Who Wore It Better? - 2024 Oscar-nominated flicks edition

Who Wore It Better? is my new annual blog post about the things that weirdly showed up in more than one Oscar-nominated film this Awards Season. In fact, this year it's more than two films in a lot of instances, making it a game of Who Wore It Best? instead. 

Non-Human Primates: 
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Better Man, Wicked

As Peter Brady reminds us, "A primate has / the size and shape / of a monkey, a man, or any old ape!"
I have spent a LOT of time with Apes over the last few weeks, OK?  I made a side quest for myself to watch ALL of the Planet of the Apes films from Charlton Heston through this year's Kingdom of..., which I spent the last month doing in all my (not!) free time. Better Man, the whole time you're just like - why are we doing this effect, again?  And Wicked  is of course amazing but this isn't even in the top ten best things about it. 
Who Wore It Best?  Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.  (I'm a full-fledged devotee at this point.)
 

Iranian Father-Daughter Drama With Trees In The Title: 
The Seed of the Sacred Fig, In the Shadow of the Cypress 

Who Wore It Better? The Seed of the Sacred Fig.  One of the best films of the year. Don't miss it. In the Shadow of the Cypress  was an inscrutable fever dream.  Sacred Fig was vivid and heartbreaking. 

Robots That May Or May Not Perform The Tasks You Want Them To:
The Wild Robot, Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, Alien: Romulus, I'm Not A Robot 

Who Wore It Best?  Everyone knows I'm Team Flow for Animated Feature; I found The Wild Robot kind of annoying. (The film and the robot itself.) The gnomes in Wallace ... Fowl were psychotic, but, spoiler alert also kind of saved the day. I hadn't watched an Alien... film in some time and enjoyed Romulus. But without spoilers, I'll say the Live Action Short I'm Not A Robot  wore it best - if you think you are in control of your robot situation, you might wanna take that hubris down a notch. 

People In Rome Trying To Figure Out Who Should Be In Charge: 
Conclave, Gladiator II 

Conclave is sharp, tense, and riveting. Gladiator II is totally unhinged. These power struggle stories are great in different ways. Who Wore It Better?   TIE! 

Injecting Yourself With Substances Provided By Questionable Professionals In An Attempt To Make Your Body and Your Life Different: 
The Substance, Emilia Perez

I absolutely love The Substance with all of my sardonic, profound, socio-philosophical, cynical being. I think E.P. is a goddamn mess. Singing terrible songs about phalloplasty and pretending people can change sex? No thanks. A vicious takedown of the pressures to look good imposed from without and from within, courtesy of no-holds-barred performances from two amazing actresses? Yes, please.
Who Wore It Better? The Substance. By far. 
 
European Actresses Who Starred in a Recent International Foreign Language Nominee And Showed Up This Year To Star In An English Language (or mostly) Nominee
Leonie Benesch from The Teachers' Lounge in this year's September 5
Renate Reinsve from The Worst Person In The World in this year's A Different Man

Both were good. Both had me going "Wait a minute, I know her!" and scurrying to IMDB (because I am the worst person in the world at recognizing faces). Leonie had a more demanding and dramatic role in some ways.  Who Wore It Better?  Leonie in September 5

Man/Men Titles: 
Better Man, A Different Man, The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, Beautiful Men
(dishonorable mention (get it): real-life man nominated for a Best Actress award despite being a man)



Who Wore It Best? If for nothing else, let's reward The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent for having a distinctive title.  (Nah but also he was awesome for standing up. Sad short film. Sadly relevant too.) 

This Isn't Your Grandma's Musician Biopic: 
A Complete Unknown, Better Man, Maria 

Did you have a friend who was reluctant to see these movies because s/he's sick of biopics?  Did you, like me try to convince said friend that this year's crop of biopics are a little bit different from some of the usual fare?  Two of these opted to tell a brief period of the subject's life, rather than a whole life story, and one was more traditional in a starting-in-childhood kind of way but was off-the-hook original in its vibrancy and chimpanzee representation of the main character.  

Who Wore It Best?  I loved A Complete Unknown, as it spoke directly to my heart, but as a weird and surprising biopic? Better Man.  I can't believe how well it worked

Not pictured, for obvious reasons, but still judged

Men (#whyaremen) in New York buying human flesh, paying women to have sex with them, in the prostitution industry that is rotten to its core while also weirdly creepy and not-at-all-private as everyone does their business barely separated by a wall or maybe only a few inches of space:  Anora, The Brutalist

Immediately after seeing The Brutalist  I told people, this movie pummels you for four hours of your life, but one thing I noticed about it that was great was the scene where the men fresh off the boat pay for some sexual relations, and the scene manages to not objectify women and women's bodies at all. It was the exact opposite of similar scenes in Anora in every way.  More like this, please? The Brutalist wore this depiction of awfulness better. 

Animated Short male anatomy, specifically, the penis, or several of them: Wander to Wonder, Beautiful Men
These two short films traumatized me. 
Who Wore It Better? A big fat neither one.  

I mean clearly the big winner of Oscars season is men, men, men everywhere. Ugh. Men need to calm down. 

This concludes this year's edition of Who Wore It Better? aka  JFC What  A Year. 

Completed Cateogry: Best Picture

 Oscars Day is here! 
Everything is terrible in current events - but we still have the Oscars.
(Which also have some terrible things happening.) 

Best Picture

Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Perez
I'm Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked

Remember: The interesting thing about the Best Picture race, nowadays, is that in the era of the preferential ballot voting (aka ranked choice voting), anything can happen!  And if your movie gets a lot of second, third, and fourth place votes, that can help you more than getting a bunch of first and last place votes. 

If I were a Best Picture ballot-wielding Academy member voting today, I... would be late, first of all, as voting has already closed.  But if I were a Best Picture ballot-wielding Academy member voting on time two weeks ago let's say, here is my ballot! 

Order I want them to win - and due to human psychology, affected by "knowing" other people will be voting for certain films: 
1.I'm Still Here   2.The Substance  3. Conclave  4. A Complete Unknown   5.Wicked   6.Dune: Part Two 7.Anora  8.The Brutalist 

not getting any votes on my ballot (because, simply, I don't want them to win Best Picture - I'm not actually saying there is nothing redeeming about the films. I'm saying I do not think either of them deserves to win Best Picture, and therefore I won't give them even my 9th or 10th place vote for Best Picture):  Nickel Boys, Emilia Perez

The five movies that I loved are in my top five spots, with a bit of playing with the order in which I loved them just a bit, to try to put my (fake) vote where it can do the most. My #1 and #2 choices here, are partly because I do NOT think either of those will be the first one eliminated. (I also loved them.)  When things start to get serious, I want Conclave to get my vote over Anora and The Brutalist, so I can't put that too far down. I'm sad that I don't think A Complete Unknown has a chance in this category, but I did love it, as I did Wicked, which has slightly more of a chance here of getting loads of second and third place votes.  Then spots 6 through 8 are simply the order I want them to have my vote. 

Order I think they will win: 
Anora  or Conclave- I'm still not sure which, The Brutalist,  I'm Still Here, Wicked, The Substance, A Complete Unknown, Emilia Perez, Dune Part Two, Nickel Boys   

Completed Category: Visual Effects

 It's my last completed category! I watched my last of this year's nominees today! 
I'm a #Completist. 

Visual Effects
Alien:Romulus
Better Man
Dune Part Two
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Wicked 

Furthermore, the reason that the last movie I watched, today, was the last nominee I watched is because I additionally set a side quest for myself: to re-watch/watch ALL of the Planet of the Apes movies, starting with the 1968 Charlton Heston original, through the sequels, the remake, and the excellent reboots, ending with this year's nominee. And I did it!  I triumphed over Oscars season. I am a completist AND I did a side quest.  So many apes. I got really into these last few - which have also been nominated for Visual Effects, during years when I didn't complete all the nominees and had a few rogue leftover Makeup, Sound, Song, Visual or other random flicks still to watch. But this year, I decided to correct this situation, check off a few more past nominees, and why not just watch all ten Apes movies, eh? 

So: should Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes win Visual Effects?

Well, I mean, that would be fine. These reboots are so well done, with the motion capture and this wondrously imagined world. (I'm actually going to miss it, after being so devoted to my Apes for a few weeks here). 

But is it more likely that Dune: Part Two or Wicked will win this category?  Yes, I think so.  Dune: Part Two is gorgeous and a stunning achievement and I think everybody wants to give it some technical awards.  On the other hand, First Dune did win some a few years ago, and we also have another gorgeous achievement, Wicked, which everybody wants to give some awards, but then again, they know there will be a second Wicked, so ...?  It's confusing. 

Alien: Romulus also created a world although a lot of it was on a spaceship, and while it paid some fun homage to the original Alien flicks, it might just be an honor to be nominated. 

Better Man is the weird nominee here; it's a fancifully, inventively done biopic of Robbie Williams, who is far more famous in the U.K. than the U.S.A., and who is depicted in the entire film as a monkey. I cannot explain for the life of me why this works so well but it's really marvelous and quite enjoyable. It would be delightful and amusing if it wins over the big multiple-noms films. 

Order I want them to win: 
I don't even know. It's the end of Oscars season! I'm so tired. 

Order I think they will win: 
Dune: Part Two, Wicked, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Better Man, Alien: Romulus 

Well - which Visual Effects nominee do you think is the best? 
The best film overall? The best technical achievement? Both? 

And, are you a #completist? 

Completed Category: Documentary Feature

My second-to-last completed category!  One more nominee to see after this. 

Documentary Feature Film
Black Box Diaries
No Other Land
Porcelain War
Soundtrack To A Coup d'Etat
Sugarcane

Let me just say, once again, that whether a documentary is interesting or good is not based on the topic.

 There can be an amazing documentary about a subject in which I have no interest that has me riveted. Or, the opposite: a topic I would love to know more about can be covered in a terrible documentary, making for an excruciating 2.5 hours, such as is the case with Soundtrack To A Coup d'Etat.  Holy cow is this a boring look at the mid-twentieth century tragic and murderous foreign policy of Belgium and the U.S., and political shenanigans in the Congo, up to and including the murder of Patrice Lumumba. I am deeply interested in this history! This documentary bored me immensely. Also, it was irritating. There's this whole jazz motif going on, and it drove me straight up a wall.  I really don't like jazz and I'm pretty sure that's related to how much I hate this film.  The film is constructed of various jazz music that is sometimes lyrically appropriate and sometimes relevant because the film at that time is talking about when Louis Armstrong or whoever traveled to Africa at that time -- so many layers, like a piece of jazz music, right?  Ugh. It was awful. There were actually close-ups of people singing where you could see their saliva - gross, shudder.  And the shots of Dizzy Gillespie's puffy cheeks gave me the fantods. Now, on the other hand, the frequent clips of Malcolm X talking were by far a highlight of this film - more of that, please. Less of everything else.  Side note: this is not solely about "We Didn't Start the Fire" (Belgians in the Congo!) but also a fair bit of Car 54 Where Are You?  (Khrushchev's due at Idlewild!) 

Anyway. Onto the four good documentaries! 

Black Box Diaries - haunting, stunning achievement, quite personal while being globally relevant, as one woman documents her pursuit of justice in the aftermath of a sexual assault. Why are men. 

No Other Land -  depressing, infuriating look at oppressively macho Israeli military posturing over a bit of land that they would like to forbid Palestinians to live on, for no discernible reason.  

Porcelain War - still more depressing stuff, with art and nature and beauty struggling to keep their heads above the mass of violent warfare that is the Russian invasion of and war in Ukraine.  

Sugarcane -  another personal depiction that meanders through major trauma and its effects years and decades later on the survivors of "Indian schools" in Canada as well as on their descendants. I really thought this was well done, with the weaving of one personal search for healing amid the wider community and even world search for healing related to this horrible bit of history. 

There is really only one that I can't bear to see win, but my order in which I'd like to see them win:  Sugarcane, Black Box Diaries, Porcelain War  (really, any of those three!), then No Other Land

Order in which I think they'll win: 
Maybe Porcelain War? Or Black Box Diaries.  I might like Sugarcane more than some other people do, but I did notice Lily Gladstone's name as an Executive Producer, which probably means she'll have  successfully campaigned it to some extent.  No Other Land probably won't work for some people. I don't know who votes for Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat ... Steely Dan fans? Overwrought fever dreaming men? I don't know. 

Which documentary did you think was the best? 

Completed Category: International Feature

I greatly enjoy foreign films. One of my favorite categories! 

International Feature Film
Flow
Emilia Perez
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
I'm Still Here
The Girl With The Needle

This year? Not easy, my friends. 

There are four incredible cinematic accomplishments and one travesty of a nomination. I do not see how any member of this or any other Academy who watches all five of these could even consider voting for the abject mess that is Emilia Perez.

Flow is a sweet little cat film 🐈‍⬛️ and misfit friends story with no dialogue and lots of struggles and success, as we have mentioned elsewhere. Welcome to this party,  Latvia! If Flow loses both here and in Animated, I'll be devastated.

The Seed of the Sacred Fig is such a well-done look at Iran; it skillfully incorporates real-life videos of protests from recent years while placing you into this family's little world, then creating tension that sneaks up on you and builds to a fever pitch. 

I'm Still Here, also nominated for Actress in a Leading Role (Fernanda Torres) and freaking Best Picture is incredible - except that it depicts a true Brazil story - and I've not felt sadder in some time than I did after watching this loving family experience man-made tragedy. 

And then last night I watched The Girl With The Needle, which is a slow burn but then dear gods will it mess you up. There are so many questions to contemplate about these characters and their choices. What should we do, what can we do, why are men, why are humans, why any of it? Go see it knowing absolutely nothing! Other than: humans, poverty, Denmark, war, devastation, black and white -- the film, not life choices. But prepare for heart palpitations. 

Order I want them to win:  Any of the three, seriously. Maybe Seed of the Sacred Fig, I'm Still Here, The Girl With The Needle. Next Flow only because it better freaking be winning Animated. And then a giant huge gap bigger than sixty- four Grand Canyons, and then gtfo E.P.

Order I think they will win:
I'm Still Here maybe possibly please. Then stupid freaking E. Perez because humans are the worst. Then the others... although if the voters have the sense the gods gave a goose then they'll do the right thing here. Which is to say, do anything but the worst thing. 

Completed Category: Live Action Shorts

I headed down to my local cinema to finish off the Shorts today. 

Live Action Short Film
A Lien
Anuja 
I'm Not A Robot
The Last Ranger
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent 

Three of these are available for you to watch online, which I did do over the past few weeks, and that's great because then when I go to the theatre to catch the others, during the ones I've already seen I can either re-watch, or I can go get my popcorn refill! 

This is definitely one of the years that I prefer the Live Action Shorts to the Animated Shorts.  They are  all a little depressing, though.  Why are humans?  I do continue to ask this question.  Also, there were a couple of my fellow moviegoers chatting in the lobby afterwards who were flummoxed by how these Shorts left things unresolved at the end.  It's a fair point; it was very Lady-or-the-Tiger-esque up in the Live Action Shorts.  At any rate, issues presented include: immigration/deportation/removal by ICE, child labor/opportunity for education, authoritarian regimes on the verge of genocide, humanity vs. robots, and the murder of innocent animals by poachers for their tusks & horns so that some horrible men can get rich and or feel more "virile" and strong.  #WHYAreMen, seriously.  

Order I want them to win: 
The Last Ranger, The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, honestly this is so hard, I won't be mad if any of them win, maybe Anuja-A Lien then I'm Not A Robot? This is not to really take anything away from I'm Not A Robot. This category might be the least dud-ly of all the categories.

Order I think they will win: 
Wow I really don't know. They're all so timely. I'd like some others to weigh in here! 
But maybe A Lien (timely) or The Last Ranger (infuriating but galvanizing)? , The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent -- so timely -- then I'm Not A Robot (also so timely) and Anuja?  Dude, I don't know. 

What do you think? 

 

Checking In With One Week To Go

As of 1:30 pm on Sunday (Feb 23) one week before the Oscars, here's where I am: 

I have four more categories to complete. 
* Live Action Shorts
* International Feature Film 
* Documentary Feature Film 
* Visual Effects 

I have completed: 
Documentary Shorts, Animated Shorts, Animated Feature
Lead Actress, Lead Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress  
Directing, Adapted Screenplay, Original Screenplay
Cinematography, Editing, Production Design 
Makeup & Hairstyling, Costume Design 
Sound, Original Song, Original Score
and Best Picture 

So far I have mixed feelings about a lot of the categories, but especially the Acting awards, because there is such egregious category fraud going on in the Supporting races, and it's all but a foregone conclusion that the fraudulent will win. It's so annoying. 

The Documentary Features (I have one left) and Documentary Shorts, as in so many years, are amazing, and devastating. 

Speaking of brutal things, I do still think The Brutalist will win stuff. Will it win all the stuff?  Will it triumph over buzz-a-licious Anora?  Can The Substance sneak in and win a few things -- and will it definitely win for Actress (Demi Moore) and  Makeup?  Will Wicked get a slew of well-deserved visual and technical awards or will the wealth be spread around?  Could we have a blessedly Emilia Perez-free evening?  How amazing would that be. A step toward making up for the EEAAO year we recently suffered through. 

And will we ever know why there are so many monkeys? 

By the way, I launched myself on an additional project during this year's Oscar viewing. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is nominated for Visual Effects. Now, the last few Apes reboots have also been so nominated, but I wasn't able to be a completist in those years, and in my non-completist years it's often been a few rogue Makeup, Song, or Visual Effects nominees that are the ones lacking and I have not watched any of the reboot series. This year, I knew I'd be a completist, which would entail watching Kingdom...Apes, and so I decided a few weeks ago to watch all of the Planet of the Apes movies -- all of them.  Starting with a re-watch of the original 1968 Planet of the Apes that I saw in my childhood. And that has been my side quest, in between watching this year's nominated flicks.  During the past months I have re-watched or watched all five of the original series (some are far worse than others) and am now catching up on the modern ones, and will end with Kingdom...  thus completing both my Apes side quest and my Oscar-nominated 2024 films main quest later this week, if all goes according to plan and the world doesn't, like, collapse in the next few days or anything. 

So, coming up this week will be: 
Four more completed categories
Best Picture (which is done, but have to save that category post for last) 
Perhaps a ranking of all the nominated films
Perhaps another edition of Who Wore It Better? 

Enjoy the last week of Oscar season! 

Completed Category: Costume Design

I actively like so much of what's going on this category! 

Costume Design
A Complete Unknown 
Conclave
Gladiator II
Nosferatu
Wicked

Look. I love Wicked. I love it, and I said when I watched it that I wanted it to win everything it's nominated for. And that's still mostly true, other than the fact that Ariana is category fraud supreme and I just can't even but the odds-on favorite Zoe is also fraudulent, and for a disaster of a film, so it might as well be Ariana, but anyway the point is yes I would be happy for wonderful, creative, gorgeous, inspiring Wicked to win for Costume Design. 

But. I would also be just fine, it turns out, with Gladiator II winning in this category. !  No seriously though, Emma the Cat and I just watched it this week during our little winter vacation ski trip and boy were we riveted. The costumes are so beautiful, and so detailed, and so MANY.  I was super into revisiting the Gladiator world and I think I kind of like sequels that leave 20 years in between more than every-couple-of-year sequels. There is so much delicious craziness in this flick, with Denzel, and the loony twin emperors, and a billion soldiers, and it's all exquisite. And this is the only nom that the film got. We might have to take this one away from Wicked, y'all. What do you say? 

I really don't think the others have a chance.  Conclave would if it was on its way to a sweep - remember, people really thought Conclave was going to be our Best Picture for a while - but that ship seems to have sailed.  The cardinals' get-ups are gorgeous and fit for each one of the characters specifically but it's still less of an Achievement in Costume Design than either Gladiator II  or  Wicked. 

Nosferatu might be able to pull this off just because it's so fanciful, unreal, and set long ago & far away.  (But then - so are Wicked  and Gladiator.) 

 A Complete Unknown  is honored to be nominated. The most recently set AND most relatable and realist  of the Costume nominees is almost never the winner. Conclave is more recent but isn't a period piece, and its world is removed from us regular folks (even us Newport Folk Festival-playing regular folks), but even it I think doesn't really have as much of a chance. 

Order I want them to win: 
Gladiator II, Wicked, Conclave, A Complete Unknown, Nosferatu 

Order I think they will win: 
Wicked, Gladiator II, Nosferatu, Conclave, A Complete Unknown 

Completed Category: Original Screenplay

I love to think about the Screenplay categories! In fact, I want one of my next checklist projects to be: Watch All the Nominated Screenplay Films Ever.  That will take a while. In the meantime, this year: 

Original Screenplay
ANORA
Written by Sean Baker
THE BRUTALIST
Written by Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold
A REAL PAIN
Written by Jesse Eisenberg
SEPTEMBER 5
Written by Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum; Co-Written by Alex David
THE SUBSTANCE
Written by Coralie Fargeat

I only just this week completed this category because I had September 5 lingering for a while simply because #IAmVeryBusy and also I knew it was easily available to rent on demand as opposed to some others in which one must still be in pursuit* and so I knew I'd get around to it as soon as I could get around to it. 

*This year, we're looking in pursuit at you, Porcelain War. And with Ukraine having become a daily news story this week, at that! Every damn year, we are forced to go through this with one or two nominated flicks - a refusal by the distributor to, ya know, distribute the film during the two months between Oscar nominations and Oscar ceremony. It's so fckng stupid, every damn year. It's like - "Hi! We want to give you our money! Please take it in exchange for a streaming rental  of your film!"   "No."  "OK well, could you have it play in theatres across the country/world?"  "No."  "Hmm, well, we really want to see it? Can we please? Remember, we are trying to pay you for this. Money for your film! Isn't that what you wanted?"   "Why oh why is the film industry dying nobody goes to movies why oh why won't they see my film i weep i wail i gnash my teeth why oh why!"  "Um..er..." 

Anyway, that was a tangent about a totally different category. Back in Screenplay-land, September 5 is available, and I paid for a streaming rental and watched it! Amazing how that works! I enjoyed the movie and thought it was well done, everyone all tightly crammed in the control room and whatnot. I was also like, hey! I know her! about the actress playing translator and much more Marianne - not a real person, a composite character - as she starred in last year's International nominee The Teachers' Lounge.  Good for her, Oscar-ing it up two years in a row.  I think this screenplay fully and completely did its job, keeping you interested and invested, while laying out and guiding you through the story, but I am pretty sure it will not win, as people are heavily invested in voting for some of its competition. 

The Brutalist is going to get votes, in this and in other categories. I think it is going to get more votes in other categories.  First of all this thing is long and it pummels you, and I mean, as a story it's fine and all (if a little bit terribly intense) but its strengths are more so in the Directing, Cinematography, Score, and other elements of its pummeling you for four hours of your life.  We could possibly see it sweep all its nominations, but I don't think so. Don't worry, you're still the Brutal-est screenplay. 

Although I've gotta say, The Substance almost gives ya a run for yer money in the brutal department!  The Substance  is glorious and crazy and ridiculous and socio-philosophical and wonderful and I love it. That being said, the ending where it gets a little shaky (or splattery) before bringing it all home is its weakest point. I still love it and I forgive it all its flaws and won't mind even a tiny bit if it DOES win here - and it does have a chance - but I think we have to seriously reckon with the other two competing nominees. 

A Real Pain accurately describes its character played by Kieran Culkin, who is likely to win Supporting Actor for his co-starring lead role. This is a typically perfect kind of Screenplay winner: indie vibes, but famous people, and interesting content that raises some socio-political questions, and also fun. I personally related immensely to this film, because I too took a trip to Poland as an adult and met up with a group of other adults (on a Habitat for Humanity build) and then took a week by myself to go see my great-grandparents' hometown. So I was nostalgia-loving this in addition to being entertained by it. The only annoying thing about this film is its accurately described title (lead!) character, whom you want to throttle. Screenwriter (and co-star) Jesse Eisenberg just won the BAFTA, too, and had no speech written, he said, because he didn't think he would win. True? Maybe. A Real Pain had all the buzz for quite a while. What overtook it? 

A film that had even earlier buzz, then cooled a bit, but has surged back even more since nominations day: Anora. This thing is a well-done screenplay of misfit friends, another title character who comes into situations like a wrecking ball (but is met with other wrecking ball types who outdo her in that department), surprising scenarios, an ante that gets upped a few times, and the edginess that people love to love in their films. I personally walked away from Anora shaking my head and wondering #WhyAreMen, but the sex-work-is-work prostitution apologists will be out in droves making sure that question doesn't get too much attention to distract us from the feel-good train wreck of Anora. 

Order I want them to win: A Real Pain, September 5, The Substance, Anora or The Brutalist

Order I think they will win: Anora, A Real Pain, The Substance, then a gap and then The Brutalist, September 5. 

This is too close to call.  But I do think the bolder Anora might succeed here.
Which one do you think will win? 

Completed Category: Original Song

 This past weekend I finished up Original Song. After watching both Feature and Short Documentaries for a few days, I really wanted to watch something where nobody killed anybody. I turned to Elton John: Never Too Late. 

Original Song
"El Mal" from EMILIA PÉREZ
Music by Clément Ducol and Camille; Lyric by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard
"The Journey" from THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT
Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
"Like A Bird" from SING SING
Music and Lyric by Abraham Alexander and Adrian Quesada
"Mi Camino" from EMILIA PÉREZ
Music and Lyric by Camille and Clément Ducol
"Never Too Late" from ELTON JOHN: NEVER TOO LATE
Music and Lyric by Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt and Bernie Taupin

It's always interesting to see how many nominees in this category are her for Song and Song alone, and how many are from films nominated for other stuff. This year, it's a 3/2 nominees split and a 2/2 movies split, as there are two songs nominated from the spectacular mess that is Emilia Perez. 

Unfortunately, even though it's a total disaster and the music is so dumb, E.P. might win. The influencers seem to have decided on "El Mal" so that the two noms don't split the E.P.  vote.  Godz do I ever dislike that movie. 

Anyway, the other movie that is a "real" nominee and not just a Song nominee is Sing Sing, which got nods for Adapted Screenplay and Lead Actor (Colman Domingo) as well. I would love for it to sneak in and have a chance. The movie makes people think about such important things (wrongful incarceration, finding purpose in life, making art, perseverance, healing etc.) but it might end the night with no wins. 

Elton John: Never Too Late was a pleasant enough documentary to watch and Elton is, of course, mega-talented, but I don't get a lot of feelings of grandeur from this song, at all. He already has not just Oscars but he's an EGOT person! No offense to Brandi and Bernie but this song this year just isn't it. 

You know who doesn't have a competitive Oscar yet? Despite 16 nominations?  Diane Warren! And here she is again, with a song written for a flick that many people did not pay any attention to until she was nominated for her umpteenth Oscar for it. This movie, actually, was an enjoyable watch, because it told such an interesting story from history that nobody remembers. And listen, I've heard far worse Song nominees. (Like the two nominated songs from E.P.!)   Let's give Diane the Oscar. Seriously. Please? 

"All the times you thought you'd never make it through
Felt just like the world had turned its back on you
Didn't stop you" 

Indeed!

Order I want them to win: 
"The Journey" times one million, then maybe "Like A Bird" 

Order I think they will win: 
"El Mal" (ugh), maybe "The Journey" if everyone's feeling a little wild, "El Camino" ugh, maybe "Never Too Late" because people like Elton and were maybe at that last Dodger Stadium concert featured in the Doc, and then poor "Like A Bird" sadly

Completed Category: Documentary Shorts

Friends, enemies, countrypeople, et. al., it's one of those years where I'm going to insist that you absolutely need to watch the Documentary Shorts. 

Documentary Short Film
Instruments of a Beating Heart
Incident
I Am Ready, Warden
The Only Girl In The Orchestra 
Death By Numbers

This year we have: life, death, death, life, and death.

Issues include: racism, death penalty, killing of civilians by police, school shootings, sexism, grief, the meaning of life, creating art, and overcoming obstacles. 

You can see the Doc Shorts in select theatres this week and honestly, yes, it's worth dropping whatever you have to do or have scheduled the next few days.  Seriously, get a babysitter, take the afternoon off work, skip your church group - or heck, gather up and bring your church group - and hie thee to the cinema. 

Now, this is certainly a viewer-discretion-is-advised situation, but on the other hand, this is documentation of real life, and nobody really exercised discretion to prevent the real-life people from having to witness and/or experience terrible things up to and including being shot and killed. 

For those who cannot get to the cinema, please watch the ones that are available at home via streaming. Here is the link to Incident, which should be required viewing for you, your family, your neighbors, your friends, your enemies, and whoever else you can find strolling blithely around this Earth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW65ChIjur4 

Incident depicts the killing of a Black man by police in Chicago, and the things the officers both instinctively and calculatedly say and do in the minutes following the incident.  I want this one to win. I think it might. I've never seen a Doc Short quite like it, the way it uses and split screens the various body camera and CCTV camera footage. 

I Am Ready, Warden depicts the lead-up to the execution date for a death row inmate, with input from the condemned man, his murder victim's son, his own son, a church lady who has become his adopted godmother, and a Texas government official. I also want this one to win. It could. It crafts this story so, so, so very well. The "cast" of characters really immerse you in the swirling realities of one man's sentence to death. 

Death By Numbers  depicts the written and spoken reflections of Sam Fuentes,  one of the survivors who was injured in the Parkland, Florida school shooting a few years back as she prepares to testify and speaks to the killer at the sentencing and victim impact statement days in court. She's a great writer. I hope she continues to heal and survive, and to gift us with her words.  I mourn the friends and teachers she lost that day as well as everything that has been taken from her and from other dead and living school shooting victims.  

One of the "feel-good" ones of the bunch is The Only Girl In the Orchestra, uplifting despite the gasp-out-loud sexism and affecting consideration of questions of what should we do with our lives? I recommend it for anyone who has: played music, listened to music, lived in New York, lived as an artist, admired a family member, admired a teacher, watched classic Westerns (no, seriously), touched a stringed instrument, moved a piano, or celebrated the gift of being alive.  It's on Netflix. 

The other feel-good one is Instruments of a Beating Heart, despite the occasional kids crying after either not getting a part they auditioned for or making mistakes as they rehearse the parts they did get. This is an adorable slice of life little film about 7-year-olds preparing to perform "Ode to Joy" with tambourines and whatnot for the incoming first graders at their school in Japan. I adore it. I recommend it to anyone who has ever tried to do something, failed, or succeeded.  It's available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRW0auOiqm4 

Order I want them to win:  THIS IS SO HARD
Maybe Incident or I Am Ready, Warden, then Instruments of a Beating Heart, as those three are such interestingly crafted documentary observances, and then the other two which are also A+ content if a bit more traditional let's-follow-this-person storytelling -- Death By Numbers  and The Only Girl In The Orchestra.  I will not be mad when any of these five win, except for the part where the other four have to not win.  

Order I think they will win:  I DON'T KNOW I said this is hard!!!!!! maybe Incident? 

Completed Category: Animated Short

Well, I guess it wouldn't be the Animated Shorts if there weren't something totally bananas that makes you go, What in the what did I just watch? 

Animated Short Film
Beautiful Men
In the Shadow of the Cypress
Magic Candies
Wander to Wonder
Yuck!

This is how it breaks down: two that you can watch with your sanity intact, one head-scratcher, and two why-jesus-and-all-the-gods-why. 

The two that you can watch with your sanity intact are Magic Candies and Yuck!  This is not to say there's nothing weird in Magic Candies -- talking inanimate objects really get the ball rolling here. But it's cute, follows a well-paced narrative, has clear and convincing animation, and delivers a good message. 

Yuck! has a lot of the same attributes, actually, with less surrealism (despite being French!)  This is simply a sweet story about the universal experience of being kids who are thisclose to outgrowing their "eww gross!" reaction to K-I-S-S-I-N-G.  Will either of those two short films that I liked win?  Well, I don't know.  What does the Academy want from an Animated Short?  Do they want things I want, like sharp, clear visuals and sensible narrative and reasonably intact sanity?  Or do they want - something else? 

Perhaps they want a whale - a very large and very square whale - washed up on a beach, and some fever dreamy attempts to save it interspersed with flashbacks and chaos and feelings of despair. If so, then In the Shadow of the Cypress is for them!  This is definitely a little film for people willing to puzzle out some layers of symbolism.  If you're the type who can't even get past things like the green light on Daisy's dock then this might not be the unpacking of symbols task for you. 

This year in the Oscars, we have a lot of men -- not just in the number of Acting nominees, but also in the titles of films nominated in Visual Effects, Makeup, Live Action Shorts - and here in the Animated Shorts, it's Beautiful Men time. Now, do you think that these men are, in fact, Beautiful, or might the title be wry and cynical in some way? Well... have I taught you nothing?  By the way you will get the chance to judge a whole lot of an animated's man's body to decide if he is beautiful. I mean it. There was a not-appropriate-for-children disclaimer and everything. 

And if you like naked men in your Animated Shorts and you're ready to go full wacko?  Well, have we got the Animated Short for you. It's time to Wander to Wonder, kids.  I really don't know what to say about this one - and I mean that in 100% earnest. I simply don't know what to say. This film is not for everybody, but I guess it's for somebody. That somebody is not me. 

Order I want them to win: Magic Candies, Yuck!, In the Shadow of the Cypress, [big gap], Beautiful Men, [bigger gap], cancel the Oscars, outlaw all animation forevermore, Wander to Wonder. 

Order I think they will win: Magic Candies, maybe In the Shadow of the Cypress, Beautiful Men, Yuck!, please-all-the-gods-forbid Wander to Wonder

Check out the Shorts in a cinema near you, now playing! But, don't say I didn't warn you about the weirdos and the naked men and the weirdo naked men! 

Completed Category: Animated: Redux

 Yesterday I was tired; this morning I found the energy to say a tiny bit more about the Animated Feature Film nominees. 

Have you seen them?

First of all, Flow is amazing and might win. It's about a cat!

Of course it should win! Actually, it's a wonderful, mesmerizing little journey and misfit friends story. It's also nominated in the International Feature category; it's Latvian, with no dialogue; the director is fun on the socials. Bet against it in your Oscar pool at your own risk.

My second favorite is Inside Out 2, which I thought was clever and actually engaged me more than the first one (which won). I rather enjoyed Ennui ("Ennui, are you paying attention?" "Non.") and I think the broccoli boat should be a Disneyland ride?!

Memoir Of A Snail is the weirdo one, and not for kids. It was so not my style at all, but then grew on me a little bit because the old woman voiced by Jacki Weaver is amazing (in a kind of get-off-my-lawn way) and I love the snail at the end

Also not really my thing is Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, although I'm sure that humor and the misunderstanding between them works for some people. It makes me feel anxious about the dog! Like, wake up dumb human! Anyway, this had a major scene with a bridge that tried to get in on last year's Mission Impossible/Indiana Jones years-later-sequel-dramatic-scene -of-peril-on-a-big-high-bridge who-wore-it -better territory.

Speaking of who-wore-it-better, this year's theme is robots that you order or buy to do a job and whose prime directive may or may not jibe with what you need. Reality, much? The Wild Robot is not the only nominated flick to do this (in various categories) but it's a big one and lots of folks' favorite. Could win.

What's your vote?

Toutes les réactions :

Completed Category: Animated

This will be brief because I am tired.  Not because I've reached that point in the Oscar season of being tired but because of too much life stuff. But, maybe I do need to start taking off the entire month of February for watching Oscar nominations!  

Animated Feature Film
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of A Snail
Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot

I liked: Inside Out 2. 
I ... meh:  The Wild Robot, Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Not really my thing, although bits of it grew on me, mostly the snail saving the day: Memoir of a Snail

But I LOVED: Flow

It's about a cat. 

I would be perfectly happy to have more movies like Flow! 
Let's give it the Oscar. 

The End. 

Completed Category: Lead Actress

 The film I saw to complete this category also completed Best Picture but we'll save that for later, and for now just think about...

Actress In A Leading Role
Cynthia Erivo - Wicked
Mikey Madison - Anora
Demi Moore - The Substance
Fernanda Torres -  I'm Still Here
Mr. Carlos "Karla Sofia" Gascon, a man - Emilia Perez

 Are you thinking to yourself "Gee that's weird, why is there a man nominated in the Actress category?"  Well, posterity, if you're reading this and the human species has somehow managed to survive, you probably have history books that note the 2020s as a time of great strife, and a whole lot of nonsense, sometimes simultaneously. One of those areas is the idea that there are "transgender" people who somehow aren't the sex that they are. We're not going to waste any more time on that here (Ask Me Anything - but elsewhere) other than to point out how totally fucking stupid this category is this year because of the nomination of a man, and how sad we are for Angelina Jolie, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Pamela Anderson, Nicole Kidman, Amy Adams, or whichever woman would have had that fifth slot. 

Now, I will also say that while there are four wonderful performances by Actresses in Leading Roles here, they all make me sad (as does the man's - for being nominated), except for Cynthia in Wicked.  On the contrary, Wicked is so much pure joy!!!
Even though it, too, has many layered socio-philosophical questions and lots of turmoil, the movie and the production and everything about it just bring me so much joy, and I'm so happy for the supremely talented Cynthia Erivo in this nomination. I might even be rooting for her if I weren't annoyed by the category fraud regarding her --> co-star Ariana Grande, who is nominated in Supporting. The category fraud sort of spills over and ruins this nomination.  Anyway - she also might get nominated for Second Wicked, when that comes around. She really is so talented.  She's an "EGOT nominee" as they say. and has won several awards.  Someday, Cynthia. 

As much as we love Wicked, most people think one of two other nominees will be the likely winner.  And most people do not think that it will be the man, Gascon, nor that it will be Mikey Madison from Anora.  I mean - she was great, in that she carried the movie, basically the entire thing, and it was entertaining. That flick is not for everybody, but a lot of people sure do love it, and there is certainly talk about it winning in major categories (even Director and Best Picture!)  However, there are two stronger contenders here.

Fernanda Torres is nominated for the Brazilian film I'm Still Here, which is also nominated for not only International Film but Best Picture as well, and it is a heartbreaking performance.  Based on a true story, it made me sadder than just about anything has in a while - humanity is so frustrating and infuriating and horrible from time to time, and the thing is, people simply don't have to be the way they are, but they are.  I get so sad, after watching I'm Still Here, thinking about the family, and the other families of other victims of dictatorships, and about the people who suffered and were tortured and died, for no good reason. None. Fernanda's character endures impossible things, and she might - juuuuuust might - be the winner. 

But. Then we have The Substance. 

Demi Moore is enthusiastically supported and beloved in this 100% bonkers film that I absolutely adored. It's got Hollywood (in spades!), it's got messages, it's got a star we've all grown up with or seen 100 times, finally getting her Oscar nomination.  It is a rollicking ride and it ups the ante multiple times and Demi Moore knocks it out of the park, giving us everything we could want and more on this wild ride. 

With her Golden Globe win and her trending buzz (and her lack of public relations nightmare mistakes - at least not yet!), Demi Moore is starting to really be favored to really win this Oscar, and I am 100% OK if the Academy makes this choice. 

What a year. What a time to be alive. 

Order I want them to win: 
Demi, Fernanda, Cynthia, Mikey

Order I think they will win: 
Demi, Fernanda, Cynthia, Mikey, the man

Who was your favorite Lead Actress performance? 

Completed Category: Makeup & Hairstyling

 Over the years, the Makeup category has given me the chance to see some films I otherwise never would have seen! 

Makeup and Hairstyling
A Different Man
Emilia Perez
Nosferatu
The Substance
Wicked

This year, four of the films got a bunch of other nominations, but the weird one that is here for the Makeup party is A Different Man. Interestingly, its star, Sebastian Stan, is nominated for a freaking Lead Actor Oscar, for a different film! What a weird year. A Different Man definitely does some very interesting, very heavy things with makeup and hair. Mostly makeup though, except for fitting hair all around the "deformities" I suppose... interesting little film. 

Not the weirdest film of the bunch, though!  There are at least two that are weirder, and mostly not in a good way.  It is really saying something when the land of Oz from the perspective of the Wicked Witch is the most normal of the bunch! On that note, I would love for Wicked  to win here and everywhere it's nominated (except Score ... and, well, I'm not really into Ariana's category fraud) but I don't think it's going to. I think one of the weird ones will. 

Emilia Perez?  Gods forbid. I hate that movie. The less said about it the better, although I suppose the whole transforming a man into both a creepy-ass looking drug lord AND a man pretending to be a woman is a bit of work for the Makeup artists and Hairstylists. So much ugh. Next? 

Nosferatu?  I mean - definitely some cool and creepy looking folks running around this one, too. And, I'm assuming Makeup helps with all the blood and bite marks and whatnot?  Pretty good work all around. 

Still - I am on #TeamTheSubstance. I definitely want The Substance  to collect some awards (Go Demi!) and this is absolutely one where it has a good shot. I won't spoiler you but let's just say when you think you've seen some impressive stuff, there is still more to come with prosthetics and skin and hair and all of it. It's a crazy, ridiculous, profound movie and I'm definitely one of its fans.  Have you seen it yet?  What did you think? 

Order I want them to win: 
The Substance x 1,000,000 
then Nosferatu or Wicked or  A Different Man ... but really just still The Substance

Order I think they will win: 
The Substance, A Different Man, Wicked, Nosferatu, Emilia Perez

Completed Category: Adapted Screenplay

I completed another category this week! My tenth completed for this year's Oscar noms. 

Adapted Screenplay
A Complete Unknown - James Mangold and Jay Cocks 
Conclave - Peter Straughan
Emilia Perez - Jacques Audiard collaboration w/ Thomas Bidegain, Lea Mysius, Nicolas Livecchi
Nickel Boys - RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes    
Sing Sing -   Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, w/story also by Clarence Maclin, John Divine G Whitfield 

I love to think about the Screenplay categories each year, and I often seek out the source material for the Adapted category.  I read Conclave  a few months ago specifically based on early/summer awards buzz, and I read Nickel Boys last year too, although I would have done that anyway because it won a Pulitzer. 

I have NOT yet read Dylan Goes Electric! on which A Complete Unknown was somewhat based, nor the Esquire article that Sing Sing was adapted from about the prisoners' real-life story and the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program. 

As for the living, breathing, walking, talking, singing mess that is Emilia Perez,  we are apparently considering the screenplay to be based on the opera libretto that the writer/director wrote - because yes, he originally conceived this as an opera, which means it actually could have been even worse. I know, hard to believe - and that libretto was based on a character from a chapter of some book, and anyway, don't worry, we do not need to be seeking out any of this. 

Conclave is awesome! I liked the book, it's a fictional story, it's not an affront to the Catholic church, did I mention it's fiction, and as I've been saying for months since I read the book, you won't be getting any spoilers from me!  But even knowing everything that would happen, I still enjoyed the film and felt the requisite emotions, including tension, excitement, dismay, etc.  Great screenplay and great flick. I am so happy it has a chance to win! 

I won't be mad if A Complete Unknown wins either, though, as it was also an excellent film, and it distilled a complex story and coming together of people into a solid narrative that was well structured and well executed.  I would be perfectly fine with A Complete Unknown sweeping every single category in which it's nominated, actually, because my strongest feelings about other films are for categories in which A Complete Unknown is not nominated. 

Sing Sing probably won't win here, because it seems to be under the radar a little bit, and I think the performances of the ensemble are what made it soar, not necessarily the screenplay. I don't mean anything against it; it did its work well. 

Emilia Perez is a mess, as previously mentioned. There might be some spoilers herein; be warned. Nothing about it makes sense (least of all, why does it exist, and why must they sing) but for real - why can't he find a surgeon? why does he need the lawyer to do that? why are we expected to believe that ANY of the second half would/could happen?  does anyone think you could just start up that non-profit?  or that cartels would suddenly be hands off because they supposedly "don't know who you are"? or that people wouldn't know who you are?  not to mention all the seriously confused messaging about the so-called transition - are you two people, or not?  were you "always" this "woman" (ha ha, no) or not?  I mean, in some ways that's not the film's fault per se - nothing about any trans ideology makes a lick of sense, so why should it in a musical film about it?  But this screenplay is a mess, much like the finished product film. 

And sadly Nickel Boys, which is not anywhere near as bad, is also kind of a total mess.  I read that book. I found the movie extremely faithful to the book. And that is the only reason I had any idea whatsoever what was happening. I want to avoid spoilers, but honestly, they could only probably help you. While the movie depicts everything that happened in the book, it doesn't actually, like, communicate what's happening. Why is he going to this place? Was he sentenced? Was that explained? In the book it was!  What is happening with this "community service"? Was that explained?  In the book it was! What did the director tell the boy before the boxing match? It sure was explained in the book seeing as it's a  major pivotal plot point, along with what happened after the match as a direct result.  The notebook, the visitors, who was punished, who was where, who lives, who dies, you know, just simple little questions like that that are the whole entire point?  Explained in the book. The movie, not so much.  I'm sorry Nickel Boys, but ... what? 

Order I want them to win: 
A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Sing Sing, please no Emilia Perez, please no Nickel Boys 

Order I think they will win: 
Conclave, A Complete Unknown, and then I don't know. Maybe Sing Sing and then the other two? 

Which screenplays did you like?  

Completed Category: Supporting Actor

 This is the other category I completed by watching The Apprentice. 

Actor In A Supporting Role
Yura Borisov - Anora
Kieran Culkin - A Real Pain
Edward Norton - A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce - The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong - The Apprentice

This is a category where I really like all five performances. I wouldn't be mad or at least not really mad when any of the five of them wins, except for the fact that one of the nominations belongs in another category! However,  I have a clear far and away favorite who I want to win, who will sadly not win. 

Three of these nominees are from films also nominated for Lead Actor. Will we have men from the same film in both of the men categories? (you know, the two for male actors? unless they get nominated in an Actress category of course).  It has happened before that the Lead and Supporting Actor winners are from the same film - including for one of my top Oscar-winning Best Pics of all time, The Best Years of Our Lives, as well as for Going My Way, Ben-Hur, Mystic River. Dallas Buyers Club, and most recently, Oppenheimer.  This shows us that a majority of the time the two men's categories (there are two) winners won for the same film, it was also the film that won Best Pic, but not every single time.  And so - theoretically A Complete Unknown could do this, even if The Brutalist  wins Best Pic, and I would like that. 

I don't think chances are strong for The Apprentice here. But it was a great honor for Jeremy Strong to be nominated, and he's Gen X!  Which I'm mildly obsessed with this year.  He made us feel all kinds of things, such as sympathy and affection for Roy Cohn, which is quite an amazing feat. This would be one of the best upsets of all Oscar time, if he wins. By the way, I still haven't watched Succession in which he's evidently great, and I need to do that. 

The other honor to be nominated is Yura Borisov. Where the heck did he come from, right?! Russia, actually, is the answer. Side note that he apparently voiced the cat in a The Master and Margarita film, which I didn't know existed until five minutes ago and which I need to have in my life. Anyway, he's freaking fantastic in Anora, and his part is so interesting, the way he is the least frantic of this gaggle of misfit friends - so, so well done. 

Now, everybody thinks Kieran Culkin is going to win, and he probably is, because he's category fraudulent here and was absolutely a co-star of A Real Pain. So, ugh. Moving along...

What if, indeed, The Brutalist the Brutal-est starts sweeping everything beginning with an early evening win for Guy Pearce?  I honestly wouldn't mind that much. We've had worse Oscar nights. I liked his performance even more than Adrien Brody's.  It was wild and bold and scary and fantastic. He is also Gen X. 

But you know who the best Gen X-er in this category is? My favorite, which I feel so, so strongly in my heart, is Edward Norton in A Complete Unknown.  Ed Norton as Pete Seeger was revelatory. I was transfixed by him in every scene as he conveyed so much about Pete Seeger, and about Bob Dylan, and about everything that was going on with and around them - it was wonderful beyond belief and him not winning Supporting Actor is the thing that is going to make me the absolute saddest on Oscar night. 

Order I want them to win: 
Edward Norton, Edward Norton, Edward Norton, Edward Norton, Edward Norton

Order I think they will win: 
Kieran Culkin the Category Fraud, Guy Pearce, possibly Edward Norton who should win, Jeremy Strong, Yura Borisov

Down with fraud! Up with Seeger!