The Oscar nominations (Stan weighs in)

Best Director

One more time, you can find this year's Oscar nominees at the Oscar's website. 

Directing

Nominees

Belfast

Kenneth Branagh

Drive My Car

Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Licorice Pizza

Paul Thomas Anderson

The Power of the Dog

Jane Campion

West Side Story

Steven Spielberg 

Steven Spielberg?  That's a joke.  His film bombed at the box office and was so boring.  The original WEST SIDE STORY stands as the best.  Steven just proved he's an imitator.  Natalie Wood remains Maria.  

For me, it comes down to Paul Thomas Anderson and Jane Campion.  LICORICE PIZZA was not a film I planned to like.  I didn't even want to see it.  It has the worst promotion I've seen in years.  But my girlfriend wanted to see the film so we went and it was really amazing.  If you see the film, I think you'll like it but if you're put off by the advertising I do understand.

Jane Campion has made an amazing film with  THE POWER OF THE DOG.  

I went into it not knowing anything about the film.  I didn't know the storyline or what to expect.  I knew Kirsten Dunst was in it but that was about it.  Was it a western, was it a drama?  I had no idea and wondered that for the first few minutes.  

The film grabs you and pulls you in -- it's arresting.  Jane has directed some great films including: THE PIANO, IN THE CUT and HOLY SMOKE.  A strong argument can be made for the award going to her both for the incredible quality of THE POWER OF THE DOG as well as her winning the award for her body of work.  

This week, I've covered a few other award categories:

And I recommend you read Elaine's "RIFKIN'S FESTIVAL and Woody's other films" about Woody Allen's new film and his other strong comedies.

Going out with C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

Best cinematography

Best Picture

Oscars -- best actor and actress

 

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Best cinematography

Again, you can find this year's Oscar nominees at the Oscar's website.  This time, I'm looking at the films nominated for Best Cinematography:

Cinematography

Nominees

Dune

Greig Fraser

Nightmare Alley

Dan Laustsen

The Power of the Dog

Ari Wegner

The Tragedy of Macbeth

Bruno Delbonnel

West Side Story

Janusz Kaminski 

DUNE looks like garbage, like a really bad 80s TV movie.  WEST SIDE STORY had all the money in the world and it really doesn't appear to have gone up on screen.  If I learned in ten years that Steven Spielberg was in the midst of a coke phase when making this film, I wouldn't be surprised at all.  Drugs?  That would explain where the money went.  I loved THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH and would be okay with it winning.

But for me, it really should be between THE POWER OF THE DOG and NIGHTMARE ALLEY.  NIGHTMARE ALLEY is just amazing, you can turn the sound off and just marvel over the visuals.  It would be a very good choice.  So would THE POWER OF DOG.  It's less ambitious in some ways but it really sneaks up on you and captivates you, the cinematography.

Going out with C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

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Best Picture

You can find this year's Oscar nominees at the Oscar's website.  This time, I'm looking at the films nominated for Best Picture.

Best Picture

Nominees

Belfast

Laura Berwick, Kenneth Branagh, Becca Kovacik and Tamar Thomas, Producers

CODA

Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi and Patrick Wachsberger, Producers

Don't Look Up

Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, Producers

Drive My Car

Teruhisa Yamamoto, Producer

Dune

Mary Parent, Denis Villeneuve and Cale Boyter, Producers

King Richard

Tim White, Trevor White and Will Smith, Producers

Licorice Pizza

Sara Murphy, Adam Somner and Paul Thomas Anderson, Producers

Nightmare Alley

Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale and Bradley Cooper, Producers

The Power of the Dog

Jane Campion, Tanya Seghatchian, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Roger Frappier, Producers

West Side Story

Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger, Producers 

I would be okay with NIGHTMARE ALLEY or LICROCIE PIZZA winning.  On the second one, we saw it tonight.  I didn't know Bradley Cooper was in it.  The ads were so irritating that I didn't want to see it.  It was as though I 'had to' see it because some critics liked it.  

But then my girlfriend said she wanted to see it so we went tonight and on the way she said that Bradley was in it.  He was actually very good and he played Jon Peters -- hair dresser turned movie producer turned studio head.

Those would be worthy choices, those two.

DON'T LOOK UP is not worthy nor is Spielberg's WEST SIDE STORY which managed to sap all the life out of one of the strongest and most long running hits in Broadway history.  KING RICHARD also doesn't qualify as a good choice -- it's a bad LIFETIME movie.

The real winner is THE POWER OF THE DOG.  It's the amazing film that holds your attention.  I had no idea what it was about or what was going to happen.  And the film had my interest from the start.  It's a really incredible film.  Again, LICORICE PIZZA and NIGHTMARE ALLEY are strong films and I'd ben fine with them winning; however, THE POWER OF THE DOG is the best film of what got nominated.

(I agree with Jimmy Kimmel that DON'T LOOK UP was a lousy choice and something like the latest SPIDER-MAN would have been a much better choice.)

Going out with C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"

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Oscars -- best actor and actress

 So we finally know who's nominated for the Acdemy Awards.  For this post, I'm just noting the Best Actor and Best Actress nominees.  Find all the nominees at the Oscar's website.

Actor in a Leading Role

Nominees

Javier Bardem

Being the Ricardos

Benedict Cumberbatch

The Power of the Dog

Andrew Garfield

tick, tick...BOOM!

Will Smith

King Richard

Denzel Washington

The Tragedy of Macbeth 

What a joke.  BAFTA got some slapback over its nominees and that included Will Smith.  He's not an actor.  He's a shuck and jiver who grins and tries to pretend that's acting.  This is 'diversity' at work.  It's not about talent, Will has none.  Denzel?  He earned his nomination and thens ome.  He could win and it wouldn't be an embarrassment.

Javier?  Not a bad performance but he's not playing Desi.  Andrew Garfield deserved the nomination but the role's not enough to warrant a statue.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Denzel.

They are the only real contenders who are deserving.  I'm not a big Ben fan.  I think he's pretty awful in most films.  This is the best he's been on the big screen and if he won, I'd be okay with it.

I'd also be okay if Denzel won.  Yes, Denzel's won before.  But Denzel gives strong, stellar performances over and over and this is one of his best.  

I'd give it to Denzel.  But if Benedict won, I'd be okay with it.  He is really good in his role.  Anybody else?  They're stealing an award they didn't earn.

Now for Best Actress.

Actress in a Leading Role

Nominees

Jessica Chastain

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Olivia Colman

The Lost Daughter

Penélope Cruz

Parallel Mothers

Nicole Kidman

Being the Ricardos

Kristen Stewart

Spencer 

And here's where 'diversity' hurt us.  By nominating worthless Will, we're all supposed to be happy.  Ruth Negga should have been nominated for PASSING.  But including worthless Will means voters felt that they had 'checked that box' already.  Ruth delivered a real performance and she's a true actress.  She should have been nominated.

I don't see Olivia as deserving at all.   Jessica?  I like her as an actress.  But that film?  Did anyone take it seriously.  Kristen did deliver.  I hated SPENCER and I'm not a Princess Di fanatic but we did have to watch that film because my girlfriend thinks Diana was a saint.  Kristen did deliver.  Nicole did as well -- and with a piece of garbage script.  I haven't seen Penelope's film so I can't comment on her performance but she is a strong actress.

Going out with C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"