I currently do not have any Rita Hayworth or S.Z. Sakall movies on my watchlist, so I decided to take yesterday and the day before off and do as much work as possible, so I have more time for movies during the rest of the month. I know there are going to be days I want to see A LOT (tomorrow, for example), but today I watched just one movie. Unfortunately, it was…
Kiss Me, Kate (1953). dir. George Sidney
Yeah, let’s just say it like it is: The Taming of the Shrew, which is Shakespeare’s most misogynistic play, is not exactly the kind of story I would like to watch in a cheerful musical – unless there was some interesting view on the original text presented. There isn’t one in George Sidney’s film [SPOILER: They keep Katherine’s final monologue, ugh], but what is the most upsetting, is that I just do not like the musical numbers that much and I find the film rather boring.
This is a story within a story, art imitating life, if you will, where two actors who were once married but are now feuding, are now to play the main roles in the musical version of The Taming of the Shrew (songs by Cole Porter who is actually one of the characters in the movie).
Ann Miller was our star today, she plays „Bianca” and if there is any silver lining, to me she is the best part of the film. One of the first things that she does when she comes on the screen, is the „Too Darn Hot” number and it’s pretty great (this is one of the songs I actually liked, others being „I Hate Men” -although, with all due respect to Kathryn Greyson, I prefer other versions than the one here – and „From This Moment On” which is an actually good musical number but for some reason very brief, I felt). Maybe if there was more Ann Miller in it just dancing, everything would have been better.
OK. Iconic.
Side-note: I think I need to research Howard Keel more. It seems to me like he is not considered an icon these days, but when I was watching the movie I realized how often I see him (and hear his baritone) in those MGM musicals (he was in, I want to say, most of them).
Home Improvement S02E16, „Dances with Tools”
I did only watch one Ann Miller film today, but I also checked out the episode of Home Improvement she appeared on. I have actually never watched this show before and I don’t think I will, because the humour seemed… not for me. Ann plays a dance instructor (the main characters want to learn ballroom dancing for their anniversary) and it was nice to see her in her later years, still looking great and moving amazing.
(Interesting thing I noticed: even though the show is laugh-track heavy, there was no pause for applause/applause when Ann first appeared on the screen, it was as if she was just any other actress, not a cameo from an Old Hollywood legend. Huh).
BTW, did you know that Ann Miller’s father was a lawyer who represented Bonnie and Clyde?
We finished Day 1 of Summer Under the Stars 2020 with a Douglas Sirk film and we are starting Day 2 with a Douglas Sirk film. And I think many people consider All That Heaven Allows THE Douglas Sirk film. It is weird that I have not seen it before today, but if there was any unconscious worry in my mind that it would not match the expectations I set for it, it was for nothing, because the film is incredible.
The thing that first comes to mind when it comes to this film is probably the cinematography, the production design, and the costumes, and how gorgeous all of it is. I admit, I am so obsessed with the look of All That Heaven Allows I cannot even put it into words. I think everything should be clear to anyone who has seen even a frame from the movie. The autumnal atmosphere is so beautiful (I am serious) it made my heart ache. And I’m guessing the colour theorists must have had a field day with this one.
But something that I think deserves more credit is the screenplay. Not only are we presented with this touching, human and compassionate story, it is also very clever, maybe more than one might think. There are just so many little moments, callbacks that illustrate this incredibly profound and, at the same time, such we can all find ourselves in, revelations.
Rock Hudson was the perfect choice for his role here, he is unbelievably handsome and charming but also brings some bittersweet note to every moment he is on the screen. Jane Wyman is equally good and the way both of them carry on in this film makes it pretty clear from the very beginning that we are not watching an uplifting love story. And that just makes watching all of that beauty more complex and engaging. And what can I say, I am a sucker for a tearjerker that is actually good.
As far as actors go, I also really enjoyed Gloria Talbott as The Daughter. She is the intellectual of the family, and while know-it-all girls appeared in movies before, she has actual academic background and her tangents are pretty amusing to anyone who interacted with people like that in real life. But there is also some darkness to her (clearly, there is darkness to everything in this movie). She reminded me, maybe mostly because of her look, of Virginie Ledoyen in François Ozon’s 8 femmes and made me think of how close the aesthetics of the both films are.
Despite the beautiful melancholy of All That Heaven Allows, I am glad it is not, in the end, hopeless (is this a spoiler?). The theme of the movie is that we all deserve happiness – we as the viewers do, too.
The Mirror Crack’d (1980), dir. Guy Hamilton
The Mirror Crack’d is an Agatha Christie adaptation and the most important part of it is that ANGELA LANSBURY PLAYS MISS MARPLE! I could not believe it, I somehow missed this information before watching and when the film began with a movie-within-a-movie watched by a group of townspeople and Angela Lansbury guesses the killer, I thought it was just the greatest cameo of all time. But this came out four years before Murder, She Wrote started. Anyway, the very beginning of this movie was so exciting, so my hopes were high.
Too bad film quickly becomes pretty dull and starts dragging on. I am not even completely sure why. It is a shame because it had the potential to be truly wacky and iconic. I mean, Elizabeth Taylor is in this movie (and she wears an absolutely ridiculous flower cap). Tony Curtis is in this movie (but he is on the screen for what me seemed like twenty seconds). And honestly, the brightest and most incredible part of this whole mess for me was Kim Novak who not only looks incredible, but also gives the most bananas performance that I am going to think about for a long time.
Look at them!
But there are also two incredibly tragic things about The Mirror Crack’d. First of all, Rock Hudson would be dead in five years and in this film he still looks great and healthy so it’s scary to think about how quickly AIDS destroyed his body. The second thing is (a SPOILER, I guess) that, the plot is obviously not just inspired by but a straight-up retold Gene Tierney story of what happened to her baby. I have mixed feelings on the ethics of that fact.
The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933), dir. Frank Capra
At this point I have seen most of the Barbara Stanwyck biggest hits. I’m pretty sure this is the most famous of her movies we have here today. If I’m not mistaken, The Bitter Tea of General Yen is (or was) even a part of the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die list.
I can understand why. There is a lot of beauty in this film. Capra’s camera work is impeccable. Barbara looks beautiful. It is not hard to get enchanted by this film.
Except, it is. Or at least, it should be for anyone watching it today. This is a particularly prominent example of a potentially great piece of art being ruined by racism. And it did not necessarily have to be. Introducing white people to a Chinese setting and making them protagonists is a disaster waiting to happen in itself, but at the beginning of the film what we see first, are those white characters having a party, while the Chinese characters are their servants or just an uneasy crowd in the street. The contrast is striking and it may even look like a commentary on the exploitative and oblivious white „missionaries” who in reality ignore any hardships the native population faces and are content to exploit them.
But then General Yen himself shows up. Oh my God.
General Yen is played by a Swedish actor Nils Asther in yellowface. To add to that, Stanwyck has visions in which his features and mannerisms are even more caricatural and offensive. It is rough. Not to mention that their story is basically that of kidnapping. I have managed to avoid seeing 365 Days but I imagine it is similar (don’t worry, I am just joking).
from Barbara Stanwyck: The Miracle Woman, by Dan Callahan
A very telling part of this whole mess is that there are actual Asian actors in the film. One might suppose that the reason why General Yen is played by a white actor is because of the romantic liaison between the characters of him and Stanwyck. And God forbid we show an ACTUAL interracial relationship, right?
The Bitter Tea of General Yen had the potential to be a beautiful, subversive Pre-Code drama, but instead it is hard to be viewed as anything other than a shameful legacy of racist Hollywood.
The Bride Walks Out (1936), dir. Leigh Jason
This Summer Under the Stars is really not off to a good start because the second film I watched is also pretty… problematic (yikes!).
One of the first things we see on the screen in The Bride Walks Out is Hattie McDaniel, as a servant of Barbara Stanwyck, giving her a piece of her mind in a sassy way. Oooof course! And this movie does not stop at „just racism”. The misogyny is also strong. The main plot concerns Barbara and her boyfriend who really wants to marry her, but she’s not sure because she has a job and does not want to resign from it because she’s worried they won’t have enough money. It seems to me like there could a really simple solution for that but I guess „times were different”.
The story itself is boring, there is a rich guy who shows up and jealousy ensues, marriage falls apart as soon as it begins etc. The misogyny is what stands out the most. Apart from the old-school problem I mentioned above, this film is obsessed with… domestic violence humour? The rich guy says to Barbara (TW): „If I were your husband, I’d beat you within an inch of your life”. What a charmer, am I right, ladies? It’s no wonder she is into him! Especially since she follows it later on in the movie with (spoken to her husband): „Hit me – that would be the manly thing to do!”
Call me a snowflake, but I think that something like that in a context of a (allegedly) romantic comedy is pretty messed up (and no, domestic violence was never okay, not even in the 30s).
There are a few fine moments, like a pretty cute impromptu party they have (Helen Broderick is pretty great in the film), but overall I would advise you to avoid this stinker.
His Brother’s Wife (1936), W.S. Van Dyke
So concerned.
His Brother’s Wife begins with… ticks. Actual ticks. This is important for me personally because I am TERRIFIED of ticks. Let’s keep using this word: ticks transmit a disease, a fever and our protagonist, Mr. Stanwyck himself, Robert Taylor, is a scientist who is going to find a cure! That is, if that mysterious woman he meets right before he leaves for The Jungle, won’t occupy his mind too much…
(And later there is a love triangle introduced when Stanwyck „goes after” Taylor’s brother).
This is definitely the least problematic of today’s movies so far, but I struggle to call it a „good” movie because it is, frankly, pretty bizarre.
A problem I have with His Brother’s Wife is that I have no idea how I feel about Stanwyck’s character because I don’t really know what kind of character she is. At least for a portion of the film she is quite a femme fatale and then… she’s not? Obviously, character development is a thing but here it feels like the film barely focuses on her (especially when the tick storyline is in full swing) so we don’t really get to see that. Taylor seems to get much more attention.
Here’s the thing about Robert Taylor – I really dislike him as a person and I don’t know him as a performer too well (although I LOVE Waterloo Bridge), but I have to admit that he is quite attractive and charismatic here and Barbara and him have great chemistry. But it still seems to me that, even though she seems like a good co-star for him, she is perhaps miscast in the film. I couldn’t help but wonder if it wouldn’t have worked better as a Crawford vehicle.
Side-note: towards the end, they are frantically searching for a cure for the tick fever… It really hit close to home.
Side-note 2: at one point Taylor says (more or less), „There are no two men on this Earth who would inject woman with a deathly serum” and it’s embarrassing how funny I found it.
Breakfast for Two (1937), dir. Alfred Santell
Incredible! The curse has been broken! The evil has been defeated! Breakfast for Two is actually a good film! And Barbara gets to play a role that is actually perfect for her (that of an intelligent high society woman). And this is a comedy with actual jokes!
The story goes: Barbara spends a night together with a man (get you mind out of the gutter, this is 1937, they spend a night together in his apartment, in separate rooms) after a pub crawl. Then he gets into business trouble and she buys him off which he does not appreciate him. In the meantime, he tries to marry his fiancée, an aspiring actress (it’s a whole thing).
It is just really sweet, domestic, and actually funny. And it’s barely longer than an hour so it gives you just the perfect little bit of fun. Barbara even gets to say the immortal words of every woman who expresses interest in something non-stereotypically feminine: „I grew up with six brothers”.
Side-note: I don’t think I have ever really noticed how odd and obviously-built-in-the-studio those 1930s apartments in movies look.
Golden Boy (1939), dir. Rouben Mamoulian
(…born to love…)
Golden Boy is William Holden’s first starring role (and he truly is SUCH a baby in this) and Barbara Stanwyck very much seems like a mother figure for him (although I don’t think this was intetional). He plays a violin prodigy whose family encourages him to pursue music. He wants to help them financially, though, and the way to do this is through a boxing career (even though it is very risky as hand injuries are common). Is this not a tale as old as time – music vs. sports? Just think about such iconic literary heroes like Troy Bolton or Archie Andrews.
from Barbara Stanwyck: The Miracle Woman, by Dan Callahan
This was my fifth watch of the day and he difference between it and the previous ones is striking, not just in the quality of the picture (even though the camera work is nowhere near as good as in, say, General Yen), but also in Hollywood’s obvious shift to the heartfelt family dramas of the 40s.
I have to admit, usually I am a sucker for those slice of life tearjerkers. But some things just don’t work for me here and I’m afraid Barbara is one of them. It’s like they had no idea how to treat her, how to use her talents and the quality she can bring to a performance. Also, I found it kind of odd how all Holden plays is Brahms Lullaby, but I guess it represents childlike wonder and innocence (the symbolism!).
Bitter side-note: the character Barbara plays was apparently originated on stage by Frances Farmer (and the character was much rougher, from the wrong side of the tracks).
The Bride Wore Boots (1946), dir Irving Pichel
The Bride Wore Boots tricked me when it began, I actually though he might be getting something good here. In the opening scene, we get a butch queen Barbara riding a horse. She is talking to her husband about how wonderful it is to be riding horses until she realizes his is riding solo as the hubby he’s fallen. This is a set-up for us to realize that those two are from different worlds – she loves horses, this farming life, the outdoors, and he is a writer who prefers to sit at his desk. This is not the worst starting place for a comedy and opens the door to maybe even some examination of gender roles.
But the movie does not go there. It does evolve into a marital problems drama but it is all very standard, with jealousy and potential affairs introduced and it all just gets very dull quickly.
The most interesting thing about The Bride Wore Boots is that Stanwyck’s daughter is played by tiny Natalie Wood (who is actually going to come back this Summer Under the Stars because they quietly replaced John Wayne with her. Yikes)!
The Other Love (1947), dir. André De Toth
It’s a bit embarrassing but the first word that came to my mind as The Other Love started was „boss”. The film opens with Barbara Stanwyck playing the piano* amazingly.
It only got worse from there.
In this movie, I can’t even really criticize anything, my main complaint is just that it is very boring.
It is a story of a genius pianist who checks herself into a Swiss sanatorium because she feels ill. The doctor discovers she is terminally ill and advises her to take good care of herself. But she sneaks out to the town with a new friend, meets a guy, and soon goes off for a night of partying in Monte Carlo.
I actually really liked Barbara in this, she got to play some lovely, subtle and emotional scenes which I feel like I have not seen too many today. AND her sanatorium couture is amazing. I just wish the story itself kept me engaged literally in any way.
But I guess the commentary on the value of life and taking care of your own is pretty nice.
All I Desire (1953), dir. Douglas Sirk
Good news! The final film of today turned out to be good! And it’s probably thanks to the fact that it was directed by Douglas Sirk himself.
Barbara plays a struggling vaudeville actress (I KNOW). She actually used to be a wife and mother but she abandoned her family and ran away from the town of Riverdale (I gasped because I have a problem). But one day she gets a letter from her daughter who wants her to come see her school play. She decides to go but is ashamed. And so Barbara pretends to be a successful actress (HMMMM… – I’m just saying, the 50s were not exactly the biggest for her) and has to deal with (some of) her family members’ doubts.
This is not among the greatest Douglas Sirk films I have seen, it is much more modest (black-and-white, less than 80 minutes long), but his examination of human (especially female) psyche is still there, the melancholy is still there, the skill is still there.
What the HELL is this poster?! This is a turn-of-the-century Sirk melodrama!
That was a busy day! And so much marriage content! I originally had two more movies planned. But I think I won’t be watching massive amount of movies this Summer Under the Stars. I hope to write at least a little bit, though, so stay tuned!
We did it. We have reached the finale of the Oscar season 2020. All that remains is tomorrow’s ceremony. I feel like throughout the last few weeks I have made my opinions on the nominated films pretty clear so there is no real need for me to write too much today. All I am going to say that I wish people would give more though to Joker and Jojo Rabbit and maybe realized the politics of those films are not necessarily what they are said to be. I would love it if a film seen by many as something ridiculous, cheesy, girly, Little Women, could be appreciated for the attention to detail and the careful storytelling. Lastly, I hope all the rumors are true and Parasite is actually going to win big tomorrow and make this ceremony not only a truly historical event but also one of those occasions on which the Oscars did get it right.
9. Joker
8. Jojo Rabbit
7. Ford v Ferrari
6. 1917
5. Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
4. The Irishman
3. Little Women
2. Parasite
1. Marriage Story
P.S. In an unexpected turn of events, I did get to see the three films I was missing from my nominees watchlist. I am not going to write down my thoughts but here are my last two rankings:
Best International Feature Film
5. Honeyland
4. Les Misérables
3. Boże Ciało
2. Dolor y gloria
1. Parasite
Best Documentary (Short Subject)
5. Walk Run Cha-Cha
4. Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)
We’re almost done now! This is most likely going to be my penultimate Oscar post (unless I write some sort of reaction on Monday, but something tells me I am going to be way too upset for that until next year). Sadly, all signs point towards to me not being able to complete at least one of the categories (as in, watch all the nominated films).
But! Let us take a look at the nominees for Best Original Score. Thankfully, this is a pretty good selection. I could probably come up with a list more in line with my personal tastes but even I can at least appreciate all these scores.
5. John Williams, Star Wars: the Rise of Skywalker
This is a wonderful score. The only problem that we are kind of hearing it for the ninth (eleventh?) time.
4. Hildur Guðnadóttir, Joker
Joker is going to win this category and I am fine with that (and I am fine ONLY with this one award), I am excited for a female composer to win. Too bad this core is just not at all memorable to me, even despite „Bathroom Dance” being such a meme.
3. Thomas Newman, 1917
I have a personal problem with scores like this because they are very long and for a good part, very quiet. And my hearing is simply not good enough to enjoy them fully. Something I really like were certain effects on a few tracks that sounded like distant explosions. Very effective.
2. Alexandre Desplat, Little Women
Sweet and cozy score perfect to go back to whenever one needs a bit of love in their life. This is the score I can see getting a second life as a part of study playlists or family time soundtrack. And it plays wonderfully with the film itself, of course.
1. Randy Newman, Marriage Story
A rich, wonderful score, it would work in a cozy New York café as much as a melodramatic soap opera or, to be honest, as the Sims soundtrack – and I love it. It truly bring out the weight of the seemingly ordinary, domestic situations in the film. And, as I said many times, this is my favourite nominated film – of course I am going to support all its parts.
We are almost there. Only a few days left and the Oscar season will be over. I am glad because it has been mostly a struggle. Today is no different, as the quality of the nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay is significantly lower than those who compete for the Original Screenplay. Three of the five I consider to be… well, bad. And so, places 3-5 are very arbitrary and can be rearranged freely.
5. Scott Silver & Todd Phillips, Joker
I am so tired of this film. The main reason why I am looking forward to the Oscars is so that I can forget about it and Jojo Rabbit forever. This screenplay boils down to: we should care more about people with mental health problems (totally agree) or they might kill us (wait, no-).
4. Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit
I am tired of the recent attempts at normalizing Nazis. I fail to see Jojo Rabbit as a satire. I do not find it particularly funny. This is a very Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri screenplay – falls apart if you think about it for more than five seconds.
3. Anthony McCarten, The Two Popes
A screenplay that I am sure was supposed to say a great deal of things but ends up barely scratching the surface of issues related to Catholic Church that should actually be addressed.
2. Steven Zaillian, The Irishman
There are some complicated politics going on in The Irishman. It is very long. But I do not care. Somehow everything just seems correct. The Anna-Paquin’s-Only-Line-Scene is still one of my absolutely favourite (if not THE favourite) moments in 2019 film.
1. Greta Gerwig, Little Women
I must be completely honest: I cried all the way through while reading the screenplay for Little Women. It is constructed with so much love and attention. And I really appreciate Gerwig’s absolutely beautiful descriptions of the feelings of the characters. Not to mention that clever sequence towards the end. If there’s any justice in the world, if people actually appreciate respecting the adapted material while also making it personal and unique, this should be a winner (but it is going to be Jojo Rabbit because voters want to feel like they are being subversive while being literally the opposite of that).
And for my final acting category: the actresses in lead roles. I am very disappointed that this category does not include Lupita Nyong’o and Awkwafina. I am upset that we pretty much knew who was going to win months ago and the Academy did not even make the effort to seek out different performances. Oh well, I guess it is useless to care about the Oscars because you are always bound to end up disappointed.
5. Cynthia Erivo, Harriett
This film was not talked about, it was not that well received, Cynthia Erivo was not really mentioned in any awards conversations. And while I think her acting is good, it does feel like a slap in the face that in a year of some incredible performances by actresses of color the only one that gets acknowledged is that of a black woman playing a slave.
4. Charlize Theron, Bombshell
As I said before, when it comes to Bombshell I mostly have negative things to say. But Charlize delivers, I guess it took a lot of patience to play this particular person. She does a good job in the film.
3. Renée Zellweger, Judy
I am torn on this one. Renée Zellweger is going to win and I did find her portrayal of Judy Garland touching and interesting. But also I am tired of an almost automatic process of rewarding actors for playing real people. Of course it is hard but I almost feel like what Hollywood appreciates these days is the ability to do impressions rather than acting.
2. Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
I actually almost put Saoirse last because FLORENCE PUGH stood out so much to me in the film. But I have to be honest, Saoirse deserved this nomination and my love if only for that one scene with her mother that broke my heart in the most wonderful way.
1. Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
I have said that so many times, how much Marriage Story means to me. And while I have been mostly frustrated with Johansson in recent years, she does something absolutely magical in the film. There are certain moments, certain expressions she makes that come back to me time and time again. This is a wonderful character creation and beautiful display of masterful acting.
I finally saw Little Women! I loved it! And now I can pity the actresses against each other.
5. Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
I absolutely disliked Johansson’s characterization in Jojo Rabbit, from the absolutely bizarre accent choice to weird attempts at comedy. I fail to see how this nomination came to be, especially when taken into consideration her tour de force performance in the lead actress role (for which she is also nominated).
4. Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
I barely remember anything about Richard Jewell and that includes Kathy Bates’s role. She is a legend and the character she played surely was not too challenging for such an icon so I am sure it was great.
3. Margot Robbie, Bombshell
Margot Robbie is pretty good in Bombshell, meaning she is doing what she can with the role she was given. She even has some emotionally charged film that often fails to deliver what it tries to. I would not have nominated her myself but she does do a good job.
2. Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Laura Dern is going to win this Oscar, Marriage Story is my favourite film so I am fine with this but I honestly am not too ecstatic about this being potentially the only Oscar this film takes home on Sunday.
1. Florence Pugh, Little Women
Easy pick – Florence Pugh is PHENOMENAL in Little Women. She creates such a complex character that marries humour and emotional delivery. I would love it if she could win for Midsommar but she also did something special with her Amy Marsh.
I am not too happy with this batch of nominations (it feels like I say this with every category) so I am not too enthusiastic today.
Best Costume Design
5. Mark Bridges, Joker
I guess the red suit is recognizable?
4. Mayes C. Rubeo, Jojo Rabbit
It feels weird to rank a work that is basically Nazi uniforms but here we are.
3. Arianne Phillips, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
I could create better 60s fashion from stuff in my wardrobe but at least Brad Pitt’s look is pretty iconic now.
2. Christopher Peterson & Sandy Powell, The Irishman
I do remember the wives’ looks so I guess that’s something!
1. Jacqueline Durran, Little Women
There is just no competition here for me. The Little Women costumes are incredible. Those are not your usual period dresses, this is a very specific and thought-out style that just screams coziness and I not only loved looking at the sisters’ outfits on the screen but I also want to wear all they wore in real life.
Best Make-Up and Hairstyling
5. 1917
I do not even know what to rate here.
4. Joker
Greasy hair and clown make-up. Sure.
3. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Angelina Jolie still looks amazing as Maleficent so I’ll give them that.
2. Judy
The Judy look is not too bad.
1. Bombshell
There are MANY things I dislike in this film but Charlize Theron’s transformation is pretty impressive so I guess it’s only fair to give this award to Bombshell.
Not to be THAT guy, but – what screenplay? There are surely things worthy of praise when it comes to 1917 (and most of them concern the technical, visual side of things) but there is absolutely nothing remarkable about the dialogues or the story itself.
4. Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino
This is the only screenplay I did not get to read (was it even released for the public?) so I can only judge it by the film itself. There are some wonderful moments here (I think I already talked about this being the case with Hollywood – there are amazing things but also quite a few scenes that should simply not be there) but it is just not a strong screenplay as a whole.
3. Knives Out, Rian Johnson
Now, I am happy to say that I love the three remaining nominated screenplays. Knives Out was a public favourite in 2019 and the clever and funny murder mystery is almost as enjoyable on the page as it is on the screen. I just wish this was not the only category the film was nominated for.
2. Parasite, Bong Joon-ho & Jin Won Han
I am torn between my choices for number one spot. Parasite’s screenplay is incredible and I was on the edge of my seat as I was reading it just as I was while watching the film. And the images of the scenes are presented so well I think you could imagine it all even if you have not seen the film yet. Basically, I want Parasite to win everything.
1. Marriage Story, Noah Baumbach
Having said that, I am putting Marriage Story as number one simply because it was my favourite film of last year and it would be hard to not award it everything I can. And Baumbach’s skills in dialogue-writing seem unparalleled. And I can confirm that the lawyer dramas were just as stressful to read as they were to watch.
Swingin' at the Seance 