Rambling Film

  I'm back with my completely inconsistent Blind Spot Series picks! I swear I'm still trying to look behind, instead of just looking ahead when it comes to movies. And I'm starting the year off with one that I've been meaning to watch for quiet some time. What I knew going in: That I keep mixing this up with Splendor in the Grass I have no idea why I was getting the plot of this movie mixed up with Splendor in the Grass, a film that has NOTHING to do with this, but either way, when I started this film with a lobotomy, then was treated with a grand elevator entrance from Katherine Hepburn, I knew I was in good hands.  Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor are chewing so much scenery in this. I loved every minute of their monologues. They were so good that poor Montgomery Cliff just didn't know what to do. He seemed stunned in every scene he had to interact with them. I found it unintentionally amusing how lost he looked. I know he was having some personal struggles around th...

Official synopsis:  Tells the story of Lorenz Hart's (Ethan Hawke) struggles with alcoholism and mental health as he tries to save face during the opening of his former working partner Richard Rogers' (Adam Scott) "Oklahoma!" All, I wanted to write this off as pretentious so badly. Just the first few sentences had it brewing under my skin. That and it "took" my beloved Sorry, Baby's Original Screenplay nomination at the Oscars. I was ready to hate this film, it wasn't deserved, but I was ready. Damn it, I loved this.  I was SO hooked by Hawke's performance. It really is HIS film. Everyone else, no matter how nice they are to see. Bobby Canavale as a bartender, Margaret Qualley has Lorenz's college student love interest, even Scott's small part as Richard Rogers are nice, but nothing quite stands up to the power house performance Hawke is laying down. They all compliment it, but it's a one man show. Lorenz Hart would have it no other ...

I thought I was losing my mind looking for my "SAG" nomination post only to yet again forget they changed their name to the Actor Awards. After the mess of the BAFTA broadcast, let's hope this one goes smoothly. Below are my guesses for who will win, and in some cases, who should win.  OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE Frankenstein Hamnet Marty Supreme One Battle After Another Sinners Who will and should win: Sinners This is the one place I think Sinners will prevail over One Battle for a top price. Both casts are extremely impressively but I see this body going for Sinners.  OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Jessie Buckley – Hamnet Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue Chase Infinity – One Battle After Another Emma Stone – Bugonia Who will and should win: Jessie Buckley I think she's a lock for Best Actress at this point. Byrne could be the upset, but I don't see it happening.  OUTSTANDI...

Official Synopsis:  Red Crescent volunteers Omar (Motaz Malhees) and Rami (Saja Kilhani) receive an emergency call. A 6-year old girl is trapped in a car under IDF fire in Gaza, pleading for rescue. While trying to keep her on the line, they do everything they can to get an ambulance to her. Director Kaouther Ben Hania showed us in her Oscar nominated documentary Four Daughters that she links to blend genres and techniques together. Here, she uses the actual audio record of Hind Rajab. We never see an actress portray her. She also uses actual cell phone footage of the real volunteers at times, breaking the fourth wall and reminding her audience that this was a very real tragedy that happened.  While this is technically a chamber piece, you never leave the Red Cross volunteer room where Rami and Omar are working like hell to get someone to her, you feel like you can easily picture what Hind is going through. The actual audio being used amplifies that. At one point, the co...

Leave it to the BAFTAs to throw us some curveballs! Maybe not in the grand scheme of things in some cases, but it's different nonetheless. Below is a list of the nominees, with winners highlighted + my thoughts.  BEST FILM Hamnet Marty Supreme One Battle After Another Sentimental Value Sinners For those (me) still hoping for that Sinners upset...it's not happening.  OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM 28 Years Later The Ballad of Wallis Island Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy Die My Love H Is for Hawk Hamnet I Swear Mr. Burton Pillion Steve I'm glad Hamnet is winning some of these Best Picture awards at least because it's so good.  OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER The Ceremony My Father’s Shadow Pillion A Want in Her Wasteman I've heard really good things about this film and can't wait to see it. CHILDREN’S & FAMILY FILM Arco Boong Lilo & Stitch Zootopia 2 I have no idea what this is, and what it's doing beating my beloved Zootopia 2....

Official synopsis:  Lightning (Hugh Jackman) and Thunder (Kate Hudson), a Milwaukee husband and wife Neil Diamond tribute act, experience soaring success and devastating heartbreak in their musical journey together. This is a case of "the Oscars forced me to watch this." Nothing about this film interested me, but I just had to see for myself how Kate Hudson edged out amazing performances from Amanda Seyfried, Jennifer Lawrence, and Chase Infiniti for a Best Actress Oscar nomination. And it truly is her best performance, though for me personally I think she just has more voting friends than the other women, but she's easily the best part of this film. And she feels a lot more natural in her role than Jackman, who is doing the absolute MOST does. There were so many baffling choices made here. Allowing your two leads to be on completely different wave lengths is one, but some of the timeline was downright confusing. Even if you haven't seen the documentary of the same na...

Official synopsis:  A passionate and tumultuous love story set against the backdrop of the Yorkshire moors, exploring the intense and destructive relationship between Heathcliff (Owen Cooper as a child, Jacob Elordi as an adult) and Catherine Earnshaw. (Charlotte Mellington as a child, Margo Robbie as an adult) I'll start off by saying that I don't care about the novel and I barely remember any of the versions of this I have watched. Not to sound flippant, but I mention this because I don't have a dog in the current internet fight going on over this film. Emerald Fennell has shown in all her directorial efforts that she's a provocateur and I love that for her. And that worked out great for me because I thoroughly enjoyed Wuthering Heights. Like many adaptations, it doesn't do the full book, it keeps Cathy Earnshaw and Heathcliff as the main figures, and that's fine. The production design and costume design are absolutely breathtaking. The use of reds and pinks i...

It's that time of year again! My yearly mission to watch all Oscar nominated short films. Each category is ranked from best to worst, followed by some brief thoughts.  Best Animated Short Film Unlike last year, all the stop motion dong got left behind in the short lists Butterfly - This hand painted animated film is inspired by Jewish/French swimmer Alfred Nakache. I was not familiar with his story prior, but this short is equal parts moving and devastating - A The Girl Who Cried Pearls - This is a really good piece of stop motion, but the story is already a bit thin, and the ending does nothing to help. It ultimately was a bit of a nothing burger. Also this getting in over the disturbing Playing God? Nah. B- Retirement Plan - This is also a bit of a nothing burger but you get to hear Domnhall Gleeson's lovely voice, and that's really what it has going for it. C+ Forevergreen -  The animation in this is beautiful, but seriously this bear is going for gold in the fuck aro...

This is my first year as a voting member for Film Independent! I didn't get to watch the broadcast live since I was traveling, but I'm excited to see the results. Below is a full list of the winners + my thoughts.  BEST FEATURE Peter Hujar’s Day  The Plague  Sorry, Baby  Train Dreams Twinless  I went all in for Sorry, Baby but it was Train Dreams that won the big one.  BEST FIRST FEATURE Blue Sun Palace Dust Bunny East of Wall  Lurker  One of Them Days Lurker is a really strong debut so I was happy to see it win here. It's what I picked.  JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD  The Baltimorons Boys Go to Jupiter  Eephus  Esta Isla (This Island) Familiar Touch  I didn't see all the films in this category so I didn't vote, but from what I did see I would've went with The Baltimorons.  BEST DIRECTOR Clint Bentley – Train Dreams Mary Bronstein – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You Lloyd Lee Choi – Lucky Lu Ira Sachs – Peter Hujar’s Day Eva Victor – Sor...

While musing in one of my favorite blogs 1001plus' comment section, I was reminded of one of the most long standing disappointments for me when it comes to Oscar wins; Best Actor in a Leading Role. So to air my grievances, I figured I'd put together a quick Who won/Who should've won list going as far back as I need to in order to fill out a Top 5.  2024   Who won: Adrian Brody - The Brutalist Who should've won: Ralph Fiennes for Conclave or Colman Domingo for Sing Sing 2023 Who won: Cillian Murphy - Oppenheimer This was correct! Cue "it's been 84 years" meme. We've got a bit of a gap until we hit #2 2022 Who won: Brendan Frasier - The Whale Who should've won: Colin Ferrell - The Banshees of Inisherin  2021  Who won: Will Smith - King Richard Who should've won: Benedict Cumberbatch - The Power of the Dog  2020 Who won: Anthony Hopkins - The Father Who should've won: Riz Ahmed for The Sound of Metal, or Chadwick Boseman for Ma Rainey's Bl...