Hello Movie Lovers,
It is that time of year where I spend way too much time talking, thinking, and debating the Best Picture Nominees for the Academy Awards. Don’t get me wrong, I love it, but this blog serves as both a creative outlet and an exclamation point at the end of a long sentence that involves arguing with my fiancé about plot arcs and reading Instagram commenters mixed emotions about Roma.
In this blog, you will find both my personal review of each Best Picture Nominee and an assessment of each film that uses my method of judging movies - The TLC Method. I have a degree in Film Analysis from the University of Pittsburgh and I currently work as a Graphics Producer for A+E Networks. I throughly enjoy discussing movies and exploring their impacts upon our society. If you feel so inclined, leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts.
Warning: Do not read past this point if you have not yet seen any of the Best Picture Nominees. Spoilers galore!
The TLC Method
The TLC Method, or The Think, Laugh, Cry Method, is a way of judging films based on three simple and yet complex human reactions. This method believes that the marks of a successful, award worthy film is one that makes you Think, Laugh and Cry.
History:
My fiancé, Scott, and I would often go to movies when we were first dating. After seeing a movie, he would be disappointed if I criticized it. He thought that if I had something negative to say that I didn’t enjoy it, which was not true. The TLC Method was created to acknowledge clearly what a movie did well.
Over years of using it more and more the method showed me that there is a disconnect. Some of our favorite movies do not win awards. Why? It is the hypothesis of the TLC Method that a film that makes you Think, Laugh, and/or Cry is more likely to be nominated for awards than one that simply entertains you. This post will explore the TLC method and see if it can correctly predict the Best Picture winner.
How it works:
When you’ve finished watching a film you simply ask yourself if it made you think, made you laugh and/or made you cry and to what degree. So, if a film made you do all three it would be on the successful side. If it only made you Cry, then perhaps the film has some room for development or growth.
Many who use this method will inevitably ask some questions…
What if I don’t ever Cry at movies?
What exactly do you mean by Think?
I guess I chuckled, does that count as a Laugh?
To those unsure I would say use your best judgement. If you don’t cry, then perhaps the clue is if it made you feel sadness. If you are confused about thinking, you might be thinking too much. And if it was only a chuckle maybe give it a 1/2 Laugh instead.
2019 Best Picture Nominees
(In the order I watched them)
- Black Panther
- Vice
- BlackKklansman
- Bohemian Rhapsody
- A Star is Born
- Green Book
- The Favourite
- Roma
Black Panther: (Think, Laugh)
TLC Method: This movie made me think about a lot of different things. I thought about the strength of black women. I thought about the beauty of black culture. I thought about representation - how black audiences must feel seeing this incredible spotlight of black male and female characters. I thought about the struggle King T’Challa (played by Chadwick Boseman) goes through when deciding which path is right: to help others or preserve Wakanda’s way of life. This conflict is strongly connected the U.S.A.’s current political debate on immigration. In back to back scenes we hear both sides of the debate laid out by Nakia played by Lupita Nyong’o and W’Kabi played by Daniel Kaluuya.
” We can help others and still protect Wakanda” - Nakia
” If you invite the refuges in they bring their problems with them, then Wakanda is like everywhere else” - W’Kabi
I also thought about the message this movie sent to every young person who is burning with anger towards law enforcement, towards the government, and towards the wealthy. In my opinion the film’s most important message is that violence is not the answer - be wiser than your enemy and rise above the past to build a better future. The antagonist of this story, Killmonger played by Michael B. Jordan, is literally brought above ground by T’Challa to watch the sun set on him - literally ending his life and symbolically ending his approach to the problem.
This film also made me chuckle. It was by no means a comedy, but there were quite a few one-liners from secondary characters that made it a humorous experience.
Review: Hands down one of my favorite superhero movies ever. It was full of traditional foreshadowing and predicable story lines, but it brought a fresh perspective to the superhero story, which in my opinion Marvel desperately needed. It makes everyone want to chant: Wakanda Forever! The film’s score was contemporary and yet a reflection of the past, it was very memorable, and when I hear it in other films (ie: Infinity War) I immediately recognize where we are or where we are about to go. I think that is the true test if a score has succeeded. Shout out to Ludwig Göransson, the film’s composer, for this brilliant score. Overall, this was a great film and it deserves to be rewarded at the Oscars this year, but I am not sure that it will be. It is nominated for Best Picture, Original Score, Original Song (All the Stars), Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Production Design, and Costume Design. I’ve bolded the categories I believe it will win. If it does win Best Picture I will not be upset. It would be interesting to see such a popular film win best picture instead of the typical winning films, which are often less recognized and less watched.
I could probably go on for awhile about how fun and awesome this movie is, so I’ll keep it short by listing some final thoughts below:
- Incredible opening graphic sequence - a work of art. If you want to learn more about its creation click here.
- Women are badass in this movie and can be just as, if not better, warriors.
- Shout out to Director of Photography: Rachel Morrison - constantly crushing it and inspiring other female cinematographers! The action sequences were jaw-dropping awesome.
- Shuri, T’Challa’s sister and tech genius, is an incredible role-model for young women and women of color. I love the part she plays in this story. It is genuine and inspiring. I will want to share this character with my daughter.
“Just because something works, doesn’t mean that it cannot be improved” - Shuri (Letitia Wright)
Vice (Think, Laugh)
TLC Method: This film forced me to think about everyones favorite topic (sarcasm) - politics! My biggest questions while walking out of the theater were: Did this film pander to the Left? How much can we trust that this is an accurate depiction of Dick Cheney and the people in his life? Is the point of the film’s tone (silly, in your face, and sarcastic) that it doesn’t matter - that politics suck and people lie? It certainly left me laughing and shaking my head at the ridiculousness of it all, while also angry that such manipulative narcissistic people find such success.
Review: Director Adam McKay who is known for films such as The Big Short has certainly found a niche for making complicated topics digestible. Vice was no exception; it was hysterical and entertaining until the very end. In this film, classic movie tropes are made fun of in order to make you re-evaluate a particular situation or shock you into paying attention. Whether it’s Dick Cheney breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the audience or the fake ending half way through the film, the tropes worked well in this film. One particularly good example is a scene where Lynne, Amy Adams, and Dick, Christian Bale, are in bed talking. Since we can never know exactly what the Cheneys said to one another, often films will take creative liberties and imagine what may have happened. In this scene, McKay has the characters speak as if in a Shakespearean play to make this scene more dramatic, essentially mocking the creative liberties that movies take. I personally found this refreshing and a unique way to tell an other-wise tame story.
“We can’t just snap into a Shakespearean Soliloquy that dramatizes every feeling and motivation. That’s just not the way the world works.“ - Kurt, voiceover (Jesse Plemons)
The performances by both Amy Adams and especially Christian Bale were on point. Bale was completely transformed for this film. He was unrecognizable. He was Dick Cheney. Amy was raw and gritty, it felt like an honest and believable impression of Lynne Cheney. Both deserve recognition and if I had it my way, Adam McKay would win Best Director this year.
BlacKkKlansman (Think, 1/2 Laugh, 1/2 Cry)
TLC Method: This movie definitely deserves a Think. The story hits upon several complicated topics: race relations, the existence/ history of the KKK and the Black Power movement. I believe it’s goal was to force you to think about these topics while keeping you engaged in the stories main plot. The 1/2 Laugh is owed mostly to John David Washington who played Ron Stallworth. His actions more than his dialogue was hysterical and at times, reckless. Reluctantly, I do have to give this a 1/2 Cry due to its sensational ending.
Review: Director Spike Lee has his own style and approach to story telling, this film was no exception. The opening and the ending of this film were, in my opinion, the most inconsistent with the film. They felt random and odd. Also, some of the scenes were unnecessarily long. For instance, the scene in the beginning when the speaker comes to Colorado Springs. This was a very long scene, I did not feel the entire speech was needed to get the point across.
Overall, I was confused by the tone of this film and the message it was trying to send. Perhaps this is its strength; to just present different perspectives and get you thinking? Even so, the humor threw me for a loop. For such a serious series of topics, I felt the humor took away from the message. I’m not saying cracking a few jokes is wrong, the tone in this film just felt off.
Also, why were there so many characters in this story that were seen once and then never again? Dr Kennebrew Beauregard (Alec Baldwin) is only in the first few minutes and then Isiah Whitlock who played Mr. Turrentine is also only in the beginning never to be seen again. And why did Ron need to talk to David Duke on the phone? (Other than for the satisfaction of Ron’s reveal as a black man)
All of my thoughts on this film are not critical. The performance from both John David Washington (Ron Stallworth) and Adam Driver (Flip Zimmerman) were fantastic and the core story was very interesting, it kept me on the edge of my seat. I don’t think this film will win many, if any, awards. Yet, I’m very excited to see what’s next for Washington and Driver.
Bohemian Rhapsody (Think, Laugh, Cry)
TLC Method: Bohemian Rhapsody made me Think, Laugh and Cry, no question about it. I thought about the concept of sexuality, what it means to be alone, and how family is who you make it. I laughed at Freddy’s wit and the silliness of the band creating music. It was not a comedy, but it had a bunch of entertaining and funny moments. Lastly, I cried like a baby. Rami Malek‘s performance as Freddy Mercury was beautiful. His love for Mary was so sincere and his speech to the band telling them that he had aids was incredibly moving. I would not be surprised if he won the Best Actor category.
Review: The film has a high chance of winning Best Picture, but I’m not sure that it should. I certainly enjoyed this film from start to finish, but the majority of its appeal is the music of Queen - which you could look at as a strength or a weakness. Remove the music and you are left with a great performance by Rami Malek and just an okay plot.
Elements that were good were the sound mixing (they used multiple voices to recreate Freddy’s), the casting (they found great look-a-likes for the other band members) and its ending (which I personally thought was both a logical and uplifting way to end the story). I watched the actual Live Aid concert by Queen on YouTube after watching the film and it was incredible how similar they were.
This review was odd for me to write. I enjoyed this film, but perhaps that’s only because I love the music of Queen. I felt it made me Think, Laugh, and Cry and yet I still am not sure it’s Best Picture worthy. The more I thought about it, the more I wasn’t over the moon with the film as a whole. Perhaps this is an example of where the TLC Method breaks down.
A Star is Born (Think, Cry)
TLC Method: After watching this film I thought a lot about alcoholism and suicide. This film was heavy. It felt true and sincere and the music was wonderful, but it was difficult to watch at times. In my notes on this film, I just put I CRIED ALOT.
Review: This story was well told. It was longer than it needed to be at certain points, but overall it was a beautifully crafted film. Bradley Cooper, who both directed and stared in this film, did a great job recreating a modern version of this previously told story. I think its greatest strength is the goddess known as Lady Gaga. Her performance as Ally, the struggling and talented singer, was so raw and sincere and if that wasn’t enough, she and Bradley Cooper wrote 17 original songs for the film. I hope she is rewarded with an Oscar for Best Actress, I have not seen The Wife and therefore can not compare her and Glenn Closes performances. (I mention this because her and Lady Gaga have gone back and forth winning various awards for their respective roles) I do think this has the opportunity to win Best Picture, it was popular with audiences and well received by critics according to Rotten Tomatoes (80% audiences, 90% critics)
I saw this film after seeing Bohemian Rhapsody. It’s hard not to compare them. This was a better overall plot, but it’s also fictitious. I think it’s also key to point out that I knew all of Queen’s music beforehand whereas I had never heard the music for A Star is Born before seeing it. I think it’s a compliment to A Star is Born that I enjoyed each movies music equally (but in different ways).
I’d also like to mention the chemistry between Gaga and Cooper. The energy between them during the first couple of opening scenes was electric. You felt their connection. The scene in the bar when Gaga sings for the first time was a classic Hollywood meet-cute, but it worked on me. I was hooked and couldn’t wait to see their love unfold.
“Maybe it’s time to let the old ways die” - Jack (Bradley Cooper)
Green Book (Think, Laugh, Cry)
TLC Method: Think, Laugh, and Cry… personally this film hit all three for me. I thought about Tony (Viggo Mortensen) and Don (Mahershala Ali), how their lives were so different and yet so relatable. The banter between the two lead actors, as they are getting to know each other, is what made me laugh and what eventually led to tears. Their new found friendship was moving and while I wasn’t balling my eyes out, I certainly allowed myself to cry when Don asked Tony in the rain, “So if I'm not black enough and if I'm not white enough, then tell me, Tony, what am I!?
Review: This film is the definition of an underdog, I had zero expectations of this film and it won me over. I only saw this film 2 weeks ago for the first time, in a theater in Chelsea and in a lot of ways it was a predictable Hollywood film, but I enjoyed every minute of it. It never dragged. It introduced me to music I’d never heard before, it tug at my heart strings and it was unbelievably relatable. I think we all know someone who is stubborn so watching these two men evolve was very satisfying. Viggo Mortensen was transformed as Tony Lip, from his fluid Italian and his larger than normal physic he became that character. Mahershala Ali as Dr. Don Shirley was such a joy to watch. He made you sincerely sympathize with not only his character, but with all African American people living in 1960s America.
Im not sure this film is one of the best of all time, but of the 8 films nominated for Best Picture it was certainly at the top for me. I would not be surprised if Mahershala Ali won for best supporting actor, but Viggo has some tough competition in the Best Actor category. I’m routing for this film to pull ahead and win Best Picture.
The Favourite (1/2 Think, 1/2 Laugh)
TLC Method: This one was difficult for me to rate using the Think, Laugh, Cry Method. I ended up giving it a 1/2 Think because I did ponder about the manipulative relationships between all three female characters and how power dynamics played a role. The 1/2 Laugh was more a product of gasps from unexpected moments than anything else. It wasn’t a particularly funny movie, but had its moments of outrageousness.
Review: Overall, this was a strange movie going experience. I watched this at home via Amazon Prime. I place most of my dislike for this film on the pace of its editing, it moved very quickly through the plot. So much so that it was hard to follow for the first half hour, which is interesting because the film is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Editing. Perhaps it’s being rewarded by pushing boundaries? Perhaps… but I feel it fell short.
Once I was able to wrap my brain around what was happening it was certainly entertaining, but towards the later half it began to drag again. The performances by all three female leads were over the top - which is what I believe the director was going for. The tone was consistent throughout so I did get use to it. I did not like the ending, it felt like an afterthought.
Director, Yorgos Lanthimos, does deserves recognition for taking a genre of film and turning it on its head. From the somewhat crass dialogue to the use of the fisheye lens, I’ve never seen a time period film done like this one. I don’t think this will win Best Picture but it may snag a few other categories. If you were curious how much of this film was based in fiction as I was, check out this article from Time.
Roma (1/2 Think, 1/2 Cry)
TLC Method: I can only give this a 1/2 Think and a 1/2 Cry. I thought about Cleo’s (Yalitza Aparicio) life and her pregnancy. I did not feel it was worth a full Think. I had no problem with Yalitza’s performance, but due to her soft spoken nature, I did not feel I understood the character’s feelings throughout the film. I only gave this a 1/2 Cry because I did tear up slightly at the young son’s reaction to Cleo’s “stomach ache” as well as when Cleo lost her baby. I may have given this a full Cry under different circumstances, but film left me frustrated and feeling disconnected from the story.
Review: Overall, this Black and White Netflix film underwhelmed me. There was so much hype around this film and after 2 attempts to finish this film, I finally completed it only 3 days before Oscar Sunday. For me, the interesting parts about this film have nothing to do with its quality. Alfonso Cuarón, known for directing movies such as Gravity and Children of Men, was the main creative force behind this film. Roma was written, directed, produced, edited, and shot by Cuarón and it was apparently loosely based on his childhood. Also, this film was released on Netflix and it is the streaming service’s first ever Oscar nomination. Since the Academy requires that films are released in Theaters, Roma did have a limited release in LA and NYC. Both of these facts lead to a lot of hype and in my opinion the film did not live up to it.
This film was beautifully shot and multiple times while watching I thought it could have been a series of black and white photographs in a museum. It felt like a true and sincere interpretation of reality. Shot with wide sweeping movements to convey the pace and tone of Cleo’s world, it was wonderfully shot. However, all of that being said, I felt it was boring with long drawn out scenes. Perhaps it was the low-key personality of the main character or the slow nature of the story, but I just never felt connected to it. Was the full frontal nudity really necessary to the core of the story?
Roma has won a lot of awards and been nominated for many others, but I do not think it should or will win Best Picture. It did not fully make me Think, Laugh, or Cry or really entertain me for that matter. I find it interesting that its critics score was 96% and its audience score was only 74%. To me this shows that main stream audiences enjoyed this less than critics did and often the Oscars lean toward critics scores versus the audiences. (Past Winners and Rotten Tomato Scores: Shape of Water, 96% critics, 73% audiences / Moonlight 98% critics, 79% audiences / Spotlight 97% critics, 93% audiences)
2019 Best Picture Nominees
(Ranked from best to worst)
- Green Book (Think, Laugh, Cry)
- Bohemian Rhapsody (Think, Laugh, Cry)
- Black Panther (Think, Laugh)
- A Star is Born (Think, Cry)
- Vice (Think, Laugh)
- BlacKkKlansman (Think, 1/2 Laugh, 1/2 Cry)
- The Favourite (1/2 Think, 1/2 Laugh)
- Roma (1/2 Think, 1/2 Cry)
What do you think of the TLC Method? How does my assessment of each film compare to yours? Please feel free to leave comments below! Also, this year my fiancé, Scott, used his data science skills to help answer a question I have always wanted to know the answer to: Does winning any one category increase your likelihood of winning Best Picture, and if so, what category has the highest probability? The answer may surprise you! Check out his blog by clicking here!