Molly’s Game Film Review

Directed by Aaron Sorkin

Starring: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner

Rated R for language, drug content and some violence

Molly’s Game is the directorial debut of screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, who also wrote the screenplay for the film. The film centers around Molly Bloom (played by Jessica Chastain), a real life figure, who is arrested for running an illegal gambling ring. Her story is told mostly by flashbacks, as her lawyer (played by Idris Elba) reads the real life book she published, that would ultimately get her in trouble.

The film stars Jessica Chastain, as Molly, who does a fantastic job portraying the real life “poker princess”, as the film calls her. She is a character that was a skier when she was younger, but soon becomes a mastermind who runs a high stake poker game. The first scene properly introduces Molly, mostly in part screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, when she is seen as a smart character. This scene alone establishes Molly as a genius and makes her rise to power believable. For various scenes, Molly interacts with her lawyer Charlie, who is played by Idris Elba. Elba is incredible in any role he is in and of course he is also fantastic in the role of Charlie. The scenes were Molly and Charlie interact are great scenes. The two characters are intelligent and work well off each other. The only downside of having Elba in the role is that he is not in the film for too long, as the story is mostly focused on Molly and her story.

Aaron Sorkin is a screenwriter that has written screenplays such as The Social Network and Steve Jobs. Both of those screenplays, and other Sorkin screenplays, feature characters who say sharp dialogue. Molly’s Game is no exception to this, as most of the characters speak like Sorkin would. The story itself is an intriguing one, mostly because it is a true story. The film mostly switches between Molly and Charlie’s interaction and Molly’s own story as the “poker princess”. But occasionally, the film also switches back to Molly’s childhood. While viewing her childhood was interesting, these scenes mostly take away from any scenes of Molly and Charlie interacting. I feel conflicted on whether or not Sorkin should have removed these scenes, as viewing Molly’s skiing career did bring some intriguing, but at the same time, it doesn’t add too much to the story. These scenes only give the reason why Molly kept on running the poker games.

Overall, Molly’s Game is an interesting story of how one person ran high stake poker games with Hollywood elites and billionaires. The fact that this is a true story only brings more interest and makes the audience think of the actual games that were played with these powerful people. The story and the acting from its main star make Molly’s Game make the film worth while.

3.5/4

Good Time Film Review

Directed by Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, Jennifer Jason Leigh

Rated R for language throughout, violence, drug use and sexual content

Good Time is the directorial debut of the Safdie Brothers. The crime drama centers around Connie (played by Robert Pattinson), a young man who must break his intellectually disabled brother, Nick (played by Benny Safdie), out of jail after a bank robbery goes wrong. Throughout the film, Connie goes throughout New York and tries everything to get his brother out while also evading capture from the police.

What makes a film like Good Time exciting is that it uses the story to build up tension and suspension. This is by no means a horror filled film but just watching some scenes makes the audience nervous to what will happen next. This is what Uncut Gems, the sophomore effort from the Safdie Brothers, did so well. Both films make every scene anxious because we do not know what to expect. Writers Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie do a great job writing the dialogue and plot points that keep the audience guessing, but its the two directors that do an exceptional job putting the uneasiness onto the screen. The audience expects the film to take one direction, but it ends up going another.

While praise should be given to the two directors behind the camera, some should also go to its star Robert Pattinson. Years ago, Pattinson was a fairly disliked actor due to his work in the Twilight series. To be fair, his performances in those films were not so strong partly due to the lack of material that was given to him. But now Pattinson has redeemed himself as an actor and I would like to believe Good Time had a hand in that. It’s hard to believe but Pattinson has an English accent but there is no hint of that in this film. Pattinson perfectly conveys a young man who is trying everything to break out his brother with some of the anger and confusion that comes with it. The film also stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Barkhad Abdi, and Benny Safdie. Unfortunately, they are mostly in the film for a scene two, with the notable exception being Safdie, who appears at the very beginning and end of the film.

As mentioned before, Good Time makes the audience anxious due to the fast paced the film goes. What helps make the film go fast is the anxiety filled soundtrack from Oneohtrix Point Never. The score perfectly compliments the feeling Connie goes through the entire film. He is trying to break his brother from jail, therefore must act fast. With this, everything around him goes fast and he is moving at a fast speed. When viewing the film, the score was almost reminiscent of Uncut Gems, a synth filled score that keeps the audience engaged. Behind the camera is Sean Price Williams, who serves as the film’s cinematographer. He also does a great job for his work for the film, as he doesn’t make Good Time as a big Hollywood film. He filmed the scenes as it were real and it has a guerrilla style to it.

Overall, Good Time is a film that that takes an audience for a ride due to the fantastic direction and writing. Its star Robert Pattinson is electrifying in this fast paced film. It’s safe to say Good Time and Uncut Gems proved that the Safdie Brothers are up and coming directors to look out for in the future.

3.5/4

Bloodshot Film Review

Directed by Dave Wilson

Starring: Vin Diesel, Eiza González, Sam Heughan

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, some suggestive material and language

Bloodshot is an action film based on the comic book with the same name. The film centers around Ray (played by Vin Diesel), a soldier who is killed only to be brought back to life by a billion dollar company. Not only is he resurrected from the dead, but he is back with superpowers that include super strength and self healing. With these new powers, he would be used by others to be a weapon.

While Bloodshot is filled with cliches, it is still a somewhat enjoyable film. The opening scene is filled with action cliches that is features a soldiers going to a country and saving hostages, and ending up with a beautiful women at the end. The first half of the film is a typical action film, I can praise the somewhat twist that is featured in the film. It’s certainly not the biggest shocker, it does take a film in a different direction than I certainly expected it to go.

The action in the film is fast paced and interesting. The standouts does include an action sequence in a tunnel. While, I had fun with the action, there were several missed opportunities in the film. The main character is one that has super strength and can heal by himself, whether he gets shot or stabbed. But while the titular character is very strong and powerful, there is no sense of real danger for the character. The only danger the character faces is the main villain who can turn off Bloodshot in a second and his henchman who is a walking cliche. Yes, the action is enjoyable but there were so many things that could have been done with the action. Instead, the film plays it safe with some horrendous CGI.

For the most part, the casting in the film yields mixed results. Vin Diesel plays the same character he’s always played. He doesn’t add anything to the role and it almost feels like another actor could play the role. The film also features Lamorne Morris who displays a strong British accent in the film. While he was fun to watch at first, his jokes and quirks got old really fast. This is mostly due to the fact that the editors didn’t know when to cut his scenes. But the standouts in the film include Guy Pearce and Eiza González who give strong performances. They actually try to give more than is required in the film and I praise them for that. Every time they were on screen, I knew the scenes would be interesting.

Bloodshoot certainly has its issues but its still an enjoyable time that is filled with mindless action. The film doesn’t warrant a big screen treatment, as it would be best to view the film at home (and not just because almost all theaters are closed at the moment). Fans of Vin Diesel and the comic book will enjoy Bloodshot.

2.5/4

The Invisible Man Film Review

Directed by Leigh Whannell

Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Harriet Dyer

Rated R for some strong bloody violence, and language.

The Invisible Man is a horror remake of the 1933 classic film with the same name, which itself was based off a novel by H.G. Wells. After leaving a abusive relationship, Cecilia (played by Elizabeth Moss) tries to live her normal life and cope with the trauma she faced in her relationship. But soon after her former partner (played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen) commits suicide, Cecilia feels like her ex boyfriend is stalking her, but in a invisible form.

The film’s main character is played by Elizabeth Moss, who delivers a strong performance. She is a character who is afraid, confused, and terrified that someone or something is stalking her. There are also a lot of physical acting that had to be done in the film. In one scene in particular, Cecilia is fighting with the invisible man. We don’t see the man itself, but we can tell she is in a vicious fight. Aldis Hodge is also in the film and plays Cecilia’s friend. Hodge also does an excellent job in the film and is actually one of the standouts from the film. The character is not only well written, but is also played excellently by Hodge. Although Hodge has been in previous films such as Hidden Figures and Straight Outta Compton, I would like to see Hodge in more starring roles. He proved in this film that is he is a likable figure who commands presence when he is on the screen and that likability can definitely be carried over to staring roles.

Although the film does have its terrifying moments, the film plays more of a suspenseful film. The opening scene has the main character leaving home in a suspended filled scene. Director Leigh Whannell made this scene filled with uneasiness due to the suspense that surrounded the scene. Without any words being said, we know what is at stake if the other character wakes up. I like how Whannell did not have to dumb down the scene and explain what was happening. The scene itself explains it all.

But as much I enjoyed the film, the film did slow down a bit in the second act of the film. I certainly understand having Cecilia in the attic looking for clues is supposed to be suspenseful but the scene did get dragged on a bit. While do appreciate the film not going the cliche jump scare route and actually building the tension, I believe cutting parts of the scene would have been best. It is until the third act where things pick up. While a tad bit predictable, the entire third act is not only action pack, but fast paced as well. The third act is filled with many twists and turns that the final act makes up for the slow second act.

The Invisible Man is a different type of horror film that doesn’t stoop low to the typical horror film cliches. The film is certainly filled with relatable leads who give strong performances. Leigh Whannell not only directs this well directed film, but also writes a story that is grounded in reality. The story of having someone leave an abusive relationship certainly plays a big role in the film, but also brilliantly has a long lasting effect in it. The Invisible Man is a smart and terrifying film that has a lot to offer and will certainly keep the audience thinking about the film long after it is over.

3/4

Brahms: The Boy II Film Review

Directed by William Brent Bell

Starring: Katie Holmes, Owain Yeoman, Christopher Convery

Rated PG-13 for terror, violence, disturbing images and thematic elements

Brahms: The Boy II is a horror sequel to 2016’s The Boy. The film centers around a family who move to the countryside after a trauma inducing robbery greatly affects a mother and son. After moving to the countryside, Jude (played by Christopher Convery) finds a doll and begins to connect to it. But soon after, things turn awry in the house as the doll begins to take over Jude.

What I enjoyed from The Boy is that the film tries to not be a cliche horror film. Most horror films start off with a new family moving to the countryside with no context. But The Boy actually shows us why the family moves to a new house. It does bring up an interesting concept of having a son and mother (played by Katie Holmes) traumatized after a robbery. And while it is an interesting concept, the film sometimes tries to be a psychological horror. I wish the film gone that route, unfortunately, it only tries to not be cliche. Instead, the film fails and becomes a typical horror film.

The film relies heavily on jump scares to get the audience afraid. The film is filled with cheap tricks such as a nightmare waking up a character and a musical cue having to do the scaring. It has the same backstory of a dead family that we have all seen before. It has the creepy doll that seems innocent at first, but is actually menacing. It fills all the checklist that a horror film should have. And when the film is not trying to scare the audience, it is filled with dull dialogue in scenes that go nowhere. I can’t begin to count how many scenes feature a character sleeping. The repetitive of many scenes bring down the film and make it more dull. In addition, while the film has a run time of 90 minutes, it certainly feels much longer.

The Boy is a horror film that doesn’t offer much that heavily relies on cliches. The repetitiveness of many scenes make the film seen longer than it should be. Quite honestly, this a forgettable film that doesn’t evoke much emotion or a reaction to the film. There is not much to say for a film that doesn’t try to stand out and instead lazily fills a horror film checklist.

1.5/4

Fantasy Island (2020) Film Review

Directed by Jeff Wadlow

Starring: Michael Peña, Lucy Hale, Austin Stowell

Rated PG-13 for violence, terror, drug content, suggestive material and brief strong language

Fantasy Island is a horror film based off the 1977 film series of the same name. The film stars Michael Pena, as Mr. Roarke an owner of a private island who invites 5 strangers to his island. The strangers come to the island on the opportunity with living out their fantasies. But as the group live out their fantasies, they soon realize their dreams soon become a nightmare.

The concept of Fantasy Island is an interesting one as living out your dreams is something we all want to do. As the film has an interesting concept, the film poorly executed and is very boring to watch. The film shows the fantasies of all the strangers, and they all seem uninteresting. One character wants to live out the dream of being in the military, another has the dream of reliving a regret she recently has, another one wants to humiliate her childhood bully, and two brothers just want to party. At some point of viewing each character’s dream, the film just slows down and doesn’t feel like a horror film. To keep the film coherent, the screenplay should have written just one character coming into the island and living out their dream with things turning sideways soon afterwards. Seeing all the characters and their fantasies slows the film down and makes the film boring.

As mentioned before, Michael Pena stars as the film’s main antagonist. As much as I respect Pena’s work, his portrayal of Mr. Roarke feels tiresome. Pena’s role requires him to be a menacing person who is also very mysterious. But with all due respect to Pena, he could not become the mysterious and menacing person the film requires him to be. Pena certainly could have fun with the role, but in the end it feels like Pena is in the film for a paycheck. No emotions are given by Pena, he just plays the character straightforward. And saying this about Pena is a shame as he is capable of giving a great performance when giving the right script.

But the biggest problem of the film is the screenplay that is lazily written. The first two acts are the characters living out their fantasies, but its all boring, as mentioned before. But in the third act is where things finally pick up. The group has to work together to get off the island. But there is a twist that is delivered that is sloppy written. The film tries to explain the twist by having a character say, “I was just acting”, which makes no sense at all. Having a twist like this only makes the film end on a sour note, considering the final act actually began to show some promise for the film. To add to the screenplay, its unfunny, dull, and too long. The entire screenplay should have been scrapped in favor for a gripping story.

Overall, Fantasy Island is a bland film that actually has an creative concept that is quickly wasted. When the film actually started to show some potential, a poorly executed twist ruins the film. The unfunny moments, dull characters, and non-scary moments make Fantasy Island a forgetful film.

1.5/4

Birds of Prey Film Review

Directed by Cathy Yan

Starring: Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Rated R for strong violence and language throughout, and some sexual and drug material

Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn is the newest addition to the DC Extended Universe, in which antihero Harley Quinn (played by Margot Robbie) must retrieve a diamond for Roman Sionis (played by Ewan McGregor). Quinn has recently broken up with the Joker, meaning she is no longer under his protection. This means that anyone can go for Quinn, who is trying to move on from the breakup and prove she is as menacing as Joker.

To start off, the film is filled with interesting characters, from Roman Sionis to Harley Quinn, who is the main star of the film. Sionis is a violent and a bit funny character who loses a diamond to a young girl and has Quinn retrieve the lost diamond. McGregor truly has fun with the character, as he almost plays the character as a cartoon villain. McGregor’s presence on the screen makes the scenes he is in more interesting because McGregor’s fun with the character. Quinn is another interesting character who is trying to make it on her own from a recent breakup. Robbie excellently plays Quinn as a smart person who does her best to keep herself alive, due to the fact that the Joker is no longer protecting Quinn.

The film also features the characters of Huntress, Black Canary, and Renee Montoya. As much I give praise to Quinn and Sionis being interesting characters, I have mixed feelings for the roles of the other characters. The rest of the characters just feel like stereotypical characters that we have seen before. Huntress, who is played wonderfully by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, is the stereotypical person who is seeking revenge for the death of her family. Montoya is a stereotypical detective who is trying to break a major case. But I will credit the film for actually calling out the cliches of the character.

Birds of Prey begins the film with multiple flashbacks and the first act is nonlinear. It begins with multiple stories that are mixed up and ultimately can confuse the viewer. As mentioned before, the first act follows a nonlinear story line, but the acts that follow are not nonlinear and the story is told in order. I generally disliked the mixture of how the story was told because it can prove to be confusing and sometimes dull. In addition to the story, the main plot itself is a basic story that we have seen before. Harley Quinn is forced to get a lost diamond that was stolen from a young kid. I have seen this type of story I have seen before and actually done much better.

In the second act, we see Sionis places a reward for the capture of Cassandra Cain, the young girl who stole the diamond. Quinn goes to a police station to get Cain while other groups do so as well. I loved watching the biker gang trying to get Cain and Quinn trying to protect her because it forces Quinn to actually not think about herself for once. While this concept is briefly explored, it is quickly ignored for Quinn and Cain hanging out in an apartment and dragging the film down. While watching the police station scene, it brought back memories of a film called Safe, which starred Jason Statham. In this film, Statham has to protect a young girl from multiple gangs who are going after the girl for personal reasons. The reason why I bring up an obscure film from 8 years ago is because the story from Safe is done much better than Birds of Prey and I wish this film did explored the idea of Quinn having to protect a young girl from gangsters throughout the film. All I could think of while watching Birds of Prey is a film from 2012, that was largely forgotten, did this idea so much better.

Birds of Prey has intriguing characters that are played by excellent actors. While I have praise for the actors in the film, the story and the ideas they don’t explore bring the film down. The missed opportunities only make the messy story even more unbearable. A film is only as good as its screenplay and Birds of Prey proves that its weak screenplay brings down the entire film.

2/4

GoldenEye Film Review

Directed by Martin Campbell

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco

Rated PG-13 for a number of sequences of action/violence, and for some sexuality

In 1989, the Bond series was not doing too well with the release of License to Kill not doing so well at the box office. At to the fact that the film series and its producers were in legal battles after the film was released. Soon, their star Timothy Dalton decided to not continue forward with the role as James Bond. The Bond series was in hot water and desperately needed a comeback. Six years later, the Bond series came back with its new star, Pierce Brosnan, and in a new era where the Cold War was over. GoldenEye represented a new era for the Bond series and successfully came back to its former glory.

GoldenEye is 17th film in the James Bond series, starring Pierce Brosnan as Bond. In this film, Bond has to face off against a former MI6 agent, played by Sean Bean, who is set on financially destroying London. Not only does Bond face off against a former MI6 agent, but also a Russian Colonel, a sex crazed female assassin, and a geeky hacker.

GoldenEye is, of course, the first outing of Brosnan as his role as Bond. Brosnan does a fantastic job portraying Bond but as his first film, he is trying to find his footing as Bond. He has the same jokes and one liners as Roger Moore did, but also can be brutal as his predecessor, Timothy Dalton, did. Truth be told, Brosnan is not my favorite Bond due to having poor films under his belt, but GoldenEye is an exception. He does a well enough job here but the action is the main star of the film here.

The action in the film is fantastically made and its all due to director Martin Campbell. The film starts with a great action sequence that begins with a bungee jump down a dam. Although the film logic doesn’t make sense, considering the scene began on a dam, the sequence ends on a mountain with a bang. The entire cold open is great but that’s just the beginning! The highlight of the film is a tank chase in Russia that features the iconic 007 theme.

The only downside is that the plot that the villain reveals is confusing and hard to follow. It is tradition to have complex schemes in Bond films, but I could not follow the film and it’s scheme, despite how many times it is explained. In addition, “M”, played by Judi Dench, is not featured as much as I wanted to. Earlier in the Bond films, “M” would appear in the beginning of the film and explained the mission Bond was going into. They were rarely featured outside the beginning of the film because their role was already used. The same rule applies to Dench’s “M”, she only appears in the beginning/middle of the film. Dench is a talented actress who should have appeared more in the film. Luckily, we got to see more of “M” in future films, the producers probably realized it would be a shame to waste the talents of Judi Dench, and soon Ralph Finnes.

Overall, GoldenEye is a fun and enjoyable addition to the Bond series. Pierce Brosnan plays it safe by playing a mash up of previous Bonds that came before him, but the film is still enjoyable and has top notch action. GoldenEye is a must watch for any fan of the Bond series.

3.5/4

1917 Film Review

Directed by Sam Mendes

Starring: Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays

Rated R for violence, some disturbing images, and language

“1917” is a war drama, directed by Sam Mendes, in which two British soldiers (played by Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay) have to deliver a message to stop an upcoming battle. Set in the first World War, the two men will travel through trenches and hell to deliver this message in order to save the lives of others, including of the men’s own brother.

“1917” is not your typical war film, as it has two features that make it stand out from the crowd. First, it is a film about the first World War, a war that is not explored too often in film. Second, it is filmed to be like a long take, almost like how “Birdman” did six years ago. The cinematography is great and its all due to the amazing Roger Deakins. The single take was impressive and I was certainly in awe of it. But I didn’t like it as much as I thought I was going to be. This is not to dismiss the cinematography or the work of Sam Mendes, but I found myself looking where the edits were. The reason why for this is because “Birdman” did this years ago and so have films before that. Did I enjoy the single take shot? Yes, it was fascinating to watch, but I did not enjoy it as much as I hoped.

In addition to the excellent camera work, Sam Mendes proves why he is such a great director. He realistically shows the horrors of war and what these young men had to put with 100 years ago. But Mendes’ work is accompanied by Thomas Newman’s score, a frequent collaborator of Mendes. It’s not a controversial thing to say that Newman always delivers a strong score and “1917” is no exception. Newman as always finds the right notes to put on the screen and does so effectively.

Finally, we cannot forget the two actors who are the main stars of the film. Both Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay give strong and emotional performances as two men who are just trying to deliver orders, all while staying alive. When the men were afraid, we were afraid, when they let their guard down, we also did the same. Mendes has mentioned that he wanted unknowns for his film, but we can only hope that “1917” is a start of something tremendous for the two actors. In additon to Chapman and MacKay, we have familiar names such as Colin Firth, Mark Strong, and Andrew Scott. The big names in the film are almost cameo roles and are only on screen for a few minutes. They do a great job for the minutes they are on screen, but there is not much of note for those actors.

Overall, “1917” is a realistic war film that will certainly impress the audience. I personally wasn’t the biggest fan of the single take but I certainly have much respect for the film for going there and having beautiful shots when they are present on screen. The end credits of the film show that “1917” is a dedication to his grandfather, who served in the war. I cannot think of a better dedication to the men of the Great War than “1917”, a film that shows the horrors of war.

3.5/4

2020 Golden Globes Winners

It’s the first weekend of the new year and that means its time for the Golden Globes, the first awards show of the year. Ricky Gervais hosts for the fifth time and delivers as always. Of course, he doesn’t care about the celebrities he is insulting. But comedy aside, the awards show delivered some surprises and some winners we all saw coming.

The biggest surprise is that Eddie Murphy did not win for “Dolemite Is My Name”. Considering he was snubbed at the SAG Awards for a nomination, the chances of Murphy of getting the Oscar nomination, but I can only hope. Also, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” did better than I expected with three wins. In addition, “Rocketman” came out with two wins, something I did not expect as well. Finally, “1917” won the top prize with two awards. This has certainly divided the internet as no one saw it coming. I will see “1917” soon and we shall see if it was worthy of Best Motion Picture-Drama. But here are the winners of the 2020 Golden Globes Awards:

Best motion picture — Drama
Winner – “1917”
“The Irishman”
“Joker”
“Marriage Story”
“The Two Popes”

Best motion picture — Musical or comedy
Winner– “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“Dolemite is My Name”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Knives Out”
“Rocketman”

Best performance by an actress in a motion picture — Drama
Winner- Renee Zellweger, “Judy”
Cynthio Erivo, “Harriet”
Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”
Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women”
Charlize Theron, “Bombshell”

Best performance by an actor in a motion picture — Drama
Winner- Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”
Christian Bale, “Ford v. Ferrari”
Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory”
Adam Driver, “Marriage Story”
Jonathan Pryce, “The Two Popes”

Best performance by an actress in a motion picture — Musical or comedy
Winner- Awkwafina, “The Farewell”
Ana de Armas, “Knives Out”
Beanie Feldstein, “Booksmart”
Emma Thompson, “Late Night”
Cate Blanchett, “Where’d You Go Bernadette”

Best performance by an actor in a motion picture — Musical or comedy
Winner- Taron Egerton, “Rocketman”
Daniel Craig, “Knives Out”
Roman Griffin Davis, “Jojo Rabbit”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Eddie Murphy, “Dolemite Is My Name”

Best performance by a supporting actor in any motion picture
Winner- Brad Pitt, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”
Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”
Al Pacino, “The Irishman”
Joe Pesci, “The Irishman”
Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes”

Best performance by an actress in a supporting role in any motion picture
Winner- Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”
Annette Benning, “The Report”
Margot Robbie, “Bombshell”
Jennifer Lopez, “Hustlers”
Kathy Bates, “Richard Jewell”

Best director — Motion picture
Winner- Sam Mendes, “1917”
Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite”
Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”
Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman”
Todd Phillips, “Joker”

Best screenplay — Motion picture
Winner- Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”
Noah Baumbach, “Marriage Story”
Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won, “Parasite”
Anthony McCarten, “The Two Popes”
Steven Zaillian, “The Irishman”

Best motion picture — Animated
Winner- “Missing Link”
“Frozen II”
“The Lion King”
“Toy Story 4”
“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”

Best original song — Motion picture
Winner- “I’m Gonna Love Me Again” Elton John, Bernie Taupin – Rocketman
“Beautiful Ghosts” Andrew Lloyd Webber, Taylor Swift – Cats
“Into the Unknown” Kristen Anderson Lopez, Robert Lopez – Frozen II
“Spirit” Timothy McKenzie, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Beyoncé – The Lion King
“Stand Up” Joshuah Brian Campbell, Cynthia Erivo – Harriet

Best original score — Motion picture
Winner- Hildur Guðnadóttir, “Joker”
Daniel Pemberton, “Motherless Brooklyn”
Alexandre Desplat, “Little Women”
Thomas Newman, “1917”
Randy Newman, “Marriage Story”

Next Monday the Oscar nominations will be announced and on January 19 will be the SAG Awards. We shall see which films will get big nominations at the Oscars and which actors will win the SAG award. Of course, the Critic’s Choice Movie Awards are next Sunday, so we will shall see the winners of those awards as well.