Podcast: Bohemian Rhapsody and the Best Actor Race

Nathaniel R, Murtada Elfadl and Chris Feil talk new films and the Oscar race

Index (65 minutes)
00:01 Bryan Singer's Bohemian Rhapsody, homophobic storytelling, and cat reaction shots
10:25 Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, the limits and strengths of the performance
14:08 The Best Actor race: Bradley, Ethan, Viggo, Willem, and Rami? Plus floundering campaigns for First Man and The Front Runner and the default possibilities of Vice? 
35:00 Lucas Hedges in both Ben is Back and Boy Erased
37:30 Boy Erased in general, Nicole & Russell's fine parental performances, and a bit of The Miseducation of Cameron Post on the side 
50:30 Recent DVDs: Mamma Mia 2, Leave No Trace, Skate Kitchen, and Sorry to Bother You
55:55 Return trips to both A Star is Born and BlacKkKlansman
01:02:00 Can You Ever Forgive Me? afterglow and Wildlife fade?

References / Further Reading
• Nathaniel's review of Bohemian Rhapsody
• Best Actor Chart 
• Murtada on Carey Mulligan
• Jorge's Mamma Mia obsession

You can listen to the podcast here at the bottom of the post or download from iTunes. Continue the conversations in the comments, won't you? 

Bohemian Erased

TIFF Rankings. Plus: Who Does Nicole Kidman Belong To?

by Nathaniel R

Since I just had my last screening in Toronto, I thought I'd share my list of all the films I watched at the festival this year, in rough order of rank (highly subject to change as all the movies are brand spanking new). It's right here on Letterboxd. Over the next three days we'll finish up our writeups so reviews of A Star is Born and more are coming. 

← The highlight of the fest, other than staying with Joe, Chris, and Nick, and comparing notes each night and reuniting with lots of friends (even long lost Katey Rich!) was meeting Nicole Kidman again...

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Early "Destroyer" Reviews. Guess How Good Nicole Is!

by Nathaniel R

We knew ahead of time that Nicole Kidman would be great in Destroyer -- it's kind of her schtick to be brilliant, duh! So it's not a surprise to hear early reviews saying that she delivers and then some. But it IS a surprise and a nice change of pace, post Lion & Big Little Lies, that people are willing to praise her so extravagantly for her uncommon gifts rather than berate her for (take your pick) not being warm enough onscreen / having a frozen forehead / liking "weird" projects / whatever other dumb things people used to hold against her between the Oscar win and Lion (so roughly 2003-2015)... Seriously why must every great actress go through the public hate period?

Anyway. In "we all love Kidman again" mode (nice but obnoxious to those of us who never stopped and didn't fall for the misogyny hamster wheel of public opinion) these are the kind of reviews she's getting...

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Podcast: BlacKkKlansman plus (sigh) a New Oscar Category

This week Nathaniel R, Murtada Elfadl, and Chris Feil talk Oscar changes and Spike Lee's new joint.

Index (1 Hour and 2 minutes)
00:01 Spike Lee's new joint BlacKkKlansman. He's still got it. Also we talk about how he uses Gone With the Wind, and Birth of a Nation.
15:30 Oscar's recent announcement about the "popular achievement category" and all the problems we imagine it will cause. We are not pleased but we do offer our own fixes to issues of audience's being more into the Oscars.
40:00 Film Festival excitement TIFF and NYFF plus The Favourite, and Peterloo rumors.
47:00 We return to Spike Lee and list our three favorite scenes in BlacKkKlansman.
54:00 Fall film chatter: On the Basis of Sex, Mary Queen of Scots, and The Miseducation of Cameron Post versus Boy Erased
60:00 Goodbyes!

You can listen to the podcast here at the bottom of the post. Continue the conversations in the comments, won't you? 

BlacKkKlansman and Oscar's Rule Changes

Yes No Maybe So: "Boy Erased"

by Nathaniel R

Another Oscar hopeful trailer coming at you. Focus Features will begin the platform release of  Boy Erased this November 2nd which is of course a prime Oscar date. December is sometimes too late but November is a sweet spot, rarely too early nor too late exactly if the film is high profile enough with Oscar pedigree. Not that November is easy. There will be a ton of competition for media attention. 

We now have the poster with Lucas Hedges praying for a second Oscar nomination to release him of this gay burden? And the trailer has arrived too. The buzz is already strong for the acting which is no surprise with the trio of Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, and Russell Crowe jerking the tears... but can the film itself also impress? The trailer and a Yes No Maybe So breakdown are after the jump... 

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