1. I've been beating the stunt/action choreography drum for years now. It's a crime that these people haven't been recognized for decades at the highest level. In terms of the casting oscar this year, I really felt Holdovers and American Fiction (which is a movie i didn't totally love but I think the casting was impeccable) were the strongest imo!
2. I think Andrew Scott should have been nominated over Bradley Cooper but not over Colman Domingo. Rustin isn't a good movie but I think Colman is outstanding in it. Yeah his performance is loud and showy but there is context and layers behind that loudness and showiness imo. I feel like in another actor's hand, that movie is virtually unwatchable while with colman, i couldn't keep my eyes off him in an otherwise bad movie (idk why chris rock is still given big roles). But I feel like Koji Yakusho should not only be nominated over all of them but is hands down the best acting performance of last year.
I also think Jamie Bell should have been nominated in best supporting actor. but i'm also smarting over Melton not being nominated. Best Supporting actor was stacked this year.
3. So i feel like y'all disagree with me. I don't think it's a ghost story more than it's a ghosts of the mind story? I think him being a writer, after he closes the door on Harry, he starts to write through his trauma and therapy by creating these scenarios with his parents and a prospective future scenario with Harry. I also liken it to a Christmas Carol (which i think PT mentioned or referenced?) because yeah they are ghosts but they are ghosts of the mind and his parents are ghosts of his past and Harry is potentially the ghost of his present and future. Soooooo this is one of those movies where it's a man will do anything but go to therapy. And that doesn't make the movie any worse to me! It still breaks me.
Great points about Colman Domingo -- he certainly elevates the movie, and it's not his fault he could only elevate it so far. I'm very comfortable formally targeting Cooper to be replaced by Scott...sorry, Bradley.
I like the idea of Bell in supporting, but...yeah, man, there were like nine locks for me in that category this year. Just a beast of a category.
I think there's an interesting and worthwhile distinction between "it's all a dream/in his head" and "ghosts of the mind"...the latter feels both more ethereal but also more tangible. The problem I think we all had with it just being all in his head is that it takes away any agency from the non-Adam characters -- they are ultimately controlled by him. But "ghosts of the mind" feels different from that...he is writing through it, but he is also wrestling with something actually there...even if it's just his mind? I don't know if I'm making any sense. But I guess I'm saying I like your read on it way more than the one we were responding to in the episode.
Yeah Best Supporting Actor and Best Actress were warzones this year imo.
Yeah, I'm following along with you. No worries. re: ghosts of the mind.
I'm starting to get the feeling y'all haven't seen "Perfect Days"? If y'all have, my bad. But if you guys haven't, GO! It's great and Koji has this quiet but incredibly affecting performance. Easily my favorite of the the past year (because technically it counts as last year even though it wasn't wide released until this year).
Who I think should win the Oscar for each? I think this is unpopular among yall but in supporting, I’d pick Gosling. I think comedy has long been disrespected in acting races even tho it is arguably the most difficult type of acting to pull off. And the amount of commitment gosling had to the role was tangible imo. Also, this is an argument that I don’t see often but is a great one in this case…but I can’t imagine anyone else as Beach Ken other than Gosling. He played it pitch perfect imo.
As for best actress, I get Gladstone. I get Emma Stone. I wouldn’t argue against either. But not only should Greta Lee be nominated, but she might have a very minuscule edge for me. There are layers and context to her performance that I’m sure most people will get but will be felt more by POCs and even more by first or second generation immigrants.
1. I've been beating the stunt/action choreography drum for years now. It's a crime that these people haven't been recognized for decades at the highest level. In terms of the casting oscar this year, I really felt Holdovers and American Fiction (which is a movie i didn't totally love but I think the casting was impeccable) were the strongest imo!
2. I think Andrew Scott should have been nominated over Bradley Cooper but not over Colman Domingo. Rustin isn't a good movie but I think Colman is outstanding in it. Yeah his performance is loud and showy but there is context and layers behind that loudness and showiness imo. I feel like in another actor's hand, that movie is virtually unwatchable while with colman, i couldn't keep my eyes off him in an otherwise bad movie (idk why chris rock is still given big roles). But I feel like Koji Yakusho should not only be nominated over all of them but is hands down the best acting performance of last year.
I also think Jamie Bell should have been nominated in best supporting actor. but i'm also smarting over Melton not being nominated. Best Supporting actor was stacked this year.
3. So i feel like y'all disagree with me. I don't think it's a ghost story more than it's a ghosts of the mind story? I think him being a writer, after he closes the door on Harry, he starts to write through his trauma and therapy by creating these scenarios with his parents and a prospective future scenario with Harry. I also liken it to a Christmas Carol (which i think PT mentioned or referenced?) because yeah they are ghosts but they are ghosts of the mind and his parents are ghosts of his past and Harry is potentially the ghost of his present and future. Soooooo this is one of those movies where it's a man will do anything but go to therapy. And that doesn't make the movie any worse to me! It still breaks me.
Great points about Colman Domingo -- he certainly elevates the movie, and it's not his fault he could only elevate it so far. I'm very comfortable formally targeting Cooper to be replaced by Scott...sorry, Bradley.
I like the idea of Bell in supporting, but...yeah, man, there were like nine locks for me in that category this year. Just a beast of a category.
I think there's an interesting and worthwhile distinction between "it's all a dream/in his head" and "ghosts of the mind"...the latter feels both more ethereal but also more tangible. The problem I think we all had with it just being all in his head is that it takes away any agency from the non-Adam characters -- they are ultimately controlled by him. But "ghosts of the mind" feels different from that...he is writing through it, but he is also wrestling with something actually there...even if it's just his mind? I don't know if I'm making any sense. But I guess I'm saying I like your read on it way more than the one we were responding to in the episode.
Yeah Best Supporting Actor and Best Actress were warzones this year imo.
Yeah, I'm following along with you. No worries. re: ghosts of the mind.
I'm starting to get the feeling y'all haven't seen "Perfect Days"? If y'all have, my bad. But if you guys haven't, GO! It's great and Koji has this quiet but incredibly affecting performance. Easily my favorite of the the past year (because technically it counts as last year even though it wasn't wide released until this year).
I think Greg has seen it, but the rest of us haven’t. I really want to, though!
And 100% agree on those war zones haha. Whose your pick in those categories?
Who I think should win the Oscar for each? I think this is unpopular among yall but in supporting, I’d pick Gosling. I think comedy has long been disrespected in acting races even tho it is arguably the most difficult type of acting to pull off. And the amount of commitment gosling had to the role was tangible imo. Also, this is an argument that I don’t see often but is a great one in this case…but I can’t imagine anyone else as Beach Ken other than Gosling. He played it pitch perfect imo.
As for best actress, I get Gladstone. I get Emma Stone. I wouldn’t argue against either. But not only should Greta Lee be nominated, but she might have a very minuscule edge for me. There are layers and context to her performance that I’m sure most people will get but will be felt more by POCs and even more by first or second generation immigrants.