OSCAR WATCH: The Films

This year's Oscars are much later than usual, and the movies are all over the shop. I haven't seen as many as I would normally see, but I think I have seen enough to work on my usual predictions and hopes.

Anyway, here is a brief overview of the films I managed to see. Films are listed in alphabetical order!

Emma

I saw this glorious version of Emma when it was first released. It beautifully portrayed Jane Austen's story of love and matchmaking with the wonderful Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen's Gambit) as Emma. The whole cast was a delight in fact. It was stunningly shot, and just looked beautiful. Lots of beautiful colours, and interior design. It is nominated for Costume and Hair, which makes perfect sense. I think it should have be nominated for Best Picture.

The Father

Wow, this was a brilliant film, Anthony Hopkins has dementia, his daughter (Olivia Coleman) is trying her best to look after him with some paid help, but he is deteriorating. The film is shot from his perspective and is extremely discombobulating. It is shot in an apartment, but you notice subtle changes, he doors missing, vases changing and so force. Are these changes real, or is it because he has dementia and is simply forgetting things. Someone described it as Dementia as if done by Spike Jones. This is close, the writer /director is Florian Zeller who originally wrote the play it is based on. Coleman is brilliant as usual and Hopkins is outstanding, the best I think I have ever seen him, as a man totally spiraling out as he loses his mind. It is nominated for Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Actor, Supporting Actress, Film editing, and Production.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

I really loved this film loosely based on 20s singer, Ma Rainey. It covers one afternoon recording in Chicago. Ma Rainey is recording her vocals and fighting with the white producers over what she wants. Downstairs her band are practicing and also fighting amongst the players over musical content, old styles versus new upcoming styles. Viola Davis is absolutely transformed and magnificent as Ma Rainey, and whilst she is miming to the actual Ma, she absolutely haunts as she performs. It also had Chadwick Boseman in his final role as a young upstart trumpet player. The music, the acting, the vibe, the sets, everything about this film is mesmerising. Not up for Best Picture, another overlooked film, but up for acting nods for Davis and Boseman, Production, Costume, and Hair.

Mank

I really wanted to love Mank. Based on the writing of the film, Citizen Kane and featuring a period of Hollywood I love. It was beautifully produced and looked stunning, shot in black and white it gave off a 1930s vibe as if it had been shot back then. The acting was phenomenal, not least Gary Oldman, and Amanda Seyfried as Herman Mankiewicz and Marion Davies. But ultimately it was boring, it dragged and lulled, but it shouldn't have. I did enjoy watching it to a certain extant, but it needed better editing. It is up for Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Costume, Hair, Original Score, Production and Sound.

Minari

I also wanted to love this film but it left me a bit meh. A Korean family recently moved to the US, move to Texas to start a farm in hope of making money. The mother and the father are not seeing eye to eye, their youngest boy has heart problems, they are living in a trailer and struggling. Grandma comes to help look after the children. The children don't warm to her Korean ways.The entire film you are expecting severe life disaster/s to happen. A few do, but nothing too terrible. Life goes on. Again this was a slow, and meandering film. It is up for Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Actor, Supporting Actress, and Original Score.

Nomadland

This is the favourite to win, I am unsure. Frances McDormand is Fern, after her husband passes and the town's factory where she works closes down, she sells her possessions to buy a van. She plans to live and travel in it around the US, looking for work. This bleak, homeless existence is shared by many others, some real life nomads playing fictional versions of themselves. She picks up work here and there, runs in to regular people and falls in love with a man. She visits his family with him and they all get along, but when he reveals he is going to stay there, she leaves. She also visits family, but ultimately she realises she is happy with life on the road, and continues her journey. This is up for Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Actress, Cinemtography, and Film Editing.

One Night in Miami

This is about 4 very real people in a fictionalised event directed by Regina King. Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke meet in X's hotel room after Ali fights Listen. They discuss the chatter of the day, life, and race and it is a fascinating long conversation. I was very disappointed the story is made up, as it felt so real. This is good in one way, it feels authentic, but ultimately it is not. Great acting and great story. It is up for Adapted Screenplay, Supporting Actor, and Original Song.                                                       

Promising Young Woman

This is a modern sharp comedy drama. Carey Mulligan is Cassie, 30, living at home with her parents and floundering. Her best friend was raped and murdered at a party some years earlier. Cassie now spends her evenings out, pretending to be drunk, waiting for men to pick her up and take her home. As they start to do things without her consent, she 'wakes' up, completely sober and freaks them out. She is trying to get justice for her friend and concocts a clever but dangerous plan to lure the rapists out.  This is a really complex story that ends remarkabley. Mulligan is absolutely outstanding it. This is mind blowing and original and up for Best Picture, Director, Actress, and Original Screenplay.       

Sound of Metal

This was one of the films I loved the most. Riz Ahmed is Ruben, a drummer touring in a heavy metal band and in a relationship with the lead singer. His hearing is starting to disappear and goes for a test and finds he will become completely deaf if he continues. He may be able to get cochlear implants but they are expensive. He stops touring and his partner is worried as a recovering addict he will fall off the wagon. She lines him up with another deaf recovering addict to assist him. She moves on and leaves him in this small deaf community. The people there see being deaf as who they are not a disability. Ruben becomes close to the group and is happy but misses his partner and the music so goes for the cochlear operation. This is a very deep film and with clever sound editing shows what life was like for Ruben hearing wise. It is deeply emotional with twists and turns. Ahmed is outstanding in this. Sound of Metal is up for Best Picture, Original Screenplay, Actor, Supporting Actor, Film Editing, and Sound.

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, this follows a group of Vietnam War protesters charged with causing riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention. Ultimately a courtroom drama, the film follows the fiascco that follows, the murkiness and corruption. The ensemble cast is a superb and charismatic ensemble. I thoroughly enjoyed this film with heart and humour against a historical drama background. It is up for Best Picture, Original Screenplay, Supporting Actor, Cinematography, Film Editing, and Original Song.