Through Her Lens: 2018 (The 91st Oscars)

A series by Juan Carlos Ojano 
Previously: Episode 1 - 2020-21 / Episode 2 - 2019 

Eyes were on the Best Director category at the 91st Academy Awards after Greta Gerwig became only the fifth woman to be nominated in the said category the previous year. Contemporaneous articles expressed disappointment with this fact, but this Oscar year was also plagued with other issues: no ceremony host, plans to give out awards during commercial break, and divisive films like Green Book, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Vice being major factors, too.

In a way, these other controversies clouded what could have been a more extensive discussion regarding representation in the Best Director category. Out of the 347 films included in the Reminder List of Eligible Films in 2018 (91st Academy Awards), 62 of them (or 17.9%) were directed/co-directed by women.

OSCAR-NOMINATED FEMALE-DIRECTED FILMS (in alphabetical order): Animal Behaviour*, Bao*, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Capernaum, Free Solo, Late Afternoon*, Marguerite*, Mary Queen of Scots,  Period. End of Sentence.*, and RBG. (*not in the eligibility list for Best Picture)

OUR ALTERNATIVE SET OF FIVE...

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Magic Mike's Last Link

• Stabroek News "Not a King but a Queenmaker" interesting take on King Richard
• Thrillist Esther Zuckerman talks to Paul Thomas Anderson about shooting a key scene in Licorice Pizza inside her childhood home
• Deadline Penelope Cruz teaming with Pedro's production company for a four-part documentary series on the global problem of child marriages
• Vulture on that impossible tracking shot in The French Dispatch
• InStyle Rita Moreno looks back on her career before hitting the big 9-0

More after the jump including Zendaya, Sondheim and New York City, C'mon C'mon, and the return of Magic Mike... 

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Almost There: Maggie Smith in "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel"

by Cláudio Alves

It's time to wish a happy anniversary to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. John Madden's unlikely box-office juggernaut was first screened ten years ago on the Sorrento Incontro Internazionale del Cinema. Truth be told, it's not a fantastic flick, adapting a Deborah Moggach novel into a toothless feel-good comedy that reeks of good intentions corroded by colonialist condescension. Where it triumphs, however, is in casting. Madden managed to gather a remarkable ensemble, made up of charismatic British thespians who could deliver great performances with their eyes closed and a hand tied behind their back: Judi Dench! Maggie Smith! Bill Nighy! Penelope Wilton! Tom Wilkinson! And more. 

Indeed, their collective work singlehandedly makes the movie into a middlebrow delight. From that collection of beloved British entertainers, Maggie Smith probably came closest to an Oscar nomination…

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November. It's a wrap.

Just one month left of 2021. Here's what you might have missed in November... 

A dozen highlights
• Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021) Nathaniel has thoughts on his legacy
• Ranking Jane Campion Cláudio shares his list from, uh, best to most best
• tick...tick...BOOM! Nathaniel is surprised but ecstatic
• Did Judi Dench deserve the Oscar for Notes on a Scandal? Matt thinks so
• The Humans isn't for everyone, but Jason writes about its strange resonance
• The Worst Person in the World Chris declares it a best of the year. Yup
• Halle Berry in Bruised Eurocheese things she's just fine but the movie is lacking
• Through Her Lens Juan Carlos introduces his new series on female directors and the Oscar race from year to year. third episode coming soon
• Benedict Cumberbatch Cláudio is slowly becoming a fan
• Best Supporting Actor Unusually confusing this year!
• Spencer (Con) Spencer (Pro) Nathaniel doesn't like it but Cláudio loves it a lot (especially the costumes)
• Ask Nathaniel stopping Category Fraud and other topics
• Gratitude November is the time to focus on it

Previous wrap-ups if you're just rejoining us...
Oscar 2020 Wrap | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct

COMING IN DECEMBER
A team experience tribute to Honorary Oscar winner Liv Ullman, the beginning of awards season, new movies like Power of the Dog, West Side Story, Don't Look Up, Nightmare Alley, Encanto and others. Plus more on the International Feature Film race and interviews with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Kathy Bates and others

Lady Gaga's Best "House of Gucci" Looks

by Cláudio Alves

Despite the dynastic title, House of Gucci isn't a movie about fashion. Ridley Scott's no Bertrand Bonello when it comes to shooting beautiful designs, keeping his focus on the human intrigue happening around the clothes, reducing them to an attention-pulling ornament. But, of course, that doesn't mean the costumes aren't gorgeous or anything less than perfect. Reuniting with Scott, costume designer Janty Yates constructed an epic movie wardrobe made up of vintage Gucci, pieces from its lead actress's archival collection, countless custom fits, a cornucopia of deadly glamour. Amid the luxury, Lady Gaga stands out in the role of Patrizia Reggiani, shining like an Elizabeth Taylor diamond, dressed to kill. 

Because lists are fun and everyone loves a ranking, let's explore Lady Gaga's extensive wardrobe in House of Gucci by looking at her top 10 looks…

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