Will Smith Might Get His First Oscar Tonight!

I can’t believe I’m writing this. I’ve been watching Will Smith for years. In fact, I like nearly all of his movies and yes, there are even some that I love. “Gettin’ Jiggy With It” is even one of my favorite summertime songs. And I think Will Smith is hilarious.

When I heard Smith was going to do a movie about the Williams sisters I thought to myself, “Well, that’s a terrible idea.” And then the movie started premiering at the festivals and was met with immense praise. There was even talk about Smith being a favorite for the Oscar win.

Fast forward to now and tonight may finally be the year that another Black man receives a win for Best Actor. If he doesn’t, the outcry is going to be tremendous. He’s swept all of the awards; Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, the SAGs, even the BAFTAs! It’s his Oscar to lose and I absolutely cannot wait to see this monumental moment this evening.

Who or what movie are you rooting for during tonight’s Oscars? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

I thank you for reading and I hope you have a fantastic day.

‘Dune’ Might Win Best Picture and ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Could Join the Race

I can’t believe this is a post I’m writing but here we are.

Ever since Dune came out it’s been kind of obvious that it would garner a bunch of award nominations thanks to Denis Villeneuve doing something no other director has been able to manage; make a great Dune movie.

It managed to surpass my expectations and showed that the film was adaptable to the big screen after all. So far, the film has not won any major awards yet but with the Critics’ Choice Awards hopefully, just a few weeks away (it was supposed to take place on January 9 but with the sudden outburst of COVID it’s been delayed indefinitely) it’ll be the first test on whether the sci-fi epic has a real shot at nabbing Best Picture next year.

It however does have some stiff competition against the critically-acclaimed Netflix film The Power of the Dog directed by Jane Campion (The Piano) thanks to Benedict Cumberbatch’s rave reviews for his apparent outstanding performance as an incredibly mean homosexual cowboy. The role has been said by many to be his best performance.

And then there’s Kenneth Branagh’s under-the-radar Belfast which has started to ramp up as one of the best films of the year.

The Oscars Made History But They Still Didn’t Have the Guts To Go There

Well, I watched The Oscars last night and it was fun. The setting was gorgeous, the cameras used to broadcast movie’s greatest night of the year felt so immersive it almost looked like we were watching a movie, and making it personal by giving the viewer a bit of insight into the nominees was an inspired touch.

Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah) and Yuh-Jung Youn (Minari) had the most memorable speeches of the evening, cursing was rampant during an Oscar song game, Glenn Close did the ‘Da Butt’ dance on live television, and Frances McNormand howled to the rafters like a wolf.

The night was a win for people of color in a bunch of categories, with two Black women making history by winning an Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling for the first time in the Academy’s 93-year history. And yet, at the end of the night, with only three categories left, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Picture, the night took a sharp left turn.

‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’: Powerful, Poignant, and Depressing

So, I finally just watched Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and to my relief, it was better than I expected. Based on a play written by playwright August Wilson, the film tells the story of blues legend, Ma Rainey (Viola Davis) and a tense recording session in Chicago of 1927 as she clashes with her trumpeter (Chadwick Boseman.)

The film lives up to the hype, delivering some of the best acting of the year. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is dark, powerful, and oh does it shine a light on the trauma of African-Americans.

In a time when racial tension is such a topic this movie is like a slap to the face with authenticity. Even though it speaks of race in a 1920s’ light it speaks to the horrors of our present so boldly that you can’t help but sit back and just take a deep breath.

Viola Davis is once again superb as Ma Rainey, delivering every line and moment with purpose and conviction. And Chadwick Boseman, gosh Boseman was gone too soon. This unapologetic depiction of an angry young black man traumatized by horrific events of his past may just be his best performance and is definitely deserving of every award he can muster. He’s already gotten a posthumous Golden Globe nomination for the role today and deservedly so. I honestly feel like he should win but I’m going to check out Sound of Metal next to see how Riz Ahmed does.

The Golden Globe Nominations Are In and I’m Intrigued

Okay, the Golden Globe nominations are in and there are some choices that make sense and some surprise snobs that have left me a bit stunned but overall, I’m pleased with the picks and am looking forward to seeing who wins.

In terms of the snubs, I was surprised to see Delroy Lindo not nominated for his role in Da 5 Bloods, or Chadwick Boseman for Best Supporting Actor in Da 5 Bloods as well. The movie was one of the best of the year, delivering some powerful performances and directing that once again highlighted Spike Lee’s impressive movie making skills.

Minari was subjected to the Foreign Language Film category even though the movie was made in America by an American director who’s telling an American story. But the main language of the movie is Korean so…

Regina King was nominated for Best Director for One Night in Miami which makes sense. Viola Davis apparently did a pretty good job in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, hence her nomination. And so on and so on.

I’ll have more thoughts about the nominations on the way as I begin to watch more of these nominated films like Mank and Sound of Metal next but for now, it’s movie award season baby!

(And by the way, yay for The Mandalorian‘s nomination for Best TV Series-Drama. It totally deserves it!!!!)

I thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day.

How Did ‘Chicago’ Win Best Picture?

Chicago; it was the last musical to win Best Picture and I finally watched it last night. Let me tell you, I was SOOOOO BOOOOORRRRED! Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones star in this burlesque musical about a couple of murderesses who are trying to get off the hook with the help of a crooked lawyer.

There was nothing special about this movie, at least nothing quite as memorable as the likes of An American in Paris or The Sound of Music or even West Side Story for that matter. The songs were forgettable and there was nothing truly likable about this movie. I didn’t like the characters, I didn’t like the choreography or the performances. I mean…I just didn’t like this movie.

How the heck did this nab the Best Picture award instead of the heartbreakingly beautiful tale that is The Pianist or The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers for that matter?! It’s laughable. Chicago is a mediocre film, people! Am I the only one who thinks that?

Chicago is so bad I’m pretty sure La La Land is better, and that’s saying something. If you’ve seen Chicago what did you think? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

I thank you for reading and I hope you have a fantastic day.