2021 BEST FLICK NOMINEES
Updated: May 27, 2021
Oscar Flicks With Billy Disaster #1
Last nights movie was The Trial of the Chicago 7 starring William Kunstler, Frank Langella and many others.
I’m too young (and ignorant) to have known anything about the 1968 riots at the Democratic National Convention so everything in this movie was new info for me. And it was maddening and deeply moving. Frank Langella played the asshole Judge Hoffman so well that if I ever met him in person, I would have to remind myself “don’t hate him, he’s just an actor”. His treatment of Bobby Seale had me screaming at my TV to the point that Mrs. Disaster had to apologize to the neighbors (again). Another standout performance in a giant pool of awesome performances was William Kunstler playing the defense lawyer Mark Rylance. He had a great street smart worldly way about him that was both comforting and inspiring. The story is so very relevant to the political climate and protests of the last year that it made this flick that much more engaging (except we thankfully don’t have a Vietnam war happening now). The bravery of so many of the characters brought a tear to my eye and even the prosecutor played by Joseph Gordon -Levitt (who I’ve hated ever since I saw Don Jon🤮) had me cheering for standing up to that douche bag judge. I love a good court room drama movie and I loved this. 5 Oscars for The Trial of the Chicago 7 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆. Tonight‘s movie will be The Sound of Metal. ♥️You billydisaster.com #moviereview #moviereviews #academyawards #oscars2021
Oscar Flicks With Billy Disaster #2
Last nights movie was Sound of Metal starring Riz Ahmed and Olivia Cooke.
One of the reasons I was stoked to see this was because I loved Riz Ahmed in Rogue One (The Best Star Wars Movie Ever Made). And he was even better playing Ruben Stone in this movie. This dude can act! If fact every actor in this was excellent. But the real star here is the sound design.
The audience is immersed in Ruben’s almost total deafness with the sound design and it is gripping. The form and the pace of this is a lot like the 1st movement of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata where the slow and dark tempo takes center stage while the sparse yet meaningful melody creates the emotional tragedy of Ruben. Like the Moonlight, there are glimpses of hope that are pulled away by more tragedy.
The relationship of Ruben and his band mate/girlfriend Lou (Cooke) is true love at its best and really drives the main subject of this flick...empathy. This was almost like a clinic for being empathetic to those that suffer from deafness and addiction.
This movie was truly engaging but a difficult 2 hours. It was awful being in Ruben’s world but it was certainly worth it. 4 Oscars for Sound of Metal 🏆🏆🏆🏆. Tonight’s movie will be Promising Young Woman. ♥️You billydisaster.com
Oscar Flicks With Billy Disaster #3
Last nights movie was Promising Young Woman starring Carey Mulligan.
This flick played tricks on me. Act I and II were a very cool series of scenes setting up the story and the great character of Cassandra (Mulligan). The art direction was reminiscent of Wes Anderson and Carey Mulligan was terrific throughout the whole movie.
But then Act III kicked in and I became worried. It focused on Bo Burnham’s character, Cassandra’s boyfriend Ryan🤢, who was a 90’s chick flick, rom com, super boring, super white and overly sensitive douche that made me sick to my stomach🤮. I almost turned this movie off when it went into an embarrassing “falling in love” montage (I fucking hate montages).
But, thankfully Acts IIII and V took revenge on Bo and his dickhead white privileged associates. The dynamic was well played.
I appreciated the message and the style of this movie, however I don’t think it’s “Best Picture” material. It was a minor variation of Kill Bill complete with Daryl Hannah‘s nurse outfit. 3 Oscars for Promising Young Woman🏆🏆🏆 . Tonight’s movie will be Mank. ♥️You.
Oscar Flicks With Billy Disaster #4
Last nights movie was Mank starring Gary Oldmanand Amanda Seyfried
I haven’t seen Citizen Kane in like 25 years but now I’m dying to see it again. Mank is about the writing and details about the release of Citizen Kane and the risks it took to make it happen.
Gary Oldman is BITCHIN in his role as Herrman Mankiewicz who was Orson Welles’ washed up and drunk screenplay writer for the film. Welles gives him 60 days to come up with the screenplay and the result is a masterpiece that fucks with the Hollywood power players (L.B. Mayer and William Randolph Hearst) (Who were perfectly cast by Arliss Howard and Charles Dance) for their greedy politics. Meanwhile we get many flashback scenes that peel the curtain back on 1930s Hollywood and are introduced to some truly wonderful characters including Marion Davies (Seyfried) who is playful and beautiful. Another standout performance was by Tuppence Middleton who plays Mank’s awesome and patient wife.
But Gary Oldman is the powerhouse in this flick. There is a scene where he shows up at the Hearst castle all fucked up and delivers one of my favorite monologues of all time. The scene is so well shot and performed that I had to pause the movie and calm down for a moment. It was amazing.
There were a couple of issues with this movie. It takes a while to get into it and is a bit confusing for the 1st 20 minutes or so. It’s also photographed very dark and is sometimes hard to see what we really want to see.
A few critics shat on this movie calling it boring, but I suspect that they spend most of their time watching superhero cartoons or something. This movie is fascinating and deserves multiple viewings. OH! And kudos to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for the killer score. 5 Oscars for Mank 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆. tonight will be the final Oscar Flicks With with Billy Disaster. I’ll take a vote on what I should review last.. The Father?.. Judas in the Black Messiah?.. Minari?..Nomanland?
