Excuse the Intermission
Alex and Max take you on a journey through film with this discussion podcast about movies.
Excuse the Intermission
Oscars Buzz and Sean Baker's Anora
What's the secret ingredient that could turn your favorite animated film into a Best Picture contender at the Oscars? Join Max, Erica, and a slightly under-the-weather Alex as we navigate the thrilling world of cinema and award predictions, especially focusing on the captivating performances by Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh in "We Live in Time." Erica brings an insightful perspective, sharing how the film resonates from a woman's point of view, while we chat about Sean Baker's masterful storytelling in "Anora," capturing the raw energy of New York City.
Ever wondered how Sean Baker's films manage to capture such authentic, gritty narratives? We're diving into his latest work, analyzing its transgressive themes and character complexity, especially the enigmatic protagonist Ani. The conversation takes a twist as we debate audience reactions and Oscar potential, all while celebrating Baker's unique storytelling style.
As Oscar buzz builds, who are the frontrunners, and could an animated film sneak into the Best Picture category? From the highly anticipated "Dune Part Two" to the artistic "The Brutalist," we're sharing our predictions and discussing standouts like Coleman Domingo in "Sing Sing." With the influence of legendary directors and the unpredictability of the awards season, we're filled with excitement and cautious optimism for the films and performances that have captured our hearts. Don't miss our passionate discussions and cinema insights that'll keep you at the edge of your seat.
Welcome to the Chatter Network podcast. I'm Max Fosberg.
Speaker 2:I'm Alex McCauley.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 3:I'm Erica Krause.
Speaker 1:And this is Excuse the Intermission a discussion show about 2025's best picture. Over the weekend, we all went out and saw Sean Bakers and Nora, which we will discuss, and then all three of us will be presenting our 10 prediction picks for Best Picture at the Oscars this year. That all gets started on the other side of this break. All right, Erica, Alex, how are you two doing? We all went out and saw Nora this weekend. How was your time at the movies?
Speaker 2:Time at the movies is better than my time right now.
Speaker 1:Alex is a little under the weather so we're doing this remotely and it'll be hard for him to try and not speak as much. But, uh, you might hear a little less of alex today I'm gonna try to yes I had a good time at the movies.
Speaker 3:I went and saw um on top of a nora. I went and saw we live in time last night. So just like all the feels this weekend, you know wasn't I can't say it was like a happy, fun time at the theater but, you know, still just great movies to watch and, you know, got the tears coming a little bit, which was good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, those are. Those are two pretty emotional, like emotionally invested movies to watch, especially back to back. What do you think, just real quickly, what was your take on we Live in Time, because I saw that a couple of weekends ago and I really enjoyed the first film from this director, brooklyn, which was back in like 2013, I think.
Speaker 3:With Saoirse Ronan Back in like 2013,.
Speaker 1:I think With Saoirse Ronan, yeah, with Saoirse. And you know, I feel like this director really just does a good job of doing like sappy romance, but in a very sincere way.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, I loved it. I thought that Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh had like just amazing chemistry together and just it was a beautiful film. I mean I think, just with the music and the story and like the nonlinear timeline thing happening, I just really enjoyed it. And it was definitely. I mean, it's sad and it's not. It just felt like a real like from the heart type of movie, but also very well made and just enjoyable.
Speaker 1:I mostly just really enjoyed the two of them together to, instead of like build up to the uh, the sickness that happens in this film. It kind of puts you right in it right away, and then it, and then again with this non-linear format it then it goes back and builds the blocks for the relationship. And so, like you kind of, you kind of get, you know, you get in there and you're just like, okay, this is what this is about. And then we go back and you kind of get in there and you're just like, okay, this is what this is about. And then we go back and you kind of almost enjoy the ups and downs of their relationship now because you know where it's going to end.
Speaker 3:Yeah, exactly, and you kind of have an idea of how the movie is going to end. I mean, I think you know you can kind of hope for the best it. The vibe already kind of gave off that it wasn't going to be like the most happy ending, but um, I did. I even loved the way that they ended it like with the dog. That was very you know. That kind of circled back to a conversation they had, um when, with her second diagnosis and just kind of without telling you what really happens, you, you obviously know once you see the dog.
Speaker 3:Um but, um, yeah, I, I really just enjoyed the way that it was told Um, and like kind of like what you said how you can you're already, like right off the bat, understanding that there's an illness happening, um, and they didn't really hide that in the trailer or anything but you don't really know that it's, um, you know, spoiler alert ovarian cancer, um, which I think just like, even from like a woman's point of view, it was a really like just heavy watch, with all of like just the you know, the stuff that she goes through. And um, yeah, I just I enjoyed just kind of seeing the evolution of their relationship, because there's some there's aspects of it that you're like oh, I, I didn't really realize that they like weren't married and um, I don't know, I just thought I loved it, it was really good, do you think?
Speaker 1:since this episode we're going to be talking a lot about awards and whatnot. Do you think this film has any chance of picking up anything? I feel like it's pretty stacked as far as this year as far as acting awards, and I feel like that would be the only area you could try and squeeze maybe Florence Pugh in there.
Speaker 3:Yeah, maybe I could see it maybe picking up some smaller, smaller like at least nominations or so, but I don't, I mean not to like say that it's not a great movie. I just don't really see it picking up any like Oscar traction, but maybe some like acting. I would almost say Andrew Garfield, because I just thought him capturing like his emotions throughout the film was just really beautiful and, um, you know, just his sweet little eyes watering all the time. He was just so he was great. And I I do really like florence pew. So, um, I don't know, though I think that there's some other like really solid contenders as far as acting goes. So we'll see yeah, um.
Speaker 1:So the other film that you did see and then we all saw uh this weekend was a nora, which I believe is now wide. I went down and saw it at the cinemark on rustin, on the large, large screen. Uh, you guys, you both saw it at the grand. Uh, the total box worldwide box office as of right now is, uh, over 12 million. Um, and this is, and has been kind of the I guess you could say front runner, uh, since it won the palm door. It is the fourth feature film from Sean Baker, who you know made some noise and kind of announced himself with the Florida Project back in. Is that 2022, 2021?
Speaker 2:No, it's like 2017 or something.
Speaker 1:Oh wow, even further back, you know, he did put out Red Rocket then a couple of years later, which didn't get any award buzz but was one we definitely talked about on the show at the time and one of my favorite movies from from that year.
Speaker 3:Tell me, tell me what you thought about Anora, and kind of your initial thoughts walking out and where it, where it sits, where you think it sits, going into, uh, awards season um, well, I definitely had like a roller coaster of emotions watching this movie, because I feel like I started out, you know, just having a lot of fun with it and really enjoying the vibe, like the energy and the vibe of of everything.
Speaker 3:I was just really on board.
Speaker 3:And then it really takes a turn and, um, kind of in the middle of the film, where they started to lose me a little bit, just where I and and that may be selfishly just kind of I'm wanting more of Annie's story and I'm wanting more focus on her and we're kind of focusing on Vanya, you know, I mean, he's not even there, but we're just all so like it's just this very heated.
Speaker 3:You know I can't maybe 30-45 minutes of the movie where we're just like in their house and you know, alex and I both kind of mentioned that it felt very like uncut gems, um vibes, just very like a lot of like yelling and chaotic and I I thought it was a great scene. It just kind of took me out of it a little bit, where I was like okay, can we like get back to annie a little, you know, and this little shithead kid and so, and then towards the end, of course, there's like a really heavy ending and I definitely left just not feeling great, like I was kind of in a mood after that where I was like man, like I mean, and not in because the movie was bad, it just it's a heavy watch and definitely brings up some emotions in you, but, um, yeah, I, it was definitely different than what I was expecting.
Speaker 2:Um, but just a roller coaster of emotion yeah, um, uncut gems, but then also and not so much for the comedy but more so for the structure even though anora is very funny at times, it's also kind of like the hangover where vanya is like doug and and vanya disappears and we have to find him and we don't know where he is. Um, through, he could be anywhere in new york city, and so it does take a, especially for a sean baker film. It definitely takes a turn and you can feel. You can feel where he is using the budget, um, like he's never used a budget before, which I think is really cool. It was. It's not cheap to shoot in new york city and we are like in coney island at parts and we are in nightclubs and there's a lot going on, tons of extras in this film. So, even though it is and you know an independent movie, sean baker's always going to make independent films. It was funny, however, though at the very beginning, to not see like eight different production companies mentioned before the start of this one, like how most of his films start. So it has this really interesting feel of like something that's familiar, but then also something that is still really transgressive, and I love that for it.
Speaker 2:I love seeing movies like that at the Grand. I love the culture, of course, that the Grand Cinema has, where you get these different crowds out week after week. Erica and I were talking about this as well after we left our screening, which wasn't too full, but we did see it on a Friday at two o'clock. But you just never know who's going to show up and when. You have the AARP crowd in there and they're watching Mikey Madsen just completely naked for 45 minutes a lot of doggy yeah, yeah, um, and so that's.
Speaker 2:You know, there's just like a lot, a lot going on and that is I don't want to say like overstimulating, because I was never overstimulated, but as far as like tangerine, which has a lot of the same chaotic energy, and two people who are kind of like on a mission across um, los Angeles, and actually it's probably about time for a tangerine rewatch anyways, cause that's a great like alternative Christmas movie. Um, it has a lot of that same energy. And then and then I I just didn't see as much of like the Florida project in this movie and I see a little bit the Florida project in this movie and I see a little bit of Red Rocket in this movie, but just a really interesting movie for Sean Baker overall, and we can get into what we liked and what we didn't like, but for the most part I was really into it for the entire time. I keep trying to think about what it's trying to say and that's something I want to talk about more as well, but it's in my top 10 for the year, just like.
Speaker 1:That's at first blush yeah, yeah, I really enjoyed it. I you know uncut gems, I think is is spot on. But then hangover is really funny. I I also was feeling like kind of pretty woman which might be a little bit more on the nose, uh.
Speaker 2:But I mean they even like do a line from pretty woman where it's the interesting thing and sorry to cut you off, cause I was thinking pretty woman too I think that's like, that's a real easy one to pull from. Where this movie feels different from pretty woman Is that, like, even though Julia Roberts is obviously the focal point of that film, we as the audience, the lesson that we're supposed to learn through the Julie Roberts character, is seen through Richard gears eyes, whereas, like in this movie, vanya, we have no attachment to him and it's not like we're rooting for them to be together in the end. And so, yes, it is, and and not, you know, mikey's not exactly like the hooker with a heart of gold in this film either, um, but it does feel. I know it just would have been. It would be really interesting to talk to somebody who was 33 when pretty woman came out and have have them tell us what, what the culture's reaction was to that film yeah, I think it's really interesting that this movie is, you know, in.
Speaker 1:I thought there was going to be like a crime element. I guess I don't know why I was expecting that, but it is marketed as like a comedy, drama. Romantic is what it was saying on Box Office Mojo, which is really interesting. You know, I think Sean Baker he's so good at like authentic, gritty storytelling while also like having really naturalistic and like empathetic performances, and I do feel like it's a, it's a completely like Coleman culmination of of his other four works Right Cause even in the Florida project there is like some, there is like sex work going on there, and then also in red rocket you know simon rex's character there's sex work going on there. To be honest, I've never seen tangerine, um, so that's one I do need to go back and watch, uh, especially now and that, and it's all about two prostitutes.
Speaker 1:So yeah, so it is. Is this interesting subject that he is very, very interested in and feels really comfortable telling stories about? Is it weird? Is it going to be weird if and I don't know, maybe this is the wrong way to say this, but is it going to be strange if this walks into the Oscars and does big business there?
Speaker 3:I don't know We'll get into this when we make our predictions, because I'm not great with I can never guess what's going to be in the Oscars. Like I'm kind of bad at that. I mean, sometimes there's like obvious contenders but I don't see a Nora there, like I don't know why. But I just don't like maybe I mean I know everyone's talking about it, you know being up for best picture Picture. I just didn't watch it and think of it that way. I would be surprised. I don't know.
Speaker 2:I think it'll definitely be a favorite and a few major categories director, picture, screenplay, best Actress and I think that that will be for a couple of reasons. One, because I think sean baker's body of work has has already, or at least you know, the florida project. Um, there was some rumblings like there might be a little grassroots campaign for simon rex's best actor for red rocket. Um, I know he got nominated at a few other award shows for that performance, but I think they've already shown an interest in his films.
Speaker 2:I do think that, for whatever reason, because of the context of this film, the material with it relating to sex work and in 2024, we live in such a sex positive space, which I think is a great thing and so not to say that it's going to be like um, almost like this, this um, like the equivalent to an affirmative action nomination or something like that, but they would just sort of be like yes, we're going to us as the Academy, we want to put our seal of approval on films like this and even if we did completely ignore something like Uncut Gems, which of course, doesn't take place in the sex trade, it takes place in the gambling world and with an actor like you know, adam Sandler, who maybe they feel like isn't as quite deserving, and the Safdie brothers, where they were at in their career, maybe weren't quite as deserving.
Speaker 2:But we're going to nominate this film and recognize this film now because we feel like if we don't do it we would almost be viewed as people who are bigots or who think that this kind of art isn't as important as something else, and this is edgy. But it's also prestigious and it's been recognized internationally. So, um, I and now I still think it's deserving, especially within the top 10, but if it goes on to like win best picture, it would be a little head-scratching to me, just because I feel like it would almost be it just right now you know, only having seen it like 72 hours ago or whatever. It just feels like the kind of movie that wouldn't necessarily be like I. So you know we have to see things like the brutalists or whatever, but that just doesn't necessarily feel like the typical best picture favorite yeah, yeah, and alex, you mentioned that you expect it to be a front runner in best actress.
Speaker 1:How did we feel about mikey madsen's performance and Anora's journey as a character? You know you also kind of tease. You know some decisions there at the end of the film. If you want to get into that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean her. Her performance teeters on the line of like being really loud and explosive and also being very vulnerable and I would say, like studious, because a lot of what she has to do is show emotional vulnerability and that is not easy to do, especially when, even after the film takes a turn and we leave their house and go on this search for Vanya across New York City. She becomes more a part of the ensemble as opposed to being, like, the lead of the film. But I still think that she's doing a lot in those scenes and it's a really physical performance, not only in like a sexual tone, but just in an overall manner. And so she is doing a lot, um, but. But also to like some of the lines, cause I've gone back and watched the trailer, the red band trailer, a lot of her lines when she's just, you know, saying fuck, eight times in three sentences, like, yeah, that's, that's really good acting, and it's what we've seen her do before in different roles, like in scream and once upon a time in hollywood. Like we know, she can dial it up in these big moments, um, but now, like, is that the same thing that demi more had to do? In the substance? I don't think so. I think that demi's doing something completely different and that's where you know, it's just there's different, different styles, um styles um to to everything, and so we'll see.
Speaker 2:I mean, I I definitely think she'll be nominated just because this will be a favorite of of the Oscars this year, but I enjoyed her performance. I couldn't really think of anyone else, um, you know, like around her age that I would have liked to have seen in this role more like. She has enough edge to her and she's still fresh enough in our minds. We're like. You know, it would have been really wild to see somebody like. I mean maybe speaking of the substance, like maybe margaret qualley could have done this, but like I don't think that somebody as big as like or as popular I guess I should say is like a sydney sweeney or zendaya, could have done this role. I think mikey was really well.
Speaker 1:That's really interesting to think about Zendaya, because I, you know, I hope that Zendaya is someone that she's running against from challengers this year and it would have been really interesting just to swap them. You know kind of how we were talking about that with, like, barbie and poor things less last year. That might be kind of, if Zendaya gets her rightful nomination, that she definitely should.
Speaker 2:Uh, poor things is another really good film to reference here, because that was another film that was so sex positive or at least very like forward in its sexual tone with the female protagonist, and it's part of the reason why I think Emma Stone took home the best actor um or the best actress award, and so that I think is um kind of a good little like breadcrumb moment right there to show us where we might be going this year erica yeah, I, I mean I, what I struggle with about anora is that I just don't feel like there was a lot of like depth to annie's character.
Speaker 3:Like you know, we obviously see like a little bit in the beginning.
Speaker 3:I just I, I think that's where I kind of can cap it at a certain level of like I don't really know, but like I just I think that with like comparing it to poor things, poor things, you know, with um emma stone's character, we just really get so much from her and we see this like evolution of her over the whole movie and yes, there is a lot of like sex positive um scenes in that um, I think that just really added to so much more and whereas, like with Annie, like I just wanted, like we don't even know, like we get a very small tidbit of like her mom living in Miami and then we just don't really have a lot of like background on her and and it kind of and it took away from like the ending for me was was obviously great and her acting was amazing, but I wasn't so connected to her by the end, you know, and it just was.
Speaker 3:It felt very like surface level to me the whole movie. You know there wasn't a. It felt very like surface level to me the whole movie. You know there wasn't a lot of depth in my opinion.
Speaker 1:I think that might be by design, because because, as I think Alex said this earlier that you know, Annie is not a hooker with a heart of gold, Right?
Speaker 1:Almost every character in this movie and this movie and you know almost every character in a lot of sean baker movies, are all just like very scummy, like you know, not not morally good, I guess. Um, they're, you know, maybe more chaotic good or neutral good, uh, and it does. This movie does kind of like talk about like don't you know, it doesn't matter who you are, you can get duped Right, like I mean she gets, even though she is very savvy, you know, in her line of work, right, that is obviously shown throughout. You know she also like falls, falls into this trap almost, and I think you know that means she's a flawed character and I think I think that's that's by design, that we don't get any sort of like backstory or, like you know, it would have been really easy to be like she is a stripper because her sister is sick, who she lives with and she's trying to get money to to help her or something Right and get us on her side. I never really felt like I was on anyone's side really throughout the film.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I agree. I don't think we, I don't necessarily think we needed that kind of backstory with her. I definitely think that what Emma Stone did in Poor Things was 10 times more impressive than what Mikey Madsen is doing in this film. I just think that the way the Academy is going to view it will be in a similar light. The fact that it's a transgressive story, um kind of fantastical at times, like there's a lot of enchantment during the second act of this film, really kind of like the the bridge between the first act and the second act, like everything that happens in vegas is, is almost like a dream sequence. It feels like um, and so just in that regard, I think that when you look at kind of the past couple of years performances the Emma's owns poor things character and her performance here and Anora that's that's where I think voters would maybe draw some similarities and who knows, maybe that ends up hurting her because they feel like they just recognized a similar performance in that regard.
Speaker 2:But but I definitely think that for for whatever reason, by the end of the film and I still am at this place where I'm not too sure if I feel like the Annie character, onora, should have gotten more or less retribution, and and I don't even know if retribution is the right word, like revenge, or if she should have gotten um any more, like you know, recognition for the things that she's gone through.
Speaker 2:She gets this wedding ring back, and sure she can probably hawk that for five figures or something and help keep herself afloat for a little bit longer. But I'm still sort of just like do I need, did I need the Annie character to like take this family down and inherit half of Vanya's money, or did I need her to have the approval of his parents and then get to stay together with him? Like that's where I feel like the film is a little bit flawed, because I think the answer to those both those prompts are no, and so then it's like okay, so then I guess she just has to go back to her normal life, and does that make for an entertaining story? I think so, but but also it does kind of at the end I totally understand how erica is feeling, because at the end of the movie then you're sort of just like what was this journey for?
Speaker 1:you know what am I coming?
Speaker 2:what am I coming out of this story thinking about? And that's where I think, like people came out of the theater after watching pretty woman thinking like, oh, wow, you know, like sex workers are people too, or whatever. Like it's just we're too far forward here in our train of thought and our way of thinking in 2024. We're like we don't really need a movie to tell us that right now. Um, and so I I just appreciated my biggest takeaway, just like my appreciation for sean baker as a filmmaker.
Speaker 2:Um, the editing I thought was fantastic, but but the performance specifically by Mikey Madsen in the film I do just think is is kind of neither here nor there and for the film being, you know, titled after her and she is really the star of the movie. It's a great like star making performance, and so you'd love to see that. You always like when new people enter, enter the chat, so, so to speak with with things that are outside of ip and outside of franchise blockbusters, and so all of that is really good. Um, I was very happy to see it with erica on opening weekend, at least for the wide release here, because, um, you know, there's it's going to be talked about here for the next handful of months until the oscars. So glad to be able to sit and stew on it. And I mean I've seen some people say that like probably won't rewatch this film. I will definitely rewatch this film and kind of continue to let my feelings develop here.
Speaker 1:I think there are some really high highs right, like especially that Vegas sequence. Like I definitely was like feeling that sequence, you know, emotionally. And then also, I guess you know I did just say I wasn't rooting for anyone really but like at one point maybe when they're in the courtroom or like when they're actually they go back to Vegas and they're in the clerk's office, spoiler alerts uh, you know, I, I guess you are kind of like you don't have to sign, just walk away, like and and I know there's that, that threat that is made, that, like you know, we will ruin your life and your family and whatnot. But like I almost kind of wanted that to happen and and let's, let's see what that fallout could be. Now, granted, we're not going to be in the movie theater for four hours at that point, but but yeah, I, I think it would be. I think it would be a pretty big, a big splash If Sean Baker walks away with with any Oscar, any Oscars for this, because this is such a, he is such a pillar of independent film and for the Oscars to, you know, set aside something like you know, maybe Gladiator 2 and like say, no, we're going to give it to this small production here that was made boots on the ground in New York.
Speaker 1:You know, sean Baker writes, directs and edits this film, as he does with all his films, and it's just, I think it could be a huge if it wins. It could be a huge, you know, because it's a copycat league, right. Huge, you know, cause it's a copycat league right. It could be a huge swerve for the industry as a whole. Uh, to really try and go find independent filmmakers who are just making stuff on their own and, like Sean Baker has never been, you know, someone who goes to a studio. He just, you know who bought an iPhone and make tangerine, um, so yeah, I think, I think it's got a it's, it almost has a lot of pressure and weight on it.
Speaker 2:if, if it's to uh, to go in in march and get up on stage there well, that's a really interesting thing because I think that a movie like uncut gems, which you know only came out five years ago, that that movie is so treasured now and I think it was safe from any sort of um, awards bodies, pressure, because it wasn't recognized and so it can just live as this artifact of like. I mean, it was like an instant cult classic and now it's become, you know, almost this, like this, that is a pillar of independent filmmaking as well right there with the Safdies were able to do, and I know everyone wants to know what they're going to do next, and so I guess that movie did put some kind of undue pressure on them and their career. And oh, you guys should work with Sandler again. And you hear something come out in the news you know, like every year about them. Oh, you know, josh and Adam were talking, or they were at a basketball game together, something like that.
Speaker 2:So it's not that a movie can just like completely sneak by without getting any sort of um, without having any sort of pressure attached to it. But I do think you're right because if this does get nominated for six awards, seven awards, then it'll kind of be the talk of because, with all due respect to a film like the Brutalist, which we haven't seen, and there's a few others like Nickel Boys haven't seen, that that could get a lot of comparisons and feels maybe some pressure based on a film like Moonlight and how successful Moonlight was at the Academy Awards, and so I just don't think, though, that anything is going to come along from the films that have yet to be released that has this sort of attention from from the general public, like the attention that Anora has right now.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, and I think, winning the Palm, palm to more.
Speaker 2:The Palm Dior sets it up.
Speaker 1:You know what here's? Here's the real winner. You know who the real winner of the film is? Well, yeah, and I think, winning the Palme d'Or, the Palme d'Or sets it up a lot.
Speaker 2:You know what. Here's the real winner. You know who the real winner of the film is Neon. Neon does not miss. Neon is coming for the A24 title of independent distributors and production companies now, because I think this is five Palme d'Or winners going back to Parasite that Neon has bought. So neon is just cooking right now that's.
Speaker 1:That's very exciting as well. Uh, any last, any last big thoughts about what was your.
Speaker 2:What was your theater experience? Like I mean, eric and I sat there and the grand cinema does an interesting thing. Now I kind of like it. Sometimes I kind of don't, though, because when you go into a movie completely blind like I avoided all trailers for this I knew the basic premise of the film, but, like you were saying, max, I didn't know if there was a crime element, I didn't know how funny it was supposed to be, I didn't even know how long it is, and then the ticket tells you oh, you know, this movie will get out at x o'clock or whatever.
Speaker 2:Like you don't know, like now, I know okay this is like a two hour and 15 minute film and so kind of sitting there and I think you know not to put any words in erica's mouth, but that's when we're like we're when you're just trapped in that mansion with them, you're like I know there's a lot of film left to go here, like how long are we actually going to be here? Um, so, what would you know? What were you thinking during the runtime of the film? Did you feel a leg at all? And then, erica and I never do this with anybody, but like this goes back to something my sister and I always talk about. Like I never ask somebody fresh out the theater. When I just saw something with them, like hey, what do you think? Because like I could never answer that question accurately if someone were to ask me that. So I don't even know your answer to this question either.
Speaker 1:Yeah, my, me that. So I don't even know your answer to this question either. Uh, yeah, our, my, my theater experience. So I went down again. I went down to the cinemark on rustin, which is, you know, the big one, one of the big theaters, um, and it was myself, it was kaylee, and it was a old couple who was sitting two, two seats down, um, so literally just four of us. Now, granted, it was a, you know, it was a 12, what a 12.15 on a Saturday. So I was a little disheartened to not see it with a crowd. You know, I think I was.
Speaker 1:I was definitely entertained throughout the film, so I never really felt the the runtime. I, you know you do get to kind of a point where you're just like Jesus Christ, like how many places could this drunk kid go? Like? And when he does finally show back up at headquarters, it's just like duh, that, duh, that's where he's going to go. But you're also like very mad at him at the same time. So I never really felt the runtime at all.
Speaker 1:I loved the little tiny courtroom scene that we had when they finally do get Vanya and they go to the courthouse in New York and he is great, yeah, just a wonderful drunk actor, some some great drunk actor, some great drunk acting, and everyone's yelling in the courtroom and Toro has to keep getting put sit down by the police officer on hand, and the lawyer that they meet there, and even the judge. Just all really great character actors and a great little moment. And again that's kind of when I was like, oh, is this going to? Are we going to like turn this into a courtroom movie and we're just going to be yelling motherfucker, and in the courtroom in New York. That would be sick, which of course doesn't happen, and uh, much to my chagrin. But I I think maybe the one time I was a little pulled out of it was the mom, uh, the russian, uh, the mom of vanya. I didn't find her performance.
Speaker 3:I found it way more cartoony than everyone else, which is weird because almost everyone's kind of cartoony but she was like she just was not hitting for me and then I was kind of like I don't need to see, I don't want to be with these people anymore yeah, I never I didn't feel the run time that much either, except for just in the mansion when we were just like not really making any progress on just on Vanya's whereabouts, I guess, sitting there and I just I feel like I kept shifting in my seat a lot and hey, that's effective, you know filmmaking right there I guess. But I was just like anxious that whole time and I was like, okay, can we like move it along please? But other than that I didn't really feel. I didn't really feel it.
Speaker 3:I think that, like I'm so used to watching longer movies at this point now anyway, that it just felt like any other, like I, at this point, when I'm watching a movie that's less than two hours, I'm like, oh, that went by fast. But um, theater experience was good always. You know, the grand is amazing. I miss going to like a packed theater, though I can't deny it. I just I love the energy of like there's a sold out show and that used to be my reality for a very long time and I just haven't had that in so long and I miss it a lot. But you know, I the movie had good pacing. For me it was, it was fine.
Speaker 1:Alex, did you ever feel the runtime?
Speaker 2:no, I don't, I don't think so. I was interested to see how they would wrap it up at the end and I think that you know we kind of we we took it out to pasture for for maybe a little bit too long there before finally rolling credits and um, fading to black. Um, because you know the whole like smoking a blunt, watching the news, kind of unpacking everything that happened. I enjoyed that scene between Igor and Mikey back in the house, the mansion for the last night, but also like that could have been a I could have maybe been five minutes shorter for me and then and then we just maybe get to spend more time in the car or not. That that's a happy place that we want to spend more time in. But it's once, once you get, once you knew that a Nora story was over and that like she just she's taken the L on this one and she's got to go back to, to her life and whatever that looks like, if she can get a job back at headquarters or she's going to take this 10 grand and whatever else that she can pawn off or whatever to sort of start a new life. And you know not that we need to see like Tim Robbins and Martin Freeman after they escaped the Shawshank prison and what they're going to do the next day. But like and maybe it kind of would have been nice to know like maybe then I would have cared a little bit more about like what, what's an organ to do, as opposed to just like continuing to try to, you know, use her body as currency, use use sex to repress emotions or to express emotions, even, and so like there just really wasn't any any moment at the end of the film where I felt like again, oh, this was good, this was vindication for, for Anora, and she either got what she deserved If you maybe didn't like her character, or if you loved her character and you just hoped the world for her. There wasn't really, like you know, like we were just talking about down by law last week, like there was no happy ending. Really there's no like getting, there's no get out of jail free card in this story, which is great, and Sean Baker does a really good job of of setting his films in reality and like what would happen in real life in a situation like this. Unfortunately, like anora would probably get left with nothing, you know, a little bit of hush money and that's it. So, again, I think that the movie's really it's. It's really well written, because I do think, for the most part, the characters that we get to know over the runtime feel authentic, while also being a little cartoonish at times.
Speaker 2:I definitely agree with the parents and the henchmen, kind of our three stooges, our thugs that we're rolling around with in in the escalator, whatever the suv is. Um, also too, just like nypd, what are you doing? You're definitely pulling that car over the tow. Guys like I got your license plate and then it comes down with no bumper. For the rest of the night, um, a lot going on in in the big apple, I guess.
Speaker 2:But yeah, it's, uh, it's, it's a good movie. I definitely recommend people go check it out. Um, I don't know, it's, uh, it's, it's a good movie. I I definitely recommend people go check it out. Um, I don't know, I like would you call it a date, a date night movie? I don't know. Maybe go see it with a big group of friends, though, because I agree with erica, like a packed theater for this movie would be really, really fun, I think, especially during the first like 70 minutes of the movie because it's such a rollercoaster ride of emotion and the laughs I think like even an hour probably, like 15% full theater, 20% full theater every like folks were really getting into it at the right times.
Speaker 2:It wasn't one of those movies where you're sitting there and you're watching it thinking like like there were a few times in poor things, I remember, where people are laughing because they're uncomfortable with what they're seeing. I feel like these laughs were all intentional enough and written with the design to get people to laugh in the theater. Like the comedy really works at times and so a full theater would be really cool.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I wish I saw enough full theater as well, okay, well, that wraps up. A Nora, which you know, and a Nora again is, is on people's prediction lists for the best picture nominees and we have decided to kind of present our own lists. I don't know if you guys want to like rank them or do them in order. Um, I just have 10 films written down that I think will will be in there. I do have one that is kind of like oh no, I think there's. Uh, you know, I made some choices.
Speaker 1:Uh, you know, because I was looking at some of the you can like bet on the Oscars these days, and so I was looking at some of the lines and whatnot, and I do have some that are probably a little further out than what I hope for. But does anyone want to go first with their list about who they think is going to be in the Best Picture nominees?
Speaker 3:Yeah, who first? And just to explain my list, I did sort of rank them, but I feel like my top six are the ones where I'm like I don't know if I can rank them one of them any better than the other, I just think they're more possible to be up there. But like when I I've seen three out of the ten actually I have more than ten on my list just because there's some that kind of give me a similar like possibility of being nominated. But there's so many movies out that we have yet to see that haven't even been released yet. I haven't.
Speaker 3:I've spent most of my year with in the theater watching a lot of like really fun movies, not so much award winning movies, but I think like the ratio is very like 70 30 where I'm watching, watching some like okay, this is definitely oscar, like award season energy, um, everything else just kind of fit in like the middle ground, um. So I guess like right now I'll start with like a different man, um from a24 that has Sebastian Stan in it and I feel bad. I don't know what the other guy's name is, I haven't seen it, but I just can really see that being out there and know that like it's kind of being talked about in awards energy.
Speaker 1:Adam Pearson is the other lead.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so that's kind kind of that's on there. Do you want me to go through like my whole list right now?
Speaker 1:yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's just list them all off yeah.
Speaker 3:So I have a different man. Um, I'd like to say that the wild robot gets a nomination, but I think that might be falling into more best animated feature and not best picture. But I don't know. It's pretty, everyone says it's pretty amazing. Um, I have dune part two on there and then I have a nora um, and then this is kind of where I have one or the other either have Conclave or September 5th. September 5th looks amazing. I'm excited to see that. But I do think Conclave will be on this list for sure. Now I'm getting into like the stuff that I feel very confident in. It's that Challengers will definitely be nominated, that I feel very confident in, it's that Challengers will definitely be nominated.
Speaker 3:Blitz a real pain. I'm kind of crossing my fingers for this one because this is a very highly anticipated movie for me, with Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin Kind of gives me like Holdover's vibes, like I can just see that getting some like good energy. Do I think it's a winner? I don't know I'll have to see. But and then I have nickel boys, which I just watched the trailer for that with Alex the other day and immediately yes For me. Sing sing is one of those movies I really feel like has a good chance of winning. And then the Brutalist obviously Four hours long, just FYI, that is brutal. But you know, hey, I'll never know, so that's my list.
Speaker 2:I think the Brutalist is going to have an intermission in it, so we have to support that film right, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:Excuse it. I like a lot of what Erica was saying. I have similar films on my list and it's top-heavy because with with this, I think it's been a really long time. I mean, going back, you could maybe look at 2017 or 2019 and be like those were years where, out of the 10 nominees, seven or eight of them deserve to win. And now in the moment, I don't necessarily feel like it was out, maybe in 2019, because parasite was not like the favorite going in.
Speaker 2:I think there was some writing on the wall, but there's a lot of uncertainty. I think it's going to be fun because you know that without seeing what sort of things have One of the dgas and the pgas and the golden globes and everything else, um, we don't really know if there's Um, you know, like an odds-on favorite, yet anora definitely has the most. It's tracking the highest, so that's that's pretty chalk, but I also think, um, at the top there you have the brutalists, you have conclave amelia perez, which I cannot wait to see, I think is also in the top five. Discussion um zoe saldania. I'm just gonna ride so hard for her for best actress if she gets nominated, because it is the year of the lioness, zoe saldania, um. So we love, we love to see that um. Her is like a dual threat this year people are still waiting for your lioness.
Speaker 2:Watch along pod yeah, that's actually why my voice is so.
Speaker 2:I've just been crushing tape, re-watching episodes and recording like two hour long reaction pods after every episode. There's four of them out now. Uh, dune part two I think is is in the top five as well. The thing with dune part two and I know we've talked about this on other episodes before and just in sort of reading the tea leaves and knowing what comes next in the Dune story and Denny has already said that he's he will be him making the film, but it might be it could be 2026. Like we don't necessarily know.
Speaker 2:The new HBO series is about to come out.
Speaker 2:Is that going to do anything to sort of like sully the reputation of these films? Like I could just see dune messiah, the third film, kind of going off the rails, and not necessarily in like a poor, not in, and not in a poor sense of like oh, the craft is completely falling off and it becomes something that is just like megalopolis level bad, but just something that I feel like it's less and less prestigious and something that the academy, if they are thinking, oh, we hold off until the third film and we give it the return of the king treatment and save everything for 2026 or whenever it's going to be, they might find themselves in a pretty precarious position because I don't think you're going to get better. What I'm trying to say is I don't think you're going to get better than what you get with doing part two, and so I have it outside of like the top three still in my top five, but I'm kind of wondering, like, should it just win? Like, thinking about it, should it just win?
Speaker 1:Yeah. So just get it out of the way. We don about it. Should it just win? Yeah, so just get it out of the way, we don't have to worry about messiah, then you can do whatever you want.
Speaker 2:Messiah like win best picture. Yeah, like win best picture, win best director, win, win all the craft categories, like kind of sweep the night, that's kind of how I envision dune have like this happening for dune is that it just sweeps a lot of categories.
Speaker 3:So then at that point, yeah, just give it, give them best picture. Because that's to me like when I think of best picture, I think of something that all the elements are great, you know, and I I don't know.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, we've seen this happen with two villanueve films before as well, where, like when blade runner 2049 came out, it didn't win any of like the big five, but it won so many technical categories that year. And then with Dune Part 1, that was kind of the sneaky winner of that year. I think it walked away with like six or seven wins that night, all in craft categories. But when everyone's going up there and they're just like couldn't have done it without the man Denny, like what the fuck are we doing?
Speaker 1:Why is he you?
Speaker 2:know, and so I think I don't know. I think that it might just be that easy Like, unless the Brutalist because we've already kind of expressed our feelings on Anora. I don't know if it's, you know, moonlight level, parasite level, I don't know if it's quite on that, if it's reached that plateau yet. I mean, you know what one of my hottest takes was earlier in the year max that, like the 2020s have just we've had stinkers of best pitcher winners like I think anora is better than everything that we've had so far. That's one best pitcher this year, um, or this, this decade. So I like it for that, but I don't know if I love it over something like dune part two, when that could just be real easy for everybody.
Speaker 1:The hard thing about Dune Part 2 is that it came out so long ago.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but same with Everything Everywhere, all at Once.
Speaker 1:And CODA, right and CODA. We have seen that happen.
Speaker 2:We've seen it, that's been a trend here of late. Sing Sing, I think, is in the top 10. Nickel Boys is in the top 10. A Real Pain, I think, is going to be Sort of that sentimental favorite of people's when they see it with their family, they see it with their friends Over the holidays and it probably sneaks in there. However, I think these films stand zero chance, like maybe Nickel Boys. Maybe Nickel Boys, though actually Like we'll see, we'll see, because I think there's stand zero chance. Like maybe nickel boys, maybe nickel boys, though actually like we'll see, we'll see. Um, cause I think there's a path for that, much similar to to moonlight, or maybe even something like a code of one of these smaller features, um, that people just really connect to. And then you know, does? Does Ridley sneak in with gladiator too? Does wicked sneak in there, depending on how?
Speaker 1:how successful wicked is?
Speaker 3:I've been seeing rumblings of wicked on some of these lists across the internet that one best picture, but I I was wondering if it well just nominated right, yeah, I don't think it has any chance to win.
Speaker 1:No, and and I don't think it has.
Speaker 2:It doesn't have any better or worse chance than something like you know the substance, or like blitz, or a complete unknown.
Speaker 2:You know, we haven't talked about timmy and and his portrayal of bob dylan yet, like could people be super into that?
Speaker 2:Sure, and and would it be maybe the ninth most favorited film to win out of the 10? Sure, but it is, you know, especially for films that we really really like and connect with, like challengers, like the substance you know. Also, kind of I think, in that, you know, on the outside looking in in the teens somewhere could be something like Nosferatu, like you never know. And so, like these movies that we, that we really love because they're hard genre films or we feel like they're just doing something new, it would still be really fun for them to get the title of a best picture nominee, and so that's where, even if they don't really stand a chance, I'm still really rooting for a couple of them to sneak in in. Like September 5th I think does look awesome, but like I don't, you know, I would love to have this sing sing conversation being just way more about Coleman Domingo than it's chances for best picture, which is just never going to win, kind of thing.
Speaker 3:When I was looking over like a lot of the talk, just like looking at reading some articles earlier about like what's in talks of best picture nominations, and I just feel like there's so many great movies that that are about to come out or have come out that you just see a lot of like solid acting performances and I feel like I could just nail down like a list of, okay, best actor nominees, best supporting actor, and then go with the actress category as well, and I do think that Coleman D domingo might take home that oscar for sing sing um. I haven't seen it fully yet, but I did start watching it and it's already amazing.
Speaker 1:He's just amazing yeah, he is, but I I will say I I saw sing sing in the theater and the other, and I don't know if you've gotten to the point where that character comes into the movie. But Divine Eye comes in and that guy steals every scene from under Coleman Domingo's nose and it's crazy because he is true to the story, he is a convicted felon who got hired on this movie and he blows the doors off that performance. So I'm really excited to hear what you think when you finish up that movie. My list I have Anora Amelia Perez, dune 2, the Brutalist.
Speaker 1:This is where I kind of go off the path a little bit. I do think Nosferatu will get a best picture, nom, because I think Edgars is kind of at that point where I feel like a lot of the academy is going to want to, you know, recognize him. Uh, and because watching the trailer is like it is a period piece it's about. You know, it is a remake of one of the cornerstones, one of the foundational blocks of americans or of cinema really, and um, I think I'm hoping that it's just going to be too good to like on a horror level, yes, but like even on a a film level, that it's just going to be too well-made and too meticulously just beautiful uh that it will get a nomination have Conclave. I have the Nickel Boys I have. You know I think Netflix has had a really bad year in film this year, but they have a movie coming out on I believe it's the end of this month, end of November, called the Piano Lesson and it's by the director, malcolm Washington, who is the other Denzel child, other Denzel child, other Denzel kid boy. John David Washington is also in this film, along with Samuel L Jackson, daniel Deadweiler, ray Fisher, supposed to be very heavy and dramatic. It feels like kind of a power of the nap uh movie for them and I think they're going to put all their their campaigning uh behind it and I think netflix kind of always has a film in in the the best picture race.
Speaker 1:Um, I also have gladiator 2 uh, even though I am I think I've said this before and I will continue to say this until I see the film I don't think Gladiator 2 is going to be very good, but they have already started going out on the campaign trail with you know, I saw Denzel and Paul Mescal has. They've done some UK talk shows already and Denzel is being very dramatic, being, you know like, there's a clip of him where he just points at Paul and he's like this kid brings it. I've seen, I've been around this kid brings it. And you know, ridley Scott, he is, you know, 842 years old. You know they're going to want to represent the old master.
Speaker 1:And then in my 10th spot, I'm cheating here because I have two films because I think it's going to go one way or the other, and this is like the Oscars, oscaring, where I think something like the Bike Riders or another old master, juror no 2, from Clint Eastwood could find a way to get into the nomination list. Because those films just feel like, you know, I hate to say it, but they feel like Green Book, right, like they are much more of a classical Hollywood, especially, you know, as much as I love the bike riders and Jeff Nichols and his storytelling, it is a very, like, you know, america Americana film, 982 years old, could be, could be another film that the Academy wants to celebrate Clint Eastwood for making a film at such an advanced age. But that's my list as of right now.
Speaker 2:The funny thing is is that it almost seems like this is the year where a director needs to have 10 nominations and picture could maybe just be a lot easier with only five. Totally Because, for a lot of the same reasons, why you just kind of laid out a path for something like juror number two to make its way in, you could say that the same, the same path exists for the film here by Robert Zemeckis. Oh God, when they would just throw him in there because they're like hey, shoot, we need 10 films. Why would we put challengers or the substance in there when we can throw up, you know, a Robert Zemeckis film? So that that is a. I don't want to say it's disheartening because it hasn't happened yet, but we have trust issues with the Academy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I know the Academy is supposed to be new. It's changed.
Speaker 3:They're not stuck in their own ways.
Speaker 1:But you know what? I still have some weird feeling that there's going to be a couple films in here that are just like ugh, that's just the Oscars, Oscar-ing.
Speaker 2:I think that the Nosferatu thing, the path for that, I think, is kind of already been shown to us, because the Lighthouse gets nominated in 2019 for Best Cinematography. So they have shown that they pay attention to Robert Eggers work, which is great. And then the Academy's Instagram page, not that long ago, put up like a like a three slide thing of Anya Taylor, joy from the witch, robert Pattinson from the lighthouse and scars guard from the Northman. And so in the North.
Speaker 2:This is why excuse the intermission is the best movie podcast in the world because alex is out there sleuthing on the instagrams finding the data they've, they've shown, they've shown um, I don't want to say like any sort of favoritism to him before, but like they've shown, I don't, and maybe they only save it for their social media platforms and this is the best that we're gonna get. But I remember there was, you know, in a very similar way to some of these other genre performances that we've loved so much, there was, you know, rumors not really rumors, but just like rumblings that maybe Mia Goth would get nominated for pearl, right, and then the Academy's Instagram page. Like two months or a month before the nominations came out, they just posted her entire monologue on their instagram page and that really set people off.
Speaker 2:And so maybe it's nothing, maybe it's all just red herrings and they're just messing yeah, they're just trolling people like me who are who are watching and kind of tracking that kind of stuff. But I mean the northman, not that I think that that film would have been like necessarily quote-unquote deserving of a best picture nomination, even though I think it's an amazing movie, but like the fact that that got completely blanked, I also think like they have some making up to do for for our boy eggers and so to hopefully see nosferatu at least be an Academy Award nominated pitcher for some category you know, and I'm sure costumes like it could make a killing in some of those you know undercard categories. So hopefully that happens. But to get it above the line for pitcher or director would be awesome.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, um good juju out there, cause I would just die to see that. I mean, I already know that this is going to be one of my favorite movies and I haven't even seen it yet.
Speaker 1:I will be there Christmas day With blood on my hands. I can't wait.
Speaker 2:The Mufas for raw to double feature Anyone do that? The Mufasferatu double feature Anyone?
Speaker 1:doing that with me, the Mufasferatu. I love that. That's amazing. I also actually one other thing that just sparks in my head trailers. Before Anora, Did you guys see a trailer for the Order?
Speaker 3:Did we.
Speaker 1:Did we Jude Law as a grizzled FBI agent? Has to go to the backwoods of Idaho to stop Nicholas Holt and his white supremacist gang. It looks so amazing. I am so locked in. I cannot wait for this movie to come out. Jude law is doing some crazy american accent.
Speaker 2:We got nicholas holt out here with sheets on their heads like it's insane I had nicholas holt, so I cannot wait, cannot wait for idaho to get what it's coming, what's coming uh, no, that doesn't um, and I can't say I'm surprised that the green didn't program that trailer before. It doesn't really feel like a green cinema film. Um, but cinemark. That sounds like you know what that sounds like. That sounds like a midwinter break. Tuesday 9 am showing for me absolutely don't be worried.
Speaker 2:Gold right there what do you think? Okay, so, just what do you guys think that the academy is gonna do with luca guadagnino this this year? Because we are gonna get the film queer before the voting window closes. Closes. So is this does that help challengers? Does that hurt challengers? Does one of those films feel more oscar baity for maybe director? Does he get snubbed in all categories, like I know we haven't seen the daniel craig performance yet, but just from speaking from like luca and best pitcher type, um, from from that sort of stance, because this is a guy who the academy loves and who has they have nominated him before. So what do you? What do you think?
Speaker 1:I. I think the only way for challengers to be represented is is from the acting, the acting category I I.
Speaker 2:Unfortunately, I just don't know if challengers You're talking above the line, cause this could be our best score.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, yeah, I guess score will also probably get, hopefully get nominated. Um, yeah, I don't know. I I I've heard middling things about queer and which is odd because, again, luca is is a master in his own right. I would love, and I would love for challengers to have a resurgence and like come back. Is it anywhere streaming for free, like is on Netflix or anything, cause it needs to get back in front of people Is it?
Speaker 3:is it Amazon? I have rewatched it, though.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it needs to like if. If they're going to campaign, like maybe if if Amazon owns some sort of stake in the game, then they need to get on it, because I don't know, I don't know, I think queer ultimately will hurt its chances when it comes out.
Speaker 2:I'm looking at challengers right now, and Erica is absolutely right, it's available to stream on prime video.
Speaker 3:I don't know much about queer. I mean, I've heard of it, obviously, but I haven't like really dug into it too much. It's something I will obvious I will be very curious to see it too much. It's something I will obvious I will be very curious to see. But I'm trying to just kind of step away from trailers a lot these days. Um, such a sucker for them. They always ruin my, my uh expectations. But yeah, I don't know, that's interesting thing to think about. Um, because I think when I think of challengers, I just immediately see awards. You know, I just immediately I'm like, okay, this just screams oscars to me, like that was the, I think, one of the first movies besides dune that I had seen this year. That I was like, oh, and we'll probably see this at the oscars.
Speaker 2:Um I remember I was in the same feelings.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hope so I, but I mean it's a crowded, what I think. Alex, it was the 12th movie you mentioned. It was the seventh movie Erica you mentioned and it wasn't even on my list. So, yeah, I don't know, I feel more pessimistic about it.
Speaker 3:Yeah no-transcript.
Speaker 2:I don't really see something like that for it, even though I think the editing is incredible in that movie. So yeah, you know, maybe a handful of technical awards it gets nominated.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't think I unfortunately I don't think it made like enough of a splash when it came out talk about a movie that needs to have a resurgence right now yeah, right, I mean, I just bought it on physical again. One of my, one of my favorite movies of the year. Um, that is not me advocating for a civil war by the way I just want to put that out there.
Speaker 2:I'm just saying it's a very poignant film. It's a very poignant film. Alex just put on his gray cap and no, I have my Lionel Seal team ready to go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I wish, but I just don't think so. I don't know if Alex Garland even really is like Someone who would want to campaign. I can't remember any of his films really being present at the Oscars as of late.
Speaker 2:I think the cool thing about Civil War is I think Civil War will continue to live on via critics top 10 list on podcast. I think that people are going to talk about that film a lot here in the coming months as everyone's doing their best of 2024 list because it was such a good movie. Like I'm, I'm looking back at my letterbox top 10 and it's right there for me. I know the two of you have it in your top 10 as well and it's.
Speaker 2:It's one of those movies kind of like what we were talking about with uncut gems, where if it doesn't have any sort of pressure to perform during award season, then that allows it's it to just kind of have this real cool motif and vibe and aesthetic to it, where you're just like that movie, that that that movie rips like sure it's not for everybody, but like when you go back and you look at 2024, I don't think that a film like the brutalist, obviously, with it being four hours long, or something more heavy, like perhaps maybe nickel boys, like those movies are made for the awards, like civil war, is made to be a really thought-provoking, exciting, thrilling film and if it can just exist is that, I think, is awesome, and especially too, because alex garland.
Speaker 2:Alex garland was kind of like, kind of like that I don't know. For me at least he was like that, that friend that you just kind of were getting sick and tired of hanging out with, just like you're getting sick and tired of them coming out, because they're always a drag when they come out or whatever, and then they show up one night and you're like, hey, you know who's not that bad, alex garland yeah he's not.
Speaker 2:He's not. He's not that same guy who was like drunk trying to tell us how women process drama last month, or whatever, like he's actually talking about some cool stuff this time um men did he, yeah, yeah, I never saw you should watch men my dad watched it and he goes.
Speaker 3:I watched a really disturbing movie. Have you heard of it? And I was like what are you doing watching that, sir? I did not see it and honestly I don't know if I will. But I mean I, he did annihilation right.
Speaker 1:I, I loved annihilation yeah, uh, another, another, another filmmaker who just came out with a movie and it seems like it was a total miss and we won't hear from it.
Speaker 3:This awards season is Kinds of Kindness and Yorgos, I was going to ask about that too, yeah.
Speaker 1:And I really enjoyed that film, but again, it just did not. It didn't even make a squeak when it came out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and which is like I don't know what. What should the top like? What should the first sentence and kinds of kindness is obituary be? Should it be like you? Know a disappointing followup to poor things. Or should it be like a fucking dirty like experiment, experiment for the real yorgo heads? And I kind of think that, like that's again sort of like it doesn't need, it'll continue to live on as this kind of like. You know it'll be an og film here pretty soon yeah, yeah, right on uh.
Speaker 1:Any other thoughts uh about best picture before, before we sign off?
Speaker 2:where max, you've done a really good job of keeping anora um, just to circle it all the way back here off your letterbox. So where is it for you? I don't have it on your top 20, top 20 24.
Speaker 1:Yet it's yeah, it's definitely going to be in the top 10. I kind of was waiting to like. I'm still honestly processing how I feel because, as someone who does love Uncut Gems a lot, it does feel a little. I don't know. It's just, it's a good movie. It's a really good movie by a really good filmmaker. But, man, I just was kind of expecting I don't know something, something more more explosive than than what it is and uh, but I, I think it will definitely land in the top 10, if not definitely the top 15 of the year for me. Uh, and and again, I, I do think it is the front runner. Uh, I think, if, if you have to pick a favorite, I think it is right now the favorite to to win the the big award. So, um, yeah, anora, I, I will, I will log it, or, yeah, log it and put thoughts to the page here soon on my letterbox. But definitely going to be one of the better movies I think that we see this year.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, it's in my top 10 right now and I gave it four and a half stars, but I think it's just. I think that's really more so for the entire experience of watching the film, like the music and and not so much this this centered performance of Mikey Madsen, because I think like the movie is just very mid and what it's trying to say. I feel like and we've, I thought we all did a really good job, kind of all coming together, um around that idea. And so, even though it's like a a minus, like a B plus a minus movie for me, I think that it's really like Sean Baker that carries it to that, to that grade. So it's still like a top 10 movie for me. But you know it's not, it's no first omen, I'll tell you that.
Speaker 1:It's no first omen. It's not a substance. Yeah, I, and it's another substance uh, yeah, I I unfortunately, I don't think it will get into the top five have you made?
Speaker 2:you haven't made your 2024 list, have you erica?
Speaker 3:um, I mean I have it on. I have a list going on letterboxd you do oh yeah, oh yeah, I need to start tracking yours like I track max's this is my um is my first year making one too, Because I'm new to Letterboxd in the last few years.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, I see you. Yeah, this is the first year.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, I take it way too seriously. And then I get really stressed out about organizing things. I'm like, oh, did I like this more than this? And I, yeah, yeah, but max had mentioned this like last week or a couple weeks ago, where it's like it's rewatch season, like I need to start re-watching some of these movies because, like I have civil war at two right now. But honestly, I'm kind of trying I might bump that down a little bit, but you know what?
Speaker 2:Here's one that's in your top 10 that I'm looking at right now that we didn't mention for best picture Saturday night.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I. So that's in my top 10 because I have such a very close relationship with Saturday night life and it very, it hit like home, such a very close relationship with Saturday Night Live and it hit home on a very personal level for me and not to say that I'm this avid SNL fan these days, but it's literally that program raised me and I just loved the movie Because I thought that the performances were unbelievable and like just the the cast was just they couldn't have done it better and we had a lot of people who I just don't didn't really know and I just really enjoyed it. I because of like the flow and how chaotic it was. Normally I those movies kind of are a little overwhelming to me, but it worked and it was just so great. So I have it ranked high because personally it was a special thing to watch and I just really enjoyed it.
Speaker 3:But do I see it getting any kind of traction? I don't think so.
Speaker 1:Saturday Night is the best sports movie that's been made in a couple of years.
Speaker 3:For sure.
Speaker 1:And that's. That's rough to say because we're in the same year as Challengers, but it is very much a sports movie like format Saturday Night, and it's a lot of fun, and you do kind of dip into like they acting or impersonating, uh, these real life characters, um, and also like there's no real stakes. Guess what? Snl's been around for 50 years, um, but I think it's. It does a really good job of like trying to be a sorkin movie where there's a lot of walk and talks, we're moving, the camera's constantly moving, there's great music throughout, um, but again, nobody. No, when it came out, nobody cared, nobody cared. Gen z doesn't give a fuck about saturday night live, and nobody went to the theater and saw this, and so I just I don't think it'll have any sort of power pulling power in the academy yeah, and you know, kind of like revisiting the topic of bike riders.
Speaker 3:Um, I also I loved that movie so much. It kind of gives me like like I don't know if you guys saw iron claw last year, but iron claw just completely got overlooked. But and I don't know if that's because it came out too late, but that movie was so powerful and just had such a like unbelievable performance by Zac Efron and some of the other guys in that, and I feel like Bike Riders kind of gives me like similar and like vibe to that. Um, not so much like the story or anything like that, but just I don't know, I just don't think people are going to watch bike ride or like they're going to appreciate it, because it didn't do very well in theaters and then it it only started to get better like feedback, once it went to streaming. But I love bike riders, it was so great and I think I always forget her name, but the main girl, max do you know what her name is?
Speaker 1:Jodi Culler.
Speaker 3:I think she deserves like attention for her performance in that movie. Other than that, I mean, tom Hardy is my guy, if you guys know that but um I don't know that his like acting was like award winning, um same with austin butler, but um well, butler says about 13 lines in that movie right, he doesn't stand in the corner and smolder, but that's great.
Speaker 3:She was like carrying that movie. So, um, yeah, I don't know, it's like these really great movies. Just I struggle with the oscars, I struggle with awards because I feel like there's a lot of politics involved and I feel like, just if I I would not pick some of like the substance to me is best picture, is my best picture. Pick guys Like that's uh well, that won't change unless Nosferatu just is the best thing I've ever seen.
Speaker 2:But I think the the folks behind the substance are um, are already running a pretty smart campaign because that film is going to compete at the golden globes under musical or comedy.
Speaker 1:So if that film's going to compete at the golden globes under musical or comedy.
Speaker 2:So if that film, if that film wins like not even like it's gonna get nominated, if it wins, then all of a sudden that gets hard to ignore and hard to leave out of the academy's top 10. I feel like is.
Speaker 1:That is that category fraud.
Speaker 2:I know it's not a drama it's. I think it's closer to a comedy than it is a drama.
Speaker 3:So now, there's such a deep message to this. I love how we just every week we find an excuse to bring up. I'm not sorry about it, but I think that like, of course, there's like a really deep message behind the substance. But I rewatched it on Halloween and, oh my god, I was just cracking up like 75% of the movie yeah, this movie is so brilliant and it's, it's just, it's, it's hilarious. Demi Moore just kill. I don't know it's, it's my pick that would would be insane.
Speaker 1:That would be really fun. If it goes to the globes, golden globes, and it wins, the academy has to consider it well, I mean just okay, just real quick, to end on this.
Speaker 2:anora will compete in drama, brutalistist drama. Well, maybe Nora competes in comedy at Golden Globes. I don't know. We'll see. Conclave's going to compete. Drama Amelia Perez. Drama Doom Part 2. Drama Sing Sing. Drama Gladiator 2. Drama Like Wicked. It'll be going up against Wicked. It'll be going up against A Real Pain. It'll be going up against that's probably it, against a real pain it'll be going up against. That's probably it.
Speaker 1:I mean maybe night bitch is going to be hilarious, the wild robot.
Speaker 2:Like you were saying, erica. Maybe that gets nominated at the globes for best musical or comedy. But like I think the substance competes and it competes pretty well in musical or comedy at the globes so that'll be awesome.
Speaker 1:That will be awesome, uh, and we will be watching it and talking about it, uh, all of this, uh, these next couple months, as we are now in the heart of uh award season or in the fury in the fire. Thank you both for being awesome co-hosts on this episode. Remember to go to Instagram at Excuse the Intermission, follow us there, interact with us there and then also follow all three of us on Letterboxd to find out what we're watching in between episodes. I don't know what's coming next week, but you'll find out when you listen, uh, and remember uh, what? How do we end this?
Speaker 2:um. So in the meantime, please follow excuse the intermission on instagram and the three of us on letterbox, and we will talk to you next time. On excuse the intermission where movies still matter. Thank you,
