2023 RAZZIES: “Blonde”, “Elvis”

2023 RAZZIES: “Blonde”, “Elvis”

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

The Razzie phenomenon began in 1980, but with as much as we now know about bullying and harrassment, I think it is time to pop the razzie balloon.

Recently, the films they make fun of, are also up for major film awards like “Blonde” and “Elvis.”

It is so easy to hurl insults at a vulnerable individual.

In the past, The Razzies have picked on easy, publically vulnerable targets.

They love to make fun of couples who are in love, ” Fifty Shades of Grey,” “Breaking Dawn,” and “Gigli,” come to mind.

Their picks are also cruelly sexist, racist, and even make fun of the newbie and the underage target, like Macaulay Culkin.

Why don’t they go after films, that are unapologetically violent, racist, sexist or cause irredeemable harm? 

If they cannot do this, then this should be the last year of the Golden Raspberry Awards, as their powerful enemies keep getting heftier and heftier.

The Razzie winners will be announced on Oscar’s eve on March 11, 2023.

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Full list of 2023 Razzie award nominations:

https://en.as.com/entertainment/2023-razzie-award-nominations-the-full-list-n/
Every Razzie Worst Picture winner by year:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/every-razzie-worst-picture-winner-by-year/ss-AA160Iud?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=94de560834cc42ea8523dc0a808c23a7#image=1

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BLONDE

image BLONDE - Marilyn & husband

Netflix's Blonde Has 2022's Scariest Movie Scene - Gamerstail BLONDE - Marilyn in bed

BLONDE

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

It seems that no matter how many times Marilyn Monroe’s story is attempted, she gets a Razzie nomination, because everyone just sees one thing, Marilyn’s naked body.

Producer, Brad Pitt, tries to illustrate the pathos of her situation in multiple ways, from childhood to her last breathe, but we still just see Marilyn’s naked body.

The film script for “Blonde” skips over her years in foster care and her first marriage to James Dougherty at age sixteen.

The Fictional novel, Blonde, by Joyce Carol Oates (The Ecco Press/HarperCollins) was a finalist for the 2001 Pulitzer Prize, but the story in this film is wildly fictional and scantily symbolic.

Nowhere in Marilyn’s biography does she get involved with the eldest son of Charlie Chaplin.

Though Marilyn is compared to Charlie Chaplin in her “ability to blend comedy and tragedy.”

Marilyn was looking for the missing father figure in her life, which explains her attraction to and idolatry of men in authority positions, which “Blonde” does point out correctly.

Unfortunately, men in authority positions at that time, did take advantage of beautiful women and used their lack of money as leverage.

The real Marilyn Monroe had to fight for her opportunities and for her money, until she just did not have the ability to fight anymore.

Ana de Armas does a great job of capturing Marilyn’s perception, innocence, and emotional nakedness.

This time, the Razzie creators do not get to exploit her in the cruelest way yet.

They do not get to pin her up for ridicule as a symbol of their own desire and self-loathing.

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Trailer: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Blonde+2022&docid=608005135920276919&mid=7838116A78C119B8E35B7838116A78C119B8E35B&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Monroe

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ELVIS

Image result for elvis movie 2022 Elvis (2022) Full Movie | Free HD To Watch

Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” with Tom Hanks and Austin Butler Opens to Muted Praise from Critics at ... Image result for elvis movie 2022 tom hanks

ELVIS

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

The Razzies go after Tom Hanks, of all people, for playing Elvis’s manager. why?

I think Hanks should be congratulated for having the courage to play what appears to be an unattractive, flawed character in the film.

The Colonel had secrets, but on the other hand, he stood beside Elvis during the good times and the bad. He was not a fair weather friend.

Even Elvis’s family felt Colonel Tom Parker deserved every penny for his services.

I feel this is a clear Razzie case of a younger generation bullying and making fun of the values of an older generation as depicted in the film,”Elvis.”

Elvis clearly respected the Colonel as a manager and as a friend.

Elvis did not judge people by their age or appearance, which was part of his appeal to the masses.

And, that is why Elvis was loved and why the Razzies are not loved.

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Trailer: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x87zl7

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Tom_Parker

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2/25/23 # 2023 RAZZIES: “Blonde”, “Elvis”

 

AFRICANS IN FILM #Part II– “Violent Night,” ”Spirited,” “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” “Strange World,” “Black Panther- Wakanda Forever.”

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

It seems that nearly every film has a part now for Africans, so, I have left out “Devotion”, “She Said.” “Black Adam,” “Call Jane,” “Prey for the Devil,” “Armagedon Time,” and “Till.”

But if you watch all of these films, you can see Africans being represented.

It seems that the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards are now requiring this representation, which is a step in the right direction.

When we no longer have to require it, but it just is, we will then have arrived at accepting diversity representation in film. 

At least films are not being banned because of Africans being in them, which is not the case if said characters are part of the LGBT community.  There is still plenty of work to do before diversity discrimination is a thing of the past.

 

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VIOLENT NIGHT

VIOLENT NIGHT

Trailer:: Violent Night Trailer #1 (2022) – Bing video

Wiki: Violent Night – Wikipedia

Alexis Louder – Wikipedia

Leah Brady – Biography – IMDb

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

In this violent Christmas tale, we find out that Santa has been alive hundreds of years, and was once a Viking warrior. 

Greed is a central theme, which provokes murder, putting one on the “naughty list.”

Linda, Jason’s estranged wife (Alexis Louder), plays the African mother of Trudy (Leah Brady), the bi-racial daughter of Linda and Jason.

Mother and daughter are the central characters, who are both pure of heart. 

They are capable of loving and seeing the good parts of otherwise flawed individuals, such as husband, Jason (Alex Hassell), and Santa (David Harbour). 

And, they both know how to defend their turf and loved ones.  Linda can shoot a rifle and Trudy can set booby traps.

For a violent, bloody Christmas, this is it.

(Alexis Louder can be remembered in a lead role in “Copshop,” with Gerard Butler. She plays a rookie police officer, who is matter of fact, and unrelenting in doing her job.  Louder also had small roles in “Black Panther” and “Harriet.”

In 2023, Leah Brady will be in a Sci-Fi comedy titled, “Relax, I’m from the Future.”)

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SPIRITED

SPIRITED

Trailer: Spirited Teaser Trailer (2022) – Bing video

Wiki: Spirited (film) – Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octavia_Spencer

Sunita Mani – Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loren_Woods

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

“Spirited” is a new scrooge tale, with a twist. 

Will Ferrell plays Christmas Present to Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds), a modern day scrooge.

Other than avoiding loyalty and money spending responsibilities, Clint appears to be a spin doctor, who is only interested in getting money, not parting with it.

He has zero emotional connection to other human beings, even to his family.

Clint appears to be a hopeless case, but Christmas Present (Will Ferrell) argues his case.

These two appear to have a bromance going between them.

 But for some reason, Clint (Reynolds) is paired with Christmas Past (Sunita Mani) and Christmas Present (Ferrell) is paired with Clint’s assistant, Kimberly (Octavia Spencer).

Not that these two romances are impossible, but the women do have something in common, African and Indian lineage.

No one but me would dare to point that out, and I will probably get hit with accusations of racism for doing so.

Mani and Spencer are presented as the stereotypical, sexualized females.

Kimberly is glad to be Clint’s assistant, because she now has money and a corner office, but she questions the morality of her duties.

And Christmas Past has just broken all the rules by getting involved with a client, Clint Briggs (Reynolds).

The climax of this film is whether Clint can actually be converted into a caring individual.

The third African cast in this film is Loren G. Woods, who plays Christmas Yet to Come.

Loren is not an actor, he was a successful basketball player, who was selected for his unusual height (Tracy Morgan is his voice).

In “Spirited,” Octavia Spencer shows that she is capable of playing a romantic comedy role, as does Sunita Mani.

Spencer is better known for her parts in “Fruitvale Station,” The Help,” and “Hidden Figures.”

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GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY

 GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY

Trailer: GLASS ONION Trailer 2 (NEW 2022) KNIVES OUT 2 – Bing video

Wiki: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery – Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janelle_Mon%C3%A1e

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Odom_Jr.

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

“Glass Onion” has two Africans, a bullied ex-business partner, Andi (Janaelle Monae), and a head scientist, Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.).

They both try to convince Miles (Edward Norton), that the business energy source, Klear, is unstable.

What I appreciate about the Knives Out Mysteries, is its championing of the underdog.

In the first mystery, a Hispanic nurse/caretaker is vindicated and advanced.

In this mystery, a Black female partner is also taken for an easy target, which is ultimately turned on its head.

The viewer, who is paying attention, also realizes that Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) must be gay.

All the business partners share in the bullying, because they do not want to end up like Andi, so they go along with the betrayal.

The story takes place during the Covid pandemic with a long list of cameo guest stars, like Ethan Hawke, Hugh Grant, Stephen Sondheim (posthumous), Angela Lansbury (posthumous), Yoyo Ma, Jake Tapper and Serena Williams.

Plus, it was filmed in Greece with fun over-the-top characters.

This is a winning strategy.

“Glass Onion” was only in theaters for one week on November 23, but was shown to full houses. 

If you missed it, it will be streaming on Netflix on December 23.

I personally think that “Glass Onion” could have lasted longer in the cinemas.

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 STRANGE WORLD

STRANGE WORLD

Trailer: Strange World | Official Trailer – Bing video

Wiki: Strange World (film) – Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabrielle_Union

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaboukie_Young-White

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

The computer animated “Strange World” not only deals with a mixed race marriage, but their bi-racial son, Ethan (Jaboukie Young-White), is gay.

Disney pulled this film’s release in 20 countries due to the openly gay main character, not because of the mixed race family depiction.

The bi-racial son, Ethan, has a crush on Diazo.

His mother (Gabrielle Union), is of African lineage, and does not seem to have a problem with her son’s orientation.

However, people in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and China do have a problem with it.

Needless to say, “Strange World” did not do that well in the box office.

The story itself deals with father/son conflicts and takes place from within the bodily environment of a mammal.

The story also touches on green electrical energy and how to revive a diseased heart.

Gabrielle Union’s voice can be recognized from her other film credits in “Think Like a Man,” “Girl’s Trip,” and “The Inspection,” which also deals with gay orientation.

(On June 10, 2021, it was announced that Young-White would be teaming up with Issa Rae and her production company Hoorae to develop the book The Gang’s All Queer: The Lives of Gay Gang Members by Vanessa R. Panfil into a series for HBO. He will write and executive produce the project.[27]

In late 2017, Young-White came out as queer during his first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.  He is of Jamaican descent.)

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BLACK PANTHER – WAKANDA FOREVER

BLACK PANTHER – WAKANDA FOREVER

Trailer: Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | Official Teaser – Bing video

Wiki: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Bassett

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letitia_Wright

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danai_Gurira

Michaela Coel – Wikipedia

Florence Kasumba – Wikipedia

Facts Only Huge Fans Know About Black Panther’s Ayo (msn.com)

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

BLACK PANTHER – WAKANDA FOREVER

Number one in the box-office for five straight weeks, “Wakanda Forever” has delivered with an almost all African cast.

With a budget of $250 Million, this film has made $769.9 Million, so far.

Reeling from the loss of Chadwick Boseman from cancer, Angela Bassett appears to be the rock holding this film in place.

I feel the filmmakers made an excellent decision not to replace Boseman’s T’Challa character with another actor, but instead, respected his death.

The story’s culture seems to value the warrior, so Shuri (Letitia Wright), T’Challa’s younger sister, must find a way to fill his shoes, and she does.

The film stays relevant by making Wakanda one of the present day countries making a presentation at a United Nations meeting.

Power hungry countries want Wakanda’s vibranium, but cannot be too obvious in seeking it.

(The Chinese censors rarely explain their decisions, and each of the Marvel movies have been scuttled for a different reason recently, but it’s likely that LGBT content in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the underlying reason behind the ban, as it reportedly was for Thor: Love and Thunder and Lightyear. In the Wakanda Forever, Michaela Coel’s Aneka is in a relationship with Florence Kasumba’s Ayo. )

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12/13/2022 # AFRICANS IN FILM # Part II– “Violent Night,””Spirited,”“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” “Strange World,”  “Black Panther- Wakanda Forever.” 

AFRICANS IN FILM #Part 1 – “Halloween Ends”, “Amsterdam”, “The Invitation”, “See How They Run”, “Don’t Worry Darling”, “The Woman King”, “Nope”, “Where the Crawdads Sing”, “Bullet Train”

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

People of African descent have been very successful in getting roles in Hollywood movies in 2022.

And, thanks to the pioneering efforts of people like Morgan Freeman, they have proven that they can be anyone, even a U.S. President or God.

This year, some roles are more activist oriented than others, but it is pretty much accepted that Africans can be worked into any script, as a member of the general population.

Practically every film has an African in the script, unless we are talking about the upcoming Black Panther, Black Adam, Till, or Armageddon Time, where the actors are nearly all African.

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HALLOWEEN ENDS

HALLOWEEN ENDS

Trailer: Halloween Ends (2022) First Official Trailer | Fear – Bing video

Wiki: Halloween Ends – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

In Halloween Ends, Keraun Harris plays Willy the Kid, a local radio DJ, who has an unfortunate encounter with Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell) and Michael Myers (Nick Castle).  He perceives Corey as a vulnerable target, humiliating and using words that hurt, which he later comes to regret.

Omar Dorsey also plays Sheriff Barker, Haddonfield’s current sheriff.

A DJ and a Sheriff are easily fit into the script of this popular film that showcases Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, a survivor of Michael Myers’ 1978 killing spree.

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AMSTERDAM

AMSTERDAM

Trailer: AMSTERDAM Trailer 2 (2022) – Bing video

Wiki: Amsterdam (2022 film) – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

Chris Rock is Milton King, Burt and Harold’s Army buddy. His character was minor, but he was the most memorable for me.  He clearly sees their situation, while others seem to be in a state of delusion.  

John David Washington plays Harold Woodsman, a lawyer and war veteran, who is the lover of the nurse/socialite (Margot Robbie) Valerie Voze.

For me, this film bordered on a propaganda film, where all big business is perceived to be on the far right, profit-first and part of an evil dictatorship.

In Amsterdam, we have an Army buddy and a lawyer/war veteran to represent Africans in film.

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THE INVITATION

THE INVITATION

Trailer: THE INVITATION Trailer (2022) – Bing video

Wiki: The Invitation (2022 film) – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

Nathalie Emmanuel as Evelyn “Evie” Jackson / Evelyn “Evie” Alexander, and (Courtney Taylor) Grace, Evie’s best friend, represent Africans in “The Invitation.”

This is a vampire film with surprisingly honest and fresh dialogue, which I really enjoyed. 

Here, African women are emphathetic, sexual and powerful. They are perceived as being well able to take care of themselves.

Evie just lost her mother, so she is in a vulnerable place, but she is still brave, smart and verbally adept.

In a tight situation, she quickly reads the souls of others for her own survival.

(Nathalie Emmanuel is Bi-racial.)

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SEE HOW THEY RUN

SEE HOW THEY RUN

Trailer: See How They Run – Official Trailer (2022) Sam Rockwell, Adrien Brody – Bing video

Wiki: See How They Run (2022 film) – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

David Oyelowo plays Mervyn Cocker-Norris, a playwright.

And, Pippa Bennett-Warner is Ann Saville, who is the producer’s mistress/assistant.

In “See How They Run”, we have a playwright and a Mistress/assistant representing Africans.

Everyone appears to have a motive to kill the director, who turns up dead.

Here again, African females appear to have the reputation of being hot and sexual.

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DON’T WORRY DARLING

DON’T WORRY DARLING

Trailer: Don’t Worry, Darling Trailer #2 (2022) – Bing video

Wiki: Don’t Worry Darling – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

KiKi Layne plays Margaret Watkins, Alice’s friend, who replaced Dakota Johnson in that role.

Margaret reaches out to Alice for help, but is not taken seriously.

Alice later comes to take her friend’s warning as a signal of her own plight, while she is being gaslighted by her own husband and the cult’s leader.

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THE WOMAN KING

THE WOMAN KING

Trailer: THE WOMAN KING – Official Trailer (HD) – Bing video

Wiki: The Woman King – Wikipedia

The Woman King vs. the True Story of Dahomey’s Female Warriors (historyvshollywood.com)

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

Viola Davis plays General Nanisca, who’s story is based on historical fact.

Africans were being exploited by whites during the slave trade years.  

Apparently, white Europeans and Americans could not harvest their own crops; they needed slaves to do the work for them.

Where there was a shortage of men in the African tribes, women were able to advance themselves by developing their fighting skills.

The following Africans had roles in “The Woman King:”

Thuso Mbedu as Nawi.

Lashana Lynch as Izogie.

Sheila Atim as Amenza.

John Boyega as King Ghezo.

Adrienne Warren as Ode.

Angélique Kidjo as the Meunon.

Jimmy Odukoya as General Oba Ade.

Many of these actresses and actors in “The Woman King” are from South Africa.

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NOPE

NOPE

Trailer: NOPE | Final Trailer – Bing video

Wiki: Nope (film) – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

Daniel Kaluuya plays Otis “OJ” Haywood Jr., Otis’ son.

Keke Palmer is Emerald “Em” Haywood, Otis’ daughter.

And, Keith David is Otis Haywood Sr., the owner of Haywood’s Hollywood Horses Ranch.

Otis’s son, OJ, appears to have a big chip on his shoulder. 

I found this film’s symbology to be very intimidating and unsubtle.

White women are the target of brutal gaslighting aggression.

The positive energy did not balance out the negative energy.

I found this film very passive aggressive and scary.

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WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING

Trailer: WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING Trailer 2 (NEW 2022) Daisy Edgar-Jones, Harris Dickinson – Bing video

Wiki: Where the Crawdads Sing (film) – Wikipedia

 Where the Crawdads Sing – Wikipedia

Delia Owens – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

Charlene “Michael” Hyatt plays Mabel Madison, the shopkeeper’s wife.

Sterling Macer Jr. is James “Jumpin’” Madison, is the shopkeeper.

This African couple are empathetic with the young swamp girl, Kya (Leslie France), and enable her to survive by doing a trade business with her.

They are portrayed as having religious values and big hearts.

In a way, they help raise and protect the girl, who has been abandoned by her family and bullied by the local town people.

They also show up to give her support at her murder trial.

Aspects of Kya’s life and the novel’s narrative choices, including its attitude towards its black characters, are said to be reminiscent of author, Delia Owens’ time in Zambia, where she, her then husband, and his son are still wanted for questioning in the killing of a poacher captured on film in a 1996 report by ABC News. Owens is not a suspect, but is considered a potential witness.

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BULLET TRAIN

BULLET TRAIN

Trailer: BULLET TRAIN – Official Trailer (HD) – Bing video

Wiki: Bullet Train (film) – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

Brian Tyree Henry is Lemon, an experienced British assassin and Tangerine’s twin brother with an obsession for Thomas the Tank Engine.

Zazie Beetz is The Hornet, an American assassin who specializes in poisons and is disguised as a mascot. (She is Bi-racial)

No matter how old Brad Pitt gets, he still retains a likable boyish charm, that makes this very violent film seem like a schoolyard romp.  Pitt plays the peacemaker, who keeps asking throughout, “would you like to just talk ahout it?”  When they say “No”, he continues the struggle by throwing his water bottle that them.

10/18/2022 # Africans in Film – Part I

AGEISM – “Elvis”, “Jurassic World Dominion”, “Top Gun Maverick”, “Downton Abbey: A New Era”, “Memory” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

It seems that every film that I go to see this year, is featuring a beloved, older star, who is over 60.

One older patron thought it was because the younger set stream everything, so they are trying to woe the older film goers.

For me, the newer actors and actresses, all look like kids.

I grew up with these older stars, or we somehow grew up together, and I do not want to see them go.

Am I prejudiced and discriminating on the grounds of age to prefer older actors, like Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, Sam Neil, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michelle Yeoh, Liam Neeson and Maggie Smith?

It may be easy to push a relative into a nursing home to die, but I just cannot imagine doing it to my favorite film stars.

I often say that if you live long enough, you will live to experience ageism, where we stereotype elders and have negative attitudes towards them.

We isolate them to the point that it undermines who they are as people, causing them to feel depressed, which can shorten their life.

Our not taking them seriously is life threatening to them, causing them cognitive decline, followed by physical decline.

At which point, life becomes pointless and not worth living.

However, that does not seem to be the case with certain aging actors and actresses.

I cannot imagine how I will feel if they go.

Even the undertaker does not want them to die.

Personally, I cannot live without them.

 

“Elvis”

Elvis

Trailer:  https://youtu.be/2E52kIgSnuE

Wiki:  Elvis (2022 film) – Wikipedia

Wiki:    Elvis Presley –   Wikipedia

Wiki:    Colonel Tom Parker – Wikipedia

History vs Hollywood:

Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Movie vs. the True Story of Elvis Presley (historyvshollywood.com)

Fact checking the new ‘Elvis’ movie: Did he really fire Colonel Tom Parker onstage in Las Vegas? (msn.com)

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

If you are in your 70’s or 80’s, you remember Elvis, because he was a big part of your growing up in the 1950-1970’s.

The film “Elvis”, captures that era, but because it was made by Australian filmmakers, it may not exactly understand the American pressures that Elvis (Austin Butler) endured during that era.

This film puts all the blame on his manager, Colonel Thomas Andrew Parker (Tom Hanks), for Elvis’s downfall, but a lot of it had to do with Elvis’s own choices.

He chose to love the Black American culture, at a time when Blacks were being hung, shot and segregated in America.

He chose to take amphetamines and sleeping pills to continue his career and to overcome the forces set against him.

He chose to pursue a relationship with Priscilla, who was ten years younger than himself.

And, he chose to leave the finances to others, rather than keeping an eye on that responsibility himself.

Actor Austin Butler does bring back the spirit of Elvis for everyone to enjoy.

A common remark after seeing this film is “I wish there was more of his music.”

Not brought up in the film is the fact that the Colonel was married during the course of his career of managing Elvis.

His first wife died of chronic brain syndrome in 1986, preceded by signs of dementia, which might have shifted sympathy in the Colonel’s direction.

The Colonel was also not an American.

He was Dutch, but without a passport, which was a possible reason he did not encourage Elvis to travel outside of the United States.

“Elvis” brings the king back to life, so that we all get to walk in his very large shoes.

 

 

“Jurassic World Dominion”

Jurassic World Dominion

Trailer:  JURASSIC WORLD 3: Dominion Trailer (2022) – Bing video

Wiki:  Jurassic World Dominion – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

I rest my case with this film, Jurassic World Dominion, where the older couple, played by Sam Neill and Laura Dern outshine the younger couple.

The twinkle in Sam Neill’s eye says it all. 

Physical beauty and virility cannot compete with world experience and that nothing to lose attitude of the older set.

Jeff Goldblum, in my opinion, was the star of this film.

He has all the best lines and is so sardonic and on point, all the time.

I especially enjoyed (spoiler alert) his interpretation of getting fired from the worst boss in the world, the evil head of Biosyn Genetics.

Goldblum’s lecture to his younger students was also great.

The major takeaway from this film is that if greed and avarice are not brought under control, life as we know it and the whole food chain will collapse.

A very timely theme, with a conclusion that we cannot bully our way out of this.

 

 

“Top Gun Maverick”

Top Gun Maverick

Trailer:  Top Gun: Maverick – Official Trailer (2022) – Paramount Pictures – Bing video

Wiki:  Top Gun: Maverick – Wikipedia

Wiki:  Kelly McGillis – Wikipedia

 

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

Has it really been 35 years, since the first Top Gun Movie?

First, I pulled out the VHS Tape from my collection to re-watch the first film with Tom Cruise and Kelly McGinnis.

Then, I went to the Tuesday opening show of the 2nd Top Gun movie.

I cannot remember when I have ever seen so many elderly people with walkers coming out to see any movie, which also happened to be on Memorial weekend.

Nothing personal, but the bar maid love interest in Maverick, could not hold a candle to the aeronautics specialist that McGinnis played.

When I mentioned this to another movie goer, it was pointed out to me that she was not a bar maid, but a business owner.

Then Val Kilmer, who had throat surgery, was nowhere near his former self, just 35 years ago. 

Why do some people age rapidly and others stay young forever?

I am partial to the first film, but if you have never seen the first film, the 2nd film was extremely well done.

How dare they push Maverick (spoiler alert) into a teaching position, just because they think that he is too old to carry out a fighter jet mission?

Tom Cruise keeps behaving like he did 35 years ago, while the other commanders want him to behave like an old person.

Then, there is the son of Maverick’s former partner, who died in the first film.

He, who holds a grudge against Maverick, until he doesn’t.

The movie stands on its own feet, but why does Maverick need to act like he is old?

This is the classic attitude of ageism, if I have ever seen it.

 

 

 

“Downton Abbey : A New Era”

Downton Abbey : A New Era

Trailer:  DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA – Official Trailer [HD] – Only in Theaters May 20 – Bing video

Wiki:  Downton Abbey: A New Era – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

I love that Maggie Smith’s character gets to have an intriguing past love life.

Her character inherits a French villa, but her choice to not return to it, proves fatal.

One moment she appears happy and feisty, then after her family’s trip to France, she declines rapidly.

She is beloved, because she is the one member of the family, who is attentive to the well-being of each member of the family.

Her granddaughter finds it difficult to be faithful to a husband, who is off doing his own thing.

In my opinion, this absent husband deserves a divorce.

 A marriage means that both individuals are present and contributing their support.

Otherwise, that is a recipe for divorce.

Maggie’s son seems preoccupied with loyalty to his father, and is oblivious to the well-being of his wife, or anyone else.

Considering the conditions of his current circumstances, being the bastard son of a Frenchman, should be the least of his worries.

Maggie Smith is such a great example of an aging woman at her best, but for whatever reason, she chooses to no longer engage.

She is without a doubt the center of this family and of the Downton Abbey series.

 

“Memory”

Memory

Trailer: Memory Trailer #1 (2022) | Movieclips Trailers – Bing video

Wiki: Memory (2022 film) – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

If there is one word that scares the hell out of old and young alike, it is Alzheimer’s disease.

And, Liam Neeson attacks this topic as only he could, with his fatalistic positivity, which gives this film the twist that it needs.

His hitman character makes it clear that while he may be experiencing cognitive decline, he is not experiencing moral value decline.

A recurring theme in his films is his aversion to human trafficking.

His character does not harm children, and he can be fatal to anyone who does.

After visiting his brother in an Alzheimer’s ward, he resolves to give his all to living, so long as he can independently function.

He is well aware of his ultimate fate.

I loved the honest wisdom of this film.

If one manages to live into old age, one will no doubt cherish this film as a cult film for the elderly.

 

“Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Trailer: Everything Everywhere All At Once | Official Trailer HD | A24 – Bing video

Wiki: Everything Everywhere All at Once – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

You may have heard of the male mid-life crisis, but in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”, we get to experience the female mid-life crisis.

Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) seems unhappy with her own life choices, marriage, husband, financial situation in this film.

And, Deirdre (Jamie Lee Curtis) plays a crazy, middle-aged, female IRS inspector, who threatens to take everything altogether away from her.

Here we have an aging female, who feels victimized by her own choices in life and feels powerless in her ability to make new choices at this stage of her life.

If you are an aging female, you will be able to relate. 

Also, aging males will be able to relate.

And, if you are not young anymore, you will be able to relate, period.

7/2/2022 # AGEISM – “Elvis”, “Jurassic World Dominion”, “Top Gun Maverick”, “Downton Abbey: A New Era”, “Memory” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

2022 OSCAR PREDICTIONS: Belfast, Coda, Don’t Look up, Drive My Car, Dune, King Richard, Licorice Pizza, Nightmare Alley, Power of the Dog, West Side Story

Best Picture

Will Win: “Coda”

Should Win: “Drive My Car”

Did Win” “Coda”

 

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

As I see it, every one of the Best Picture films deal with the topic of “bullying,” in one form or another.

Because that is what the world is dealing with right now, on the personal level and on the world stage.

My personal Best Picture pick is between “Drive My Car” and “Coda.” Both films demonstrate emotional generosity.

Each of these two films present a solution to the topic of bullying and self-interest.

“Coda” shows me the personal solution.  It demonstrates a loving, loyal family that overcomes hardships together, with the highest possible outcome for all concerned.

But “Drive My Car,” slightly wins, in my opinion, because it is able to see the problem from an empathetic view that is deeply personal and can be applied to the world arena.

My “Best Picture” pick is “Drive My Car.”  As the title suggests, am I able to drive someone else’s car?

“Drive My Car” encourages me to put myself in the place of the bullied, without judgement, but with a positive solution.

 

“Belfast”

“Belfast,” Laura Berwick, Kenneth Branagh, Becca Kovacik and Tamar Thomas, producers

Trailer:

BELFAST Trailer 2 (2021) Jamie Dornan, Judi Dench, Drama Movie – Bing video

Wiki:

Belfast (film) – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

The bullies in “Belfast” are the Protestants against the Catholics. 

We are called to identify with a Protestant family, who do not hate Catholics.

When their position is revealed, they are bullied out of town, but they forget to take granny, whose husband has just passed away.

What is going on here?  Does the family really think that granny can fend for herself? 

Leaving granny behind was even more upsetting, to me, than the 1969 riots.

In “Belfast”, the bullied family just makes a run for it, leaving an elderly grandmother behind.

Major demerits in my book.  Not my favorite film.

 

“CODA”

“CODA,” Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi and Patrick Wachsberger, producers

Trailer:

CODA Trailer (2021) Drama Movie – Bing video

Wiki:

CODA (2021 film) – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

I knew that “Coda” was going to be good, when I went to see it, but I was not expecting it to be “that” good.

I have to admit that I was left completely choked up by its ending. 

Emilia Jones plays Ruby Rossi, the only hearing member of a deaf family. 

She is not your ordinary teen. 

Because of her unusual circumstances, she is encouraged to be a strong voice for her family at an early age.

At school, Ruby is bullied for having a deaf family background. 

Bullies like to think that they are better than someone else. 

So Ruby is made to feel ashamed of her very loving family.

“Coda” champions the deaf and also the selfless teachers out there.

Even though the music teacher is from Mexico, it did not have the world changing aspect that I found in “Drive My Car.”

So “Coda” comes in second, but is first in emotional generosity, that is innocently over-whelming.

 

“Don’t Look Up”

“Don’t Look Up,” Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, producers

Trailer:

DON’T LOOK UP | Official Teaser Trailer | Netflix – Bing video

Wiki:

Don’t Look Up – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

“Don’t Look Up” is full of bullies, who resist the truth, think only of themselves, and wallow in their own ideas of superiority, no matter what.

This film is about human stupidity and being in denial, even in moon-sized impending disaster.

The bullies are completely frozen in their lack of human empathy for others, their flawed choices and in their delayed action.

Here we have a scientist, who betrays his own wife, and a President, who forgets all about her own son.

These are the kind of people who will throw you a water bottle, or a roll of paper towels, just to pretend that they care.

Bullies are unable to process the concept that what they do to others, they do to themselves.

 

“Drive My Car”

“Drive My Car,” Teruhisa Yamamoto, producer

Trailers:

Drive My Car Trailer #1 (2021) | Movieclips Indie – Bing video

Drive My Car (2021) | Trailer | Hidetoshi Nishijima | Toko Miura | Masaki Okada – Bing video

Wiki:

Drive My Car (film) – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

An emotionally ill mother, or an unfaithful spouse, are sources of emotional abuse, which are also forms of bullying.

Bullying has many forms, and “Drive My Car” exposes these two types of bullying.

A renowned actor is trying to heal from his wife’s death and a young female driver is also trying to heal from her mother’s death.

They both feel guilty that they are relieved that the abuse is over.

In this film, they meet by divine appointment to heal each other.

As victims, neither were able to confront the bullies in their lives, which renders them both unfit for intimate relationships.

A healthy relationship requires trust and honest communication.

Bullies use and manipulate others, even their own mates and children.

“Drive My Car” is my number one choice, because it shows the way for the bullied to heal and to learn from others in a life-affirming way.

The actor is invited to direct a Russian play in a way that incorporates diversity of talent, different languages, and even sign language.

His young driver is about the same age as his own daughter would have been, so he treats her like he would his own daughter.

She responds to his fatherly nurturing and is able to realize that not everyone is cruel.

Together they are able to process their emotions and predicaments in a positive way.

By the end of this three-hour film, the viewer also realizes what several world playwrights are trying to say in their plays.

We are here to help and to heal each other, which starts with ourselves and our own families.

On the world arena, kindness, communication and positive action is what is going to save the planet.

Since no one is without guilt, judgement is futile.

 

“Dune”

“Dune,” Mary Parent, Denis Villeneuve and Cale Boyter, producers

Trailer:

DUNE – FINAL TRAILER – Bing video

Wiki:

Dune (2021 film) – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

“Dune” is a magnificent, futuristic story that after two and a half hours, turns out to be only half the story.

If this is our future, then mankind has not learned much.

Mankind is still trying to exploit and bully others, be it on an inter-planet level.

In “Dune”, planetary invaders attempt to keep the defeated population in a state of servitude, while the spice of the planet is exploited.

Are we still on the same track of “might is right?”

Like in the country of Ukraine, the Arrakis people know the terrain and know how to survive in their own desert habitat.

I am hoping that in part two, we are shown how desert power and psychic power are able to defeat brute power.

I am also hoping that the bullies are taught a permanent lesson of respect.

 

“King Richard”

“King Richard,” Tim White, Trevor White and Will Smith, producers

Trailer:

KING RICHARD Trailer 2 (2021) – Bing video

Wiki:

King Richard (film) – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

“King Richard” depicts how a whole societal environment can be the bully.

In America, if you are born Black, you are automatically a target for bullies. 

Like the deaf family in “Coda”, the Williams family in “King Richard” stick together and support each other, no matter what.

Blacks are kept in their place through economic and educational disadvantage.

This is a blended family, where all the children are girls.

Richard’s wife, Brandy came with three daughters from a previous marriage, and together they have two more girls, Venus and Serena.

They live in Compton, CA, where he is a security guard and she is a nurse, trying to raise all their daughters.

Both Richard and Brandy were athletes, so they do have some knowledge to pass on to their daughters.

Together, this husband-and-wife team groom their two youngest daughters to be tennis pros.

The way up is full of societal land mines that apply to the bullied segment of society.

As a family, they insist that all their daughters are going to get the best education possible, while Venus and Serena are being groomed for tennis stardom.

Richard and Brandy are extremely protective and sensitive to anything that might harm their daughters in a racist societal environment.

Not only is society racist, but their next-door neighbors are racist, not to mention the landmines of gangs and drugs in Compton.

I found this film extremely inspiring for everyone, not just if you were born Black.

 

“Licorice Pizza”

“Licorice Pizza,” Sara Murphy, Adam Somner and Paul Thomas Anderson, producers

Trailer:

Trailer: ‘Licorice Pizza’ – Bing video

Wiki:

Licorice Pizza – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

Anyone can be a victim of bullying.  Usually, there is some physical trait that can make one a victim.

In “Licorice Pizza”, that physical identifier is that you are the weaker sex.

Twenty-five-year-old Alana Kane meets 15-year-old actor Gary Valentine.

In this particular case, she has ten years of experience that puts her at an advantage.

Alana is a smart young female living in a male dominated culture.

In this environment, she is not rewarded for being smart, nor is she seen as an equal to a man.

She is rewarded for her sexual attributes, period.

Here, a fifteen-year-old male, is offered more advantages than she was at his age.

Love is almost impossible to achieve in this kind of an environment.

Alana Kane (Alana Haim) and as Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) do eventually find love and friendship.

This occurs through their constant interest and involvement in each other’s activity, acting, water bed and pin ball businesses, and politics.

If I were to sum it all up, “Licorice Pizza” is about the politics of love.

 

“Nightmare Alley”

“Nightmare Alley,” Guillermo del Toro, J. Miles Dale and Bradley Cooper, producers

Trailer:

NIGHTMARE ALLEY Trailer 3 (2021) – Bing video

Wiki:

Nightmare Alley (2021 film) – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

Socio-psychopaths are another form of bully, who will actually kill you in order to advance themselves.

(Spoiler alert)  Drifter Stan Carlisle and psychologist Dr. Lilith Ritter, in the film, are both socio-psychopaths.

Stan and Lilith prefer to secretly kill their victims.  They are completely lacking in empathy and feelings. 

The question is, are socio-psychopaths born or made?

Stan kills three people during the course of this film; five, if you count the suicide.

Lilith likes to psychoanalyze her victims, so she can effectively identify their weak spots, which allows her to effectively defeat them.

Her unique talent lies in winning their trust, so she can later enjoy watching them unravel.

This film is full of not very nice people.

 

“The Power of the Dog”

“The Power of the Dog,” Jane Campion, Tanya Seghatchian, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Roger Frappier, producers

Trailer:

The Power of the Dog | Official Trailer | Netflix – Bing video

Wiki:

The Power of the Dog (film) – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch) is the classic bully.  He likes to pick on those, whom he perceives as weaker than himself.

He enjoys getting the group to laugh at his victims.

It is hinted that he may be homosexual, so he might be motivated to deflect attention off of himself.

In the film, he is unmarried and is annoyed when his brother George (Jesse Plemons) takes a wife.

His all-male environment has now been violated.

I am not sure if he hates women or just feels that he is superior to them.

He makes a mistake, when he begins to torment the medical student son, Peter Gordon (Kodi Smit-McPhee), of his brother’s new bride.

Her son witnessed his father’s death, so he is a little messed up emotionally.

Peter may also be on his way to becoming a socio-psychopath himself.

What is so heart-breaking is that Phil at one point, is deceived that Peter may actually care about him.

This reminds me of the characters in “Nightmare Alley”, where the socio-psychopath trumps the bully.

I actually felt sorry for Phil, when his last gesture is trying to give Peter the rope that he made for him.  (This scene is heart wrenching.)

 

“West Side Story”

“West Side Story,” Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger, producers

Trailer:

WEST SIDE STORY Trailer 2 (2021) – Bing video

Wiki:

West Side Story (2021 film) – Wikipedia

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

Street gangs are also a form of bullying; one group of people are pitted against another for supremacy.

In “West Side Story,” both gangs are formed for self-protection (the Puerto Ricans against the poor white group).

Each have a loyalty code to their own group (their all-male group).

Neither group has any real power, so they resort to bullying women.

This musical is famous for its rape scene.  This is the scene that Rita Moreno got her Oscar for.

In the 1960’s, it was unusual for a woman to fight back, after she is nearly raped.

In this 2021 version, it is again, Rita Moreno, as the widow of the shopkeeper, who is also the one who shames the same kids.

She says, “I saw you all grow up, have you become rapists?”

She is also the one who takes in Tony, when he gets out of jail as the former leader of the Jets.

What makes this film so heart-breaking is the fact that Valentina’s (Rita Moreno) kind treatment of Tony, not only proves her level of caring, but it is what has helped him to reform.

Tony has a respect for women, which is what Maria loves about him.

In my opinion, Rita Moreno deserves the Oscar again.

 

Full Oscar Nominations:

Best Picture

“Belfast,” Laura Berwick, Kenneth Branagh, Becca Kovacik and Tamar Thomas, producers

X – “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

Best Director

Kenneth Branagh (“Belfast”)

Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (“Drive My Car”)

Paul Thomas Anderson (“Licorice Pizza”)

X – Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”)

Steven Spielberg (“West Side Story”)

Best Lead Actor

Javier Bardem (“Being the Ricardos”)

Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Power of the Dog”)

Andrew Garfield (“Tick, Tick … Boom!”)

X – Will Smith (“King Richard”)

Denzel Washington (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”)

Best Lead Actress

X – Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”)

Olivia Colman (“The Lost Daughter”)

Penélope Cruz (“Parallel Mothers”)

Nicole Kidman (“Being the Ricardos”)

Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”)

Best Supporting Actor

Ciarán Hinds (“Belfast”)

X – Troy Kotsur (“CODA”)

Jesse Plemons (“The Power of the Dog”)

J.K. Simmons (“Being the Ricardos”)

Kodi Smit-McPhee (“The Power of the Dog”)

Best Supporting Actress

Jessie Buckley (“The Lost Daughter”)

X – Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”)

Judi Dench (“Belfast”

Kirsten Dunst (“The Power of the Dog”)

Aunjanue Ellis (“King Richard”)

Best Adapted Screenplay

X – “CODA,” screenplay by Siân Heder

“Drive My Car,” screenplay by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Takamasa Oe

“Dune,” screenplay by Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth

“The Lost Daughter,” written by Maggie Gyllenhaal

“The Power of the Dog,” written by Jane Campion

Best Original Screenplay

X – “Belfast,” written by Kenneth Branagh

“Don’t Look Up,” screenplay by Adam McKay; story by Adam McKay and David Sirota

“King Richard,” written by Zach Baylin

“Licorice Pizza,” written by Paul Thomas Anderson

“The Worst Person in the World,” written by Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier

Best Cinematography

X – “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

Best Animated Feature Film

X – “Encanto,” Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino and Clark Spencer

“Flee,” Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen and Charlotte De La Gournerie

“Luca,” Enrico Casarosa and Andrea Warren

“The Mitchells vs. the Machines,” Mike Rianda, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Kurt Albrecht

“Raya and the Last Dragon,” Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada, Osnat Shurer and Peter Del Vecho

Best Animated Short Film

“Affairs of the Art,” Joanna Quinn and Les Mills

“Bestia,” Hugo Covarrubias and Tevo Díaz

“Boxballet,” Anton Dyakov

“Robin Robin,” Dan Ojari and Mikey Please

X – “The Windshield Wiper,” Alberto Mielgo and Leo Sanchez

Best Costume Design

X – “Cruella,” Jenny Beavan

“Cyrano,” Massimo Cantini Parrini and Jacqueline Durran

“Dune,” Jacqueline West and Robert Morgan

“Nightmare Alley,” Luis Sequeira

“West Side Story,” Paul Tazewell

Best Original Score

“Don’t Look Up,” Nicholas Britell

X – “Dune,” Hans Zimmer

“Encanto,” Germaine Franco

“Parallel Mothers,” Alberto Iglesias

“The Power of the Dog,” Jonny Greenwood

Best Sound

“Belfast,” Denise Yarde, Simon Chase, James Mather and Niv Adiri

X – “Dune,” Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett

“No Time to Die,” Simon Hayes, Oliver Tarney, James Harrison, Paul Massey and Mark Taylor

“The Power of the Dog,” Richard Flynn, Robert Mackenzie and Tara Webb

“West Side Story,” Tod A. Maitland, Gary Rydstrom, Brian Chumney, Andy Nelson and Shawn Murphy

Best Original Song

“Be Alive” from “King Richard,” music and lyric by Dixson and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter

“Dos Oruguitas” from “Encanto,” music and lyric by Lin-Manuel Miranda

“Down To Joy” from “Belfast,” music and lyric by Van Morrison

X – “No Time To Die” from “No Time to Die,” music and lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell

“Somehow You Do” from “Four Good Days,” music and lyric by Diane Warren

Best Documentary Feature

“Ascension,” Jessica Kingdon, Kira Simon-Kennedy and Nathan Truesdell

“Attica,” Stanley Nelson and Traci A. Curry

“Flee,” Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen and Charlotte De La Gournerie

X – “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein

“Writing With Fire,” Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh

Best Documentary Short Subject

“Audible,” Matt Ogens and Geoff McLean

“Lead Me Home,” Pedro Kos and Jon Shenk

X – “The Queen of Basketball,” Ben Proudfoot

“Three Songs for Benazir,” Elizabeth Mirzaei and Gulistan Mirzaei

“When We Were Bullies,” Jay Rosenblatt

Best Film Editing

“Don’t Look Up,” Hank Corwin

X – “Dune,” Joe Walker

“King Richard”, Pamela Martin

“The Power of the Dog,” Peter Sciberras

“Tick, Tick…Boom!” Myron Kerstein and Andrew Weisblum

Best International Feature Film

X – “Drive My Car” (Japan)

“Flee” (Denmark)

“The Hand of God” (Italy)

“Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” (Bhutan)

“The Worst Person in the World” (Norway)

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

“Coming 2 America,” Mike Marino, Stacey Morris and Carla Farmer

“Cruella,” Nadia Stacey, Naomi Donne and Julia Vernon

“Dune,” Donald Mowat, Love Larson and Eva von Bahr

X – “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh

“House of Gucci,” Göran Lundström, Anna Carin Lock and Frederic Aspiras

Best Production Design

X – “Dune,” production design: Patrice Vermette; set decoration: Zsuzsanna Sipos

“Nightmare Alley,” production design: Tamara Deverell; set decoration: Shane Vieau

“The Power of the Dog,” production design: Grant Major; set decoration: Amber Richards

“The Tragedy of Macbeth,” production design: Stefan Dechant; set decoration: Nancy Haigh

“West Side Story,” production design: Adam Stockhausen; set decoration: Rena DeAngelo

Best Visual Effects

X – “Dune,” Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor and Gerd Nefzer

“Free Guy,” Swen Gillberg, Bryan Grill, Nikos Kalaitzidis and Dan Sudick

“No Time to Die,” Charlie Noble, Joel Green, Jonathan Fawkner and Chris Corbould

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” Christopher Townsend, Joe Farrell, Sean Noel Walker and Dan Oliver

“Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Kelly Port, Chris Waegner, Scott Edelstein and Dan Sudick

Best Live Action Short Film

“Ala Kachuu – Take and Run,” Maria Brendle and Nadine Lüchinger

“The Dress,” Tadeusz Łysiak and Maciej Ślesicki

X – “The Long Goodbye,” Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed

“On My Mind,” Martin Strange-Hansen and Kim Magnusson

“Please Hold,” K.D. Dávila and Levin Menekse

3/26/2022 # 2022 Oscar Predictions

WOMEN IN FILM 2021 – 2022 – “Being the Ricardos,” “House of Gucci,” “Spencer,” “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”

Being the Ricardos

‘Being the Ricardos’ fact check: Was Lucille Ball a communist? And why couldn’t she say ‘pregnant’ on TV? (msn.com)

Being the Ricardos vs. the True Story of Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz (historyvshollywood.com)

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

Let’s be honest, Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) was a pioneer in showing us how a mixed marriage could be accepted.

She challenged the idea that maybe there could be an equal relationship between a husband and a wife.

And, she even shattered the status quo concept that pregnancy could be depicted on television.

In “Being the Ricardos”, she is depicted as being a little crazy, when it was actually her husband, Desi (Javier Bardem), who was the crazy lying cheat in their marriage.

Ball used humor to help people accept it all, and in the process, she let people laugh at her.

She was doing it all for love, except her Cuban husband had old school ideas about men and women.

Like Tammy Faye, Lucille Ball becomes a clown-like figure in public.

Cast

Directed by Aaron Sorkin
Written by Aaron Sorkin

 

        

 

House of Gucci

HOUSE OF GUCCI | Official Trailer | MGM Studios – Bing video

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

Similar to “Being the Ricardos,” the “House of Gucci” is fascinating, because it depicts a marriage comprised of mixed classes:  The crazy rich and the hard-working upper middle class.

This film shows us the strengths of both classes. 

Patrizia (Lady Gaga) manages the payroll accounts of her father’s business, so she is used to managing authority as a woman.

 Like Lucille Ball, she is an intelligent woman trapped in a patriarchal society.

Both films are true stories. 

In my opinion, Patrizia did not need a tarot reader, she needed an ally, which, unfortunately, was not her husband.

Maurizios’ (Adam Driver) father’s lawyer manages to pit the rich family members against each other to his own advantage.

Patrizia ends up in jail, Maurizio ends up dead, and the family lawyer (Jack Huston) takes over the family business.

Cast

Directed by Ridley Scott
Screenplay by ·         Becky Johnston

·         Roberto Bentivegna
Story by Becky Johnston

 

Spencer

SPENCER – Official Teaser Trailer – In Theaters November 5th – Bing video

The director of “Spencer” talks about the movie on Princess Diana – Bing video

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

In “Spencer,” Princess Diana (Kristen Stewart), does not become a clown, she becomes bulimic.

Big red flag, her bulimia begins and is most severe right before she is to marry, Prince Charles (Jack Farthing). 

Her subconscious body was screaming, “don’t marry him.”

What kind of man, agrees to marry a beautiful young woman, while not hiding his affair with another woman (Camilla)?

Diana (Kristen Stewart) was too young and amenable to patriarchal ways, to protest. 

She apparently thought that she could make Charles (Jack Farthing) love her in the process of bearing him two sons.

Like in “Being the Ricardos” and in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” Diana is made to look crazy in the process of becoming another victim of the patriarchal system.

Diana finds herself on the outside, under intense, microscopic criticism.

Diana was a person of feeling and empathy, which was out of place in such a militaristic environment.

The Queen (Stella Gonet) appears to be cold towards her. With Diana’s mother gone, Diana was seeking some kind of warmth from the mother Queen.

In the end, her escape to freedom is divorce.

 

 

Cast[

 

Directed by Pablo Larraín
Written by Steven Knight

 

*(“For all her aristocratic breeding, this innocent young kindergarten teacher felt totally at sea in the deferential hierarchy of Buckingham Palace. There were many tears in those three months and many more to come after that. Weight simply dropped off, her waist shrinking from 29 inches when the engagement was announced down to 23 inches on her wedding day. It was during this turbulent time that her bulimia nervosa, which would take nearly a decade to overcome, began,” Morton writes.

After the wedding in 1981, Prince Charles allegedly commented on Diana’s weight, which exacerbated Diana’s insecurities. “My husband put his hand on my waistline and said: ‘Oh, a bit chubby here, aren’t we?’ and that triggered off something in me. And the Camilla thing,” Diana said in the novel, the “Camilla thing” being Charles’s apparent and ongoing affair with Camilla Shand. On their honeymoon, Charles wore cufflinks that Camilla had given him, which had intertwined “C’s,” and spoke to her on the phone regularly.

While Diana’s bulimia was a secret to the public, the princess said everyone in the palace was aware of her struggles. “Everyone in the family knew about the bulimia, and everyone blamed the bulimia for the failure of the marriage,” she said.)

 

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Tammy Faye (young) and (old).

THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE Trailer (2021) Jessica Chastain, Andrew Garfield Drama Movie – Bing video

The Eyes of Tammy Faye vs. the True Story of Tammy and Jim Bakker (historyvshollywood.com)

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

Here comes the clown, Tammy Faye.

Tammy (Jessica Chastain) is one of many a young woman, who innocently marries a gay/bi man.

She finds herself in a loveless marriage. 

In the film, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” Tammy is depicted as an energetic, intelligent woman, who gives out love to everyone, but herself.

She gives love to her husband, her mother, her parishioners, but does not get it in return.

She becomes a love-starved, clown-like figure.

The sad part is that her religious intensions were sincere, and receiving money was not important to her.

Tammy Faye just wanted to help people.

Getting more and more money was how her husband, Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield), proved his manhood, for which he goes to jail.

 

Cast

 

Directed by Michael Showalter
Screenplay by Abe Sylvia
Based on The Eyes of Tammy Faye
by Fenton Bailey
Randy Barbato

1/13/2022 # Women in Film 2021 & 2022

 

 

IMMIGRATION FILMS – #3 “Limbo”

(L to r.) Omar (Amir El-Masry) ,Wasef (Ola Orebiyi), Abedi (Kwabena Ansah) and Farhad (Vikash Bhai).

Trailer:

LIMBO Trailer (2021) Drama Movie – Bing video

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

With fresh and vivid images of the desperate Afghan people trying to escape a brutal Taliban dictatorship, Scottish Director Ben Sharrock nails the timely pathos of the asylum seeking immigrant experience in “Limbo”.

“Limbo” is a psychological study of four asylum seekers, who find themselves as housemates on a remote Scottish island, waiting to be processed. 

Omar (Amir El-Masry) is from Syria, Farhad (Vikash Bhai) is from Afghanistan, Wasef (Ola Orebiyi) is from Nigeria and Abedi (Kwabena Ansah) is from Ghana.

Each housemate represents a different country and culture, yet they each have their own personalities and expectations of living in Scotland.

The cold, windy island is symbolic of their predicament.

To really succeed, they need a positive attitude, a philosophical belief on which to cling, and some kind of encouraging family connection. 

I am not sure if it was unconscious bias, or intentional, but the two African men appear to have none of these advantages, so we witness the circumstances being stacked against them.

Farhad (Vikash Bhai) with chicken, Abedi (Kwabena Ansah), Omar (Amir El-Masry), and Wasef (Ola Orebiyi) in “Limbo”.

This film addresses unconscious bias, which expresses as an unwillingness to help or to assist.  It expresses as an indifference towards them in expecting the worst of them and in not caring about or reaching out to them.  When one of them disappears, no one sounds the alarm or tries to find him.

“Limbo” addresses jealousy and competitiveness, disparities in resources and support. 

It addresses despair, disappointment, and false expectations.

I also felt a little bit of gender bias.  Women are not depicted as nobly as the men.  They are more the source of humor in this film.

Boris (Kenneth Collard), Helga (Sidse Babett Knudsen), and Abedi (Kwabena Ansah) in Limbo.

On the positive side, this film addresses a healthy willingness to learn a new culture, an openness to trying new ways and meeting new people, who may be different and, who may also harbor a race consciousness about who you are.

What I received from this film was an authentic feeling of walking in the shoes of an immigrant. 

Twenty-twenty hindsight, is looking back on one’s experience, then getting a second chance to do it over.

“Limbo” can be either rented or purchased online, and is highly recommended.

Farhad (Vikash Bhai) takes his schooling seriously.

Cast:

  • Amir El-Masry as Omar
  • Vikash Bhai as Farhad
  • Ola Orebiyi as Wasef
  • Kwabena Ansah as Abedi
  • Kenneth Collard as Boris
  • Kais Nashefas Nabil
  • Sidse Babett Knudsenas Helga

 

Directed by Ben Sharrock
Produced by ·         Irune Gurtubai

·         Angus Lamont
Written by Ben Sharrock
Starring ·         Amir El-Masry

·         Vikash Bhai

·         Ola Orebiyi

·         Kwabena Ansah

·         Kenneth Collard

·         Kais Nashef

·         Sidse Babett Knudsen
Music by Hutch Demouilpied
Cinematography Nick Cooke
Edited by Karel Dolak
Lucia Zucchetti
Production
companies		 ·         Film4 Productions

·         Creative Scotland

·         British Film Institute

·         Caravan Cinema
Distributed by MUBI
Release date ·         12 September 2020 (TIFF)

·         30 July 2021 (United Kingdom)
Running time 103 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Box office $92,780[1]

 

 

Wiki of “Limbo”:

Limbo (2020 film) – Wikipedia

Amir El-Masry Biography:

Amir El-Masry – Biography – IMDb

Vikash Bhai Interview: Limbo:

Vikash Bhai Interview: Limbo | Screen Rant

Writer/Director Ben Sharrock:

https://shortcircuit.scot/spotlight-on-ben-sharrock/

Biography Ben Sharrock

Ben Sharrock And Amir El-Masry Bring A Refugee Story To Life In ‘Limbo’ : NPR

Ben Sharrock – IMDb

Limbo director on crafting a different kind of refugee story | EW.com

Interview: Ben Sharrock on Challenging Labels with Refugee Dramedy Limbo – Slant Magazine

Spotlight On: Ben Sharrock – Short Circuit

My Working From Home Life: ‘Limbo’ filmmakers Ben Sharrock and Irune Gurtubai | Features | Screen (screendaily.com)

Omar, a young Syrian musician burdened by the weight of his grandfather’s oud, which he has carried all the way from his homeland.

8/18/2021 # Limbo

IMMIGRATION FILMS – #2 “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)”

Trailer:

https://www.imdb.com/video/vi2988163097?playlistId=nm0005567&ref_=vp_rv_ap_0

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

The Harlem Cultural Festival (also known as Black Woodstock) took place in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park on Sundays at 3 PM from June 29 to August 24, 1969.  The series of six free concerts had a combined attendance of nearly 300,000.  The New York City Police Department (NYPD) refused to provide security, and it was instead provided by members of the Black Panther Party.[3]

Woodstock was a music festival held August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur‘s dairy farm in Bethel, New York.   It attracted an audience of more than 400,000.  Thirty-two acts performed outdoors despite sporadic rain.

Both festivals signaled a seismic cultural shift in the United States.

One could argue that the long hair and naked bodies of Woodstock were more important than Afros and Black pride, but the important point was that whatever was happening, it was happening during the same time period.

The Harlem Cultural Festival was not just Black talent, but every kind of immigrant inhabitant, Cubans,  Puerto Ricans, Dominican Republicans, Mexicans, Jamaicans, etc.

The Harlem Cultural Festival sponsors included Maxwell House Coffee, and the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs Division of the City of New York.  In addition, money was raised to film the musical acts, which ended up in a box in a basement, until now.

I personally lived during that time period, as did many of today’s attendees of the film, “Summer of Soul”.  In fact, that shared experience has created spontaneous discussion groups between film goers after the film, even while wearing masks of the pandemic.

What has happened since these two festivals? 

A Black man did become President of the United States for two terms, Barack Obama (January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017).

The civil rights movement broke the prevailing pattern of segregation.

One of the greatest achievements of the civil rights movement was the Civil Rights Act (1964), which led to greater social and economic mobility for African-Americans across the nation and banned racial discrimination, providing greater access to resources for women, religious minorities, African-Americans and low-income families.

The hard won civil rights include the right to vote, the right to a fair trial, the right to government services, the right to a public education, and the right to use public facilities.

 Both festivals used the joy of music to change American culture towards a more tolerant, fairer and more just way of living.

The “Summer of Soul” reminds us that a few bumps in the road cannot stop the train of ever expanding progress in being worthy inhabitants of our shared world.

The Woodstock organizers were faced with financial ruin at the end of their four days, but managed to get that turned around when the Academy Award winning documentary film Woodstock was released in March 1970.   Maybe the 2021-22 Academy Awards will do the same for “Summer of Soul”.

Trailer:

SUMMER OF SOUL | Official Trailer | In Theaters and on Hulu July 2 – Bing video

Full Cast & Crew

Directed by 

Questlove … (as Ahmir-Khalib Thompson)
Hal Tulchin

Cast  

The 5th Dimension … Themselves
Gladys Knight & The Pips … Themselves
Jesse Jackson … Self
Mahalia Jackson … Self
B.B. King … Self
George Kirby … Self
Abbey Lincoln … Self
John V. Lindsay … Self
Moms Mabley … Self
Herbie Mann … Self
Dewey ‘Pigmeat’ Markham … Self
Hugh Masekela … Self
Max Roach … Self
David Ruffin … Self
Nina Simone … Self
Sly and the Family Stone … Themselves
The Staple Singers … Themselves
Stevie Wonder … Self

Produced by 

Inuka Bacote-Capiga … co-producer
David Dinerstein … producer
Robert Fyvolent … producer
Beth Hubbard … executive producer
Joseph Patel … producer
Hal Tulchin … producer
Summer of Soul Wiki:

Summer of Soul – Wikipedia

Woodstock Wiki:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodstock

Harlem Cultural Festival Wiki:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_Cultural_Festival

Summer of Soul Wiki:

Summer of Soul – Wikipedia

Woodstock Wiki:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodstock

Harlem Cultural Festival Wiki:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_Cultural_Festival

Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)     

7/28/2021 # Summer of Soul

IMMIGRATION FILMS – #1 – “In the Heights”

Usnavi de la Vega (Anthony Ramos) holds up flag;  his shop assistant cousin, Sonny de la Vega (Gregory Diaz IV) is standing behind him.

Trailer:

IN THE HEIGHTS Trailer (2021) – Bing video

 

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

“In the Heights” is Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical play about his growing up in New York as an immigrant.  (Miranda is of Puerto Rican descent, along with Mexican from a grandparent. During childhood and his teens, he spent at least one month each year with his grandparents in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico.)

A frequent comment that immigrants hear is “why don’t you go back where you came from”, which the main character, Usnavi de la Vega (Anthony Ramos), struggles with the idea of returning to the Dominican Republic.

From an immigrant’s viewpoint, we get to examine the pros and cons of doing just that, going back to their country of origin. 

“In the Heights” concludes that they get to choose.  Is being surrounded by poverty, racism, struggle and hate worth the effort of staying?

Leslie Grace, as Nina Rosario, stands out as a daughter of a taxi company owner, who has the grades to make it into Stanford University. 

Nina’s father, played by Jimmy Smits, as Kevin Rosario, does some creative financial moves to get her into Stanford.  But, once there, she is confronted with racial bias from her roommate and other persons at the college.

From Nina’s character, we learn that being smart, having grades and a supportive family is only half the struggle.  Nina was insulated and protected as a youth, because she lived in a section of New York that was a community of other immigrants.

“Abuela” Claudia (Olga Merediz) also stands out as the neighborhood elder, who originated from Cuba, never married or had children, but who adopts the young people in her neighborhood to be her family. 

(Spoiler alert) Abuela turns out to be the lottery ticket winner, whose legacy pays the DACA fees for some young undocumented immigrants.

Abuela means grandmother.

Director Jon M. Chu is not a newbie to musical dance films, because he either directed or produced all of the Step Up films, and most famously, the “Crazy Rich Asians” film.

Usnavi de la Vega (Anthony Ramos) dances with Vanessa Morales (Melissa Barrera).

Cast

The film includes cameos by original Broadway cast members Seth Stewart and Javier Muñoz, as well as background vocals by Andréa Burns, Janet Dacal, Mandy Gonzalez, Joshua Henry, Krysta Rodriguez, and Jon Rua.[4][5] Broadway actor Patrick Page appears as Pike Phillips.[6] Miranda’s parents Luis and Dr. Luz Towns-Miranda make cameo appearances during “Breathe”.[7] The Kid Mero provides the voice of the DJ at the start of the film.[8] Valentina appears as a patron of Daniela’s salon.[8] NPR journalist Maria Hinojosa appears as the protest leader at the DACA rally.[8]. The film also features an appearance from Rennie Harris.[9]

Leslie Grace as Nina Rosario and Corey Hawkins as Benny watch the sun go down in New York.

 

Directed by Jon M. Chu
Screenplay by Quiara Alegría Hudes
Based on In the Heights
by·         Quiara Alegría Hudes &·         Lin-Manuel Miranda
Produced by ·         Lin-Manuel Miranda

·         Quiara Alegría Hudes

·         Scott Sanders

·         Anthony Bregman

·         Mara Jacobs
Starring ·         Anthony Ramos

·         Corey Hawkins

·         Leslie Grace

·         Melissa Barrera

·         Olga Merediz

·         Daphne Rubin-Vega

·         Gregory Diaz IV

·         Jimmy Smits
Cinematography Alice Brooks
Edited by Myron Kerstein
Music by ·         Lin-Manuel Miranda

·         Alex Lacamoire

·         Bill Sherman
Production
companies		 ·         5000 Broadway Productions

·         Barrio Grrrl! Productions

·         Likely Story

·         SGS Pictures

·         Endeavor Content
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date ·         June 4, 2021 (LALIFF)

·         June 10, 2021 (United States)
Running time 143 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $55 million[1]
Box office $39 million[2][3]
 

                                           Leslie Grace as Nina Rosario

Olga Merediz as the neighborhood elder, “Abuela” Claudia.

Jimmy Smits as Kevin Rosario, dances with daughter, Nina.

 

In the Heights Wiki:

In the Heights (film) – Wikipedia

Lin-Manuel Miranda Wiki:

Lin-Manuel Miranda – Wikipedia

Jon M Chu Wiki:

Jon M. Chu – Wikipedia

‘In the Heights’ Interviews with Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera & More!:

‘In the Heights’ Interviews with Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera & More! – Bing video

7/25/2021 # In the Heights

2021 OSCAR PREDICTIONS – “The Father”, “Judas and the Black Messiah”, “Mank”, “Minari”, “Nomadland”, “Promising Young Woman”, “Sound of Metal”, “The Trial of the Chicago 7″

2021 Oscar Predictions – 93rd Academy Awards 

(The 2021 Oscars take place on April 25, 2021, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and airs live on ABC.)

BEST PICTURE

Film Reviews by Marlene Ardoin

Should Win: “The Trial of the Chicago 7”

Will Win: “Nomadland”

Did Win: “Nomadland”

 

Best Picture Nominees:

“The Father”

“Judas and the Black Messiah”

“Mank”

“Minari”

“Nomadland”

“Promising Young Woman”

“Sound of Metal”

“The Trial of the Chicago 7″

 

“The Father”

Trailer:

THE FATHER Official Trailer (2020) Anthony Hopkins, Imogen Poots Drama Movie HD – Bing video

Only those who have lived long enough to take over the responsibility of an aging parent, will understand why this film was nominated.  The fact that Anthony Hopkins plays a narcissist, with no acts of compassion to redeem him, not even taking care of a pet, make his character even more unsympathetic.  His ego simply will not let go of control.

He defends his self-efficacy fiercely, causing severe harm to those who love him.  He seems to take pride in changing warm smiles to iced hurt.

Where is the photo of his missing, most likely suffering, wife?  I imagined that his second daughter, Lucy, ended up in an auto accident, because of the emotional trauma caused by him.

I would have preferred a story of a sweet, kind, giving aging parent.  They really do exist.  Why do the nasty, egotistical parents get the headlines and the movies?

Living With Dementia – Agree, never argue, Divert, never reason, Distract, never shame, Reassure, never lecture, Reminisce, never say “remember”, Repeat, never say “I told you”, Do what they can do, never say “you can’t”, ask, never demand, Encourage, never condescend, Reinforce, never force.

“Judas and the Black Messiah”

Trailer:

Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) – Bing video

Both “Judas and the Black Messiah” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7” touch on how the Black Panthers had a big target on their backs in the 1960s.

But, even though both stories are true, I think “The Trial of the Chicago 7” gave me more of an emotional pull, even though Fredrick Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya) was shown to be graphically assassinated and betrayed in much the same way.

Both films are timely with the George Floyd murder trial happening during their film’s release.

I was resistant to seeing this film, but found the information in the credits at the end worth the wait.

Hampton was targeted by the FBI, and was betrayed by a young thief, Bill O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield), for the money and a car.

There was  a little that I could hang on to emotionally.  Hampton was just 21 years old when he died; that is sad.

The fact that the FBI chose an individual to betray Hampton, who steals from his own kind.

The fact that the FBI exploited a young man, who basically had nothing, is also sad.

Then, the FBI increasingly brings out the worst in O’Neal.  They ask O’Neal to do things which are bound to catch up with him emotionally.

I would have preferred a story of Hampton’s faithful friends, who stood by him and believed in the cause that Black men and women are strong, powerful and proud as the angle, but I suppose there would be no conflict.

“Mank”

Trailer:

MANK | Official Trailer | Netflix – Bing video

Herman J Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) has been a popular film subject, because he knew all the movers and shakers during the period when film moved from silent to sound.

And, the list of films that his writing left its mark on is impressive, The Wizard of Oz (1939), starring Judy Garland, and It’s a Wonderful World (1939), featuring Jimmy Stewart.  He was the highest paid writer of his time.

I really wanted to understand what it was that motivated and created such a dynamo.

His parents were Jewish immigrants from Germany.

The film, “Mank,” suggests that he had a hand in helping people escape from Germany during the World Wars.

This is what I wanted to see him doing, not recuperating from an auto accident or backing a political candidate.

We also see him tracking down a colleague, director Shelly (Jamie McShane) , whose wife was afraid that he might try to kill himself.

And, he helps his brother, Joseph L. (Tom Pelphrey), become a screenwriter in Hollywood.

Mankiewicz is shown to be a good man, who is also drinking himself to death, while trying not to roll his eyes at all the depravity that was part of the Hollywood environment at the time.

He is at a point in his career when he can afford to offend people like William Randolph Hearst (Charles Dance), Marion Davies (Amanda Seyfried), Orson Welles (Tom Burke) and Louis B. Mayer (Arliss Howard) , to name a few.

As a writer in this film, he shows some muscle to those who were disrespecting him.

Citizen Kane (1941) was not his last script, after it was nominated for nine Academy Awards, with Mankiewicz winning one for best original screenplay (which he shared with Orson Welles).

I would have liked to see the Herman Mankiewicz, who transitioned from journalism to screenwriting at time in history, when there was no safety net.

 

“Minari”

Trailer:

Minari | Official Trailer HD | A24 – Bing video

“Minari” depicts how an immigrant Korean family is warmly accepted into a Midwest community.

They are accepted into a church and seem to make friends easily at church and at work.

This may or may not be the real case, given all the Asian hate that has been expressed more recently.  This must be before Covid 19 arrived on the scene.

The wife (Han Yeri) convinces her husband (Stephen Yun) that her mother (Yun Yo-jong) is needed to take care of their two children, while they work at a chick sexing plant. This turns out to be an excellent suggestion, most of the time.

Many wives have a problem with being transplanted to a new family location, without being honestly consulted and without an equal say.  This applies to all wives, not just Korean.

Her mother arrives not expecting a free ride.  She is ready to contribute and help, in spite of the huge adjustment that it must have been for her culturally.

I felt the wife was unfairly portrayed as overly critical of her husband, who seems to feel that he knows what is best.

He proves not to know what is best for the family, because he is navigating the unknown. And, he makes some major mistakes, like not being open to dowsing for water on their land.

When they get to the point of a family crisis, the wife is allowed to choose what is best for the family.  This is what made the film for me.

 

“Nomadland”

Trailer:

Trailer: ‘Nomadland’ – Bing video

“Nomadland” is a lyrical depiction of one woman’s (Frances McDormand) discovery of herself and of freedom.

She is just recovering from her husband’s death.

She has spent her entire life being faithful to a childless marriage and a husband, who may not be meeting her needs.

The meager life that she and her husband existed in is also examined.

She longs to explore the world, but their mining job keeps them in a track home and in a state of servitude.

Her only joy seems to have been her husband’s love and a window that faced the mountains.

This is not living, this is slavery.  This is just barely being able to survive.

It is sad that her husband had to die, before they could escape this way of living.

Half of this is on her.

Did she have to wait for everything to die around her – the job, her husband, her home, the town?  How many wake-up calls does one need?

Frances McDormand, as Fern, does not strike me as a simpleton or a doormat.

I think she is more like a college professor or a journalist.

McDormand does give respect to the title of homeless, however, but she may not be just right for the role.

Her character is easy going and sometimes, childlike; so easy going that she ignores her own inner voice, until the end.

 

“Promising Young Woman”

Trailer:

PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN Trailer (2020) Carey Mulligan Movie – Bing video

I was a little bit afraid to see this film, because I thought it was going to be too graphic and confrontational. I was relieved that it was not that bad, and it even had humor and romance.

This film is the poster child for the “Me Too” era.  The days of ignoring that men are playing around is over.

Cassie (Carey Mulligan) is a young woman, who challenges all the good old boys out there, one by one.

Circumstances force her on this mission, while she is still young and desirable.  Most women wake up at the age of 65, after becoming the joke.

Carey’s “Cassie” reveals an inner core that is fiercely loyal, fair, intelligent and a romantic at heart.

The ugliness of how women are exploited and used in American culture is explored here.

I enjoyed all the characters, circumstances, twists and turns.

 

“Sound of Metal”

Trailer:

Sound of Metal (2019) – Bing video

“Sound of Metal” almost has the same van as “Nomadland,” only for a couple, two rock band musicians (Riz Ahmed as Ruben Stone and Olivia Cooke as Lou Berger).

We find out that at the end of their four years living in their van, Ruben kicks meth, loses his hearing and Lou reunites with her wealthy, French father in Paris.

Ruben’s loss of his hearing forces a change, like an eclipse.

These two young lovers are each running from emotional distress to rock music, which is a form of screaming, loud, music therapy.

On the plus side, they had their own band, where she was the lead singer and he was the lead drummer.

He is left poor, deaf, and homeless, except for his van.

But, he is generously accepted into a shelter for the deaf, where he is asked to give up his van keys and his iPhone.

If it was not for her rich father, they may have worked it out as a couple, or not.

Ruben appears to be more in love with Lou, than she is with him, toward the end of their four years, and his intention is to be reunited with her, after he gets his hearing back.

Ruben proves to us that he is capable of creating magic, for love.

Lou’s appearance changes after being with her father, she is not as vibrant or as attractive.

We do not know what Lou’s mother was so upset about, but my guess is that she felt trapped and controlled by her husband and his money.

The deaf shelter director (Paul Raci as Joe) was right, Ruben needed to meditate and write in order to lose his anger and his self-pity.

 

“The Trial of the Chicago 7”

Trailer:

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020) – Bing video

I preferred “The Trial of the Chicago 7” to “Judas and the Black Messiah.”

Because, it was not just the Blacks, who were targeted and betrayed during the 60s, it was also the Jews, the Hispanics, the hippies, the women’s rights activists, the gays and all the Anti-war protesters.

All the people in the court room developed a group awareness of the unfairness and the betrayal coming from the governmental system.

After the trial, the credits explain that Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) committed suicide. My research discovered that he was very upset that the next generation of youth were not interested in protesting.  He was bipolar.  He own daughter also committed suicide.

The credits also state that Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong) died, when he was hit by a car. My research found that he had become a multimillionaire, because he was an early investor in Apple Computer. Rubin became a businessman and at one point, Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) was a salesman in one of his businesses.

2021 Oscar Predictions in Every Category:

Best Picture: Nomadland

Best Actor: Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom      DID: Anthony Hopkins, “The Father”

Best Actress: Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman       DID: Frances McDormand, “Nomandland”

Best Supporting Actor: Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah

Best Supporting Actress: Yuh-Jung Youn, “Minari”

Best Director: Chloé Zhao, “Nomadland”

Best Adapted Screenplay: “Nomadland”, Chloé Zhao       DID: “The Father”

Best Original Screenplay: “Promising Young Woman”, Emerald Fennell

Best Animated Film: “Soul”

Best Documentary: Time      DID: “My Octopus Teacher”

Best International Film: “Another Round”

Best Editing: “Sound of Metal”

Best Cinematography: “Nomadland”      DID: Erik Messerschmidt, “Mank”

Best Sound: “Sound of Metal”

Best Original Score: “Soul”

Best Original Song: “Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami”       DID: “Fight For You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah”

Best Costume Design: “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”

Best Production Design: “Mank”

Best Visual Effects: “Tenet”

Best Documentary Short: “A Concerto Is a Conversation”    DID: “Colette”

Best Animated Short: “If Anything Happens I Love You”

Best Live Action Short: “The Letter Room”      DID: “Two Distant Strangers”

Full list of Nominations:

BEST PICTURE

“The Father”

“Judas and the Black Messiah”

“Mank”

“Minari”

“Nomadland”  

“Promising Young Woman”

“Sound of Metal”

“The Trial of the Chicago 7″

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Maria Bakalova, “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”

Glenn Close, “Hillbilly Elegy”

Olivia Colman, “The Father”

Amanda Seyfried, “Mank”

Youn Yuh-jung, “Minari”

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Sacha Baron Cohen, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”

Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah”

Leslie Odom Jr., “One Night in Miami”

Paul Raci, “Sound of Metal”

Lakeith Stanfield, “Judas and the Black Messiah”

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

“Another Round” – Denmark

“Better Days” – Hong Kong

“Collective” – Romania

“The Man Who Sold His Skin” – Tunisia

Qu Vadis, Aida? – Bosnia and Herzegovina

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)

“Colette”

“A Concerto Is a Conversation”

“Do Not Split”

“Hunger Ward”

“A Love Song for Latasha”

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

“Collective”

“Crip Camp”

“The Mole Agent”

“My Octopus Teacher”

“Time”

ORIGINAL SONG

“Fight For You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah”

“Hear My Voice” from “The Trial of the Chicago 7”

“Husavik” from “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga”

“lo Sì (Seen)” from “The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)”

“Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami…”

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

“Onward”

“Over the Moon”

“A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon”

“Soul”

“Wolfwalkers”

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

“Borat Subsequent MovieFilm”

“The Father”

“Nomadland”

“One Night in Miami”

“The White Tiger”

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

“Judas and the Black Messiah”

“Minari”

“Promising Young Woman”

“Sound of Metal”

“The Trial of the Chicago 7”

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Riz Ahmed, “Sound of Metal”

Chadwick Boseman, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”

Anthony Hopkins, “The Father”

Gary Oldman, “Mank”

Steven Yeun, “Minari”

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Viola Davis, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”

Andra Day, “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”

Vanessa Kirby, “Pieces of a Woman”

Frances McDormand, “Nomadland”

Carey Mulligan, “Promising Young Woman”

DIRECTOR

Thomas Vinterberg, “Another Round”

David Fincher, “Mank”

Lee Isaac Chung, “Minari”

Chloe Zhao, “Nomadland”

Emerald Fennell, “Promising Young Woman”

PRODUCTION DESIGN

“The Father”

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”

“Mank”

“News of the World”

“Tenet”

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Sean Bobbitt, “Judas and the Black Messiah”

Erik Messerschmidt, “Mank”

Dariusz Wolski, “News of the World”

Joshua James Richards, “Nomadland”

Phedon Papamichael , “The Trial of the Chicago 7”

COSTUME DESIGN

“Emma”

“Ma Rainey’s Blackbottom”

“Mank”

“Mulan”

“Pinocchio”

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND

“Greyhound”

“Mank”

“News of the World”

“Soul”

“Sound of Metal”

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

“Burrow”

“Genius Loci”

“If Anything Happens I Love You”

“Opera”

“Yes-People”

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

“Feeling Through”

“The Letter Room”

“The Present”

“Two Distant Strangers”

“White Eye”

ORIGINAL SCORE

“Da 5 Bloods”

“Mank”

“Minari”

“News of the World”

“Soul”

VISUAL EFFECTS

“Love and Monsters”

“The Midnight Sky”

“Mulan”

“The One and Only Ivan”

“Tenet”

FILM EDITING

“The Father”

“Nomadland”

“Promising Young Woman”

“Sound of Metal”

“The Trial of the Chicago 7”

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

“Emma”

“Hillbilly Elegy”

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”

“Mank”

“Pinocchio”

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4/23/2021 # 2021 Oscar Predictions – 93rd Academy Awards

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