Oscar Predictions 2020

Wow, that was one hell of a year. I have not been out to a theater since early March 2020, so all the Oscar nominated films I watched were all in the comfort of my own home. And while that’s a nice convenience, I miss the theater. The darkness, the huge screen, the trailers, being surrounded by strangers who are also wrapped up in a story for a while. I’m happy to wait until it’s safer, but can’t wait to get back out there. 

But before that, it’s time to make some Oscar night predictions! Let’s start with a little game where I pretend it’s the ye olde days where the Best Picture nominees were limited to 5. I think they would be: 

Sound of Metal, The Father, Promising Young Woman, Minari and Nomadland

Thanks for playing. Anyway, onto my official Oscar predictions:

Lead Actor: Chadwick Boseman RIP #WakandaForever 

Lead Actress: seen 3/5, but loved Carry Mulligan’s performance and hope she wins

Supporting Actor: I have not seen One Night In Miami, but feel like the other 4 are wide open, I’d personally like to see Sacha Baron Cohen win for fun (he might hate it!) and I think he did a great job in TTOC7

Supporting Actress: I think this will go to Yuh-Jung Youn, but I’d be very happy to see Maria Bakalova win this.

Director: I’m so excited to see two very deserving women in this category!!! And honestly, I’d be happy if anyone besides Fincher wins here, but I’m pulling, and rooting for my ladies. My official prediction: Chloé Zhao for the win! 

Original Screenplay: This is a tough one to choose…why not Sound of Metal?

Adapted Screenplay: I’ll be honest, I want Borat to win this one. Do I think it will win? No. So let’s pick The Father, cause I think that writing deserves a win.

Cinematography: This is the big thing Mank has going for it, but I think the beautiful shots in Nomadland are going to win. 

Editing: The Trial of the Chicago 7, so much of that film works directly because of the editing. 

Production Design: Only seen 3/5 (What?! You haven’t seen Tenet?!) I know, calm down you Nolan fanboys. But I’ll side with the Citizen Kane fans today, Mank for the win.

Costume Design: Emma. 

Sound: Sound of Metal just makes sense.

Makeup and Hairstyling: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. I mean, did you SEE Viola!? 

Original Score: Maybe it’s because it’s my toddler’s favorite movie right now because he loves the music...Soul. 

Original Song: I looove Husavik from Eurovision Song Contest. 

Visual Effects: How have I only seen Mulan in this category? How? Oh yeah, the pandemic. Officially skipping this one.

Documentary Feature: Crip Camp

Animated Feature: Soul is the obvious choice, but Wolfwalkers could come outta nowhere and take it and I wouldn’t mind if they do.

Animated Short: If Anything Happens I Love You, a 12 minute film has never made me cry so hard. 

And Best Picture…. Last year was so obvious, but I don’t see any big winner standing ahead of the rest this year. It’ll probably be Nomadland, but I could see Chicago7, Judas or Promising Young Woman taking it as well. And while Hollywood loves Hollywood, I don’t see Mank taking top prize. My official prediction: Nomadland.

Thanks for reading and sticking around another year. I’m glad we made it. Have a great Oscar night!

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a compelling courtroom drama depicting the infamous trial of seven defendants charged with inciting a riot, conspiracy and other charges relating to their counter-culture movement and anti-Vietnam war protests. In 1968 a large protest took place in Chicago during the Democratic National Convention. It was led and attended by a variety of people, from young democrats to hippies. Permits for the protests were requested but not given. Undercover Chicago police gained the trust of a few of the protest leaders, in an attempt to infiltrate the protest. Eventually, violence broke out. 

In the film, the trial itself is infuriating, mostly due to the apathetic Judge Julius Hoffman (Frank Langella). At first it’s almost funny, the way Judge Hoffman feels he needs to explain to the jury that he and Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) are not related in the middle of the prosecution’s opening statements. But it becomes grating how over and over, the judge refuses to listen as multiple people try to explain that William Kunstler (Mark Rylance) is not Bobby Seale’s (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) lawyer. In fact, his lawyer is not present, making the very fact that he is on trial unconstitutional. Eventually, Seale is so furious over this fact that Judge Hoffman commands “Deal with him as he should be dealt with.” Seale is dragged out of the courtroom, beaten and brought back bound and gagged. It’s only after this dehumanizing moment that Seale’s case is dismissed. And when a star witness has proof claiming that it was the police who started the riot, Judge Hoffman decides that this bit of testimony is not something that the jury needs to hear. 

What makes this film work so well is the spot-on editing. The opening montage perfectly ties together the eight (Seale included here) defendants as they individually prepare to travel to Chicago, recent news stories and Chicago preparing for the Democratic convention. Some of the best moments in the film flashback to the riot, mixed with black and white “footage” cut in between present dialogue (often courtroom testimony explaining what happened) and Abbie’s infamous storytelling/stand up on college campuses. It’s a lot happening at once, but it’s edited so well it works and really helps the audience understand all sides of the situation. 

The Trial of the Chicago 7 is nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Sacha Baron Cohen earned his very first acting nomination for his supporting role as Abbie Hoffman. The other nominations include best cinematography, original screenplay, film editing and original song, Hear My Voice. 

There’s an uncanny similarity to the events depicted in this film and recent events. The film’s writing was not molded to fit our turbulent times, but rather we are living in a new revolutionary era and perhaps that makes this film all the more compelling. Hoffman, Hayden and the rest protested against sending young men to be slaughtered in Vietnam. Today, we protest to not be slaughtered in our own neighborhoods, either by police or this week’s mass shooter. This film serves to pay tribute to the 7 who the government attempted to make an example of only for them to become heroes to a new generation and a reminder to not let our voices be silenced.  

“We carried certain ideas across state lines. Not machine guns or drugs or little girls. Ideas. When we crossed from New York to New Jersey to Pennsylvania to Ohio to Illinois, we had certain ideas. And for that, we were gassed, beaten, arrested, and put on trial.”

The Father

There are a good number of Oscar nominated movies throughout the years about the elderly and dementia, but The Father has a unique way of portraying these ideas. While the audience is not explicitly told, we quickly figure out that we are experiencing the story from the point of view of an elderly man spiraling into dementia. Characters sometimes change actors from one scene to the next. The timeline takes a sudden jump backward or forward, sometimes creating a sense of deja vu. And while the layout stays the same, details within the apartment that the majority of the film takes place in are suddenly completely different from one scene to the next. This makes the film much more immersive and the audience more sympathetic to the day to day hardships of living with dementia. 

In The Father, Anthony Hopkins portrays Anthony, an elderly man who does not want any assistance in his day to day life. His daughter, Anne (Olivia Colman) tries to help him, but she cannot be there for him constantly. Anthony has scared off at least three previous nurses, and meeting the newest one she’s found may be the last straw before Anne decides to put her father in an assisted living home. 

Anthony Hopkins’ performance is so compelling, heartbreaking and sadly authentic to what one may expect from a man whose mind is devolving from age. The visible confusion often on his face feels genuine. The moment when he’s trying to gently ask of Paul stole his watch is a sad and awkward dance that so many have unfortunately had with loved ones. One of his best moments is the scene where he meets his new nurse, Laura. At first, he’s charming, witty and even a bit eccentric, claiming to have been a dancer. Just when the characters and audience are at ease, he takes a sudden turn in his tone, becoming hateful and angry, leaving Anne in embarrassed tears with the new nurse. And by the end of the film, I was crying along with poor, scared Anthony. 

The Father is currently nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Anthony Hopkins received his sixth Oscar nomination, his fourth as lead actor. Olivia Colman is nominated for supporting actress for the first time, her second Oscar nomination. The film is also nominated for film editing, production design and adapted screenplay. 

The Father is a compelling and intelligently written film that helps us understand the cruel reality many elderly live in, often where they can’t even trust their own sense of reality. While I don’t recall the words dementia or Alzheimer’s ever vocalized in the film, it brings these conditions to light in a new, sympathetic way that many may have never considered. At times, I found myself remembering moments from my grandfather’s final years that suddenly made more sense. And for that alone, I feel forever connected to and grateful for this film, I’m sure others will feel the same. 

“I feel as if I’m losing all my leaves… The branches and the wind and the rain. I don’t know what’s happening anymore. Do you know what’s happening?”

Nomadland

I’ll admit, after first watching Nomadland I daydreamed about customizing my small SUV and hitting the road trekking to one national park after another with no end in sight. There’s this uniquely American fantasy about freedom on the open road and never ending road trips that draws us urban and suburban dwellers into Nomadland, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. While there certainly is beauty and freedom in this lifestyle, I don’t think I, or many like me, would adjust well to the harsh realities, even if money weren’t an issue. One needs to be made of tougher stuff to live with a severe lack of modern facilities and have a level of self sufficiency that I don’t think I could manage in many situations. And there’s a fine line between peaceful seclusion and stark loneliness that this life can bring. 

Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland follows Fern (Frances McDormand) on her journey living and working as she treks around the American west. Recently, Fern’s husband died and their entire town, Empire NV, has been dissolved following the closing of their factory after the recession. Fern has lost everything but a van and a small storage unit. So she travels, lives in her van and finds temp work. Around the winter holidays she works at Amazon packing boxes, in Arizona she sells rocks. In South Dakota a friend finds her work at the Wall Drug tourist spot just outside the Badlands. In Idaho she works among potato farmers. Along the way she meets old friends and finds new ones, but they’re never a permanent companion. It’s an endless odyssey where you never say goodbye, just “I’ll see ya down the road.” 

One of Fern’s notable friends she makes on the road is Dave (David Strathairn).  In their first few interactions, it’s seen that he could be a potential romance though the idea is never spoken, much less pursued. His presence in the film is fun and comforting for the most part. Friction occurs when he tries to be helpful and ends up breaking Fern’s plates, a practical and sentimental blow. Later in the film, Fern visits Dave after he’s moved in with his son to be with his new grandchild. He says she can stay, permanently, but Fern knows that that life isn’t meant for her anymore and she’s a bit dismayed that her friend would go back to it. 

Nomadland is currently nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture and cinematography. Frances McDormand earned her sixth and seventh Oscar nomination (one as an actor, the other as a producer for the film), her third for lead actress. And badass powerhouse Chloé Zhao picks up her first four Oscar nominations by producing, directing, writing and editing this absolute masterpiece. I hope to see her win a few on Oscar night and earn more for years to come. 

Before writing, I decided to watch Nomadland a second time and didn’t find myself yearning to hit the open road as much, but filled with sorrow for the reasons people chose this lifestyle. Most of the nomad community Fern befriends are older people who have lost their livelihoods in the recession, lost loved ones or both. Their nomadic lifestyle may be a last resort as the capitalistic system failed them, or the one thing they can control or a last hurrah before the end. While there is a wonderful sense of community when these nomads are together, it’s mainly a lonely life often built on grief and sorrow. I’m still filled with wanderlust, but now there’s a clash between financial and existential dread. And to think of your whole life wasted working for nothing is so disheartening. 

“I worked for corporate America, you know, for 20 years. My friend Bill worked for the same company. And… He had liver failure. A week before he was due to retire, HR called him in hospice and said, you know, let’s talk about your retirement. And he died 10 days later, having never been able to take that sailboat that he bought out of his driveway. And he missed out on everything. Then he told me before he died, just don’t waste any time, girl. Don’t waste any time.”

Minari

In Minari, a Korean-American family relocates to rural Arkansas to start a farm. Patriarch, Jacob (Steven Yeun) is ambitious, eager to start from scratch and wants to live the American dream. His wife, Monica (Yeri Han) is skeptical of the situation. The dismay is all over her face as she sees her new home and she worries that they are too far from a hospital. The son, seven year old David (Alan S. Kim), has a heart condition, neither he, nor his older sister Anne (Noel Cho), is not blind to the worry it causes their mother. As Jacob works hard to get the farm up and growing, Monica’s mother, Soonja (Yuh-Jung Youn)), moves in to help watch the children while Jacob and Monica work in town at a hatchery sortings new chicks by sex. Through this turbulent new beginning, the family faces a number of challenges, cultural clashes and always seem to be on the brink of financial disaster. 

I’ve been a fan of Steven Yeun since his days as Glen on The Walking Dead and I am so happy about his Oscar nomination. He plays Jacob with such a sturdy conviction, being a protective father and a husband that Monica can rely on. I loved the way he casually tries to keep David away from Paul (Will Patton) when they first meet, unsure of the man at first. Yeun seems to really bring Jacob alive when he’s out working in his fields, making him more free and expressive than when he is inside the house with the rest of the family. 

I also very much enjoyed Yuh-Jung Youn’s performance in her role as the grandmother. In some moments, she is exactly how we may imagine a Korean grandmother, wondering why her grandson is shy, or saying something embarrassingly crass in front of church friends. But mostly, she is wonderfully unique and authentic and a bit out of place as an old matriarch in a new world. I loved how she would enjoy watching professional wrestling, and curse while playing cards with her grandchildren. Her performance in the third act shows her great range and the character’s unwillingness to give up. 

Director and writer Lee Isaac Chung developed Minari based on his own childhood experiences. One would guess that David is a version of himself and we see the film mostly from that child’s perspective. These ideas are not overtly stated in the film, but as I think back on it they make sense. The whole family shows or experiences idealistic wonder about the farmland and the rustic landscape, unspoken fears and innocent culture shock both with Americans and with the arrival of the grandmother, but they are most pronounced with David. 

Minari is currently nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture. Lee Isaac Chung is nominated for best directing and best original screenplay. Steven Yeun and Yuh-Jung Youn were both nominated for their lead acting roles, Yeun becoming the first first person of East Asian descent and first Asain-American nominated in his category. And Emile Mosseri is nominated for composing the film’s beautiful music score. 

Minari is a wonderfully written, beautifully shot movie about family, new beginnings and hardship that nearly anyone can identify with and enjoy. It is filled with so many perfectly authentic moments that resonate, sometimes with pain, sorrow or even the unexpected laugh. The film feels like a true labor of love and I thank director and writer Lee Isaac Chung for bringing us this soulful film. 

“They need to see me succeed at something for once.”

Judas and the Black Messiah

Prior to seeing Judas and the Black Messiah, I had never heard about Fred Hampton, his assassination by the FBI in 1969 or the informant, Willaim O’Neal. For reference, I’m a white woman who grew up in white suburbia. I and others like me need to see and hear these stories and broaden our understanding of Hampton’s era in history. Director Shaka King stated he wanted to make this film to help introduce Hampton’s story to “a great segment of the world who is unaware of who he was, and is highly unaware of the Panthers’ politics and ideology.” King does an amazing job bringing this story to life, painting Hampton not just as an revolutionary activist, but a man trying to improve his community and an expecting father. On the other side of the coin, O’Neal is not simply a traitor, a rat or even a puppet of the FBI, but a man with his back against the wall, his freedom and his morality hanging in the balance. 

In Chicago in the late 1960s, Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya) was a young activist, rising up in the ranks and became leader of the local Black Panther chapter. At the same time, a young man named Bill O’Neal (LaKeith Stanfield)) is arrested for impersonating an FBI agent to steal a car. The feds give O’Neal a choice, jail or help them infiltrate the Black Panther party. O’Neal becomes the FBI’s informant, working closely with Hampton, earning his trust and becomes the key to his assassination. 

One of the most poignant scenes for me was when Deb (Dominique Fishback) reads a poem about her and Hampton’s baby she’s carrying. The images and concerns she conjures with her words cut deep. She worries about her baby’s future, if this revolution will be worth it or bring the child more grief. She wonders aloud if Hampton will be there for his child. It’s a sad, heartfelt beautiful ode that all mothers will identify with. 

Judas and the Black Messiah is currently nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, best cinematography, best original screenplay. Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield are both nominated for best supporting actor. And up for best original song is Fight for you by H.E.R., a powerful number that captures the sound and spirit of the story. 

Part of me would like to give this film another watch, just to find and dissect the biblical references and undertones that the title so blatantly alludes to. The evening before Hampton’s assassination has a great hopeful, yet heavy atmosphere as would the last supper. Is Hampton’s time in jail to be equated to Jesus’s wandering in the desert? Is Hoover Pontius Pilot, the police Roman soldiers? Or am I just stuck in my white, suburban Sunday school upbringing and making it all that too simple when I should be focusing on the condemnation of racial injustice? Perhaps I should not focus on the similarities this story has to the biblical past, but to the similarities to recent events here in America. King is showing us that the fight for freedom and justice is not over. More people, of all races, colors and creeds need to be informed of that and willing to stand up against injustice.

“America’s on fire right now and until the fire is extinguished don’t nothin’ else mean a goddamn thing.”

Sound of Metal

I first watched Sound of Metal a few weeks before correcting my vision with laser eye surgery. Anything more than a few inches from my face was an intangible blur without glasses. After the movie, I started to question my choice to get LASIK. I worried how my vision would be after surgery. Would it be worth it? What if my vision was only worse, too bad for glasses or what if I lost color? Maybe I should just live my life correcting my vision with glasses and be thankful for what I have. Even though this film got into my head and made me overly empathetic, I still went through with the procedure and as of 6 weeks later, am very happy with the results of my vision. But Sound of Metal isn’t about sight, but exploring and accepting a new world without sound. For a musician and former addict, that is easier said than done. 

Riz Ahmed stars as Ruben, a heavy metal drummer and former heroin addict. Music and his girlfriend, Lou (Olivia Cooke) has been keeping him clean and happy for the past four years. But suddenly Ruben starts to lose his hearing, at a rapid rate. Doctors tell him the hearing he’s lost won’t come back, but he could hear with implants and that he has a responsibility to protect and preserve what little hearing he has left. In response, and probably in denial, Ruben plays a show that night. When he tells Lou what’s happening, she knows this life altering moment could send him spiraling down darker paths, so she finds him help. They meet Joe (Paul Raci) who runs a rehab center for the deaf and tries to help Ruben. Reluctant at first, Ruben adjusts to his hearing loss, learns sign language and finds his feet in this new home. But thinking it will bring his life back to the way it was, Ruben desperately wants to get the implant surgery, even if it means selling everything he owns and rejecting the help of his new friends. 

The sound in this film is phenomenal and helps the audience understand Ruben’s sudden hearing loss. We hear his morning routine once, the buzz of a blender, coffee percolating, then the next morning we hear it as Ruben suddenly does, muffled so it is nearly inaudible. These audio details and lack there of help us empathize with Ruben, understand his frustrations and brings the world of the deaf community to life. I especially love the scene with Ruben drumming on the slide, how we hear what he and the kid hears, and then it cuts to far away to how an onlooker might hear their interaction. Later in the film we hear how the world is after the implant is activated and that is one of the most eye-opening sounds of my life. The sound of that church bell nearly made me cry. It’s what made me question whether lasik was worth the risk, which I realize is completely different, but I knew I’d rather be dependent on glasses rather than seriously ruin what was left of my vision. 

The acting in this film has few big, dramatic or explosive moments. Ruben violently smashing things the morning after his hearing loss worsens is powerful, but not nearly as moving as the tortured control Ahmed brings to calmer scenes. There are so many great moments of frustration and rebellion that are expressed stoically, drawn inward so as to not to raise alarm. Raci’s Joe is a very placid, yet no-nonsense character. He has the feel of an authoritative hippie. And as Raci throws sign language on top of his dialogue, a skill he’s acquired in real life, it often provides extra emotion to his character. It’s wonderful to see these actors nominated for such deserving roles. 

Sound of Metal has been nominated for six academy Awards, including Best Picture. Riz Ahmed is nominated for best lead actor in his role as Ruben. Paul Raci is nominated for best supporting actor for his role as Joe. The other awards include best sound, original screenplay and film editing. All in all, this is all very prestigious, especially considering this is Darius Marder’s directorial debut. 

There’s so many wonderful things going on in Sound of Metal, from the compelling story, great acting and masterful use of sound, I could go on all day. I keep coming back to Ruben’s obsession with wanting to hear again and I get it, it must be incredibly hard to move on and live a life suddenly without one of your major senses. The grief can be too much to accept. But on the other side of that coin, I hear Joe reminding Ruben that being deaf isn’t the end of the world. And this movie helps those outside of the deaf community understand it a little better and appreciate our all too delicate gift of hearing.

“As you know, everybody here shares in the belief that being deaf is not a handicap. Not something to fix. It’s pretty important around here. All these kids… all of us, need to be reminded of it every day.”

Promising Young Woman

In her debut feature film, Emerald Fennell takes us on a wild, thrilling ride of trauma fueled revenge. Seven years after losing her best friend, Cassandra (Carrey Mulligan) refuses to move on with her life and instead makes it her mission to scare self-described “nice guys” and would-be rapists straight. In the daring first scene, we see how she does this: by pretending to be extremely intoxicated, alone and vulnerable in a busy bar. Eventually, a seemingly nice guy offers to help her home. Yet, he always takes her back to his place instead and she continues to act nearly-unconscious drunk up until it is extremely apparent that this man is about to rape her. The moment her eyes pop open, giving the audience a knowing look, and soberly asks, “What are you doing?” is a huge turn and a confrontation that fills these horrible men with chilling fear. 

Carrey Mulligan plays Cassandra, a woman turning thirty who still lives at home, works at a coffee shop and dropped out of medical school. Her parents seem disappointed, baffled by her lack of motivation and question where she goes so late at night. But to many of the women watching this film, Cassandra is a badass vigilante turning the tables on men and hopefully saving women from future encounters with them. She wears her smudged lipstick like war paint, ready to battle the patriarchy, one misogynistic creep at a time. I loved the moment she just stopped and stared at the catcalling construction workers until they got uncomfortable and left and I actively cheered when she took a golf club to that pickup truck. Sure, Cassandra is probably not a psychologically well person, the trauma she’s endured will do that to a person. She’s the sort of woman many men brush off as a “crazy bitch” and while I wouldn’t want to be her friend, I see her as a hero actively seeking revenge for her best friend. Most women will cheer for her until the very end. And I hope Mulligan wins the Oscar for her performance.

As the story moves, Cassandra shifts her prey to old college acquaintances and the system that protected her friend’s rapist. Like tallies in her little notebook, the movie counts them off in roman numerals: an old classmate who thinks Cassie and Nina “cried wolf”, the lawyer who spent his career defending rapists. One by one, Cassandra finds them and in her own clever and often unorthodox way, makes them see the error of their ways. The scene with the college dean is especially chilling, how Dean Walker (Connie Britton) casually says she hears rape accusations once or twice a week (!!!) and really, what can she do about it? But her tune changes when she is told that her daughter is on campus alone with boys and a bottle of booze. “Look how easy that was. I guess you just had to think about it in the right way. I guess it feels different when it’s someone you love.”

Promising Young Woman is nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture and best editing. Carrey Mulligan earned her first nomination for lead actress. Emerald Fennell earned nominations for her original screenplay and her directing. And according to the trivia page on IMDB, Fennell was pregnant during filming, which just makes her more amazing. I’m not sure, but Fennell may be the first person to be nominated for directing a movie while pregnant. And I would love to see her win.

There is so much to unpack in this film. The female pop artists soundtrack is more than just catchy fun, but thought provoking. I never really cared for Brittney Spears’ Toxic, but the instrumental version used as Cassandra infiltrates the bachelor party is perfectly foreboding and I love the version of It’s Raining Men used in the film. Many of the shots are so beautifully and thoughtfully composed, it’s almost a shame there was no cinematography nomination. I especially love the moment in the coffee shop, where Cassandra’s head is perfectly framed against the decorative wall piece. As she looks down, it looks like an old renaissance painting of a saint, or martyr.  And there are multiple references to The Night of the Hunter, which I’m still trying to connect. I’d like to see Cassandra teach Robert Mitchum’s character a lesson and I think she’d enjoy that too. 

Promising Young Woman is one of the most daring, empowering and thrilling films I’ve seen in years. Cassandra embodies every woman’s rage and pain we hide inside and seeing her release it is so satisfying, even euphoric at times. Honestly, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen such a powerfully feminist film in all my life and while I doubt the Academy will find it worth of winning best picture, it is my personal pick. I want to add this to my blu-ray collection, update it as technology changes and make sure to show it to my boys when they’re old enough to date to help reiterate that they must respect and believe women, or there will be serious consequences.

“You know, I got a bonus for every settlement out of court. I got another bonus for every charge dropped. We all did. There was a guy… his only job was to go through all their social media accounts for any compromising information. He contacted old friends, past sexual partners. Oh, you’d be amazed how much easier it is now with the internet to dig up dirt. In the old days we used to go through a girl’s trash. Now? One drunk photo at a party. Oh, you wouldn’t believe how hostile that makes a jury.”

Mank

David Fincher has been trying to make Mank happen since the early 1990s. The script was actually written by Fincher’s late father, Jack Fincher. One of the big battles that kept this film on the back burner for decades was the fact that studios were not on board to see a black and white movie filmed in some very Citizen Kane inspired style. But now, the film is finally here, with Gary Oldman, a sprawling script and killer Kane stylized moments. 

Mank tells the story behind the screenwriter of Citizen Kane, Herman Mankawitz. From Mank’s perspective we see the sprawling 1930s Hollywood scene. From the fancy offices of producers, smokey writers rooms, to the out of work extras and grips standing outside the studio gates waiting, hoping for any sort of work. We also see the inner workings of politics running through the studios. Mank reflects on all this as he recovers from a car accident at a ranch in California. While he heals, he fights his alcoholism, argues with Orson Welles over the phone and rushes to finish the screenplay to Citizen Kane. In the end, it becomes the greatest work he’s ever written. 

What makes this film feel so unique is how the audio and visual elements have been manipulated to feel like a classic film from the 1930s or 40s. The soundtrack is much different form Fincher’s previous films, using only instruments of the film’s period. And after completion, the soundtrack has been manipulated to have that warm, classic sound. The film was shot on RED’s Helium Monochrome 8K cameras and no color version of the film exists. Throughout the film you will notice small flaws, as if physical film had been damaged. My favorite touch was the reel change circles in the upper right hand corner and even the audio pop of the reel changeover. 

Mank is currently nominated for a whopping ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Others include best sound, original score, production design, costume design, makeup and hairstyling and cinematography. David Fincher earned his third nomination for best director, his last being ten years ago with The Social Network. Gary Oldman earned his third lead acting nomination in the title role. And Amanda Seyfried earned her very first Oscar nomination for her supporting role as Marion Davies. 

While the Oscars continue their love for films about classic films, I do not see Mank winning many prestigious awards come Oscar night. Mank feels like last year’s The Irishman: they’re both helmed by a veteran, celebrated director, mostly about white men and sadly, feel a little too long. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Mank, especially toward the end, but I’m also a classic film nerd who wrote college papers about Citizen Kane. I totally geeked out at the visual Kane references. Will Mank strike a chord with today’s average movie-goer? Maybe not, but it’s great Oscar bait. 

“That, my friend, is the magic of the movies.”

Soul

In Soul a middle aged substitute band teacher, Joe (voiced by Jamie Foxx)  finally gets his big chance to play jazz with a famed musician only to find himself suddenly dead. Feeling cheated and unwilling to accept his back luck, Joe tries to run from the great beyond. He escapes the path to the great beyond only to wind up in the great before or You-Seminar, where new souls are given unique personalities. Trying not to get caught, Joe becomes a mentor for a new soul, 22 (voiced by Tina Fey). 22 has no interest in going to Earth to live a life and has annoyed countless prestigious mentors (a very funny quick montage shows a few). 22 agrees to help Joe get to Earth so that she never has to, but in an unexpected mishap, (SPOILER ALERT!) 22 winds up in Joe’s body and Joe’s soul has to guide her, as his soul fell into a cat. 

I’ve said it before and here again, I’m astounded by the visual way Pixar chooses to express and explain such abstract concepts in a way that’s age appropriate for children and still captivating for adults. The dark, vast escalator to The Great Beyond is a very cool way to visualize death without making it too scary. The great beyond (which we don’t really see) is depicted here like a vast white light that zaps like a bug zapper with each soul that passes. The whole You-Seminar area is very dreamy and abstract. And I love the very liniar Picasso style Jerry’s and Terry while the souls have a softer, nearly blurry appearance.

Soul is Pixar’s first feature film centered around an African-American character. While there are some gripes about the fact that Joe spends much of the film out of his body, the filmmakers do a great job of bringing Joe and those surrounding him to life. Never before have I seen such quality animation on a diverse collection of characters. Joe, his mom, Dorothea Williams and everyone in the barber shop are unique, fleshed out characters that never fall back on stereotypes. In fact, the barbershop scene is one of the best set within the physical world. It’s apparent that co-director Kemp Powers had a steady hand on the wheel along with the veteran Pixar director, Pete Doctor. 

I love how Pixar addresses the very human mistake of misunderstanding a soul’s spark. Poor 22 has spent so much time with so many prestigious soul mentors under the delusion and ill guidance that a spark equals a purpose in life. It isn’t until 22 is in Joe’s living body that a spark is found. Is the spark music? No. The spark is just a will to live. It’s wonder. It’s that intangible feeling that makes life a joy. 

A film centered around a jazz musician has to have a killer soundtrack. From upbeat jazz numbers, to the soft soulful piano solos, the music in Soul pushes the story forward. Scenes in the You-Seminar have much more organically modern, techno-oriented sound. At times, it can grip at our soul and take it on the journey beyond worlds with Joe, or let us understand 22’s new perspective. It’s a beautiful score, worthy of its Oscar nomination. And it boasts my new favorite rendition of When You Wish Upon a Star. 

What may have begun or was pitched as an animated movie about jazz became a film breaking down our conceptions on life, its meaning and our purpose as living creatures. It’s refreshing to see a film for all ages that doesn’t push any agenda about finding your purpose or achieving your dreams but in the end lets us know that it’s ok to just live and enjoy the ride. To find some joy. To simply be, bask in the wonder and don’t get bogged down in trying to fulfill some purpose or dream that may or may not be all it’s cracked up to be. The world is so much bigger than whatever little mission you have for your life, don’t weigh yourself down. 

“And the thing is, you’re pretty great at jazzing.”