Movies: Time to catch up with multiple-Oscar nominee “All Quiet on the Western Front.” It’s streaming on Netflix…Sundance has been producing the usual buzz for movies that will be forgotten in a week…Streaming/TV: If the major streamers would release some engaging new fare, I wouldn’t be watching reruns of “Big Bang Theory” on HBOMax…Music: I’ve been reading every scrap of news about the rock album Dolly Parton is recording with female luminaries — Cher, Debbie Harry, Pat Benatar, Cyndi Lauper: everyone but Madonna…Books: Martin Riker’s novel “The Guest Lecture,” about a young economist, is good fun…Sports: I always root against Djokovic, but he’ll probably win another Australian Open this weekend.
Paul Mescal scored an Oscar nomination yesterday for his performance as a gay dad in “Aftersun.” He’s currently onstage in London in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” a production which transfers March 20 to the West End. He’s been cast recently to star in the sequel to “Gladiator” and in the movie adaptation of Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along.” And he can sing!
The nominations for this year’s Academy Awards were announced this morning. There were expected snubs: no Tom Cruise in Best Actor. And some surprises: Andrea Riseborough in Best Actress, Brian Tyree Henry in Supporting Actor. As usual, AMPAS thinks black people belong in supporting roles: there were no black nominees in Best Actor or Best Actress — two were expected in the latter: Viola Davis and Danielle Deadwyler.
The shine has gone from the award in recent years owing to lack of diversity (yet to be addressed in the Best Actress category), uncharismatic hosts or no hosts, falling ratings and, most recently, violence on the show (that slap). But winning one of these gold statues is still a very big deal to American popular culture and throughout the world. Let’s turn our gaze to this year’s contenders for the 2023 Academy Awards (covering last year’s film releases): BEST PICTURE: Everything Everywhere All At Once (EEAAO) The Fabelmans (TF) The Banshees of Inisherin (TBOI) Tar (T) Avatar: The Way of the Water (ATWOTHW) Top Gun: Maverick (TGM) Elvis (E) The Whale (TW) All Quiet on the Western Front (AQOTWF) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (BPWF) ALTERNATE: Glass Onion – A Knives Out Mystery (GO-AKOM)
BEST DIRECTOR: Steven Spielberg – TF Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert – EEAAO Martin McDonagh – TBOI Todd Field – Tar James Cameron ATWOTW ALTERNATE: Edward Berger – AQOTWF
BEST ACTOR: Brendan Fraser – TW Colin Farrell – TBOI Austin Butler – E Bill Nighy – Living Paul Mescal – Aftersun ALTERNATE: Tom Cruise – TGM
BEST ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett – T Michelle Yeoh – EEAAO Danielle Deadwyler – Till Michelle Williams – TF Viola Davis – The Woman King ALTERNATE: Ana de Armas – Blonde
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Ke Huy Quan – EEAO Brendan Gleeson – TBOI Judd Hirsch – TF Paul Dano – TF Barry Keoghan – TBOI ALTERNATE: Eddie Redmayne – The Good Nurse
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Angela Bassett – BPWF Hong Chau – TW Kerry Condon – TBOI Jamie Lee Curtis – EEAO Stephanie Hsu – EEAAO ALTERNATE: Dolly de Leon – TOS
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The Banshees of Inisherin Everything Everywhere All At Once The Fabelmans Tar Aftersun
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY All Quiet on the Western Front Women Talking Top Gun: Maverick The Whale Triangle of Sadness
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE: All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany) Argentina 1985 (Argentina) Decision to Leave (South Korea) The Quiet GIrl (Ireland) EO (Poland) ALTERNATE: Bardo (Mexico)
Movies: There’s nothing new worth seeing at the cinema, so I suggest watching the colorful Indian epic “RRR” on HBOMax…TV/Streaming: I keep trying to watch “Vienna Blood” on Sunday nights on PBS — to no avail. I get on better with that network’s “All Creatures Great and Small”…Books: Bret Easton Ellis has a new novel: “The Shards.” Sex and drugs, of course…Music: I’m re-listening to an old favorite: “Trios,” with Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt…What’s an Ice Spice? Why does she “munch”?…Sports: Just when I thought the Brooklyn Nets were going to the top of the NBA East, the Celtics went on a winning streak.
