On the 5th of January, just a few days after we ring in the new year of 2020, the Golden Globes ceremony will be the first big publicity event while Oscar ballots are in the hands of voters.
The Globes are often a good bellwether for testing the reaction in the room when winners take the stage. For instance, when La La Land swept the Globes a few years ago, the vague sensation of “really?” set it up for its eventual Oscar downfall. Moonlight, which won Best Picture — Drama, had nowhere to go but up while La La Land had nowhere to go but down. Had it started out as the underdog and not the frontrunner, La La Land would have had a better chance. When Avatar won the Globe, the same thing happened. No one wanted to see Jim Cameron be King of the World again, nobody wanted to see him beat his ex Kathryn Bigelow.
The Noah Baumbach/Greta Gerwig story is bound to play out in some fashion because it’s very rare to have a boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife scenario in the awards race at any level, much less as a pair of directors. How that fairy tale unreels, I have no idea. With the whole of the industry seemingly pushing for Little Women to be in the race while Marriage Story is beloved across the board, does that mean one charmed partner wins and the other loses? Do both win? Do both lose? As a major publicity event, the Globes will spotlight this relationship and that will be very good for Little Women’s Oscar chances.
We know this community well, so we know the speeches with regards to women directors will start here. That will throw a lot of heat and energy Greta Gerwig’s way. She’ll be in the room and the camera will cut to her any time that subject is brought up. The lament will be a big deal and there will be loud thunderous applause at the Natalie Portman-ishness of it all: “Here are your five all-male directing nominees.” Yes, it’s all going to be happening once more, as the Globes get shamed and shamed and shamed again for not nominating any women. That sentiment will tumble over to the SAG Awards in the same way that the #MeToo movement overtook both awards shows last year. You can bet that the convo will swirl around the absence of women, which again, will pool support around the one film directed by a woman that will get the push. The one with “Women” right there in the title.
The bar is set very high this year, however, and like it or not, many of the year’s best films are directed by men, alas. Women need to be afforded the same opportunities as men: to make more movies, to be given second and third chances, to be given the chance to fail and still work in Hollywood. And when they succeed, they need to be trusted with the hot properties that men now monopolize — that is what needs to change. Look at the success of the movies directed by women at the box office. It is better insurance that they continue to work than 15 minutes in the awards spotlight. But it is what it is.
So what is our high bar? Look at the Best Director category at the Globes:
Sam Mendes’ breathtaking cinematic achievement that is 1917. He has set the bar so high that any film that beats it has to be as good as or better. He aimed high and hit the target square in the bullseye. If I were a female filmmaker, I would look at this film (and others this year) and think: “yeah, that is what I want to do. That is how high I want to reach.” My god, what a movie. Every time I think about it, every time I watch it I am blown away all over again. Exactly twenty years ago Sam Mendes won in his debut for American Beauty, and maybe time has re-evaluated that one. But he’s made his best film with 1917. How do you even top it?
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a perfect film, Tarantino’s best as well, and one that I’ve seen about seven times now. And like all the best films this year (Parasite is not in this category), there is something new to discover with each viewing. We already know what Tarantino can do with dialogue and his camera’s eye — he’s been showing us this for years. I didn’t know how deeply he felt the travesties of the past until this film. Retelling a story that has haunted those of us who remember it gives us all a chance to share in that tragedy and imagine a world where it never happened. Instead of busting into the house where Sharon Tate was spending an evening with friends, Tarantino detours the Manson followers into a collision course with Cliff Booth and his dog Brandy. Yeah, good luck with that one. With each of the violent acts perpetuated on the murderers, you can feel Tarantino’s rage at the senseless tragedy from that hot summer night in 1969. Sure, it hurts to watch women brutalized like that — and it isn’t that any woman deserves that kind of beat down. But in this version of the nightmare, they aren’t actual women. They are ghosts. Ghosts that have haunted our culture for decades. Monsters who eventually carved swastikas between their eyebrows, shaved their heads, and chanted in Charlie’s name, even after they painted the walls on Cielo Drive with the blood of Sharon Tate’s unborn child. These counter-culture revolution-era hippies who gave the movement such a bad name had been conditioned to dehumanize the rich and powerful to the point where they could simply slaughter them and get off on it. Well, Tarantino has decided to turn that around with this film, to give us a chance to feast off the fantasy of revenge. How do you even top Once Upon a Time in Hollywood?
Bong Joon-ho may well win in the Globes Director category for Parasite, but his masterful film will win the Foreign Language prize walking through the door. When you watch Parasite and see how great it is, when you remember all of the other films he’s made in the past (like all of the best directors this year), then you begin to understand what it took for him to get to the place where he made this movie. It’s the kind of film that is so layered, so deep, and has so much to say, it’s a challenge to fully absorb its ambition — but even beyond that, it’s a technical marvel through and through. Bong’s gift for composition, like all of the best films this year, is unsurpassed. And the actors are the best visual effect. All of the best films this year rely on the actors to achieve greatness, and in Parasite, there is without a doubt some of the best acting of the year. How do you even top Parasite?
The Irishman is a film so good it doesn’t even matter whether it was released in theaters or on Netflix. Only Martin Scorsese could deliver with such masterful flourish the pure art of the thing. Watching him direct is like going to film school. How do you make a movie? This is how you make a movie. Like 1917, it’s a film that depends on the acting, writing, and crafts to deliver something that takes the audience on a profound journey, and if there was one weak link to break the bleak reverie the whole thing wouldn’t work. Give yourself over to the force of the story, and not even the film’s sole cognitive jolt of de-aging technology can disrupt the strength of its narrative. Props to Scorsese for wanting to reach for the next experimental evolution in cinema, ever seeking to break new ground, to see if it was possible to not only make actors look older (as movies have done for a century) but to make them look younger too, thereby allowing the same actor the continuity to play the same character at every stage of life. That he achieved such a feat at all will forever be remembered as a milestone. How do you top The Irishman?
Todd Phillips’ Joker became the most unexpected cultural phenomenon of the year, a supervillain origin story as divisive as anyone could imagine. It is passionately loved and passionately hated all at once, but it has made its mark. Joaquin Phoenix will likely win Best Actor at the Globes, SAG, and Oscar, making it a clean sweep. I’d be surprised if anyone else can stop his momentum. The film and the character have come to symbolize a kind of deeper truth most of us just don’t want to face about our culture. Only a great director can make a film this powerful and do it within a genre that ordinarily discourages originality, LRHOUFH I don’t think it will win Best Director — I think this one is down to Irishman vs. 1917, but you never know. While it isn’t my own personal favorite this year, you can’t deny what an achievement this film is. How do you even top it?
The Best Director category, more than any of the other categories, will be the one to watch to find the a frontrunner at last pulling ahead of the pack. If it’s a split year, Best Director will go one way and Best Picture another. Only three of these directors are in the Drama category: Sam Mendes, Martin Scorsese, and Todd Phillips. Bong Joon-ho’s film is in Foreign Language and Tarantino’s is in the Comedy/Musical category. It will be interesting to see which way this all goes down because honestly, this is such a stacked category I have absolutely no idea. Honestly, it could be any of them.
The question is, will this be the DGA five? I think it will be, give or take a James Mangold or Taika Waititi. And will this be the Oscar Best Director five? Perhaps, give or take a Safdie brothers or a Greta Gerwig.
Best Picture is next, and we’ll look at that after Christmas.
Which director do you think will win the Golden Globe?
Interesting fact. Many of the minor youtube movie reviewers are letterboxd indie arthouse nerds.
The Irishman is by far the best picture of the and his direction is one of the main reasons.
Counterpoint: no.
how on Earth is OUATIH Tarantino’s best film? It isn’t even in his top 3.
welcome to awards season bubble
That’s called differences of opinion.
I agree but I still really like it… Even more the 2nd time around.
yes agreed, it gets better with repeated viewing but still far off some other Tarantino movies
Tarantino’s best film is Inglorious Basterds without a question…
I wish that was his BP/BD winner too… It was my favorite that year easily.
It was a very important movie for the modern Hollywood..In Inglorious Basterds we got to know Michael Fassbender, Christoph Waltz, Daniel Bruhl and Melanie Laurent for the first time…Christoph Waltz never came back to Europe after that film and Fassbender became one of hollywood’s faves. I don’t want Tarantino to win with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, for me is not worth any accolade.
I’d be totally fine with him winning this year since it’s still one of my favorites of 2019… I’d rather him win BP and/or BD this time than never… How often do directors win for their best films anyways? Rarely in most peoples opinions.
that year ? nah…its after hurt locker and avatar for me. Those two were better directed and conceived. This movie felt like a wish fulfillment.
Very amusing. I used to hear that a lot a couple of years after its release. Not as many of his fans have claimed that in the last few years as it has largely been forgotten about. Let me just say this: HELL NO!That is so laughable. Just don’t bring that one up.
And Novak Djokovic is the player of the decade
I picked Marty solely on the fact that the Globes really like him. I feel if IRISHMAN gets only 1 thing it’d be BD for some reason.
If Todd Phillips manages to win, I don’t see the resulting outrage convincing industry voters in the Academy and the guilds to backtrack. Rather, as with Green Book, I can see voters doubling down on their preference for Joker with regards to Best Picture.
I see quite the opposite happening. If Phillips wins over the quartet of auteurs who delivered highly acclaimed masterpieces, then the backlash will be enough to cost him the Oscar nomination even if it will be too late to have an impact on DGA.
Then again, it’s not like that hurt Green Book. Peter Farrelly still got 2 Oscars out of it. :b
I don’t see Phillips winning. But Joker might win Drama, and that would be interesting as well.
And seeing how we’re talking about great directors, what list would be complete without the team of Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer? I think time will be very kind to them and their work will eventually warrant a serious re-evaluation.
As this is a Best Director thread, I will sing out to my all time favourite film directors. In no particular order but whose work has influenced and delighted me in my creative endeavours.
Alan Parker (one of the most versatile, unsung directors of ALL TIME!)
Woody Allen (inventive, funny, poignant)
Steven Spielberg (having scale yet power over the medium)
Mike Leigh (depicting human condition in all its complexity and detail and the way he has the actors rehearsed, researched before shooting)
Jane Campion (original and with a sense of place, landscape and with great heart)
Joel + Ethan Coen (there’s simply nobody out there telling stories like they do)
Peter Weir, Gillian Armstrong, Bruce Beresford, Fred Scepsi, Philip Noyce for being pioneer Australian film renaissance leaders in the mid 70s onwards.
And my all time favourite. Undoubtedly
Alfred Hitchcock.
Top FIVE best directors of all time:
1- Kubrick
2- Hitchcock
3- Kurosawa
4- Scorsese
5- Lean.
My personal favourite director is Billy Wilder, but he is known more for his writing. He is considered the greatest screenplay writer in cinema history.
I forgot Billy Wilder, of course. How did I overlook him? His output was prolific and profound in it’s entertainment value and social mores and manners. Kubrick and Lean. Classic artists.
Very nice list
I put Kubrick and Scorsese as the two greatest visual directors, especially visual and performance combined was their trait. Their films are harder to connect with because their characters are somewhat disturbed and they don’t give the audience much. They demand the audience do the heavy lifting of searching the psyche of the characters and directors intentions. That’s very much different from the likes of Spielberg who likes to add melodrama to his films. Hitchcock is the greatest and I have not seen anyone better technically. Spielberg is somewhat his heir in that and they kind of share the desire to manipulate the audience. I don’t know what category I would put in Kurosawa and Lean, but they were great directors. But Wilder is my personal favourite because I connect most with his films.
Great thoughts thank you for sharing them. Perhaps Wilder was the humanist among those other greats. The Apartment a great example of his compelling and caring treatment of two needy souls and also makes broader social commentary in both the writing and the visuals of the vast wide shots of the work place Lemmon’s character is employed. I love the way he directs him and Maclaine in the tiny apartment too. One of my favourites of his is Avanti which was largely panned other than the HFPA god bless em! But Wilder’s capturing of language and cultural quirks in that film was just spot on. And funny.
You just have to go and talk so eloquently about my favourite of my favourite, didn’t you? I just love this film so much great writing and two of the best performances of all. I consider Jack Lemon’s performance the greatest by a male actor. Wilder did write the greatest screenplay, but is directing was great too. It just didn’t get as much focus as his writing.
I’m glad what I said resonated with you as yours did for me, John. Cinema is such a uniting form of art. And divisive too of course. Thank you for reminding me of the great Billy Wilder.
I agree with all that. Thank you, too.
Hitchcock is the greatest stager, is what I meant.
Kurosawa?
I am a big fan of the Coens. Greatest writer directors working today. And Spielberg, obviously. I grew up with his films. And I call him the director with child imagination.
I consider Hitchcock greatest stager and Spielberg is a great stager, too.
Jane Campion is my #1. Masterpiece after masterpiece.
PT Anderson, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Sam Mendes, Baz Luhrmann and Denis Villeneuve are on my list.
Lars Von Trier makes the list too, although he has made some shockers amongst the masterpieces.
Anderson would certainly be on my extended list. I liked early Von Trier but yes some dodgy ones followed.
I can´t really rank them (since this is a spontaneous list), but here is a Top 10 of my all-time favourite directors:
Ingmar Bergman
Alfred Hitchcock
Stanley Kubrick
Billy Wilder
Francois Truffaut
Roman Polanski
Luis Bunuel
Martin Scorsese
David Lean
Paul Thomas Anderson
(edit: in a couple of years I hope to include a young female director that made some great films so far – I just need to see more from her: Mia Hansen-Love)
I adore PTAs film up to and including Blood but come on including him in one of the best of all time.
…at least one of my favourite directors! 😉
putting PTA on the list is a shame to the rest of the directors
No worries, they will not notice!
My dirty dozen:
Bresson
Dreyer
Scorsese
Kubrick
Hitchcock
Antonioni
Ozu
Bergman
Visconti
Tarkovsky
Fellini
I honestly feel bad that I had to double check who Alan Parker was … Oddly enough I happened to watch both MIDNIGHT EXPRESS and MISSISSIPPI BURNING for the first time on the same day a few years back with no clue until afterwards that they happened to be the same director. Both very good films.
I also really love Shoot the Moon, Fame and my favourite of his Birdy with Matthew Modine and Nicholas Cage. Great and versatile director.
Not only I think Tarantino will win Director (he has never won a GG for Director), but i believe OUATIH could even sweep all the categories it is in. The only one I’m not sure is Screenplay since he already has won it twice already and has tougher competition, since it’s up against both Parasite and The Irishman.
no movie where jokes are made at the expense of minorities like bruce lee and no movie where there are gratuitous ass cheek shots of manson girls and armpit hair shots of manson girls will ever win best picture. Not because they respect or love bruce lee but because its done in poor tastes. It is equivalent to making fun of african american community using racism tropes.
Asinine, sorry. Literally NO ONE thinks this. Where do people come up with such nonsense?
assinthecrack, sorry. Suck my, sorry. If you take your head out of tarantino’s a$$ then you will see people who complain about it because people who have life, tend to notice these things.
Try doing the sound brad pitt does to bruce lee infront an asian man. Doesnt matter his size and see the reaction.
You do realize Brad Pitt kicks Bruce Lee’s ass because he’s arrogant, not because he’s Asian?
who is he to kick bruce lee’s ass ?
A stuntman and ex Green Beret who beats him to show his own superior combat abilities over some motormouth. Bruce Lee isn’t some saint who’s above reproach. I don’t see why some people can’t imagine a fictional situation where it happens.
that scene is only impactful because its bruce lee he is kicking…if it were any random guy then it wouldnt be as powerful. So he is basically using bruce lee’s fame and legacy to creation certain very specific emotions with that scene and build up a character in the movie. That’s the problem with the scene and its done in poor taste.
If the intention is to show that someone is arrogant and cliff booth is a tough guy who could take care of him he could be anyone. He picked bruce lee because he is widely considered as a tough guy and he could get some laughs from audience at the expense of his accent.
I mean, the fact that you are arguing this stance shows that a) either you are inherently racist and you are happy about it. b) you are so blinded by your hard on for tarantino that you would sell your mother to protect him.
> that scene is only impactful because its bruce lee he is kicking…if it
were any random guy then it wouldnt be as powerful. So he is basically
using bruce lee’s fame and legacy to creation certain very specific
emotions with that scene and build up a character in the movie.
I do not see why that is a problem.
i explained it the same comment
That doesn’t mean one is required to agree with you.
This is exactly the type of madness that is the logical conclusion of political correctness and female idiocy
lol fuck off
Actually… people is reading Hollywood in the wrong way, despite QT literally spelling this is an ego trip
tbf, seeing how Hollywood is very self centered, I wouldn’t be surprised if Tarantino win the award on a film that is based on Hollywood.
Even though that movie doesn’t deserve it and Tarantino’s previous movie is better.
Wow, Uncut Gems is absolutely mental. Completely redefines what “high energy thriller” means. There have been films like that before, but none so high energy, and none quite so thrilling to watch unfold. It is a crazy ride right from the beginning minute until the end. It could’ve gone so wrong in the hands of lesser directors, but the Safdies, as well as sharply written script, keep the chaos under control to deliver one of the best film experiences of the year. It reminded me in some way to Mad Max: Fury Road in its way of making sense of the chaos. Sandler is phenomenal. This is the Big Transformative Performance of the year. He has to carry every single minute of this, and he does. His charisma and, again, energy, is magnetic. He creates Howard Ratner out of thin air, and never once slips out of him. The music keeps pushing the story forward, ever forward. The celebrity cameos are executed perfectly and never feel out of place. Overall, a real gem, and wouldn’t be surprised if this became one of the most remembered films from this year.
Cannot wait to watch this. I already had high expectations for it, but your comparison to Mad Max: Fury Road (one of my favourites of the decade) in how high energy it is and how it ‘makes sense of the chaos’ makes me even more excited for it. Sadly i have to wait til ends of January to watch it on Netflix since i don’t live in the US.
Thanks for the tip on this. 31st January for us in Australia on Netflix.
Yep. January 31st is the worldwide release on Netflix (except USA).
Wow I’m so excited I have the screener, I’m going to watch it tonight for sure! I’ve been in Traverse City for the holidays and it curtailed my movie watching time!
My latest gut feeling is that Mendes is a lot stronger than we think.
That aside, I wonder if Bong is the beneficiary of voters who are conflicted between Scorsese and Tarantino. I see a world where Bong’s vote totals exceeds Scorsese’s and Tarantino’s.
tarantino and bong went head to head in cannes and tarantino lost.
Best Direction of the year is by Sam Mendes for “1917” anyone who doesn’t think so, has not watched that movie yet. Bong would be my 2nd Choice, Scorsese my third. Tarantino is great, but always Tarantino, did he do anything he’s never done before? Take great risks or experiment in Film making? NO! The only reason for a Tarantino win would be because he hasn’t won Best Director yet, which is so unfair to people who took greater risks and achieved them.
you need not worry about the “hasn’t won yet” narrative for tarantino. Because he is widely considered a great screenwriter but not a director. So if he wins then it will be on the quality than overdue factor
I think I agree with you
For me there is nothing better this year than 1917, and even though I loved Parasite there has not been a film that has topped the elegant mastery of what Mendes accomplished. It has such power and and from a technical standpoint has no equal this year. I’m not sure yet if he will win the GG (or the Oscar) but in my opinion he deserves to. One of the few films this year besides Parasite and The Irishman that are worthy of multiple viewings.
Is anybody else UN-excited that Ricky Gervais is hosting? Why him?
I mean, he can make cruel jokes. But look at it this way: At least he will make jokes self-obsessed celebrities.
If we can’t have Tina Fey and Amy Poehler then Gervais will do. 🙂
Cats is definitely getting murdered on live TV…
Because he’s the only host who’s not a phony Hollywood suck up when he does it… I usually don’t care who hosts, but he always makes me laugh the most… I still reference the Mel Gibson rib he did a few years back.
I’ve re-watched Gervais’ hosting bits and…my goodness, he was so much better and funnier than I remember! When he flubs, he recovers and laughs at himself. If Fey and/or Poehler flub, they step back and don’t ever do more than the bare minimum of hosting henceforth.
Just came out of uncut gems and hmm well, I have seen this movie before. A day in the life of a guy making bad bets and mixed up with the wrong people until he is way out of his depth. I could see some stuff coming a mile away. Julia fox is hot.
Adam Sandler is adam sandler from punch drunk love. He is fine but not nuanced. Overall its a bit overrated and it is AGAIN one of those things where critics are trying to make a statement and push certain filmmakers as opposed to reward the quality of the work. It is so fricking coincidental how much of this stuff happens.
This is the problem with indie filmmakers working on low budgets these days, they think they can make an auteur piece by being frantic and unrelenting. Good time is better than this. My friends were not happy about it. Definitely not a christmas movie.
I haven’t seen it yet but don’t think I’ll ever think Sandler is a talented actor. I really enjoyed Punch-Drunk Love but even in that I felt he was giving the same performance he always does but in a different kind of movie.
That was the point and genius of Punch drunk Love. It was a Sandler performance filtered through a different film entirely.
Yes the movie itself is very good but many say it’s a great performance and I disagree on that. The performance itself isn’t great.
I’ve held that opinion too but his performance in The Meyerowitz Stories changed my view on him. HE was the best thing in it and that’s saying something as Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson and Ben Stiller among others in it.
Exactly
Finally watched The Farewell. A little underwhelmed by it. Considering the reviews and award status so far, I didn’t feel it warranted such effusive attention. I didn’t especially like Awkwafina’s performance. The hang dog look that was inconsistent and her lack of chemistry with Zhao Shuzen meant I didn’t feel what the filmmakers wanted this viewer to connect with. But Shuzen was the standout. I got more out of the Korean female ensemble ‘Herstory’ and Japan’s ‘Shoplifters’ than this. Perhaps a second viewing will be more illuminating. And how in any universe is this a comedy and Awkwafina worthy of a Best Leading Actress in a Comedy or Musical at the Globes?
I thought Awkwafina was wonderful and by far the best thing in the film. I actually don’t understand the attention for Shuzen Zhao. She was basically a cute grandma figure everyone loves, but to me, quite simplistic.
I loved her spirited performance and flickers of sadness, knowingly as well as oblivious. Any time she was on screen I was connected, not so Awkwafina who I found unconvincing. Shuzen had great physicality with the role as well as command with the voice.
100% agree. Awkwafina was fine. But the praise for her baffled me. She did not modulate much from her downtrodden looks; and I agree with what you said about her regarding her relationship with her grandma. I also think she’s the least impressive of even the other women she’s up aqainst in her C/M category, no less a top 5 for the Oscars.
I kind of agree with you about Awkwafina. I actually thought she was really good in this but not as great as most people say. She doesn’t portray the inner conflict of the character as good as the movie asks to.
And I was also somewhat underwhelmed by the film at the beginning because I thought it was going to be a comedy, or rather a well balanced dramedy with a lighter tone some funny moments, but it had a darker heavier tone that I wasn’t prepared for. But once I figured what the movie was going for I could appreciate it more and I really think it is a very good film. Just not that great, IMHO.
Sums up my reaction too. Thank you. I was expecting either more comedic content or dramatic heft but got neither. A standard family movie with plenty at stake but not a whole lot to propel it. The best ideas were from the sons re why the culture prefers to handle mortality the way it does. I liked the main daughter in law too. Some of her dialogue was illuminating but I’m disappointed with the movie overall. Problem with so much word of mouth and waiting too long to see it.
I think you are missing a key point in the movie and that’s that it is an ensemble piece. Yes Awkwafina is the lead but her performance is very well tuned with the rest of the cast and I don’t think any of the actors are supposed to stand out. All of them are exceptional in my opinion. Nobody mentions the actor who plays the eldest son. He is on point always, including his speech at the wedding which is such a fine line between comedy and tragedy, or when he points out cultural differences between east and west. Truly one of the few films I’ve seen where ALL actors are on point without having to give us the classic shiny and loud performances. It even reminds me of the old Italian and Spanish movies of the 50s/ 60s, for some strange reason I find this movie really connected with these.
Is it an ensemble or is Awfwafina the lead? Not sure of your point. I get it’s an ensemble piece, my point was I didn’t see why she was singled out for awards consideration and nomination. She is not great in it, and there’s better performances in it. I rewatched Shoplifters last night and was blown away by Sakuro Ando her performance was so good. Where was her Globe or Oscar talk? That too was an ensemble piece and sometimes an actor is extracted from the group and honoured for their work. Awkwafina in my view doesn’t deserve such reverence.
Maybe I I didn’t choose the right words. She is the protagonist for sure as we are made to see the story from her point of view, but this is not a movie where the protagonist is designed to really stand out from the ensemble. In terms of recognition I tend not to compare with other movies and try to focus on the work itself. I’m always happy to see subtle performances recognised, I have no problem at all with her Globe nomination, and I really enjoyed the movie overall so I hope it gets at least Screenplay at the Oscars
I LOVED Jiang Yongbo in this!
Ooof. Watched Two Popes. Overall for me the four main Netflix movies in the Oscar discussion were a lot of hot air. Irishman is great and I loved it. Dolemite is good but not awards worthy. Same for Two Popes. Marriage Story I even tried watching twice. Nope. I think it’s bad.
Irishman is very good but I wouldn’t call it great.
I actually thought The King, the forgotten netflix film, was surprisingly good and underrated.
The King is amazing and it absolutely should’ve taken the “crowdpleaser” slot at the Oscars.
It’s funny how people think Denis Villeneuve is the next chris Nolan…my a$$….Dune is gonna bomb like Blade runner 2049…wait and see.
I’ll personally be very happy if Dune is as good as Blade Runner 2049.
Villeneuve’s job was to direct a film that was great. He did his part.
Selling the film was down to the marketing department and the star power of the cast and making sure that it turned profit was down to the studio execs who should have greenlit it with a price tag that posed considerably fewer risks than the one this film ended up with.
You’re right. But I still think that movie was meh.
I agree..but its a wrong movie on the directors part to assume that he has strong enough fanbase after his filmography by that point or the movie has strong enough fanbase to warrant such a huge budget. I felt like the budget came from people who are trying to evade taxes by showing huge losses. But still, a bomb like that huge red mark on a directors commercial judgement.
That’s the clever thing about Nolan, he followed up dark knight with inception starring dicaprio. Dicaprio can easily guarantee a minimum of 300 million box office back in 2010. So he had a safety net in dicaprio. But blade runner 2049 is just bad judgement after bad judgement.
you ignored my previous reply , where i laid out all his shortcomings as a director and you are still bringing up some of those same points.
So here it is again:
Commerciality is a skill a director either possess or not. Any idiot can come up with ideas that feel gimmicky like “what if i reverse a car crash in a movie” “what if I put my characters between the crime and criminal”, but it takes a director of certain rare instincts to put together these ideas into a cohesive potent story that is believable without loosing the thrill of watching these for the first time.
These ideas get too tired too fast if they are not built into a rock solid story. Denis Villeneuve has not proven that yet commercially at least. I don’t put too much stock into critical reaction because in the past decade it became much more of an agenda pushing tool than a quality measuring tool at least with certain directors like James Gray, Greta Gerwig etc..The reviews for Ad Astra proved my point. Blade runner 2049 is style over substance. The movie felt boring and whoever came to the movie were fans of the original. It felt long and it really wasn’t made with commercial sensibilities. Even the decision to make it so long and slow and R-rated doesn’t indicate a strong judgement on director’s part especially when dealing with such a huge budget. So I don’t expect that to miraculously change with Dune. You speak about dream project like it somehow guarantees success. Motherless brooklyn is also a dream project. Look how that turned out.
The weird thing about the cast in this movie is that, they are not all movie stars on the contrary they are weirdly negative movie stars. Someone like Javier Bardem or Oscar isaac or even John Brolin makes me wanna see a movie less than without them IF they are in some major role. Similar to a movie like Doctor Sleep. That movie would have made more money if it had someone other than ewan mcgregor. Dune is also weird. The awards release date is studios confidence in the likability of director by critics. Moreover warner bros is never to be trusted with quality of a movie by release date.
All in all, Denis Villeneuve is not gonna magically develop fast paced yet deep,layered and interesting sensibilities like Chris nolan out of the blue. He will still make it like Blade Runner 2049 but the studio is expecting audience to show up in higher numbers than Blade runner 2049. But I doubt that will happen with the weird nature of Dune.
I ignored your previous reply about Villeneuve ? Where ? I haven’t ignored it, I haven’t seen it.
I wonder if enough of Oscar’s directors branch could stan for Portrait of a lady on fire and that will be a shock directing nominee.
And I thought I was the only one thinking this way!
But yes, Celine Sciamma could actually make the cut a la Pawel Pawlikoswki for Cold War. I believe the BAFTAs would be crucial in deciding a Directing nomination for Portrait of a Lady on Fire.
This year’s Pawlikowski will be Almodóvar.
I hope so. POALOF has a shot at Cinematography. But I think it will just be next in line with Almodóvar in Directing at the BAFTAs since they will most definitely embrace him first than Sciamma. One could hope, both are equally brilliant and great films that are best than the frontrunners. I won’t mind a foreign language heavy Directing nominees. But one problem POALOF is facing is the lack of awards campaign focus from Neon which probably is putting most on Parasite, as some Academy members say in social media that they haven’t recieved screeners of it yet and they would love to check it out.
Ah yes, Almodovar could certainly make it in the lineup, given how the BAFTAs have almost always nominated him for Directing.
But yes, a lineup with Bong Joon-ho, Almodovar and Sciamma would be a rare and brilliant sight.
Ugh, they better send those screeners out real soon though. Definitely need some pleasant odd-ball choices come nominations morning.
Would it be nice? Sure.
But think… if you are going to watch a screener, you check out the French film by an unknown that was not submitted by France or the latest Almodovar? It is a matter of how many people actually see the film, and then, vote for it
Give it the 5th slot. why not?… Whoever ends up getting it isn’t winning anyways. Might as well make it a shocker nomination!
Alright, folks – off to bed(-ish). Probably won’t be back to the comments section for at least a couple of days, so: Merry Christmas!!!
I’m not sure what kind of industry support of Little Women Sasha is talking about when so far the industry showed zero support for it.
“How that fairytale unreels…” I love the writing in this piece. It’s why I come here and see what my fellow ratbags are postulating! Merry Christmas to all.
Fellow ratbags (commrnters) not our hosts Sasha and Ryan. I could have worded that better. It’s the silly season after all.
Merry Christmas! 🙂 (And it’s actually already Christmas over here – 3 a.m.)
Yes merry Christmas to you
too Claudiu. Just gone midday here Christmas day.
Thank you! Hope you had a good one! 🙂
The Golden Globes could be a proper make or break moment for THE IRISHMAN perception wise because its main Oscar competition isn’t in its BP category at the Globes (OUATIH is in Comedy, Parasite is Foreign Language Film) and Marriage Story doesn’t have a BD nod so that one probably isn’t a major threat to win, either, and all that basically clears the way for an easy GG win for The Irishman so if it doesn’t happen, that will be turned into a big deal and with good reason.
I think 1917 and Mendes may surprise here.
They won’t give Best Drama to The Irishman, HFPA hates De Niro and he’s producer on it, so it’s not happening.
I have Mendes as my unofficial BD winner. I think he could surprise.
I think all of them will have to come out of GG with something big. Hollywood has to BD or screenplay. I think he will probably have to win if he wants the Oscar. Parasite has to win either BD or Screenplay. The Irishman, as you mentioned, has to win at least BP Drama. Best Picture winner usually wins BD or Screenplay at the GG. I expect Hollywood to win either BD or Screenplay. I am predicting Hollywood to win BD, BP C/M and Supporting Actor. It might add Screenplay if they really love it.
https://media2.giphy.com/media/5wFjRab0YXysUv7QHz/giphy.gif
By the way, with dates set as they are this Oscar season, we might get a good clue as to whether guild nominations/Globe wins/BFCA wins/BAFTA nominations actually “influence” what then does well at the Oscars OR the strong correlations have more to do with voter overlap (where applicable), a general similarity in tastes between large groups (and not only), and other things like that. I’ve always liked this second theory more, so I’m hoping the overlap remains very strong this year, which of course wouldn’t confirm anything (just as the opposite outcome wouldn’t disprove anything – one year is clearly way too small a sample), but would make me feel more confident in that notion in the future. (As for prestigious critics awards, those I DO actually believe INFLUENCE Oscar voters, but the reasons for that are pretty obvious. Mostly said prestige itself.)
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a perfect film”
I can agree with a lot of praise for this movie (it’s pretty awesome in a lot of ways and I’ve had a lot of fun watching it, both times), but I can never agree with calling it “perfect”. I can’t agree with that about almost any movie (one or two with the word “godfather” in the title do come to mind, maybe something like Alien, maybe Unforgiven… very few, in any case), of course, so this is not an actual knock. Also, I don’t think Quentin was aiming for “perfect” with this movie AT ALL…
Definitely not a perfect film, but I’d rank it in the top three of Tarantino’s films if not for the ending. (Which I love as an individual scene, but hate as a part of the whole movie).
I mean, it might be as high as 4th for me (as I said, I do like it), but I’d have to rewatch Django and Reservoir Dogs to be confident in that assessment.
Similar (perhaps even identical) thoughts about the ending. It’s satisfying in a lot of ways, but pretty clearly not as the ending to the story told in this movie. It feels out of place and out of tune. In Inglorious Basterds it worked much, much better (and even there I’ve never been 100% on board, but I am much closer), it flowed from the story up to that point, in a way. Here it’s a bit random. (Even for Tarantino.) Not entirely, but enough to not really work for me.
Hollywood is a ** 1/2 film and I am in shock that anyone would dare to call it perfect.
I actually got the DVD of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood from my cousin for Christmas, and we watched all as a family yesterday. It was my 3rd time seeing it, and there isn’t one scene that I don’t love. It’s by far my favorite film of 2019.
Yeah, I find using that word to describe it quite bizarre as well.
For me it’s more like a *** 1/2. (Which is not bad. But definitely not outstanding.)
3.5/5, or course – I assume you also meant out of five. 🙂
I think Tarantino will get this.
I mean, I hope it’s Mendes, but, given that it’s almost definitely not, I hope you’re right! 🙂
I dont get the love for The Irishman. I fell asleep during the movie, twice. I am the kind of guy who LOVES “Better Call Saul”, slow burn is my thing… but this movie was just terribly paced. I don’t think it will win anything imho.
What am I missing here?
I quite liked it but I’m definitely missing this crowning career masterpiece that some critics see.
I’m with you on it really disappointed by it. The only high point seeing two acting titans together DeNiro and Pacino. I wouldn’t vote it as one of the years best. Sadly. Like watching narratives aboit self centred actors, watching gangsters and hitmen does very little for me. But a pair of Popes I found interesting.
I loved The Two Popes and The Marriage Story.
I really liked The Two Popes and liked a lot of Marriage Story but did find yet another tale of tortured artists and performers lessened my connection and compassion. I liked the screenplay and it’s structure and the faultless acting. I didn’t care about any one in The Irishman. I need to, in order to like a movie. A lot.
. The Irishman was an abomination . I didn’t even like DeNiro or Pacino . The only good thing about that boring bloated mess was Joe Pesci . Scorsese is an empty suit .
I enjoyed it a lot more the second time around, watching it in several bits whenever I felt like watching a little of it. I think it’s just really great to watch these individual scenes, which are all great on their own. I don’t think I could keep being interested for 3.5 hours in one sitting to love it, but to me it’s the sort of film that gets better and better with each viewing, and is best when I know all the lines by heart. The last 45 minutes is the only part where I had the feeling that I’m watching one coherent and complete story (or else the conclusion of one).
That is true, I did enjoy the last 45 minutes, Joe Pesci is great as well.
I think Natalie Portman’s sneering display at that Globes erased whatever momentum Gerwig had going into Oscar, especially when a weak field should have won LB something.
Academy voters don’t like being TOLD who to vote for. Sucked up to, yes. Wined and dined, yes. Ultimatums, no.
Between “Poor Widdle Gweta” in weirdly self pitying profiles and psychos on Twitter threatening people who aren’t fully “woke” on LW, it’s Bong’s Oscar to lose.
Bong for Globe as well
We don’t think Marty has a shot?
And yet Black Panther was nominated. The fact that it had zero support in any other major categories or the “top tier” techs, like cinematography and editing proves that was pure pandering.
Except it had won the important SAG ensemble precursor, indicating strong guild support before its BP nomination that you call “pandering” like a racist Drudge reader.
Yeah, that SAG win was pandering. There was no strong support from any other branches. The actors lifted it because they’re the most visible branch and the one most likely to get the brunt of the backlash should a cultural phenomenon, mediocre-incarnate though it may be, gets snubbed.
It’s a pity that out of all the genuinely great superhero movies that never got a second look because of the genre, that unremarkable movie was the one that got recognised. And you’re telling me it’s not pandering? Hahaha!
Black Panther was, indeed, way over-awarded earlier this year… It was easily my least favorite BP nominee. Completely forgettable (had we not been forced to hear about it over and over – and even so).
It was nominated almost everywhere and had strong guild support. Its showing at the Oscars wasn’t due to luck or pandering. It won SAG because it had the biggest and best ensemble. I might not have liked Bohemian Rhapsody but it did win awards everywhere. Just because we disagree with their choices doesn’t mean it’s pandering. You just can’t accept the fact that other people loved it. I mean, it has the highest MC score of any live action superhero film and ranked high on critics top ten. It might have been helped by the fact that last year was the weakest year for Oscar films in a long time, but I loved it and I don’t usually like superheroes films. Black Panther connected with people who are not usually superheroes fans. I think it was pretty strong in its acting and themes. I liked its score so I was happy when it won that and the costumes are iconic. It didn’t have great action sequences, but I find Marvel films don’t usually have those anyway. I hate superhero films, but I loved that film.
“it had won the important SAG ensemble precursor, indicating strong guild support before its BP nomination”
I knew that couldn’t be right… The SAG Awards were held on the 27th of January, whereas Oscar nominations were announced on the 22nd of the same month, so before.
Weak field? Are you kidding? A field with acclaimed movies by Del Toro, Nolan, Anderson and Spielberg and masterpiece Call Me By Your Name? With Get Out and (I love it) Three Billboards, the Best Actress winner that came closer to BP since Million Dollar Baby? No way a weak year…
Natalie Portman actually helped secure the Directing nomination over the much more deserving Guadanigno and the then BP frontrunner McDonagh.
Lady Bird really didn’t deserve a thing that year but if something hurt it were probably Greta Gerwig’s remarks on Woody Allen that were probably seen as opportunists and campaign-oriented.
Adam driver will win the Oscar for best actor.
Also the poor me narrative for Gerwig as director is ridiculous. She is on her second film as a multiple Oscar nominee, a financial success, and highly respected. Maybe save that narrative for a female director that isn’t being talked about as much.
Phoenix will win b*tch
But actors LOVE Marriage Story
But GG loved Joaquin. And who takes GG Drama Actor wins Oscar.
More importantly, most people who win the SAG for Lead Actor go on to win the Oscar, that’s an even better indicator than GG Drama Actor. And I read a tweet from an awards journalist named Matt Neglia who said he interviewed a room full of SAG voters and they unanimously said no performance came close to Joaquin Phoenix.
https://mobile.twitter.com/NextBestPicture/status/1197380969591955456
Then why it didn’t get SAG ensemble nom?
So why didn’t them nominate it for Ensemble? Actors love Bombshell more than Marriage Story. Anyway, the actors brunch love is more important to Best Picture than anything.
Yes, but I’d argue there are much more accomplished female directors than Gerwig who are far more worthy of the praise being showered upon Gerwig. Ask yourself, why is she the chosen female director to receive all of this praise and all of these accolades? There are eight films directed by women that are equally deserving of this praise, and that’s not counting Portrait of a Lady on Fire (which I haven’t seen): Honey Boy, Beautiful Day, High Life, Queen & Slim, Farewell, Hail Satan?, Harriet, Edge of Democracy.
Edit: I think I misread your post. Seems like we’re on the same page, my apologies.
“Edit: I think I misread your post.”
If this can even happen to you… Then I don’t feel quite so stupid anymore about the (thankfully, still few) times it’s happened to me. 🙂
Oh I agree about the deserving female nominees. I just find this whole Gerwig has been wronged narrative silly especially since equally deserving female directors seemingly don’t get attention.
Where are these deserving women? Why aren’t they being nominated? You might prefer other female directors to Gerwig but they are giving them even less of a shout. All women directors have been wronged, not just Gerwig. You can point to numerour white male getting undeserved attention. You can’t even say Gerwig is getting showered with accolades when she is struggling to get in.
That’s what I’m saying. I’m agreeing with you. People just need to stop with the poor Gerwig narrative.’
I think the poor Gerwig narrative is coming from people who either don’t like her or don’t want ANY women nominated for BD. The focus should be on the fact that no women is deemed to be good enough. And this happens every damn year. Unless this is pointed out, there will never be any changes..
Why are some of the white males, like Philips, the ones chosen to receive all these praise and accolades? And the problem is that Gerwig isn’t getting the praise like the likes of Philips is getting. No women is getting the same praise as their male counterparts. If one women got it, you’d have a point. But you argument that Gerwig is more praise than other female directors is a secondary issue to the main problem. They have deemed none of those women, including Gerwig, are good enough to be nominated for BD. That’s ludicrous. I think the reason Gerwig get’s more attention is because she is more visible and more accepted. I think that’s how it is with these award shows. But the main issue is the lack of recognition for any women.
Sorry if you were offended by that comment – believe it or not, it was meant as a compliment. 🙂 (You probably got what I meant, and the downvote was from somebody else, so I won’t actually spell it out, because I don’t want to insult your intelligence – which I was attempting to compliment in the first place – by doing so…)
Adam Driver is not going to win it, his degree of difficulty, which is what voters usually look at to determine their choices for the winner, doesn’t even compare to Joaquin Phoenix’s performance.
“Joker” will win drama, obviously.
But I have no idea who will take director. Everyone can (but probably Scorsese/Bong/Tarantino have bigger chances than Phillips/Mendes).
I think it’s Joker+Scorsese.
Really/ Now that would be the wild choice. They couldn’t be more different. I am not predicting Scorsese here because he has GG BD THREE times and all were this century. I think they will go for someone else this time. I think it’s Hollywood or 1917 for BD.
“I am not predicting Scorsese here because he has GG BD THREE times and all were this century.”
I don’t think they’ll feel bad about giving him a fourth. 🙂 Not for such an incredibly well-reviewed movie. But it’s possible, of course. If it’s not him, it’s probably Quentin. Or Bong. Mendes’ stats problems seem a little too big…
I could easily be wrong about Joker, of course. 🙂 I’m going out on a limb, because my intuition is telling me it won’t be The Irishman, Joker is second-favorite going by the stats, it won BP at the Phoenix Film Critics Society (which has been correlating quite well with the Globes, and of course also the Oscars) and it just FEELS like the winner to me here (and the fact that it got the directing nod confirms they like it a lot – their also giving it screenplay would’ve been a bit much)…
I know it’s a long shot this year, but I hope it’s me.