Golden Globes 2020 Nominations - Thoughts/Analysis

An interesting awards ceremony both in terms of its significance but also occasional randomness that can either stand out as an indication or anomaly with regards to where the awards season is headed. Let's take a look. Bold indicates films I've seen. 

Nearly half of the Motion Picture nominees are distributed by
Netflix - Marriage Story, The Two Popes,  Dolemite is My Name and The Irishman

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

1917
The Irishman
Joker
Marriage Story
The Two Popes

Pretty much as expected here, might've expected Little Women to make it in but late releases tend to have a bigger hurdle to getting in at the Globes, which thus bodes well for 1917 solidifying itself as a Best Picture lock. Interesting to note that there are THREE Netflix releases here - putting The Two Popes right back on the contenders list - , so whichever one of these wins will possibly have an impact on who they choose to back most heavily over the next few months. Decent lineup based on what I've seen so far - Irishman was masterful, Marriage Story was strong albeit flawed, Joker was not my cup of tea but can see the appeal - and I can see all of them making it in to the Academy's final 10. Half-expected Richard Jewell to get in, and the snub for Ford v Ferrari hurts its chances slightly.

Will win: The Irishman

Should win: The Irishman 

BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Dolemite is My Name
Jojo Rabbit
Knives Out
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Rocketman

The category is surprisingly strong when it comes to legit Oscar contenders, with Jojo Rabbit and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood having been mainstays over the awards circuit thus far and asserting their status as bonafide contenders, and Knives Out also making a surprising bit of noise. Having seen all five of these films, this is a fine set of choices, having liked to loved all of them, though I do think this might be where Dolemite and Rocketman's recognition will come to a stop, and if Uncut Gems had continued to be placed in this category I definitely think it could've gotten in. Oh yeah and seems like Cats isn't really going to be a thing...yet. *shudders*

Will win: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Should win: Jojo Rabbit 

Could legendary Korean director Bong Joon-ho replicate
his Cannes success at the Globes?

BEST DIRECTOR

Bong Joon Ho, Parasite
Sam Mendes, 1917
Todd Phillips, Joker

Martin Scorsese, The Irishman

Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Another good lineup from what I've seen so far, would be a great lineup if Phillips' BTEC Scorsese flairs weren't put in the same category with the master himself (was rooting for a surprise Rian Johnson nom to mix things up maybe), the other nominees though are terrific, Bong and Marty in particular, and from what I've heard and seen on 1917 so far we'll have nothing to complain about 1917 from the technical level at the very least. The Safdie brothers and Greta Gerwig missing out here could mean something, could mean nothing, but both their films especially the former's Uncut Gems could've used an extra push beyond just the critics awards. 

Will win: Martin Scorsese, The Irishman

Should win: Anyone but Phillips

Is this the year of Judy Garland and the Clown?

BEST ACTOR – DRAMA

Christian Bale, Ford v. Ferrari
Antonio Banderas, Pain and GloryAdam Driver, Marriage StoryJoaquin Phoenix, Joker
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes

Speaking of Uncut Gems Adam Sandler missing out is both surprising but not that detrimental, at least not towards him specifically, but Christian Bale getting in for Ford v. Ferrari definitely spices things up a bit, even if the film not being nominated for Best Drama could count against his overall chances. Even if he ultimately doesn't get in it means that things are more competitive than it might seem. Pryce needed this to keep momentum, and Robert de Niro missing out for The Irishman is a bit strange considering that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association definitely seemed to embrace the film otherwise. With regards to the quality of the performances here, Banderas and Phoenix were both very good, Bale was excellent in a role out of his usual wheelhouse, and Driver was fantastic, Pryce unseen, he deserves to win this in a cakewalk. 

Will win: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Should win: Adam Driver, Marriage Story 

BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA

Cynthia Erivo, HarrietScarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan, Little WomenCharlize Theron, Bombshell
Renee Zellweger, Judy

I'll admit I completely blanked on Judy campaigning in Drama, good thing is that the Globes don't seem to love the film (which is aggressively mediocre), bad thing is that they seem to love her (admittedly quite strong) performance, so we could see a Rami Malek part 2 here albeit without the insane hype of Bohemian Rhapsody. The only other nominee I've seen is Johansson who like her co-star Driver is fantastic, and deserves her nomination and the win, other nominees unseen. Erivo is clinging onto a thin thread with her film underperforming in general and needed this to stay in the mix, while Ronan and Theron are in pretty comfortable positions at this point to continue to put their names in the mix. 

Will win: Renee Zellweger, Judy

Should win: N/A (but I prefer Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story)

Could Bond and future Bond girl shake things up via one
of the year's biggest crowdpleasers?

BEST ACTOR – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Daniel Craig, Knives OutRoman Griffin Davis, Jojo RabbitLeonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in HollywoodTaron Egerton, RocketmanEddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name

Terrific quintet of performances here and also, one of the few times where they've nominated five legitimately 'musical or comedy' performances without any cheating. Out of them all I only think DiCaprio has a legitimate chance at an Oscar nomination, though if Murphy wins then the narrative could change, but regardless all five gentlemen give excellent performances, particularly happy to see young Davis get some deserving recognition for his lovely performance. 

Will win: Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 

Should win: Roman Griffin Davis, Jojo Rabbit 

BEST ACTRESS – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Awkwafina, The FarewellAna de Armas, Knives OutCate Blanchett, Where’d You Go Bernadette

Beanie Feldstein, BooksmartEmma Thompson, Late Night

From what I've seen also a pretty god category, though I wish they'd have gone for Kaitlyn Dever instead of Feldstein (who was admittedly pretty good too). Ana de Armas is a lovely surprise, I doubt it'll translate to much down the line individually but her getting recognition for her performance and helping Knives Out get more traction is only a good thing. Awkwafina continues to maintain a consistent enough presence on the awards circuit and I do think she'll win here (touchwood). 

Will win: Awkwafina, The Farewell

Should win: Awkwafina, The Farewell 

Pitt or Pesci?
J-Lo or Laura D?

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the NeighbourhoodAl Pacino, The Irishman
Joe Pesci, The IrishmanBrad Pitt, Once Upon A Time In HollywoodAnthony Hopkins, The Two Popes

Hate to see Willem Dafoe miss out for The Lighthouse which was never going to be a big player at this particular awards event anyway, but oh well. Otherwise the quartet I've seen so far are three terrific supporting performances in my top 5, and an excellent co-leading performance from Pitt. Pacino and Pesci getting in together helps solidify the potential for them to both get into the Oscars together, and maybe Hanks will break his 20-year Oscar spell (crazy isn't it?) Hopkins is a bit of a wild card now, the HFPA clearly loved his film but we'll see if other awards groups share that love. 

Will win: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Should win: Al Pacino, The Irishman 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Annette Benning, The ReportMargot Robbie, Bombshell
Jennifer Lopez, HustlersKathy Bates, Richard JewellLaura Dern, Marriage Story

Some annoying misses, Zhao Shuzen for The Farewell and either of the ladies from Jojo Rabbit would've made for great nominations, but I suppose this is fine from what I've seen so far. Easily prefer Jennifer Lopez's performance over Laura Dern's (never thought I'd be saying something like this lol), glad to see that Robbie is campaigning for a more substantial role as opposed to her minuscule one in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Bates could be a thing, Benning looks like her film is really losing steam by the day but could potentially sneak back in to awards season. Florence Pugh for Little Women could be hurt by this snub but I feel like she'll bounce back with a slew of noms soon enough. 

Will win: Laura Dern, Marriage Story 

Should win: N/A (but I prefer Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers to Dern)

Which one of these acclaimed scribes - Quentin Tarantino
or Noah Baumbach - is going to nab a win? 

BEST SCREENPLAY

The Irishman

Marriage Story
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

ParasiteThe Two Popes

Predictable lineup, not in a bad way at all as the three I've seen are good/great screenplays, with Parasite in particular being the best written film of the year I've seen so far. A miss out for Jojo Rabbit and Taika Waititi, but don't forget that this category is divided into two for the Oscars into Adapted and Original. Expected Knives Out and maybe The Farewell to make an unexpected splash here but the resurgence of Two Popes has cancelled that out. 

Will win: Marriage Story

Should win: Parasite 

Will Thomas Newman win for 1917 two decades after his first nomination
for American Beauty? Is there going to be a Taylor Swift v Elton John showdown?

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

1917

Joker

Little Women

Marriage Story

Motherless Brooklyn

Thomas Newman could possibly win here en route to potentially being the Oscar success story/rewarded veteran, hopefully it will be him instead of Hildur Ingveldar Guðnadóttir for Joker which while is more deserving of recognition anyway. Marriage Story and Motherless Brooklyn both have pretty solid scores, and the latter I expect could be a potential Academy spoiler. Somewhat disappointed not to see the likes of Avengers: Endgame, A Hidden Life and especially Parasite and Us show up but this isn't a bad lineup so far, and my desired ones probably have some issues with voters over how much pre-existing music is implemented in the score. 

Will win: Joker 

Should win: N/A 

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“Beautiful Ghosts” – CATS“I’m Gonna Love Me Again” – Rocketman“Into the Unknown” – Frozen 2
“Spirit” – The Lion King“Stand Up” – Harriet

I actually have already listened to the Taylor Swift song from CATS and I do actually quite like it, so far as Oscar bait songs like that go it's a pretty good one. Like the Rocketman choice, not a fan of the Lion King original song, and it's a shame they couldn't have nominated one of the songs from smaller films like "Glasgow (No Place Like Home)" from Wild Rose. 

Will win: “Into the Unknown” – Frozen 2

Should win: “I’m Gonna Love Me Again” – Rocketman

The Lion King was nominated in the Animated Feature
category. Seems like there's room for unnervingly creepy cats after all.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Frozen 2
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

The Lion King
Missing LinkToy Story 4

A bit of a meh lineup from what I've seen with a couple of decent sequels and a completely unnecessary live-action remake. Honestly don't have all that much investment in this particular awards race. 

Will win: Toy Story 4

Should win: Toy Story 4

Parasite probably and deservedly has this in the bag. Can Pain and Glory and
The Farewell keep gaining awards season momentum? 

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

The FarewellLes Misérables
Pain and Glory
Parasite

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Now this is interesting, you have the big power player Parasite, Cannes darling and Banderas' vehicle Pain and Glory, and The Farewell which won't be eligible in this category for the Oscars but nevertheless getting in here is a boon. Then there's the French duo which I am very interested in seeing but unfortunately missed my chance at the LF.

Will win: Parasite

Should win: Parasite 

Ranking: Taika Waititi

6. Eagle vs Shark 

A very rough around the edges debut feature with more than a touch of Napoleon Dynamite to it, this quirky rom-com is not without a certain appeal to its central geeky shy protagonists played well by Jermaine Clement and Loren Horsley. I will say that it does have a bit of a misanthropic streak, nothing too major, but which dampens the otherwise quiet simple charm of a lot of the film, and its shifts into the more dramatic aren't the most assured. But when it is just being funny and sweet, it is very funny and sweet, and though in many ways a fairly standard indie it set the tone for Waititi's brilliance to come.

5. Thor: Ragnarok  

Perhaps one of the most 'standalone' MCU films, this is a thoroughly fun romp into the mind of Waititi via Thor, reinvented completely as a character by the increased emphasis on humour, slapstick and wit that amplifies and makes use of Chris Hemsworth's innate comical sensibilities. It is a bit messy in setting up and resolving the whole Ragnarok plot line which frankly is the least interesting part of the film, but everything that happens on Sakaar, from the run-ins with new introduction like the acerbic Valkyrie (excellent Tessa Thompson) Jeff Goldblum's oddball Grandmaster and the ineffectual Korg (Waititi himself), the colourful madcap visuals, and making use of Loki's mischief to great effect. It is a film that works best when it takes itself less seriously and doesn't have to work within the parameters of MCU plotting.

4. What We Do in the Shadows

Now this is Waititi purely going for laughs the whole time with this mockumentary with co-writer and co-star Jermaine Clement, and that's more than fine as though very episodic in nature, this flatmate buddy comedy with the twist of them being vampires is an absolute hoot throughout. Just watching the collection of talent here shoot the breeze as vampires go about their everynight business. With memorable sequences like an angry debate over dishes to learning about technology, to any encounter with their rival werewolves led by a hilarious Rhys Darby, it's a stellar comedy that contains some of the very best of Waititi's humour.

3. Jojo Rabbit 

Possibly Waititi's most daring film yet, and while I still need to ruminate over some elements, I can confidently say that I absolutely loved the film and it's had some of the most viscreal impact of any film I've seen this year so far. For the most part Waititi treats his subject matter - a child indoctrinated into the Nazi mentality in the later stages of WWII - with a certain lightness of touch that never feels schmaltzy or inappropriate but instead gives a very fitting perspective to the young boy's worldview - brilliantly played by Roman Griffin Davis, Johannes 'Jojo' Betzler is our avatar into this colourful and vibrant world that nevertheless doesn't shy from the harsh realities of Germany's situation at the time. The humour, particularly in the form of Waititi's imaginary Hitler, comes rapidly and hits the spot effectively, as does the warmth particularly in the form of Scarlett Johansson's loving mother. When he goes darker, he manages the blend of tone perfectly, and one sequence in particular is just simply devastating. I love the film the more I think about it.

2. Boy 

One of those films that sneaks up on you as you watch it, as what appears to be an enjoyable goofy coming-of-age story is that, but also so much more, in its tale of the titular boy (James Rolleston) reconnects but also gets a wake-up call to the true nature of his father, returned after an extended absence and brilliantly played by Waititi himself. This is undoubtedly a very funny film, with perhaps the most unassuming comedy as most of it very organically springs from the day-to-day low-key pattern of the Maori community, with occasional fantasy interludes of heightened humour as we see the boy's imagination at work. It is also a downright heartbreaking film as it shatters the child protagonist's ideals about his father gradually over the course of the film. It's a wonderful film that honestly I think is a bit underrated in its own way, as it's so much more unassuming than most of his other work, yet also one of his very best.

1. Hunt for the Wilderpeople 

Waititi's magnum opus came in this tale of the New Zealand bush where young Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) and his reluctant foster father Uncle Hec (an iconic Sam Neill) flee after a series of misunderstandings and misfortunes in the wake of a family tragedy. This oddball buddy comedy is pure comedic gold throughout, mining humour out of everything and every kind you can think of, from the more overt like the overly intense child protection services and another madcap Rhys Darby performance, to more casual asides of the young boy's love of Tupac and his Uncle Hec's frequently annoyance at him. You feel emotionally invested at every stage of the journey of these two, and Waititi's unique sensitivity for his characters is so keenly felt. When he tugs at your heartstrings it not only feels earnt, it does not compromise and in fact amplifies the comedy. A masterful film and honestly with every re-watch, probably one of my favourite comedies of all-time.

The 70s Musical Innovations of 'Cabaret' and 'Jesus Christ Superstar'

The musical had long been a staple of Hollywood productions, from the iconic beginnings of The Jazz Singer to Fred Astaire, to the awards acclaim Singing in the Rain, West Side Story and Oliver, and the double-60s whammy of Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins, to name a few of the resounding earlier successes in the genre. The 70s though brought in an advent of altogether unique musicals, of varying styles and quality but a common consistency in innovation and daring. There were more traditional sorts of adaptations like Fiddler on the Roof and absolutely bonkers ones like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Phantom of the Paradise and Tommy, teenage pop hits like Grease and Hair, and the rise of Barbara Streisand. Of this lot, I want to discuss my two favourites released between the years 1972 and 1973, two very distinct and different musicals which nevertheless took on the format of the musical in a self-aware fashion that only served to amplify the source material: Cabaret, directed by one-of-a-kind dance choreographer Bob Fosse which won a whopping 8 Oscars in the year The Godfather was released, and Jesus Christ Superstar which was the first of many Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals and I'd argue the very best of them (unless the upcoming Cats snatches away that honour!)

The recent miniseries Fosse/Verdon starring Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams gives some pretty interesting backdrop to the conception of Cabaret from a performative perspective, but here's the gist of what it's about: loosely adapted from both Christopher Isherwood's Goodbye to Berlin and the 1966 Broadway musical, the film is set in 1931 Berlin with the Kit Kat cabaret club establishment at its centre where we're introduced to American burlesque dancer Sally Bowles (Lizza Minnelli) and British tourist Brian (Michael York). A love story of sorts ostensibly occurs but La La Land this aint, as you throw in a charismatic German count (Helmut Griem), a secret love affair between two German Jews, and the Master of Ceremonies (Joel Grey) who presides omnisciently over the narrative as a sort of commentator on the personal drama unfolding in the Cabaret club and the precarious state of Germany at this time in history.

From the opening number of 'Wilkommen' it's quite obvious the approach Fosse and Co. are going for with this musical: surreal, offbeat yet very much grounded in reality. Each musical number bar one takes place within the Kit Kat club, and the emphasis on the 'performative' aspects of each musical number is very strong. What's impressive is that it never feels overly 'stagy', it feels just right for the silver screen, and so much credit must go to the dance choreography for making everything onscreen just sizzle in terms of every dance move, but also the composition in front of the camera, the use of costumes and colours, everything really. It's not hard to see why this dominated the 1972 Oscars technical categories as it's just an impeccably composed films; even if you're not a fan, you can't deny that every single frame is composed to perfection where the music matches the imagery and pacing perfectly. What's just as impressive is the film never loses sight of the smaller more intimate human elements of its non-musical sections, you get a clear sense of the other stories going on outside of the club and the unassuming rise of Nazism in Berlin.

And it has to be said that the Oscar-winning turns by Minnelli, the daughter of Judy Garland herself, and Joel Grey are brilliant, with 'Money Money' being a particular highlight of both their performances. Minnelli herself gets the iconic 'Mein Herr' number which is every bit as deserving of its reputation, and honestly watching the dance moves she and her fellow dancers pull off is just wunderbar; while Grey's performance is particularly interesting as you see how the emcee of the Kit Kat club gradually change and 'tone' himself down in his insults at the burgeoning Nazi party as they become less of a distant joke and more of a grim reality in the making.

Which leads me to my favourite musical number, the one set outside of the Kit Kat club, 'Tomorrow Belongs to Me', a truly chilling scene which opens with an angelic-faced youth singing a lovely inspirational song about seizing the day...before the Swastika on his uniform is revealed and the crowds begin to join in a passionate ode to Nazism. Its a brilliant use of the cinematic form to the musical as it uses such subtle yet effective direction to initially misdirect and create such a big impact with the reveal.

The steamrolling awards success of Cabaret paved way for other ambitious musicals, and Norman Jewison who if you look at his career always seemed to like expanding his range, after the enjoyable adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof decided to take on altogether very different subject matter: a rock musical retelling of the story of Christ. The film is very much a product of its time with its hippy influences extending to its framing device of a dance troupe travelling to a desert to perform the Passion of Christ - as you do I suppose -, which is a way of creating a certain otherworldliness and ambiguity to the narrative. There's a willingness to embrace the oddities of its source material: a number including a particularly weird and off-putting King Herod is extremely entertaining yet I can't imagine would be kept in nowadays (think of the excisions to some of the more 'offbeat' numbers in Les Miserables for example). The sheer daring and weirdness of film possibly resulted in its more scant success on the awards circuit, but in my opinion it is perhaps the greatest film musical ever made for so many reasons.

Musicals are an easy medium to mess things up from a directorial perspective by just focusing too much on the performances and not enough on the ensemble staging. Jewison's direction grants such a vibrancy to each musical number, with the daring approach to make 'Superstar' as BIG as it is, while letting the quieter moments shine,  and the overall grungy desert aesthetic really does wonder in making the story's tone feel very true to both its musical and biblical roots.

It's easy to dismiss acting in musicals - just singing well does the job, one might presume, but there's so much more to mine out of it than just that. The performers in Jesus Christ Superstar don't just sing, they bring so much emotion, character and power to each of their numbers that evokes the power of the story. You have Bob Bingham and Kurt Yaghijian doing a particularly great example of the imposing heavy/snivelling weasel routine with their high-low pitched voice routine that's as menacing as it is entertaining. You have a particularly angelic Mary Magdalene in Yvonne Elliman with perhaps one of the most popular songs from the film, 'I Don't Know How to Love Him' being quite the lovely number - which is later sung by another character in a rather brilliant creative choice; and a unique take on Pontius Pilate in Barry Dennen whose delivery of 'Pilate's Dream' is quite remarkable.

The highlight though is definitely the central duo of Jesus, played by the incomparable Ted Neeley, and Judas played by the incomparable Carl Anderson. The two performers are on entirely different wavelengths in terms of their voices, acting style, and delivery which is absolutely perfect for the two figures who never quite see eye to eye in their goals for their people, and yet have the exact same good intentions. Neeley's Jesus is just a curious odd figure in many ways, unassuming and with a very offbeat voice that is brilliantly used in the iconic number 'Gethsemane', and Anderson gives an absolutely devastating unique take on Judas as not so much a villain as a man driven to committing some particularly exacting betrayals by sincere motivations for the greater good. It's an amazing vocal performance for sure, particularly in his big number of 'Heaven on Their Minds', but also so much more than that.

I love music and I love film but I don't always love musical films - it's sometimes very hard to capture what exactly makes the singing, dancing routines of the stage click on camera. It can very easily come across as pointless posturing or 'why not just save up for the actual musical'. The above two are in my view great examples of how to make a musical film truly click by going beyond just fancy musical numbers and great voices. In Cabaret by embracing the stage roots in its focus on the peformative aspects

Top 10 Performances: Robert Pattinson

While his official 'breakout' has been pretty recent, former Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson has actually been delivering strong turns consistently over the last few years, with the whammy of 2017 - 2019 being just a particular highlight. Here's some of his best performances. 

HM: Bel Ami 

A period where I feel he was still in the process of transitioning between pretty boy star and serious respected actor, I wouldn't consider this one of Pattinson's most assured performances, with touches of inconsistency and he's a tad overshadowed by some of his co-stars, especially Christina Ricci, but does an admirable enough job as the infamous womaniser Georges Duroy in this flawed adaptation or the 19th century novel. Also there are hints of how he'll do as Bruce Wayne which is pretty cool.

10. Maps to the Stars 

Another weird David Cronenberg film that ends up being a bit too disconnected for its own good, Pattinson arguably gives the most grounded performance in the film as essentially the everyman looking into the madness of Hollywood. The role doesn't stress his talents too much but he's very charismatic and endearing, with just the right touch of naivety to his limo driver with big dreams and not much capability to achieve them.

9. Water for Elephants 

A surprisingly affecting film which again doesn't really stress Pattinson's talents too much, just requiring him to be the quietly charming doctor who goes to work at the circus, and have chemistry with his onscreen love interest Reese Witherspoon (a rather odd onscreen combination to be sure). Well he delivers on the charm, the chemistry is nice if not too notable, and it's a good performance that showed potential for his future work to come.

8. The Lost City of Z 

I only wish he were in the film more, which on the whole I did admire although like with most of James Gray's films, I did not love. Pattinson is a delight in a very different role to his usual sorts, a fairly quirky and offbeat fellow expedition-er to Charlie Hunnam's more classical adventure hero. He gives the film much needed energy in his scenes and is a highlight I wish was more frequently utilised within it.

7. The Childhood of a Leader

An interesting, if not altogether successful, cinematic experiment with some interesting performances across the board, with Pattinson's portrayal of perhaps the most significant direct influence on the titular child's life as this charming yet low-key insidious 'father figure'. I really like how Pattinson utilises his charismatic presence to create technically quite a 'bad' influence on the child while also making sense of how he could be so influential on the child's life.

6. Damsel  

With a very colourful accent fitting for a very colourful character in this offbeat Western, Pattinson is clearly having a ball here as the earnest pioneer Samuel Alabaster. Once again he works well with Mia Wasikowska, and once again he delivers a great energetic turn and brings a real uniqueness to a role that's been done before but never quite this way. I will say I don't like what the film does with his character eventually but that's hardly his fault.

5. Cosmopolis 

A weird yet weirdly compelling, if not flawless, thriller/satire features a perfectly cast Pattinson as a young billionaire moving through Manhattan in his cushy limousine and interacting with a long line of oddballs. Pattinson is consistently off-putting in his approach which is entirely the point here as he creates the unnervingly artificial style of his character's self-destructiveness so effectively, and makes the often unwieldy dialogue work for the most part. It's a very good performance I wish would have been in a better film.

4. High Life

An utterly bonkers weird sci-fi film about an expedition to a black hole with experiments and sex-fest galore en route. In a strong ensemble, Pattinson gives a captivating portrayal of a convict sent into depths completely out of his element. He anchors the film in the right way even as heads explode and masturbatory sessions are conducted and no matter how odd everything gets acts as the film's emotional core, reflecting each loss and odd circumstance so well in his terrific reactionary performance.

3. The Rover

This Australian dystopian flick is for the most part an acting showcase for Guy Pearce, but Pattinson is not to be forgotten for his equally compelling portrayal of the slow-witted Reynolds who Pearce's mysterious Eric takes as a hostage. Pattinson delivers an incredibly moving portrayal of a man for who has become numb to the harsh realities of the world which has passed him by, and is particularly great over the course of the film in showing how the burdens weigh upon him. It's a heartbreaking, sympathetic portrayal that adds so much to Pearce's grand performance.

2. The Lighthouse

I'll be discussing his performance more in detail alongside co-star Willem Dafoe in a few months' time but this is astonishing work that really delivers in creating his character's burgeoning madness.

1. Good Time

In many ways the antithesis to the usual 'rogue hero saves the day' crime thriller, Pattinson's Constantine 'Connie' Nikas, a bank robber on the run who gets his mentally disabled brother into a seriously messed up ordeal, is a real shitbag, to the extent that it really took me aback the first time I watched the film. Pattinson gives a fantastic performance as this completely amoral sort of criminal who thinks he's doing the 'right' thing and brings such a grungy, compelling energy to each of his character's manipulative actions. It's a star turn that really showed me what Pattinson has to offer as an actor beyond just being a charismatic leading man, as he is that in this but also so much more.

(Very Early) Oscar 2020 Predictions

Bold indicates my prediction for the winner; * indicates films I've already seen.

Best Picture

1917
The Farewell*
Ford v Ferrari 
The Irishman*
Jojo Rabbit 
Little Women 
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood*
Parasite*
The Two Popes

With how eclectic these last two years' Best Picture lineups have ended up in terms of not just style and genre, but also quality, audience appeal and critical reception, all bets are off this year for the Best Picture race so it seems. I wouldn't even say any of these films are 100% locks at this point besides Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which I'm pegging for the win. Relatively safe bets seem like the perennial ambitious war picture in the form of 1917, the little indie that could in The Farewell, the TIFF crowdpleaser of Jojo Rabbit, the distinct period pieces of Little Women and Ford v Ferrari, and recent years have shown a more welcoming attitude to including foreign language films in lineups which bodes well for the incredibly well received Palme D'Or Korean critical darling Parasite. Netflix has itself three horses in the race this year with the prestige picture The Two Popes, domestic drama Marriage Story and gangster picture The Irishman, so it remains to be seen if they'll campaign intensively for all three or choose two, or even one to focus upon.

Potential dark horses can be found in the likes of A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood* and Judy* if the Academy leans more towards honouring the stars of entertainment with Mr Rogers and Judy Garland, or The Report and Bombshell if they want to play the timely agenda cards. And who knows, Joker could just as likely get in as many of the current ostensible contenders; it's been a divisive film but the positive reviews have been glowing, it's gotten awards success already and could be a strong player in many categories. As always, we'll need to see how the rest of the award season plays out, box office, the cultural impact, think pieces and whatever potential controversies will come out. Personally out of the big contenders, I've liked (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) to loved (The Farewell) to LOVED (The Irishman and Parasite) what I've seen so far. Here's hoping this year will be a stronger lineup than last year (where the only films I really had much enthusiasm for out of the lineup were Roma, The Favourite and A Star is Born).

Best Director

Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story 
Sam Mendes, 1917
Greta Gerwig, Little Women 
Martin Scorsese, The Irishman*
Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood*

I'm not vouching Tarantino as the dead cert for Best Director even if Once Upon a Time in Hollywood becomes the big player in awards season - Director/Picture splits have become increasingly common in recent years. QT has never won this achievement but maybe the Academy will call it a day with rewarding the film and his writing. I could easily see them awarding Scorsese again since while his win for The Departed was very, very deserving there was a touch of 'consolation award' to it, so this could very well be their chance to 'properly' award him. I could easily see Gerwig making it in again for Little Women if she conjures up another Lady Bird-esque universal crowdpleaser, Baumbach seems primed for a 'welcome to the club' nomination, and Mendes a 'welcome back to the club' nomination with his first nom since American Beauty. Don't count out Bong Joon-ho though who may well rocketeer his way to a nomination with Parasite's insanely huge critical acclaim and hype.

Best Actress

Awkwafina, The Farewell*
Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women 
Renée Zellwegger, Judy*

I'm constantly second-guessing myself for this lineup, not least because I've left out what could be a potential winner in Charlize Theron for playing Megyn Kelly in Bombshell. That's easily the sort of 'transformative' biopic performance the Academy do love which is exactly what will get Zellwegger in for Judy. Harriet has received relatively lukewarm but not negative reviews which means that Cynthia Erivo still has a shot, though no longer the runaway winner some have been predicting her to be. I actually think Awkwafina is a pretty secured for a nomination for The Farewell provided that A24 mount a strong enough campaign for the film, hopefully I won't jinx it. That leaves Johansson who's been getting raves and whom I could easily see winning for that and other reasons I'll get into later on, the overall success that awaits the film from acting accolades perspective; and Ronan who I believe as long as Little Women performs strongly will earn her fourth nomination. 

Best Actor

Robert De Niro, The Irishman* 
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood*
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker*
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes 

The big question mark here is Phoenix whose prickly awards season reputation and his film's divisive reception could lead him anywhere from being completely left out of the awards conversation to being nominated to winning the whole thing. I'm not as big on the performance or film as a lot of its advocates nor do I have any vitriol towards it so I'll be interested to see how it all plays out. DiCaprio seems pretty assured of another nomination at this point though I doubt he'll win, De Niro seems like a safe enough bet too and will be deserving, and Driver has been carving out a strong play for the win with critical reception and also the banner year him and Johansson are having. Pryce is my choice for the predicted winner on account of the prestige of the role - playing the Pope of all people -, being the overdue veteran, he's got the reviews, it should all add up but this could easily be a very unpredictable category, with the likes of Cannes winner Antonio Banderas for Pain & Glory*, Taron Egerton for playing Elton John in Rocketman*, and even Eddie Murphy for Dolemite is My Name all having received strong acclaim across the board that could lead to them making their own splashes in the category. 

Best Supporting Actress

Annette Bening, The Report
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers*
Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit 
Shuzhen Zhou, The Farewell*

The two nominees I have seen - Lopez's dynamic turn in Hustlers and the heartbreaking performance of Zhou in The Farewell - are meaty roles that should make their way in, the former even if her film doesn't make an impact on the awards scene otherwise, but at this point it does feel like the Bening v Dern show with Lopez being a potential upset. I'm pegging Johansson to ride the momentum of her banner year with another nomination in another big potential awards player and like Jamie Foxx back in 2004, using it to springboard her way to a win. Of course I could just as easily see McKenzie, who's gotten her fair share of acclaim for Jojo Rabbit, getting in instead, Florence Pugh who also has a very promising character to work with in Little Women and is also having her own mainstream breakthrough of sorts, and unfortunately Margot Robbie who despite barely getting anything to do in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood might ride along as a coattail nominee (though maybe she'll be in contention for Bombshell instead?) 

Best Supporting Actor

Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse* 
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood*
Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes 
Al Pacino, The Irishman*
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood*

I'm actually fairly confident in Pacino's chances. He's won before, that's true, but like Scorsese that was sort of a 'consolation 'award', and this is a very juicy role with a knockout performance that'll be very much in the voters' wheelhouse. Moreover, his biggest competitor at this point, Pitt, won't be campaigning plus he has less of a typical awards-friendly role, though he does have the benefit of category fraud on his side. Dafoe is in a very niche/weird film but he's made it in two years in a row as the sole nominee of his films, the Academy clearly loves him and The Lighthouse has received raves. I could see Hanks breaking his nearly two decades long drought at the Oscars - though I doubt he'll heavily campaign - , and likewise for Hopkins, as these two veterans have very juicy roles that should form the centrepieces of their respective films' award campaigns. Potential spoilers could come in the form of Sterling K. Brown who's received a fair share of acclaim for Waves, Shia Labouef if he chooses to campaign in supporting for his semi-autobiographical portrayal of his father in Honey Boy, Jamie Foxx who's apparently the highlight of Just Mercy, and finally Christian Bale who I'd actually have put in my predictions if they hadn't been so wishy washy about which category placement, he might be placed in lead now but honestly I think supporting is his best shot. 

And as for my other predictions: -

Best Adapted Screenplay 

A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood*
The Irishman* 
Jojo Rabbit
Little Women
The Two Popes  

Best Original Screenplay

Bombshell
The Farewell*
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood*
Parasite*

Best Cinematography

1917
The Irishman*
Joker*
The Lighthouse*
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood*

Best Costume Design

The Irishman*
Judy*
Little Women 
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood*
Rocketman*

Best Editing

1917
Ford v Ferrari 
The Irishman* 
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood*

Best Production Design

1917 
The Irishman*
Jojo Rabbit
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood*
Parasite*

Best Sound Editing

1917
Ad Astra*
Avengers: Endgame*
Ford v Ferrari 
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker 

Best Sound Mixing

1917
Ad Astra* 
Avengers: Endgame*
Ford v Ferrari
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker 

Best Animated Feature

Abominable 
Frozen II
Klaus 
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World* 
Toy Story 4*

'The Irishman' Review

Having seen a range of very good (The Personal History of David Copperfield and A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood) to great (The Lighthouse and A Hidden Life) films this London Film Festival, last night's live broadcast of The Irishman put it at the top of the lot quite easily (though I didn't manage to catch a lot of my equally anticipated films of the festival). Marty Scorsese's depiction of the life of Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) as enforcer for the Bufalino crime family and the part he plays in the darker shades of American history continues his great recent form. with aplomb.

The Good: 

- Martin Scorsese on top form and this may well be his best directed film of this decade so far, which is really saying something as he pulls out every trick in his playbook with a few new stylistic additions coming into play, and they all pay off marvellously. In particular his editing collaboration with Rodrigo Pietro and Thelma Schoonmaker leads to some incredibly tense and funny payoffs with the visuals and pacing, whether it be a darkly comedic visual gag or a clever juxtaposition of scenes between the criminal and the 'proper' life our characters lead.

- One of my issues with The Wolf of Wall Street which I do love otherwise is that the ending does feel like it maybe...glorifies Jordan Belfort a bit (though maybe that's the nature of the story?) The Irishman, like Goodfellas, does no such thing. This is a blunt, resoundingly told story where crime certainly doesn't pay even if it seems like it does.

- All the three principals are phenomenal. Robert De Niro has perhaps the least flashy role as the titular Irishman but is a great lead to follow throughout and in the final act of the film surprisingly heartbreaking, giving his best work since...wow,  Goodfellas really (though I've liked him a lot in Jackie Brown, Stardust and American Hustle). Joe Pesci makes a resounding return with a wonderfully low-key and poignant portrayal of Russell Bufalino, a gangster who's always trying to ensure things go over smoothly. And on the other end Al Pacino is a hoot as Jimmy Hoffa himself, but with his quieter scenes showing the man behind the public image equally powerful as his loud histrionic cussing and rabble-rousing sequences

- The whole cast, at least those who get to do something, are phenomenal. Special mention to Ray Romano's wholesomely sleazy lawyer and Stephen Graham (who has proved with this, Boardwalk Empire and Public Enemies to truly be a master of disappearing into gangster roles) as the hilariously petty yet menacing Anthony Provenzano.

- Some of my favourite production and costume design of the year so far, methinks, never drawing attention to itself, but everything from the sunglasses of each character to their holiday getup says so much about them.

- Soundtrack is great but I mean, what do you expect? It is a Martin Scorsese film.

The Bad:

- Some of the cast - Jesse Plemons and Anna Paquin in particular - are a bit wasted, though they're good in their respective roles, but I certainly wouldn't have minded more time with them. Especially considering how important Paquin's Peggy Sheeran pans out in the end. But with such a long running time of 200 minutes I can see why they perhaps left a bit out on the editing room floor though it's a bit of a shame we don't get a strong outsider's perspective like that of Lorraine Bracco's Karen Hill in Goodfellas.

- That's about it...really. One thing I'll note is that it does befit a Netflix viewing because you will probably need a LOT of toilet breaks in between the 3 + hour runtime.

The Ugly:

- The much discussed VFX ageing for the actors, in particular De Niro, is noticeable in maybe 2 or 3 scenes? But overall I thought it did not detract at all from the experience, just remember the point is not to recreate a 70s De Niro but rather a younger or middle-aged Frank Sheeran.

Conclusion: 

One of my favourite films of the year, possibly my favourite, and once again the master Scorsese does not disappoint. I've loved all of his recent films so really this was not a surprise, but I was surprised by how much I loved it. Watch it when it comes out on Netflix though I will say a cinema experience with it was quite wonderful too.