Film 2245 - Better Man

Intro: I got so excited to see this movie I couldn't wait!

Film 2345: "Better Man" (2024), Michael Gracey
Watched on: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Michael
Thoughts: I'm not Robbie Williams biggest fan, but I definitely know his work and appreciate his music, so I was excited to watch a movie biopic about him and his start in the Tak That boy band back in the 80s all the way to today's time. And let me tell you, this movie delivers.
I understand not everyone is familiar with Williams - this resulted in this movie's biggest controversy: it's audience - but it shouldn't stop people from seeing this movie: "Better Man" is a great biopic and an even better musical. The songs are great and the dance routines (and camera work to go with it) amazing, perectly balancing emotional depth and entertainment. Not to mention this movie is extremely interesting visually, as (everybody knows) the main character, Robbie, is portrayed as a chimpanzee (various reasons behind this choice, I'll let you discover them). And although this may look odd at first glance, in reality this choice doesn't take anything away from the story and the audience connection to the protagonist. Yeah, it's a bit weird, but Robbie Williams never really played by the rules.
So, to summarize, this movie is great.
That said, it definitely overestimated its audience. America seems to have rejected it because Williams isn't really famous over there - funny enoug, "Anora", a film nominated for 6 Academy Awards this year, features the song "Greatest Day" by Take That, the group Williams first started his career in (although he's not included in this song) - but honestly I find this to be a lazy excuse. I watched countless American biopics focusing on people I didn't know much about, it has never stopped me from enjoying the movie. And I find annoying how many people (online) dismissed "Better Man" just because Williams isn't part of their American background, stating that he was never really famous because he never "made it" in the US. I remember growing up Robbie Williams was everywhere, delivering a smashing hit after another and selling millions of albums in Europe: I don't think this cultural phenomenon can be disregarded just becuase the US wasn't touched by it. (He even sang a song with Nicole Kidman back in 2001!)
Anyway it's obvious at this point that investing $110 million on this project was a massive risk that didn't pay off. These days is difficult for a superheroe movie to generate box-office frenzy, I don't think this biopic about a British popstar led by a motion capture generated monkey stood a chance. Which is said, considering how good this movie is.
A bittersweet feeling with this one: on one hand a very well executed and entertaining movie, on the other one of the biggest flop from 2024. But don't get you fooled by the box-office gross, "Better Man" is absolutely worth the watch.
Cast: Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Alison Steadman, Raechelle Banno.
Box Office: $19.7 million (so far)
Worth a watch?: A peculiar mix of "Trainspotting" and "Planet of the Apes". Robbie Williams and Take That's fun, this is your movie. Everyone else, give this film a chance, you won't be disappointed.
Awards: 1 nomination at the 2025 Oscars and BAFTAs for Best Visual Effects. 1 nomination for Best Original Song, Motion Picture ("Forbidden Road", Robbie Williams, Freddy Wexler, Sacha Skarbek) at the 2025 Golden Globes.
Key word: "It".
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2344 - Spy

Intro: One evening at Micheal's we were trying to decide on what to watch and the, on Netflix, I finally found this. And I knew it was time to watch this movie again.

Film 2344: "Spy" (2015), Paul Feig
Watched on: From the TV
Language: English
Watched with: Michael
Thoughts: personally, I love this movie. I find it extremely funny, both in English and Italian (which is very rare considering not all the jockes necessarily translate well into Italian usually).
I think Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham and Rose Byrne do a great job here, bringing their A game to a movie that could have been either a potential meh or completely bad; instead "Spy" is funny and refreshing every time I watch it again. I still remember the first time I watched it at the movie, I thought this movie was hilarious.
So, every now and then, when I feel like watching something funny and lighthearted, I go back to "Spy" and enjoy myself.
Film 978 - Spy
Film 1101 - Spy
Film 1492 - Spy
Film 1810 - Spy
Film 2344 - Spy
Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney, Jude Law, Morena Baccarin, 50 Cent, Ben Falcone.
Box Office: $235.7 million
Worth a watch?: Very funny, well executed and with a great cast. I know Melissa McCarthy isn't necessarily liked by everybody, but here she's at the top of her (comedic) game. I always have a great time watching this. (Also there's a cameo appearence from Verka Serduchka from Eurovision 2007, whic for me is a plus!)
Awards: Nominated for 2 Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical and Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical (McCarthy). 2 nominations at the MTV Movie + TV Awards for Best Comedic Performance (McCarthy) and Best Fight.
Key word: Car.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2343 - Nosferatu

Intro: Back from Italy after the holiday break, Niamh and I had this movie planned for as soon as we got back to Dublin.

Film 2343: "Nosferatu" (2024), Robert Eggers
Watched on: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: I was excited to see this movie, but not as excited as Niamh was.
I wasn't exactly sure what to expect, which I think didn't make me too entusiastic about watching this movie to begin with. What excited me the most, though, was it's cast: with Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Willem Dafoe all in lead and supporting roles and none other than "It" itself Bill Skarsgård in the titular role, definitely "Nosferatu"'s star factor was playing a big role.
What hurt the chances of me liking and enjoying this movie experience, though, were two factors. Firstly, an external one: the movie theater we were in had no heating on and we ended up watching the movie wearing our jackets all buttoned up. It maybe (unintentionally) mimicked this film's atmosphere, but it wasn't at all pleasent and actually made imèatient to leave ("Nosferatu" is 132 min long...).
Secondly, I couldn't understand a single thing Bill Skarsgård says. The tone of his voice playing this character and especially the accent made impossible for me to grasp just a couple of words here and there, to the point I eventually gave up trying to understand what "Nosferatu" was saying. Which obviously made it kind of hard for me to understand what was going on with his character in general and especially with his relationship to and with Lily-Rose Depp's Ellen. To the point that I had to go and read the plot of this movie on Wikipedia to get a better sense of what I just watched.
So, maynly for these two reasons, i can't say I enjoyed watching "Nosferatu" as much as I was expecting to.
That said, it's undeniable that this movie has a clear point of view, is masterfully crafted and well acted and has a great sense of style and it's visually compelling. I particularly loved the gloomy atmosphere, the cinematography and costumes and the actor's perfromances. I think Robert Eggers once again proves that he has a really interesting point of view and his film are more and more becoming recognizable in terms of their clear style and visual, estethic and directing.
Also, I want to mention that I enjoyed Lily-Rose Depp's performance, this is the first time I see her act and she didn't disappoint (although I think this could have been another role Anya Taylor-Joy would have killed had she collaborated with Eggers once more after "The Witch" and "The Northman").
Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe.
Box Office: $172.2 million (so far)
Worth a watch?: Visually intriguing, extremelly well crafted and directed, I'm sure "Nosferatu" won't disappoint the fans of the original (although I didn't watch it so take this with a pinch of salt). Some may require subtitles to understand what Bill Skarsgård is saying.
Awards: Nominated for 4 Oscar: Cinematography, Production Design, Costumes and Makeup and Hairstyling. 5 BAFTAs nominations for Cinematography, Production Design, Costumes, Make Up & Hair and Original Score.
Key word: Plague.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2342 - A Quiet Place: Day One

Intro: Back from a month-and-a-half long vacation in Brazil, I finally met my cousin Francesca in Bologna and, after celebrating Boxing Day with our families, we drove all the way to Igea marina where she lives. There, exahusted, we decided to watch a movie. A very quiet one...

Film 2342: "A Quiet Place: Day One" (2024), Michael Sarnoski
Watched on: From the TV
Language: English
Watched with: Fre
Thoughts: I enjoy the "A Quiet Place" franchise, but I'm not a fan. I watched all the movies, yes, but I never felt the urge to re-watch them, for example. With that in mind, I decided it was time to give this new oting a go, since it was successful and, I remember, well liked by critics and viewers alike.
"A Quiet Place: Day One" is a well crafted, entertaining movie, similar enough to the previous two chapters of this sage, yet different enough to captivate its new audience. Which is obviously a smart move.
What was even smarter, though, was casting Lupita Nyong'o in the lead role: not only she's a great actress, but also a great horror actress as she proved already in Jordan Peele's "Us". Although her character isn't the easiest one to root for, Nyong'o's talent is undeniable and shines once again in this movie.
Other supporting performances by Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff and Djimon Hounsou are perfectly fine and serve the movie well, especially considering this is the closest it gets to a modern silent movie, so being able to actually act is essential.
An overall well made movie, especially considering it's a prequel, but also serves as a spin-off and it's the third outing of the series. I'm surprised it didn't get an Oscar nomination in the Best Sound category, but I guess it was hard to beat "Emila Pérez"...
Cast: Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, Djimon Hounsou.
Box Office: $261.8 million
Worth a watch?: Definitely a good horror movie, unique in its genre as there's barely any dialogue and the story is carried by the actors' performances (which are good). If you enjoyed the previous two movies, then this one can't be missed.
Awards: /
Key word: Pizza.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2341 - Juror #2

Intro: Third movie in a row on my very busy Christmas day, I went for something not a lot of people were talking about (and I heard my parents were going to see at the movies the next day).

Film 2341: "Juror #2" (2024), Clint Eastwood
Watched on: From my laptop
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: Potentially Client Eastwood's last motion picture, there was a lot of controversy surrounding this movie because apparently - and for whatever reason - Warner Brothers, the distributor of the movie, decided not to promote it. It doesn't really make sense to me, as this is a solid movie and the cast is great, but as a result, "Juror #2" wasn't a big success at the box-office (quite the opposite actually: it cost around $35 million just to produce it) nor with award bodies, which is really shamefull.
Although I don't think this is Eastwood's greatest work, I still believe it deserved at least a chance: Nicholas Hoult's and Toni Collette's performances are great, the story is compelling and well narrated, the overall result is well done and entertaining. All of this achieved by a man in his 90s, not to mention that he is literally a movie legend. SO why was this movie snubbed and quietly released in theaters?
To be honest, I can't really tell what happened behind the scenes, but definitely something must have went wrong for the outcome to be so unexpected. "Juror #2" is a perfectly fine and well crafted movie that deserved the attention of the audience, especially the fans of Client Eastwood's body of work. I particularly enjoyed Nicholas Hoult's performance, as it doesn't happen often he is given the chance to be the leading man of a drama movie, especially one that sees him being the actor with the most star-power of all the cast. I think he should be given more opportunities like this one, as he's a capable actor and his performance here is no exeption. Needless to say that Toni Collette is flawless here, always on point (give her more roles too!).
Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J. K. Simmons, Chris Messina, Zoey Deutch, Cedric Yarbrough, Leslie Bibb, Gabriel Basso, Kiefer Sutherland.
Box Office: $24.8 million
Worth a watch?: A really good movie. The story reveals its unexpected twist pretty soon and the audience is forced to live, together with the main character, the consequences and implications of the choices he makes. This plot device is really interesting and shakes things up narration-wise. For those who still remember it, this movie heavily reminded me of another legal drama from 11 (!) years ago, "The Judge". So, if you liked that one, you'll definitely enjoy "Juror #2".
Awards: /
Key word: Deer.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2340 - Carry-On

Intro: The second movie I watched on Christmas day is one I had heard of, but didn't know what was about. So I reluctantly decided to give it a chance, not knowing what to expect.

Film 2340: "Carry-On" (2024), Jaume Collet-Serra
Watched on: From the TV
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: I didn't expect to enjoy this movie as much as I did. It's not groundbreaking by any means, but it definitely a better-than-expected thriller that once again showcase Taron Egerton's talent as a leading man.
Because of its story and setting, "Carry-On" also heavily reminded me of several other movies like "Flightplan", "Red Eye" and "Non-Stop", all of which are set in an airport, although this one doesn't take place on an actual plane.

That said, I really enjoyed this movie and as the first new movie I watched this year - and by this I mean a movie I had never watched before - I was happily impressed.
Not unforgettable, but definitely enjoyable.
Cast: Taron Egerton, Sofia Carson, Danielle Deadwyler, Theo Rossi, Logan Marshall-Green, Jason Bateman.
Box Office: /
Worth a watch?: Usually I don't particularly enjoy Netflix's movies, but this one I did. It's a good ride, Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman play well off each other and the story is crazy enough to be entertaining. One of those movies set in an airport: if you enjoy this kind of films, then "Carry-On" will do the trick for you.
Awards: /
Key word: Promotion.
Trailer
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Bengi

Oscars 2025: Nominees & Winners

The 97th Academy Awards ceremony, will take place on March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. Comedian and podcaster Conan O'Brien is set to host the show for the first time. 

97th Academy Awards

Best Picture
“Anora,” (Neon) Alex Coco, Samantha Quan and Sean Baker, Producers
“The Brutalist” (A24)
“A Complete Unknown” (Searchlight) Fred Berger, James Mangold and Alex Heineman, Producers
“Conclave” (Focus Features) Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell and Michael A. Jackman, Producers
“Dune: Part Two” (Warner Bros.) Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Tanya Lapointe and Denis Villeneuve, Producers
“Emilia Pérez” (Netflix)
“I’m Still Here” (Sony Pictures Classic)
“Nickel Boys” (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)
“The Substance” (MUBI)
“Wicked” (Universal) Marc Platt, Producer

Best Director
Sean Baker, “Anora”
Brady Corbet “The Brutalist”
James Mangold, “A Complete Unknown”
Jacques Audiard, “Emilia Pérez”
Coralie Fargeat, “The Substance”

Best Actress
Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked”
Karla Sofía Gascón, “Emilia Pérez”
Mikey Madison, “Anora”
Demi Moore, “The Substance”
Fernanda Torres, “I’m Still Here”

Best Actor
Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist”
Timothée Chalamet, “A Complete Unknown”
Colman Domingo, “Sing Sing”
Ralph Fiennes, “Conclave”
Sebastian Stan, “The Apprentice”

Actress in a Supporting Role
Monica Barbaro, “A Complete Unknown”
Ariana Grande, “Wicked”
Felicity Jones, “The Brutalist”
Isabella Rossellini, “Conclave”
Zoe Saldaña, “Emilia Pérez”

Best Supporting Actor
Yura Borisov, “Anora”
Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain”
Edward Norton, “A Complete Unknown”
Guy Pearce, “The Brutalist”
Jeremy Strong, “The Apprentice”

Best International Feature Film
“I’m Still Here,” Brazil 
“The Girl with the Needle,” Denmark 
“Emilia Pérez,” France  
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” Germany  
“Flow,” Latvia

Best Animated Feature
“Flow” (Sideshow/Janus Films)
“Inside Out 2” (Walt Disney) Kelsey Mann and Mark Nielsen
“Memoir of a Snail” (IFC Films) Adam Elliot and Liz Kearney
“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (Netflix)
“The Wild Robot” (Universal) Chris Sanders and Jeff Hermann

Best Adapted Screenplay
“A Complete Unknown”, Screenplay by James Mangold and Jay Cocks
“Conclave,” Screenplay by Peter Straughan
“Emilia Pérez,” Screenplay by Jacques Audiard in collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius and Nicolas Livecchi
“Nickel Boys,” Screenplay by RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes
“Sing Sing,” Screenplay by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, John “Divine G” Whitfield

Best Original Screenplay
“Anora,” Written by Sean Baker
“The Brutalist,” Written by Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold
“A Real Pain,” Written by Jesse Eisenberg
“September 5,” Written by Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum, Co-Written by Alex David
“The Substance,” Written by Coralie Fargeat

Best Documentary Feature Film 
“Black Box Diaries” (MTV Documentary Films) Shiori Ito, Eric Nyari and Hanna Aqvilin
“No Other Land,” Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham
“Porcelain War” (Picturehouse) Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev, Aniela Sidorska and Paula DuPre’ Pesmen
“Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” (Kino Lorber) Johan Grimonprez, Daan Milius and Rémi Grellety
“Sugarcane” (National Geographic Documentary Films)

Best Costume Design
“A Complete Unknown,” Arianne Phillips
“Conclave,” Lisy Christl
“Gladiator II,” Janty Yates and Dave Crossman
“Nosferatu,” Linda Muir
“Wicked,” Paul Tazewell

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
“A Different Man,” Mike Marino, David Presto and Crystal Jurado
“Emilia Pérez,” Julia Floch Carbonel, Emmanuel Janvier and Jean-Christophe Spadaccini
“Nosferatu,” David White, Traci Loader and Suzanne StokesMunton
“The Substance,” Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon and Marilyne Scarselli
“Wicked,” Frances Hannon, Laura Blount and Sarah Nuth

Best Cinematography
“The Brutalist,” Lol Crawley  
“Dune: Part Two,” Greig Fraser 
“Emilia Pérez,” Paul Guilhaume  
“Maria,” Ed Lachman  
“Nosferatu,” Jarin Blaschke 

Best Film Editing
“Anora” Sean Baker
“The Brutalist” David Jancso
“Conclave” Nick Emerson 
“Emilia Pérez” Juliette Welfling
“Wicked” Myron Kerstein 

Best Production Design
“The Brutalist,” Production Design: Judy Becker, Set Decoration: Patricia Cuccia
“Conclave,” Production Design: Suzie Davies, Set Decoration: Cynthia Sleiter
“Dune: Part Two,” Production Design: Patrice Vermette, Set Decoration: Shane Vieau
“Nosferatu,” Production Design: Craig Lathrop, Set Decoration: Beatrice Brentnerová
“Wicked,” Production Design: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Best Original Score
“The Brutalist,” Daniel Blumberg
“Conclave,” Volker Bertelmann
“Emilia Pérez,” Clément Ducol and Camille
“Wicked,” John Powell and Stephen Schwartz
“The Wild Robot,” Kris Bowers

Best Original Song
“El Mal” from “Emilia Pérez,” Music by Clément Ducol and Camille, Lyric by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard
“The Journey” from “The Six Triple Eight,” Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
“Like a Bird” from “Sing Sing,” Music and Lyric by Abraham Alexander and Adrian Quesada
“Mi Camino” from “Emilia Pérez,” Music and Lyric by Camille and Clément Ducol
“Never Too Late” from “Elton John: Never Too Late,” Music and Lyric by Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt and Bernie Taupin

Best Sound
“A Complete Unknown,” Tod A. Maitland, Donald Sylvester, Ted Caplan, Paul Massey and David Giammarco
“Dune: Part Two,” Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett and Doug Hemphill
“Emilia Perez,” Erwan Kerzanet, Aymeric Devoldère, Maxence Dussère, Cyril Holtz and Niels Barletta
“Wicked,” Simon Hayes, Nancy Nugent Title, Jack Dolman, Andy Nelson and John Marquis
“The Wild Robot,” Randy Thom, Brian Chumney, Gary A. Rizzo and Leff Lefferts

Best Visual Effects
“Alien: Romulus,” Eric Barba, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, Daniel Macarin and Shane Mahan
“Better Man,” Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft and Peter Stubbs
“Dune: Part Two,” Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe and Gerd Nefzer
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” Erik Winquist, Stephen Unterfranz, Paul Story and Rodney Burke
“Wicked,” Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, David Shirk and Paul Corbould

Best Documentary Short Film
“Death by Numbers” Kim A. Snyder and Janique L. Robillard
“I Am Ready, Warden” (MTV Documentary Films) Smriti Mundhra and Maya Gnyp
“Incident” (The New Yorker) Bill Morrison and Jamie Kalven
“Instruments of a Beating Heart” (The New York Times OpDocs/Cineric Creative) Ema Ryan Yamazaki and Eric Nyari
“The Only Girl in the Orchestra” (Netflix) Molly O’Brien and Lisa Remington

Animated Short Film
“Beautiful Men,” (Miyu Distribution) Nicolas Keppens and Brecht Van Elslande 
“In the Shadow of Cypress,” Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi  
“Magic Candies,” (Toei Animation) Daisuke Nishio and Takashi Washio
“Wander to Wonder,” (Miyu Distribution) Nina Gantz and Stienette Bosklopper
“Yuck!” (Miyu Distribution) Loïc Espuche and Juliette Marquet

Best Live Action Short Film
“A Lien,” Sam Cutler-Kreutz and David Cutler-Kreutz  
“Anuja,” Adam J. Graves and Suchitra Mattai  
“I’m Not a Robot” (The New Yorker) Victoria Warmerdam and Trent
“The Last Ranger,” Cindy Lee and Darwin Shaw  
“The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent” (Manifest) Nebojša Slijepčević and Danijel Pek

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Bengi

Razzies 2025: Nominees & Winners

45th Golden Raspberry Awards

Worst Picture
“Borderlands”
“Joker: Folie a Deux”
“Madame Web”
“Megalopolis”
“Reagan”

Worst Actor
Jack Black, “Dear Santa”
Zachary Levi, “Harold and the Purple Crayon”
Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker: Folie a Deux”
Dennis Quaid, “Reagan”
Jerry Seinfeld, “Unfrosted”

Worst Actress
Cate Blanchett, “Borderlands”
Lady Gaga, “Joker: Folie a Deux”
Bryce Dallas Howard , “Argylle”
Dakota Johnson, “Madame Web”
Jennifer Lopez, “Atlas”

Worst Supporting Actor
Jack Black (Voice Only), “Borderlands”
Kevin Hart, “Borderlands”
Shia LaBeouf (in drag), “Megalopolis”
Tahar Rahim, “Madame Web”
Jon Voight, “Megalopolis,” “Reagan,” “Shadow Land” and “Strangers”

Worst Supporting Actress
Ariana DeBose, “Argylle” and “Kraven the Hunter”
Leslie Anne Down, “Reagan”
Emma Roberts, “Madame Web”
Amy Schumer, “Unfrosted”
FKA twigs, “The Crow

Worst Director
S.J. Clarkson, “Madame Web”
Francis Ford Coppola, “Megalopolis”
Todd Phillips, “Joker: Folie a Deux”
Eli Roth, “Borderlands”
Jerry Seinfeld, “Unfrosted”

Worst Screen Combo
Any Two Obnoxious Characters (But Especially Jack Black), “Borderlands”
Any Two Unfunny “Comedic Actors,” “Unfrosted”
The Entire Cast of “Megalopolis”
Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, “Joker: Folie a Deux”
Dennis Quaid and Penelope Ann Miller (as “Ronnie and Nancy”), “Reagan”

Worst Remake, Rip-off or Sequel
“The Crow”
“Joker: Folie a Deux”
“Kraven the Hunter”
“Mufasa: The Lion King”
“Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver”

Worst Screenplay
“Joker: Folie a Deux” – screenplay by Scott Silver and Todd Phillips
“Kraven the Hunter” – screenplay by Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, and Richard Wenk; story by Richard Wenk
“Madame Web” – screenplay by Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Claire Parker, and S. J. Clarkson; story by Kerem Sanga, Matt Sazama, and Burk Sharpless
“Megalopolis” – screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola
“Reagan” – screenplay by Howard Klausner

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Bengi

2025 Oscars Nominations Announcement: Live Telecast

Watch the 97th Oscars Nominations Announcement on Thursday, January 23rd at 8:30am E | 5:30am P. Hosted by Bowen Yang & Rachel Sennott.

Who are you rooting for?

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Bengi

BAFTAs 2025: nominees & winners

78th British Academy Film Awards

BEST FILM
“Anora” — Alex Coco, Samantha Quan, Sean Baker
“The Brutalist” — Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold
“A Complete Unknown” — Fred Berger, Alex Heineman, James Mangold
“Conclave” — Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Michael A. Jackman
“Emilia Pérez” — Jacques Audiard, Pascal Caucheteux, Valerie Schermann, Anthony Vaccarello

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
“Bird” — Andrea Arnold, Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Lee Groombridge
“Blitz” — Steve McQueen, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Anita Overland
“Conclave” — Edward Berger, Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Michael A. Jackman, Peter Straughan
“Gladiator II” — Ridley Scott, Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Michael Pruss, David Scarpa, Peter Craig
“Hard Truths” — Mike Leigh, Georgina Lowe
“Kneecap” — Rich Peppiatt, Trevor Birney, Jack Tarling, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, JJ Ó Dochartaigh
“Lee” — Ellen Kuras, Kate Solomon, Kate Winslet, Liz Hannah, Marion Hume, John Collee, Lem Dobbs
“Love Lies Bleeding” — Rose Glass, Andrea Cornwell, Oliver Kassman, Wereonika Tofilska
“The Outrun” — Nora Fingscheidt, Sarah Brocklehurst, Dominic Norris, Jack Lowden, Saoirse Ronan, Amy Liptrot
“Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” — Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham, Richard Beek, Mark Burton

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
“Hoard” — Luna Carmoon (Director, writer)
“Kneecap” — Rich Peppiatt (Director, writer)
“Monkey Man” — Dev Patel (Director)
“Santosh” — Sandhya Suri (Director, writer), James Bowsher (Producer), Balthazar de Ganay (Producer), also produced by Alan McAlex, Mike Goodridge
“Sister Midnight” — Karan Kandhari (Director, writer)

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
“All We Imagine as Light” — Payal Kapadia, Thomas Hakim
“Emilia Pérez” — Jacques Audiard
“I’m Still Here” (“Ainda Estou Aqui”) — Walter Salles
“Kneecap” — Rich Peppiatt, Trevor Birney
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” — Mohammad Rasoulof, Amin Sadraei

DOCUMENTARY
“Black Box Diaries” — Shiori Ito, Hanna Aqvilin, Eric Nyari
“Daughters” — Natalie Rae, Angela Patton
“No Other Land” — Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor
“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” — Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui, Lizzie Gilliett, Robert Ford
“Will & Harper” — Josh Greenbaum, Rafael Marmor, Christopher Leggett, Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum

ANIMATED FILM
“Flow” — Gints Siibalodis, Matīss Kaža
“Inside Out 2” — Kelsey Mann, Mark Nielsen
“Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” — Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham, Richard Beek
“The Wild Robot” — Chris Sanders, Jeff Hermann

CHILDREN’S & FAMILY FILM
“Flow” — Gints Siibalodis, Matīss Kaža
“Kensuke’s Kingdom” — Kirk Hendry, Neil Boyle, Camilla Deakin
“Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” — Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham, Richard Beek
“The Wild Robot” — Chris Sanders, Jeff Hermann

DIRECTOR
“Anora” — Sean Baker
“The Brutalist” — Brady Corbet
“Conclave” — Edward Berger
“Dune: Part Two” — Denis Villeneuve
“Emilia Pérez” — Jacques Audiard
“The Substance” — Coralie Fargeat

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“Anora” — written by Sean Baker
“The Brutalist” — written by Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold
“Kneecap” — written by Rich Peppiatt, story by Rich Peppiatt, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, JJ Ó Dochartaigh
“A Real Pain” — written by Jesse Eisenberg
“The Substance” — written by Coralie Fargeat

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“A Complete Unknown” — screenplay by James Mangold and Jay Cocks
“Conclave” — screenplay by Peter Straughan
“Emilia Pérez” — screenplay by Jacques Audiard
“Nickel Boys” — screenplay by RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes
“Sing Sing” — screenplay by Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar, story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence ‘Divine Eye’ Maclin, John ‘Divine G’ Whitfield

LEADING ACTRESS
Cynthia Erivo, “Wicked”
Karla Sofía Gascón, “Emilia Pérez”
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, “Hard Truths”
Mikey Madison, “Anora”
Demi Moore, “The Substance”
Saoirse Ronan, “The Outrun”

LEADING ACTOR
Adrien Brody, “The Brutalist”
Timothée Chalamet, “A Complete Unknown”
Colman Domingo, “Sing Sing”
Ralph Fiennes, “Conclave”
Hugh Grant, “Heretic”
Sebastian Stan, “The Apprentice”

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Selena Gomez, “Emilia Pérez”
Ariana Grande, “Wicked”
Felicity Jones, “The Brutalist”
Jamie Lee Curtis, “The Last Showgirl”
Isabella Rossellini, “Conclave”
Zoe Saldaña, “Emilia Pérez”

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Yura Borisov, “Anora”
Kieran Culkin, “A Real Pain”
Clarence Maclin, “Sing Sing”
Edward Norton, “A Complete Unknown”
Guy Pearce, “The Brutalist”
Jeremy Strong, “The Apprentice”

CASTING
“Anora” — Sean Baker, Samantha Quan
“The Apprentice” — Stephanie Gorin, Carmen Cuba
“A Complete Unknown” — Yesi Ramirez
“Conclave” — Nina Gold, Martin Ware
“Kneecap” — Carla Stronge

CINEMATOGRAPHY
“The Brutalist” — Lol Crawley
“Conclave” — Stéphane Fontaine
“Dune: Part Two” — Greig Fraser
“Emilia Pérez” — Paul Guilhaume
“Nosferatu” — Jarin Blaschke

EDITING
“Anora” — Sean Baker
“Conclave” — Nick Emerson
“Dune: Part Two” — Joe Walker
“Emilia Pérez”– Juliette Welfling
“Kneecap” — Julian Ulrichs, Chris Gill

COSTUME DESIGN
“Blitz” — Jacqueline Durran
“A Complete Unknown” — Arianne Phillips
“Conclave” — Lisy Christl
“Nosferatu” — Linda Muir
“Wicked” — Paul Tazewell

MAKE UP & HAIR
“Dune: Part Two” — Love Larson, Eva Von Bahr
“Emilia Pérez” — Julia Floch Carbonel, Emmanuel Janvier, Jean-Christophe Spadaccini, Romain Marietti
“Nosferatu” — David White, Traci Loader, Suzanne Stokes-Munton
“The Substance” — Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon, Frédérique Arguello, Marilyne Scarselli
“Wicked” — Frances Hannon, Laura Blount, Sarah Nuth

ORIGINAL SCORE
“The Brutalist” — Daniel Blumberg
“Conclave” — Volker Bertelmann
“Emilia Pérez” — Camille, Clément Ducol
“Nosferatu” — Robin Carolan
“The Wild Robot” — Kris Bowers

PRODUCTION DESIGN
“The Brutalist” — Judy Becker, Patricia Cuccia
“Conclave” — Suzie Davies, Cynthia Sleiter
“Dune: Part Two” — Patrice Vermette, Shane Vieau
“Nosferatu” — Craig Lathrop
“Wicked” — Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales

SOUND
“Blitz” — John Casali, Paul Cotterell, James Harrison
“Dune: Part Two” — Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill, Gareth John, Richard King
“Gladiator II” — Stéphane Bucher, Matthew Collinge, Paul Massey Danny Sheehan
“The Substance” — Valérie Deloof, Victor Fleurant, Victor Praud, Stéphane Thiébaut, Emmanuelle Villard
“Wicked” — Robin Baynton, Simon Hayes, John Marquis, Andy Nelson, Nancy Nugent Title

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
“Better Man” — Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft, Peter Stubbs
“Dune: Part Two” — Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Gerd Nefzer, Rhys Salcombe
“Gladiator II” — Mark Bakowski, Neil Corbould, Nikki Penny, Pietro Ponti
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” — Erik Winquist, Rodney Burke, Paul Story, Stephen Unterfranz
“Wicked” — Pablo Helman, Paul Corbould, Jonathan Fawkner, Anthony Smith

BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
“Adiós” — José Prats, Natalia Kyriacou, Bernardo Angeletti
“Mog’s Christmas” — Robin Shaw, Joanna Harrison, Camilla Deakin, Ruth Fielding
“Wander to Wonder” — Nina Gantz, Stienette Bosklopper, Simon Cartwright, Maarten Swart

BRITISH SHORT FILM
“The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing” — Theo Panagopoulos, Marissa Keating
“Marion” — Joe Weiland, Finn Constantine, Marija Djikic
“Milk” — Miranda Stern, Ashionye Ogene
“Rock, Paper, Scissors” — Franz Böhm, Ivan, Hayder Rothschild Hoozeer
“Stomach Bug” — Matty Crawford, Karima Sammout-Kanellopoulou

EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
Marisa Abela
Jharrel Jerome
David Jonsson
Mikey Madison
Nabhaan Rizwan

#HollywoodCiak
Bengi

Film 2339 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Intro: On Christmas day, after all the food I had for lunch, I decided to dedicate the rest of the day to doing nothing. So I napped for a while, then I decided to watch a movie. I ended up watching three. Here's the first one.

Film 2339: "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (2004), Alfonso Cuarón
Watched on: From the TV
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: Nothing says Christmas like Harry Potter, so I went for it. Usually I would have went for my favourite "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", but this time aroun I decided to switch things up a bit a go for the one I like "the least" (I love them all, of course).
This is after I went to "The Making of Harry Potter" Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London last Summer and their temporary exibition focused around the making of this movie, which was extremely well done and sparkled a new found interest in this third Harry Potter chapter.
Needless to say, I really enjoyed re-watching "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban", a great movie made by the amazing director Alfonso Cuarón. Very different from the previous first to chapters of the saga, this installment is darker in tones and themes, altough very safely family-friendly.
A great watch, always nice to go back to Hogwarts.
1. Film 166 - Harry Potter e la pietra filosofale
Film 346 - Harry Potter e la pietra filosofale
Film 744 - Harry Potter e la pietra filosofale
Film 1773 - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Film 2085 - Harry Potter e la pietra filosofale
Film 2201 - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
2. Film 171 - Harry Potter e la camera dei segreti
Film 348 - Harry Potter e la camera dei segreti
Film 745 - Harry Potter e la camera dei segreti
Film 1446 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
3. Film 174 - Harry Potter e il prigioniero di Azkaban
Film 349 - Harry Potter e il prigioniero di Azkaban
Film 747 - Harry Potter e il prigioniero di Azkaban
Film 1454 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Film 1645 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Film 2337 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
4. Film 88 - Harry Potter e il calice di fuoco
Film 181 - Harry Potter e il calice di fuoco
Film 357 - Harry Potter e il calice di fuoco
Film 748 - Harry Potter e il calice di fuoco
5. Film 366 - Harry Potter e l'ordine della Fenice
Film 749 - Harry Potter e l'Ordine della Fenice
Film 1470 - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
6. Film 14 - Harry Potter e il principe mezzosangue
Film 185 - Harry Potter e il principe mezzosangue
Film 370 - Harry Potter e il principe mezzosangue
Film 750 - Harry Potter e il principe mezzosangue
Film 1471 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
7. Film 186 - Harry Potter e i doni della morte: Parte I
Film 189 - Harry Potter e i doni della morte: Parte I
Film 297 - Harry Potter e i doni della morte: Parte I
Film 420 - Harry Potter e i doni della morte: Parte I
Film 752 - Harry Potter e i Doni della Morte - Parte I
Film 1495 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
8. Film 283 - Harry Potter e i doni della morte: Parte II
Film 421 - Harry Potter e i doni della morte: Parte II
Film 594 - Harry Potter e i doni della morte: Parte II
Film 755 - Harry Potter e i Doni della Morte - Parte II
Film 1497 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
9. Film 751 - Harry Potter: The Making of Diagon Alley
Film 2083 - Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Richard Griffiths, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, David Thewlis, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters.
Box Office: $808.5 million
Worth a watch?: For me, Harry Potter (no matter which movie of the series) is always a great option. I try to avoid watching them constantly, but if I could I'd definitely re-watch them multiple times a year.
Awards: Nominated for 2 Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Visual Effects. 4 nominations at the BAFTAs (Best British Film, Best Visual Effects, Best Makeup & Hair, Best Production Design) and 1 Grammy nomination for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.
Key word: Peter Pettigrew.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi

Film 2338 - Queer

Intro: Always excited to watch one of Luca Guadagnino's movies, especially when the story centers around queer characters.

Film 2338: "Queer" (2024), Luca Guadagnino
Watched on: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi
Thoughts: God I didn't like this movie.
Although I read very (and various) favorable reviews online, I have to admit that for me "Queer" was a drag. The story didn't resonate with me at all and i couldn't wait for it to be over, especially the second half of it. Once we hit the jungle looking for the mysterios telepathic plant this movie lost me. But let's not get ahead of ourselves...
Three things I particularly liked about "Queer": Daniel Craig's performance - which is great throughout, the craftmenship of this production (cinematography, score, art design and set decoration) and that, for once, Luca Guadagnino is finally centering a gay story around the man's body. On the latter, I noticed that Guadagnino tends to 'hide' the male body in a way that doesn't apply when it comes to the female one: particularly, in "Call Me By Your Name" he shows a naked woman in the film, but he refused to show the two leads naked and stated "that it was a conscious aesthetic decision" (more on this topic on this article by Variety). Also, I found "Challengers" to be a bit on the queerbaiting side of things.
That said, I appreciated this time around there was no hiding behind an aesthetic decision.
For the rest, I've found "Queer" extremely long (137 min) and suprisingly uneventful considering that we even venture to the jungle. This part specifically reminded me of the movie "The Lost City of Z", where the slow pacing and lack of major events resurfaced memories of Martin Scorsese's "Silence", tho I liked that one better.
All in all, considering how eger I was to watch this movie, I can't say I wasn't disappointed: it's too long and too slow and the second half of the story is too crazy and detached from the first half for my taste. No disrespect to the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs from which the movie is based on as I haven't read it, but this is definitely not my cup of tea.
Cast: Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Jason Schwartzman, Henrique Zaga, Omar Apollo, Lesley Manville.
Box Office: $3.9 million
Worth a watch?: I wouldn't reccommend it. The pacing is slow and the story takes a crazy turn towards half the running time and it goes bonkers for a good while. If you're fan of William S. Burroughs's work you could give it a go, but embrace yourself for a long watch.
Awards: Daniel Craig was nominated at the Golden Globes for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama and is currently nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role at the SAG Awards.
The movie competed at the Venice Film Festival.
Key word: Telepathy.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi

Film 2337 - Emilia Pérez

Intro: After all the award buzz this movie was getting, before Christmas I decided to give it a go.

Film 2337: "Emilia Pérez" (2024), Jacques Audiard
Watched on: From my computer
Language: Spanish
Watched with: no one
Thoughts: It has been a while since I watched it and, funny enough, "Emilia Pérez" is now gaining a bad reputation after its multiple wins at the Golden Globes last Sunday.
For a (long) moment, it seemed like nothing could stop this movie: it won a Cannes for Best Actress and was getting nominated (and winning) everywhere, especially the performance of it cast, particularly Zoe Saldaña. But something has shifted after the Globes - the first televised award ceremony of the year, people have started watching either the movie on Netflix or the clips on TikTok and this is where things went south. Especially after "Emilia Pérez", a musical, has beaten "Wicked", another musical, in the movie of the year category.
So here's the thing: I watched this movie in Spanish, I read the lyrics of the songs and I paid attention, because I felt this movie was going to play a big part at the Oscar this year. So it had my full attention. And I can say two things: "Emilia Pérez" is not as bad as they're trying to paint it now, but it isn't the greatest movie ever made either (needless to say).
I applaud the idea of a musical about a man from the Mexican cartel transitioning and the portray of the struggle that comes with it, I think it's a different idea and the movie has it's moments. I particularly apprecciated and admired Zoe Saldaña's performance: a few minutes into the movie and I was ready to bet on her for the Supporting Actress Oscar win. (I really do think she has it in the bag.)
That said, yes, I did struggle a bit with this watch. The movie is very long (132 min) and none of the songs is a hit, really. There are a few interesting ones also visually speaking, but no song stuck with me and, on the contrary, I felt some of the performances from the supporting cast were actually really bad vocally. I understand that they didn't chose professional singers (Selena Gomez aside, and she does a decent enough job here to be fair - and yeah, her Spanish is bad, but what did you expect?), but the end result is sometimes jarring.
So, although I appreciated some bits of this movie, "Emilia Pérez" is definitely not my favourite movie of the year. Its cast does a great job and I was captured by Karla Sofía Gascón's performance (not in the lead category tho, I'd say more supporting, where Saldaña is really in the lead here, but anyway), some of the visuals and its themes (although some are critizing the stereotypical portraayl of Mexica culture) but other than Saldaña, I wouldn't give this movie any other award.
Cast: Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, Mark Ivanir, Édgar Ramírez.
Box Office: $9.8 million
Worth a watch?: Definitely not a movie for everybody. It's a long musical in Spanish about violence, abuse, transitioning and many other heavy themes that could scare some people away. If you're interested in the controversy stemmed from the Golden Globes, then I would reccomend watching this movie and make an opinion for yourself, rather than just watching a few clips online out of context. Otherwise, if you don't care or you're not necessarily connecting with "Emilia Pérez'" themes, I would skip this watch.
Awards: Nominated to 10 Golden Globes, the movie won 4 awards for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Best Supporting Actress (Saldaña), Best Motion Picture Non-English Language, and Best Original Song (for "El Mal"). Currently, the movie is also nominated to 3 Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (Gascón) and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role (Saldaña).
At Cannes 2024, the movie won for Best Actress (Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, and Adriana Paz), the Jury Prize and the Soundtrack Award for Best Composer (Camille, Clément Ducol).
Key word: Children.
Trailer
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Bengi

SAG Awards 2025: nominees & winners

31st Screen Actors Guild Awards

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
A Complete Unknown
Anora
Conclave
Emilia Pérez
Wicked

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Daniel Craig, Queer
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Pamela Anderson, The Last Showgirl
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez
Mikey Madison, Anora
Demi Moore, The Substance

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Jonathan Bailey, Wicked
Yura Borisov, Anora
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown
Jamie Lee Curtis, The Last Showgirl
Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Hacks
Only Murders in the Building
Shrinking

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Bridgerton
The Day of the Jackal
The Diplomat
Shōgun
Slow Horses

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This
Ted Danson, A Man on the Inside
Harrison Ford, Shrinking
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Kristen Bell, Nobody Wants This
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Liza Colón-Zayas, The Bear
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Jean Smart, Hacks

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Tadanobu Asano, Shōgun
Jeff Bridges, The Old Man
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Eddie Redmayne, The Day of the Jackal
Hiroyuki Sanada, Shōgun

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Kathy Bates, Matlock
Nicola Coughlan, Bridgerton
Allison Janney, The Diplomat
Keri Russell, The Diplomat
Anna Sawai, Shōgun

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
Javier Bardem, Monsters
Colin Farrell, The Penguin
Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer
Kevin Kline, Disclaimer
Andrew Scott, Ripley

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
Kathy Bates, The Great Lillian Hall
Cate Blanchett, Disclaimer
Jodie Foster, True Detective: Night Country
Lily Gladstone, Under the Bridge
Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer
Cristin Milioti, The Penguin

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Deadpool & Wolverine
Dune: Part Two
The Fall Guy
Gladiator II
Wicked

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
The Boys
Fallout
House of the Dragon
The Penguin
Shōgun

SAG Life Achievement Award
Jane Fonda

#HollywoodCiak
Bengi

Film 2336 - The Holiday

Intro: I think I've only watched this once at the movies and that was it. Recently, tho, a lot of people were talking about it, especially since the Christmas season was approaching. So I decided to give another go...

Film 2336: "The Holiday" (2006), Nancy Meyers
Watched on: From the TV
Language: English
Watched with: Michael
Thoughts: I remember I didn't particularly like this movie the first time I watched it and I cannot say I changed my mind this time around really. Not that it is a bad movie by any means, it's just a bit meh, although enjoyable. 

I just say that, of all the Christmas movies out there, this isn't my favourite. Also, Nancy Meyers (the director) said she never conceived "The Holiday" as a Christmas movie in the first place.

That said, I'll admit that some bits work and I particularly enjoyed Cameron Diaz's performance. Maybe she isn't the greatest actress of all time, but she surely works for these type of movies, romcoms especially. And she has good chemistry with the co-star Jude Law. They're obviously a gorgeous pair and that doesn't hurt either.

What didn't work for me, tho, is Kate Winslet's character's storyline. Or, to better put it, hers and Jack Black's. I really didn't vibe with these two and not because the actors do a bad job, but rather because it's such an odd pairing it's distracting. 

Additionally, their 'relationship' grows at a very slow pace all to speed up at the very end of the movie very suddenly. We know from the start where the story is trying to go, yet it doesn't really commit until the end.
Furthermore, Iris' (Winslet) story reminded me quite a lot of Bridget Jones'.
Anyway, again, I don't think "The Holiday" is a terrible movie, it's just not my favourite.
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, Eli Wallach, Edward Burns, Rufus Sewell, Kathryn Hahn, John Krasinski; (cameos): Dustin Hoffman, Lindsay Lohan, James Franco.
Box Office: $205.8 million
Worth a watch?: I understand the Christmas appeal and this movie is definitely a good option to watch during the holidays, yet this is not my favourite pick when it come to pictures to (re)watch during thc Christmas season.
Awards: 1 nomination at the 2007's MTV Movie + TV Awards for Best Kiss (Jude Law & Cameron Diaz).
Key word: Home.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi

Film 2335 - Hot Frosty

Intro: Never in a million years I would have imagined this movie to be my first review of the year!

Film 2335: "Hot Frosty" (2024), Jerry Ciccoritti
Watched on: From the projector
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: No need to go too deep into this movie, as I believe anyone can imagine that "Hot Frosty" isn't anything groundbreaking or even good. Plot-wise it makes no sense and, believe me, it is not becuase he's a snowman that turns into a human thanks to a magical scarf: there are so many inconsistencies in this screenplay, too many to list anyway. I'll just say this: he turns human and can understand the concept of love and death no problem with no need for explaination, but he struggles to grasp the meaning of the most basic words.
With that said, that doesn't take away from the fact that "Hot Frosty" is such a silly watch it's entertaining. As it makes lesser and lesser sense, it gets funnier and more upsurd and, if you're into these plotless silly Christams movies, than you're up for a tread because there's a lot to laught about!
Pretty iconic moment when Lacey Chabert sees a scene from "Mean Girls" and says that Lindsay Lohan's character reminds her of a girl from her school.
Also, worth mentioning that Dustin Milligan looks weirdly sick in this movie, ripped as ever before, yet somehow disturbingly skinny. This man here doesn't look like the same person from "Schitt's Creek" and it's strange.
Cast: Lacey Chabert, Dustin Milligan, Katy Mixon Greer, Lauren Holly, Chrishell Stause, Joe Lo Truglio, Craig Robinson.
Box Office: /
Worth a watch?: Netflix has been trying so hard to replace Hallmark's Christmas movies with its own for the past few years it's insane. And I think it's kinda working. To be added to the endless list of movies only good comes Christmas time, "Hot Frosty" isn't very good nor particularly compelling, yet there's something about it that makes it a great movie pick to watch with friends (and to laught about). And there's nothing wrong with it.
Awards: /
Key word: Red scarf.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi

2025 Golden Globes: Vote for your winners!

This year's Golden Globe Awards are upon us and it's time to vote for who YOU think is going to bring home some gold!

Cast you vote to predict who's going to win this year's Golden Globes!
(No need to know everything about the Globes or have watched all the movies or TV shows, this is just for fun so no pressure!)



#HollywoodCiak
Bengi