by Nathaniel R
Peter Weir, picture here on the set of "The Truman Show", will receive an Honorary Oscar in November. © Paramount Pictures
We had intended for June to be our freshly energized new season but that fantasized new season here at TFE had its own mind and said "no no no, maybe July". Neverthless before June ends, a rundown on stories we haven't discussed in the early summer lull.
HONORARY OSCARS
First things first you have probably heard that the Honorary Oscar recipients were announced...
Directors Euzhan Palcy (previously celebrated right here), Peter Weir (who we will for sure do a retrospect of this November to celebrate), perpetual competitive-Oscar losing songwriter Diane Warren, and actor/activist Michael J Fox for the Humanitarian Award. What do you think of this quartet?
Our most fervent desire is that this honor will convince them to stop nominating Warren every time she composes a tiny ditty for films that barely have an imprint with anyone (not audiences, critics, media, or even Oscar voters outside of her songs) and let this suffice. She's deserved to win previously of course but these recent nominations have been highly questionable! Sometimes when you make people wait to win truly bizarre overkill starts happening (see also making Meryl's long wait for a third Oscar -- they just started nominating for everything, irregardless of quality which has run the gamut).
We're happiest about Weir because he's retired, getting on in years (78 this summer), and his filmography is long and remarkable and with 6 previous nominations from 3 different categories, he was overdue. My preferred trinity is Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Truman Show, and Witness but he made so many fine films that yours might well be different.
In other Oscar news, Best Actress winner Marlee Matlin was elected to the Board of Governors for the Acting branch.
RIPs
We haven't had time to pay proper tribute to these recent giants who passed but we thank them for all the fine cinema.
Jean-Louis Tringtigant in Michael Haneke's "Amour" © Sony Pictures Classics
JEAN-LOUIS TRINTIGNANT
The French legend died at 91 in the South of France, leaving behind a brilliant filmography, a few titles from which we've written about. Key titles include "Z" (Best Actor win at Cannes), the Oscar-winning Amour, and European classics like The Conformist, Three Colors: Red, ...And God Created Woman, Is Paris Burning?, My Night at Maud's and A Man and A Woman among many others.
Philip Baker Hall in Robert Altman's "Secret Honor" © Criterion Collection
PHILIP BAKER HALL
The enduring character actor, a regular on TV since the 1970s became an in-demand movie character actor much later in his career thanks to taking a chance on a novice filmmaker and agreeing to star in his short film in 1993. That young man was the genius Paul Thomas Anderson and Hall would go on to costar in his first three pictures Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, and Magnolia. His movie career included everything from prestige dramas (Secret Honor, The Insider, The Contender) to thrillers (Zodiac, Talented Mr Ripley), action films (Rush Hour, Rules of Engagement), comedy (Die Mommy Die, Bruce Almighty), and big auteur gambles (The Truman Show, Psycho, Dogville).
TO LIGHTEN THE MOOD.... "BARBIE" PHOTOS
Photos have been arriving steadily from the set, some official promo images (below), others less so. We hope some of the looks are for indoor scenes though so all the costumes aren't spoiled by the time the film opens a full 13 months from now.
It's definitely the most exciting summer film of 2023 on paper. We can't know exactly what to expect given Greta Gerwig's sure hand as writer/director despite the unlikely IP match. The internet has noticed that she dresses to match the vibe of whatever movie she's directing which we agree is ridiculously fun. Lots of tweets like so...
Greta Gerwig larps her own movies WHILE she's making them, just one reason she is supreme https://t.co/8u27RWL2JS
— Sarah Marrs (@Cinesnark) June 22, 2022
We cannot wait to see this. July 21st, 2023 dolls!