Film 2360 - Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy

Intro: Niamh and I have a list of film we want to watch. She doesn't necessarily remembers them all, but I do. This is one of the movies on the list that we didn't manage to watch at the movies whe it came out.

Film 2360: "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy" (2025), Michael Morris
Watched on: The projector
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi
Thoughts: I wasn't sure about a fourth movie, the "Bridget Jones"' franchise seemed to be done with the third chapter (that I particularly enjoyed after the so-so second one) and rehasing the whole gang made me a bit nervous.
Reality is, "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy" is a great movie, a great sequel (and fourth installment), and potentially a very well done goddbye to these characters. It's charming and endearing as a Bridget Jones' movie should be, but surprisingly deep and heartfelt at times (especially at the beginning), to the point that I shared some tears here and there. The passing of a loved one is handled in a very mature and meaningful way, never rushed and always respectful: I was really impressed.
Renée Zellweger is always a pleasure to watch, more so when she's playing Bridget. Hugh Grant - in his resurgent era - is charming and funny and although the story never says goodbye to his character's old habits, this new version of Daniel is very successfull in depicting a upgrated side of him. Additionally, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall are perfect new addition to the story.
Although this movie doesn't reinvent the wheel, it feels damn good to be back in the company of Bridget, cozy and charming, funny and wholehearted. "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy" is the sequel I didn't know I needed.
Film 850 - Il diario di Bridget Jones
Film 2260 - Bridget Jones's Diary
Film 857 - Che pasticcio, Bridget Jones!
Film 1231 - Bridget Jones's Baby
Film 1591 - Bridget Jones's Baby
Film 2360 - Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
Cast: Renée Zellweger, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leo Woodall, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones, James Callis, Shirley Henderson, Sally Phillips, Nico Parker, Celia Imrie, Isla Fisher, Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant.
Box Office: $134.9 million
Worth a watch?: Absolutely worth it, especially if you're a fun of this franchise. Renée Zellweger is a damn good Bridget and basically the whole gang is back together: it feels right (and it is!).
Awards: /
Key word: Magic.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2359 - Trap

Intro: Niamh and I have a list of film we want to watch. She doesn't necessarily remembers them all, but I do. This is one of the movies on the list that we didn't manage to watch at the movies whe it came out.

Film 2359: "Trap" (2024), M. Night Shyamalan
Watched on: The projector
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: I've been saying it for ages now regarding M. Night Shyamalan's movies: great concept, poor execution.
I think we can all agree that Shyamalan has been trying to channel that plot twist from the ending of "The Sixth Sense" ever since, it's there in all of his movies. Sometimes it works, most times it doesn't, because in order to convey the crazy unexpect turn, he has to sacrifice part of his idea, or the audience trust, or in general the believability of the story he's telling.
In this case, as i said, "Trap" has an interesting starting point: there's a serial killer on the loose, yet he's trapped in a concert venue with his daughter. No one knows he's the killer, so there's room for him to try to escape which, obviously he tries to do. And that's when the story starts to crumble.
Although on paper the idea is interesting, in reality too many elements of this story are barely glued together. As audience, you really, really have to suspend your disbelief to allow the story to continue. A concert venue for one of the biggest stars out there, there's people everywhere, police everywhere, cameras everywhere... but no one is minding the fact that this man is going wherever he wants, to the point that he ventures backstage through a trapdoor while the performance of a song is happening... like, how?!
Anyway, the story being too stretched aside, I'll admit that "Trap" isn't necessarily a bad ride. Josh Hartnett is one of the most underrated actors out there and it's sad, because he delivers a solid performance here and carries the whole movie (together with Jonathan Langdon, who's performance reminded me a bit of Lil Rel Howery in "Get Out"). Yes, everything is crazy here and barely make sense, but overall I've seen worse, especially coming from M. Night Shyamalan.
Cast: Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Night Shyamalan, Hayley Mills, Jonathan Langdon, Alison Pill.
Box Office: $83.6 million
Worth a watch?: More than a horror movie, a thriller. The story doesn't always work, but it reminded me a little bit of "Smile 2", although this once isn't as good.
Lady Raven is played by Night Shyamalan's daughter Saleka and, though she doesn't have much screen time in the first part of the movie, she kinda steals the show towards the end.
Awards: /
Key word: Concert ticket.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2358 - The Brutalist

Intro: We were really curious to watch this movie after hearing about it so much and in such good terms. Also, we thought  it would have played a bigger role during the awards season.

Film 2358: "The Brutalist" (2024), Brady Corbet
Watched on: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh, Elias, Debbi
Thoughts: Not a huge fan of Adrien Brody to be honest and I wasn't quite sure I could handle a 3 hour film - I'm not my younger and enthusiastic self anymore - but we ended up going all together to see Brady Corbet's epic WWII architectural saga because a) everyone was talking about it and b) it looked like the Oscars were going to recognize this movie big time. And point b) kinda happened.
Altought this is definitely not my movie of the year - neither in general, nor between the Oscar nominated pictures - I made peace with the fact that "The Brutalist" was going to win Best Picture a long time before the actual Oscars night. Imagine my shock when the winnder announced was actually "Anora". Two opposite movie experiences for me, one calm (althought traumatic), the other one screamed at you. Funny how things can still surprise you even when you think you have all figured out.
Anyway, "The Brutalist" wasn't as heavy to watch as I thought I would be: it's not an easy ride by any means, but the beautiful shots, the elegance of this film and the compelling story makes up for it. Still, not a huge fan of Adrien Brody. His performance is (obviously) good, and nobody does the a WWII movie like him, but another Oscar after "The Pianist"? For a very similar performance? Again? The only actor across all 4 acting categories who already had an Oscar, won his second one. Was it really necessary? I was hard-core rooting for Ralph Fiennes but I was happy to settle for Timothée... but Brody again? I don't know, it still doesn't sound right to me.
And, I'll be honest, it still shocks me that Brady Corbet didn't win for Best Director considering how beautifully shot and directed his movie is. A movie about an architect, the building of his visionary magnum opus, the epic tale of an artist, his struggle, the war, having to run away from your own country... It had all the elements. Especially considering that neither Edward Berger for "Conclave" nor Luca Guadagnino for "Challengers" were nominated.
Anyway, I enjoyed "The Brutalist" as a one time experience - with the intermission and all - and that part shot in the marble caves of Carrara stays with me to this day. It's a very well done movie, a visionary one fur sure and extremelly well executed. Not my favourite of them all, but still a great expample of contemporary cinema.  
Cast: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Emma Laird, Isaach de Bankolé, Alessandro Nivola.
Box Office: $50.1 million
Worth a watch?: Definitely not a film for everyone nor a cinematic experience for every occasion as the movie is 215 minutes long. But, if you have the willingness and the patience, it's definitely worth watching.
Awards: 3 Oscars wins (Best Actor for Brody, Original Score, and Cinematography) out of 10 nominations (Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor for Pearce, Supporting Actress for Jones, Original Screenplay, Editing, and Production Design). 4 BAFTAs wins (Best Director, Actor in a Leading Role, Cinematography, and Original Score) out of 9 noms (Best Film, Actor in a Supporting Role, Actress in a Supporting Role, Original Screenplay, and Production Design) and 3 Golden Globes wins (Best Motion Picture – Drama, Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, Director) out of 7 overall nominations (Best Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Screenplay, and Original Score). Winner of the Silver Lion (Brady Corbet) at 2024's Venice Film Festival.
Key word: Bulding.
Trailer
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Bengi

David di Donatello 2025: nominees and winners

70th David di Donatello

Miglior Film
Berlinguer - La grande ambizione di Andrea Segre
Il tempo che ci vuole di Francesca Comencini
L’arte della gioia di Valeria Golino
Parthenope di Paolo Sorrentino
Vermiglio di Maura Delpero

Miglior Attore
Elio Germano - Berlinguer - La grande ambizione
Francesco Gheghi - Familia
Fabrizio Gifuni - Il tempo che ci vuole
Silvio Orlando - Parthenope
Tommaso Ragno - Vermiglio

Migliore Attrice
Barbara Ronchi - Familia
Romana Maggiora Vergano - Il tempo che ci vuole
Tecla Insolia - L’arte della gioia
Celeste Dalla Porta - Parthenope
Martina Scrinzi - Vermiglio

Miglior Regia 

Andrea Segre - Berlinguer - La grande ambizione
Francesca Comencini - Il tempo che ci vuole
Valeria Golino - L’arte della gioia
Paolo Sorrentino - Parthenope
Maura Delpero - Vermiglio

Miglior Esordio alla Regia
Ciao bambino - Edgardo Pistone
Gloria! - Margherita Vicario
I bambini di Gaza - Loris Lai
Io e il Secco - Gianluca Santoni
Zamora - Neri Marcorè

Miglior Sceneggiatura Originale

Berlinguer - La grande ambizione - Andrea Segre, Marco Pettenello
El Paraiso - Enrico Maria Artale
Gloria! - Margherita Vicario, Anita Rivaroli
Il tempo che ci vuole - Francesca Comencini
Parthenope - Paolo Sorrentino
Vermiglio - Maura Delpero

Miglior Sceneggiatura Non Originale
Campo di battaglia - Gianni Amelio, Alberto Taraglio
Familia - Francesco Costabile, Vittorio Moroni, Adriano Chiarelli
Il ragazzo dai pantaloni rosa - Roberto Proia
L’arte della gioia - Valeria Golino, Francesca Marciano, Valia Santella, Luca Infascelli, Stefano Sardo
Napoli - New York - Gabriele Salavtores

Miglior Attrice Non Protagonista
Geppi Cucciari - Diamanti
Tecla Insolia - Familia
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi - L’arte della gioia
Jasmine Trinca - L’arte della gioia
Luisa Ranieri - Parthenope

Miglior Attore Non Protagonista
Roberto Citran - Berlinguer - La grande ambizione
Francesco Di Leva - Familia
Guido Caprino - L’arte della gioia
Pierfrancesco Favino - Napoli - New York
Peppe Lanzetta - Parthenope

Miglior Documentario
Duse – The Greatest - Sonia Bergamasco
Il cassetto segreto - Costanza Quatriglio
L’occhio della gallina - Antonietta De Lillo
Lirica Ucraina - Francesca Mannocchi
Prima della fine - Gli ultimi giorni di Berlinguer - Samuele Rossi

Miglior Film Internazionale
Anora - Sean Baker (Universal Pictures International Italy)
Conclave - Edward Berger (Eagle Pictures)
Giurato Numero 2 - Clint Eastwood (Warner Bros. Pictures)
La zona d'interesse - Jonathan Glazer (I Wonder Pictures)
Perfect Days - Wim Wenders (Lucky Red)

Miglior Produzione
Berlinguer. La grande ambizione
Ciao bambino
Gloria!
Vermiglio
Vittoria

Miglior Autore della Fotografia
Luan Amelio Ujkaj - Campo di battaglia
Matteo Cocco - Dostoevskij
Daniele Ciprì - Hey Joe
Fabio Cianchetti - L’arte della gioia
Daria D'Antonio - Parthenope
Mikhail Krichman - Vermiglio

Miglior Compositore

IoSonoUnCane - Berlinguer - La grande ambizione
Thom Yorke - Confidenza
Margherita Vicario, Davide Pavanello - Gloria!
Colapesce - Iddu
Nicola Piovani - Il treno dei bambini

Migliore Canzone Originale
Confidenza “Knife Edge” - Musica, testi e interpretazione di Thom Yorke
Diamanti “Travia” - Musica di Giuliano Taviani, Carmelo Travia, Testi di Giorgia Todrani, interpretata da Giorgia
Familia “Atoms” - Musica e testi di Valerio Vigliar, interpretata da Greta Zuccoli
Gloria! “Aria!” - Musica e testi di Margherita Vicario, Davide Pavanello, Edwyn Clark Roberts, Andrea Bonomo, Gianluigi Fazio, interpretata da Margherita Vicario
Iddu “La malvagità” - Musica, testi e interpretazione di Colapesce

Miglior Scenografia
Berlinguer - La grande ambizione - Scenografia Alessandro Vannucci, Arredamento Laura Casalini
L’arte della gioia - Scenografia Luca Merlini, Arredamento Giulietta Rimoldi
Le déluge - Gli ultimi giorni di Maria Antonietta - Scenografia Tonino Zera, Arredamento Maria Grazia Schirripa, Carlotta Desmann
Parthenope - Scenografia Carmine Guarino, Arredamento Iole Autero
Vermiglio - Scenografia Pirra, Vito Giuseppe Zito, Arredamento Sara Pergher

Migliori Costumi
Mary Montalto - Gloria!
Maria Rita Barbera - L’arte della gioia
Massimo Cantini Parrini - Le déluge - Gli ultimi giorni di Maria Antonietta
Carlo Poggioli - Parthenope
Andrea Cavalletto - Vermiglio

Miglior Trucco 

Berlinguer - La grande ambizione - Sara Morlando, Rossella Sicignano, prostetico-special makeup Leonardo Cruciano, Viola Moneta
L’arte della gioia - Maurizio Fazzini
Le déluge - Gli ultimi giorni di Maria Antonietta - Alessandra Vita, prostetico-special makeup Valentina Visintin
Parthenope - Paola Gattabrusi, prostetico-special makeup Lorenzo Tamburini
Vermiglio - Frédérique Foglia

Miglior Acconciatura

Desiree Corridoni - Berlinguer. La grande ambizione
Marta Iacoponi, Carla Indoni - Gloria!
Aldo Signoretti, Domingo Santoro - Le déluge - Gli ultimi giorni di Maria Antonietta
Marco Perna - Parthenope
Tiziana Argiolas - Vermiglio

Miglior Montaggio
Jacopo Quadri - Berlinguer. La grande ambizione
Walter Fasano - Dostoevskij
Giogiò Franchini - L’arte della gioia
Cristiano Travaglioli - Parthenope
Luca Mattei - Vermiglio

Miglior Suono
Berlinguer. La grande ambizione - Presa diretta Alessandro Palmerini, Montaggio del suono Marc Bastien, Creazione suoni Vincent Grégorio, Mix Franco Piscopo
Campo di battaglia - Presa diretta Emanuele Cicconi, Montaggio del suono Alessandro Feletti, Creazione suoni Alessandro Giacco, Mix Marco Falloni
Gloria! - Presa diretta Xavier Lavorel, Montaggio del suono Daniela Bassani, Creazione suoni François Wolf, Mix Maxence Ciekawy
Parthenope - Presa diretta Emanuele Cecere, Montaggio del suono Silvia Moraes, Creazione suoni Mirko Perri, Mix Michele Mazzucco
Vermiglio - Presa diretta Dana Farzanehpour, Montaggio del suono Hervé Guyader, Creazione suoni Hervé Guyader, Mix Emmanuel De Boissieu

Migliori Effetti visivi
Berlinguer. La grande ambizione - Supervisore Tristan Lilien, Producer Michel Denis
L’arte della gioia - Supervisore Francesco Niolu, Producer Rodolfo Migliari
Limonov - Supervisore Fabio Tomassetti, Producer Daniele Tomassetti
Napoli - New York - Supervisore Victor Perez
Parthenope - Supervisore Rodolfo Migliari, Producer Lena Di Gennaro

Miglior Casting
Stefania De Santis - Berlinguer. La grande ambizione
Anna Pennella - Familia
Massimo Appolloni - Gloria!
Francesco Vedovati, Anna Maria Sambucco, Massimo Appolloni - L’arte della gioia
Stefania Rodà, Maurilio Mangano - Vermiglio

Miglior Cortometraggio 

Domenica sera - Matteo Tortone
La confessione - Nicola Sorcinelli
La ragazza di Praga - Andree Lucini
Majoneze - Giulia Grandinetti
The eggregores’ theory - Andrea Gatopoulos

David Giovani
Berlinguer. La grande ambizione - Andrea Segre
Familia - Francesco Costabile
Il ragazzo dai pantaloni rosa - Margherita Ferri
Il tempo che ci vuole - Francesca Comencini
Napoli - New York - Gabriele Salvatores

David dello Spettatore
Diamanti di Ferzan Ozpetek

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Bengi

Film 2357 - How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Intro: I know it's quite a popular romcom, yet I had never seen it. And once again Netflix came to my rescue.

Film 2357: "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" (2003), Donald Petrie
Watched on: My computer
Language: English
Watched with: Michael
Thoughts: Not exactly groundbreaking, but enjoyable enough. Clearly Matthew McConaughey was at the top of his romcom game here and, in some way, Kate Hudson as well.
Not my favourite film of the genre, but it works.
Cast: Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, Adam Goldberg, Michael Michele, Shalom Harlow, Thomas Lennon, Bebe Neuwirth, Celia Weston.
Box Office: $177.5 million
Worth a watch?: For those who appreciate romance and comedy and a very predictable plot. It's a good time enough.
Awards: 1 MTV Movie + TV Awards nomination for Best Female Performance (Kate Hudson).
Key word: Bullshit.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2356 - Clueless

Intro: A lot has happened lately and couldn't find the energy to sit down and write about movies. I don't know, I just didn't have it in me. It's been a strange few weeks and didn't feel like myself really. Here's my first attempt at reconnecting to the things I love.

Film 2356: "Clueless" (1995), Amy Heckerling
Watched on: My computer
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: Funny enough, I've never seen this movie before. I don't know why, I definitely had nothing against it and God knows I love a comedy movie about a bunnch of teenagers in high school. I think it's possibly because this wasn't necessarily a big movie hit in Italy while I was growing up and then never thought of actually sitting down and watching it. But Netflix fixed that for me in a way.
After finally watching "Clueless", I have to admit I really had a good time. Alicia Silverstone is great in it and it was insane discovering how many famous actors are featured here. It's a great teen movie, but not only that, as it includes very effective satire and comedic bits, plus extremely quotable lines and iconic moments that clearly have influenced many other films after this one came out. Definitely a cult classic.
Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, Paul Rudd, Donald Faison, Jeremy Sisto, Breckin Meyer, Dan Hedaya, Wallace Shawn.
Box Office: $88 million
Worth a watch?: I really enjoyed this watch, it's fun and funny, well acted and smarter than it would appear on a first look. I'll definitely watch it again.
Awards: 2 MTV Movie + TV Awards wins for Best Female Performance and Most Desirable Female (both for Silverstone), out of 4 noms (Best Movie and Best Comedic Performance).
Key word: Shopping.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2355 - Babygirl

Intro: We were really curious to watch this movie after hearing about it so much and in such good terms. Also, we thoguht it would have played a bigger role during the awards season.

Film 2355: "Babygirl" (2024), Halina Reijn
Watched on: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi
Thoughts: "Babygirl" is one of those movies that is all about sex, but not sexy or sensual. So you're watching a film about people having sex, about BDSM, sexual tension, control, but it never really gets you there. You see it, but you don't feel it. And it's a bit strange considering how much it revolves around these themes.
That said, it's not a bad movie, I actually enjoyed it enough. Nicole Kidman gives a brave performance - I like that choses to work with a female director at least once a year - and Harris Dickinson should definitely be a bigger star by now. In a way, he is the movie.
Ps. I know it's silly, but once you notice how big Nicole Kidmsna's earlobe are, you can't unsee it. For the rest of the movie.
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Sophie Wilde, Antonio Banderas.
Box Office: $64.3 million
Worth a watch?: Bob Dylan's fans should really enjoy this movie. Not my favourite biopic or musical, but still a good film. Similar titles would be "Walk the Line" and Ray". For something a bit more fast-paced, "Dreamgirls", "8 Mile", "Elvis", "Better Man", "Rocketman" or "Judy".
Awards: Nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. Nicole Kidman won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival 2024.
Key word: Intern.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2354 - A Complete Unknown

Intro: Getting ready for the Oscars means to watch as many nominated movies as possible. And this year we were very committed.

Film 2354: "A Complete Unknown" (2024), James Mangold
Watched on: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi, Elias
Thoughts: Biopics can be a hit or a miss, but I have to admit I enjoyed this movie enough. I say enough not because "A Complete Unknown" isn't a good movie - au contraire - but mainly because I don't know Bob Dylan's music that much and. And considering this is both a biopic AND a musical, not knowing any of the songs didn't help.
Again, I don't know Dylan's story, so I can only judge what I saw here, which isn't that pretty at times: it seems like the famous singer was a bit of a prick here and there (I mean, we all are in our own different ways) and I wasn't expecting to witness this side of him. His relationship with the two main female lead here isn't great, there's a lot of cheating and putting himself (and his music) first in the name of greatness.
That said, I particularly enjoyed the actors' performances. Timothée Chalamet really is one of the greatest (see his SAG speach which brought him so much controversy) and Monica Barbaro is phenomenal playing Joan Baez. Extremely well deserved Oscar noms for these two. I admit I was rooting for Chalamet to win. Althought this isn't my favourite movie by any means, of the 5 nominated performances (I watched only 4 so far), his was the one that impressed me the most.
Overall I liked "A Complete Unknown", not necessarily a movie that fits what I'm usually looking for in a film, still I enjoyed the watch.
Ps. It's silly, I know, but once you notice Chalamet's nails you can't unsee them.
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook, Dan Fogler, Scoot McNairy.
Box Office: $132 million
Worth a watch?: Bob Dylan's fans should really enjoy this movie. Not my favourite biopic or musical, but still a good film. Similar titles would be "Walk the Line" and Ray". For something a bit more fast-paced, "Dreamgirls", "8 Mile", "Elvis", "Better Man", "Rocketman" or "Judy".
Awards: Nominated for 8 Oscars for Best Picture, Director, Lead Actor (Chalamet), Supporting Actress (Barbaro), Supporting Actor (Norton), Adapted Screenplay, Sound, and Costume Design. 6 BAFTA nominations for Best Film, Actor in a Leading Role (Chalamet), Actor in a Supporting Role (Norton), Adapted Screenplay, Casting, and Costume Design. 3 Golden Globe noms in the Drama category for Best Picture, Best Actor (Chalamet), and Supporting Actor (Norton).
Key word: Folk.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2353 - The Thin Red Line

Intro: Ages ago when I was still a teenager, I tried to watch this movie. I heard great things about it and I wanted to know what all the fuzz was about. 20 minutes in and I stopped. I remember thinking it started so slow, I felt I wasn't sure I could finish it. Decades have passed and, for watherver reason, a few weeks ago I remembered about this movie, remembered how I gave up when I tried to watch it the first time, and felt now it was the right time to give it a go.

Film 2353: "The Thin Red Line" (1998), Terrence Malick
Watched on: My computer
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: I wont' lie, it took all the patience I had in me to finish this movie. Not becuase it's bad - the very opposite - but it's so long (171 min) I wasn't sure I had it in me after a while.
That said, "The Thin Red Line" is extremely well made, I think you can tell that Malick is really interested in nature, a lot of the shots are actually just forest. It really does help you immerse yoursefl in the story, although including all these shots really encreases the runtime of the movie. Once you're at peace with that, you can really focus on the story.
There are a billion characters (and famous actors) in this movie, to the point that sometimes it's overwhelming. I was curious to see how the story would have handled so many storylines, but to be fair most of these famous actors that you read the name of on the poster are just there for a scene or two (George Clooney and John Travolta, for example), so that explains how they managed to secure so many famous names. It's still impressive how many famouse faces from that decade you recognize while watching the movie.
Overall, I really enjoyed "The Thin Red Line". In a way, it's more "poetic" than "Saving Private Ryan", although still very much grounded into reality, it has a way of telling its story differently, often stopping to focus on nature, a detail, a face. I liked this approach, in a way it gives you a moment to take all in, process the cruelty you just witnessed, the horrors of war. Funny enough, the two movies share similar topics and themes, they both faced against each other at the 1999 Oscars ceremony and they both lost Best Picture (still a massive scandal to this day) to "Shakespeare in Love".
Cast: Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, Jim Caviezel, Ben Chaplin, George Clooney, John Cusack, Woody Harrelson, Elias Koteas, Nick Nolte, John C. Reilly, Jared Leto, Tim Blake Nelson, Thomas Jane, Miranda Otto, John Travolta.
Box Office: $98.1 million
Worth a watch?: A tough watch, I won't lie. Definitely not a movie for all occasions or everybody, it handles a heavy topic (depicting a a fictionalized version of the Battle of Mount Austen, which was part of the Guadalcanal Campaign in the Pacific Theater of the Second World War) and it takes its time to do it. I really liked it, but I'm not sure I'd watch it again.
Awards: Nominated for 7 Oscars for Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Original Dramatic Score, and Sound. Nominated for Best Foreign Film at the César Awards. The movie won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Key word: Bunker.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2352 - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Intro: A couple of months ago I was watching a video on YouTube about the Oscars and the youtuber said something like nobody really remembers this movie anymore as it wasn't that good anyway. I cannot disagree more.

Film 2352: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (2008), David Fincher
Watched on: My computer
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" has had such a massive impact on my life it's hard to explain how much I care for it. Not only it inspired the nickname I use to this day, Bengiamino Bottone, but I remember being obsessed with its soundtrack - I bought the CD - and I still listen to it to this day. Not to mention that my favourite actress Cate Blanchett plays the female lead character, which adds to this movie's appeal (to met).
Rewatching it almost felt like watching it for the first time all over again, as it's been a while since my last viewing. And it was probably my first time watching it in English, so in a way it felt like I was experiencing something new.
A very poetic movie, beautifully shot and, again, Alexandre Desplat's score is so good.
Film 200 - Il curioso caso di Benjamin Button
Film 1151 - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Film 2352 - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson, Julia Ormond, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas, Mahershala Ali, Jared Harris, Tilda Swinton.
Box Office: $335.8 million
Worth a watch?: One of my favourite movies, I never get tired of it. It is a bit long for sure, but I never really minded. Always a nice watch.
Awards: 3 Oscar wins for Best Art Direction, Makeup, and Visual Effects out of 13 nominations (Picture, Director, Acotr for Brad Pitt, Supporting Actress for Taraji P. Henson, Original Score, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume Design, Editing, and Sound Mixing). 3 BAFTA wins for Best Makeup & Hair, Production Design, and Visual Effects out of 11 noms (Film, Director, Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Costume Design, and Music). 5 Golden Globe nominations in the Drama category (Film, Director, Actor, Screenplay, and Score). 1 MTV Movie + TV Awards for Best Female Performance (Taraji P. Henson). Nominated for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media at the Grammys.
Key word: Aging.
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Bengi

Film 2351 - Conclave

Intro: I'm obviously obsessed with this movie and I wanted to show it to Michael, who didn't have the chance to go and see it at the movies.

Film 2351: "Conclave" (2024), Edward Berger
Watched on: The TV
Language: English
Watched with: Michael
Thoughts: The more I watch it, the more I enjoy it and notice new details, pay more attention to the soundtrack (this wonderful score should have won Volker Bertelmann the Oscar), love Ralph Fiennes' performance even more.
"Conclave" is a great movie, stunningly beautiful, every shot looks like a painting, carefully crafted to please the eyes of the audience. I'm really captivated by this movie, I find it beautiful and smart, its story compelling and entertaining (although I still feel such a shocking ending isn't really necessary here: maybe it works better in the book, I'm not sure it translate well in its cinematic counterpart). And it gives me great joy to see Isabella Rossellini and Sergio Castellitto in such a prestigious production.
One of the best movies from last year, definitely my pick for Best Picture at the Oscar.
Film 2327 - Conclave
Film 2332 - Conclave
Film 2351 - Conclave
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, Carlos Diehz, Lucian Msamati, Isabella Rossellini.
Box Office: $107.6 million
Worth a watch?: I'd watch it another 50 times. "Conclave" is great, perfectly narrated, beautifully crafted, masterfully acted. It's a thriller more than anything else, very political and extremely symbolical. Like an onion, there are multiple layers to peal here.
Awards: 1 Oscar win for Best Adapted Screenplay over 8 Oscar nominations (Best Picture, Actor for Fiennes, Supporting Actress for Rossellini, Original Score, Editing, Production Design, and Costume Design). 1 Golden Globe won for Best Screenplay out of 6 nominations in the drama category (Best Movie, Actor, Supporting Actress, Director, and Original Score). 12 BAFTA nominations and 4 wins for Best Film, Outstanding British Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing.
Key word: Certainty.
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Bengi

Film 2350 - Anora

Intro: I wan't sure about rewatching this movie already, but Michael really wanted to watch it and, to be fair, I couldn't say no. Because, after all, this was one of my favourite movies from last year.

Film 2350: "Anora" (2024), Sean Baker
Watched on: The projector
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: It's almost been two weeks and I still can't get over the fact that Demi Moore isn't an Oscar winner "because" of this movie. To be honest, I don't think I'll ever get over it. But let's start from the beginning.
When I watched "Anora" a couple of months ago, all the Oscars buzz and the controversies (about the intimacy coordinator) were there already. After winning at Cannes 2024, it was very obvious that this movie was destined to do really good come award season. So, that I expected. When Demi Moore started winning big, I got really excited, to the point that I didn't give too much credit to the BAFTAs when they rewarded Madison in their Leading Actress category. Usually the BAFTAs are a bit more "artsy" and/or go with British choices, so I didn't feel particularly defeated when Demi didn't win there (still, they rewarded "Emilia Pérez", but whatever). Demi subsequent win at SAG further cemented my idea: she was going to win the Oscar for sure now, seeing that the actors' branch was rewarding her performance a week before the Academy Awards. Boy I was up for a surprise.

With this in mind, I can't honestly deny that my disappointment for Demi's lost chance at winning her first Academy Award comes into play a bit when I'm thinking about this movie. I still think "Anora" is an interesting ride, but it's definitely not my best movie of the year. By a landslide. And, as much as I respect Mikey Madison's performance here - which is great, by the way! - hers is definitely not my favourite performance of 2024. (Who would have thought...)
"Anora" is a very, very loud movie, the dialogue is sometimes screamed at you, which reminded me of the terrible experience I had watching "Uncut Gems": I can take the noise, it's just that everything is too cahotic and frantic and I don't appreciated it.
Furthermore, the story didn't necessarily compelled me, not my cup of tea. The sex workers subject is interesting, but it lost me when the family got involved: I'm not much into movies about mafia, gangsters and similar topics. Not for me.
What I did really enjoye is Yura Borisov's character and performance. He is amazing in the movie, a real scene-stealer for me. At the beginning he's only in the background, but he slowly gains momentum until, in the end, he reveals himself to be one of the few people (possibly the only one) who shows Anora some kindness. I was really impressed by Borisov's portrayal, possibly also because he's not so in your face like every other character of this movie.
So, now that we all know that this is 2025's Best Picture winner at this Oscars, I'll say this (and maybe time will prove me wrong or I will change my mind): "The Substance" is an iconic movie in so many ways and it will forever be remembered as such. I don't know if we can say the same about "Anora".
Cast: Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, Aleksei Serebryakov.
Box Office: $47.2 million
Worth a watch?: #TeamDemi didn't work so here we are, with a different Best Actress winner, still an extremely impressive performance. Funny enough, the story of "The Substance" came to life on Oscars' night, when Demi Moore lost the chance of a lifetime to a younger actress.
"Anora" isn't my favourite movie, it's been a tough watch to be completely honest, it's a very loud movie and the characters constantly scream at each other. If you like that type of chaos, there's plenty for you here. The sex workers topic is also interesting, but the story quickly shifts to Anora and Vanya's crazy love story, so it's a bit of a missed opportunity there for me. All in all, it's worth watch it to come up with your own opinion about the movie, but I'm definitely going to watch it again soon.
Awards: 6 Oscar nominations and 5 wins: Best Picture, Director, Actress (Mikey Madison), Original Screenplay, and Film Editing (only missed Best Supporting Actor for Yura Borisov). 2 BAFTA wins over 7 nominations (for Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Casting) and 5 Golden Globe nominations for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Actress (Madison), Best Supporting Actor (Borisov), Best Director, and Best Screenplay. The movie won the Palme d'Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Key word: Wedding.
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Bengi

Film 2349 - The Substance

Intro: I wan't sure about rewatching this movie already, but Michael really wanted to watch it and, to be fair, I couldn't say no. Because, after all, this was one of my favourite movies from last year.

Film 2349: "The Substance" (2024), Coralie Fargeat
Watched on: From the TV
Language: English
Watched with: Michael
Thoughts: I'm honestly so glad I rewatched this. I think the first time around "The Substance" was more an experience, rather than a film. I remembered I felt I was going through a rollercoaster during my first watch at the movies, but this time I knew what to expect and, in a way, I focused more on other aspects of this wild ride.
First, I paid more attention to Margaret Qualley's performance: she was definitely deserving of an Oscar nomination. Maybe not a win, but her role is iconic and there's no Elisabeth Sparkle without Sue. Remember: they are one.
Second, I paid more attention to the soundtrack and the visuals in general. I think "The Substance" does an amazing job at defyining itself through images and sound, not just the performances. It features a lot of ommages to other films, probably the easiest one to spot is "The Shining". Visually it's an extremely interesting movie, the colours are so bright and the music makes them feel even more "alive".
Thirdly, I reconsidered some of my previous concerns regarding the ending - there's a lot of "Carrie" in that live Christmas special - and although gruesome and gory, it really fits this story, complementing a crazy, wild ride in a way that is so unexpected as it is overwhelming at first. On a second watch, knowing what's about to happen, you focus less on the shock of what you're witnessing and more on the absurdity that is to put your life at risk to fulfill a (male) fantasy and pursue fame at all costs.
Film 2312 - The Substance
Film 2349 - The Substance
Cast: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid.
Box Office: $77.1 million
Worth a watch?: Definitely not a movie for the general crowd, but an interesting and challenging movie nonetheless. On my second watch I loved it even more: Demi Moore needs to win that Oscar now. We'll see on Sunday what happens, but after her win at SAG last Sunday, it looks like she might have the support to achieve this amazing feat. What a journey for her. #TeamDemi
Awards: 5 Oscars nomination for Best Picture, Director, Actress, Original Screenplay, and Makeup and Hairstyling. 1 BAFTA win for Best Make Up & Hair out of 5 nominations (Director, Actress in a Leading Role, Original Screenplay, and Sound). 1 win at the Golden Globes for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Moore) out of 5 noms (Film, Director, Supporting Actress, Screenplay). The movie is currently nominated for Best Foreign Film at this year's César Awards.
Key word: Christmas Show.
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Bengi

Film 2348 - The Hunger Games

Intro: For our second watch at Michael's we went for something lighter and available on Netflix.

Film 2348: "The Hunger Games" (2012), Gary Ross
Watched on: From the TV
Language: English
Watched with: Michael
Thoughts: I always love the first two movies of this franchise, I think they're brilliant. It's unfortunate that greed came into play when it was time to adapt the third book and they decided to split it into two movies (the third one is bad), still "The Hunger Games" saga is a good one to watch and the best one in the young adult genre to come out recently.
Film 412 - Hunger Games
Film 461 - Hunger Games
Film 541 - Hunger Games
Film 1551 - The Hunger Games
Film 2348 - The Hunger Games
Film 634 e 635 - Hunger Games: la ragazza di fuoco
Film 699 - Hunger Games: La ragazza di fuoco
Film 1171 - The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Film 1552 - The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Film 2078 - Hunger Games: La ragazza di fuoco
Film 836 - Hunger Games: il canto della rivolta - Parte I
Film 1176 - The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
Film 1056 - Hunger Games: Il canto della rivolta - Parte 2
Film 1460 - The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
Film 2239 - The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland.
Box Office: $695.2 million
Worth a watch?: For those who appreciate the young adult genre, this is definitely a movie/saga to watch. First and second films are great.
Awards: The movie won Best Feature Film at the BAFTA Children's Award. Nominated for 1 Golden Globe for Best Original Song - Motion Picture ("Safe and Sound", Taylor Swift, John Paul White, Joy Williams, T Bone Burnett). 1 Gramm win (Best Song Written for Visual Media, "Safe and Sound") and 1 nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media ("Abraham's Daughter", T Bone Burnett, Win Butler, Régine Chassagne).
Key word: Tributes.
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Bengi

Film 2347 - A Real Pain

Intro: I stayed at Micheal's for almost a week, so I had my list of things I wanted to watch (to switch from our usual "Drag Race" frenzy...). And this movie came highly reccomended by Niamh, so I was really curious to watch it.

Film 2347: "A Real Pain" (2024), Jesse Eisenberg
Watched on: From the TV
Language: English
Watched with: Michael
Thoughts: This is the first movie written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg that I watched. I thought it was his directorial debut, but it actually isn't, as he previously wrote and directed a movie called "When You Finish Saving the World" with Julianne Moore. seen that I didn't know too much about his previous work in these roles, I didn't know what to expect.
"A Real Pain" is a really weel constructed movie and a solid one. Through his screenplay, Eisenberg is capable of building a quirky, yet profound world that function well thanks to the chemistry between Eisenberg and his co-lead Kieran Culkin. Together thei're a match made in heaven.
Culkin, especially, thanks to his character is able to stand out, portraying Benji in a way that resimbles his Roman Roy from "Succession", but in a more low-key, depressed and "hippie" way. I'm sure he's winning an Oscar for this role.
Other than the two actors, though, the story explores grief and mental health, for a on the road/self-discory story that follows David (Eisenberg) and Benji's Jewish family roots all the way to Poland to visit the village where their grandmother grew up. While in the country, they go on a Jewish heritage tour that will take them to Majdanek, the Nazi German concentration in Lublin.
Needless to say, the subject of this movie is extremely heavy and yet Eisenberg finds a good balance between heavier and lighter moments, for an overall result that isn't a tough watch, but the very opposite (still, I would classify this as a comedy movie, as the Golden Globes did when recognizing "A Real Pain" in their categories). Not my favourite movie of the year, but absolutely a worthy watch.
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy, Daniel Oreskes.
Box Office: $19.6 million
Worth a watch?: A movie well done, with a charming cast and story, altough tough to process at times. Probably not everyone's cup of tea, but for those who are interest, definitely worth the watch. For those who thought Kieran Culkin gave the performance of a lifetime by playing Roman Roy, here's another character he mastered magnificently.
Awards: Nominated for 2 Oscars for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Kieran Culkin) and Best Original Screenplay (Jesse Eisenberg); the movie won at BAFTA in the same two categories. At the Golden Globe, it won for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture (Culkin) out of 4 total nominations (Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and Screenplay).
Key word: Grandma.
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Bengi