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?