The Lesser Known Oscar Nominees

Last weekend, the 92nd Academy Awards aired in all of their imperfect glory. A few thoughts and then a highlight of a few of the smaller films nominated.

In terms of awards distributed, there wasn't too much surprise. I landed at 22/24 on my Oscars ballot, less an accomplishment of my own expertise and more a reflection of me taking a cue from critic's predictions (my incorrect guesses: 1917 for Sound Editing and Directing).

While the nominations generally included dreadfully few women and people of color, the winners highlighted that excellence can come from more than just white men. Parasite pulled in a number of big wins for Best Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay, and International Feature Film. And in a few of the smaller categories, Original Score to Hildur Guðnadóttir for the Joker soundtrack (an award that almost always goes to a man) and Animated Short Film to Hair Love, with Matthew Cherry and Karen Toliver, two POC, winning the award. 

While I would have loved to have seen a little more love for Greta's Little Women, Lupita's performance in Us to be recognized, or Midsommar to pick up a screenplay or acting nomination, the awards distribution wasn't too disagreeable. 

The show itself once again benefitted from a lack of host. This gives old timers like Steve Martin & Chris Rock to go off for a contained bit, Maya Rudolph & Kristen Wiig to wow with a bizarre medley, and the chance to marvel at the excellent and youthful Beanie Feldstein. It also allows for Janelle Monae to start the show with a bop (feat. Billy Porter) or an inexplicable but not unwelcome (I think?) Eminem performance of his 2003 Oscar winner Lose Yourself. 

Alright, now to the point of the blog: there's a bunch of documentaries and shorts that are great or moving or unheard of but worth the time to check out. To be honest, the winners in each category are also my favorites so I would start there. I'm halfway through Honeyland and it's unique and fascinating. Kitbull is super cute and gets cat animation right. Otherwise, outside of the animated shorts, prepare yourself for some heavy topics. I'm posting this list to simply encourage people to view films outside of big-budget, US centric stories!

I'm posting the internet's description of each film and where it can be found/streamed. I'm only linking to the streaming location if not on a major platform. If not on a major platform, I'll mention if there's an additional fee. A few shorts are currently not available for stream (to my knowledge). 

Documentary Feature

• American Factory
• Description: In post-industrial Ohio, a Chinese billionaire opens a new factory in the husk of an abandoned General Motors plant. Early days of hope and optimism give way to setbacks as high-tech China clashes with working-class America.
• Where: On Netflix
• The Cave 
• Description: The Cave is a 2019 Syrian-Danish documentary film directed by Feras Fayyad and written by Fayyad and Alisar Hasan. A companion piece to his earlier film Last Men in Aleppo, the film profiles Amani Ballour, a female doctor in Ghouta who is operating a makeshift hospital nicknamed "the Cave" during the Syrian Civil War.
• Where: On Hulu
• The Edge of Democracy
• Description: The beleaguered leaders of Brazil are followed as they deal with their ideologically divided country.
• Where: On Netflix
• For Sama 
• Description: An intimate and epic journey into the female experience of war. The story of Waad al-Kateab's life through five years of the uprising in Aleppo, Syria as she falls in love, gets married and gives birth to Sama, all while conflict rises around her.
• Where: On PBS
• Honeyland
• Description: A woman utilises ancient beekeeping traditions to cultivate honey in the mountains of North Macedonia. When a neighbouring family tries to do the same, it becomes a source of tension as they disregard her wisdom and advice.
• Where: On Hulu

Documentary Short Subject

• In the Absence
• Description: Documents the sinking of a South Korean Ferry. As a result of the ineptitude of the first response to the emerging situation, hundreds of people, mostly children lost their lives.
• Where: On Field of Vision
• Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl)
• Description: The story of young afghan girls learning to read, write, and skateboard, in Kabul. Skateboarding gives them courage and life skills that help them thrive and adapt to the challenges that lie ahead.
• Where: On A&E Networks (need a cable login)
• Life Overtakes Me
• Description: Refugee children in Sweden enter a coma-like state as they face deportation.
• Where: On Netflix
• St. Louis Superman
• Description: St. Louis Superman directed by Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan, tells the story of black rapper and activist Bruce Franks, who was inspired to run for office by the unrest in Ferguson, Mo., in 2014.
• Where: Coming to MTV Documentary Films
• Walk Run Cha-Cha
• Description: The film follows middle-aged Vietnamese couple Paul and Millie Cao preparing for ballroom dancing in suburban Los Angeles 40 years after their separation due to the Vietnam War
• Where: On The New York Times Op-Docs

Animated Short Film

• Dcera (Daughter)
• Description: In a hospital room, the Daughter recalls a difficult childhood moment when as a little girl she tried to share her experience with an injured bird with her Father.
• Where: On DA Films (additional fee) 
• Hair Love
• Description: An African-American father learns to do his daughter’s hair for the first time.
• Where: On YouTube
• Kitbull
• Description: A fiercely independent stray kitten and a chained-up pit bull experience friendship for the first time.
• Where: On YouTube
• Memorable
• Description: Painter Louis and his wife Michelle are experiencing strange events. Their world seems to be mutating. Slowly, furniture, objects, and people lose their realism. They are “destructuring,” sometimes disintegrating.
• Where: Not streaming at this time; trailer
• Sister
• Description: A man remembers his childhood and growing up with an annoying little sister in 1990s China. How would his life have been if things had gone differently?
• Where: Vimeo (rent or buy)

Live Action Short Film

• Brotherhood
• Description: Mohamed is deeply shaken and suspicious when his estranged eldest son Malek returns home to rural Tunisia with a mysterious young wife in tow. The emotional complexities of a family reunion and past wounds lead to tragic consequences.
• Where: On YouTube
• Nefta Football Club
• Description: In south Tunisia, two football fan brothers bump into a headphones-wearing donkey in the desert on the border of Algeria. Unaware that two men are waiting for the donkey and its hidden drug stash, the brothers take the animal back home with them.
• Where: On YouTube
• The Neighbors' Window
• Description: The life of a middle-aged woman with small children is shaken up when two free-spirited twenty-somethings move in across the street.
• Where: On Vimeo
• Saria
• Description: Inseparable orphaned sisters Saria and Ximena are fighting against daily abuse and unimaginable hardship at the Virgen de La Asuncion Safe Home in Guatemala when a tragic fire claims the lives of 41 orphaned girls.
• Where: Not streaming at this time; trailer
• A Sister
• Description: An emergency services dispatcher must tap into all her professional skills when she receives a call from a woman in a desperate situation.
• Where: Not streaming at this time; trailer

Best Movies of 2019

Hello. I watch too many movies to keep it to 10. MoviePass came and went in 2017/18 but then AMC A-List took its place in the latter part of 2019, meaning... lots of movies. A great year for a wide spectrum of genres and stories. For the first time, I have a (sole) comedy as my top movie of the year. Plus a ton of other fun and interesting stuff. Here we go.

________________

25. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
I'm here for the Lego movies. Smart and bursting with references.

24. Captain Marvel
I enjoy the Marvel movies. And Brie is always wonderful. Hoping for more from this branch of the franchise.

23. Midsommar
This movie is messed up. Horrific violence wrapped up in a sunny Swedish village. As far as horror goes, this one sticks with you.

22. Between Two Ferns: The Movie
Um, I laughed a lot at this movie. That's mostly it.

20. Where'd You Go, Bernadette
I devoured the book in a day or two, loving the creativity in writing and delivery. The movie doesn't quite hit with the same punch but still had me in my feelings and Cate Blanchett does her thing.

19. Isn't It Romantic
I think I'll follow Rebel Wilson anywhere. I'm here for her brand of humor. Isn't It Romantic leveled up from her many others in theme and pulling off a pretty solid rom-com while simultaneously spoofing the genre.

18. Always Be My Maybe
I think I'll also follow Mindy anywhere. She's funny and I'm along for the ride.

19. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
The culmination is here. A number of old favorite characters show up in ghost form and that describes the movie pretty well. It pays tribute to the franchise as a whole, with lots of call backs. Otherwise, the new era leading cast is solid, the visuals are on point, and (surprise!) there are some pretty good action sequences.

17. Always Be My Maybe
A standard rom-com with a few flourishes. Mainly, Randall Park's rap band. And Keanu Reeves supporting role. Ali Wong holds her own as well.

16. Avengers: Endgame
Despite the glut of Marvel and Avengers movies, Endgame is a standup culmination of the Avengers franchise. Heroism, sacrifice, comedic relief, and lots of battle scenes.

15. Downton Abbey
Good to be back with Downton Abbey friends. With a similar plot line as many of the episodes, there's much fuss and ado with a visit from the queen. Many of the characters are given ample screen time. Good to be back together.

14. Jojo Rabbit
Part Wes Anderson Moonrise Kingdom, part Holocaust movie. The concept and delivery on this one are unique, to say the least. Taika Waititi (writer, director, co-star) is someone who brings something different with each project. Jojo is enticing in its story-telling, with the vantage point of a child in the Nazi Youth. (The lead child actor is wonderful - the movie would flop otherwise). I get queasy whenever there's someone in a systematically evil role who is set up as a "good person caught in a tough situation." But I think Jojo faces some consequences for his actions and beliefs, moving beyond the lighter coming-of-age tale and lands at the seriousness of the historical setting.

13. Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood
Quentin is still doing his thing. Pitt and DiCaprio are solid. 1950s Hollywood is gorgeous. The usual bloody Tarantino finish.

12. The Farewell
This is Lulu Wang's story. Her and her family's, that is. It's a beautiful and uncomfortable one that effortlessly incorporates internal cultural divisions and how they're played out with one's family. Thank God for Awkwafina as she elevates the movie to a higher level.

11. Queen & Slim
Marketed as a "black Bonnie & Clyde story," it is tragic and compelling without being hopeless. With Lena Waithe behind the screenplay, the movie felt current, aware of present racial societal woes. Jodie Turner-Smith and Daniel Kaluuya carry the lead performances well and, ultimately, are just so cool.

10. Parasite
I'll repeat many movie-goers and critics by saying: avoid reading recaps or plots-points ahead of time as this is a fantastic thriller with a handful of left turns. All one needs to know is that it is funny, deals with economic class very well, and gets dark.

9. Good Boys
Every time I saw the trailer of this movie, my response was, "who is this movie made for?" For pre-teens (like the lead actors)? For college bros? For adults? Welp, turns out it's made for me. The raunchy buddy-comedy has reached pre-teen boys. While I have a few general philosophical issues with that as a genre, the movie stayed at the pre-teen boy level, honing in on their insecurities, friendships, naïveté, and humor. It was sweet and it was funny.

8. Waves
Waves is a beautiful story of a suburban Florida family. The movie is honest in its emotional representation of youth culture and doesn't pull any punches. The music selections are spot on. Sterling K. Brown tends to annoy me with his baritone voice serving as stand-in for gravitas but he's perfectly cast here as well-meaning but overbearing father. Ugh, this movie got me. Despite getting positive reviews, I feel as though it's gone under the radar of many/most. Check it out.

7. Hustlers
I'll credit Hustlers for making me a J. Lo fan. The ensemble cast, including the always solid Constance Wu, brought their A-game. The movie is as fun as any heist movie, obviously told through a feminist lens. Never leering, always empowering, the movie felt like a celebration of women making it work.

6. Us
I want Jordan Peele to write/direct horror forever. Throw in a comedy here and there. While I don't have the same attachment and astonishment to Us as I did Get Out, Us brings so many iconic images and grizzly situations to the table. The concept of the movie is so intriguing and Lupita Nyong'o kills it in her two performances. I was riveted the entire viewing and had such a good time.

5. Toy Story 4
As always, it's good to be back with the Toy Story gang. Going into the movie, I was reading for a new chapter and I that's exactly what Toy Story 4 delivers. New child, new adventures, new characters, and the classics keep moving on. The animation is wonderful to look at, the jokes are as funny as ever, and there's just as much heart as I've come to expect from the beloved franchise.

4. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Tom Hanks? As Fred Rogers? It felt like a little much. But the movie smartly centers on real life journalist Tom Junod (though the movie names him Lloyd Fogel) writing a piece on Rogers. Thankfully, the movie is not a rote bio movie (we already have the wonderful Won't You Be My Neighbor for that) but rather allows the sincere and counter-cultural impact of Rogers to be felt by both journalist and movie-viewer. And, of course, Hanks does a standup job as Mr. Rogers. BONUS POINTS: I saw the movie twice and teared up both times the kids/group start singing on the NYC subway.

3. Knives Out
This was a fun movie. Twists and turns. Fantastic performances by so many. Unexpectedly woke in its plot and characterization. A whodunnit that feels very today.

2. Little Women
I had mixed emotions going in. I love me some Greta Gerwig (director) and Saoirse Ronan (as Jo) plus a stacked cast. I know Little Women is a cherished book with many beloved film adaptations. But I also tire easily with period pieces. But this was done with perfection. The movie jumps back and forth chronologically, both helping with the pacing of the movie and reinforcing many of the plot points. The movie delicately and powerfully explores the experience and options for women in the late 19th century (many still current), doing so while acknowledging the complexity of humans and the multitude of female experiences. The movie is also perfectly scripted, acted, costumed, and shot.

1. Booksmart

Oh, what to say? This movie is funny front to back with a killer soundtrack perfectly scoring the ride. The general setup of the movie is fairly basic with two high school students reaching the end of their high school career, realizing that they perhaps focused too much time on building their academic resumes and not having fun like the rest of their classmates. Like any teen comedy would posit, they set out for a party to make up for their missed memories. So, while the bones of the movie don't reinvent the genre, everything else does. The two leads are young women, played perfectly by Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever. The side characters are fully formed, moving beyond stereotypes of their introduction. Queer people exist. Social media is used appropriately, as a means of communicating and not as a punchline in itself. Malala Yousafzai, RBG, Sasha Obama, and Rosa Parks are referenced. I've watched the movie four times thus far and it will go down as one of my all-time favorite movies/comedies.

_______________

Honorable Mention (alphabetical)

Ad Astra, Apollo 11, Brittany Runs a Marathon, Charlie's Angels, El Camino, Dolemite is my Name, Frozen 2, Harriet, High Flying Bird, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, It Chapter Two, John Wick 3, The King, Klaus, Last Christmas, Long Shot, Marriage Story, Noelle, The Report, Rocketman, Someone Great, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Velvet Buzzsaw

Highly Anticipated (alphabetical)

1917, Bombshell, A Hidden Life, Just Mercy, The Lighthouse, The Nightingale

Best Television of 2019

Have you heard? There's lots of television out there. I watch a lot of it.

My list contains a bunch of old stuff and just about as much new stuff. Dramas, comedies, and (my strong preference) drama/comedies. A lot of classics are wrapping up (Veep, Silicon Valley, Game of Thrones, The Good Place, Broad City, Catastrophe). Plus a handful of new classics, I hope (Russian Doll, Watchmen). With the glut of television out there, that also means there's space for singular voices (Shrill, Ramy) and weird stuff (I Think You Should Leave).

Shows qualified if the majority of the season aired in 2019. Which is why I excluded Bob's Burgers (season 10) because it's less than half-way aired but did include Bojack Horseman (season 6, part 1) simply because Netflix is dropping the final season in 2 equal parts and part 1 is dang good.

Okay, here are my top 25.

____________

25. Veep (season 7)
The end of an era. This show is jam packed with (dirty) jokes. While it pre-dates the Trump presidency, it has been smart enough to reflect the absurdity of the defunct political system.

24. Silicon Valley (season 6)
Another end to a legacy HBO show. Once again, packed with jokes and tech world ups and downs. I'll miss this crew's screw ups and foibles.

23. Better Things (season 3)
Better Things is just so insightful. It's not just one thing. And each season brings depth to its characters. Following a single mother and her three daughters (and mother, and friends). The show meanders, in the best way possible. Happy to carry on with this gang.

22. Glow (season 3)
The ensemble cast on this show is just great. The characters are fairly well established and now we get to see them explore a number of different themes and plot lines. Obviously all with the background of 80's women's pro wrestling.

21. Shrill (season 1)
Aidy Bryant! Adapted from the book of the same title, Shrill is funny, empowering, and empathetic.

20. Ramy (season 1)
I want more voices like Ramy. The show is funny and insightful. (I also really loved his HBO standup special.)

19. Modern Love (season 1)
Who knew I needed a heart-warming anthology series on love? But this show is just so sweet and warm and exploratory.

18. Tuca & Bertie (season 1)
Oh I love Tuca & Bertie. Weird, strange animal-people characters dealing with adult anxieties and issues. Women in the two title roles. Even more bizarre than Bojack. So into it. (And then Netflix cancelled it...)

17. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (season 5)
The gang is back! (On NBC.) With one of the best ensemble comedy casts out there, Brooklyn ranks up there with the some of the network greats from the last 20 years (Parks & Recreation, The Office, 30 Rock). Glad they're still on air doing their thing.

16. Game of Thrones (season 8)
Oh the final season was a mess. But a spectacle of a mess. The first season I watched live, I enjoyed the communal experience along with the rest of the GOT fans.

15. Big Mouth (season 3)
Some of the funniest puberty humor out there. Fully realized characters painted with loving strokes. Also, the hormone monsters.

14. Barry (season 2)
Bill Hader is so good. And this dark comedy is so weird and twisted and full of broken people.

13. The Mandalorian (season 1)
Just the sci-fi western + Baby Yoda show I needed. Happy to watch alongside the rest of Twitter.

12. Bojack Horseman (season 6.1)
The first part of the final season continues with the emotional punch the series is known for. Rehab and depression and guilt and all the adult themes. Of course all within the bizarre and inventive animation and animal-people characters the Bojack universe provides.

11. I'm Sorry (season 2)
This show is funny. Really funny. Show runner and lead Andrea Savage goes through life with husband and daughter and parents in LA. It's not the most creative premise. But, again, it's funny. Also the tank-top, season long joke alone puts it on this best-of list.

10. The Good Place (season 4)
Made with the same ensemble cast comedy DNA as Parks & Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine but a heck of a lot more plot driven, The Good Place flips the script each season. Philosophical questions puncture each episode and story arc. Deep life questions are interspersed throughout. And each of the leading six characters are just fabulous. (Final season!)

9. Broad City (season 6)
The opening episode is shot through Instagram and it's just perfection. The final season of Broad City brought the same friendship and wacky humor that the series has just about perfected. I'm happy for the seasons we've had with Abbi & Ilana.

8. I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (season 1)
Perfectly weird and off-the-wall sketch comedy show. Robinson and his many regulars take a funny idea, stick with it for the perfect amount of time, and then move on.

7. Catastrophe (season 4)
The setting of Catastrophe has pulled me in like few other shows have. Its two leads bounce off each other hilariously and authentically. This last season is fantastic though perhaps not the perfect season that season 3 was. I'm hugely invested in the characters and the final season did well to land the series. I'll miss you, friends.

6. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (season 3)
This show revolves around Midge yet the entire cast is wonderful. The show could have stalled after the (excellent) season 1 and its initial premise yet each season the focus evolves and allows for exploration. This season allows for further investigation into the friendship between Midge and Susie, Susie's own short-comings, and Abe and Rose's ideas of fulfillment. The writing, the costumes, the chemistry between all the characters. Keep 'em coming.

5. Russian Doll (season 1)
Living the same day over and over (and then dying). It's been done before though Russian Doll moves it beyond gimmick. Lead Nadia explores what makes her life worthwhile and all within such a creative and smartly written show.

4. Stranger Things 3 (season 3)
Back with the gang! The kids are getting older and more hormonal, Chief Hopper is working things through as surrogate dad, and Steve is, as always, the best. Back with nostalgia - 4th of July and 80's malls! - that creates the vibe. And saving the world is on the line. I'm here for it.

3. Unbelievable (mini-series)

Ugghhhh. That first episode is rougghhh. For a show about sexual assault and rape, Unbelievable is understandably difficult to watch. The show then moves onto the complexities of victim care and the detective work required to apprehend a sexual assailant. Wever, Dever, and Collette are excellent in their leading roles. The show is necessarily frustrating and nuanced with the detectives showing the grit and determination to diligently work towards justice.

2. Watchmen (season 1)

I have little attachment to the Watchmen franchise. I've read the graphic novel though have little emotional connection to it. That said, the show takes the essence of the novel and moves it forward into a whole new bonkers world. It is excellent superhero and sci-fi. It's bizarre and weird. And it explicitly and unapologetically re-centers its plot on race, pulling from US history and mixing it with alternate world Watchmen history. It shows racism and the racist history on which this country is built to be the de facto lynchpin on which the country is run. This is the rare show where the few backstory episodes (eps. 6 & 8) keep my attention (they're also masterpieces). Regina King is a total badass and the rest of the cast is solid. The story is so complex is satisfying. Here's hoping for a season 2.

1. Fleabag (season 2)

Perfection. Season 2 of Fleabag capitalizes on the fourth wall breaking comedy season 1 did so well to introduce while exploring mental health and grief. Season 2 champions the excellent characters from the first go around and introduces us to Hot Priest. The show includes conversations around faith and doubt and, of course, is wickedly funny.

____________

Honorable Mention (alphabetical)

Alternatino with Arturo Castro (season 1); Big Little Lies (season 2); The Bisexual (season 1); Black Mirror (series 5); Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner (season 1); Chernobyl (mini-series); Dead to Me (season 1); Dear White People (season 3); Good Omens (season 1); Hip-Hop Evolution (season 3); Jane the Virgin (season 5); Killing Eve (season 2); Living with Yourself (season 1); The Other Two (season 1); Pen15 (season 1); The Politician (season 1); Undone (season 1); Rhythm + Flow (season 1); Sex Education (season 1); Special (season 1); State of the Union (season 1); Succession (season 2); What We Do in the Shadows (season 1); When They See Us (mini-series); You’re the Worst (season 5)

Highly Anticipated (alphabetical)

Astronomy Club (season 1); Atypical (season 3); The Boys (season 1); Mindhunter (season 2); Mr. Robot (season 4); The Queen (season 3)