![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thecliffedge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Little-Women.jpg\")
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Best Picture<\/p>\n
My favourite film of the year is Greta Gerwig\u2019s \u2018Little Women\u2019 with its splendid filmmaking, intelligent update of the story and wonderful performances. The film I admire most is Bong Joon-ho\u2019s \u2018Parasite\u2019 with its biting satire, great comedy, astute insight and rollicking surprises.. I enjoyed some other nominated films:\u00a0 <\/span>Sam Mendes\u2019s \u20181917\u2019, James Mangold\u2019s \u2018Le Mans\u201966 (Ford vs Ferrari)\u2019 Todd Phillips\u2019s \u2018Joker\u2019 and Noah Baumbach\u2019s \u2018Marriage Story\u2019. Three I thought were awful … Quentin Tarantino\u2019s \u2018 Once Upon a Waste of Time in Hollywood\u2019, Martin Scorsese\u2019s \u2018Geriatricfellas\u2019 and Taika Waititi\u2019s \u2018Jojo Duck\u2019.\u00a0 <\/span>I would have liked to see nominations for Jordan Peele\u2019s \u2018Us\u2019, Josh and Benny Sadfie\u2019s \u2018Uncut Gems\u2019, Celine Sciamma\u2019s \u2018Portrait of a Lady On Fire\u2019 and Chinonye Chukwu\u2019s \u2018Clemency\u2019. I also enjoyed Gavin Hood\u2019s \u2018Official Secrets\u2019 and Todd Haynes\u2019s \u2018Dark Waters\u2019<\/p>\n Will win: \u20181917\u2019 Should win: \u2018Little Women\u2019 (above)<\/p>\n Best Actor<\/p>\n Will win: Joaquin Phoenix (above) Should win: Joaquin Phoenix<\/p>\n Best Actress<\/p>\n Will win: Renee Zellweger (above) Should have won: Alfre Woodard (above)<\/p>\n Best Supporting Actor<\/p>\n Scorsese drags Joe Pesci, one of cinema\u2019s great hams, out of retirement and gives him nothing to do except wander about like a creepy uncle with none of the malice of which he\u2019s capable while Al Pacino, as a cheerier uncle, is simply miscast as the big, blustery Jimmy Hoffa in the tediously boring \u2018The Irishman\u2019. Tom Hanks is just what you\u2019d expect as Mr. Rogers in the pedestrian \u2018A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood\u2019. Brad Pitt has shown in his acceptance speeches at various awards presentations that he is Will win: Brad Pitt Should have won: Kang-ho Song or Timothee Chalamet (with Florence Pugh below)<\/p>\n Best Supporting Actress<\/p>\n Scarlett Johansson is by far the best thing in the otherwise ridiculous \u2018JoJo Rabbit\u2019 and Kathy Bates does her usual sturdy job in Clint Eastwood\u2019s misguided \u2018Richard Jewell\u2019. Will win: Laura Dern Should win: Florence Pugh<\/p>\n Best Director<\/p>\n Will win: Bong Joon-ho Should win: Bong Joon-ho<\/p>\n Best International Film<\/p>\n Will win: \u2018Parasite\u2019 Should win: \u2018Parasite\u2019 (above)<\/p>\n Best Original Screenplay<\/p>\n Will win: \u2018Parasite\u2019 Should win: \u2018Parasite\u2019<\/p>\n Best Adapted Screenplay:<\/p>\n Will win: \u2018Joker\u2019 Should win: \u2018Little Women\u2019<\/p>\n Best Music<\/p>\n Will win: Hildur Gu\u00f0nad\u00f3ttir Should win: Hildur Gu\u00f0nad\u00f3ttir\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Best Song:<\/p>\n Should win: \u2018I\u2019m Standing With You\u2019 by Diane Warren from \u2018Breakthrough\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Best Picture My favourite film of the year is Greta Gerwig\u2019s \u2018Little Women\u2019 with its splendid filmmaking, intelligent update of the story and wonderful performances. The film I admire most is Bong Joon-ho\u2019s \u2018Parasite\u2019 with its biting satire, great comedy, … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thecliffedge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/joker-275x300.jpg\")
Jonathan Pryce is brilliant as always in \u2018The Two Popes\u2019, adding depth to dialogue that\u2019s intelligent even as it involves two decent men talking about an imaginary friend. Adam Driver does a much better job of portraying a whiny asshole in \u2018Marriage Story\u2019 than Leonard DiCaprio does in the wretched Tarantino film. Antonio Banderas is solid in Pedro Almodovar\u2019s surprisingly dull \u2018Pain and Glory\u2019 but Joaquin Phoenix is mesmerising in \u2018Joker\u2019. I would have liked to see Adam Sandler nominated for his frenetic turn in \u2018Uncut Gems\u2019 plus Christian Bale for his scrappy racer in \u2018Le Mans \u201866\u2019 and Eddie Murphy for his warm and funny performance in \u2018Dolemite is My Name\u2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thecliffedge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/clemency_01-300x295.jpg\")
The more I think about \u2018Marriage Story\u2019, the more impressed I am with Scarlett Johansson as a woman trying to emerge from an oppressive marriage to fulfil her own ambitions and be a good mother. It\u2019s an intelligent and nuanced performance. Saoirse Ronan is equally appealing in \u2018Little a Women\u2019 and Cynthia Erivo widens her range impressively in \u2018Harriet\u2019. Charlize Theron does her best in an under-written role of a woman abused by her employer in \u2018Bombshell\u2019 but it\u2019s not a very good film. Neither is \u2018Judy\u2019 but there\u2019s no question that Renee Zellweger nails her portrayal of Judy Garland on her last legs. Better than all of them is Alfre Woodard as a firm but compassionate and increasingly conflicted death-row prison warden in \u2018Clemency\u2019. It\u2019s a profoundly gripping and moving performance.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thecliffedge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/SongKangHoParasite-750x400-1-300x277.jpg\")
embarrassed to be nominated for doing next to nothing in the Tarantino film except swoon over DiCaprio, take off his shirt, drive around an affectionately recreated Los Angeles and smash people in the face. He should be. Best of the nominated bunch is Anthony Hopkins who shows the progression of a troubled and guilt-ridden religious figure in \u2018The Two Popes\u2019. Better than all of them are Korean veteran Kang-ho Song (left) as the lazily devious poor father in \u2018Parasite\u2019 and Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet as the rich kid who grows from louche privilege to sensitive compassion in \u2018Little Women\u2019.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thecliffedge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Pugh-Chalamet-copy.jpg\")
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Margot Robbie is just fine as an abused woman in \u2018Bombshell\u2019 and Laura Dern is very effective as a dynamic divorce lawyer in \u2018Marriage Story\u2019 although it\u2019s a one-note role much as Allison Janney\u2019s was in \u2018I, Tonya\u2019 and she won the Oscar. Best of the nominees is Florence Pugh who conveys the youngest \u2018Little Women\u2019 daughter\u2019s growth from brattish child to sophisticated woman with immense polish. I would have liked to see nominations for Cho Yeo-jeong (left) as the blinkered rich mother in \u2018Parasite\u2019 and Park So-dam as the smart and tricky poor daughter in that film.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thecliffedge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/parasite1.jpg\")
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