Oscars 2020

Watched Klaus last night on Netflix. Wife and I really liked it. A nice twist on the origin of Santa.

 

Just saw "Little Women". I went without that much enthusiasm but I was wowed by it. I cannot believe Greta Gerwig was not nominated for Best Director. The ensemble acting, and especially the cinematography was so impressive. It's beautiful to look at, but so much more than that. Nice change from the descent into madness and mayhem, as in 1917 and Joker.

 

My Oscars "wish list" (not predictions)

Best Picture: I'm really happy with all the nominees*, so I think I'll be satisfied with whatever they pick. The Irishman would probably be my first choice, with my second choice being 1917. It would be amazing to see Parasite win as well, but that seems unlikely.
Lead Actor: Joaquin Phoenix would be my first choice, but I'd be happy to see Adam Driver win as well.
Supporting actor: I'm not extremely passionate about any of these so I'd be happy to see any of them win. I guess Al Pacino was the one I enjoyed the most.
I can't comment on either of the actress categories because I unfortunately have not seen enough of the nominated films. I will say that Scarlett Johansson was great in both roles she was nominated for, as was Laura Dern in Marriage Story.
Cinematography: 1917 is the obvious choice IMO, but all the others are great choices too, especially The Lighthouse.
Best Director: All of these are great choices, but I think I'd give it to Bong-Joon Ho, just barely edging out Sam Mendes and Martin Scorsese.
Adapted Screenplay: I would definitely give it to the Irishman.
Original Screenplay: Knives Out would be my first choice, but I think Parasite and Marriage Story are equally deserving.

*I haven't seen Little Women or Ford v Ferrari but hope to eventually.

 

Getting my Oscar predictions in before the Producers Guild Awards (supposedly the best indicator of what will win the big prize) results tonight. I may—and probably will—change my mind before Feb. 9:

Picture: Parasite
Directing: Bong Joon Ho (Parasite)
Actress: Renee Zellweger (Judy)
Actor: Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
Supporting Actress: Laura Dern (Marriage Story)
Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt (Once upon a Time in Hollywood)
Adapted Screenplay: Little Women
Original Screenplay: Once upon a Time in Hollywood
Cinematography: 1917
Costume Design: Once upon a Time in Hollywood
Film Editing: Ford v Ferrari
Makeup & Hairstyling: Bombshell
Production Design: Once upon a Time in Hollywood
Score: Joker
Song: "I'm Gonna Love Me Again" (Rocketman)
Sound Editing: 1917
Sound Mixing: 1917
Visual Effects: The Lion King
Animated Feature: Toy Story 4
Documentary: American Factory
International Film: Parasite
Animated Short: Hair Love
Documentary Short: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl)
Live-Action Short: Brotherhood

 

When I wrote this is I was yelling ‘here’s to Judy!” As I belted whiskey. But, typos aside, it’s one helluva performance

 

SAG Awards all the favourites won, but cast went to Parasite!!!

 

Producer's Guild Award went to 1917. So that looks like the frontrunner now bumping Hollywood down with Parasite winning the SAG. Since 1989, the PGA winner has matched up with best picture 21 out of 30 times. 1917 does not have any acting nominations and is missing the best editing nom too. On Oscar night if 1917 wins best screenplay then we know it'll win. I think if it keeps the momentum and no negative campaigning starts (it's a dog eat dog world ya know) then we gots a winnah. The best picture is really the only thing making this year interesting.

 

1917?
Actor : Thought George MacKay was excellent myself.

 

Directors Guild of America Awards this Sunday. If Bong Joon Ho wins, Parasite will have even more momentum if Mendes wins 1917 is on a roll if Tarantino gets it, oh boy this could get semi-interesting lol.

 

This may be the kind of year where there is genuinely so much good stuff across the categories (particularly picture, actor, Director and cinematography) that the awards get shared around. I’ve not made my favourite picks yet, as I’ve still to see Parasite (not yet out here yet) and 1917, which seem to have the momentum at present. However, I’ve now seen all the other seven Best Picture nods, having seen Little Women earlier this week. I thought that it was a fine movie (and deserving of its best picture nod, but not to win) and Greta Gerwig’s time will surely come. A nice ensemble cast, great script and filming.

 

I’m curious as to what options you had to see The Irishman and Marriage Story in the UK. Were they widely available in theaters or did you have to watch via Netflix? I was able to see The Irishman at a friend’s house over the holidays, but have sadly not been able to make it back for Marriage Story. My Netflix subscription is DVD because that option provides more bang for my buck, and I am not willing to subscribe to both DVD and streaming.

 

Both were widely available in our independent cinemas, at least in London.

 

Latest predictions. Part of me wants to keep predicting Parasite for BP, but … this isn't about what I want, after all:

Picture: 1917
Directing: Sam Mendes (1917)
Actress: Renee Zellweger (Judy)
Actor: Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
Supporting Actress: Laura Dern (Marriage Story)
Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt (Once upon a Time…in Hollywood)
Adapted Screenplay: Little Women
Original Screenplay: Parasite
Cinematography: 1917
Costume Design: Once upon a Time…in Hollywood
Film Editing: Parasite
Makeup & Hairstyling: Bombshell
Production Design: Once upon a Time…in Hollywood
Score: Joker
Song: “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again" (Rocketman)
Sound Editing: Ford v Ferrari
Sound Mixing: 1917
Visual Effects: The Lion King
Animated Feature: Toy Story 4
Documentary: American Factory
International Film: Parasite
Animated Short: Memorable
Documentary Short: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl)
Live-Action Short: Nefta Football Club

 

Avengers: Endgame should unquestionably have got at least a nom for Best Picture if not noms for directing and writing (it's a much better film than Black Panther, but then we all know why THAT film got a nod); a tremendous achievement in storytelling - as was Infinity War before it - an amazing capper to an unprecedented and game-changing film series, and absolutely the best film of last year ... once again the Academy shows their inherent snobbery towards genre fare that isn't overtly political to their own liking (The Return of the King being a sole exception to the rule, but that was effectively given for the trilogy as a whole, and like Titanic before it, it's cultural momentum simply had to be acknowledged)... but who should be even surprised anymore, alas?

 

I disagree with your assessment of ENDGAME. It was a fine enough capstone but IMO lacked the necessary gravitas after INFINITY WAR. Re-assembling the Infinity Stones from the past should have resulted in a middle-third sequence like INCEPTION. Instead we got multiple BACK TO THE FUTURE scenarios and "That's America's ass."

 

I’m trying to catch em all. Just saw ‘Parasite.” It didn’t do anything for me. Pretty familiar story which you could see coming aka Bodu saved from drowning or Down and Out in Beverly Hills. Not really very funny. Ehh.

 

Yes, it is a story about the have and have-nots but c'mon it raises the bar with it's complex weave between the social strata plus a twist there is no way you saw coming. Great direction, script, amazing set design, all well deserved Oscar nominations. Sadly. it will probably only win Best Int'l Feature but hopefully it opens the door for other int'l films to be seen on wider releases.

In other news, Mendes snagged the DGA so looks like the sweep for 1917 in this year's ceremony. Fair enough but for me it hurts the Oscars if everything seems destined. With such a small voting window, most Academy members will vote for the obvious, not too many rewatching The Irishman or sitting through a subtitled film.

 

Great script? Actually the movie progresses because of inconsistencies leading to more inconsistencies.

I copy and pasted what I wrote elsewhere and hiding for those that didn't waste their hard earned money like I did.

Spoiler: spoiler

If some of you know rich people and/or businessmen/entrepreneurs, well, they don't accept strangers in their circle of trust, of their lives, so easily, let alone allow somebody to tutor their kids if that somebody shows a photoshopped and xeroxed document as their only CV and implying that no further research is necessary. They also waste no money.

I know it's a film and all but.. this is ridiculous. Don't even get me started about the fact that people seeming to have no significant cultural background can teach. Or can teach art. Or that a housewife from a poor family, living in an undeground shack, suddendly turns into a skilled housekeeper able to manage a mansion. Or somebody that doesn't even own a car, can drive a luxury Mercedes car after a short trip at a car showroom pretending they want to buy one, just to learn how the car works.

After the rainstorm, with their house covered in water, dirt and with an exploding toilet, they had to spend the night at a gym.. yet they were able to get dressed for the morning after and show up at the employer's house.

As for the "big reveal", part of the power system is in the "underground" apartment, nobody noticed it? And of course you sell a house and don't mention to the buyers you have a bunker, just the housekeeper knows! Also, that looks a recenty built mansion. No building project available for the buyers to see? The people that set up the power and water systems, the bricklayers were killed or promised big money to keep the secret? Come on! It would have been maybe acceptable if the house was in the country, with no other buildings in proximity, but in "Parasite" there's a neighborhood and plenty of other houses all around.

And did I miss something or Mr. Park basically gets killed just for saying his employee is smelly?

The guy that got that -not so small- stone on his head, not once but twice and with a floor covered in all that blood coming from his head, seemed to recover in full except for the occasional unwanted laugh. That leads to the discovery he made regarding his father's whereabouts after the killing

I must have seen countless TV films showing an ordinary man/woman/boy/girl becoming suddendly a great swordsman/woman, an incredible gunner, a first class fighter, an amazing driver in order to save thelselves or their families from the villain. Lazy writing at best, but necessary gimmicks, just to keep the story going. Something similar happens in Parasite.

 

ENDGAME couldn’t hold a candle to INFINITY WAR. I loved Infinity War and I don’t even like Marvel films!

 

Agreed. It was not as good as Black Panther, IMO. Which shouldn't have been nominated either, IMO. None of those Marvel films are Best Picture caliber. Not that there aren't other films every year that get nominated that aren't best-picture caliber films either, but I'm not sure that's a compelling argument for the Marvel films.

 

The big fight scene in Infinity War ... ( daylight ) was better than than Endgame climax ( night ) big scene. But the time travel bit in Endgame with the two Capt America’s trading punches fight scene was pretty awesome.

 

For my money, the best Marvel films were the first IRON MAN and the two GUARDIANS installments. And going in blind, I would have never guessed those sources would have produced the best Marvel movies.

 

I love the two Guardians films. They aren't trying to be anything other than fun entertainment - exactly what comic book films should do. A good example so of something I can watch multiple times and enjoy, but which I also realize don't belong anywhere near the Academy Awards.

 

"Endgame" was an impressive feat from a production/planning/logistical standpoint. It was and is not a great film, however (in my opinion, obviously), and certainly nowhere near "Best Picture" caliber. One of its biggest flaws is that while the plot can be followed easily enough with little or no knowledge of the MCU, the film also has *no* emotional resonance whatsoever unless one has not only seen many if not most/all of those MCU films, but also is heavily invested in those. "Endgame" doesn't work on its own as a film; it lacks substance when it stands on its own.

Even within the context of the full MCU run, I don't think it (or any film) should get some sort of consolation "long distance runner" Best Picture nom.

There may be a lot of snobbery with the Academy and many other awards voting bodies. But I think fans of "genre" films are sometimes looking too hard for an answer as to why there isn't more love for sci-fi/horror/superhero movies. It's because a lot of them are awful, and the good one are often still not as substantive as the best work out there.