Best Picture: #57Original Release Date: September 19, 1984 (theatrical version)Rating: RRuntime: 3 hours (director’s cut)Writer: Peter ShafferDirector: Milos Forman Quick Impressions:Finally I can write about Amadeus! I’ve loved this movie since I first saw it when I was seven, and multiple people have now asked me if I’ll be watching …
Best Picture #: 55Original Release Date: December 6, 1982Rating: PGRuntime: 3 hours, 11 minutesDirector: Richard Attenborough Quick Impressions:I’ve been meaning to write this review for over a week, but I’ve been totally consumed with watching the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, then writing about my experiences participating in it on the …
Nomadland Nominated Producers: Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey and Chloé ZhaoDirector: Chloé ZhaoWriter: Chloé Zhao (based on the book by Jessica Bruder)Cast: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, Bob Wells, Swankie Wheels, others. Plot: Fern is houseless, not homeless. In another life, her husband worked for the …
The Father Nominated Producers: David Parfitt, Jean-Louis Livi, and Philippe CarcassonneDirector: Florian ZellerWriters: Christopher Hampton, Florian Zeller (from his stage play) Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Rufus Sewell, Imogen Poots, Olivia Williams, Mark Gatiss, Ayesha Dharker Plot: Something funny is going on. Anne thinks that her aging father Anthony can’t …
Maria Bakalova Age: 24Film: Borat Subsequent MoviefilmRole: Tutar Sagdiyev, daughter of the (in)famous Borat, who travels with him to America where he hopes to give her as a gift to Mike Pence but keeps running into obstacles as Covid-19 presents novel challenges to his schemes. Nomination History:This is Bakalova’s first …
Riz Ahmed Age: 38Film: Sound of MetalRole: Ruben, the drummer in a two-person punk band who suddenly begins losing his hearing. Ruben’s music is quite literally his life since his bandmate is also his trailer mate and (in his mind) his soul mate, so when his hearing loss rapidly deteriorates, …
Viola Davis Age: 55Film: Ma Rainey’s Black BottomRole: Ma Rainey, early Blues legend and vaudeville star who comes to Chicago on a sweltering day in July, 1927, to make a record of some of her hit songs. Though Ma lives up to her reputation for being difficult, she’s the one …
Sacha Baron Cohen Age: 49Film: The Trial of the Chicago 7Role: Abbie Hoffman, the charismatic and controversial political activist/comedian/leader of the Youth International Party accused (with six or seven others) of conspiracy and crossing state lines to incite a riot near the Democratic National Convention in Chicago the summer of …
Best Picture Winner: #11Original Release Date: September 29, 1938Rating: PassedRuntime: 2 hours, 6 minutesDirector: Frank Capra Quick Impressions:I first saw Frank Capra’s You Can’t Take It With You when I checked it out of the public library at seventeen, and I hated it. Here’s why. When I was fifteen, I …
Last September deciding on a #1 movie for my review took all of one second. Now You See Me pleasantly surprised me last May and remained my favorite film all summer long. I still love that movie and now own it and wish I watched it more often. Most years, picking a …
