Film: Manchester By The Sea

GENRE: Drama

RATING: R for lots of language & some sexuality
RUNTIME: 2 hour and 17 minutes

STARRING: Casey Affleck (Gone Baby Gone, Ocean’s Eleven)

Lucas Hedges (The Slap), Michelle Williams (Dawson’s Creek)

DIRECTOR: Kenneth Lonergan (You Can Count on Me)

WRITER: Kenneth Lonergan (Analyze This, Gangs of New York)

PLOT: An unprepared uncle is asked to take care of his teenage nephew after the boy’s father dies.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Last Oscar Best Picture nominee to watch

STORY STUFF: This is a story about grief. So the expectations is that it is going to be slow moving and full of tears. Well, the pace is not quick, there are sorrowful moments but there is also a lot of silence and even some funny dialogue. Maybe it’s the Boston locale, but it reminded me of a more sorrowful Good Will Hunting without the Matt Damon monologues.  

ACTING STUFF: Casey Affleck is superb. His facial expressions, his silent contemplation and his soft-spoken lines speak volumes. There is so much going on under the surface you can’t help but be mesmerized by his performance. He deserves the Oscar. Lucas Hedges also gives a powerful performance of a son trying to distract himself from the grief. The whole cast is stellar in this film.

ARTISTIC STUFF: A beautifully shot film. Among the gratuitous shots of Manchester, the camera does a great job both framing the actors and minimizing them against the scenery. The music is also well done; a little operatic but fits the sorrow found in the film.   

VERDICT: Four and a half stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You want top-notch acting and don’t mind being sad.

UPCOMING REVIEWS: The Lego Batman Movie

Film: Moonlight

GENRE: Drama

RATING: R for violence, sexuality, language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 51 minutes

STARRING: Mahershala Ali (Luke Cage, Hidden Figures)

Alex R Hibbert (newcomer), Naomie Harris (Spectre, 28 Days Later)

DIRECTOR: Barry Jenkins (newcomer)

WRITER: Barry Jenkins (newcomer)

PLOT: The life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood growing up in a rough Miami neighborhood.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Watching all the Oscar Best Picture nominees

STORY STUFF: Chiron’s life is pretty depressing with his drugged up mom, bullies at school and his struggle with his sexuality. Luckily, there is usually someone who helps him a bit but ultimately lets him down. I have some empathy for Chiron but not as much as I had for the kid in Lion. While the film is well made, the pace is slow and didn’t always keep me engaged.

ACTING STUFF: A lot of praise is being heaped on Mahershala Ali and it is rightly deserved. He is compelling to watch but he is only in the first third of the movie. The three actors who play Chiron at different ages are good but I wasn’t blown away by their performances. Harris plays the disappointing mother to good effect and got an Oscar nomination for it. I would have liked to have seen more with Janelle Monae (Hidden Figures) who plays the ‘adoptive mother’ to Chiron, she was as compelling to watch as Ali.

ARTISTIC STUFF: Not much to stay about the artistic side. The film starts with this fluid camera motion around drug dealers but then goes pretty standard after that. The scene in the ocean, often shown in promotional spots, is also very well shot. The music didn’t grab me. The production design is plain but I think that’s what they are going for.   

VERDICT: Two stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You want to watch all the Oscar Best Picture nominees

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Manchester by the Sea

Film: Lion

GENRE: Drama

RATING: PG-13 for thematic material
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 58 minutes

STARRING: Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire, The Newsroom)

Nicole Kidman (Australia), Rooney Mara (Social Network, Carol)

DIRECTOR: Garth Davis (newcomer)

WRITER: Luke Davies (Life 2015)

PLOT: A five-year-old India boy gets lost in Calcutta and goes on a journey until he is adopted by an Australian family.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Was told it was pretty great

STORY STUFF: This is a story that tugs at the heartstrings. The first half of the film, you are rooting for this young lost boy to find safety. The second half you are hoping this now adult will be able to find his home once again. Along the way, is the full gambit of emotions. It’s a very well told story with a tear-inducing conclusion.   

ACTING STUFF: Patel does a great job as the adult Saroo. I’ve enjoyed his work even more since The Newsroom. His quiet moments pulled me into his emotional journey. But the real star of the film is Sunny Pawar as the young Saroo. He is not only adorable but riveting as a boy on the run. And boy can he run; I could watch that kid run a marathon. Kidman and Mara are just alright.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The cinematography is beautiful with lots of Calcutta landscapes and the editing has a wonderful mix of frenetic panic and quiet contemplation. I was most impressed with the music for this film. There are long stretches without dialogue and the music kept me tethered to the film the whole time. I also enjoyed the song playing over the closing credits.  

VERDICT: Four stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You have a heart for adoption and cute Indian kids

UPCOMING REVIEWS: A Monster Calls

2017 Oscar Nomination Predictions

The Oscar nominations are being announced tomorrow.  Here is who I think will get the nominations this year and who I wish would get nominated (based on what I’ve seen). At this stage, I do not predict the shorts (live, animated or documentary), foreign films or documentaries.

BEST PICTURE

Will be nominated: Arrival | Deadpool | Fences | Hacksaw Ridge | Hell or High Water | Hidden Figures | La La Land | Manchester by the Sea | Moonlight | Silence

Others I want nominated: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Sully

BEST ACTOR

Will be nominated: Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea) | Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge) | Ryan Gosling (La La Land) | Tom Hanks (Sully) | Denzel Washington (Fences)

Others I want nominated: Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Snowden) | Jeremy Renner (Arrival) | Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) | Neel Sethi (The Jungle Book)

BEST ACTRESS

Will be nominated: Amy Admas (Arrival) | Annette Benning (20^th Century Women) | Ruth Negga (Loving) | Natalie Portman (Jackie) | Emma Stone (La La Land)

Others I want nominated: Margot Robbie (Suicide Squad)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Will be nominated: Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) | Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water) | Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins) | Dev Patel (Lion) | Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals)

Others I want nominated: Dan Fogler (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) | Nick Offerman (The Founder) | Vince Vaughn (Hacksaw Ridge)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Will be nominated: Viola Davis (Fences) | Naomie Harris (Moonlight) | Nicole Kidman (Lion) | Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) | Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea)

Others I want nominated: Can’t think of anyone

BEST DIRECTOR

Will be nominated: Damien Chazelle (La La Land) | Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge) | Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) | Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea) | Martin Scorsese (Silence)

Others I want nominated: Clint Eastwood (Sully) | Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Will be nominated: Arrival | Fences | Lion | Moonlight | Nocturnal Animals

Others I want nominated: The Jungle Book | Doctor Strange

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Will be nominated: Hell or High Water | Jackie | La La Land | The Lobster | Manchester by the Sea

Others I want nominated: Finding Dory | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Will be nominated: Kubo and the Two Strings | Moana | My Life as a Zucchini | The Red Turtle | Zootopia

Others I want nominated: Finding Dory

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Will be nominated: Arrival | Hacksaw Ridge | La La Land | Moonlight | Silence

Others I want nominated: The Jungle Book | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

BEST FILM EDITING

Will be nominated: Arrival | Hacksaw Ridge | La La Land | Manchester by the Sea | Moonlight

Others I want nominated: Sully | Rogue One; A Star Wars Story

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Will be nominated: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | Jackie | The Jungle Book | La La Land | Silence

Others I want nominated: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children | Passengers | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Will be nominated: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | Florence Foster Jenkins | Hidden Figures | Jackie | La La Land

Others I want nominated: can’t think of any

BEST MAKEUP & HAIR

Will be nominated: Deadpool | Florence Foster Jenkins | Star Trek Beyond

Others I want nominated: can’t think of any

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Will be nominated: Arrival | Doctor Strange | Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | The Jungle Book | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Others I want nominated: can’t think of any

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Will be nominated: Jackie | La La Land | Lion | Moonlight | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Others I want nominated: can’t think of any

BEST SONG

Will be nominated: “Can’t Stop the Feeling” (Trolls) | “City of Stars” (La La Land) | “Drive It Like You Stole It” (Sing Street) | “How Far I’ll Go” (Moana) | “Runnin’” (Hidden Figures)

Others I want nominated: “I’m So Humble” (Popstar) | “Equal Rights” (Popstar)

BEST SOUND EDITING

Will be nominated: Arrival | Hacksaw Ridge | La La Land | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | Silence

Others I want nominated: can’t think of any

BEST SOUND

Will be nominated: Arrival | Hacksaw Ridge | La La Land | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | Silence

Others I want nominated: can’t think of any

Let’s see how I do.

Film: The Founder

GENRE: Drama, Biography

RATING: PG-13 for brief strong language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 55 minutes

STARRING: Michael Keaton (Birdman, Spotlight, Batman, Mr. Mom)

Nick Offerman (Parks & Rec, Fargo), John Carroll Lynch (Zodiac, Fargo)

DIRECTOR: John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side, Saving Mr. Banks)

WRITER: Robert Siegel (Turbo, The Wrestler)

PLOT: Based on the true story of a salesman who screwed over the McDonald’s brothers in order to franchise their restaurant.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I’ve been intrigued with this story for a while

STORY STUFF: I found the story fascinating. I loved the beginning where the brothers share the story of how they came up with the model of their business. (It seems like In N Out Burger has kept this same concept today.) I loved watching the triumphs and pitfalls of franchising but didn’t care too much about Ray Kroc’s home life.   

ACTING STUFF: Keaton does a pretty great job being the asshole in this film. You can’t help but be drawn into his performance. He has been picking some great roles lately. I also really enjoyed watching Offerman as Dick McDonald. He channeled a bit of his gruff Ron Swanson but also showed lots of emotion and care for his brother.

ARTISTIC STUFF: I enjoyed seeing the early days of diners and McDonald’s. If only those hamburgers were still 15 cents.  

VERDICT: Four stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You eat McDonald’s or appreciate In N Out Burger

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Oscar Nominee Predictions

Film: Hidden Figures

GENRE: Drama

RATING: PG for thematic elements
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 7 minutes

STARRING: Taraji P. Henson (Empire, Person of Interest, Top Five)

Octavia Spencer (The Help, Insurgent), Janelle Monae (Moonlight)

DIRECTOR: Theodore Melfi (St. Vincent)

WRITERS: Allison Schroeder (Mean Girls 2) & Melfi (St. Vincent)

PLOT: The untold story about a team of African-American women who helped NASA with important math data for their early launches.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Read an article about the story & it intrigued me.

STORY STUFF: It is an interesting story full of mixed emotions. I feel sad for humanity when I see things like segregation played out. I feel happy when justice prevails and credit is given. I felt a bit confused when they spent a little too much time on their home life. I felt sarcastic when they over-dramatized time-crunch mathematics. All these feelings equal a pretty good time at the theatre.  

ACTING STUFF: I’m not sure why Octavia Spencer is getting all the awards buzz. She’s a good actress and all but I thought Henson nailed her role and Monae was a breath of fresh air.  Kevin Costner (Field of Dreams) plays the stern but soft-hearted boss, a comfortable role for him. Jim Parsons (Big Bang Theory) is still nerdy but doesn’t come off as goofy. And Mahershala Ali (House of Cards, Luke Cage, Moonlight) seems to be everywhere these days and rockin’ it. Overall, some very fine acting. However, Kirsten Dunst didn’t grab me this time around.

ARTISTIC STUFF: I liked the production value of re-creating the sixties. Kind of reminded me of Apollo 13. Not much else to praise or criticize.

VERDICT: Four stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You like history, math, space or a good story
UPCOMING REVIEWS: Oscar Nominee Predictions, The Founder

2017 Golden Globes Wrap Up

Jimmy Fallon started off the show well with a La La Land musical number full of stars but after an okay monologue, he was pretty much absent. I did a bit better this year with 18 out of 25 correct and would have been even better if I realized that the Hollywood Foreign Press was in love with The Night Manager. Some of the bizarre parts include the awkward presence of Questlove DJing on stage and the randomness of the category order (why wait until 30 minutes after all the rest of the television awards have been handed out and then give out Best Actor in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy?) One of my highlights of the night was that Mel Gibson finally shaved off his beard. Also liked Meryl Streep's speech (and Viola Davis' introduction). Anyway, here are the winners:

Best Motion Picture – Drama

Moonlight

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

Isabelle Huppert (Elle)

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea) (predicted & wanted)

Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical

La La Land (predicted & wanted)

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical

Emma Stone (La La Land) (predicted & wanted)

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical

Ryan Gosling (La La Land) (predicted)

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Viola Davis (Fences) (predicted & wanted)

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Aaron Taylor Johnson (Nocturnal Animals)

Best Animated Feature Film

Zootopia (predicted & wanted)

Best Foreign Language Film

Elle (France) (wanted)

Best Director – Motion Picture

Damien Chazelle (La La Land) (predicted)

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

Damien Chazelle (La La Land)

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

Justin Hurwitz (La La Land) (predicted & wanted)

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

“City of Stars” (La La Land) (predicted)

Best Television Series – Drama

The Crown (predicted)

Best Actress in A Television Series – Drama

Claire Foy (The Crown) (predicted)

Best Actor in A Television Series – Drama

Billy Bob Thorton (Goliath) (predicted)

Best Television Series – Comedy

Atlanta (predicted & wanted)

Best Actress in A Television Series – Comedy

Tracee Ellis Ross (Blackish) (predicted)

Best Actor in A Television Series – Comedy

Donald Glover (Atlanta) (wanted)

Best Limited Series or TV Movie

The People v OJ Simpson (predicted & wanted)

Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie

Sarah Paulson (The People v OJ Simpson) (predicted & wanted)

Best Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie

Tom Hiddleston (The Night Manager)

Best Supporting Actress in a Series or TV Movie

Olivia Coleman (The Night Manager)

Best Supporting Actor in a Series or TV Movie

Hugh Laurie (The Night Manager)

2017 Golden Globes Predictions

The Golden Globes are on this Sunday so it’s time for the Golden Globes guessing game. With less than 100 members voting, it’s pretty much a crapshoot. Last year I got a lousy 56% but at least they honour comedies, the winners are pretty tipsy, and Jimmy Fallon is taking on the hosting duties.  Here’s who I think will win and want to win.

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Hacksaw Ridge | Hell or High Water | Lion | Manchester by the Sea | Moonlight
Will Win: Manchester by the SeaWant to Win: Hacksaw Ridge

BEST ACTOR – DRAMA

Casey Affleck [Manchester by the Sea] | Joel Edgerton [Loving] | Andrew Garfield [Hacksaw Ridge] | Viggo Mortensen [Captain Fantastic] | Denzel Washington [Fences]

Will Win: Casey Affleck [Manchester by the Sea]

Want to Win: Casey Affleck [Manchester by the Sea]

BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA

Amy Adams [Arrival] | Jessica Chastain [Miss Sloane] | Isabelle Huppert [Elle] | Ruth Negga [Loving] | Natalie Portman [Jackie]

Will Win: Natalie Portman [Jackie]

Want to Win: Natalie Portman [Jackie]

BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY

20^th Century Women | Deadpool | Florence Foster Jenkins | La La Land | Sing Street

Will Win: La La Land

Want to Win: La La Land

BEST ACTOR – COMEDY

Colin Farrell [The Lobster] | Ryan Gosling [La La Land] | High Grant [Florence Foster Jenkins] | Jonah Hill [War Dogs] | Ryan Reynolds [Deadpool]

Will Win: Ryan Gosling [La La Land]

Want to Win: Ryan Reynolds [Deadpool]

BEST ACTRESS – COMEDY

Annette Bening [20^th Century Women] | Lily Collins [Rules Don’t Apply] | Hailee Steinfeld [The Edge of Seventeen] | Emma Stone [La La Land] | Meryl Streep [Florence Foster Jenkins]

Will Win: Emma Stone [La La Land]

Want to Win: Emma Stone [La La Land]

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - FILM

Mahershala Ali [Moonlight] | Jeff Bridges [Hell or High Water] | Simon Helberg [Florence Foster Jenkins] | Dev Patel [Lion] | Aaron Taylor Johnson [Nocturnal Animals]

Will Win: Mahershala Ali [Moonlight]

Want to Win: Mahershala Ali [Moonlight]

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - FILM

Viola Davis [Fences] | Naomie Harris [Moonlight] | Nicole Kidman [Lion] | Octavia Spencer [Hidden Figures] | Michelle Williams [Manchester by the Sea]

Will Win: Viola Davis [Fences]

Want to Win: Viola Davis [Fences]

BEST DIRECTOR

Damien Chazelle [La La Land] | Tom Ford [Nocturnal Animals] | Mel Gibson [Hacksaw Ridge] | Barry Jenkins [Moonlight] | Kenneth Lonergan [Manchester by the Sea]

Will Win: Damien Chazelle [La La Land]

Want to Win: Mel Gibsom [Hacksaw Ridge]

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Kubo and the Two Strings | Moana | My Life as a Zucchini | Sing | Zootopia

Will Win: Zootopia

Want to Win: Zootopia

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Divines [France] | Elle [France] | Neruda [Chile] | The Salesman [Iran] | Toni Erdmann [Germany]

Will Win: Toni Erdmann [Germany]

Want to Win: Elle [France]

BEST SCREENPLAY

Damien Chazelle [La La Land] | Tom Ford [Nocturnal Animals] | Barry Jenkins [Moonlight] | Kenneth Lonergan [Manchester by the Sea] | Taylor Sheridan [Hell or High Water]

Will Win: Kenneth Lonergan [Manchester by the Sea]

Want to Win: Kenneth Lonergan [Manchester by the Sea]

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Nicolas Britell [Moonlight] | Justin Hurwitz [La La Land] | Johann Johannsson [Arrival] | Hauschka & Dustin O’Halloran [Lion] | Pharrell Williams, Has Zimmer [Hidden Figures]

Will Win: Justin Hurwitz [La La Land]

Want to Win: Justin Hurwitz [La La Land]

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“Can’t Stop the Feeling” [Trolls] | “City of Stars” [La La Land] | “Faith” [Sing] | “Gold” [Gold] | “How Far I’ll Go” [Moana]

Will Win: “City of Stars” [La La Land]

Want to Win: “Can’t Stop the Feeling” [Trolls]

BEST TV SERIES – DRAMA

The Crown | Game of Thrones | Stranger Things | This Is Us | Westworld

Will Win: The Crown

Want to Win: This Is Us

BEST ACTOR – DRAMA

Rami Malek [Mr. Robot] | Bob Odenkirk [Better Call Saul] | Matthew Rhys [The Americans] | Liev Schreiber [Ray Donovan] | Billy Bob Thorton [Goliath]

Will Win: Billy Bob Thorton [Goliath]

Want to Win: Bob Odenkirk [Better Call Saul]

BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA

Caitriona Balfe [Outlander] | Claire Foy [The Crown] | Keri Russell [The Americans] | Winona Ryder [Stranger Things] | Evan Rachel Wood [Westworld]

Will Win: Claire Foy [The Crown]

Want to Win: Kerri Russell [The Americans]

BEST TV SERIES – COMEDY
Atlanta | Blackish | Mozart in the Jungle | Transparent | Veep
Will Win: Atlanta
Want to Win: Atlanta

BEST ACTOR – COMEDY

Anthony Anderson [Blackish] | Gael Garcia Bernal [Mozart in the Jungle] | Donald Glover [Atlanta] | Nick Nolte [Graves] | Jeffrey Tambor [Transparent]

Will Win: Jeffrey Tambor [Transparent]

Want to Win: Donald Glover [Atlanta]

BEST ACTRESS – COMEDY

Rachel Bloom [Crazy Ex-Girlfriend] | Julia Louis-Dreyfus [Veep] | Sarah Jessica Parker [Divorce] | Issa Rae [Insecure] | Gina Rodriguez [Jane the Virgin] | Tracee Ellis Ross [Blackish]

Will Win: Julia Louis-Dreyfus [Veep]

Want to Win: Tracee Ellis Ross [Blackish]

BEST LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
American Crime | The Dresser | The Night Manager | The Night Of | The People v. OJ Simpson
Will Win: The People v OJ Simpson

Want to Win: The People v OJ Simpson

BEST ACTOR – LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE

Riz Ahmed [The Night Of] | Bryan Cranston [All the Way] | Tom Hiddleston [The Night Manager] | John Tutturro [The Night Of] | Courtney B Vance [The People v OJ Simpson]

Will Win: Courtney B Vance [The People v OJ Simpson]

Want to Win: John Turturro [The Night Of]

BEST ACTRESS – LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE

Felicity Huffman [American Crime] | Riley Keough [The Girlfriend Experience] | Sarah Paulson [The People v OJ Simpson] | Charlotte Rampling [London Spy] | Kerry Washington [Confirmation]

Will Win: Sarah Paulson [The People v OJ Simpson]

Want to Win: Sarah Paulson [The People v OJ Simpson]

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - TELEVISION

Sterling K Brown [The People v OJ Simpson] | Hugh Laurie [The Night Manager] | John Lithgow [The Crown] | Christian Slater [Mr. Robot] | John Travolta [The People v OJ Simpson]

Will Win: John Lithgow [The Crown]

Want to Win: Sterling K Brown [The People v OJ Simpson]

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – TELEVISION

Olivia Colman [The Night Manager] | Lena Headey [Game of Thrones] | Chrissy Metz [This Is Us] | Mandy Moore [This Is Us] | Thandie Newton [Westworld]

Will Win: Thandie Newton [Westworld]

Want to Win: Chrissy Metz [This is Us]

Let’s see how I do this year.