Golden Globe Reactions

Wow, so this Awards Race keeps getting crazier and crazier. And this is something everyone seems to be recognizing. The amount of surprise winners who went on stage expressing that they "seriously" did not expect to win. It was definitely a crazy evening with a lot of surprises! What does this all say about the upcoming Oscar nominations on Thursday? We'll have to wait and see! While this helps clear up some of the muddle, it definitely created just as much. 

Best Motion Picture – Drama

Carol

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Revenant - WINNER

Room

Spotlight

Once Iñárritu took hom best Director, I knew exactly what was going to happen. Even when Spotlight lost Best Screenplay, I figured it probably wouldn't be winning here. But I am surprised that The Revenant snagged this! I mean, Iñárritu lost last year with Birdman, so this may've been a make up award. But it was still surprising nonetheless. Is Spotlight buzz dead? Is it still really the frontrunner? I really don't know who would be if it isn't Spotlight. 

Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical

The Big Short

Joy

The Martian – WINNER

Spy

Trainwreck

I went out on a small limb and predicted The Big Short and ended up eating my words. I'm not altogether surprised that this won, but it meant that The Big Short, our dark horse frontrunner who has been gaining traction in the past few weeks, also walked away from the Globes empty-handed. What's happening? 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

Cate Blanchett – Carol

Brie Larson – Room – WINNER

Rooney Mara – Carol

Saoirse Ronan – Brooklyn

Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl

Not surprised at all. I finally got this one right! I had wondered if maybe Rooney Mara or Saoirse Ronan would win, but figured it would be Brie Larson in the end. Well deserved! 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Bryan Cranston – Trumbo

Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant – WINNER

Michael Fassbender – Steve Jobs

Eddie Redmayne – The Danish Girl

Will Smith – Concussion

After Steve Jobs took home Supporting Actress and Screenplay, I started to get very stressed out over the idea of Michael Fassbender winning this. I mean, I wouldn't normally be against him winning for this performance, but I just love the Leo narrative and want it to go all the way. And The Revenant capped off it's fantastic box office and awards weekend with Leo winning. 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical

Jennifer Lawrence – Joy – WINNER

Amy Schumer – Trainwreck

Melissa McCarthy – Spy

Maggie Smith – The Lady in the Van

Lily Tomlin – Grandma

I had Jennifer winning here until the last few days when I had read this would be her 3rd Globe in 4 years. Darn looking at Stats!

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical

Christian Bale – The Big Short

Steve Carell – The Big Short

Matt Damon – The Martian – WINNER

Al Pacino – Danny Collins

Mark Ruffalo – Infinitely Polar Bear

While I wondered if Steve Carell was going to pull an upset, Matt Damon's win seemed to be the most obvious of the night. 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Jane Fonda – Youth

Jennifer Jason Leigh – The Hateful Eight

Helen Mirren – Trumbo

Alicia Vikander – Ex Machina

Kate Winslet – Steve Jobs – WINNER

I had Winslet as my predicted winner until the last moment when I saw no one else was predicting her, so I went for Leigh, which was a mistake. So upset I changed my prediction!

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture – Drama

Paul Dano – Love & Mercy

Idris Elba – Beasts of No Nation

Mark Rylance – Bridge of Spies

Michael Shannon – 99 Homes

Sylvester Stallone – Creed – WINNER

Actually, I feel like this was the most obvious win of the night. Is Stallone after the Oscar next? The room was just so happy for him and he had a great standing ovation. We'll see!

Best Director – Motion Picture

Todd Haynes – Carol

Alejandro G. Iñárritu – The Revenant – WINNER

George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road

Ridley Scott – The Martian

Tom McCarthy – Spotlight

I went out on a limb and predicted George Miller, who is still the deserving winner. But Iñárritu is not at all undeserving. He had such great direction for The Revenant, so I can't be too mad (only a little). 

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

Room

Spotlight

The Big Short

Steve Jobs – WINNER

The Hateful Eight

Is it really ever surprising when Sorkin wins a screenplay award? I mean, I know I didn't predict it, but I wasn't very surprised. 

Best Animated Feature Film

Anomalisa

The Good Dinosaur

Inside Out – WINNER

The Peanuts Movie

Shaun the Sheep

Also a very safe prediction I made, that I did actually get right. Deserved!

Best Foreign Language Film

The Brand New Testament

The Club

The Fencer

Mustang

Son of Saul – WINNER

This is actually the prediction I felt most confident about. Still need to see!

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

Carter Burwell – Carol

Alexandre Desplat – The Danish Girl

Ennio Morricone – The Hateful Eight – WINNER

Daniel Pemberton – Steve Jobs

Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alva Noto – The Revenant

I was hoping The Revenant would win, because this score is so heartbreaking, but the Hateful Eight won here. Everyone on here was so deserving. Too bad I didn't actually predict it!

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

“Love Me Like You Do” –Fifty Shades of Grey

“One Kind of Love” – Love & Mercy

“See You Again” –Furious 7

“Simple Song #3” –Youth

“Writing’s on the Wall” –Spectre – WINNER

Again, I was really, really hoping the song from Love & Mercy would win, but I am unsurprised to see Sam Smith win. I really thought Ellie Goulding was going to take it, but whatever. Writing's on the Wall was blah, so it's a disappointing win. 

Overall, I did a really, really horrible job in my predictions and only managed to predict 6/14, which is so bad. Hopefully my Oscar nominee predictions on Thrursday go much better than this. But an unpredictable season is more fun, right? 

The Revenant

The Revenant, 2015
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter, Forrest Goodluck

Hugh Glass is a fur trapper in 1820's America. He and his Native American son have a close bond, and his son, Hawk, is everything to Glass. But after Glass is mauled by a bear and hardly alive, Glass's compatriot Fitzgerald kills Hawk and leaves Glass for dead. But Glass won't be kept down. He rises from the grave he's been left in, determined to track down Fitzgerald, to survive, and to exact his revenge.

The Revenant was probably my #1 most anticipated movie for this year. It was the following up of Iñárritu's last years Best Picture winner, it was starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy, and just sounded like an incredible story. I've been predicting Leo is going to win this Oscar for almost an entire year now, without changing my predictions. At this point, I still see no reason to change it.

Leo gives the performance of a lifetime here. In a role that's mostly silently, almost entirely physical, and is so dependent on Leo's face and eyes, it's a role unlike anything we've seen from him before. Never before have I realize how incredibly expressive Leo's eyes are. It's this part alone that he nails the role, and the emotions and heartbreak within in. Yes, Leo's Glass is driven by revenge, but even more so, he is driven by his love for his son, and the wife he also has lost. It's not often anger we see in Glass's eyes, but heartbreak and sadness and pain. It's definitely not his most talkative performance, but Leo is able to convey so much without needing to say much at all.

In fact, there were many periods of the film where the film isn't afraid to leave the film silent. No voice over, no dialogue, but emotions conveyed through the scenery around the characters, the music, and the characters faces. This film is incredibly spiritual and felt very in touch with the scenery it's displaying. I know many people have mentioned this movie just being incredibly "masculine", but that's never really a sense I got from this movie. This film had it's characters become parts of the nature around them. Glass has an incredible spiritual journey, not just a physical one. This is a movie with lots of tears, with love, and with passion. Yes, it's a film about men, but Iñárritu lets his men feel a variety of emotions, and never ashamedly so. This is a movie about the internal human conflict, the will to survive, and the power of love.

As well, how can I talk about this movie and not mention Emmanuel Lubezki's stunning cinematography? Once again, Emmanuel "Chivo" Lubezki delivers some of the most visceral and beautiful work. I mean, this is hardly any surprise, but it really is incredible. His choice to film only with natural light gives this movie such a beauty. It really reinforces the idea of the characters being a part of nature. It makes us feel so submerged in the surroundings. The surroundings itself were so gorgeous. The films extensive use of Canada, as well as some locations in the US and Argentina, are so incredibly beautiful. While I would never want to take the journey that Glass does, there were so many of these locations I'd love to walk through.

While Leo was by and away the star of the film, there are definitely several other mentions I need to make. First and foremost, is Tom Hardy. The fact that Tom Hardy is mainly being overlooked in this awards race is appalling. While I wouldn't necessarily say this is Hardy's all-time best work, it's definitely fantastic work deserving of recognition. Hardy is a master at playing awful people and rounding them out with humanity. And once again, he does so here. While I felt his character could've been expanded on a little more, and Hardy didn't have all that much to work with, he was still able to capture such a range of emotion and feeling, and channel that into a despicable character, but without crossing into caricature. Will Poulter should also get a shout out, as the poor young man who is always being manipulated and taken advantage of. Poulter plays one of the most sympathetic characters in the film, and plays Bridger with such innocence. Also, Domhnall Gleeson is increasingly becoming a favourite of mine. Here again, he does some fine work Captain Henry, the leader of the fur trapping group. A good man, determined to do his best and lead his men well, Gleeson is solid here.

Also, there are so many new faces of Native American actors. In fact, Native Americans are given some great treatment here. Showing that the Americans were not finitely good or bad, and that the Native Americans as well were not finitely either, Iñárritu displays the rough relationship but also gives such respect to their culture, language, and character development. It's such a pleasure to see the grey areas seemingly accurately portrayed, non-problematically.

In all, The Revenant is a cold, bloody film about the will to survive. It's a beautiful story about a fathers love for his family, the grief he feels at their loss. While I didn't love it as much as I had hoped I would, it was still an incredibly beautiful story. However, the film was very long. This in itself is not a bad thing,  but some parts felt a little long, and some of the characters could've been given more development. While I felt the relationship between Glass and his son was fantastic, I would've loved to have gotten more of Fitzgerald and some of his motives. The bear scene was incredible, and the final 15 minutes of the movie were so well-executed and were so incredibly tense. It's a beautiful film about love, loss and the fight to live. Leo 100% deserves that Oscar, and this is the perfect vehicle to get him there.

8.5/10

Golden Globe Predictions

It's that time of year again for predictions! Finally, the first of the years Award Show Winner predictions, instead of just nominees. I'm looking forward to the race starting to get clearer and to see who actually could take home those eventual Oscars! First up is the Golden Globes, airing tomorrow. Like probably most other people, I found some of these predictions so difficult to make. If you haven't noticed, this year has been rather interesting in that there are hardly any frontrunners in any of these races. Sure, there are favourites, but hardly anything has been performing as consistently as other years early favourites.

So below I've made up my "Who Should" and "Who Will" predictions for the winners in each other Film categories. Sorry guys, I'm just not at all in the loop when it comes to Televisions, so I'll be skipping those predictions. Good luck to everyone watching and predicting!

Best Motion Picture – Drama

Carol

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Revenant

Room

Spotlight

Should Win: Mad Max: Fury Road

Will Win: Spotlight

(to be honest, any of these could win, and I'd be very happy, they're all so worthy!)

Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical

The Big Short

Joy

The Martian

Spy

Trainwreck

Should Win: Spy or the Big Short

Will Win: The Big Short

Is predicting the Big Short to win here an upset? I know the original frontrunner was the Martian, which could still totally win, but The Big Short has come on so strong and it 100% is a comedy. 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

Cate Blanchett – Carol

Brie Larson – Room

Rooney Mara – Carol

Saoirse Ronan – Brooklyn

Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl

Should Win: Saoirse Ronan or Rooney Mara or Brie Larson

Will Win: Brie Larson (Room)

Rooney Mara is the Supporting Actress frontrunner for the Oscars while Brie Larson is our lead actress frontrunner. It'll be interesting to see them go head on. Though of course, Saoirse Ronan could make a huge play and end up (deservedly) winning! 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Bryan Cranston – Trumbo

Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant

Michael Fassbender – Steve Jobs

Eddie Redmayne – The Danish Girl

Will Smith – Concussion

Should Win: Leonardo DiCaprio or Michael Fassbender

Will Win: Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)

I'm honestly a little nervous Bryan Cranston could take this, but I really, really, really want Leo to win that Oscar, so I want him to take it here. 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical

Jennifer Lawrence – Joy

Amy Schumer – Trainwreck

Melissa McCarthy – Spy

Maggie Smith – The Lady in the Van

Lily Tomlin – Grandma

Should Win: Melissa McCarthy

Will Win: Amy Schumer (Trainwreck)

I'm actually really, really unsure on this one. Will they give Jennifer Lawrence her 3rd Globe in 4 years? It's possible. Or will they give it to her gal pal Amy? I'd still love for Melissa McCarthy to win this, who was actually hysterical in Spy. 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical

Christian Bale – The Big Short

Steve Carell – The Big Short

Matt Damon – The Martian

Al Pacino – Danny Collins

Mark Ruffalo – Infinitely Polar Bear

Should Win: Steve Carell 

Will Win: Matt Damon (The Martian)

Matt Damon winning wouldn't be all that undeserved. But it is Matt Damon kind of playing Matt Damon, with slightly more sass. Also, perpetually angry Steve Carell is one of my favourites and I'd love to see him win a Globe for it. 

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture – Drama

Jane Fonda – Youth

Jennifer Jason Leigh – The Hateful Eight

Helen Mirren – Trumbo

Alicia Vikander – Ex Machina

Kate Winslet – Steve Jobs

Should Win: Alicia Vikander 

Will Win: Jennifer Jason Leigh (the Hateful Eight)?

I'm honestly stumped by this category. With Rooney Mara and Alicia Vikander's other performance missing, I'm really unsure. But I think I'm going to go with Leigh. But I really wouldn't be surprised if Vikander or Winslet won this. 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture – Drama

Paul Dano – Love & Mercy

Idris Elba – Beasts of No Nation

Mark Rylance – Bridge of Spies

Michael Shannon – 99 Homes

Sylvester Stallone – Creed

Should Win: Paul Dano!!!!! or Idris Elba

Will Win: Sylvester Stallone

I have an undying love for Paul Dano's performance in Love & Mercy and it should be winning everything. However, I'm gunna give this to Stallone. The biggest name in the category, and a great comeback narrative. 

Best Director – Motion Picture

Todd Haynes – Carol

Alejandro G. Iñárritu – The Revenant

George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road

Ridley Scott – The Martian

Tom McCarthy – Spotlight

Should Win: George Miller

Will Win: George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)

I remember after seeing Mad Max I felt it most deserved to be nominated for Best Director, of almost all the awards. So glad this is actually coming true, and that he'll likely win here! 

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

Room

Spotlight

The Big Short

Steve Jobs

The Hateful Eight

Should Win: The Big Short or Steve Jobs

Will Win: Spotlight

I wouldn't be surprised if the Big Short or Room breaks in to steal this, especially the Big Short. Should the Big Short win this, I'll be taking it more seriously as the Oscar frontrunner. 

Best Animated Feature Film

Anomalisa

The Good Dinosaur

Inside Out

The Peanuts Movie

Shaun the Sheep

Should Win: Inside Out

Will Win: Inside Out

It's the only one I've seen in this category, but Insite Out 100% deserves this win. 

Best Foreign Language Film

The Brand New Testament

The Club

The Fencer

Mustang

Son of Saul

Should Win: ??

Will Win: Son of Saul

I have sadly seen none of these. Will definitely need to catch up!

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

Carter Burwell – Carol

Alexandre Desplat – The Danish Girl

Ennio Morricone – The Hateful Eight

Daniel Pemberton – Steve Jobs

Ryuichi Sakamoto, Alva Noto – The Revenant

Should Win: The Revenant or Carol

Will Win: Carol

I can't see Harvey going home with his top film going empty-handed. Carol really did have a beautiful score and while I thought the Revenant was just as devastating and gorgeous, I think Carol will take it. 

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

“Love Me Like You Do” –Fifty Shades of Grey

“One Kind of Love” – Love & Mercy

“See You Again” –Furious 7

“Simple Song #3” –Youth

“Writing’s on the Wall” –Spectre

Should Win: One Kind of Love (Love & Mercy)

Will Win: One Kind of Love (Love & Mercy)

Again, I'm unsure on this. Will The Globes want a big name like Ellie Goulding or Sam Smith up on stage? Will that non-stop repeat hit See You Again get rewarded for being on the radio 24/7? I'm personally rooting for Love & Mercy to win SOMETHING. And Brian Wilson winning would be super cool. 

January Blindspot: City Lights

City Lights, 1931
Directed by Charles Chaplin

A tramp falls in love with a blind woman who sells flowers. He also makes friends with a crazy millionaire, who only recognizes the tramp when he's drunk. With the aid of his millionaire friend, he tries to help the blind woman, who is in financial trouble.

City Lights has  plot, I suppose. But it's very loose and seems to be more a few different short stories put together to make up a movie. I'm definitely not complaining about this, because I actually found this movie to be really fantastic. City Lights is finally an old movie I understand when people say it's one of their favourite films or that they could rewatch it or that it's incredibly funny. Because City Lights is definitely all of these things.

Unarguably, Charlie Chaplin had one of the biggest influences on cinema and film making. I feel it can't be argued either that he is a leader in comedy as well. City Lights is a truly funny movie, and you can see how much it's physical humor has influenced movies. The tropes done in this movie are still things we use and laugh at today. So much of this comedy is timeless. We will always find people falling over or ripping their pants funny. It's something we can all relate to, or are all secretly scared of it happening to us. But the thing I particularly liked about City Lights, more than some newer comedies, is the almost gracefulness to it. There are several scenes that seem so immaculately choreographed that it almost seems like a dance. There's a rhythm to it and, even though you know what's going to happen next, it's still funny! Often I don't find things funny, cause I know exactly where they're going. City Lights uses this to it's advantage and I found it got great results.

To me, this movie almost felt like Chaplin had a bunch of short film ideas, small stories. Such as the boxing scene, or the drunk scenes with the millionaire, or even the almost-suicide scene at the beginning. In a way, these scenes feel like they were included, not because it was entirely necessary to the actual "story" of the film, but because Chaplin liked these individual mini-stories and wanted to include them. Again, I'm not faulting Chaplin for this, because I think they're incredibly fun to see altogether. While it feels slightly disjointed, it's still a lot of fun to watch. Especially the drunk scenes and that boxing scene. Both so incredibly hilarious.

This is not my first foray into Chaplin's filmography. I have also had the privilege of watching The Gold Rush a few years ago in a film class I took in college. Also very funny and with well choreographed comedy, I will definitely be taking a deeper look in Chaplin's films. I honestly very much loved this film and am surprised I like it as much as I do. I haven't often connected with older films so much that I'd call them an "all-time favourite", but with a few more viewings and some time to sit, City Lights just may make that list!

9.5/10

2016 Blindspot Films

2016 Blindspot Films

Once again, I'm posting an embarassing list of films I have somehow not seen. This list seems even more basic than 2015's, but I'm happy I'm finally making all of these films a priority. Like last year, I tried to make this list a nice range of time periods. I've got some 1931 Charlie Chaplin, another 60's Audrey Hepburn, and the most recent entry being 2002. I'm really looking forward to checking out all of these films. Some are more critically acclaimed than others, but all have great reasons to be seen, and definitely all of them are loved.

Blindspot: It's A Wonderful Life

It's A Wonderful Life, 1946
Directed by Frank Capra

Somehow, some way, I managed to live through 22 Christmases and have never seen It's A Wonderful Life. I'm really not sure how this happened, but this was definitely one of the first films I knew I had to add to my Blindspot list. Because how have I missed out on it this long? Finally, I sat down on Christmas eve with my husband, my in-laws and brother-in-law, and watched it.

It's A Wonderful Life tells the story of George Bailey. He wishes he had never been born one Christmas, so an angel is sent down to show George exactly what life would've been like if he hadn't been around. But even before this, we get to see the entire life of George Bailey, from life as a child, to a driven and adventure-seeking young adult, to a man somehow stuck in a place he never saw for himself.

This is definitely one of Frank Capra's more refined movies. I have seen only a handful of his films, and while this film did have hints of Capra's style he used in previous movies, this is definitely Capra at the most serious I've seen him. I know most people have seen this film by now, but it's definitely not as depressing as my little summary makes it seem to be. Yes, it's technically about a man who wants to kill himself, and is only minorly set at Christmastime, but it's a story about life and valuing what you have and who you have around you.

I did enjoy the movie, and will likely watch it again in my life. It may not be one I seek out to watch every Christmas, like some people, but it's still one I did enjoy. James Stewart, of course, is great here. He really makes it all look so easy and seems born to play George Bailey. The romance was sweet, and the movie really does get you to understand George and really feel frustrated with him that he keeps not being able to achieve his dreams and adventures. It really is a sweet film, and that I did enjoy. Some of it was a little corny (how we see the "angels" talking to each other throughout, for example), but it was still an enjoyable film.

It's been a lot of fun doing this Blindspot project this year, and watch out over the next few days for my 2016 list!

The Big Short

The Big Short
Directed by Adam McKay
Starring: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Finn Wittrock

2008 saw the crash of the housing market in the USA. Almost no one saw it coming. The only people who did were a few "weirdos and outcasts" who saw the signs and decided to bet against the big banks.

So I actually got tickets to an Advance Screening of this in Toronto. It was my very first advance screening and it was a lot of fun to see this much before the rest of the country.

I'm going to tell you, I was 16 when the 2008 Housing Market crashed. As well, I live in Canada where the housing market didn't actually crash, but we were definitely affected by the crash in the US. I know extraordinarily little about any of this. So while the film did try to do it's best to explain some things, some of it still did go over my head. I'm just throwing that information out there now since it will affect my review and I find my opinion a little less reliable because of it.

The Big Short is not really a movie you'd expect when it's about the housing and credit bubble of the mid-2000s. This movie is purely rock-and-roll, sardonic and smug. It is continually bouncing back and forth between narrative and music videos, has lots of voice over and most of it's characters find themselves breaking the 4th wall and addressing the audience mid-scene. The best words I can really use to describe this movie is sardonic and smug. And I don't necessarily mean this in a bad way. The Big Short takes a unique approach in which it's constantly cracking jokes, the narrator explaining how cool he is, and even using celebrities to illustrate and explain various different complicated and legal terms. It even has a character breaking the 4th wall to admit that the scene isn't 100% accurate and explained how it actually came about. Smug, eh?

I can't help but admire the tone Adam McKay (director of Will Ferrell bro-comedies like Anchorman) uses here. However, this is a movie that seems to stick the landings about 75% of the time. This movie had a lot of potential and I think with a bit tighter editing, this film could've been magic. However, this film was still a fun ride, even if it was slightly confusing and didn't always make sense to the uneducated me.

The truly best thing this movie has going for it is its all-star cast. I mean, Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell and Christian Bale all in one movie together? Yes please! And having them altogether did not disappoint. Bale plays Michael Burry, a doctor who decided to quit medicine and become a money manager. He's the first to spot the signs of the crash and decides to make bets against the banks. Gosling plays Jared Vennett, a Deutsche bank high-up who catches wind of these swaps and decides to get in on it. Via a wrong number, Mark Baum (played by Carell) and his independent firm also catch wind and decide to become investors after doing some investigation. Honestly, it was hard to keep straight what exactly everyone's position and job was, but some other people get involved in Vennett's investments and they all seem to be the only ones.

You could tell the cast was having a lot of fun, and they all worked so well together. The standouts for me, specifically, were Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling. Carell was once again playing a different character that we haven't really seen from him before. He's a Wall Street maniac who loves/hates his job and is obsessed with what he does. Honestly, Carell was just kind of angry all the time and it was really fun to watch! Ryan Gosling played our narrator and the arrogant bank worker who gets Carell and co. in on the investments of a lifetime. Gosling plays a similar character to the one he played in Crazy, Stupid, Love a few years back, which is great because he 100% nailed this role. I love watching Gosling play slick and arrogant. He was truly hilarious in his role and the movie could've used more of him!

Like I mentioned, I felt the movie could've used a bit of a tighter edit. There were a lot of freeze-frames on characters faces, which started to get old, quickly. And there were lots of random shots of photos that somewhat related but I felt were kind of unnecessary. Overall, the Big Short is a fun movie and is actually really quite funny (I thought it was actually funnier than Anchorman, but then again I'm not really an Anchorman fan at all). The movie seemed to walk a delicate line between the serious matter at hand but also finding the comedy in it. Again, it stuck the landings of this about 75% of the time. The movie was so close to being fantastic, but it just didn't quite get there. And considering all the talent involved, it's a bit of a shame. However, it's still a fun ride and one that helped educate me on the crisis I was so naive to.


7.5/10

Brooklyn

Brooklyn, 2015
Directed by John Crowley
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, Julie Walters, Domhnall Gleeson

Eilis is off to America in the 1950's. She's grown up in Ireland and her mother and sister are still living there. But she doesn't really have a job or a life there, and she's been sponsored by a priest in Brooklyn to come over to live and work. Eilis is at first terribly homesick, but when she falls in love, she finds herself calling Brooklyn home. But when a tragedy happens back in Ireland that draws Eilis home, Eilis starts to wonder what makes something "home" and where she truly belongs.

Brooklyn is a stunning, sweet and beautiful film. It's simple in story and almost feels as though it was made in the period it was set it. The story was innocent and lovely and I don't really remember a film quite like it that has been made recently and was as good as this one is. Brooklyn is beautifully shot, exquisitely acted, and well-written.

Saoirse Ronan takes on the lead role of Eilis, gracing our screens for 98% of the screen time. Ronan is just sublime here as Eilis, doing some really great work. Eilis is, at first, painfully shy and homesick when first arrived in Brooklyn. But as she starts to open up, and to grow, Ronan really gives Eilis such grace. The balance between Eilis's personality in Ireland and her homesickness and shyness in Brooklyn are well-balanced and believable. It's something I, personally, really identified with and know I'll continue to identify in the year ahead of me. I loved Eilis because while we know she's shy and kind, the movie never really transforms her into someone completely different. Sure, she opens up to Tony and becomes better at small talk while working at her department store, but all this development seems natural, and we still get this sense that Eilis is still this kind, quiet girl that we are first introduced to. And Ronan plays her perfectly.

I also really have to mention all the supporting characters around Eilis as well. The first people that we meet in Brooklyn are the residents and landlady at Eilis' boarding house. Eilis lives with several other Irish girls (also sponsored by priests, I am to assume) and the landlady is also Irish. They all eat dinner together, and these scenes prove to be some of the most hilarious scenes. Julie Walters is such a hoot as Mrs. Kehoe, the landlady. As well, the various other girls that Eilis live with are silly and frivolous, and maybe even cliche, but they are so much fun to watch. Emory Cohen plays the fella that Eilis falls in love with in Brooklyn, Tony. Cohen is such a ray of hugable sunshine. His smile is adorable and you can 100% tell why Eilis would fall for such a sweet and charming guy. Cohen brings such radiance to this role and he's one of the people you leave the theatre thinking about. As well, I can't not mention the ever awkward/charming Domhnall Gleeson. Gleeson has a small role here, and it's a shame. His character could've been explored a little more, but the small bit that Gleeson had, he brought kindness and goodness.

Brooklyn is a fantastic movie. The movie stuck true to the books roots, not opting to change things that were maybe odd or foreign to us now in 2015. As well, John Crowley just let the movie flow, neither rushing or slowing down parts that romantic movies often do rush or slow down. This is a movie that seemed to just stroll along, in the best of ways. It took it's time, savoring interactions and scenes, never trying too hard to tug at your heartstrings, but making you emotional, nonetheless.

Another thing I particularly liked about it was it's realistic portrayal of figuring out where "home" is, and how your surroundings and circumstances can influence your choices and even who you are. Eilis is affected by all of this and it is made harder as she is so sweet and kind, and does not like to be mean or malicious. She wants very hard not to offend, but can sometimes do so by trying hard not to. Our circumstances play such a large role in our lives and I don't know how much we realize it. Most of us are not like Eilis, faced with two very different and far away "homes", with good and bad in each. Eilis has tough choices to make, and really neither option feels like 100% the right choice. The fact that neither of her choices felt like either fully good or fully bad made everything the more realistic and beautiful.

I don't really want to spoil anything for you. It's a simply story and I'm sure many people who have seen trailers for this probably know what choices Eilis has to make, but it's nice to watch without this knowledge. Brooklyn is a fantastic film that seems like it was made in a different era. Pitch-perfect casting, lovely writing and just generally beautiful to look at, Brooklyn is a film I highly recommend for the inner romantic in all of us.

9.5/10

SAG Nomination Reactions

So those SAG Nominations eh? Wow, my predictions were completely wrong in several categories. In fact, in both the Ensemble and Supporting Actor category, I only got 1/5! 

So there were some definite shockers here, which I'll make comments in each of the categories. 

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

Beasts of No Nation

The Big Short

Spotlight

Straight Outta Compton

Trumbo

The only one I saw coming was Spotlight. I'm not overly surprised by the Big Short, or even Straight Outta Compton, but I'm pleasantly surprised to see Beasts of No Nation here, as well as Trumbo. While I haven't seen Trumbo, I did very much like Beasts and am happy to see it get a boost here. The Martian lockout is probably the biggest surprise though. 

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

Bryan Cranston, Trumbo

Johnny Depp, Black Mass

Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant

Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs

Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

I actually had Cranston as my 6th or 7th choice, and did debate putting him in (though in the place of Depp, not Damon). So I can't say I'm really surprised. But it looks like Depp, DiCaprio, Fassbender and Redmayne are all pretty much locked int. 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

Cate Blanchett, Carol

Brie Larson, Room

Helen Mirren, Woman in Gold

Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

Sarah Silverman, I Smile Back

The biggest surprise here, to me, is the inclusion of both Mirren and Silverman in the place of Jennifer Lawrence! I mean, I know Joy is getting bad reviews, but I figured Lawrence would still get in, since the only praise for the film seems to be for her. How wrong, I was. 

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

Christian Bale, The Big Short

Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation

Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies

Michael Shannon, 99 Homes

Jacob Tremblay, Room

This was entirely a crap-shoot. Christian Bale is the biggest shocker for me and it seems that The Big Short has more support than I originally thought. And Jacob Tremblay is committing some terrible category fraud, which is frustrating, but I'm still glad to see him get recognition. Also glad to see Elba here, as he was fading from my predictions  but has now made a bit of a comeback. Also, the guys from Spotlight aren't here?? And we all thought Michael Keaton was going to win the Oscar! This category has officially become wiiiiiide open. (Still bummed that Paul Dano or Tom Hardy couldn't have slipped in here with all this randomness)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

Rooney Mara, Carol

Rachel McAdams, Spotlight

Helen Mirren, Trumbo

Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl

Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Again, some terrible category fraud, but I knew it was coming. None of these nominees are all that surprisngly, and I'm glad I slipped Rachel McAdams in here last minute. Very interesting to me that she is the sole individual nominee for Spotlight when her male co-stars seemed to be getting the higher praise. Not that I'm complaining! Even Mirren was not totally unexpected. She was also a 7th choice in my lineup. 

Next up this morning are the Golden Globes! I'm starting to feel like this race is going to be wide open almost all the way!

SAG Award Nomination Predictions

SAG Awards Nominations are being announced this morning, so I thought I would share my predictions. Honestly, this year feels more like a crapshoot of guessing than usual (because, let's face it, every year is a crapshoot of sorts, at least for me!). I definitely way overthought these predictions and still dont' really feel all that confident. So many of the categories seem to have their set 5 nominees, so I feel like we could definitely be in for a shakeup. I especially feel nervous about my exclusion of Sylvester Stallone for Creed, and my inclusion of Paul Dano for Love and Mercy. Will the Revenant make as good a showing as I think? Was I correct to exclude Joy and the Hateful Eight from Ensemble predictions? Well, see below my predictions and I'll come back later today and see how I actually did!

Best Film Ensemble

Spotlight   

Steve Jobs   

The Revenant   

The Martian   

Carol   

Best Film Actor

Michael Fassbender -Steve Jobs

Leonardo DiCaprio  -The Revenant

Eddie Redmayne -The Danish Girl

Matt Damon -The Martian

Johnny Depp  -Black Mass

Best Film Actress

Brie Larson- Room  

Cate Blanchett- Carol   

Jennifer Lawrence- Joy   

Saoirse Ronan- Brooklyn   

Charlotte Rampling- 45 Years   

Best Film Supporting Actor

Michael Keaton- Spotlight    

Mark Ruffalo- Spotlight   

Tom Hardy- The Revenant   

Mark Rylance- Bridge of Spies

Paul Dano- Love and Mercy   

Best Film Supporting Actress

Rooney Mara- Carol   

Alicia Vikander- The Danish Girl   

Kate Winslet- Steve Jobs   

Kristen Stewart- Clouds of Sils Maria   

Rachel McAdams- Spotlight