The 83rd Golden Globes - A Quick Review and Takeaways

by Nathaniel R

A very happy ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER team. Photo: AP PHOTO

The 83rd Golden Globe awards have come and gone. Did you have a good night? You probably did if you are a fan of One Battle After Another (and who isn't?). It cleaned up with four Globe awards: Picture (Comedy), Director, Screenplay, and Supporting Actress. My boyfriend hadn't yet seen it so sat down to finally do that about eight hours before the show. I said to myself "just watch with him until Teyana's exit since it's been awhile since you've seen it". Alas, no such luck for the long task list on the fridge. I couldn't tear myself away. I literally kept saying "okay just one more scene" and then the credits were rolling. It is just as riveting and spontaneous-feeling on repeat viewings (despite the absurdly high levels of obviously planned craftsmanship on display) even though you know every thing that's going to happen. The Globes party was a bit more subdued than general given the ubiquity of black gowns, non-aggressive political asides, and 'just grateful to be doing this job' kind of weary-artist acceptance speeches. But the best thing about the night was that everyone felt a bit like winners: Sinners, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, Sentimental Value, and The Secret Agent, for example, certainly can't complain (or shouldn't) about the results given their key wins and the enthusiasm in the room for those films. More to come once we have more time  but for this quickie post, brief comments on some (most) of the wins...

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Split Decisions at the Critics Choice Awards

by Nathaniel R

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER takes Best Picture. It's finally Paul Thomas Anderson's trophy time.

While Sinners led the nominations by a comfortable margin there wasn't a clear "favourite" to emerge at the the Critics Choice Awards this past Sunday night. Three films dominated with One Battle After Another taking Picture, Director and Adapted Screenplay, Sinners winning Original Screenplay, Young Actor, Casting, and Score, and Frankenstein taking Supporting Actor (Jacob Elordi), Costume Design, Production Design, and Hair and Makeup. Three to four awards is nothing to complain about but they all lost some key races, too. As we move on to the Golden Globes (Sunday) and the SAG Awards it remains to be seen if any one film will become a threat for a mini-sweep at the Oscars, or if it will be more of a spread the wealth kind of year like this. 

After the jump the full list of winners and a few comments... 

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Review: P.T. Anderson's Glorious "One Battle After Another"

by Eric Blume

If you’re a regular site reader, you’ve probably been following all the film blogs discussing the new Paul Thomas Anderson epic, One Battle After Another.  So we don’t need to discuss plot or beat around the bush…the question is:  Does it really deliver like everyone has been saying? I remember being so excited before seeing Licorice Pizza -- it too was heralded by early viewers -- only to find it contrived and uninvolving in the cinema. My vote, this time, is an unqualified yes!  PTA is a great filmmaker:  ideologically ambitious, profoundly humanistic, and daringly assured technically.  Anderson delivers with depth and panache here in this new contemporary, highly political film... 

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Oscar Volley: Can anyone beat Jane Campion? Or, rather, who is in second place?

Team Experience is discussing the various Oscar categories. Here's Mark Brinkerhoff and Timothy Lyons to discuss Best Director

MARK BRINKERHOFF: There's only a few days left of Oscar voting. So, in the spirit of balloting, let’s settle something when in comes to one of this year’s presumably more predictable categories: Best Director. And the 2021 nominees are...

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Yes No Maybe So: P.T. Anderson's "Licorice Pizza"

by Nathaniel R

Paul Thomas Anderson's ninth feature film is almost upon us. As one of America's most singular auteurs that's reason to celebrate whether or not this turns out to be top tier Anderson or his nadir. Licorice Pizza (which went by the equally odd title Soggy Bottom previously) is due to open on November 26th in select cities followed by a nationwide bow around Christmas. The trailer uses "Life on Mars" by David Bowie from 1971 as its primary soundtrack. The presence of hairdresser turned movie producer Jon Peters (Bradley Cooper) in his Barbra Streisand phase places us even more specifically in the mid 1970s during the peak of Bab's movie stardom when practically every film was a smash hit (Peters and Streisand started dating in '73 and he helped produce A Star is Born in 1976) so on the timeline we're sandwiched directly inbetween Anderson's Inherent Vice and Boogie Nights if you want to rewatch his movies chronologically as they take place for kicks. 

Let's break down the trailer with our Yes No Maybe So system after the jump...

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