Split Decision: "Triangle of Sadness"

No two people feel the same exact way about any film. Thus, Team Experience is pairing up to debate the merits of each of the big awards season movies this year. Here’s Nathaniel R and Cláudio Alves getting shipwrecked... 

CLÁUDIO: Like many international cinephiles, my first encounter with the work of Swedish director Ruben Östlund was his 2014's breakthrough hit Force Majeure. Unlike others, however, I was mildly disappointed by what I encountered. Don't get me wrong, the main set piece that ignites the narrative's conflicts is astounding, the acting marvelous, and the staging coldly precise. My main issue was with the screenplay, which I found to be shallower than the film's reputation suggested, smugly superior, inflated with airs of self-importance without much to show for it. Comparisons to the similarly structured The Loneliest Planet didn't help, though I admit I might be one of the only ardent fans of that Julia Loktev picture.

In any case, I found myself excited by Östlund's potential, hoping to be dazzled by subsequent efforts now that he seemed poised to become one of Europe's most acclaimed filmmakers. But, sadly, such miracles did not come to pass. Not for me, at the very least…

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PGA nominates the usual suspects plus "Wakanda Forever" and "The Whale"

by Nathaniel R

The Producers Guild of America has announced their nominations for 2022 entertainment. Their 34th annual awards will be held on Febuary 25th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Nominations and comments and some things to consider while making Oscar predictions are after the jump...

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Costume Designers Guild Nominations: "Top Gun" soars, "The Fabelmans" flounder

by Cláudio Alves

Worry not, "Fabelmans" fans. Mark Bridges may still get an Oscar nomination.

For the past two years, all the Oscar nominees in Best Costume Design were also recognized by the Costume Designers Guild, but that's not always the case. Indeed, in 2019, they didn't nominate three of the eventual Oscar nominees, including the winner – Jacqueline Durran for Little Women. All this to say that you should take this year's nominees with a grain of salt in terms of Oscar, especially regarding two big omissions – Mark Bridges for The Fabelmans and Sandy Powell for Living. Both designers have secured Oscar nominations with no corresponding guild support in the past – he for Joker, she for Gangs of New York, Mrs. Henderson Presents, and The Irishman. In any case, their lack of recognition proves that the industry may not be as into their films as previously anticipated. We shall see.

After the jump, the complete list of nominees and some further comments… 

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Doc Corner: A to Z of the Longlist (Part 3)

By Glenn Dunks

Continuing our A to Z march through the documentary longlist (yes, even if has already been whittled down) in the lead up to our best of the year list.

In previous weeks we have looked at letters A through C and then D through F. This week brings a few big hitters of documentary in 2022 including one high profile absentee from the Academy’s shortlist of 15 (Good Night Oppy), a surprise inclusion on that same list (Hallejulah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song) and a quiet indie achievement that won acclaim and awards on the festival circuit (I Didn’t See You There).

Good Night Oppy begins with elaborate visual effects, generous narration from Angela Bassett, and an introduction to a robot character with eyes on being a Wall-E for the science nerds. I was immediately turned off.

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What Are Each Actor's Chances at Oscars Post-SAG Nominations?

By: Christopher James

After a surprise omission at the SAG Awards, what are Michelle Williams' chances at scoring an Oscar nomination for The Fabelmans?Now that the SAG Awards nominations have been announced, we have a slightly clearer picture of the acting races as we get closer to Oscar nomination morning. I use the word “slightly” because there’s always room for surprises. In fact, last year saw four acting nominees earn Oscar nominations without any precursor citations from the Golden Globes, Critics Choice and SAG Awards.

At this stage of the awards race, we have two questions to ask. Which actor with nominations from all three groups will be snubbed by Oscar? Which actor can sneak in without these precursors?

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