Oscar Nominations: The Good, The Bad, and The Snubbed

The Good: 

-Uhhh...I'm struggling here. While I haven't seen a majority of the nominated films, I have seen some pretty wonderful films and performances that were left out. In general, though, there are some strong people in many of the categories - Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actress categories are just FILLED to the brim with talent (p.s - the words "first time Oscar nominee for Directing, Spike Lee" absolutely boggles my mind. How is that even possible?).

-First Man for the technical awards (Visual Effects and the sound categories)

-Roma for Cinematography

The Bad: 

-The entire Best Picture category. I probably shouldn't even be writing this post since I've only seen 2 of the nominated films - Black Panther and Roma. While both of those movies are good, I've definitely seen 8 films from 2018 that are better.

-Incredibles 2 is one of the worst animated films I've ever seen

-I have not seen Bohemian Rhapsody or Green Book, but I've read some of the criticism of both. I've also heard from many people that they loved both movies. So....*shrugs shoulders*


The Snubbed: 

-OH SO MANY. The most egregious one is First Man for Best Picture, Cinematography, and Supporting Actress for Claire Foy (who should have been in the running for Best Actress for Unsane as well)

-There were so many insanely great female performances last year - Charlize Theron for Tully, Emily Blunt for A Quiet Place, Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy in Thoroughbreds, Maggie Gyllenhaal for The Kindergarten Teacher, Rachel McAdams in Game Night, Toni Collette for Hereditary, the list goes on, and you will never convince me that Melissa McCarthy gave a better performance than any of them (I have not seen Can You Ever Forgive Me, but there is just no way.).

-I didn't think he would win, but I really wanted to see my Bradley Cooper get a Directing nomination. Ditto for John Krasinski.

-The more I think about Tully, the more I love it - surely it deserves some screenwriting love?

4 Thoughts on the Golden Globes

1. The Hosts - I've become more and more a fan of Andy Samberg ever since I started watching the hilarious Brooklyn Nine-Nine (although he isn't the funniest one on that show - clearly that's Andre Braugher). I don't really think he's the best option for hosting an awards show because he just isn't funny enough and he doesn't have the stage presence. And as much as I LOVE Sandra Oh, I don't really think she's the best option either. Oh seemed extremely nervous, but she's just such a lovely person so I have nothing negative to say about her. What she has accomplished in her career is such a stunning achievement. Their hosting gig was....fine. There was nothing really memorable about it. It was cute. Which I guess in this current culture is the best we can ask for.

2. The Show - Overall, the show was super boring and it felt really, really long. There seemed to be no particular order to which the awards were announced either, which really bothered me. They went from male television performances and then they gave out best television drama without announcing television drama actress first. Then they went on to movies before finishing the tv awards. It made no sense! The presenters were mostly dull - who would have thought the funniest ones would be Allison Janney and Sam Rockwell (and why didn't they mention that they were both in one of the best coming-of-age movies of the past decade when they were listing their commonalities?). I think the only time I laughed during the whole show was Harrison Ford saying "nobody told me I have to follow Jeff Bridges" (which may be the first time in all of history that I've laughed at something Harrison Ford said!). I love that they added the Carol Burnett award for television. Burnett is such a legend. I saw her live show a few years ago, and it is such a memorable experience.

3. The Winners - Ok, first, the nominations themselves are a joke. Jodie Comer not being nominated is an actual crime. The Globes are known for spotlighting "new" shows as a way to be edgy (I guess), and sometimes that's a good thing (they basically put The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on the map). However, what in the actual fuck is Bodyguard? I've never heard of it, and there is no way that this extremely handsome man is better than Matthew Rhys' performance in The Americans. My blood was absolutely boiling and then this very handsome man began talking and I forgot what I was mad about (I'm such a sucker for accents). I actually have The Kominsky Method on my list of shows to watch (I heard it was good, and I love Alan Arkin), so I'm not that upset over it winning the big awards (I mean, the actual best comedy on television is never going to win it anyway). I was obviously happy that The Americans won because it is one of the best shows of that past decade, but if we were to judge it just based on its final season it would come up short against Killing Eve. I just finished watching Escape at Dannemora yesterday morning, and while some episodes were way better than others, Patricia Arquette absolutely deserves that award. But I'm glad that The Assassination of Gianni Versace won the big one - that's a show that I still think about regularly. The way the story was constructed is just so fascinating, and Criss gives the performance of a lifetime (and he's still so young so I would be surprised and in awe if he ever tops it). As far as the film awards go, I am still far behind on my movie watching, but I have read the criticism of both Bohemian Rhapsody and Green Book, and if it's true (I obviously won't know until I watch both), they definitely don't deserve any type of recognition. I do think it's a bit of bullshit that nobody addressed Bryan Singer - like maybe take this time to acknowledge male entitlement and victims of abuse? I was surprised that Glenn Close won (I squealed when she gave a little nod to Michael Douglas. Best moment of the night?!) because I thought for sure they would give it Lady Gaga. Ditto for Cooper in the Directing category. I didn't thing either would translate to an Oscar win, but now an Oscar win is even more distant. Also, are A Star is Born and Bohemian Rhapsody not considered Musicals? What would constitute a Musical then? I feel like if the story is based around music and has several musical numbers, then it should go in that category?

4. The Fashion - How gorgeous did Saoirse Ronan look, you guys?!! Just absolutely stunning. Hands down best dress of the evening. I also loved Keri Russel's sparkly number. And that bright yellow dress on Rachel Brosnahan is beautiful - I feel like women of our coloring (pale with dark brown hair) are told not to wear yellow, but I always think it looks so striking. Darren Criss' blazer was so beautiful. I love that he is a straight man who likes to have fun with his outfits. It wasn't too over the top, but still just different enough to stand out. I have to admit that the worst dress was worn by one of my favorite people, Amber Heard. She looked like she was going to an 80s prom costume party - the dress combined with all that layered gold jewelry was just so tacky. And OH GOD another favorite of mine, Kate Mara, I don't know what she was thinking.

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Bird Box - I think if this was given a "normal" release, it would not have been successful at all. But a horror/thriller with Sandra Bullock and John Malkovich, released in your home during the Holidays, available to watch at your own convenience? Consider it the buzziest movie of the year. Also, it was incorrectly given comparisons to A Quiet Place, which helped it tremendously. As you may know, I'm a HUGE Sandi B. fan. Like, ginormous. I will stick up for anything she does, so it's weird that I don't have to stick up for this, because critics were so surprisingly kind to it. There's nothing really wrong with the movie, per-say. But it's very mediocre. I can see an argument for originality, but then someone said that it's basically the same plot as The Happening, and that just threw everything out the window. There are two aspects that are great (other than Sandi, obvi) - one is the supporting cast - Sarah Paulson, BD Wong, Jacki Weaver, etc. all fantastic. Second, I think it is interest to show this woman as not very motherly - she takes care of the children out of survival and necessity, but she is never emotional with them because it's not in her nature. It's a refreshing take on a female character that is not often seen. It's a shame that they had to give the movie this absolutely bullshit ending, because it ruins everything.

2. Peppermint - What a waste. We finally get Jennifer Garner back to kicking bad guy ass, and this is the best we could do?? First, it's incredibly racist. Second, the plot is really dumb (when did she steal the money? After she escaped from being admitted into a mental facility, she went to work and stole money? Also, 50 grand would not get you very far) and predictable (of course he's the bad guy!). Third, it could have been interesting - like if they actually showed how she survived and trained for her revenge plan for 5 years, but instead they cut that whole part out and it's just suddenly she's a badass. It's touted as the female Taken (from the same director), but in Taken we are already under the impression that Neeson's character is someone you don't want to fuck with. This woman is just a normal middle-class mom. How did she get all these skills and training? That's the part that I want to see. Otherwise it just feels like a really bad action movie from the 90s. But, the highlight is obviously Garner. I hope she continues to do roles like this because she is one of the rare actresses that can believably be "girl next door" adorable in one scene and vengeful killer in the next. I will continue to watch everything she does (and hope for an Alias reunion....one day...).

3. Roma - This is another win for the new Netflix model of releasing films. It would have taken me months to see this - I never get to the theater anymore, and it's even more rare for me to see independent films (which makes me sad, but it is what it is). I didn't love this film as much as many did, but I can understand why it is so well loved. I just didn't connect with the story, but I always have love for stories that intertwine the history of a particular place with a personal story (it's like a Mexican version of Midnight's Children). There is so much happening in the background of the story, that I have no knowledge of (my knowledge of Mexican history is completely lacking even though I lived in Southern Cali and went to Mexico many times as a kid), but I never really felt like the story was being propelled forward in any way - it was just very "slice of life" story-telling. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it just didn't "wow" me. Although, there are also some stunning shots - I mean, that first shot with the reflection in the water, is just sublime. I could watch that for hours on end.

4. Downsizing - Was this on everyone's Worst of 2017 list? Because it definitely should have been. I'm not sure why Matt Damon keeps picking the "white savior" roles, but someone needs to stop him. The concept for this movie is absolutely brilliant - it's so original, ambitious, fun, and thought-provoking, but what the movie turns it into is surprisingly dull garbage. If the intent is to "teach" the audience a lesson (I'm not sure it needed one other than being grateful for what you have), then it should have been a tale about human loneliness, choosing wealth over living a full life, or even the dangerous impact of over-population and climate control. Instead it was a story about "saving" the poor people. Damon's character is surprised that they exist in the "small" world for some reason. Which is just plain dumb (how did he think he would live with all this wealth - who did he think would be doing all the grunt work? It's like the time someone told me that he wished it was illegal for people to work on Sundays because he wants to be able to go to Brunch. When I asked who would serve him Brunch if working was illegal, he looked at me dumbfounded.). Other than being just plain stupid, the story got really boring - like, painfully boring. And overall, just an embarrassment for all involved.

5.  The Kindergarten Teacher - Another stunning performance from Maggie Gyllenhaal. This is a film that is right up my alley - it's so interesting to watch when you don't quite know where the story is going or how dark it will get. It never quite crosses the line, but it's clear that it could, and it would be just as believable. It does still get pretty fucked up - this woman becomes obsessed with her student (a kindergartner) because she believes that he's a prodigy of poetry. She lets this obsession consume her - and her actions become less and less ethical. It's a tough watch because she's never malicious - I think she truly wants to do what is best but she just doesn't see that it's not her business or responsibility to make these decisions for a child that isn't her own. When I was in my early 20s I worked as a teacher's aide at a pre-school for children with disabilities. It was incredibly emotional work. First, the obvious, these kids had many varying challenges. Second, most of them were not getting what they needed from their home life (not always on purpose - mostly because parents have to work and therefore don't have the time to invest in their children's lives). Third, we only had our minimum amount of time with them and then we were forced to "let go", which practically forces one to have a "this isn't my problem" attitude. I, like all teachers and aids whether they admit it or not, had a "favorite". His name was Jacob and he referred to me as "Ishelle". I saw his potential, that he just needed to feel important, and that he could overcome his learning disabilities with some extra attention that he would likely not get (he was also part of "the system" of Foster Care). It absolutely broke my heart that I had to say good-bye to him when the school year was over. Anyway, teachers are amazing humans (I realized quickly that I was not strong enough for such work). Obviously the one in this story goes too far, but I can still understand her intent.

25 Books I've Read in 2018

So I gave myself a New Year's resolution of reading more books this past year - a goal of 25. This still seemed low, but after realizing I only read 4 books in 2017, I wanted to make sure that I had an achievable goal. I think it was a good way to remind myself how much I love to read - and now it's become second-nature to pick up a book and read a little before bed or during downtime. These are the 25 books that I read this past year - and a little sentence or two on what I thought of each (in no particular order). 

1. Never Let me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro - Far more interesting than the movie. I honestly don't really remember the movie, I just remember that it was an incredibly interesting plot but very, very boring. The book is not boring at all - it explores the psychology of the characters a bit more. I really liked the style of the writing - the characters were very layered and believable, but there is something also a little disturbing and tense about the tone. I've added Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day to my 2019 reading list.

2. Wonder When You'll Miss Me, Amanda Davis - This has been on my bookshelf for a decade. I loved it, although I wish that I read it as a teenager or young adult. It's about exploring your identity, and not letting a tragedy define you - definitely topics that could have helped me as a teenager.

3. The Nix, Nathan Hill - I've seen this on many lists of "great" books of the last decade, and I wouldn't go that far, but I did enjoy it very much. There's a lot to love; the characters are well-written, the plot is very intricate and detailed, and it deals with a lot of present day issues (obsessive gaming, the "me too" movement, political strife).

4. Unqualified, Anna Faris - Not great. Faris admittedly is not a writer. I was hoping that her loveliness and natural humor would show through, but it falls very flat. Her advice is often disturbing, and I think she still needs to work through some of her own shit before advising others (which again, she admits and is why her book is titled "unqualified").

5. The Immortalists, Chloe Benjamin - Really wonderful book about family, destiny, and living life to your fullest. It turns in so many unexpected ways, and fully embraces its characters - flaws and all. I wasn't a huge fan of how it ended, but I'm not sure it would have made sense any other way.

6. Under the Skin, Michel Faber - I loved this movie, and I was a little bit nervous about reading the book because I thought for some reason that it would ruin the movie for me. But it's soooo different from the movie in the most wonderful of ways. It's darker, and funnier, and somehow weirder. I highly recommend it for anyone who is into feminist sci-fi (which is 95% of sci-fi, in case you're confused).

7. The Girl in Alfred Hitchcock's Shower, Robert Graysmith - I don't really read a lot of True Crime, but with the added tidbits about Hitchcock and the making of Psycho, this was really interesting. It was a little slow-moving for my taste, and I thought there was going to be more of a "connection", so I was left feeling disappointed.

8. What Alice Forgot, Liane Moriarty - I could picture this as a Lifetime movie (I'm sure it's already in the process of being made). I enjoyed it but it's a little bit elitist - privileged woman falls and suddenly can't remember who she is, and guess what? She discovers that she's an elitist, privileged bitch. This is her journey into remembering how she got that way and how she can change her life (or if she even wants to change her life).

9. My Life on the Road, Gloria Steinem - I've read a lot about Gloria Steinem, but not much of her own writing. I enjoyed reading about Steinem's lectures, the people that she met that influenced her, the reflections on her similarities to her father, etc. She's a legend.

10. The Illustrated Man, Ray Bradbury - Obviously wonderful. This was a first read for me (I've read most of Bradbury's work before, but it was 20 years ago). It's so interesting to see how much Bradbury has influenced the wave of current story-tellers. I felt like every short story has been adapted for screen in some way (even in the most subtle ways). It's like when you watch a Dramatic film and it all hearkens back to Shakespeare (or Greek mythology).

11. Leviathan Wakes, James S. A. Corey - I love The Expanse t.v. show so much. It's just a really fun sci-fi show with great characters and a lot of depth to its story. I was going to wait until the series was over to start reading the books but I'm too impatient. I was really interested to see how they adapted it. The book is very similar to season one - but I think I prefer the show better because I think the characters are a bit more fun.

12. The Nest, Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney - Another elitist story about privileged people and this one involves money! I do like all of the characters and the family dynamic, but it's hard to feel bad for rich people (or people arguing about a family "nest").

13. Killers of the Flower Moon, David Grann - Another True Crime book, but this one is really, really interesting. I knew nothing about the Osage murders, and I don't think the average person does. But it's an embarrassing stain in American history (we have many). This book explores not only the murders, but the Osage family line, the birth of the FBI, and the details still being discovered about the murders that are still being covered up.

14. The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller - First, I'm soooo angry that I didn't do this first. I always thought that someone should do an updated, "easier" version of The Iliad. I spent many months in high school translating it from the original Latin to see the differences that I discovered compared to the boring old men (sorry, but true) that did the original translations. Second, I'm glad that a woman did it because she could see the beauty and subtlety in the love stories and make them more obvious so others can grasp it. Third, I can't wait to read Circe. 

15. I've Got You Under my Skin, Mary Higgins Clark - I used to love Mary Higgins Clark when I was a teenager. I thought I would give it a shot to see if it was something that still interest me, but unfortunately it was not good. It was very predictable and honestly, I can't even remember what it's about (I read it in the beginning of 2018). I still think she's great - and influential to so many stories about strong women surviving trauma and/or solving crimes, but my tastes have evolved.

16. The Martian Chronicles, Ray Bradbury - Again, obviously wonderful. I read this when I was a teenager, and I loved it, but I love it even more now. I have a deeper appreciation for sci-fi now.

17. Blowing My Cover: My Life as a CIA Spy, Lindsay Moran - I've always been interested in spy stories, and at one time dreamt of being recruited. This definitely makes me happy that I never was. I enjoyed reading her story, but it saddens me that Moran quit because she started to question the actions of our government after 9/11. I feel like we needed people like her to stay.

18. The Silent Wife, A.S.A Harrison - Very predictable, but I did like how the story split between the two perspectives. It's another Lifetime movie quality book. I actually think I read that Nicole Kidman was attached to the script which is surprising, but maybe they can make the movie a little bit more nuanced.

19. Before the Fall, Noah Hawley - My favorite book that I've read this year (aside from the Bradbury ones - because that's kind of a given). Hawley is a great story-teller. I can see this as a mini-series, so I'm a bit disappointed that he's looking into adapting it into a film instead. I think that's a big mistake because there is sooooo much story to tell between all the different characters. Each character could have their own episode. Anyway, I genuinely enjoyed reading every second of it, and I bought The Good Father to read this coming year.

20. The Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Club, Laurie Notaro - Funny, cute, another one that I wish I read when I was younger. It's a bit too contrived and one-note, with her being such a "mess", but overall I thought it was enjoyable to read.

21. Altered Carbon, Richard K. Morgan - If I didn't watch the series, I don't think I would have any idea what was going on. It's interesting to see how it was adapted, because a lot of it doesn't make sense - and it's hard to follow, but the series is pretty good (a little slow, and some questionable acting, but the plot is solid).

22. Talking as Fast as I Can, Lauren Graham - I adore Lauren Graham - not so much from Gilmore Girls, but from Parenthood. I did love GG, but not as much as most fans. I wish this book was more about her life, and not her life on the set of GG, but she's still a great writer. I think her personality shines through, and that's something that's hard to do.

23. The Moth Presents: All These Wonders, Catherine Burns - Really cool idea. I've never heard about The Moth before, but I'm intrigued. I would love to go to a show. I like that it's just very natural story-telling. It's easy reading, and some of the stories will stick with me for life. I absolutely hated the second to last story though (it actually made me sick to my stomach and ruined the whole experience for me, but I'm trying to get over it).

24. Unexpected Gifts, Katie McAndrews-McNeill - The author is my ex-boss and I absolutely adore her. This is the story of what happened to her life and the choices she made after her sister died. She's always given me great advice, and seems to truly enjoy every single moment of her life (like she's a genuinely happy person - it's incredible. She's also extremely privileged - but she acknowledges this all the time). I loved reading her story, but I'm a bit biased.

25. The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman - This was definitely a great introduction to Gaiman's writing (I've never read any of his work before, but I have American Gods on my list for next year - the book and the series). This is a beautiful, poetic story - it's a modern day mythological tale (and I love mythologies) about how children perceive their surroundings.

Best and Worst Films of 2018

Best:

1. First Man 
2. A Quiet Place
3. Thoroughbreds 
4. Unsane 
5. Tully
6. Game Night
7. You Were Never Really Here

This is probably my worst year yet, in terms of movie viewing. There are too many wonderful tv shows to keep up with (my favorite this year: Counterpart and Killing Eve). I couldn't even come up with 10 (the next on the list is Bird Box, but that doesn't belong anywhere near a Top 10 List so I stopped at 7.). I think this list will look quite different when I update in July. 

Worst: 

1. Rampage
2. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
3. The Cloverfield Paradox
4. A Wrinkle in Time
5. Incredibles 2 
6. Peppermint