I had the honor of once again appearing on Tavern Talk, this time to film two shows. The first being this review of the new horror movie “Gretel & Hansel”. As before, the idea is that host Phillip Price and his guest watch the newest release of the week and then immediately share their raw first impressions. It was a ton of fun.
Check it out below and let me know what you think.
Ana de Armas is unquestionably an actress on the rise. The 31-year-old Cuban star broke into American film in 2015 but it was last year’s “Knives Out” that opened up a ton of eyes. Things only get bigger in 2020 where she is set to be in four movies including the new James Bond flick and this intriguing crime thriller from writer-director Michael Cristofer.
“The Night Clerk” stars Tye Sheridan as a creepy, eccentric front desk clerk at a hotel. He works the night shift and apparently has an affection for voyeurism. In walks a beautiful yet mysterious young woman (de Armas) who gets a room. Soon after a murder takes place and Sheridan’s character appears to be the chief suspect. I’ll let you check out the trailer for yourself but it looks like a fun little crime story.
“The Night Clerk” is set to release February 21st. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
When it comes to original movies Netflix has evolved into a powerhouse. In 2018 Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” received tons of praise and end of the year awards. 2019 was even bigger with movies like “Marriage Story”, “The Irishman”, and others earning the streaming giant a whopping 24 Oscar nominations. It hasn’t taken them long to excite us for 2020.
“The Last Thing He Wanted” is a political thriller with an eye-catching cast: Anne Hathaway, Ben Affleck, Rosie Perez, and Willem Dafoe. More exciting is it’s the follow up film for director and co-writer Dee Rees. Her last movie “Mudbound” was one of my favorites from 2017 so this is a must-see for me. The first trailer has landed and things look promising.
We won’t have to wait long. “The Last Thing He Wanted” premieres at Sundance then hits Netflix on February 21st. Check out the new trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
https://youtu.be/KmrU6gMc1Lc
Over the last few days I’ve been reflecting on the best acting performances of 2019. It’s day four and it’s time to look at the final category. We wrap things up by looking at Lead Actor. This group may not be as ripe with stellar performances as the past couple of years but it was still tough to narrow it down to only five performances. Here are my picks for the best the year had to offer.
It’s sad but I don’t know of anyone who is talking about “Arctic” or more specifically Mads Mikkelsen’s rugged, stoic performance. Mikkelsen is sublime, able to carry the weight of the film on his shoulders through both his intense physical commitment and deep emotional resonance. “Arctic” is a survival film in the fullest sense and Mikkelsen sells every moment with a steely yet measured realism. Simply put, he’s great.
Not just any performer can do well in a Terrence Malick movie. It takes a special talent to move with the filmmaker’s unique visual and storytelling rhythms. This is especially true for “A Hidden Life” and August Diehl is the perfect fit. Quiet, expressive, and deftly in sync with Malick’s meditative beats, Diehl’s ability to visualize inner turmoil, heartfelt conviction, and loving concern is astonishing. It’s one of the best performances of the year that too few people have seen.
A key part of Brad Pitt’s fabulous 2019 was “Ad Astra”, a quiet and contemplative slice of science-fiction. His portrayal of a highly decorated yet tortured astronaut is some of the best work of his career. It’s a subdued and understated performance, internalized yet so effective that nearly every feeling can be understood through his pained eyes. Pitt is a proven big Hollywood star who probably has a ton of projects to choose from. I love seeing him make choices like this.
I don’t know if any actor has watched his star skyrocket quite like Adam Driver. In Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story” he is in top form playing one-half of a New York City couple navigating the bruising, messy travails of divorce. Driver has done a little bit of everything throughout his career and he brings all of it to this role: tenderness, humor, naïveté, sorrow, pain, fury. Oh, and in case you didn’t know, he’s also a really good singer!
No performance in 2019 mesmerized me and got under my skin quite like Joaquin Phoenix did in “Joker”. Phoenix is no stranger to losing himself in a role both physically and emotionally, but his transformation into the deeply disturbed and frighteningly sinister Arthur Fleck is unlike anything he has done before. Taking on such a well known character is a challenge, but Phoenix digs into it and makes it his own. It’s easily my favorite performance of 2019.
And that wraps up my look back at the 2019 movie year. What do you think of my choices for Lead Actor? Let me know in the comments section below.
Over the last few days I’ve been reflecting on the best acting performances of 2019. It’s day three and with the supporting categories in the book it’s time to look at the Lead Actress group. It was a brutal job picking only five but you know the rules. So here we go.
It’s such a shame that more people haven’t been able to see “The Vast of Night”. One of many reasons is they miss out on seeing Sierra McCormick who gives a fun, effervescent, and eye-opening performance. She handles the film’s dense Sorkin-like dialogue with ease and fully develops a character you can’t help but love. I so hope more people can soon see this film.
I admit it, I was no fan of Awkwafina’s brand of comedy and she was one of my only gripes about “Crazy Rich Asians”. But I love it when a performer opens my eyes and makes me a true believer. That’s what Awkwafina did in “The Farewell”. This is a beautiful dramatic turn but with a very controlled sense of humor. Most of all it’s undeniably authentic from start to finish.
In this small slice of Judy Garland’s life Renée Zellweger loses herself in the entertainment icon’s troubled skin. From the physical details to the emotional range to singing her own numbers, Zellweger gives a fiercely committed performance that often rises above the material she is given. It’s fascinating work from an actress who has put herself back in the spotlight.
This is the 2019 performance that I hope more people will be able to catch up with in 2020. Alfre Woodard carries this brutally honest movie about a prison warden in charge of state executions and the psychological toll it takes on her. Woodard’s performance reveals a strong woman who earned her position in a male dominated field. At the same time she’s tormented by the moral dilemma her job poses. It’s a quiet performance, emotionally authentic and without a hint of theatrics.
For some it may be easy to forget “Us” was a 2019 movie. It released way back in March. But how can you possibly forget Lupita N’yongo’s stunning two-pronged performance? It’s hard to say much about her work without spoiling key parts of the story, but N’yongo brings two distinct personalities to her role and shows two completely different sides of herself as an actress. Incredible range, intensity, and emotion. How she’s not getting award nominations is beyond me.
One more to go. Tomorrow we look at the Lead Actor category. What did you think of these picks. Let me know in the comments section below.
When it comes to independent cinema, A24 has made quite a name for itself. The sheer quality of the movies that come from the company is impressive in itself. But then you throw in the diversity of their portfolio: comedies, horror, period pieces, coming of age films. They have established themselves as the premiere indie movie distributor.
That leads to the oddly titled “First Cow” from writer-director Kelly Reichardt. Her latest looks to be a Pacific Northwest frontier drama where a cook, a Chinese immigrant, and a prized milk cow join together for a secret (and hopefully lucrative) business venture. Sounds as quirky as the title, right? The first trailer looks intriguing and Reichardt’s signature minimalism and quietude is all over it.
“First Cow” is slated for a March 6th release (limited I’m sure). Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
Keith & the Movies 