate

When it lost me: Third act

What systems does it challenge: Abuse and Power

Content Warning: Abuse, self harm 

This movie is mysterious. Is it a commentary on the MeToo movement? Is it a biopic (it's not, but I was unsure and had to look it up)? Is it about abuse of power? Triumph over misogyny? A bad dream? A ghost story? What is it?

Let's state the obvious first. Cate Blanchett is amazing in this film. Review Over.

Just kidding.

The design and cinematography of this film are beautiful and controlled. The story is riveting to a point. I was constantly trying to figure out where it was going and I wasn't ready for what did happen. What started out as a straightforward drama became a puzzle to unravel and not an easy one. 

In the first act, Tar is conducting the behavior of everyone in her world, setting the timing and in full control. In the second act, it begins to slip a bit or take a lot more work for her to stay on top of things. The third act is a complete unraveling of time and life for Tar. It gets harder to even follow the plot as her world disintegrates.

It is a great feeling when you have to do a little extra thinking to get a deeper understanding of the themes and messages of a film. However, when the film maker doesn't leave enough of a bread crumb trail to get you headed in the right direction, the whole thing falls a little short.

I read up on this movie, rewatched it, took notes and still don't know exactly how to categorize it. I enjoyed it as a film and then as an exercise but I couldn't call a movie that requires so much homework a Best Picture.

 

 

 

Tell it Like a Woman

Movie: Tell it Like a Woman

Nominated for: Original Song

How I watched: Prime

When I fell asleep: Nope. Morning screening!

When it had me: Italian language

When it lost me: lack of cohesion

What systems does it challenge: Ugh, it's too much for me to break down

Content Warning: Not really

This is a collection of 7 short films about women written and directed by women. It feels like a really loose basis for bundling stories and titling them as one single film. That being said, I was happy to watch women-helmed projects, some by I think first time directors.

A mother in prison, caregivers to the homeless, a woman inheriting a child, a single mom who struggles to have enough time with her kids, a woman coming to terms with her own sterotypes about what a woman is, a woman who helps an abuse victim escape and an animated prisoner are the characters that populate this collection of stories.

I appreciated that the nominated song was actually integrated into one of the short films, rather than just a song over the rolling credits. It always makes more sense to me for the nominated song to actually be a tool in the story telling. 

Overall, this was a fine watch if a little confusing.

The Sea Beast

Movie: The Sea Beast

Nominated for: Best Animated Feature

How I watched: Netflix

When I fell asleep: No

When it had me: Animated water!

When it lost me: Not sure, but I think I was in and out

What systems does it challenge: Status Quo, generational trauma

Content Warning: no

The animation style was gorgeous when it came to the images of the ocean...just really beautiful. Some of the animation of the people looked more basic, but the sea was well represented.

My kids called this a mash up of How to Train Your Dragon and Moana.  

There is a very old monster hunter who is driven by the hard times he has seen and the black and white thinking he has come to embrace. His would be successor is more open to nuance but still feels powerless against the status quo, of which he has been fighting his whole life to become an established member. And lastly, a child of the youngest generation who is willing to completely question all the definitions of those that came before her and see the world in a whole new light. So, classic Boomer, Gen X, Gen Z dynamics.

My family started out ready to roll our eyes at this film and in the end, it won us over.

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Movie: Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Nominated for: Costume Design

How I watched: Peacock

When I fell asleep: I watched at 8am, so I was good

When it had me: It neither had...

When it lost me: ...nor lost me

What systems does it challenge: Haute Couture, but also it's kind of pro-worker?

Content Warning: not needed

Based on: Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico - This is the third adaptation of this book

Lesley Manville delivers a subtle and grounded character and the costumes are gorgeous in this otherwise very confusing movie. It's a very light and slightly magical rom-com and if only I could just turn my brain off and bask in warm feelings, I think I should have liked this.

They deal with the Invisble Woman a lot in this film, a group to which I now gratefully count myself a member. Invisibility issues are serious for anyone not in the mainstream demographic; you can be invisible for race, class, gender, sexual orientation or age. However most often when I hear about the Invisible Woman it deals with ladies who now have bodies that men no longer wish to objectify or control. I wish the story had focused on the inherent power associated with no longer being a commodity, but instead she was still trying to be seen as a value to men and that kind of bummer me out.

The main character goes around saving people but not with any logic, just with a sort of eccentric charm. She becomes vaguely aware of worker strikes and leveraging power but it never coalesces into a sea change for the simple hard working woman who just wants a pretty dress. If the manic pixie dream matron had ended up slinging Molotovs in the name of revolution, they would have won me over. But they did not.

It's a sweet and simple story. I think it would be a feel good watch for viewers who can check their cynicism at the door.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Movie: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Nominated for: Best Adapted Screenplay

How I watched: Netflix

When I fell asleep: I did not

When it had me: these characters

When it lost me: I don't think so

What systems does it challenge: Billionaires, Patriarchy

Content Warning: not really?

I'm a sucker for whodunnits. I like puzzles and escape rooms and investigations, real or imagined. So this is right up my alley. Rian Johnson pulls such wonderful casts for these movies and they appear to have so much fun committing to these wildly dumb characters.

There's such a fun interplay between what is exactly as it seems and what is a red herring. Our attention is brought to the car early for a reason. The rules of the Mona Lisa picture are explained for a purpose; you know you need to pay attention.

However, Derol is introduced as "just a guy staying here" and brushed over so quickly that you imagine it will become significant. The beauty is that it doesn't. He's really just a dude who doesn't know what's going on.

The twist in the film feels just a tiny bit clunky but all is forgiven for the fun ride that the rest of the movie gives you. And if you'd like a 2 hour 19 minute fantasy about not-Elon Musk being humiliated, this movie is your jam.

The Banshees of Inisherin

Movie: The Banshees of Inisherin

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor (twice), Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Score, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing

How I watched: Netflix

When I fell asleep: nope

When it had me: Colin Farrell's performance got me right away

When it lost me: The end

What systems does it challenge: War, Pride (is that a thing?)

Content Warning: Animal Harm, Self Harm, Sexual Abuse

This review is more a story about my own hang ups than it is about the movie. Here's what happened:

When I have all of these movies to watch this time of year, one of my favorite things is not knowing anything about them. I love going in blind with no expectations and just seeing where the film takes me, so I typically do not read up on the movies at all.

For this movie I had seen it listed as a comedy and saw that some of the performances were delightful, so I had very little info and I made assumptions about how funny it was going to be. So over the holiday I sat my whole family down to watch a delightful comedy about a couple of cranky old Irishmen. Three generations of family all gathered around on my recommendation so that we could laugh it out together.

I had missed the part about "dark comedy" and the room soon became filled with a lot of WTF energy. One family member tapped out immediately. About 40 minutes in my dad sighed audibly and announced that he was going to bed. So I sat there stewing in the juices of "oh no, oh no, I picked the movie and everyone is hating it and now I will live with the shame of this for a hundred years". Some of you know the feeling.

Anyway, it made it very hard for me to enjoy the film the way I would have if I had sat down to it by myself. I did find bits of it very funny, and other bits very moving and other bits, completely confusing. Colin Farrell really carried the whole thing for me with his simple (but burdensome) love for his friend.

The ending left me with that sort of "Huh. So that happened," feel, which is not my favorite way to leave a film but it was enjoyable and interesting the whole way through. I get what they were trying to say with the film but it also didn't land in the last scene in that satisfactory way...it morphed into being at some point in the next couple of days. I do wish I could have a do over and see it for the first time again.

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

Movie: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

Nominated for: Best Documentary Feature

How I watched: Laemmle

When I fell asleep: I didn't

When it had me: Protesting!

When it lost me: It came close, but didn't

What systems does it challenge: Big Pharma, Generational Trauma

Content Warning: Self Harm, Drug Addiction/use, Domestic Violence

After two grueling days of jury duty and escaping the trial, I had to bravely go out in a break in the big winter Blizzard Blast of 2023 to make it to the very last showing of this film before it left theatres! Whew!

I'm glad I did! This was a very engaging film that deftly handled a number of topics. The first bit I really connected to was artists staging protests against the Sackler family, who are uniquely responsible for the opioid crisis. I love when creative people stage protests! They have drama and props and a talent for getting eyes on them without violence. Artists should run all of the protests.

It was also about the artist, Nan Goldin and her life. There were moments when I feared the film would veer off too much into a kind of restless remembrance of her life, but it always knew when to bring it back and how to connect it to the through line of the movie. It really was very well guided by an expert editor.

Mental illness was a huge component right alongside learning about opioid addiction. There was a lot to juggle and it was all approached with artistic expression in mind. It was lyrical, impactful, poetic and poignant. It somehow managed to make you feel both helpless and hopeful.

The documentary category is incredibly strong this year! Perhaps our real lives have become more dramatic than the writers can keep up with!

Turning Red

Movie: Turning Red

Nominated for: Best Animated Film

How I watched: Disney+

When I fell asleep: No!

When it had me: Talking about menstruation

When it lost me: don't remember

What systems does it challenge: Patriarchy

Content Warning: nah

Ok, this was a long time ago. I know I was so pleased to see puberty and periods actually talked about and acknowledged. I know they did a nice job of talking about generational trauma and the process of healing each new generation as we move forward. I remember being sad that the healing for the younger generation did not seem to equal healing for the older relatives in the film. I feel that healing works backward in time as well as forward, but that's just me. 

It was funny and original and a good watch!

Empire of Light

Movie: Empire of Light

Nominated for: Cinematography

How I watched: HBOMax

When I fell asleep: I did not

When it had me: Olivia Colman

When it lost me: Confusion over themes

What systems does it challenge: Racism, Supremacy, Misogyny

Content Warning: Mental Health Crisis, Hate crimes

Here's what I know. Every time Roger Deakins shoots a movie, he gets nominated. Fifteen nominations in 18 years. Is it reflexive at this point? Probably not?  But I can't point to anything special in this movie. It looks wonderful! But it doesn't stand out for its pastels like All Quiet on the Western Front, or its rich color and texture like Elvis, or its sparsely controlled visuals like Tar, or its grandiosity like Bardo. I'm honestly frustrated with myself for having an MFA in Film Production at not being better at spotting talent in this category.

Olivia Colman is unbelievably engaging in this film, as always, and I was invested and cared for the characters and their lives. Even so, something fell short in the assembly of talents here and didn't congeal into the masterpiece it felt like this should have been. Maybe it tried to be about too many things all at once? Racism, sexism, mental health, romance and friendship, changing times and stubborn truths and, of course, the movies. The film just struggled with juggling it all.

It's still a good watch with good performances. I guess I just expected more. 

The Whale

Movie: The Whale

Nominated for: Best Actor

How I watched: AMC

When I fell asleep: No

When it had me: Small moments of truth

When it lost me: Big moments of statement

What systems does it challenge: Religion

Content Warning: Suicide, Abuse

I felt very smug about realizing this was based on a play about 15 minutes into it. It just reeks of the stage, and in some ways suffers form the fact that plays somehow lose their magic quality by being put on the screen. 

That said, it is successful as a movie, as well. The writing comes close to being overly simplistic and too broad, but I think they manage to pull through without losing too much to those tendencies. This is about trauma and its rippling effect on the world around the traumatized, It's about defeat and loneliness and also about the things we hold onto when we are drowning; hope, art, sustenance, fantasy.

Brendan Fraser is really great in this performance and Hong Chau almost steals the show with her conflicted, exhausted and reluctantly deeply caring character. Sadie Sink felt out of her element and I don't know if that was due to her choices or the direction.

I can't decide how I feel about the use of fat suits and make up prosthetics on screen. Many believe that it's essentially akin to black face and must stop. Others think actors need to be allowed to act and take on traits that are different than their own in order to tell a story. I know I don't want gay actors to be told they can only play gay characters, so I err on the side of letting people perform. But I'm open to hearing more opinions on this matter, if anyone wants to talk!

 

Triangle of Sadness

Movie: Triangle of Sadness

Nominated for: Best Picture

How I watched: Prime

When I fell asleep: Third Act

When it had me: comedy

When it lost me: Third Act

What systems does it challenge: Billionaires, Capitalism, Socialism and Communism

Content Warning: I don't know

This movie had a very funny trailer that turned out to mostly be the first scene in the film. Then it had a few other funny scenes and then it seemed to just kind of simmer without going in a particular direction. Then I fell asleep.

To be fair, I attempted three screenings in one day on that particular occasion and this was the last of them, so it was not ideal. I tried to move from one spot to another, grab a snack, check in with my co-screeners. It was no use. I couldn’t stay awake. After, when I quizzed them about the third act, which I missed entirely, they dutifully recited a list of plot points and then shrugged. Not enough to convince me that I had missed the best picture of the year, so I'm not going back.

The highlight for me was when a communist and a socialist argue by looking up competing quotes on their phones, while failing to do anything about the very present and actual crisis that is endangering them in real time. I mean, it seems as if it had something to say at any rate.

This is not a great review. Sorry.

The Batman

Movie: The Batman

Nominated for: Best Sound, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Visual Effects

How I watched: Regal

When I fell asleep: Oh, yeah, for a bit

When it had me:

When it lost me: a lot

What systems does it challenge: Organized Crime, corruption

Content Warning: Brooding! (JK)

I saw it so long ago. What do I remember first? It was too long! Two hours and 56 minutes! I was mad before I arrived.

Pattinson was fine; the casting felt mostly great for this. They went very noir which I should have loved. The visuals were pretty stunning. So why didn't I like it?

It was a noir mystery wrapped inside a mafia movie and shoved into a comic book superhero franchise. It's a cinematic turducken! Which, I guess is just too much for me to swallow. This movie wasn't too long because they couldn't make decisions in the editing room, it was too long because the couldn't make decisions in the writing room. They crammed too much plot in which made the whole thing feel messy to me. That being said, it is deserving of its nominations and maybe deserving of a second look from me some day? Maybe, maybe not.

All That Breathes

Movie: All That Breathes

Nominated for: Best Documentary Feature

How I watched: HBO Max

When I fell asleep: No

When it had me: Care for Birds

When it lost me: Not really

What systems does it challenge: War, oppression, Planet abuse

Content Warning: Animal Harm

This film had careful attention to shot selection, lively and interesting subjects, precise editing and content that draws you in. Add them together and you get a really lovely meditation on the meaning of life.

This deals with pollution and bird rescue in Mumbai. In the background are political unrest, humans vs. environment, deep friendship and what it takes to keep hope and continue striving.

With a high emphasis on shots with reflections, including many that juxtapose human and animal struggle within the same frame and one that made me gasp with its gorgeous capture of a plane reflected in a field of trash, you are constantly invited to see the world from a new perspective or in a way you hadn't considered before.

There is struggle, sadness, anxiety and hope and intermingled very masterfully. I've been waiting for a gem! I found one!

To Leslie

Movie: To Leslie

Nominated for: Best Actress

How I watched: Apple TV

When I fell asleep: Nope

When it had me: Royal

When it lost me: Acting in one scene

What systems does it challenge: Is alcoholism a system?

Content Warning: Addiction 

A super small move that packs a big emotional punch, this had great performances throughout. We've all seen movies about addiction but this movie tries to offer us something new but highlighting the opposite of addiction, which is connection. 

There are connections that serve us and those that very much do not. There are connections that you can never escape and those that you would never want to. There are connections that make perfect sense and some that leave you scratching your head. In the end, the choices you make about where to connect and where to disconnect can make or break your life.

One character, Royal, really elevated the movie for me. Without him it would have been a fine movie with plenty to offer but including him added mystery, concern, humor, heart and surprise. It felt like a lesson for me as a perpetually new-at-this screenwriter. Include some weirdness in your otherwise predictable drama; it can boost everything around it.

There was controversy about this film's nomination. I don't feel that Andrea Riseborough doesn't deserve the nomination, but I still feel like Viola Davis is woefully absent.

Fire of Love

Movie: Fire of Love

Nominated for: Best Documentary

How I watched: Disney+

When I fell asleep: nah

When it had me: great style!

When it lost me: not really

What systems does it challenge: Traditional Living

Content Warning: some animal and human harm

This documentary had a great style and pacing! I was really blown away by what the team that made this accomplished because it really felt like a team effort. I could see the hours of pulling footage for just the right moments, hours of tracking down stock footage to fill in as needed, hours of aligning images, animating footage, editing, editing, editing! Wow!

There was the most beautifully animated moment. It showed that the couple grew up close to each other and said, "Both were dreaming while the plates beneath them shifted imperceptibly." (It was something like that, I'm quoting from memory.) You saw a sort of cartoon image of their homes, in a quiet town and all of the layers of the earth in motion. It was the single most romantic and remarkable line of almost any movie I have seen this year.

It has quirk, great footage and a unique story, excellently presented. Great film! 

Living

Movie: Living

Nominated for: Best Actor

How I watched: Pasadena's new Landmark Theatre, the last screening for this film

When I fell asleep: I did not

When it had me: Credit sequence opened with a bang!

When it lost me: It did not

What systems does it challenge: White Supremacy

Content Warning: Nah

Based on: Akira Kuroasawa's Ikiru

Living was a really good watch, start to finish. The opening credits were a throwback to the 1950s. That's when the movie was set and presenting it like a movie of that era helped to establish the world immediately. Bill Nighy was really fantastic throughout and I felt throughout that the director always knew where he was taking us and how we would get there. And guys, it's under 2 hours!

I'm going to tell you that the movie is about divesting from white supremacy because that's how I received it. I wouldn't be surprised if that not what most people saw. Bill Nighy receives some news that shakes up his world and encourages him to make changes.

He begins as a quintessential supremacist. Not in the active sense that his life is about denying rights to others, but in the passive sense. He has bought into the system and all that it trains us to be and he doesn't ask questions. He is the head of a county department. He is respected/feared/disliked for his work and that's as it should be. In his position he creates bureaucratic red tape to slow down progress and change or to occasionally halt it all together, forever watch guarding the status quo. Conformity is important, as all that work in his world wear bowler hats and nearly identical suits. Emotion is eschewed and there is no hint of self expression in his life. He's a perfect englishman.

Once he knows he wants to and needs to change he begins to break the rules and drop all of the lessons of a supremacist empire. He admits to not having answers, he asks for help. He engages in self expression through song. He loses the bowler hat and decides he is fine with nonconformity. He behaves (somewhat frivolously) and seeks guidance and companionship. 

And finally, he decides to no longer stand in the way of progress. These changes are not always huge but they are hugely significant in the hands of Bill Nighy. There is a great deal of humor and care in the story. Characters are treated with a certain amount of love even when they are in the wrong. It all boils down to one question; what does it mean to live?

The more I write about it, the more I think I really loved this movie. I haven't seen the original version but I'll be sure to seek it out now.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Movie: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Nominated for: Best Animated Feature

How I watched: Prime

When I fell asleep: I wish

When it had me: No!

When it lost me: Before it began

What systems does it challenge: Social Media, ?

Content Warning: I don't know

When I saw the trailer for this film last year I felt a sinking feeling. It looked like it was an animated movie that was different enough to garner a nomination and I was right. In my mind, it was going to be some kind of experimental, imaginative French film and I wasn't particularly interested. I would have preferred the experimental French version in my head to the movie I watched yesterday. I think I have trouble connecting to animation, so part of this is my fault. Let me just own up to that right from the start.

This movie was absolute torture for me. I found the voice of the titular character really annoying. I struggled with any kind of logic to what the Shell actually was and what it was capable of. He understands jail, but not cities. Bread never molds in his world. He is sometimes capable of extraordinary feats of engineering and yet incapable of simple tasks.

At first I thought he was a hermit crab but he's more of a sentient craft project with a googly eye that has functional tear ducts. In his family there are also Chex mix cereal squares (and an unused tampon!) so are they just inanimate objects possessed by spirits or demons? The movie made me feel dark thoughts, so I naturally I tried to find dark answers.

The overall theme seems to be one of community vs. isolation, which is a very worthy topic for our time. But I really got nothing out of it. I would love to hear from people who liked this movie so I can get a clearer picture of how to view it.

Aftersun

Movie: Aftersun

Nominated for: Best Actor

How I watched: Prime

When I fell asleep: nah

When it had me: small moments of connection

When it lost me: cuts to a rave?

What systems does it challenge: unclear

Content Warning: Mental Health, possible self harm

This movie was a sweet poem about a vacation for a dad and his 11 year old daughter. That's it. It's really all you get.

You begin to feel that this particular vacation may have been the last and thus has gained particular importance, but you never understand why. There are lots of interesting shots and lovely moments. It wasn't a hard watch by any means. It was just a little trip for you to take.

Decision to Leave

Movie: Decision to Leave

Nominated for: Best International Film

How I watched: Prime

When I fell asleep: I nodded off midday! But I recovered

When it had me: stunning visual style

When it lost me: ?

What systems does it challenge: marriage, perhaps?

Content Warning: Suicide

Decision to Leave is part crime drama and part romance. The crime drama portion uses the stunning visuals I mentioned above. Lots of interesting ways to show the main detective investigating and interacting with evidence and suspects. We get a glimpse inside the mind of this capable detective at work. One transition in particular made me gasp out loud...what can I say? Once an editor, always impressed with juxtaposed footage. It's that feeling when the work is so good, you wish you had done it.

There are many characters who grapple with the "decision to leave" in a variety of ways; leaving a marriage, a job, a city, a country, or even their life. Even so, I felt the more central issue of the film was desire. What does a life look like without desire versus with it? How do you handle desire when it surprises you? What will it drive you to do? How does it affect you to feel desire or to feel desired?

The story was a fun journey for me. I was never quite sure what was coming next and the surprises were enjoyable. It feels like one that I will keep thinking about.

Close

Movie: Close

Nominated for: Best International Film

How I watched: AMC

When I fell asleep: my eyelids grew heavy in the third act

When it had me: beautiful french country side

When it lost me: sports!

What systems does it challenge: Patriarchy

Content Warning: Homophobia, Self Harm

This movie is about a sweet relationship between two teen boys, gone wrong. It's a sad movie and it's not very long. It is very slow and ponderous and it doesn't state much of anything outright. It just leaves you to think about the relationships. I like this about International films, for sure, but the spareness of this one gave me so much time to think, I started thinking about to do lists instead.

For some reason we spent a lot of time watching one kid play sports. Like, a lot of time. I grew impatient with it.

This sort of felt like a short film that was stretched out as far as it could go. The imagery was beautiful and much care was taken with the emotional threads, but in the end it fell a bit short for me.

RRR

Movie: RRR

Nominated for: Best Original Song

How I watched: Netflix

When I fell asleep: Impossible

When it had me: From the start

When it lost me: I don't believe it did

What systems does it challenge: Imperialism

Content Warning: British Supremacy, Abuse, Some animal violence (but you are pre-warned it is all CGI)

This movie really won the hearts of my whole family. My husband's colleague recommended it and we LOVED it. It is a Tollywood film so you know to expect magical realism, big fights, big dances and epic stories. RRR delivers on all of that with extremely charismatic actors, absolutely insane "stunts" and a really kickass score.

The film is about two famous real life heroes of Indian rebellion and asks the question, what if they had met, become besties or even platonic soul mates? It manages to be laugh out loud funny at times, deeply disturbing at other times while always maintaining the highest of stakes and the whole way through, you just can't wait to see what happens next!

This film has already been rewatched at my house an alarming number of times for how long it is. It's looooooong. Three hours and 7 minutes. (Which in this case, does not make me angry; they pack a ton of story in!)

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Movie: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Nominated for: Best Supporting Actress, Best Costume Design, Best Original Song, Best MakeUp and Hairstyling, Best Visual Effects

How I watched: AMC, a long time ago

When I fell asleep: I did not

When it had me: Beautiful Visuals

When it lost me: The fights

What systems does it challenge: I'm not clear

Content Warning: I don't think so (It's been a while since I saw it.)

This movie felt as if they had a script all ready to go and then something tragic happened and they had to throw out that script and come up with a new one, with a  new main character in a short span of time. Which, is what happened.

The movie gives us a very lovely memorial to Chadwick Boseman and his character, gorgeous visuals, wonderful characters, well-acted, a lovely world to return to and beyond all of that, kind of a jumbled mess.

There was a lot of interesting stuff in the film that really had me bought in but in the end felt unresolved. Issues of Faith and Science and how they compliment each other and when they don't. Can you lead a people when you don't share their faith? Can faith look different to a scientist but still be valid? Really cool content and I don't know what decision the character made about it in the film.

There was deep, engaging conversation between the main character and the villain. How do you protect resources? Are you ethically required to share them? Where does protection cross over into needless aggression? These two people were communicating and seeming to hear each other on very nuanced matters and then minutes later they were fighting to the death and it wasn't clear to me why the conversation even stopped.

It was a jumble of good and baffling moments with a weird tacked on Martin Freeman story line added in. 

What felt like the biggest dramatic movement of the film actually happened in the end credit scene, which was, again, baffling.

I'm very sorry for this family of film makers to not only have lost someone so dear to them but then to also be required to keep to a schedule that might have made this follow up not nearly as amazing as it could have been.

 

Navalny

Movie: Navalny

Nominated for: Best Documentary Feature

How I watched: HBO Max

When I fell asleep: once toward the end

When it had me: Contemporaneous Footage

When it lost me: It didn't

What systems does it challenge: Putin

Content Warning: I don't think so.

I knew Alexei Navalny was Putin's most vocal/most famous critic. I knew there had been an attempt on his life and that he ended up in a Russian prison. This documentary covers that whole period with up close and personal footage from his family and supporters and is filled with surprises.

I LOVE a good investigation and this move includes one with some jaw dropping results. It's that moment where I think how did this documentary film maker luck into this story!

Getting to know the Navalny's was interesting. They were different than I would have supposed; more western and less ruffled by the life threatening danger they face. There were insights into Alexei, the politician, but in some ways the movie provided more questions than answers. It feels certain that if he survives and Putin doesn't, he will lead Russia one day. But that feels a long way off.

This was a very satisfying watch.

Babylon

Movie: Babylon

Nominated for: Best Costumes, Best Production Design, Best Original Score

How I watched: Apple TV

When I fell asleep: I think I drifted at the very end

When it had me: a scene about filming with sound

When it lost me: the trailer

What systems does it challenge: I can't tell if it is challenging or celebrating systems

Content Warning: Self Harm, Addiction, Non-Consensual Acts, Rape, Abuse, Mental Health 

This movie was THREE HOURS and NINE MINUTES! I'm furious.

When I saw the trailer with its frenetic style and the celebration of debauchery, I inwardly cringed. I was worried that this was going to be one of those movies where debauchery was the whole point. After watching the movie, I'm still not clear about the whole point. 

The film begins with a party that assaults your senses with an absolute barrage of insanity and all of that promised debauchery. It feels gleeful and celebratory. It feels like I should be longing for the good old days of the wild beginnings of Hollywood. Yes, a woman is murdered and it will be covered up and yes, property is being destroyed, and yes, addiction is running dangerously rampant but look how free everyone is! Look at the unrepressed dancing! So I'm confused about whether Hollywood is the protagonist or the antagonist. I think it's both in this film and that is why it is unfortunate to sit through three hours of a movie that is fighting itself.

There was a similar confusion around Margot Robbie's character for me. There is no better description for her in almost every role than the Manic Pixie Nightmare Girl and here she was turned up to 11. Is she a poor girl, bent on stardom that is being abused by Hollywood or is she a monster that grabs at everything around her without asking for permission first? I feel like we should care about what happens to her but she doesn't care about anything so maybe not?

We see the circus-like atmosphere of shooting silent film with no regulation, protection or unions. Everyone is in constant danger, people are dying and being replaced and none of it matters but the dying of the light. It's grotesque and awful, really. But it's also presented in a slapstick way with a shrug of the shoulders and a shake of the head, almost as if to say, "It was crazy, right? These guys were legends for working like this!"

I will say that I absolutely loved the sequence where they try to shoot a film with sound for the first time. Here's a sequence where I think they got the balance correct. This was a lovely short film about the trials of film making with all of its love, hate and mania. Everyone is struggling and hating each other until they finally get the take right and then they celebrate like a family. The punchline is that somebody died while they were getting it right. It's sort of presented like a joke where at the end you shrug and say, "Eh, that's the business, right?" It works so well.

But please don't make the whole movie a cute little joke about Hollywood. You are asking me to sit for three hours! Please make it something more.

By the end of the film I started to think a decision had been made. The film makers now want me to understand that Hollywood is bad because it destroys people but THAT message just made me wish I was watching Nope again. Jordan Peele knew how to tell THAT story with rich metaphor and no ambiguity.

It was TOO long and I was disappointed.

Women Talking

Movie: Women Talking

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay

How I watched: AMC

When I fell asleep: nah

When it had me: dropping truth bombs

When it lost me: a song cue

What systems does it challenge: Patriarchy, Religion

Content Warning: Sexual Assault, Domestic and Religious Abuse, Self Harm

Based on: Women Talking by Miriam Toews

I was raised with misogyny. It's baked into my bones. When I heard the title of this movie, I responded with the appropriate knee jerk reaction; "ugh, that sounds boring". Because women talking must be either useless prattle or a hyper-sensitive nag session. I see it in myself now and I am able to redirect my thoughts, but it galls me that my first instinct is to say the thing that makes me aligned with those who have more power.

The movie is an excellent argument against my learned reaction because it proves the importance of women talking. Women talking leads to catching predators, support and healing, expressing fears, processing emotions, planning for the future, envisioning a better world. Women talking is good everywhere but essential under a system of oppression.

The acting is searingly good, the movie clips along at a nice pace and we are afforded some wonderful visuals. However, the magic for me was in the nuggets of truth about sexual assault. One woman describes the crime against her as "a banishment from what's real" another claims that worse than the assault was that "they made us disbelieve ourselves." Trauma and betrayal are expressed her in poetry and in scalding honesty.

There are small callbacks to their assault; the severity of their experience is not downplayed but the viewer is saved from having to wallow in the violence and trauma of those events. Their is pain and confusion in the women's responses to their treatment but the focus if the film is forward looking, philosophical and honest.

The conversation covers a seemingly endless sea of angles on misogyny, rape and systems of power. It covers victim blaming and not-all-men and forgiveness versus revenge, anger, depression, helplessness and empowerment. And the note I left with was one of gratitude to have listened to women talking for almost two hours without interruption. They didn't have to face their attackers, suffer new attack, manage defensive responses, shield themselves from backlash, justify their accounts or modulate their tone to suit someone else. I just got to hear Women Talking and witness the importance of that simple yet radical act.

Watching people sit and talk is not exactly cinematic by design but somehow Sarah Polley makes it really work. The movie clocks in at under two hours and you know I love that! This would be a top pick for editing if it were up to me. It's not cutting tons of action but it is its own unique challenge and it was done well.