The day after the day after ... the 2019 Oscars

The 91st Academy Awards are over, and what a night. Adam Lambert and Queen opened with a rock performance followed by comedic trio Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey and Amy Pohler, who cracked a few jokes about not being hosts.
The hostless part of the event, - the first time it has happened since some time in the 1980s, - turned out fine, as presenters, orchestra and announcers made the evening flow seamlessly, (and who doesn't remember the many duds in the hosting department of just the last decade? (Neil Patrick Harris, James Franco/Anne Hathaway, Seth McFarlane ...))
The night's biggest moment was undoubtedly Olivia Colman's surprise win for Best Actress, - winning over long due favorite Glenn Close, - and particularly Colman's hilarious, absolutely flabbergasted acceptance speech, (check it out on Youtube if you didn't see the awards.) Other great moments include Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's duet performance of Shallow from A Star Is Born, the song's win and Lady Gaga's emotional speech, Regina King's emotional acceptance speech, and Spike Lee finally receiving an Oscar, for co-writing BlacKkKlansman. - Although he was still able to sour to the academy and show a remarkable lack of tact and grace at protesting Green Book's Best Picture win over his own film. - Not every moment is about you, Lee!
Bohemian Rhapsody made most gold with 4 Oscars; Green Book, Black Panther and Roma followed with 3 each.

My predictions proved unimpressive this year, as I had only 11/21 correct (52 %), (I don't predict in the 3 short film categories), which is down from 14 last year. Here is my record in this field: 2014 (7 correct/33 % - worst prediction), 2015 (13 correct/62 %), 2016 (16 correct/76 % - best prediction), 2017 (11 correct/52 %) and 2018 (14 correct/66 %).
Here is how the awards fell out:

Red marks the film or performer/s that I predicted would win the Oscar, while Film Excess favorite marks my personal favorite in each category. Winner marks the actual winner/s of the Oscar.

Best Visual Effects:
Avengers: Infinity War
Christopher Robin
First Man Film Excess favorite Winner
Ready Player One
Solo: A Star Wars Story

Best Film Editing:
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody Winner  
The Favourite
Green Book Film Excess favorite
Vice

Bost Costume Design
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Black Panther Winner
The Favourite Film Excess favorite
Mary Poppins Returns
Mary Queen of Scots

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Border 
Mary Queen of Scots
Vice Film Excess favorite Winner

Best Cinematography
Cold War - Lukasz Zal Film Excess favorite
The Favourite - Robbie Ryan
Never Look Away - Caleb Deschanel
Roma - Alfonso Cuarón Winner
A Star Is Born - Matthew Libatique

Best Production Design
Black Panther Winner
The Favourite
First Man Film Excess favorite
Mary Poppins Returns
Roma

Best Sound Mixing
Black Panther
Bohemian Rhapsody Winner
First Man
Roma
A Star Is Born Film Excess favorite

Best Sound Editing
Black Panther
Bohemian Rhapsody Winner
First Man
A Quiet Place Film Excess favorite
Roma

Best Original Song
All the Stars - Black Panther
I'll Fight - RBG
The Place Where Lost Things Go - Marry Poppins Returns
Shallow - A Star Is Born Film Excess favorite Winner  
When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings - The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Best Original Score
Black Panther - Ludwig Göransson Winner
BlacKkKlansman - Terence Blanchard
If Beale Street Could Talk - Nicholas Britell Film Excess favorite
Isle of Dogs - Alexandre Desplat
Mary Poppins Returns - Marc Shaiman

Best Documentary - Feature
Free Solo Film Excess favorite Winner  
Hale Country 
This Morning, This Evening
Minding the Gap
Of Fathers and Sons
RBG

Best Foreign Language Film
Capernaum (Lebanon) - Ladine Labaki Film Excess favorite
Cold War (Poland) - Pawel Pawlikowski
Never Look Away (Germany) - Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck  
Roma (Mexico) - Alfonso Cuarón Winner
Shoplifters (Japan) - Hirokazu Kore-eda

Best Animated Feature Film
Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Mirai
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Film Excess favorite Winner  

Best Adapted Screenplay
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs - Joel and Ethan Coen
BlacKkKlansman - Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee Winner
Can You Ever Forgive Me? - Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty
If Beale Street Could Talk - Barry Jenkins Film Excess favorite
A Star Is Born - Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters

Best Original Screenplay
The Favourite - Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara
First Reformed - Paul Shrader Film Excess favorite
Green Book - Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly Winner
Roma - Alfonso Cuarón
Vice - Adam McKay

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams - Vice Film Excess favorite
Marina de Tavira - Roma
Regina King - If Beale Street Could Talk Winner
Emma Stone - The Favourite
Rachel Weisz - The Favourite

Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali - Green Book Film Excess favorite Winner  
Adam Driver - BlacKkKlansman
Sam Elliott - A Star Is Born
Richard E. Grant - Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Sam Rockwell - Vice

Best Actress
Yalitza Aparicio - Roma
Glenn Close - The Wife
Olivia Colman - The Favourite Film Excess favorite Winner
Lady Gaga - A Star Is Born
Melissa McCarty - Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Best Actor
Christian Bale - Vice
Bradley Cooper - A Star Is Born Film Excess favorite
Willem Dafoe - At Eternity's Gate
Rami Malek - Bohemian Rhapsody Winner
Viggo Mortensen - Green Book
 
Best Director
Spike Lee - BlacKkKlansman Film Excess favorite
Pawel Pawlikowski - Cold War
Yorgos Lanthimos - The Favourite
Alfonso Cuarón - Roma Winner
Adam McKay - Vice

Best Picture
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Green Book Winner
Roma
A Star Is Born Film Excess favorite
Vice

Related posts:



Oscars 2019: Predictions and Film Excess' favorites


The day after the day after ... the 2018 Oscars
Oscars 2018: Predictions and Film Excess' favorites
The day after ... the Oscars 2017
Oscars 2017: Predictions and Film Excess' favorites
The day after the day after ... the Oscars 2016
Oscars 2016 - Predictions and Film Excess' favorites
The day after the day after ... the Oscars 2015 
Oscars 2015: Prognosis and Film Excess' favorites
The day after ... the Oscars 2014 
Oscars 2014: Prognosis and Film Excess' favorites  

What did you think of the 2019 Oscars?

Oscars 2019: Predictions and Film Excess' favorites

The 91st Academy Awards tonight is the culmination of many months of unsure courses set by the academy, leading to a host-less Oscar show, where much about the event seems to be up in the air, and where the risk of a ratings and PR disaster for the academy is very present.
Academy plans for a 'Popular Oscar' category were dismantled after furor; as was plans for relegating 4 categories to commercial breaks, as prominent filmmakers were again enraged. Only having two of the nominated songs performed inspired more anger and was also canceled. Plans to have Kevin Hart host fell through, as he refused to apologize for past homophobic statements, which he said he had already apologized for; (he then apologized anyway and basically jumped ship from the high-pressure event.) Dwayne Johnson has outed himself as prospect Oscar host, but he also bailed. The academy has failed to book such good hosting cards such as Hugh Jackman, Tig Notaro or Louie Anderson. Whether it will succeed in making a shorter broadcast as was the ambition, - we will have to wait and see.
The Oscars are looking more dubious than ever before, and the night should hopefully prove these months wrong in order for the tradition to live on successfully.

This year, I have so far only been able to watch 8 of the 37 nominated features, (I leave out the 3 short film categories as usual.) Those 8 films are: The Favourite, Black Panther, Border, Cold War, A Star Is Born, A Quiet Place, Shoplifters and The Wife. 
Most nominated this year with 10 apiece are Roma and The Favourite, followed by A Star Is Born and Vice with 8 each. The injustices of the Oscars are righted in Film Excess' annual lists of the best and worst of 2018, which will boom to include more honors and Film Excess' awards (the latter only when the 2018 review tally crosses 100 titles.) So keep coming back here to see what was actually the best (and worst) of the year in films and TV-series.
My record for predictions from the past 5 years is this: 2014 (7 correct/33 % - worst prediction), 2015 (13 correct/62 %), 2016 (16 correct/76 % - best prediction), 2017 (11 correct/52 %) and 2018 (14 correct/66 %).
Following are the 21 major categories. Red marks the film or performer/s that I predict will win the Oscar, while Film Excess favorite marks my personal favorite in each category.

Best Visual Effects:
Avengers: Infinity War
Christopher Robin
First Man Film Excess favorite
Ready Player One
Solo: A Star Wars Story

Best Film Editing:
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Green Book Film Excess favorite
Vice

Bost Costume Design
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Black Panther
The Favourite Film Excess favorite
Mary Poppins Returns
Mary Queen of Scots

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Border 
Mary Queen of Scots
Vice Film Excess favorite

Best Cinematography
Cold War - Lukasz Zal Film Excess favorite
The Favourite - Robbie Ryan
Never Look Away - Caleb Deschanel
Roma - Alfonso Cuarón
A Star Is Born - Matthew Libatique

Best Production Design
Black Panther
The Favourite
First Man Film Excess favorite
Mary Poppins Returns
Roma

Best Sound Mixing
Black Panther
Bohemian Rhapsody
First Man
Roma
A Star Is Born Film Excess favorite

Best Sound Editing
Black Panther
Bohemian Rhapsody
First Man
A Quiet Place Film Excess favorite
Roma

Best Original Song
All the Stars - Black Panther
I'll Fight - RBG
The Place Where Lost Things Go - Marry Poppins Returns
Shallow - A Star Is Born Film Excess favorite
When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings - The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Best Original Score
Black Panther - Ludwig Göransson
BlacKkKlansman - Terence Blanchard
If Beale Street Could Talk - Nicholas Britell Film Excess favorite
Isle of Dogs - Alexandre Desplat
Mary Poppins Returns - Marc Shaiman

Best Documentary - Feature
Free Solo Film Excess favorite
Hale Country This Morning, This Evening
Minding the Gap
Of Fathers and Sons
RBG

Best Foreign Language Film
Capernaum (Lebanon) - Ladine Labaki Film Excess favorite
Cold War (Poland) - Pawel Pawlikowski
Never Look Away (Germany) - Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Roma (Mexico) - Alfonso Cuarón
Shoplifters (Japan) - Hirokazu Kore-eda

Best Animated Feature Film
Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Mirai
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Film Excess favorite

Best Adapted Screenplay
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs - Joel and Ethan Coen
BlacKkKlansman - Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee 
Can You Ever Forgive Me? - Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty
If Beale Street Could Talk - Barry Jenkins Film Excess favorite
A Star Is Born - Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters

Best Original Screenplay
The Favourite - Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara
First Reformed - Paul Shrader Film Excess favorite
Green Book - Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly
Roma - Alfonso Cuarón
Vice - Adam McKay

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams - Vice Film Excess favorite
Marina de Tavira - Roma
Regina King - If Beale Street Could Talk
Emma Stone - The Favourite
Rachel Weisz - The Favourite

Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali - Green Book Film Excess favorite
Adam Driver - BlacKkKlansman
Sam Elliott - A Star Is Born
Richard E. Grant - Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Sam Rockwell - Vice

Best Actress
Yalitza Aparicio - Roma
Glenn Close - The Wife
Olivia Colman - The Favourite Film Excess favorite
Lady Gaga - A Star Is Born
Melissa McCarty - Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Best Actor
Christian Bale - Vice
Bradley Cooper - A Star Is Born Film Excess favorite
Willem Dafoe - At Eternity's Gate
Rami Malek - Bohemian Rhapsody 
Viggo Mortensen - Green Book'
 
Best Director
Spike Lee - BlacKkKlansman Film Excess favorite
Pawel Pawlikowski - Cold War
Yorgos Lanthimos - The Favourite
Alfonso Cuarón - Roma
Adam McKay - Vice

Best Picture
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Green Book
Roma
A Star Is Born Film Excess favorite
Vice

Related posts:

Oscars 2018: Predictions and Film Excess' favorites
Oscars 2017: Predictions and Film Excess' favorites
Oscars 2016: Predictions and Film Excess' favorites
Oscars 2015: Prognosis and Film Excess' favorites
Oscars 2014: Prognosis and Film Excess' favorites

What are your predictions and hopes for the 2019 Oscars?
What do you think about my choices here?  
Enjoy the show 

The Favourite (2018) - Colman stands out in Lanthimos' dark, female-centric royal biopic

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An oppressive, greyish beige color background instills a sense of gloom on this heavily costumed poster for Yorgos Lanthimos' The Favourite

Early in the 18th century, Queen Anne of England begins to change favorites in her court, as the assertive, manipulative Sarah Churchill loses her grip on the queen's decisions - involving war with France and other matters of state - to an equally manipulative maid by the name of Abigail.

The Favourite is written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara (Love My Way (2004-07)), based on the actual Queen Anne (1665-1714) and her strange and difficult life, and directed by Greek master filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth/Kynodontas (2009)).
The film is not a comedic scream such as Lanthimos' best film in my opinion, the fiercely original and grotesque masterpiece The Lobster (2015), - but there is fun to be had for sure, and The Favourite effectively relocates us to a very different time, age and milieu, which is fascinating and highly ponderous. The costumes, hair and makeup are superb.
Rachel Weisz (Death Machine (1994)) and Emma Stone (La La Land (2016)) are both good as the scheming women; one inevitably outshines the other in unsympathetic imperialism. But Olivia Colman (Tyrannosaur (2011)) is outstanding as the poor center of the film; powerful as few but mired in painful ailments and grief. Her husband is non-existing in the film, and so she appears very much alone, SPOILER caught between a dominating acquaintance and a subservient one, - both insincere. The film has a couple of closeups of Colman's face, which become iconic for this wretch of a woman character, and which are among the film's best and most piercing moments.
The film is unusual because it is a plot triangle between three decisive women, a film without any male characters of note; the men in The Favourite strike one as impotent, inconsequential and ridiculous. SPOILER They are occupied by duck-racing, orange-throwing, makeup and whigs, while the women have overtaken hunting, policy-dictating - and lovemaking, although the film holds an alienated, physically-oriented view of sex. The familiar alienation that Lanthimos establishes makes the oppressive story somewhat thought-provoking; SPOILER its implications of human relationships' unbecoming similarities as roles of instructing and serving the other to the simple lives of rabbits are what it leaves us with.

Related posts:

Yorgos Lanthimos: The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) - Lanthimos' psycho-thriller turns out a twisted Greek tragedy
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
The Lobster (2015) - Lantimos' absurd, hilarious, out of this world relationship fantasy 
Dogtooth/Κυνόδοντας (Kynodontas) (2009) - Lanthimos establishes himself internationally with an unsettling family portrait

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 15 mil. $
Box office: 76.7 mil. $ and counting
= Big hit (returned in 5.11 times its cost)
[The Favourite premiered 30 August (Venice Film Festival, Italy) and runs 120 minutes. The script was first written in 1998 by Davis, whose only produced screenplay it is. Facts on the life of Queen Anne can be read here. SPOILER: Concerning its accuracy: Queen Anne did lose 17 children; she did not replace them with rabbits; she was married to a Danish prince; and the sexual relationships depicted in the film between her and the two women is speculation. Shooting took place in England from March - May 2017. The wigs in the film reportedly had a trailer of their own. The film opened #19 to a 422k $ first weekend in 4 theaters in North America, - the year's highest per-theater average, - and peaked at #11 and in 1,540 theaters (different weeks) having grossed 31.3 mil. $ there to date. The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets have been the UK with 19.4 mil. $ (25.3 %) and Australia with 3.5 mil. $ (4.6 %). The film has yet to open in India, where it premieres 1 March. It is nominated for 10 Oscars: Best Screenplay, Production Design, Costume Design, Picture, Directing, Lead Actress, Supporting Actress (both Weisz and Stone), Cinematography (Robbie Ryan (Catch Me Daddy (2014))) and Editing. It won 1/5 Golden Globe nominations, 7/12 BAFTAs, an AFI award, 10/13 British Independent Film awards, is nominated for an Independent Spirit award, won 2 awards at the Venice Film Festival, and many other honors. Lanthimos has not announced his next film yet. Colman returned with 5 TV and short credits prior to theatrically in Them That Follow (2019), Weisz has not announced her next role yet, and Stone returned in Maniac (2018, TV-series), Paul McCartney: Who Cares (2018, music video) and theatrically likely first in Zombieland: Double Tap (2019). The Favourite is certified fresh at 94 % with an 8.5/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Favourite?

Fanboys (2009) - An unfunny, boring nerd trip

♥

A boy in a Darth Wader mask makes up this simple yet amusing poster for Kyle Newman's Fanboys

Four mega-nerds gather with one purpose, when one of them gets ill with cancer: Completing their childhood mission of storming the Skywalker Ranch in California to watch the rough cur of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).

Fanboys is written by Ernest Cline (Ready Player One (2018)) and Adam F. Goldberg (The Goldbergs (2013-19)), with Dan Pulich (Quantico (2016, TV-series)) contributing story elements, and directed by Kyle Newman (The Hollow (2004, TV movie)), whose feature debut it is.
On a surface level the film is decent enough; the plot moves forward; it is coherent and fairly competently made. The problem is that Fanboys doesn't amuse or entertain much, - in fact it bores in stretches, - and is forgotten almost before it is over. It is a deeply inconsequential semi Star Wars-homage; only semi because it is also acerbic about Episode I, which it seems to hate in a half-hidden way, (the filmmakers relished and sought out father of Star Wars and writer/director of Episode I George Lucas' approval of Fanboys and undeservedly got it. )
No one in the cast distinguish themselves in Fanboys, and then it naturally doesn't help matters that the film features unwelcome nudity and sexism, (the word 'fag' is used over and over again as an integrated part of the film's 'fun'.)

Related post:

2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

Watch a trailer for the film here - made by a self-described fangirl

Cost: 3.9 mil. $
Box office: 961k $
= Box office disaster (returned 0.24 times its cost)
[Fanboys premiered 6 February (USA) and runs 90 minutes. Shooting took place in New Mexico, including Albuquerque, in and around February 2006. Lucas was shown an early cut of the film, which he gave his "stamp of approval". The release was delayed by 1½ year, as director Steven Brill was given money to film new scenes, changing the film's impetus from cancer to the characters just being drunk. Spurring controversy and anger, the scenes were eventually abandoned in preference for the original cut, which Newman was given just 36 hours to reassemble. The film opened #37 to a 171k $ first weekend in 44 theaters in North America, where it only diminished from there, grossing 688k $ (71.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Germany with 156k $ (16.2 %) and Iceland with 44k $ (4.6 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 1½/4 star review, in line with this review. Newman returned with 5 TV and short credits before hitting big screens again, with Barely Lethal (2015). Fanboys is rotten at 31 % with a 4.8/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Fanboys?

Valentine's Day Movie #1: As Good as It Gets (1997) - Nicholson makes incredible character journey stick in great audience favorite

♥♥♥♥♥

+ Best Huge Hit of the Year + Best Romcom of the Year 

Jack Nicholson's giant grinning face is the whole shebang on this simple poster for James L. Brooks' As Good as It Gets

Melvin is a rich, single, OCD-suffering grouch, who doesn't attempt to curry favor with other people, as his gay neighbor suffers an attack, and he accepts looking after his little cute dog for a while. This spurs an extensive change in his life.

As Good as It Gets is written by Mark Andrus (Late for Dinner (1991)) and great New-Yorker co-writer/co-producer/director James L. Brooks (Terms of Endearment (1983)). It is a Hollywood formula romantic dramedy that really works.
It is well-written, sweet and funny and elevated by wonderful performances from particularly Jack Nicholson (Psych-Out (1968)), who is a riot here in the W.C. Fields-reminiscent protagonist, whose small behavioral eccentricities are some of the film's funniest features. Helen Hunt (Ride (2014)) is also a joy, and Cuba Gooding Jr. (Shadowboxer (2005)) is good in a supporting role; Greg Kinnear (Murder of a Cat (2014)) is less credible in the part as the gay neighbor.
As Good as It Gets is a very good-looking audience favorite, which satisfies the need for laughs as well as eye puddles. The expert script is exemplary for use in screenwriting classes. 

 

Related post:

 

1997 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 50 mil. $
Box office:  314.1 mil. $
= Huge hit (returned 6.28 times its cost)
[As Good as It Gets premiered 6 December (California) and runs 139 minutes. Brooks had Geoffrey Rush flown from Sydney to Los Angeles to audition for the lead part, but Rush declined it. Shooting took place in California, including Los Angeles, New Jersey and New York from November 1996 - January 1997. The film opened #3, behind holdover hits Titanic and Tomorrow Never Dies, to a 12.6 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 7 weeks in the top 5 (#3-#3-#4-#4-#5-X-#4-X-#5) and grossed 148.4 mil. $ (47.2 % of the total gross). It is Nicholson's 2nd highest-grossing film, behind Batman (1989). Roger Ebert gave the film a 3/4 star review, translating to a notch harder than this one. The film was nominated for 7 Oscars, winning 2; for Best Actor (Nicholson) and Actress (Hunt). It lost Supporting Actor (Kinnear) to Robin Williams for Good Will Hunting, Editing to Titanic, Music - Original Musical or Comedy Score (Hans Zimmer (Hidden Figures (2016))) to Anne Dudley for The Full Monty, Picture to Titanic and Original Screenplay to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck for Good Will Hunting. It also won 3/6 Golden Globe nominations, 3 National Board of Review awards and many other honors. Brooks returned with Spanglish (2004). Nicholson returned in The Pledge (2001), Hunt in 6 TV and short credits before she returned to the big screen in Dr. T and the Women (2000), Kinnear in You've Got Mail (1998). As Good as It Gets is certified fresh at 85 % with a 7.2/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of As Good as It Gets?

Cold War (2018) - Grating ending mars otherwise superb European love story

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+ Best B/W Movie of the Year + Polish Movie of the Year

The photogenic couple of Pawel Pawlikowski's Cold War exude delicious love on this aesthetically delectable B/W poster for the film

Among a batch of young hopefuls to a rural music and dance school in Poland in 1949 is a young woman, whom one of the institution's leaders immediately strikes up a relation to, and the two subsequently share a complex love story under the duress of the Cold War.

Cold War is written by Janusz Glowacki (A Trip Down the River/Rejs (1970)), Piotr Borkowski (Fear of Falling/Lek Wysokosci (2011)) and its great Polish co-writer/director Pawel Pawlikowski (Ida (2013)), on whose parents' love story the story is based.
Cold War, - a title which both obviously refers to the politically and practically hostile climate people suffered under during Soviet Communism, as well as hinting at the mercurial, complex nature of the two leads' relationship, - is a rare, European treat: Pawlikowski and Co. reproduce another for younger generations far away but for older generations not so distant reality and way of life, and the production is evocative and sumptuous, yet subtly sumptuous, if such a thing exists, as it all is merely background for the film's main mission: A story of two partners in love.
Joanna Kulig (The Innocents/Les Innocentes (2016)) and Tomasz Kot (Life Must Go On/Zyc Nie Umierac (2015)) are terrific as the moody blond with the divine singing voice and he the older, respected musician, who suffers a fatal run-in with love in his meeting the other. 
Lukasz Zal's (Ida) stark B/W, and the film's 4:3 format, rare in modern cinema, help to relocate us to a different time and place, and we instinctively believe in our two protagonists' gnawing devotion, which is tested and inflicted pain through politically inflicted years apart. The photography is marvelously picturesque, and the film focuses on folk songs and traditional Polish music, which breaks forth with a rural poetic quality in these fine images.
Soviet influence soon ruins this by inserting autocratic idolatry and ideological brainwashing as the aim of all creative output, and circumstances wear and tear on the two.
SPOILER The film is a supreme experience until its ending, in which the couple engage in sudden suicide, - inside a derelict country church, no less. Pawlikowski's own parents, - who were neither musicians nor had a relation of the just 15 years that the story spans, - are thus put down by their son in a most mysterious and revolting ending for the film. - I haven't read anywhere whether they actually committed suicide together in real life, but regardless, this confusion and incomprehensible ending of the film seriously damages the lasting impact of Cold War. - The two also do not seem to have born their son the filmmaker yet! A superb film is therefore marred seriously by a seemingly excessively bitter pill of Eastern European suicidal romanticism, one of the worst movie endings in recent memory.

Related posts:


Pawel Pawlikowski: 2018 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
Ida (2013) - Pawlikowski scores big with resounding identity-tale

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 4.3 mil. €, approximately 4.88 mil. $
Box office: 17.3 mil. $ and counting
= Big hit (returned 3.56 times its cost)
[Cold War premiered 10 May (Cannes Film Festival, France, in competition) and runs 85 minutes. Financing came together through no less than 24 companies and governmental bodies. Shooting took place in Croatia, Poland and Paris, France from January - August 2017. The film opened #35 to a 54k $ first weekend in 3 theaters in North America, where it has peaked at #24 and currently in 217 theaters (different weeks), having grossed to date 2.1 mil. $ (12.1 % of the total gross). North America has been the 3rd biggest market; Cold War has done most business in Poland with 4.8 mil. $ (27.7 %) and France with 2.6 mil. $ (15 %). The film is nominated for 3 Oscars: Best Foreign Film, Director and Cinematography. It is also nominated for 4 BAFTAs, a British Independent Film award, won the Best Director prize in Cannes, nominated for a César award, won 5/6 European Film award nominations, a National Board of Review award and countless other honors. Pawlikowski is returning with Limonov (pre-production), - which is to be done in color. Kulig returned in Play (2018, short) and theatrically in Clergy/Kler (2018), Kot in Dzien Czekolady (2018). Cold War is certified fresh at 93 % with an 8.2/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Cold War?

A Few Good Men (1992) or, You Can't Handle the Truth!

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Swept in the red, white and blue, this star-lining poster for Rob Reiner's A Few Good Men effectively showcases the film's impressive pedigree

A suspicious murder of a Marine in the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba is attempted buried with a superficial, young military lawyer, until his female superior insists that he probes this potential rotten apple further.

A Few Good Men is written by Aaron Sorkin (The American President (1995)), based on his own 1989 Broadway script, with contributions by William Goldman (All the President's Men (1976)), and directed by New-Yorker master filmmaker Rob Reiner (Stand By Me (1986)), whose 7th film it is. The fine script keeps focus on the ball, - the sneaking romance between the two young leads thankfully never gestates, - and Tom Cruise (Risky Business (1983)) and Jack Nicholson (Man Trouble (1992)) are both fantastic here, raising the film to greatness.
A Few Good Men's handsome cast also includes Demi Moore (Passion of Mind (2000)), Kevin Pollak (Three Christs (2017)), J.T. Walsh (Hidden Agenda (1999)), Cuba Gooding Jr. (Zoolander (2001)) and Kevin Bacon (My Dog Skip (2000)). A Few Good Men treads right on the edge of what seems realistically credible with some of the lines that get spouted by the energetic cast, but it stays good, and in closing this is a remarkably effective and entertaining high-stakes drama.

Related posts:

Rob Reiner: The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) - A helluva movie! (actor) 
The Bucket List (2007) or, We All Deserve Better
Misery (1990) - Bates ignites an iconic villain in Reiner's rock-solid King adaptation 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 33 mil. - 40 mil. $ (different reports)
Box office: 243.2 mil. $
= Huge hit (returned at least 6.08 times its cost)
[A Few Good Men premiered 2 December (New York) and runs 138 minutes. Sorkin reportedly gathered ideas and notes for the film on cocktail napkins while working as a New York bartender, eventually selling the script for "well into six figures". Nicholson was paid 5 mil. $ for his performance, and has stated; "It was one of the few times when it was money well spent." Shooting took place in California, including Los Angeles, and in Washington DC from October 1991 - January 1992. The film opened #1 to a 15.5 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent the next 2 weeks atop as well, following with 6 more weeks in the top 5 (#2-#1-#2-#2-#4-#5), grossing 141.3 mil. $ (58.1 % of the total gross). Roger Ebert gave the film a 2.5/4 star review, translating to two notches lower than this one. The film was nominated for 4 Oscars, winning none: It lost Best Supporting Actor (Nicholson) to Gene Hackman in Unforgiven, Editing to Unforgiven, Picture to Unforgiven and Sound to The Last of the Mohicans. It was also nominated for 5 Golden Globes, won a National Board of Review award and other honors. Reiner returned with North (1994). Moore returned in Indecent Proposal (1993), Cruise in The Firm (1993), Nicholson in Hoffa (1992). A Few Good Men is certified fresh at 82 % with a 7/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of A Few Good Men?