Anthony Hopkins‘ performance as an elderly fellow suffering from dementia is the most reasonable and non-alienating performance in this realm. The reason is that we aren’t invited to feel pity for the poor guy as much as understanding, because the movie lives in his head. That’s what’s so striking about Florian Zeller’s film, which has been streaming since 12.20.20 — it invites you in.

Anthony Hopkins to Jodie Foster on his award-calibre performance in The Father: “It was a great script, a great roadmap, and I’m old anyway. It doesn’t have to be hard work. It was easy. And I’d seen my own father going through it 40 years before, and that was in me.”

I’ve seen half of Kevin McDonald‘s The Mauritanian, in which Foster portrays a brilliant, quietly tenacious attorney trying to obtain freedom for the real-life Mohamedou Ould Salahi (Tahar Rahim), who’d been imprisoned in GITMO for quite some time without any charges filed and based solely on what U.S. officials had regarded as suspicious alliances. It’s obviously a good and respectable film, but I wanted to watch all of it before reviewing. (I watched it late one night in mid December and wound up crashing in a sitting position.) It’s based on Salahi’s “Guantanano Diary“.

Mara Siegler of “Page Six” is reporting that Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas — “Benana” — split up over whether to have a family together. “[Ben] would not commit to having more kids,” an insider told Siegler. And so to Ana, being 32 and in the prime of life-and-career, the 48-year-old Affleck’s position “was a deal-breaker.”

This seems like a perfectly reasonable reaction on Ana’s part — she wants a kid or two, Affleck doesn’t, no basis for moving forward, end of story. One presumes the couple might have shared their basic views about having children before de Armas moved into Affleck’s home last August, but apparently they didn’t. Or they did and Ben changed his mind…whatever.

In yesterday’s “Benana Goes South” piece, I didn’t address the issue of having kids. I only considered the fact that Ana had bailed on their relationship between four and five months after she moved into Ben’s Pacific Palisades home, which struck me as rather abrupt and hot-tempered. But the kid issue changes things. Again, I would have sussed this out out before moving in, but Ana ixnaying Affleck when he refused to consider a family is completely understandable.

Hollywood Elsewhere hereby withdraws the suggestion that Ana’s hot Cuban blood (” crazy Cubans”) might have been a factor, and I apologize also. Really. Any woman looking to have kids might have come to the same conclusion.

I do not apologize, however, for alluding to the generic term “crazy Cubans.” As I explained yesterday, I borrowed it from Jack Warden‘s Washington Post character in a scene from All The President’s Men: “It could be a story or it could just be crazy Cubans.” HE to commentariat: “Don’t say I got some ‘splainin’ to do — talk to Warden or the ATPM screenwriters or director Alan Pakula — they used it first.”

To which Bob Strauss replied, “They’re all dead — what’s your excuse?”

To which I replied, “As you well know, in a special limited movie-fanatic sense they’re not dead. Respect their decision to write, act or direct a scene that mentioned the term ‘crazy Cubans.’ It was real, Warden was a top Washington Post editor, and it was life on the planet earth by way of the living, breathing space ships known as 1975 and ‘76.

The 1.6 Bumblefuck insurrection was “provoked” by Trump, Mitch McConnell has stated, and was “fed lies” and so on. I think most of us understand this. Perhaps not Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Green and other House lunatics, but most legislators of sound mind.

Hollywood Elsewhere respectfully regards Mike Kaplan‘s “2001: A Garden of Personal Mirrors,” a long-buried song composed for Stanley Kubrick‘s 2001: A Space Odyssey, as the aural equivalent of dandelion fuzz.

Talk about a composition that not only doesn’t complement the 1968 classic but strenuously argues with everything it is, was and ever could be…it’s just stunning that Kaplan could have hoped that Kubrick might find it to his liking. I just gave it a listen and I couldn’t even make it to the end.

Excerpt from Vanessa Thorpe‘s “Space Oddity: Song Rejected by Kubrick for 2001 released after 52 Years“, posted yesterday (1.17) in the Guardian.

“’I know it doesn’t sound like anything else, and I am not sure how I managed to work it out,’ said Kaplan, 77. ‘I could never do it again. But it is great to hear it being played.’

“The publicist was challenged to write the song, ‘2001: A Garden of Personal Mirrors’, during a meeting with Kubrick and MGM records after they had all listened to the demo tape of another song that had been intended to help promote the film. Declining to use the downbeat tune, Kubrick turned to Kaplan, who he knew wrote music and who he felt understood his film: ‘I hear you write music. Why don’t you write something?’ he said, according to Kaplan.”

Country music legend Garth Brooks, 57, will sing a song at Joe Biden‘s 1.20 inauguration, as part of the swearing-in ceremony. “This is not a political statement, [but a] statement of unity,” Brooks said in a press conference. “This is kind of how I get to serve this country. I’ve played for every president there since Carter, with the exception of Reagan. This is an honor for me to get to serve…no matter who the president-elect is, it’s an honor to be asked.”

Garth Brooks supports Bernie Sanders?? IM DONE WITH HIM pic.twitter.com/E5szlKBCGV

— Brent Terhune (@BrentTerhune) February 28, 2020

Shameless, clueless…words fail. In the wake of the 1.6 insurrection and the mass bumblefuck armed-militia insanity that her husband ignited and fanned the flames of over the last four or five years, not to mention the racial animus, this morning Melania Trump actually had the nerve to urge Americans “to focus on what unites us, to rise above what divides us…to always choose love over hatred, peace over violence and others before yourself. Together, as one national family, we can continue to the light of hope for future generations.”

Whoa, wait, hold on…maybe it’s me, maybe I’m a little fucked up or something but did she just say “as one national family“?

If Melania had any class or character or backbone at all she would have given a different speech. She would have somehow managed to say, in at least a roundabout manner if not in so many words, “I’m truly sorry…I married this monster for the money, but I never thought he would cause so much damage to this country…I’m very sorry…please forgive me.”

Yes, she also said “violence is never the answer and will never be justified” but she isn’t in a position to preach that. She’s arm in arm with The Beast, and has no moral authority whatsoever.

A Farewell Message from First Lady Melania Trump pic.twitter.com/WfG1zg2mt4

— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) January 18, 2021

Hollywood Elsewhere respectfully disagrees with the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle for having given their Best Film of 2020 prize to George C. Wolfe‘s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. A sturdy adaptation of August Wilson‘s play, lively performances, social realism, authentic 1920s milieu, etc. But it doesn’t transcend its theatrical origin.

I would have gone with Nomadland, The Trial of the Chicago 7 or Sound of Metal. Philly crickets also chose Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods as their Best Picture runner-up.

Last year the PFCC handed its Best Picture trophy to Knives Out, so they’re obviously into wearing eccentricity on their sleeve. They went for Roma in 2018 (fine) and the absurdly over-praised Get Out in 2017.

I approve of Nomadland‘s Chloe Zhao winning for Best Director, and definitely Mank‘s Amanda Seyfried winning for Best Supporting Actress. Here are some of the other winners:

Best Actress: Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Runners-up: Aubrey Plaza, Black Bear, Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman (tie.)

Best Actor: Delroy Lindo, Da 5 Bloods. Runner-up: Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

Best Supporting Actor: Chadwick Boseman, Da 5 Bloods. Runner-up: Leslie Odom, Jr., One Night in Miami.

Best Animated Film: Soul, directed by Pete Doctor and Kemp Powers. Runner-up: Wolfwalkers, directed by Tom Moore and Ross Stewart.

Best Documentary: Time, directed by Garrett Bradley. Runner-up: Dick Johnson is Dead, directed by Kirsten Johnson.

Best Cinematography: Nomadland (Joshua James Richards) Runner-up: First Cow (Chris Blauvelt).

Best Breakthrough Performance: Sidney Flanigan, Never Rarely Sometimes Always. Runner-up: Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.

Industry Friendo: What do you think about Promising Young Woman, Carey Mulligan and her chances? To me her Promising turn is easily the performance of the year. Much more interesting than the others, including Frances McDormand‘s in Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman‘s Vanessa Kirby and Ma Rainey‘s Viola Davis.

HE: Mulligan is one of our greatest actresses, of course. But as I said on 12.24.20, she was much better in Sarah Gavron‘s Suffragette than she is in Emerald Fennell‘s revenge film. (Revenge as in “a dish best served cold.”) Promising Young Woman is a stiletto between the ribs of all the insensitive slobbering assholes out there. It isn’t saying that most of the young horndog clubbers out there are animals — it says ALL of them are. Except for the older guys (Alfred Molina) who can’t shake their middle-aged guilt. But the young ones are impossible. That’s what it’s saying, and it’s a very ballsy film because it doesn’t back off from that viewpoint. I respect that.

Industry Friendo: Are you betting on Frances then?

HE: No, I think the general tide is drifting in Mulligan’s favor now. I’ve been thinking all along it’s going to be McDormand but nobody votes just for expert acting chops or believability…they also vote for the character and who he/she seems to convey or represent in a cultural political sense. There’s obviously something resigned and opaque and oddly obstinate about FM’s Nomadland character, and I don’t think people are in the mood for that.

Mulligan is much more of a stand-out character — a character and an attitude that cuts like a blade. She’s not delivering my idea of a world-class, heart-and-soul performance, but Promising Young Woman has begun to connect like Joker did a year ago, I think. So politically, she’s got the wind at her back. So yeah, she might win.

I can’t for the life of me understand why anyone thinks Ma Rainey‘s Viola Davis performance, which is basically about bluster and sardonicism, is a top contender. It’s between Carey, Pieces of a Woman‘s Vanessa Kirby and Frances. People need to disassociate Kirby from the Shia Labeouf thing — her performance is her performance, and that’s all.

McDormand’s lead with critics awards has been shrinking as Mulligan gains momentum.

At first McDormand had 7 wins to Mulligan’s one. A week ago it was 9-4. Now it’s 11-7.

Could Mulligan ride this wave to an Oscar win? pic.twitter.com/xNJgmmWuPJ

— The Oscar Expert (@expert_oscar) January 18, 2021

Friendo: I just finished Glenn Kenny’s “Made Men“. Despite some issues here and there, it was solid.

HE: I agree. It delivers everything you could possibly want to know about the making of Martin Scorsese‘s 1990 classic. Fully researched, well ordered, cleanly written.

Friendo: This led to me to Melissa Maerz‘s “Alright Alright Alright,” the new oral history of the making of Dazed and Confused. Great book. Everyone interviewed is well used. The dead producer sounds like a Harvey in the making.

HE: What dead producer? Thoughts and prayers.

Friendo: This led me to others. Sam Wasson’s recent book about Chinatown. Books about The Wizard of Oz and Casablanca. Julie Salamon‘s “The Devil’s Candy,” about the making of The Bonfire of the Vanities. I recall reading one about Rebel Without A Cause. The Eleanor Coppola Apocalypse Now diaries. What other great books about the making of a single film are there?

HE: I’d love to read about the making of David Fincher‘s Se7en. And about the whole saga about the developing, making and releasing of Zero Dark Thirty, including the idiotic liberal takedown of that film over alleged endorsing of CIA torture policies during Oscar season. But let’s ask the HE commentariat…