2021 RAZZIES AWARDS

We are less than a month away before the Oscars, but we will also have the Razzies. These are the awards given out to the worst that cinema had to offer last year. The Worst Picture nominees include "365 Days", Poland's version of "50 Shades of Grey" that involves a Sicilian man who imprisons a Polish woman for a year in order for her to fall in love with him. The Robert Downey Jr. remake of the man who talks to animals, "Dolittle" which ties "365 Days" with the most nominations at six. A re-imagining of the popular '70's television show, "Fantasy Island" with it now as a supernatural-horror movie. "Music", pop star, Sia's directorial debut, a Golden-Globe nominated musical about a former drug dealer who becomes the guardian of her younger half-sister who is autistic. And there's "Absolute Proof", a documentary on the "My Pillow" guy, Mike Lindell's false claims about the 2020 Presidential election and attempts to overturn the results. I have no real opinion on how bad these films are since I've not seen any of them but I also never had any interest in seeing them either. The one interesting nomination here is Glenn Close receiving Worst Supporting Actress for her role in "Hillbilly Elegy" while also getting an Oscar nod for the same performance. The Razzies will be given out on April 24th, the day before the Academy Awards.

Here is the complete list of nominations for the 41st Annual Golden Raspberry Awards:

UPDATE: The winners that were announced on April 24th have been highlighted:  

Worst Picture:

"365 Days"
"Absolute Proof"
"Dolittle"
"Fantasy Island"
"Music"

Worst Director:

Charles Band, All three “Barbie & Kendra” movies
Barbara Bialowas & Tomasz Mandes, "365 Days"
Stephen Gaghan, "Dolittle"
Ron Howard, "Hillbilly Elegy"
Sia, "Music"

Worst Screenplay:

"365 Days"
All three "Barbie & Kendra" Movies
"Dolittle"
"Fantasy Island"
"Hillbilly Elegy"

Worst Actress:

Anne Hathaway, "The Last Thing He Wanted" and "Roald Dahl’s The Witches"
Katie Holmes, "Brahms: The Boy II" and "The Secret: Dare to Dream"
Kate Hudson, "Music"
Lauren Lapkus, "The Wrong Missy"
Anna-Maria Sieklucka, "365 Days"

Worst Actor:

Robert Downey, Jr., "Dolittle"
Mike Lindell, "Absolute Proof"
Michele Morrone, "365 Days"
Adam Sandler, "Hubie Halloween"
David Spade, "The Wrong Missy"

Worst Supporting Actress:

Glenn Close, "Hillbilly Elegy"
Lucy Hale, "Fantasy Island"
Maggie Q, "Fantasy Island"
Kristen Wiig, "Wonder Woman 1984"
Maddie Ziegler, "Music"

Worst Supporting Actor:

Chevy Chase, "The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee"
Rudy Giuliani (As “Himself”), "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm"
Shia LaBeouf, "The Tax Collector"
Arnold Schwarzenegger, "Iron Mask"
Bruce Willis, "Breach", "Hard Kill" and "Survive the Night"

Worst Screen Combo:

Maria Bakalova & Rudy Giuliani, "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm"
Robert Downey Jr. & His Utterly Unconvincing “Welsh” Accent, "Dolittle"
Harrison Ford & That Totally Fake-Looking CGI “Dog”, "Call of the Wild"
Lauren Lapkus & David Spade, "The Wrong Missy"
Adam Sandler & His Grating Simpleton Voice, "Hubie Halloween"

Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel:

"365 Days"
"Dolittle"
"Fantasy Island"
"Hubie Halloween"
"Wonder Woman 1984"

THE 13 BEST MOVIES OVER 4 HOURS LONG

Zack Snyder was given the task of directing "Justice League", a mega-budgeted, cinematic gathering of DC super-heroes including Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. However, during post-production, Snyder had to drop out of the project due to a tragic family issue. Director, Joss Whedon was brought in to finish the film, re-shooting and re-editing what Snyder had completed. Released in 2017, "Justice League" (which still credited Snyder as director) was met with savage reviews and (despite earning almost $700 million) was considered a box-office flop.

Rumors of a director's cut by Snyder had been rumbling ever since Whedon's version had been released. The gossip turned out to be true and (with an additional $70 million thrown in) "Zack Snyder's Justice League" was released on March 18th, exclusively on HBO Max. This film is closer to Snyder's original vision and the runtime is slightly over four hours. No, that is not a typo, folks. Now I'm sure for hardcore fans that this news is thrilling but for the casual viewer, it would seem a bit excessive.

There are no plans for a theatrical release at this time but I would think that should be a given considering all of the considerable undertaking and incredible expense given to this project. I have no immediate plans to watch "Snyder's Justice League" as the painful memory of sitting through that two-hour version is still quite vivid.



Vulture thought it would be fun to look at other feature films whose run time is four hours with Max Cea listing thirteen of the best that run two-hundred and forty minutes or more. This does include "Kill Bill" which was released as two separate films yet Tarantino said that he had originally planned to release this as one feature and it was split later only due to producer Harvey Weinstein (eww) pressuring him to shorten the runtime.

(Spolier: "Zack Snyder"s Justice League" is not on the list)

Please click below to read:

The Best Movies Over Four Hours Long

YAPHET KOTTO (1939 - 2021)

Yaphet Kotto, the actor who enjoyed popularity in film during the 1970's before moving to television with the police procedural, "Homicide: Life on the Street", has sadly passed away on March 15th at the age of eighty-one. With a commanding screen presence, Kotto could bring an uncomfortable menace or deliver an exuberant energy to his many movie roles. No cause of death as been released at this time.

Born in New York City, Kotto began to pursue acting as a teen, becoming a member of the Actors Studio and performing on stage in "Othello" and "The Great White Hope". He appeared in "Nothing But a Man" and had a supporting role in the original "The Thomas Crown Affair" in 1968 but his major break came as the villain, Mr. Big in the 1973 James Bond movie, "Live and Let Die". Kotto would go on to star in "Across 110th Street", "Blue Collar", "Truck Turner", "Brubaker", "The Running Man", "Midnight Run" and the sci-fi classic, "Alien". He would play the murderous President of Uganda, Idi Amin in the television film, "Raid on Entebbe". In 1993, Kotto went on to appear as Lieutenant Al Giardello on "Homicide: Life on the Street", staying on the entire seven season run. His last screen appearance was in the unfortunate Larry The Cable Guy comedy, "Witless Protection" in 2008.

2021 OSCAR NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas (uh, why??) announced the nominations for the 93rd annual Academy Awards today and "Mank", David Fincher's admirable yet dry look at screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz and his struggles to write the script for one of the greatest motion pictures of all time, "Citizen Kane", leads the field with ten including Best Actor for Gary Oldman, Best Supporting Actress for Amanda Seyfried and Best Picture. The other Best Picture nominees include “The Father,” “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Minari,” “Nomadland,” “Sound of Metal” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7' which all received six total nominations while "Promising Young Woman" received five.

This year's selections has proven to be the most diverse and inclusive in the Academy's long history. The most notable for the first time, two women are competing in the Best Director category after only five had ever been previously nominated. Chloé Zhao was recognized for her work in the character study on the forgotten in "Nomadland" and Emerald Fennell for her feminist revenge drama, "Promising Young Woman" with both also receiving nominations for their screenplays. Nine actors of color earned nominations, setting a record which includes Steven Yeun for "Minari", making his the first Asian-American nominated for Best Actor and Riz Ahmed, a Best Actor nominee for "Sound of Metal", became the first person of Pakistani descent ever nominated for any acting Oscar. And "Judas and the Black Messiah" became the first movie with an all African-American producing team to be nominated for Best Picture.

The Oscars plan to take place in-person from multiple locations, including their usual home of the Dolby Theatre, on April 25, 2021. No host has been set to date. Here is the complete list of nominations for the 93rd Annual Academy Awards:

Best Picture:

"The Father"
"Judas and the Black Messiah"
"Mank"
"Minari"
"Nomadland"
"Promising Young Woman"
"Sound of Metal"
"The Trial of the Chicago 7"

Best Director:

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

Best Original Screenplay:

Will Berson, Shaka King, Keith Lucas and Kenneth Lucas, "Judas and the Black Messiah"
Lee Isaac Chung, "Minari"
Emerald Fennell, "Promising Young Woman"
Abraham Marder, Darius Marder and Derek Cianfrance "Sound of Metal"
Aaron Sorkin, "The Trial of the Chicago 7"

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Peter Baynham, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jena Friedman, Anthony Hines, Lee Kern, Dan Mazer, Nina Pedrad, Erica Rivinoja and Dan Swimer, "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan"
Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller, "The Father"
Chloé Zhao, "Nomadland"
Kemp Powers, "One Night in Miami"
Ramin Bahrani, "The White Tiger"

Best Actress in a Leading Role:

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

Best Actor in a Leading Role:

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

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:

Maria Bakalova, "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan"
Glenn Close, "Hillbilly Elegy"
Olivia Colman, "The Father"
Amanda Seyfried, "Mank"
Youn Yuh-jung. "Minari"

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:

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

Best Cinematography:

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

Best Film Editing:

Yorgos Lamprinos, "The Father"
Chloé Zhao, "Nomadland"
Frédéric Thoraval, "Promising Young Woman"
Mikkel E.G. Nielsen, "Sound of Metal"
Alan Baumgarten, "The Trial of the Chicago 7"

Best International Feature Film:

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

Best Documentary Feature:

"Collective"
"Crip Camp"
"The Mole Agent"
"My Octopus Teacher"
"Time"

Best Documentary Short Subject:

"Colette"
"A Concerto Is a Conversation"
"Do Not Split"
"Hunger Ward"
"A Love Song for Latasha"

Best Animated Feature Film:

"Onward"
"Over the Moon"
"Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon"
"Soul"
“Wolfwalkers"

Best Animated Short Film:

"Burrow"
"Genius Loci"
"If Anything Happens I Love You"
"Opera"
"Yes-People"

Best Live Action Short Film:

"Feeling Through"
"The Letter Room"
"The Present"
"Two Distant Strangers"
"White Eye"

Best Production Design:

Peter Francis and Cathy Featherstone, "The Father"
Mark Ricker, Karen O’Hara and Diana Stoughton, "Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom"
Donald Graham Burt and Jan Pascale, "Mank"
David Crank and Elizabeth Keenan, "News of The World"
Nathan Crowley and Kathy Lucas, "Tenet"

Best Costume Design:

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

Best Makeup and Hairstyling:

Marese Langan, "Emma"
Eryn Krueger Mekash, Patricia Dehaney and Matthew Mungle, "Hillbilly Elegy"
Matiki Anoff, Mia Neal and Sergio Lopez-Rivera, "Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom"
Kimberley Spiteri and Gigi Williams, "Mank"
Dalia Colli, Anna Kieber, Sebastian Lochmann and Stephen Murphy, "Pinocchio"

Best Original Score:

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

Best Original 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)
"Húsavík" from "Eurovision Song Contest" (Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson)
"Io Si (Seen)" from "The Life Ahead" (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 Sound:

Odin Benitez, Jason King, Christian P. Minkler, Michael Minkler and Jeff Sawyer, "Greyhound"
Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance, Drew Kunin, "Mank"
John Pritchett, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller, Oliver Tarney and Michael Fentum, "News of the World"
Coya Elliott, Ren Klyce, David Parker and Vince Caro, "Soul"
Phillip Bladh, Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Carolina Santana, "Sound of Metal"

Best Visual Effects:

Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt and Brian Cox, "Love and Monsters"
Matt Kasmir, Chris Lawrence, Dave Watkins and Max Solomon, "Midnight Sky"
Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury and Steve Ingram, "Mulan"
Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones and Santiago Colomo Martinez, "The One and Only Ivan"
Andrew Jackson, Andrew Lockley, Scott R. Fisher and Mike Chambers, "Tenet"

MY FAVORITE FILMS OF 2020

It feels very strange to just now be writing about my favorite films from last year yet there was nothing about 2020 that was normal. Since I have been unable to go inside of a movie theater for most of the previous year, the routine of seeing exciting new movies regularly has been missing, and deeply missed. Initially I had tried streaming the latest releases from home but I found myself distracted and was not receiving much pleasure from the experience. So I decided to focus on watching films from the past that I had either missed in theaters, previously watched or was born years after they had been originally made. I had hoped theaters would reopen at some point in LA so I could see new movies they way they should be seen. But that did not happen.

The only film I managed to see last year in a theater during the lockdown was "Tenet",  in a theater thirty miles away from home  And while I was thrilled to be back in front a movie screen, this confusing action-thriller left me underwhelmed. As the year came to a close (and award season was about to begin), I begun to actively watch some of the films that had received critical acclaim, largely on Netflix and other streaming channels. I still have not seen all that I have wanted to see yet ("Minari", "Promising Young Woman", "Palm Springs", "Small Axe" anthology, "Soul", "The Father" to name just a few) but I have decided to move ahead with my list of favorites.

Here are the films, in no particular order, that were some of my favorites in 2020:

"ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI"

We are well aware of the extraordinary gift of Regina King as a performer but with "One Night in Miami", her feature film debut as a director, we become aware of King's amazing talent behind the camera. Based on the stage play by Kemp Powers (who also wrote the screenplay), this captivating film examines the imagined meeting of four important African-American men at a motel in Florida back in 1964. Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom, Jr.), a popular soul singer/songwriter struggling in his attempt to crossover to a white audience while not losing himself as an artist. NFL player, Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) is considering his future with a potential move in to acting in the movies. The Muslim minister, Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) is stressed over harassment from the FBI and growing disillusionment with Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Nation of Islam. And Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) is working his way up the ranks in the world of professional boxing. After Clay beat Sonny Liston for the World Heavyweight Champion title in a major upset, Malcolm invites the men to his motel room to celebrate. But there is no wild party planned as Malcolm has actually brought them together to reflect on their accomplishments and discuss their futures. As a director, King is not a novice, having previously helmed episodes for several television shows. And it's no surprise that she has managed to get remarkable performances from her actors yet as a filmmaker, King takes strong command of this material, visually opening up the story while revealing the humanity of these iconic men.

"THE 40 YEAR OLD VERSION"

The writer/director Radha Blank has taken her challenging experiences of trying to find artistic success on her own terms and turned it in to her impressive feature film debut,"The 40 Year Old Version". Blank plays Radha, a once promising playwright that is approaching her milestone birthday yet has not been able to get her work produced. After blowing her opportunity with an arrogant producer, Radha decides to pursue a career as a rapper. And while it certainly proves not to be any easier to succeed, she finds creative fulfillment and romance with her much younger music producer. Blank breaks free of the predictability found in many rom-coms, offering a refreshing look at a character who is normally placed on the sidelines and rarely given the opportunity to be front and center. And "The 40 Year Old Version" announces the arrival of an exciting new talent in front of and behind the camera.

 

"THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7"

In 1969, five months after the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne), Abbie Hoffman (Sasha Baron Cohen), Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong), David Dellinger (John Carroll Lynch), Rennie Davis (Alex Sharp), Lee Weiner (Noah Robbins) and John Froines (Daniel Flaherty) were all charged with conspiracy to incite a riot at the 1968 event by the US Government. With "The Trial of the Chicago 7", writer and director, Aaron Sorkin takes a vivid look at this farce of a trial, run by Judge Julius Hoffman (Frank Langella) who barely attempted to hide his bias against the defendants. William Kunstler (Mark Rylance) is the defense counsel for all of the men except Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), a national chairman of the Black Panther Party, who was originally the eighth defendant in the trial. Seale had his own attorney yet he was unable to appear due to illness. Refusing to delay the trial, the Judge insists that Kunstler defend him but both men continuously reject this request. Sorkin first wrote the script for Steven Spielberg to direct years ago. But in typical Hollywood fashion, the project was dropped with Sorkin being able to revive the film thanks to the deep-pockets of Netflix. Sure, he might have taken some liberties with facts and timelines but Sorkin has an incredible gift with words, delivering a thoughtful, informative and timely drama that serves as a reminder that the fight for justice and democracy is a never-ending battle.



"DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD" 

After discovering that her beloved father was in the early stages of dementia, filmmaker, Kirsten Johnson, the cinematographer behind the documentaries, "Citizenfour" and "The Oath" before directing her first feature, "Cameraperson", went to work creating a cinematic tribute to him with "Dick Johnson is Dead". This non-fiction film inventively uses elements of narrative filmmaking and black comedy with Johnson creating some imaginative ways of how her father, a now-retired clinical psychiatrist, might die. While this might sound a bit morbid, Johnson, who previously had to endure her mother succumbing to dementia, wanted to bring some humor to this tragic situation and her father was more than willing and game. After depicting several scenarios of how Dick Johnson might die, the director went in to detail with behind-the-scenes footage showing how each imaginary death was created. And we see during the filming of these fantasies the lovely connection between father and daughter, enjoying these lucid moments together while they are still able. "Dick Johnson is Dead" is an oddly surreal yet sweet ode to the intimate bond of family.

"THE VAST OF NIGHT"

"The Vast of Night" is an assured and accomplished first film from director, Andrew Patterson. Made for well under a million dollars, the filmmaker had to be inventive and made his sci-fi thriller without visual effects, focusing on creating tension through a character-driven drama. Set in a small town in 1950's New Mexico, Fay (Sierra McCormick) is a teenager working as a switchboard operator. While listening to her friend, Everett (Jake Horowitz), a late night radio disc jockey doing his program, it is interrupted by a strange audio sound. As she begins to receive calls of sightings of a mysterious object in the sky, the unnatural noise comes over the switchboard. Meanwhile Everett receives a call on-air from a former military man who was involved in a classified project and had heard this unexplained sound before. This leads Fay and Everett to begin an investigation in to what this all means. Mr. Patterson displays a stunning authority as a first-time filmmaker, knowing exactly how he wanted to tell this story with fine-tuned efficiency and economy. But the showstopper is an impressive tracking shot (with dazzlingly camerawork by M. I. Littin-Menz) that travels down the quiet streets, through a parking lot and ending up at a high-school basketball game. If you are a fan of probing science-fiction mysteries, then you should definitely check out, "The Vast of Night".

"PIECES OF A WOMAN"

Harrowing and heart-wrenching, "Pieces of a Woman" is a deeply emotional drama that looks at how an expectant couple's joyful event quickly turns in to tragedy and the challenges they each face while trying to recover from the loss. Opening with an intense, twenty-four minute, unedited scene, Martha (Vanessa Kirby) and Sean (Shia LaBeouf) are expecting their first child. As she goes into labor, Sean contacts their midwife but she's unavailable. Another midwife, Eva (Molly Parker) is sent in her place. The birth appears to be fine but suddenly the baby goes in to distress and doesn't recover. Grief-stricken over this shocking passing, this adds a heavy strain to the couple's shaky relationship as they each deal with their pain differently. Martha becomes withdrawn and detached while Sean, a former addict, begins to use and seeks comfort elsewhere. The Hungarian director, Kornél Mundruczó and screenwriter, Kata Wéber are a couple and adapted this project from their 2018 stage play, loosely based on their own experience. What makes this film truly memorable are the exceptional performances which includes Sarah Snook, Jimmie Falls (from "The Last Black Man in San Francisco"), filmmaker, Benny Safdie and the incomparable, Ellen Burstyn, who plays Martha's overbearing mother who has never hidden her contempt for Sean. But it's Ms Kirby, best known for playing Princess Margaret in the first two seasons of "The Crown", that delivers a star-making turn as a devastated mother torn between struggling to find a way to move past this tragic loss and her family's insistence to relive the nightmare by getting involved in a lawsuit against Eva for negligence.

"SOUND OF METAL"

Darius Marder effectively uses sound and the lack of it to make his riveting feature film directorial debut, "Sound of Metal". Riz Ahmed (in one of the most electrifying performances of the year) plays Ruben, a drummer of a punk-metal duo with his girlfriend, Lou (Olivia Cooke). During a concert, he begins to suffer a noticeable hearing loss. A doctor informs Ruben that his hearing is rapidly deteriorating, advising him to stop playing. But Ruben continues to try and drum until he can no longer hide it from Lou. As he's a recovering addict and fearful that the stress will cause a relapse, Lou gets Ruben in to a secluded recovery program for the deaf, run by Vietnam vet, Joe (a solid, Paul Raci). Even as he learns a new way to communicate while keeping his demons at bay, Ruben still wants to impractically return to his previous life, desperately trying to get funds for an expensive hearing implant surgery. Marder cleverly takes us in to Ruben's head by having us experience what he's not hearing with innovative sound design. "Sound of Metal" expressively reveals the unpredictable nature of life and how we must learn to accept and adapt to what comes our way.

"MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM" 

"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" is the second of the ten stage plays by the late playwright, August Wilson that Denzel Washington has committed to bring to the big screen. Viola Davis (Washington's co-star in the first adaptation, "Fences") stars as Ma Rainey, a popular blues singer in the 1920's that has come to Chicago to record a single. As her band players, Cutler (Colman Domingo), Toledo (Glynn Turman), Slow Drag (Michael Potts) and Levee (Chadwick Boseman) wait in the studio for her arrival, they hang around telling stories and messing with each other. When Ma arrives a hour later, she makes several demands which causes the session to become lengthy and complicated. And as the white producer, Mel Sturdyvant (Jonny Coyne) tries to push back, Ma sternly reminds him who's actually calling the shots of this recording. The direction by Tony-Award winner, George C. Wolfe and script by actor/playwright, Ruben Santiago-Hudson are unable to fully shake the work's theatrical origins. Yet the superb acting and poignant story dealing with racial tensions and the appalling exploitation of the talents of African-Americans makes for a powerful cinematic experience. In a film filled with many great performances, the highlight is without a doubt the final screen appearance by Mr. Boseman. As the ambitious, short-fused Levee, the actor passionately captures his dark, burning drive to grab what he sees as his last opportunity to make a name for himself as a musician, a desperation that leads to a sad and tragic outcome.

"NOMADLAND"

"Nomadland", writer/director, Chloé Zhao's beautifully rendered drama, examines the way of life involving transient people traveling across the country in search of seasonal work. Based on the non-fiction book from journalist, Jessica Bruder, Zhao focuses her film on Fern (a transcendent Frances McDormand), a woman who has lost her husband from illness and job after the plant closes in her small Nevada town. After selling most of her possessions, she sets off in a van to live and search for employment. And along the way, Fern meets and befriends other roamers, people (many played by real-life nomads) who may have fallen on difficult times yet are still living their lives to the fullest. She also unexpectedly finds a connection with fellow nomad, Dave (David Strathairn), a man that could offer companionship and a home. With exquisite camerawork by Joshua James Richards which produces a feel of a documentary, "Nomadland" takes us on a meditative journey in to the lives of the largely forgotten, an experience that is deeply moving and inspirational. It will be almost impossible for this extraordinary film not to remain in your thoughts long after seeing it.

"CUTIES"

This French drama, "Cuties (Mignonnes)" became highly controversial in this country due to it's subject matter. The story revolves around Amy (played by captivating newcomer, Fathia Youssouf) a prepubescent Senegalese girl from a strict Muslim family struggling to find her way in her new home in France. She becomes involved with a group of classmates in a dance troupe who wear revealing outfits while performing sexually provocative moves. The film has been accused of endorsing the sexualization of young girls and promoting child pornography. But "Cuties" is not exploitive and the writer/director, Maïmouna Doucouré has stated that her intention was to create a social commentary in order to bring attention to the subject of children being exposed to adult content by dramatizing this disturbing issue. There are certainly moments in the film that might lead to some discomfort for certain viewers yet Ms Doucouré has taken on the difficult challenges facing young girls in today's society with insight and consideration.

 

Honorable Mention: "Another Round (Druk)", "The Assistant",""Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" , "Boys State", "Da 5 Bloods", "Dear Comrades! (Дорогие товарищи!)", "I'm Your Woman", "MLK/FBI", "Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado", "News of The World", "Uncle Frank", "Wolfwalkers"

2021 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS

The Golden Globe Awards are usually a glamorously star-filled, raucous affair that kicks off award season. But with social distancing still largely in effect and the recent LA Times report on the ethics, questionable practices and lack of diversity of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association who hold this annual event, it would seem this show might be muted. This investigation did not reveal anything that most people in the business were not already well aware of this secretive, small group of international journalists but the world has changed considerably since last year's award show. The fact is that the Globes have had a long history of scandals in their seventy-eight years and this current negative attention did not really change anything with Hollywood turning out, ready to dress up and accept prizes. 

Now the HFPA did not ignore this situation and publicly addressed the issue of having no Black members during the program, with three people from the organization committing to diversifying their ranks to be more inclusive. Time will reveal what this group will do but since we don't have any real idea who most of the eighty-seven members of the HFPA are and how do you even get to join, it might be hard to tell what has actually happened amongst their ranks.

As for the show itself, it was a very mixed bag. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler returned to host the Globes but not actually together this time. With Fey at the Rainbow Room in New York and Poehler in the Globes usual residence of the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, CA, the show was done before a mask-wearing, socially-distanced audience of essential health-care workers. The crowd was enthusiastic and our co-hosts did the best they could under these circumstances to bring some levity to the show. But many of the jokes fell flat and it appears that being miles apart seemed to throw Fey and Poehler off, failing to get a good connection between each other and with the audience.

The presenters appeared in person to announce the winners but as for the nominees, they were all at home like the rest of us, watching and participating with the show through Zoom. As no surprise to anyone who has ever used this video communication service, there were some technical glitches. The problems started early with the first award of the evening with the winner for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, Daniel Kaluuya initially not being heard accepting his prize. Luckily, the problem was resolved quickly but various noises and people not muting only added to the difficulty in hearing what the winners had to say. And with home cameras placed in poor locations and some attendees dressed far too casually, this contributed to an overall feeling of a less-than-special event.

Despite the controversy, the Golden Globe nominations were actually quite diverse and the winners reflected that. This included Kaluuya, singer Andra Day, in her film debut as Billie Holiday, winning Best Actress in a Drama and the late Chadwick Boseman receiving Best Actor in a Drama for his work in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom", with his widow sorrowfully accepting on his behalf. And most impressive, for the first time ever, there were three female nominees for Best Director; actress, Regina King with her feature film debut, "One Night in Miami", Emerald Fennell for "Promising Young Woman" and the winner, Chloé Zhao who received the prize for her film, "Nomadland" which also won Best Motion Picture (Drama). This makes Zhao the second female winner in this category for the entire history of the Globes (one more than the Oscars).

But for me, the highlight of this entire evening was Jane Fonda, this year's recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. The radiant actress gave an impassioned speech, less about her spectacular career and more about the importance of diversity in storytelling and what we can gain from hearing these different voices in entertainment. This brief, in-person moment came across more heartfelt and assured than anything that the HFPA has previously said or done regarding this issue.

Here is the list of winners of the 2021 Golden Globes (Motion Picture):

Best Motion Picture (Drama): "Nomadland"
Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy): "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm"
Best Director (Motion Picture): Chloé Zhao, "Nomadland"
Best Screenplay (Motion Picture): Aaron Sorkin, "The Trial of the Chicago 7"
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama): Andra Day, "The United States vs. Billie Holiday"
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy): Rosamund Pike, "I Care a Lot"
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama): Chadwick Boseman, "Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom"
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy): Sacha Baron Cohen, "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm"
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture: Jodie Foster, "The Mauritanian"
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture: Daniel Kaluuya, "Judas and the Black Messiah"
Best Motion Picture (Foreign Language): "Minari" (USA)
Best Motion Picture (Animated): "Soul"
Best Original Score (Motion Picture): Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste, "Soul"
Best Original Song (Motion Picture): "Io Sì (Seen)" from "The Life Ahead", Music by Diane Warren; Lyrics by Diane Warren, Laura Pausini, Niccolò Agliardi