Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - 7 nominations

Best Picture, Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin and Martin McDonagh

Actor in a Supporting Role, Woody Harrelson

Actor in a Supporting Role, Sam Rockwell

Actress in a Leading Role, Frances McDormand

Film Editing, Jon Gregory

Music (Original Score), Carter Burwell

Writing (Original Screenplay), Martin McDonagh

Three Billboards begins with Mildred, the mother of a murdered child, renting billboards to challenge the local police as to why they haven't solved the crime.  Frances McDormand plays Mildred, and her beautiful weathered face reflects a woman who has been in hell and has set up a lovely winter home there.  Meanwhile, the local sheriff Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) has a tremendous kindness to him, and he does his best to both placate Mildred but also to support her in her anger.  The whole town loves Willoughby and they rally to his defense, even in ways that he has not asked them to, being the single person in town who seems to have empathy for this troubled mom.  This is Harrelson's 3rd Oscar nomination, and I think this is his best work to date.  

In addition to the town taking up the mantle for the sheriff, one officer, Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell) in the unit takes particular personal offense to the billboards, and acts violently on occasion in defense of his boss.  This yields lots of poor choices being made by both Officer Dixon and Mildred until a brutal incident puts both of them into serious jeopardy.

I can't see how anyone could fail to be moved by this film.  It was emotional, important, and packed a punch.  The characters were well drawn and McDonough wisely gives each of them a full life - nobody is just a villain, nobody is just a saint.  They are real people struggling with real pain in a real world.  It's hard material so I think it would be impossible to say that one "loved" Three Billboards, but this is storytelling at its finest.

The Shape of Water - 13 Nominations

Best Picture, Guillermo del Toro and J. Miles Dale

Actor in a Supporting Role, Richard Jenkins

Actress in a Leading Role, Sally Hawkins

Actress in a Supporting Role, Octavia Spencer

Cinematography, Dan Laustsen

Costume Design, Luis Sequeira

Directing,Guillermo del Toro

Film Editing, Sidney Wolinsky

Music (Original Score), Alexandre Desplat

Production Design, Paul Denham Austerberry (Production Design); Shane Vieau and Jeff Melvin (Set Decoration)

Sound Editing, Nathan Robitaille and Nelson Ferreira

Sound Mixing, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern and Glen Gauthier

Writing (Original Screenplay), Screenplay by Guillermo del Toro & Vanessa Taylor; Story by Guillermo del Toro

Elisa (Sally Hawkins) and Zelda (Octavia Spencer) work in a top secret government facility as members of the maintenance crew, when they are asked to clean a room holding a very important asset - a being who resembles the Creature From the Black Lagoon.  Elisa, a mute, lives a mundane life on repeat, forms a relationship with the creature.  She is the natural choice to be a connector to an aquatic being, because she is not tied to speech in order to build relationship.  It is her disability that makes her superior to those who only know how to communicate through talking.  And what do we learn from this unlikely pair? That love is love is love is love is love.  In fact, the more traditional couples portrayed in the film all have serious communication issues making their marriages less happy than her unusual affair.

Naturally, the government captors want to experiment on the amphibian man, so she must find a way to rescue him from their clutches.  It's Romeo and Juliette, it's Stranger in a Strange Land, it's Creature From the Black Lagoon, and it's every love against all odds story you've ever seen.  It's shot in all greens and blues giving honor to the water (hello, cinematography nom) and the musical score is buoyant and beautiful.

Guillermo del Toro says that he spent his life obsessing on a single moment from the original Creature From the Black Lagoon in which the creature is just below the surface looking up at the leading lady, and he wondered his whole life how it would be for them to fall in love.  He has done that and much more with this simple story that makes no sense as an Oscar nominee, and every bit of sense as a nominee.  In its simplicity, the romance becomes something to behold, and I was deeply moved by a film that seemed so familiar and yet so original.

The Post - 2 nominations

Best Picture, Amy Pascal, Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger
Actress in a Leading Role, Meryl Streep

"The press was to serve the governed, not the governors."  One can hardly think of a more timely quote from the famous opinion of the majority upholding The Washington Post's decision to publish the Pentagon papers against the express wishes of the Nixon White House.  This dramatic telling of the history of the media and their difficult decision about whether to publish is the heart of the The Post.

Interestingly, the working title (almost until release) of this film was "The Papers" and not "The Post."  I applaud the decision to change the title and here's why - it's almost irrelevant WHAT they were struggling to publish, and absolutely critical to understand that for Kathryn Graham, a wrong decision could mean the ruining of her family's prized possession, The Washington Post publication.  Not only that, but should the courts have ruled against them, that could have made the editors and owners guilty of a felony, a classification which means that her company couldn't own tv stations - the very product that was bringing in a vast income for her family's business.  So the consequences of a wrong decision was very real.  With the now famous words, "let's go," (that's real according to both Bradlee and Graham in interviews when they were alive) Kathryn Graham demonstrated the kind of leadership and courage rarely credited to women in the early 70's, and Graham herself credits this moment in her own history as one that brought her to the women's movement (among many others, including being sued by women reporters at another of their publications, Newsweek.) 

Meryl Streep (deemed an overrated actress by our President), earns her 21st Oscar nomination with this film, and as usual, she deserves it.  By the way, that is the highest number of nominations for ANY actor, man or woman, by 9 nominations.  (Jack Nicholson in second place with 12 nominations.)  For me, watching her evolution from the woman thrust into a power position she didn't want for which the men in her business gave her little respect, to a woman who tells Bob McNamara, "I'm seeking your advice, not your permission," (perhaps a real quote, perhaps not) is one that made me cheer in my seat.

Then, we see the excellent portrayal of Ben Bradlee by Tom Hanks.  To learn more about Bradlee, I highly recommend the documentary, "The Newspaperman: Ben Bradlee," which portrays a dogged editor who desperately wants to improve the quality of the newspaper, and who lives the Kathryn Graham philosophy that quality breeds profit.

The Post is another "Apollo 13" film - we know the outcome, and yet the film has us at the edges of our seats.  I thought it was not only one of the best films of this year, but was also one of the most important as we strive to learn from our own history.  If you watch the film and aren't compelled to have at least one conversation about how it applies today, I think you've perhaps missed the point.

Lady Bird - 5 nominations

Best Picture, Scott Rudin, Eli Bush and Evelyn O'Neill
Actress in a Leading Role, Saoirse Ronan
Actress in a Supporting Role, Laurie Metcalf
Director, Greta Gerwig
Original Screenplay, Greta Gerwig

Lady Bird is the coming of age story of a high school senior finding herself.  She fights with her controlling mother, tries on personas and activities, and explores different friendships and sexual experiences.  There is something charming about this film in which a strong teenage character follows her own mind, sometimes to success and sometimes to failure, but the mistakes and the missteps somehow still feel ok.  Her relationship with her mother which is at once contentious and loving, feels familiar to anyone who has ever been a teenage girl (or known one!).  Mother and daughter see the world through the same eyes, while Lady Bird is also trying to be her own person.  Saoirse Ronan plays Lady Bird perfectly (and with a perfect American accent, I might add), and I loved her wide range of emotions, sometimes played in a single scene.

There are wonderful supporting characters in this film, and Laurie Metcalf is brilliant as Lady Bird's mother.  This is partially because her role was drawn so well in the screenplay, but also because Metcalf's talent is immeasurable - she is good in everything she does.  (Timothee Chalamet, nominated for Call Me By Your Name is another of those terrific supporting roles, which is a coincidence because these two films have so much in common.)

The movie is solidly good.  Really good.  It spoke to me.  As you know, I wish the Academy would return to 5 Best Picture nominees, and if it did, this would be one of the films that likely wouldn't make the cut.  It's exciting to see more women nominated (though I would have chosen Dee Rees for Mudbound over Greta Gerwig for this film, not that women have to swap out for each other), and Gerwig's hand is very clear throughout this film.  In fact, having been raised in Sacramento, Gerwig very specifically decided to have this be the first film to give attention and love to that city.  Greta Gerwig is one of those Hollywood people who just decided to take her career into her own hands - she writes, she directs, she acts, she doesn't wait for someone else to decide when she should be allowed to participate (and you should see one of her earlier films, Frances Ha).  Very much like Lady Bird herself.

Get Out - 4 nominations

Best Picture - Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, Edward H. Hamm Jr. and Jordan Peele
Actor - Daniel Kaluuya
Director - Jordan Peele
Original Screenplay - Jordan Peele

Get Out is the social commentary psychological thriller we all needed.  A modern day Stepford Wives where Chris, a young African American man (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) make their way to the uber-white, wealthy, seemingly liberal home of Rose's parents.  But there's a weird vibe to everyone they meet and talk to, and Rose's mom weirdly keeps wanting to psychoanalyze Chris, and the workpeople in the house have a crazy far away look in their eyes.  Nothing about this town nor these people makes sense and as Chris becomes more suspicious, it is clear that something in this place is just not right.

This film is magical.  Every actor is at the top of his/her game.  Every line (at least at the top of the script) is something we have all heard before.  To hear Bradley Whitford (who plays Rose's father) say to Chris, "I would have voted for Obama for a 3rd time if I could have" with utterly no context to that statement reminds of us of every awkward white person eager to prove his liberal credentials to a new black acquaintance.  (I'm betting Jordan Peele took that line from real life experience.)  It's these cringeworthy moments that capture the other side of the racial divide with people so desperate to connect that they alienate by default.

One of the taglines of this film is, "Just because you're invited, doesn't mean you're welcome."  There is a brilliance to the title of the film - who can forget Eddie Murphy's explanation for why there are no black leads in horror films because the black couple would enter the house praising it and excited to move in and that the house would say "Get Out" in a menacing whisper and instead of fighting the demons would turn to each other and say, "too bad we can't stay."  But I'm convinced that the "Get Out" admonition is at least ALSO a commentary on the way that dominant culture may signal a warm reception to people of color and others who are not like them, but then fail to recognize cultural messaging that secretly tells the other to leave.  To "be like us or get out."

With these nominations, the Academy has successfully signaled the opposite.  Jordan Peele is the first African American man with nominations in three categories in a single year.  That's the right direction in my book.

It's well worth every minute of your time.  (and not too scary, I promise!)

Dunkirk - 8 nominations

Best Picture, Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan
Director, Christopher Nolan
Original Score, Hans Zimmer
Cinematography, Hoyte van Hoytema
Editing, Lee Smith
Sound Editing, Richard King and Alex Gibson
Sound Mixing, Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker and Gary A. Rizzo
Production Design, Nathan Crowley and Gary Fettis

Dunkirk captures the story of stranded British soldiers on the shores of Dunkirk, France, who desperately want to be transported home but for whom there are not enough ships or planes to get them there.  Surrounded by the German army, this film makes the feeling of being a sitting duck quite palpable.  We see acts of heroism, acts of cowardice, acts of leadership, and acts of desperation - all of which seem perfectly reasonable under the circumstances.  

There is very little dialogue in the film, which certainly highlights the incredible score produced by Hans Zimmer.  The music carries the narrative because it signals to the viewer the requisite emotion tied to each scene.  With the music so prominent and the explosions in war scenes a given, it's no surprise that Dunkirk received Sound Mixing and Sound Editing nominations.  As I've shared in the blog before, you can almost always count on musicals and war films to appear in these categories.

I know many people loved this film, partly for the unique way that the stories are portrayed - with little dialogue, with lots of movement, with little character development.  I had trouble connecting to this film precisely because of that last one.  I think the intent had to do with the impersonal nature of war - for example, the irony of prioritizing injured soldiers to get on evacuating ships over hearty, healthy ones perhaps reminds us that even in desperation, good people prioritize compassion above reason.  

Bottom line, I didn't love this film and I'd certainly remove it from the Best Picture list.  Perhaps the best way to say it is that I got through it as one does a mildly interesting anecdote.  You pay attention, but not to every detail.  If you have limited time and can only see a few films, I'd give this one a pass.

The Darkest Hour - 6 nominations

Best Picture, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten and Douglas Urbanski
Actor in a Leading Role - Gary Oldman
Cinematography, Bruno DelbonnelCostume Design, Jacqueline DurranMakeup and Hairstyling, Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski and Lucy SibbickProduction Design, Sarah Greenwood (Production Design); Katie Spencer (Set Decoration)

The Darkest Hour follows the remarkable true story of the transfer of power in England from Neville Chamberlain to Winston Churchill during World War 2.  We now know Churchill to be the brilliant politician who kept Britain from falling to Hitler's Germany, but at the time, it wasn't so clear a decision about whether to negotiate with Hitler (and hope that Hitler would keep to any negotiated deal... we now know that he did not), or whether to fight with a deeply diminished British army.  Coincidentally, a good portion of the film focuses on how and whether to rescue the soldiers stranded in Dunkirk, France, whose story you can see in another Oscar nominated film.

I was very surprised that Joe Wright has not received the kind of recognition that one might for the direction of this film.  The use of space, camera angles, how the camera pulls in so tightly at certain moments of the film to create breathtaking tension - the direction was brilliant.  I honestly thought the direction was so good that he might win the category, much less be nominated.  

The notable story of this film is no doubt Gary Oldman's performance.  Of course everyone in the film is good, but this is acting at its finest.  I challenge you to find a single moment of "Gary Oldman" in this film.  Yes, the makeup and the hairstyling contribute to the overall picture (and is no doubt why these fine artists who produced both are nominated), but the voice, the cadence, the gait, the demeanor were all so Winston Churchill.  There were certainly many fine performances this year, but Oldman is already the winner in my book.

There are certain films that I call "Apollo 13" films.  Those are the ones in which the history is on the books, and since the film is based on a true story, we already know the outcome.  And yet, we sit on the edges of our seats and can't miss a minute of the action.  This is an Apollo 13 kind of film.

A final important note that longtime readers of the blog will remember from prior years.  Movies that are based on real events have no obligation to the facts of history.  Movie makers have one obligation - to entertain.  (ok, we can argue that their investors would say that their obligation is to make money.)  Based on what was portrayed in this film, one conservative politician decided to tweet the ways that Churchill and President Trump are the same.  The very knowledgeable Twitterverse then embarrassed said politician publicly by pointing out that he was taking his history from this film and not from actual history (which was different than what was portrayed in this movie, presumably for dramatic value.)  My point (which has nothing to do with politics) is that if you love a movie beyond measure, let that inspire you to research the real history of the story.  Read books upon which the movie is based.  Take classes, do research.  But never assume that what you saw in the narrative is factual.  Is there a greater compliment to a film than to have you so moved that you follow up to learn more?  I think not.  And that's the truth.

Call Me By Your Name - 4 nominations

Best Picture - Peter Spears, Luca Guadagnino, Emilie Georges and Marco Morabito
Actor in a Leading Role, Timothée Chalamet
Music (Original Song), "Mystery Of Love" from Call Me by Your Name, Music and Lyric by Sufjan Stevens
Writing (Adapted Screenplay), Screenplay by James Ivory

Elio (Timothee Chalamet) is a 17 year old student who lives with his professor father and translator mother in Italy, living the normal life of a teenager (as normal as it can be when one is trilingual and an incredible musician). The family of intellectuals welcomes Oliver, a doctoral student and uber hottie (Armie Hammer), to live with them for the summer so that he can study with Elio's father (Michael Stuhlbarg).  Over the course of the summer, Elio experiences a sexual awakening having both his first experience with a girlfriend and heterosexual sex and his first experience with love, as he and Oliver find delight in each other.  

There are some confusing moments - Oliver claims to have been trying to woo Elio throughout the summer, but has an affair with a woman from the town.  He never says anything about why a 17 year old would find it hard to decipher that Oliver might be interested in a gay romance while he is pursuing a woman, and we the audience must decipher that both Oliver and Elio are having sex with women while apparently secretly pining for each other.  The sexual orientation of both characters is never entirely clear, but the romance is so pure that labels are clearly irrelevant and totally unimportant.

I'm not a big lover of slow, methodical films like this one, and if you peruse my past reviews of films, you'll find similar criticisms as I'm expressing here.  Call Me By Your Name is gorgeous to look at at, and it's true that Timothee Chalamet gives a remarkable performance for someone so young - the final shot of the film is probably what won him the nomination.  

But what I couldn't get over in the age of #metoo, where an entire movie is reshot because Kevin Spacey was sexually inappropriate with a 14 year old at age 30 (I'll talk more about this in my future review of All the Money in the World), people are strangely silent about a film in which a 17 year old boy is finding himself with a 24 year old man (and let's face it, Armie Hammer is actually a 29 year old man who looks like a 29 year old man which doesn't help).  I couldn't get past the "ew" factor of a teenager and a grown man who has finished college.  Certainly one could argue that Elio would be 18 in a year and that he was already old for his age and that I'm being too conventional.  But had this same film been shot with another high school student, I think this creep factor wouldn't have been an issue.

To me, the most powerful part of the film comes at the end in a monologue by Michael Stuhlbarg who plays Elio's father.  (Spoiler alert)  To see a father express unconditional love, to provide support when his child's heart is breaking, and to reassure him that everything he is experiencing is normal AND important was truly pivotal and must honored.  Though this one monologue isn't really enough to garner an Oscar nomination this year, it certainly is enough to give Stuhlbarg the great adoration that he deserves for his performance.

Again, I'm not always engaged by long, slow films, so I'm not sure that the creep factor was my only issue with the film.  There are plenty of people who love this style and I've heard many who have said they thought this the finest film of the year.  Bottom line, it wasn't for me and if you are like me, you can skip it.

To watch the movie trailer:

Welcome Back to a Fantastic Crop of Films

The Oscars sent some resounding messages this morning, with some exciting and surprising choices. Personally, I barely slept last night worried that I would oversleep and miss seeing the nominations live.  Before we get into reviewing each individual film, let's make some overall observations about those included and those snubbed.

First, I'm sorry that The Greatest Showman got so little love from the Academy.  I loved that film - the easy and obvious categories included Original Score, Makeup and Hairstyling, Costume Design, and Production Design.  At least the song that was nominated is spectacular.  When I was in the theater and that song concluded, I leaned over to my husband and said, "that's the Oscar winner."  We'll see.

I have been predicting a screenplay nomination for Get Out since it came out, thinking that this is often a way that the Academy honors movies that aren't quite Best Pictures but are still creative and outstanding (see: In the Loop).  I'm thrilled to see it get attention, same with The Big Sick.  Get Out is significant because Jordan Peele is the first African American to be nominating for directing, producing, and writing all in the same year.  That's an accomplishment for anyone, and this film is worthy of this recognition.

People are already making a lot of Martin Mcdonagh not being nominated for 3 Billboards - a film that has a decent chance of taking Best Picture.  (Barbra Streisand, Prince of Tides anyone?)  I think the real snub is Joe Wright for The Darkest Hour that had some of the best directing this year.  But I'm still protesting the Best Picture list having more than 5 nominees.  I don't like it, I've never liked it, I'm waiting for it to get back in line with the rest of the categories.  Last year was the single year since the revival of "up to 10" options that I couldn't pick an obvious 5 that would be the nominees. This year, it wouldn't be easy, but it could be done.

One nomination that truly pleases me is Woody Harrelson for Best Supporting Actor.  I know Sam Rockwell has gotten all of the attention, but I thought this was some of Harrelson's best work in 3 Billboards, and I'm delighted to see him nominated.

There's a lot more diversity among the nominees this year, but we all have to be thrilled to see Rachel Morrison receive the first ever nomination for a woman cinematographer.  This is not particularly about the recognition, but also about more women receiving behind the scenes jobs to even have the opportunity to be nominated.  And, if you really want to enjoy a moment, you have to love that Jacqueline Durran is competing against herself, having received a nomination for her work in Beauty and the Beast AND for her work in The Darkest Hour.

I have a lot more to say about each individual film, but that's to be savored over the next 5 weeks.

Finally, I do this blog solely for the love of the Oscars and to share that love with you.  I would be most grateful for any support, posting, reposting, retweeting that you would be inclined to do over the coming weeks.  If you like a blog post, or if you like the blog, please become a follower, or follow me on Twitter so you don't miss a single post!  (@jodibee)

Welcome back film lovers - this is going to be a great Oscars season!  (and now, to get some sleep!)