Weekend Watch - August/September 2023 Recap

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating and review. This week, we are looking back at the months of August and September and highlighting the films most likely to have a shot at joining this blog’s list. As always, we’ll break them into three categories – Long Shots, Possible Things, and Sure Things – but (spoiler alert) it’s only Long Shots and Possible Things in this set of months. August wrapped up the summer blockbuster season in predictably lackluster fashion, and September ushered us into the season of indie awards hopefuls with little promise of actually delivering success in either sector (unlike the offerings coming in October, November, and maybe even December). Let’s get into it.

Long Shots:

Shortcomings: Randall Park’s feature film solo directorial debut about a trio of San Francisco young adults trying to find love opened to solid reviews for a niche romantic dramedy. Unfortunately for it, the film has mostly flown under the radar in gaining any kind of traction for the awards buzz this film would need to overcome the fan reviews, which are only just above average.

Jules: A sci-fi dramedy about aging suburbanites who suddenly find a space alien living in their midst has a quirky enough ring to it to pique some people’s curiosity, especially when considering its cast led by Ben Kingsley and Harriet Sansom Harris. Its unique story keeps it afloat even as the reviews seem to be getting worse by the day, lengthening this film’s odds of success.

Red, White & Royal Blue: Amazon’s gay romantic comedy about a British prince and the son of the American president had fans and critics alike celebrating its fun and originality. It’s unlikely to go far beyond that consideration as far as all-time lists go, but it should stick around among the best rom-coms of the decade so far.

Blue Beetle: The first new hero from DC in some time opened to a lackluster box office performance and reviews that are just high enough above average to place it here. It’s fun, fresh, but maybe a bit too much of a rehash of other superhero origins to get enough traction to rise above its predecessors in the DCEU. Even its visual effects might not be enough to get that requisite nomination for superhero films.

Mutt: This indie film about a trans man who must deal with the emotions of being reintroduced to those who abandoned him when he first transitioned has the makings of something that could make it bigger than this film currently has. Above average reviews and a social setting in Hollywood that currently favors trans narratives featuring trans performers makes this a film to keep the corner of your eye on.

Gran Turismo: This is one of those films that has split fans and critics, seeing massive success with general audiences but below average reviews from critics. I think it comes down to the aggressive amount of advertising for its titular game and game system that critics seem to be punishing director Neill Blomkamp for more than anything else.

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah: Another film that has divided critics and fans but this time from Netflix and in the reverse. This film about teen girls and their friendships and dramas has critics celebrating it to a tune of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 71, but audiences can’t seem to get over Adam Sandler’s involvement (or maybe they just don’t like positive depictions of female friendship and coming-of-age, who knows).

The Equalizer 3: Whenever Antoine Fuqua teams up with Denzel Washington, it’s worth mentioning, and the third film in their Equalizer trilogy has again hit the right notes with action fans while failing to wow critics, just like its first two installments. With other, more acclaimed, action films on this year’s docket, don’t expect to hear much more buzz from this sequel.

Scout’s Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America: Netflix’s documentary about the sexual abuse cover-ups and scandals in the Boy Scouts has generated some buzz in the world of nonfiction film, but Netflix’s formulaic style of documentary leaves it as a long shot for any wider recognition. Its topical examination will probably end up as a drama film in the coming years anyway.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe: Aitch Alberto’s adaptation of Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s novel of the same name hit just in time for Latin American Heritage Month in the U.S., and it’s seen some level of critical and audience success. Its nature as an indie darling has it looking more like a cult classic than an all-time great, but time will tell.

Sitting in Bars with Cake: The romantic dramedy film based on Audrey Schulman’s novel, inspired by true events, from Amazon seems to have found the right audience on that platform. Critics and fans are decently high on the Yara Shahidi-starring film, but not quite high enough to generate the buzz it will need to go down as one of the all-time greats.

El Conde: Pablo Larraín’s farcical biopic that reimagines Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet as a 250-year-old vampire has the makings of something great like The Death of Stalin, but it hasn’t quite landed as well with audiences or critics. Most reviews have been generally positive but hesitant to award it full marks due to its third act that doesn’t quite land as well as you might hope.

Amerikatsi: Armenia’s entry for Best International Feature this year has divided audiences and critics, mainly because critics don’t like that it’s trying too hard to be a feel-good film and drawing away from some of the harder hitting points of its historical narrative. Nonetheless, audiences have loved the film so far, and maybe its narrative about an Armenian refugee learning about his homeland from prison will gain more traction as it gains wider release.

A Million Miles Away: Amazon has really been nailing it with these films that are just good enough to be considered above average but probably not good enough to do much else. This one tells the dramatized true story of Jose Hernandez, a farm worker who worked his way to becoming an engineer and eventually an astronaut, in what seems to be an above-average crowd-pleaser headlined by Michael Peña in the leading role.

The Saint of Second Chances: Netflix’s documentary about the relationship between former baseball owner Bill Veeck and his son Mike has hit the right feel-good notes that you want in a sports documentary. With only above-average critic ratings, though, it’s hard to see this breaking into any awards conversation, which it will need to achieve the status of greatness.

The Creator: Gareth Edwards’s sci-fi film about AI and humanity hit screens this past month to wide acclaim from fans but a more critical response from critics, who have pointed out that its “original” story draws heavily on tropes from most other “great” sci-fi films. With excellent visuals, this could still snag some under-the-line awards buzz, but I’m still not sold enough because of its very average critical response.

Dumb Money: The comedy/drama adaptation of the GameStop Wall Street situation came to us fairly quickly in terms of turnaround, and with a stacked cast. Its comedic take on the situation smacks of trying to emulate the success of The Big Short, but the only average critical success doesn’t offer much hope that it’ll be able to attain that level of all-time greatness.

Saw X: The tenth film in a horror franchise isn’t necessarily the place you’d expect to see all-time greatness, but this film has actually managed to make it as the first in the series to be Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, so it’s worth noting. It might not go down in all-time history, but it’s still fun to see horror franchises innovating and improving with new installments.

Possible Things:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem: The unique animation, fun narrative, and authentic humor have made this film a dark horse for Best Animated Feature. A smaller box office haul and the probably insurmountable greatness of Across the Spider-Verse probably leave this as a nominee at best, but don’t be surprised if this film sneaks in there.

Bottoms: Emma Seligman and Rachel Sennott’s film about lesbians starting a fight club at their school to meet girls just might be the single best film from these two months. It’s funny, fun, and more original than its premise sounds, so a shot at an Original Screenplay nom isn’t completely out of the question to launch them into a position of all-time greatness.

Cassandro: The film about the titular gay amateur wrestler turned international phenomenon that stars Gael García Bernal just might have what it takes to spoil some actor’s hopes for a best lead nomination. This is one of those Amazon films that does more than enough to be considered good and might have what it takes in terms of representation and originality to make it great.

Flora and Son: Irish filmmaker John Carney tends to hit the right notes with critics and audiences with his feel-good dramedies about music, and his latest partnership with Apple seems to be in that same vein. I don’t know that it’s quite at the levels of Sing Street and Once, but don’t fully discount it just yet. A story about a single mom healing her relationship with her son through music sounds right in the sweet spot for Carney.

Weekend Watch - July 2023 Recap

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating and review. This week, we are looking back at the month of July, giving recognition to the best films of the month, categorizing them by their likelihood of making this blog’s list of Greatest Films of All Time. July continues 2023’s trend of months (besides May) with better films than we usually expect, with three of the year’s most anticipated films all actually landing successfully with audiences, and plenty of other offerings that have legitimate shots at earning greater recognition as the year goes on (particularly with the SAG and WGA strikes lessening the press for the other upcoming films this year). Again, the three categories of film are Long Shots, Possible Things, and Sure Things. Let’s get into it!

Long Shots:

Joy Ride: The female ensemble comedy from Adele Lim about a group of friends who travel to Asia to help one of their group find her birth mother landed with solid reviews at the beginning of the month. It delivers on the comedy and with some solid performances from its leading ladies. Some review bombing on IMDB (classic) keeps it here in the long shots, but love for its screenplay could bode well in awards season.

Theater Camp: The niche mockumentary about a theater camp starring Ben Platt and Molly Gordon hits the notes that theatre nerds love. Is it going to be everyone’s cup of tea? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean its status as a lingering cult classic couldn’t get it into the land of All Time Greats.

The Deepest Breath: A documentary about freediving from Netflix and A24 could spell some major love come awards season, but for now, mixed positive critic reviews leave it as a long shot. The nerve-wracking, beautifully shot film can be seen on Netflix if you want to boost its chances.

They Cloned Tyrone: A modern sci-fi blaxploitation film from Netflix, starring Jamie Foxx, John Boyega, and Teyonah Parris? Count me in! The comedy/mystery/thriller walks the fine lines of its genres well and will probably stick around as another of this year’s cult classics more than an All-Time Great.

Stephen Curry: Underrated: Apple TV+ and A24 teamed up on this sports documentary about the greatest 3-point shooter of all time to tell his story. Framed as a coming-of-age film about an underrated, undersized guard, it hits most of the right notes but has gotten some criticism for its climax coming at the wrong point of Steph’s career. It sounds like another successful hit for NBA fans that may or may not hit with other audiences.

Possible Things:

Wham!: Netflix’s documentary about the iconic 70s and 80s duo of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley is sure to scratch the itch of Nostalgia for the Gen X-ers that populate the streamer these days. It’s landed well with critics as well, boding well for its awards potential, though other music docs and celebrity bio-documentaries could believably keep it out.

Lakota Nation vs. United States: This is a poignant documentary about the fight of the Lakota Nation to reclaim the land that has been stolen from them throughout history by the U.S. government. It checks the boxes that you want to see from a good documentary, but its under-the-radar status might keep it out of contention.

Earth Mama: With some of the bigger releases of the year currently in flux, indie films like this one are currently looking better and better in their chances to make the list. Savanah Leaf’s intimate portrait of a single mother in the Bay Area has garnered some buzz among the audiences who have already seen it, and as it continues to expand to more theaters, expect that buzz to keep rolling.

About Dry Grasses: Nuri Bilge Ceylan is one of the biggest Turkish directors in the modern era, and his latest film, which gained quite a bit of recognition at Cannes, maintains his run of solid outings. It’s currently only in limited release in the U.S., but inevitable awards love should expand its audience base and get its scores more reliably trustworthy.

Afire: Christian Petzold’s romantic dramedy about a group of friends caught in the midst of a forest fire is another international film that dropped in the U.S. this month with some level of success and acclaim. The German director could finally see success on a wide level, but a stacked category of submissions from other European nations will probably keep it out.

The First Slam Dunk: This film has quietly garnered a lot of acclaim already, leading up to its American theatrical release this year. Winning the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year and sitting as one of the highest-grossing anime films of all-time, the film about a Japanese high school basketball team, which adapts the manga series Slam Dunk, could be quite the contender in the coming months.

Talk to Me: A horror film directed by the Australian YouTube duo RackaRacka (a.k.a. Danny and Michael Philippou) shouldn’t be doing as well as it already has, but here we are. The supernatural horror has already garnered high praise, with some calling it Gen Z’s Hereditary. Don’t sleep on this film as the year continues to unfold.

Sure Things:

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One: While I may not have been crazy about this latest entry in Tom Cruise’s espionage empire, most critics and audiences have been. A poorly timed release date has kept its box office numbers down, but that barely matters with the amount of love it continues to receive from people’s ratings and reviews.

Oppenheimer: With so many people calling this Christopher Nolan’s best film, it’s easy to see this film carrying its critical and commercial success into a very successful set of awards campaigns for director, picture, actor, supporting actor, supporting actress, screenplay, and plenty of technical awards as well. This sits up there with Across the Spider-Verse in the category of best films of the year.

Barbie: The other (more controversial for some reason) half of Barbenheimer weekend also continues to see success with audiences and critics. Its great acting, production design, writing, and direction, aided by what’s looking to be a billion dollar box office haul by the time it’s all said and done, looks to spell all-time greatness for Greta Gerwig’s first main-stream hit.

Weekend Watch - Barbenheimer

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating and review. This week, we’re looking at the cinematic event of the year, the double release of Barbie and Oppenheimer, which have combined to form the 4th-largest American box office weekend in history – and the only one headlined by non-franchise films. Barbie comes from director Greta Gerwig, cowritten by her and Noah Baumbach, starring Margot Robbie as the primary titular character, joined by Issa Rae, Alexandra Shipp, Kate McKinnon, Hari Neff, and many others as the many iterations of the iconic doll and Ryan Gosling as the leading Ken, joined also by Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Ncuti Gatwa, and many others as the other Kens in Barbieland. America Ferrera, Ariana Greenblatt, Will Ferrell, Helen Mirren, and Michael Cera round out the star-studded comedy that has ruled the weekend. Oppenheimer, from writer/director Christopher Nolan, stars Cillian Murphy in the titular role, supported by another star-studded cast, headlined by Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Alden Ehrenreich, David Krumholtz, Benny Safdie, and Florence Pugh. Both films, and this weekend, are sure to go down in cinematic history, so let’s get into it.

Barbie Letter Grade: A-; this is the type of film that studios should strive to get back to for their blockbusters!

Oppenheimer Letter Grade: A; Nolan delivers a masterclass of a biopic, drawing excellent performances from every actor in the film!

Barbie Review:

                Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is sure to go down in history as a modern classic of satire, production value, and comedic excellence. Every role in the film feels perfectly cast, from Margot Robbie’s complex leading lady to Ryan Gosling’s perfectly himbo-coded Ken to Will Ferrell’s bumbling CEO to America Ferrera’s harried mother/secretary to every supporting Barbie, Ken, and Allan. It’s a fantastic cast that help sell Gerwig’s vision of the mythical Barbieland and the almost real “real world” and allow the film to thrive in its massively important messages of female empowerment and the importance of defining yourself intrinsically rather than extrinsically.

                Barbie’s production design might be some of the best of the year, starting obviously with Barbieland but extending also to the real world, particularly the office-scape of Mattel where we get a particularly fun chase scene and some great contrast to the brightness of Barbieland. The attention to detail that went into the creation of the sets and their intentional artificiality makes this a film that will undoubtedly stand the test of time. The subtle (and not-so-subtle) changes that occur there throughout the movie only add to the film’s sense of itself, drawing the audience into a fantasy land where truths about our own world can be put on full and aggressive display as only satire can do.

                The comedy and story of Barbie, as crafted by Gerwig and Baumbach and then delivered by their stellar cast, hits the right note in just about every scene. The depth of the film’s satirical critique of modern society can only be appreciated when you take a step back and look at the whole thing. This is not a film, as some have argued, that “hates men” or “wants to set the feminist movement back fifty years” or “seeks to villainize all men”. It is a film that uses its childlike premise and perspective to peel away the façade of society’s nuances and lay everything out in its most basic terms. The reverse parallel between Barbieland and our own world highlights the flaws of gender-driven/sexually-motivated systems of power – namely that they are overly reductive and generally ineffective in creating well-running, equitable, informed, and ethically acceptable societies. By showcasing this argument through humor (sometimes self-deprecating, sometimes on-the-nose, sometimes slapstick, sometimes other forms), the audience is invited to embrace gender as a definition of self without it being a cookie-cutter or archetypal label that defines your entire potential for life. Patriarchy is the film’s villain, not because the filmmakers view men as villains, but because they want to reject fully the idea that gender (or implicitly, income, occupation, family status, nationality, race, sexuality, age, etc.) can define anyone’s individual worth or efficacy. You need only look at the story arcs of both Barbie (Robbie) and Ken (Gosling) to see that this is the message being portrayed. The only real issue with the film’s story/comedy/messaging comes in its climactic monologue from America Ferrera’s Gloria in the third act about the struggles of being a woman in a patriarchal society. The monologue itself is excellently done, hearkening to Laura Dern’s Oscar-winning performance in Baumbach’s marriage story in its tone and content, but its issue lies in the fact that the moment feels a bit unearned, given all that we’ve seen of Gloria’s life up to that point in the film (not a whole lot). For a character to make so many sweeping statements speaks to the state of her society, but when so much of the film has taken place away from that society, it feels like there should have been a little bit more lead-in to the moment, however valid it might be.

                Barbie is one of those big studio films that manages to live up to the hype thanks to some excellent performances, great production design, and solid writing that leave audiences with a minimally flawed film and a great time at the theater. Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, and Ryan Gosling again have the fullness of their talents on display in this film that is sure to stick around for a while in modern cinematic discourse.

Oppenheimer Review:

                Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has set a new standard in biopics, delivering a devastating historical narrative in a way that keeps its audience fully engaged and guessing for its entire three-hour runtime. It is a dialogue-driven film full of hearings, interspersed with conversations about politics, metaphysics, and the scientific community that never actually manages to feel as boring as all of that sounds, which is a triumph in and of itself. Nolan manages to deliver a well-paced narrative that only gets you lost a few times and that is one of the most well-acted films of the year, top to bottom.

                At its heart, Oppenheimer wants to tell the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer as honestly as it can, taking the good with the bad and leaving the interpretation up to the audience. It invites you to empathize with the historical figure who is at least partially responsible for one of the biggest atrocities in history, and it accomplishes this goal not by attempting to justify any of the evils that he wrought but by showcasing the human behind it all. Oppenheimer isn’t a hero or a villain or even an antihero; he is a man thrown into some of the muddiest waters in history and asked to swim back to the surface. We get to see the worst parts and best parts of Oppenheimer’s life – both personal and professional – as portrayed in Cillian Murphy’s subtle but gripping performance. The people he wronged along the way and his awareness of that wrongdoing play a key role in making this film as successful as it no doubt will continue to be.

                While I wish that the narrative let you in on a bit more of its side characters’ (RDJ’s Lewis Strauss and Jason Clarke’s Roger Robb for examples) motivations, the overall narrative structure – jumping around between hearings and history – works well in keeping you engaged and presenting its true message, which is only tangentially related to the person of Oppenheimer. The film’s final moments, though not chronologically the last point in the film’s timeline, offer a chilling and gut-wrenching conclusion to Oppenheimer’s work. From the very start of the film, we see Oppenheimer plagued by this fear and guilt and fascination over the work that he conducts, offering an awareness of his own nature and the nature of humans toward self-destruction. His participation in and enthusiasm for the creation of the atomic bomb only serves to reinforce this message, and Nolan makes it all the more clear when we finally see what it is capable of (in gloriously enrapturing cinematography and sound design). Nolan wants his audience to understand that our “othering” of our fellow humans and our own selfish desires for self-preservation over the good of all others are in fact leading us down a path of self-destruction, just as Oppenheimer set himself up for his own demise, the human demand for “defensive weapons” has set us up for our own violent destruction.

                Led by Cillian Murphy’s commanding performance and a plethora of strong supporting performances, Nolan’s Oppenheimer manages to tell the truth about its subject while also offering a deep truth about humanity, marking it as the new gold standard for biographical films. It’s not always the most perfectly paced or explained film, but on the whole, it offers a new perspective and a meaningful message that the world needs in this time.

Weekend Watch - March 2023 Recap

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, and recommendation. This week, we have come to the end of another month of film and will be recapping the best films of March 2023, categorizing them by their chances at making the blog’s list of Greatest Films of All Time. March is a fun month, heralding the return of spring blockbusters and indie hits who just might become awards darlings if they play their cards right (see last year’s Everything Everywhere All at Once for reference), and this March stayed true to character, delivering some excellent indie flicks and some originality in its blockbusters that has given us the first “sure thing” of the year. Let’s get into it.

Long Shots:

Scream VI: The franchise’s best reviewed film of the millennium (since Scream 2) still probably doesn’t have the chops to get the slasher parody films onto the list of Greatest Films of All Time, even if they deserve more recognition than they currently have. It’s a horror sequel, which definitely goes against it in terms of reviews and awards potential, but it’s undeniably a solid entry and one to keep an eye on as the year progresses.

Chang Can Dunk: Look, I didn’t expect anything from this Disney+ film about an Asian high schooler who decides to learn to dunk to defeat his bullies, but its reviews are so much more positive than I think anyone expected (a 77 Metacritic and 95% Tomatometer), making it a surprise under-the-radar hit. Don’t expect to hear much more from this one, but still, its success bears mentioning.

A Good Person: Florence Pugh stays picking projects that don’t quite live up to their on-screen potential. Zach Braff’s latest directorial endeavor is no different, keeping audiences decently happy without really hitting any of the right notes for critics. If anything, I’d expect this film to be mentioned as a contribution to some awards campaign for a different film for Florence Pugh this year.

Kill Boksoon: The premise of Netflix’s Korean action-thriller alone is enough to get it mentioned – a single mother who also happens to be a hired killer struggles to find a work-life balance. I love the concept, but it seems that the film executes it in fairly unremarkable fashion. Its reviews make it sound like an enjoyable watch that’s not overly ambitious or groundbreaking. Still, an opening at Berlinale might have given this film the right clout it needs to mount a larger campaign later this year.

Possible Things:

Creed III: At this point, it feels almost like the film’s shot at any greater love beyond its initial push is now dead in the water after Jonathan Majors’s arrest. If Majors ends up not being charged and things work out, we might hear more about this film again toward the year’s end. For me, this was the best film of the month, but it’s not quite sitting at the level of reviews to get it onto the list on its own.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves: Arguably the biggest surprise hit of the year so far, the D&D movie has been pleasing audiences of avid gameplayers and simple fans of action movies pretty much across the board. With its all-star cast, this does make sense, but it could easily have been just a Fast and Furious film in a fantasy setting. Instead, it currently sits with a Metacritic score of 71 and 91% Tomatometer. If this film can pull some love from the technical side of awards later on this year, it might make its way onto the list.

A Thousand and One: It’s so hard to tell which indie releases are going to make the right moves to get themselves more universally recognized later on in the year, but right now, the reviews of Teyana Taylor’s performance and the whole film about a mother trying to keep her son out of the foster system seem to indicate that this film is one to keep an eye on.

Rye Lane: It’s rare to have a streaming romantic comedy get the recognition that this Sundance darling currently has, and that’s so refreshing. Genre films don’t usually get a lot of love from the awards entities, but I wouldn’t be overly surprised to see some writing nominations for this one and maybe even some outside love, particularly from the BAFTAs, for the actors in this film.

Sure Thing:

John Wick: Chapter 4: For the fourth film in a franchise to be its most universally acclaimed and highest grossing is fairly unthinkable in this day and age, but that’s currently where we are sitting with the final(?) John Wick film. Its technical excellence and sheer entertainment value make it likely to gain even more acclaim as the year progresses, but even if things sit as they currently are, the action sequel will earn itself a spot on the blog’s list when the next round of revisions come out next year.

Weekend Watch - January/February 2023 Recap

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, and recommendation. This week, we are recapping the notable films that have released so far in 2023, as is tradition. In keeping with the norm in recent years, January and February this year have been pretty sparse in terms of all-time great films; a few cult classics have marked themselves out as long-shots to keep an eye on, but there’s really not even any possible things and certainly no sure things this early in the year. Now that we are “back” from COVID protocols, the late releasing Best Picture contenders have had to jump back into December and have left us without anything but some above average action and horror films to tide us over until the blockbusters and sleeper hits of March come. Let’s get into it.

Long Shots:

M3GAN: The slasher comedy was another box office success for the horror genre, achieving a sequel announcement already and giving us something to talk about for a few weeks there in January. Unfortunately for the memeable robot, I’m not sure that its slightly above-average reviews from fans and critics will be enough to elevate it to the status of an all-time great.

A Man Called Otto: Critics were fairly low on the Tom Hanks-led American remake of A Man Called Ove, but Tom Hanks and an uplifting story seem to have been enough to keep fans happy, sitting at a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.6 overall on IMDB. I don’t expect it to rise much farther than that, but it’s worth mentioning.

Plane: Another overperforming genre film from January, this time from the action films. The Mike Coulter and Gerard Butler collaboration has outdone everything that you could expect from such an underwhelming title, also being greenlit for a sequel “Boat”. Again, I don’t expect this to receive any kind of late in the game love, but its above average reviews make it a welcome addition to recent January films.

Sick: It’s a straight to Peacock slasher film about a killer during quarantine. For all intents and purposes, this film should have been terrible. As it stands, it seems like it was just decent, which means I’ve gotta mention it here. Any time a film with as much against it as this one has gets average or above average reviews from both fans and critics, there’s definitely something there worth talking about.

Missing: Following in the footsteps of its predecessor Searching, the latest found-footage cell phone thriller has again given audiences and critics what they want. It’s a testament to the writers, Sev Ohanian and Aneesh Chaganty, that they’ve been able to come up with two crowd-pleasing stories that are told through what is essentially a phone screen on the big screen. They’re not quite good enough to achieve all-time status on their own but definitely a film to keep your eye on.

Pamela: A Love Story: Netflix’s Pamela Anderson documentary is the first of many documentaries that will generate some buzz this year but probably won’t end up on anyone’s lists of awards finalists. Its 98% Tomatometer score and 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes indicate that it’s a film worth seeing, but don’t expect to hear much more about it.

Knock at the Cabin: What has been heralded as M. Night Shyamalan’s best film since Signs still sits with a bunch of very average ratings from fans and critics. It seems the formula of Dave Bautista and a predetermined direction for the story have enough to get M. Night away from his recent history of Old and Glass, but not enough to get him back to the all-time greatness of The Sixth Sense.

Infinity Pool: Brandon Cronenberg has followed in his father’s footsteps with this one, crafting a thrilling body horror piece with plenty of social critique attached. Also following in his father’s footsteps, Brandon’s film has divided audiences, satisfying fans of the genre but not bringing in any new converts. Mia Goth and Alexander Skarsgård have received some love for their work as well, but I’d expect this to be mentioned as Goth’s stat-padding film rather than her focus for an awards campaign later this year.

Of an Age: This indie romance hit theaters this past week with solid reviews, praising the film’s writing and its performances. I’ve heard it called Moonlight lite, which is high praise. Its currently just above average reviews will probably keep it on the radar, but I don’t currently expect it to hit the highs of its comparison; I could be wrong though.

Jesus Revolution: Look, I really don’t expect this film to go anywhere – its Metacritic score of 46 and Tomatometer of 46% should tell you all you actually need to know. However, a 7.6 on IMDB and 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes means that this film about the start of the modern evangelical movement (problematic as it is) starring Kelsey Grammer and Kimberly Williams Paisley gets a mention.

Bruiser: This Hulu original film about toxic masculinity and generational violence has probably the best overall reviews of any film that has released this year so far. If IMDB wasn’t losing credibility by the minute in terms of its overall scores for any film starring a black lead, female lead, or LGBT lead, this film would probably be sitting as a possible thing. Like its other sleeper hit Prey, I don’t expect Bruiser to bring much outside success to the streaming service.

Cocaine Bear: Should this even be here? I talked about Jesus Revolution, so I’m also gonna talk about Cocaine Bear. The consensus around the creature thriller seems to be that it is definitely crazy but could do with more of the bear. Expect this to be one of those films mentioned alongside M3GAN and Pacific Rim in the future. It does what it sets out to do, but there’s nothing truly groundbreaking here.

Weekend Watch - Oscar Predictions 2023

                Welcome to a special edition of the Weekend Watch – the Oscars 2023 predictions. This past week (on Tuesday), Oscar nominations were released, ushering in the peak of film awards season. Everything Everywhere All at Once led the nominees with eleven nominations, followed by nine apiece for The Banshees of Inisherin and All Quiet on the Western Front. Elvis, The Fabelmans, Tár, and Top Gun: Maverick were other films receiving more than five nominations. All five Best Actor nominees are first-time nominees for the first time since 1935; Angela Bassett became the first actor from a Marvel film to be nominated for an acting Oscar, and for the first time ever, there are Asian actors nominated in multiple categories in the same year. With all these accomplishments, these Oscars look to be a potentially bigger deal than they have been since 2019. Let’s get into my predictions!

Best Live Action Short:

                The nominees for this category are: Le Pupille, An Irish Goodbye, The Red Suitcase, Night Ride, and Ivalu. I know basically nothing about any of these short films, but based on what I’ve looked at online, here are my predictions for what should win and what will win.

Should Win: An Irish Goodbye. For me, this short sounds the most compelling of the five – a film about two brothers dealing with the loss of their mother in Ireland. Irish films have done wildly well at this year’s Oscars, and this looks to be the second-best betting favorite to win the Oscar.

Will Win: Le Pupille. This Italian short about Catholic schoolgirls during a time of war has the backing of Disney and is the most easily accessible of the category’s nominees. That alone will probably be enough to win it the Oscar.

Best Documentary Short:

                The nominees for this category are: The Elephant Whisperers, How Do You Measure a Year?, The Martha Mitchell Effect, Stranger at the Gate, and Haulout. Again, this is a category that I am less familiar with, so I’m going to rely on odds and plot synopses to talk about these films.

Should Win: The Martha Mitchell Effect. I’m a sucker for a good political history documentary, particularly one that gets at the Nixon administration, so even though all of these actually sound incredibly compelling, this is the one I’m going with.

Will Win: The Elephant Whisperers. I also happen to love animal documentaries, as I have learned in the past couple of years, so this betting favorite won’t disappoint me in the slightest if it wins.

Best Animated Short:

                The nominees for this category are: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse, My Year of Dicks, An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It, The Flying Sailor, and Ice Merchants. This is a category that I know a little bit more about but am by no means an expert in, so I’ll offer my thoughts.

Should Win: An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It. This is just a wild premise for a film, and it’s stop-motion, so I’d love to see this one win it.

Will Win: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse. Apple’s short film being so readily available helps its campaign. Combine that with its hand-drawn animation, and you’ve got a potential winner on your hands.

Best International Film:

                The nominees for this category are: All Quiet on the Western Front, Argentina, 1985, Close, EO, and The Quiet Girl. Now, we’re getting into the stuff that I’m more familiar with. Films from Germany, Argentina, Belgium, Poland, and Ireland received the nominations this year – each deserving, if somewhat controversial. The snubbing of Decision to Leave, and RRR’s lack of eligibility leave this category somewhat weaker than it could have been, but a strong showing nevertheless.

Should Win: Argentina, 1985. This is a more original film than the film that will inevitably win the Oscar here and equally as entertaining. I also like EO and The Quiet Girl here, but I feel that Argentina, 1985 is the most complete film of the set.

Will Win: All Quiet on the Western Front. The remake of the 1930s adaptation of the World War I novel has been getting all the awards love, and it looks to be one of Netflix’s two best shots at a legitimate Oscar this year.

Best Documentary Feature:

                The nominees for this category are: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, Fire of Love, Navalny, All That Breathes, and A House Made of Splinters. Yet another stacked category that doesn’t necessarily always end up that way. Would Moonage Daydream have made this an even better set of nominees? Absolutely, but you take what they give you.

Should Win: Navalny. A film about a Russian guy who they tried and failed to assassinate where he calls one of his would-be assassins and gets him to confess over the phone – the documentary goes hard.

Will Win: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed. A documentary about pharmaceuticals and an artist at the same time? It’s got awards darling written all over it. Hard to see this one losing.

Best Animated Feature:

                The nominees for this category are: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, The Sea Beast, and Turning Red. This is an absolutely stacked category (minus The Sea Beast). Every film has a legitimate reason to win, and I’d be thrilled for most of them.

Should Win: Any film that isn’t The Sea Beast. Pinocchio is one of the best animated films I’ve seen in a while. Marcel the Shell would be a great win for indie animation. Puss in Boots is a phenomenal example of a franchise film choosing to better itself with a sequel and not settle just for a cash grab. And Turning Red is the best animated film that Disney and Pixar have put out since before the pandemic.

Will Win: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. The film has been winning everywhere, and even with its snubs in other categories, it’s hard to see the prolific filmmaker going home empty-handed.

Best Visual Effects:

                The nominees in this category are: All Quiet on the Western Front, Avatar: The Way of Water, The Batman, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Top Gun: Maverick. This category feels even more straightforward this year than it usually is, and it’s already one of the easier categories to predict.

Should Win: Avatar: The Way of Water. James Cameron did it again. It looks great and sometimes even looks too real – phenomenal visuals.

Will Win: Avatar: The Way of Water. I’d be surprised to see any of these other films win best visual effects. All Quiet and Black Panther are lurking as possible upsets thanks to strong contention in other categories, but I don’t see that pushing either one over Avatar here.

Best Sound:

                The nominees in this category are: All Quiet on the Western Front, Avatar: The Way of Water, The Batman, Elvis, and Top Gun: Maverick. Again, not an overly surprising list of nominees.

Should Win: The Batman. The amount of different effects and their ability to create size and scope in this film just was phenomenal for me. Does it blow out my T.V. speakers when I watch it at home? Sometimes, but that just means it’s good, right? Also, I’m here to shut out the vaguely overrated Top Gun.

Will Win: Top Gun: Maverick. With its snub in the cinematography category, I imagine they’ll put a lot of their campaigning focus on this category, and all the war sounds work well in their favor. All Quiet and Avatar are also there, but I think this feels pretty locked.

Best Song:

                The nominees in this category are: “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman, “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick, “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, “Naatu Naatu” from RRR, and “This Is a Life” from Everything Everywhere All at Once. The big surprises of “Applause” and “This Is a Life” over Taylor Swift’s “Carolina” and “Ciao Papa” from Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio indicate that we know very little about how this category works and also to never count out Diane Warren.

Should Win: “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Rihanna’s epilogue song to the incredibly moving Black Panther sequel does so much in bringing the film’s final scenes home. For me, it was part of one of the best film moments from this year.

Will Win: “Naatu Naatu” from RRR. The sole nomination for the Indian hit feels like a safe bet for the Best Song Oscar, and it also happens to be part of another iconic film scene – the dance off in the film that is one of the most exciting action pieces of the year. I’m fine with this win as long as it’s not “Hold My Hand”.

Best Score:

                The nominees in this category are: Volker Bertelmann for All Quiet on the Western Front, Justin Hurwitz for Babylon, Carter Burwell for The Banshees of Inisherin, Son Lux for Everything Everywhere All at Once, and John Williams for The Fabelmans. John Williams extends his record of most nominated living person in this refreshingly surprising category that includes a surprise nomination for Son Lux.

Should Win: Justin Hurwitz for Babylon. About the only thing people can agree on about the divisive film is its musical excellence. Hurwitz’s score carries the film from start to finish, and it’s one of those that, when you hear it, you immediately know what film it is from.

Will Win: Justin Hurwitz for Babylon. Could they give John Williams a sendoff Oscar? Yeah, but he’s already got a few wins (granted Hurwitz does too). This feels like a two-composer race that Hurwitz will come out victorious in.

Best Production Design:

                The nominees in this category are: All Quiet on the Western Front, Avatar: The Way of Water, Babylon, Elvis, and The Fabelmans. In a year without period pieces set before the 1900s, this is a harder category to predict, and Avatar’s nomination might be an interesting film to watch for an upset.

Should Win: The Fabelmans. The production design for this film doesn’t just capture a period of time; it also captures the character of so many of Spielberg’s other films – showcasing the film’s message about the impact of the filmmaker’s childhood on his career. It’s hard to put into words, but I was very impressed with it.

Will Win: Elvis. One thing Baz Luhrmann films consistently have is quality production design, and Elvis is no different. The almost fantastical sets capture the essence of the rockstar’s celebrity in a fashion that looks to be a winning formula for the film.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling:

                The nominees in this category are: All Quiet on the Western Front, The Batman, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Elvis, and The Whale. Prosthetics galore exist in this category where hairstyling seems to have taken a bit of a backseat this year.

Should Win: The Batman. They made Colin Farrell unrecognizable as the Penguin, made Robert Pattinson look emo, had Zoë Kravitz looking great as Selina Kyle, this team did it all in a great film.

Will Win: The Whale. The team that turned Brendan Fraser into a morbidly obese English teacher looks to be the one that will take the whole thing, and I would be surprised to see anyone else here.

Best Film Editing:

                The nominees in this category are The Banshees of Inisherin, Elvis, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Tár, and Top Gun: Maverick. This category has become indicative of the direction of Best Picture in the past decade, with only a few winners not receiving the nomination for editing as well, and this year looks no different.

Should Win: Everything Everywhere All at Once. Maybe I’m just a big dumb idiot who doesn’t understand the complexities of film editing, but all the shots that get cut together with all their fascinating cuts in Everything Everywhere left me feeling very impressed with its editing.

Will Win: Top Gun: Maverick. A film that looks to be this year’s more disappointing version of Mad Max: Fury Road, the Top Gun sequel will probably pull this technical win as well.

Best Costume Design:

                The nominees in this category are: Babylon, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Elvis, Everything Everywhere All at Once, and Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. Again, this isn’t an overly surprising category and looks to be going the way everyone thinks.

Should Win: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Once again innovating and creating costumes for a visually stunning comic book film, Ruth E. Carter created memorable and iconic looks for each character in this film.

Will Win: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She won last time for Black Panther, and nothing else looks quite strong enough to provide a legitimate challenge to the iconic looks of this film. Feels pretty dang solid.

Best Cinematography:

                The nominees for this category are: All Quiet on the Western Front, Bardo, Empire of Light, Elvis, and Tár. This might be one of the most surprising categories this year with snubs for The Fabelmans and the betting favorite going into the nominations, Top Gun: Maverick. The field is still fairly open with some being safer bets than others.

Should Win: Tár. The unique stylings of Todd Field’s film start with its cinematography and, along with Cate Blanchett’s performance, is one of the main reasons that the film has received all the recognition that it has. I’d be thrilled to see this win.

Will Win: All Quiet on the Western Front. Netflix’s foreign language frontrunner also happens to be a technically excellent film in the eyes of the Academy. In a category with no clear frontrunner at the moment, it’s easy to see how the streamer could pick up another win here.

Best Original Screenplay:

                The nominees in this category are: The Banshees of Inisherin, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Fabelmans, Tár, and Triangle of Sadness. There’s no crazy surprises here, and it looks to be a two-film race between the best picture favorites Banshees and Everything Everywhere.

Should Win: Everything Everywhere All at Once. It’s funny, dramatic, creative, aggressively original, and risk-taking in a way that all original screenplays should be. Unfortunately, with all the other love that it’s sure to get on the night of the awards, I think it’ll miss out on this one.

Will Win: The Banshees of Inisherin. The Academy loves them some Martin McDonagh, and his dark comedy about two friends falling out looks to be ready to secure him another Oscar. The expectation that the film won’t win Best Picture or Best Director also lends to this film holding its spot as the favorite.

Best Adapted Screenplay:

                The nominees in this category are: All Quiet on the Western Front, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Living, Top Gun: Maverick, and Women Talking. The surprise nomination for Top Gun (perhaps a consolation for missing the cinematography nom) doesn’t look to actually shake much up in this category, but still…

Should Win: Living. Kazuo Ishiguro’s adaptation of Ikiru, Akira Kurosawa’s adaptation of The Death of Ivan Ilyich, is one of the more interesting adapted films of the year, especially in a category that includes a remake and two sequels.

Will Win: Women Talking. Sarah Polley missed out on a Best Director nomination but looks to be ready to run away with this win for her adaptation of Miriam Toews’s novel. I won’t be upset, as this seems to be the most original of the adapted screenplays.

Best Supporting Actor:

                The nominees in this category are: Brendan Gleeson for The Banshees of Inisherin, Brian Tyree Henry for Causeway, Judd Hirsch for The Fabelmans, Barry Keoghan for The Banshees of Inisherin, and Ke Huy Quan for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Henry’s nomination came as a surprise, leaving Paul Dano on the outside looking in, but it looks like all of them will be also-rans to this year’s winner.

Should Win: Ke Huy Quan for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Quan’s Waymond Wang is the emotional core of the film, and he delivers one of the most devastatingly hopeful lines of the year in the film’s third act in a scene that I believe solidifies him as this year’s winner.

Will Win: Ke Huy Quan for Everything Everywhere All at Once. The comeback story of the year in Hollywood has been Quan’s campaign for all of these awards, winning and accepting them with hope and joy. It’s hard to imagine the Academy going against everyone else on this one.

Best Supporting Actress:

                The nominees in this category are: Angela Bassett for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Hong Chau for The Whale, Kerry Condon for The Banshees of Inisherin, Jamie Lee Curtis for Everything Everywhere All at Once, and Stephanie Hsu for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Perhaps the most tightly contested category but also the least surprising in terms of nominees, Best Supporting Actress looks to be the most exciting category of the year.

Should Win: Stephanie Hsu for Everything Everywhere All at Once. The daughter and villain(?) of the Daniels’ multiverse film does work in both roles that she is asked to play in the film, bringing all of her cynicism, heart, and love to bear in the performance.

Will Win: Angela Bassett for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. For starters, this Oscar will be long overdue. For another, Bassett’s performance is my second-favorite of the nominees, and she doesn’t have a co-star to split votes with, so she feels like the right and safe choice here (though don’t be surprised if it’s literally any of the others).

Best Actor:

                The nominees in this category are: Austin Butler for Elvis, Colin Farrell for The Banshees of Inisherin, Brendan Fraser for The Whale, Paul Mescal for Aftersun, and Bill Nighy for Living. Paul Mescal getting in over Tom Cruise and Diego Calva wasn’t as much a surprise as a relief, but he’s not really that important to what truly is a three-actor race. After the SAGs, we should have a clearer idea of who the frontrunner really is.

Should Win: Brendan Fraser for The Whale. Fraser’s performance carries the film and has brought him back to prominence in the industry. His increasing versatility makes him a solid choice here.

Will Win: Austin Butler for Elvis. Butler follows in a classic tradition of actors nominated for portraying musical icons. In this case, his performance as “the King” makes him a fairly safe bet, especially in light of the tragedy of Lisa Marie Presley’s death.

Best Actress:

                The nominees in this category are: Cate Blanchett for Tár, Ana de Armas for Blonde, Andrea Riseborough for To Leslie, Michelle Williams for The Fabelmans, and Michelle Yeoh for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Alright, this is the wildest category for snubs and surprises. How did both Danielle Deadwyler get left out for Till and Viola Davis for The Woman King in favor of Andrea Riseborough and Ana de Armas? It blows my mind, but it's not like any of those four women had much of a chance of actually winning the award anyway.

Should Win: Michelle Yeoh for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Full disclosure, I haven’t actually watched Tár yet, so I don’t know for sure that this performance is better than Blanchett’s, but she’s already got two, and Michelle Yeoh is phenomenal in Everything Everywhere, so why not?

Will Win: Cate Blanchett for Tár. Blanchett is a powerhouse actress, and her performance in this film sounds like it is more of the same that should add her (deservedly so) to the ranks of actors with three acting Oscars. Don’t totally count out either Michelle, though Williams looks more and more like a longshot every day.

Best Director:

                The nominees in this category are: the Daniels for Everything Everywhere All at Once, Todd Field for Tár, Martin McDonagh for The Banshees of Inisherin, Ruben Östlund for Triangle of Sadness, and Steven Spielberg for The Fabelmans. Though decried for the category’s exclusion (yet again) of female directors, the only one who I can legitimately see replacing here is Östlund in favor of Sarah Polley or Gina Prince-Bythewood, none of whom actually have a shot of beating either of the frontrunners.

Should Win: The Daniels for Everything Everywhere All at Once. The directing duo of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert created and directed a film that truly took the world by storm and has revamped the world of indie filmmaking and its legitimacy as both entertainment (keyword here) and art.

Will Win: Steven Spielberg for The Fabelmans. Has his campaign lost some steam since his win at the Globes and his missing out on the BAFTA longlist? Absolutely, but I still don’t see the Academy going away from giving him credit for this autobiographical film. I could be surprised, but I’m not there yet.

Best Picture:

                The nominees for the top prize at the Oscars are: All Quiet on the Western Front, Avatar: The Way of Water, The Banshees of Inisherin, Elvis, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Fabelmans, Tár, Top Gun: Maverick, Triangle of Sadness, and Women Talking. This is one of the most satisfying slates of Best Picture nominees in a while and should leave the Oscars with a legitimately good film as its top winner no matter what.

Should Win: Everything Everywhere All at Once. It’s my favorite film of the year, and it looks like a lot of other people agree with me. Originality and innovation should be celebrated more and more.

Will Win: Everything Everywhere All at Once. The only other challengers to it are Banshees and The Fabelmans, neither of which seems to have as much support going into this voting season. The film’s originality, leading of the nominations, and positive campaigning have it looking more and more like a runaway winner every day.