2021 Golden Globe Winners

 

After 84 years we finally have another awards show to watch! I went 13/25 with my predictions which is pretty terrible. I usually get at least half right. Don't worry, I drank my shame in wine. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted again and they were wonderful as usual, but some of these winners tonight were...wild. Here are my thoughts. The winners are highlighted.

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

"Nomandland"

“Mank”
“The Father”
“Promising Young Woman“
“The Trial of the Chicago 7”
I would've loved to had heard Chloe Zhao's speech but my local news decided that delays only apply to football and just carried on with their bullshit exactly at 10:00pm. They were still listing the nominees when the program switched over. And it wasn't even breaking news! The audacity.

BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
“Hamilton”
“Music”
“Palm Springs”
“The Prom”
I went back and forth over picking Borat and Hamilton so much and pick wise, I'm glad I went with Borat. Isla Fisher looked so excited during this win. Someone on Twitter pointed out that this is the first award Hamilton has lost and it lost to Borat, which is sad and hilarious at the same time. Cohen thanked his body guard who prevented him from getting shot twice. Why are we nominating Gary Oldman for Mank again when this man endures this?

BEST DIRECTOR
Emerald Fennell, (“Promising Young Woman”)
David Fincher, “Mank”
Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”)
Regina King (“One Night in Miami”)
Aaron Sorkin (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)
FINALLY another female winner. Fincher took another shot because he lost, and I hope he keeps that energy up all season. Zhao's speech was adorable and I hope she gets more wins under her belt this season.

BEST ACTOR – DRAMA
Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”)
Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)
Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”)
Gary Oldman (“Mank”)
Tahar Rahim (“The Mauritanian”)
I was prepared for Chadwick to win this and for me to feel sad, but I was not prepared for his widow to give such a beautiful speech on his behalf. That was so heartbreaking. They had done a skit earlier in the evening where they interviewed kids and asked them Globes questions and all of them recognized Boseman as Black Panther. This loss still hurts. 

BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA
Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)
Andra Day (“The United States vs Billie Holiday”)
Frances McDormand (“Nomadland”)
Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”)
Vanessa Kirby (“Pieces of a Woman”)
I about fell off my couch for this one. Did anyone predict Andra? I thought Carey had this in the bag. Wow. 

BEST ACTOR – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Sacha Baron Cohen (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”)
James Corden (“The Prom”)
Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton”)
Andy Samberg (“Palm Springs”)
Dev Patel (“Personal History of David Copperfield”)
Cohen and Isla are so adorable. That made up for the fact that Dev Patel bailed on the zoom meeting so I couldn't stare at his perfect face. 

BEST ACTRESS – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Maria Bakalova (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”)
Kate Hudson (“Music”)
Michelle Pfeiffer (“French Exit”)
Rosamund Pike (“I Care A Lot”)
Anya Taylor-Joy (“Emma”)
I love Rosamund Pike, I do and she was great in this but I cannot fathom how Maria didn't win here when Cohen and Borat won in the other two categories? It had to be close, right? What is this? 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE
Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)
Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)
Jared Leto (“The Little Things”)
Bill Murray (“On the Rocks”)
Leslie Odom, Jr. (“One Night in Miami”)
Kaluuya was the first winner of the night and they immediately had technical difficulties before it switched back to him yelling "No, you're doing me dirty!" at his computer. Thank God they cut back to him and he gave a wonderful speech. I hope to hear more of those this season.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE
Glenn Close, “Hillbilly Elegy”
Olivia Colman, “The Father”
Jodie Foster, “The Mauritanian”
Amanda Seyfried, “Mank”
Helena Zengel, “News of the World”
Foster was a huge surprise as well and I'm just over here happy it wasn't Close. I wish it would've been Seyfried or Zengel, but hey, this will do. Jodie getting to kiss her wife on camera was a wonderful thing.

BEST SCREENPLAY
Aaron Sorkin (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)
Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”)
Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton (“The Father”)
Jack Fincher (“Mank”)
Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”)

So film twitter hated this but....I still like The Trial of the Chicago 7... This isn't anywhere near Sorkin's best script but I still think it's pretty good. I'm okay with this here. 

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Alexandre Desplat (“The Midnight Sky”)
Ludwig Göransson (“Tenet”)
James Newton Howard (“News of the World”)
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste (“Soul”)
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (“Mank”)

I'm really happy for Jon Batiste in particular because I believe they got some grief for having three composers. 

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“IO SÌ (SEEN)” — “The Life Ahead”
“SPEAK NOW” — “One Night in Miami”
“TIGRESS & TWEED” — “The United States Vs. Billie Holiday”
“FIGHT FOR YOU” — “Judas and the Black Messiah”
“HEAR MY VOICE” — “The Trial of the Chicago 7”Who will and should win: Speak Now
I thought Speak Now had this in the bag. Another surprise win for me, but it is a lovely song so I can't be mad about it. 

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
“The Croods 2”
“Onward”
“Over the Moon”
“Soul”
“Wolfwalkers”
I know Soul is going to steamroll through this season and it's a great movie, but I just wanted Wolfwalkers to win so badly. Pixar has enough of these. 

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“Another Round”
“La Llorona”
“The Life Ahead”
“Minari”
“Two of Us”
Wow, an American film won Best Foreign Language. I'm still annoyed they put Minari here in the first place, but the director's speech was wonderful and his daughter was adorable. When Minari takes its rightful place among the best picture nominees at the Oscars, I hope Another Round reigns supreme. 

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
“The Mandalorian”
“The Crown”
“Lovecraft Country”
“Ozark”
“Ratched”
The Globes went nuts for The Crown tonight. Rightfully so, what a season.

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY
“Emily in Paris”
“Ted Lasso”
“The Flight Attendant”
“Schitt’s Creek”
“The Great”
My clown ass actually thought Schitt's Creek would miss here. lol

BEST ACTOR TV SERIES – DRAMA

Jason Bateman, “Ozark”

Josh O’Connor, “The Crown”

Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”

Matthew Rhys, “Perry Mason”

Al Pacino, “Hunters”

I predicted this one and I'm really happy for O'Connor. He had a great season.

BEST ACTRESS TV SERIES – DRAMA

Olivia Colman, “The Crown”

Jodie Comer, “Killing Eve”

Emma Corrin, “The Crown”

Laura Linney, “Ozark”

Sarah Paulson, “Ratched”

Apparently this wasn't a surprise for a lot of people on Twitter but it was for me! Olivia Colman looked so thrilled for her. 

BEST ACTOR TV SERIES – COMEDY

Don Cheadle, “Black Monday”

Eugene Levy, “Schitt’s Creek”

Nicholas Hoult, “The Great”

Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso”

Ramy Youssef, “Ramy”

This was one of my favorite wins of the night. Sudeikis is wonderful in Ted Lasso. Dude looked so tired during his speech, hopefully he got to sleep immediately after. Honestly, I hope all these people in the UK have late call times tomorrow. 

MINISERIES OR TELEVISION FILM
“Normal People”
“The Queen’s Gambit”
“The Undoing”
“Small Axe”
“Unorthodox”
This was such a tough category because other than Normal People, which I haven't seen, I really enjoyed all of these shows. I'm sad for Unorthodox because it's so powerful, but I loved The Queen's Gambit so much. I may or may not have bought a dress of Modcloth recently because it looked like something Anya Taylor Joy wore in that.

BEST ACTRESS TV SERIES – COMEDY
Lily Collins, “Emily in Paris”
Kaley Cuoco, “The Flight Attendant”
Elle Fanning, “The Great”
Catherine O’Hara, “Schitt’s Creek”
Jane Levy, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”
I don't think anyone else was going to come close to O'Hara. I really need to start Schitt's Creek.

BEST ACTOR – MINISERIES OR TELEVISION FILM
Bryan Cranston, “Your Honor”
Jeff Daniels, “The Comey Rule”
Ethan Hawke, “The Good Lord Bird”
Hugh Grant, “The Undoing”
Mark Ruffalo, “I Know This Much Is True”
Another win for Ruffalo. This was such a hard watch but he deserves every trophy he gets for this.

BEST ACTRESS – MINISERIES OR TELEVISION FILM
Anya Taylor-Joy, “The Queen’s Gambit”
Shira Haas, “Unorthodox”
Nicole Kidman, “The Undoing”
Cate Blanchett, “Mrs. America”
Daisy Edgar-Jones, “Normal People”
Shira Haas was robbed. I love Anya, but come on now. Shira was perfection.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – SERIES, MINISERIES OR TELEVISION FILM
John Boyega, “Small Axe”
Brendan Gleeson, “The Comey Rule”
Dan Levy, “Schitt’s Creek”
Jim Parsons, “Hollywood”
Donald Sutherland, “The Undoing

Boyega winning was an early shocker. I really thought Dan Levy was going to win this since he's been on such a role, but good for Boyega. 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – SERIES, MINISERIES OR TELEVISION FILM
Gillian Anderson, “The Crown”
Helena Bonham Carter, “The Crown”
Julia Garner, “Ozark”
Annie Murphy, “Schitt’s Creek”
Cynthia Nixon, “Ratched”

Another win that was meant to be. Anderson was amazing.

2021 Golden Globe Predictions: Who Will Win, Who Should Win

 

This Awards Season has been such a mess that I almost forgot to get my picks out *before* the big show on Sunday. How can I not embarrass myself publicly by getting so many picks wrong each year? Here are the people who I think will win, and in some cases, who probably should instead.

 BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
“Nomadland”
“Mank”
“The Father”
“Promising Young Woman“
“The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Who will and should win: The Trial of the Chicago 7

I haven't seen The Father but out of all the others, Trial is my favorite and I think the best film overall. I see it winning here.

BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
“Hamilton”
“Music”
“Palm Springs”
“The Prom”
Who will win: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

Who should win: Hamilton

I go back and forth on whether or not I think they'll award Hamilton. It depends on how big of sticklers voters are being since it isn't technically a movie. Since I expect Borat to win in Best Actress, I think it wins here as well.

BEST DIRECTOR
Emerald Fennell, (“Promising Young Woman”)
David Fincher, “Mank”
Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”)
Regina King (“One Night in Miami”)
Aaron Sorkin (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)
Who will and should win: Chloe Zhao

I think there's a big change Sorkin could take this but Zhao is winning so many critic awards and this year actually feels like the year we could get another female Best Director winner. Plus, Zhao's direction is what makes Nomaland thrive. I hope she wins.

BEST ACTOR – DRAMA
Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”)
Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)
Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”)
Gary Oldman (“Mank”)
Tahar Rahim (“The Mauritanian”)
Who will and should win: Chadwick Boseman

This is going to be hard to see him win when he's no longer with us, but he feels like a sure thing. He was electrifying in May Rainey

BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA
Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)
Andra Day (“The United States vs Billie Holiday”)
Frances McDormand (“Nomadland”)
Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”)
Vanessa Kirby (“Pieces of a Woman”)
Who will and should win: Carey Mulligan

I haven't seen Andra Day's performance but all of these other women are wonderful, but I see Mulligan coming out on top. Even though I had my issues with Promising Young Woman, Mulligan's performance was nowhere near one of them.

BEST ACTOR – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Sacha Baron Cohen (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”)
James Corden (“The Prom”)
Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton”)
Andy Samberg (“Palm Springs”)
Dev Patel (“Personal History of David Copperfield”)
Who will and should win: Sasha Baron Cohen

Unless they do go nuts for Hamilton, I can't see anyone else actually topping Cohen here. 

BEST ACTRESS – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Maria Bakalova (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”)
Kate Hudson (“Music”)
Michelle Pfeiffer (“French Exit”)
Rosamund Pike (“I Care A Lot”)
Anya Taylor-Joy (“Emma”)
Who will  and should win: Maria Bakalova

After seeing I Care A Lot, this is hard because I would LOVE for Pike to win this, but I've been on the "give Maria an Oscar" train since I saw Borat and I really hope she wins it here. 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE
Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)
Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)
Jared Leto (“The Little Things”)
Bill Murray (“On the Rocks”)
Leslie Odom, Jr. (“One Night in Miami”)
Who will win: Sacha Baron Cohen

Who should win: Daniel Kaluuya

This is hard, but I'm going with a Cohen double win. I think Kaluuya and Odom Jr are both amazing in their movies, and I'd gie it to Kaluuya, but I don't know how well Judas and the Black Messiah would resonate with HFPA voters. 


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE
Glenn Close, “Hillbilly Elegy”
Olivia Colman, “The Father”
Jodie Foster, “The Mauritanian”
Amanda Seyfried, “Mank”
Helena Zengel, “News of the World”
Who will win: Glenn Close

Who should win: Amanda Seyfried

Close is probably going to steamroll this Oscar season as a "make up" when she rightfully lost to Olivia Colman a few years ago and I'm going to hate every minute of it. 

BEST SCREENPLAY
Aaron Sorkin (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)
Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”)
Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton (“The Father”)
Jack Fincher (“Mank”)
Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”)

Who will win: Trial of the Chicago 7

Who should win: That or Nomadland

Part of me wants to go with Promising Young Woman here because I think it has a chance, but since I think Trial will win best Drama, it probably repeats here.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Alexandre Desplat (“The Midnight Sky”)
Ludwig Göransson (“Tenet”)
James Newton Howard (“News of the World”)
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste (“Soul”)
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (“Mank”)

Who will and should win: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - Soul

Normally I wouldn't go with the double nom because of vote splitting, but I gotta go with Soul.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“IO SÌ (SEEN)” — “The Life Ahead”
“SPEAK NOW” — “One Night in Miami”
“TIGRESS & TWEED” — “The United States Vs. Billie Holiday”
“FIGHT FOR YOU” — “Judas and the Black Messiah”
“HEAR MY VOICE” — “The Trial of the Chicago 7”

Who will and should win: Speak Now
It's a great song and Odom Jr. performs it perfectly. 

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
“The Croods 2”
“Onward”
“Over the Moon”
“Soul”
“Wolfwalkers”
Who will win: Soul

Who should win: Wolfwalkers

I know Soul resonated with a lot more people but I'm really pulling for Wolfwalkers. Pixar has enough wins. Let's start giving Cartoon Saloon a break.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“Another Round”
“La Llorona”
“The Life Ahead”
“Minari”
“Two of Us”
Who will win: Minari

Who should win: Another Round

Minari shouldn't be in this category at all but since it is, it will probably win. I want to see it, but haven't as of this writing. Another Round was one of my favorites from last year and I'd love it to win. 

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
“The Mandalorian”
“The Crown”
“Lovecraft Country”
“Ozark”
“Ratched”
Who will win: The Crown

Who should win: The Mandalorian or Lovecraft Country

I almost put Ratched here based on the "HFPA loves freshman series" instinct I normally have and I'm going to be so pissed if I get this wrong.

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY
“Emily in Paris”
“Ted Lasso”
“The Flight Attendant”
“Schitt’s Creek”
“The Great”
Who will win: The Great

Who should win: Ted Lasso

I don't see Schitt's Creek having a huge blow out like they did at the Emmys. The Great feels like a HFPA show. I'll be rooting for Ted Lasso

MINISERIES OR TELEVISION FILM
“Normal People”
“The Queen’s Gambit”
“The Undoing”
“Small Axe”
“Unorthodox”
Who will win: Small Axe

Who should win: Unorthodox or The Queen's Gambit

This is SO HARD. I'm going with my gut.

BEST ACTOR TV SERIES – DRAMA
Jason Bateman, “Ozark”
Josh O’Connor, “The Crown”
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”
Matthew Rhys, “Perry Mason”
Al Pacino, “Hunters”
Who will and should win: Josh O'Connor

He's the only new nominee and The Crown was so popular this year, I think they'll have a decent showing at the Globes.

BEST ACTRESS TV SERIES – DRAMA
Olivia Colman, “The Crown”
Jodie Comer, “Killing Eve”
Emma Corrin, “The Crown”
Laura Linney, “Ozark”
Sarah Paulson, “Ratched”
Who will win: Sarah Paulson 

Who should win: Emma Corrin or Laura Linney

This is a freshman pick I know they're going for.

BEST ACTOR TV SERIES – COMEDY
Don Cheadle, “Black Monday”
Eugene Levy, “Schitt’s Creek”
Nicholas Hoult, “The Great”
Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso”
Ramy Youssef, “Ramy”
Who will win: Nicholas Hoult

Who should win: Jason Sudeikis

Like I said, I don't see Schitt's Creek winning a ton, so I'm going with a newbie. Hopefully Sudeikis will win and surprise me.

BEST ACTRESS TV SERIES – COMEDY
Lily Collins, “Emily in Paris”
Kaley Cuoco, “The Flight Attendant”
Elle Fanning, “The Great”
Catherine O’Hara, “Schitt’s Creek”
Jane Levy, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”
Who will win: Catherine O'Hara

Who should win: ?

I don't watch any of these shows, but this is one of the two categories I think Schitt's Creek will actually win in. 

BEST ACTOR – MINISERIES OR TELEVISION FILM
Bryan Cranston, “Your Honor”
Jeff Daniels, “The Comey Rule”
Ethan Hawke, “The Good Lord Bird”
Hugh Grant, “The Undoing”
Mark Ruffalo, “I Know This Much Is True”
Who will and should win: Mark Ruffalo

He was just too damn good in this to ignore. Sure, it's depressing and heavy and there are bigger names against him, but I don't think it will be easy to ignore this performance. 

BEST ACTRESS – MINISERIES OR TELEVISION FILM
Anya Taylor-Joy, “The Queen’s Gambit”
Shira Haas, “Unorthodox”
Nicole Kidman, “The Undoing”
Cate Blanchett, “Mrs. America”
Daisy Edgar-Jones, “Normal People”
Who will win: Cate Blanchett

Who should win: Shira Haas

I think they might err on star power here, but I think Shira has a chance. Anya could do as she's a double nominee, but Shira is by far my favorite.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – SERIES, MINISERIES OR TELEVISION FILM
John Boyega, “Small Axe”
Brendan Gleeson, “The Comey Rule”
Dan Levy, “Schitt’s Creek”
Jim Parsons, “Hollywood”
Donald Sutherland, “The Undoing”

Who will and should win: Dan Levy

Dan is everywhere right now and I think he'll prevail here.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – SERIES, MINISERIES OR TELEVISION FILM
Gillian Anderson, “The Crown”
Helena Bonham Carter, “The Crown”
Julia Garner, “Ozark”
Annie Murphy, “Schitt’s Creek”
Cynthia Nixon, “Ratched”
Who will and should win: Gillian Anderson

It would be nice for Julia Garner to win here, she has two Emmys under her belt, but I see them going for Gillian.

Thursday Movie Picks - TV Edition - Romantic Tropes: Love Triangle

 

As we take Wandering Through The Shelves' final romantic trope to the small screen, we're going to talk about one of my least favorite tropes of all time. The love triangle. I find these rarely make for an interesting watch, but they're constantly used so there's got to be something there. Here are three shows I watched where triangle featured prominently. 

1) True Blood - The Sookie/Bill/Eric triangle went on way longer than necessary, I'm assuming because Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer are married in real life. Everyone knows that Eric and Sookie belonged together. Those are facts, I make the rules.

2) Insecure - I think this show is an example where a triangle of sorts actually works. Issa and Lawrence break up in season one, and she sees two other men, Daniel and Nathan at various points in the series, but also goes back to Lawrence. It works, Issa is always funny and I can't think of a better show that depicts the stress of modern dating. 

3) Agents of SHIELD - This show has probably the worst example of a forced love triangle I've seen in a long time. There are two characters on this show, Fitz and Simmons. They are introduced as besties, but they clearly are on their way to something more, then a few seasons in they add a rando to come between them and Simmons has to think about who she loves more and it's just dumb and terrible. Iain De Caestecker and Elizabeth Henstridge had wonderful chemistry and the show through the dumbest shit at their characters. Yes, I'm still bitter. 

Review: I Care A Lot

Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike) does not want to be poor. So much so that she's created quite the scam for herself as a legal guardian for the elderly. She and her girlfriend Fran Eiza González get court orders to get them under their care, then sell their properties for profits. It's only when they attempt to take control of Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Wiest) that they realize she might be a bit more than they bargained for.

Marla is so deliciously vile. I never expected to be so invested into someone committing elder abuse. Especially in a film from a director whose had a few duds prior to this. But Rosamund Pike can do anything, and I especially loved her and Peter Dinklage together in this film.

I've found a lot of talk about this film online to be unfair and annoying. Not to mention laced with misogyny. An alarming amount of people seem to take issue with the fact that Martha is a woman doing these things, while not batting an eye lash over the many times men have been in movies like these. It's not a perfect movie, but it's one of the better ones Netflix has put out. Don't let the in no way suspicious one star reviews everywhere put you off.

I will admit, the ending is lifted from plenty of other crime movies, but the performances and the quick pacing make this an easy watch. It's darkly funny without ever glorifying what the characters are doing. 

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable quote: "You're right. I can be bought." - Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike)

Review: Sputnik

When astronaut Konstantin Veshnyakov (Pyotr Fyodorov) crash lands back on Earth after an alien encounter in space, a psychologist Tatyana Klimova (Oksana Akinshina) is called to assess him but she's not given all the information at first and is horrified to find out what's actually going on.

It feels like there's been a ton of space movies lately, particularly ones that deal with strange things happening in space. This is no different, and it will garner a lot of comparisons to Arrival due to Tatyana's character coming on board, but Sputnik is easily the best space movie I've seen since Arrival. 

While it's advertised as a horror movie, it's definitely more of a drama with horror elements. Think Se7en. There's a few gruesome moments but the majority of the film is Tatyana trying to solve the mystery on what to do with Konstantin. It's the height of the Cold War, her male colleague isn't happy with her presence, and she was already dealing with something pretty life changing regarding her job already. Tatyana has her shit together, and it's remarkable she mostly keeps it that way given what's thrown at her.

There were a few times I thought the choices some of the characters made were kind of stupid, but I could also find reasons to justify that stupidity given what they were working with.  I was just so pleasantly surprised with all of this. The actors were great, it was suspenseful, the score was really loud and booming which should contradict what's happening on screen but strangely worked. 

I'm happy I rented this. If you're interested in watching, I recommend not Googling it because photos of the ending and the film's bigger moments are everywhere. I went in fairly blind, having only seen a trailer once before, and that worked well for me.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B+

Memorable Quote: "I'm not coming for your job....or your Nobel Prize." - Tatyana Klimova (Oksana Akinshina) 

Thursday Movie Picks - Romantic Tropes: Forbidden Love

 

This week's picks from Wandering Through The Shelves is the kind of love that has to be kept secret. There's plenty of those, most of them tragic. I tried to take at least 2 of my picks in a different direction. Here's what I came up with.

1) Brokeback Mountain - This is always the first thing I think of when I hear "forbidden love." This movie is perfect.

2) The Girl Next Door - A teenager falling in love with his ex porn star neighbor is certainly forbidden. I'm sure there's plenty in this movie that hasn't aged well but it was a lot of fun.

3) Lars and the Real Girl - This forbidden love is about a man falling in love with his sex doll. This was a lovely little film and I jumped for joy when it got an Original Screenplay Oscar nomination.

Review: Earwig and the Witch

Earwig (Taylor Henderson) is dropped off at an orphanage when she's a baby and is raised as Erica Wig. She's then adopted by a witch (Vanessa Marshall) to work as an assistant. 

If you follow me on Letterboxd, you might know that my family and I have been slowly making our way through Studio Ghibli's library on HBO Max. This film is their newest release and first feature length go at computer animation. And honestly, I hope they go right back to hand drawn animation.

I admit I'm holding this film to a much higher standard because it's a Ghibli film. Had it not had that studio attached, this would merely be another dumb, forgettable animated film. But with that prestige? Now I have feelings attached.

What I admire most about the Ghibli films aside from their normally beautiful animation was the lovely scores that always went along with them, and how easy it was to connect with the main characters most of the time. Neither of those things are present here. The music chosen here is more of a country/pop/rock mashup that in a way is slightly mis-advertised. That horrid poster, you see Earwig singing with a microphone. That's not in the movie. Then there's Earwig herself. She lives life at the orphanage because she can "do whatever she wants" and everyone is at her beck and call. That's her main motivation throughout the film. To get the witch and the Mandrake she lives with to do whatever she wants. She also wants to learn magic, but that doesn't go anywhere either.

I know this is based on book, but the film felt like it had three different plots and wasn't sure where to go with them. Then to top it all off, it has no ending. Literally, it just ends with a jump cut. The only growth Earwig has experienced is that her room is nicer. It's a mess.

Recommended: No

Grade: F

Memorable Quote: "I'll give you worms." - Bella Yaga (Vanessa Marshall)

Review: Judas and the Black Messiah

William O'Neal (LaKeith Stanfield) is facing charges for stealing a vehicle when he's given an ultimatum by FBI agent Mitchelle (Jesse Plemmons) jail, or become an informant and infiltrate the Black Panther party and give information on the charismatic leader of the Illinois division, Fred Hampton. (Daniel Kaluuya) 

We saw Fred Hampton briefly in another recently released film, The Trial of the Chicago 7 and while that touched briefly on what happened to him, this is obviously a much more in depth look on his story and that of the person who played a hand in his eventual death. Charismatic is almost an understatement for Hampton. In person, he's quiet and thoughtful, but when he's on stage he has the ability to to make everyone rise up and listen. The racists within the FBI were terrified of him for that. 

There's plenty of films that touch on the Black Panther party and I'm sure I'm ignorant of many more in depth portrayals, but for me Judas and the Black Messiah showed a side of it that I feel like I haven't seen in a while. They showed them meeting with other marginalized groups and the ways they helped mobilize. I appreciated the film for that.

The actors are amazing. Daniel Kaluuya is a force. I thought he was great as Hampton, especially when he was giving speeches. LaKeith Stanfield does a fantastic job as well. His performances isn't as showy as Kaluuya's but he plays the conflicted O'Neal well, and when they show footage of the real man towards the end of the film, you can see just how well LaKeitha got his mannerisms down. Another wonderful performances comes from Dominique Fishback, who plays Fred's girlfriend Deborah. She had great promise in last year's Project Power and I'm glad she came out so strong with this right after.  Deborah spends the majority of the film pregnant with she and Fred's baby and offers an interesting perspective on how she has to deal with Fred's revolution.

The film does take a bit to get going at times, but I loved Shaka King's vision and the way this was shot. 

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B+

Memorable Quote: "Show me a badge!" - William O'Neal (LaKeith Stanfield)

2021 Blind Spot Series: Monty Python's Life of Brian

 

What I knew going in: The general plot

Born on the same day as Jesus Christ in the stable next door, Brian (Graham Chapman) finds himself mistaken for the Messiah after a serious of unfortunate mix ups.

I watched Monty Python's Holy Grail for a Blind Spot a few years ago and many of you recommended that I watch Life of Brian next. While I still don't think I really vibe with Monty Python's humor, I liked this one a bit more.

Like the last film, I didn't think there was an actor that particularly stood out, and that's one of nice things about Monty Python. All the members seem equally as funny and on par with one another. I had a few good laughs here and there. I also appreciate how bold a film like this would've been for 1979. Reading through the film's IMDb trivia, it sounds like they got a ton of shit from various religious institutions over this.

While I have to say Dogma is still my go to religious comedy, Life of Brian was a good watch and it's currently streaming on Netflix if you want to check it out for the first time, or rewatch it. 

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable Quote: "Now fuck off!" - Brian Cohen (Graham Chapman)

Thursday Movie Picks - Romantic Tropes: Friends to Lovers

 

This week's romantic theme from Wandering Through The Shelves is the ever popular friends to lovers. There's so much to choose from here. Here's what I came up with.

1) Just Friends - This is one of my favorite rom coms, Amy Smart (why is she not in more movies?) and Ryan Reynolds have great chemistry

2) Definitely, Maybe - While it's been a long time since I've seen this, the idea was cute. A dad telling his daughter three separate stories of friends he fell in love with while we the audience guess which one is her mother.

3) Love & Basketball - Nope, I'm not going for a Ryan Reynolds theme here. Now I want to pick one of my favorite movies from junior high. I love this, and I need to re-watch it again.

Review: Malcolm & Marie

On the eve of his newest film's premiere, director Malcolm (John David Washington) goes home with his girlfriend Marie (Zendaya) and have a long fight about Marie's contributions to the story among other things.

Yes, this movie is literally a couple arguing for 115 minutes. It sounds taxing and I kept that in mind before pressing play, but I was surprised at how into this I was. 

We don't meet these characters before their fight, but we learn a lot about them as they spit their vitriol back at each other. Malcolm is a self absorbed filmmaker who hyper focuses on one particular film critic in general. (And God, can you imagine a director reading your review of this film and flipping out this way? Yikes.) Marie dealt with addiction and that still comes with its uncertainties. No one is perfect, both make valid points occasionally but ultimate I found myself very much on Marie's side of things here.

I felt so many different feelings while watching this. What I wasn't expecting just how funny some of their fight would be. It's not played for laughs but a few things they say are just so extraordinarily petty that I couldn't help but chuckle here and there. Other times I found it heartbreaking and raw. When they had their cool down periods, I could see why they were together, but I'd also cringe when they would start back up again even though all these things needed to be said.

Zendaya and John David Washington are both tremendous here. They feel like a real couple. Zendaya gets a bit more to work with than he does because her character is the more vulnerable one, but they were both fantastic. 

I hate that this film was shot in black and white. Absolutely hate it, it made everything feel so drab and I think it would've been better in color, but that's a complaint I often have with contemporary black and white. (and there's a lot of that going around recently)

Malcolm and Marie is now streaming on Netflix and even though the premise may sound off putting, I think it's worth the watch.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable quote: "Are you actually yelling and belittling me from across this house because you are too busy eating mac and cheese?" - Marie (Zendaya)

Review: Promising Young Woman

Cassie (Carey Mulligan) was once a promising young woman in med school, then when her best friend Nina is raped at a party and the school took no action, Nina and Cassie both dropped out. It's now seven years later, Nina has died by suicide and Cassie enacts her revenge by pretending to be too drunk to stand at bars every week. Inevitably, a man will try to take her home and take advantage of her, only for her to turn the tables on him and lecture them on what they're doing. A former classmate Ryan (Bo Burnham) comes back into her life and for a moment we think Cassie is finally going to move on. Then something brings her back.

Promising Young Woman has been on my must see list for ages. It got mostly glowing reviews but a few reviewers I'm close with had some serious issues with it, which made me dial back my expectations a bit. Now here I am, 4 days after watching and still trying to put my thoughts together on how I feel about the movie as a whole. Because while I enjoyed parts of this movie immensely, there were a few things that really bothered me that I can't let go.

I can accept that Cassie's plan is very far fetched. The notebook she logs her catches in has some of them marked in red, and we can assume those ended violently. We don't see those moments. There's even one point where Cassie takes a tire iron to a man's car and all he does is drive off. The fact that Cassie isn't harmed during this scene is incredible, and I'm glad that director Emerald Fennell chose not to show this violence. Until she doesn't of course. More on that later. 

I think it was a strange choice to never show Nina as an adult. I get the point Fennell is trying to make, that she was erased in favor of her male attacker, but without her there it leaves this void in Cassie's plan. There's one scene where we meet Nina's mother (Molly Shannon) and she tells Cassie to move on for "all of us." Was she aware of what Cassie has been doing nightly or is it just because of her living/work situation? There was so much missing there. 

Before I get into the ending, which I'll tag with spoilers as that's where the bulk of my issues lie, let's talk about the good, because there is a lot of that. Carey Mulligan is as wonderful as everyone says she is. Even though I can't get behind what Cassie is doing, I was still concerned for her and even amused by some of her less offensive antics (like the long glare she gives those construction workers) I also really liked her banter with Bo Burnham. The costumes were a huge stand out. Cassie dresses like an Easter Egg. I loved all the bright pastels and I really hope this in particular gets recognition at the Oscars. 

This paragraph is going to get SPOILERY so skip to the next if you don't want to read this.****The thing that absolutely threw me for the loop was the ending. Cassie decides to show up at Nina's rapist's bachelor party, drug all his friends, then cuff him to a bed so she can go full Girl With a Dragon Tattoo on him and carve Nina's name into his body. Of course he breaks free, and in an excruciating long take, he suffocates Nina. Her death is the only violence we see on screen. Then immediately afterwards the dialogue between the two men who dispose of her body is played for laughs. This was so jarring to me. Even though this men are committing a crime, they're written in the same light as Bo Burnham's character, who had a lot of funny comments throughout. If Cassie absolutely had to die in this story, why give her killer that levity? It's bad enough that she could've just drugged him like she did everyone else, got her carve on, then left with her life. Thankfully, Fennell does give these characters their comeuppance with some timed texts Cassie set her phone up to send after the fact, but the fact that she put so much trust into a shady lawyer to assist her with that plan just made me anxious. That also could've gone so incredibly wrong. And the cynic in me thinks her killer is going to get off light again. Because yes, he murdered her, but now all his friends are going to tell them they were drugged. The guy whose car she totaled will probably come forward with that account, and Ryan can freely admit he was blackmailed. All of this will work against Cassie. He'll probably get off on self defense. And ultimately what was all of this for? Cassie is dead like Nina. All the men she turned the tables on will see this murder trial play out and probably dismiss their encounters with her as "she's a psycho" and will go on being shitty humans. *** END SPOILERS.

Ultimately I appreciate the effort here more than the execution. It's very well made and provocative, but some of the writing choices were gross. I keep thinking of Michaela Coel's HBO show I May Destroy You that also premiered this year. I just preferred how that was wrapped up. It wasn't tied up with a neat little bow, it wasn't afraid to show how messy its protagonist could be while dealing with her trauma, but it was so honest and not at the expense of anyone else. I just didn't get that with Promising Young Woman. 

Recommended: Yes - because I'd love to here your thoughts on this.

Grade: C+

Memorable quote: "You can spit in it if you want." - Ryan (Bo Burnham) 

Review: Ammonite

In 1840 England, Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) is a famed fossil hunter and introvert content on going about her routines. When a fellow scientist Roderick Murchison (James McArdle) happens in her shop looking to spend a day to learn from her, she allows him to tag along. He then decides to leave his wife Charlotte, (Saoirse Ronan) who has been suffering from depression in Mary's care. Though they initially don't get a long, they end up forming a strong and mostly silent bond.

This movie dials the melancholy up to eleven. It's all crashing waves, meticulous work, long stares and sadness. The only bit of energy put into the film at all are during its brief sex scenes between Winslet and Ronan. I think more effort was put into those scenes and into the film's campaign of talking about Winslet and Ronan playing a couple more than anything else.

Ammonite is just dull and lifeless. The costumes and set design are easy to admire and they make you feel cold while watching. Winslet and Ronan are both good in their roles, but they always are. I just didn't feel engaged with any of it and I constantly felt tempted to go off and do other things. I'm glad I waited to rent this and not pay the premium VOD rental. 

Recommended: No

Grade: C-

Memorable quote: "I feel I'm at a great disadvantage." - Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) 

What I Watched on TV in January

This month I really put the focus on movies so I didn't watch nearly as much TV as I did in the past couple of months, but thankfully what I did watch was very fulfilling. Here's what was going on with the small screen for me this month.

Wandavision - This was my most anticipated show of 2021 and I'm happy it's here. Marvel really took a big risk with this one, playing up to the old sit com styles in each episode and for me personally it's paying off Wanda is my favorite Avenger and this feels like such a fresh take. I can see why this might not be for everyone as each episode thus far has only given us a breadcrumb of what's going on in the current time line, but I'm happy to analyze each week and see what comes next. While its mostly a light and fun show, the moments were the facade cracks are truly unsettling and Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Teyonah Parris and Kathryn Hahn are just wonderful so far. I can't wait to see where this goes next. 

Ted Lasso - I don't think I had heard about this show at all until Sati started watching it. It's on Apple TV, which I have for a year and is truly a lackluster platform in general - but this show is awesome. It's so funny and pure. Ted is such an endearing character and I love his endless optimism. Jason Sudeikis is wonderful in this role. Juno Temple is an actress I've been enjoying for years as well and I'm glad she's in this too. The soccer players are hysterical and I still can't get over the lead actress being the same person who played the Septa in Game of Thrones. I'll definitely fork over some temporary money to buy Apple TV again when season 2 drops. 

Euphoria - HBO gave us a second special episode, this time from Jules' point of view. Hunter Schafer really got the chance to shine here. This one was a lot more involved than Rue's episode, which was just her and Ali at a diner giving an acting showcase talking. There were lots of camera tricks and dreamy sequences. I liked all the insight we got to Jules and her lack of a relationship with her mother in this episode, because that was something we didn't have a ton of last season. Because Rue's episode was so understated I was not expecting the amount of sex scenes that were in this episode. Of course the one with Nate made my skin crawl because we know what type of person he is, but I thought Jules' heartbreak over "Tyler" the person he was pretending to be not actually existing was very real. 

A Teacher - I got Hulu back for a month and I immediately binged this in one day since the episodes were 30 minutes and I've been seeing ads for ages. I thought it was good overall, but I don't think I would've enjoyed it as much if I were watching week to week. The episodes were very short and repetitive. I think they could've trimmed some of the episodes during their affair and added more about the aftermath. Eric coming to terms with this abusive relationship and realizing that it's not his fault deserved more than just one scene. 

Diners, Drive In's and Dives - Y'all, I have spent so many hours watching this show recently. It started because they were in my city over the summer filming, and those episodes finally aired, and then it turned into me having this on my TV every Friday and Saturday while I'm cooking dinner. I love food, and I miss going to restaurants. 

Dr. Pimple Popper - I've always watched this show, but for some reason I don't think I've ever included it in a Rambling TV post. They're finally airing new episodes again after resuming filming during the pandemic and I can't turn away from this show. It occurred to me the other day when my son suggested something was "probably a lipoma" how much this show normalizes dermatological conditions and removes some of the "freak" factor from it for young viewers. To him, these are things he's now seen before and knows they can be treated, so they're not scary or something to make fun of. That's pretty incredible. Unfortunately Discovery Networks decided that they were going to put the rest of the new episodes on their stand alone streaming service only and not on cable, which is one of the worst decisions I've ever heard from a streaming service. I get making new content exclusively for your streaming service, like CBS All Access does. But to take new seasons of long running shows and moving them to the app only? What the fuck is that?

2021 Screen Actors Guild Nominations

 

We had the Globes yesterday, and now we have the SAGs. They made up for a few of the Globes' mistakes, but then they added a few WTF's of their own. Here are the nominees. 

Cast in a Motion Picture

“Da 5 Bloods”

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”

“Minari”

“One Night In Miami”

“Trial of the Chicago 7”

Minari is a nice surprise! I figured the other 4 would make it but I thought Mank would get the 5th spot. 

Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture

Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”)

Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)

Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”)

Gary Oldman (“Mank”)

Steven Yeun (“Minari”)

Why are we pretending Gary Oldman was extraordinary in Mank? Delroy Lindo in Da 5 Bloods and Mads Mikkelson in Another Round would be better contenders. 

Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture

Amy Adams (“Hillbilly Elegy”)

Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)

Vanessa Kirby (“Pieces of a Woman”)

Frances McDormand (“Nomadland”)

Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”)

I never thought I'd be upset about Amy Adams being nominated for anything but HILLBILY ELEGY?! There has to be someone else. Where's Radha Blank?

Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)

Chadwick Boseman (“Da 5 Bloods”_

Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)

Jared Leto (“The Little Things”)

Leslie Odom, Jr. (“One Night in Miami”)

Jared Leto's nominations are baffling me. I wish it were Paul Raci in Sound of Metal. 

Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Maria Bakalova (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”)

Glenn Close (“Hillbilly Elegy”)

Olivia Colman (“The Father”)

Youn Yuh-Jung (“Minari”)

Helena Zengel (“News of the World”)

Again with Hilbilly Elegy. Stop trying to make Glenn Close's overdue Oscar win happen with these shitty performances. Psyched for Maria and even more so for young Helena Zengel. I love when young actors get nominated and she's the only reason I'm interested in seeing News of the World. She was so good in System Crasher. Amanda Seyfried missing here surprises me since Oldman got in for Mank and she's significantely better than he is. 

Ensemble in a Drama Series

“Better Call Saul”

“Bridgerton”

“The Crown”

“Ozark”

“Lovecraft Country”

LOVECRAFT COUNTRY! I'm so happy to see the cast recognized here. Same with The Crown and Better Call Saul

Male Actor in a Drama Series

Jason Bateman, “Ozark”

Sterling K. Brown, “This Is Us”

Josh O’Connor, “The Crown”

Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”

Rege-Jean Page, “Bridgerton”

This category is always so boring for me now that I see less of the nominated shows. Happy for O'Connor though.

Female Actor in a Drama Series

Gillian Anderson, “The Crown”

Olivia Colman, “The Crown”

Emma Corrin, “The Crown”

Julia Garner, “Ozark”

Laura Linney, “Ozark”

Holy vote splitting, Batman. I'm kind of shocked that it happened this way. They couldn't make any room for Zendaya in Euphoria or Jurnee Smoullet in Lovecraft Country? SAGs need to uncombine these categories. 

Ensemble in a Comedy Series

“Dead to Me”

“The Flight Attendant”

“The Great”

“Schitt’s Creek”

“Ted Lasso”

Everyone is excited about Schitt's Creek but I'm ecstatic about Ted Lasso. God, that show is so funny.

Male Actor in a Comedy Series

Nicholas Hoult, “The Great”

Dan Levy, “Schitt’s Creek”

Eugene Levy, “Schitt’s Creek”

Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso”

Ramy Youssef, “Ramy”

Sudeikis in Ted Lasso! I've never seen The Great but I like Hoult as an actor so I'm happy for him.

Female Actor in a Comedy Series

Christina Applegate, “Dead to Me”

Linda Cardellini, “Dead to Me”

Kaley Cuoco, “The Flight Attendant”

Annie Murphy, “Schitt’s Creek”

Catherine O’Hara, “Schitt’s Creek

I would've rather seen Hannah Waddingham or Juno Temple in here for Ted Lasso, but I don't watch any of these shows so I can't really comment. I plan on watching The Flight Attendant but I wasn't expecting it to be a comedy.

Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

Bill Camp, “The Queen’s Gambit”

Daveed Diggs, “Hamilton”

Hugh Grant, “The Undoing”

Ethan Hawke, “The Good Lord Bird”

Mark Ruffalo, “I Know This Much Is True”

Hamilton is somehow a TV movie here but not at the Globes. I love Daveed Diggs so I won't complaint too much, but it's so weird. Hugh Jackman is snubbed again for Bad Education. That's such a blow, he was great in that. 

Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

Cate Blanchett, “Mrs. America”

Michaela Coel, “I May Destroy You”

Nicole Kidman, “The Undoing”

Anya Taylor-Joy, “The Queen’s Gambit”

Kerry Washington, “Little Fires Everywhere”

MICHAELA COEL!! I'm so happy about this. I like all of these performances, even though I forgot Little Fires Everywhere was still in consideration. I weep at Shira Haas' exclusion for Unorthodox. She should be in here over Washington.

Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

“Da 5 Bloods”

“Mulan”

“News of the World”

“The Trial of the Chicago 7”

“Wonder Woman 1984”

I realize those protest scenes were probably hard to coordinate but lol Trial of Chicago 7. Did they forget about Birds of Prey?

Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series

“The Boys”

“Cobra Kai”

“Lovecraft Country”

“The Mandalorian”

“Westworld”

Thursday Movie Picks - Romantic Tropes: Fake Relationships

 

All February Wanderer is doing a romantic tropes theme for Thursday Movie Picks. I suspect this is going to be a bit difficult for me because I don't have a ton of romantic movies I love, but here's what I came up with.

1) She's All That - While this one isn't necessarily about two parties faking it, one of them is (initially so we're counting it) The stair scene remains iconic. 

2) How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days - YOU KILLED OUR LOVE FERN!!! This movie is pretty dumb but it's also very endearing. 

3) Easy A - I'm not sure if this technically qualifies as a romantic movie, but it's the first film that came to mind when I saw this theme. All of Olive's relationships in this are fake.

2021 Golden Globe Nominations

With the extended eligibility window due to the pandemic, we're FINALLY at the time to announce the Golden Globe nominees. Normally we would've already watched the broadcast. I'm anxious to get back to the normal eligibility window because I like my normal structure, but until then, let's have a look at the nominations. 

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

“Nomadland”

“Mank”

“The Father”

“Promising Young Woman“

“The Trial of the Chicago 7”

I've only seen Trial and Mank, with Trial being my clear favorite, but I plan on seeing the rest of these when they're available to me.

BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”

“Hamilton”

“Music”

“Palm Springs”

“The Prom”

Whooo boy, The Prom is awful and that Music movie also looks terrible. I'm happy for Borat, Palm Springs and Hamilton. I wish the HFPA would be less, well, The HFPA and nominate The Forty-Year-Old Version here instead.

BEST DIRECTOR

Emerald Fennell, (“Promising Young Woman”)

David Fincher, “Mank”

Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”)

Regina King (“One Night in Miami”)

Aaron Sorkin (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)

THREE female nominees! That's amazing.

BEST ACTOR – DRAMA

Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”)

Chadwick Boseman (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)

Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”)

Gary Oldman (“Mank”)

Tahar Rahim (“The Mauritanian”)

Tahar Rahim seems like a huge surprise, I haven't seen many talk about him at all. I'm gutted Steven Yeun was snubbed. I haven't seen Minari yet, but as a fan of his anyways I was rooting for him. I'm glad to see Ahmed and Boseman here. Oldman should not be here. He was bad in Mank. Delroy Lindo could've been in here too for Da 5 Bloods which was completely shut out. Same with Mads Mikkelson for Another Round (or is that a comedy?)

BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA

Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)

Andra Day (“The United States vs Billie Holiday”)

Frances McDormand (“Nomadland”)

Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”)

Vanessa Kirby (“Pieces of a Woman”)

I think 4 of these ladies will repeat at the Oscars, with Andra Day being the surprise. I really want to see Billie Holiday.

BEST ACTOR – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Sacha Baron Cohen (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”)

James Corden (“The Prom”)

Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton”)

Andy Samberg (“Palm Springs”)

Dev Patel (“Personal History of David Copperfield”)

JAMES CORDEN are you fucking kidding me? Yikes. As much as I like Lin-Manuel, he was probably the least amazing in Hamilton. I would've nominated Daveed Diggs or Leslie Odom Jr. first. I'm happy for Dev Patel. I haven't seen his film, but I love that guy. 

BEST ACTRESS – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Maria Bakalova (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”)

Kate Hudson (“Music”)

Michelle Pfeiffer (“French Exit”)

Rosamund Pike (“I Care A Lot”)

Anya Taylor-Joy (“Emma”)

Maria Bakalova is my favorite nomination here. I'm happy for Pike and Taylor-Joy as well. Hudson being in here over Cristin Milioti and Radha Blank is laughable.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE

Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)

Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)

Jared Leto (“The Little Things”)

Bill Murray (“On the Rocks”)

Leslie Odom, Jr. (“One Night in Miami”)

I really like this category although Leto is a huge WTF nomination for me. He was good in The Little Things, but I would not have guessed it would get awards love. I keep forgetting about On The Rocks. I need to watch that. 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE

Glenn Close, “Hillbilly Elegy”

Olivia Colman, “The Father”

Jodie Foster, “The Mauritanian”

Amanda Seyfried, “Mank”

Helena Zengel, “News of the World”

Helena Zengel getting a nomination here is wonderful but we need to have a talk about Glenn Close. I know people want her to win an Oscar but come on...Hillbilly Elegy..we have to stop this.

BEST SCREENPLAY

Aaron Sorkin (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)

Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”)

Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton (“The Father”)

Jack Fincher (“Mank”)

Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Alexandre Desplat (“The Midnight Sky”)

Ludwig Göransson (“Tenet”)

James Newton Howard (“News of the World”)

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste (“Soul”)

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (“Mank”)

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“IO SÌ (SEEN)” — “The Life Ahead”

“SPEAK NOW” — “One Night in Miami”

“TIGRESS & TWEED” — “The United States Vs. Billie Holiday”

“FIGHT FOR YOU” — “Judas and the Black Messiah”

“HEAR MY VOICE” — “The Trial of the Chicago 7”

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

“The Croods 2”

“Onward”

“Over the Moon”

“Soul”

“Wolfwalkers”

I'm rooting for Wolfwalkers personally but it's going to be an interesting fight between this and Soul

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

“Another Round”

“La Llorona”

“The Life Ahead”

“Minari”

“Two of Us”

Oh look, they did remember Minari. I'm jazzed for Another Round. Easily one of my favorite films of the year. 

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

“The Mandalorian”

“The Crown”

“Lovecraft Country”

“Ozark”

“Ratched”

I haven't seen Ratched yet but considering all the solid dramas out there like I May Destroy You this was a choice. At least Lovecraft Country is here.

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY

“Emily in Paris”

“Ted Lasso”

“The Flight Attendant”

“Schitt’s Creek”

“The Great”

TED LASSO!! Of course the Globes love Emily in Paris. 

MINISERIES OR TELEVISION FILM

“Normal People”

“The Queen’s Gambit”

“The Undoing”

“Small Axe”

“Unorthodox”

Normal People is the only one I didn't see but the other four are all wonderful and deserve to be here.

BEST ACTOR TV SERIES – DRAMA

Jason Bateman, “Ozark”

Josh O’Connor, “The Crown”

Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”

Matthew Rhys, “Perry Mason”

Al Pacino, “Hunters”

I forgot about Hunters. O'Connor getting in for The Crown is awesome. The lack of Lovecraft Country nominations makes me sad.

BEST ACTRESS TV SERIES – DRAMA

Olivia Colman, “The Crown”

Jodie Comer, “Killing Eve”

Emma Corrin, “The Crown”

Laura Linney, “Ozark”

Sarah Paulson, “Ratched”

Corrin is another Crown surprise. Good for her, but no Michaela Coel for I May Destroy You is awful. Same with Jurnee Smollet for Lovecraft Country. 

BEST ACTOR TV SERIES – COMEDY

Don Cheadle, “Black Monday”

Eugene Levy, “Schitt’s Creek”

Nicholas Hoult, “The Great”

Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso”

Ramy Youssef, “Ramy”

I'm rooting for Sudeikis here. Ted Lasso is amazing.

BEST ACTRESS TV SERIES – COMEDY

Lily Collins, “Emily in Paris”

Kaley Cuoco, “The Flight Attendant”

Elle Fanning, “The Great”

Catherine O’Hara, “Schitt’s Creek”

Jane Levy, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist”

No Issa Rae for Insecure? Failures. 

BEST ACTOR – MINISERIES OR TELEVISION FILM

Bryan Cranston, “Your Honor”

Jeff Daniels, “The Comey Rule”

Ethan Hawke, “The Good Lord Bird”

Hugh Grant, “The Undoing”

Mark Ruffalo, “I Know This Much Is True”

I hope Mark Ruffalo repeats his Emmy win. Poor Hugh Jackman for Bad Education though. I thought he'd be here.

BEST ACTRESS – MINISERIES OR TELEVISION FILM

Anya Taylor-Joy, “The Queen’s Gambit”

Shira Haas, “Unorthodox”

Nicole Kidman, “The Undoing”

Cate Blanchett, “Mrs. America”

Daisy Edgar-Jones, “Normal People”

I love this category, so much talent here. I really hope Shira Haas can pull through and win. I wish Letitia Wright would've been in here for Small Axe.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – SERIES, MINISERIES OR TELEVISION FILM

John Boyega, “Small Axe”

Brendan Gleeson, “The Comey Rule”

Dan Levy, “Schitt’s Creek”

Jim Parsons, “Hollywood”

Donald Sutherland, “The Undoing”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – SERIES, MINISERIES OR TELEVISION FILM

Gillian Anderson, “The Crown”

Helena Bonham Carter, “The Crown”

Julia Garner, “Ozark”

Annie Murphy, “Schitt’s Creek”

Cynthia Nixon, “Ratched”

I really don't think Carter did anything of note in The Crown this year but I'm happy to see Gillian Anderson. but again, the Lovecraft Country and I May Destroy You snubs. ugh. It's wild to me that none of the supporting actresses in Mrs. America made it here when they had multiple Emmy noms.

Review: The Little Things

Joe Deacon (Denzel Washington) is a cop sent to his former precinct to gather evidence for an upcoming trial. We learn that Deke used to work homicide here, and that he was some of of a legendary detective. Then something happened. He meets his hot shot replacement Jim Baxter (Rami Malek) who invites him along to a crime scene. It's similar to one Deke investigated years ago and now the two work together to solve it despite nearly everyone on Jim's department advising against it. 

Its 90's setting almost makes this feel a little like Se7en-lite. I really enjoyed that aspect of it. It's nowhere near as creepy, or as good, but I liked the mood of it. I was solidly with this film as a whole until we get to the last 20 minutes or so when everything becomes so implausibly dumb.

Denzel is always fun to watch. I liked him in this role and was genuinely curious to find out his "secret" so to speak. Rami Malek surprised me. When Jim is first introduced, he comes off as a raging douchebag and Malek was clinching his jaw so hard I was preparing for this to be an awful performance but he loosens up and I ended up really enjoying his dynamic with Washington. Jared Leto plays the man they think is the murderer in a very creepy role, and although his character is the root of quite a few of the film's 3rd act problems, I thought he was good as well.

I watched this on HBO Max and I'm thankful for that because this isn't a theater watch for me. I think I still ended up enjoying the film more than most did, but I had a hard time with a few choices at the end of it, and unfortunately that never took it out of "just okay" territory.

Recommended: If you already have HBO Max

Grade: C+

Memorable Quote: "It's the little things that get you caught." - Joe Deacon (Denzel Washington)