Adnerb the Movie Nerd

Movie reviews from a middle school teacher's perspective

Oscar Predictions

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Even though I haven’t posted reviews for a few months, I have been going to the movies every week and have seen most of the Oscar contenders.  Those of you who have been reading my little blog know that I have been eerily accurate in my Oscar predictions in the past.  This year I am not as confident, but will give it a shot.  Remember, these are not the ones I would pick, but the ones I think the Academy will pick.

 

Best Supporting Actress:  Jamie Lee Curtis or Angela Bassett might cancel each other out.  In that case, I would go with Kerry Condon.

Best Supporting Actor:  Judd Hirsch might win simply because he is so well-liked.  However the Academy might go with Ke Huy Quan.

Best Actress:  I really can’t choose between Cate Blanchett and Michelle Yeoh.  They both gave such strong performances.  I think the academy will go with Michelle since she has never won and Cate already has 2 Oscars.

Best Actor:  I know a lot of people are rooting for Austin Butler in Elvis but I think they are going to give it to Brendan Frasier in The Whale.  Honestly, it could be either one.

Best Movie:  Everything Everywhere All At Once seems to be the front runner going in and I see no reason for the academy to not go in that direction.

Best Director:  So this is where I think the academy could surprise us.  I think Steven Spielberg might get the best director even though the Fablemans won’t take best picture.

Best Animated Feature:  This is the toughest category for me.  I think the Academy might go with Pinocchio.  However, I wouldn’t be surprised if Marcel the Shell with Shoes On wins.

Best Original Song: Naatu Naatu for no particular reason.

Best Adapted Screenplay:  Women Talking because of the fact there is a lot of conversation in this one.

Best Original Screenplay: Everything Everywhere All At Once.  However, I would love to see the Banshees of Inisherin win.

Best Foreign Film:  All Quiet on the Western Front.

Best Soundtrack:  In am going with John Williams because I really want him to win, even though I doubt it.  he has been nominated over 50 times and his last win was in 1993.  Come on academy!!!

 

So these are my predictions for some of the categories.  How do you think I did?  What are your choices?  I would love to hear from you.

 

 

Where the Crawdads Sing

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Several of my friends recommended that I read the book this movie is based on, but I just never got around to it.  Now that I have seen the movie, I wish I would have taken them up on it because I highly enjoyed this movie.  The plot concerns Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones) who lives with her family in the marshlands of North Carolina.  However, all is not well, as her abusive father drives her mother and siblings to leave one by one until Kya is alone with her father.  Eventually, he, too, abandons her, and she is left to raise herself.  Rumors started to circulate in the small town about the “Marsh Girl” who runs barefoot in the woods and wouldn’t even go to school (and why should she? She speedily learns how cruel kids can be).  This isolates Kya and she grows into a self sufficient and capable teenager, still shunned by those around her who can’t be bothered to learn anything about her except for a couple who run a little store who try to help and support her.  However, she becomes an expert in the denizens of the marsh; and is able to draw realistic pictures of everything from owls to mussels.  Eventually, the mysterious and naïve Kya is attracted to two men from town, both of whom let her down.  Complications ensue when one of her suitors is found dead in the marsh and Kya is put on trial for murder.  One of my favorite actors, David Strathairn, plays her attorney.  No spoilers, but the resolution of her difficulties is uplifting and positive.  I thought this was going to be kind of dumb, but since I hadn’t read the book, I was surprised and intrigued by the mystery of who the killer might be. I also found the variety of her experiences and life so very interesting. This might be a little movie, but the setting is breathtaking and the acting is better than I thought it would be.  I definitely think this movie is worth a look, especially if you are tired of the summer block busters.

Downton Abbey: A New Era

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If you have seen the Downton Abbey series and saw the first movie – this will not disappoint.  First off,  all of our old favorites are back including Mr. Carson, Lady Crawley, Mrs. Hughes, Daisy Parker, Mrs. Patmore and Lady Mary.  There are two subplots going on and they are both intriguing.  In the first one, Maggie Smith, everyone’s favorite Countess, has inherited a villa in the south of France.  So some of the family goes there to check out the villa and to solve the mystery of why it was left to her.  The other subplot is a bit more fun.  It is 1930 and a movie crew is willing to pay a pretty penny to be able to film at Downton Abbey.  The movie is silent but talkies are coming!  If you have ever seen “Singing in the Rain” you will be able to guess what happens.  What I loved the most though was how many of our favorites find love, grab new opportunities and discover hidden talents.  Maggie Smith, as always, has some of the best lines.  All in all, if you love Downton Abbey, I highly recommend this one.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

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Did you know that Nicholas Cage has made over 100 movies?  Many of them have been less than stellar, some highly entertaining, and he even won an Oscar (a loong time ago) for “Leaving Las Vegas.” (My favorite role of his:  Moonstruck)  In his newest outing Nicholas Cage plays…………Nicholas Cage!!  What an interesting idea.  Cage doesn’t hesitate to make fun of his financial difficulties, bad movie choices, spending habits and complicated  family life.  The plot revolves around an eccentric millionaire who is Cage’s biggest fan and wants to pay him $1,000,000 to attend his birthday party.  The wealthy fan is played by Pedro Pascal who won many admirers with his heartbreaking portrayal of Oberon Martell in “Game of Thrones” and as the helmet wearing Mandalorian.  They make a cute couple, so to speak.  Anyway it turns out that The Super Fan might be a cartel boss.  But there’s a complication (side story, that is).  A CIA agent played by Tiffany Haddish and her partner are trying to take down the big cartel, and she ends up recruiting Cage to get valuable intel on a kidnapping that has political fallout.  This is a somewhat enjoyable romp, not as funny as “The Lost City” but still, what were you expecting?  It will help your enjoyment of this movie if you haven’t seen any of the trailers so that the funny parts are a surprise.  I loved the references to past Nicholas Cage movies and the room full of memorabilia was a trip.  This is very light fare, but sometimes, that is just what you need.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

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Hi everyone!  I think I have turned a corner since breaking my arm.  I just haven’t felt comfortable typing reviews (even though we have seen movies every weekend as usual).  My arms is getting to the point where I have a better range of motion, and typing is not as much of a chore as it was – so here comes my first review since The Batman on March 7!  This is the third Fantastic Beasts movie out of what is supposed to be five.  I was charmed by the first one, didn’t like the second one at all, and thought this one was better, but not great.  When the movies stick with Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, who roams the world looking for fantastic creatures, the movie is enjoyable.  Also, Dan Fogler as the muggle baker Jacob Kowalski is a scene stealer and lights up every scene he is in.  But the rest of the movie is missing something and that is saying a lot when other characters are played by some great actors, namely Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore and Mads Mickkelsen as Gellert Grindelwald.  The plot, involves Grindelwald, who is manipulating people and events to seize control of the wizarding world and ultimately begin a war to destroy all muggles.  There is also a secret Dumbledore child, a cute animal called a quilin (looks like a tiny deer), a bunch of look alike suitcases,  and a new method of traveling by the pages of a book.  This whole Fantastic Beasts franchise doesn’t seem to contain the spark, or whatever you call it, that the original Harry Potter books had in abundance.  Maybe it misses the comradeship and trust of the Hogwarts students and their teachers. Maybe it’s that the plot lines are more murky and even somewhat disconnected and harder to follow. It just lacks that something special that the Potter saga has. Even so, if you liked the first movie, I think you will like this one too.