Completed Category: Actor in a Supporting Role

 The other category that I had completed already when the Nominations were announced was Actor in a Supporting Role. 

Yes, having as my completed categories on Nomination Day both Lead Actress and Supporting Actor, I definitely had an informed reaction to the many people on the interwebs who had a lot to say about Barbie. But no need to get into that again here. Let's just examine the two important questions of: 1)Were these all in fact Supporting performances?  and  2)Who deserves to win? 

STERLING K. BROWN, American Fiction:  This was the most out-of-nowhere of the twenty Acting nominations, for me. I liked American Fiction! (I read Percival Everett's book it was based on.) I expected it to get several nominations. I did not expect this. Listening to people talk this week, I have decided that I don't have the same viewer relationship to Sterling K. Brown that a whole lot of y'all seem to have as I have never watched an episode of This Is Us. That alone can't explain it, though, can it?  The brother that he plays in American Fiction is kind of - a jerk. Then again, I am more like the main character in so many ways, and maybe that's why I dislike the brother's antics?  At any rate, I don't think Sterling K. Brown is going to win this. But what do I know, clearly.  Definitely a supporting role. 

ROBERT DE NIRO, Killers of the Flower Moon: Now, he might win.  He has seven previous nominations and two previous wins. We all know him. Sometimes he's serious as all get out, sometimes he's funny, sometimes his movies are meh. In this role he's basically the devil. A greedy, manipulative, ingratiating son-of-a, who hurts people in about forty-three different ways.  It's a great film and his presence on screen is a big part of the nasty happenings.  He has a good chance, I think.  Also it is in fact a supporting role. 

ROBERT DOWNEY JR., Oppenheimer:  But I think this Robert has way more of a chance. First of all, I think Oppenheimer is going to take home a bunch of awards, if no scandal happens between now and March 10th. And I'm fine with that, as it was a great film and an indictment of humanity. Robert D Jr. is a beast with about 17 different layers to his character. Totally transformed as an actor into this antagonist character, and in cast of what feels like thousands he stands out sharply.  Is it a Supporting role? Yes - and it almost doesn't feel like it. I read that he has 24 minutes of screen time. It feels like he has an hour and 24. 

RYAN GOSLING, Barbie: Can this feel-good performance steal enough votes from the serious stuff? I don't think so. Yes, everyone loves him, and yes it was indelible and now "I'm Just Ken" and the mojo dojo casa house etc. will be with us all forever, but I think - I think - it was all just for funsies. Plus now some people might feel guilty voting for him since they didn't nominate Margot, whoops!  Oh, humans. Definitely a supporting role, though he feels like a co-lead probably because he shows up constantly, and the Kens part goes on and on interminably.  Side note: We might get a live song performance from Ken(s) at the ceremony. 

MARK RUFFALO, Poor Things:  Ugh. I like Mark Ruffalo; I dislike Poor Things; I wish the other Supporting contender Willem Dafoe was nominated here for Poor Things instead.  I'd have nominated Dafoe over either Sterling K. Brown or Mark Ruffalo.  Yes, Mark was very good in this psychotic film. He's always very good in everything though. He's steady, solid. I put him in the middle of the pack here. Is it a Supporting performance?  Yes, all the men who variously control and use Bella (Emma Stone's) body are "Supporting" in orbit around her. 

And so, this is the order I want them to win, my preference: 
Robert Downey Jr. 
(tie) Ryan Gosling / Robert De Niro
Mark Ruffalo 
Sterling K. Brown

And that is essentially the order of likelihood of actual winning, I think, too.  It may be that my "preference" is more about me not caring too terribly much.  Fine category overall with one obvious oversight, and no super-duper other strong opinions from me. 

Which Supporting guy did you like best this year? 

Completed Category: Actress In a Leading Role

 

Were you alive and well and on the internet this past week? Then you might have heard: Barbie was nominated for Oscars but Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie were not nominated, although Ryan Gosling was, and therefore the Academy has re-enacted the entire plot of the film: patriarchy!  At least that was one narrative that was shared, and shared, and shared.  As I mentioned in my initial post about Nominations Day, I had kinda forgotten that when Barbie made a billion dollars last year, that meant a whole lot more moviegoers were going to show up with opinions in Oscar season about what the Academy "always" does and what it "should" or "needs to" do. 

The Actress In A Leading Role aka Best Actress category was one that I had completed before the nominations came out, turns out - with or without Barbie - and so I, too, had opinions this week. I also had some facts. One fact is that when there are five nomination slots and many contenders, there will always be somebody who is disappointed. 

Also, by the way? It is not a "snub" every time someone we wish had been nominated is not nominated. But people love to throw that word around. It makes them feel Oscar-y, I think. 

What I kept asking people was, Which of the five nominated Actresses in Leading Roles would you want un-nominated for Margot to get in?  I didn't mean it facetiously. I know which one I'd give the boot! Can you guess?  Let's take a look at the nominees. 

ANNETTE BENING, Nyad: I was SO glad to hear her name called. I was worried. I was worried because I thought it might be Margot, Natalie (Portman), Lily, Emma, and Carey. I have been worried lo these few Awards buzz months, because I thought Natalie was going to steal Annette's Oscar again, like in 2010 (Black Swan), and I was straight-trippin' on the fact that THEN Annette was in the movie with Julianne Moore (The Kids Are All Right) and NOW Natalie is in the movie with Julianne Moore (May December) and everyone was buzzing that Natalie was like totally in for sure and starting to drown out swimmer Nyad but then it didn't happen like that at all. Annette is nominated! Hurrah! for playing Diana Nyad, who finally swam all the way from Cuba to Florida after many attempts and who is a headstrong but also body strong woman who gives some people grief but also has done some for real stuff in her time on this here Earth. I frankly loved Nyad and I also think Annette's performance was a marvel, and I want her to finally win her Oscar so, so, so very much. I don't have high hopes because I see how the winds have shifted and everyone's all like "It's a race between Emma and Lily!" but you just never know. Maybe if she goes to bed early in England like Anthony Hopikins did?  (Speaking of former Oscar connections to co-stars eh...)  She's just so good. And she basically became a marathon swimmer for the role, earning the praise of real-life Nyad and changing her own life for the better.  Gooooo Annette! 

LILY GLADSTONE, Killers of the Flower Moon:  But yeah, then we have this extremely strong competition here, which is an incredible, layered, powerful, poignant performance from Lily in the devastating adaptation of the book that examined the investigation of the murders of dozens of Osage in the early 20th century. In this case, Lily was nominated while Leo (nardo DiCaprio) wasn't, and that shocked people too. But that wasn't a re-enactment of #patriarchy! so it didn't get as many memes. Anyhoo, Lily is fantastic because this whole story is so terribly complex and fraught and infuriating and she is somewhat of a center around which a lot of happenings orbit, and I never wanted to take my eyes off the screen. In hearing her talk about specific scenes and with everything I've learned about the research and details and participation of the Osage in this filmmaking, I cannot be mad if it wins anything or even if it won everything (it won't though) so I'm happy for Lily and her Golden Globe, and I hope she makes a ton more movies forever, but I still don't quite want her to beat Annette.  But can anyone beat Lily? 

EMMA STONE, Poor Things: Well, yes. And...ugh.  So, Emma gives a maniacal, deep-digging, off-the-charts performance in this batshit movie and I just - hate this so much. The movie is excruciating to watch for the first half and then it gets a bit more palatable but it's still really entirely weird and wrong, like every Yorgos Lanthimos film, but in this case we are being told it's a feminist story and that Emma's character Bella Baxter is empowered and that the movie is a "nuanced" look at what it means to be a woman. People (men) have actually used that word, "nuanced."  Yes, to describe Poor Things. Um, Poor Things is a lot of things, but it is decidedly not nuanced. Nor is it feminist. Speaking of patriarchy, in Poor Things, Bella's body is controlled by various men in various ways until she becomes "empowered" by selling herself in a Parisian whorehouse. Don't you just love it when men explain women's liberation? It's enough to make you want to go find a bunch of bros on a beach somewhere strumming Matchbox Twenty for way entirely too long. 

CAREY MULLIGAN, Maestro: Carey is almost at that Meryl Streep level - or if not quite there, maybe Cate Blanchett - where you just know she's going to bring the Oscar buzz and most likely get a nomination. Interestingly, Carey was a lot of the Barbie-opinion folks' choice to sacrifice her slot for Margot, which I canNOT agree with, particularly since some of the said folks professing that opinion also noted that they had not in fact seen Maestro yet. One said that Carey couldn't be a Leading Role nominee for a biopic about Maestro Leonard Bernstein. To anyone thinking that, I can only say: Watch the movie. It's about them, not him. Her role honestly outshines his in a lot of ways. And, she's really damn good. I had no idea what I was in store for and as soon as I watched it I was like, yup, Carey's in! But it might not be her year to actually hold the statuette in her hand. 

SANDRA HÜLLER, Anatomy of a Fall:  It's such an honor to be nominated, isn't it?  Really. I hope that Sandra enjoys every second of this year, her multiple nominated flicks (she's also in The Zone of Interest), and how transfixed everyone was by Anatomy of a Fall and its many, many lingering questions. It's a talky movie, and she takes us right to the heart of a character going through a bizarre, unsettling situation with a great deal at stake, who absolutely has to remain calm. It's quite a feat. I think we haven't seen the last of her 'round these Awards parts.  But I was honestly surprised that she got nominated and Margot did not - which still does not mean "snub." 

And so, this is the order in which I want them to win, my preference: 

---> Annette Bening <----  
(tie) Carey & Lily 
Emma (ugh ugh ugh to the movie) 
Sandra

But this is the order I think of likelihood of winning, ugh: 

Emma (ugggggh, by thismuch)
Lily  (ohhh so close)
Annette  😢
Carey
Sandra

Please please please let me be wrong. Please let everyone remember how much they love Annette and want to make up for all the times they've not awarded her. I will accept a faux-lifetime achievement win, seriously, if that's what it takes. 

Who's your pick for Best Actress In A Leading Role? 
Whose performance surprised you?
Which movie did you love? Or hate more than I hated enduring Poor Things? 

Oscars time!

 The Oscar nominations are here, which it means it is time for my annual attempt to reignite the fire that once was this blog, Linda Without Borders.  Let's see if we can make it burn in 2024!  Because guess what? I am flamin' hot! More on that below. 

Prior to Awards Season, I had not been going to movies at the theatre much for a while; 2023 was a bananas year. Like many of you, I did go see Barbie and Oppenheimer. Unlike many, I had absolutely zero interest in going at any point close to opening weekend. I saw Barbie in September and Oppenheimer in October. Then, because #IAmVeryBusy I didn't do much else until basically Golden Globes week -- and it was time to dive in! But I did see Poor Things in time to have lots of opinions for that ceremony, and my opinions are mostly "UGH why Emma Stone must you participate in this why UGH" but more on that later as well, surely, with its obnoxious amount of noms. 

And so that brings us to Nominations Tuesday!  What did we think? 

Oppenheimer leads the way! 
I am good with its thirteen nominations and I will be OK with it if Christopher Nolan finally wins for Directing. Well done film! I was in Los Alamos just last year; it's such a weird little place plunked down in the middle of my beautiful Southwest, and when I was hiking in the Bandelier National Monument and some other spots around there I just kept thinking about how terrible it was for all of the birds, deer, squirrels, snakes, coyotes, rabbits, and so on and so on when suddenly a bunch of humans murdered the air and land and thousands of animals, on their way to murdering a few hundred thousand humans. We (humanity) are honestly so horrible to every living thing and this movie is great and, alas, it goes over some people's heads and they go "Oooh! We are smart! We make science!"  Great film. Horrible species. 

But, do I want Robert Downey Jr. to win? 
Weeelllll, maybe. I am disappointed in the Supporting Actor category. Because it is missing Willem Dafoe in Poor Things. 

But I hated Poor Things?
Yes, that is correct. I disliked Poor Things, but Willem Dafoe's performance is one of the most interesting portrayals that I have ever seen in my life. I won't spoiler anything here, but every second he is on screen and every new bit you learn about his character and every decision he makes - it's remarkable. I don't usually get too involved in this or that "snub" but I am so, so disappointed about him. This is one of my already completed categories, so we'll delve into it soon. Speaking of "snubs"...

Was Margot Robbied?
I'll tell ya what. When Barbie made a billion dollars, which is like 25 times more than many Oscar nominees make, I kinda forgot to anticipate that 25 times as many people would come out of the woodwork and onto the internet on Nominations Day with their opinions about what the Academy should/shouldn't/did/didn't do. It is amateur hour out there!  When I got sick of people re-sharing the meme on Tuesday about how Margot and Greta Gerwig not getting nominated is the whole plot of Barbie, I started commenting asking people which of the five nominated actresses they didn't want in the Lead Actress category. Some said, "Carey Mulligan" which tells me that they haven't yet seen Maestro, except for the one person who told me herself. I quote this person: "Carey Mulligan. Not a diss on her, and I haven't watched Maestro, but she should have been considered in the Supporting Actress category. I can't recall ever seeing the Oscars nominate anyone but a singular lead for a biopic."   I -  what?  That is such a spectacularly bad take.   
First of all, you haven't seen this movie but ... ?   SO then maybe don't proclaim this? Maestro is about their relationship. Mulligan is 100% a star of that film. 
Secondly, you "can't recall" that, eh?   That doesn't mean it hasn't happened. The Theory of Everything. What's Love Got To Do With It. Walk the Line - Reese Witherspoon won Lead Actress. Seriously just no. Anyway, that is what it was like out there yesterday and today on the internet.  Sure, I'm sorry for Margot. But I need people to stop pretending they know what they are talking about regarding the Oscars and the Academy.  And by the way, Actress is one of my other already completed categories, so we'll talk more about this soon, but how about we get rid of, if anything, Emma Stone's nomination for depicting all different kinds of sex? Yes, that's another eye-roll at Poor Things. There will be more. I will roll so many eyes that I might need Willem Dafoe to surgically implant a new one in my head.  

What nominations are we happy about? 
I mean - Jodie and Annette!!  I am one of a few (apparently) who loved Nyad, but more so I loved both of their performances fiercely and while I was so worried leading up to Awards Season that it sounded like Natalie Portman was going to steal Annette Bening's Oscar again, as she did in 2010 (Black Swan), only this time it would be with Natalie in the movie with Julianne Moore (May December) instead of Annette in the movie with Julianne Moore (The Kids Are All Right) but that TOTALLY didn't happen. No Natalie, only 1 nod for May December and it's not for any acting, and Annette is instead going to have her Oscar stolen by - ugh, Emma Stone.

Also happy about Past Lives, which I adored, getting two nominations -- but I wanted more. 

We will (maybe) get into all of these categories over the next few weeks here on the blog (somebody hold me to this), but first let's talk about the very best thing that happened while I was listening to the Nominations live announcement. Now remember: I was behind, but during Golden Globes week I set out to become less behind, checking off a few of the multiple GGlobes nominees that I suspected would also become multiple Oscar nominees and delving into the biggies: Killers of the Flower Moon, Poor (ugh) Things, Anatomy of a Fall, American Fiction, and the like.  Well. So there I am listening to the nominations and they list the songs, and yeah two songs from Barbie, and the Wahzhazhe from KotFM, and oh of course a song from Diane Warren called "The Fire Inside" and let's see what increasingly obscure film did she write a song for this year to collect her billionth nomination and never win every year forever ... Flamin' Hot. 

Wait. Flamin' Hot?! I SAW that movie. I had a total moment with that movie. Not in a theatre, not on a streaming service, and not on a DVD. At the UnidosUS work conference I attended last July, our Saturday night gala event was a screening of Flamin' Hot - with both the star of the film and the real life guy who invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos both there in attendance.  My co-worker and I had a blast eating seven billion snacks including these flamin' hot man n' cheese balls that changed my life. We somehow made our caterer waiter love us so he kept bringing us extra. We hobnobbed and took photos and enjoyed the film. I went into that evening derisively:  a movie about the guy who invented flamin' hot Cheetos? Seriously? and I left a new woman, with a true appreciation for all things flamin' hot.  It's an ongoing thing for my colleague and me. And in all sincerity, I enjoyed the film, directed by Eva Longoria. I really recommend it!  But I also had entirely expected to hear it announced on Nominations Day.  Goooo Diane Warren! Maybe the two songs from Barbie can split their vote. 

What about you?  What did you think of the nominations? 

What have you seen? What do you want to see next?  With only 29 or 41 that I need to see, depending on how you count the Shorts, I don't even have to watch one a day and I can still be done by the end of February, as long as everything that needs to come to theatres for me in fact does come to theatres.  I am  on track for a totally manageable completist year. Let's blog about it!