And the Oscar for strongest opinion goes too...
The nominations are out and the reactions are 🌶️
In This Week’s Edition: an opinion on opinions | Martin Freeman and Jenny Ortega making things a wee bit complicated for themselves
Movie Quote of the Week 🎬 💬
“What about second breakfast?”
hint: this movie’s extended run time bumps it up to 3 hours and 28 minutes
THINK THOUGHTS 💭
Yeah sure there’s stuff coming out this weekend, but honestly, that’s not the most interesting thing happening in the world of movies at the moment. Well, maybe I shouldn’t say most interesting, maybe I should say “loudest.”
That’s on account of the conversational bedlam created by Tuesday’s announcement of the Oscar nominations. Which, even for all the hoopla, is generally still somewhat of an insider-y thing, until the actual awards show where (some) of the broader public actually starts to pay attention.
But not this year! No siree Billy Bob Thornton.
Because while every awards cycle has its share of people bummed their favorite movie / actor / director / writer wasn’t nominated, this year saw what feels like a larger than normal set of people promptly diving in to tell the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences to literally and proverbially fuuuuuuuck ooooofffffffff.
Why the profanity?
“Hi Barbie!” indeed.
See, while Barbie the movie was nominated for a total of eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Barbie herself, aka Margot Robbie, was not. And neither was her director, Greta Gerwig (though she, along with husband and co-writer Noah Baumbach, was for Best Adapted Screenplay - the “adapted” part creating some consternation). But you know who did get a Best Actor nomination?
Yup, that former simp.
It’s created quite the kerfuffle. But I’m not here to argue any particular side in the matter, in fact, I’m here to say everyone who thinks Barbie got “snubbed,” is right. And I’m also here to say the people who think the people who think Barbie got snubbed are wrong, are also right.
🤔
Wait. That doesn’t make any sense… how can polar opposite views both be right. Doesn’t someone have to be wrong?
Nope.
Because this isn’t a matter of facts, it’s a matter of feelings. The whole damn affair is. Voting on what you think the “best” X of any given year is obviously a game of opinions.
Right, we know that, so why not wade in? Strike through all the clutter with a fiery hot-take sword 🗡️🔥, burning all others to ashes and gain tons of new readers and become the bastion of movie rightness in the process! While that certainly sounds epic, I just don’t think it’d be all that helpful. In fact, I think it’s actually a (very minor) net-negative on the whole affair. Because I don’t think we need more argument.
I actually believe we should *gulp* talk about our feelings.
Because I think it’s far more interesting to get at the “why” of people being so upset. Especially when I’d bet so many of the folks chiming in normally don’t have a very strong viewpoint when it comes to the technicalities of acting and directing that determine a nomination.
While not trying to speak for every person that’s dismayed about the lack of Barbie’s noms, the conversation I’ve seen expresses frustration with the fact the two women most responsible for the highest grossing movie of the year - one which decries the effects of patriarchy - didn’t even get formally recognized for their work, while a man did (who noted how bummed he was his co-workers didn’t get also nominated). And ultimately it’s a reflection of the world, one where women don’t get the same credit as men. Thus, in their estimation, this Barbie situation is yet another symptom of a wider problem. Specifics of the process be damned.
Now, there are plenty of people who pointed out that American Ferrera was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar and that the movie itself got that Best Picture nod (and was, as noted, the highest grossing movie of the year so that’s some recognition), and in the case of Best Actress, they pose the question of who would you remove? In short, they’re saying yes Robbie and Gerwig did excellent work, but so did lots of other people so how can you not recognize their work too.
And then there’s even other people who are actually happy that Barbie wasn’t nominated for more things because they felt the movie did a shit job at exploring the complexities of feminism and diversity and so many other things.
So many correct feelings!
While it’s impossible to come to any grand consensus about whether these were the “right” nominations, there is one thing that is indisputable. Barbie created conversation. Tons of it. People can be over it and never wanna hear about it again because there was so damn much of it. But it’s a piece of cinema that prompted people to either have an opinion, or at the very least, have an opinion about an opinion.
Which, in my opinion, is pretty cool.
And while I won’t say whether I think anyone got “snubbed" because that is a silly word and even sillier notion in this context, I will point you to last week’s edition for my thoughts on Margot Robbie’s performance as (Stereotypical) Barbie.
It’s ok, you don’t have to know who I am, but I’ll still say job (very) well done.
NEWSY MEDIA BITS 👾
Oscar Nominations 2024: ‘Oppenheimer’ Dominates With 13 Nods, ‘Poor Things’ Follows With 11 (Full Article): if you’re keen on checking out the full list - Variety
Netflix to Stream W.W.E.’s ‘Raw’ in $5 Billion Deal (Full Article): this is a big deal, monetarily of course (five billy for ten years), but also because it could indicate a shift in Netflix’s stated position it doesn’t want live sports. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos said it definitely does not, as W.W.E. is “sports entertainment” vs “sports.” Even though ‘Raw’ is a live show where people actively engage in the sport of wrestling (but I get the point, it’s still scripted. Sorry to crush the drama 🫥). The Flix has made / acquired sports content before, but up to this point it’s been a bunch of docuseries, e.g. on F1, the PGA tour and more. But this deal gets at a massive audience which could show the streamer a way towards vying for some of the major sports’ live content (NFL, NBA, MLB etc.) - where maybe as a part of the deal they allow people to watch even if they don’t have a paid account… i.e. cable? - The New York Times
‘Sex And The City’ To Stream On Netflix Under Warner Bros. Discovery Deal (Full Article): is Warner Bros. Discovery continuing to feed the monster that will eventually consume it and other companies for the quick hit of cash or is this a smart play because their audiences will still watch the shows on Max and this is on top of, instead in sacrifice of. Uh, dunno. Ask me in 10 years. - Deadline
EXTRA CREDIT MOVIE(S) 📝
Sometimes I Think About Dying - not actually about someone wanting to die (even if they do picture themselves doing so in various ways), but about them wanting to live. Specifically a woman played by Star Wars’ Daisey Ridley (Rey) living a seemingly mundane life in overcast Oregon. Ridley is finally in a non-Star Wars movie that has some legitimately good reviews, which is probably even more satisfying since she produced the film. Critics note the quiet dark humor is mostly on point and that the film does a good job at showing how connection can help a depressed person, or at least in a depressive state, get through the darkness. Playing in Limited Theaters Friday
NOTABLE NEW RELEASES 🎟 & 📺
Your first thought upon viewing the above photo might’ve been, “uh, why are those two people of very disparate ages sitting so dang close to each other. They have to be father and daughter, right? *awkward silence*…..right?”
They are in fact not father and daughter, but a teacher (Martin “Bilbo Bagginssss” Freeman) and student (Jenny “Wednesday” Ortega). A scholastic duo that, after connecting over their love of the literary (including infamously naughty writer Henry Miller1), become embroiled in a relationship replete with particulars that sound like good fodder to help make a complicated psychological thriller. Which is well and good, but do they actually help make a, ya know, good movie.
Weeeellll, fairly limited reviews at time of publish, but it’s looking like it might be tough for this one to get a passing grade. However, there are a few notable exceptions which say the efforts of first time writer / director Jade Halley Bartlett result in a more layered experience than some of the other critics are giving it credit for.
I mean, watch the trailer for yourself and you’ll get a very quick sense of things with lots of sullen yet very pretty shots of a southern-gothic twinged environment where Ortega is making Freeman question his ability to stay the authority figure in this dynamic. It’s very 90’s psycho-sexual drama, but be prepared for less sex and more thought - though there may be thoughts of sex, which is… still sex? tbd. Because even though this script first became known in 2016, which was before the big push of Me Too, it still looks to pose questions about the complexity of relationships and power dynamics rather than merely titillate.
Out: Friday
Where: Theaters
Details: 1 hr 33 mins | R | 🍅: TBD
TRAILERS! ⏯ “Overnight success…”
Hit Man - Overnight success… is what you could say Glen Powell is, ya know, if you added two decades, a billion dollar movie2, a rare rom-com hit that actually grew week to week at the box office3 and then this, a solo starring role in a movie he co-wrote with friend and director Richard Linklater4.
giving the title a little double meaning as Freeman’s character is named Jonathon Miller
Top Gun: Maverick
Anyone But You, which was an initial “bomb” at the box office, but has now made over $100 million globally at the box office and $65 million domestically (after initially opening to just $6 million)
they worked together on Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some!!
What about Greta LEE?