Tag: marriage story

Golden Globes Nominations: Thoughts and Predictions

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! We are in full swing into award season and we have the Golden Globes nominations. The Golden Globes are known to be the precursor to the Oscars, as the winners of the Golden Globes are more than likely to win an Oscar. Netflix has big nominations as “Marriage Story” leads the nominations with 6 nods, with “The Irishman” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” following suit with 5 nods. “Marriage Story” and “The Irishman” getting the most nominations are no surprise, but “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” getting 5 nominations is a shock. I certainly expected a couple nominations, but not 5. Films that are released in the summer are almost forgotten in awards seasons.

“Joker” also did very well with 4 nominations, which is more than I expected. Unfortunately, “The Peanut Butter Falcon” received 0 nominations, and “Booksmart” has only 1 nomination. Also, only 1 nominations for “Cats”. I have yet to see that film, but considering the HFPA loves to nominate any film that comes their way, (e.g. “The Tourist”), that certainly does not look good for the upcoming film. And “The Lion King” got a nomination for Best Animated Feature, which is just appalling. “The Lion King” is probably one of the worst films of 2019, but more of that on a different day. To a But without further ado, here are the nominations and my predictions.

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
“1917”
“The Irishman”
“Joker”
“Marriage Story”
“The Two Popes”

Predicted winner: “Marriage Story”. It’s hard to ignore a film with powerhouse acting that tackles a difficult subject matter. “Marriage Story” pulls enough emotion from the viewers and it is certainly a contender to win the top prize.

Upsets: Although “Joker” and “The Irishman” certainly are trailing behind “Marriage Story”, but “Joker” has already earned a billion dollars at the box office, giving itself a prize already, and “The Irishman” is a three and a half hour crime drama epic that will bore most voters. Also Robert de Niro was snubbed for “The Irishman”, so that’s not a good sign.

BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
“Dolemite is My Name”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Knives Out”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“Rocketman”

Predicted winner: “Jojo Rabbit”. If only “Booksmart” was nominated. Nonetheless, this is an excellent set of nominees. But of course only one film can win and “Jojo Rabbit” is the film that did have the momentum for a while. Although the humorous tone of the Nazis has turned people off from the film, I can certainly understand why “Jojo Rabbit” may not get a win.

Upsets: “Dolemite is My Name” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” are both films that show the behind the scenes of how a film is made. The HFPA love these types of films and a case could certainly be made for both films winning the top prize.

BEST DIRECTOR
Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite”
Sam Mendes, “1917”
Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”
Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman”
Todd Phillips, “Joker

Predicted winner: Martin Scorsese for “The Irishman”. Scorsese is a legendary filmmaker who has been honored by the HFPA three times. Although his direction is excellent, having three awards can possibly go against him.

Upsets: Todd Philips went from directing fun comedies to a dark origin of a villain. It’s hard to ignore the director who successfully made a villain’s origin story that had the whole nation talking. Also, although Quentin Tarantino has won two Golden Globes for writing, he has yet to win one for directing. It is possible the HFPA could finally reward Tarantino for his directing.

BEST ACTOR – DRAMA
Christian Bale, “Ford v. Ferrari”
Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory”
Adam Driver, “Marriage Story”
Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”
Jonathan Pryce, “The Two Popes”

Predicted winner: Joaquin Phoenix for “Joker”. Fans and audiences certainly want Phoenix to win an award for his role as Arthur Fleck. We can only hope that the HFPA would listen to what the audiences think.

Upsets: Adam Driver in “Marriage Story” is the definition of acting. I can certainly see Driver pulling an upset for his strong performance in the emotional filled film.

BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA
Cynthio Erivo, “Harriet”
Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”
Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women”
Charlize Theron, “Bombshell”
Renee Zellweger, “Judy”

Predicted winner: Scarlett Johansson for “Marriage Story”. Not only does Johansson make a case for why she should win for her work in “Marriage Story”, but she has yet to actually win a Golden Globe. It’s about time she gets recognized for her strong acting.

Upset: Biopics are certainly beloved by the HFPA and having a biopic about legendary actress Judy Garland can certainly help Renee Zellweger win the award.

BEST ACTOR – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Daniel Craig, “Knives Out”
Roman Griffin Davis, “Jojo Rabbit”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Taron Egerton, “Rocketman”
Eddie Murphy, “Dolemite Is My Name”

Predicted winner: Eddie Murphy in “Dolemite is My Name”. Who doesn’t like a good comeback? Murphy steals the show as real life Rudy Ray Moore who tries to make it big on the big screen, the HFPA should reward Murphy for his stellar acting.

Upsets: I can certainly see Leonardo DiCaprio taking a win in this category, as the role of actor Rick Dalton. DiCaprio certainly does an excellent job in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, but he is already three Golden Globes, the HFPA would want to reward someone who has yet to win.

BEST ACTRESS – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Awkwafina, “The Farewell”
Ana de Armas, “Knives Out”
Beanie Feldstein, “Booksmart”
Emma Thompson, “Late Night”
Cate Blanchett, “Where’d You Go Bernadette”

Predicted winner: Awkwafina in “The Farewell”. As much as I would love Beanie Feldstein win for “Booksmart”, I have to give the win to Awkwafina. This role doesn’t feel as a comedic role since it does tackle a serious topic. Nonetheless, Awkwafina does stand out in “The Farewell”.

Upsets: The only possible upset I could see here is Ana de Armas in “Knives Out”. She makes the film her own and is certainly an upcoming talent that will stick out for years to come.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOTON PICTURE
Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”
Al Pacino, “The Irishman”
Joe Pesci, “The Irishman”
Brad Pitt, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”
Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes”

Predicted winner: Tom Hanks in “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”. Hanks beautifully gets into the role of Fred Rogers and almost feels like Mr. Rogers is actually on the screen.

Upsets: It has been years since Joe Pesci has been in a feature film and “The Irishman” serves as a comeback for the the actor. There is a chance that the HFPA could feel nostalgic for “The Irishman” and give it any award it can. Also, Brad Pitt steals the show in the last act of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, so a case could certainly be made for the actor winning the award.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOTON PICTURE
Annette Benning, “The Report”
Margot Robbie, “Bombshell”
Jennifer Lopez, “Hustlers”
Kathy Bates, “Richard Jewell”
Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”

Predicted winner: Laura Dern in “Marriage Story”. It is possible that the HFPA could go full “La La Land” and give every award to “Marriage Story”. Laura Dern does an excellent as a lawyer who uses dirty tactics to win a case.

Upsets: Jennifer Lopez in “Hustlers” gives Dern a run for her money and I would not be shocked if she came out as a winner. Lopez certainly has buzz going for her and could keep up the momentum going in awards season.

BEST SCREENPLAY
“Marriage Story”
“Parasite”
“The Two Popes”
“Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”
“The Irishman”

Predicted winner: Quentin Tarantino for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”. Hollywood loves films about itself and Tarantino’s smart screenplay feels tailor made for Hollywood insiders.

Upsets: “The Irishman” can make the voters feel nostalgic for past Scorsese films, I can see the screenplay having a win in this category. Plus since “Parasite” has been getting so much traction lately, I could see this film pulling an upset in this category.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“The Farewell”
“Les Misérables”
“Pain and Glory”
“Parasite”
“Portrait of a Lady on Fire”

Predicted winner: It’s a tie between “The Farewell” and “Parasite”. Both films certainly have a 50/50 chance of winning this category, both films have critics falling in love with each film. This category has no clear winner, in my honest opinion, it is a toss up.

Upset: Any film that is not “The Farewell” and “Parasite” sadly have a little chance of winning this award.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
“Frozen 2”
“The Lion King”
“Missing Link”
“Toy Story 4”
“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”

Predicted winner: “Frozen 2”. Frozen 2 is a box office hit and its previous film proves that they have this award in the bag.

Upset: Pixar used to be on a winning streak, but slowly they began to lose awards in their respective category. But this year “Toy Story 4” could win for its beautiful animated, even if the film feels unnecessary.

Marriage Story Film Review

Directed by Noah Baumbach

Starring: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern

Rated R for language throughout and sexual references

Divorce is a tough topic that isn’t explored often in film too often. The only film that seriously explores divorce, to my memory, is “Kramer vs Kramer”. The film explores the life of a single father and shows how a messy divorce can have an effect on children. 40 years later, writer and director brings us “Marriage Story”, a film that shows how a divorce has an effect on a family and how messy it can get. Charlie (played by Adam Driver) is a successful New York director whose marriage to Nicole ( played by Scarlett Johansson), who is a actress, is crumbling. But when Nicole goes to Los Angeles for an acting role, she asks for a divorce from Charlie. The divorce shows how emotions can run high and cause a rift within the family.

“Marriage Story” has a stellar cast who give strong performances. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson possibly give their best performances of their careers. There are multiple scenes where each respective actors give it their all in conveying the emotions the characters are feeling. There is one particular scene where Driver and Johansson go at it in a screaming match. These two actors go back in forth only for the both of them to end the argument in tears. Not only do the actors beautifully put the words on the screenplay onto the screen, but they display the character’s emotions on the screen and made the audience feel sympathetic for them.

In addition to Driver and Johansson, Laura Dern and Ray Liotta also give strong performances. They both play lawyers who represent Nicole and Charlie, respectively, in the ensuing divorce. Dern’s character in particular evoked a mixed reaction from me because she seems to care at first about the situation, but she ends up being a typical lawyer that we often see in films. This is due to Dern’s strong acting as the lawyer who just wants to win and doesn’t seem to care how this is tearing people apart. On the other hand, Alan Alda is the lawyer for Driver’s character at first and is sweet but doesn’t seem to fight dirty. I certainly enjoyed Alda’s time on the screen and wished he would have been in the film much longer.

Noah Baumbach’s writing and directing also shine in the film. Baumbach brings out the best in each actor, not only through his direction, but from his screenwriting as well. Never have I felt so much compassion for two people as I did for Charlie and Nicole. It is saddening to see their marriage just crumble in front of our eyes and seeing how nothing, not even therapy, could save it. The screenplay is not only heartfelt, but it knows what to say at the right moment. There was never a dull moment in the film, the dialogue in the film keep everything on track and interesting.

“Marriage Story” is a film that perfectly shows the heartbreak and anger that comes with a divorce. The acting, directing, and writing are all top notch, as Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson give one of the best performances of the year. “Marriage Story” is a heart wrenching film that cannot be missed.

4/4