Prime

THE GIST: Recently divorced Rafi is gently pushed by her therapist to start dating again, in order to improve both her mood and outlook on life. One day, she meets a much younger man and they hit it off, to her therapist's delight … until she realizes she might actually know who the man in question is.

Prime is a small but sophisticated character comedy headlined by the fantastic Meryl Streep, flanked by Uma Thurman and the gorgeous Bryan Greenberg.

I picked the movie because of Ms. Streep of course, and I was really pleasantly surprised by how delightfully well-written the script was.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Not to be missed if you're a fan of either leading lady, but really an enjoyable comedy overall.

Grade: 7

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

THE GIST: As she prepares to reopen her mother's hotel after her untimely passing, Sophie finds herself preoccupied with being able to handle it on her own, together with the arrival of her first child. Fortunately, help is on the way from her mother's friends and even her elusive grandmother!

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is the sequel to the very successful Mamma Mia!, and while not as magic as its predecessor, it still manages to be a fun joyride.

My beloved Meryl Streep only makes a brief cameo here, but we're treated to Cher, together with returning favorites Amanda Seyfried, Andy Garcia, Dominic Cooper, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgård, and Colin Firth.

And of course there are the new arrivals: Lily James, Alexa Davies, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Hugh Skinner, Josh Dylan, and Jeremy Irvine.

THE BOTTOM LINE: An interesting plot that sheds more light on Donna's past, together with plenty of tunes, should provide for a fun couple of hours.

Grade: 6.5

A Prairie Home Companion

THE GIST: The final performance of a celebrated variety show, broadcast live on the radio, is a chance for its participants to reminisce on their lives, the past, and the future. Sadness and regrets abound, but joy and hope pervade the proceedings.

A Prairie Home Companion is the typical Robert Altman film that divides the audience into lovers or haters.

I usually enjoy his movies more, but this time I was really only awed by the sprawling cast, since the plot left me wanting.

Speaking of the cast though, how can you go wrong when you have Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Garrison Keillor, Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan, Virginia Madsen, John C. Reilly, L.Q. Jones, Maya Rudolph, Marylouise Burke, Lily Tomlin, and Meryl Streep???

THE BOTTOM LINE: I would only recommend this movie to Altman fans. The acting is superb, but the plot is a bit tedious.

Grade: 6

Suffragette

THE GIST: In 1912 London, the women fighting for the right to vote have reached the conclusion that peaceful protests will achieve nothing. Mistreated and lied to by employers, the police, and politicians, they step up their activism with civil disobedience and unrest, even resorting to bombings and hunger strikes in order to achieve their goal.

Although dramatized, Suffragette is based on historical accounts and records, and tells the stories of women who actually fought in the streets to push the government to give them the right to vote, and as such it's most certainly a worthy film.

The superb cast includes Carey Mulligan, Amanda Lawrence, Ben Whishaw, Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson, and the wonderful Meryl Streep.

THE BOTTOM LINE: I always feel like it's important to watch historical dramas, because they teach us about the past and what it took to arrive where we are now.

Grade: 7

Florence Foster Jenkins

THE GIST: Florence Foster Jenkins is a well-known New York City heiress and socialite. She loves art, especially music and opera, and always dreamed of becoming an opera singer, even though she has no remarkable voice nor any talent for singing whatsoever, two facts seemingly unbeknownst to her. Her loving husband, aware of her delusion, shields her from any criticism and encourages her fantasies, knowing they make her happy and are harmless. One day, she decides to start taking singing lessons in order to eventually perform in concert at the famed Carnegie Hall.

Florence Foster Jenkins is your quintessentially quirky comedy that carries a bit more heft for the simple fact of being based on actual people and true events.

Meryl Streep is absolutely fantastic as the wannabe opera singer, expertly mangling any tune she sings in spite of being a very good singer herself. She was rewarded with a Best Lead Actress Oscar nomination for her work here.

Hugh Grant is his dashing self, flanked by Simon Helberg and Rebecca Ferguson.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A fun comedy that won't be everyone's cup of tea, but a must-see for any Streep fan like myself. And to think that Jenkins's concert actually happened!!

Grade: 7

Ricki and the Flash

THE GIST: Ricki (real name Linda) left her husband and three young children behind in order to chase her dream of becoming a famous rock star, which didn't pan out. One day, she gets a call from her ex-husband, asking her to come back and help him deal with their daughter, who just got left by her husband. She reluctantly goes, but no one is really eager to welcome her.

Ricki and the Flash is the kind of movie that makes you go, No, this can't be good; but it's not bad at all.

Naturally, having Meryl Streep play this woman pulled in different directions doesn't hurt, but the script is well written as well, and the end product is entertaining.

Kevin Kline, Sebastian Stan, Ben Platt, Rick Springfield, Audra McDonald, and Mamie Gummer (Meryl Streep's real-life daughter) round up a great cast.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A charming and at times funny dramedy that hits quite a few good notes.

Grade: 7

Before and After

THE GIST: The lives of the Ryan family are turned upside down when their teenage son is accused of murdering his girlfriend. Though well-respected in the community until now, the small village quickly turns against the family members, putting their livelihoods in doubt.

Before and After is the kind of movie that makes you think, What would I be willing to do to protect and help the ones I love most?

Some of the decisions made by some characters are very consequential and heavy loaded. What would you do in their situation?

Meryl Streep and Liam Neeson star, with Edward Furlong, Alfred Molina, and John Heard. All do a very good job.

THE BOTTOM LINE: A good drama that will leave you pondering its events long after the credits roll.

Grade: 7

Ironweed

THE GIST: Francis and Helen are two tramps among the many that populate the city of Albany, New York, in the late 1930s. He pines for his dead infant son and is anguished by the ghosts of his past. She reminisces about a singing career that never materialized. In the dreariness of their daily lives, they share a connection.

Ironweed opens a window for us on the lives of the people we might pass by on a sidewalk during our busy lives without even seeing them, or trying hard not to.

It shines a light on how people with very ordinary or even comfortable lives can suddenly find themselves homeless and with no prospects.

It's an interesting exposé aided by excellent turns by Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson, two of the most lauded actors of their generation.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The movie is certainly worth watching, but it's a bit slow at times, which is sort of required given the topic. If you like either of the actors, I'd give it a try.

Grade: 6

The River Wild

THE GIST: Gail is an expert rafter and guide. Going through a rough patch at home, she decides to go on a trip down a river she knows well with her husband, son, and dog. On the river, they meet a couple of guys who seem very friendly, until they pull a gun on them. They are robbers on the run from the police, with little experience navigating such treacherous waters, and force Gail to be their guide by threatening her family.

The River Wild is not an exceptional movie but it's still quite entertaining, and features some excellent white-water rafting action scenes.

Naturally, having Meryl Streep, David Strathairn, Kevin Bacon, John C. Reilly, and a very young Joseph Mazzello doesn't hurt.

THE BOTTOM LINE: This was a must-watch for me because of Ms. Streep, but it's certainly a good movie that's fun to watch.

Grade: 6.5

The 90th Academy Awards - The Winners

Jimmy Kimmel was back at the helm of the Oscars ceremony last night and he did a very good job. There were no mishaps, like last year's announcement of the wrong winner for the main trophy, he touched upon the important topics roiling our society today with the appropriate amount of tact, and he was funny and poignant when needed.

I really enjoyed the ceremony itself. I had not followed any of the countless prognosticators, so for me almost every winner was a surprise! I would recommend that to anyone who truly enjoys the Oscars, because it's the best way to enjoy them. Who cares about predictions and seeing how many you can guess if it detracts from the overall enjoyment of the show?!

The stage was stunningly beautiful! The Oscars turning 90 was certainly celebrated by the set design. Also, the wonderful clips that peppered the show here and there were a lovely reminder of how great movies can be, of how important the medium can be in the lives of ordinary people, and of how far storytelling has come in 9 decades.

Here are my random observations of the night:

• Viola Davis' dress was quite stunning, but she couldn't even walk. Like at all. Like seriously. Like, girl, no!
• Sam Rockwell's Oscar for Best Supporting Actor is well earned (he's great in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and he gave a funny speech.
• The "GET OUT!!" skit had me in stitches!
• Very happy that Darkest Hour won for Best Makeup because the work was just incredible.
• Eva Marie Saint turned out to be a great presenter, sweet and funny.
• Greta Gerwig is the sweetest, and I just want her to be my friend!
• Mary J. Blige's rendition of her own "Mighty River" was fantastic! What a voice!
• Lupita Nyong'o and Kumail Nanjiani presenting together were funny and to the point. She looked absolutely gorgeous!
• "Remember Me," from Coco, is a nice and uplifting song, but I was completely blown away by the performance for The Greatest Showman's "This is Me," so I was disappointed when the former took the Best Original Song Oscar.
• Rita Moreno's entrance was cute and her choice of wearing the same dress she wore when she won for West Side Story paid off.
• I was SUPER HAPPY that a movie about a transgender woman (A Fantastic Woman) won for Best Foreign Film!!
• And shortly after my eyes widened with joy and pride when Coco won Best Animated Feature Film and, on the world's foremost stage, a woman thanked her wife and a man thanked his husband!!!! That's called progress.
• I simply adore Allison Janney, so I was very happy for her Best Supporting Actress win.
• Tiffany Haddish and Maya Rudolph were hilarious.
• The Chinese Theater skit set up by Kimmel worked well and you could really feel the excitement of the lucky few who were in that dark hall.
• The song and performance by Common and Andra Day and the following clip all gave me goosebumps. This really feels like a tectonic shift in the industry and society.
• Nicole Kidman and Laura Dern were two of the best dressed ladies of the night in my opinion. Kidman's blue dress was, to say the least, daring.
• Incredibly happy for James Ivory's win for Best Adapted Screenplay for Call Me by Your Name (I can't wait to see that movie).
• So cool that Jordan Peele won Best Original Screenplay for the very original Get Out
• The tribute to the military via the montage of war films was very touching. As was the usual In Memoriam montage.
• Sandra Bullock was so funny! It sounded like she wasn't kidding about the lights, which made the joke really work.
• Gary Oldman's speech was classy and respectful. Appropriate I would say.
• Frances McDormand, on the other hand, gave everyone a piece of her mind... and it was glorious!! Literally rousing.
• In the end, The Shape of Water seems to have succeeded in retaking its early lead and taking home the biggest prize of the night.

And here is the complete list of winners:

Best Motion Picture of the Year

The Shape of Water

Call Me by Your Name
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Get Out
Lady Bird
Phantom Thread
The Post
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour

Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.
Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
Meryl Streep, The Post
Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World
Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Allison Janney, I, Tonya

Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread
Mary J. Blige, Mudbound
Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

Best Achievement in Directing

Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water

Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
Jordan Peele, Get Out
Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread

Best Original Screenplay

Jordan Peele, Get Out

Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon, The Big Sick
Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor, The Shape of Water
Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Adapted Screenplay

James Ivory, Call Me by Your Name

Scott Frank, James Mangold, Michael Green, Logan
Aaron Sorkin, Molly's Game
Dee Rees, Virgil Williams, Mudbound
Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber, The Disaster Artist

Best Achievement in Cinematography

Blade Runner 2049

Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Mudbound
The Shape of Water

Best Achievement in Film Editing

Dunkirk

Baby Driver
I, Tonya
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Achievement in Production Design

The Shape of Water

Beauty and the Beast
Blade Runner 2049
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk

Best Achievement in Costume Design

Phantom Thread

Beauty and the Beast
Darkest Hour
The Shape of Water
Victoria & Abdul

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing

Dunkirk

Baby Driver
Blade Runner 2049
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
The Shape of Water

Best Achievement in Sound Editing

Dunkirk

Baby Driver
Blade Runner 2049
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
The Shape of Water

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

Blade Runner 2049

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Kong: Skull Island
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
War for the Planet of the Apes

Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling

Darkest Hour

Victoria & Abdul
Wonder

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)

Alexandre Desplat, The Shape of Water

Hans Zimmer, Dunkirk
Jonny Greenwood, Phantom Thread
John Williams, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
Carter Burwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)

Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, Remember Me (Coco)

Sufjan Stevens, The Mystery of Love (Call Me by Your Name)
Common, Diane Warren, Stand Up for Something (Marshall)
Raphael Saadiq, Mary J. Blige, Taura Stinson, Mighty River (Mudbound)
Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, This is Me (The Greatest Showman)

Best Animated Feature Film

Coco

Ferdinand
Loving Vincent
The Boss Baby
The Breadwinner

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

A Fantastic Woman (Una Mujer Fantástica)

Loveless (Nelyubov)
On Body and Soul (Teströl és lélekröl)
The Insult (L'insulte)
The Square

Best Documentary Feature

Icarus

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail
Faces Places (Visages villages)
Last Men in Aleppo (De sidste mænd i Aleppo)
Strong Island

Best Documentary Short Subject

Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405

Edith+Eddie
Heroin(e)
Knife Skills
Traffic Stop

Best Animated Short Film

Dear Basketball

Garden Party
LOU
Negative Space
Revolting Rhymes Part One

Best Live Action Short Film

The Silent Child

DeKalb Elementary
My Nephew Emmett
The Eleven O'Clock
Watu Wote: All of us

Special Achievement Award

Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Carne y Arena

Honorary Award

Agnès Varda
Charles Burnett
Donald Sutherland
Owen Roizman

The 90th Academy Awards - The Nominations

Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel at 8 pm (ET) on March 4, 2018, these are the nominations for this year's Oscars:

Best Motion Picture of the Year

Call Me by Your Name
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Get Out
Lady Bird
Phantom Thread
The Post
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.
Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
Meryl Streep, The Post
Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water
Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World
Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water
Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird
Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread
Mary J. Blige, Mudbound
Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

Best Achievement in Directing

Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water
Jordan Peele, Get Out
Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread

Best Original Screenplay

Jordan Peele, Get Out
Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon, The Big Sick
Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor, The Shape of Water
Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Adapted Screenplay

James Ivory, Call Me by Your Name
Scott Frank, James Mangold, Michael Green, Logan
Aaron Sorkin, Molly's Game
Dee Rees, Virgil Williams, Mudbound
Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber, The Disaster Artist

Best Achievement in Cinematography

Blade Runner 2049
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
Mudbound
The Shape of Water

Best Achievement in Film Editing

Baby Driver
Dunkirk
I, Tonya
The Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Achievement in Production Design

Beauty and the Beast
Blade Runner 2049
Darkest Hour
Dunkirk
The Shape of Water

Best Achievement in Costume Design

Beauty and the Beast
Darkest Hour
Phantom Thread
The Shape of Water
Victoria & Abdul

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing

Baby Driver
Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
The Shape of Water

Best Achievement in Sound Editing

Baby Driver
Blade Runner 2049
Dunkirk
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
The Shape of Water

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

Blade Runner 2049
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Kong: Skull Island
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
War for the Planet of the Apes

Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling

Darkest Hour
Victoria & Abdul
Wonder

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)

Hans Zimmer, Dunkirk
Jonny Greenwood, Phantom Thread
John Williams, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
Alexandre Desplat, The Shape of Water
Carter Burwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)

Sufjan Stevens, The Mystery of Love (Call Me by Your Name)
Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, Remember Me (Coco)
Common, Diane Warren, Stand Up for Something (Marshall)
Raphael Saadiq, Mary J. Blige, Taura Stinson, Mighty River (Mudbound)
Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, This is Me (The Greatest Showman)

Best Animated Feature Film

Coco
Ferdinand
Loving Vincent
The Boss Baby
The Breadwinner

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

A Fantastic Woman (Una Mujer Fantástica)
Loveless (Nelyubov)
On Body and Soul (Teströl és lélekröl)
The Insult (L'insulte)
The Square

Best Documentary Feature

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail
Faces Places (Visages villages)
Icarus
Last Men in Aleppo (De sidste mænd i Aleppo)
Strong Island

Best Documentary Short Subject

Edith+Eddie
Heaven is a traffic jam on the 405
Heroin(e)
Knife Skills
Traffic Stop

Best Animated Short Film

Dear Basketball
Garden Party
LOU
Negative Space
Revolting Rhymes Part One

Best Live Action Short Film

DeKalb Elementary
My Nephew Emmett
The Eleven O'Clock
The Silent Child
Watu Wote: All of us

Special Achievement Award

Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Carne y Arena

Honorary Award

Agnès Varda
Charles Burnett
Donald Sutherland
Owen Roizman

The 89th Academy Awards - The Winners

The Oscars ceremony just ended and while it proceeded all the way to the end as a very plain albeit well orchestrated affair, it will be forever remembered as the ceremony in which the biggest mistake imaginable, the one we always wonder about happening, finally happened: the Best Picture Oscar was handed out to the wrong film!!

We now know that, when Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, who were presenting the final award, were handed the envelope containing the name of the winning film, they were given the wrong envelope. That is why Beatty looked so confused and almost dumbfounded when he pulled the paper out of the envelope, even doing a subtle double-take. He realized something was odd, but wasn't really sure what to do, likely because this had never happened before!

He checked to see if there was another piece of paper, but the clock was ticking and he knew he had to go on with the show. Dunaway, like the rest of the audience, simply thought he was putting on a show, dragging on the moment to drum up the suspense, but he was just desperately trying to buy some time in the hopes that the producers realized and fixed the problem. When he hands her the envelope, you can tell he's trying to make her aware of the problem, but she just wants the whole thing to be over, so simply reads the title of the movie she sees printed.

I bet that if the Best Actor rather than Best Actress Oscar had just been announced, this wouldn't have happened, because Manchester By the Sea wasn't given as a favorite for Best Picture, unlikely La La Land, so Dunaway didn't realize there was a problem when she saw the latter's title written down. If she had seen the former, she'd likely would have paused as well, sensing a problem.

In the end, Moonlight was given its due, so all's well that ends well I guess.

Jimmy Kimmel overall did a good job as host, pushing the ceremony along at a good pace and throwing some softballs that never really crossed any lines.

I found his back and forth with Matt Damon quite funny, especially when Damon went on stage with Ben Affleck and he was being played off, in "secret," by Kimmel.

The bus tour skit was also funny. If I had been on that bus and suddenly found myself parading in front of all of the biggest stars in Hollywood, including my idol, Meryl Streep, I would have either started crying or pooped my pants.

John Legend's and Sara Bareilles' performances were great, John Cho and Leslie Mann short introduction of the scientific Oscars was funny, and the Mean Tweets clip was good for a few chuckles.

Mahershala Ali's and Viola Davis' speeches were definitely the most moving of the night. I also enjoyed the few critical condemnations of the current Republican administration's efforts to divide us and demonize the "other."

Here's the full list of winners:

Best Motion Picture of the Year

Moonlight

Arrival
Fences
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
Hidden Figures
La La Land
Lion
Manchester by the Sea

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea

Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge
Ryan Gosling, La La Land
Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington, Fences

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Emma Stone, La La Land

Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Ruth Negga, Loving
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea
Dev Patel, Lion
Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Viola Davis, Fences

Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea

Best Achievement in Directing

Damien Chazelle, La La Land

Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
Denis Villeneuve, Arrival

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

Barry Jenkins, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Moonlight

Luke Davies, Lion
Eric Heisserer, Arrival
Allison Schroeder, Theodore Melfi, Hidden Figures
August Wilson, Fences

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea

Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymis Filippou, The Lobster
Mike Mills, 20th Century Women
Taylor Sheridan, Hell or High Water

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

Zootopia

Kubo and the Two Strings
Moana
My Life as a Zucchini (Ma vie de Courgette)
The Red Turtle (La tortue rouge)

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

The Salesman (Forushande)

Tanna
A Man Called Ove (En man som heter Ove)
Toni Erdmann
Land of Mine (Under sandet)

Best Documentary, Feature

O.J.: Made in America

13th
Fire at Sea (Fuocoammare)
I Am Not Your Negro
Life, Animated

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score

Justin Hurwitz, La La Land

Nicholas Britell, Moonlight
Mica Levi, Jackie
Thomas Newman, Passengers
Dustin O'Halloran, Lion

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song

"City of Stars," La La Land, Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

"Audition (The Fools Who Dream)," La La Land, Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul
"Can't Stop the Feeling," Trolls, Justin Timberlake, Max Martin, Shellback
"The Empty Chair," Jim: The James Foley Story, J. Ralph, Sting
"How Far I'll Go," Moana, Lin-Manuel Miranda

Best Achievement in Editing

Hacksaw Ridge

Arrival
Hell or High Water
La La Land
Moonlight

Best Achievement in Cinematography

La La Land

Arrival
Lion
Moonlight
Silence

Best Achievement in Production Design

La La Land

Arrival
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Hail, Caesar!
Passengers

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing

Hacksaw Ridge

13 Hours
Arrival
La La Land
Rogue One

Best Achievement in Sound Editing

Arrival

Deepwater Horizon
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Sully

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

The Jungle Book

Deepwater Horizon
Doctor Strange
Kubo and the Two Strings
Rogue One

Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling

Suicide Squad

A Man Called Ove (En man som heter Ove)
Star Trek Beyond

Best Achievement in Costume Design

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Allied
Florence Foster Jenkins
Jackie
La La Land

Best Short Film, Live Action

Mindenki

Ennemis intérieurs
La femme et le TGV
Silent Nights
Timecode

Best Documentary, Short Subject

The White Helmets

4.1 Miles
Extremis
Joe's Violin
Watani: My Homeland

Best Short Film, Animated

Piper

Blind Vaysha
Borrowed Time
Pear Cider and Cigarettes
Pearl

The 89th Academy Awards - The Nominations

The nominations for this year's Oscars were just announced. The ceremony will take place on February 26, at 8 pm, on ABC, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.

La La Land garnered 14 nominations, tying the record set by Titanic and All About Eve. Arrival and Moonlight each got 8 nominations, while 6 apiece went to Hacksaw Ridge, Lion, and Manchester by the Sea. The latter, an Amazon Studios production, marks the first time a streaming service's film landed a Best Picture Oscar nomination.

Seven out of the available 20 performances went to non-white actors, all but ensuring a ceremony free of controversy regarding racial discrimination.

Oh, and Meryl Streep earned her 20th Oscar nomination, extending her record as the most nominated performer in the history of the Academy.

Here are this year's contenders:

Best Motion Picture of the Year

Arrival
Fences
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
Hidden Figures
La La Land
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge
Ryan Gosling, La La Land
Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington, Fences

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Ruth Negga, Loving
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Emma Stone, La La Land
Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea
Dev Patel, Lion
Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Viola Davis, Fences
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea

Best Achievement in Directing

Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
Denis Villeneuve, Arrival

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

Luke Davies, Lion
Eric Heisserer, Arrival
Barry Jenkins, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Moonlight
Allison Schroeder, Theodore Melfi, Hidden Figures
August Wilson, Fences

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymis Filippou, The Lobster
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
Mike Mills, 20th Century Women
Taylor Sheridan, Hell or High Water

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

Kubo and the Two Strings
Moana
My Life as a Zucchini (Ma vie de Courgette)
The Red Turtle (La tortue rouge)
Zootopia

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

Tanna
A Man Called Ove (En man som heter Ove)
The Salesman (Forushande)
Toni Erdmann
Land of Mine (Under sandet)

Best Documentary, Feature

13th
Fire at Sea (Fuocoammare)
I Am Not Your Negro
Life, Animated
O.J.: Made in America

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score

Nicholas Britell, Moonlight
Justin Hurwitz, La La Land
Mica Levi, Jackie
Thomas Newman, Passengers
Dustin O'Halloran, Lion

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song

"Audition (The Fools Who Dream)," La La Land, Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul
"Can't Stop the Feeling," Trolls, Justin Timberlake, Max Martin, Shellback
"City of Stars," La La Land, Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul
"The Empty Chair," Jim: The James Foley Story, J. Ralph, Sting
"How Far I'll Go," Moana, Lin-Manuel Miranda

Best Achievement in Editing

Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
La La Land
Moonlight

Best Achievement in Cinematography

Arrival
La La Land
Lion
Moonlight
Silence

Best Achievement in Production Design

Arrival
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Hail, Caesar!
La La Land
Passengers

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing

13 Hours
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Rogue One

Best Achievement in Sound Editing

Arrival
Deepwater Horizon
Hacksaw Ridge
La La Land
Sully

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

Deepwater Horizon
Doctor Strange
The Jungle Book
Kubo and the Two Strings
Rogue One

Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling

A Man Called Ove (En man som heter Ove)
Star Trek Beyond
Suicide Squad

Best Achievement in Costume Design

Allied
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Florence Foster Jenkins
Jackie
La La Land

Best Short Film, Live Action

Ennemis intérieurs
La femme et le TGV
Mindenki
Silent Nights
Timecode

Best Documentary, Short Subject

4.1 Miles
Extremis
Joe's Violin
Watani: My Homeland
The White Helmets

Best Short Film, Animated

Blind Vaysha
Borrowed Time
Pear Cider and Cigarettes
Pearl
Piper

Dark Matter

The Gist: A brilliant Chinese cosmology student, at an American university for his doctorate, is certain his work on dark matter will lead to a Nobel Prize. His dreams are crushed when his professor turns down his work in favor of another student's, who is more willing to play along with school politics.

One of Meryl Streep's lesser known roles, and to be honest she plays a really small role. So does Aidan Quinn, whom I had not seen in years...

The movie really belongs to Ye Liu, who does a great job of portraying the inner turmoil and emotional rollercoaster his character goes through when he realizes his dreams won't come true.

The Bottom Line: I found out only afterwards that Dark Matter is based on actual events, which always makes me reconsider my final grade (usually higher). Indeed, the story is very current, especially for America, and with such a short runtime, it might be worth your time. I do have to point out that the production values leave something to be desired and that the final product feels lacking somewhat.

Grade: 6

A Montage on Meryl Streep. Just Because.

Surfing the web I stumbled upon this clip and think it's worth sharing. Enjoy:

Into the Woods

The Gist: A baker and his wife need to gather a list of items for a witch in order for her to lift the curse that prevents them from having children.

Musicals can be interesting and fun to watch, but they do feel quaint. Wildly popular decades ago, they've been resurrected time and time again, sometimes with excellent results (Moulin Rouge, Cabaret), but I always feel wary going into one because their very own premise (people singing rather than talking) is absurd and feels foolish.

I decided to watch Into the Woods primarily because it starred my favorite actress, Meryl Streep, and because she was also nominated for a Best Supporting Actress for the role.

Gods, did I need not to worry! The movie is an amalgam of several famous fairy tales perfectly strung together.

The songs are clever, the dancing organic, and the script skillfully weaves all the many pieces together.

The cast includes Anna Kendrick, Emily Blunt, Christine Baranski, Tracey Ullman, Johnny Depp, and Chris Pine and they are all incredibly good. Naturally, Meryl tops them all in yet another perfect and unforgettable performance.

The Bottom Line: Fear not the genre and confidently go and watch this excellent tale of love, loss, and magic. You'll love it!

Grade: 8

The Bridges of Madison County

The Gist: A disaffected housewife meets a travelling photographer.  The two fall in love in spite of all the obstacles they face.

Clint Eastwood directs this adaptation of a famous novel with tenderness and warmth.  Meryl Streep is at her best as a woman dissatisfied with how her life turned out and eager for something different.  Her performance is so subtle and simple that it’s easy to miss its mastery.

The music by Lennie Niehaus helps setting the romantic mood and the cinematography really makes one wish he could visit Madison County and its beautiful bridges.

The Bottom Line: You can’t go wrong with a movie with Meryl Streep, add to that Eastwood’s commanding hand behind the lens and you have a must-see for all cinephiles.

Grade: 9

The Iron Lady

I had been longing to watch this movie ever since it came out.  Anything with my beloved Meryl Streep, the greatest actress of all time, deserves watching and this was the one that finally earned her the long-awaited third Oscar, lifting her to the more rarified tier of triple Oscar winners.  Only Katherine Hepburn has more, with four.

The Gist: Margaret Thatcher, now an old lady afflicted by Alzheimer’s disease, was a seminal figure during the second half of the 20th century in Britain but her leadership affected the whole world.  We are taken through the most important events of that time as seen through her eyes and those of the people closest to her.

The Iron Lady is at best an average movie.  Sure, the most important events of Mrs. Thatcher’s reign as one of the most powerful Prime Ministers Britain has ever had are analyzed, but one can feel the countless other events that affected her and the nation bubbling just under the surface.

The editing is only partially effective in creating a good flow and the screenplay is part of the problem.  However, whatever lacks in those areas is more than made up for in others.  Costumes, score, and art direction are all very good, and the makeup is flawless.

Finally, of course, a word about Mrs. Streep’s performance.  While aided by the Oscar winning makeup, it is unimaginably, disarmingly, and utterly impeccable.  Everyone knows she’s a great actress, and I was expecting an excellent performance, but from when she first appears on screen all the way to the closing credits I couldn’t believe the bravura performance I was witnessing.  Over and over I found myself in awe of this woman, mouth agape, staring at the screen.

Now, some might say that’s not a good sign, because it jolts you from the action, or that she was wasted in a movie of such low caliber, but in the end her performance is what “makes” The Iron Lady a movie worth watching in spite of its imperfections.  Mrs. Streep’s performance in this movie should be a case study for every aspiring student thespian.

The Bottom Line: While not memorable as far as biography adaptations for the big screen go, Meryl Streep’s performance is so good that it makes this a must-see for any cinephile worthy of his or her name.

Grade: 7