Elvis

Movie: Elvis

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, Best MakeUp and Hairstyling, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing

How I watched: HBO Max

When I fell asleep: I was fighting sleep a lot in the middle

When it had me: Austin's Voice

When it lost me: The Elvis Christmas Special

What systems does it challenge: Entertainment, censorship

Content Warning: Drug addiction, Abuse of power

I wasn't even interested in this film until I saw Austin Butler on SNL. This young actor is an absolute miracle for Baz Luhrman because you can't make this film if you don't find someone who can act and also coincidentally sounds exactly like Elvis. He really is amazing.

The first third of the movie was really riveting. The exciting editing style, presentation and sound that enabled you to feel like you were witnessing Elvis for the first time; experiencing a real sort of evolution and revolution of music and entertainment. I found it all very effective.

By the time we got to the Elvis Christmas Special it felt like all of the exciting story telling was done and it took an hour to get through that damn Christmas special. This is where I found myself starting to nod off. I had to get up and make tea; it was a whole deal. Consequently, I was done with the movie before we even got to Vegas, but the movie was not done wit me.

I was shocked by the fact that I didn't like Tom Hanks in this movie at all. (I thought it was just me until the Razzie nominations came out.) I didn't particularly like the choice of showing the Colonel walking around casinos in a medical gown as a way for him to narrate the story. It didn't feel like it added anything. It was a slow slog to finish out poor Elvis's life.

Guess what? It was too long! 2 hours and 39 minutes! (What do I keep saying?)

All Quiet on the Western Front

Movie: All Quiet on the Western Front

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best International Feature, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Original Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best MakeUp and Hairstyling, Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects

How I watched: Netflix

When I fell asleep: I don't think so

When it had me: Beautiful Visuals

When it lost me: I don't know, just war, I guess?

What systems does it challenge: Military Industrial Complex

Content Warning: War, brutal violence, self harm, PTSD

**Official Complaint: When an International Feature is nominated for Best Picture, please, Academy, remove that movie from the Best International Feature category. If it is the only one of five nominees that was worthy of best overall picture, it stands to reason that you deemed it the best international film of the year. I feel bad for every other nominee in the International Feature race this year because it seems they have no possible shot at winning and that sucks. Please correct this.**

I always wonder about the process of a movie that I haven't really heard of getting nine nominations. (Sometimes the Academy does, too. The story about the "To Leslie" nomination just broke) Aside from the possibility that I was just not paying attention, that is. Is it because of word of mouth? Or is active campaigning the only way to get there? 

Let's talk good stuff. It is beautifully shot! Very gorgeous french country side, very eerie pastels, stark and disturbing visuals, crisp focus. The acting is great, but... (well, let me get to the but later.) 

The movie's main point seems to be that every single second of WWI was trauma-inducing for everyone on the front. Unceasing, unprocessable brutality, fear and despair. We see moments of terror, moments of disgust, moments of bravery and great cowardice that are indistinguishable, one form the other. It's just an onslaught of the worst. It kept calling up for me the things you hear from relatives of veterans, "He never spoke about his time in the war", "He refused to be called a hero", "He was never the same".

How could anyone begin to speak about such things? They are completely beyond understanding. You must have trouble recalling or believing that such things ever even happened. They would become buried deep inside your body, secrets that you keep from yourself in hopes of surviving. 

Now I have to admit that I found this to be a grueling and unenjoyable watch. Two things kept me from feeling any connection to the film.

1. It is dubbed. I will say it is dubbed VERY well. But I couldn't get over the disconnect between the voices and the performance I was seeing on screen. Both were good performances and yet, fractured?  I appreciate the choice to not have viewers need to read the entire time as that robs you from seeing so many visual cues and moments, but it still felt like a barrier to me.

2. I couldn't be convinced to take the ride. To be fully transported by a film like this, you have to give yourself over to it in a way and I wasn't willing to do so. I just took the ride a few years back with 1917, I remember how awful the war in the trenches was and I could not be induced to fully go along again. I kept it at arm's length the whole time. And it was a LONG time! 2 hours, 23 minutes! Have I mentioned that the movies are too long??? Perhaps a big screen might have helped break down my barriers more?

There was a jarring and interesting musical cue of the drums of war being beaten in a random sort of pattern early on in the film. Then it stopped and didn't really come back. I thought they were signalling some other music work that would happen and in the end it felt like they didn't really follow through on that.

I'm already feeling like this movie might grow on me over time. It wasn't fun to watch but with time I can see that it was crazy well made? We'll see.

 

Bardo: A False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths

Movie: Bardo: A False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths

Nominated for: Best Cinematography

How I watched: Netflix

When I fell asleep: At a party, then again about 4 times. This was mid-afternoon. Had to take a break and come back to it the next day.

When it had me: Mild interest, minimally

When it lost me: A lot and often

What systems does it challenge: Colonization, Immigration, Television, probably a lot more

Content Warning: I don't believe so.

This seems like a good time to talk about 2022: the year of the long movie! I'm feeling so overwhelmed by all of these movies that are over 2 1/2 hours long! It feels unnecessary. It's making me grumpy as well as making me feel old! 

This film is a wild and surrealistic meandering through a person's whole life, history and career. Many visuals are very intense and interesting, many are not. They don't stitch together all that seamlessly...it truly feels as if it goes on forever.

For me, there were brief inklings of magic encased carefully in hours of confusion. I liked some sequences more than others but overall, I felt like I was watching a self-referential film by a guy who really found himself  more deeply interesting than I could ever. The movie was simply a wave I couldn't catch.

Top Gun: Maverick

Movie: Top Gun: Maverick

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Sound, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song, Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing

How I watched: Paramount Streaming

When I fell asleep: I was too busy undecorating my Holiday Tree

When it had me: Goose's kid

When it lost me: 1986

What systems does it challenge: I want to say "unmanned flights" but I'm not sure if that counts?

Content Warning: I don't think so, I'm still figuring out these parameters.

Ok. Deep breath. I've got this. 

I really hated Top Gun and anything Tom Cruise did for most of his career. His cocky grin thing does not evoke charm for me it evokes assholery to the nth degree and I have trouble with his face.

Now I'm going to be nice. This wasn't as bad as I thought it would be! The tension surrounding Rooster and Maverick was a big plus for me. I was able to feel empathy for Maverick in this movie because of Goose's son. He has guilt for surviving when his best friend didn't, a desire to protect his son and a need for...speed? No! A need to be a god damn human being and find a balance between protecting someone and holding them back.  

Tom Cruise's acting ability has markedly improved over the decades and I felt like that was clear in watching this movie. Watching Val Kilmer in this moment was hard and gives you lots of feelings to deal with. In fact, Tom Cruise's acting ability might have been hiding behind that very real sense of grief in that scene.

So it surprised me. Hooray!

And also? Best Picture? WHY? Best Screenplay? UGH! You're killing me a little bit.

When the shoe-horned love interest wants to see Maverick, do you know what she does? Well, I'll tell you! She drives to the hanger with her teen daughter, sends her teen daughter in to gesture vaguely at Maverick until he notices so that the love interest can position herself in a perfect lean against the car in order to look like a poster from the 1980s that I'm guessing maybe Tony Scott used to have on his wall? And then the supposed lovers go flying, abandoning her teen to spend the afternoon in an airplane hangar!!!! What even? Can I humbly request we award no Oscars for this? Please and thank you.

EO

Movie: EO

Nominated for: Best International Feature

How I watched: Laemmle

When I fell asleep: neigh

When it had me: Donkey!

When it lost me: I was in and out, honestly

What systems does it challenge: The Circus Industrial Complex?, Carnivority (don't blame me, the internet says it is a word)

Content Warning: Animal Harm

First day of nominations, I rushed right out to see this one! A Polish film that follows a donkey as it meets people through Europe? Yes, please.

I have very warm feelings toward donkeys. I don't think it's because of Eeyore, but it could be. They seem so friendly and chill. Not cold and aloof like horses can be. Sure they can be stubborn but mostly I think they work hard and silently judge everyone until they get an ear scratch. I couldn't tell you the exact difference between donkeys, burros, onagers, mules or asses, but they are all just fine by me. 

So there was some great donkey footage in EO but overall, it wanted to make a statement about animal cruelty so it had to include too much animal cruelty for my taste.

(Spoliers ahead)

The movie goes like this, donkey with slightly inappropriate human relationship, donkey with carrot necklace, donkey with kids, donkey assassinates wolves(?), donkey and soccer, donkey in Italian soap opera, no more donkey.

Nomination Day: Celebrating TEN years of Gluttony!

(Autumn makes her way to the stage)

A: I can't believe this is year number ten of The Oscar Glutton! 

(pause for applause)

A: Oh, wow. These lights are so bright and I'm freaking out!

(screams, hoisting statuette of giant fork into the air, holds for laughter)

A: But seriously, a project like this is a real labor of love. I love movies. I've worked as a Film Editor, I've dabbled in screenwriting but most of all, I'm a huge consumer of popcorn. 

(applause)

A: Thank you.

To celebrate 10 years, I have designed a new logo this year!

(uproarious applause)

A: Right?

You know, I'm not interested in whether The Oscars "get it right". No one can name the single best movie of any time or genre or year. But each year The Academy holds a party and Hollywood gets dressed up and we take a little snapshot of the pulse of the makers in the moment. And about 10 years ago I got really hyper-focused.

If you are like me, hyper-focus is VERY satisfying. I set myself a little short term goal and I get a huge adrenaline rush. Look at me! I'm practically vibrating with energy!

(holds up a hand that looks like one of those "I used to be healthy but after one shot of Pfizer, I look like this" videos, gasps from the audience)

A: No, its ok! I'm fine! 

I want to thank those that made this possible! My kids who watch a lot of crap they wouldn't normally choose. My husband who not only watches things but also has to live with the manic energy for a couple of months. My friends who loan me screeners, join me at movies, and generally get sucked into the challenge. The Laemmle and Landmark Theatres who screen the things I need to see. Netflix and Prime for letting me cover so much from my couch! And my readers! It's so nice having readers! (If you read, comment here or on facebook so I can see you there!) It's a group effort!

(audience is losing interest)

A: I've been pre-gaming movies so I've seen 7 of the 10 Best Picture nominees (hooray!) And I have seen 13 of the 42 overall nominated films (gulp! oh sh*t, why do I do this again?)

A: I'm just really excited to dive into another year of sometimes sublime and often utterly meh movies just for the satisfaction of crossing off every item on an arbitrary list! The full list of nominations is here. If anyone wants to join me, my limo is big enough for all and it's parked right outside! Let's be gluttons together!

(music swells)

A: Oh, sh*t! They are playing me off! Thank you, everyone!

(Trips on dress and lip skids off the stage, thunderous applause)

Nomination Eve!

Tomorrow the nominations are announced so our game can officially begin! I have been collecting as many contenders as possible for the past couple of months; watching movies at a fever pitch, ever hopeful that I am guessing the correct candidates.

In the morning, the Academy will announce the films that it has chosen to huddle around, like a single source of warmth in the dead of winter. To which movies will they cling? Which will they shun as non-essential?

What are your favorites? Do you go to the theater anymore? Do you watch movies at home or do you prefer a good binge?

At any rate, I'm looking forward to my marching orders! Anyone care to march with me? 

Special Note: This is my tenth year of partaking in this challenge! I've updated my blog logo and plan to add some new categories to my reviews.