Monday, March 29, 2021

Bertrand Tavernier 1941-2021 / News from a Reader / Updated Cannes List

BERTRAND TAVERNIER 1941-2021


Bertrand Tavernier at the Telluride Film Festival



French film maker Bertrand Tavernier died last Thursday a month shy of his 80th birthday.  Tavernier was a member of TFF's "Esteemed Council of Advisors" and had been for some time.  The first mention I can find for him as a member of the Council of Advisors is in the 1996 program.

Tavernier was guest director for the festival in 1990.  As director he programmed Pursued and Justin de Marseille.  He also presented a restoration of Jean Vigo's L'Atalante.  Tavernier returned to Telluride in 1993 with L627.  Life at Any Cost (Life and Nothing But) screened in 1998 and The Princess of Montpensier screened in 2010.

Tavernier last film to be featured as a part of the TFF program was 2016's My Journey Through French Cinema.  Prior to that Tavernier's Life at Any Cost (Life and Nothing But) screened in 1998; The Princess of Montpensier screened in 2010.

Tavernier won the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language in 1990 for Life at Any Cost.  Previously he had been nominated for that same award in 1985 for A Sunday in the Country which also earned him Best Directing honors at the Cannes Film Festival.

He was a 15 time Cesar Award nominee and won four:
 
Let Joy Reign Supreme (Screenwriting) in 1976, 
The Judge and the Assassin (Screenwriting) in 1977
A Sunday in the Country (Screenwriting) in 1985
Captain Conan (Directing) in 1997







NEWS FROM A READER




Over the past few months I have occasionally received inquiries asking if I've heard anything about whether TFF #48 is going to happen, or if the Fest is going to sell more passes. Questions like that.  And the truth is that the answer is no.  I have known zip.  I wish I could tell you different.  Wish I had some inside scoop.  But no.  Nothing.  Until this past week.

I received a DM from a reader that's interesting. The conundrum I have now is deciding how much to divulge and that's tricky.  There have items that I have posted in this space before that have not gone over well with some of the fest folks.  It's happened enough that I think about that possible reaction when I run across some tidbit of info and try to decide if or how I should write about it.

So, I'm splitting the difference here.  I won't go into the details of the message but I will say that the gist of the DM makes me think that Fest organizers have a good deal of confidence that the Fest will move forward as planned over Labor Day weekend.  


UPDATED CANNES LIST




World of Reel's Jordan Ruimy remains on the job in terms of trying to ascertain what is happening with the Cannes Film Festival and what could be screening there whenever it does happen (June? July? September? October?).

Jordan posted over the weekend that he had come across a lengthy list of films speculated for Cannes from a site called Spoiler Movies.  From that list he has added to an original list of his from Feb. 8th that I referenced in my post of Feb. 11th.



EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com

TWITTER @TheMTFB OR @Gort2 

MTFB is published on Mondays and Thursdays

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Producers Endorse Nomadland / Cannes Uncertainty

PRODUCERS ENDORSE NOMADLAND



The Producers Guild of America (PGA) named its winners for film and television last night and the win for Best Feature Film went to Chloe Zhao's Nomadland.  Pixar's Soul was named best Animated feature of the year.

A number of outlets suggested that the PGA win may well be the last indicator anyone needs to conclude that Nomadland will be the Best Picture winner when the final announcement is made on Oscar night, April 25th.

However, the PGA doesn't always presage an Oscar win.  In recent years 1917, La La Land and The Big Short won the PGA but then missed winning the big prize on Oscar night (per Indiewire's Anne Thompson).  As a matter of fact, the PGA historically matches with Oscar about 2/3 of the time according to Deadline. com the match has happened 21 times in the organizations 31 years of existence.

I have included links below to a number of sources covering the awards last night:

Variety

The Hollywood Reporter

Indiewire

Deadline

 Awards Daily




CANNES UNCERTAINTY



More reporting suggests that there is a possibility that the Cannes Film Festival may be looking at a move to the fall.  Roger Friedman of ShowBiz 411.  

Friedman's article suggests the potential of an October date and makes sure to mention that that would be post-Telluride, Toronto, Venice and New York though New York's normal run is late Sept. into October.

Friedman also pointedly mentions the chaos that would ensue among the fall fests and for the film makers should Cannes move to October writing:

"I’m thinking Thierry Fremaux must be having a nervous breakdown. The poor man. He didn’t get to have a 2020 Festival. And now this. He could show all the 2020 movies at this point in a sidebar. And no one knows what’s happened to Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch.”

Fall movies for festivals are a big question, too. Where will Steven Spielberg unveil West Side Story?"




EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com

TWITTER @TheMTFB OR @Gort2 

MTFB is published on Mondays and Thursdays

Monday, March 22, 2021

The Way Ahead? / "Soggy Bottom" Has a Date / Spring Cleaning

 THE WAY AHEAD?


In a normal year, I'd have made a hard turn from Oscar related stuff into serious tea-leaf reading about the possible films that we could see at TFF #48.  The Oscars would have happened two-three weeks back and as such, I'd be knee deep in trying to parse spec pieces about possible Oscar players for the coming year.  Which ones feel like TFF film choices?  I'd be eye-balling stories about possible Cannes selections and which of them might make the Cannes/Telluride double play? 

But, as you know, it's still not a normal year.  Oscar is still five weeks away.  Cannes plans are still unsettled.  Maybe a version of that fest happens in July.  Maybe it gets pushed to an even later date.  So, speculation about what films might end up as a Cannes selection is a sea of shifting sand.

Nevertheless, I was perusing the internet for items of interest to this blog and came across a post that included some early thoughts on films that could be potential films for Oscar talk at the end of 2021.  So, using that as a jumping off point, I've snagged some of those titles as worth at least thinking about as far as a TFF #48 play might be concerned.  I've opted to list these alphabetically.

Bergman Island
Blonde
The Card Counter
Don't Look Up
Dune
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
The French Dispatch
The Last Duel
Next Goal Wins
Nightmare Alley
Petite Maman
The Power of the Dog
Soggy Bottom
Stillwater
The Tragedy of MacBeth

Some of the above have a really good chance of being Telluride films (Card Counter, Bergman Island, Power of the Dog).  Others (Soggy Bottom, The French Dispatch, Dune) seem less likely.


SOGGY BOTTOM HAS A DATE


Bradley Cooper on the set of "Soggy Bottom" (via World of reel)



Of interest regarding "Soggy Bottom", which is still officially the "Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Project", is the announcement this past week that the film has an announced release date.  World of Reel reports the film is set for release on Sept. 10th which gives it time to play at Cannes (maybe), Venice (maybe) and/or Telluride.  The date makes a bow at Toronto unlikely but not impossible, as TIFF starts on Sept. 9th.  



SPRING CLEANING




I've written about this a couple of times before.  I have a folder in the email account that I primarily use as the conduit for the news I think might be handy to have for the blog.  Every now and then I clean it out.  

I still have emails in the folder that date from as early as 2014...because you never know when an announced project will actually get up and go.  The earliest thing in there right now is announcements that Brit director Steve McQueen's next project would be a Paul Robeson biopic.  That project is still listed on my IMDb Pro account as a "project in development".

Anyway, Among the emails I just removed were tidbits for TFF selections The Way I See It, Charlatan, Mainstream, Judy and current Oscar frontrunner Nomadland.

I also dumped emails that at various points I had saved regarding The Trial of the Chicago 7, Mank, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and 1917 among others.

So what else is still sitting in there?  The most recent announcements that I have culled are for:

The Ploughman
The Pale Blue Eye
Exit West
The Killer
White Noise
Being the Ricardos
Babylon
A Hero
Maestro

Lots more... 



EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com

TWITTER @TheMTFB OR @Gort2 

MTFB is published on Mondays and Thursdays




Thursday, March 18, 2021

New Gurus Predicting Oscar Winners / Concrete Cowboy Rides to Netflix / Talking Nomadland

 NEW GURUS PREDICITNG OSCAR WINNERS



The latest Gurus of Gold went up at Movie City News on Tuesday after Oscar nominations were announced.  We were tasked with predicting the likely winners in all of the feature film categories.  

As of my Guru ballot on Monday afternoon I have Nomadland winning 4 Oscars on April 25th: Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay and Cinematography.  As for its other two nominations, I am currently predicting Carey Mulligan will win Best Actress for Promising Young Woman over Frances McDormand and The Trial of the Chicago 7 winning the Oscar for film editing.

As to the other acting categories, I'm predicting Boseman for Actor, Kaluuya for Supporting Actor and Close for Supporting Actress, though I match up with the overall Gurus picks in all the categories I've mentioned so far except on the Close call.  I'm pretty lonely there with the Gurus collectively picking Yuh-jung Youn from Minari.  I'm not totally out in the cold with the Close prediction.  Mark Johnson/Awards Daily and Nathaniel Rogers/The Film Experience have also chosen Close.  


My other early predictions (and when applicable, where I diverge from the Guru collective):

Original Screenplay: Promising Young Woman
International Feature: Another round
Documentary Feature: Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (The Gurus have Time)
Production Design: Mank
Costumes: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Animated Feature: Soul
Makeup/Hair: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Score: Soul
Song: Speak Now/One Night in Miami
Sound: Sound of Metal
Visual Effects: Tenet

Biggest locks (having a perfect Gurus score):

Chloe Zhao/Director-Nomadland
Chadwick Boseman/Actor-Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Another Round-International Feature
Mank-Production Design
Soul-Best Score
Sound of Metal/Sound

Closest races:

Original Screenplay: Promising Young Woman and The Trial of the Chicago7 are close.
Cinematography: Nomadland and Mank look to duke it out.
Editing: Nomadland and The Trial of the Chicago 7 are tight.
Costumes: Ma Rainey, Emma and Mank are all close here.
Makeup/Hair: The battle is between Ma Rainey, Hillbilly Elegy and Mank.

Other semi-close races: Supporting Actress, Animated Feature and Documentary.



CONCRETE COWBOY RIDES TO NETFLIX






Netflix has acquired Ricky Staub's Concrete Cowboy starring Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin.  The film was a selection of TFF #47.  Netflix has set April 2nd as the release date for the film and has released both a poster (above) and a trailer (below) from YouTube:





TALKING NOMADLAND

Bloomberg recently posted an interview with the original author of Nomadland Jessica Bruder.  That interview is linked here.

Meanwhile, Slashfilm linked a Chloe Zhao interview for the American Film Institute that's up on YouTube.  Here that is:






EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com

TWITTER @TheMTFB OR @Gort2 

MTFB is published on Mondays and Thursdays



Monday, March 15, 2021

Oscar Nominations Are Here / A Comment or Two

 OSACR NOMINATIONS ARE HERE

TFF films in Bold.

BEST PICTURE

“The Father” David Parfitt, Jean-Louis Livi and Philippe Carcassonne, Producers
“Judas and the Black Messiah” Shaka King, Charles D. King and Ryan Coogler, Producers
“Mank” Ceán Chaffin, Eric Roth and Douglas Urbanski, Producers
“Minari” Christina Oh, Producer
“Nomadland” Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey and Chloé Zhao, Producers
“Promising Young Woman” Ben Browning, Ashley Fox, Emerald Fennell and Josey McNamara, Producers
“Sound of Metal” Bert Hamelinck and Sacha Ben Harroche, Producers
“The Trial of the Chicago 7” Marc Platt and Stuart Besser, Producers

BEST DIRECTION

“Another Round” Thomas Vinterberg
“Mank” David Fincher
“Minari” Lee Isaac Chung
“Nomadland” Chloé Zhao
“Promising Young Woman” Emerald Fennell

BEST ACTOR

Riz Ahmed in “Sound of Metal”
Chadwick Boseman in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Anthony Hopkins in “The Father”
Gary Oldman in “Mank”
Steven Yeun in “Minari”

BEST ACTRESS

Viola Davis in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Andra Day in “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”
Vanessa Kirby in “Pieces of a Woman”
Frances McDormand in “Nomadland”
Carey Mulligan in “Promising Young Woman”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Sacha Baron Cohen in “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Daniel Kaluuya in “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Leslie Odom, Jr. in “One Night in Miami”
Paul Raci in “Sound of Metal”
Lakeith Stanfield in “Judas and the Black Messiah”


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Maria Bakalova in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”
Glenn Close in “Hillbilly Elegy”
Olivia Colman in “The Father”
Amanda Seyfried in “Mank”
Yuh-Jung Youn in “Minari”


BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Swimer & Peter Baynham & Erica Rivinoja & Dan Mazer & Jena Friedman & Lee Kern; Story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Dan Swimer & Nina Pedrad
“The Father” Screenplay by Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller
“Nomadland” Written for the screen by Chloé Zhao
“One Night in Miami…” Screenplay by Kemp Powers
“The White Tiger” Written for the screen by Ramin Bahrani

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

“Judas and the Black Messiah” Screenplay by Will Berson & Shaka King; Story by Will Berson & Shaka King and Kenny Lucas & Keith Lucas
“Minari” Written by Lee Isaac Chung
“Promising Young Woman” Written by Emerald Fennell
“Sound of Metal” Screenplay by Darius Marder & Abraham Marder; Story by Darius Marder & Derek Cianfrance
“The Trial of the Chicago 7” Written by Aaron Sorkin

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

“Another Round” Denmark
“Better Days” Hong Kong
“Collective” Romania
“The Man Who Sold His Skin” Tunisia
“Quo Vadis, Aida?” Bosnia and Herzegovina

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

“Onward” Dan Scanlon and Kori Rae
“Over the Moon” Glen Keane, Gennie Rim and Peilin Chou
“A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon” Richard Phelan, Will Becher and Paul Kewley
“Soul” Pete Docter and Dana Murray
“Wolfwalkers” Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, Paul Young and Stéphan Roelants

BEST DOCUMENTARY

“Collective” Alexander Nanau and Bianca Oana
“Crip Camp” Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht and Sara Bolder
“The Mole Agent” Maite Alberdi and Marcela Santibáñez
“My Octopus Teacher” Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed and Craig Foster
“Time” Garrett Bradley, Lauren Domino and Kellen Quinn

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

“Judas and the Black Messiah” Sean Bobbitt
“Mank” Erik Messerschmidt
“News of the World” Dariusz Wolski
“Nomadland” Joshua James Richards
“The Trial of the Chicago 7” Phedon Papamichael

BEST EDITING

“The Father” Yorgos Lamprinos
“Nomadland” Chloé Zhao

“Promising Young Woman” Frédéric Thoraval
“Sound of Metal” Mikkel E. G. Nielsen
“The Trial of the Chicago 7” Alan Baumgarten

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

“The Father” Production Design: Peter Francis; Set Decoration: Cathy Featherstone
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” Production Design: Mark Ricker; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara and Diana Stoughton
“Mank” Production Design: Donald Graham Burt; Set Decoration: Jan Pascale
“News of the World” Production Design: David Crank; Set Decoration: Elizabeth Keenan
“Tenet” Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas

BEST COSTUMES

“Emma” Alexandra Byrne
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” Ann Roth
“Mank” Trish Summerville
“Mulan” Bina Daigeler
“Pinocchio” Massimo Cantini Parrini

BEST MAKEUP/HAIR

“Emma” Marese Langan, Laura Allen and Claudia Stolze
“Hillbilly Elegy” Eryn Krueger Mekash, Matthew Mungle and Patricia Dehaney
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson
“Mank” Gigi Williams, Kimberley Spiteri and Colleen LaBaff
“Pinocchio” Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli and Francesco Pegoretti

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

“Da 5 Bloods” Terence Blanchard
“Mank” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
“Minari” Emile Mosseri
“News of the World” James Newton Howard
“Soul” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste

BEST SONG

“Fight For You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas
“Hear My Voice” from “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
Music by Daniel Pemberton; Lyric by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite
“Husavik” from “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga”
Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson
“Io Sì (Seen)” from “The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)”
Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini
“Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami…”
Music and Lyric by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

“Burrow” Madeline Sharafian and Michael Capbarat
“Genius Loci” Adrien Mérigeau and Amaury Ovise
“If Anything Happens I Love You” Will McCormack and Michael Govier
“Opera” Erick Oh
“Yes-People” Gísli Darri Halldórsson and Arnar Gunnarsson

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

“Feeling Through” Doug Roland and Susan Ruzenski
“The Letter Room” Elvira Lind and Sofia Sondervan
“The Present” Farah Nabulsi
“Two Distant Strangers” Travon Free and Martin Desmond Roe
“White Eye” Tomer Shushan and Shira Hochman

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

“Colette” Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard
“A Concerto Is a Conversation” Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers
“Do Not Split” Anders Hammer and Charlotte Cook
“Hunger Ward” Skye Fitzgerald and Michael Scheuerman
“A Love Song for Latasha” Sophia Nahli Allison and Janice Duncan

BEST SOUND

“Greyhound” Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders and David Wyman
“Mank” Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance and Drew Kunin
“News of the World” Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller and John Pritchett
“Soul” Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker
“Sound of Metal” Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

“Love and Monsters” Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt and Brian Cox
“The Midnight Sky” Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon and David Watkins
“Mulan” Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury and Steve Ingram
“The One and Only Ivan” Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones and Santiago Colomo Martinez
“Tenet” Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher



A COMMENT OR TWO

TFF #47 films score 13 Oscar nominations in this weird Covid-19 influenced year with Nomadland and The Father each earning six apiece. 

Nomadland's six were expected: Picture, Director, Actress, Adapted Screenplay, CInematography, Editng.

The Father over performed somewhat with its six nominations: Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Production Design and Edinting.

Mank lead all films with 10 nominaitons.

Surprises to me: LaKeith Satnfield in Supporting Actor for Judas and the Black Messiah.
Snub: Aaron Sorkin for directing The Trial of the Chicago 7..

Minari, Judas and the Black Messiah, The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Sound of Metal each had six nominations.
Promising Young Woman,  Ma Rainey's Black Bottom each had five nominations.

If I have this right, Chloe Zhao was nominated four times this morning.

This year I was a bit under my average success rate hitting 87/118 for 73.7%.  That sixth spot in my predictions ended up hitting a nomination in 10 categories for a rate of 43.5%.


Sunday, March 14, 2021

MTFB'S FINAL OSCAR NOMINATION PREDICITONS / Final Oscar Picks from the Experts

FINAL OSCAR NOMINATION PREDICTIONS-SUNDAY, MAR. 14TH



 A couple of quick notes here...

Over the years of predicting Oscar nominations, I've worked out that my average rate of success over the last five years has been 79.4 % which in most categories translates roughly to getting four out of the five nominees correctly.  I've also found that in the 20-25% of cases where I miss, the fifth nominee is the film/performer that I have picked in the sixth spot about 37.5% of the time.  

Of course, with the weirdness that is this year's Oscar season, anything is possible.

So...here they be.  As always, TFF films are in Bold.

BEST PICTURE

1) Nomadland 
2) The Trial of the Chicago 7 
3) Minari 
4) Promising Young Woman 
5) Mank 
6) One Night in Miami 
7) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
8) Judas and the Black Messiah 
9) Sound of Metal 
10) The Father 

Other Possibles: Da 5 Bloods, News of the World


BEST DIRECTOR (Last predicted Feb. 22)

1) Chloe Zhao/Nomadland 
2) David Fincher/Mank 
3) Emerald Fennell/Promising Young Woman 
4) Aaron Sorkin/The Trial of the Chicago 7 
5) Lee Isaac Chung/Minari

6) Regina King/One Night in Miami 
7) Spike Lee/Da 5 Bloods 
8) Paul Greengrass/News of the World 
9) Florian Zeller/The Father (8)
10) Shaka King/Judas and the Black Messiah 

Other Possibles: Darius Marder/Sound of Metal, George C. Wolfe/Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

BEST ACTRESS 

1) Carey Mulligan/Promising Young Woman 
2) Frances McDormand/Nomadland 
3) Viola Davis/Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 
4) Andra Day/The United States vs. Billie Holiday 
5) Vanessa Kirby/Pieces of a Woman 

6) Sophia Loren/The Life Ahead 
7) Amy Adams/Hillbilly Elegy 
8) Zendaya/Malcolm and Marie 
9) Sidney Flanigan/Never Rarely Sometimes Always 
10) Michelle Pfeiffer/French Exit 

Other Possibles: Meryl Streep/The Prom, Nichole Behaire/Miss Juneteenth


BEST ACTOR 

1) Chadwick Boseman/Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 
2) Anthony Hopkins/The Father 
3) Riz Ahmed/Sound of Metal 
4) Gary Oldman/Mank 
5) Steven Yeun/Minari 

6) Delroy Lindo/Da 5Bloods 
7) Tahar Rahim/The Mauritanian 
8) Mads Mikkelsen/Another Round
9) Ben Affleck/The Way Back 
10) Tom Hnaks/News of the World

Other Possibles: Kingsley Ben-Adir/One Night in Miami, John David Washington/Malcolm and Marie


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS 

1) Glenn Close/Hillbilly Elegy 
2) Yuh-jung Youn/Minari 
3) Maria Bakalova/Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
4) Olivia Colman/The Father 
5) Amanda Seyfried/Mank 

6) Jodie Foster/The Mauritanian 
7) Helena Zengel/News of the World 
8) Ellen Burstyn/Pieces of a Woman 
9) Dominique Fishback/Judas and the Black Messiah 
10) Saoirse Ronan/Ammonite 

Other Possibles: Olivia Cooke/Sound of Metal, Talia Ryder/Never rarely Sometimes Always


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR 

1) Daniel Kaluuya/Judas and the Black Messiah 
2) Sacha Baron Cohen/The Trial of the Chicago 7 
3) Leslie Odom, Jr./One Night in Miami 
4) Chadwick Boseman/Da 5 Bloods 
5) Paul Raci/Sound of Metal 

6) Jared Leto/The Little Things 
7) David Strathairn/Nomadland 
8) Bill Murray/On the Rocks 
9) Stanley Tucci/Supernova 
10) Bo Burnham/Promising Young Woman 

Other Possibles: Frank Langella/The Trail of the Chicago 7, Mark Rylance/The Trial of the Chicago7, Glynn Turman/Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY 

1) The Trial of the Chicago 7 
2) Promising Young Woman 
3) Minari 
4) Mank 
5) Sound of  Metal 

6) Never Rarely Sometimes Always 
7) Judas and the Black Messiah 
8) Soul 
9) Da 5 Bloods 
10) Palm Springs 

Other Possibles: On the Rocks, The 40 Year Old Version


BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY 

1) Nomadland 
2) One Night in Miami 
3) The Father 
4) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 
5) News of the World 

6) Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
7) First Cow 
8) The White Tiger 
9) I'm Thinking of Ending Things 
10) Emma 

Other Possibles: The Mauritanian, Pieces of a Woman


DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

1) Crip Camp; a Disability Revolution 
2) Time 
3) Collective 
4) Dick Johnson Is Dead 
5) All In: The Fight for Democracy 

6) The Truffle Hunters 
7) Boys State 
8) Welcome to Chechnya 
9) My Octopus Teacher 
10) Gunda 


INTERNATIONAL FEATURE 

1) Another Round 
2) Quo Vadis, Aida 
3) Two of Us 
4) Collective 
5) La Llorona 

6) I'm No Longer Here 
7) A Sun 
8) Night of the Kings 
9) Dear Comrades 
10) Sun Children 

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

1) Soul 
2) Wolfwalkers 
3) Over the Moon 
4) Onward 
5) Croods: The New Age 

6) A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon 
7) Earwig and the Witch 
8) The Willoughbys 
9) Trolls: World Tour 
10) Demon Slayer 

Other Possibles: Lupin, Bombay Rose, On-Gaku, Calamity

CINEMATOGRAPHY 

1) Nomadland 
2) Mank 
3) News of the World 
4) Tenet 
5) Minari 

6) Judas and the Black Messiah 
7) The Trial of the Chicago 7 
8) First Cow 
9) One Night in Miami 
10) I'm Thinking of Ending Things 

EDITING 

1) The Trial of the Chicago 7 
2) Nomadland 
3) Mank 
4) News of the World 
5) Tenet 

6) Sound of Metal 
7) The Father 
8) Promising Young Woman 
9) One Night in Miami 
10) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 

ORIGINAL SCORE 

1)  Soul 
2) News of the World 
3) Mank 
4) The Midnight Sky 
5) Tenet 

6) Minari 
7) The Trial of the Chicago 7 
8) Da 5 Bloods 
9) The Little Things 
10) Blizzard of Souls 

ORIGINAL SONG

1) Io Si/The Life Ahead 
2) Speak Now/One Night in Miami 
3) Hear My Voice/The Trial of the Chicago 7 
4) Husavik/Eurovision Song Contest 
5) Fight for You/Judas and the Black Messiah 

6) Turntables/All In: The Fight for Democracy 
7) Wuhan Flu/Borat Subsequent Moviefilm 
8) Never Break/Giving Voice 
9) Rain Song/Minari 
10) See What You've Done/Belly of the Beast 

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

1) Mank 
2) News of the World 
3) Tenet 
4) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 
5) Emma 

6) The Midnight Sky 
7) The Personal History of David Copperfield
8) Mulan
9) The Trial of the Chicago 7 
10) One Night in Miami 

Other Possibles: Judas and the Black Messiah, First Cow, Jingle-Jangle: A Christmas Journey

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

1) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 
2) Emma 
3) Mank 
4) News of the World 
5) Mulan 

6) Promising Young Woman 
7) Ammonite 
8) Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey 
9) The United States vs. Billie Holiday 
10) The Personal History of David Copperfield 

Other Possibles: The Glorias, The Trial of the Chicago 7


BEST MAKEUP/HAIR

1) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 
2) Hillbilly Elegy 
3) Birds of Prey 
4) Mank 
5) Emma 

6) Pinocchio 
7) One Night in Miami
8) The Glorias 
9) Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey 
10) The Little Things 

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

1) Tenet 
2) The Midnight Sky 
3) Mank 
4) Mulan 
5) Welcome to Chechnya 

6) The One and Only Ivan 
7) Birds of Prey 
8) Soul 
9) Love and Monsters 
10) Bloodshot 

BEST SOUND

1) Sound of Metal 
2) Tenet 
3) Mank 
4) News of the World 
5) The Midnight Sky 

6) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 
7) Soul 
8) The Trial of the Chicago 7 
9) Da 5 Bloods 
10) The Outpost 

Other Possibles: Greyhound, Nomadland, The Prom, The Invisible Man

BEST ANIMATED SHORT 

1) If Anything Happens I Love You
2) Out
3) Burrow
4) Kapaemahu
5) The Snail and the Whale

6) Opera
7) To Gerard
8) Genius Loci
9) Yes-People
10) Traces

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT 

1) A Love Song for Latasha
2) Hysterical Girl 
3) A Concerto Is a Conversation
4) Colette 
5) What would Sophia Loren Do?

6) Hunger Ward
7) Abortion Helpline
8) Speed Cubers
9) Do Not Split
10) Call Center Blues


BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT 

1) The Human Voice
2) Two Distant Strangers
3) The Letter Room
4) Feeling Through
5) Da Yie

6) The Present
7) White Eye
8) The Kicksled
9) The Van
10) Bittu


FINAL OSCAR PICKS FROM THE EXPERTS






Thursday, March 11, 2021

Oscar Update: Six Categories / Guild Love for Nomadland, The Truffle Hunters and More / MTFB''s Final Oscar Nom Predix on Sunday!

OSCAR UPDATE: SIX CATEGORIES

NOTE: FINAL OSCAR NOMINATION PREDICTIONS FROM MTFB WILL DROP ON SUNDAY WITH OSCAR NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED MONDAY MORNING.

I am updating Oscar nomination predictions with days left until the nominees are announced.  As usual, you'll see the last position of the film/performer in parentheses and when the category was last predicted.  TFF films are in Bold.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE (last predicited Feb. 22nd)




1) Crip Camp; a Disability Revolution (1)
2) Time (2)
3) Collective (3)
4) Dick Johnson Is Dead (4)
5) All In: The Fight for Democracy (8)

6) The Truffle Hunters (7)
7) Boys State (5)
8) Welcome to Chechnya (6)
9) My Octopus Teacher (-)
10) Gunda (-)


INTERNATIONAL FEATURE (last predicted Feb. 22nd)

1) Another Round (1)
2) Quo Vadis, Aida (4)
3) Two of Us (3)
4) Collective (2)
5) La Llorona (5)

6) I'm No Longer Here (7)
7) A Sun (6)
8) Night of the Kings (9)
9) Dear Comrades (8)
10) Sun Children (10)

CINEMATOGRAPHY (last predicted Feb. 25th)




1) Nomadland (1)
2) Mank (2)
3) News of the World (3)
4) Tenet (4)
5) Minari (7)

6) Judas and the Black Messiah (6)
7) The Trial of the Chicago 7 (5)
8) First Cow (9)
9) One Night in Miami (8)
10) I'm Thinking of Ending Things (-)

EDITING (last predicted Feb. 25th)

1) The Trial of the Chicago 7 (1)
2) Nomadland (3)
3) Mank (4)
4) News of the World (2)
5) Tenet (5)

6) Sound of Metal (6)
7) The Father (7)
8) Promising Young Woman (-)
9) One Night in Miami (8)
10) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (10)

ORIGINAL SCORE (last predicted on Feb. 25th)

1)  Soul (1)
2) News of the World (2)
3) Mank (3)
4) The Midnight Sky (4)
5) Tenet (5)

6) Minari (6)
7) The Trial of the Chicago 7 (7)
8) Da 5 Bloods (8)
9) The Little Things (9)
10) Blizzard of Souls (10)

ORIGINAL SONG

1) Io Si/The Life Ahead (2)
2) Speak Now/One Night in Miami (1)
3) Hear My Voice/The Trial of the Chicago 7 (4)
4) Husavik/Eurovision Song Contest (5)
5) Fight for You/Judas and the Black Messiah (3)

6) Turntables/All In: The Fight for Democracy (6)
7) Wuhan Flu/Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (8)
8) Never Break/Giving Voice (7)
9) Rain Song/Minari (9)
10) See What You've Done/Belly of the Beast (10)


GUILD LOVE FOR NOMADLAND AND THE TRUFFLE HUNERS (AND MORE)




Both the Directors Guild and the Producers Guild announced their nominees earlier this week and TFF #47 selection Nomadland and Chloe Zhao was named on both lists.  

Additionally, other TFF #47 films were also haled by the DGA.  Florian Zeller was nominated for Best Frist Feature for The Father and Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw were nominated for Best Direction of a Feature Documentary.

The Truffle Hunters also was PGA nominated as well.  

The American Society of Cinematographers also named its nominees this week which included Nomadland in its Feature film lineup, The Truffle Hunters and another TFF #47 selection, Gianfranco Rosi's Notturno for Documentary Cinematography.

Coverage is here:








REMINDER AGAIN....MTFB'S FINAL OSCAR NOMINATION PREDICTIONS WILL BE HERE ON SUNDAY


EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com

TWITTER @TheMTFB OR @Gort2 

MTFB is published on Mondays and Thursdays

Monday, March 8, 2021

Oscar Update: The Big Eight and The Shorts / The Critics Choice Awards / A Buffet of Truffles / Latest Gurus of Gold

 OSACR UPDATE: THE BIG EIGHT AND THE SHORTS


Here I am updating Oscar nomination predictions with a week left until the nominees are announced.  As usual, you'll see the last position of the film/performer in parentheses and when the category was last predicted.  TFF films are in Bold.


BEST PICTURE (last predicted Mar. 1st)




1) Nomadland (2)
2) The Trial of the Chicago 7 (1)
3) Minari (3)
4) Promising Young Woman (5)
5) Mank (4)
6) One Night in Miami (6)
7) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (7)
8) News of the World (9)
9) Sound of Metal (8)
10) The Father (-)

Other Possibles: Da 5 Bloods, Judas and the Black Messiah


BEST DIRECTOR (Last predicted Feb. 22)

1) Chloe Zhao/Nomadland (1)
2) David Fincher/Mank (2)
3) Emerald Fennell/Promising Young Woman (3)
4) Aaron Sorkin/The Trial of the Chicago 7 (4)
5) Lee Isaac Chung/Minari (5)

6) Regina King/One Night in Miami (6)
7) Spike Lee/Da 5 Bloods (7)
8) Paul Greengrass/News of the World (9)
9) Florian Zeller/The Father (8)
10) Shaka King/Judas and the Black Messiah (-)

Other Possibles: Darius Marder/Sound of Metal, George C. Wolfe/Ma Rainey's Black Bottom


BEST ACTRESS (Last predicted on Feb. 11th)




1) Carey Mulligan/Promising Young Woman (1)
2) Frances McDormand/Nomadland (2)
3) Viola Davis/Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (3)
4) Andra Day/The united States vs. Billie Holiday (6)
5) Vanessa Kirby/Pieces of a Woman (4)

6) Sophia Loren/The Life Ahead (7)
7) Amy Adams/Hillbilly Elegy (9)
8) Zendaya/Malcolm and Marie (5)
9) Sidney Flanigan/Never Rarely Sometimes Always (8)
10) Michelle Pfeiffer/French Exit (-)

Other Possibles: Meryl Streep/The Prom, Nichole Behaire/Miss Juneteenth


BEST ACTOR (Last predicted Feb. 11th)

1) Chadwick Boseman/Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (1)
2) Anthony Hopkins/The Father (2)
3) Riz Ahmed/Sound of Metal (3)
4) Gary Oldman/Mank (5)
5) Steven Yeun/Minari (6)

6) Delroy Lindo/Da 5Bloods (4)
7) Tahar Rahim/The Mauritanian (10)
8) Tom Hanks/News of the World (8)
9) Ben Affleck/The Way Back (7)
10) Mads Mikkelsen/Another Round (-)

Other Possibles: Kingsley Ben-Adir/One Night in Miami, John David Washington/Malcolm and Marie


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (Last predicted Feb. 18th)




1) Glenn Close/Hillbilly Elegy (1)
2) Yuh-jung Youn/Minari (2)
3) Olivia Colman/The Father (3)
4) Maria Bakalova/Borat Subsequent Movie Film (5)
5) Amanda Seyfried/Mank (4)

6) Jodie Foster/The Mauritanian (8)
7) Helena Zengel/News of the World (7)
8) Ellen Burstyn/Pieces of a Woman (6)
9) Dominique Fishback/Judas and the Black Messiah (9)
10) Saoirse Ronan/Ammonite (-)

Other Possibles: Olivia Cooke/Sound of Metal, Talia Ryder/Never rarely Sometimes Always


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (Last predicted Feb. 18th)

1) Daniel Kaluuya/Judas and the Black Messiah (1)
2) Sacha Baron Cohen/The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2)
3) Leslie Odom, Jr./One Night in Miami (3)
4) Chadwick Boseman/Da 5 Bloods (4)
5) Paul Raci/Sound of Metal (4)

6) Jared Leto/The Little Things (8)
7) David Strathairn/Nomadland (7)
8) Bill Murray/On the Rocks (6)
9) Stanley Tucci/Supernova (-)
10) Bo Burnham/Promising Young Woman (-)

Other Possibles: Frank Langella/The Trail of the Chicago 7, Mark Rylance/The Trial of the Chicago7, Glynn Turman/Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY (Last predicted Feb. 18th)

1) The Trial of the Chicago 7 (1)
2) Promising Young Woman (2)
3) Minari (3)
4) Mank (4)
5) Sound of  Metal (5)

6) Never Rarely Sometimes Always (7)
7) Judas and the Black Messiah (8)
8) Soul (9)
9) Da 5 Bloods (6)
10) Palm Springs (10)

Other Possibles: On the Rocks, The 40 Year Old Version


BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY (Last predicted Feb. 18th)




1) Nomadland (1)
2) One Night in Miami (2)
3) The Father (4)
4) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (3)
5) News of the World (6)

6) First Cow (5)
7) Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (8)
8) The White Tiger (-)
9) I'm Thinking of Ending Things (7)
10) Emma (9)

Other Possibles: The Mauritanian, Pieces of a Woman


BEST ANIMATED SHORT (First prediction)

1) If Anything Happens I Love You
2) Out
3) Burrow
4) Kapaemahu
5) The Snail and the Whale

6) Opera
7) To Gerard
8) Genius Loci
9) Yes-People
10) Traces

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT (First prediction)

1) A Love Song for Latasha
2) Hysterical Girl 
3) A Concerto Is a Conversation
4) Colette 
5) What would Sophia Loren Do?

6) Hunger Ward
7) Abortion Helpline
8) Speed Cubers
9) Do Not Split
10) Call Center Blues


BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT (First prediction)

1) The Human Voice
2) Two Distant Strangers
3) The Letter Room
4) Feeling Through
5) Da Yie

6) The Present
7) White Eye
8) The Kicksled
9) The van
10) Bittu


THE CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS




The Critics Choice Awards were held last night.  TFF films were nominated for a dozen of them.

Nomadland (6): Best Picture, Director, Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography and Editing

The Father (4): Best Actor, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay and Editing

First Cow (2): Adapted Screenplay and Cinematography

Nomadland was the evening's big winner with four awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Cinematography.  The Father and First Cow did not secure any trophy from the occasion.

Acting winners were: Carey Mulligan-Best Actress/Promising Young Woman, Chadwick Boseman-Best Actor/Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Maria Bakalova/Supporting Actress/Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Daniel Kaluuya-Supporting Actor/Judas and the Black Messiah, Alan Kim/Young Actor/Minari and The Trial of the Chicago 7 won for Best Ensemble.

The BFCA spread the wealth with only four films winning more than one of the prizes: Nomandlan-4, Ma Rainey's-3, Promising Young Woman-2 and Minari-2.



A  BUFFET OF TRUFFLES




As Oscar nomination voting is ongoing, TFF #47 documentary selection, The Truffle Hunters continues to have a high profile.  There were three separate interviews posted this week that I came across with the film's directors Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw.

The film is definitely in Oscar contention for Best Feature Documentary (and maybe ought to also be in the conversation for cinematography).  Fully eight of Gold Derby's 24 experts are currently predicting it to be nominated.

I have linked all three of the interviews with Dweck and Kershaw below:





LATEST GURUS FOCUSES ON THE BIG EIGHT




The latest Gurus of Gold forecast focuses on the Big Eight categories. Picture, Director, the the acting and Screenplay categories.  in an interesting twist, we were asked to name just the top two contenders in all but the Best Picture category.  

Take a look at the new charts. They were posted on Friday.  As you may note, my latest Best Picture forecast from above has Nomadland back in the lead.  The race between it and Chicago 7 is tight and fluid.  Enough so that in the space of 72 hours, my prediction has changed.



EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com

TWITTER @TheMTFB OR @Gort2 

MTFB is published on Mondays and Thursdays

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Oscar Update: Costumes, Makeup and Hair and Visual Effects / Cannes Moving Back??? / Interviews with Hopkins and Pollard

OSCAR UPDATE: COSTUMES, MAKEUP AND HAIR AND VISUAL EFFECTS




Here's an update on three technical categories.  I last predicted these on February 15th.  Their position at that time is in parentheses.  Telluride #47 films are in Bold. 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN




1) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (1)
2) Emma (2)
3) Mank (3)
4) News of the World (4)
5) Mulan (5)

6) Promising Young Woman (9)
7) Ammonite (8)
8) Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (-)
9) The United States vs. Billie Holiday (6)
10) The Personal History of David Copperfield (7)

Other Possibles: The Glorias, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Hot: Promising Young Woman
Not: The United States vs. Billie Holiday, The Personal History of David Copperfield


BEST MAKEUP/HAIR

1) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (1)
2) Hillbilly Elegy (2)
3) Birds of Prey (4)
4) Mank (3)
5) Emma (5)

6) Pinocchio (6)
7) One Night in Miami (8)
8) The Glorias (9)
9) Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (10)
10) The Little Things (7)

Hot: Birds of Prey
Not: The Little Things


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

1) Tenet (1)
2) The Midnight Sky (2)
3) Mank (3)
4) Mulan (4)
5) Welcome to Chechnya (50

6) The One and Only Ivan (8)
7) Birds of Prey (6)
8) Soul (7)
9) Love and Monsters (9)
10) Bloodshot (10)

Hot: The One and Only Ivan
Not: Soul


CANNES MOVING BACK???





Earlier this week, Deadline's Tom Grater reported that the Cannes Film Festival, which looked to be headed to run in July (and perhaps even later as some rumors have it going into late summer) may be backtracking.

Grater reports that Cannes may plan a "pre-screening" event earlier than the planned July dates as a response to industry desires.  The Deadline story suggests the possible "pre-screening" would be:

"virtual and will be purely based around industry screenings, without a traditional physical market, and will feature market titles potentially alongside films from the festival selection"

Grater also writes that Cannes is getting pressure from sales agants and French distributors to do the earlier "pre-screenings".

The upshot is that we could be back to finding out at least some of the films Cannes has chosen for whatever version of the actual festival comes to pass and that could give us some Telluride clues.



INTERVIEWS WITH HOPKINS AND POLLARD



(photo via Sundance film Festival and Screen Daily)



Screen Daily published an interview this week with acting legend Anthony Hopkins.  Hopkins would have been one of the tribute recipients had a TFF #47 gone off last Labor Day.  

Hopkins role in The Father (the TFF and Sundance selection) has earned a good deal of Oscar speculation.


Meanwhile, The Playlist posted an interview with director Sam Pollard whose documentary MLK/FBI, is on The Academy's Feature Documentary Shortlist.  MKL/FBI was also a TFF #47 selection.




EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com

TWITTER @TheMTFB OR @Gort2 

MTFB is published on Mondays and Thursdays