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The Films of 2020. The 21st annual FiLM BiTCH Awards

PICTURE | ACTING | VISUALS | AURALS | EXTRAS | SPECIAL - you are hereSCENES 

 

AND THE NOMINEES ARE...
(this page contains SPOILERS. be warned)

 

Hero of the Year
Captain Kidd
Tom Hanks
NEWS OF THE WORLD
The Chicago 7
Principal Cast
TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7
Jane
Julia Garner
THE ASSISTANT
Malcolm X
Kingsley Ben-Adir
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
Maxim/Grisha
(self)
WELCOME TO CHECHNYA
 Blessed with: A big heart, literacy, good aim, and quick thinking.

Achilles Heel: Past trauma. A lack of ammo. And that big heart again.

Sidekick: Johanna, who he literally finds on the side of a road.

Triumph: By saving Johanna he saves himself. A new happier life with adopted daughter begins.
Blessed with: Democratic passion, anti-war activism and righteous fury.

Achilles Heel: Infighting (which often comes with the big tent.)

Sidekicks: Bobby Seale (against his will) makes it (briefly) the Chicago 8

Triumph: Sham trial sentences overturned. Vindicated by history.
Blessed with: A good heart, work ethic and responsibility. Bravery

Achilles Heel: Career dreams that put her in such an ethical nightmare

Sidekick: None. She's quite alone in the lion's den.

Triumph: Doing the right thing is its own reward.
 Blessed with: Bravery, righteous confidence, oratorical skill.

Achilles Heel: Idealism makes him stubborn / insensitive; He sure is tough on Sam who is trying in a different way.

Sidekick: These icons are equals so the word doesn't quite apply.

Triumph: 'A change is gonna come'. He's helping it along.
  Blessed with: Incredible bravery (which he shares wih those unimaginably fierce activists at the LGBT center)

Achilles Heel: Loved ones. The braver he is, the riskier it is for all of them.

Sidekick: His boyfriend "Bogdan"

Triumph: Comes out. Puts a face on a purposefully hidden tragedy, exposing Chechnya's crimes.

Runners Up

Finalists: Robyn Goodfellowe (Honor Kneafsey and animators) Wolfwalkers, David Copperfield (Dev Patel) in Personal History of David Copperfield, and Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland and animators) in Onward

Semi Finalists: Joe (Jamie Foxx and animators) in Soul, Jo Ellen (Emma) and Merab (Levan Glbakhiania) in The Prom and And Then We Danced, respectively, for staying true to themselves, Andy (Charlize Theron) in The Old Guard

 

Villain of the Year
Adrian Griffin
Oliver Jackson-Cohen (and visual fx team)
THE INVISIBLE MAN

Bori Khan & Zianniang
Jason Scott Lee & Gong Li
MULAN
Cheetah
Kristen Wiig
WONDER WOMAN 1984
Michael
Jim Parsons
THE BOYS IN THE BAND

Queen Barb
Rachel Bloom (and animators)
TROLLS WORLD TOUR

 Guilty of: Faking his own death and framing the innocent for his murderous crimes.
     
Accomplices: His scientific genius & his scummy lawyer brother

Sentence: Death by fatal underestimation of his intended victim.


Guilty of: Impersonating authority, inciting violence, mass murder, vengeful hearts, and an attempted coup

Accomplices: The rouran warriors and each other in a tense alliance.

Sentence: Death on the battlefield x 2; Redemption for just 1.

 Guilty of: Intense envy, and getting, like, really carried away once she tastes her own fabulousity.

Accomplices: Sleazy salesman Max Lord (technically she's his accomplice but she's a much better villain and the film's MVP.

Sentence: Electrocution and near drowning.

Guilty of: Self loathing turned outward, toxic friendship, emotional sabotage, and unchecked shopping

Accomplices: Homophobic society, his masochistic friends victims.
 
Sentence: Remarkably resilient. Will surely pull a Same Time Next Year
 Guilty of: Fascism, one-note aesthetics, nefarious plans for world domination via zombification of rivals.

Accomplices: her "hairy baby" Debbie, the Rock trolls and her ancient daddy King Thrash.
 
Sentence: Reformed. The rainbow haired makeover is the tell.


Runners Up

Finalists: Toxic masculinity super-fan Ma Kelly (Essie Davis) in True History of the Kelly Gang, Colonizer/assassin Michael (Udo Kier) in Bacurau, sneaky thief/imposter Gustafson (Keegan Michael-Key) in Jingle Jangle

Semi Finalists: Animal-hating abusive politician Lord Protector (Simon McBurney) in Wolfwalkers, Treacherous mutant Dr Reyes (Sonia Braga) in The New Mutants, Machiavllian time travelling Sator (Kenneth Branagh) in Tenet, and bigoted corrupt incompetent Judge Julius Hoffman (Frank Langella) in Trial of the Chicago 7


Diva of the Year
Alexander Lemtov
Dan Stevens
EUROVISION SONG CONTEST
Chang'e
Phillipa Soo and animators
OVER THE MOON

Dede Allen
Meryl Streep
THE PROM

Frances Price
Michelle Pfeiffer
FRENCH EXIT
Ma Rainey
Viola Davis
MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM
 Turn ons: Himself, Icelandic singers and folklore, parties, luxury, the list goes on and on for this hedonist.

Hobbies: Seduction. Self-aggrandizement.

Enablers: Eurovision, back up dancers, Mita Xenakis.

Turn offs: Mother Russia's homophobia.
 Turn ons : Hou Yi, her one true love. Gifts from fans. Outerspace haute couture.

Hobbies:
Putting on incredible "ultra-luminary" spectacles. Obsessing over Hou Yi.

Enablers: The Lunettes.

Turn offs: Change.
Turn ons
: Principle Hawkins. Begin a celebrity. That beach house.

Hobbies
: Narcissism. 
Centering herself in other people's stories.

Enablers
: The gays. Those Tony Awards. "Now do you have a suite?"

Turn offs
: Indiana. Altruism.
Turn ons: Nope. She's impossible to please.

Hobbies: Burning through money. Always acting on erratic impulse.

Enablers: Her son Malcolm, her bestie Joan, and what's left of that inheritance.

Turn offs: Life. Feline abandonment.
 Turn ons: Money. Dussie Mae. A cold bottle of coke. The Blues... 'this'd be an empty world without it'

Hobbies: Making management sweat for it.

Enablers: Cutler and band.

Turn offs: Management. Bessie Smith. Trumpeters that don't know their place. 
 

Finalists:  Bossy vain Emma (Anya Taylor-Joy) in Emma., Self important novelist Alice (Meryl Streep) in Let Them All Talk, and center of attention and unique in all the land Eve in First Cow

Semi Finalists: Cassius Clay (Eli Gore) in One Night in Miami -- why is he so pretty?, Trixie Mattel (Trixie Mattel) Moving Parts, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) in Birds of Prey, Andy (Charlize Theron) in Old Guard

 


Sexpot of the Year
Cassandra
Carey Mulligan
PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN
Donald
Matt Bomer
BOYS IN THE BAND
Dussie Mae
Taylour Paige
MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM

Mr Knightley
Johnny Flynn
EMMA

Ziming
Alex Lam (and animators)
NO 7 CHERRY LANE
Variety got in trouble for using the term 'bad drag' but one of the trangressive and alluring pleasures of Mulligan's tour de force is the way she dons self-consciously articifial sexiness in order to weaponize it.  Intoxicatingly he's both fully aware and 'so what' about his (considerable) sex appeal, inviting you to gawk and hang. Even sexier is his genuine warmth for friends and ex lovers. He won't ghost you afterwards.  Her faux-innocent flirtations and exaggerated femme body language are a sexy blast in the otherwise serious film. No wonder Ma got so possessive and handsy and Levee wanted to introduce his red rooster. Shaggy buttoned up horniness. As Lynn so wisely put it... "that extra-stiff, extra-high collar—as if that could constrain his hotness" Mmmm, that stiff collar.  This college hottie seduces a mother and daughter, inspires erotic animalistic dreams, and even has classmates drooling in his gratuitous shower scene. Bonus points for being an actressexual, too. 
 

Finalists: Constable Fitzpatrick (Nicholas Hoult) in True History of the Kelly Gang, Riley (Aubrey Plaza) in The Happiest Season

Semi Finalists: Ruben (Riz Ahmed) in Sound of Metal, Ema (Mariana Di Girólamo) in Ema, Irakli (Bachi Valishvili) in And Then We Danced, Allison (Carrie Coon) in The Nest, Alexander Lemtov (Dan Stevens) in Eurovision Song Contest: Story of Fire Saga

 

Movie Poster of the Year
EMA NOMADLAND PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN SHE DIES TOMORROW
TENET
A stunning world-on-fire purposefully pregnant image. The movie has both the toxicity and the visual wonder to back it up.  A serenely matter-of-fact snapshot of an unglamourous woman just living her life. Simple but loaded.  The hopeful phrase reads like an anonymous threat  when scrawled in hot pink lipstick -- a fierce proclamation.  Like the movie, its dread ripples and morphs in the surreal colored siren lights of a death wish. Haunting. The poster series deployed a disorienting diagonal axis effect beautifully, never  quite an accurate mirror.
Runners Up

Finalists: The black and white painting of Mank,  the gaudy neon explosion of Wonder Woman 1984 , the barely visible abstract silhouette of Gunda

Semi Finalists: the hushed mouth and vibrant color of Beanpole,  the cheap provocative gag of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm , the color and intent of Swallow , the silent headshots of  The Assistant

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

 

The Films of 2020. The 21st annual FiLM BiTCH Awards

PICTURE | ACTING | VISUALS | AURALS | EXTRAS | SPECIAL - you are here | SCENES