The de-aging Olympics of 2019

by Cláudio Alves

The cinema of 2019 has been rich with technological wonders. Septuagenarian actors are now able to have virtual facelifts and look like middle-aged men again. Movie stars can be returned to their youthful selves of the 1990s and there's even the possibility of CGI cloning. This trend is so weirdly generalized that it can be found in a wide variety of projects: MCU tentpoles, auteur's forays into the land of action cinema, and three-and-a-half-hour-long meditations on mortality.

Not surprisingly, these various achievements might be in contention for the Best Visual Effects Oscar, but it's unlikely all of them will be honored...

Click to read more ...

SAG Predictions from a SAG Nominating Committee Member!

[Secret Guest Post]

Awkwafina announcing the nominees last season. I think she'll be nominated this year.Hello again to readers of The Film Experience!  I previously shared a few reactions from our SAG nominating committee screenings including The Farewell and The Irishman and Bombshell and Little Women. The following are my predictions for tomorrow, NOT who I nominated (I nominated only 8 of these 30 predictions.)

LEAD ACTOR
Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
Robert De Niro, The Irishman
Adam Driver, Marriage Story
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes

LEAD ACTRESS
Akwafina, The Farewell
Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Lupita Nyong’o, Us
Renee Zellweger, Judy

I’m skeptical about Ronan, Theron and Woodard in Best Actress since their screeners came relatively late...

Click to read more ...

More Critics Prizes: Detroit & San Diego

It's apparently Florence Pugh day with critics though you'll have to read on to know why.

DFCS (Detroit Film Critics Society)
Detroit gave four prizes to Marriage Story but it couldn't crack Picture or Director...

Click to read more ...

Singular Style: Laura Dern in "Marriage Story"

by Cláudio Alves

Some films have overtly brilliant costume design with sprawling wardrobes that call attention to their magnificence at every turn. Others shine in less showy ways, sometimes withholding their potential for sartorial spectacle until the right moment. A stylish coat can alter the way we look at a character. A bold pop of color can transform a scene's emotional tonalities. A singular stylistic choice can make all the difference.

Marriage Story is a good example of this sort of costume design. Mark Bridges isn't unfamiliar with epic feats of costumery but he knows when to hold back and sacrifice aesthetic splendor for the sake of character building. When it comes to Laura Dern's Nora, a savvy L.A. lawyer, his work gets a bit showier. This is a woman who knows her looks can be a weapon, even in a world of grumpy judges and boring office meetings. It's only sensible that her costumes are more attention-grabbing than the other characters' outfits…

Click to read more ...

Once Again All Male Director Nominees at the Golden Globes

by Murtada Elfadl

It looks like it’s time to call on Natalie Portman to present the best director award at the Golden Globes again. Somebody needs to shade the Hollywood Foreign Press Association again. Here’s who got nominated this morning:

• Bong Joon Ho, Parasite
• Sam Mendes, 1917
• Todd Philips, Joker
• Martin Scorsese, The Irishman
• Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time....in Hollywood

None of the 10 nominated films in the Drama and Musical/Comedy were directed by a woman. Only in the foreign film category did female directors make an impact...

Click to read more ...