Podcast: The Favourite, Creed 2, and Shoplifters
Monday, November 26, 2018 at 1:20AM Nathaniel R and Murtada Elfadl welcome back Nick Davis to talk new films
Index (67 minutes)
00:01 Palme d'Or winner Shoplifters. Plus: Roma and Oscar talk.
20:22 Yorgos Lanthimos' The Favourite, directorial style, tragicomedies, and three stellar actresses: Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, and Emma Stone. Plus: Sandy Powell's costumes
39:45 Reader Q: Which film will get the most Oscar nods this year?
43:06 Reader Q: What is going on with Mary Queen of Scots?
48:05 Reader Q: Why did Widows underperform?
52:50 Nick on Creed 2
58:32 Randomness to wrap-up: Museo, and Ruth E. Carter's costumes for Black Panther
Further Reading / References
• Nathaniel's review of The Favourite
• Murtada's interview with Hirokazu Koreeda on Shoplifters
• Oscar Predictions, Current
• ...and this royal Angela Bassett costume in Black Panther
You can listen to the podcast here at the bottom of the post or download from iTunes. Continue the conversations in the comments, won't you?
Reader Comments (18)
Any spoilers in the podcast Nathaniel? Favourite is not opening for a while here.
Do we think the Globes will course-correct Stone, and maybe even Weisz?
Adam -- no, it's safe.
Maura -- I would love that. They have before. I'm really hoping they do that with both GREEN BOOK and THE FAVOURITE (if they're going to be nominating them, that is)
@Adam: A little more spoilery on Shoplifters, but even then, not really. We note some tone shifts over the course of The Favourite but no plot denouements. In fact, we don't talk much about its plot at all!
Welcome back, Nick!
I was fortunate enough to see Shoplifters at my local film festival this fall and I loved it. Happy to hear so much praise for Sakura Andô. Maybe LAFCA will come through with some recognition for her, since they have so much affection for foreign film actresses.
Do you think Nick might give a bit more comments as to what he thought about Colman's performance in the favorite? He mentioned it was his favorite in the film but the conversation was mostly about the other two ladies.
It's also been a while since his personal oscar ballots so it would be nice to read his thoughts on a performance he likes.
Agreed about Nick his yearly thoughts and lists was my go to pick me up,his site's v quiet too,must be a busy man.
Hadn't even considered Sakura Andô for my supporting actress ballot but you're both so right, she's amazing. Would love to know who Nick's other contenders would be
You're all so kind! Thanks for the welcome-back, Suzanne. I had the same thought about LAFCA.
Mark, Yoana, and Peter: You're all right that finding time for the site and for proper writing only gets harder as my day-job responsibilities only ever escalate. But if you're curious, Andô would currently be at or near the front of a personal Supporting Actress pack that also includes Mackenzie Davis in Tully, Sara Sevigny in Rogers Park, Dolly Wells in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Miranda July (especially) and Molly Parker in Madeline's Madeline, Bahar Noohian in Ava, Jeon Jong-seo in Burning, Danai Gurira in Black Panther, Regina King in Beale Street, Amanda Seyfried in First Reformed, and Elizabeth Debicki in The Tale (if that counts), even more than in Widows. Nicole Beharie and Amanda Warren would be up there for Monsters and Men if they got just a smidge more screen time, but I hope folks keep seeking out that movie and its gallery of great acting, in roles large and small.
@Nick: No love for Bruna Cusí in Summer 1993?
@BVR: She's kind of juuuust outside this group, although not by much. In fact, she and King and Parker and Gurira and Seyfried are all around the same second tier. At least in my mind today!
@Nick: Glad to hear that. Granted I haven't seen many of the films you cited, but Cusí, Davis, and Wells are easily my favorite supporting actresses of the year. Anyway, happy to see you back in the podcast again.
Exciting choices, Nick! I gotta check out Rogers Park and Ava. Ismael's Ghosts, Nancy, Private Life, and Support the Girls have some stellar supporting actress performances, too, but I'm sure they're all already on your radar.
The Sakura Ando awards campaign starts with this pod. We can do it everyone!!!
Sing it, Murtada!
@Yoana: Those are all on my radar, and I'm especially keen on Support the Girls, but your extra plug makes a difference in all cases. Thanks!
Meanwhile, I fear these supporting actresses have turned into the scene-stealing kind. Curious about other folks' thoughts about these movies overall?
"Do we think the Globes will course-correct Stone, and maybe even Weisz?"
Not sure about them, but word has it that the Globes nixed Natalie Portman's supporting bid for Vux Lux and she'll be competing in Best Actress - Drama now
I'm also fuzzy on plot details from Shoplifters, but I agree that the mood and texture have really stayed with me.
Re: the supporting actresses I recommended, Ismael's Ghosts is Desplechin through and through. Magnolia sold it as a muchhhh simpler movie than it is. Cotillard and Gainsbourg are absent through huge portions of the film. It's wildly ambitious and might rub you the wrong way but it's exciting filmmaking for sure - he's hardly on cruise control. I know you liked Results, and Support the Girls has very similar appeal (Hall is pretty brilliant in a role that on paper would be perfect for Smulders), with a larger cast and shorter timeframe. The movie Nancy reminded me most of was Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter...take with that what you will but it's very well acted by the three leads. Buscemi and Smith-Cameron broke my heart here, and it's the most I've ever liked Riseborough.
The Colleen Atwwod/DeNiro and Sandy Powell/Streep comparasion should be on should be on Sandy Powell's FYC ads. Make it happen internet!