In the early chilly months of each year, I set out on a mission. I challenge myself to watch all of the nominees for Best Picture. It’s something I’ve done for a long time. For the last 4 years, I have put a bit more effort in, collected my thoughts and written them down in this blog. I do this for one reason; to expose myself to stories I may not have otherwise heard.
This year is different, for so many reasons; 1st, the Academy Awards are in April, which was common in the 60s and 70s, but since 1988 the Awards have taken place in either February or March. Secondly, the last 14 months in America and across the globe have been one of struggle, isolation and illness. This pandemic, caused by the Covid-19 disease, has changed so much. So many lives have been lost, so many people disconnected from their loved ones, but yet there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel - thanks to the vaccine. Another reason the Awards are different this year is because the movie production industry came to a screeching halt last March. Predictions are being made that this pandemic has wholly changed the way productions operate.
It’s for these reasons that I’m letting myself off the hook this year. Unlike previous years, where having a mission during the middle of winter is a welcomed distraction to the cold, life is slowly returning to normal now and I would rather spend it with the people I miss dearly then committing to more time in front of a computer screen. So, this year, I wont be taking as deep a dive into each movie, but I will still use my TLC method to attempt to predict the Best Picture winner and provide some of my opinions on each film.
Union Station in LA. This is one of the two locations the Awards will broadcast from this year. Click the image to learn more.
If this is your first time reading about the TLC Method, well then, welcome to my blog!
I’ll give you a brief summary of what it means:
The TLC Method, also known as the Think, Laugh, Cry Method, is an easy-to-apply approach to judging the movies you watch. You ask yourself if a film made you think, laugh and/or cry. It is my opinion that todays’ best films are the ones that tell unique and entertaining stories and tell them well. So, if a film can do all three then it has higher probability of being nominated. If you need a lengthier explanation, I recommend you read my original post called Think, Laugh, Cry where I dive deep into why this was created and how to apply it to your movie watching experience.
While this past year has been hard in so many ways, one way in which it was easy was how you were able to watch each of the Best Picture nominees. Some were available through streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon, the rest were available to be rented. Being able to stay at home and safely watch these films away from the crowds of a movie theater felt like the best option for me this year. I know it’s sort of a dying industry, but I do love going to a movie theater and part of me does not want that option to go away.
In years past, the TLC Method has correctly predicted the Best Picture winner and also fallen short. In 2018 and 2019, the Shape of Water and Green Book each received a Think, Laugh, Cry rating and both took home the grand prize. In 2020, Parasite was the Best Picture winner, but I only gave it a Think and 1/2 Laugh (The favorite for me was Jojo Rabbit). This year two films were able to make me Think, Laugh and Cry - Minari and The Trial of the Chicago 7.
“At least eight to 10 new films were released in the US every week in 2020... plenty of films qualified to compete at the 2021 awards, even though far fewer films were released theatrically in 2020 than in a typical year.”
Dolby Theater, Los Angeles. Since 2002, this is where the Oscars have been held. This year, they will be hosted in two locations, the other being Union Station in LA.
8 Best Picture Nominees
(alphabetical order)
Judas and The Black Messiah (Think)
Mank (1/2 Think, 1/2 Laugh)
Minari (Think, Laugh, Cry)
Nomadland (Think, Cry)
Promising Young Woman (Think, Laugh, 1/2 Cry)
Sound of Metal (Think, Cry)
The Father (Think, 1/2 Laugh, Cry)
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Think, Laugh, Cry)
Judas and The Black Messiah (Think)
This movie had a lot of layers. I thought a lot about what activism means. I thought about the poem Deborah wrote and about war and politics. I thought about what Will must have felt like throughout this process, not really having a side, not being free on either side. It certainly made me want to learn more about the Black Panther party, to gain more of a perspective from someone like Fred Hampton.
Overall, the storyline and pacing of this film was slow. Personally, I think the writing was the weak link. You’ve got two awesome, really up and coming actors (Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield) that are in their stride and there was just a disconnect. The film tried to be emotional, but it just wasn’t for me. I recognized the points in the film where I was suppose to feel sadness or emotional and I just didn’t. It was about 35 mins longer than it needed to be. In my opinion, if it more clearly chose a lane or focused more on just Fred, it could have been a really strong film. The two lanes I saw were the historical film root (more similar to The Trial of the Chicago 7) or more of a human interest story (more similar to Sound of Metal). Judas and The Black Messiah flip flopped back and forth in different lanes and I think for me, that was part of the emotional disconnect. The film set me up to be in learning mode, but by the end, it wanted me to feel the connection to the human story and that felt forced for me.
Shout out to Writer and Actress, Dominique Fishback. Her performance as Deborah Johnson was a strength for the film. I am looking forward to seeing her more.
Mank (1/2 Think, 1/2 Laugh)
I am not going to spend a lot of time on this film. I sort of thought about the early age of movie making and a few times I felt a chuckle in the back of my throat.
That said, this was not a movie I’d recommend. It’s not bad, it’s just not good. I feel like there is always one movie nominated thats about actors being actors or about the movie making process. I am not saying those movies shouldn’t be made, but this black and white film was long, random and honestly a bit pointless. A lot of the dialogue was hard to follow. I’m sure some of my film friends may scoff at me, but I’m not a Citizen Kane or Orson Wells fan. Never found that work enjoyable, but I got that this was a nod to that. All that said, I love Gary Oldman so much and that is what saved this movie watching experience for me. He is a gem and I will watch pretty much any movie he is in at least once.
Minari (Think, Laugh, Cry)
I thought so much about family. How much this farm challenged Monica and Jacob’s love. I thought about community -do we need it? Why do others seek it out? I laughed quite a few times at the dialogue between David and Soonja (Grandma). Oh and I cried, I cried when the crops burned and when it cut to the family sleeping together in the living room, grandma watching. That got me.
This may not have been my favorite film of the year, but this film is a beautiful example of the kinds of stories that truly reflect life in my opinion. Life is not all laughter, all sadness or completely deep thought. It is a melting pot in different quantities of all three and this film showcases that wonderfully. I encourage you to read about Actress, Yuh-Jung Youn. If you are American, you may not have recognized the very established South Korean actress. Read about her here. My only criticism of this film is the ending. It felt abrupt with some unanswered questions. Yes, we saw them come together and yes the Minari was a great metaphor for the film, but I felt the story’s end was abrupt.
Favorite Quote:
David: “Your not a real grandma! Grandmas bake cookies, they don’t swear and they don’t wear men’s underwear!”
Nomadland (Think, Cry)
I thought about death and what it means to be free. I thought about survival and what’s really necessary in life. What do “things” mean to us… what is materialism? I thought about what it means to me to live life to the fullest. This film was depressing for me and certainly a tear jerker. When was I not crying.
This is going to potentially be an unpopular opinion, but this is my least favorite Frances McDormand film. It felt like the middle of a story. It didn’t feel like it had a beginning or an ending. I wouldn’t recommend it to a friend. I am glad to have experienced what another way of living looks like. Because I believe it’s important to challenge ourselves to acknowledge what scares us. This film was scary to me, in the sense that this life Fern created for herself felt isolated, unhealthy, and disconnected from human relationships. I am sure others will look at the glass half full and see the positives. I don’t want to take away from that experience, but I felt this dialogue between Fern and her sister stuck out for me:
Dolly: You know, when you were growing up, you were eccentric to other people. You maybe seemed weird, but it was just because you were braver and more honest than everybody else. And you could see me when I was hiding from everybody. And sometimes you could see me before I saw myself. I needed that in my life. And you are my sister. I would have loved having you around all these years. You left a big hole by leaving.
Fern: That one's on me.
Fern has been through a lot. She is an independent person but she is not necessarily the protagonist in her own story. She isolates herself by choice. Why did she really leave Dave? Why does she continue to choose to be disconnected from her sister and from her family? What is it about living in the van that she likes?
Some of the brief monologues from random other nomads were emotional and beautifully written. There were small scenes and portions of this film that I did enjoy. Overall though, this was just an okay film. Not entirely sure why its nominated for best picture.
Promising Young Women (Think, Laugh, 1/2 Cry)
I thought about rape culture and the well-known phrase of: he said / she said. I thought about Cassie’s mental health. I thought about what it means to let something go, to move on. Oh and of course, I thought about revenge. I laughed at so many of the one liners back and forth between Cassie and Ryan. Hysterical. Lastly, I am giving this one a 1/2 cry. After Cassie’s parents meet Ryan, her Dad tries to express how happy he is for her and when he tells her that he missed her, that got me.
The movie might not be for everyone, but for me it was, hands down, the most engaging and entertaining film of the 8 nominees. It’s the only film of the 8 I could see myself watching again. I was basically shouting in support for her by the time she entered the Bachelor Party. Regardless of how you felt about her death, it was clear to me that she got revenge. Even if Nina’s rapist some how get off from killing Cassie, his life is forever scarred, which I believe was the revenge she always wanted. I don’t think it will win Best Picture, but I loved Carry Mulligan and Bo Burnham in it and I loved all the random recognizable actors throughout the film too. I wont be upset if it wins Best Original Screenplay or Best Director. Shout out to Emerald Fennell the film’s Director - Please keep taking risks and making entertaining movies!
Sound of Metal (Think, Cry)
This might seem silly to say, but I, of course, thought about sound pretty much the entire movie. I also thought about evolution, in terms of relationships. We all fear change, but we are always evolving and sometimes that means that relationship come to a close. I cried, this was an emotional film. When Lou was leaving Ruben and making him promise that he’d go back to the community, I cried. When Ruben and Lou embraced at the end and he realized that their relationship was no longer the path either of them was on, oh yea I cried.
This is the level of storytelling I expect in a Best Picture nominee. If you were ever wondering,… “Jess seems to have a lot of opinions but come on what does it take to make a good film?” This. This was exceptionally well-written and at its core, it was honest, emotional, and educational. I know it did not get a “Laugh” from me, but really this film does everything the TLC Method hopes to identify in a film. This film was a reflection of life - it contains joy, sadness, heartache and love. It asks you to reflect on what you think you know, while also showing you more than one perspective. It leaves you respecting the journey and still feeling hopeful. It was beautiful.
Something that the film does well (& likely why it will win the newly named “SOUND” category - read about that update here) is its lack of sound and its use of sound. You are forced to feel the anxiety and changes happening to main character, Ruben, because the mix creates a new audio world for you. Silence can be both terrifying and calming. The film brings up many topics: Is sound important? Is being deaf a disability? Is hearing really necessary? Did Ruben make the right choice to have surgery? Or did it lead him down the same path he would have eventually gotten to? I have not seen every film and every performance this year, but I would argue Riz Ahmed was the best. I would be very satisfied to see him win the award for Best Actor.
In the 4 years I have been writing this Blog, I’ve always backed a film that received a Think, Laugh, and Cry. This year, I am going to go with my gut and predict that Sound of Metal will take home the prize for Best Picture. This film did not make me laugh, but in reflection about why I created the TLC Method, I felt this film was the most exemplary. If this does win, perhaps I will need to rethink the TLC Method for next year.
The Father (Think, 1/2 Laugh, Cry)
I think from the title of the film I assumed this story would be a sad one, and I was not wrong. I thought about sanity and Alzheimer's disease. I chuckled a few times at some of Anthony’s antics. But mostly I cried. Watching the revolving confusion and frustration experienced by Anne and when Anthony called out for his Mom at the end. I cried so much.
I think if it was any other year, I would have felt more open to this film. If I try to ignore the sadness for a moment, I must acknowledge the beautiful choreography and planning it must have taken to put the audience in shoes of someone who has lost his memory and is constantly confused, feeling tricked and unsure of the world around him. The way this film was told was truly human and beautiful. I’d love to see the film win Best Production Design to acknowledge how much the setting played such an impactful role in the telling of this story. I kept thinking this would be very interesting to see as a play. Overall this film was very sad. It was hard to watch and this topic is personal for me as well, as I have had a loved-one forget me. I would encourage others who have not seen it to do so, but for me, it was the kind of film you only watch once.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Think, Laugh, Cry)
I am going to list all of the things that I thought about: what it means to protest, what does “left” really mean, white privilege, racial bias, brutality from the police, what it means to be a team player, how history repeats itself, and how much I don’t want old racist narcissists to be judges. I laughed at Sacha Baron Cohen - most of what he said was either antagonistic or funny or both. I laughed at the foolery of the defendants wearing robes and police costumes to court. I teared up when they gagged Bobby and when Tom read out loud the names of those who had died in Vietnam at the end of the trial.
This was the first of the films I watched and the only one I watched before the nominations were announced. We streamed this off Netflix and I was pleasantly surprised at the story. It was eerily relevant to the politics of today and very inspirational. No surprise, since this was crafted by Aaron Sorkin, this was incredibly well written. The dialogue, the story structure, everything about it was engaging and entertaining. I am not going to go too deep into this review, because I think if you talk about one section, you have to really give them all their moment for contrast. I will just say that I think it’s funny that each year there always seems to be two movies that are similar in their topics. This and Judas and the Black Messiah felt similar. Sometimes, when that happens the two nominated films sort of "cancel” each other out from winning the top prize. It’s for that reason that I feel it will not win Best Picture, however it did get a full Think, Laugh, and a Cry from me.
2021 Best Picture Nominees
(TLC ranking)
1) Minari (Think, Laugh, Cry)
2) The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Think, Laugh, Cry)
3) Promising Young Women (Think, Laugh, 1/2 Cry)
4) The Father (Think, 1/2 Laugh, Cry)
5) Nomadland (Think, Cry)
6) Sound of Metal (Think, Cry) *
7) Judas and the Black Messah (Think)
8) Mank (1/2 Think, 1/2 Laugh)
* Breaking with my own method, I predict that Sound of Metal will win Best Picture
The Oscars are this Sunday, April 25th at 8pm EST on ABC! My personal favorites this year (if you didn’t read the whole blog) are Sound of Metal and Promising Young Woman. I am breaking with my TLC method this year to predict that Sound of Metal will win Best Picture. However, if Minari or The Trial of the Chicago 7 win it will be the third time my method has accurately predicted the Best Picture winner! What did you think of the nominees this year? Was there another film you thought deserved to be nominated? How do your opinions line up with my reviews? Do you think The TLC Method is flawed? I always love to hear the feedback from readers, so thank you for taking the time to read. Comment below (no sign-in necessary)!