Cinema and Popcorn

March 15, 2021 - The AMPAS announces its nominees for its annual Academy Awards AKA The Oscars. The nominees? Surprising! I was not expecting the AMPAS to embrace diversity this openly. And what a beautiful thing to do. From the love across the board for Minari , to the feminist Promising Young Woman , Asian actors, 2 Black actresses competing for Best Actress and 3 (!!!) Black actors competing in Best Supporting Actor... And a shocking Lakeith Stanfield nomination for Judas and the Black Messiah (so, who's the lead?). Mank is the most nominated movie of this year's edition, but I believe it won't be able to suprass Nomadland , The Trial of the Chicago 7 , Judas and the Black Messiah or Promising Young Woman . Most nominations doesn't always translate to "most wins"... you know... last year's The Irishman ! Sad for a Mads Mikkelsen ( Another Round ) snub in Best Actor in a Leading Role, since he would be a worthier nominee than Gary Oldman ( Mank ).

Final countdown to the 93rd Academy Awards nominations' announcement and I couldn't be more excited about it. I know it has been a way (too) long awards season, but it also allowed a big couple of contenders to have its own momentum. Right now, there are categories I feel there's no clear frontrunner (Best Supporting Actress), a lot of spots to fill (Best Supporting Actor) or too many great contenders with a fair shot at a nom (Best Director, Best Original Screenplay or Best Original Score, for example). The clear frontrunners seem to be Nomadland and The Trial of the Chicago 7 , with Minari , Judas and the Black Messiah and Sound of Metal getting some last minute extra buzz (and I love it!). So let's have a look at my predictions: BEST PICTURE Chloé Zhao's Nomadland has been sweeping the awards season - after a Golden Lion win at Venice, a People's Choice Award at TIFF and multiple critics prizes, the movie still managed to go beyond the "critics darling

The last "Four Favorite Movies With" star was Gwyneth Paltrow , who starred The Talented Mr. Ripley alongside Matt Damon - this post's actor! Damon reached widespread recognition in late 90's to become a major domestic box-office name in the 2000's, but he has always been  a reliable actor who starred some major high-quality productions. Here are my 4 favorite movies with Matt Damon: The Departed (2006) / The Bourne Identity (2002) / Invictus (2009) / Good Will Hunting (1997)

1. SOUL It's not perfect, but it does have a soul! Disney's Soul is a mature and reflexive animated feature that deals with the "true meaning of life", always backed by a wonderful score, great voice work and beautiful visual effects. Soul is a delight for eyes, ears, mind and heart! 2. MINARI Tender, heartfelt and sweet, Minari' s biggest achievement is its ability to connect with the audience by portraying moments that easily might recall each viewer's own personal memories. It's a child's tale, the tale of a marriage on the rocks and a man's personal journey in search of the American dream while he tries to carry his family on his shoulders. Award worthy ensemble acting, a sensitive directing touch and some of the most emotional last acts of the year. 3. VITALINA VARELA It's a movie of great beauty and a lot of detail. Leonardo Simões' cinematography work is breathtaking, making Vitalina Varela almost "painting looking". Pedr

No, I was not expecting  Nomadland  to win Best Motion Picture - Drama! My money was on  The Trial of the Chicago 7 , but Nomadland keeps its impressive awards run! But the night's big winner was Andra Day - who pulled an utterly unexpected win for her amazing performnace in The United States vs. Billie Holiday . The movie is a weak one itself, but Day ignites the screen with true star power and a graceful tribute to Billie Holiday's persona. Another win no one really saw it coming was Jodie Foster 's for her performance in The Mauritanian . Both Day and Foster - holding shaky #4 and #5 places in Oscar predictions (in Foster's case, she wasn't even being predicted by most predictions folks) before the Globes - seem to have secured a safe place in the Oscar predictions' shortlists for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. A note to Rosamund Pike 's late enthusiasm for her performance in I Care a Lot : she's a delight to watch as an evil woman, but w