Lion - 6 nominations

Best Picture - Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Angie Fielder
Actor in a Supporting Role - Dev Patel
Actress in a Supporting Role - Nicole Kidman
Cinematography - Greig Fraser
Original Score - Dustin O'Halloran and Hauschka
Adapted Screenplay - Luke Davies

Welcome to the last of my top three favorite films this year, Lion.  This impossible story turns out to be based on a real life, in which a 5 year old child accidentally falls asleep on what he doesn't know to be a moving train in a remote part of India, travels 1500 miles to Calcutta, and when discovered, realizes that he doesn't know the name of his town, doesn't know the name of his mother (other than "mom"), and has no way to figure out how to get back to his home and his family.  Eventually adopted by an Australian couple and to a life of privilege, he is haunted by the family who never knows that he is still alive and thriving.  As a young adult, he decides to use the combination of his memory of the landscapes and google earth to see if he can find any details that would lead him back to the land of his birth.

When I saw Lion, I didn't know anything about it beyond that it was starting to pick up some Oscar buzz.  This film overwhelmed me, the story is beyond the imagination and gives a new meaning to the phrase "global connection" when it comes to the internet.  Now, I don't know how many of the details in the film are accurate and what was manufactured for the screen.  Every year I warn that we must not take biopics to be perfect representations of fact.  But for this movie, I simply don't care - it is beautiful, it is touching, and it is haunting.  And, pay some attention to the incredible Original Score, which happens to be pretty gorgeous, as well.  If you have time for only one movie this year, I recommend it be Lion.

LA LA Land - 14 nominations

Best Picture - Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz and Marc Platt

Actor in a Leading Role - Ryan Gosling
Actress in a Leading Role - Emma Stone
Cinematography - Linus Sandgren
Costume Design - Mary Zophres
Directing - Damien Chazelle
Film Editing - Tom Cross
Original Score - Justin Hurwitz
Original Song, "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)"  - Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Original Song, "City Of Stars" - Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Production Design - David Wasco (Production Design); Sandy Reynolds-Wasco (Set Decoration)
Sound Editing - Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou Morgan
Sound Mixing - Andy Nelson, Ai-Ling Lee and Steve A. Morrow
Original Screenplay - Damien Chazelle

Two artists find each other, she an actress, he a musician.  Along the path to their individual successes, their relationship struggles as they try to support each others' dreams while remaining committed to their own.  Simple enough, right?  But then, you open the movie with Los Angelinos singing and doing a huge Broadway production number on the 105 freeway.  That's the moment I was IN.  Not in a little bit, but IN, with my whole being.  Now, I admit that my favorite movie is Gene Kelly's, "On the Town," and that this film paid homage to classic movie musicals that made up my childhood memories (NO, I'm not old enough.  We had them on VHS.)  If I'm really being honest, the comic strip that I still keep is one where Calvin (from Calvin and Hobbes) starts singing and adding laughter to everything he says and proclaims "I thought my life would seem more interesting with an original score and a laugh track."  Yes, Calvin, ME TOO.

But every element of this film supports the return to the age of the big movie musical, and all I can say is YES PLEASE.  La La Land ties for the most number of nominations in movie history, and for your Oscar pools, you can count on it to win a lot of them.  Who can resist Ryan Gosling with his three months of piano training knocking it out of the park?  Are he and Emma Stone the best singers? Maybe not. (Actually, Emma Stone has a fantastic voice, but this film didn't show off her chops with songs that suit her style - she is a better belter than soft singer.)  Are they the best dancers?  It just doesn't matter.  They are charming and engaging and everything musical leads should be.  (I will warn you that my mother left the theatre crying and upset about the unexpected ending, but I won't tell you why!)

La La Land manages to be classic and original.  It lands in my top three favorite films of the year.  I think it will in yours too.  Enjoy the two nominated original songs below.

And of course, the trailer:

Hidden Figures - 3 nominations

Best Picture - Donna Gigliotti, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Pharrell Williams and Theodore Melfi
Supporting Actress - Octavia Spencer
Adapted Screenplay - Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi

Hidden Figures is the incredible story of the space race through the lens of a story that nobody knew and everybody should.  When the United States was working to put a man on the moon "not because it was easy, but because it was hard" (and because that made America somehow superior to the Russians), there were large teams of brilliant African American women who served as human computers for the scientists and engineers on the project.  This in a time when African Americans were still sitting at the back of the bus and using "colored" bathrooms.  We see in the film how undervalued these women are, but we watch as the world inside NASA begins to change, as it becomes understood how much these women have to contribute. 

Taraji B. Henson plays Katharnie Johnson, whose natural abilities in math catapults the engineers into being able to calculate the ascent into orbit and the ability to come home safely.  Octavia Spencer plays Dorothy Vaughan, the first African American woman to be promoted to the rank of supervisor at NASA, and who is the first to decipher the newfangled IBM computer.  And Janelle Monae ably becomes Mary Jackson, who pursues her dreams to become an engineer, even if she has to battle in court to be admitted to the all white school where the teaching is happening.

I'm frankly tired of having to describe African American women characters as teeming with dignity, as though that wouldn't be their natural state.  But in the context of the constant degradations they are subjected to in 1960's Virginia, the incredible poise and unflappability stands out, and the portrayal by these three spectacular actresses is immeasurable.  The dignity seeps from their pores.  And they find unlikely allies throughout the film, who begin to understand what white privilege means in the age of Jim Crow laws, and moreover, how that privilege it to the detriment of their own goals.

I'm hesitant to give too much away that the trailer doesn't portray, but I'm proud to share that this film is in my top three favorites of the season, and I can assure you that if you only have time (or inclination) to see a small handful of the movies with nominees, this should be one of your choices.

Hell or High Water - 4 nominations

Best Picture - Carla Hacken and Julie Yorn
Actor in a Supporting Role - Jeff Bridges
Film Editing - Jake Roberts
Original Screenplay - Taylor Sheridan

Hell or High Water brings back the heist movie genre in the sweetest and most touching way.  Every character is engaging, and there is no mystery about why the brilliant Jeff Bridges received a nomination. The story follows two pairs - the Howard brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) who are robbing banks of small amounts of money, and Marcus Hamilton and Gil Birmingham (Bridges and Alberto Parker), the law enforcement pair chasing them.  The key insight from Hamilton, the Texas ranger, is that the brothers will continue to rob banks until they reach a certain amount of money. This clue convinces the curmudgeonly but smart ranger that there is a reason belying the robberies, and that the brothers aren't just on a spree for the fun of it.  As bank robberies always do, plenty goes wrong as the film progresses, and some people pay too high a cost for the stealing and for the desire to secure the outlaws' capture.

The relationships in this film are everything.  I can't remember crying in a heist film, or at least not in my recent memory.  Every character is so earnest and in many ways, pure of heart, that you can't help but find them endearing - bad guys and good guys alike.  Sometimes, it's not clear who the bad guys and who the good guys are.  I have often said that I'm tired of being manipulated into cheering for the bad guys in a film, but this is one of those times when it's hard to see any single character as any one thing, and that makes Hell or High Water so much more like real life.

I have yet to find a single person who has seen the film who hasn't enjoyed Hell or High Water.  I think you'll like it too.

Hacksaw Ridge - 6 nominations

Best Picture - Bill Mechanic and David Permut
Actor in a Leading Role - Andrew Garfield
Directing - Mel Gibson
Film Editing - John Gilbert
Sound Editing - Robert Mackenzie and Andy Wright
Sound Mixing - Kevin O'Connell, Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie and Peter Grace

This might be the hardest review I've ever had to write in my history with the Oscars and particularly this blog.  To review the film in a vacuum would simply deny that Mel Gibson has a hateful background (if you don't believe me, look up "Mel Gibson rant" on you tube, see how much you can make it through) having spewed vile language on his ex-girlfriend, at the police (about Jews), and in so many directions that one would expect Hollywood to have abandoned him without any chance for a comeback.  Stephen Colbert nobly gave Gibson space on his late night show to express any regrets about his behavior in the past, and Gibson replied that he has no regrets.  And I believe him. To separate the man from his work is a difficult chore for me, and I struggle to understand how those who work with him accomplish that task.  

It is true that Gibson chooses worthy projects (for the most part) and that he is a very good Director.  He understands storytelling, so if I were reviewing the film with no context, I would have no trouble endorsing Hacksaw Ridge, even if it does get a little "preachy" from a religious perspective.  It's hard to reconcile a main character (and real person, Army Medic Desmond Doss) who has committed his life to peace and only to actions that uplift, knowing that Gibson himself couldn't measure up to a man like Doss in any way.

On to the film... Hacksaw Ridge is the story of a man who voluntarily joins the army as a religious man so that he can serve as an army medic, but who is also a committed pacifist.  He refuses to touch any weapon, and this creates a sense of mistrust and a total disconnection with his fellow soldiers. Vince Vaughan has a small but standout role as Sergeant Howell, who can't endorse a soldier who refuses to fight, and in fact, the army tries to get Doss to take a discharge.  But he is committed to his work as a medic, and over time, he must convince his fellow soldiers that he will not shirk his duty to them, even if he can't engage is war making himself.  Andrew Garfield plays the role ably, though I'm not convinced that it warrants a lead actor nomination.  Honestly, I was rooting for Hugh Grant to be nominated for Florence Foster Jenkins, and this nomination is the one that I would swap for Grant.

As I explained in the Arrival review, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing nominations are very common for war/action films, though I sometimes had trouble making out the dialogue over the action.  This is central to the sound mixer's job, and to my ear, there were parts of the film that weren't perfect sonically.

But to be clear, Hacksaw Ridge is both a sweet film and an exciting one to watch.  If you can get past the real world shadow cast onto it, you may enjoy the watch.

Fences - 4 nominations

Best Picture - Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington and Todd Black
Actor in a Leading Role - Denzel Washington
Actress in a Supporting Role - Viola Davis
Adapted Screenplay - August Wilson

Adapted from the powerful Tony award winning play by August Wilson, Fences tells the story of a man disappointed with his life, and the destruction he causes to his relationships having never resolved that unsettled past.  A failed baseball player in his youth, Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) makes his living as a sanitation worker, and makes his life with second wife Rose (Viola Davis), who adores her husband and apologizes for his bad behavior.  Sometimes that manifests in how he treats his children and she is very aware of his extra-curricular romps with other women behind her back. His best friend, powerfully played by Stephen Henderson, tries his best to serve as Troy's Jiminy Cricket, reminding him of the perils of choosing bad behavior.

The film is contained with very few settings in which action happens, reminding us of the constriction of a very small life.  I have heard criticism that the film feels too much like a play on the stage just popped up onto the big screen, but I saw it differently.  Yes, the dialogue sounds more like a play with long monologues and booming emotion.  But it works.  Oh how it works.

Washington is, as always, brilliant in this role, and the fact that Washington and Davis played these roles in this play together on Broadway for more than a year means that their connection is electric.  But I will go one step further and proclaim that this was Viola Davis at her best, and if I had to pick a "best of the best" performance among all actors nominated in all four acting categories, I would crown Ms. Davis the winner by a mile and more.  That in a year when so many of the nominated performances were powerful and important.  I am prepared to call this race for Davis, even now before the buzz gets hot and heavy.

If you can get past the play-like nature of this film, you'll be truly blown away.

Arrival - 8 nominations

Best Picture - Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, Aaron Ryder and David Linde

Cinematography - Bradford Young

Directing - Denis Villeneuve

Film Editing - Joe Walker

Production Design - Patrice Vermette (Production Design); Paul Hotte (Set Decoration)

Sound Editing - Sylvain Bellemare

Sound Mixing - Bernard Gariépy Strobl and Claude La Haye

Adapted Screenplay - Eric Heisserer

If aliens came to earth, how would you create a common language and common experience enough to be able to understand what they wanted and why they came?  This is the basic premise of Arrival, a film that is slow to unfold but definitely worth the wait.  Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is brought in by the US government as a linguist to build a relationship with aliens who have landed, and to figure out what they are trying to communicate.  At the same time, other countries are doing the same with the egg spaceships which have landed in their territories, not all of them prepared to maintain trust that the aliens have not arrived to do harm to the people of earth.

There are a lot of spoilers to be had with this film, but instead of sharing them I'll simply say that the story and especially the conclusion get a little tricky, and for Dr. Who fans, we'll call it "timey-wimey."  The timeline of the film goes out of whack, and one must either accept the premise and go with it, or reject the film outright.  I went with the former and enjoyed the mind bending experience, but I guarantee that not everyone will.

The acting is superb and it's a surprise that Amy Adams was edged out of the Lead Actress category.  There were points in the Oscars season when she was predicted to be the winner, not merely nominated.  Jeremy Renner, who plays her scientist counterpart, is also excellent.  The dark settings set the tone for confusion, which is why the Cinematography was so expertly handled and created a feel for the world of the film that works.

Given that this Best Picture nominated film also has both sound editing and sound mixing nominations, I'll do my annual quick reminder of the difference between the two.  The sound editor captures all of the sound in a film, dialogue, effects, and music, and makes sure that sounds that go with visual effects are realistic to the ear.  These pieces are then prepared for the sound mixer, who expertly crafts the layers of the three so that they are clear and crisp.  Both of these categories are mostly awarded to films with heavy action or effects and also musicals.

When I first saw the film, I was so intrigued by the basic premise that I was certain that a screenplay nomination would come.  And so it did.  I have now watched the film twice, and enjoyed it even more the second time around.  I highly recommend it.

Watch the trailer:

AAAAAAAND, WE'RE BACK!

Welcome back for another year of exciting Oscars nominees!  Aside from the fact that I have already seen the majority of the nominated films this year, I'm overall very pleased with the cream that rose to the top.  A whopping 63 movies garnered nominations in all of the categories, which is the largest number since I began the blog, and this year, only 33 days to squeeze all of the reviews into my daily posts!  This means that there will be a handful of categories that will have to be reviewed all in one post, so that I don't drive you (or myself) crazy.

At the same time, the Best Picture nominees are interesting because of the 9 nominated, six of them have received nominations in 6 or more categories.  So if you see just the 9 best picture nominees, you'll be seeing a large portion of the nominations in many of the categories.  For those of you with limited time, that's good news.  For me, having already seen all of the nominees in the majority of the categories, it makes my next 33 days a little bit easier.  In fact, this year marks my lowest "unseen on the day of announcements" number yet - I have not seen the documentaries or any of the three short subject categories (that happens every year, and short subjects I knock out in a couple of visits to the theatres showing them), and beyond that, I have not seen 4 films.  So my early predictions of what might be nominated were pretty spot on.

I feel obligated to comment on the #OscarsSoWhite question, with more people of color having been nominated this year.  One could argue that the added diversity of the Oscars voting membership is responsible for the increase.  I maintain that the Oscars is not the place where the controversy is appropriately placed.  The question at hand is, are diverse stories being told through film?  Acting categories only represent 4 of the 24 categories.  Barry Jenkins has become the first African American to be nominated for Best Picture (as a producer), Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.  That's a breakthrough.  The Adapted Screenplay category has nominated 4 of 5 films with people of color as their leads.  That's a breakthrough.  We must think beyond the acting category when we question whose stories are being told, and who is being hired to tell them.

One final note: This year, I'll be trying something new and I hope you'll join me.  In addition to the daily blog (don't forget to subscribe, share on social media, and comment!), I'm going to try a podcast in which I invite people who have seen all of the nominees in various categories to join me in conversation about the 3-5 films up for consideration.  When I have the first one finished, I'll post. Please let me know what you think!

See you tomorrow, when we begin with the first of the Best Picture nominees, Arrival!