Here are the five nominees: (Winner in Bold)
Biggest Snub:
Jodie Foster – The Mauritanian
My Overall Thoughts:
This is one of the categories that didn’t have a frontrunner until very recently and that frontrunner has led the pack for a few weeks. The question is whether she will be able to hold onto it.
My Rankings:
Supporting Actress
5. Amanda Seyfried
4. Glenn Close
3. Maria Bakalova
2. Olivia Colman
1. Yuh-Jung Youn
Movies
5. Mank – Powerful biopic that tries to give solid answers to the myths surrounding the making of Citizen Kane (1941). The cast is superb here and Oldman shines in the title role. The production and set pieces of this film are done extremely well and are able to transport us back to the ruthless Hollywood of the 1930’s, warts and all. The choice to film this in black and white helps bring forth the classic feel of the story and also finds a way to ground the story in a long gone era. The biggest problem with this film is its non-linear story that jumps back and forth through time on a whim, yet still helps establish how Mank was able to put all of his ideas together for the epic story of that would be Kane.
4. Hillbilly Elegy – They actually are able to give us a very enjoyable and effective story here. The cast is great and they all helps make us truly believe that these are real people in realistic situations. Glenn Close stands out among everyone else as the matriarch of this family who will do all she can to make sure they all get the most out of life.
3. Minari – Very intriguing film that quite surprised me as to how engaging it was. The cast is great and they truly help us get so involved in the story and characters as things unfold in ways one might expect. The story is able to stay quite captivating throughout and allows for us to feel something that seems both unique and familiar because of the Korean twist on the typical immigrant story that is presented here.
2. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm – I was shocked to see how much I enjoyed that film upon a rewatch and this made me even more excited to see what this film was about. This is such an amazing sequel that finds a way to build on everything that happened in the first film and in the intervening 14 years since it came out. They are able to take the original concept and find ways to make it more relevant to today’s world.
1. The Father – This is a film that blew me away when I first saw it two weeks ago and have been itching to rewatch ever since because it was so powerful and poignant throughout. After watching this not long ago, I declared that this was my favorite film of 2020 and this rewatch helps reinforce that idea because it is such an incredibly made film. Anthony Hopkins is superb in the lead role and this is one of his very best performances because of the way that the story unfolds.
Do I agree with the Oscar winner? – Yes! Not a surprise at all and she does a wonderful job in Minari and is quite deserving of this win!
Let me know what you think about these films and my rankings!
MovieRob 