Well, we finally made it. Following a year of COVID-19 that saw numerous delays and so much industry uncertainty, cinema has finally reached the height of its awards season (well sorta). It kicks into gear with the Hollywood Foreign Press unveiling its Golden Globe nominations. It’s been a bizarre year for movies and it’s reflected in the nominations (announced this yesterday). So as I’m prone to do, here are a few Random Thoughts about this year’s batch.

• Let me go ahead and get this out of the way. The Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy category is easily the worst of the bunch. In all fairness I haven’t seen “Music”, but the rest leave me scratching my head. Three (“Borat”, “Palm Springs”, “The Prom”) range from blah to bad. “Hamilton” is a play, not a movie (yes, I know that’s debatable). I’ll be rooting for Patel.
• BUT the HFPA did a much better job on Best Motion Picture – Drama. Three of the five nominees made my person Top 10, one just missed it. I can go with that.
• And a big tip of the hat to the HFPA for mostly nailing the Best Director category. With the exception of Sorkin (whose film wasn’t bad but wasn’t great), a strong case could be made for each of the nominees. And three women? Thumbs up.
• Not trying to pile on Sorkin, but I can think of several directors I would have rather seen. Nolan, Chung, Vinterberg, Kore-eda, Kaufman, Reichardt just to name a few.
• And let’s give a big hand to Regina King. What a debut. While her film barely missed my Top 10, “One Night in Miami…” is terrific. Maybe it should have found it’s way in the Best Picture – Drama list?
• As usual I’m woefully ignorant of the Animated category. I did like “Soul” so there’s that.
• Nothing for Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods”. I’m actually okay with that. It’s a good movie but a flawed one. And I know there were some hoping for a DelRoy Lindo nomination. He’s good, no doubt about it. But for me his performance grew bigger and bigger until he sucked the air out of so many scenes. Not so much his fault as the direction.
• The HFPA got it right with Chadwick Boseman. They nominated him for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (the right choice). They didn’t nominate him for “Da 5 Bloods” (also the right choice).
• Speaking of that Best Actor – Drama category, I haven’t seen Tahar Rahim (no screener, boooo) but the rest are really good. And while I doubt he’ll win, the award should unquestionably go to Anthony Hopkins. Talk about career-best work in a career full of career-best work.
• Man I would have loved to see Mads Mikkelsen nominated. Outside of Hopkins it was the best performance I saw last year.
• Back to “Borat”, I can’t help but wonder if in a normal year the movie wouldn’t even be in the discussion. “Subsequent Moviefilm” starts strong but then strangles on its own gimmickry. Far too much feels staged this time around. And Baron Cohen for Best Actor – Musical or Comedy? Pass.
• And wasn’t James Corden excoriated for his performance in “The Prom”? Just asking.
• I really like the Foreign Language category. In fact two of the nominees should be in the Best Picture – Drama group. But I know….RULES. Still it’s great to see the HFPA showing love for “Another Round” and “Minari”. Both are among the 2020’s best movies. “La Llorona” is another one worth seeing. I wish “The Truth” would have made it but oh well.
• Speaking of “Minari”, it finds itself in such a weird place. It’s considered a USA film just like many in the Best Picture categories. But because of a goofy rule that reads “Motion pictures that qualify for the Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language award also qualify for awards in all other motion picture categories except Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy” it doesn’t get consideration for the more prominent awards.
• One more “Minari” gripe (sorry, I love the film), no Supporting Actress nomination for Youn Yuh-Jung who many considered a frontrunner.
• I do like that Colman and Seyfried gor Supporting Actress nominations. Both were superb. And I really liked Close who was the best thing about an otherwise mediocre “Hillbilly Elegy”. Zengel was really good but I’m not sure if she’s among the five best.
• Riz Ahmed everybody!
• The Best Actress – Drama category has three of the best performances of the year PERIOD, male or female. Vanessa Kirby, Carey Mulligan, and of course Frances McDormand should absolutely be there. Viola Davis was good but her character was stuck one gear for the entire film.
• Michelle Pfeiffer for “French Exit”? I love it. More on that film in a few days.
• “Mank” did a little better than I expected. Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Original Score. Fincher and company had a good morning.
• Chloe Zhao is such a talent. Does she nab both Best Picture – Drama and Best Director. I kinda think she might.
• Ok, I knew “Tenet” wasn’t going to get anything (it did get a nomination for Best Score), but consider this my obligatory defense of what I felt was the best movie of the year. Thanks for listening.
• That Supporting Actor category is pretty rich. Rooting for Bill Murray for “On the Rocks” and wouldn’t have a problem with a Leslie Odom, Jr. win. The other three are a little shakier.
• And quite a morning for Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross who were nominated for TWO original scores (“Mank” and “Soul”). I think by now everyone knows these guys have immeasurable musical talent.

And that’s all I got. I case you missed anything, here are all this year’s film nominees.

Best Motion Picture – Drama
The Father
Mank
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
The Trial of the Chicago 7 

Best Picture – Musical or Comedy
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Hamilton
Music
Palm Springs
The Prom

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Viola Davis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)
Andra Day (The United States vs. Billie Holiday)
Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman)
Frances McDormand (Nomadland)
Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal)
Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)
Anthony Hopkins (The Father)
Gary Oldman (Mank)
Tahar Rahim (The Mauritanian)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm)
Kate Hudson (Music)
Michelle Pfeiffer (French Exit)
Rosamund Pike (I Care a Lot)
Anya Taylor-Joy (Emma)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm)
James Corden (The Prom)
Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton)
Dev Patel (The Personal History of David Copperfield)
Andy Samberg (Palm Springs)

Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy)
Olivia Colman (The Father)
Jodie Foster (The Mauritanian)
Amanda Seyfried (Mank)
Helena Zengel (News of the World)

Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Sacha Baron Cohen (The Trial of the Chicago 7)
Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah)
Jared Leto (The Little Things)
Bill Murray (On the Rocks)
Leslie Odom, Jr. (One Night in Miami)

Best Director – Motion Picture
Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman)
David Fincher (Mank)
Regina King (One Night in Miami)
Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7)
Chloé Zhao (Nomadland)

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman)
Jack Fincher (Mank)
Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7)
Florian Zeller & Christopher Hampton (The Father)
Chloé Zhao (Nomadland)

Best Motion Picture, Animated
The Croods: A New Age
Onward
Over the Moon
Soul
Wolfwalkers

Best Picture, Foreign Language
Another Round
La Llorona
The Life Ahead
Minari
Two of Us 

Best Original Score, Motion Picture
Alexandre Desplat (The Midnight Sky)
Ludwig Göransson (Tenet)
James Newton Howard (News of the World)
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (Mank)
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, & Jon Batiste (Soul)

Best Original Song, Motion Picture
“Fight for You” (Judas and the Black Messiah)
“Hear My Voice” (The Trial of the Chicago 7)
“Is Si (Seen)” (The Life Ahead)
“Speak Now” (One Night in Miami)
“Tigress & Tweed” (The United States vs. Billie Holiday)

Benedict Cumberbatch leads the upcoming historical Cold War drama “The Courier”. Set in 1960, the film tells “the incredible true story” of humble businessman Greville Wynne. He’s recruited by both MI-6 and the CIA to penetrate Soviet ranks and connect with a Russian mole (Mereb Ninidze) in an effort to bring an end to the mounting Cuban Missile Crisis. Dominic Cooke directs from a script written by Tom O’Connor.

Cumberbatch looks to be a great fit but I’m more intrigued by the supporting cast. I’m always up for watching Jessie Buckley and here she plays Greville’s wife Sheila. And Rachel Brosnahan, who was so good in last year’s “I’m Your Woman”, plays a mysterious CIA operative. And the story looks to be an exciting deep-cover spy thriller, but one with a strong human pulse. Shamefully I’m not that familiar with the true story, but the first trailer has me intrigued to know more.

“The Courier” opens in theaters March 19th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

While not as prominent in today’s news headlines as the current global pandemic, opioid addiction is ravaging lives at its own unspeakable rate. The new drama “Crisis” from director Nicholas Jarecki’s (“Arbitrage”) looks to tackle the issue head-on by using its star-studded cast to cover several interconnected storylines. Jarecki’s goal is to show how the epidemic and its devastating effects are impacting every social group and every class. That’s a lot to cover but the first trailer looks promising.

The cast is filled with familiar names and faces, each representing different walks of life and each connected to opioids in one way or another. Gary Oldman plays a principled professor hoping to bring the crisis to light. Armie Hammer is a DEA agent battling the epidemic from the trenches. Evangeline Lily is a frustrated vigilante mother searching for her addicted son. Luke Evans heads a shady pharmaceutical company protecting its billion dollar interests. Add in Greg Kinnear, Michelle Rodriguez, Lily-Rose Depp, and Martin Donovan among others. Strong cast, strong subject.

“Crisis” hits theaters on February 26th and premieres March 5th on VOD. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Creature Feature fans rejoice. The first trailer for the long-awaited (at least for some of us) “Godzilla vs. Kong” movie finally landed over the weekend and boy does it leave us with a lot to ponder. This star-studded sequel to 2014’s “Godzilla”, 2017’s “Kong: Skull Island”, and 2019’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” throws a lot at us in its first real look – lots of large scale action, numerous returning characters and an epic showdown between cinema’s most renowned monsters. Will it all come together in a smart and compelling way? Who knows, but it sure looks to be a lot of fun.

So it looks like Godzilla is ticked off and many of the familiar faces can’t quite figure out why. One significant line of dialogue offers some insight. “There was a war and they’re the last ones standing.” So apparently the two beasts have a history. But something else seems to have Godzilla worked up and wrecking havoc around the globe. So those pesky humans need Kong to defend them against the mighty Godzilla and a young girl who is able to communicate with the former Skull Island native looks to be the key. Lots of ground to cover but I’m completely onboard.

“Godzilla vs. Kong” opens March 26th in theaters and streaming on HBO Max. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing yet or taking a pass.

No faithful movie about the Holocaust is going to be an easy watch. But they have long served as powerful reminders of unbridled human evil and they have testified to the resilience and bravery of many who suffered and died as a result of the atrocities. The upcoming Serbian historical drama “Dara of Jasenovac” tells a unique story from the Holocaust, one concentrated on the genocide of Serbs in the Independent State of Croatia. The film is directed by Predrag Antonijević and is the Serbian entry for Best International Film at the upcoming Oscars.

Antonijević and writer Nataša Drakulić tell their harrowing story through the eyes of a 12-year-old girl named Dara played by the expressive Biljana Čekić. With their country crumbling and the majority of local Serbs being rounded up, Dara along with her mother and two brothers are sent to Jasenovac concentration camp. The new trailer shows the horrors of the death camp but also a young girl’s willingness to give her all to survive. It’s tough material but the period design looks fantastic and its unflinching perspective looks powerful and immersive.

“Dara of Jasenovac” is set to premiere in the US on February 5th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Over the last few days I’ve been looking back at the best acting performances from the year 2020. Yesterday we began the Lead categories by looking at five incredible female performances. We wrap it up today with Lead Actor and without question there are some really strong contenders. So without further delay here are my top choices for Lead Actor.

Honorable Mentions: Tom Hanks (“News of the World”), George Clooney (“The Midnight Sky”), Jude Law (“The Nest”), Kevin Costner (“Let Him Go”), Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (“Farewell Amor”), Nnamdi Asomugha (“Sylvie’s Love”), Gary Oldman “Mank”)

#5 – Ben Affleck – “The Way Back”

So far during this awards season not enough people are talking about Ben Affleck’s soulful and deeply personal performance in “The Way Back”. Sure it’s a sports story about redemption, but Affleck doesn’t give his character easy outs nor does he allow for a Happily Ever After scenario. This is an honest look at alcoholism and you can see Affleck dealing with his own demons through the eyes of a broken high school football coach.

#4 – Chadwick Boseman “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”

His character’s name may not be in the title, but Chadwick Boseman’s ambitious but deeply scarred Levee is clearly the movie’s heart. Boseman brings enough charisma to fill a room and he doesn’t allow the film’s occasional ‘staginess’ to hold him back. The movie carries the weight of being Boseman’s final big screen performance following his tragic passing. It’s also a powerful and sobering reminder of the immense talent he possessed.

#3 – Steven Yeun – “Minari”

Yet another amazing performance from this heartbreaking yet heartwarming family drama. Yeun is both the anchor and the glue in a role that should cement him as a solid leading man (for those who for some reason still had doubts). Yeun brings warmth and pathos to a character who certainly has his faults. But buried within his ambitions is the heart of a man trying to convince himself and his family to believe in the American Dream. Powerful work.

#2 – Riz Ahmed – “Sound of Metal”

I admit, I slept on this movie. But then I started hearing so many people talk about Riz Ahmed’s performance. I finally gave it a go and within 15 minutes I knew exactly why people were so enthusiastic. Ahmed gives what should be a star-making turn playing a punk rocker who loses his hearing and is forced to adjust to his new challenging reality. It’s a brutally honest and unflinching performance that has stuck with me since first seeing it.

#1 – Mads Mikkelsen – “Another Round”

This isn’t the first time Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen has topped one of these lists of mine. A bit of magic happens when he and filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg get together which is exactly what happened with “Another Round”. This is such a tricky role for Mikkelsen, taking a rather absurd idea on the surface and turning it into a deep, internal exploration of middle-age disillusionment. There’s humor, remorse, hope, and tragedy woven into this one phenomenal performance and Mikkelsen again proves himself to be one of our very best working actors.

And that wraps up this year’s look back at the best performances of 2020. What did you think of this list? Please leave you thoughts in the comments section below and lets do it again next year.