Cinema and Popcorn

GENRE: Drama DIRECTOR: Chloé Zhao WRITER: Chloé Zhao & Maggie O'Farrell STARRING:   Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Jacobi Jupe, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn and Noah Jupe Thanks to an excellent source material, a sensitive direction and a commited ensemble cast, Hamnet is one of those rare literary adaptations done right for which the final result reaches the caliber of the novel. It's not a perfect film, but it's a film that embraces those imperfections and highlights what it has best: a pulsating heart! Might well be the most romantic and subtle movie of the year with the most visceral impact as it explores very powerful feelings with a rare audience-engaging effect. Hamnet starts with the promise of a romantic drama but as soon as the narrative starts developing you understand it goes well beyond a love story. Agnes and Will relationship is fueled by love, but it's imperfect and thorny at times - still, love speaks louder and the fact they know they are very different ...

AUDIENCE PRIZES PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Nomadland (dir. Chloé Zhao)  / First runner up: One Night in Miami (dir. Regina King); Second runner up: Beans (dir. Tracey Deer.) PEOPLE'S CHOICE, DOCUMENTARY: Inconvenient Indian  (dir. Michelle Latimer)  PEOPLE'S CHOICE, MIDNIGHT MADNESS: Shadow in the Cloud (dir.  Roseanne Liang)  WHY IS IT SUCH A BIG DEAL? Great news for Nomadland - it now takes the clear frontrunner position in the Best Picture race (and in the Oscar race overall). I think it is the first movie ever to win both Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion and TIFF's People Choice Award (but I've to do some research before really state that). Also good news for Regina King's One Night in Miami , which went from Venice's critical darling (out of competition) to one of the audiences favorites in Toronto. The People's Choice Award has a direct correlation with the Best Picture category at the Oscars, since 90% of its winners in the last 10 years have l...

I'm one of those who believes in Da 5 Bloods Oscar chances... so, as you can see, I'm predicting a Best Director nomination for Spike Lee - not only has the AMPAS unlocked some love for him and his work recently ( BlacKkKlansman ), but I'm sure the movie will have a heavy awards campaign from Netflix. Don't get me wrong: I do think Lee deserves the nomination, since Da 5 Bloods is fueled by the energy Lee instilates in the movie (and it is more ambitious filmmaking than his Oscar nominated work in BlacKkKlansman 's). David Fincher also directs another big Oscar contender coming from the "Netflix factory" - Mank , the story about the many struggles to get the classic Citizen Kane made and released. Not a lot of news about this project until today (it got an official instagram page it seems), but given the talent involved and the way Fincher was able to balance style/narrative/acting in both his previous Best Director nominated works ( The Curious Case o...