The Oscar nominations were announced on January 24, and given how 2022 was a pretty stacked year for movies, it isn’t any surprise that the nominees have many worthy participants. Last year, I started doing an Oscars catchup, where I watched the movies that I missed in theaters that received nominations in the top six categories: Picture, Director, Actress, Actor, Supporting Actress, and Supporting Actor. I had quite a few to watch from 2022, so over the last month, I tried to see as many leftovers as I could before the 95th Academy Awards, which are set to take place on Sunday, March 5. That being said, here are some mini reviews for what I had a chance to watch.
 |
| Charlbi Dean and Harris Dickerson in "Triangle of Sadness" Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com |
1) “Triangle of Sadness” - (Best Picture, Best Director: Ruben Östlund) Swedish director Ruben Östlund has become known over the years for his darkly comic satirical films, such as “Force Majeure” and “The Square.” He now returns with his latest skewering in “Triangle of Sadness,” which tells the story of a modeling couple (Harris Dickinson and Charlbi Dean) who mingle with wealthy couples on a yacht. Dickinson and Dean offer entertaining performances as a boyfriend and girlfriend who try to maintain their relationship despite many rocky areas, which is highlighted in the first third of the film, having them go through a couple of lengthy, entertaining arguments that show the instability of their relationship. However, the satire becomes overbearing in the middle chapter when the story moves onto the yacht, going for very obvious targets and not saying anything groundbreaking in its social commentary. But, the movie picks back up in the final third, when the characters become stranded on an island and must follow the new leadership of a cleaning lady, Abigail (Dolly de Leon, in an impressive breakout performance), that shows an intriguing role reversal of who has the authority. It’s a terrific performance that makes her character known in this section of the movie, after being absent for the first two thirds, with de Leon taking full command of the film’s best segment. The pressure that builds amongst the characters when they’re on the island makes you wish that this portion played out for more of the runtime. Despite the lack of subtlety for a good part of the movie, Östlund provides enough humor and tension of the first and third chapters that keep the movie afloat. “Triangle of Sadness” might not be as pointed as it seems to think, but when it works, it works.
Grade: B
 |
| Andrea Riseborough in "To Leslie" Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com |
2) “To Leslie” - (Best Actress: Andrea Riseborough) For decades, we’ve had tons of movies that focus on a character being down on their luck and striving for redemption, so it’s gotten to the point where such a film really has to have a dynamite central performance to carry us through what we’ve seen before. Such is the case with director Michael Morris’ filmmaking debut. The story takes place on West Texas and follows the titular character (Riseborough) who tries to climb out of a life of squalor and alcoholism after spending all of her lottery money. With the help of a kind motel manager (Marc Maron), Leslie takes on a job as a maid to stabilize her life. Given how often we’ve seen this type of story, Riseborough’s performance is the main reason to see this movie. She provides a depth to her work as she exhibits a woman who has lost everything after getting lost in her vices. There’s a hopelessness to her that hooks you into her strife in the first half of the film, only to then present a beautiful comeback as she begins to take her life seriously and repair the damage. Maron gives an endearing supporting performance, providing a sense of possibility for Leslie as he helps her find her footing as she attempts to improve herself. The screenplay by Ryan Binaco brings us through the typical redemption arc, and you know where a lot of it is going, but he includes a couple of subtitles to add a little bit of layering amongst the familiar. As a director, Morris knows how to set the mood and have us feel the isolation of his lead character, only to then show some promise to what her life can be, making this a cinematic toast to Leslie.
Grade: B+
 |
| Angela Bassett in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com |
3) “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” - (Best Supporting Actress: Angela Bassett) Director Ryan Coogler had a massive undertaking for his superhero sequel, having to change course for the production after the passing of his lead performer, Chadwick Boseman, in August 2020. Despite this huge hurdle, Coogler gives us a movie that, although flawed, provides an emotional and entertaining followup to his worldwide smash. The story takes place after the death of King T’Challa, with the nation of Wakanda having to defend their home against the underwater kingdom of Talokan. Leticia Wright, who portrays Shuri, T’Challa’s sister, moves up from being mostly comic relief in the first movie to giving a moving performance that provides a layered look at loss, grief, and family. She’s supported by a strong, poignant performance from Bassett as Wakanda’s Queen Ramonda, mother of Shuri and and the late T’Challa. Given the movie’s length, the screenplay by Coogler and Joe Robert Cole introduces a lot of new characters and comic-book lore, making it seem like it’s trying to do too much, which throws off the pacing from time to time. There are long stretches between certain storylines, with a couple of them feeling out of place because of them intending to connect with present and future Marvel Studios TV series, such as the plot threads involving Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne). When the movie has direct focus on the tension between Wakanda and Talokan, it’s much more compelling. As Coogler did with the first film, he does what he can to go above the typical Marvel Cinematic Universe visuals and offers something more in tune with his filmmaking talents. This movie may have its flaws, but given what Coogler and his team were facing, you have to commend what they were able to pull off.
Grade: B
 |
| Judith Ivey and Claire Foy in "Women Talking" Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com |
4) “Women Talking” - (Best Picture) Based on Miriam Toews’ 2018 novel of the same name, writer-director Sarah Polley returns behind the camera 10 years after her last film, telling the story of a group of women in a Mennonite colony who must decide whether or not to leave the only home they’ve ever known once they find out that several of the men have been assaulting the women in their sleep. The cast offers superb work as they portray a group of women who must work through their conflicting opinions on the actions that they should take, with Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, and Jessie Buckley being at the forefront, giving impassioned performances as they disclose what they’ve been through and how they wish to move forward. Ben Whishaw also gives a terrific performance as a teacher in the community who has suffered significant losses, and whom the women choose to take the minutes of the meeting, being unable to read and write themselves. Polley’s screenplay captures the meeting with much of the detail that’s present in the source material, showing the carefulness that the women must use in making their decision, but also the urgency with which they must make a commitment. In addition, you’re given plenty of insight into the characters themselves, their relationships with each other, and the way in which their faith and community have shaped their views on the choice that they must make. As a director, Polley’s able to navigate the difficult subject matter to bring us a film that shows the troubled pasts of the characters, but also the resilience that they build up to finally gain their freedom. “Women Talking” may be hard to watch at times, but it’s an example of how, even in an oppressive situation, hope can prevail.
Grade: A
No comments:
Post a Comment