The Academy loves power couples

by Cláudio Alves

Though Margot Robbie isn't up for Best Actress, she's nominated in Best Picture with her husband, Tom Ackerley.

It's Valentine's Day, and love is in the air. To commemorate the occasion, let's consider this year's Academy Award nominations through the prism of romance, searching for couples among the contenders. Recognizing lovers together has been an Oscar tradition since the very start, from Lunt and Fontaine's matching Best Actor and Actress nomination in 1931 to last year's Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin. Even so, this season feels especially prone to honoring couples. I could find six of them while perusing the list, including in the Best Picture race. Though they're not represented in the star-studded acting categories, they still deserve acclaim and attention…

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FB Awards: Movie Posters of the Year

by Nathaniel R

It's that time again! I'm going to do the Film Bitch Awards a little differently this year and give them each their own article... all 40ish categories. At least that's the plan over the next month but we'll see. First up, movie posters of the year. The state of movie posters in general is dire, many often looking more like an AI generated collage of faces with sizes proportioned by legal contracts and no consideration of visual appeal. But, gripes aside, there are always bright spots. Honorable mentions to this list include the upside down "don't get lost" teaser for Saltburn,  the retro-painted poster  of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and Oppenheimer 's literally explosive biography. 

Herewith 12 favourite movie posters of the year in not very particular order...

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Almost There: The Return and the Unlucky Thirteen

by Cláudio Alves

Everybody's fighting about Oscar "snubs" since nominations were announced.

It's been a while. The last time I wrote an Almost There piece was nearly a year ago, last February, still reeling from Danielle Deadwyler's lack of an Oscar nomination. Since then…nothing. Personally, I needed a break from the format, and maybe you did too. While the race for gold can be used to contextualize and remember films and performances of yesteryear, it also limits what one can discuss and how. In any case, the series has been on pause for enough time, so let's welcome its return on the heels of the latest batch of Oscar nominations. 

That reminds me - this comeback merits some oomph. Because of that, I'm planning something special for the following weeks…

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11 Quick Observations about the Oscar Nominations

Did you toon into the Oscar nominations this morning. Jack Quaid and Zazie Beetz (in particular) did a fine enthusiastic job of announcing the nominations in Oscar's 23 categories. There were surprises and shut-outs and overperformers as per usual. You can see the complete list of nominations at the Oscar Charts Index Page (though the individual charts per category are not yet updated).

Herewith 11 quick obversations about the nominations before we dive in to individual categories.

1. BARBIE FATIGUE (SORT OF)
While America Ferrera nabbed the Oscar nod we predicted for her in Best Supporting Actress (we went 5/5 on that volatile category in our predictions) Barbie received just 8 nominations overall. That's a lot, of course, but it isn't a lot in terms of expectations and how well the film had been performing at precursors...

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Weekend Awards Wrap-Up: Just Before the Globes

by Cláudio Alves

Da'Vine Joy Randolph won the Big Four critics awards. Nothing can stop her now!

Hours away from the Golden Globes, it's time to consider the past two weeks of winners, runners-up, and the whole shebang. The new year started with a golden tsunami, as Randolph consolidated her favorite status even more than before, and Past Lives staked its claim as one of the season's major contenders. The NSFC was more conventional than expected, while the Astras were their usual self, regional critics groups did their thing, and the Alliance of Women Journalists continued to prove its un-seriousness. Also, a potentially fake critics group is making some noise.

Though the Oscar nominations are just a few weeks away, the season is far from over. If anything, the race is just now heating up…

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