Unexpected, Unpredictable ‘Barbie’ Is An Irresistible Pop o’ Culture

Unexpected, Unpredictable ‘Barbie’ Is An Irresistible Pop o’ Culture

By Lynn Venhaus

Far from plastic and without a whiff of cynicism, “Barbie” is a cherry lemonade-frosted cupcake made with the best ingredients, no artificial sweeteners, and sprinkled with Mom love. It tickled me pink.

For our hero’s journey, Barbie must leave her comfort zone, the female-fantastic Barbie Land, to discover the perils of the Real World, where men rule, and she questions her existence.

Savvy writer-director Greta Gerwig has crafted an irresistible fantasy-comedy vision narrated by Helen Mirren, featuring Kate McKinnon as the outcast Weird Barbie, Ryan Gosling projecting “Kenergy” while wearing a floor-length white faux fur coat, and Lizzo singing a spirited “Pink” wake-up tune.

Whatever emotions a Barbie doll has evoked in your lifetime, this inventive live-action movie will bring them all out because of its sincere heart. While a delectable confection, there are multi-layers to digest, making it a surprising thought-provoking piece for our time.

On the one hand, with its frothy cotton-candy-colored façade and breezy beach vibe, “Barbie” is a joyous ode to childhood make-believe and a sentimental nostalgia trip for those who grew up playing with the style-setter. (However, this movie is not for kids, so scratch your plans for a mother-daughter bonding experience if they are under 12).

Brimming with great gags and vibrant visuals, it’s a dizzying pop o’ culture and universality. Through a smart, clever, and funny script co-written by Gerwig and the father of her two children, accomplished filmmaker Noah Baumbach, it is also self-aware and pokes fun at the Barbie ideal and how that has evolved over the years.

Most importantly, though, it is a matter-of-fact look at women’s treatment in society, pushing for more female empowerment while it points out inequalities and unrealistic beauty images. So, whether you love or hate Mattel’s global fashion icon, the takeaways are plentiful.

That’s because all the elements come together to celebrate girl power, while also taking a closer look at a toy’s story and what it reflects about us. Case in point — Issa Rae plays the President, and only female justices are on the Supreme Court in blissful Barbie Land while America Ferrara is a harried working mom in the Real World that tells it like it is in a monologue worthy of break-out applause.

Two-time Oscar nominee Gerwig, who grew up playing with Barbies, wants everyone to have their cake and eat it too. That’s why it is playful, but then addresses how it is a powerful yet polarizing corporation’s merchandise, at once adored by consumers but also decried by detractors.

With Warner Brothers’ studio’s extensive marketing campaign in high gear this summer, the world’s most famous doll, born in 1959, is ubiquitous – and both the filmmakers and filmgoers have embraced this journey.

Margot Robbie as Barbie

Gerwig, an inspired storyteller and enthusiastic film fan, includes nods to such whimsical influences as “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” and “The Wizard of Oz,” and the colorful aesthetics of the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals and Jacques Demy’s unorthodox “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.”

And of course, she references “Grease” and “Saturday Night Fever” in group numbers and tempo. The catchy centerpiece “Dance the Night Way,” sung by Dua Lipa, also a Barbie, is produced by hitmaker Mark Ronson – although cut short when Barbie’s bubble bursts. 

The kicky escapist pop soundtrack includes the sampling of “Barbie Girl,” the 1997 Aqua song, in Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s “Barbie World,” along with HAIM’s “Home,” Sam Smith’s “Man I Am,” Tame Impala’s “Journey to the Real World,” Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” and yes, Gosling’s ‘90s boy-band ballad “I’m Just Ken.”

Must also mention the Indigo Girls song from 1989 “Closer to Fine” that becomes a singalong!

A nod to inventor Ruth Handler is lovely, with Rhea Perlman as the Jewish businesswoman (and Mattel’s first president) having tea with her creation. “Humans have only one ending. Ideas live forever,” Ruth tells Barbie.

The pink paradise that is Barbie Land is a wonder to behold, an imaginative playground where girls of all sizes rule. They are independent, successful Nobel Prize winners, Olympic athletes, astronauts, and doctors, living in custom Barbie Dream Houses and changing lives.

The most upbeat is Stereotypical Barbie, and as the blonde bachelorette beauty, Margot Robbie is splendid, with that megawatt smile of hers, radiating star quality. A two-time Oscar nominee (“Bombshell” and “I, Tonya”), she also produced the film.

Her self-sufficient character is no bimbo and certainly not in anyone’s shadow, least of all Ken, who is fine focusing on Barbie’s happiness.

When she discovers – gasp – that men rule the world, and Ken becomes enamored with the patriarchy, thirsting for the power associated with being in charge, not to mention hanging with his macho-cool bros –  it becomes a rocky road.

Fortunately, the toxic masculinity fueled Kendom is short-lived, and the divine disco dancing dude returns as his supportive self.

Ryan Gosling

Two-time Oscar nominee Gosling is flat-out hilarious and an all-in team player as the golden boy. While known for his brooding performances in “Blade Runner 2049,” “Drive” and “The Ides of March,” he has proven how funny he can be in two stints hosting “Saturday Night Live” (must-see sketches are “Close Encounters” in 2015 and “Papyrus” five years ago) and shown his prowess for singing and dance in “La La Land” and his Mouseketeer roots on “The All New Mickey Mouse Club.”

Robbie’s Barbie is not the only girl in town – and the casting is faultless. Emerald Fennell, who won an Oscar for her original screenplay “Promising Young Woman,” is seen briefly as the pregnant Midge, Barbie’s best pal that was discontinued in 2002.

McKinnon is a hoot as the embodiment of the doll who was played with a little too rough, one that had her hair chopped off and her face scribbled with magic markers. She’s become the sage, and makes Barbie select either a stiletto heel or a Birkenstock sandal, a riff on her path as “The Matrix” red or blue pill choice.

And Michael Cera steals the whole show as Allan, Ken’s friend — “I can wear the same clothes.” Marvel guys Simu Liu and Kingsley Ben-Adir are good sports as other Beach Kens. John Cena as Mermaid Ken? Yes, please.

The innovative sunny, sparkly production design by six-time Oscar nominee Sarah Greenwood is a work of art, aided by her frequent collaborator Katie Spencer as set decorator, as is the costume designs by two-time Oscar winner Jacqueline Durran, who worked with Gerwig on “Little Women.”

“Barbie” gets so much right that it’s unfortunate that the filmmakers don’t seem to know how to properly end it, appearing to run out of gas on that golden stretch of Pacific Coast Highway.

Nevertheless, any film that encourages self-expression is to be saluted.

As a first-generation Barbie owner (my mom gave me the ‘Picnic Set’ Barbie with the fishing pole, wearing jeans, for my 6th birthday in 1960), the gift was aspirational, for I could dream of adventures and a glamorous life of achievements when I grew up.

And that spirit lifts this entertaining film into a magical ‘make your own kind of music’ anthem whose time has come.

“Barbie” is a 2023 comedy-fantasy directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Michael Cera, Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, America Ferrara, Simu Liu, Alexandra Shipp, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Will Ferrell and Rhea Perlman. It is rated PG-13 for suggestive references and brief language, and the runtime is 1 hour, 54 minutes. It opens in theaters July 21. Lynn’s Grade: B+.

Note: this review was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.

‘Babylon’ Is a Full-Tilt Skewering of Hollywood

‘Babylon’ Is a Full-Tilt Skewering of Hollywood

By Alex McPherson 

Vulgar, shocking, but irresistible, Damien Chazelle’s “Babylon” is a toxic love letter to cinema that’s impossible to look away from, even in its most extreme moments.

Chazelle’s three-hour extravaganza mostly takes place in Hollywood from the late 1920s to 1930s, following actors and below-the-line workers navigating a ruthless world of celebrity as the industry transitions from silent films to talkies.

We begin with Manuel “Manny” Torres (Diego Calva), a Mexican immigrant and aspiring filmmaker working odd jobs for studio bigwigs in the hopes of breaking into the industry himself, transporting an elephant to a party at a Kinescope executive’s mansion. While Manny and helpers try to push their oversized truck up a hill, the elephant proceeds to defecate all over them (the camera gives us an up-close look at the animal’s anus as it’s smeared in feces). Indeed, this outrageous moment accurately reflects the sort of gross-out humor prevalent throughout the entirety of “Babylon” — every type of fluid comes into play during the runtime.

The party Manny’s en route to is, unsurprisingly, completely insane, filmed in unflinching long takes by cinematographer Linus Sandgren. Drugs are plentiful, lewd sex acts take place wherever you look, and enthusiastic partygoers dance as a jazzy band (led by the established musician Sidney Palmer, earnestly played by Jovan Adepo) blares Justin Hurwitz’s jaw-droppingly amazing score. Plus, there’s that elephant. 

Amid the chaos, though, Manny meets the love of his life, a brazen, New Jersey-born starlet named Nellie LaRoy (Margot Robbie) who crashes the gathering , and who — in between snorting a seemingly never-ending supply of cocaine — draws enough attention to herself that she scores her first film role (the original actor overdosed that night).

Brad Pitt and Diego Calva

Despite any and all red flags, it’s love at first sight for Manny — they’re both outsiders in search of something greater than themselves. In attendance as well is Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt), an alcoholic, womanizing actor who’s made his career in silent films. Manny is tasked with driving him home the next day, and Jack helps him score some assistant jobs on sets. 

As the years tick by and these passionate souls experience soaring highs and cacophonous lows amid the changing tides of entertainment and mental health, “Babylon” refuses to slow down or give viewers time to process the crazy narrative on display.

By juggling so many characters — each encountering different facets of Hollywood’s less-than-glamorous side — the film can’t quite give each of them time to fully sink in, but the tonal whiplash ultimately works to its benefit. By the end, I felt beat up. But just like the ravenous cravings that drive the characters back to the silver screen, I wanted more.

As you can tell, “Babylon” isn’t for everyone. The full-throttle nature of Chazelle’s film will undoubtedly turn off many viewers — but lack of restraint is the point. With hectic editing jumping between characters and years, camerawork full of whip pans, zooms, and dolly shots (calling to mind the early work of Paul Thomas Anderson), and Hurwitz’s aforementioned dynamic music, the film is a near-overwhelming sensory overload.

Scenes of depravity and carnage are accompanied by those showcasing the movie-making process. We see Jack and Nellie shine in their element, all while film crews suffer in the background (some with injuries, or worse) — illustrating the blood, sweat, and tears going into the art we might take for granted. One extended scene featuring Nellie acting on a set that’s trying (and often failing) to record sound smoothly, is sweaty, intense, and darkly hilarious. 

Jean Smart as Elinor St John

The screenplay, by Chazelle, opts for broad satire most of the time, with humor that only sporadically lands. The skewering of studio bigwigs and working conditions is a bit much, to say the least. But again, the brutality serves to underline the idea of cinema being an art we’re drawn to through thick and thin — the power of images being an all-encompassing force of escape and transformation, visualized in the brilliantly trippy ending.  

These characters, with varying degrees of privilege, are swept up into a system that chews them up and spits them out as very different people. They’re shells of who they once were, having sacrificed their well-being for the purpose of entertainment. Manny ascends the corporate ladder, but loses part of his cultural heritage in the process, having to adapt to increasingly repressive policies.

Jack, crestfallen, struggles to accept his dimming star power, and Nellie (with Robbie fully in command of her craft), is chasing the next high (even if that means “fighting” a snake). She’s undeniably talented, yet deeply insecure stemming from a vague yet turbulent childhood and grappling with a misogynistic public sphere.

Li Jun Li plays Lady Fay Zhu and Jovan Adepo (back right) plays Sidney Palmer in Babylon from Paramount Pictures.

Palmer and Lady Fay Zhu (Li Jun Li) contend with racist attitudes, forcing them to “change” to find success. It’s all rather depressing in the end, and it’s true that a more focused approach would have given “Babylon” additional emotional weight, but it effectively shows lives in flux, spiraling toward harsh reckonings.

Also worth noting are smaller turns from Jean Smart as an intelligent yet unhinged gossip columnist named Elinor St. John, a stressed-out Flea as a studio fixer, and Tobey Maguire as a skin-crawling mob boss James McKay. The whole ensemble — some heavily exaggerated, others more down-to-earth — perfectly fits this wild-and-woolly tale.

This is a maximalist, boundary-pushing, and meaty film to digest. Overstuffed though it is, “Babylon” is a thrill to watch, with assured direction and style out the wazoo. Fair warning, though: if you have a weak stomach, avoid at all costs.

“Babylon” is a 2022 drama written and directed by Damien Chazelle and starring Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva and Jean Smart. It is rated R for strong and crude sexual content, graphic nudity, bloody violence, drug use, and pervasive language and the runtime is 3 hours, 9 minutes. It opened in theaters Dec. 23. Alex’s Grade: A-

Indulgent, Vulgar ‘Babylon’ Focuses On Sleazy ‘Show’ and Callous ‘Biz’

Indulgent, Vulgar ‘Babylon’ Focuses On Sleazy ‘Show’ and Callous ‘Biz’

By Lynn Venhaus

Loud, vulgar, and hollow, “Babylon” is an excessive look at nascent Hollywood without much to say and even less to feel despite its 189-minutes run time.

The drama traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during the silent-to-talking pictures era in early Hollywood, focusing on uninhibited decadence and depravity.

Meant to both celebrate Tinsel Town as a dream factory and to pull back the curtain on a morally bankrupt culture, “Babylon” is a cumbersome mess from writer-director Damien Chazelle, who has crafted pretty images – and some disgusting things that you can’t unsee — in a story without heart or soul.

Chazelle, the youngest Best Director in Oscar history for “La la Land,” when he was 32, has tackled a behind-the-scenes look at aspiring hopefuls in the industry before. But while that opus had characters you cared about and was sprinkled with pixie dust, the five storylines in this frenzied panorama are callous caricatures of ambition and downward spirals.

Brad Pitt appears to be on automatic pilot as hard-drinking matinee idol Jack Conrad, a suave player with a trail of ex-wives. Margot Robbie is dialed up to 11 as coarse New Jersey-born Nellie La Roy, a combative, self-destructive starlet. Newcomer Diego Calva stands out as dreamer Manny Torres, who becomes useful as a studio ‘fixer’ but is unfinished as a character. Jovan Adepo is gut-wrenching as Sidney Powell, a black bandleader facing demeaning requests – in a too-brief storyline. And Jean Smart has one showy scene as Elinor St. John, a powerful gossip columnist modeled after Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons, but otherwise her performance is perfunctory.

Tobey Maguire

That results in a very busy scenario, with a sprawling cast. Tobey Maguire has an unsettling cameo as a degenerate who thrives on sleaze. And blink and you’ll miss Olivia Wilde as one of Jack’s wives, Katherine Waterston as one of his soon-to-be ex’s, Max Minghella as Irving Thalberg and Chloe Fineman as Marion Davies.

The opening 30-minutes are a shocking display of debauchery – those squeamish about bodily fluids, you are warned — and it gets worse from there, but is there anything new to say in concentrating on bizarre grotesqueness and cocaine-fueled party guests?

If you are familiar with Kenneth Anger’s tawdry tattletale, “Hollywood Babylon,” published in 1959 but so controversial that it was unavailable 1965-1975, and its follow-up in 1984, then you’ve read about the headline-grabbing bad behavior of fame-seekers in that era.

The film begins in 1926, then depicts how the change to talkies affected the business. In perhaps the best scene, the problems in the transition wreak havoc on a set with La Roy the ingenue. Frustration leads to more belligerent actions and escalating tirades, and a casualty happens that’s treated so cavalierly, it’s just hard to wrap your head around the attitudes.

The film’s assorted narcissists, posers, and hangers-on — people who may have sold their souls and are drawn, like moths to a flame, to the star-making machinery – eventually burn out or fade away. But Chazelle cheats us with an unsatisfactory wrap-up of their fates in a puzzling finale.

A stunning presence on screen, Robbie demands attention as someone who craves the spotlight but loses her luster when she has too many walks on the wild side. She has played complicated women before – Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya” and Harley Quinn in “Suicide Squad” and “Birds of Prey,” but it’s hard to muster sympathy for such an unlikable character as vainglorious Nellie.

Take away the outrageous examples of living out loud and the gross-outs (projectile vomit, bone-crunching rat-eating, kinky sex acts and funhouse freaks), “Babylon” is hard to figure out the endgame. Why should we care?

Technically, the artisan work is first-rate. Justin Hurwitz’s jazzy propulsive score captures the hedonistic time while cinematographer Linus Sandgren goes big on a grandiose scale, as does production designer Florencia Martin. The man-made opulence contrasts with the undeveloped Southern California hillsides that the cinema pioneers used for their sandboxes and playgrounds.

Above all, disappointment rests with Chazelle, who needed to get out of his own way – and pick a lane. You can’t have it both ways. He demonstrated such a flair for imaginative storytelling in “Whiplash,” “La la Land,” and “First Man,” that “Babylon” made me angry. He took the joy out of make-believe, which is his point, I suppose, but made it repulsive.

We need the magic of movies as an escape from cruel everyday realities, to engage us with flights of fancy. “Babylon” collapses from the weight of its ambition, a nihilistic abyss. It’s a colossal waste of time, talent, and money.

“Babylon” is a 2022 drama written and directed by Damien Chazelle and starring Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva and Jean Smart. It is rated R for strong and crude sexual content, graphic nudity, bloody violence, drug use, and pervasive language and the runtime is 3 hours, 9 minutes. It opened in theaters Dec. 23. Lynn’s Grade: D.

Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy and Diego Calva plays Manny Torres in Babylon from Paramount Pictures.

Muddled ‘Amsterdam’ Wastes Fine All-Star Cast in Epic Misfire

Muddled ‘Amsterdam’ Wastes Fine All-Star Cast in Epic Misfire

How five-time Oscar nominee David O. Russell, director and writer of “Amsterdam,” could squander such a star-studded award-winning cast in one of the most eagerly anticipated fall releases is more of a mystery than this convoluted period piece.

Set in the 1930s, the basic structure is that three friends witness a murder, are framed for it, and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history.

Russell, in his first film since the lackluster 2015 “Joy,” has crafted a historical comedy-drama that is not as funny as he thinks it is, which serves as a cautionary tale about the evils of fascism — but is too heavy-handed to be a sharp social commentary.

After a zippy opening introducing a quirky cadre of characters, midway through its 2 hours, 14 minutes’ run time, I thought: “What is this movie about?” “What is going on?” and “Why was this made?” The climax – especially DeNiro’s strong showing as military brass — prevents the story from totally going off the rails, but still, this is a major disappointment.

It’s mind-boggling, really, that you can have a cast, top to bottom, that does quality work but is either under-utilized or poorly drawn. Oscar winners Christian Bale, Rami Malek and DeNiro are joined by Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Chris Rock, Anya Taylor-Joy, Zoe Saldaña, Mike Myers, Michael Shannon, Timothy Olyphant, Andrea Riseborough, Taylor Swift, Matthias Schoenaerts and Alessandro Nivola.

The A-list cast isn’t the problem, for this ensemble gives it their all, but can’t convince us of caring about a messy murder-mystery that reveals political intrigue and nefarious conspiracy theories.

For every attempt at a madcap 1930s screwball comedy, it becomes a chore to sort out what’s credible in the global arena.

Perhaps you have heard of the “Business Plot,” a 1933 political conspiracy to overthrow President Franklin D. Roosevelt so his socialist “New Deal” agenda couldn’t happen. It was funded by a Wall Street coalition of affluent businessmen who wanted to install a dictator instead. Obviously, the plan failed.

Of course, Russell is trying to connect what’s happening now in the U.S. to what took place then, making sure we get the references to the rise of Hitler in Germany and Mussolini in Italy and the resulting White Supremacy – not to mention parallels to Q-Anon conspiracy theorists

When a U.S. Senator is killed, three friends – a doctor (Bale), a nurse (Robbie), and a lawyer (Washington)– who were on the front lines in World War I, are accused of the crime.

Thus begins a race against time and a never-ending parade of eccentricities, undercover agents, and people with a hidden agenda.

As the three friends, the always superb Bale, a well-suited Washington, and a riveting Robbie gel quite nicely, and I think Washington does better in ensembles than he does in some of his leading roles. Robbie excels as a smart and savvy artist who uses shrapnel to craft designs.

Among the supporting players, Mike Myers and Michael Shannon are very funny as spies who are quite enthusiastic about birds.

At first, the film is reminiscent of Wes Anderson’s distinctive landscapes, in the vein of “The French Dispatch,” but then it unravels quickly because Russell fails to make things cohesive, and the pacing turns sluggish.

Russell was Oscar-nominated as director of “American Hustle,” “The Silver Linings Playbook” and “The Fighter,” and screenwriting for “American Hustle” and “The Silver Linings Playbook.”

However, the look of the film is exceptional. Three-time Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, who often collaborates with Alfonso Cuaron (“Gravity,” “Birdman” and “The Revenant”), makes the night settings glow and his overall look is striking.

Costume designers J.R. Hawbaker and Albert Wolsky outfit the characters in stunning vintage attire while production designer Judy Taylor has enhanced the European settings in fitting details.

Despite those elements and an all-in cast, this movie lands with a thud.

Chris Rock

“Amsterdam” is a 2022 comedy-drama-mystery written and directed by David O. Russell and stars Christian Bale, John David Washington, Margot Robbie, Chris Rock, Anya Taylor-Joy, Zoe Saldana, Rami Malek, Robert DeNiro, Mike Myers, Michael Shannon, Timothy Olyphant, Andrea Riseborough, Taylor Swift, Matthias Schoenaerts, Alessandro Nivola It is rated R for brief violence and bloody images, and has a run time of 2 hours, 15 minutes. Lynn’s Grade: C-

The Envelope Please…Here’s Oscar Night 2020 Predictions

The Envelope Please…Here’s Oscar Night 2020 Predictions

By Lynn Venhaus
We still have a race for Best Picture and Director, as we try to gauge the momentum going into Sunday. Will it be “Parasite” or “1917,” or will fading frontrunner “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood regain its luster? After all, Hollywood loves movies about Hollywood.

The 92nd Academy Awards take place Feb. 9, with ABC broadcasting red carpet live coverage at 5:30 p.m. and the ceremony underway at 7 p.m. CST. This year is the second in a row where there is no host, and it seemed to speed up the proceedings last year. We shall see.

The acting Oscars were apparently sown up weeks ago, as awards season began. If there is any movement, it may be in Supporting Actress, where newcomer Florence Pugh is coming on strong.

The shoo-ins this year? You can safely bet on “Parasite” as Best International Feature, Brad Pitt as Best Supporting Actor in “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood,” his fourth performance nomination (and he’ll likely give the best speech of the night) and Roger Deakins as cinematographer for “1917.”

Will there be surprises and upsets? Or will it be as the pundits predict? Only time will tell. Let’s just hope it’s a fun watch and deserving wins to put the finishing touches on 2019 in film.

And afterwards, we’ll have memes, fashion debates and acceptance speeches to remember.

Here are my picks for the 24 awards:

Best Picture

1917

1917, Ford v Ferrari, The Irishman, JoJo Rabbit, Joker, Little Women, Marriage Story, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood and Parasite

My original frontrunner, “Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood” has faded, and the big momentum is with either “1917” or “Parasite.” I think Oscar voters, with the older voting block, will go with the heart-wrenching World War I epic and be content for “Parasite” to win Best International Feature. While there is always the possibility of an upset, I think the massive endeavor “1917” is deserving.

Best Director

Sam Mendes, (Photo by Richard Goldschmidt)

Sam Mendes, “1917”; Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman”; Todd Phillips, “Joker”; Quentin Tarantino “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” and Bong Joon-Ho, “Parasite”

I am in the “Sam Mendes is a genius” camp but Bong Joon-Ho’s work in “Parasite” is worthy too. Both are innovative, visual artists. I’d like a tie, like Critics Choice Association. I’m going with Mendes, as he won Directors Guild of America, the big prognosticator.

Joker

Best Actor

Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory”; Leonardo DiCaprio “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood”; Adam Driver, “Marriage Story”; Joaquin Phoenix “Joker”; Jonathan Pryce “The Two Popes.”

Hands down, Joaquin Phoenix. He gave us pathos as he showed Joker’s pain behind the façade and made his descent into madness frightening. Nobody is more fearless working in film today. Adam Driver would be a close second for his acting showcase in “Marriage Story.”

Judy

Best Actress

Cynthia Erivo, “Harriet”; Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”: Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women”; Charlize Theron, “Bombshell”; Renee Zellweger’s “Judy.”

Not a fan of Renee Zellweger’s “Judy” but she has won all earlier awards, and I see no reason why she wouldn’t. However, my pick would be the radiant Saoirse Ronan for “Little Women.” If there is an upset, Scarlett Johansson – finally nominated – would be a worthy winner for her tour de force in “Marriage Story.”

Best Supporting Actor

Ozark’s own Brad Pitt

 Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”; Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes”; Al Pacino “The Irishman”; Joe Pesci “The Irishman”; Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood.”

Perhaps the only sure thing Oscar night, Brad Pitt is a lock as stuntman Cliff Booth. He’s not just deserving but overdue. Besides, he’s certain to give the best speech of the night, given his track record this awards season.

Best Supporting Actress

Kathy Bates “Richard Jewell”; Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”; Scarlett Johansson, “JoJo Rabbit”; Florence Pugh, “Little Women”; Margot Robbie “Bombshell.”

While I think the acting Oscars have already been nailed down, this might be the upset category. Laura Dern as the shark lawyer in “Marriage Story,” obsessed with winning at all costs, is my pick, and she was also terrific in “Little Women,” but Margot Robbie’s ambitious Fox News staffer could edge her out or first-time nominee Scarlett Johansson could finally get Oscar love as the mom in “JoJo Rabbit.”

Best Adapted Screenplay

Greta Gerwig, “Little Women”;  Andrew McLaren, “The Two Popes”; Todd Phillips, “Joker”; Taika Waititi, “JoJo Rabbit”; Steve Zaillian “The Irishman.”

My favorite is Taika Waititi for the sharp social satire “JoJo Rabbit,” but the revered Steve Zaillian’s adaptation of “The Irishman” could be the film’s only win for its masterful storytelling.

Parasite

Best Original Screenplay

Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns, “1917”; Noah Baumbach, “Marriage Story”; Rian Johnson, “Knives Out”; Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood”; Bong Joon-Ho and Han Jin Wan, “Parasite.”

Best Cinematography

1917, The Irishman, Joker, The Lighthouse, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood.

What Roger Deakins did with “1917” is remarkable and propels him to his second win in three years. He had been snubbed for decades for his tremendous work in Coen Brothers’ films, then started working with director Denis Villeneuve a few years back – and finally won in 2018 for “Blade Runner 2049.” What he achieved with making “1917” appear to have been shot in two takes is incredible.

Best Editing

Ford v Ferrari

Ford v Ferrari, The Irishman, JoJo Rabbit, Joker, Parasite.

How can “1917” be omitted here? I think a bone should be thrown to crowd-pleasing “Ford v. Ferrari.” This film was a challenging shot, and the editors captured both the thrill and danger of endurance racing.

Best Production Design

1917, The Irishman, JoJo Rabbit, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, Parasite.

For its meticulous research and replica of 1969 Hollywood, it must be “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” However, the house in “Parasite” and all the trenches and realistic war landscape in “1917” make the case for those films.

Best Music Score

1917, Joker, Little Women, Marriage Story, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.


Previously, I thought it was a battle between the Newman generations – Randy for “Marriage Story” and Thomas for ‘1917.” But now I’m in support of Hildur Gudnadottir winning for “Joker.’ From Iceland, Gudnadottir won the Emmy and Grammy for HBO’s “Chernobyl” and the Golden Globe and BAFTA for “Joker.” She’d be the first solo woman to win this Oscar, and I can get behind that.

Best Song

“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away Again,” Toy Story 4; “I’m Going to Stand with You,” Breakthrough; “Into the Unknown,” Frozen II; “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” Rocketman; “Stand Up,” Harriet.

After much debate — and enjoying the Panic! At the Disco version of “Into the Unknown” a lot, I’m now resigned to Elton John winning for “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” his fourth nominated song but his first with longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin.

Best Costume Design

Little Women

The Irishman, JoJo Rabbit, Joker, Little Women, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood.

“Little Women,” of course.

Bombshell

Best Hair and Makeup

1917, Bombshell, Joker, Judy, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.
 
“Bombshell” for making the actresses look uncannily like the Fox women they portray, and for turning John Lithgow into a convincing Roger Ailes.

Best Sound Mixing

 1917, Ad Astra, Ford v Ferrari, Joker, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood.

“1917” is the likely winner but “Ford v Ferrari” would be a justifiable winner.

Best Sound Editing

1917, Ford v Ferrari, Joker, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker.

Ditto as to what I said about sound mixing.

Best Visual Effects

The Avengers Endgame

1917, The Avengers; Endgame,” “The Irishman,” “The Lion King” and “Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker.”

“The Avengers: Endgame” was so smooth and seamless, and the CGI not overdone, that I can’t imagine another movie winning. But there is that ninth little movie in a galaxy far, far away.

Toy Story 4

Best Animated Feature

The Hidden Link, How to Drain Your Dragon, I Lost My Body, Klaus, Toy Story 4.

The fitting and grand finale to one of my all-time favorite franchises, Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” should win, especially since “Frozen II” was snubbed. But Laika’s “The Missing Link” is adorable and the final chapter of “Dragon” is its most captivating.

Best International Feature

Corpus Christi, Honeyland, Les Miserables, Pain and Glory, Parasite.

The safest bet is South Korean’s “Parasite.” What a genre-bending masterpiece – its mix of comedy, drama, thriller and horror is one that will linger in your head for days.


Best Documentary Feature

American Factory, The Cave, The Edge of Democracy, For Sama, Honeyland,

Without the magnificent “Apollo 11” even nominated, I’ll give “American Factory” the edge, although “Honeyland,” about ancient beekeeping traditions in has a lot of love (which I don’t share).  Netflix’s “American Factory” is about a re-opened plant in Ohio now owned by Chinese businessmen, and the culture clash that develops. It is produced by Michelle and Barack Obama’s company Higher Ground.

Best Documentary Short

In the Absence, , Learning to Skateboard in a War Zone if You’re a Girl, Life Overtakes Me, St. Louis Superman, Walk Run Cha Cha.

As much as we’d love to see “St. Louis Superman” get national attention, it does have a questionable ending – and really, “Learning to Skateboard in a War Zone If You’re a Girl” appears to be headed for the win.

Best Live-Action Short

Brotherhood, Nefta Football Club, The Neighbors’ Window, Saria, A Sister.

This is one of those Oscar pool contest busters –usually the wild card. Although I’ve read “Saria” is gaining traction, I’m going with “The Neighbor’s Window” because, while its less of a gut-punch than the others, it seems the most unconventional. Overall, it’s a really depressing bunch.

Best Animated Short

Dcera, Hair Love, Kitbull, Memorable, Sister.

Often whatever Pixar short is before Disney’s blockbuster is the safe choice, but the studio didn’t put anything before “Toy Story IV” or “Frozen II.” Pixar’s “Kitbull” is hand-drawn and about the friendship of a kitten and an abused pitbull. Adorable, right? But “Hair Love,” about a dad’s effort to braid his daughter’s hair, which was shown before “Angry Birds 2,” is my choice for the gold.