Most Anticipated Films of 2023

1. Dune: Part 2: Dennis Vilenevue

2. Killers of the Flower Moon: Martin Scorsese

3. Oppenheimer: Christopher Nolan

4. Maestro: Bradley Cooper

5. Rustin: Colman Domingo

6. Barbie: Greta Gerwig

7. Blitz: Steve McQueen

8. Saltburn: Emerald Fennell

9. Napoleon: Ridley Scott

10. Lee: Kate Winslet

11. May December: Todd Haynes

13. The Way of the Wild: Terrence Malik

14. Poor Things: Yorgos Lanthimos

15. The Colour Purple: Halle Berry

16. Nosferatu: Willem Dafoe

17. The Killer: David Fincher

18. Next Goal Wins: Taika Waititi

19. Asteroid City: Wes Anderson

20. Past Lives: Celine Song

21. Challengers: Luca Guadagnino

22. Wonka: Timothee Chalamet

23. The Holdovers: Alexander Payne

24. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar: Wes Anderson

25. Foe: Paul Mescal

26. Ferrari: Adam Driver

27. Beau Is Afraid: Joaquin Phoenix

28. Shirley: Regina King

29. Spider-Man: Across the spider verse

30. Priscilla: Sophia Coppola

31. Civil War: Jennifer Lawrence

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95th Academy Award Final Predicted Winners

Here are my final predictions for tomorrow’s 95th Academy Awards. I’m predicting Everything Everywhere All At Once to win 6 Oscars, as it should, the most since 2009s Hurt Locker:

Best Picture:

Will Win: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Should Win: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Alternative: none

Best Director:

Will Win: Daniels, Everything Everywhere All At Once

Should Win: Daniels, Everything Everywhere All At Once

Alternative: Todd Field, TAR

Best Actress

Will Win: Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All At Once

Should Win: Cate Blanchett, TAR

Alternative: Cate Blanchett, TAR

Best Actor:

Will Win: Austin Butler, Elvis

Should Win: Brendan Fraser, The Whale

Alternative: Brendan Fraser, The Whale

Best Supporting Actress:

Will Win: Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin

Should Win: Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin

Alternative: Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All At Once

Best Supporting Actor:

Will Win: Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All At Once

Should Win: Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All At Once

Alternative: None

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Will Win: Women Talking

Should Win: Women Talking

Alternative: All Quiet On The Western Front

Best Original Screenplay:

Will Win: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Should Win: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Alternative: The Banshees of Inisherin

Best Cinematography:

Will Win: All Quiet On The Western Front

Should Win: All Quiet On The Western Front

Alternative: Empire of Light

Best Costume Design:

Will Win: Elvis

Should Win: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Alternative: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Best Film Editing:

Will Win: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Should Win: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Alternative: Top Gun: Maverick

Best Hair & Makeup:

Will Win: Elvis

Should Win: The Whale

Alternative: The Whale

Best Production Design:

Will Win: Babylon

Should Win: Avatar: The Way of Water

Alternative: Elvis

Best Score:

Will Win: Babylon

Should Win: Babylon

Alternative: The Fablemans

Best Song:

Will Win: Naatu, Naatu, RRR

Should Win: Naatu, Naatu, RRR

Alternative: Lift Me Up, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Best Sound:

Will Win: All Quiet On The Western Front

Should Win: All Quiet On The Western Front

Alternative: Top Gun: Maverick

Best Visual Effects:

Will Win: Avatar: The Way of Water

Should Win: Avatar: The Way of Water

Best Animated Feature:

Will Win: Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio

Should Win: Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio

Alternative: Turning Red

Best Documentary:

Will Win: Navalny

Should Win: All The Beauty And The Bloodshed

Alternative: All The Beauty And The Bloodshed

Best Foreign Language Film:

Will Win: All Quiet On The Western Front

Should Win: Close

Alternative: Close

Final Predictions for the 95th Academy Awards

Best Picture:

1. Everything Everywhere All At Once

2. The Banshees of Inisherin

3. The Fabelmans

4. TAR

5. Avatar: The Way of Water

6. Top Gun: Maverick

7. Elvis

8. All Quiet On The Western Front

9. The Whale

10. Triangle of Sadness

Alt: Babylon

.

Best Director:

1. Daniels, Everything Everywhere All At Once

2. Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans

3. Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin

4. Todd Field, TAR

5. James Cameron, Avatar: The Way of Water

Alt: Edward Berger, All Quiet On The Western Front

.

Best Actress

1. Cate Blanchett, TAR

2. Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All At Once

3. Viola Davis, The Woman King

4. Danielle Deadwyler, Till

5. Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans

Alt: Ana De Armas, Blonde

.

Best Actor:

1. Brendan Fraser, The Whale

2. Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin

3. Austin Butler, Elvis

4. Bill Nighy, Living

5. Tom Cruise: Top Gun Maverick

Alt: Paul Mescal, Aftersun

.

Best Supporting Actress:

1. Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

2. Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin

3. Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All At Once

4. Hong Chu, The Whale

5. Dolly De Leon, Triangle of Sadness

Alt: Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All At Once

.

Best Supporting Actor:

1. Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All At Once

2. Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin

3. Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin

4. Paul Dano, The Fabelmans

5. Brad Pitt, Babylon

Alt: Eddie Redmayne, The Good Nurse

.

Best Adapted Screenplay:

1. The Whale

2. Women Talking

3. All Quiet On The Western Front

4. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

5. Living

Alt: She Said

.

Best Original Screenplay:

1. Banshees of Inisherin

2. Everything Everywhere All At Once

3. The Fabelmans

4. TAR

5. Triangle of Sadness

Alt: Aftersun

.

Best Documentary:

1. All The Beauty And The Bloodshed

2. All That Breathes

3. Fire of Love

4. Navalny

5. The Territory

Alt: Moonage Daydream

3/5

.

Best Foreign Language Film:

1. Close

2. All Quiet On The Western Front

3. Decision To Leave

4. Close

5. The Quiet Girl

Alt: EO

4/5

.

Best Animated Film:

1. Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio

2. Turning Red

3. Marcel the Shell With Shoes On

4. Puss In Boots: The Last Wish

5.Wendell And Wild

Alt: My Father’s Dragon

5/5

.

Best Cinematography:

1. Top Gun: Maverick

2. All Quiet On The Western Front

3. Empire of Light

4. Avatar: The Way of Water

5. Elvis

Alt: Babylon

.

Best Costume Design:

1. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

2. Babylon

3. Elvis

4. The Woman King

5. Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris

Alt: Everything Everywhere All At Once

.

Best Film Editing:

1. Top Gun: Maverick

2. Everything Everywhere All At Once

3. All Quiet On The Western Front

4. The Banshees Of Inisherin

5. Elvis

Alt: The Fabelmans

.

Best Production Design:

1. Babylon

2. Avatar: The Way of Water

3. Elvis

4. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

5. The Fablemans

Alt: All Quiet On The Western Front

.

Best Sound:

1. Avatar: The Way of Water

2. Top Gun: Maverick

3. Elvis

4. All Quiet On The Western Front

5. Everything Everywhere All At Once

Alt: The Batman

.

Best Hair And Makeup:

1. The Whale

2. Elvis

3. All Quiet On The Western Front

4. The Batman

5. Babylon

Alt: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

.

Best Original Score:

1. Babylon

2. The Fabelmans

3. Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio

4. The Banshees of Inisherin

5. Women Talking

Alt: All Quiet On The Western Front

.

Best Song:

1. RRR (Naatu Naatu)

2. Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio (Ciao Papa)

3. Top Gun: Maverick (Hold My Hand)

4. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Lift Me Up)

5. Applause (Tell It Like A Woman)

Alt: Where The Crawdads Sing (Carolina)

.

Best Visual Effects:

1. Avatar: The Way of Water

2. Top Gun: Maverick

3. All Quiet On The Western Front

4. The Batman

5. Thirteen Lives

Alt: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Film Review: Avatar 2: The Way of Water (2022)

When my partner and I finished the film and left the cinema we were approached by a marketing person from the cinema to do an on camera post film interview. What I said to the camera I’d say in my review: never bet against James Cameron, he always delivers, epic, epic, epic. People seem often ready to doubt Cameron and yet time and time again he creates many of the most memorable movie experiences of my life. Titanic one of my all time favourite films, I would argue is the best romance/epic/disaster film ever made. The King of the sequels Cameron has also gave us one of the greatest sci fi films ever Terminator 2; one of the scariest films ever in Aliens 2, even excellent action/comedy in True Lies. A true master of cinema and a pioneer of technology. In an age where cinema has become streaming ‘content’ and most studio blockbuster films are unoriginal factory franchises, that seem to blur together, it’s almost a miracle when you see truly original content that is this epic in scale. I felt many of the same emotions watching Avatar 2 as I did to watching last years Dune: awe in a world so perfectly realised on such a monumental scale. It’s true that nothing will quite capture the original feeling of first seeing Avatar in the cinema in 3D in 2009. However in Avatar 2 when we first go to the underwater world I would say surpasses the visual effects of the first. Pandora feels like the most vividly created sci fiction world ever put to screen. The highlights of the film are easily the underwater scenes showcasing Cameron’s well documented love of the ocean and it’s protection. Especially breathtaking are the calmer scenes in the film where the cinematography of Russell Carpenter, who also did Titanic, takes your breath away. A common criticism of Cameron is his use of storyline’s that are on the simpler side. I would argue tap into archetypes of the collective unconsciousness, universal themes writ large. Yes the story is simple and the environmental messages of the film are as obvious and powerful as the last, however in avatar 2 this is combined with anti-colonialism, protecting wildlife and the strength of family message which make for a more emotional impact. I was moved to tears 3 times in the film. I highly recommend you watch it in 3D which in this context makes you want to dive into the world. Apart from the simple narrative my only other main fault with the film is that the first act requires a lot of exposition which pays off much more effectively in the 2nd and 3rd acts. The finally battle scene feels like the culmination of all his previous films with events of Terminator and Titanic. The budget for the film is between 350-400 million, which if it is at that upper reach it would make it the most expensive film of all time. You’ve got to see this in the cinema. At a time when epic original studio film experiences at the cinema seem to be dying in the face of tv and streaming, Cameron’s film feels like salvation for a vanishing art. Whatever minor flaws of the film melt away in the face of a cinematic experience that I haven’t had in over a decade. We are so lucky to have James Cameron making films, the master of the epic. 9/10

Film Review: The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Martin McDonagh’s ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ is one of the rarest of films today: one in which you find yourself thinking I’ve never seen a film quite like this before. Yes I’ve seen films that deal with the Irish soul, wit, and/ or history, others with laugh out loud dark humour, others still with dark nihilistic meditations on the human condition. But I have never seen a film that plays all those thematic notes together to create a emotional and visual symphony that left me stunned. In a single scene of brilliant dialogue and impeccable acting you could be belly laughing to only frames later find yourself staring into the darkest reaches of the psyche and feeling empty. This film felt like a dark gut punch that left me deeply shaken. Much like the play ‘Waiting for Godot’ the first act’s absurdist dark humour, slowly gives way to contemplations on boredom, loneliness, time, companionship, civil war and ultimately the nihilist void, in the second and third acts. The film boasts one of the best casts in years, with wall to wall wickedly clever and poignant performances. This film could be looking at easily 4 acting nominations, with potentially some wins, a feat that is extremely rare in film history. The sweepingly beautiful but oppressively sparse landscape of Inisherin becomes a metaphorical mirror to the touching but gapingly empty characters as they move towards a crescendo of despair. Reminding me of dark folk tales, the larger metaphors and meanings of the film are revealed slowly and keenly until they are tragically inescapable. Amongst all the anguish, melancholy and dry Irish wit are haunting questions that are left unanswered. The film is at once a truly original film, a hilarious comedy and one of the darkest films I’ve seen in years. I left the film feeling psychologically naked, our collective humanity read so astutely in a tale without redemption. One of the best films of the year. 10/10

Film Review: RRR (2022)

So after a few people recommended it to me I finally watched RRR the Indian film sensation everyone is talking about on Netflix, in my covid downtime.

Is the film ridiculous, yes; is it insanely over-the-top, yes; is it also one of most entertaining films of year: absolutely. A bigger than Ben Hur epic that reimagines the overthrow of the British Raj in India feels like watching a 90s Schwarzenegger film on steroids, mixed with Indian nationalism and randomly delightful Bollywood dance numbers. At 3 hours long, the filmmakers threw everything at this film, one exuberant scene is quickly topped by another. The use of slow motion CGI is at times excessive but in a way sweetly old Hollywood way. The film centres on a bromance between two godlike Indian freedom fights, that almost reads as a bro love story. Frenetically edited, paced and lavishly shot with what must be thousands of extras, even the most ridiculously over-the-top moments are really enjoyable to watch. Having the British as cartoon villains flips the script on the traditional villain a western audience would see. The films charm becomes grating at times when it veers towards heavy handed political nationalism. Yet the heightened emotions of this film and its joy is hard to not to succumb too. One of highest grossing Indian films ever, it has taken the world by storm. If you can look past the political propaganda, frenetic comic action/cgi and ridiculous moments it’s a very entertaining wild ride. 8/10

Film Review: Blonde (2022)

I watched Blonde last night, the new film about Marilyn Monroe. By now I’m sure most people already know she had a terrible life, was abused by Hollywood and died tragically. Although Ana de Armas does a commendable job with a script that only really allows her to, a) cry, b) suffer gratuitously, and c) recreate famous iconic moments of her career, that is the beginning and end of what is good about this movie. I really hated this movie. That doesn’t happen often. A film about the exploitation of Marilyn becomes itself the epitome of exploitation. I don’t think the male director even likes Marilyn, with a cold gaze he seems only interested in dissecting her suffering like a surgeon of misery. A one note litany of pain and woe that reduces all of Marilyn’s psychological complexity and intelligence into a daddy issues and fear of abandonment soap opera. Marilyn spends the choppily edited film lurching from one horror to the next, searching for her daddy, and being abused in the most unsettling and gruesome ways. What is the point of this film? Beyond showing us that she suffered terribly, it feels so hollow and empty. One of the greatest movie stars of all time in Blonde is a victim to predations of men, and the predations of its own director. I highly doubt a woman director could have made a film like this. Despite its 2hour and 40 min run time I felt I knew less about Marilyn than when I started. There’s so much more to Marilyn, her art, her mind and her impact. This misery porn is a betrayal of her and the incredible performance of Ana de Armas. Do yourself a favour and avoid this film. 3/10

Film Review: Elvis (2022)

Before I write anything else it must be said that Austin Butler is an inspired choice to play the icon. His performance especially when dancing and signing is the best part of the film. Unfortunately this could-have-been Oscar worthy performance is trapped in a film that is so over-edited, shallow and cringe worthy that he should feel robbed. We all know Baz Luhrmann is style over substance, maximalism and gaudy excess. However in Elvis I felt as if I was watching a child trying to tell me a long convoluted story after having 7 red bulls, fruit loops and creaming soda i.e. this happens, then this happens, and then this happens. When the film started to a packed audience at the Sydney Film Festival I thought I was experiencing hearing problems, it was at once both too loud and not loud enough. Perhaps it was the venue but as the film continued I realised that on top of most dialogue is constant music which makes it very hard to hear what people are saying. My friends concurred that they too struggled. Then there’s the editing. I am not adverse to a split screen or montage, but this editing was so frenzied and incoherent. It felt like a 90s over edited music video, most shots last for mere seconds, sapping all the emotional potential by cutting too quickly to a new scene or shot. The emotional heart of the film is literally cut to pieces by and editor that leaves no oxygen or space on screen. Then there’s Tom Hanks as Elvis’s cartoon villain prosthetics manager. Clearly the Elvis estate loves this account because all the bad behaviour is soaked up by Tom Hank’s ridiculous character. Elvis was no saint but in this he comes out as the dim witted helpless victim to a one dimensional villain. Elvis used African American music and moves on his rise to superstardom and the film depicts him as some kind of civil rights hero, which is a generous stretch. But without a doubt the most grievous sin of this mess is the climax. Without giving the plot away, we all know that Elvis’s later years is the tragedy, the bloated figure struggling to stand signing his heart out in his final performances. This is the equivalent of Freddie Mercury’s Live AID concert moment. The emotional heart of the film. And right in that most pivotal moment Baz cuts to a montage of the real Elvis, robbing Butler of his climatic scene and undercutting the entire film. Baz has become a parody of himself. Do yourself a favour and watch the singing dancing highlights on YouTube when they come out. Safe from from the crystal meth editing and scheming prosthetic jowl . 6/10

Film Review: Everything, Everywhere, All At Once (2022)

Jaw drop. Just finished watching the new film ‘Everything, Everywhere All At Once’. When the credits rolled I was speechless trying to comprehend what I had just seen. Having had time to think about it, I think it’s the most fun I’ve had in the cinema in years. Hilarious, insane, shocking, a wild ride of sci fi, fantasy, martial arts action and comedy that ends with something moving and profound. The plot is hard to describe, but in the simplest terms it follows an anxious Asian American woman as she set on a bonkers adventure to save the universe by accessing multiple versions of herself through the multiverse. Yet the feeling of watching the film is hard to put into words. Some of the images I saw I couldn’t believe I was seeing in a cinema. I laughed along with the whole cinema harder and longer than any other movie in years. It’s unbelievably original, like a Rick and Morty episode meets the Matrix meets an acid trip. But more than the action and comedy it’s real power lies in its philosophical message that was so wise and profound I teared up. The editing is like bullets, Michelle Yeoh is Olympic in her acting feats, the zany humour is unlike anything I’ve seen in years. The word of mouth of the film is growing. This film is one of the most original films of this century. Do yourself a favour and watch movie history being made. 10/10

2022 Movie Reviews

Top Films 2022:

1. Close 10/10

2. Everything, Everywhere, All At Once 10/10

3. Aftersun 10/10

4. TAR 10/10

5. The Banshees of Inisherin 10/10

6. The Quiet Girl 9/10

7. Triangle of Sadness 9/10

8. Avatar 2: The Way of Water 9/10

9. The Fablemans 9/10

10. Guillermo Del Toros Pinocchio 9/10

11. Turning Red 9/10

12. All Quiet on the Western Front 9/10

13. Women Talking 9/10

14. RRR 8/10

15. Bones and All 8/10

16. The Northman 8/10

17. Fire of Love 8/10

18. Nope 8/10

19. Top Gun: Maverick 8/10

20. Benediction 8/10

21. The Woman King 8/10

22. Navalny 8/10

23. Babylon 7/10

24. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery 7/10

25. Firebird 7/10

26. Argentina 1985 7/10

27. The Whale 7/10

28. Bros 7/10

29. The Menu 7/10

30. Fire Island 7/10

31. The Batman 6/10

32. Elvis 6/10

33. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 6/10

34. My Policeman 6/10

35. Matilda 6/10

36. See How They Run 6/10

37. Lightyear 6/10

38. Senior Year 5/10

39. Hocus Pocus 2 5/10

40. Thor Love and Thunder 5/10

41. Fantastic Beasts: The Secret of Dumbeldore 5/10

42. Senior Year 5/10

43. Munich Edge of War 5/10

44. Dr. Strange: Multiverse of Madness 5/10

45. White Hot: The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie and Fitch 4/10

46. Amsterdam 4/10

47. Death on the Nile 4/10

48. Persuasion 3/10

49. The School of Good and Evil 3/10

50. Blonde 3/10