Judas and the Black Messiah

Judas and the Black Messiah (Shaka King, 2021)

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Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

Biopic, Civil Rights, Black Panthers, Fred Hampton, Race, 1960s

This is an important film about people and events that this country doesn't talk about, that I never learned about in school. Everyone needs to know who Fred Hampton was, who Bill O'Neal was, and what the FBI did. The film is edited so well--switching back and forth between the empowered Black Panthers, led by Fred Hampton, and the terrified and guilt-ridden informer, Bill O'Neal. It is disturbing and makes the viewer feel awful and angry. Masterful performances by Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield. I hope people watch this and learn. Very apt timing, unfortunately, as history seems to always repeat itself again and again.

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Nomadland

Nomadland (Chloe Zhao, 2020)

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Rating: Q=8, P=7 / Obsession

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=3

Grief/Coping, Pseudo-Documentary, Social Realism, Travel

This film is a poem. So beautiful. Chloe Zhao has made a masterpiece (only her third film!). I felt like I was watching something momentous in the history of filmmaking. Frances McDormand is incredible--her performance feels so candid, emotional, and meaningful. Watching Fern embrace a nomad lifestyle as she copes with so much loss is moving and important. Through Fern we see ourselves as individuals and as a broken species. As she says at the beginning of the film, she is not homeless, just houseless. Who is to say that the human society we've created--with mortgages, regular schedules, jobs with insurance and benefits, etc.--is the way we should be living?

This film definitely deserved the Best Picture and Best Actress awards. Probably my favorite Best Picture winner in quite a while. Magnificent.

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Minari

Minari (Lee Isaac Chung, 2020)

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Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

Complex Relationships, Family, Farming, 1980s

A breathtakingly beautiful film about how difficult it can be to make a meaningful life--one that supports your family and your own personal dreams. It is a story about new beginnings, fresh starts, and second chances. It is about being Korean in the rural Midwest of America in the 1980s. It is about the struggles of marriage--the compromise, differences, patience. Jacob and Monica try, each in their own way, to protect each other and their children. Though they both strive for a perfection that cannot exist, they do achieve something marvelous--ultimately this story is about just letting be.

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Oscar Dash 2021: The Results

And the winner is...Nomadland! Can't wait to see this film when I can.

For a full list of winners, click here.

The Trial of the Chicago 7--Post 500!

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Aaron Sorkin, 2020)

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Rating: Q=7, P=7 / Obsession

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=3

Vietnam War, Civil Rights, Protest, Courtroom Drama, 1960s

Such a powerful film about such an unfathomable trial in our nation's history. This is a story about doing what is right and about fighting against corruption. It is particularly apt that this film was released in 2020, a painful reminder of how so much work still must be done. Brilliant performances by Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Watching this made me angry and sad--I was literally shaking at some moments. Everyone should see this film and think long and hard about how this history can inform our present. 

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P.S. This is my 500th post--whew! Feels good to have watched and written about so many fantastic films over the years.

Oscar Dash 2021: The Nominations

It's that time of year again...well, actually it's much later than usual. Oscar Dash 2021. I have had most of these movies in my queue for a while now and plan to watch them all before the winners are announced April 25. Here are the nominees for best picture:

Judas and the Black Messiah

The Father

The Trial of the Chicago 7

Nomadland

Minari

Sound of Metal

Promising Young Woman

Mank