Review: Tolkien

by Chris Feil

Inert biopics line the multiplex like gravestones, but seldom are they as dead on arrival as Tolkien. Depicting the author and philologist’s young adulthood and experience in World War I before creating The Hobbit, Dome Karukoski’s film isn’t just another dull cookie cutter telling of a famous figure. It’s perhaps a new gold standard of “Wikipedia entry as high school book report as prestige picture” malaise, the low bar to compare passable boring films. “At least it’s not Tolkien.”

Nicholas Hoult stars as the eponymoius J.R.R. Tolkien, struggling to overcome his social and fiscal limitations while at Oxford. He is part of a foursome of tightly knit male friends and artists, each with class stature above his own. Meanwhile he sacrifices his love for fellow orphan Edith Bratt (Lily Collins) in order to secure his future. The outbreak of the war casts all of this asunder, serving Tolkien blows to the body and spirit that ultimately serve his coming creative landmarks.

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Beauty vs Beast: Rock Star Wars

Hello and Happy Monday everybody, Jason from MNPP here with a brand new edition of our weekly "Beauty vs Beast" series, wherein we ask you to take a side between a "good" movie character and a "bad" movie character. With Captain Marvel out this weekend let's glance back at one of our fav Brie Larson roles (one of many -- we always love Brie Larson), her small bit as Scott's own ex Envy Adams in Scott Pilgrim vs The World. We're facing her off with Scott's current paramour Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), which might seem unfair given Ramona's in, you know, basically the entire film and has an arc and all that. But don't count out Brie -- she has the best scene in the film, her kick-ass performance of "Black Sheep," the Metric song. (Watch it here.) 

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PREVIOUSLY Twas a cake-walk for our favorite Nicky Hoult in last week's Fancy Tuxedo battle from the Oscars -- he black-tied up Joe Alwyn with 77% of your vote. But some people said we shouldn't fight at all, like Peggy Sue, who had the answer we were looking for:

"A threesome."

How I Feel / How I Wish I Felt

...as demonstrated by Nicholas Hoult

Sick day. Not cute. Talk amongst yourselves whilst we cough, sleep, sneeze, and ache ... it's an open thread. 

Beauty vs Beast: Our Favourite Fellas

Jason from MNPP here, wishing everyone a Happy Oscar Hangover Monday -- the mood swings last night were particularly violent, but then we live in a rollercoaster world in 2019 so the evening felt par for the course. Personally I had some villains I was rooting against last night but today in the light of day I don't feel like being particularly cruel so I'm going to go another direction with this week's "Beauty vs Beast" competition and celebrate one last time before we move on to new things my favourite red-carpet duo this season -- the fellas of The Favourite, Nicholas Hoult and Joe Alwyn, who trotted out their sharpest looks of the year on the red carpet, Nicky in Dior and Joe in Tom Ford. Nothing diabolical here, let's keep it light -- just choose!

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PREVIOUSLY Two weeks back it was the ladies of ROMA facing off for us, and leading lady Yalitza Aparicio took home your prize with 58% of the vote. Here's a selection of what Jones had to say (I recommend you click back and read the whole comment though because it's boss):

"To understand Cleo's character is necessary to not only understand existing at the margins of society but to be familiar with what it is like to exist at the margins of a household: being intimate without having a voice or autonomy. To people unfamiliar with these class structures and Mexican indigenous people this could read as blank but reflect again..."

FYC: Nicholas Hoult in "The Favourite"

by Abe Fried-Tanzer

The Favourite is making a big splash this awards season – there’s no question of that. Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz are looking good for Oscar nominations, even if the classification of the latter two in the supporting race continues to infuriate Nathaniel every time a new organization announces. Its screenplay is a shoo-in, director Yorgos Lanthimos has a good shot, and the film will also be cited in a few technical categories.

There’s one great element of the film – aside from its makeup and hairstyling, which failed to make the finals -- that likely won’t be on the Oscar list. Though the film is dominated by women, one male actor makes quite an impression...

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