Film 2425 - Wicked: For Good

Intro: I mean, I watched the first one so it made sense to go and watch the second one I guess. I wasn't thrilled though.

Film 2425: "Wicked: For Good" (2025), Jon M. Chu
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Debbi
Thoughts: I was never a massive fan of the first one, but at least "Wicked" had a bunch of good songs, two of which I actually knew. This second one cannot say the same.
I understand it was a huge disappointment for fans to see both Cynthia + Ariana and the movie itself get snubbed at the Oscars this year, but honestly, I can see why. This "Wicked: For Good" isn't as good as the previous film. The ending is a bit anticlimactic and misses the spark and grandeur of the "Defying Gravity" closing song, none of the new songs created for this film are memorable, and since both movies were shot back-to-back, I can see why not a lot of Academy members felt the need to reward last year's winners with a new shiny Oscar for the same work they already got recognized for (specifically, last year "Wicked" won Best Costume Design and Best Production Design out of its 10 nominations).
I'll be honest, I didn't particularly enjoy "Wicked: For Good". I thought it was too long and boring at times. It's not the movie's fault—I think the second half of the original musical this is taken from is weaker than the first act anyway. I think they did the best they could here. Not my cup of tea.
Film 2332 - Wicked
Film 2425 - Wicked: For Good
Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Colman Domingo, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum.
Box Office: $533.7 million
Worth a watch?: Just for fans of the previous movie, Cynthia/Ariana, or "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" lore.
Awards: 2 BAFTA nominations for Best Costume Design and Best Make Up & Hair. 5 Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Supporting Actress, Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, and Best Original Song (for both "No Place Like Home" and "The Girl in the Bubble").
Key word: Lies.
Trailer
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Bengi

Actor Awards 2026: Nominees & Winners

32nd Actor Awards 

Cast Ensemble in a Motion Picture
“Frankenstein” (Netflix)
“Hamnet” (Focus Features)
“Marty Supreme” (A24)
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)

Male Actor in a Leading Role
Timothée Chalamet, “Marty Supreme” (A24)
Leonardo DiCaprio, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Ethan Hawke, “Blue Moon” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Jesse Plemons, “Bugonia” (Focus Features)

Female Actor in a Leading Role
Jessie Buckley, “Hamnet” (Focus Features)
Rose Byrne, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” (A24)
Kate Hudson, “Song Sung Blue” (Focus Features)
Chase Infiniti, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Emma Stone, “Bugonia” (Focus Features)

Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Miles Caton, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Benicio Del Toro, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
Jacob Elordi, “Frankenstein” (Netflix)
Paul Mescal, “Hamnet” (Focus Features)
Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)

Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Odessa A’zion, “Marty Supreme” (A24)
Ariana Grande, “Wicked: For Good” (Universal Pictures)
Amy Madigan, “Weapons” (Warner Bros.)
Wunmi Mosaku, “Sinners” (Warner Bros.)
Teyana Taylor, “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)

Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
“F1” (Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.)
“Frankenstein” (Netflix)
“Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” (Paramount Pictures)
“One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.)
“Sinners” (Warner Bros.)

Cast Ensemble in a Drama Series
“The Diplomat” (Netflix)
“Landman” (Paramount+)
“The Pitt” (HBO Max)
“Severance” (Apple TV)
“The White Lotus” (HBO Max)

Cast Ensemble in a Comedy Series
“Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
“The Bear” (FX)
“Hacks” (HBO Max)
“Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
“The Studio” (Apple TV)

Male Actor in a Drama Series
Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise” (Hulu)
Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show” (Apple TV)
Walton Goggins, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)
Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses” (Apple TV)
Noah Wyle, “The Pitt” (HBO Max)

Female Actor in a Drama Series
Britt Lower, “Severance” (Apple TV)
Parker Posey, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)
Keri Russell, “The Diplomat” (Netflix)
Rhea Seehorn, “Pluribus” (Apple TV)
Aimee Lou Wood, “The White Lotus” (HBO Max)

Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Ike Barinholtz, “The Studio” (Apple TV)
Adam Brody, “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix)
Ted Danson, “A Man on the Inside” (Netflix)
Seth Rogen, “The Studio” (Apple TV)
Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)

Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Kathryn Hahn, “The Studio” (Apple TV)
Catherine O’Hara, “The Studio” (Apple TV)
Jenna Ortega, “Wednesday” (Netflix)
Jean Smart, “Hacks” (HBO Max)
Kristen Wiig, “Palm Royale” (Apple TV)

Male Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series
Jason Bateman, “Black Rabbit” (Netflix)
Owen Cooper, “Adolescence” (Netflix)
Stephen Graham, “Adolescence” (Netflix)
Charlie Hunnam, “Monster: The Ed Gein Story” (Netflix)
Matthew Rhys, “The Beast in Me” (Netflix)

Female Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series
Claire Danes, “The Beast in Me” (Netflix)
Erin Doherty, “Adolescence” (Netflix)
Sarah Snook, “All Her Fault” (Peacock)
Christine Tremarco, “Adolescence” (Netflix)
Michelle Williams, “Dying for Sex” (FX)

Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
“Andor” (Disney+)
“Landman” (Paramount+)
“The Last of Us” (HBO Max)
“Squid Game” (Netflix)
“Stranger Things” (Netflix)

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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”

Best Supporting Actress
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

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 2332 - Wicked

Intro: Sarò totalmente onesto, non avevo alcuna voglia di vedere questo film. Le ragazze però - e Niamh specialmente - volevano andare e, così, mi sono lasciato convincere.

Film 2332: "Wicked" (2024) di Jon M. Chu

Visto: al cinema
Lingua: inglese
Compagnia: Niamh, Debbi

In sintesi: il musical lo avevo visto a Londra anni fa, per cui ero vagamente familiare con storia e personaggi. Per capirci, sapevo che si trattasse della storia pre Mago di Oz, sapevo chi fossero la Perfida Strega dell'Ovest e la Buona Strega del Nord, conoscevo "Defying Gravity", ma non ricordavo altro. E forse è stato meglio così.
La zero voglia di vedere il film sommata alle quasi nulle aspettative e un generale disinteresse ultimamente nei confronti dei musical, parevano presagire due ore e mezza di noia totale e, invece, ammetto di aver gradito "Wicked" molto, molto più di quanto mi aspettassi. È il mio film preferito? No, ma è stato certamente una sopresa in positivo.
Se non avevo alcun dubbio che Cynthia Erivo avrebbe fatto un egregio lavoro - ricordo ancora quanto mi avesse colpito la sua performance live agli Oscar 2020 della canzone "Stand Up" del film "Harriet" per cui era candidata sia per Miglior attrice protagonista che per Miglior canzone originale - ammetto che qualche riserva su Ariana Grande ce la avessi. E wow sono rimasto impressionato.
Perché per quanto spettacolare sia Erivo, ammetto che per me la vera sorpresa e scene-stealer di questo film sia proprio Ariana Grande. Non solo canta anche lei magnificamente (e fino qui...), ma è anche perfetta per il ruolo di Glinda, che interepata con inaspettato humor. Davvero, Grande è il comic relief della storia, nonché la mia parte preferita di questo "Wicked" cinematografico.
Per il resto il film funziona bene, le canzoni intrattengono (anche se durante un paio ho sonnecchiato, lo ammetto), lo spettacolo visivo è ben realizzato, il tono del film azzeccato. Mi è sembrato che, in generale, questa prima parte del musical sia stata realizzata in maniera intelligente. Vedremo come andrà con il secondo capitolo in uscita il 21 novembre 2025.
Uniche note negative: non credo fosse necessario far cantare Michelle Yeoh che ha infiniti altri talenti, ma non quello del canto; ho trovato il personaggio di Bowen Yang inutile e interpretato un po' a suon di cliché (o per meglio dire un po' come Bowen Yang interpreta solitamente questi ruoli); in generale 160 minuti di durata sono troppi, specialmente considerato che l'inero musical di Broadway dura 2 ore e 45 minuti...
Film 2332 - Wicked
Film 2425 - Wicked: For Good
Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum.
Box Office: $534.1 milioni (ad oggi)
Vale o non vale: I fan dell'originale di Broadway andranno in brodo di giuggiole: Cynthia Erivo e Ariana Grande cantano live e cantano divinamente, il film funziona, è visivamente stimolante e intrigante (anche se alcuni hanno criticato una mancanza di vivacità nei colori; io questa sensazione non ce l'ho avuta), le canzoni sono un cult. Per tutti gli altri, tenere presente che il musical dura 2 ore e mezza e che, appunto, è un musical, quindi ci sono un sacco di canzoni (non come "Moulin Rouge!", però, dove non c'è dialogo). A parte questo, get ready to hold space for "Defying Gravity"!
Premi: Ad oggi, il film è stato candidato a 4 Golden Globes nella categoria musical/commedia per Miglior film, attrice protagonista (Erivo), attrice non protagonista (Grande) e la nuova categoria istituita l'anno scorso per Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.
Parola chiave: Green.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2081 - Don't Look Up

Intro: Costretti a casa per un mio contatto stretto da Covid-19, ci (ri)dedichiamo al cinema, questa volta scegliendo il titolo Netflix del momento. Comodamente goduto dal divano letto di casa mia.

Film 2081: "Don't Look Up" (2021) di Adam McKay

Visto: dal computer portatile
Lingua: inglese
Compagnia: Karen, Lucas

In sintesi: tra chi lo ha detestato e chi lo ha amato, mi sento di dire che io questo "Don't Look Up" l'ho trovato più divertente del previsto. Tragicamente divertente.
Segnato da un cast pazzesco capitanato da 5 premi Oscar e una trama che mette alla berlina non pochi aspetti della contemporeneità, l'ultimo di film di Adam McKay rappresenta la quintessenza della cinematografia del regista e sceneggiatore: una marea di personaggi di cui molti al limite dell'assurdo, una sovrabbondanza di sottotrame di cui si fa fatica a tenere il conto, uno stile tagliente a tratti sopra le righe. In più, in questo caso, il focus su una vicenda che ha certamente dell'incredibile - cosa succederebbe se una cometa stesse per schiantarsi sulla terra? - anche se per niente impensabile, specialmente nel modo in cui McKay decide di ritrarre la società e i suoi modi di confrontarsi con l'imminente catastrofe. Il finale prevede un momento alla "Melancholia" e una scena post titoli esilarante e senza veli (da non perdere).
Poi sì, bisogna ammettere che "Don't Look Up" sia un po' lunghino (2 ore e 18 minuti) e vista la miriade di storie raccontate a volte si possa percepire più "corposo" di quanto non lo sia nella realtà, comunque tutto sommato se se ne apprezza l'irona disarmante e ci si concentra sulla magica performance di DiCaprio e l'irresistibile Meryl Streep versione preseidente americano politicamente scorretta, ci si accorge che questa pellicola ha molto da dire e non poco su cui far ragionare. Ps. Ariana Grande e Kid Cudi - entrambi nel cast del film - cantano la canzone portante del film, "Just Look Up", che è uno spasso da ascoltare parol(acci)a per parol(acci)a.
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Rob Morgan, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Timothée Chalamet, Ron Perlman, Melanie Lynskey, Himesh Patel, Paul Guilfoyle, Ariana Grande, Kid Cudi.
Box Office: $1.5 milioni
Vale o non vale: Non per tutti, ma sicuramente se preso con lo spirito giusto è un film divertente e con non poco su cui far riflettere. Forse molti si aspettavano una pellicola più leggera (o superficiale) dal momento che veniva proposta direttamente nel catalogo Netflix, ma chi ha familiarità con la filmografia di Adam McKay sa che i suoi film sono tutt'altro che un mero divertissement.
Premi: Candidato a 4 Golden Globes nella categoria musical o commedia per Miglior film, attore protagonista (DiCaprio), attrice protagonista (Lawrence) e sceneggiatura. 4 nomination ai BAFTA per Miglior film, attore protagonista (DiCaprio), sceneggiatura originale e colonna sonora.
Parola chiave: Real.
Trailer
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Bengi