2018 OSCAR NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

"The Shape of Water",  Guillermo del Toro’s love story between a mute woman and a sea creature, leads the field of the 90th Academy Awards nominations with the film receiving thirteen. The dark comedy, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" follows with nine nominations and "Dunkirk", Christopher Nolan's epic WWII drama, received seven.

This year, the Oscars sort of went back to the traditional way of announcing the nominations with Andy Serkis and Tiffany Haddish (who had to settle for this moment as they were passed over for Oscar nods for their highly praised work in "War For the Planet of The Apes" and "Girl Trip") were on board live with an unseen audience wildly applauding after each nomination was read. While Ms Haddish certainly brought some bright humor to the early morning presentation, we also had to endure her mangling many people's names throughout the brief telecast. Just a little rehearsal would have made the things run much more smoothly.

The nomination I'm most shocked and thrilled about is for Lesley Manville for her outstanding supporting performance in "Phantom Thread". I'm so glad she was not overlooked and she really deserves this honor. I'm also happy about the showing of "Get Out" with the socially-conscience horror film receiving a Best Picture nod and Jordan Peele getting two nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director with him being only the fifth African-American to receive an Oscar nod in this category.

Other notable nominations include Rachel Morrison who became the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar for her work in "Mudbound". Greta Gerwig, whose coming-of-age dramedy, "Lady Bird" received five nominations, has become only the fifth woman nominated as Best Director.  Christopher Plummer, who quickly replaced the disgraced Kevin Spacey in the role of J. Paul Getty in the drama, "All The Money in The World", has become the oldest acting nominee in Oscar history at the age of eighty-eight for his supporting role in the film. And Meryl Streep has once again broken her own record by receiving her twenty-first acting nomination with her amazing performance in "The Post" while Roger Deakins received his fourteenth Best Cinematography nomination for his undeniably impressive work in "Blade Runner 2049" yet still has never won. I'm seriously rooting for you, Roger. You are long overdue.

The 90th Annual Academy Awards will be held on March 4, 2018 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood with Jimmy Kimmel returning as host.

Here is the complete list of the 2018 Oscar Nominations:

Best Picture:

“Call Me by Your Name”
“Darkest Hour”
“Dunkirk”
“Get Out”
“Lady Bird”
“Phantom Thread”
“The Post”
“The Shape of Water”
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Best Director:

Christopher Nolan, "Dunkirk"
Jordan Peele, "Get Out"
Greta Gerwig, "Lady Bird"
Paul Thomas Anderson, "Phantom Thread"
Guillermo del Toro, "The Shape of Water"

Best Actor:

Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”
Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”

Best Actress:

Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Meryl Streep, “The Post”

Best Supporting Actor:

Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Best Supporting Actress:

Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”
Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread”
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”

Best Adapted Screenplay:

James Ivory, "Call Me By Your Name"
Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber, "The Disaster Artist"
Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green, "Logan"
Aaron Sorkin, "Molly's Game"
Virgil Williams and Dee Rees, "Mudbound"

Best Original Screenplay:

Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani, "The Big Sick"
Jordan Peele, "Get Out"
Greta Gerwig, "Lady Bird"
Guillermo del Toro & Vanessa Taylor, "The Shape of Water"
Martin McDonagh, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Best Foreign Language Film:

“A Fantastic Woman” (Chile)
“The Insult” (Lebanon)
“Loveless” (Russia)
“On Body and Soul (Hungary)
“The Square” (Sweden)

Best Animated Feature:

“The Boss Baby”
“The Breadwinner”
“Coco"
“Ferdinand"
“Loving Vincent"

Best Documentary Feature:

“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail"
“Faces Places"
“Icarus"
“Last Men in Aleppo"
“Strong Island"

Best Cinematography:

Roger Deakins, "Blade Runner 2049"
Bruno Delbonnel, "Darkest Hour"
Hoyte van Hoytema, "Dunkirk"
Rachel Morrison, "Mudbound"
Dan Laustsen, "The Shape of Water"

Best Film Editing:

Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss, "Baby Driver"
Lee Smith, "Dunkirk"
Tatiana S. Riegel, "I, Tonya"
Sidney Wolinsky, "The Shape of Water"
Jon Gregory, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Best Animated Short:

"Dear Basketball”
"Garden Party"
"Lou"
"Negative Space"
"Revolting Rhymes"

Best Documentary Short Subject:

“Edith + Eddie"
"Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405"
"Heroin(e)"
"Knife Skills"
"Traffic Stop"

Best Live Action Short Film:

"DeKalb Elementary"
"The Eleven O’Clock"
"My Nephew Emmett"
"The Silent Child"
"Watu Wote/All of Us"

Best Production Design:

Sarah Greenwood (Production Designer); Katie Spencer (Set Decorator), "Beauty and the Beast"
Dennis Gassner (Production Designer); Alessandra Querzola (Set Decorator), "Blade Runner 2049"
Sarah Greenwood (Production Designer); Katie Spencer (Set Decorator), "Darkest Hour"
Nathan Crowley (Production Designer); Gary Fettis (Set Decorator), "Dunkirk"
Paul D. Austerberry (Production Designer); Jeffrey A. Melvin & Shane Vieau (Set Decorator), "The Shape of Water"

Best Makeup and Hair:

Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski and Lucy Sibbick, "Darkest Hour"
Daniel Phillips and Lou Sheppard, "Victoria and Abdul"
Arjen Tuiten, "Wonder"

Best Costume Design:

Jacqueline Durran, "Beauty and the Beast"
Jacqueline Durran, "Darkest Hour"
Mark Bridges, "Phantom Thread"
Luis Sequeira, "The Shape of Water"
Consolata Boyle, "Victoria and Abdul"

Best Original Score:

Hans Zimmer, "Dunkirk"
Jonny Greenwood, "Phantom Thread"
Alexandre Desplat, "The Shape of Water"
John Williams, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
Carter Burwell, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Best Original Song:

“Mighty River” from "Mudbound",  Written by Mary J. Blige, Raphael Saadiq & Taura Stinson
“Mystery of Love” from "Call Me by Your Name”, Written by Sufjan Stevens
“Remember Me” from "Coco", Written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez
“Stand Up for Something” from “Marshall”, Written by Diane Warren & Common
“This Is Me” from "The Greatest Showman", Written by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul

Best Sound Editing:

Julian Slater, "Baby Driver"
Mark Mangini & Theo Green, "Blade Runner 2049"
Alex Gibson & Richard King, "Dunkirk"
Nathan Robitaille & Nelson Ferreira, "The Shape of Water"
Ren Klyce & Matthew Wood, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"

Best Sound Mixing:

Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater & Tim Cavagin, "Baby Driver"
Mac Ruth, Ron Bartlett & Doug Hephill, "Blade Runner 2049"
Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker & Gary A. Rizzo, "Dunkirk"
Glen Gauthier, Christian Cooke & Brad Zoern, "the Shape of Water"
Stuart Wilson, Ren Klyce, David Parker & Michael Semanick, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"

Best Visual Effects:

John Nelson, Paul Lambert, Richard R. Hoover and Gerd Nefzer, "Blade Runner 2049"
Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Jonathan Fawkner and Dan Sudick, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"
Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza and Mike Meinardus, "Kong: Skull Island"
Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Chris Corbould and Neal Scanlon, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi"
Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Daniel Barrett and Joel Whist, "War For The Planet of The Apes"

MY FAVORITE FILMS OF 2017

It appeared that the entire entertainment business was going to completely implode last year due to the seemingly endless revelations that one of our beloved and respected actor, director, executive or fill-in-the-blank was being accused of the heinous act of sexual harassment or assault. While many were shocked (or at least acted shocked), the truth is that Hollywood was built on the exploitation of beautiful women and some of the men in the business used their power to abuse and profit from many of the desperate people who simply wanted an opportunity to work. The one bright spot out of all of this is that victims will no longer have to be concerned about coming forward or being believed. And straight white males won't be the only ones making decisions or calling all the shots in Hollywood. Eventually.

As for the movies, there already appears to be a shift with a greater occurrence for women and people of color to get a chance to create in front of and behind the camera. Some of my favorite films of the past year involved many of these such opportunities. Let's hope (and make sure) that this will not be a short-lived trend by continuing to support and encourage these endeavors. Here are my selections of the best films of 2017 in no particular order:

"GET OUT"

"Get Out", the exceptional feature debut by Jordan Peele, is a clever social satire on race that uses the unlikely horror genre to make a statement. Daniel Kaluuya stars as a young African-American man who goes to an upstate New York town to visit the parents of his new white girlfriend (Allison Williams). While her folks (played by Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener) appear to be an uber-liberal couple, there still seems to be something sinister lurking, not only with them but the entire town. "Get Out" is a well-made funny and scary film that has unexpectedly become a timely cultural phenomenon.

Click here to read review: "Get Out"

"DUNKIRK"

Christopher Nolan continues to astonish with his gifts as a master storyteller with his latest, "Dunkirk", a fact-based drama on the harrowing attempt to evacuate hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers trapped on the beaches of Northern France during WW II. With the story told from three perspectives: land, sea, and air, we witness through the eyes of Tommy (Fionn Whitehead), a young British private frantically trying to stay alive on Dunkirk. The Royal Navy requests that civilian vessels sail out to try and rescue some of the trapped men and we have British fighter-aircraft trying to take down the German bombers. Nolan has placed a greater emphasis on visuals and music (with remarkable work by cinematographer, Hoyte van Hoytema and composer, Hans Zimmer) to heighten suspense and emotion but you don't need a lot of backstory or dialogue (which there is minimal) to understand the terror, fear and desperation of these soldiers as they are essentially sitting ducks on the beach as they wait, hoping that they'll eventually be rescued.

"THE POST"

What I found amazing about "The Post", Steven Spielberg’s riveting historical drama on the decision by the Washington Post to publish the Pentagon Papers, was how this drama managed to still be thrilling and intense despite knowing the eventual outcome of this event. The New York Times first began publishing the papers involving the Vietnam War but a court injunction forced them to stop. Tom Hanks plays the editor of the Post, Ben Bradlee who gets his hands on a copy of the classified documents and wants to release them in his paper. Meryl Steep delivers another memorable performance as Katharine Graham, now the publisher of the Washington Post after her husband‘s death and very concerned about the challenges of this position due to her inexperience and gender. With the decision to publish resting solely on her shoulders, Graham patiently listens to both sides with concerns from the Board over the newspaper's pending IPO and potential legal action while Bradlee is pushing this as an important First Amendment cause. In this era of trying to dismiss the media as nothing more than "fake news", "The Post" serves as a well-timed reminder of the importance of investigative journalism and the reporter's unwavering determination to make sure the truth continues to get out.

"LADY BIRD"

I must admit I have never been particularly enchanted by Greta Gerwig as an actor but with "Lady Bird", her solo feature debut as a writer and director, I now can say I have become a hardcore fan. Anchored by two incredible performances by Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf, this insightful and funny film tells the coming-of-age story of an average Sacramento high school senior trying to stand-out as a spectacular individual and her stormy relationship with her weary mother. With outstanding supporting work by Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Lois Smith, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Beanie Feldstein and rising star, Timothée Chalamet, "Lady Bird" is a perfectly crafted and wonderfully charming tale of the difficult time of adolescence and the uncertainty while facing impending adulthood.

"MOTHER!"

"mother!", a surreal, psychological horror drama from Darren Aronofsky, was one of the most fascinating movies of the year largely due to the extremely harsh critical reaction to it. Jennifer Lawrence stars as the title character, a young woman whose quiet life with her writer husband (Javier Bardem) at their isolated home is disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious couple (Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer). I really can't go much further in to describing this story but let's just say that "mother!" becomes far more disturbing, cryptic and deranged as it progresses. I know I loved being challenged and confused by the film and think "mother!" is an extraordinary achievement. But I'm aware that there were many who were very vocal about really not enjoying nor understanding this movie.

Click here to read review: "mother!"

"PHANTOM THREAD"

Watching "Phantom Thread", another excellent drama from one of the most interesting filmmakers working today, Paul Thomas Anderson, was a bittersweet experience for me due to the knowledge that this may be the final screen appearance by Daniel Day-Lewis. But what an incredible way to make an exit. Set in the world of London's haute couture in the 1950's, Day-Lewis plays Reynolds Woodcock, a master dressmaker who finds inspiration and companionship from a long line of beautiful young women. After meeting Alma (Vicky Krieps), an awkward waitress in the countryside, she quickly becomes his latest muse and lover. But she's unlike any of the previous women he has ever encountered. Strong-willed and opinionated, Alma creates a serious disruption to Woodcock's regimented and structured life. Day-Lewis and Krieps (an actress from Luxembourg who is relatively new to English-speaking audiences) are absolutely riveting but it is Lesley Manville, a veteran British actress best known for her work in several Mike Leigh films, who is the real knock-out here as Cyril, Woodcock's chilly and controlling sister who organizes his business and life.



"THE FLORIDA PROJECT"

Sean Baker is one of the most exciting and inventive indie filmmakers at this moment. Following "Starlet" and the iPhone-shot, "Tangerine", the writer/director's latest, "The Florida Project" continues his trend of telling fascinating and unconventional stories in a way that's thoughtful and entertaining. Set in Orlando at a motel near Disney World, we follow a six-year old wild child named Moonee (the delightful and charming Brooklynn Prince) who lives there with her even wilder and rowdy young mother, Halley (Bria Vinaite). They are dirt poor and Halley does whatever she can to make a buck. The motel is managed by Bobby (played by Willem Dafoe) who does what he can to help the mostly down-on-their-luck tenants, but he also has a business to run. What makes this film unforgettable is how Baker is shrewdly able to take us in to this world of the marginalized and disregarded to make us really see them and their plight.

"CALL ME BY YOUR NAME"

With impressive direction by Luca Guadagnino and an eloquent script by James Ivory, "Call Me By Your Name" is one of the most beautifully rendered romances I have ever seen. Timothée Chalamet (in a breakout performance) stars as Elio, a precocious seventeen year old spending the summer in the Italian countryside with his parents when he becomes infatuated with his father's (Michael Stuhlbarg) young, American assistant, Oliver (Armie Hammer in the film's other magnificent performance). This sensual and erotically-charged film is leisurely paced, taking it's time as the developing relationship unfolds, with both men hesitant to reveal their true desires, to eventual intimacy. And special mention must be given to Mr. Stuhlbarg who gives a tender and moving speech to his heartbroken son near the end of the film that just slayed me.

"THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MO"

Martin McDonagh has found considerable success with his plays and films by finding dark humor in tragic and disturbing situations. His most recent film, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, MO" features a mother (Frances McDormand) filled with rage and frustration after the horrific murder of her teenage daughter. She lashes out against the local police department for not solving the crime by purchasing three billboards with a message on them demanding to know why. This is some pretty heavy stuff but it's also funny as hell. There are many outstanding performances here, including Woody Harrelson, Lucas Hedges, John Hawkes and Peter Dinklage yet most of the attention has been going to Sam Rockwell as a dim, racist cop (an exceptional actor who after many years of memorable yet little seen performances is finally getting his due) and Ms McDormand. I can't see any other actress who would have been able to bring this angry, quirky and unpleasant character to life and make her palatable and even sympathetic.

"GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, VOL.2", "SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING", "THOR: RAGNAROK", "WONDER WOMAN"

This was the year that the super-hero movie matured and tried to offer more than the routine. What these four films have in common is that each one offers a fresh spin on the genre and elevates it with an alternative perspective. "Spider-Man: Homecoming" was another reboot of the series but the focus this time was more on the human side of the man behind the mask, Peter Parker, who is now clearly a teenage boy, played with youthful enthusiasm by Tom Holland. Witty, thrilling and a lot of fun, I think this is the best of the Spider-Man movies. The same can be said about two sequels; "Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2" continues as a wacky and rambunctious intergalactic thrill ride by adding more stars (Kurt Russell, Sylvester Stallone) and making Groot even cuter. With a new director on board, "Thor: Ragnarok" seems to have pretended the previous Thor films didn't exist and Taika Waititi ("Hunt for the Wilderpeople") brings a much needed boost of irreverence and amusement to the very serious Norse God series. And finally we have the long-awaited (and long-overdue) big screen adaption of "Wonder Woman". Under Patty Jenkins' invigorating direction and a star-making turn from Gal Gadot, it didn't surprise me at all that this movie became one of the biggest box-office hits of the year.

Click here to read review: "Spider-Man: Homecoming"

Honorable Mention: "Atomic Blonde", "Battle of the Sexes", "Beatriz at Dinner", "The Big Sick", "Coco", "Columbus", "Girl Trip", "Good Time", "Ingrid Goes West", "Lady Macbeth", "A Quiet Passion", "Star Wars: The Last Jedi", "The Shape of Water", "The Square", "War For The Planet of the Apes"

GET OUT (2017)

Written & Directed by Jordan Peele


Where & When: Arclight Cinemas, Hollywood, CA. February 25, 2017 9:15 PM


The subject of race relations in America is not tackled too often in cinema. And when it is attempted, it can be either heavy-handed or overly simplified. "Get Out", Jordan Peele's audacious debut as a director, manages to handle the volatile subject with purpose, thoughtfulness and a surprising amount of humor. What makes this feat even more impressive is that the film is fundamentally a horror flick, a very unlikely genre to deal with this complicated issue.

After only dating for a few months, Chris Williams (Daniel Kaluuya), a handsome, African-American photographer has been invited to spend the weekend upstate to meet the parents of Rose Armitage, his Caucasian girlfriend, played by Allison Williams, a co-star of HBO's "Girls", making her film debut. While he's very concerned about her folks reaction to bringing him home to meet the family, particularly since she hasn't mentioned his race, Rose, who has never actually dated an African-American before, reassures him that it's fine as they are liberal and open minded.

When the two reach the home of Rose's parents, Dean (Bradley Whitford) and Missy (Catherine Keener), they are more than welcoming. In fact, Dean seems to go out of his way in an attempt to bond with Chris, telling him that he would have proudly voted for Obama for a third term if he could. What does make Chris really uncomfortable are the family's black servants, Georgina (Betty Gabriel), the housekeeper and Walter (Marcus Henderson), the gardener. It is not their position in the home but their odd behavior and strange lack of personality.

The longer Chris stays with the Armitages, the weirder his situation becomes in the house. Missy, a psychiatrist, strongly dislikes him smoking around her daughter. She offers to hypnotize Chris to help him stop which he politely declines. Yet unwillingly he finds himself paralyzed under her spell and losing the desire for a cigarette in the process. During an annual gathering at the home, the very white guests treat Chris as a quaint curiosity. The only other black guest (LaKeith Stanfield) also acts strangely but he seems familiar to Chris. Looking like someone who disappeared from the city a few months ago, he takes his picture to show his buddy, Rod (Lil Rel Howery) but the flash causes the man to freak out, warning Chris to escape from this town.

As one half of the former African-American comedy team, Key & Peele, Mr Peele touched on race frequently on their popular skit television show, offering pointed yet hilariously witty commentary on the issue. Horror movies are very popular with African-Americans but when there is a black character in one of these films, guess who is usually the first victim to fall under the knife of the homicidal killer? With "Get Out", Peele wanted to finally make one from their perspective, exploring some of the things that actually frightens black people living in 21st century America. The film keeps the racial tension tightly wound, playing with our usual expectations in regards to common social interactions between blacks and whites while brilliantly upending those expectations in some very humorous and occasionally scary ways.

Samuel L. Jackson (who else?) has questioned the casting of the British-Ugandan actor, Kaluuya in the role of an African-American, unsure if he understands the history well enough to be effective in the role. That Brits and Aussies of all races are taking acting jobs away from actual Americans is maybe something Donald Trump should look in to but racism is hardly a problem only understood in America. With his burning intensity and soulful, expressive eyes, it's quite understandable why Mr. Kaluuya was cast. It is however Milton "Lil Rel" Howery, a stand-up comedian currently seen on "The Carmichael Show", that almost steals the film. As Chris' best friend and a TSA officer, Howery hilariously plays detective trying to help his buddy figure out exactly what is going on with the black folks in this crazy town. And the great Catherine Keener is finally back on the big screen, effectively managing to make a teacup menacing and gives a whole new meaning to the term, "controlling mother".

Despite the shaky logic behind the sinister conclusion and the unfortunate generic title, "Get Out" is a thrilling and razor-sharp satire on race in our society, particularly in this current political climate, that is equally terrifying and looney. Mr Peele has capably crafted a new American horror classic and has promptly introduced himself as an inventive filmmaker to watch.