Podcast: Bohemian Rhapsody and the Best Actor Race
Sunday, November 4, 2018 at 7:00PM Nathaniel R, Murtada Elfadl and Chris Feil talk new films and the Oscar race
Index (65 minutes)
00:01 Bryan Singer's Bohemian Rhapsody, homophobic storytelling, and cat reaction shots
10:25 Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, the limits and strengths of the performance
14:08 The Best Actor race: Bradley, Ethan, Viggo, Willem, and Rami? Plus floundering campaigns for First Man and The Front Runner and the default possibilities of Vice?
35:00 Lucas Hedges in both Ben is Back and Boy Erased
37:30 Boy Erased in general, Nicole & Russell's fine parental performances, and a bit of The Miseducation of Cameron Post on the side
50:30 Recent DVDs: Mamma Mia 2, Leave No Trace, Skate Kitchen, and Sorry to Bother You
55:55 Return trips to both A Star is Born and BlacKkKlansman
01:02:00 Can You Ever Forgive Me? afterglow and Wildlife fade?
References / Further Reading
• Nathaniel's review of Bohemian Rhapsody
• Best Actor Chart
• Murtada on Carey Mulligan
• Jorge's Mamma Mia obsession
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 (14)
I skipped to the bit about SKATE KITCHEN, as I haven't had any other opinions to compare with. I have to disagree with the reviewer, as SK was one of the few I actually walked out on at Melbourne International Film Festival this year. I found it dull and (not in a good way) amateur. I was very shocked to see it get a Gotham nom.
The discussion at the end about Can You Ever Forgive Me? made me want to go out and see it again. I admire the screenplay, witty and incisive with what felt like well-earned sentiment at the end. It's a mystery that the film that Nicole Holofcener wrote and directed this year (it's on Netflix), the Ben Mendelsohn-starring The Land of Steady Habits, is such a dud.
Do people think MaleK noW has a shot with the HUGE BO.
I think you may be underestimating Redford. I'm not at all confident he will get a nod, but many of the arguments you have made about Close apply to Redford at all - namely, that the internet is not the Academy voting populace. The Old Man and the Gun is a really fun movie to watch and will be a great movie to watch on screener, and it has already made close to $10 million.
Also, are they really going to nominate 3-4 movies with predominantly black casts and not nominate one black actor in the Best Actor category? If someone like Malek gets in over Washington, there will be a lot of questions.
Kinda wish someone would have said “Why not put Mahershala Ali in Lead?!?” during the convo about Best Actor’s lack of contenders. It’s not a slight against you guys — it just sucks that his category placement is such a foregone conclusion, especially in a year where he could probably easily get nominated in that category.
Suzanne -- but isn't Malek considered a person of color by a lot of people? I realize Middle Eastern is complicated with racial definitions but he is Egyptian-American.
George -- i can't with the Ali placement. he's 100% a lead. it's like calling Thelma or Louise a supporting player.
Nathaniel - I don't know, but to be honest, I can see backlash regardless, because such things do not account for nuance.
Suzanne,
If they don't deserve it, they don't deserve it. John David Washington and the lead in Beale are the weakest links in their respective casts. And don't tell me anyone in Black Panther deserves it because they don't.
Listening to the podcast here in the UK and you lads made me want to go and protest outside my cinema.
I had a similar experience to Nat that on second viewing I appreciated more what Washington brought to his role in Blackkklansman. Still not nomination worthy (sorry Murtada) but even on my first viewing I wouldn't have called him the weakest link.
I wish Ali would get bumped up to lead were he belongs. I liked Viggo alot but I was more taken by Ali between the two. I loved the way he conveyed the aspects of his loneliness and pride while slowing finding a relief in befriending someone.
Can we talk about Green Book? I keep hearing Oscar pundit after Oscar pundit who hasn't seen the movie talk about how awful it looks and how unenthused they are to see it. (I mean this as no slight to Chris... I've heard this refrain over and over and over again.) And I get it - I felt the same way from the trailer. I only bought a ticket at TIFF after hearing so many people speak its praises. But at this point, it's been well-seen and the worst thing I've heard anyone say is "It's traditional but I kinda liked it." Many audiences have been far more rapturous in their praise. Yet the folks who haven't seen it still can't be convinced even by their colleagues that maybe there's something there.
Meanwhile, even among the critics who have seen it and loved/enjoyed/kinda liked it, the general idea seems to be that it'll be eviscerated when critics eventually see it. Yet so many critics have seen it and there are no eviscerations yet... Who are these hypothetical critics? How have they not seen the film yet?
I just don't get it. It's as though no amount of word of mouth or even actual experience watching the film will sway people into taking it seriously as a crowd-pleaser.
"And don't tell me anyone in Black Panther deserves it because they don't."
I would not vote for Black Panther for Best Picture (but I wouldn't vote for quite a few of these films for BP). But it's going to seem odd if Academy members nominate it for BP and then deny it any other nominations in the "Big 8" categories. As of now, it seems that everything else likely to get into BP will get into one of the top categories.
Hi, I remember in 69 70 what ever .I was
Sitting in my car. Great sound system. I heard this song. I said who the is that. After the song was over. During the song to I went crazy. It was that great. I have been a fan historian of Qween. The first thing I like was guitar. Who is this band. The movie was ok but it is hard to watch. FREEDIE, Brian Dec TAYLOR NOT THERE. . IT WAS SUCH A WIERD THING. I know Rami did his best as the other. I did not feel it. I guess that is why it is a movie.Also I know 2/2 hours is not enough. lIVe aide was great. Freedie did nmomot have Aids until 1987. Copy and paste it seems to me. Thank u Brian for this Tribute. It is about time. Roger Taylor
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Murtada, how many times have you seen A Star Is Born? LOL
Shallow has become Gaga's longest No. 1 digital sales song with five weeks at the peak position. Yeah baby.