Film: Fountain of Youth

 

GENRE: Action Adventure
RATING: PG-13 for violence and brief language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 5 minutes
PLATFORM: Apple TV+
STARRING: John Krasinski (The Office, Jack Ryan, A Quiet Place)
Natalie Portman (Black Swan, Thor); Domhnall Gleeson (Star Wars 7-9)
DIRECTOR: Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Sherlock Holmes, The Gentlemen)
WRITER: James Vanderbilt (Zodiac, Amazing Spider-Man, Scream VI)
PLOT: Siblings join forces to find the Fountain of Youth, Indy-style.        

FULL DISCLOSURE: Looked like an Indiana Jones knock-off.

STORY STUFF: There are some good attempts to go all Indiana Jones or at least National Treasure but it falls short unfortunately. The sibling angle didn’t work for me. I like when they are trying to solve mysterious clues which has some good moments but when they get closer to the fountain, they seem to know exactly what to do without much thought. There are a couple good action sequences but nothing ‘wow’. It’s okay as a popcorn movie if you happen to subscribe to Apple.

ACTING STUFF: I like Krasinski as Jack Ryan, so I like his action stuff, but he is too goofy here and trying too hard for the Harrison Ford charisma. Portman doesn’t get much to do either except be a stick in the mud. Stanley Tucci (Devil Wears Prada) is always a welcome presence but he is barely in this; I don’t know why he signed on in the first place. I was also confused about Arian Moayed’s (Succession) role in this film.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The action is okay. The special effects are okay. Everything is just okay.

VERDICT: Two and half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You just want a film you don’t have to think too much about.
UPCOMING REVIEW: The Phoenician Scheme

Film: Mission:Impossible - The Final Reckoning

 

GENRE: Action Adventure
RATING: PG-13 for violence and brief language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 49 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Tom Cruise (Top Gun, Edge of Tomorrow, Minority Report)
Hayley Atwell (Captain America); Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead, Star Trek)
DIRECTOR: Christopher McQuarrie (Jack Reacher, Mission: Impossible 5-8)
WRITERS: Erik Jendresen (Band of Brothers, M:I - Dead Reckoning)
Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects, Tom Gun: Maverick)

PLOT: Ethan Hunt is back to save the world from nuclear war at the hands of the AI known as The Entity.        

FULL DISCLOSURE: My expectation was huge for this film.

STORY STUFF: I wanted to like this film more. I love this franchise; it is one of my favourites. If this is the end, then I think they did a good job wrapping it up. My biggest issue is that there were less amazing action sequences and less humour this time around. Even with the weight of the world always on Ethan’s shoulders, there is also some lightness that keeps me entertained. The plane sequence at the end is action-packed, although it reminded me of the 6^th mission. Underwater sub stuff is all about timing and suspense but not riveting like a car chase. On another note, I always wonder how one man can be so lucky and unlucky at the same time. There is a fun reveal about one of the characters that I thought was cute. This film is still entertaining as a wrap up to the series but earlier missions have been better (except for the second one).

ACTING STUFF: Cruise is great as Ethan Hunt but doesn’t get to be funny this time around; same goes for Pegg. I loved seeing the murderers row of ‘that guys’ in this film. Milchick from Severance and Ron Swanson from Parks & Rec were the standouts for me. Not a fan of Angela Basset (or her son storyline). There was one returning character I was hoping for and it was great to see him not only appear but be an integral part of the story (I won’t spoil it for you though).

ARTISTIC STUFF: The action sequences always look great. I was happy with the references and callbacks to previous missions but the clip show aspect looked pretty sitcom-y at times.

VERDICT: Four stars out of five (I’m grading on a curve)
SEE IT IF: You’ve seen the other ones.
UPCOMING REVIEW: The Phoenician Scheme

Film: Thunderbolts*

 

GENRE: Superhero Action
RATING: PG-13 for violence, language and thematic elements
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 6 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Black Widow, A Good Person)
Sebastian Stan (The Apprentice); Lewis Pullman (Top Gun: Maverick)
DIRECTOR: Jake Schreier (Beef, Robot & Frank, Kidding)
WRITERS: Eric Pearson (Black Widow, Thor: Ragnarok, Transformers One)
Joanna Calo (The Bear, Beef, BoJack Horseman)
PLOT: The anti-heroes of past Marvel films team up to stop a threat.        

FULL DISCLOSURE: Mix of lowered expectations and hoping for good stuff.

STORY STUFF: I really liked this film. I personally think they should have ended the franchise with Endgame but this made me interested again after a string of ho-hum Marvel phases. The subject matter gets pretty deep with a lot of talk about depression and loneliness but they handle it incredibly well. If you look at the director and writer, you can tell that this is not your typical Marvel roster of behind-the-scenes talent. What I really enjoyed about this film is that the group stuck together for the majority of the time instead of splitting them off so they could shine without the others. It’s the relationships that are at the heart of this film. I liked the pacing and I’m glad there were a bunch of well-crafted funny lines to break up the seriousness. I do think watching Black Widow and the Falcon & the Winter Soldier series would be helpful to get a better understanding of a few characters but it is not necessary.

ACTING STUFF: Pugh is amazing. She is so captivating to watch as she taps into real emotion and character work that it almost seems unfair to be in a Marvel film. David Harbour (Stranger Things) is also bringing his A game with both comic relief for the group and powerful emotional moments with Pugh. And then you have Sebastian Stan just coming in like a rockstar in every scene. I did not like Wyatt Russell in the Falcon & Winter Soldier series but he grew on me in this film as his dickishness was necessary and also added some humour. Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost surprisingly doesn’t get much to do except use her cool fighting powers – I don’t get a sense about her character’s personality. And while I like Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld), I still find it odd to have her in a film like this. Finally, Pullman was maybe a tad too geeky but I still enjoyed his performance as Bob.

ARTISTIC STUFF: I like that there was a lot less green screen in this film. Way to use the Utah landscape folks! The mountain bunker and upper tower fight sequences were done incredibly well. There’s a point when New York is getting taken over by blackness and it just reminded me of a Spider-Man cartoon episode where black goo takes over the city with some humourous repetition. What I would have liked in this film is more of a soundtrack. I like Starship’s “Nothing’s Going to Stop Us Now” but felt there should be a few more needledrops – maybe in Red Guardian’s limo. By the way, after a wonderful end credit magazine sequence, there is a funny stinger and then there is an important one at the very end. This one was more worth it than the past string of stingers.

VERDICT: Four and a half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You are able to give Marvel another chance.
UPCOMING REVIEW: Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning

Film: Sinners

 

GENRE: Period Vampire Drama
RATING: R for bloody violence, sexual content and language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 17 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Michael B Jordan (Creed, Black Panther, Fruitvale Station)
Miles Caton (newcomer); Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit, Bumblebee, Hawkeye)
DIRECTOR: Ryan Coogler (Creed, Wakanda Forever, Fruitvale Station)
WRITER: Ryan Coogler (Black Panther, Fruitvale Station, Creed)
PLOT: Twin brothers return home to start a Juke Club but end up awakening an evil force. 

FULL DISCLOSURE: The 98% on Rotten Tomatoes convinced me.

STORY STUFF: This is not your typical vampire flick. The time period, racial tension and musical aspects set it apart from a lot of other films. Although, I did think of From Dusk to Dawn when watching. I liked the premise of the story and following these brothers as they try to start their life again. I was little surprised at the sensuality which strayed away from typical horror sex before getting killed by a boogeyman. The pacing works well and I often like the one crazy night trope in films. There were a couple of endings but not as bad as LOTR. The post-credit sequence was interesting but also visually fun with the outfits.  

ACTING STUFF: Coogler always get the best out of Jordan. While dual roles are sometimes campy, this film makes it work. I was thankful that their red and blue outfits set them apart easily for me. Jordan is always captivating but the rest of the cast is also bringing their A game. I enjoyed Delroy Lindo (Gone in 60 Seconds) and his contributions to this film.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The cinematography is top notch and so are the costumes. What sticks out the most are the songs that are played in the car and at the club. There’s a great stomping song. There is also one scene that I enjoyed that breaks some film norms but I have a feeling it will take others out of the film entirely for a few minutes. I’m not a huge blues fan but it was still enjoyable to listen to.      

VERDICT: Four and a half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like vampires set in the great Depression south with music.
UPCOMING REVIEW: Thunderbolts*

Film: The Amateur

 

GENRE: Action Spy Film
RATING: PG-13 for violence and language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 3 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Rami Malek (Mr. Robot, No Time to Die, Bohemian Rhapsody)
Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix, John Wick 2); Holt McCallany (Mindhunter)
DIRECTOR: James Hawes (Slow Horses. One Life)
WRITERS: Ken Nolan (Black Hawk Down) & Gary Spinelli (American Made)
PLOT: An CIA decoder seeks vengeance when his wife is killed in a terrorist attack and the CIA won’t help.        

FULL DISCLOSURE: This looked like an okay popcorn flick.

STORY STUFF: Just as I suspected, a nice popcorn flick. The storyline is pretty predictable, especially with a couple of the deaths shown in the trailer. While an analyst taking down bad guys is a Jack Ryan thing to do, Malek’s Heller is more panicky and not really saving the day, just getting revenge. There are some good chases and clever devices but nothing to hoot and holler about. I wish there was a bit more humour thrown in. There was a line about ‘treason’ that I found hypocritically funny.

ACTING STUFF: Malek on computers isn’t new as he rocked his Mr. Robot role a few years back. He gets to be more active and little less socially awkward. Fishburne seems to be stuck in these mentor roles lately. Jon Bernthal has a small role as an agent aptly names ‘The Bear’. If you need a slightly crazy tough guy, he’s your man.    

ARTISTIC STUFF: Not much to say here. Some okay action pieces.     

VERDICT: Three stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You aren’t sick of spy stuff on TV
UPCOMING REVIEW: Thunderbolts*

Film: Mickey 17

 

GENRE: Sci-Fi/Dark Comedy
RATING: R for violence, language and some sexual content
RUNTIME: 2 hour and 17 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Robert Pattinson (Tenet, Twilight, The Batman, The Lighthouse)
Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight, Poor Things); Naomi Ackie (Master of None)
DIRECTOR: Bong Joon Ho (Parasite, Snowpiercer, Okja)
WRITER: Bong Joon Ho (Parasite, The Host, Snowpiercer, Okja)
PLOT: An expendable is tasked with dangerous jobs while colonizing an ice planet with mysterious creatures.       

FULL DISCLOSURE: Wanted to see Pattinson die a bunch.

STORY STUFF: Not going to lie, wish they showed more of the Mickey’s deaths. There is some dark, dark humour in this film. I did enjoy that they sometimes forgot to put the table on the receiving end of the printer. Also liked the back and forth of the printer. There are a bunch of great scenes in this film but there are also a lot of parts that drag. I get the point that is being made but it takes too long to get there at times. Surprisingly enough, I think this film could have been quirkier.

ACTING STUFF: Pattison does good work but I’m not a fan of the actor, so I have a hard time rooting for him. Ruffalo adds some Trump-iness to his leader role but lays it on a little thick at times. Toni Collette (Sixth Sense) has a fun obsession with sauces but that was all I liked about her performance. Ackie does well as Mickey’s girlfriend. Steven Yeun (Walking Dead) is underused.   

ARTISTIC STUFF: Being an ice planet, there is not much to look at landscape-wise. The creepers are well done and entertaining to watch.    

VERDICT: Three stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You want something weird with a few dark laughs
UPCOMING REVIEW: The Amateur

Oscar Wrap Up 2025

 

Here are some thoughts on this year’s Oscars:

·         I got 14/23. Not a great showing but I knew there were a lot of tight races and I had a 50/50 chance on a few of them and picked wrong.  

·        A little too much love for Wizard of Oz and Wicked to start the show.

·         Conan O’Brien was pretty good as a host. It felt like he had nothing to lose since he doesn’t really have a show right now. I liked his Lithgow and Sandler bits.

·         The banter was awful. Andrew Garfield please shut up about Goldie Hawn.

·         Amy Poehler was good and Ben Stiller had a funny bit with the platform.

·         The presenters talking to each of the nominees was mind-numbingly dull. Just show us the clips of these people acting so we can appreciate their performances. They rarely even said what movie they were in. And then adding this format to costumes and cinematography? This is the worst idea that the Oscars have had in a while.

·         Halle Berry’s dress was blinding

·         Original Song lady singing “Emilia” at the end of her speech? Did not need that.

·         If you have four people getting the award, pick one person to talk, you are just going to get cut off. That one person can thank your family as well.

·         Adrien Brody stop saying you’ll be brief and then go on for another few minutes trying to sound inspirational. You are the reason they have play off music. Where was Lithgow’s disappointing face?

·         I was happy for Mikey Madison. And for Sean Baker who got to thank Quentin personally for casting Mikey in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

·         Sean Baker personally got four statues tonight. Is that a record?

·         Glad they didn’t have actors introduce the best picture nominees and just showed clips (including behind the scenes) with some voice over. It was quick and a good way to get back in after the commercials.

·         Not much else to say. Oscars needs to step up on their clip packages instead of having people talk to nominees in the audience.

Okay, here’s who won:

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
I’M NOT A ROBOT

ANIMATED SHORT FILM
IN THE SHADOW OF THE CYPRESS

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
THE ONLY GIRL IN THE ORCHESTRA (predicted)

SOUND
DUNE, PART TWO (predicted)

ORIGINAL SCORE
THE BRUTALIST

ORIGINAL SONG
EL MAL (predicted)

VISUAL EFFECTS
DUNE, PART TWO (predicted)

MAKE-UP & HAIRSTYLING
THE SUBSTANCE (predicted)

COSTUME DESIGN
WICKED (predicted)

PRODUCTION DESIGN
WICKED (predicted)

FILM EDITING
ANORA

CINEMATOGRAPHY
THE BRUATLIST (predicted)

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
NO OTHER LAND

ANIMATED FEATURE
FLOW

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
I’M STILL HERE (predicted)

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
CONCLAVE (predicted)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
ANORA (predicted)

BEST DIRECTOR
SEAN BAKER [ANORA] (predicted)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
ZOE SALDANA [EMILIA PEREZ] (predicted)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
KIERAN CULKIN. [A REAL PAIN] (predicted)

BEST ACTRESS
MIKEY MADISON [ANORA]

BEST ACTOR
ADRIEN BRODY [THE BRUTALIST]

BEST PICTURE
ANORA

How did you do?

Oscar Predictions 2025

 

It’s that time of year again for my Oscar predictions. My confidence is low this year. For best picture there are four or five viable options in my opinion; it’s not a slam dunk like last year. I’ve seen six of the ten nominations (Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unkown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, and Wicked) but feel that will be enough for my predictions this year. We’ll have to wait and see. Just as a reminder, I’m not predicting who I want to win but who I think the Academy will vote for. From ‘smaller’ to ‘bigger’, here we go:

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
A LIEN
(It deals with the hot button immigration issue.)

ANIMATED SHORT FILM
WANDER TO WONDER
(It won some previous awards so I’ll go with this.)

DOCUMENTARY SHORT
THE ONLY GIRL IN THE ORCHESTRA
(It’s on Netflix and it’s about a humble unheralded person. Oscar likes this)

SOUND
DUNE: PART TWO
(Dune won last time and this one has more action and gladiator crowds.)

ORIGINAL SCORE
CONCLAVE
(I like the tension made with the score. I think it edges out The Brutalist.)

ORIGINAL SONG
EL MAL [EMILIA PEREZ]
(Haven’t heard it but still think an Emilia song will take it.)

VISUAL EFFECTS
DUNE: PART TWO
(More sandworms should beat the apes.)

MAKE-UP & HAIRSTYLING
THE SUBSTANCE
(The disturbing images I’ve seen will bring this film the gold.)

COSTUME DESIGN
WICKED
(A lot of creative costumes over the identical robes of Conclave.)

PRODUCTION DESIGN
WICKED
(The beautiful library and school grounds are well constructed.)

FILM EDITING
CONCLAVE
(It was tight story as opposed to slow downs of Anora and Brutalist.)

CINEMATOGRAPHY
THE BRUTALIST
(There are lots of creative angles and the architecture is well filmed.)

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
PORCELAIN WAR|
(I’ll go with the Ukraine story over the Israel story of No Other Land.)

ANIMATED FEATURE
THE WILD ROBOT
(If the silent Flow was a short, it would win, but I’ll go with the kid’s story.)

INTERNATIONAL FILM
I’M STILL HERE [BRAZIL]
(Emilia Perez lost its footing thanks to recent comment scandals.)

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
CONCLAVE
(This was a compelling story.)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
ANORA
(I think A Real Pain is better but this film managed to pull me in.)  

BEST DIRECTOR
SEAN BAKER [ANORA]
(I think he gets the most out of his actors and tells a great story.)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
ZOE SALDANA [EMILIA PEREZ]
(She has won a bunch and should finish with the Oscar.)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
KIERAN CULKIN [A REAL PAIN]
(He was great and has won everything else. This is a lock.)

BEST ACTRESS
DEMI MOORE [THE SUBSTANCE]
(Mikey Madison deserves it but this is a legacy win for Moore.)

BEST ACTOR
TIMOTHEE CHALAMET [A COMPLETE UNKNOWN]
(Brody already has one and Timothee worked hard on this performance.)

BEST PICTURE
CONCLAVE
(I think they’ll go with a ‘safer’ film that comments on leadership races.)

I got 20 out of 23 categories last year. I’m not expecting that at all this this year. We’ll see what happens this Sunday. 

Film: Captain America: Brave New World

 

GENRE: Action
RATING: PG-13 for language and violence
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 58 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Anthony Mackie (CA: The Winter Soldier, The Night Before)
Harrison Ford (Clear & Present Danger); Danny Ramirez (Maverick)
DIRECTOR: Julius Onah (The Cloverfield Paradox)
WRITERS: Rob Edwards (Treasure Planet); Malcolm Spellman (Bel-Air); Dalan Musson (Falcon and the Winter Soldier); Julius Onah (Luce);
Peter Glanz (The Longest Week)
PLOT: The new Captain America finds himself in an international incident and at odds with the new president.      

FULL DISCLOSURE: Just happy to be back in a movie theatre.

STORY STUFF: It seems like this film was made to tie up some loose ends before the upcoming Avengers films in the next years. This film uses key aspects from the barely watched Incredible Hulk (2008), The Eternals, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. So, if you haven’t seen those, you’ll get some lame exposition to catch you up. The plot is supposed to be a political thriller but fails hard, which makes sense when they are insulting to their audience. It takes them that long to realize mind control was used? We got that instantly, we’ve seen movies before. With this many writers and this many reshoots, this film is just a hodgepodge of moments that never really click. I was okay with some of the acting but the plot doesn’t hold a candle to previous outings and the dialogue is tepid. The humour is missing. And the end credit sequence is not worth your time.

ACTING STUFF: Mackie is fine as Sam Wilson yet again. He’s a lot more fun when hanging out with Chris Evans or Sebastian Stan though. Though it is sad that William Hurt passed away before continuing his role as Thaddeus Ross, I am glad that Harrison Ford took over the role. I like Ford enough that I can care about his character way more than I would have done with Hurt. Ford is trying his best but doesn’t have great material to work with. Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad) is a great villain but is barely in the film as he was added after the fact. Shira Haas as Ruth made sense as a character but she looks out of place in this film. Ramirez is okay but trying too hard. I liked Carl Lumbly in Alias so I’ll always root for him.  

ARTISTIC STUFF: Loads of CG stuff. The plane stuff didn’t work for me. Liked the Red Hulk moments I guess. Lots of green screen use. The cherry blossoms looked terrible.   

VERDICT: One and a half stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You are addicted to Marvel stuff and are a completist
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Oscar Stuff

2025 Superbowl Commercials

In Canada, we need to work a little harder to see all the American Superbowl commercials. I wasn’t wowed by any in particular but here are some:

My Favourite
COORS LIGHT – Slow Monday
I love myself some sloths.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTj2BH0qJjU&ab_channel=CoorsLight

Memorable
INSTACART – We’re Here
Enjoyed seeing old mascots and Superbowl commercial references.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVUPazjaHl8&ab_channel=Instacart

Bizarre Trend
LITTLE CAESARS – Whoa! & PRINGLES – Call of the Mustaches
Two different companies featuring flying hair? Weird.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDhQhG17O7E&ab_channel=LittleCaesarsPizza
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFeXI51oZpA&ab_channel=BestCommercials

Celebrity Sell Outs
DUNKIN’ DONUTS – DunKings 2
Lots of different celebs this year but I enjoyed Jeremy Strong’s method approach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5VzQ8OV3X0&ab_channel=Dunkin%27

Celebrity Advice
JEEP – Owner’s Manual
Harrison Ford share some wise words. I just like Ford’s delivery.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDn_uFEXGXk&ab_channel=Jeep

Niche Market
SQUARESPACE – A Tale as Old as Websites
How many Superbowl fans watched The Banshees of Inisherin?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC5V4aIoWes&ab_channel=Squarespace

Odd Choices
MOUNTAIN DEW – Kiss From a Lime
Taika Waititi directed this odd ad with Seal as a seal. Strange.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QPLoTLAdh8&ab_channel=MountainDew

Disturbing
COFFEE MATE – Let’s Go Tongues
Dancing tongues are not cute like they were hoping.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnbrFm-B3QI&ab_channel=Coffeemate

That is all I feel like showing.

Golden Globes 2025 Recap

 

Here’s my recap of the Golden Globes last night.

·         Nikki Glaser did a pretty good job with the opening monologue. There was some light roasting but most of the stars seemed to be having fun. Harrison Ford looked confused though. I liked her Ben Affleck and Robert Kennedy jokes.

·         What was with that locator pin for where the nominees were sitting? I don’t need a Google Map to their seat. Rather have clips than just some small photo. So weird.

·         As Seth Rogen also pointed out, the angled presenting to the side was bizarre. The camera was too close to them at times and just made things awkward.

·         The presenter banter was mostly boring. Hated the Wicked supporting actors not knowing the current lingo. I did like the proudly Canadian Seth Rogen and Catherine O’Hara talking about their fake Golden Antlers.

·         I feel sorry for the person who had to look up some Wikipedia stuff to put under the presenter names. Didn’t have time or care to read all of it. Same goes for info being displayed and different info being announced as the winners came to the stage.

·         I wish I could have seen Ted Danson win that Carol Burnett award.

·         Got a kick out of Vin Diesel trying to justify the inclusion of the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement Award. It’s all about global unification people!

·         I did not do well with a bunch of predictions. I got 17 out of 27 categories.

·         Surprised with wins like Fernanda Torres for Best Actress in a Drama and Sebastan Stan for A Different Man.

·         Pleasantly surprised for Colin Farrell winning for The Penguin. Love that he thanked the craft services people.

·         Also was surprised that Demi Moore hadn’t won anything before (pretty sure she won a Razzie for Striptease). I liked her speech.

·         Zoe Saldana went on too long. Anna Sawai was pleasantly short.

 

Anyway, here were the winners:

Best Motion Picture – Drama
The Brutalist (predicted)

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here)

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) (predicted)

Best Motion Picture – Comedy
Emilia Perez

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy
Demi Moore (The Substance)

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy
Sebastian Stan (A Different Man)

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Zoe Saldana (Emilia Perez) (predicted)

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain) (predicted & wanted)

Best Animated Feature Film
Flow

Best Non-English Language Film
Emilia Perez (France) (predicted & wanted)

Cinematic and Box Office Achievement
Wicked  (predicted & wanted)

Best Director – Motion Picture
Brady Corbet (The Brutalist) (predicted)

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Peter Staughan (Conclave) (wanted)

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (Challengers)

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“El Mal” (Emilia Perez)

Best Television Series – Drama
Shogun (predicted)

Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama
Anna Sawai (Shogun) (predicted)

Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama
Hiroyuki Sanada (Shogun) (predicted)

Best Television Series – Comedy
Hacks (predicted)

Best Actress in a Television Series – Comedy
Jean Smart (Hacks) (predicted)

Best Actor in a Television Series – Comedy
Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) (predicted)

Best Supporting Actress TV
Jessica Gunning (Baby Reindeer)

Best Supporting Actor TV
Tadanobu Asano (Shogun) (predicted)

Best Limited Series or TV Movie
Baby Reindeer (predicted)

Best Actress in a Limited Series
Jodie Foster (True Detective: Night Country) (predicted)

Best Actor in a Limited Series
Colin Farrell (The Penguin)

Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television
Ali Wong (Single Lady)