Tag: 2018

The Best Movies of 2018

2018  was one of the most grueling experiences in recent memory and as a result I’ve unfortunately been neglecting this blog. It was something that used to give me a lot of joy, and through personal and professional setbacks I have to admit that finding the drive to do anything outside of my day to day demands has been seemingly impossible. But one thing that has continued to give me joy, however, has been film. Without film and escapism, I’m not sure I would have made it through such an emotionally taxing year. Like a warm hug on the coldest, most bitter day, I knew I could always just take myself to the movies and forget my troubles for a few hours. I feel like I say that every year, but it has not stopped being true. 

Recently I’ve been re-discovering the joy in things I had thought I had lost, writing being one of them. It’s a chore I’ve avoided for too long, both recreationally and professionally.  I’m in a much better headspace than I was last year, with a renewed drive to continue to pursue things that give me joy. Let this be a promise that I hold myself to throughout 2019, that I push myself not only to continue the upkeep with this little blog of mine, but in the other endeavors I’ve been ignoring.

So, without further adieu, my favorite movies of 2018. 

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Surprises and Snubs: Screen Actors Guild Nominations

Oh the SAG awards. I know that the Golden Globes get a lot of flack for being out there with their choices, but this is the same voting body that is responsible for nominations like Judi Dench in Victoria and Abdul, Naomi Watts in St. Vincent and everyone’s favorite, Emily Blunt for The Girl on the Train. 

This year we have shockers like Margot Robbie in Mary Queen of Scotts, no love for If Beale Street Could Talk (huge loss to Regina King this morning who was also snubbed in television), continued love for BlackKklansman, a double whammy for Emily Blunt and a Bohemian Rhapsody ensemble nomination (YIKES).

Take a look at the full list of film nominees below. 

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76th Annual Golden Globe Nominations Include “A Star Is Born” and “Black Panther”

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (otherwise known as the people who vote on the Golden Globes) have announced their crop of nominations. As usual, they marched to the beat of their own drum; and while there was nothing as shocking as The Tourist being nominated in 2010, there were some surprises.

The HFPA went hard for BlacKkKlansman, a film that needed a boost after coming out much earlier in the year, Green Book (despite its under performance at the box office) and of course, A Star Is Born. Bradley Cooper was nominated for both Director and Lead Actor (Drama), while Lady Gaga was nominated for her performance and songwriting for “Shallow” in Original Song.

Black Panther solidified itself as a formidable contender after getting a nomination in Best Motion Picture (Drama), while both Vice and Mary Poppins Returns planted their flags as late breaking contenders.

Read the full list of nominations below.

Best Motion Picture- Drama:

  • Black Panther
  • BlacKkKlansman
  • Bohemian Rhapsody
  • If Beale Street Could Talk
  • A Star Is Born

Best Motion Picture- Comedy or Music:

  • Crazy Rich Asians
  • The Favourite
  • Green Book
  • Mary Poppins Returns
  • Vice

Best Director:

  • Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
  • Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
  • Peter Farley, Green Book
  • Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman
  • Adam McKay, Vice

Best Performance By an Actor in a Motion Picture- Drama:

  • Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
  • Willem Dafoe, At Eternity’s Gate
  • Lucas Hedges, Boy Erased
  • Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
  • John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman

Best Performance By an Actress in a Motion Picture- Drama: 

  • Glenn Close, The Wife
  • Lady Gaga, A Star is Born
  • Nicole Kidman, Destroyer
  • Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
  • Rosamund Pike, A Private War

Best Performance By an Actor in a Motion Picture- Comedy or Musical:

  • Christian Bale, Vice
  • Lin Manuel Miranda, Mary Poppins Returns
  • Viggo Mortensen, Greenbook
  • Robert Redford, The Old Man and the Gun
  • John C. Reily, Stan & Ollie

Best Performance By an Actress in a Motion Picture- Comedy or Musical:

  • Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns
  • Olivia Colman, The Favourite
  • Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade
  • Charlize Theron, Tully
  • Constance Wu, Crazy Rich Asians

Best Supporting Performance By an Actor in a Motion Picture: 

  • Mahershala Ali, Green Book
  • Timothée Chalamet, Beautiful Boy
  • Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman
  • Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
  • Sam Rockwell, Vice

Best Supporting Performance By an Actress in a Motion Picture:

  • Amy Adams, Vice
  • Claire Foy, First Man
  • Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
  • Emma Stone, The Favourite
  • Rachel Weisz, The Favourite

Best Screenplay:

  • Roma
  • The Favourite
  • If Beale Street Could Talk
  • Vice
  • Greenbook

Best Original Song:

  • “All the Stars,” Black Panther
  • “Girl in the Movies,” Dumplin’
  • “Requiem for a Private War,” A Private War
  • “Revelation,” Boy Erased
  • “Shallow,” A Star Is Born

Best Original Score: 

  • A Quiet Place
  • Isle of Dogs
  • Black Panther
  • First Man
  • Mary Poppins Returns

Best Animated Film: 

  • Incredibles 2
  • Isle of Dogs
  • Mirai
  • Ralph Breaks the Internet
  • Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse

Best Foreign Language Film: 

  • Capernaum
  • Girl
  • Never Look Away
  • Roma
  • Shoplifters

 

Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” Named Best Film at New York Film Critic’s Circle

The New York Film Critics Circle have announced their winners for their annual awards, swinging big for Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma. Cuarón’s follow up to 2013’s Gravity was named Best Film, and won two additional prizes for Director and Cinematography. After winning the top prize at Venice Film Festival this past fall, it’s hard to not consider it the film to beat. 

Other big winners include Richard E. Grant for Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Regina King (hot off her win at the National Board of Review) and Ethan Hawke (hot off his win at the Gotham Awards). 

Take a look at the full list of winners (with some brief commentary) below.

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“Sweetener” Review: We’re Gonna Be Alright

People were waiting for Ariana Grande’s fourth album, a collection of music that would be inextricably tied to the tragic terrorist attack at her Dangerous Woman tour in the city of Manchester last year. Though understandably devastated by the event, Grande bravely returned to put on a benefit concert to honor her fans and bring everyone together. She then dropped off of social media, only offering a cryptic teaser that hinted at new music featuring her heavenly vocals with the caption “see you next year.” As the year rolled on, albums and singles came and went. Though still largely out of sight, rumors continued to pop up that Grande was prepping something big, her most personal album yet according to industry insiders. By the time the singer started teasing lead single “no tears left to cry,” fans were insatiable, and all signs seemed to point to a power ballad about moving past tragedy that would no doubt showcase Grande’s soaring voice. Instead, they got a quirky, buoyant pop song that tricked listeners in the first 15 seconds after a somber intro explodes into an infectious UK garage beat. “I’m lovin, I’m livin, I’m pickin’ it up” Grande sings on the hook.

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Final Academy Award Predictions

Tomorrow morning, the nominations for the 90th Academy Award ceremony will be revealed. Based on precursors, it’s going to be a big morning for The Shape of Water (which has been nominated by every major guild and won with the Producer’s) and Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri (our Best Picture frontrunner). I fully expect Get Out, Lady Bird and Dunkirk to get a healthy amount of nominations as well. The biggest question is how well passion picks like I, Tonya, Mudbound and Call Me By Your Name will do. Will the Academy resist the Netflix aspect of Mudbound‘s distribution? Was the BAFTA love for Darkest Hour a fluke? 

Below are my full list of nomination predictions. 

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Golden Globe Predictions:

It’s not easy to predict the Golden Globes, but somebody’s gotta do it. Notoriously, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association nominates and votes for what they like in a way that differs from groups like the Screen Actors Guild or the Academy Awards. Sometimes they make bold, daring choices; in 2014 they nominated Ava DuVernay for Best Director after she was ignored by the Academy and Directors Guild. They also ignored the Oscar campaign for both Rooney Mara and Alicia Vikander to ridiculously be placed in Supporting Actress for Carol and The Danish Girl, nominating them both in Best Actress instead. But sometimes they nominate films like The Tourist and stars Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp in the Comedy Actor/Actress categories. 

So yeah, it’s not easy to figure out which way the Globes will swing this year. Especially in a year with no sure Best Picture frontrunner. And the fact that both Get Out and Lady Bird are separated from Three Billboards and The Shape of Water doesn’t help clear anything up. But that’s what makes this fun, because anything is possible.  

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