Oscars 2019: A Few Upsets and an Absent Host Couldn't Keep the Gold Statues Down

(Left to right) Rami Malek, Olivia Colman, Regina King, and Mahershala Ali

I'm going to just throw this out there--and a lot of other people obviously feel the same way: I was upset about Sunday night's Best Picture winner at the 91st Annual Academy Awards. Don't get me wrong, Green Book is a really good film, with solid performances from nominated actors Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali (who did take home the best supporting actor honor) and somewhat different perspectives on race and class.

For my money's worth, however, I felt that fellow Best Picture nominees Roma and Black Panther (Alfonso Cuaron's deeply personal story of an indigenous maid in 1970s Mexico City, and Ryan Coogler's superb adaptation of the famed Marvel hero, respectfully) were two films that really broke new ground in terms of diversity and cultural representation on screen, not to mention filmmaking and storytelling in general. (Roma, for the record, was not only a high contender to win best picture and not just the Foreign Language Film award, the latter of which it did win. It has also become, without a doubt, one of the greatest films ever made.)

Not to say that the true story of the friendship between Italian-American bouncer Tony Vallelonga and African-American concert pianist Dr. Don Shirley didn't have that as well. It's just that Green Book seems like conventional Oscar bait that only took a few risks with its technical and thematic elements and, in some ways, "played it safe," compared to what many would consider stronger competition. (In retrospect, the same thing has been said about previous Best Picture-winning films like 1982's Gandhi, 1989's Driving Miss Daisy, 2005's Crash, and 2015's Spotlight.) It also seemed that, although the Academy managed to get through the telecast just 17 minutes over its three hour schedule, the ceremony did seem a bit rushed.

All controversy aside, if the Oscars focused on anything specific this season, it's several things. One, they managed to exceed expectations in carrying on without a host. (The last time was in 1989, when actor Rob Lowe sung a poorly-received duet with, of all characters, Snow White.) Two, all of the categories were presented and given on television and not during commercials (as verified by presenters Tyler Perry, Michael Keaton, and openers Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph. Three, as IMDb make note, the Academy continued its stance in being more diverse by coupling different groups of presenters, like Pharrell Williams & Michelle Yeow, Angela Bassett & Javier Bardem, and (my favorite) Melissa McCarthy and Brian Tyler Henry, both of whom appeared onstage in over-the-top outfits parodying Best Picture nominee The Favourite, complete with rabbit puppets. "The nominees tonight have proven we are all part of the same ocean," said Alfonso Cuaron while accepting the Foreign Language Film award for Roma.

Samuel L. Jackson (right) congratulates Spike Lee on the latter's first Oscar win

"Party on!" Mike Myers and Dana Carvey present Bohemian Rhapsody

Other highlights included watching presenter Jason Mamoa's thrilled reaction to Best Documentary Feature winner Free Solo (ditto Samuel L. Jackson's stoked reaction to director Spike Lee's first-ever Oscar win, for co-writing BlacKkKlansman), actor-comedian Keegan-Michael Key literally dropping in on the ceremony in Mary Poppins fashion, actor Paul Rudd's visual effects gag, Supporting Actress winner Regina King's humble and gracious acceptance speech, and actress Laura Dern announcing the upcoming opening of the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, the film Bohemian Rhapsody surprisingly won four of its five nominated awards, including Best Actor for Rami Malek (a "first-generation American" son of Egyptian immigrants), who acknowledged the legacy of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury (himself the son of immigrants). "I may not have been the obvious choice [for the role]," stated Malek, "but I guess it worked out." There was even a live opening performance from Queen (with current frontman Adam Lambert) that rocked the house, literally with "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions". Did I mention that Mike Myers and Dana Carvey of Wayne's World fame reunited to present the Queen biopic, and to recall the former film's iconic scene of them head-banging to the legendary song?

Getting back to Roma, the film did gain two more wins for Cuaron's cinematography and direction of the film. "As artists, our job is to look where others don't," said Cuaron, while accepting the Best Director award (his second, after 2013's Gravity), further exemplifying the film's significance.

More importantly, I thought to myself that the greatest thing for any of these nominees (win or not) was the fact that they were recognized and acknowledged for the work they did in 2018, not to mention the themes many of them echoed in terms of believing in the impossible, never giving up, and being inspired to be better people. The opening montage of films from 2018 was a wonderful celebration of another year in film, and not just for those nominated. (We should remind ourselves that, while still considered Hollywood's biggest night of the year, the Oscars are not the only film awards show there is, for better or worse.)

Filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron (left) is embraced by Roma stars
Yalitza Aparicio (middle) and Marina de Tavira (middle-right)

Following a show-stealing performance of the song "Shallow" with Bradley Cooper from A Star Is Born (seriously, that P.O.V. from the stage was priceless), singer-turned-actress Lady Gaga stated in her acceptance speech for her Best Song win, "It is not about winning, it's about not giving up. If you have a dream, fight for it. . . . It's about how many times you stand up and are brave and you keep going." Olivia Colman (one of the biggest surprise winners of the night, for her leading role in The Favourite), said, "to any little girl who's practicing her speech on the telly, you never know." Animated Short film winner Domee Shi (for the Pixar animated short Boa) said, "To all the nerdy little girls behind their sketch books, don't be afraid to tell your stories to the world." Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, not surprisingly, won Best Animated Feature, thanks, in part, for being an immersive film visually and culturally. Said co-producer Christopher Miller, "800 filmmakers [spent four years pushing] boundaries and took risks to make people feel powerful and seen." Honoring people of all backgrounds, co-director Peter Ramsey added, "The world needs you. We're counting on you."

Speaking of heroes, while Black Panther didn't win the top prize, it did still garner awards for its costume design, production design, and score (a new record for a comic book movie), the fact that it was recognized as a Best Picture contender is alone a new benchmark for films based on comic books and superheroes. Who would've thought they'd come this far? And they're still on a roll.

RETROSPECT: "Cowabunga!" or, The Enduring Popularity (and Guilty Pleasure) of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"

If you grew up like I did in the late Eighties and early Nineties, you probably watched a lot of Saturday morning cartoons. On one hand, you had your Disney shows like Ducktales and Goof Troop. You also had your Looney Tunes cartoons, starring Bugs Bunny and the Road Runner. And, of course, you had your superhero shows, ranging from epic (Batman: The Animated Series and X-Men, anyone?) to silly-but-fun (Darkwing Duck was a winner). Many (if not all) of these shows, in fact, featured anthropomorphic animal characters, which always suits kids just fine.

And then there was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a series about four anthropomorphic ninja-fighting, pizza-loving amphibians. What most people forget, perhaps, is that this series didn't start out as a cartoon, but as a comic-book. I've always been a fan of these "heroes in a half shell" since my childhood, and my older brother and I even dressed as two of them for Halloween when we were little kids.

So, in light of their first inception thirty-five years ago this year (and twenty years next year since the first live-action movie from 1990 released), I've been thinking about how it is that these characters (created by artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird in 1984) continue to endure in popular culture via cartoons (the 80s T.V. series, with its catchy theme song), toys, t-shirts, movies (live-action in the early 90s and currently in the 2010s, with a reboot in development), and even a ride at Nickelodeon Universe at Minnesota's Mall of America.

For those of you who don't know the backstory: four pet turtles are infected by a green ooze and mutated into life-sized characters. Not only that, their master is a life-sized rat named Splinter (a former pet himself, whose owner was a skilled fighter as well), and their adversaries include the metal-wearing warrior known as Shredder, mutant henchmen Bebop (a warthog) and Rocksteady (a rhino), and a giant alien brain, aptly named Krane. Their allies include hockey jock Casey Jones and news reporter April O'Neal, while their influences range from various forms of popular culture, including surfer slang. Hence, the famous catchphrase, "Cowabunga, dude!"

Okay, with that kind of a concept, it would be easy for many critics and consumers to scoff and laugh. It's also easy to separate various types of films, TV shows, music formats, and pop cult phenomenons into one of two categories: those that are made for the industry, and those that are made for the general public. Turtles, for the most part, falls into this latter category. But remember, Stan Lee's Marvel superheroes, outside their respective fanbases, were never considered anything being brilliant until years later.

On the other hand, when considering the influences that Eastman and Laird used, the backstory and appeal of the Turtles (as ridiculous and absurd as it sounds) is quite fascinating. (Watch the above video.) Here, you have two guys who were passionate about and influenced by comics, martial arts, the films of Bruce Lee, the work of comic-book artist Jack Kirby, and the like. Along with that creative freedom, consider that each of the turtles are named after famous Renaissance artists: Leonardo (Leo), Donatello (Donnie), Raphael (Raph), and Michaelangelo (Mikey). They're each color-coordinated (blue, purple, red, and orange, respectfully), and each have clearly distinct personalities and traits: Leo is the fearless leader, who carries katanas; Donnie is the brain, who carries a bo (staff); Raph is the rebel with attitude, who carries a pair of sai; and Mickey is the cool one, who carries nunchucks. Even the series title (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and, again, cartoon theme song has a nice ring to it.

Prior to the Turtles' live-action film debut, movies based on comic-books were still in their relative infancy at the time. With the exception of DC's initial successes with Superman (1978) and Batman (1989), almost nobody in Hollywood believed a film about "ninja turtles" would be successful. However, a then-small studio called New Line Cinema (known for distributing B-level horror films like 1984's A Nightmare on Elm Street) agreed to distribute the film, while Golden Harvest (a company responsible for introducing American audiences to Bruce Lee movies and other arthouse-related films) produced, and Steve Barron (a filmmaker behind the pilot episode of Jim Henson's T.V. series The Storyteller, as well as music videos for A-ha's "Take on Me" and Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean") directed.

Perhaps the greatest contributors to the film's success (and to helping make it the highest-grossing independent film at the time), however, were the crew members and special effects artists of Jim Henson's Creature Shop, who supplied state-of-the-art animatronic puppets and effects for the turtles and for Splinter, in particular. The result, for the most part, holds up remarkably well today. Plus, as a fanboy, the film has impressive fight choreography and one of the most exciting (and best) trailers ever made, no question.

The titular heroes of the 1990 live-action blockbuster

While not really a film for young children, due to its dark and violent nature, the film took its primary inspiration from the original source material (i.e., dark atmosphere, fierce action), while balancing some elements of comedy from the cartoon series along with some surprising drama. On that note, the film (like the mythology and universal appeal of the characters) contrasts a misguided sense of family (i.e., misunderstood teenage boys pulled into the influence and lure of Shredder) with a genuine sense of family (i.e., Splinter's teachings and skill passed onto his adopted "children," as well as unexpected allies in April and Casey).

In the end, this is a franchise made for the masses, not for the industry. Personally speaking, the fact that turtles are some of my favorite animals, and that these characters love pizza (as do I) is pretty amazing. Moreover, the Turtles, in a way, represent that thrill that my generation had at being children, and that thrill that still exists in us as adults--that you're never too old for cartoons, comic books, popcorn movies, or anthropomorphic animal characters. As our friend Mikey, once again, would say, "Cowabunga, dudes!"

RETROSPECT: "The Lego Movie" Is Cinematic Glee With Poignancy, Brick By Brick

The teaser trailer had me sold right away. Released a few months prior to its theatrical premiere on February 7, 2014, what surprised me the most about this first look at The Lego Movie (based on the popular Dutch brand of instantly-recognizable and colored plastic bricks) was the resemblance of stop-motion animation for the Lego figurines on display. I learned later, though, that the animation was CGI, but resembled actual toys being moved at such a rate as those who make animated short films for YouTube.

Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have created a knack since the turn of the century for combining high art and low art. In other words, they specialize in putting silly and ridiculous (yet rapid-fire) humor in a very cinematic universe. And with unexpected poignancy, might I add. Known for their short-lived animated series "Clone High," Lord and Miller made their feature-film debut with the entertaining Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, followed by a feature-length version of the Eighties T.V. series 21 Jump Street, starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. (A meta sequel, 22 Jump Street, followed in 2014.)

One thing that makes The Lego Movie so fun is that its plot feels like it stems from a child's imagination, with a hodgepodge of different ideas (and worlds, like "Cloud Cuckoo Land," "Bricksburg," and my favorite, "Middle Zealand") and a consistent tone, which will easily appeal to kids of any age. The main story follows a regular construction worker named Emmet (Chris Pratt), who lives by routine and positivity. One day, he comes upon a strange red item (known as the "piece of resistance") and is soon believed to be the "special" hero who will save the universe from being (literally) glued together by the evil Lord Business (Will Ferrell). And he gets help from a quirky crew of "Master Builders," including a hooded fighter, an ancient wizard, Benny the Space Guy (from the 1980s), UniKitty, the hodgepodge pirate Metalbeard, and even Batman (yeah, you heard me right).

What makes the story universal and appealing to adults, as silly and ridiculous as the story gets, is an unexpected twist that seems out of place at first, but turns out to be poignant and where part of the film's heart comes from. Other themes include seeing and believing in the value of others, including ourselves, no matter how unlikely they seem; accepting our shortcomings; the difference between law and "business" (or, routine and "perfection") and creative freedom (friendship, teamwork). Another lesson to be taken is this: following the crowd just makes you a face in the crowd. But when you embrace what makes you "special," it's then you stand out. With that in mind, believing in what you're capable of doing, and working together as a team to do it.

Courtesy Animal Logic (of "Robot Chicken" fame), this is some of the most incredible animation I've ever seen, not to mention some of the funniest humor I've ever seen. (Uproariously funny, in fact.) The animators even cleverly use blocks and pieces for certain elements like fire, water, and explosions, with gleeful abandon. I'm also still floored by the attention-to-detail of other elements like grime, reflections on plastic pieces, and even silly sound effects.

Pratt (of T.V.'s "Parks & Recreation") was a breakout star the year of this film's release, as he headlined Marvel's box-office hit Guardians of the Galaxy later that year as well. Elizabeth Banks (Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games series) gives attitude and sass to the role of Wyldstyle. Will Arnet (of Arrested Development fame) is a hoot as Batman, while no one could of played Lord Business better than Ferrell, as he has the right loud-mouthed timing and comedy. Charlie Day's Benny the Space Guy and Nick Offerman's Metalbeard are hilarious as well. But the most unbelievable and impeccable casting belongs to Morgan Freeman (as wizard Vitruvius) and Liam Neeson (possibly parodying his Taken persona, as Good Cop/Bad Cop). Who would have thought?!?

Fun fact: two years before Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice saw the live-action debut of the trinity of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, all three characters technically first appeared together theatrically in this film. Even Hill and Tatum make appearances as the voices of Green Lantern and Superman, respectfully. This film really has something for everyone. It doesn't merely qualify as a goofy kids movie. It's a combination of various genres as comedy, action, adventure, science-fiction, superhero, and drama, all universal.

Best of all, unlike previous films that took childhood nostalgia and replaced it with adult cynicism and grittiness (Transformers, anybody?), The Lego Movie respects its decades-long brand by showing us what these toys are made for, how adults use them, and how children should play with them. (The spinoff movies that followed, 2017's Lego Batman and Lego Ninjago, lacked this sense of wonder in playing with toys, despite being some clever movies otherwise.)

It's also smart that the filmmakers didn't have any characters mention the word "Lego" at all in the whole film. Otherwise, it would've been one big product placement. And that (along with the aforementioned themes) makes the animation and cinematic experience all worthwhile--or, as the signature song says, awesome.

On that note, I leave you with these two fun videos (click here and here).

REVIEW: "Roma" Is A Masterpiece of Absorbing, Devastating, and Profound Effect

Following his feature film debut in the early Nineties, Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron established a career that became eclectic and multi-cultural, standing alongside the works of fellow filmmakers as Alejandro G. Inarritu and Ang Lee (to name a few). Cuaron has tackled such genres as children's fantasy (1995's A Little Princess, 2004's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), dystopic science-fiction (2006's Children of Men), an update of a Charles Dickens' novel (1998's Great Expectations), and space thriller-drama (2013's Gravity, which won him Oscars for editing and directing).

Since the mid-2000s, however, he had reportedly been developing an original story based on his childhood in Mexico City, particularly a story told from the perspective of the women who raised him. Besides being the first Spanish-language film he's made since 2001's Y Tu Mama Tambien, the film that has become Roma was a deeply personal and "essential" project for him.

Says Cuaron,

There are periods in history that scar societies and moments in life that transform us as individuals. Time and space constrain us, but they also define who we are, creating inexplicable bonds with others that flow with us at the same time and through the same places. Roma is an attempt to capture the memory of events that I experienced almost fifty years ago. It is an exploration of Mexico's social hierarchy, where class and ethnicity have been perversely interwoven to this date and, above all, it's an intimate portrait of the women who raised me in a recognition of love as a mystery that transcends space, memory and time.

For me, this is one of the most deeply personal and remarkable films I have ever seen.

Yalitza Aparicio (far right) in Roma

THE STORY
In a recent interview with filmmaker and friend Inarritu (listen here), Cuaron explained he was not interested in telling a semiautobiography of his own life. In fact, as he stated, "there's very little of myself in the film." Rather, he bravely shifted the perspective to that of his family's maid. Here, she is named Cleo (dedicated to Cuaron's real-life maid, named Liboria "Libo" Rodriguez), an indigenous teenage woman (of Mixtec heritage), who becomes a second mother to the children of her employers. This is not so much a story centered on the fears and lives and worries of the children she looks after (although one particular child occasionally gives interesting "premonitions" foreshadowing certain events to come) as much as it is on Cleo's and that of the family matriarch, Sofia, who is, at times, stern, but clearly shows understanding and empathy.

It's nearly impossible to describe this film in just a few words. To say it's shot in beautiful black-and-white, and that it features many of Cuaron's filmmaking trademarks (i.e., long tracking shots, amazing scenery), an indiginous language that is bracketed in English subtitles (whereas Spanish is subtitled without brackets), and remarkable performances from its cast of mostly non-professional actors (especially first-timer Yalitza Aparicio, who plays Cleo, and Marina de Tavira, who plays Sofia) is putting it lightly. (Cuaron even includes a clip from a film that apparently inspired Gravity.)

This is a truly rare case where the images onscreen speak for themselves, due, in part, to the fact that the scale and scope are really from an emotional standpoint. One such image worth noting, however, is the opening shot of floor tiles, covered in water, with the reflection of a sky and an overhead plane going by. (Look at the image below.)

The most thought-provoking films of 2018 focused on the theme and fear of children growing up or being raised in an ever-changing world. In the case of Roma, the fear involves growing up in the world (partly against the backdrop of the Corpus Christi Massacre of 1971) in the wake of damaging and negative impacts of abandonment and betrayal (not to mention heartbreak and trauma), specifically when it comes to maternity. And yet, Sofia, for one, tries to assure her children they will still be together as a family. This notion is poignantly visualized later in the film, signifying unconditional love and a beautiful reminder that familial love (blood-related or not) is still present. You'd really have to see it to believe it.

NON-ARTIFICIAL AND UNCOMPROMISING
Cuaron was the only person behind-the-scenes who knew the script, which his actors and crew would receive bit by bit each day of shooting. Hence, the film was shot in sequence, resulting in a very introspective and organic process. Cuaron explained it like this:

In the past when writing my films, I have always enjoyed the collaboration of other writers and submitting our screenplay to the razor-sharp eyes of trusted filmmakers in a very disciplined and analytic process of re-writes. But in Roma, I feared the scrutiny of this process would bring artificiality to the result and taint my goal of preserving the integrity and purity of these memories; translating them into a film honoring time and space.

In looking to my past, I wasn’t interested in making a film wrapped under the warm blanket of nostalgia. I wanted to make a film about the past seen from the prism of my understanding of the present, and through it, examine my family, my city, my country and our world at large… and above all things, the random nature of existence.

With this approach and philosophy in mind and thoroughly in tact, Cauron has succeeded in bringing his original and deeply personal vision to cinematic life. And I couldn't be more in awe of his work, along with that of his cast and crew.

***
One last thing. Generally, I have had qualms about viewing Netflix-produced films in theaters, as I consider streaming projects contrary to the incomparable moviegoing experience. The film's ten recent Academy Award nominations, however, persuaded me to see what all the buzz was about. Only one theater in my area (which specifically shows arthouse and indie films) has been screening Roma for the last few weeks, while other chains like AMC and Regal refuse to screen it due to the fact that Netflix doesn't adhere to the traditional 90-Day theatrical release window and released Roma on its platform one month after it hit theaters (read here and here).

If Netflix is your only option to see this film, though, by all means use it. However, I highly implore any filmgoer or cinephile, if Roma is playing at your nearest movie theater, this is a film that must be seen on the big screen, especially with a booming and immersive surround sound and stunning cinematography.

Oscar Nominees 2019: Eight "Best Pictures" or, A Collection of Cultures, Styles, and Melodies

With the announcement of next month's nominations for the 91st Oscars (as is usual), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized mostly films that were arthouse, independent, and impressed on many technical levels. From cinematography to production design to costumes to caliber performances to skilled direction, many of these films consist of biopics, true stories, and period dramas centered on race relations, social statuses, politics, and even music. In addition, only a few studio films that were box-office hits made the cut, but in the usual technical categories such as visual effects, music, and animation.

As is usual, there are also a few surprises, including, perhaps, two of the most monumental recognitions in the Academy's history (and in cinema history, for that matter). Plus, this year's nominees represent another intriguing and diverse collection of styles, nationalities and ethnicities, ranging from African-American to Mexican, Polish, Egyptian, Greek, and Italian-American. (And I'm not specifically talking about foreign film categories here.)

(l-r) Lady Gaga in A Star Is Born, Chadwick Boseman in Black Panther,
Yalitza Aparicio in Roma, and Olivia Colman in The Favourite

IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD
First things first. Two films have the most nominations this year (ten for each). One is set in Mexico City during the 1970s (which I'll get to later). The other is a wild and maddening period comedy-drama (as if the trailer isn't any indication) set in 18th Century England. Director Yorgos Lanthimos' The Favourite centers on a rivalry between two cousins vying for the affections and attention of Queen Anne. Actresses Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz all received acting accolades for their performances, as did the film's original screenplay, editing, production design, costumes, and cinematography.

Obviously, it's the kind of film that would get Oscar recognition, making it a, um, favorite among Academy voters, despite its apparent unconventional and bizarre tone. The Athens-born Lanthimos has made a name for himself in recent years with such unconventional and provocative arthouse films as The Lobster (which his screenplay, shared with writer Efthymis Filippou, was nominated for in 2017) and The Killing of a Sacred Dear (2017). Stone (who's no stranger to such wild roles, considering her current role on the Netflix series, aptly titled, Maniac) was first nominated in a supporting role for Birdman back in 2015, before winning for her leading role in La La Land in 2017

Another provocative film that's been generating praise and discussion is Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman, which earned the director some of his greatest accolades, including a Best Director nod (a first for the filmmaker, believe it or not). It's based on the true story of African-American officer Ron Stalworth, who investigates the Ku Klux Klan during the 1970s. Nominated for six awards, the blaxploitation-esque film marked the first time Lee had been recognized by the Academy since his 1998 documentary feature 4 Little Girls. (He did receive an Honorary Award by the Academy in 2015 for his career body of work.)

Adam McKay's piercing and scathing political satire Vice (which stars the versatile Christian Bale as former vice president Dick Cheney) earned eight nominations, and is only the director's second time tackling drama since winning for his adapted screenplay (shared with screenwriter Charles Randolph) for The Big Short back in 2016. As with that film, McKay was, once again, nominated for his directing and for his screenplay (an original one, this time). Bale undoubtedly was recognized for his physical and emotional committment to the title role.

Director Spike Lee and actor John David Washington behind the scenes of BlacKkKlansman 

Christian Bale and Amy Adams in Vice 

HUMAN DRAMA
McKay's not the only director to make a successful transition from comedy to drama. (He previously directed Anchorman and Step Brothers, lest we forget.) Peter Farrelly (one half of the infamous Farrelly Brothers, responsible for such "classics" as Dumb and Dumber and There's Something About Mary) helmed last year's winner of the People's Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival, Green Book. Based on the real-life friendship between Italian-American bouncer Tony Vallelonga and African-American pianist Don Shirley, the film didn't fail the Academy with its winning performances (Viggo Mortenson and Mahershala Ali were nominated for their leading and supporting roles, respectfully), editing, original screenplay (co-written by Farrelly and Vallelonga's real-life son, Nic), and overall picture.

Alfonso Cuaron's personal project, Roma, has been getting universal acclaim since it debuted last fall at the Venice Film Festival. Shot in black and white, and inspired by Cauron's own childhood, Roma tells the story of a middle-class family in Mexico City during the 1970s, specifically from the perspective of their maid, who is reportedly based on the woman who helped raise the young Cauron. The film received ten nominations total, including four for Cauron, who does quadruple duty as the film's writer, director, co-producer (with Gabriela Rodriguez), and cinematographer.

This film also has the distinction of being one of only a few foreign films to be nominated in said category and as Best Picture of the Year. The only other films to do so included Grand Illusion (France, 1938), Z (France/Algeria, 1969), The Emigrants (Sweden, 1972), Cries and Whispers (Sweden, 1973), The Postman (Italy, 1995), Life Is Beautiful (Italy, 1998), Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (Taiwan, 2000), Letters From Iwo Jima (Japan, 2006), and Amour (Austria/France/Germany, 2012).

This is also the second year in a row that streaming service Netflix has had a nominated feature (the first being Mudbound last year), and their first Best Picture nominee. They are also recognized this year (in the original screenplay, original song, and costume design categories) for the Coen Brothers' latest anthology feature, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.

Mahershala Ali in Green Book (left) and Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody (right)

AND THE BEAT GOES ON . . .
Bohemian Rhapsody (the biopic on the career and music of Queen and frontman Freddy Mercury) has received mixed reviews from audiences and critics since its release back in November, but has nevertheless produced some unexpected box-office success. (The film has thus far grossed more than $798 million worldwide.) Actor Rami Malek has been getting the most praise, for his performance of Mercury, which the Academy recognized as well. The film's unexpected Best Picture nod, perhaps, exemplifys the Academy's way of recognizing what the general public has praised.

Speaking of music, Bradley Cooper's impressive directorial debut, A Star is Born (the third time the 1937 original film has been remade, after 1954 and 1976, respectfully), has, not surprisingly, gotten several accolades (nine, total), not least of which was Lady Gaga's leading role. Now, thanks to a public vow they reportedly made, Cooper and Gaga are set to perform the hit song "Shallow" at the ceremony.

Gaga, along with Roma's Yalitza Aparicio, earned accolades for her feature-film debut. Other first-time nominees include Olivia Colman (The Favourite), Adam Driver (BlacKkKlansman), Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk), and Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody). Screen veteran Sam Elliot scored his first-ever Oscar nomination (another believe-it-or-not) for his supporting role in A Star Is Born. Other screen veterans to score nominations this year include Willem Dafoe (for his portrayal of Vincent Van Gogh in At Eternity's Gate) and Glenn Close (for her role as a concerned spouse in The Wife). Screen actors of this current generation (along with Cooper) who have been nominated before but have never won include Amy Adams (Vice), Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), and Viggo Mortensen (Green Book).

Despite being recognized for acting and producing A Star Is Born, Cooper wasn't even acknowledged for his directing efforts. Which brings me to a few other agreeable or arguable snubs this year:
--Bo Burnham's brilliant and insightful screenplay, as well as Elsie Fisher's thoroughly-relatable breakout performance, in Eighth Grade, which speaks to this current generation in a raw and real way.
--Thomasin McKenzie, who gave another great breakout performance this year, as the 13-year-old daughter of a war vet, in Leave No Trace. The film also had beautiful cinematography and first-rate direction and writing.
--Won't You Be My Neighbor was one of the year's best documentary features, due to the renewed interest it brought to the life and legacy of Fred Rogers and his mark on children's television.
--A Quiet Place was a unique addition to the horror genre, in that it ran more like a silent film with deep and emotional resonance. Although recognized for its superb sound editing, one of the film's best (and overlooked) performances came from Emily Blunt, who exemplifies a sense of grace, fear and determination throughout. In fact, Blunt has had a stellar year in both this film and in Mary Poppins Returns, which also had a great performance from Lin-Manuel Miranda.
--Despite unanimous praise for its cast and director Ryan Coogler, Black Panther didn't get recognized for any of its performances, not even Michael B. Jordan, who has been widely regarded as one of the greatest screen villains in a comic-book-based film.

Leticia Wright and Chaswick Boseman in Black Panther

RISE UP
That being said, it does my heart good to end this piece on a high note. But first, a little backstory.

Like animation and science-fiction, many critics and viewers continue to have misconceptions about films based on superheroes or comic books. Although they have a tradition of being recognized for their technical achievements (makeup, visual effects, music, etc.), only Al Pacino's nominated supporting role in Dick Tracy in 1991, and The Incredibles winning Best Animated Feature in 2005, have been, perhaps, the biggest milestones for this medium of storytelling beyond technical aspects. But it really wasn't until Heath Ledger's award-winning performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight in 2009 that the Academy really took notice.

Since then, Disney's Big Hero 6 won the animated feature Oscar in 2015, and Marvel's hard-R Logan earned a nomination (the first of its kind) for its adapted screenplay last year. This year, Pixar's Incredibles 2 and Sony Animation's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse are competing for the animated feature award. But the biggest news of all (and the greatest milestone for the medium, by far) is Black Panther, which is now officially the first comic-book/superhero film to ever be nominated for Best Picture. The film garnered seven nominations total (one behind The Dark Knight's record eight), including its sound editing and mixing, production design, costume design, score, and its track "All the Stars" by Kendrick Lamar and SZA. "Wakanda forever!"

2018: Standout Films of the Year

I've been thinking a lot, quite often, about the films from 2018 that have stood out to me the most, as well as what they collectively represent. For one thing, many of them deal with the fears of growing up in this current day and age, especially for parents regarding what their children are being raised in. Many of these films also offer hopes and changes that can ideally be pursued, and not just mere audience escapism for two hours. Finally, considering last year's Best Actress Oscar-winner Frances McDormand and her stance on "inclusion riders" in Hollywood during her acceptance speech, the strongest films and stories this year, regardless of age, race, gender, personality, ethnicity, culture and the like, tell us, "Anything is possible."

Before I get into that, here are some notable mentions that didn't quite make my list, but I still liked. (You can read my reviews for each of these films by clicking on the respective film title.)

Bumblebee
A movie that finally gives the Transformers franchise back some dignity, with a smaller, more involving, story, and few robots at the center, not to mention a perfect Hailee Steinfeld cast opposite the yellow VW beetle. Real, genuine heart, as well as massive (and clear) action sequences, plus original G1 designs of the characters from the cartoon series of the 1980s. Now that's "more than meets the eye."

Christopher Robin
A.A. Milne's timeless plush characters from "Winnie the Pooh" are brought to CGI life in director Marc Forster's live-action update, centered on a grown-up version of the titular character (a brilliant Ewan McGregor), who is reminded of his childhood and his important role as a family man. Voice actor Jim Cummings (who has voiced the "bear of very little brain" for the last three decades) deserves long-overdue praise.

Free Solo
This National Geographic-produced documentary chronicles the journey of free solo climber Alex Honnold as he climbs El Capitan, an incredible yet dangerous feat. A thrilling and unexpectedly moving experience that sets a new benchmark for "anything is possible," puts you right up there on the climb and doesn't let go.

Green Book
In this inspired account of the real-life friendship between Italian-American bouncer Tony Vallelonga and concert pianist Don Shirley in the 1960s Deep South, Viggo Mortenson and Mahershala Ali, respectfully, give two of the year's best performances in a story not so much about tensions between races, but between classes and cultures.

I Can Only Imagine
If faith-based films have another benchmark to turn to, they have this well-made dramatization of the life of MercyMe frontman Bart Millard and the story behind the hit song, "I Can Only Imagine". The film does suffer from a few corny moments, but its heart is in the right place with the central conflict and relationship between Millard (Broadway actor J. Michael Finley) and his abusive father (Dennis Quaid). A worthwhile viewing.

Isle of Dogs
Wes Anderson's second stop-motion feature (after 2009's Fantastic Mr. Fox) is a terrific achievement. While not really a film for children, due to its mature themes and some content concerns, its animation style, superb voice cast (especially the canines who populate this world), first-rate filmmaking and storytelling techniques will intrigue and engage true cinephiles. As Bill Murray's baseball mascot Boss would say, "Wow!"

***
And now, here are my favorite films from 2018:

10. Mission: Impossible--Fallout
The most operatic of the Mission: Impossible films to date, this sixth installment finds IMF agent Ethan Hunt searching for an escaped adversary, while questioning the notion of orders, choices and walking away from them or not, and what is considered "for the greater good." The emotional weight, personal stakes, and complexities do make the film convoluted at times. Still, it stands as big, epic, and on-the-edge-of-your-seat, in the best sense of those words, with Cruise still pulling out all the stops in full-on (and real) action, including a 360-degree helicopter drop and a 25,000-foot HALO plane jump. Talk about Cruise control!

9. Ralph Breaks the Internet
Arcade "bad guy" Wreck-It Ralph and go-kart racer Vanellope journey to the World Wide Web in search of a spare part for the latter's game. It becomes an adventure that is, perhaps, the best visualization of our current social media world, as well as an amalgamation of pop culture and Disney references in the late decade. (It even addresses and pokes fun at the many tropes of Disney princesses since the 1930s--yes, they're all here, too.) But the film's central relationship drives everything, resulting in a deeper story and rare sequel that takes a radical departure from its predecessor without abandoning its heartstrings.

8. Mary Poppins Returns
A worthwhile successor to the 1964 Disney classic, based on P.L. Travers' beloved books about the "practically perfect" nanny who changes the lives of the Banks family. Emily Blunt lovingly makes the role (originated by Julie Andrews) her own, while Lin-Manuel Miranda adds cheeriness to this showstopping experience that represents what family films should be. And wait 'til you see the lovely (hand-drawn) animated sequence. A wonderful, magical film.

7. First Man
An astounding, haunting and raw look at NASA's near-decade-long journey to get to the moon, with the story of Neil Armstrong at the center. With skillful direction from Damien Chazelle (Whiplash, La La Land), engrossing performances from Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy (as Neil & Janet Armstrong, respectively), and phenomenal technical achievements in sound, practical effects, photography, and music, this is, to date, the most grounded space-related film of the decade, practically and emotionally.

6. Leave No Trace
Director and co-writer Debra Granik (Winter's Bone) adapts Peter Rock's novel "My Abandonment" into a story of a father-daughter who live off the outskirts of Oregon, and are forced back into society, only to escape again. A thoroughly moving and aching look at PTSD, family dynamics, the concept of home, and our relationship with nature, with Ben Foster and newcomer Thomasin McKenzie delivering exceptional performances.

5. Won't You Be My Neighbor?
Director Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom)'s excellent documentary on the life of pioneering children's television host Fred Rogers chronicles the late auteur's upbringing, and his ideals in educating children and helping them through life via his television series, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." Rogers, now more than ever, represents the kind of example and inspiration we need.

4. Eighth Grade
The most microscopic view of Twenty-First Century social and adolescent anxiety. Bo Burnham's writing and directing is an impressive debut, as is breakout star Elsie Fisher's thoroughly-relatable performance of a precocious teenage girl during her last week of middle school. Gucci!

3. A Quiet Place
The year's most striking film image belongs to Emily Blunt hiding in a bathtub, pregnant and panicking, from frightening creatures. A high-concept horror-thriller centered on a family in a post-apocalyptic world, where any noise leads to death, doesn't sound like much at first. But director/co-star John Krasinski, screenwriters Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, and an expert sound team at ILM have crafted, in a way, a silent film for the genre (and a game-changer, at that), centered on the fears of parenthood, with very poignant and emotion-driven performances, rounded out by Krasinski, real-life wife Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe. A Quiet Place makes more than mere sudden noise.

2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
An unprecedented feat of creativity, imagination, animation and filmmaking, Spider-Verse follows a new Spider-Man, Miles Morales, on a mission to stop the villainous Kingpin from using a technological device from tearing New York City and other worlds apart. Miles is joined by fellow webslingers from multiple dimensions (including an older Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy, manga whiz Peni Parker, detective Spider-Man Noir, and the cartoonish Spider-Ham), transcending generations, ages, ethnicities, genders, and genres. A cinematic game-changer that puts a new, um, spin on the theme that anyone can be a hero.

1. Black Panther
Based on the Marvel comic book by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, Black Panther has deservedly become a worldwide phenomenon. (And not just for people of color, might I add.) It doesn't walk or talk or feel anything like a "superhero" story. Everything about this film is so first-rate and radical, from production design to visual effects (the world of Wakanda is amazing) to writing to directing (thank you, Ryan Coogler) to producing (thank you, Kevin Feige). And its well-rounded characters (played by Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita N'Yongo, Dania Gurira, Leticia Wright, Angela Bassett, Sterling K. Brown, Winston Duke, Daniel Kuluuya, Forrest Whitacker, Martin Freeman, and Andy Serkis) couldn't be better, providing significant cultural relevance and themes that are powerful; others, challenging; and others, inspiring. If you only see one Marvel Cinematic Universe film in your life, this is the one to see!

REVIEW: "Mary Poppins Returns" With Gusto and Magic

Based on P.L. Travers' novels about a "practically perfect" nanny who comes to look after the Banks children and, in the process, change their stubborn father's view, Walt Disney's beloved and unforgettable 1964 film adaptation of Mary Poppins is considered by many to be the crowning achievement of his career. It was also a landmark feature at the time of its release, with stunning achievements in directing, special effects (who could ever forget the classic animated sequence, with Dick Van Dyke's chimney sweep Bert dancing alongside penguins?), costume design, music (by the Sherman Brothers, no less), its period setting (pre-WWI), and its showstopping dance numbers (the chimney sweep sequene, anybody?). The same goes for its performances, led by a "practically perfect" Julie Andrews (in her film debut, as the magical nanny) and a memorable (if inaccurately-accented) Van Dyke.

What most people don't remember is that Travers herself wasn't happy with the finished film, as she was dismissive of Hollywood's apparently poor track record of adapting books into films. She did approve of Andrews performance, however. All dissatisfaction aside, the story of Mary Poppins (including the way Disney told it) is a universal one about the joys of childhood, learned and expressed through work, through imagination (or, as Bert describes it, "a doorway to a land of enchantment"), through laughter, and through experiencing and overcoming the difficulties of life.

(Left to right) Dick Van Dyke, Karen Dotrice, Matthew Garber,
and Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins

And here we are, fifty-four years later, with a new story for the screen, titled Mary Poppins Returns. With inspiration from all seven books in Travers' series to draw from (including his own fondness for the original film as a child), director Rob Marshall (Chicago, Into the Woods) had a tall order to fill by crafting an original story and an original musical, set twenty-five years after the original story (during the Great Depression), with siblings Jane and Michael Banks as adults, along with three children of Michael's own. With new music and songs by composer Marc Shaiman and lyricist Scott Wittman, a screenplay written by David Magee (Life of Pi), and a phenomenal cast led by a whimsical and cheery Emily Blunt (who brilliantly makes the title role her own), Marshall and his team have made a film that is wonderful, magical, and does our hearts good.

Andrews has gone on record that she turned down a cameo appearance in the film, as she approved of Blunt's casting and didn't want her (Andrews') appearance to distract the audience. Nevertheless, the casting, again, is phenomenal, with Lin-Manuel Miranda (of Hamilton fame, as lamplighter Jack), Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer (as Michael and Jane), Julie Walters (as housekeeper Ellen), Colin Firth (as corrupt bank president William Wilkins), Meryl Streep (as Mary Poppins' oddball cousin Topsy), and Dick Van Dyke (in a surprise cameo). And the Banks children (played by Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh, and Joel Dawson) are just wonderful.

(Left to right) Joel Dawson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Emily Blunt,
Pixie Davies, and Nathanael Saleh in Mary Poppins Returns

As with the original film, the set pieces, costume design, and showstopping choreography (particularly the lamp post sequence) are a thorough delight. There's an underwater sequence that recalls the 1971 DIsney classic Bedknobs & Broomsticks (with Angela Lansbury), while Topsy's shop may be the most elaborate and whimsical set of the bunch. And just wait until you see the lovely hand-drawn animated sequence (which reportedly brought many animators from Disney and Pixar out of retirement for this special occasion).

Mary Poppins Returns is also a much-needed story that reminds us of the power of magic, imagination, delight, and adventure that Disney infused into almost all of his projects during his lifetime, and what family films ideally should be. The moving theme of remembering what we still have, in spite of unfortunate circumstances, rings especially true. It's an experience that is very evocative, cheery, and wonderful. A "jolly holiday," if ever there was one.