"Nomadland" and "Sound of Metal" dominate the Spirit Awards

by Nathaniel R

Last stop before the Oscars! The Spirit Awards were held last night and the big winner was Nomadland which fits the Spirits like a glove. Congratulations to Chloe Zhao and her team. Less expected but wonderful news is that Sound of Metal collected three prizes: First Feature, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor, finally also getting its due. This 'spread the wealth' awards season was surely accidental but it's been beautiful as art is subjective and there's no reason to pretend that only say, four people and one movie are worthy of any prizes each year. In this one way, this season has been the best. In the other ways, zoom ceremonies... never seeing anyone holding their trophies or mingling in rooms together or on the red carpet has been quite glum. But we're in the last weekend now. Hoorah.

After the jump the winners and their acceptance speeches if we found them. Melissa Villaseñor hosted and if you missed her opening monologue here it is...

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DGA Winners: Chloe Zhao, Darius Marder, Melina Matsoukas, etc...

by Nathaniel R

Zhao on the set of Nomadland

As expected Chloe Zhao took the DGA prize last night  for Nomadland on her way to making history (hopefully) on Oscar night. She's only the second woman to win the DGA for Feature Film and she'd be the second to win the Oscar if she prevails later this month on Hollywood's High Holy Night. She reportedy praised her fellow nominees at the guild awards where her peers convene honoring David Fincher as "master class", Aaron Sorkin as  "a poet". And echoing the sentiment of many of us movie lovers in that Lee Isaach Chung's Minari touched her personally and she can't wait to see what Emerald Fennell does as a follow up to Promising Young Woman. Relatable words and classy, too...

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Interview: BAFTA nominee Mikkel E.G. Nielsen on finding the balance and structure of "Sound of Metal"

by Nathaniel R

Talking to film editor Mikkel E.G. Nielsen (A Royal Affair, Beasts of No Nation), is a bit dizzying. His conversation moves around our subject, Sound of Metal, in circular fashion regularly bringing up both the films beginning, a raucous noisy concert where we first experience Ruben (Riz Ahmed's) hearing loss with him, and the films very quiet yet symmetrical ending. It doesn't surprise us then when he describes his job holistically. "My job is to try and create a whole from start to finish where you feel that you've been on this journey. Either it's revealing or it's fulfilling or emotional."

Nielsen divides his time between movies, music videos, and commercial work and though he loves the immersive challenge of cinema, he appreciates the mix. "Molding a movie" for months, he explains, becomes all encompassing. Working on a spot for three weeks, though, "Wow, that was almost like a vacation!'"

Another 'vacation' will have to wait. We're deep in awards season and Nielsen's fine work, honing the film's structure, and finessing the movies internal and external rhythms alongside its much praised sound design, has been honored with a Critics Choice Award for Best Editing and, this morning, a BAFTA nomination as well. We recently spoke to him about his work and international career...

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