2021 Movie Reviews

Top Films of 2021:

1. The Power of the Dog 10/10

2. Dune 10/10

3. Quo Vadis, Aida 10/10

4. Drive My Car 10/10

5. The Worst Person In The World 10/10

6. West Side Story 9/10

7. Belfast 9/10

8. Licorice Pizza 9/10

9. Flee 9/10

10. Nitram 9/10

11. Summer of Soul 9/10

12. The Tragedy of Macbeth 9/10

13. Procession 9/10

14. The Lost Daughter 9/10

15. The Mitchell’s Vs The Machines 9/10

16. The Green Knight 9/10

17. Ascension 8/10

18. CODA 8/10

19. Nightmare Alley 8/10

20. Tick, tick, BOOM! 8/10

21. Passing 8/10

22. King Richard 8/10

23. Luca 8/10

24. The French Dispatch 8/10

25. Spider-Man: No Way Home 8/10

26. In The Same Breath 8/10

27. Encanto 8/10

28. White Tiger 7/10

29. Pray Away 7/10

30. Val 7/10

31. Dance of the 41 7/10

32. Matrix Resurrections 7/10

33. Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 7/10

34. Fauci 7/10

35. The Eyes of Tammy Faye 7/10

36. Everybody’s Talking About Jamie 7/10

37. The Last Duel 7/10

38. Cruella 7/10

39. The Dig 7/10

40. I Care A Lot 7/10

41. No Time To Die 6/10

42. Eternals 6/10

43. Being The Ricardos 6/10

44. Hating Peter Thatchell 6/10

45. Coming 2 America 6/10

46. House of Gucci 5/10

47. Don’t Look Up 5/10

48. Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed 5/10

49. Jungle Cruise 5/10

50. 2067 4/10

51. Thunder Force 4/10

52. The Woman In The Widow 3/10

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by mrsmith44 on May 11, 2023  •  Permalink
Posted in 2021 Movie Reviews

Posted by mrsmith44 on May 11, 2023

https://jeremysmithmovieblog.com/2023/05/11/2021-movie-reviews/

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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by mrsmith44 on March 21, 2023  •  Permalink
Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by mrsmith44 on March 21, 2023

https://jeremysmithmovieblog.com/2023/03/21/most-anticipated-films-of-2023/

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

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by mrsmith44 on March 12, 2023  •  Permalink
Posted in 95th Academy Awards Final Predictions

Posted by mrsmith44 on March 12, 2023

https://jeremysmithmovieblog.com/2023/03/12/95th-academy-award-final-predicted-winners/

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

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by mrsmith44 on January 24, 2023  •  Permalink
Posted in 95th Academy Awards Final Predictions

Posted by mrsmith44 on January 24, 2023

https://jeremysmithmovieblog.com/2023/01/24/final-predictions-for-the-95th-academy-awards/

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

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by mrsmith44 on December 14, 2022  •  Permalink
Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by mrsmith44 on December 14, 2022

https://jeremysmithmovieblog.com/2022/12/14/film-review-avatar-2-the-way-of-water-2022/

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

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by mrsmith44 on December 9, 2022  •  Permalink
Posted in Reviews (B)

Posted by mrsmith44 on December 9, 2022

https://jeremysmithmovieblog.com/2022/12/09/film-review-the-banshees-of-inisherin-2022/

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

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by mrsmith44 on November 22, 2022  •  Permalink
Posted in Reviews (R)

Posted by mrsmith44 on November 22, 2022

https://jeremysmithmovieblog.com/2022/11/22/film-review-rrr-2022/

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

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by mrsmith44 on September 30, 2022  •  Permalink
Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by mrsmith44 on September 30, 2022

https://jeremysmithmovieblog.com/2022/09/30/film-review-blonde-2022/

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

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by mrsmith44 on June 19, 2022  •  Permalink
Posted in Movie Reviews (E)

Posted by mrsmith44 on June 19, 2022

https://jeremysmithmovieblog.com/2022/06/19/film-review-elvis-2022/

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

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by mrsmith44 on April 16, 2022  •  Permalink
Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by mrsmith44 on April 16, 2022

https://jeremysmithmovieblog.com/2022/04/16/film-review-everything-everywhere-all-at-once-2022/

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

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by mrsmith44 on April 16, 2022  •  Permalink
Posted in 2022 Movie Reviews, Reviews (E)

Posted by mrsmith44 on April 16, 2022

https://jeremysmithmovieblog.com/2022/04/16/2022-movie-reviews/

Final Predictions for the 94th Academy Awards:

Best Picture:

Will win: The Power of the Dog

Could win: CODA

Should win: The Power of the Dog

Best Director:

Will win: Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog

Should win: Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog.

Best Actress:

Will win: Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Could win: Nicole Kidman, Being The Ricardos

Should win: Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter

Best Actor:

Will win: Will Smith, King Richard

Could win: Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog

Should win: Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog

Best Supporting Actress:

Will win: Ariana DeBose, Westside Story

Could win: Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog

Should win: Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog

Best Supporting Actor:

Will win: Troy Kotsur, CODA

Could win: Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

Should win: Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Will win: The Power of the Dog

Could win: CODA

Should win: The Power of the Dog

Best Original Screenplay:

Will win: Belfast

Could win: Licorice Pizza

Should win: Licorice Pizza

Best Cinematography:

Will win: Dune

Could win: The Power of the Dog

Should win: Dune

Best Costume Design:

Will Win: Cruella

Could win: Dune

Should win: Dune

Best Film Editing:

Will win: Dune

Could win: The Power of the Dog

Should win: The Power of the Dog

Best Hair and Makeup:

Will win: The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Could win: Dune

Should win: Dune

Best Production Design:

Will win: Dune

Could win: Nightmare Alley

Should win: Dune

Best Score:

Will win: Dune

Could win: The Power of the Dog

Should win: Dune

Best Song:

Will win: No Time To Die

Could Win: Dos Oruguitas, Encanto

Should win: No Time To Die

Best Visual Effects:

Will win: Dune

Should win: Dune

Best Sound:

Will win: Dune

Should win: Dune

Best Animated Feature:

Will win: Encanto

Could win: The Mitchell’s vs the Machines

Should win: The Mitchell’s vs the Machines

Best Documentary Feature:

Will Win: Summer of Soul

Could Win: Flee

Should win: Summer of Soul

Best International Feature:

Will win: Drive My Car

Could win: The Worst Person In The World

Should win: Drive My Car.

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by mrsmith44 on March 27, 2022  •  Permalink
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Posted by mrsmith44 on March 27, 2022

https://jeremysmithmovieblog.com/2022/03/27/final-predictions-for-the-94th-academy-awards/

Film Review: Drive My Car (2021)

Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s film Drive My Car is one of the most haunting films about grief, art imitating life and the mystery of human beings that I have ever seen. Based on the short story of the same name my one of the great authors Murakami, the slow burn plot follows the journey of a screenwriter/actor mourning the recent death of his wife who is directing a play of Uncle Vanya and through a growing bond with his young female driver simultaneously comes to terms with his wife’s death and uncovers mysteries she left behind. The film is very long, almost 3 hours, though never feels unnecessary, each scene building slowly towards a profound conclusion that brought me to tears. As an adaptation of a short story the film’s power is less in its visuals and more in its dialogue, slowly revealing itself like a novel. Ryusuke cleverly intertwines the lines from Uncle Vanya into the narrative as the main character rehearses the lines via a tape in the car. As the production of the play takes places the lines from the play seem to mirror the interior lives of characters in the film. Chekhov’s play is not for the faint heart and grapples with the mysteries and suffering of life as much as the film does. In reserved Japanese emotions we incrementally peel away layers of meaning to get a portrait of heartbreak, of love and of living on after the death of a loved one. Epic in its scope and study of human emotions the final destination will confront you with hard truths as it comforts you with wisdom. This is a long film full of mysteries to solve and hidden meanings to analyse. The film makes you work as a viewer, but if you submit yourself to its runtime and enigma the reward is profound. With Sonyas monologue from Uncle Vanya, one of the most profound and moving in all literate, as an epitaph to the film we come to terms with our suffering and sorrow: ‘And when our final hour comes, we shall meet it humbly, and there beyond the grave, we shall say we know suffering and tears, that our life was bitter. And God will pity us. And then dear, dear Uncle we shall enter on a bright and beautiful life. We shall rejoice and look back upon our grief here. A tender smile – and we shall rest’. One of the best films of the year 10/10

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by mrsmith44 on February 11, 2022  •  Permalink
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Posted by mrsmith44 on February 11, 2022

https://jeremysmithmovieblog.com/2022/02/11/film-review-drive-my-car-2021/

94th Academy Awards Final Nomination Predictions

Final Predictions for the 94th Academy Awards:

Best Picture:

1. The Power of the Dog

2. Belfast

3. West Side Story

4. Dune

5. Licorice Pizza

6. King Richard

7. CODA

8. Tick, tick… Boom!

9. Drive My Car

10. Don’t Look Up

Alt: Nightmare Alley

.

Best Director:

1. Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog

2. Denis Villeneuve, Dune

3. Kenneth Branagh, Belfast

4. Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza

5. Steven Speilberg, West Side Story

Alt: Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car

.

Best Actress

1. Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter

2. Nicole Kidman, Being The Ricardos

3. Kirsten Stewart, Spencer

4. Lady Gaga, House of Gucci

5. Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Alt: Alana Haim, Licorice Pizza

.

Best Actor:

1. Will Smith, King Richard

2. Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog

3. Andrew Garfield, tick, tick… BOOM!

4. Denzel Washington, The Tragedy of Macbeth

5. Peter Dinklage, Cyrano

Alt: Javier Bardem, Being The Ricardos

.

Best Supporting Actress:

1. Ariana DeBose, West Side Story

2. Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog

3. Caitriona Balfe, Belfast

4. Ruth Negga, Passing

5. Cate Blanchett, Nightmare Alley

Alt: Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard

.

Best Supporting Actor:

1. Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

2. Ciaran Hinds, Belfast

3. Troy Kotsur, CODA

4. Bradley Cooper, Licorice Pizza

5. Mike Faist, West Side Story

Alt: Jamie Dornan, Belfast

.

Best Adapted Screenplay:

1. The Power of the Dog

2. The Lost Daughter

3. CODA

4. Dune

5. Drive My Car

Alt: West Side Story

.

Best Original Screenplay:

1. Belfast

2. Licorice Pizza

3. King Richard

4. Being The Ricardos

5. Don’t Look Up

Alt: Parallel Mothers

.

Best Documentary:

1. Summer of Soul

2. Flee

3. Procession

4. Ascension

5. The Rescue

Alt: The First Wave

.

Best Foreign Language Film:

1. Drive My Car

2. Flee

3. The Worst Person In The World

4. A Hero

5. The Hand of God

Alt: Compartment No. 6

.

Best Animated Film:

1. The Mitchells vs the Machines

2. Encanto

3. Luca

4. Flee

5. Raya and the Last Dragon

Alt: Sing 2

.

Best Cinematography:

1. The Power of the Dog

2. Dune

3. The Tragedy of Macbeth

4. Belfast

5. West Side Story

Alt: Nightmare Alley

.

Best Costume Design:

1. Dune

2. Cruella

3. West Side Story

4. Nightmare Alley

5. Cyrano

Alt: House of Gucci

.

Best Film Editing:

1. Dune

2. The Power of the Dog

3. Belfast

4. Licorice Pizza

5. West Side Story

Alt: King Richard

.

Best Production Design:

1. Dune

2. Nightmare Alley

3. The French Dispatch

4. Nightmare Alley

5. The Tragedy of Macbeth

Alt: Belfast

.

Best Sound:

1. Dune

2. West Side Story

3. No Time To Die

4. The Power of the Dog

5. Tick, tick… Boom!

Alt: Spiderman: No Way Home

.

Best Hair And Makeup:

1. Dune

2. The Eyes of Tammy Faye

3. Cruella

4. House of Gucci

5. Cyrano

Alt: Nightmare Alley

.

Best Original Score:

1. Dune

2. The Power of the Dog

3. The French Dispatch

4. Parallel Mothers

5. No Time To Die

Alt: Don’t Look Up

.

Best Song:

1. No Time To Die, No Time To Die

2. Encanto, Dos Oruguitas

3. King Richard, Be Alive

4. Belfast, Down To Joy

5. Don’t Look Up, Just Look Up

Alt: Respect, I Am Signing My Way Home

.

Best Visual Effects:

1. Dune

2. Spiderman: No Way Home

3. Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

4. The Matrix Resurrections

5. No Time To Die

Alt: Godzilla vs. Kong

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by mrsmith44 on February 8, 2022  •  Permalink
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Posted by mrsmith44 on February 8, 2022

https://jeremysmithmovieblog.com/2022/02/08/94th-academy-awards-final-nomination-predictions/

Film Review: Don’t Look Up (2021)

Don’t Look Up has to be the most disappointing film of 2021. With some of the best actors in Hollywood, Adam McKay the director of Vice and the Big Short and an important and timely premise it promised to be the Dr. Strangelove of our time. I wanted to love this film. How did it end up so horribly wrong? In one of my all time fav films, the 1964 black comedy masterpiece Dr. Strangelove, Kubrick addressed one of the most dire issues of the time: mutually assured destruction through nuclear war between the US and Russia, through comedy. The film artfully reduced the two opposing superpowers into squabbling ego driven children, loaded with dark political satire, a comedy of errors that never lost sight of what was really at stake, with one of the best endings in film history. Hoping to be the Strangelove of our time McKay’s vision of our modern world faced with the impending annihilation from an asteroid which is a metaphor for our global inaction on climate change. Instead of biting political satire we get a insufferable movie long joke that gets less and less funny. Trivialising the dire climate change to the point of a cartoon with a totally ridiculous ending. The brilliant cast cannot save the film from its heavy handed metaphor, cynicism and tritness. It revels in its own ugliness and itself becomes part of the endless culture war it portrays. The people who need change their beliefs and behaviours won’t watch this film as it’s smugness and depiction of them will turn them off. And for the rest of us who actually care about the situation it leaves us with a hollow joke that isn’t funny or true. Cheap, crass, cynical and most depressing of all a great missed opportunity. 5/10

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by mrsmith44 on January 4, 2022  •  Permalink
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https://jeremysmithmovieblog.com/2022/01/04/film-review-dont-look-up-2021/

Film Review: The Lost Daughter (2021)

Maggie Gyllenhaal with her directorial debut has created a film in ‘The Lost Daughter’ that is so unsettling that it could be considered one of the best psychological horror films of 2021. The film centres on a middle aged woman on holiday in Greece who becomes fixated on young mother she encounters on the beach which slowly reveals her tortured past with motherhood. Olivia Colman once again proves she is one of the best actresses in Hollywood with a performance as nuanced, tragic and complex as her Oscar winning role in ‘The Favourite’. Perhaps the best part of the film is its meditations on motherhood itself. Unique among films about motherhood it shows a woman who buckles under the pressure of being a ‘good mother’ and how unattainable the ideal of motherhood can be. As a son I found myself being confronted with the notion that sometimes mothers can’t bare to be around their own children which reminded me of the film ‘We Need To Talk About Kevin’. Perhaps most mothers at some point fantasies about escaping the pressures of motherhood. The film also mediates on the cost of selfish acts and the idea that the grass isn’t always greener. The Lost Daughter shows us the unsettling grey truth of motherhood between the Maddona and Whore dichotomy of our culture. There is no such thing as a bad mother or good mother just degrees of women coping and struggling with an unrealistic ideal. The film builds through powerful flashbacks of Olivia Colman’s past to a tragic ending. A film not for easy viewing or easy answers. But if you brave the grey world of The Lost Daughter you will find a film with a powerful message and and even more powerful performance. Highly recommend it. 9/10

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by mrsmith44 on January 4, 2022  •  Permalink
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Posted by mrsmith44 on January 4, 2022

https://jeremysmithmovieblog.com/2022/01/04/film-review-the-lost-daughter-2021/

Movie Reviews 2021

Updated Top Films of 2021:

1. The Power of the Dog 10/10

2. Dune 10/10

3. Drive My Car 10/10

4. West Side Story 10/10

5. Belfast 9/10

6. Licorice Pizza 9/10

7. Flee 9/10

8. Nitram 9/10

9. The Tragedy of Macbeth 9/10

10. Procession 9/10

11. The Lost Daughter 9/10

12. The Mitchell’s Vs The Machines 9/10

13. The Green Knight 9/10

14. Ascension 8/10

15. CODA 8/10

16. Nightmare Alley 8/10

17. Tick, tick, BOOM! 8/10

18. Passing 8/10

19. King Richard 8/10

20. Luca 8/10

21. The French Dispatch 8/10

22. Spider-Man: No Way Home 8/10

23. In The Same Breath 8/10

24. Encanto 8/10

25. White Tiger 7/10

26. Pray Away 7/10

27. Val 7/10

28. Dance of the 41 7/10

29. Matrix Resurrections 7/10

30. Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 7/10

31. Fauci 7/10

32. The Eyes of Tammy Faye 7/10

33. Everybody’s Talking About Jamie 7/10

34. The Last Duel 7/10

35. Cruella 7/10

36. The Dig 7/10

37. I Care A Lot 7/10

38. No Time To Die 6/10

39. Eternals 6/10

40. Being The Ricardos 6/10

41. Hating Peter Thatchell 6/10

42. Coming 2 America 6/10

43. House of Gucci 5/10

44. Don’t Look Up 5/10

45. Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed 5/10

46. Jungle Cruise 5/10

47. 2067 4/10

48. Thunder Force 4/10

49. The Woman In The Widow 3/10

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by mrsmith44 on December 9, 2021  •  Permalink
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Posted by mrsmith44 on December 9, 2021

https://jeremysmithmovieblog.com/2021/12/09/movie-reviews-2021/

Film Review: Dune (2021)

Dune is one of the most epic sci fi films I’ve ever seen in a cinema. Reminded me of the first film of the original Star Wars or Lord of the Rings trilogy. Having been bereft of truly epic cinema since 2019 and even then drowning in endless mediocre marvel movies, it was goosebump/gasp inducing to see a film on such a monumental scale, so strange and original and so ambitious. The cinematography, production design, locations, cast, costumes, visual effects are unlike anything I’ve ever seen in this genre before. But what really stood out to me was the score and sound effects, which were so booming, unnerving and soaring it took my breath away. I don’t know how they created those sound effects, utterly haunting. Denis Villeneuve after Arrival, Blade Runner 2049 and now Dune has solidified his reputation as arguably one of the greatest sci fi directors of all time. The incorporation of the very ancient architecture and sets with almost insect like futuristic technology ships and armour fills you with a sense of what the very very distant future might look like. Of all the sci fi films in the cannon Dune is set the farthest in the future over a thousands years from our time today. The scope and scale of Dune is unparalleled in recent cinema. And against this unbelievably epic backdrop comes my obsession and favourite actor of my generation Timothee Chalamet. An actor so intelligent and perfectly beautiful that sometimes he scares me when I watch him, one of the last true movie stars of our time. His perfectly chiseled face and piercing gaze on the big screen is as monumental and awe inspiring as the huge spaceships, sandworms and armies on screen. Though I have not read Dune I am familiar with its story and I know it is wildely considered the greatest sci fi series ever written. Where David Lynch failed with his ugly incoherent 80’s adaptation Villeneuve has epically succeeded. It’s a work of art. Perhaps one shortcoming is that as the first film in a trilogy the film hasn’t fully set up what the ultimate goal of the series is to be. Maybe that adds to the mystery, to be continued. In any case I am hooked and eagerly anticipate the next instalments. Dune is the kind of film cinephiles wait years to see and requires it be seen on the largest screen possible. It’s finally here and I’m so thankful. 10/10

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by mrsmith44 on November 10, 2021  •  Permalink
Posted in Reviews (D)

Posted by mrsmith44 on November 10, 2021

https://jeremysmithmovieblog.com/2021/11/10/film-review-dune-2021/

Final Predictions for the 93rd Academy Awards:

Best Picture: Nomadland

Best Director: Chloe Zhao, Nomadland

Best Actress: Francess McDormand, Nomadland

Best Actor: Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Best Supporting Actress: Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari

Best Supporting Actor: Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah

Best Adapted Screenplay: Nomadland

Best Original Screenplay: Promising Young Woman

Best Documentary: Collective

Best Foreign Language Film: Another Round

Best Animated Film: Soul

Best Cinematography: Nomadland

Best Costume Design: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Best Film Editing: Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Production Design: Mank

Best Sound: Sound of Metal

Best Hair And Makeup: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Best Original Score: Soul

Best Song: Husavik, Eurovision

Best Visual Effects: Tenet

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by mrsmith44 on April 25, 2021  •  Permalink
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Posted by mrsmith44 on April 25, 2021

https://jeremysmithmovieblog.com/2021/04/25/final-predictions-for-the-93rd-academy-awards-2/

Final Predictions for the 93rd Academy Awards:

Best Picture:

1. Nomadland

2. Minari

3. Trial of the Chicago 7

4. Promising Young Woman

5. Mank

6. Judas and the Black Messiah

7. Sound of Metal

8. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

9. One Night In Miami

10. The Father

Alt: Soul

.

Best Director:

1. Chloe Zhao, Nomadland

2. David Fincher, Mank

3. Lee Issac Chung, Minari

4. Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman

5. Aaron Sorkin, Trial of the Chicago 7

Alt: Regina King, One Night In Miami

.

Best Actress:

1. Francess McDormand, Nomadland

2. Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman

3. Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

4. Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of A Woman

5. Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday

Alt: Sophia Loren, The Life Ahead

.

Best Actor:

1. Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

2. Anthony Hopkins, The Father

3. Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal

4. Gary Oldman, Mank

5. Steven Yuen, Minari

Alt: Delroy Lindo, Da 5 Bloods

.

Best Supporting Actress:

1. Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari

2. Olivia Colman, The Father

3. Amanda Seyfried, Mank

4. Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Movie Film

5. Jodie Foster, The Mauritanian

Alt: Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy

.

Best Supporting Actor:

1. Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah

2. Paul Raci, Sound of Metal

3. Leslie Odom Jr, One Night In Miami

4. Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7

5. Alan Kim, Minari

Alt: Mark Rylance, The Trial of the Chicago 7

.

Best Adapted Screenplay:

1. Nomadland

2. One Night In Miami

3. The Father

4. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

5. The Mauritanian

Alt: News of the World

.

Best Original Screenplay:

1. Promising Young Woman

2. Trial of the Chicago 7

3. Minari

4. Mank

5. The Sound of Metal

Alt: Judas and the Black Messiah

.

Best Documentary:

1. Collective

2. Time

3. Crimp Camp

4. Welcome To Chechnya

5. My Octopus Teacher

Alt: Dick Johnson Is Dead

.

Best Foreign Language Film:

1. Another Round

2. Collective

3. Two Of Us

4. Quo Vadis Aida

5. La Lorona

Alt: A Sun

.

Best Animated Film:

1. Soul

2. Wolfwalkers

3. Onward

4. Over The Moon

5. Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon

Alt: The Croods: A New Age

.

Best Cinematography:

1. Nomadland

2. Mank

3. News of the World

4. Judas and the Black Messiah

5. Minari

Alt: First Cow

.

Best Costume Design:

1. Mank

2. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

3. Emma

4. News of the World

5. Mulan

Alt: Ammonite

.

Best Film Editing:

1. Nomadland

2. Trial of the Chicago 7

3. Mank

4. The Sound of Metal

5. Minari

Alt: The Father

.

Best Production Design:

1. Mank

2. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

3. News of the World

4. Tenet

5. Emma

Alt: Mulan

.

Best Sound:

1. Sound of Metal

2. Mank

3. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

4. Soul

5. Tenet

Alt: Greyhound

.

Best Hair And Makeup:

1. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

2. Mank

3. Hillbilly Elegy

4. Emma

5. Pinoccio

Alt: Birds of Prey

.

Best Original Score:

1. Soul

2. Mank

3. News of the World

4. Midnight Sky

5. Minari

Alt: Tenet

.

Best Song:

1. Speak Now, One Night In Miami

2. Lo Si, Life Ahead

3. Hear My Voice, The Trial Of The Chicago 7

4. Fight For You, Judas and the Black Messiah

5. Husavik, Eurovision Song Contest

Alt: Turntables, All In: The Fight For Democracy

.

Best Visual Effects:

1. Tenet

2. Midnight Sky

3. Mank

4. The One And Only Ivan

5. Welcome to Chechnya

Alt: Mulan

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by mrsmith44 on March 15, 2021  •  Permalink
Posted in 93rd Academy Award Final Predictions

Posted by mrsmith44 on March 15, 2021

https://jeremysmithmovieblog.com/2021/03/15/final-predictions-for-the-93rd-academy-awards/

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