Mystery Behind Blunt’s Nomination

by

A Best Supporting Actress nomination for The Holdovers‘ Da’Vine Joy Randolph…naturally. And one for Barbie‘s America Ferrera…got it. (All about that rant.) And nominating Nyad‘s Jodie Foster is a good call. But I’m completely perplexed by Emily Blunt‘s nomination for her supporting performance in Oppenheimer. She played Oppie’s seething, pissed-off alchoholic wife…big deal. Congrats to The Color Purple‘s Danielle Brooks, who of course hasn’t a prayer.

They Blew Off Alexander Payne?

by

…partly in order to nominate Anatomy of a Fall ‘s Justine Triet? This really doesn’t feel right, man. C’mon! And when you boil down Jonathan Glazer’s direction of The Zone of Interest, it’s basically a one-trick thing — chillingly imply rather than show. A bit surprising that Barbie’s Greta Gerwig got the shaft but them’s the breaks.

Scott Feinberg, Clayton Davis Take Bows

by

…for standing by American Fiction through thick and thin. The enthusiasm for the respectable but not great Anatomy of a Fall has eluded me for months. I had resigned myself to a Past Lives nomination…fine. And Maestro got nominated along with Bradley Cooper!

Wait…Colman Domingo?

by

Another surprise nomination…no real enthusiasm for his Rustin performance…pretty much ignored by handicappers…doesn’t add up but fine. Congrats to all.

All-But-Guaranteed Oscar Nom Shortfall

by

Certain performances leap out and grab you, and you just know they’re keepers. Your follow-up thought, of course, is that everyone will recognize same and agree wholeheartedly.

This didn’t happen with Penelope Cruz’s hellcat performance as Laura Ferrari in Michael Mann’s Ferrari. It should have (the Movie Godz know this with absolute certainty…Cruz revives the spirit of Anna Magnani in The Rose Tattoo) but Ferrari was rejected by industry-centric Joe and Janes and that was that.

Cruz’s name won’t be announced this morning, and God, talk about pain in the heart.

Infuriating Photo

by

What do these characters have to smile about? I look at these bizarre expressions and I’m asking myself “why?…what for?…what the hell?”

DeNiro: “I’m here to even things out, so to speak…the Osage need to spread some of that oil money around, if you get my meaning, and I’m the one to make it happen.”

Leo: “I’m a dumb-as-a-fencepost greedy murderer, and ready to do whatever my scumbag uncle wants done…yeah!”

Gladstone: “Boy, he sure is one handsome devil…look at him! Except he’s kinda major-league stupid. Worse, I’m not smart enough to understand that he’s just as much of a ne’er-do-well as his conniving uncle.”

Respected Liberal Humanist

by

Director Norman Jewison lived a long, rich and productive life…97 years worth. But I have to be honest and say that that only three of his films really hit the spot for me — The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (’66), In the Heat of the Night (’67) and Moonstruck (’87).

It’s not easy to make even a mediocre film, and it’s quite the achievement to hit one out of the park. Jewison did this three times — stiff salute, full respect, good fellow.

Otherwise I could never even watch Fiddler on the Roof (’71). I was bored by The Cincinnati Kid (’65). I liked the split-screen gimmick and the sexually suggestive chess game in The Thomas Crown Affair (’68) but otherwise meh.

Jesus Christ Superstar (’73) was okay for a single viewing. I’ve never re-watched Rollerball (’75), F.I.S.T. (’78), …And Justice for All (’79), Best Friends (’82), A Soldier’s Story (’84), and Agnes of God (’85).

Jewison’s ’90s films (Other People’s Money, Only You, The Hurricane, The Statement) never did anything to me or for me. I’m sorry but they didn’t.

Emerging Cinematic Focus

by

Last weekend Sutton (26 months) made it through her first full-length movie in a movie theatre — Wonka. When Jett was two he watched Lawrence of Arabia (i.e., “camels”) at least two or three times; ditto E.T., The Extra–Terrestrial (i.e., “E.T. home”).