John's Favorite Movies of 2020 (only 4 months late)

It's been hard to see everything, and frankly I haven't sought out too many new releases in the last 12 months. I only finally saw the last of the Best Picture nominees last week. With Oscars around the corner, now feels like a good time to close the door on 2020 once and for all. I saw so few films that I was barely able to scrape together a top 10 list that I actually felt was good. Here we go: 

10. JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH

    Not so surprising that my list does include a generous sprinkling of Oscar nominees - Judas stood out to me as the best of this year's "historical/period" crop, including other choices like Trial of the Chicago 7 and One Night In Miami. 'Judas' stood out as leaps beyond the competition - a story of an FBI informant who infiltrates a Chicago-based chapter of the Black Panters, led by a charismatic Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya is all but guaranteed an Oscar this year). The film is wonderfully styled and assembled, directed by Shaka King - this is a director to look out for. It carries on with an ever-present rising tension, culminating in a horrific yet sobering finale. 

9. PALM SPRINGS

    I was late to the "Palm Springs" party based on the film's premise - what I assumed was a lazy reworking of 'Groundhog's Day.' Hey, even with 'Happy Death Day,' this is quickly becoming a tired genre. What surprised me was the film's level of humanity - and its structure. The story begins far into Andy Samberg's repetitive cycle towards infinity, reliving the day of a wedding and reception... over and overr... and shows a new woman (Sarah) accidentally stumbling into the time loop by mere fluke. What follows is a comedy in which both leads are suffering through the realization that actions no longer have consequences, and any chance at romance is almost doomed from the start. There are still a few moments that leave me with questions (including the final post-credits scene), but in a way that helps me to wonder over it even more.  

8. BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM

    I genuinely laughed more than I expected at this surprise follow-up to the original Borat film (which I still found genuinely funny on rewatching), which takes a more pointed political stance and uses COVID-19 as a brilliant way to reintroduce this offensive character back into the zeitgeist of pop-culture. The real star is, of course, Maria Bakalova - a surprise Oscar nominee who plays Tutar, Borat's daughter. The plot revolves around using Tutar as an 'offering' to the Trump administration in order to win Borat favor with his homeland, and the cringe-worthy humor just flows from there. Bakalova and Cohen are perfect - and scene after scene was simply gold (Borat's visit to a synagogue, and Tutar's conversation with her babysitter, Jeanise). It's crude, offensive, and certainly not for everyone, but I loved every minute. 

7. THE FATHER

    One of the last movies I saw in 2020 (in fact, I saw it in March 2021, ha!) and was instantly one that became one of my most admired. The story of a man (Anthony Hopkins) and his daughter (Olivia Colman) and his struggle with dementia. The premise is laughably simple - but what director Florian Zeller achieves is remarkable. The film is essentially told from Hopkin's point-of-view, and everything from the position of a piano against the wall - to the actors playing each role - changes scene to scene. It's an immediately disorienting process as we, like Hopkins, struggle to keep up. Is his daughter moving to Paris? Has he lost his watch? This is something that I think is primed perfectly for the art of cinema - and I realize this was based on a play. The editing and set design works so wonderfully to create this sense of paranoia - but specifically Anthony Hopkins - who arguably has never been better. In fact, I can't think of a male actor who has given a better performance in the last 20 years or more. 

6. NOMADLAND

    I was certainly thrown off by this film's semingly plotless approach to the story - but was quickly engrossed in the journey of Fern (Frances McDormand), who loses her job and husband during the Recession and becomes a nomad - living out of her van, traveling across the American west in search of work here and there. The film shows us a year in her life - as she works for Amazon.com for the holiday season, then journeys east along with a caravan of fellow travelers (many of whom are non-actors). There is a Malick-like sense of awe within the setting of nature here (I know many have said this already), and the film's success comes from its wandering shots of sunsets over endless horizons. McDormand anchors this movie with a quiet yet convincing performance - and we believe her struggles along the way (the cost of a flat tire, or the struggle of sub-zero temperatures while trying to stay warm). Director Chloe Zhao has made better films in the past ("The Rider" is certainly one of the better films I've seen in the last few years), but for some reason, it is this movie that introduces her to a more mainstream audience. I certainly can't complain about that. 

5. THE INVISIBLE MAN

    The first movie I saw in 2020 that makes my year-end-list and it still manages to shock me with each reviewing. The retelling of this classic "monster movie" fits so well into a 2020 setting - that of a woman escaping her abusive boyfriend and ultimately coming to be stalked by him... Or is she going crazy? Elisabeth Moss is this year's 'snubbed actress in a horror movie,' following in the footsteps of Toni Collette and Lupita N'Yongo as powerhouse actors who failed to get Oscar-nominated simply due to the genre of their work. This film is wrought with tension, and some of the most effective visual effects of the year. The icing on the cake is the film's final scene - a moment of such satisfaction that I remember audiences cheering as the film cut to black. Across the board - this film never missed. 

4. SOUND OF METAL

    Very close to being my favorite movie of the year. The story of a heavy metal drummer (Riz Ahmed) who suddenly begins to lose his hearing. The film follows his retreat to a rehab shelter for the deaf (Ruben, our drummer, is also a recovering drug addict). At the shelter, he is introduced to the deaf community - learns to sign, meets members of the deaf community, etc, all the while he researches cochlear implants in hopes to return to normal and begin drumming again. Paul Raci, the rehab leader, is unforgettable in a brief but tender performance, and of course Riz Ahmed is vying among the year's very best. The film's successes (they are countless) are crowned by a sound design that works to hear the world through Ruben's perspective - both after becoming deaf and after regaining his hearing. It's marvelous work. I felt so immersed in every moment. I almost never wanted this film to end. 

3. MINARI

    If I were voting for Best Picture this year, my choice would be solidly for "Minari." An American movie (no, Golden Globes, this isn't an international production) with largely Korean dialogue - this is the story of an immigrant family from South Korea who makes their way to the American midwest in the 1980's. The father (Steven Yeun) dreams of growing a large farm and cultivating the land. he inspires his young son to dream big. His wife (Han Ye-ri, criminally snubbed this season for her brilliant work) is more grounded - struggles to see life in their new home in the middle of nowhere. Their marriage is tested. She invites her mother to make the journey to America as well, (Youn Yuh-jung) a whipsmart grandma who brings with her a sense of life to this humble scenery - and brings a supply of minari, a native plant to Korea which ultimately begins to thrives in a nearby creek. From its soundtrack to its writing (director Lee Isaac Chung tells a story loosely based on his childhood upbringing), this is so clearly the choice for Best Picture among this year's slate - and a perfect way to end a year so full of loss and doubt.  

2. QUO VADIS, AIDA?

    The very last movie I saw before assembling this list, and probably the most important of my picks. This is a Bosnian film that recounts a 1995 genocide committed by opposing army forces of Bosnian men and boys numbering in the thousands. Uplifting, I know. This is a film is bleak struggle and yet surprising humanity. We follow a UN translator (Jasna Đuričić - who very much should have been nominated for and won the Best Actress Oscar this year. Her performance is manic, frazzled, always moving forward - using her leverage as translator in an attempts to protect her husband and two boys from the oncoming terror. The film is largely set in real time in a UN base which holds tens of thousands of refugees with nowhere to go. I am not familiar with the Bosnian War, per se, and I was not aware of what was coming - but through Aida - I felt the ever present sense of doom, and watched the final act through an onslaught of tears. This is a film unlike any other - and I encourage as many people as possible to watch it. Very few movies have left me as completely undone. 

1. PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE

    Ok so it's cheating to say a 2019 movie is the best movie of 2020. In my defense - "Portrait" was not released in the United States until at least January or February 2020 and by that point I had already compiled my list. Criminally snubbed at the Oscars (not even nominated for Foreign Film), this film suffered a from a weird release schedule and the dominance of another foreign film (Parasite) taking away all this film's thunder. 

The moment I saw this masterpiece, I knew that I would keep it in this position until I saw another film better. 15 months later and I have yet to see anything that tops it. A lush, romantic, stunning, raw portrait of love that is told in such striking beautiful ways. The film's ending - a series of 3 or 4 scenes, builds to one of the most powerful crescendos... It's a perfect film. 

Official 93rd Oscar Predictions

 

It's been a year. What else can be said? With the impact of COVID, the extended qualifying period for eligible films, an increase in streaming nominees, this year's Academy Awards feel messy, unresolved, and far from cookie-cutter. Where last year I had seen the eventual Best Picture winner (Parasite, ah such bliss that was) in October, I don't think I had seen this year's winner (details to come) until February. While I don't like many of the nominees (in fact I actively despise a few Best Picture nominees), this has actually shaped out to be one of the more interesting years in many races - so many of which feel like absolute mysteries. Now that BAFTA and SAG are complete - this is as clear a picture as we will have for these races. Without delay:

BEST PICTURE

1. Nomadland
2. Minari
3. Trial of the Chicago 7
4. Promising Young Woman
5. Judas and the Black Messiah
6. The Father
7. Sound of Metal
8. Mank

As much as I despised "Trial," I acknowledge it is in prime upset territory given its recent SAG Ensemble victory (the winner of this wins Best Picture approximately 50% of the time) and its key nominations (and despite a Best Director snub. Remember Green Book? Argo? Best Director isn't always needed anymore). 

On paper, it has to be "Nomadland." It won PGA. It won The Critic's Choice. Golden Globe. BAFTA... Does anyone hate it? I admit it's a very abnormal film to win Best Picture, but this is a very abnormal year for anything. A film with a single female lead and a cast of virtually all non-actors. There's no plot. It's slow. It missed SAG Ensemble (though so did Shape of Water & Green Book... I think the fact that Frances got nominated is enough to rest easy). It feels very much like "Boyhood" which was once a front-runner then was snubbed for a showier movie (Birdman). Will it win? I think so. Chloe Zhao came out of the far recesses of indie cinema to bring us this timely drama, and it stands to reason this will be the second-ever film to win Best Picture directed by a woman (The Hurt Locker). 

The wildly weird "Promising Young Woman," which got all the essential nominations needed along with "Nomad" (Director, Editing, Acting, Screenplay) seems primed for an upset. Is that film as widely regarded, especially when put to count on a preferential ballot? (the film with the highest average of ranking (ie, most 1st, 2nd, 3rd place votes) wins). I personally would rank "Woman" relatively low on my ballot, and "Nomad" relatively high. Wouldn't you? 

I had hope for "Minari" earlier this season, and I still suspect an outside chance. The anonymous ballots from Oscar voters in recent weeks all hold the film in high regard. The film shows the struggle and acceptance of a Korean family into middle America in the 1980's. Amidst the #StopAsianHate news this year, it feels like the perfect "in" to reward this film. It could still happen, but its loss at SAG and elsewhere (not to mention a Korean-language film just won last year... Are they going to reward what is essentially a foreign-language film back to back?) makes this more of a long shot. Unless it becomes the first movie since "Spotlight" to win only 2 awards... Or the first in nearly 90 to win only  Best Picture (depending on a few other races). 

Bet on "Nomadland," but with so many surprises in recent years I wouldn't be surprised for any sort of upset. While I correctly gleaned "Parasite" as the victor last year, even that was technically an upset. It will be a nail-biter up until the final envelope. If there is a year when a film wins only Best Picture and no other statue, this feels like it. 

**I moved Trial of the Chicago 7 up over Promising Young Woman because I have to imagine on a preferential ballot that the latter would rank lower on more peoples' ballots... It's simply too divisive to win, right? Along the same logic, Minari is in 2nd place on account of its universal adoration and a gut feeling that if there is an upset, that would be it...

BEST DIRECTOR

1. Chloe Zhao (Nomadland)
2. Lee Isaac Chung (Minari)
3. Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman)
4. David Fincher (Mank)
5. Thomas Vinterberg (Another Round)

Lock this category up. The narrative for at least 6 months has been that Zhao will become the second female Best Director winner, and deservedly so. While some years they reward this for the film with the most visual effects or trickiest camerawork, Zhao's film is sheer poetry and a marvel of tone and place. It's a deserved win. 

This category was almost majority female (many thought Regina King's work on "One Night In Miami" would sneak in here) but the simple fact we have 2 female nominees is groundbreaking in itself. Hell, there are only two white male nominees here. When has that ever happened? Lee Isaac Chung's personal work in "Minari" shows more skill (I think) over Fennell's twisted yet sloppy debut (my opinion). Fincher should be so happy to be here for one if his weakest pictures, and Vinterberg continues the tradition of having a rogue foreign film nominee - albeit deserving. If Chloe Zhao loses it will be a major shocker.

BEST LEADING ACTOR

1. Anthony Hopkins (The Father)
2. Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom)
3. Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal)
4. Steven Yeun (Minari)
5. Gary Oldman (Mank)

Aside from Oldman's head-scratching inclusion here, this would be a list for the ages. Again, another category that is majority persons of color. What a year. 

I am walking off a cliff here. Going down with this ship, whatever. Let me explain. Chadwick is far and away the front-runner to win here. He took home Golden Globe, SAG, Critic's Choice... The narrative is there - that he died of cancer while giving it all for his last performance. He was a fine actor, and yet this performance was a very clear miss for me. I think I'm alone here - and I acknowledge I'm letting personal bias get in the way of predictions. No matter how you spin it, Chadwick is the apparent winner here. 

Let's look at Anthony Hopkins. His last Oscar victory (in fact his only victory) was for "Silence of the Lambs" 30 years ago. Since then, he has amassed 6 nominations (including last year for "The Two Popes"). If you have a 1 in 5 chance of winning in a given year, then he's due. Not to mention his performance is almost universally acclaimed as his best work to date. It's an actor's dream. It's showy as hell. Should one of the world's best actors really only have 1 Oscar this late in his career? "The Father" is the last of the Best Picture nominees to get released - and it's showing with thunderous praise - that late-breaking support could set him over the edge. It's the freshest performance in voters' minds. He also just took the BAFTA in a not-so-surprising upset. Hometown advantage, sure, but Olivia Colman also won her respective BAFTA race and no one seemed to suspect what was to come...

I have put personal feelings aside in the past - predicting Glenn Close over the clear superiority of Olivia Colman... Assuming Julie Christie would prevail over one of the screen's greatest performances by Marion Cotillard. Predicting Viola over Meryl "Thatcher..." If you're betting, put your chips on Chadwick Boseman. This is a losing gamble for me (I think) - but if I'm right, I want those bragging rights. There have only been 2 posthumous acting winners in Academy history. Those are pretty slim odds. Also think on this - that Best Actor hasn't gone to a performance that wasn't in a Best Picture nominee since 2009 (Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart). Hey, maybe even Riz Ahmed (brilliant, devastating work by the way) has a better shot than we think...

BEST LEADING ACTRESS

1. Andra Day (The United States vs. Billie Holliday)
2. Viola Davis (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom)
3. Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman)
4. Frances McDormand (Nomadland)
5. Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman)

WHAT. A. CATEGORY. In 50 years when I reflect back on Oscar races (if I still care by then), I imagine the 2020 Best Actress Race will be one of the most memorable. Usually we can predict fairly easily with the precursors. Whoever wins the most is probably winning the Oscar. It's not 100%, but it's genuinely simple math. Last year, Renee Zelwegger won virtually every award that was available. Of course she was going to win the Oscar. i could have napped through this category when it happened. 

Well... Let's look at the tea leaves. Andra Day won the Golden Globe (in an upset) but was snubbed at SAG and BAFTA. Carey Mulligan won Critic's Choice but was snubbed by BAFTA (and lost the SAG, which she realistically should have won to have stayed a threat). Viola Davis shocked us all and won SAG (but of course she was snubbed by BAFTA (and if you're curious, yes - they still nominated Chadwick Boseman). McDormand only won BAFTA but was competing against virtually none of these women.  Kirby is so lucky to be included at all. 

Who wins?? Many prognosticators still think Mulligan is ahead. How? She has won virtually nowhere and her performance isn't as showy as the rest. Others think McDormand given her film's clout. I counter with - which actor has won their 3rd Academy Award with such a subtle performance... and one that has won no precursors? 

I'm telling you that it has to be Davis or Day. We have gone 92 years with only one black actress to win this award (otherwise it's been entirely white actors) - Halle Berry in "Monster's Ball." It's time for some more women to join her company. In fact it's embarrassing that it hasn't happened since. Viola Davis as Ma Rainey is such a technically brilliant role, but her screen time amounts to no more than 20 minutes. How funny that if she were to win, she would have won a supporting actress Oscar for a lead role (Fences), and a lead actress Oscar for a supporting one (Ma Rainey)... Both August Wilson adaptations, no less. 

This award is Andra Day's. I just feel it deep down. Yes, she was snubbed by SAG (so was Regina King), but this performance has it all. She sings her own songs in the style of Holliday. She has nudity. She has graphic sex scenes. She does drugs. She even dies a tragic death. She has a single long-take of an outpouring of emotion. She plays a real person... In the history of the Oscars, she is a cookie-cutter example of what typically wins Best Actress. Despite her being the film's only nomination (I'm not surprised, the film is tragically awful), that hasn't stopped other actresses from winning here in the past - I'm looking at you, Julianne Moore. In such an untraditional year, I think someone like Day can just squeeze in by a hair. 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

1. Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah)
2. Paul Raci (Sound of Metal)
3. Sasha Baron Cohen (The Trial of the Chicago 7)
4. Leslie Odom, Jr. (One Night in Miami)
5. Lakeith Stanfield (Judas and the Black Messiah)

Kaluuya is making the traditional "sweep" that I mentioned so many other actors have in years past. He hasn't lost anywhere. It's a powerhouse performance. He's already been nominated before. The only shakeup is the surprise inclusion of Stanfield (who is arguably the film's lead) who might siphon off votes. Still, this feels so utterly locked that putting Raci in second place is nothing but sheer personal preference. 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

1. Yuh-Jung Youn (Minari)
2. Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm)
3. Glenn Close (Hilbilly Elegy)
4. Olivia Colman (The Father)
5. Amanda Seyfried (Mank)

This category, like lead actress, has been full of twists and turns. Jodie Foster won the Globe (the first time the winner in this category was snubbed at the Oscars in literally dozens of years). Youn won SAG and BAFTA. Bakalova won Critic's Choice... Even Close, who has won nothing, still has a shot if voters realize she's about to become 0:8 on Oscar wins... She would also become the first person to win an Oscar for a performance that was also Razzie-nominated. 

In my heart the clear winner is Bakalova. She stole every scene she was in and performed daring feats that are likely to go unnoticed to many. Her film is simply "not" what many imagine as an Oscar-winner. Still, maybe there can be a tie. Youn is so brilliant in "Minari" that about halfway through the film I got the feeling deep down that this is a master at work - and that her performance is so clearly the year's best in this category. I think it's down to those two only. Whoever sneaks ahead will truly be deserving. I even think Colman deserves this and my only hesitation is that she won in a surprise only a few years ago. How many times would the Academy allow Colman to upset over Glenn Close, anyways?

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

1. The Father
2. Nomadland
3. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
4. One Night in Miami
5. The White Tiger

I think this race is closer between "Father" and "Nomad" than we believe. Where Zhao's film is slow, winding, plotless, "The Father" is full of slight of hand and sharp dialogue. It's the director's own adaptation of his play. It's the more writerly work - but are voters going to see Nomadland and check it without a moment's hesitation? For now, I predict "The Father's" witty approach will sneak out a victory - and as sad as that sounds, Zhao is still going home with at least 2 Oscars. I put Borat so high only because the bottom two underperformed and with this being Cohen's third nomination (along with a slew of writers on board... 9 nominated writers, to be exact), maybe this could be the odd category out where voters say (excuse me), "fuck it." 

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

1. Promising Young Woman
2. Minari
3. Trial of the Chicago 7
4. Sound of Metal
5. Judas and the Black Messiah

While it's not my favorite screenplay, there is still the narrative that no female has won for screenwriting since Diablo Cody in 2007 (Juno) and now we have a year when 2 female writers have a chance at winning in both categories. It's certainly the most ambitious of the nominees. Also the one with a few major plot twists. While Sorkin won for "Trial" at the Globes, he has certainly written better screenplays in his sleep. Chung's personal story in "Minari" could upset, but of the two writing categories, this seems like the more locked option. 

BEST FILM EDITING

1. Trial of the Chicago 7
2. Sound of Metal
3. Promising Young Woman
4. The Father
5. Nomadland

This is an updated prediction from the original post. With Trial winning the ACE Eddie Award (not 100% accurate, but still a good forecaster), I have switched from "Sound" which always felt like an odd choice to win in this category. The logic is that Sound and Editing are often tied, and no film since "The Departed" has won Editing without a sound nomination. Metal has won most of the precursors, but I was never able to understand why that film would be heralded as an achievement in film editing versus sound design. With Trial's victory, this feels like a safer choice - with crosscutting back and forth through time and scenes. This allows every Best Picture nominee to walk away with at least 1 trophy each (should everything play out). My personal pick would still be Promising Young Woman, a messy film yes, but razor sharp in its assembly. 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

1. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
2. Emma
3. Mank
4. Pinnochio
5. Mulan

Another category where I have zero empirical evidence to back my claims. "Mank" is the sole Best Picture nominee here, but black and white movies don't fare well here unless they're called "The Artist." "Ma Rainey" has been racking up the tech precursors, and with its period setting it seems logical here (however it's tiny in scope and almost every character has only 1 costume in the film). "Emma" seems more logical... Period, British, etc, but then I remember how my ass was handed to me for predicting "The Favourite" over "Black Panther." Also, who even saw "Emma?" At least voters would have seen "Ma" in order to see these nominated performances. 

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

1. Mank
2. The Father
3. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
4. News of the World
5. Tenet

And here I go picking a black and white nominee. Why? I guess because the film (inspired by the behind-the-scenes of the writing of "Citizen Kane") draws from many historical sets as well as those iconic locations in Kane. Also because there's no other clear front-runner here. I would say typically don't pick the contemporary nominee here, but "The Father" uses art direction in such a specific way to confuse the audience that actually maybe it's closer to winning than I'm giving it credit. Also, Production Design & Costumes are almost always tied - meaning you need a nomination in both to even being considered to win. This isn't a rule- just a weird coincidence people started noticing in recent years. That bodes well for films starting with the letter M. 

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING

1. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
2. Pinnochio
3. Hilbilly Elegy
4. Mank
5. Emma

To be honest, "Hibilly" being nominated here scares me when considering Glenn Close an upset. Makeup and acting are often closely tied. Iron Lady, La Vie En Rose, Les Mis, Dallas Buyer's Club, etc. Then again, maybe this should signal I should be predicting Viola over Anra Day in Actress... The conundrum...  "Ma Rainey" won the guild, and while it doesn't have very showy prosthetic work, my mind still races to that sweaty, makeup-drenched face of Viola Davis, silver teeth and all, to convince me that is the probable winner. "Pinnochio" is that prosthetic-driven feature that might win, but then again, I hadn't even heard of this movie prior to nominations, and I'm sure you hadn't, either. Case closed. 

BEST SOUND

1. Sound of Metal
2. Soul
3. News of the World
4. Mank
5. Greyhound

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

1. Soul
2. Minari
3. Mank
4. News of the World
5. Da 5 Bloods

When I saw "Soul," I specifically asked them not to turn off the TV until I could see who composed the music. I was that impressed. In retrospect, I can't think of a single melody or tune that stuck out, nor could I even describe the style of music. Still, that initial gut reaction would have me pick "Soul" out of all the nominees, although "Minari" might be a close second. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are double-nominated here (Mank & Soul), and while they might have vote-splitting, "Soul" has taken virtually every award thus far. John Batiste is the third nominee for the film. Trent & Atticus are the most recent winners in this category to share the award (more than one composer) for "Social Network." "The Last Emperor" in 1987 is the last victor to have 3 nominees. 

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

1. "Husavik" (Eurovision Song Contest)
2. "Speak Now" (One Night in Miami)
3. "Io Si" (The Life Ahead)
4. "Fight for You" (Judas and the Black Messiah)
5. "Hear My Voice" (Trial of the Chicago 7)

I'm kind of sick of the "message" songs that play over credits being so consistently nominated here. It happens year after year.  They're so boring. What happened to the good old days of "My Heart Will Go On" or "Let It Go" or any number of radio hits? I kind of love this category though for the ease with which you can screen all the nominees. Take 15 minutes and listen. What's stopping you? My favorite is the beautiful Italian ballad "Io Si" by always-a-nominee-never-a-winner Diane Warren. This is her 12th nomination. Could she take it? It won the Globe (but that doesn't mean a whole lot). Another part of me feels like the cheesy pop style of "Husavik" really sets that song apart and could drive a surprise win for a comedy film. "Speak Now" is actually lovely, somber, with Leslie Odom Jr's vocals melting right off the screen. Could it win, though? 4 & 5 are simply forgettable, enough said. 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

1. Nomadland
2. Mank
3. Judas and the Black Messiah
4. News of the World
5. Trial of the Chicago 7

How was "Trial" even nominated here? This is an easy win for "Nomadland." This award almost always goes to the Best Picture nominee of the bunch, and it helps to have a Visual Effects nomination. Luckily, "Mank" missed that nom, though it did just surprise at the Cinematography Guild. Black and white is hard to resist, but Nomad feels very much like the lock here. 

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

1. Tenet
2. The Midnight Sky
3. Mulan
4. The One and Only Ivan
5. Love and Monsters

What even are half these films? "Tenet" is the only movie that fits the bill in this category and it's the most widely seen. Many of its effects were actually quite impressive, too. How many Christopher Nolan movies have won this award, already? "Midnight Sky" has picked up a few precursors here and there so don't be surprised to see it win. 

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

1. Soul
2. Wolfwalkers
3. Onward
4. Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
5. Over the Moon

Piece of cake. 

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

1. Another Round
2. Quo Vadis, Aida?
3. The Man Who Sold His Skin
4. Collective
5. Better Days

The second consecutive year where a documentary was also nominated for International Feature (Collective). No matter, the Directing nomination for "Another Round" helps clarify this race immensely. Also - this is the third year in a row in which the winner here would have also been nominated for Best Director (and up until now, they all won that award, too...). I may switch to "Quo Vadis, Aida," a movie I think is the best I saw all year - it's powerful and emotional, and feels more important than a story of a few high school teachers getting drunk on a daily basis. We'll see. For now, it's "Another Round." 

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

1. My Octopus Teacher
2. Crip Camp
3. Time
4. The Mole Agent
5. Collective

What might have been up in the air has been largely settled with the surprising precursor sweep of "Octopus Teacher" (which I found somewhat dull... Besides the point). Oftentimes it's the odd film out that wins. A film about a sea creature certainly fits the bill. It also doesn't hurt to be so largely available on Netflix (a studio that has won in this category before, don't forget). 

BEST DOCUMENTARY, SHORT SUBJECT

1. A Concerto Is A Conversation
2. A Love Song for Latasha
3. Colette
4. Do Not Split
5. Hunger Ward

The old trend used to be to pick the Holocaust film among the shorts (Colette), but that fad has begun to fade. Our current trend? Pick the film with the most eye-catching title (Learning to Skateboard In A Warzone If You're a Girl, Period, End of Sentence, etc). Latasha features on Netflix but I don't know how good of a film it is overall. Pick Concerto. It has ties to recent Best Picture winner "Green Book" and it apparently a lovely story among a slab of nominees that are increasingly depressing. 

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

1. The Letter Room
2. Feeling Through
3. Two Distant Strangers
4. The Present
5. White Eye

I finally saw all 5 and I am sticking with the established front-runner. Aside from the actually terrible "Two Distant Strangers" (suffering tonal and taste problems galore), the other 4 are all fairly worthy nominees. Strangers still has a chance given the recent news (it's essentially a story about a black man getting shot and killed day after day a-la Groundhog's Day.... Yikes). The Letter Room was the most accomplished to me - starring Oscar Isaac. It isn't as dark as the others, and it balances romance, comedy, and the weight of its subject matter with ease. I am borderline on predicting Feeling Through - the most visually interesting film, and a story of a blind and deaf man being helped home by a homeless youth. It's uplifting if not a bit cheesy. To be honest, it feels right up the voters' alley and already feels like a winner. The Present and White Eye are foreign, and as shallow as it sounds, it's rare for a foreign film to win here when matched against those in the English language. 

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

1. If Anything Happens I Love You
2. Burrow
3. Opera
4. Genius Loci
5. Yes-People

The odds on favorite is "If Anything Happens," and now having seen all 5 this choice makes sense. My favorite is Opera - a wildly original 9-minute film that is quite frankly impossible to describe and utterly compelling. Genius Loci is beautifully-drawn but feels very messy and absurd. Burrow, the one with cute animals, might have a shot - but the animation and story is nothing to write home about. I loved Yes People, but again, it's foreign - and those have a hard time in the short category no matter which category. This is a fairly easy call. 

Favorite Movies (... of the Best Picture Nominees 2020)

 It was a weird year. I saw no more than 5 movies in theaters (the previous year I clocked in around 80). I don't think I saw enough actual release movies to make an actual list of my favorites (or least favorites) of the year. Here we are. 

The Oscars are rolling around in t-minus 1 month, and while the nominees leave much to be desired (and I think it's an incredibly weak year), here is my chance to vent about the 8 films nominated - my opinions, thoughts, etc, and perhaps we could potentially categorize this as a "best of" list in some aspect or another. 

The nominees (in order of preference, worst to best) are: 

8. THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7

One of the most boring, utterly forgettable Best Picture nominees I can remember in at least 10 years. It plays like a parody of an "Oscar bait" movie, and feels artificial and saccharine all the way down to the large ensemble cast and cringey one-liners. It's not Aaron Sorkin's best screenplay, but it might be his worst screenplay. I was bored within 15 minutes and nothing ever managed to grip me along the way. Virtually every nomination this film received was undeserved. 

7. MANK

I dare you to find someone who actually loved this movie. What might have been an intriguing peek behind the scenes of the making of CITIZEN KANE instead turned into a snoozefest with an uninspired Gary Oldman performance at its heart. From the abysmal sound mix (made to sound as though you are in the echo of a grand theater... straining) to the tedious, churning screenplay, I was left puzzled as to how so many utter legends in front and behind the camera could make such bland material. 

6. PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN

I thought I really liked this movie the first viewing, despite the incredibly challenging conclusion that left me feeling uneasy. A second viewing confirmed my suspicions - that this movie is merely a colorful pop of design with not a whole lot to its substance. Carey Mulligan is effective as a woman hell-bent on revenge, but the aspects of her plot (luring men in bars while pretending to be drunk) raise more questions than they do create tension. The soundtrack is memorable and Emerald Fennell's direction is certifiably her own (one of two female Best Director nominees this year... a first). Overall, I don't think I could stomach a third viewing. 

5. JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH

Dare I say that Daniel Kaluuya gives the year's best performance as a Black Panther leader in Chicago - a leader whose own life and work is spied on by an FBI plant (Lakeith Stanfield) with the ultimate aim of bringing down a revolution. This is certainly one of the most exciting films of the year, full of a richness in dialogue, razor sharp editing, and some of the best sequences of the year. This movie left me floored. I'm so pleased to see it with so many nominations.

4. THE FATHER

The last of the Best Picture nominees I saw, and in many ways the most challenging. A story of an old man succumbing to dementia and his daughter who struggles with the ramifications. Anthony Hopkins is giving bar-none the best performance of his life and easily the best performance of the year in any category. The film is so brilliant in the way it shows dementia from his point of view - that is to say that scenes begin and end with no warning, characters change, furniture moves, and everyone but Hopkins seems to be in on it. It's unnerving, at times magical, and ultimately an incredibly moving portrait of a mind slowly beginning to unwind. 

3. NOMADLAND

Chloe Zhao (the director, soon to be only the second woman to win Best Director) made one of my all-time favorite films a few years back called "The Rider." Here, she finds similar themes to explore in the American west, a modern western of unemployed and disparate people searching for meaning in a life that is anything but normal. Frances McDormand is so perfectly modulated as Fern, a woman whose husband has died and drives from odd job to odd job over the course of a year. The film is virtually plotless - the characters are sparse (and mostly non-actors). The ultimate story seems to be of a woman learning to let go and go on living her life. It's the best ending of the year of any movie I saw. 

2. SOUND OF METAL

Just brilliant, sublime, powerful filmmaking. The story of a heavy metal drummer (Riz Ahmed) who suddenly begins to lose his hearing, and the journey he takes on the road towards recovery (or so he thinks). First, he enters a rehab clinic run by a deaf veteran (Paul Raci in my favorite supporting performance of those nominated) who teaches him in the ways of ASL and learning to live without hearing. All the while, Ahmed seeks to return to normalcy with cochlear implants. The sound design is bar none the main highlight of the film. We see the world through his perspective. And the ending - an utterly devastating blend of tragedy and acceptance. I couldn't heap more praises on this movie if I tried. 

1. MINARI

The real gem of 2020 for me was MINARI, easily my favorite movie I saw all year. It's the story of a Korean family who emigrates to southern America in the 1980s. The father dreams of farming, of growing crops, of living the American dream... His wife is more skeptical. Their children are merely along for the ride. It's so perfectly packed with heartwarming moments, and scene after scene is a perfect realization of all that great cinema can be. If there's one movie that could represent 2020 and help ease all the suffering of the year, this must be it. No villains, no death, no heartbreak - I was left with nothing but warm feelings. 

John's Favorite Movies of All Time (Pt II)

Again a new year has come, and I frankly have seen so few new movies in 2020, I don't think I could even compile a "best of" list if I wanted to. What will even be nominated at the upcoming Oscars? I couldn't think of 5 movies to rub together in any category. The best movie I saw all year by a mile was "Portrait of a Lady on Fire," (also one of the last movies I saw in a physical theater), but does that even count as a 2020 release?

Instead, I have ventured further into film history, spending much of this year revisiting movies I haven't seen in a while. While my top 10 list from nearly a year ago (!!!) still feels very accurate in my mind, I can't help but think there are so many more movies that barely missed out. Consider this a continuation of the original 10, or possibly an extension... Who said a favorites list needs to be comprised of only 10 movies, anyways? In alphabetical order: 

ALMOST FAMOUS (2000)

Cameron Crowe's love story to rock music (and apparently many aspects of his own personal childhood) is one of the great "feel good" movies that I always go back to. A teen journalist named William Miller tags along on the road with one of his favorite bands, Stillwater, and along the way ultimately discovers a bit more about himself than he initially planned. The movie is full of iconic lines and performances (particularly Frances McDormand as Miller's mom and Kate Hudson as Penny Lane, a groupie who is as enigmatic as she is alluring). There are very few movies with such an amazing soundtrack, and even fewer that have a narrative to match. I can't think of a flaw. 

E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)

I don't think I gave ET enough credit when I first saw it as a kid. I was scared to death of ET in the field, and the sight of his water-logged body in the river will still make me turn away. I think I was just late to the party when I realized that Spielberg's film is in many ways his greatest achievement in a long list of memorable movies. There's something so beautiful to see the wonder of discovery through our protagonist's (Elliot) eyes, and the slow relationship that forms between him and the alien builds to one of the most beautiful crescendos and a finale that I don't think will ever leave my eyes anywhere close to dry. This is a lot more than just another kid's movie. 

GOODFELLAS (1990)

When I first saw "Goodfellas" I think I was put off by the amount of narration, the relentless pace, and the lack of empathy for almost any character. It seems, however, that the more I watch the more I find myself wrapped up in this air-tight story of the mob and the rise and fall of Henry Hill. We learn every aspect of the life of a gangster; from how they plan a robbery, to how their wives do their makeup and gossip over the dinner table. It's a remarkable accomplishment by director Martin Scorsese who manages to find such high art in the lowliest of criminals. I don't think he's yet made a better picture.

HANNAH AND HER SISTERS (1986)

The uncomfortable feeling of separating the director from the art is not all too difficult in this case, and with "Hannah and Her Sisters" it's simply undeniably one of the most emotional and well-written scripts ever produced, even by Woody Allen standards. The story of three sisters with the bookend scenes of Thanksgiving dinner, we weave in and out of each of their lives as these women struggle with infidelity, unemployment, pregnancy, betrayal, and so much more. We still have the neurotic Woody Allen tropes that come to identify most of his pictures, but for one reason or another, "Hannah" rises above all the rest and lands firmly as a timeless portrait of family that I will never get tired of rewatching. 

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)

Another movie I really wouldn't have taken seriously in any other year, but rewatching it this last Christmas for the first time in many years changed my mind about the importance of Frank Capra's holiday classic. The hero journey of Jimmy Stewart's character George Bailey culminates in one of cinema's most iconic "deus ex machina" finales, but the story of Bailey in the setting of Bedford Falls feels so timely, even nearly 80 years later. One wouldn't presume that Capra approached this as a political story, but the wealth inequality that sneaks through the story helps all the more in establishing some of the most powerful moments in the movie. Here we are again with another tear jerker of a finale, and that incredibly powerful closing: no one is a failure who has friends. 

MARY POPPINS (1964)

Disney's crowning achievement of live-action movies (arguably even through to today) is simply one of the most wonderful and infectious movies I've ever seen. Julie Andrews' debut is practically perfect in every way as the magic nanny with two parts sass and perfect pitch to match. I'm sure everyone has seen it, and even felt awakened by re-examining the story through the lens of "Saving Mr Banks," but the film still triumphs as a technical marvel of visual effects, of some of the most catchy original music, and the ultimate triumph of the story of a man who comes to find there is more to life than just his fiduciary responsibilities.  

NETWORK (1976)

Paddy Chayefsky's screenplay is quite simply a wonder of writing, both in terms of the sharp characters drawn, and its uncanny glimpse into the future of news media and pop culture. The story of an unhinged news reporter who vows to commit suicide on air and ultimately blasts his way into the stratosphere of television ratings is at times funny, cruel, heartbreaking, and nauseating. Here is another movie with so few characters earning our sympathy (though Beatrice Straight's monologue certainly goes down as one of cinema's best), and yet the technical "wow" factors of director Sidney Lumet and the endlessly powerful cast makes this something you won't ever forget. 

NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)

I go back and forth in my mind as to what is Hitchcock's "best" movie, and I usually settle on a close race between this, "Vertigo," and "Rear Window." For sheer entertainment value, I can think of no movie more deserving than the vast scale and epic journey taken by Carey Grant across northeastern America. A case of mistaken identity as only Alfred Hitchcock could pull off, this story follows Roger Thornhill, aka George Kaplan, as he evades kidnapping and murder attempts all while sinking deeper into a story of espionage and mystery. It's also one of the director's funniest films, and Grant just charms our socks off like so few movie stars have ever done. 

PARIS, TEXAS (1984)

Wim Wenders' film is simply visual poetry. A man emerges from the desert after having been missing for some time. He rejoins his brother and family, and slowly the mystery surrounding his disappearance becomes all the more moving. Harry Dean Stanton's lead performance is subtle in ways that almost any other actor might have spoiled. It's a western with no villain. It's a love story with no kiss. It's a revenge movie but only within the character's own heart. The final scene of this movie, a peculiar setup in which two people are positioned on opposite sides of a one-way mirror, is possibly my all-time favorite scene setting and features some of the absolute best cinematography and writing you will ever see. 

THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC (1928)

At the end of the list is the oldest movie I have featured; a silent retelling of the trial of Joan of Arc. A French picture directed by Carl Dreyer, the movie is notable for having almost been lost in a fire only to have a preserved copy found years later. Full of grand sets and such unique camera angles, what is fascinating is the face of our heroine - Renee Jeanne Falconetti, an actress of such considerable talents that many still consider her performance the best of all time (in movies, that is). Told almost entirely in closeups, the story revolves around the utter torment of a woman who meets her fate despite many chances to save her own life. For a movie almost 100 years old, it still feels so fresh, inventive, and has lost none of its power over the years. That's remarkable filmmaking.