Oscars 2020 Winners (predictions and actuals): May the morning after be bright with sunshine and minimal bloodbath

Parasite

Oscar is tonight and it's time for last minute predictions! Added my friend Griz's predictions in purple. May the best prognosticator win at doing things that don't matter! (Actual results will be in red).

So, a few thoughts about the show and the winners :
- New hashtags: #oscarstryhard, #oscarsgoodnoracist, and #oscarsokorean
- PARASITE
- How amazing is Bong Joon-ho and his speeches? The best of the night, honouring the fellow nominees so beautifully and unexpectedly.
- The cow and the milk and the cow's milk in your coffee. Well, they did give the prize to Joaquin, so I guess that was par for the course.
- WTF EMIMEM? WHY?
- Does anyone know what Renee was on?
- James Corden and Rebel Wilson in cat costumes playing with the mic was a thing. Unfortunately, we also had Emimen and Phoenix so there were lots of things.
- Eilish was the least weird of the night.
- Maya and Kristen were funny and NOT weird. Why was that so hard to do?
- Lovely speech from the woman composer, Hildur Guðnadóttir.
- I love Olivia Colman.
- Sigourney Weaver said "All women are superheroes"? Speak for yourself, sister. I'm here for the okay people. *channeling Boyega*

PICTURE
Parasite!!!!!!!
Alt. 1917

I'm going to be bold and predict something outrageous. Come on SAG, you can help it!

1917
Alt. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

DIRECTOR
Sam Mendes - 1917
Alt. Bong Joon-ho - Parasite!!!!!

This is Sam Mendes' to lose. <----- and lose he did! Wowza.

Sam Mendes - 1917
Alt. Bong Joon Ho - Parasite

ACTRESS
Renee Zellwegger - Judy
Alt. Scarlett Johansson - Marriage Story

The acting categories have been a clean swept, so I'd expect no difference at the Oscars. It's so sad that Scarlett will go home empty handed - she's had a major year, and would've won with Jojo in another year.

Renee Zellweger - Judy 
Alt. Scarlett Johansson - Marriage Story  

ACTOR
Joaquin Phoenix - Joker
Alt. Antonio Banderas – Pain and glory

Joaquin Phoenix - Joker 
Alt. Adam Driver - Marriage Story 

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Laura Dern - Marriage story
Alt. Scarlett Johansson – Jojo Rabbit

Laura Dern - Marriage Story
Alt. Scarlett Johansson - Jojo Rabbit 

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Brad Pitt - Once upon a time ... in Hollywood
Alt. Anthony Hopkins – The two popes

Brad Pitt - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Alt. Joe Pesci - The Irishman

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin Wong - Parasite
Alt. Noah Baumbach - Marriage Story

WGA gave it to Parasite, and Bong's fans may be pushing for this award for him at the very least.

Parasite
Alt. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Taika Waititi - Jojo Rabbit
Alt. Anthony McCarten - The two popes

I hope Jojo gets it - consolation prize for Waititi.

Jojo Rabbit 
Alt. Little Women 

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
Parasite
Alt. Pain and glory

As if there's another choice. Too bad really, because I'd pick Pain and Glory over Parasite.

Parasite (South Korea)
Alt. Pain and Glory (Spain)

ANIMATED
Klaus
Alt. Toy story 4

I would've picked Toy Story 4, but the Annie surprisingly went to Klaus so I dunno.

Toy Story 4
Alt:Klaus

DOCUMENTARY
American Factory
Alt. Honeyland

Having seen American Factory, I'd say it's a shoo-in because the Oscars is concerned with Americans (but also, serious issues).

American Factory
Alt. Honeyland

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roger Deakins - 1917
Alt. Robert Richardson - Once upon a time ... in Hollywood

Freakin' Deakins.

1917
Alt. Joker 

EDITING
Parasite x Ford v Ferrari!
Alt. Jojo Rabbit

This is a big technical category for Parasite to win, and determines most of the time the Best Picture winner.

Ford v Ferrari
Alt: Parasite

PRODUCTION DESIGN
1917
Alt. Once upon a time ... in Hollywood

It's open, but 1917 just looks laborious.

Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood
Alt: 1917

VISUAL EFFECTS
1917
Alt. The Lion King

I'm going to 'serious.'

The Lion King
Alt. 1917

SOUND MIXING
Ford v Ferrari x Joker
Alt. 1917

Ford v Ferrari 
Alt. 1917 

SOUND EDITING
Joker
Alt. Ford v Ferrari

I'm only switching around because Joker may get something technical and this may be a good category for it to take. But there's no reason why Ford couldn't take this category either. Flip a coin!

Ford v Ferrari
Alt. 1917

MAKE UP and HAIRSTYLING
Bombshell
Alt. 1917

There's Judy, and maybe Judy may take it. But the whole thing around Bombshell has been how much Charlize looks like whatsherface, so I'm guessing it'll get something here.

Judy
Alt. Joker

COSTUME
Little Women
Alt. Jojo Rabbit

Consolation prize?

Little Women
Alt. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

SCORE
1917
Alt. Joker

Very notable song sung in the film, and notable soundtrack too, so I'm betting on that.

Joker
Alt. 1917 

SONG
Rocketman
Alt. Frozen II

Elton's to lose.

Rocketman
Alt. Toy Story 4

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Summary only...

CINEMAPS' BEST OF 2019: All the pain, all the gains

Parasite

I know I'm saying this every year, but it's especially true this year: life was exceedingly stretched for me, and as a result, my film watching time shrunk significantly. Without the Toronto International Film Festival, I don't know if I would have had anything to write for this post. I removed myself almost completely out of the awards season loop once I realized that it was going to be a bloodbath. I have less than zero interest in debating the political correctness of awarding films. As usual, my picks reflect my love and admiration for the films and their various features. The most political thing I would look at is a film's relevance and message to our time. Without further ado, here is the year in film for me:

Pain and Glory

CINEMAPS' TOP 10

01. Dolor y gloria (Pain and glory; Almodóvar) ****1/2 A devastating look at a life that has an undercurrent of both pain and beauty (my alternate title for the film). The pangs of regrets, to love and to have lost, embraced and escaped - all were sobering and filled with shades of light in this Almodóvar magnum opus. Antonio Bandaras was heartbreaking, and Penelope Cruz was just so radiant. Glorious.

02. Apollo 11 (Miller) ****1/2 I saw this in IMAX and it was transcendental. I was so moved by humanity's hope, and awash with sadness that we live in a time depleted with this much sense of collective wonder.

03. Om det oändliga (About endlessness; Andersson) ****1/2 I'm rapidly becoming a huge Andersson's fan. I picked this film to see at TIFF based on it being directed by him, despite not being all that keen on the synopsis that spoke to it being more of a series of vignettes. The existential angst and humour continued to lead the way, threading through various straight-face set ups. Theatrical, sad, absurdly funny, and just all around brilliant.

04. Synonymes (Synonyms; Lapid) **** The kinetic energy was so bold and infectious, it reminded me of the early (fun) Godard cinema. The film had lots to say about belonging and rootlessness, wrapped in the complexities of immigration and integration. It played almost like a satire in some ways. The scene with the citizenship class was so precise in its commentary, it was painful to sit through. And yet, the whole sequence developed in such surprising ways that one could not help but be glued to what was going to happen next. Exciting filmmaking.

05. Parasite (Bong) **** So much fun. Despite some of the more obvious over-the-head scenes, the picture was assuredly directed and Bong made certain his characters were highly accessible to the audience.

06. Jojo rabbit (Waititi) **** I love this movie more than probably most people, and I love this cast so, so much. Its sweetness at the core moved me to cry so many rivers. It's probably Waititi's most accomplished picture yet.

07. Marriage story (Baumbach) **** This should be mandatory viewing for those going through a divorce or about to go through/thinking of one. It was scarily accurate and heartbreaking in its earnestness. Scarlet Johansson was good, but the way that the script unfolded made sure that the film belonged to Adam Driver.

08. EMA (Larraín) ***1/2 Hypersexualized and daring in ways that most films featuring female protagonists would not attempt. Forget Joker, see EMA instead for the modern portrait of an intensely magnetic anti-hero whose edges defied moral conventions. If nothing else, see it for the dances!  

09. Atlantique (Atlantics; Diop) ***1/2 A unique and hypnotizing tale of young love in the time of separation and disconnect. The mystical, supernatural part of the story was seamlessly woven into the reality of life in the dust of industry and progress. Notably, the 'haunted' people were not treated as something to be scared of; rather, they were like ancestral ghosts coming back to make things right with their naughty relatives.

10. Ford v Ferrari (Mangold) ***1/2 Wonderful casting made this movie better than it would have been otherwise. I thoroughly enjoyed the car racing sequences, but it was Bale whose commitment elevated the material and centered the film's emotional core.

Apollo 11

Grin and Pulse
The most fun I had watching a movie this past year
Apollo 11
Parasite
Jojo Rabbit

Ford v Ferrari

Knives out

Frames
Impressive, memorable staging of a shot or series of shots
Night time shelling, 1917
Jojo ties his mother's shoe, Jojo Rabbit
Ema's crew dancing, EMA
Mallo & his mother wake up in an empty building, Pain & Glory
Soldiers in a line walking in the snow, About endlessness

Director
Confident storytelling, with a touch of "wow"
Pedro Almodóvar, Pain and Glory
Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
Roy Andersson, About Endlessness
Nadav Lapid,  Synonyms

Performance
I feel you

Scarlet Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
Adam Driver, Marriage Story / Star Wars: the rise of Skywalker  
Antonio Banderas, Pain and glory
Carol Duarte, The invisible life of Eurídice Gusmão
Leonardo Di Caprio, Once upon a time in Hollywood

Mariana Di Girolamo, EMA
Christian Bale, Ford v Ferrari
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker   
Roman Griffin Davis, Jojo Rabbit
Lupita Nyong'o, Us

Writing
Create interesting, layered, cohesive universe; would make for a great read on its own
Pedro Almodóvar, Pain and glory
Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
Noah Baumbach, Marriage story
Fernando Meirelles, The two popes 

1917 Night battle behind the scene

Editing
Interesting, effective cuts and stitches that support and move the story visually
Apollo 11
Parasite
Synonyms
Jojo Rabbit
Ford v Ferrari

Cinematography
Takes my breath away
1917 
Pain and glory
About endlessness

EMA

Once upon a time in Hollywood

About Endlessness

Art Direction / Production Design
Transportive, impactful set design

Parasite

Pain and glory

About endlessness
Jojo Rabbit
Once upon a time in Hollywood

Effects
Movie Magic
Star Wars: the Rise of Skywalker
Ford v Ferrari
Spiderman: Far from home
Us
Another beautiful day in the neighborhood

Sound
Amplify the visuals and enrich my sensory experience
1917
Ford v Ferrari
Joker
Us
EMA

Score
Was it memorable?
EMA
1917

Parasite
Ford v Ferrari

Stray comments:
- Buckets of tears ranking: Pain and glory (regret scene), Apollo 11 (all the moon footages), Jojo Rabbit (Jojo with his mother), Another beautiful day in the neighborhood (death 'anything human is mentionable, anything mentionable is manageable'), Marriage story, Star Wars: the Rise of Skywalker (Chewie, Kylo 'I know what I'm supposed to do but I'm not sure I can do it')
- Totally did not expect to like Skywalker as much as I did, and a large part of it was Adam Driver's performance as Kylo Ren
- Scarlet Johansson's role in Jojo Rabbit is the most tailor made for her as a movie star as I've ever seen - she was absolutely stunning in it
- Newcomer George McKay was great in 1917, even though I don't have room on my top 10 for him
- Speaking of performances, Charlize Theron kills it as Megyn Kelly but I think half of that is prosthetics' work
- So sad about Dark Phoenix - what a waste of a cast!
- What the heck is with all the straight-to-Netflix films like Earthquake Bird and 6 Underground?
- Ana de Armas is MADE for the big screen; so is Mariana Di Girolamo, who commands and wills her film into being 
- Everyone should watch Marriage Story, for the intricacies of a dissolution of a well intentioned relationship
- Little Women was good but Greta made a better movie in Lady Bird.

Uncharted  
Films I'm intending to see that could make a dent on the list above
They shall not grow old
Climax
Judy
The lighthouse
Booksmart
The farewell
Midsommar
Doctor sleep
Honey boy
Dark waters
Portrait of a lady on fire
Queen and slim
Clemency
A hidden life
In Fabric
Varda by Agnès
The kingmaker
The cave

Charted
Ranked out of *****
****1/2
Pain and Glory (Almodóvar)
Apollo 11 (Miller)
About Endlessness (Andersson)

****
Synonymes (Synonyms; Lapid)
Parasite (Bong)
Jojo Rabbit (Waititi)
Marriage story (Baumbach)

***1/2  
EMA (Larraín)
Atlantics (Diop)
Ford v Ferrari (Mangold)
Us (Peele)
I was at home, but ... (Schanelec)
Once upon a time in Hollywood (Tarantino)
Star Wars: the Rise of Skywalker (Abrams)
1917 (Mendes) 
Uncut gems (Safdie & Safdie)
American Factory (Reichert & Bognar)
Another beautiful day in the neighborhood (Heller)

***
Knives out (Johnson)
The two popes (Meirelles)
Toy story 4 (Cooley)
Martin Eden (Marcello)
Little Women (Gerwig)
Rocketman (Fletcher)
Bombshell (Roach)
The Irishman (Scorsese)
J'ai perdu mon corps (I lost my body; Clapin)

**1/2
Ad astra (Gray)
Avengers: end game (Russo & Russo)
Spiderman: far from home (Watts)
A vida invisível (The invisible life of Eurídice Gusmão; Aïnouz)
Joker (Phillips)
John Wick 3: parabellum (Stahelski)
Dolemite is my name (Brewer)
Captain Marvel (Boden & Fleck)

**
The report (Burns)
The laundromat (Soderbergh) 
Stuber (Dowse)

*
6 Underground (Bay)
The operative (Adler)
Earthquake bird (Westmoreland)
Dark phoenix (Kinberg)

Read More...

Summary only...

Oscars nominations 2020 predictions (and actuals): a 1917 parasite is no joker

Parasite

Oscar is coming for all hand wringers tomorrow! Added my friend Griz's predictions in purple. May the best prognosticator win at doing things that don't matter! (Actual results will be in red).

So, a feeeeew thoughts about the announcement and the nominations:
- My god, John Cho's enunciation was ON POINT.
- Having looked at this website this morning, I realized that the background photo is now off, but who has time to make a new photobucket account? Another problem for another person!
- Issa you sneaky little devil
- Who the heck thought it was right to put 1917 in the wrong alphabetical order? If I remember my school lesson correctly, numbers go first, people!
- I must say, I rather enjoyed the fact that in spite of protests, and conscious efforts on behalf of the producers to appeal to the angry mob (Issa Rae AND John Cho?), the Academy just votes whatever it wants to. On the one hand, it is a little masochistic. On the other hand, Kathy Bates.
- I enjoyed Issa calling Scorsese 'Score Ceci.'
- The tepid clappings were just too much. They should've tried laugh tracks.
- Bander-assssssssssss!!!!!
- Elton John would like everyone to know that he wore more make up than all the extras on 1917. Where is his film's Oscar?
- If people want the Academy to be inclusive, first, there would need to be different kinds of pictures getting nominated. I'm not sure why people don't get this about the Academy: it's a populist filmmaking body. It'll nominate well produced films with an accessible, preachable, epic, cinematic feel, for the big prizes anyway. The smaller ones are a weird popularity contest, one that Diane Warren often wins in. WHO KNOWS WHY.
- Listen, in what world would there be a snub for the biggest Disney film, Frozen 2? The Academy does not care for your princesses.
- You know what should have been outraged about this morning? Apollo 11 missing its single righteous nomination in Documentary Feature, and 1917 got nom'ed for Screenplay? Have you seen it? It's basically "Creep. Crawl. Run. Now, sing."
- Actually, people are overlooking the significance of Parasite being nominated for a seriously deep (as in, serious but deep diving) category like Production Design. Parasite is a non-English speaking comedy thriller. The Academy is, like, basically allergic to each of these aspects separately, but altogether like that? Parasite is boss. Also, Asians getting nominated for not flying around chopsockeying people in technicolour extraneous fabric? You crazy. (Bruce Lee excepted, Tarantino).
- Sorry, Farewell.
- I enjoyed the fact that they read out how each branch made the nominations. Other than getting facts about the Oscars, viewers could now redirect their anger at the specific branches and not the all encompassing 'the Oscars.' That worked out well.

My predix, on the other hand, feel like they did not go as well. Let's see... 14 misses and 6 alternates out of 109 noms. Somebody, do math! 87%, or 81.65%, hm. I probably miscounted, or miscalculated, I felt poorer than A-?


PICTURE
1917
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Knives out
Little Women
Marriage story
Once upon a time in Hollywood
Parasite

Alt. The Farewell

I can see a scenario where The Farewell gets in instead of Ford v Ferrari or Knives out, because of feelings.

1917 
Ford v Ferrari 
The Irishman 
Jojo Rabbit 
Joker 
Little Women 
Marriage Story 
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
Parasite 
The Two Popes

DIRECTOR
Bong Joon-ho - Parasite
Sam Mendes - 1917
Martin Scorsese - The Irishman
Quentin Tarantino - Once upon a time in Hollywood
Greta Gerwig -Little women Todd Phillips - Joker

Alt. Taika Waititi - Jojo Rabbit 

This category may have an upset. It may come in the form of a not-so-little woman, and Taika is the most vulnerable of the set, even though I personally would not take him out (if it was up to me).

Ah crap, Gerwig didn't make it. And now, this is never going to end.

Bong Joon Ho - Parasite 
Sam Mendes - 1917 
Martin Scorsese - The Irishman 
Todd Phillips - Joker 
Quentin Tarantino - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
 
Alt. Noah Baumbach - Marriage Story

ACTRESS
Cynthia Erivo - Harriet
Scarlett Johansson - Marriage story
Saoirse Ronan - Little women
Charlize Theron - Bombshell
Renee Zellwegger - Judy

Alt. Lupita Nyong'o - Us

It's really hard to take Lupita out, but I worry that a horror won't be recognized. On the other hand, Saoirse was already nominated (though she seems to be on a Kate Winslet path, being a perennial nominee). And then there's Awkwafina, who may sneak in - if only she got a SAG!

Cynthia Erivo - Harriet 
Scarlett Johansson - Marriage Story 
Saoirse Ronan - Little Women 
Charlize Theron - Bombshell 
Renee Zellweger - Judy 

Alt: Awkwafina - The Farewell 

ACTOR
Antonio Banderas - Pain and glory
Christian Bale - Ford v Ferrari Jonathan Pryce - The Two Popes
Leonardo di Caprio - Once upon a time in Hollywood
Joaquin Phoenix - Joker
Adam Driver - Marriage story

Alt. Taron Egerton – Rocketman

I am so rooting for Antonio here so I'm taking SAG nominee Taron out, because he's young yet and he can get another nomination another time. Bale is great in Ford v Ferrari and it'd be a shame if he does not make it.

Antonio Banderas - Pain and Glory 
Leonardo DiCaprio - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
Adam Driver - Marriage Story 
Joaquin Phoenix - Joker 
Jonathan Pryce - The Two Popes 

Alt: Christian Bale - Ford v Ferrari 

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Laura Dern - Marriage story
Scarlett Johasson - Jojo Rabbit
Nicole Kidman - Bombshell KATHY BATES
Florence Pugh - Little Women
Margot Robbie - Bombshell

Alt. Jennifer Lopez – Hustlers

I just can not put down - or bear the reality of - Jennifer Lopez having an Oscar nomination. Zhao Shuzhen could also sneak in, depending on The Farewell's love. <--- ZERO.

Laura Dern - Marriage Story 
Scarlett Johansson - Jojo Rabbit 
Jennifer Lopez - Hustlers 
Florence Pugh - Little Women 
Margot Robbie - Bombshell

Alt: Nicole Kidman - Bombshell

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Tom Hanks - A beautiful day in the neighborhood
Song Kang-ho - Parasite

Al Pacino - The Irishman
Joe Pesci - The Irishman
Brad Pitt - Once upon a time in Hollywood

Alt.  Anthony Hopkins  – The two popes

Anthony Hopkins was great in the film so I hope he'd get in. It's really hard taking Foxx, a SAG nominee, out, but he has not been much on the awards circuit much so I'm not sure if there's momentum for him. On the ohter hand, Song Kang Ho may be primed to ride the Parasite coat tail in? <-- Oscar not ready.

Tom Hanks - A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood 
Anthony Hopkins - The Two Popes 
Al Pacino - The Irishman 
Joe Pesci - The Irishman 
Brad Pitt - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Alt: Song Kang Ho - Parasite

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Once upon a time in Hollywood
Knives out
Marriage story
Parasite
The Farewell 1917?!

Alt. Pain and glory

Parasite is a stand-in for foreign film screenplay here, but I do hope Griz is right that Pain and Glory would get in.<--- dashed.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
Knives Out 
Marriage Story 
Pain and Glory 
Parasite

Alt: The Farewell

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Jojo Rabbit
The Irishman
Joker
Little women
The two popes

Alt. A beautiful day in the neighborhood

The two popes could get in based on the fact that the film is very wordy.

The Irishman 
Little Women 
Jojo Rabbit 
Joker 
The Two Popes

Alt: A beautiful day in the neighborhood 

FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Atlantics (Senegal) Corpus Cristi
Les Miserables (France)
Pain and glory (Spain)
Parasite (South Korea)
The Painted Bird (Czech) Honeyland

Alt. Those who remained (Hungary) 

Atlantics and Painted Bird are uncertain, but maybe they are familiar enough to get noms. NOPE.

Atlantics (Senegal) 
Les Misérables (France) 
Pain and Glory (Spain) 
Parasite (South Korea) 
Those Who Remained (Hungary)

Alt: Honeyland (North Macedonia)

ANIMATED
Frozen 2
How to train your dragon: the hidden world
I lost my body
Missing link
Toy Story 4

Alt. Klaus

I've seen I lost my body, so I'm not entirely convinced it would be the final 5, but whatever. Frozen 2 is still waiting to be thawed.

Frozen II 
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World 
I Lost My Body 
Missing Link 
Toy Story 4

Alt:Klaus

DOCUMENTARY
American factory
Apollo 11 The edge of democracy
For Sama
Honeyland
The cave

Alt. One child nation

Given that one of my favourite films this year is a documentary, I'm throwing my predix hat in. Go Apollo 11!!! *righteous anger*

American Factory 
Apollo 11 
For Sama 
Honeyland '
One Child Nation

Alt. The Cave

EDITING
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Joker
Once upon a time in Hollywood
Parasite

Alt. Jojo Rabbit

The measure of how much Jojo got support would be shown here, as I think it's vulnerable to other pictures that may not get Best Film but were pretty flashy in their editing.

Wow, Once upon a time missed an important category. Guess who's not winning best picture?

Ford v Ferrari 
The Irishman 
Joker 
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
Parasite

Alt: 1917

CINEMATOGRAPHY
1917
Ford v Ferrari
Joker
Once upon a time in Hollywood
The Lighthouse

Alt. The Irishman 

I know I'm taking a heavyweight out of the line up, but I can't recall the Irishman to be that impressive about its cinematography, and the Lighthouse is in black and white? <--- my reasoning for the Lighthouse was tight, but not my grip on the reality of the academy being in love with Score Ceci.

1917 
Ford v Ferrari 
The Irishman 
Joker 
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Alt: The Lighthouse

PRODUCTION DESIGN
1917
The Irishman
Joker
Jojo Rabbit
Once upon a time in Hollywood

Alt. Parasite

Period piece, period piece, and Parasite.

Joker's absence here is, for once, the right call.

1917 
The Irishman 
Jojo Rabbit 
Joker 
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Alt: Ford v Ferrari

VISUAL EFFECTS
1917
Alita: Battle Angel
Avengers: endgame
The Lion King
Star Wars: the rise of Skywalker

Alt. The Irishman

De-aging! It looks terrible to me, actually, so I dunno.

1917 
Avengers: Endgame 
The Irishman 
The Lion King 
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Alt:  Alita: Battle Angel

SOUND MIXING
1917
Avengers: endgame Joker
Ford v Ferrari
Once upon a time in Hollywood
Rocketman Ad Astra

Alt. Star Wars: the Rise of Skywalker

Just choose the ones with lots of sound.

Can you imagine being the sound people on Ad Astra? 'We would like to thank Brad Pitt for breathing so good.'

1917 
Avengers: Endgame 
Ford v Ferrari 
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Alt: Joker

SOUND EDITING
1917
Ford v Ferrari
Joker
Once upon a time in Hollywood
Star Wars: the rise of Skywalker

Alt. Jojo Rabbit 

Us?

1917 
Avengers: Endgame 
Ford v Ferrari 
Joker 
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Alt: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

MAKE UP & HAIRSTYLING
Bombshell
Joker
Judy
Maleficent: Mistress of evil
Rocketman 1917

Alt. Once upon a time in Hollywood 

Typically, this is a 'old people make up' category, but since this year is more like a de-aging year, we have other types of make up / styling here.

Bombshell 
Joker 
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil 
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
Rocketman

Alt: 1917

COSTUME
Dolemite is my name Joker
Jojo Rabbit
Little women
Once upon a time in Hollywood
Rocketman The Irishman

Alt. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Period and fantasy category, and Elton John. Interesting call on Griz's part for Downtown Abbey. It may be too TV?

The Academy missed an opportunity to earn some small internet points for no cost by nominating Dolemite in this category.

Dolemite Is My Name 
Downton Abbey 
Little Women 
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
Rocketman

Alt: Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

SCORE
1917
Joker
Star Wars: the rise of Skywalker
Little women
Marriage story

Alt. Jojo Rabbit


1917 is the only one that makes sense for me in this category, as it plays quite a big role in the film. Not sure why Star Wars is here for original score, but what do I know about telling the Star Wars theme apart?

1917 
Joker 
Little Women 
Marriage Story 
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Alt: Motherless Brooklyn

SONG
Frozen II
The Lion King Breakthrough
Rocketman
Toy Story 4
Motherless Brooklyn Harriet

Alt. Wild rose

May the most random song sneak in.

I should have known that Diane Warren was in the mix.

Frozen II 
Harriet 
The Lion King 
Rocketman 
Toy Story 4

Alt: Aladdin

Read More...

Summary only...

CINEMAPS' BEST OF 2018: Journey of the Unrest

First Man

What a mess of a year. And in all that white noise, there were a number of important films that do not get duly recognized. One of the most unfortunate film victims of this changing time in Hollywood was perhaps First Man, a biopic about a white stoic man being sent to the Moon. It's a tremendous technical marvel, and a deeply emotional film that only hits at the very end (so it appears for the most part to be cold and distant, reflecting the man that he was). There were other gems swept aside as well, but I suppose I should celebrate the success of some unexpected films, namely Spiderman and A quiet place. It took a while to get around to writing, but here it is. I hope to give some internet love to the ones that deserve to be heard here, and that years from now one can look back at 2018 as a year of the greats.

The Wild Pear Tree

CINEMAPS' TOP 10

01. Ahlat Ağacı (The wild pear tree; Ceylan) ****1/2 Tree comes off the screen as dense as literature, and as a visually spectacular and expansive film as any moving epic. Time does past, and it's as unexpectedly surreal as life at times. A film for troubled times, and for those who struggle to change and find themselves back where they started for brand new lessons.

02. First Man (Chazelle) ****1/2 I saw this in IMAX and it was worth every penny. The experience of watching it was so, so tense that I found myself being literally physically stressed at times. Gosling's acting is precise, as usual, and Foy carries her part well. Damien's best seems to also be most ignored, which is a shame because the film really is deeply moving and an important account of the risks these amazing people put themselves in to push beyond the bounds of our obvious limits.

03. Roma (Cuarón) ****1/2 What a marvelous time capsule for Cuarón and all those who had the nurturing love of a supposed stranger growing up - be it a nanny or a babysitter. Beautifully and sensitively rendered - it is big time epic. Beware though, lots of dog crap!

04. Annihilation (Garland) **** Part Aliens, part psychedelic psy-fi, all Garland. It's simultaneously a story about a personal journey of a woman into herself, and a story of humanity struggling to right itself in the world. Everything here is startlingly darker and more beautiful than you'd expect. There's a sequence with a particular beast that is the stuff of total nightmares. You've been warned.

05. Widows (McQueen) **** Unlike Ocean's 8, Widows delivers on the promise of a proper action film that treats women like people who matter. It is exciting, tense, and dangerous in all the right ways. McQueen outlines the women's relegated characters in broad strokes, and gives them space to fill the screen with their character's anger, anguish, and determination. This has become one of my favourite heist films, regardless of the gender of the protagonist. That's such a pleasure to say.

06. Beoning (Burning; Lee) **** Expect Lynchian-like throughline, if you're not familiar with the strange metaphysical world of Haruki Murakami. It's a lot of fun to dissect the many mysteries it offers, and viewers are asked to be patient as it lucidly moves through unexpected turns. Steven Yeun is an inspired casting choice here.

07. Mademoiselle de Joncquieres (Mouret) ***1/2 A fun and breathtakingly beautiful tapestry of romance and revenge. The story is beside the point - the storytelling is the point. If you delight in witty bantering, this is a delicious feast for you.

08. The Favourite (Lanthimos) ***1/2 This is the most straight forward Lanthimos film yet, and another great outing for one of his regulars, the wonderful Rachel Weisz. This time, he adds the heartbreaking Olivia Colman, and the spunky Emma Stone for good measures. Tremendous fun - expect a generous helping of woozy fish eye lens shots and pointed physical (if not a little juvenile) comedy.

09. Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse (Ramsey, Persichetti, & Rothman) ***1/2 An unexpectedly on-point interpretation of the Spiderman spirit - a distinct sweetness colours both its dramatic and comedic turns, imbuing emotional heft that belies an animated superhero film such as this. In other words, I cried and laughed a lot.

10. A quiet place (Krasinski) ***1/2 Oh Emily Blunt. Is there any genre you can't do? I had such a fun time waiting to be scared at the theatre. To its credit, the 'silence' gimmick seems to be a starting point rather than the whole story. This is an affirming film for loving parents everywhere.

Widows

Grin and Pulse
The most fun I had watching a movie this past year
First Man
Avengers: Infinity war
Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse

Widows

A quiet place

Frames
Impressive, memorable staging of a shot or series of shots
Cruising and descending on the moon, First Man
The 'confrontation', Burning
New York battle, Avengers: infinity war / Washroom brawl, Mission impossible: Fallout / the heist, Widows
Hatice meeting Sinan, talking shots interspersed with silence, The Wild Pear Tree
Through-the-window, framed by rustling trees shot of the artist looking at his canvas, Never look away

Director
Confident storytelling, with a touch of "wow"
Nuri Bilge Ceylan, The wild pear tree
Damien Chazelle, First Man
Lee Chang-Dong, Burning
Alex Garland, Annihilation
Alfonso Cuaron,  Roma

Olivia Colman in The Favourite

Performance
I feel you

Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Bradley Cooper, A star is born  
Ryan Gosling, First Man
Viggo Mortensen, Green book
Mahershala Ali, Green book

Zain al Rafeea, Capernaum
Matej Zemljic, Consequences
Emily Blunt, A quiet place   
Joanna Kulig, Cold War
Regina King, If Beale street could talk

Special mention: not an acting performance, but made me feel so much anyway
Fred Rogers, Won't you be my neighbor?

Writing
Create interesting, layered, cohesive universe; would make for a great read on its own
Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Ebru Ceylan & Akin Aksu, The wild pear tree
Emmanuel Mouret, Mademoiselle de Joncquieres
Alex Garland, Annihilation
Oh Jung-mi & Lee Chang-dong, Burning
Olivier Assayas, Non-fiction 

Burning

Editing
Interesting, effective cuts and stitches that support and move the story visually
First man
Widows
The wild pear tree
Burning
Monrovia, Indiana

Cinematography
Takes my breath away
The Wild Pear Tree 
Roma
Mademoiselle de Joncquieres

Cold War

First reformed

Mademoiselle de Joncquieres

Art Direction / Production Design
Transportive, impactful set design

Annihilation

The Favourite

Black Panther
Mademoiselle de Joncquieres
Loro

Effects
Movie Magic
Annihilation
First man
Avengers: Infinity War
Ant man and the Wasp
Isle of Dogs

Sound
Amplify the visuals and enrich my sensory experience
First Man
A quiet place
Roma
Widows
A star is born

Score
Was it memorable?
First Man

Cold War
Isle of dogs
Widows

Stray comments:
- Buckets of tears ranking: Won't you be my neighbor, Spiderman: into the Spiderverse, First Man, A star is born, Roma
- So glad to see such a weird sci-fi picture featuring black protagonists in Sorry to Bother You
- Cooper bested Gaga
- The action films this past year were on point - Henry Caville in Mission Impossible was just impeccable.
- Man, do I hate Ocean's 8.

Uncharted  
Films I'm intending to see that could make a dent on the list above
The rider
Eight grade
Can you ever forgive me?
Suspiria
Vox Lux
Paddington 2
Leave no trace
Minding the gap
The sisters brothers

Charted
Ranked out of *****
****1/2
The wild pear tree (Ceylan)
First Man (Chazelle)
Roma (Cuarón)

****
Annihilation (Garland)
Widows (McQueen)
Burning (Lee)
Mademoiselle de Joncquieres (Mouret)
The Favourite (Lanthimos)

***1/2  
Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse (Ramsey, Persichetti, & Rothman)
A quiet place (Krasinski)
Shoplifters (Kore-eda)
Mission Impossible: Fallout (McQuarrie)
Avengers: Infinity war (Russo)
Sorry to bother you (Riley)
First reformed (Schrader)
Hereditary (Aster)
Cold war (Pawlikowski) 
The ballad of Buster Scruggs (Coen)
If Beale street could talk (Jenkins)
Monrovia, Indiana (Wiseman)
Hold the dark (Saulnier)
Border (Abbasi)
Consequences (Štante)
Free Solo (Chin &Vasarhelyi) 

***
A star is born (Cooper)
Won't you be my neighbor? (Neville)
Non-fiction (Assayas)
High life (Denis)
Green book (Farelly)
BlacKkKlansman (Lee)
Isle of dogs (Anderson)
Black Panther (Coogler)
Solo: a Star Wars story (Howard)

**1/2
Incredibles 2 (Bird)
Deadpool 2 (Leitch)
Antman and the Wasp (Reed)
Loro (Sorrentino)
Bad times at the El Royal (Godard)
Red sparrow (Lawrence)
3 faces (Panahi)
Museo (Ruizpalacios)
Capernaüm (Labaki)
The hate u give (Tillman, Jr.)
Tomb raider (Uthaug)

**
Game night (Daley & Goldstein)
Werk ohne Autor (Never look away; von Donnersmarck) 
The spy who dumped me (Fogel)
Ready player one (Spielberg)
Ash is purest white (Jia)
Winchester (Spierig & Spierig)
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (Bayona)
Vice (McKay)

*
Ocean's 8 (Ross)

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Oscars 2019 Winners Prediction: the American crisis

The following prediction depends on one version of the night, the one in which Green Book's controversies catch up to it and it loses all that it's up for. The film should have had this in the bag, but we're in a different time, and this version is going to mark this change in the sand. The other version brings us back to more a more aw-shucks Oscars year, so brace yourself for a very bad time if it wins. It'll be better for everyone if it loses, including for the film itself. I would really hate to read anything follow up on that alternate universe version of the night. My friend Griz's predictions in purple.

PICTURE
Roma
Alt. BlacKkKlansman

Once upon a time, The Favourite had a chance. That was before people got to the bunny ending. Sadly, the mass is not ready for that, and most importantly, neither is the Academy. Admired and respected, yes. Awarded best pic? What's that Spike Lee film?

Green Book
Alt. Roma

DIRECTOR
Alfonso Cuaron
Alt. Spike Lee

It's possible for Spike to strike here, depending on how American leaning the Academy is going to go. I wouldn't be too surprised, as Cuaron already got an Oscar recently.

Alfonso Cuaron - Roma
Alt. Spike Lee - BlacKkKlansman

ACTRESS
Glenn Close - The Wife
Alt. Olivia Colman

So sad that Glenn Close is going to win this for being due and Olivia is going to lose it for not being due (and actually being amazing and memorable in a great role). Nonetheless, I'm glad Olivia had her time in the sun before tomorrow. What a gal.

Glenn Close - The Wife
Alt. Olivia Colman - The Favourite

ACTOR
Rami Malek - Bohemian Rhapsody
Alt. Christian Bale

I guess it's a forgone conclusion. Rami is a sweet guy, but who would've thunk he'd be where he's at today, a shoo-in for best actor?

Rami Malek - Bohemian Rhapsody
Alt. Christian Bale - Vice

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Regina King - If Beale Street Could Win
Alt. Rachel Weisz - The Favourite

A hard category to favour, but I'm going to give it to King for a beautiful motherly portrayal.

Regina King - If Beale Street Could Talk
Alt. Rachel Weisz - The Favourite

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Mahershala Ali - Green Book
Alt. Richard E. Grant - Can you ever forgive me?

I can't believe Ali is about to have two statues. He's got some very productive roles in the past few years huh?

Mahershala Ali - Green Book
Alt. Richard E. Grant - Can You Ever Forgive Me?

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Favourite
Alt. Green Book

The Favourite should win this, and it would be bad for Green Book to win here. But obviously without a win here, the film would be less likely to win Best Picture with just one other win (Ali)? I guess it means if you're going to ride Green Book, you're going to ignore the favourite here (haha pun).

Green Book
Alt. The Favourite

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
BlacKkKlansman
Alt. Can You Ever Forgive Me?

A place to award Spike Lee if they don't give him Director.

BlacKkKlansman
Alt. Can You Ever Forgive Me?

FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Roma (Mexico)
Alt. Cold War (Poland)

It'd be weird if anything else wins this category but Roma.

Roma (Mexico)
Alt. Cold War (Poland)

ANIMATED
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Alt. The Incredibles 2

There's no other way.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Alt. Incredibles 2

DOCUMENTARY
Free Solo
Alt. Minding the gap

The incredible shots from Free Solo should help it win this field.

Free Solo
Alt. RBG

EDITING
Bohemian Rhapsody
Alt. Vice

I know Vice is all like, I'M HERE, but I loathe to put it down for anything. Which probably means it'll win. Hm.

Vice
Alt: Bohemian Rhapsody

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roma
Alt. Cold War

Battle of the black and white foreign films, from foreign land, where they still like black and white.

Roma
Alt. Cold War

PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Favourite
Alt. Black Panther

There's a huge American threat in this line up.

The Favourite
Alt. Mary Poppins Returns

VISUAL EFFECTS
Avengers: Infinity War
Alt. First Man

Although I do quite like the Avengers' effects, they don't need this! If there's an Oscars god, please let First Man win everything it's up for. *prays*

First Man
Alt. Avengers: Infinity War

SOUND MIXING
Bohemian Rhapsody
Alt. A Star is Born

Battle of the musicals - I'm giving the edge to Bohemian simply because it seems to have more support, sight unseen.

Bohemian Rhapsody
Alt. A Star Is Born

SOUND EDITING
Bohemian Rhapsody
Alt. First Man

This is surprisingly the most fierce battle for the win - A quiet place is not that far behind.

Bohemian Rhapsody
Alt. First Man

MAKE UP & HAIRSTYLING
Border
Alt. Mary Queen of Scots

How did The Favourite not get in?

Vice
Alt. Border 

COSTUME
The Favourite
Alt. Black Panther

Panther is a real threat here, and it would be a travesty if it should pull an upset at the expense of the deserving Favourite.

The Favourite
Alt. Black Panther

SCORE
Black Panther
Alt. If Beale Street Could Talk

I don't care, they did not nominate First Man. This category is dead to me. Awards-race wise, this would be the one category they could award Beale Street with.

Black Panther
Alt. Mary Poppins Returns

SONG
A star is born
Alt. Black Panther

I'd love for a surprise Black Panther win here. Just for this one though. Please.

A Star Is Born
Alt. Black Panther

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Summary only...