Catching Up on the Guilds 2020: An Oscar Precursors Roundup

Total Guild Nominations:

Abominable – CAS (1)

American Factory – ACE (1)

Apollo 11 – ACE (1), CAS (1)

Avengers: Endgame – SAG (1)

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood – SAG (1)

Bombshell – SAG (4)

Dolemite is My Name – ACE (1)

Echo in the Canyon – CAS (1)

The Farewell – ACE (1)

Ford v Ferrari – ACE (1), CAS (1), SAG (2)

Frozen II – ACE (1), CAS (1)

Harriet – SAG (1)

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World – CAS (1)

Hustlers – SAG (1)

I Lost My Body – ACE (1)

The Irishman – ACE (1), CAS (1), SAG (5)

Jojo Rabbit – ACE (1), SAG (3)

Joker – ACE (1), CAS (1), SAG (2)

Judy – SAG (1)

Just Mercy – SAG (1)

Knives Out – ACE (1)

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice – ACE (1)

The Lion King – CAS (1)

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound – ACE (1), CAS (1)

Marriage Story – ACE (1), SAG (3)

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool – CAS (1)

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – ACE (1), CAS (1), SAG (3)

Parasite – ACE (1), SAG (1)

Rocketman – CAS (1), SAG (1)

Toy Story 4 – ACE (1), CAS (1)

Us – SAG (1)

Woodstock: 3 Days That Changed Everything – CAS (1)

 

Full Guild Nominations Below

2020 ACE EDDIE

BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (DRAMA)

Ford v Ferrari – Michael McCusker, ACE & Andrew Buckland
The Irishman – Thelma Schoonmaker, ACE
Joker – Jeff Groth
Marriage Story – Jennifer Lame, ACE
Parasite – Jinmo Yang

BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (COMEDY)

Dolemite is My Name – Billy Fox, ACE
The Farewell – Michael Taylor & Matthew Friedman
Jojo Rabbit – Tom Eagles
Knives Out – Bob Ducsay
Once Upon a Time In Hollywood – Fred Raskin, ACE

BEST EDITED ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Frozen II – Jeff Draheim, ACE
I Lost My Body – Benjamin Massoubre
Toy Story 4 – Axel Geddes, ACE

BEST EDITED DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)

American Factory – Lindsay Utz
Apollo 11 – Todd Douglas Miller
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice – Jake Pushinsky, ACE & Heidi Scharfe, ACE
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound – David J. Turner & Thomas G. Miller, ACE

 

2019 CINEMA AUDIO SOCIETY 

MOTION PICTURE – LIVE ACTION

Ford v Ferrari
Production Mixer – Steven A. Morrow CAS
Re-recording Mixer – Paul Massey CAS
Re-recording Mixer – David Giammarco CAS
Scoring Mixer – Tyson Lozensky
ADR Mixer – David Betancourt
Foley Mixer – Richard Duarte

Joker
Production Mixer – Tod Maitland CAS
Re-recording Mixer – Dean A Zupancic
Re-recording Mixer – Tom Ozanich
Scoring Mixer – Daniel Kresco
ADR Mixer – Thomas J. O’Connell
Foley Mixer – Richard Duarte

Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood
Production Mixer – Mark Ulano CAS
Re-recording Mixer – Michael Minkler CAS
Re-recording Mixer – Christian Minkler CAS
Foley Mixer – Kyle Rochlin

Rocketman
Production Mixer – John Hayes
Re-recording Mixer – Mike Prestwood Smith
Re-recording Mixer – Mathew Collinge
ADR Mixer – Mark Appleby
Foley Mixer – Glen Gathard

The Irishman
Production Mixer – Tod Maitland CAS
Re-recording Mixer – Tom Fleischman CAS
Re-recording Mixer – Eugene Gearty
ADR Mixer – Mark DeSimone CAS
Foley Mixer – George A. Lara CAS

MOTION PICTURE—ANIMATED

Abominable
Original Dialogue Mixer – Tighe Sheldon
Re-recording Mixer – Myron Nettinga
Scoring Mixer – Nick Wollage
Foley Mixer – David Jobe

Frozen II
Original Dialogue Mixer – Paul McGrath CAS
Re-recording Mixer – David E. Fluhr CAS
Re-recording Mixer – Gabriel Guy CAS
Song Mixer – David Boucher
Scoring Mixer – Greg Hayes
ADR Mixer – Doc Kane CAS
Foley Mixer – Scott Curtis

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Original Dialogue Mixer – Tighe Sheldon
Re-recording Mixer – Gary A. Rizzo CAS
Re-recording Mixer – Scott R. Lewis
Re-recording Mixer – Shawn Murphy
Foley Mixer – Blake Collins CAS

The Lion King
Original Dialogue Mixer – Ronald Judkins CAS
Re-recording Mixer – Lora Hirschberg
Re-recording Mixer – Christopher Boyes
Scoring Mixer – Alan Meyerson CAS
Foley Mixer – Blake Collins CAS

Toy Story 4
Original Dialogue Mixer – Doc Kane CAS
Re-recording Mixer – Michael Semanick CAS
Re-recording Mixer – Nathan Nance
Scoring Mixer – David Boucher
ADR Mixer – Vince Caro CAS
Foley Mixer – Scott Curtis

MOTION PICTURE—DOCUMENTARY

Apollo 11
Re-recording Mixer – Eric Milano
Re-recording Mixer – Brian Eimer

Echo in the Canyon
Re-recording Mixer – Chris Jenkins
Re-recording Mixer – Paul Karpinski

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
Production Mixer – David J. Turner
Re-recording Mixer – Tom Myers
Scoring Mixer – Dan Blanck
Foley Mixer – Frank Rinella

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
Production Mixer – Gautam Choudhury
Re-recording Mixer – Benny Mouthon CAS

Woodstock: 3 Days That Changed Everything
Re-recording Mixer – Kevin Peters

 

2020 Screen Actors Guild (SAG)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE

Bombshell (Lionsgate)
The Irishman (Netflix)
Jojo Rabbit (Fox)
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Sony)
Parasite (Neon)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Christian Bale – Ford v Ferrari
Leonardo DiCaprio – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Adam Driver – Marriage Story
Taron Egerton – Rocketman
Joaquin Phoenix – Joker

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Cynthia Erivo – Harriet
Scarlett Johansson – Marriage Story
Lupita Nyong’o – Us
Charlize Theron – Bombshell
Renée Zellweger – Judy

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Jamie Foxx – Just Mercy
Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Al Pacino – The Irishman
Joe Pesci – The Irishman
Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Laura Dern – Marriage Story
Scarlett Johansson – Jojo Rabbit
Nicole Kidman – Bombshell
Jennifer Lopez – Hustlers
Margot Robbie – Bombshell

OUTSTANDING ACTION PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

Avengers: Endgame
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Joker
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Review: ‘Marriage Story’ Features Good, Not Great, Performances

For decades, the push and pull between New York and Los Angeles has folded itself into the fabric of cinema. The coastal cities have created near monopolies on cultural influence around the world, with distinct styles emerging from each city. With the proliferation of filmmakers in the 1960s and 1970s, the danger and gruffness of New York created a clear dichotomy against Hollywood filmmaking. The new, gritty style often cashed in on the emotion of its characters. At the same time, Hollywood advanced the technology of filmmaking, using backlots and controlled environments to create worlds unlike any in existence.

While this dichotomous relationship within the industry has been present for decades, only a few films have truly cashed in on the subtle civil war at the movies. With the release of Mariage Story, director Noah Baumbach has crafted a raw and emotional Annie Hall in contemporary times. Thanks to its performances, some will see this as one of the definitive films of 2019. However, the film falters when it overexposes its actors, creating a theatrical instead of a natural feel to the film.

Marriage Story follows the devolving relationship of Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) and Charlie (Adam Driver). Nicole was a teen star looking to break back into Hollywood entertainment. Charlie directs a successful acting troupe in New York, which Nicole headlined for years. After Nicole receives a deal to star in a pilot for a new series, she moves to Los Angeles with their son Henry (Azhy Robertson). Once there, she officially files for divorce and the two begin a legal battle that intensifies as divorce attorneys lawyers (Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta) get involved.

Baumbach’s story of a dissolving marriage should ring true for anyone who has seen a marriage destroy itself from the inside. His exploration of the destruction we do to one another during these ugly moments come from a raw and emotional place. At the same time, it appears that Baumbach has combined his own relationships with renowned actresses Greta Gerwig and Jennifer Jason Leigh to create an extremely personal tale. Regardless of how much of each relationship gets put on the big screen, it’s clear that there are no heroes here. Instead, these are two people who once cared for each other more than anything else in the world. That means they can hurt each other in ways no one else can. Baumbach’s direction and script give you ample opportunities to side with either person, but at the end of the day, he never makes clear who is right or wrong. This gives Marriage Story a resonance that few other films focused on divorce get the benefit of having.

For Driver, Marriage Story gives him enough material to really showcase his talents. At times, he’s transportive. You can read every inch of pain across his face as he struggles to cope with the events. His physicality surprises at times, allowing Driver to reveal a side of his talent we have not seen in previous roles. Yet other times, it feels as if he pushes the material too hard. The anger and frustration work for most of the film, but some will find it tough to not laugh at a moment or two.

Meanwhile, Johansson fluctuates between theater kid and genuine performance. It feels more intentional from her, and when she finds the raw emotion it really hits home. Yet she blends in odd ticks, including speaking out of the side of her mouth, with little reason beyond making the character more dynamic than the page allows. However, this can come off as too much. The character of Nicole should be too good, but the small distractions make her character come off as inauthentic. Perhaps this was Baumbach’s point, but if so it disrupts the very purpose of telling the story the way he does.

Perhaps the most egregious overacting comes from Dern. The veteran actress continues to prove she’s one of the best in the business, but the character’s ego overtakes the screen. Dern plays her with far less subtlety than her Big Little Lies character, and ultimately there are too many similarities to ignore. It would not be so glaring if she did not already play a better version of a similar character mere months ago. Dern is not bad, but I was hoping for more from the roles that will likely give her an Oscar win in February.

The remaining cast rounds out the cast perfectly. Alda shines as an incompetent lawyer, but a wonderfully enjoyable man. You feel drawn into his stories and analysis, but it’s only when you begin to listen to his words that its clear he’s outmatched. He’s one of the few genuinely good people in this film, and that light feels precious. Both Julie Hagerty and Merritt Weaver utilize their comedic timing to perfection. They embody the awkwardness of divorce and you’ll miss them when they leave the screen. Liotta gets some great sparring scenes with Dern, and two show their true talent between the court appearances.

For the most part, Marriage Story has earned its reputation as a complicated look at divorce. Johansson earns the standout status, and Driver should continue to build on his strong body of work. However, Baumbach’s style creates opportunities for unauthentic moments in a film that needs authenticity to work. Yet Marriage Story works its best when Baumbach opens up. There’s beauty within this terrible process, and those will be the moments we’ll remember.

GRADE: (★★★)

What did you think of Marriage Story? Let us know in the comments below! 

Check out our other reviews from We Bought a Blog here! Check out AJ’s Letterboxd to keep up with what he’s watching! 

Review: Love, Trauma and Rebirth Drive Trey Edward Shults’ ‘Waves’ To Greatness

There are moments in our lives that divide our psyches. Intense, unrelenting trauma can destroy a person and forever change them. There are dozens of examples across film and literature, from pop culture gods like Voldemort to quiet pages of Of Mouse and Men. More often than not, these hurricane moments pull others into the storm, and this destruction can be the most fertile ground for exploration. Trey Edward Shults brings this exploration to life in gorgeous and absurdly personal Waves. There are before and after moments throughout the film, but one thing is clear: Shults will be known as a very good director before Waves, and a master after.

Waves opens on Tyler (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), a young man growing up in South Florida. He wrestles, parties with his friends, and has fallen in love with his girlfriend Alexis (Alexa Demie). At home, he has a seemingly perfect life. His sister Emily (Taylor Russell) keeps to herself in her room, his step-mother (Renée Elise Goldsberry) cares for him, and his father (Sterling K. Brown) pushes him to excel. Yet beneath the surface, Tyler feels the pressure building.

Shults brings Waves to life as a roaring statement of visual and audio splendor. Pumping out tunes from Kanye West, Frank Ocean, and Radiohead, Shults appears to have a synesthesic ability to utilize his soundtrack for storytelling. The use of pop and rap became so integral to the film, it was misreported to be a musical early in its development. When “I Am a God” or “Backseat Freestyle” fade into the background, Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor pick up the pieces with a haunting score. The film’s use of color further immerses you, and the stylistic cinematography from Drew Daniels recalls Malik’s best work. The bright pinks, blues, and reds lead to some of the best use of bright fluorescent colors since Her. Paired with the music, Waves combines the visual audacity of bright colors with the roaring soundtrack to create a Fantasia-like dream aesthetic.

Yet even more interesting, Waves’ two-part structure cannot be ignored as an impressively daring storytelling tactic. There are moments before trauma and after trauma. There’s a real chance that you’ll hate the film at some point. I must confess, I felt disconnected from the story for some time. Yet the crescendo of the film crashes down on you and sweeps you away. Shults showcases the broken pieces of the people in life and recontextualizes them into a harrowing tale of love.

The entire cast comes to play, and its nearly impossible to single out a performer from the cast. The closest must be Russell, who earns breakout status for the moving portrayal of Emily. Her quiet disposition gives way to an emotional avalanche, and you want to reach into the screen and hug her. Luckily, Brown’s intense and loving role as her father is there to try to pick up the pieces. Despite the jokes about Brown as a tear-jerking, emotional actor, Brown’s range comes out in full force. In limited screentime, you can read every emotion across his face, and his world-view intimately shapes the events in question.

At the same time, Goldsberry and Harrison soar to their own heights. Harrison will become a superstar in the vein of Michael B. Jordan. He channels rage and charisma in similar, but even that undersells his incredible performance. To go from the young and quiet boy in Shults’ It Comes at Night to this tornado of a young man in Waves, it’s clear we have a prodigy on our hands. Goldsberry nearly stole the movie for me in one confrontation, and when she’s on-screen it is impossible to take your eyes off her. It’s truly one of the best performances of Motherhood this decade, even with the baggage she carries. With each of our four performers operating at different frequencies, the combined power creates an undeniably rich text of emotion and love.

Waves will likely be overlooked this year as the most recent film in the A24 “Florida Series,” including the experimental and pretty films Moonlight, Spring Breakers, and The Florida Project. Yet each of these films takes different approaches to their material, and somehow Waves might be the loudest of all. Shults announced himself as a must-watch director when Krisha turned heads in 2015. Waves is the most ambitious and emotional film of his young career. It’s one of 2019 best and earns strong consideration to be included in any best of the decade list currently under construction.

GRADE: (★★★½)

What did you think of Waves? Let us know in the comments below! 

Check out our other reviews from We Bought a Blog here! Check out AJ’s Letterboxd to keep up with what he’s watching! 

SAG Nominations: ‘Bombshell’ Leads Nominations, ‘The Irishman’ and ‘Parasite’ Get Big Nominations

The Screen Actors Guild has announced their nominations for the 2020 awards, and it’s a good day to be a cast member of Bombshell. The upcoming film from Jay Roach nabbed four total nominations, including a Best Ensemble nomination. Additionally, Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie, and Nicole Kidman each picked up nominations in both lead and supporting categories.

The other two big winners of the day were Once Upon a Time In Hollywood and The Irishman. Hollywood scored noms for Ensemble, Actor (DiCaprio) and Supporting (Pitt), with Robbie instead grabbing a nomination for Bombshell. The Irishman scored in both Ensemble and Stunt Ensemble, but the big surprise was a snub from Robert De Niro. The actor at the center of the film missed out, making this his second big miss of the season. Will Oscar get him back on track?

Over the past three years, at least three Best Ensemble nominations converted to Best Picture nominations at the Oscars. Twice they’ve correctly predicted four nominations. This year’s group stands a real chance at getting all five of the nominees through, but one or two may be bubble films. On its face, Parasite seems like the weak link, but as a foreign film it was at a massive disadvantage. In fact, Parasite becomes the first foreign film to earn a Best Ensemble nomination since Life is Beautiful.

The full nominations list can be found below, which includes both film and TV nominations.

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture:

“Bombshell” (Lionsgate)
“The Irishman” (Netflix)
“Jojo Rabbit” (Fox)
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (Sony)
“Parasite” (Neon)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role:

Christian Bale (“Ford v Ferrari”)
Leonardo DiCaprio (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)
Adam Driver (“Marriage Story”)
Taron Egerton (“Rocketman”)
Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker”)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role:

Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”)
Scarlett Johansson (“Marriage Story”)
Lupita Nyong’o (“Us”)
Charlize Theron (“Bombshell”)
Renée Zellweger (“Judy”)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role:

Jamie Foxx (“Just Mercy”)
Tom Hanks (“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”)
Al Pacino (“The Irishman”)
Joe Pesci (“The Irishman”)
Brad Pitt (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role:

Laura Dern (“Marriage Story”)
Scarlett Johansson (“Jojo Rabbit”)
Nicole Kidman (“Bombshell”)
Jennifer Lopez (“Hustlers”)
Margot Robbie (“Bombshell”)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture:

“Avengers: Endgame”
“Ford v Ferrari”
“The Irishman”
“Joker”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series:

“Big Little Lies” (HBO)
“The Crown” (Netflix)
“Game of Thrones” (HBO)
“The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)
“Stranger Things” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series:

“Barry” (HBO)
“Fleabag” (Amazon)
“The Kominsky Method” (Netflix)
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon)
“Schitt’s Creek” (CBC Television)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:

Mahershala Ali (“True Detective”)
Russell Crowe (“The Loudest Voice”)
Jared Harris (“Chernobyl”)
Jharrel Jerome (“When They See Us”)
Sam Rockwell (“Fosse/Verdon”)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:

Patricia Arquette (“The Act”)
Toni Collette (“Unbelievable”)
Joey King (“The Act”)
Emily Watson (“Chernobyl”)
Michelle Williams (“Fosse/Verdon”)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series:

Sterling K. Brown (“This Is Us”)
Steve Carell (“The Morning Show”)
Billy Crudup (“The Morning Show”)
Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”)
David Harbour (“Stranger Things”)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series:

Jennifer Aniston (“The Morning Show”)
Helena Bonham Carter (“The Crown”)
Olivia Colman (“The Crown”)
Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”)
Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series:

Alan Arkin (“The Kominsky Method”)
Michael Douglas (“The Kominsky Method”)
Bill Hader (“Barry”)
Andrew Scott (“Fleabag”)
Tony Shalhoub (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series:

Cristina Applegate (“Dead to Me”)
Alex Borstein (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Catherine O’Hara (“Schitt’s Creek”)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series:

“Game of Thrones”
“GLOW”
“Stranger Things”
“The Walking Dead”
“Watchman”

 

 

Review: ‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco’ Uses Gentrification to Haunt the City by the Bay

In 2019, the Golden State Warriors opened a new stadium. The Chase Center would be a state-of-the-art celebration of a team that revolutionized basketball. It would also signal the death of a fanbase. Despite decades of playing in Oakland, the Warriors and owner Joe Lacob moved the team to San Francisco. After all, tech moguls and angel investors did not want to go to Oakland anymore. The city could not gentrify quickly enough, and San Fransisco tapped into a new crowd. Despite the culture that had built the team up, Oakland was not white enough to keep its team.

The Bay area has long been changing, despite the cultural backlash that’s begun to unfold. San Francisco’s been gentrified, with many African-American and Black families moving across the bay as they were priced out of their own neighborhoods. Actor Jimmie Fails and director Joe Talbot wrote 2019 Indie darling The Last Black Man in San Francisco because of the home Fails’ family actually lost. Giving Fails a starring showcase, Talbot creates a dreamlike world that showcases the ways in which culture, individuality, and creativity can be destroyed as we gentrify areas. Ironically enough, this action of gentrification destroys the very heartbeat of unique communities that draw invading neighbors to the area in the first place.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco follows Jimmie (Fails) as he wanders the San Francisco area with his friend Mont (Jonathan Majors). The two young men live with Mont’s grandfather (Danny Glover) and run into trouble with the local community. One day they pass the childhood home where Jimmie grew up, a house built by his grandfather. Jimmie continues to fix up the house despite the new owner’s objections and pleas for him to stop. However, when the family disappears from the house, Jimmie and Mont move-in. In the months that follow, the men try to keep their newfound dream despite pressure from those around them to abandon the house.

For Fails, his autobiographical performance should propel him to stardom. The emotionally raw style of his role, as well as his vulnerability on display, makes him a standout. He goes big and creates excitement when needed, channeling the talents of a carnival barker. Fails shines brightest when he takes a backseat to his fellow performers, playing off their strengths to elevate scenes. His use of negative space and subtle moments showcases his true range. Screen presence like this is rare to come by. This breakthrough role should put Fails on your map as a potential star in the making.

Fails’ performance is helped by the tremendous Majors. The young actor has shown up in several films in recent years, but this gives him the most material to work from. Majors gets the showier of the two roles, thanks to Mort’s one-man show. While he plays up the artsy side of the character, his journey draws you into the fold. He’s a believer and his undying hope makes him easy to latch onto. As a perfect audience surrogate, Majors creates empathy for our characters. Yet at the same time, his choices create the most devasting outbursts of emotion on screen.

Talbot will surely come away from the project with significant heat. The director creates a dreamlike atmosphere from the opening frames of the film. Every image feels poignant and full of symbolism, yet a straight forward narrative exists. There are almost no fatty parts of the film and Talbot creates real tension. While The Last Black Man From San Francisco feels like the perfect Sundance film, the images he creates leaves you with the impression you’re watching a future master at work.

Talbot gives Fails and Majors room to differentiate themselves from the talented cast, and there’s no doubt they’re the stars. However, the ensemble features a half-dozen incredible performances. Glover’s brilliant in the role, physically and vocally transforming into the blind grandfather. His relationship with Majors becomes a centerpiece of the film, and he sells the chemistry and care you’d expect. The same can be said for Rob Morgan, who once again functions as a scene-stealer in a larger story. Morgan’s quickly become one of the great character actors on film, and despite limited screentime, he effectively cuts his fellow characters to their core. The pessimistic vision he has for the character helps sell Fails as the dreamer we need.

There may not be an indie darling quite like The Last Black Man in San Francisco in 2019, and that’s because few films will feel as singular in their vision. Thanks to Fails and Talbot, this movie roars to life as a modern-day fairytale. Their eye for storytelling makes them an exciting duo to keep an eye on, and with any luck, we’ve seen the birth of another brilliant filmmaking team. Even if this is the only time they collaborate, The Last Black Man in San Francisco is the most exciting debut of the year.

We Bought a Pod Episode 63: Jojo’s Parasite

We discuss one of the best films of the decade and one of the missed opportunities. Parasite and Jojo Rabbit dominate our discussion today! Something went wrong with my audio so sorry for any issues you may experience with it.

00-25:10 – Jojo Rabbit

25:10-38:00 – Parasite (NO SPOILERS)

38:00 -1:01:30 – Parasite (SPOILERS)

1:03:00 – 1:09:00  Soul Trailer

1:09:00 – End Best Movie Quotes of 2019

 

 

 

Golden Globe 2020 Nomination Predictions

Its Golden Globes week and we wanted to get our predictions out early! Check back tomorrow morning to see our actual nominees! In the meantime, here are our picks on the film side for the famously ridiculous Golden Globes! How much transfers over to the Oscars is anyone’s guess.

BEST PICTURE – DRAMA

Predicted Five

1. The Irishman

2. 1917

3. Joker

4. Ford v Ferrari

5. Bombshell

Next Five

6. Marriage Story

7. The Two Popes

8. Richard Jewell

9. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

10. Uncut Gems

BEST PICTURE – COMEDY/MUSICAL

Predicted Five

1. Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood

2. Jojo Rabbit

3. Rocketman

4. Hustlers

5. Cats

Next Five

6. Dolemite Is My Name

7. Knives Out

8. Aladdin

9. Booksmart

10. Long Shot

BEST ACTOR – DRAMA

Predicted Five

1.  Joaquin Phoenix – Joker

2. Adam Driver – Marriage Story

3. Christian Bale – Ford v Ferrari

4. Adam Sandler – Uncut Gems

5. Antonio Banderas – Pain & Glory

Next Five

6. Jonathan Pryce – The Two Popes

7. Robert De Niro – The Irishman

8. Edward Norton – Motherless Brooklyn

9. Paul Walter Hauser – Richard Jewell

10. Michael B. Jordan – Just Mercy

BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA

Predicted Five

1. Renée Zellweger – Judy

2. Charlize Theron – Bombshell

3. Scarlett Johansson – Marriage Story

4. Cynthia Erivo – Harriet

5. Saorise Ronan – Little Women

Next Five

6. Lupita Nyong’o – Us

7. Helen Mirren – The Good Liar

8. Alfre Woodard – Clemency

9. Felicity Jones – The Aeronauts

10. Jodie Turner-Smith – Queen & Slim

BEST ACTRESS – COMEDY/MUSICAL

Predicted Five

1. Awkwafina – The Farewell

2. Elisabeth Moss – Her Smell

3. Charlize Theron – Long Shot

4. Ana De Armas – Knives Out

5. Kaitlyn Deaver – Booksmart

Next Five

6. Emma Thompson – Late Night

7. Beanie Feldstein – Booksmart

8. Constance Wu – Hustlers

9. Jillian Bell – Brittany Runs a Marathon

10. Jessie Buckley – Wild Rose

BEST ACTOR – COMEDY

Predicted Five

1. Eddie Murphy – Dolemite Is My Name

2. Taron Egerton – Rocketman

3. Leonardo DiCaprio – Once Upon a Time In Hollywood

4. Daniel Craig – Knives Out

5. Adam Sandler – Uncut Gems

Next Five

6. Will Smith – Aladdin 

7. Shia LeBeouf – The Peanut Butter Falcon

8. Himesh Patel – Yesterday

9. Mena Massoud – Aladdin

10. Viveik Kalra – Blinded By the Light

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Predicted Five

1. Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

2. Al Pacino – The Irishman

3. Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

4. John Lithgow – Bombshell

5. Sam Rockwell – Jojo Rabbit

Next Five

6. Willem Dafoe – The Lighthouse

7. Joe Pesci – The Irishman

8. Alan Alda – Marriage Story

9. Anthony Hopkins – The Two Popes

10. Taika Waititi – Jojo Rabbit

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Predicted Five

1. Laura Dern – Marriage Story

2. Jennifer Lopez – Hustlers

3. Margot Robbie – Bombshell

4. Maggie Smith – Downton Abbey

5. Meryl Streep – Little Women

Next Five

6. Laura Dern – Little Women

7. Margot Robbie – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

8. Zhao Shuzhen – The Farewell

9. Jennifer Hudson – Cats

10. Nicole Kidman – Bombshell

BEST DIRECTOR

Predicted Five

1. Sam Mendes – 1917

2. Martin Scorsese – The Irishman

3. Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

4. Bong Joon-ho – Parasite

5. Taika Waititi – Jojo Rabbit

Next Five

6. Todd Phillips – Joker

7. Noah Baumbach – Marriage Story

8. James Mangold – Ford v Ferrari

9. Jay Roach – Bombshell

10. Marielle Heller –  A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

BEST SCREENPLAY

Predicted Five

1. Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

2. Bong Joon-ho & Han Jin Wan – Parasite

3. Steve Zaillian – The Irishman

4. Todd Phillips & Scott Silver – Joker

5. Taika Waititi – Jojo Rabbit

Next Five

6. Noah Baumbach – Marriage Story

7. Pedro Almodovar – Pain & Glory

8. Sam Mendes & Krysty Wilson-Claims – 1917

9. Charles Randolph – Bombshell

10. Anthony McCarden – The Two Popes

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

 

Predicted Five

1. “Into the Unknown” From Frozen 2

2. “I’m Gonna Love Me Again” From Rocketman

3. “Beautiful Ghosts” From Cats

4. “Stand Up” – Harriet

5. “One Little Soldier” From Bombshell

Next Five

6. “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” From Toy Story 4

7. “Speechless” From Aladdin

8. “I’m Standing With You” From Breakthrough

9. “Spirit” From The Lion King

10. “Glasgow” From Wild Rose

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Predicted Five

1. Thomas Newman – 1917

2. Marco Beltrami & Buck Sanders – Ford v Ferrari

3. Andres Desplat – Little Women

4.  Randy Newman – Marriage Story

5. Michael Giacchino – Jojo Rabbit

Next Five

6. Terrance Blanchard – Harriet

7. Robbie Richardson – The Irishman

8. Alex Weston – The Farewell

9. Nate Heller – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

10. Steven Price – The Aeronauts

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Predicted Five

1. Toy Story 4

2. Frozen II

3. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

4. Missing Link

5. Abomidable

Next Five

6. I Lost My Body

7. Klaus

8. Addams Family

9. The LEGO Movie: The Second Part

10. Spies in Disguise

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Predicted Five

 1. Parasite

2. Portrait of a Lady on Fire

3. Pain and Glory

4. Atlantics

5. Transit

Next Five

6. Les Miserables

7. Out Stealing Horses

8. Bean Pole

9. Monos

10. Invisible Life

Oscar Below-the-Line Predictions – War Films From Europe to Galaxies Far Far Away (Dec. 7)

Thanks to the Disney/Fox merger, the media conglomerate is set to run roughshod over the craft categories at the Oscars this year. Once again, Netflix looks to put up a fight, but Disney has the odds on favorite to win in most categories. Technical triumphs like Ford V Ferrrari, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and Ad Astra all come from the Disney pipeline. The strength of war film 1917 lies in the technical prowess from Sam Mendes. Not only will the one-shot trick play an integral role in its success, but war movies shine thanks to the auditory experience.

One film that hopes to shake up the race will be Parasite. The immaculate design and craft of the film gives it a chance to breakthrough in many categories. Until it performs well here, it’s tough to consider it any more than a fringe best picture winner. Expect Neon to invest resources to get it over the hump.

Let’s jump into some of the categories for the below-the-line contenders.

Best Cinematography

The Predicted Five

1917 –– Roger Deakins *PREDICTED WINNER

Ford V Ferrari — Phedon Papamichael

The Irishman — Rodrigo Prieto

Joker — Lawrence Sher

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — Robert Richardson

The Next Five

A Hidden Life — Jörg Widmer

Motherless Brooklyn — Dick Pope

Parasite — Hong Kyung-pyo

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker — Dan Mindel

Waves — Drew Daniels

Best Costume Design

Dolemite Is My Name — Ruth E. Carter

Dumbo — Coleen Atwood

Joker — Mark Bridges

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — Arianne Phillips *PREDICTED WINNER

Rocketman — Julian Day

The Next Five

Aladdin –– Michael Wilkinson

Downton Abbey — Anna Mary Scott Robbins

The Irishman — Christopher Peterson & Sandy Powell

Judy — Jany Temime

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker — Michael Kaplan

Best Film Editing

1917 — Lee Smith

Ford v Ferrari — Michael McCusker *PREDICTED WINNER

The Irishman — Thelma Schoonmaker

Parasite — Jinmo Yang

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker — Maryann Brandon & Stefan Grube

The Next Five

Jojo Rabbit — Tom Eagles

Knives Out — Bob Ducsay

Marriage Story — Jennifer Lame

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — Fred Raskin

Waves — Isaac Hagy, Trey Edward Shults

Best Visual Effects

The Predicted Five

Ad Astra — Christopher Downs, Jiwoong Kim, & Bradley Parker

Avengers: Endgame — Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Kelly Port, & Daniel Sudick

The Irishman — Pable Helman & Jiwoong Kim

The Lion King — Robert Legato, Elliot Newman, & Adam Valdez

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker — Roger Guyett & Dominic Tuohy

The Next Five

Alita: Battle Angel — TBD

Captain Marvel — Christopher Townsend & Daniel Sudick

Dumbo — Richard Stammers & Jonathan Weber

Gemini Man — Bill Westenhofer, Bryan Hirota & Mark Hawker

Missing Link — Steve Emerson

Best Production Design

The Predicted Five

Little Women — Claire Kaufman

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — Barbara Ling & Nancy Haigh *PREDICTED WINNER

Parasite — Lee Ha-Jun

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker — Rick Carter & Kevin Jenkins

The Two Popes — Mark Tildesley & Véronique Melery

The Next Five

1917 — Dennis Ganner & Lee Sandales

Cats — Eve Stewart

Downton Abbey — Donal Woods

Ford V Ferrari — François Audouy & Peter Lando

Knives Out — David Crank & David Schlesinger

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

Bombshell — Vivian Baker, Cristina Waltz & Richard Redlefsen* PREDICTED WINNER

Dolemite Is My Name – Vera Steimberg, Debra Denson, Deborah Huss-Humphries

Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood — Heba Thorisdottir & Gregory Funk

Rocketman — Lizzie Yianni Georgiou, Tapio Salmi, Laura Solari

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker — TBD

The Next Five

Avengers: Endgame — John Blake & Francisco Perez

Captain Marvel –– Brian Sipe, Alexei Dmitriew, Sabrina Wilson

Hustlers — Margot Boccia & Roxanne Rizzo

The Irishman — Mike Marino, Mike Fontaine, Carla White

Us — Scott Wheeler, Tym Shutchai Buacharern & Sabrina Castro

Who are we leaving out of the top of each category? Let us hear in the comments below!

Check out our last Best Picture, Acting, and Below-the-line predictions as well! 

Oscar Acting Predictions: Adam Driver Leads a Star-Studded Class (Dec. 6)

In part 2 of our preview, we’re jumping into the acting races. This year’s class looks to be absolutely loaded with talent, and that bodes well for the Oscars in 2019. A lot of great young talent puts themselves in the position to earn nominations, but its the veterans and established stars that look to run the table. Adam Driver concludes a massive year, with five films releasing in 2019.

The actor has become the Richard Dreyfus of his generation. Driver was reliable in dialogue-driven roles (The Report), he owns a place in one of the biggest franchises in the world (Star Wars) and he’s continued auteur work (Dead Don’t Die & Marriage Story). He’s got a weirdly likable actor despite playing generally unlikable characters. 2019 feels like an obvious time to reward him, and he’s headlining one of the big contenders of the year. The guys going to win an Oscar someday, but can he hold off the legendary actors biting at his heels? Let’s jump into the predictions.

NOTE: Any awards in Italics means the performer WON the prize from said group.

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Predicted Five

Cynthia Erivo — Harriet

Scarlett Johannson — Marriage Story (Altman Award/Indie Spirit)

Saorise Ronan — Little Women

Charlize Theron — Bombshell* PREDICTED WINNER

Renée Zellweger — Judy (Indie, BIFA, AFCC, NBR)

The Next Five

Awkwafina — The Farewell (Gotham)

Elisabeth Moss — Her Smell (Gotham, Indie Spirit)

Lupita Nyong’o — Us (NYFCC)

Mary Kay Place — Diane (Gotham, Indie Spirit)

Alfre Woodard — Clemency (Gotham, Indie Spirit)

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Predicted Five

Antonio Banderas — Pain and Glory (NYFCC)

Robert De Niro — The Irishman

Leonardo DiCaprio — Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Adam Driver —  Marriage Story (Altman Award/Indie Spirit, Gotham, AFCC)* PREDICTED WINNER

Joaquin Phoenix — Joker

The Next Five

Christian Bale — Ford v Ferrari

Taron Egerton — Rocketman

Eddie Murphy — Dolemite is My Name

Jonathan Pryce — The Two Popes

Adam Sandler — Uncut Gems (Gotham, Indie Spirits, NBR)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Predicted Five

Kathy Bates — Richard Jewell

Laura Dern — Marriage Story (Altman Award/Indie Spirit)* PREDICTED WINNER

Jennifer Lopez — Hustlers (Indie Spirit)

Margot Robbie — Bombshell

Zhao Shuzhen — The Farewell (Indie Spirit)

The Next Five

Annette Benning — The Report 

Octavia Spencer — Luce (Indie Spirit)

Thomasin Mackenzie — Jojo Rabbit

Margot Robbie — Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Taylor Russell — Waves (Gotham, Indie Spirit)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Predicted Five

Willem Dafoe — The Lighthouse (Gotham, Indie Spirit)

Tom Hanks — A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Al Pacino — The Irishman

Joe Pesci — The Irishman

Brad Pitt — Once Upon a Time in Hollywood *PREDICTED WINNER

The Next Five

Alan Alda — Marriage Story (Altman Award/Indie Spirit)

Sterling K. Brown — Waves

Anthony Hopkins — The Two Popes

Song Kang-ho — Parasite

Shia LaBeouf — Honey Boy (Indie Spirit)

Who are we leaving out of the top of each category? Let us hear in the comments below!

Review: ‘The Report’ Takes a Hard Look at American Violence During The War on Terror

For nearly twenty years, the United States has found itself in conflict with an entire religion and subsection of the world. The Sysiphus-like task that the US embarked upon after the events of 9/11 has stretched across the globe. It’s also hard to dispute that some American follies in the Middle East have not exacerbated many of the issues at play. The Report attempts to reveal the truths about these problematic choices we made as government, which far extended past the Bush-era White House. As a piece of political storytelling, the new film from Scott Z. Burns tries to play tell the story from a non-partisan perspective. Its protagonist is a man seeking the truth. Yet on the way, some of these truths become hard to swallow, forcing us to look internally as a nation and culture.

The Report follows Daniel J. Jones (Adam Driver), a career bureaucrat who wishes to serve his country as an anti-terrorism expert. He becomes a Senate Staffer under the direction of Senator Dianne Feinstein (Annette Benning) and finds his way into writing reports on the Bush White House. In a post-9/11 America, he’s asked to investigate the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation programs, which handled the torture of enemy combatants. As Jones begins to run into resistance from those outside and within the Democratic party, it becomes questionable if his report will ever see the light of day.

Burns puts his cards on the table early, loading the dialogue with detailed and gruesome information from the program. The stories that find their way into the discourse are tough to hear, but even tougher to watch. As Jones dives deeper into the rabbit hole, it seems like the stories grow even more upsetting. Juxtaposing Jones’ reading of the documents with flashbacks to the conversations and actions that came to define the program, Burns paints an exact picture about a sin of American policy.

Yet Burns also gets real credit for humanizing people behind those decisions. More importantly, he paints the picture of terror and frustration that reaks through the government at the time. For every self-important idiot who comes to create these disgusting programs, you see the very real person who believed they were keeping the United States safe. These were not acts perpetrated by evil people, but the acts themselves are unquestionably so.

Visually, Burns allows the dark hallways of government buildings to feel intimidating and lonely. As Driver’s character moves through the story, it’s clear that the power structures of Washington are against him. Many of the scenes feel reminiscent of Traffic or Spotlight, and blending the two vibes makes this one far from boring. Burns learned a lot from working with Steven Soderberg, and at times it can be hard to ignore the influence of the famed indie director (who serves as a producer on the film).

For Driver, this performance proves his movie star chops as he carries the picture. Driver finds ways to imbue emotion and frustration into frankly dry material, and in lesser hands, the audience would check out quickly. Yet with Driver at the helm, you want to eat the vegetables of American foreign policy, and understand the repercussions. Driver’s ability to hold his composure or wordlessly eviscerate an intelligent foe with a mere glance makes use of his extraordinary talent. It’s subtle acting at its finest, and if you have any doubt about Driver as a star, he channels the stillness of Hoffman and Keaton in the best of ways.

 The ensemble cast brings lots of great performances into the fold, but everyone takes a backseat to Driver. Benning’s Feinstein comes across as a woman in control, playing the editor role to perfection for Driver’s emotional journey. As she pushes or pulls at the right moments, she can easily be compared to a Ben Bradlee-type, which serves its purpose well in the context of the narrative.

Jon Hamm and Ted Levine offer up interesting contrasts to Driver, especially because of who they work for. The monologues they deliver speak most to today’s political climate, but ultimately misunderstand what the future will hold for the system. Michael C. Hall and Maura Tierney also get limited screentime, but this gives background characters the ability to pop.

For Burns, The Report shows tremendous growth and talent that could be brought out with the right project. He harnasses the cast well, and Driver’s standout performance makes this an interesting watch. However, the subject matter will undeniably alienate some members of the audience. Weirdly, being apolitical has become political in today’s climate, but the search for truth feels more essential than ever. The Report surely succeeds on those grounds and earns must-watch status for political junkies.

GRADE: (★★★)

What did you think of The Report? Let us know in the comments below! Stream it on Amazon Prime today!  

Check out our other reviews from We Bought a Blog here! Check out AJ’s Letterboxd to keep up with what he’s watching!