Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actress

This year, Oscar nominations will be announced on Monday, March 15th. I’ll be offering detailed predictions in all categories.

Last year’s nominees: Kathy Bates, Laura Dern, Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, Margot Robbie

This year’s locks: Olivia Colman

Very likely: Glenn Close, Maria Bakalova, Amanda Seyfried

Possible: Yuh-Jung Youn, Helena Zengel, Jodie Foster, Ellen Burstyn

Unlikely: Dominique Fishback, Olivia Cooke

The rundown: This category felt more secure before Ellen Burstyn (Pieces of a Woman), a presumed shoo-in, wasn’t nominated by either the Globes or SAG. Amanda Seyfried (Mank) missed out with SAG, while Yuh-Jung Youn (Minari) scored there. Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm) lost her comedy lead actress race at the Globes, which has prompted some to doubt her chances, while Jodie Foster (The Mauritanian) pulled off a surprise Globe win after being cited almost nowhere else. Twelve-year-old Helena Zengel (News of the World) is one of three actresses who scored with both the Globes and SAG, joined by Olivia Colman (The Father) and Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy), whose chances I’m not so sure of but wouldn’t risk predicting her being snubbed. I’m betting that Foster doesn’t make the cut, even though there’s a swell of attention on her right now. There aren’t many other possibilities here, though either Dominique Fishback (Judas and the Black Messiah) or Olivia Cooke (Sound of Metal) could benefit from late-breaking love for their films.

For your consideration: How amazing would it be if the underrated Bel Powley (The King of Staten Island) could score here for her turn in a comedy?

Forecasted winner: I really don’t know. Maybe it will be Close provided she gets in?

Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actor

This year, Oscar nominations will be announced on Monday, March 15th. I’ll be offering detailed predictions in all categories.

Last year’s nominees: Tom Hanks, Anthony Hopkins, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Brad Pritt

This year’s locks: Daniel Kaluuya, Sacha Baron Cohen

Very likely: Leslie Odom Jr., Chadwick Boseman

Possible: Paul Raci, Bill Murray, Jared Leto, Bo Burnham, David Strathairn

Unlikely: Aldis Hodge, Colman Domingo, Glynn Turman, Orion Lee, Mark Rylance, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Frank Langella, Alan S. Kim

The rundown: This race isn’t so set, mainly because there are any number of contenders from a few popular films who could throw the whole thing off by claiming a few extra spots. The frontrunner is alone in his film, and that’s Golden Globe winner Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah). Next up should be Sacha Baron Cohen (The Trial of the Chicago 7), who should be secure even if his costars, like Mark Rylance, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, or Frank Langella also secure enough votes. Leslie Odom Jr. (One Night in Miami) feels safe, and it’s feasible that his costar Aldis Hodge (One Night in Miami) could join him if the movie goes over well with Oscar voters. The late Chadwick Boseman (Da 5 Bloods) feels like a likely double nominee, but it’s hard to know for sure how his film will go over after a Globe shutout. Looking at the Globes and SAG, Jared Leto (The Little Things) might score the fifth slot, but that puzzling inclusion was isolated to those two groups, so it’s far from a sure thing. The best performer with critics was Paul Raci (Sound of Metal), who could benefit from a strong showing for his film, while Bill Murray (On the Rocks), a Globe pick, isn’t going to have that same project support. Positive buzz for their films could propel Bo Burnham (Promising Young Woman) or David Strathairn (Nomadland) to a slot, while that’s less likely to work for Colman Domingo (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) and Glynn Turman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom). If Academy enthusiasm matches early precursor energy, Orion Lee (First Cow) could end up as a great indie pick.

For your consideration: He’s young but so fantastic, and Alan S. Kim (Minari) would be a great choice to join his costars Steven Yeun and Yuh-Jung Youn, who are looking good for nominations.

Forecasted winner: Unless someone else emerges as a rival frontrunner, Kaluuya will be the winner.

Oscar Predictions: Best Actress

This year, Oscar nominations will be announced on Monday, March 15th. I’ll be offering detailed predictions in all categories.

Last year’s nominees: Cynthia Erivo, Scarlett Johansson, Saiorse Ronan, Charlize Theron, Renee Zellweger

This year’s locks: Frances McDormand, Viola Davis, Frances McDormand

Very likely: Vanessa Kirby

Possible: Andra Day, Zendaya, Amy Adams

Unlikely: Sophia Loren, Nicole Beharie, Sidney Flanigan, Rosamund Pike

The rundown: This category is an interesting one because four of the nominees seem completely set and the fifth one is – or was – more up in the air. There’s no scenario in which Frances McDormand (Nomadland) and Viola Davis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) don’t make the cut. The same goes for Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman), though her past awards history isn’t quite as formidable. It’s conceivable that Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman) could be left off because no one is talking about her movie, but I think she’s safe. Even after she won the Golden Globe, I would have said that Andra Day (The United States vs. Billie Holiday), who missed out on a SAG bid, was not going to get nominated, but then I went ahead and did some research for a Globe-win-no-SAG-yes-Oscar piece for AwardsWatch, and it’s overwhelmingly true that such individuals DO end up getting nominated. I would have loved to see Zendaya (Malcolm and Marie) get the fifth spot, but she doesn’t have much to suggest buzz aside from a Critics Choice nomination. Amy Adams (Hillbilly Elegy) did end up on the SAG list, but that mention feels like Hilary Swank’s non-Oscar inclusion for “Conviction.” Sophia Loren (The Life Ahead) might be looking better if she had scored a Globe nomination or her film had been submitted by Italy in the Best International Feature category. Nicole Beharie (Miss Juneteenth) and Sidney Flanigan (Never Rarely Sometimes Always) wouldn’t be shocking choices, though they’re not likely to garner enough support at this point. It would be even more startling as her Globe victory, but Rosamund Pike (I Care a Lot) obviously impressed some people and shouldn’t be counted out entirely.

For your consideration: I was blown away by Clare Dunne (Herself) in a movie that doesn’t seem to be Amazon’s number one campaign interest. Watch my interview with her here – I wish she had more of a shot.

Forecasted winner: I’m very tentatively picking Mulligan though I think that McDormand or even Day might be likelier.

Oscar Predictions: Best Actor

This year, Oscar nominations will be announced on Monday, March 15th. I’ll be offering detailed predictions in all categories.

Last year’s nominees: Antonio Banderas, Leonardo DiCaprio, Adam Driver, Joaquin Phoenix, Jonathan Pryce

This year’s locks: Chadwick Boseman, Anthony Hopkins

Very likely: Riz Ahmed

Possible: Delroy Lindo, Steven Yeun, Gary Oldman

Unlikely: Tahar Rahim, Mads Mikkelsen, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Tom Hanks, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Affleck, John David Washington, Eli Goree

The rundown: This category doesn’t feel quite as unpredictable as the other acting races. The late Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), who won the Golden Globe, is the surest thing, and Anthony Hopkins (The Father) will no doubt join him. Though his film hasn’t picked up all that much traction in other categories at some major precursors, Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) feels like a safe bet, and I’m expecting that his film may perform considerably better at the Oscars. Theoretically, Gary Oldman (Mank) is next in line, given that he’s been cited by most other groups, but I’ve felt along that he might end up getting snubbed. It’s been strange that Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods) missed out with both the Globes and SAG, and it’s hard to imagine him missing out here too. Steven Yeun (Minari) showed up at SAG, and I think he’ll be able to repeat that appearance here. There are a slew of contenders who had seemed to be in the running for a while and could still show up as surprises. I feel like Tahar Rahim (The Mauritanian) may benefit most from his costar Jodie Foster’s Globe win, but he was only nominated there, and so there isn’t an industry-wise groundswell of support for his film. Mads Mikkelsen (Another Round) has the advantage of his film being a shoo-in Best International Feature nominee, but foreign actors in the past have scored consistently at other places than just the European Film Awards. While the film might perform decently, it’s likely too late for Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night in Miami) or Eli Goree (One Night in Miami) to break into this race. Tom Hanks (News of the World) and Ben Affleck (The Way Back) both earned Critics Choice Award nominations, and Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm) won the comedy Globe. I wish that John David Washington (Malcolm and Marie) was a legitimate possibility at this point, but I think his costar Zendaya is the only one with a (slim) chance.

For your consideration: It was a year with great comedic performances, namely the surprisingly mature turns from Andy Samberg (Palm Springs) and Pete Davidson (The King of Staten Island).

Forecasted winner: I see Boseman as the very likely winner.

Movie with Abe: Mulan

Mulan
Directed by Niki Caro
Released September 4, 2020

Throughout history, opportunities for men and women have almost never been equal. Because men have typically hold more power, they have been the decision makers in determining what it is that the supposedly inferior gender is capable of doing. That has not stopped many bold and trailblazing women from proving that they are just as competent as the men who try to hold them back, and in some cases, far more skilled. The ancient story of Mulan is an excellent example of this, one brought to fresh if not entirely necessary new life in this live-action blockbuster.

Mulan (Yifei Liu) grows up as the daughter of Hua Zhou (Tzi Ma) and Hua Li (Rosalind Chao) and older sister of Hua Xiu (Xana Tang), eager to learn the ways of qi from her father, who teaches her but urges her not to advertise her abilities since she is supposed to be a housewife. When Böri Khan (Jason Scott Lee) attacks the Chinese empire with the Rouran forces and a powerful witch, Xian Lang (Gong Li), the Emperor (Jet Li) conscripts one man from each family to join his army. Mulan steals her father’s armor and enlists in his place, posing as his son so that she can serve on behalf of her family.

This film is the latest beloved 1990s animated film to be given the live-action treatment after “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Lion King,” and others. Unlike both of those, this version is not a musical, though it does contain soundtrack cues that should remind loyal fans of the absent songs and may find them wanting very much to hear them again. While the backdrops and costumes are certainly admirable, there isn’t an overly compelling reason that this film needed to be made. Its action sequences are decent, but the excitement of the animated original doesn’t quite translate.

The performances in this film are relatively strong, led by Liu, who brings a stoic bravery to Mulan that drives her to persevere despite continued minimalizing behavior from the men around her. Gong Li is particularly well-utilized in a supporting role, one that again finds her female character underestimated by her domineering and violent commanding tyrant. This film, which made the Oscar shortlists for its score, an original song, and visual effects, is a perfectly standard and adequate watch that will surely elicit stronger opinions, likely more negative than favorable, from those with an emotional attachment to the original film.

B

Movie with Abe: Birds of Prey

Birds of Prey
Directed by Cathy Yan
Released February 7, 2020

Box office successes and popular franchises inevitably spawn sequels, and there are characters who have been born and reborn many times even throughout the considerably short history of cinema. That’s even truer for comic book movies, which adapt beloved characters for their fans and introduce an entirely new audience unfamiliar with them to a broad universe of seemingly infinite scope. It’s a rare pleasure to find a sequel or spin-off that’s actually superior to its original, taking a new approach with a refreshingly creative eye to preexisting material. This film may be wild and unhinged at times, but it has a fantastic individuality and spirit that make it a captivating and highly entertaining viewing experience.

Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) has broken up with the Joker, and she isn’t doing all that well, but because everyone believes they are still together, she’s considered untouchable. That all changes when she decides to make the separation official and public, putting her in the crosshairs of the very motivated Detective Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez). It’s not long before every criminal in town is after her, and her only way out is to work for violent crime boss Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor) to go after Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco), a pickpocket who has taken something of great value. Also on the hunt to protect Cassandra are the crossbow-wielding Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Roman’s newly-hired driver, Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett).

Though it takes some time to get there, this film presents a ragtag team of women who have all been told by the men in their lives that they’re not as competent as them when that’s anything but the case. All five of the featured females are spectacularly skilled, and they seem to gain extra delight from showing doubting males just how wrong they were to misjudge them. It’s fun to see them come together and realize that, though they have very different motivations and interests, they make a remarkable team, one that’s uniquely qualified to clean up the trash that plagues Gotham, starting with the vicious and tyrannical Roman.

Robbie is the lone returning cast member from “Suicide Squad,” the film that technically precedes this one, and she’s having an absolute blast dialing up the excess and relishing the chance to fully steer the film’s narration. Perez and Smollett are both fantastic, and Winstead finds a particularly terrific opportunity for comedy as a vigilante trying to make her mark but still working on her presentation. Basco is a great find too, while McGregor is enjoying chewing as much scenery as possible in an overstated role this film, and Chris Messina is playing against type as a hateful henchman. This film, which appears on the Oscar shortlists for makeup and hairstyling and visual effects, won’t be for everyone but it is fresh, vibrant, and hard to ignore, making a great case for the return of these characters in any number of sequels.

B

Weekend Movie Recommendations with Abe

Every Friday, I'll be uploading a Minute with Abe: Weekend Movie Recommendations Edition, surveying new releases on DVD, and on streaming services. Check it out, and subscribe to the movieswithabe channel!

New to Theaters: The Truffle Hunters, La Llorona
New to VOD: Night of the Kings, Crisis
New to Digital: The World to Come
New to DVD: Fatale, Pinocchio
New to Netflix: Crazy Stupid Love, Dances with Wolves, Invictus
New to Amazon: Back to the Future, In the Line of Fire
New to Amazon and Hulu: 50/50
New to Hulu: The Social Network, The Ghost Writer, Young Frankenstein, Ammonite

Movie with Abe: Crisis

Crisis
Directed by Nicholas Jarecki
Released February 26, 2021

The opioid crisis is something that has greatly affected the United States over the past few years, categorized as a public health emergency and leading to many unfortunate consequences for those who become addicted when trying to treat existing problems. As with many issues of this kind, it disproportionately impacts minority and poor communities, and it often feels like the only time people are paying attention is when the news is about someone who doesn’t look like a “typical” victim. This film tries to shine a spotlight but flails in its construction of a tepid, overblown thriller.

Jake Kelly (Armie Hammer) works undercover in a cross-border drug smuggling ring, traveling to Montreal to establish a relationship with the notorious kingpin called Mother. Dr. Tyrone Brower (Gary Oldman) works as a university professor, a job that is put at risk when he discovers in his research for a pharmaceutical company that their product may indeed be addictive and destructive despite their claims to the contrary. Claire Reimann (Evangeline Lilly) is distraught at the disappearance of her son, and when she learns that he died of an opioid overdose, she sets out to find the people responsible for getting him involved in the drug trade in the first place.

This film is designed in the style of “Traffic,” beginning with three separate narratives all touching on different offshoots of similar themes. While Jake’s sister (Lily-Rose Depp) is shown suffering from severe addiction, most of the film is merely about the operations that exist that continue to aid and ensure the free flow of substances with the potential to do enormous damage. Those aspects are less compelling and worthwhile, especially as presented here in a thinly-written script that finds characters cursing at each other more than anything else and spouting self-important speeches instead of truly coherent dialogue.

It’s a shame that this film doesn’t make better use of its cast, which is led by two actors who are talented despite recent social media issues that have earned them negative press. Oldman’s performance here is able but doesn’t compare to his award-nominated turn last year in “Mank,” and among the rest of the wasted ensemble are Greg Kinnear, Kid Cudi, Indira Varma, Michael Aronov, and Martin Donovan. Michelle Rodriguez is particularly miscast as a supervisory agent with no productive purpose in the film’s narrative. This may be a way to get the moviegoing public to start looking into and thinking about the opioid crisis, but it’s far from a good film.

C-

Movie with Abe: All In: The Fight for Democracy

All In: The Fight for Democracy
Directed by Lisa Cortes and Liz Garbus
Released September 18, 2020 (Amazon Prime Video)

Almost anyone who voted in the 2020 United States presidential election will agree that there were substantial issues with the process that suggest very serious problems to be remedied within the system. Democrats cite numerous instances of voter suppression and obstacles to access for minority communities around the country, while Republicans allege widespread voter fraud that tipped the results in the favor of the other party in multiple states. It’s not an argument in which both sides deserve to be given equal time, and this highly informative and urgent documentary released months before disputing results led to a siege on the capitol is among the strongest and most incontrovertible evidence.

Stacey Abrams is one of the central figures in this film, an early rising star decades before she decided to run for Governor of Georgia. The fact that her opponent in the race, Brian Kemp, was unconcerned with the conflict of interest that existed from his serving as secretary of state, in addition to his active efforts to limit the voter pool, make Abrams particularly qualified to discuss a long history of creating new rules designed to keep certain populations from having their voices heard while advantaging those never subjected to the same restrictions. Other historians and experts offer considerable support for unsettling observations and conclusions about the many abhorrent flaws of the election process.

Watching this film is an intense, emotional experience because of the overwhelming number of events and examples of how efforts to subjugate the opinions and influence of those deemed inferior by the ruling class have been codified into law so that they are seen not as amoral but instead somehow necessary to uphold. Abrams is simply one of the most visible and recent examples because of how close her race was when her opponent was in charge of running the election, and this film offers a comprehensive and deeply compelling overview of the history of the United States and how this is one place where racism is undeniably systemic.

It’s astonishing to think that this film was made before a majority of Republicans in Congress refused to acknowledge that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election since it covers many of the themes, including the frequent invocation of voter fraud used to justify the passage of laws that purport to improve the veracity and integrity of the process rather than to purposely make it harder for already disadvantaged communities to participate. The silver lining that, two years after the timeline portrayed in this film, Georgia now has two Democratic Senators who were able to win thanks in no small part to the extraordinary registration efforts undertaken by Abrams, doesn’t make this film any easier to watch but does show the positive power of activism and the pursuit of a fair and honest framework that is actually representative of the people empowered to vote.

B+

Movie with Abe: The Painter and the Thief

The Painter and the Thief
Directed by Benjamin Ree
Released May 22, 2020 (Hulu)

Some relationships start in truly fascinating ways. Couples may describe the way in which they met as completely surprising, and it’s possible that they never expected romance when they were introduced in whatever manner it was that almost didn’t happen. Friendships can be even more unpredictable, arising from situations in which two people found themselves completely at odds and even on different sides of a conflict. Such is the premise of this Oscar-shortlisted documentary that reveals its dynamic in its title, exploring the fascinating interactions of an accomplished artist and the man she met when he stole her work.

Czech artist Barbora Kysilkova was introduced to Karl Bertil-Nordland at a hearing following his arrest for stealing two of her paintings from a gallery in Norway. The ensuing meetings the two have reveal plenty about both of them, including a history of drug addiction for Karl that has led to him not being able to remember anything about the robbery or the location of what he took. Barbora continues their conversations, forming a bond with a man who has had considerably different life experiences than she has yet shares a remarkably similar appreciation for the beauty of her work.

If its premise wasn’t intriguing enough from the start, this film quickly reaches that point with what may be its most poignant scene. After Karl agrees to let Barbora paint him, he gets to see the work for the first time. He is so overcome by emotion and tears that he simply cannot speak, and this film just sits with him for several minutes as he takes in the sight of himself reflected back by someone who should have every reason to hate him. It’s certainly not what audiences would expect from the heavily-tattooed man the artist first meets in court, and it’s precisely that evolving relationship that makes this film so fascinating.

This is a documentary about two people coming together and creating a common understanding that enables them to learn a great deal from and about each other. The open-mindedness exhibited by Barbora and the positive way that she feeds her curiosity are inspiring, and Karl is a particularly gentle soul whose physical appearance and criminal record surely haven’t enabled him the same opportunities throughout his life. As the film follows its characters through unexpected and unfortunate developments, it only becomes more interesting and touching.

B+

Movie with Abe: My Octopus Teacher

My Octopus Teacher
Directed by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed
Released September 7, 2020 (Netflix)

People bond with each other for a variety of reasons and in a number of ways. Conversation and shared interests are two of the strongest draws because they provide confirmation that both parties do in fact want to do the same things. Animals that aren’t able to communicate in the same language as humans can provide a particular comfort in part because they aren’t able to ask questions or voice their own opinions but instead offer the kind of unconditional love that another person simply can’t. That notion is taken to an entirely new level in one of this year’s Oscar finalists for Best Documentary.

South African filmmaker Craig Foster spends his days diving in the kelp forest and encounters an octopus. As he comes back each day to capture footage of the octopus, a relationship begins to form between the two of them, with the octopus becoming consistently more comfortable with this human diver as he witnesses her daily activities, which include malicious sharks invading her space and threatening her livelihood. Foster returns every day for a year to check in with his new friend and observe how she is engaging with the world.

This film falls into a specific category of documentary, one that doesn’t utilize cue cards or interviews to assist the construction of its narrative. Instead, it requires an intense focus from audiences on the visually mesmerizing content it provides. Not everyone will be as drawn in by and taken with this octopus and her underwater habitat as Foster, but observing his fascination with her is almost compelling enough in its own right. Yet it still does require a tremendous amount of concentration since there are a few fast-paced events that actually occur within this film’s eighty-five-minute runtime.

As far as nature documentaries go, this one benefits from having an enthusiastic speaking protagonist, one who is able to share his love for this field of study and also his developed affinity for this nonhuman creature, which is clearly felt through the way in which he engages with and cares for her. Those with even a passing interest in marine biology should find this film riveting, while those with a connection to a pet may see parallels by the film’s end to their own relationships that might not have been apparent at its start. This film is certainly a formidable diary of life on this planet that people rarely get to see so up close, and while it may not be enthralling enough to attract everyone, it does have tremendous scientific and artistic value.

B

Movie with Abe: Quo Vadis, Aida?

Quo Vadis, Aida?
Directed by Jasmila Zbanic
Released March 15, 2021

The job of a translator is a unique one. Like clerks or secretaries, they are often privy to high-level information because of the need to record or communicate it, even and especially if they have no control over what happens with it. But unlike those support roles, a translator is almost always present in the most intimate and important settings since they must serve as a bridge between multiple parties to help them understand each other. That can be a weighty task, especially if the subject of conversation is sensitive. It can also be devastating because it leaves them powerless in the face of horrors, as hauntingly depicted in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s official Oscar submission.

Aida (Jasna Djuricic) is a resident of Srebrenica in July 1995 serving as an interpreter for the UN peacekeepers who have established a presence as Serbian forces invade the area. She follows commanders around the base, translating directives to the hundreds of Bosnian people gathered inside and the hundreds more crowded around outside waiting to be let in. As General Ratko Mladic (Boris Isakovic) meets with the UN’s Colonel Karremans (Johan Heldenbergh) to demand the deportation of all residents of Srebrenica, Aida tries every way she can to ensure protection and safe passage out of the city for her husband and two sons, who are outside the walls of the base.

This film is a powerful and immensely disturbing look at the perpetration of a genocide that occurred frighteningly recently, with men suspected of being members of the Bosnian military executed just outside the UN base and buses coordinated to transport residents to an unknown location with no realistic possibility for oversight from the neutral peacekeeping forces. The fact that the UN is present should provide some sense of security and prevent such atrocities, yet minimal orders from the supervising body and impulsive, in-the-moment decisions make it all the more horrifying that these events were allowed to occur even with the world supposedly watching and placed there to stop them.

The central character of Aida makes this particular film all the more poignant since she is valued for her mastery of English, the language that the mostly Dutch soldiers utilize, and she attempts to use her position to curry favor for those she cannot bear to see put in harm’s way. Djuricic’s performance is remarkable, standing in for a frenzied audience who will surely find this film’s events deeply unsettling. Its starkest moments come not when Aida is pleading desperately for the lives of her family or when brutal mass murder are being committed, but when a former student of Aida’s, now a Serbian militant, greets his former teacher as she stands trembling within the outdoor boundaries of the base. This film works on many levels as both a cinematic journey in its own right and a necessary testament to needless loss of life and the unimaginable consequences of violent hatred.

B+

Movie with Abe: The Man Who Sold His Skin

The Man Who Sold His Skin
Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania
Release TBD

There are many things people would do for love, and countless stories throughout history of those who believe they are destined to be together kept apart by any number of obstacles and boundaries. The power of those who are separated to find a way to reunite may be limited, and if there is indeed a happy ending, it usually comes after a considerable amount of suffering and tremendous perseverance despite repeated setbacks. The notion of a shortcut to make that process infinitely simpler is certainly appealing, but the price may be too high, a concept cleverly investigated in Tunisia’s official Oscar submission for Best International Feature.

Sam Ali (Yahya Mahayni) proclaims his love for Abeer (Dea Liane) on a train and invokes language of rebellion, resulting in his arrest by the Syrian government and the need to flee the country immediately for fear of severe repercussions. Arriving in Lebanon, Sam meets Soraya (Monica Bellucci) and her client Jeffrey Godefroi (Koen De Bouw), a renowned artist who makes Sam an unusual offer. Sam allows Jeffrey to use his back as a canvas for his latest piece, and in return receives a visa to settle in Belgium, where Abeer has moved with her new husband, Ziad (Saad Lostan), though he is fully intent on winning her back.

This is a film that presents ideas typically discussed as metaphorical and makes them all literal. Sam’s visa comes with a physical image of a visa on his back, representative of the way in which art can move about much more freely than human beings throughout the world. Sam becomes less important and certainly less valuable than that which has been imprinted on him, and he even becomes an item in an auction, a scenario that a lawyer defends as not comparable to human trafficking because it is the laws that have not evolved as much as the art. Like Lebanon’s Oscar-nominated “The Insult,” this film has a simple premise that spirals into something far more meaningful with every misstep and appropriation attempting to speak for Sam’s experience and what his role as tableau means for the Syrian community in general.

There is a marvelous humanity that exists in this film and its characters, embodied most by Mahayni in a phenomenal performance as the singularly-minded, impatient, and temperamental Sam. Opposite him, Liane makes Abeer three-dimensional and complex, aware of her situation and that true love won’t spirit her away from reality. Bellucci and De Bouw contribute positively, balancing their wealthy haughtiness with believable intellect. In this film’s depiction of the laughable perspective some have on the motivations and desires of immigrants and refugees, it smartly avoids being similarly reductive in its presentation of them. Though some of its turns are predictable, this film is still full of surprises, and ends on an equally buoyant and contemplative note that punctuates an enthralling and highly worthwhile viewing experience.

B+

Movie with Abe: Hope

Hope
Directed by Maria Sødahl
To Be Released April 16, 2021

Mortality can put everything in perspective, distinguishing between the trivial and the truly important that matters most with limited time left. It’s rarely quite that easy, of course, because not everyone has the same perception of someone’s life span and what they may need most in a time of need that they can’t quite relate to since they likely aren’t in the process of dying. Grief and loss have been explored in cinema countless times, with some representations coming off as trite and inauthentic. Norway’s shortlisted Oscar submission for Best International Feature movingly tackles the anxiety and complexity of preparing others for an inevitability they are closer to accepting.

Anja (Andrea Bræin Hovig) is married to Tomas (Stellan Skarsgård), and the two have a large family that includes three shared children and three older stepchildren Anja has helped Tomas in raising. They are no longer close and have invested plenty of time in their own careers. When Anja’s cancer returns and she is given a terminal diagnosis, she finds it difficult to share the news of her fate with others and encounters particular trouble deciding how she can tell her family. Tomas tries to be there for his wife in a way that he hasn’t been in many years as she faces what feels like an all-too-certain and short future.

This film deals with a subject very commonly covered in cinema, a person’s impending death and the complexity of wanting to savor every remaining moment balanced with desiring not to be treated differently by those who would surely behave in a changed manner were they made aware of the severity of that person’s condition. In her first film in ten years, writer-director Maria Sødahl revisits her own life story in a poignant and heartfelt look at a situation that befalls all too many and doesn’t feel glorified for dramatic impact but much more real and appropriately unpolished in how its characters speak with and about each other.

Hovig is the heart of this film, presenting Anja as someone who is rarely the center of attention and almost never gets the praise she deserves for keeping her large family afloat in the absence of her husband. As Anja, Hovig is sincere and resigned at times, aware of what’s possible and what it is that she might want in her final days. Her extremely authentic and strong performance is matched by Skarsgård, who doesn’t make Tomas into an overly endearing and sympathetic personality just as complicated and worthwhile as the rest of this carefully-constructed and resonant film.

B+

Make sure to read my interview with director Maria Sødahl and star Andrea Bræin Hovig for Awards Radar!

Movie with Abe: Charlatan

Charlatan
Directed by Agnieszka Holland
Release TBD

Academic and scientific fields have many subsections and specialties under them which require extensive training and knowledge. Those who haven’t taken the time to learn about those particulars may not put the same stock in their validity, and that’s even truer for laypeople outside of those careers entirely. At the same time, eager consumers may wish to have their ailments and peculiarities diagnosed by someone considered to be controversial or experimental in the hopes of procuring a miracle cure or breakthrough that can aid them tremendously. The dangers of such enterprises, especially under totalitarian rule, are compellingly explored in the Czech Republic’s official Oscar submission for Best International Feature.

Jan Mikolásek (Ivan Trojan) is a renowned healer in the Czech Republic, famous for his ability to look at a vial of urine and prescribe a particular regimen. Legions of people line up each day for their chance to get his eye and his professional recommendation, while newspapers and skeptics decry him as a fraud with no proven expertise. When he is arrested by the Communist government for his role in the deaths of two patients, he reflects on his history as a younger man (Josef Trojan) and the close, forbidden relationship he formed with his loyal assistant, Frantisek Palko (Juraj Loj).

Whether Mikolásek’s skills are to be believed as authentic or not, his style, and the way this film showcases him, is certainly impressive. The man, who repeats to anyone who calls him a doctor that he is not in fact a doctor, takes pride in what he does and won’t tolerate being questioned by anyone, nor does he have patience for those who want him to do more than a momentary analysis since, as flashbacks to his apprenticeship education reveal, instinct is most relevant in this study, and additional time won’t be of any help. Mikolásek is not friendly or interested in getting anyone to like him, traits that don’t serve him particularly well when he finds himself on trial and in need of witnesses to defend his character.

The narrative structure of this film succeeds in establishing Mikolásek as an enigma of sorts before peeling back the layers that make him an intriguing and complex main character. A softer side emerges through scenes set during the era of Nazi rule and detailing his affection for Palko, a secret they must hide together. Having father and son play two versions of the same character proves very effective, and, opposite both of them, Loj is a fabulously energetic foil. Veteran filmmaker Agnieszka Holland skillfully directs an involving story that brings to life a forgotten figure of history who even this film isn’t quite sure how to perceive, leaving audiences to come to their own conclusions about his talent and righteousness.

B+

Movie with Abe: Better Days

Better Days
Directed by Kwok Tsang
Released November 8, 2019

Bullying is a scourge that exists everywhere throughout the world, present in different forms and capable of enormous damage to the will and wellbeing of its victims. Typically, it is associated with childhood and the capacity for cruelty that those who don’t fully understand the impact of their words and actions possess. Yet it can persist into adulthood, and the notion that bullies of any age are equally deserving of sympathy and fairness can be even more detrimental than the inciting behavior itself. The devastating and irreversible consequences of such scenarios are portrayed in powerful fashion in Hong Kong’s Oscar-shortlisted submission for Best International Feature.

Chen Nian (Dongyu Zhou) witnesses the suicide of her friend, who was tormented by the same vicious students who come after her, something that only increases and worsens after she is questioned by police about what led her to take her own death. She meets Xiao Bei (Jackson Yee), a man who is also subjected to the violence of others but is determined to fight back. Xiao Bei steps in to be her shadow and protector, ensuring that no one touches her as she prepares to take her college entrance exam. The death of one of Chen Nian’s bullies puts them both on the police’s radar as they pledge to continue to protect each other.

This film is not an easy watch, with what Chen Nian endures constituting physically scarring attacks, not merely verbal abuse or emotional degradation, which are harmful enough in themselves. There is little separation between school walls and the outside world, which serves as the introduction point for Xiao Bei, who is similarly targeted by those who believe him to be weak. Their burgeoning friendship shows Chen Nian, who bravely calls the police before his assailants find and beat her too, that she is able to stand up for herself and fight back in the way that she can to ensure that she is no longer a helpless victim.

It’s that exploration of the way in which Chen Nian and Xiao Bei confront their realities and try to persist despite such relentless misery that makes this film worth watching, and it doesn’t offer any easy answers since their response might also be problematic. Yet a powerful opening message decries the all-too-prevalent plight of bullying lays out a scenario that may be more extreme than most and still less severe than others, spun into a haunting tale punctuated by two very strong central performances that capture the agony and the transformation of that suffering.

B+

Movie with Abe: The Mole Agent

The Mole Agent
Directed by Maite Alberdi
Released September 1, 2020 (Hulu)

The state of elder care in the world is rife with problems, presenting the opportunity for abuse due in part to the more limited capacity of those in need of assistance. While there are countless healthcare professionals and volunteers who devote hours each day to providing tremendous, life-changing help to those who require it, there are those who take an easier route that they know will likely not get them into trouble since the people they neglect or treat poorly will not report it. Such malpractice and mistreatment is typically dealt with in a serious manner, and a lighter approach here combines a legitimate investigation with an unexpectedly amusing undercover operation.

A private detective in Chile, Rómulo, has been hired by a client who believes that her mother is not being properly cared for at her nursing home. Rómulo puts out a call for a technologically savvy man in his eighties or nineties who can infiltrate the facility and get close to the woman in question to determine if indeed these claims are legitimate. Enter Sergio, a subdued charmer whose FaceTime skills leave much to be desired but who certainly fancies himself a secret agent reporting on his latest findings.

There is much humor to be found here in the way that Sergio is found and the way he conducts himself, walking very conspicuously from door to door to find the right room and taking copious notes the entire time. He befriends residents quickly and even finds one woman eager to form a romantic relationship with him, something he matter-of-factly ignores as he tries to stick to his true mission, though he also becomes distracted by the way others are not fully addressed when they are agitated or interested in something.

The poster for this film shows Sergio holding a magnifying glass over his eye with Rómulo looking like a private eye from decades ago in the background, indicating the comedic nature that appears to be the aim here. It is indeed an enjoyable and humorous ride, one that has more lasting and thought-provoking implications when pondered, like the fact that Sergio plans to check out of the nursing home at the end of this job, in part to see the family that does come to visit him, unlike others at the facility, even though he may one day need to return for good. The scenes from this film, entertaining as they may be, might hit too close to home for those who have experienced similar moments, but this Oscar finalist for both the International Feature and Documentary categories is a fun and worthwhile adventure.

B+

Movie with Abe: Sun Children

Sun Children
Directed by Majid Majidi
Release TBD

When people are presented with opportunities, they have the choice to take them or not to, but it’s likely that even their worst option may not be all that bad. Those without that luxury are forced to develop other ways to survive and to find success, though every road to possibility may still be paved with obstacles and unforeseen detours that simply can’t be avoided. Working hard to achieve a big score that can provide an escape from poverty can be very appealing, especially to young, impressionable minds, a notion explored in Iran’s Oscar-shortlisted submission for Best International Feature.

Ali (Roohollah Zamani) is twelve years old and living in Tehran, where he is forced to work for Hashem (Ali Nasirian), a crime boss who gives him a formidable assignment: to tunnel under a school to the vast treasure buried underneath the adjacent cemetery. Along with his friends Abolfazl (Abolfazl Shirzad), Reza (Mani Ghafouri), and Mamad (Mohammad Mahdi Moursavifar), Ali enrolls in the Sun School, splitting his time between classes and intensive physical labor below the classrooms. Vice-Principal Rafie (Javad Ezati) connects with his new students, while the principal (Ali Ghabeshi) seems far more concerned with currying political favor to keep the school open and funded.

This film doesn’t offer too much backstory to explain Ali’s circumstances aside from a powerful opening dedication to the “152 million children forced into child labor and those who fight for their rights.” That’s a fitting introduction as any, and Ali is one who proves himself more than capable for a job that seems entirely impossible. He works for hours each day chipping away with tools in a confined space believing that what he is doing will bring him great success and fortune, following the orders of a man who likely never thinks much about him. It’s a powerful testament to youthful imagination and the way in which that can be applied with the influence of the wrong mentors.

There is extraordinary talent on display here, led by the incredible Zomani in his film debut that rightfully earned him accolades at the Venice Film Festival. He demonstrates a true humanity in Ali, a drive to succeed at something that is dishonest and potentially illegal but represents a chance to live a different kind of life. The rest of the ensemble, including Ezati, is similarly terrific, anchoring a film that may earn Iran its fourth-ever Oscar nomination for representing a facet of its society that may be recognizable by some of its cultural elements but speaks to important international truths present throughout the world.

B+

Movie with Abe: A Sun

A Sun
Directed by Mong-Hong Chung
Released January 24, 2020 (Netflix)

Family dynamics are usually complicated, and the expectations of parents are rarely met by their children. Whether that becomes a source for positivity because of unanticipated interests and impressive accomplishments depends on the attitude of the parents and the way in which the children present their successes. Other factors outside of any of their control can have irreversible influences, charting a course that looks very different from what they may have planned for or hoped. Taiwan’s official Oscar submission for Best International Feature presents a stark portrait of consequences and family relations.

Chen Jian Ho (Chien-Ho Wu), better known as A-Ho, is arrested after he participates in an attack on Oden (Li-Tung Chang) in which his friend Radish (Kuan-Ting Liu) chops off Oden’s hand. When he is sent to prison, his mother Qin (Samantha Shu-Chin Ko) visits him and supports his pregnant girlfriend Yu (Apple Wu), while his father Wen (Yi-wen Chen) pretends he does not exist, which is difficult when the father (Chih-Ju Lin) of his victim harasses Wen for money as reparation for his son’s actions. When his older brother (Greg Han Hsu) kills himself, A-Ho must confront a new reality that finds him working multiple jobs to make ends meet and haunted by actions and relationships from his past.

This film starts off rather brutally, representing a tendency towards violence that is not indicative of any part of A-Ho’s personality. While Radish embodies a darker approach to life that he attempts to use to subvert him, A-Ho is generally helpful, unhappy at first not to be told about Yu’s pregnancy but able to make friends in prison and then do what he must to make money after he is released and still not acknowledged by his father. Wen’s job as a driving instructor adds additional layers to the values he instills in his family, giving frequent grandstanding speeches to his students that indicate a worldview predicated on hard work and fruitful rewards that he has not seen happen in his own life.

This film runs over two and a half hours, covering several chapters in A-Ho’s young adulthood. It likely didn’t need to be quite so long, but there is a quiet power to the moments in which A-Ho and Wen, in particular, reckon with their circumstances and find themselves unable to change them, no matter how determined they are to work hard and do what society expects of them. The performances are strong and add to a rich and thought-provoking exploration of how people contribute to their own destructive cycles, hopeless to change them but able to draw the good out of them in subtle and telling ways.

B+

Movie with Abe: I’m No Longer Here

I’m No Longer Here
Directed by Fernando Frias
Released May 27, 2020 (Netflix)

There are people who are able to thrive in any environment, traveling from town to town or jetting across the world and interacting with those around them as if they were in their own homes. Others need to feed off the energy of a familiar place in order to be comfortable, and they may become accustomed to their surroundings and be uninterested or unable to adjust to a new setting. When they aren’t the ones choosing to leave one place and be transplanted to another, acclimating can be made harder, since feelings of resentment and isolation only become greater in a new and unwelcoming place. Mexico’s official Oscar submission for Best International Feature explores this concept through the experiences of its very particular protagonist.

Ulises (Daniel Garcia) is a seventeen-year-old in Monterrey, Mexico, who runs the Los Terkos gang, a group that believes strongly in the Kolombia way of life and frequently dances to a signature style of music. His unintended interactions with a dangerous criminal organization force him to cross the border into America to keep his family safe. When he arrives in New York, he finds a different world, one where he struggles to find work, which is made even more difficult by his not knowing English. Lin (Angelina Chen), whose uncle employs Ulises to clean his roof, takes an interest in getting to know Ulises and connect with him despite his desire to be left alone.

Ulises makes an immediate impression with his distinctive hair, which prompts comments from those he knows and those he doesn’t, and also leads to assumptions being made about his character and his productivity. Ulises adheres strongly to what he believes, but he’s hardly the most motivated worker, and there’s an added degree of aggression and impatience that only further complicates his inability to understand the language most of the people he interacts with speak when he comes to America. One scene finds him cursing out a well-meaning cop who simply asks him if he has a permit to play music while he is dancing and even tries to advise him on where to obtain one, presuming that it must be yet another person who has come to tell him that he is doing something wrong.

This film is presented through interspersed scenes from different moments in time, compiling Ulises’ story in a jumbled fashion that speaks to the chaos he feels in arriving to somewhere new where is regularly reminded of where he has left behind. Garcia makes a strong debut as Ulises, keeping him less than emotive until he has the chance to truly shine and become entranced by his dance. Chen, who has the largest supporting role, inhabits the genuine, caring curiosity of another that feels too prying for the private and introverted Ulises. This film, like its main character, has a specific style to it, one that makes its often slow-paced journey considerably more interesting and worthwhile.

B