Tomasz Kot in Cold War. He won't win an Oscar (especially since he's not nominated), but he wins my heart. Please read below.
In alphabetical order:
At Eternity's Gate about Vincent van Gogh is a movie only for the hardcore. It has too many scenes of the painter reaching for the sky, for wheat stalks, and thrusting his hands and arms to catch raindrops. Too much rain and too much filler. Yawn.
Yes, Willem Dafoe's performance definitely warrants his nomination for Best Actor, and he may win. The visuals and scenics could win for Best Cinematography (not nominated). I read that the award for Best Makeup was being discontinued or relegated to commercial breaks, but the makeup department (22 artists) and their outstanding work fashioning the cast into keen likenesses of the people Van Gogh painted, especially at Arles like Madame Ginoux and Joseph Roulin, must be applauded. I would hire them in a New York minute for my next film.
The film is almost a documentary.
Melissa McCarthy's Can You Ever Forgive Me? is almost as boring as the title with the best part, the performance by Richard E. Grant who has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor. I hope he wins. There is no chance she'll win Best Actress.
Cold War...uh, uh, uh, uh. I ain't never experienced love like this! Wowee. This is passionate stuff, but a critics' fancy, which, understandably, lasted about two days in D.C. theatres, totally unappealing to Clint Eastwood, Tom Wilson types, but a chick flick for arty-farties. I dig Tomasz Kot. He's the man.
The Favourite, oh please. The "Most Boring" is the title I put on it. Go here for a most unfavourable review. (British only spelling, please.)
It was easy to predict that Green Book would receive 2019 Oscar nominations for Best Actor (Viggo Mortensen), Best Supporting Actor (Mahershala Ali), Best Original Screenplay (Brian Hayes Currie,
Peter Farrelly, and Nick Vallelonga), and Best Picture, and I thought it would earn one for Best Director (Peter Farrelly), too.
I don't know if it will win Best Picture. I don't think it is a "Best Picture." I haven't seen all the nominees, but this does not quite match par.
It was a Christmas "feel-good" movie of which we could always use more, especially given the national climate since Santa came to town. Without the bad words, Green Book would be good family fare.
It's an excellent story, crafted from a real one starring a black classical pianist who is on a Southern tour in the early 1960s, chauffeured by a white boxer. The old signs, cars, motels, apparel are fun to see.
Too much time (and repetition) is spent on aerials of the car driven on two-lane country roads.
Both subjects, the gentlemen in the movie, died in 2013.
Oh, dear, If Beale Street Could Talk was another big bore. Loaded with too many pregnant pauses and needing a chopping block to cut about half of it. Obligatory breasts, included, natch.
The only good part was the families' fight scene which occurs early on, and it's downhill from there. Try seeing this and reading American Prison by Shane Bauer at the same time to send you in a downward spiral.
Maria by Callas is a must for opera fans but even for this newbie faux fan, the first half includes too much music. Huh? It's about the diva Maria Callas, right? I went hoping to learn more about her life.
It does cause one to question anew: Why did Jacqueline Kennedy marry Aristotle Onassis? At the time, "everyone" said it was money. He didn't have the courtesy to give Maria the news, that he was marrying Jackie. Ms. Callas had to find out the worst way, via public notification. Onassis did return to her while he was married to Jackie, according to reports.
Maria Callas died at age 53, a victim of a heart attack.
RBG is, without question, a slam dunk to win Best Documentary given its quality, the political climate and the absolute detest Hollywood feels for the occupant of the White House. Highly recommended.
Shoplifters, oh, what a bore. What a merry-go-round of the same constant scenes. Please! For earlier review, go here.
Stan and Ollie is a pleasant time, another good one for nursing homes. Without checking, I would wager that most of it is based on fact. A "sweet" film.
Tea With Dames is excellent documentary fare, again for the diehard film fan whose stars are the quartet of bevies, the crème de la crème of actors: Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Eileen Atkin, and Joan Plowright.
No script was necessary as they are of the age when they speak their minds. What do they have to hide?
Widows, yes! I loved it. For an earlier review, go here.
Mr. Rogers' movie, Won't You Be My Neighbor? was nice and sweet like he was. It's not a surprise it was not nominated for Best Whatever given it is a bit of a bore, but I know most liked it and it hung around a while, a great sign for revenue. Zzzzzzzzz. Good for nursing homes, if occupants can stay awake. It lacked much about his younger life.
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