Who's got the lead in Best Supporting Actress?

by Nathaniel R

Kiki in Los Angeles and Aunjanue in Savannah recently

“The internet,” by which I mean that diffuse vibe one gets by scrolling through twitter, and clicking on award and film sites, always likes to jump the gun. People have figuratively been handing out Oscars for months, well before the campaigns revved up. But the long season of direct FYCs has now truly begun with Q&As and screenings suddenly abundant on both coasts. So where are we at with Best Supporting Actress? Don’t believe anyone who thinks this race is already settled. The supporting categories are often the last to clear up as they’re quite dependent on the film that houses them, the strength of the campaign, and once nominations are announced, the narratives for the win. But we do have some nomination probabilities.

ALMOST SURE THINGS?
I’ve moved Kristen Dunst and Aunjanue Ellis to the top of the charts in this category partially because they have no internal competition from their own films for that golden ticket to the Dolby. More importantly their films, Power of the Dog and King Richard respectively, have major Best Picture buzz and that always helps...

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AFI Diary #3: "Parallel Mothers" and "Petite Maman"

Christopher is covering the 2021 AFI Fest Film Festival. Follow along for his reviews.

The hits just keep coming during AFI Fest. Two renowned international filmmakers screened their new films this weekend - Pedro Almodóvar and Celina Sciamma. Check out the latest reviews below:

Parallel Mothers (Pedro Almodóvar)

Pedro Almodóvar is a genre unto his own. The legendary Spanish director has made dramas, comedies, thrillers and everything in between over his forty-plus year career. No matter the tone of the movie, there are certain colors, beats and stylistic choices that are undeniably Pedro. We don’t look at a bright, dark red color the same thanks to his work in cinema. One of the great joys in watching a Pedro Almodóvar film is watching the plot change from what you expected it to be and what it actually is. Parallel Mothers is top-tier Almodóvar, particularly because it subverts one’s own expectations and becomes a much more emotional, haunting and political picture...

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AFI World Premiere: Halle Berry's "Bruised"

by Eurocheese

Bruised gives us Halle Berry behind and in front of the camera, telling the story of a former MMA fighter who has been down on her luck for some time. When her life is complicated by the return of her son, she is forced to get her priorities in order and address the demons of her past. Berry spoke about revamping the script – originally written with a young white protagonist in mind – to reflect her own vision with the writer’s assistance, and it’s clear this was a passion project for her.

Does that passion translate to the screen? Yes, but this can be both a curse and a blessing...

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Ranking Jane Campion

by Cláudio Alves

The upcoming release of The Power of the Dog is a joyous moment for all cinephiles everywhere. Finally, after twelve long years, Jane Campion is back with a new feature that won her the Best Director prize at Venice earlier this year and might lead her to more Oscar nominations, maybe victories. Personally speaking, I'm on cloud nine right now, seeing as Campion is my favorite living filmmaker. Having watched every one of her features and most shorts, I've fallen in love with her cinema of extreme materiality and negative capability, her portraits painted with unsaid words and aborted gestures, silences, and voids.

 Such is my love that, to celebrate the incoming release of The Power of the Dog, I've decided to rank Jane Campion's nine features. It's a veritable cornucopia of cinematic excellence…

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Streaming: "The Harder They Fall"

Please welcome guest contributor Jasmine Graham

Westerns are not a genre I’m a massive fan of so I had no idea what to expect from The Harder They Fall, a directorial debut from Jeymes Samuels, a singer-songwriter from England. The film, now streaming on Netflix, follows Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) spending the course of the film avenging his parents death as a child to Rufus Buck (Idris Elba) and his gang. Joining them in the ensemble cast are Edi Gathegi, Regina King, and Zazie Beetz to name a few. The cast is exceptional, with wonderful chemistry and such good performances that it’s hard to name one standout. The film is a western, through and through, with bloody and violent shootouts that do not disappoint...

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