Barry Jenkins and his adaption of James Baldwin's novel, "If Beale Street Could Talk" was the big winner at this year's Independent Spirit Awards receiving Best Director and the top prize of Best Feature. Regina King also won Best Supporting Female for her moving role in the film. The comedy-drama bio, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" won two awards for Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Male for Richard E. Grant. And three great films from last year that were wrongly overlooked for Oscars were honored with awards here; the trippy comedy, "Sorry To Bother You" took Best First Feature, Bo Burnham received the Best First Screenplay for "Eighth Grade" and "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" won Best Documentary. Winners of the 2019 Independent Spirit Awards:
Best Feature:
"If Beale Street Could Talk" Best Director: Barry Jenkins, "If Beale Street Could Talk" Best Screenplay: Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" Best Female Lead: Glenn Close, "The Wife" Best Male Lead: Ethan Hawke, "First Reformed" Best Supporting Female: Regina King, "If Beale Street Could Talk" Best Supporting Male: Richard E. Grant, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" Best First Feature: "Sorry to Bother You" Best First Screenplay: Bo Burnham, "Eighth Grade" Best Documentary: "Won’t You Be My Neighbor?" Best International Film: "Roma" (Mexico) Best Cinematography: Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, "Suspiria" Best Editing:
Joe Bini, "You Were Never Really Here" John Cassavetes Award: "En El Septimo Dia"
Truer Than Fiction Award: Bing Liu, Director of "Minding the Gap"
Someone To Watch Award: Alex Moratto, Director of "Sócrates" Producer's Award: Shrihari Sathe
Over in France, "Custody (Jusqu’à La Garde)" was the big winner for Best Film at the 2019 César Awards. This feature debut from Xavier Legrand tells the story of a family torn apart by divorce and domestic violence and also received awards for Best Original Screenplay for Mr. Legrand and Léa Drucker won Best Actress. Jacques Audiard and his first English-language feature, "The Sisters Brothers" was another major winner and the American western drama took home four awards including Best Director. And Robert Redford received this year's honorary César Award which paid tribute to his long career as an activist, filmmaker and actor.
The list of winners for the 2019 César Awards:
Best Film: "Jusqu’a La Garde (Custody)"
Best Director: Jacques Audiard, "The Sisters Brothers" Best Adapted Screenplay: Andréa Bescond & Eric Métayer, "Les Chatouilles" Best Original Screenplay: Xavier Legrand, "Jusqu’à La Garde (Custody)" Best Actress: Léa Drucker, "Jusqu’à La Garde (Custody)" Best Actor: Alex Lutz, "Guy"
Best Supporting Actress: Karin Viard, "Les Chatouilles" Best Supporting Actor: Philippe Katerine, "Le Grand Bain (Sink or Swim)"
Best Debut Feature: "Shéhérazade" Best Newcomer (Female): Kenza Fortas, "Shérérazade" Best Newcomer (Male): Dylan Robert, "Shérérazade" Best Documentary: "Ni Juge, Ni Soumise" Best Foreign Film: "Shoplifters" (Japan) Best Animated Film: "Dilili A Paris"
Best Cinematographer: Benoît Debie, "The Sisters Brothers" Best Editing: Yorgos Lamprinos, "Jusqu’à La Garde (Custody)"
Best Sound: Brigitte Taillandier, Valérie De Loof and Cyril Holtz, "The Sisters Brothers"
Best Original Score: Vincent Blanchard and Romain Greffe, "Guy" Best Costume Design: Pierre-Jean Larroque, "Mademoiselle De Jonquières" Best Production Design: Michele Bartélémy, "The Sisters Brothers" Best Short Film: "Les Petites Mains" Best Animated Short: "Vilaine Fille" Cesar Du Public (awarded for box office success): "Les Tuches 3"
The Sherlock Holmes spoof, "Holmes & Watson" was the big loser as Worst Picture at the 2019 Razzie Awards. The film took home four awards including Worst Director and a Worst Supporting Actor win for John C. Reilly. Melissa McCarthy was named Worst Actress but also received the rare Redeemer Award for her brilliant work in "Can You Ever Forgive Me?". And our President finally won votes fair and square with him taking two prizes for Worst Actor and shared the prize with his petty nature for Worst Screen Combo.
The complete list of winners for the 2019 Razzie Awards:
Worst Screenplay: Niall Leonard, "Fifty Shades Freed" Worst Actress: Melissa McCarthy, "Happytime Murders" and "Life of the Party"
Razzie Redeemer Award: Melissa McCarthy, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" Worst Supporting Actress: Kellyanne Conway (As Herself), "Fahrenheit 11/9" Worst Supporting Actor: John C. Reilly, "Holmes & Watson" Worst Actor: Donald J. Trump (As Himself), "Death of a Nation" and "Fahrenheit 11/9" Worst Screen Combo: Donald J. Trump & His Self-Perpetuating Pettiness, "Death of a Nation" and "Fahrenheit 11/9" Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel: "Holmes & Watson"
Despite super-hero adventures and horror flicks continuing to dominate the box-office while Netflix has moved even more aggressively in to swooping-up interesting indie and foreign-language films that they rarely show in a theater, the year in cinema for 2018 still managed to be exceptional with theaters displaying a wide variety of bold and exciting films, particularly with non-fiction features.
Here are my selections of my favorite films of 2018 in no particular order:
"ROMA"
Alfonso Cuarón, the Academy Award wining filmmaker, decided to look back on his life and has masterfully created a beautiful and meditative drama inspired by his experiences as a child. "Roma" tells the story of Cleo (in an amazing performance by first-time actress, Yalitza Aparicio), who works as a maid for a family in the Colonia Roma neighborhood of Mexico City during the 1970's. The mother of the family, Sofia (Marina de Tavira) is having some serious marital problems with her doctor husband, Antonio (Fernando Grediaga) and is trying to keep it from her four young children. Cleo is casually dating Fermín (Jorge Antonio Guerrero), a young local boy and soon finds herself in the family way. Cuarón (who produced, wrote and photographed the film in stunning black & white) has crafted an intimate and loving tribute to a seemingly simple servant who selflessly helped keep the lives of an unraveling family steady while she struggled to keep her own life on solid ground.
"IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK"
"If Beale Street Could Talk", the beautifully rendered yet emotionally devastating story of love and commitment by writer/director, Barry Jenkins, is surprisingly one of the very few books by the masterful writer, James Baldwin that have been adapted for the big screen. Hopefully, this will be the beginning of a cinematic renaissance of Baldwin's work. This 1970's set film tells the story of Fonny (Stephan James) and Tish (KiKi Layne in her first major role) who are young and in love. But their happiness is interrupted when Fonny is falsely accused of a horrific crime and placed in jail. Tish's parents (Colman Domingo and Regina King) help find a lawyer to work on Fonny's case however the situation becomes more urgent when Tish discovers she's with child. Mr. Jenkins effectively uses lush colors and expressive visuals to enhance Baldwin's powerful narrative. And with only his third feature (following his Best Picture winner, "Moonlight"), Jenkins proves to be one of the most vital filmmakers working today.
"THE FAVOURITE"
"The Favourite", Yorgos Lanthimos' outlandish historical dramedy, was certainly not expected from this Greek film maker. He is best known for his surreal and experimental works like "Alps", "Dogtooth" which received a Best Foreign-Language Film nomination in 2010 and "The Lobster" that earned Lanthimos a Best Original Screenplay nod. Working for the first time with a script he didn't write (and it's a great one from Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara), the director has made his most conventional film to date while still managing to deliver his brand of deliciously wicked humor and peculiar dramatics. Based on real-life members of the eighteenth century British royal court yet far from factual, our story involves Queen Anne (Olivia Colman), a sickly and eccentric royal, who is advised and comforted by Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz), the Duchess of Marlburough. Sarah's cousin, Abigail (Emma Stone), a poor relation who has fallen on hard times, comes seeking to be of service but she's only made a servant. Seeking a better opportunity, Abigail finds a way to get closer to the Queen which leads to a brutal battle between the cousins for her affections. These three actresses are all at the top of their game and help make "The Favourite" an unforgettable experience.
"SORRY TO BOTHER YOU"
With his feature film directorial debut, "Sorry To Bother You", musician Boots Riley has cleverly merged some serious issues of capitalism and racial politics with outrageous dark comedy and a touch of oddball sci-fi. In his first major starring role after many impressive supporting performances, Lakeith Stanfield plays Cassius "Cash" Green, a young African-American slacker from Oakland living in his uncle's (Terry Crews) garage with his performance-artist girlfriend, "Detroit" (Tessa Thompson). "Cash" struggles at his new job as a telemarketer until an older co-worker (Danny Glover) explains to him that in order to succeed, he needs to create a "white voice". As he successfully moves up the business ladder, "Cash" is torn between joining the fight against the company's poor labor practices and enjoying the good-life of the corporate elites headed by the smooth CEO, Steve Lift (Armie Hammer). "Sorry To Bother You" is provocative, hilarious and just plain weird, making it one of the most innovative films of 2018. "THE SISTERS BROTHERS"
The western, a genre known for its macho posturing and brutal violence, is slightly turned on its head with "The Sisters Brothers". This dark comedy, adapted from a novel by Canadian writer, Patrick deWitt, features John C. Reilly as Eli Sisters and Joaquin Phoenix as his younger, hot-headed brother, Charlie. They are hired hit-men in Oregon who work for a ruthless man only known as The Commodore (Rutger Hauer). While tracking down their latest target, a chemist (Riz Ahmed) with a valuable invention that makes gold detectable in water, the brothers are intercepted by a detective (Jake Gyllenhaal) in his capture. They soon catch-up with each other and unexpectedly wind up working together with a plan to split the profits from the gold they find. What makes "The Sisters Brothers" really stand out in a wonderfully unpredictable way is that in between the robbing, shootings and killings, we have these men being vulnerable, sharing their feelings and forming actual friendships. "The Sisters Brothers", which is the first English-language film directed by the acclaimed French filmmaker, Jacques Audiard, did not get nearly enough attention in theaters that it deserved, so I highly recommended you seek this extraordinary film out.
"CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?"
Anchored by two amazing performances by Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant, the comedy-drama, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" looks at the real-life story of failing writer, Lee Israel and the desperate measures she takes to make a living and remain creative. Israel (McCarthy) was a one-time successful author but her alcoholism, writer's block and bad attitude has put her in a serious financial bind. She comes up with a scheme to write and sell letters that were supposed to have been written by deceased famous authors, playwrights and actors. Israel gets away with it for a while, with some help from fellow con-man, Jack (Grant), until people become suspicious and contact the F.B.I. The director, Marielle Heller has made a deceptively, charming film rich with witty humor and touching emotions.
This was an incredible year for some great documentaries and people turned out in impressively large numbers to see them in theaters. Three of my favorites were "RBG", which stands for "Ruth Bader Ginsberg" and before she became an admired Supreme Court Justice, she was a law professor and went on to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court six cases regarding gender discrimination. "Three Identical Strangers" examines the crazy and cruel story of a set of identical triplets that were each adopted to families separately and no one was told that the others existed. And rock climber, Alex Honnold is profiled in "Free Solo" with his dangerous (and definitely crazy) quest to perform a free solo climb of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.
"WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?"
Out of all the films I saw last year, "Won’t You Be My Neighbor?" is the one that moved me the most. This profound documentary by Morgan Neville is a profile on Fred Rogers, the amiable host of the children's television program, "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood". His goal was simple; to teach children to be kind, compassionate and empathetic to others. And yet in our society, it always seemed to be a difficult challenge but Rogers never lost faith in the message or in the basic goodness of humanity. As we go through our troubled times, "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" serves as a timely reminder to make that extra effort to listen and try to understand our fellow neighbor.
"Cold War (Zimna wojna)" is a dazzling musical love story involving a passionate yet volatile couple set shortly after the second World War in Poland. Inspired loosely on the relationship of director, Paweł Pawlikowski's parents, Wiktor (Tomasz Kot), a musical director in charge of the selection of local folk musicians to create a touring troupe to revive Poland's rich cultural history through music and dance. He falls hard for the beautiful yet troubled, Zula (Joanna Kulig), a singer he hires and the couple begin a torrid affair. But soon politics and propaganda are forced upon the ensemble and Wiktor wants to have more creative freedom. While touring Germany, his plan is to defect to East Berlin with Zula to start a career making jazz music in Paris but ultimately he goes off alone. Yet over the years the couple's paths keep crossing and their desire for each other never wanes. Shot in glorious black & white by Łukasz Żal (who also did the nominated cinematography for Pawlikowski's Oscar-winning 2014 Best Foreign-Language feature, "Ida"), "Cold War" is a mesmerizing and haunting film enhanced by the radiant performances of Mr. Kot and Ms Kuling.
"BLACK PANTHER"
There is a reason why "Black Panther" became the highest grossing film in the U.S. last year and is the ninth highest-grossing film of all time with over 1.35 billion in ticket sales worldwide. And it's not only because it is the first major super-hero movie to feature an African-American actor in the lead along with the majority of the impressive supporting cast. It is because under the direction of Ryan Coogler, he has guided a thoughtful and thrilling adventure that manages to deliver fully-developed characters and an engaging story that is appealing to everyone. After the death of his father, King T'Chaka of the African nation, Wakanda, T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), who is also known to the world as the hero, "Black Panther", claims his place on the throne. But he is challenged by his American-born cousin, Erik "Killmonger" Stevens (Michael B. Jordan) for the crown. T'Challa is shockingly defeated and as the new King, "Killmonger" plans to aggressively announce the isolated Wakanda to the world and start a global revolution. But it will take Black Panther and the help of his younger sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright) and Wakanda's all-female special forces led by Okoye (Danai Gurira) to stop him. "Black Panther" shifts the super-hero movie in an exciting new direction while still delivering all the fun and entertainment you expect from these films.
"EIGHTH GRADE"
"Eighth Grade" perfectly captures all of the anxiety and struggles of being a teenager in today's world. Elsie Fisher, in an incredible breakout performance, plays Kayla, a shy and awkward eighth grader finishing her final week of middle school. She records her thoughts to motivate others and posts them online yet no one watches them. Kayla desperately wants to fit in with her fellow classmates while secretly having a crush on a boy at school that's she's willing to do anything to get his attention. And her single father (Josh Hamilton) struggles to connect with his daughter and tries to convince her to not spend so much time on the Internet. Bo Burnham, a comedian who makes his directorial feature debut, has made a film that brilliantly handles the modern challenges of adolescence with honesty and sensitivity.
"VICE"
I would never have imagined wanting to sit through a movie about Dick Cheney, the sinister and despicable Vice-President during the George W. Bush presidency. But in the hands of Adam McKay (who did similar magic with the 2008 U.S. financial crisis in "The Big Short"), the writer/director has made his political satire, "Vice", detailing Cheney's climb from drunken derelict to becoming one of the most powerful Vice-Presidents in America's history, in to a fascinating and thoroughly entertaining film. Christian Bale completely transforms in to Cheney (with the aid of make-up and some serious weight-gain) and delivers one of the best performances of his career while the always reliable Amy Adams is deliciously commanding as his Machiavellian wife, Lynne. The rest of the cast is terrific with Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld, Sam Rockwell perfect as Bush, Alison Pill and Lily Rabe as the Cheney daughters and Tyler Perry (!) playing Colin Powell. And while it is clear that McKay is certainly left-leaning, he did make some effort to present the Republican Cheney and his story in a way that is fairly well-rounded.
"MARY POPPINS RETURNS"
It has been fifty-four years since Walt Disney brought P. L. Travers' beloved British nanny, Mary Poppins to the big screen. And when I heard about the idea to do a sequel, it was hardly anything I was anticipating. Yet I was delightfully surprised and enchanted by "Mary Poppins Returns". The director, Rob Marshall ("Chicago", "Into The Woods") has successfully managed to pay loving homage to the first film while taking this musical-fantasy forward in a way that's appealing to a modern audience. Emily Blunt plays the magical title character (and she's perfect in practically every way) who returns to the Banks household during the Great Slump in 1930's England. Michael (Ben Whishaw) is a widower trying to raise his three young children in his childhood home with the help of his sister, Jane (Emily Mortimer) and the family's long-time housekeeper (Julie Walters). Mary takes over to offer support, discipline and some fantastical fun to the children's lives. But an unscrupulous banker (Colin Firth) threatens to repossessed the Banks' home if an overdue loan is not repaid. Lin-Manuel Miranda takes his shot at a cockney accent as a lamplighter and Meryl Streep appears as Topsy, Mary Poppins's eccentric cousin. Perhaps a little too much care was taken not to disturb the legacy but "Mary Poppins Returns" is an absolutely joyful and moving experience.
Honorable Mention: "BlacKkKlansman", "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Crazy, Rich Asians", "First Man", "First Reformed", "Green Book", "Happy As Lazzaro", "Hearts Beat Loud", "Incredibles 2", "Operation Finale", "A Private War", "A Quiet Place" , "Revenge", "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse", "Widows" , "Wildlife"
"Roma", Alfonso Cuaron's family drama that is loosely based on the director's childhood in Mexico City, took the top prize of the Golden Lion at this year's Venice Film Festival. This is Netflix's first major win at a film fest and the streaming service plans for a theatrical run for the film in December. Netflix had another showing with the Coen Brothers as they received the Best Screenplay Award for their latest, "The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs" which was originally planned as a television series for the channel but later changed to a feature film.
Jacques Audiard, the acclaimed French filmmaker, received the Best Director Award for his first English-language film, "The Brothers Sisters". This western dark comedy is about two hit-men brothers on the trail of their mark during the California gold rush.
Another film that entered Venice with a lot of buzz was "The Favourite", Yorgos Lanthimos' period-costume drama, and it took home the runner-up Grand Jury Prize. Olivia Colman, who plays the British Queen Anne in the film, received the Best Actress Award. The Best Actor Award went to Willem Dafoe who plays Vincent van Gogh in "At Eternity's Gate", Julian Schnabel's bio-pic which explores the final days of the Dutch painter.
And Jennifer Kent, who made a splash with her debut in 2014 with the horror film, "The Babadook", won a Special Jury Prize for her follow-up feature, "The Nightingale". This Australian period thriller set in a British penal colony tells the story of a young female ex-con seeking revenge against a British officer who harmed her family. Baykali Ganambarr, who won the Best New Young Performer Prize for the film, plays an Aboriginal tracker who helps her on her quest.
Here is a list of winners from the 2018 Venice Film Festival:
Golden Lion: "Roma"
Grand Jury Prize: "The Favourite"
Silver Lion, Best Director: Jacques Audiard, "The Sisters Brothers"
Volpi Cup, Best Actress: Olivia Colman, "The Favourite"
Volpi Cup, Best Actor: Willem Dafoe, "At Eternity’s Gate"
Best Screenplay: Joel & Ethan Coen, "The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs"
Special Jury Prize: "The Nightingale"
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Performer: Baykali Ganambarr, "The Nightingale"
The Horizons (Orizzonti) Section
Best Film: "Manta Ray"
Best Director: Emir Baigazin, "Ozen (The River)"
Special Jury Prize: "Anons (The Announcement)"
Best Actress: Natalya Kudryashova, "The Man Who Surprised Everyone"
Best Actor: Kais Nasif, "Tel Aviv On Fire"
Best Screenplay: Pema Tseden, "Jinpa"
Best Short Film: "Kado"
Lion of the Future, Luigi De Laurentiis Award for a Debut Film: "The Day I Lost My Shadow"
The 75th Annual Venice International Film Festival, which has traditionally kicked off as the first chance to see many of the upcoming fall movies and potential award contenders, is set to begin on August 29th and conclude on September 9th.
Damien Chazelle returns to open the festival, following the writer/director's acclaimed 2016 romantic musical ode to Los Angeles, "La La Land", with his latest, "First Man". This biographical drama focuses on Neil Armstrong (played by Ryan Gosling) and the years leading up to the Apollo 11 space mission in 1969 with him becoming the first man to walk on the moon. Claire Foy, Corey Stoll, Kyle Chandler and Jason Clarke also star. "First Man" will make it's world premiere at Venice and has also been chosen as one of the films to compete for prizes.
There are twenty other films selected for the main international competition and it will feature the latest works from some of the world's most distinguished filmmakers. This list includes Paul Greengrass ("22 July"), Julian Schnabel ("At Eternity's Gate"), Jennifer Kent ("The Nightingale"), Mike Leigh ("Peterloo"), Yorgos Lanthimos ("The Favourite"), Alfonso Cuarón ("Roma"), Olivier Assayas ("Non-Fiction"), Luca Guadagnino ("Suspiria") Jacques Audiard ("The Sisters Brothers") and the Coen Brothers ("The Ballad of Buster Scruggs").
Guillermo del Toro, last year’s Golden Lion winner for "The Shape of Water" which then went on to take the Best Picture Oscar, will be this year's president of the main jury. Also on board as part of the International selection committee for prizes will be Australian actress, Naomi Watts; New Zealand filmmaker, Taika Waititi; Taiwanese actress, Sylvia Chang; Danish actress, Trine Dyrholm; French actress/director Nicole Garcia; Italian director/screenwriter Paolo Genovese; Polish filmmaker Malgorzata Szumowska and Austrian actor and two-time Oscar-winner, Christoph Waltz.
The classic romantic musical drama, "A Star Is Born" has been remade for the fourth time and this new version will make it's world premiere at the fest out of competition. Bradley Cooper directs and stars as a hard-drinking country musician who discovers and falls in love with a struggling young singer, played by pop-star, Lady Gaga.
Orson Welles will be the highlight of two special event screenings. "The Other Side of the Wind", a highly unconventional feature film that Welles had been working on for ten years in the 1970's but was unable to complete in his lifetime due to financial hardships, legal difficulties and his outrageous behavior, will finally make it in to a theater. And a new documentary by Morgan Neville (who is behind the current box-office smash Fred Rogers doc, "Won't You Be My Neighbor?") called "They'll Love Me When I'm Dead", which examines the disastrous and complicated making of "The Other Side of The Wind", will also make it's world premiere.
Vanessa Redgrave and David Cronenberg are this year’s recipients of the Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement. The eight-one year old Oscar-wining, British actress is part of a respected acting family dynasty and is still quite active in film and on stage. Mr Cronenberg, the seventy-five year old Canadian filmmaker, has been involved in creating daring and original works of cinema since the 1970’s with a particular taste for horror and sci-fi.
And the Closing Night Film will be "Driven", Nick Hamm's dark comedic look at the relationship between John DeLorean (Lee Pace), the man behind the iconic motor company and Jim Hoffman (Jason Sudeikis), an ex-con turned FBI informant. Inspired by true events, the film also stars Judy Greer and Corey Stoll.
