2020 Year-End A&S Nominations

I present the fifth annual Year-End A&S Nominations, in advance of my 2020 Retrospective, coming later this year. See below for the full results.

2019 Retrospective

2019 continued the trend of transformation of the entertainment sector: the #MeToo movement led to pervasive media coverage and discussion of sexual harassment in Hollywood and beyond; the MCU finally took the box office throne, with Avengers: Endgame becoming the highest grossing film of all time; and Netflix landed two films in the Best Picture race. Most significantly, Parasite overcame all odds to become the first foreign language to win not only the SAG’s Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture but also the Academy Award’s highest prize. And filmmakers like Céline Sciamma and Joe Talbot and Tamara Kotevska pushed fiction and non-fiction storytelling to their breaking point.

2019 Year-End A&S Nominations

Dozens and scores of films later, with haunting renditions of Sundance (that overdose scene), Cannes (that basement reveal), Telluride, and TIFF behind us yet again, I present the fourth annual Year-End A&S Nominations, in advance of my 2019 Retrospective, coming later this year. After a second straight weak year for animation (and a weak year for original scores and adapted screenplays, among other categories), the number of films represented falls to 21, despite another superlative year for documentaries and a continued strong showing for foreign language films. See below for the full results.

TIFF 2019 Wrap-Up

After being embarrassed by streaming-related controversy in 2018, Cannes fought hard in May to reestablish its preeminence in the film festival world and most would say it pulled it off: with three of the four major fall festivals behind us, Joon-ho Bong’s Palme d’Or-winning Parasite remains the undeniable highlight of 2019. Venice took over from Cannes in terms of contentious decision-making, especially when it decided to award the Golden Lion to Todd Phillips’ divisive Joker (starring an admirably committed Joaquin Phoenix) and the Grand Jury Prize to Roman Polanski’s An Officer and a Spy. Telluride then launched both the Safdie brothers’ Uncut Gems (starring an admirably committed Adam Sandler) and Trey Edward Shults’ Waves.

Booksmart

Briskly paced, smartly written, and totally endearing, Booksmart is an authentic coming-of-age story, a dazzling indie comedy, and an ear-splitting proclamation of the arrival of a new, confident artistic voice in Hollywood. Vibrant and affecting, it’s a terrific summer feature.

2018 Retrospective

2018 was the first year that felt like the movies could react to, and speak directly into, the cyclone of complex issues that characterizes this divisive time in history. People are frustrated and passionate and motivated and increasingly outspoken: about sexual harassment, about racial and gender inequality, about environmental degradation. Streaming is here to stay (Netflix has representation on my list for the first time); Disney is consolidating power (acquiring 20th Century Fox). And filmmakers like Spike Lee and Boots Riley and George Tillman Jr. and Carlos López Estrada crafted sincere, seething portraits that shine a harsh light on our circumstances.

2018 Year-End A&S Nominations

Dozens and scores of films later, with haunting renditions of Sundance (that chainsaw duel), Cannes (that dancing-at-sunset scene), Telluride, and TIFF behind us yet again, I present the third annual Year-End A&S Nominations, in advance of my 2018 Retrospective, coming in January. Despite a weaker year for animation, a record-breaking 32 films are represented, rising on the strength of a superlative year for documentaries and a significant rebound for foreign language films. See below for the full results.

First Reformed

Austere, thoughtful, and uncompromising, First Reformed is a riveting character study and a damning investigation into some of the most pressing spiritual and social ills of our time. Disturbing and draining, it illustrates the repercussions of the three-fold collision of politics, religion, and capitalism in the United States and marks a triumphant return for writer-director Paul Schrader.

TIFF 2018 Wrap-Up

In a year in which Cannes spit in the face of the large streaming company that is slowly transforming contemporary cinema and television and rejected what is unanimously considered to be the best film of 2018 (except for yours truly), the fall festivals were handed a rare opportunity on a silver platter. Venice came screaming out of the gate with a list of films that The Playlist called “one of the greatest festival line-ups ever” and probably debuted the 2018 Best Picture winner. Telluride struggled a bit more, yet ensured continued momentum for The Favourite and began the buzz for Can You Ever Forgive Me? But TIFF rebounded perhaps the most impressively, with world premieres that captivated attendees from critics and industry professionals to audience members alike.

Leave No Trace

Beautifully understated and incredibly moving, Leave No Trace is a contemplative, terrifically shot father-daughter drama from a talented director that’s been away for far too long. Environmentally aware yet convincing in its narrative simplicity, Leave No Trace is a small, quiet, and phenomenally effective film about fatherhood, family, and the importance of staying true to oneself no matter the consequences.